

[Federal Register: December 7, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 235)]
[Notices]               
[Page 69272-69274]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07de07-94]                         

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-56885; File No. SR-NYSEArca-2007-123]

 
Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change as Modified by 
Amendment No. 1 Relating to the Extension of the Pilot Program for 
Initial and Continued Financial Listing Standards for Common Stock of 
Operating Companies Until May 31, 2008

December 3, 2007.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that 
on November 29, 2007, NYSE Arca, Inc. (``NYSE Arca'' or ``Exchange'') 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the 
proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items 
have been substantially prepared by the Exchange. On November 30, 2007, 
the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change.\3\ The 
Exchange filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) 
of the Act \4\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder,\5\ which renders

[[Page 69273]]

the proposed rule change effective upon filing with the Commission. The 
Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the 
proposed rule change from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ In Amendment No. 1, the Exchange corrected a typographical 
error on the proposed Pilot Program (as defined below) extension 
date and explained the amendment to the Pilot Program.
    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \5\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange, through its wholly-owned subsidiary NYSE Arca 
Equities, Inc. (``NYSE Arca Equities''), has amended the rules 
governing NYSE Arca, LLC (also referred to as the ``NYSE Arca 
Marketplace''), which is the equities trading facility of NYSE Arca 
Equities, on a pilot program basis (``Pilot Program'') to amend the 
initial and continued financial listing standards for common stock of 
operating companies. The Pilot Program expires on November 30, 2007. 
The Exchange proposes to extend the Pilot Program until May 31, 2008.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, the self-regulatory organization 
included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the 
proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at 
the places specified in Item IV below. The self-regulatory organization 
has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the 
most significant aspects of such statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    NYSE Arca has amended on a pilot program basis the rules governing 
the NYSE Arca Marketplace to amend the financial listing standards for 
common stock of operating companies.\6\ On October 3, 2007, the 
Commission approved the Exchange's proposal to amend the Pilot Program 
to, among other things, make the initial listing standards more 
restrictive and to exclude from qualification some companies that 
qualified to list but whose size or financial performance is not 
consistent with the kind of issuer the Exchange intended to list.\7\ 
Based on the results of the Pilot Program, the Exchange has determined 
that the Pilot Program has met its expectations. As a result, the 
Exchange intends to file a proposal to permanently adopt the Pilot 
Program.
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    \6\ The Commission initially approved the Pilot Program for six 
months, until May 29, 2007. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 
54796 (November 20, 2006), 71 FR 69166 (November 29, 2006) (SR-
NYSEArca-2006-85). The Pilot Program was subsequently extended for 
an additional six months, until November 30, 2007. See Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 55838 (May 31, 2007), 72 FR 31642 (June 7, 
2007) (SR-NYSEArca-2007-51).
    \7\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 56606, 72 FR 57982 
(October 11, 2007) (SR-NYSEArca-2007-69).
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    The Pilot Program expires on November 30, 2007. The Exchange 
proposes to extend the Pilot Program until May 31, 2008. This extension 
will permit Exchange staff to prepare the rule filing proposing to 
permanently adopt the Pilot Program.
2. Statutory Basis
    The proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) of the 
Act,\8\ in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of 
the Act,\9\ in particular, in that it is designed to prevent fraudulent 
and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable 
principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with 
persons engaged in facilitating transactions in securities, and to 
remove impediments to and perfect the mechanisms of a free and open 
market and a national market system.
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will 
impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate 
in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed 
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others

    The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on 
the proposed rule change.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \10\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \11\ thereunder 
because the proposal does not: (i) Significantly affect the protection 
of investors or the public interest; (ii) impose any significant burden 
on competition; and (iii) by its terms, become operative for 30 days 
from the date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as the 
Commission may designate if consistent with the protection of investors 
and the public interest, provided that the Exchange has given the 
Commission notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change, along 
with a brief description and text of the proposed rule change, at least 
five business days prior to the date of filing of the proposed rule 
change, or such shorter time as designated by the Commission.
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    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \11\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) normally may 
not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of filing. 
However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \12\ permits the Commission to designate 
a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of 
investors and the public interest. The Exchange has requested that the 
Commission waive the 30-day operative delay period. The Commission 
believes that waiver of the 30-day operative delay period is consistent 
with the protection of investors and the public interest. Specifically, 
the Commission believes that the proposal would allow the Pilot Program 
to continue without any interruption, until May 31, 2008.\13\ The 
Commission further notes that no comments were received on the Pilot 
Program.
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    \12\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \13\ For purposes only of waiving the operative delay for this 
proposal, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact 
on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 
78c(f).
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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule 
change, the Commission may summarily abrogate such proposed rule change 
if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or 
appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or 
otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.\14\
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    \14\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(C). For purposes of calculating the 60-
day period within which the Commission may summarily abrogate the 
proposal, the Commission considers the period to commence on 
November 30, 2007, the date on which the Exchange submitted 
Amendment No. 1.
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IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule 
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of 
the following methods:

Electronic Comments

     Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml.
); or     Send an e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include 

File Number SR-NYSEArca-2007-123 on the subject line.

[[Page 69274]]

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Nancy M. Morris, 
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEArca-2007-123. This 
file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. 
To help the Commission process and review your comments more 
efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all 
comments on the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml
). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, 

all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that 
are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating 
to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, 
other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance 
with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection 
and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, 
NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours 
of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All 
comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does 
not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should 
submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All 
submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEArca-2007-123 and should 
be submitted on or before December 28, 2007.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\15\
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    \15\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-23755 Filed 12-6-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
