
[Federal Register: April 22, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 77)]
[Notices]               
[Page 21069-21071]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ap10-125]                         

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-61926; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2010-049]

 
Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Modify Fees for Members Using the NASDAQ Market Center

April 16, 2010.
    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 April 13, 2010, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``NASDAQ'') filed with 
the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the proposed 
rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items 
have been prepared by NASDAQ. Pursuant to

[[Page 21070]]

Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(2) 
thereunder,\4\ NASDAQ has designated this proposal as establishing or 
changing a due, fee, or other charge, which renders the proposed rule 
change effective upon filing. 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\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
    \4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of the 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    NASDAQ proposes to modify pricing for NASDAQ members using the 
NASDAQ Market Center. NASDAQ will implement the proposed change on 
April 15, 2010. The text of the proposed rule change is available at 
http://nasdaqomx.cchwallstreet.com/, at NASDAQ's principal office, and 
at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

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

    In its filing with the Commission, NASDAQ included statements 
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and 
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The 
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in 
Item IV below. NASDAQ 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
    NASDAQ is proposing to modify its fees for orders that execute at 
prices below $1. Currently, NASDAQ charges 0.3% (30 basis points) of 
the total dollar value of the execution to members accessing liquidity, 
and provides a rebate of 0.2% (20 basis points) of the total dollar 
value to members providing liquidity. Through this filing, NASDAQ will 
reduce the fee to access liquidity to 0.2% (20 basis points) of the 
total dollar value and the rebate for providing liquidity to 0.1% (10 
basis points) of the total dollar value. The change is a competitive 
response to several other transaction venues that have made mid-April 
changes to fees for securities priced under $1.\5\ The new fees are 
consistent with the limitations of Regulation NMS, SEC Rule 610(c), for 
securities with a price of less than $1. NASDAQ's fee for routing 
securities priced below $1 remains unchanged at 0.3% (30 basis points) 
of the total dollar value.
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    \5\ See http://apps.nyse.com/commdata/pub19b4.nsf/docs/
50B8C6B6842FEA1E85257700006A989D/$FILE/NYSEArca-2010-26.pdf (NYSE 
Arca); http://www.nsx.com/resources/content/5/1/documents/SR-NSX-
2010-04.pdf (National Stock Exchange); http://www.ise.com/assets/
documents/OptionsExchange/legal/proposed_rule_changes/2010/SR-ISE-
2010-29$Proposed_Rule_Change_Relating_to_Direct_Edge%20_ECN_
Fee_Change_for_ISE_Members$20100405.pdf (Direct Edge).
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2. Statutory Basis
    NASDAQ believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with 
the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\6\ in general, and with Section 
6(b)(4) of the Act,\7\ in particular, in that it provides for the 
equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees and other charges among 
members and issuers and other persons using any facility or system 
which NASDAQ operates or controls. The impact of the price changes upon 
the net fees paid by a particular market participant will depend upon a 
number of variables, including the relative availability of liquidity 
on NASDAQ and other venues, the prices of the market participant's 
quotes and orders relative to the national best bid and offer (i.e., 
its propensity to add or remove liquidity), and the types of securities 
that it trades. NASDAQ believes that the proposed changes are 
reasonable and equitable in that they apply uniformly to all similarly 
situated members.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    NASDAQ does not believe that the proposed rule change will result 
in any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Act, as amended. Because the market 
for order execution and routing is extremely competitive, members may 
readily direct orders to NASDAQ's competitors if they object to the 
proposed rule change.

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

    Written comments were neither solicited nor received.

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)(ii) of the Act \8\ and subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b-4 
thereunder.\9\ At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed 
rule change, the Commission may summarily abrogate such 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.
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(a)(ii).
    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
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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-NASDAQ-2010-049 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

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

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2010-049. 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 Web site 
viewing and printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room 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 offices of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted 
without change; the Commission does

[[Page 21071]]

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-NASDAQ-2010-049, and should 
be submitted on or before May 13, 2010.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\10\
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    \10\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-9281 Filed 4-21-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P

