
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69468-69469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27628]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-70862; File No. SR-MIAX-2013-51]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Miami International Securities 
Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed 
Rule Change To Amend Exchange Rule 504, Trading Halts

November 13, 2013.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(the ``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given 
that on November 1, 2013, Miami International Securities Exchange LLC 
(``MIAX'' 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 prepared by the Exchange. 
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.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange is filing a proposal to amend Rule 504, Trading Halts. 
The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web 
site at http://www.miaxoptions.com/filter/wotitle/rule_filing, at 
MIAX'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, the Exchange 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. The Exchange 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 the 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to amend Rule 504 in order to provide for an 
automated notification between five and twenty seconds prior to the 
resumption of trading in an option class (a ``Post-Halt Notification'') 
following a regulatory halt, trading pause or market-wide trading halt.
    Currently, the Exchange's Trading Operations staff at the MIAX Help 
Desk issues a Post-Halt Notification twenty seconds before trading 
resumes in an option class that has been halted pursuant to Rule 
504(a). The Post-Halt Notification states the time at which trading in 
the option class or classes is expected to resume providing subscribers 
of the Exchange's data feeds with a brief notice period (twenty 
seconds) to prepare for the beginning or resumption of trading after a 
trading system halt has ended. For trading halts initiated by the 
System due to a regulatory halt, trading pause or market-wide trading 
halt, no Post-Halt Notification currently is provided to market 
participants.\3\ Not providing a Post-Halt Notification for these types 
of trading halts while providing one for halts pursuant to Rule 504(a) 
potentially creates unnecessary confusion on the part of market 
participants seeking information about when options trading may restart 
following a trading halt. In addition, without the Post-Halt 
Notification after a regulatory halt, trading pause or market-wide 
trading halt, market participants may not be able to be in a position 
to resume quoting and/or submitting orders as soon as such an option 
class begins trading following a trading halt, thus delaying reopening. 
The Exchange proposes to eliminate any potential confusion that may be 
caused by the disparate treatment resulting from providing Post-Halt 
Notifications after trading halts pursuant to Rule 504(a), but not 
regulatory halts, trading pauses or market-wide trading halts.
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    \3\ See Exchange Rule 504(d) (specifically carving out 
regulatory halts, trading pauses or market-wide trading halts from 
the Post-Halt Notification).
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    The Exchange proposes to amend Rule 504 to provide that in 
situations of a regulatory halt, trading pause or market-wide trading 
halt, a Post-Halt Notification will be broadcast between five and 
twenty seconds before trading will begin or resume. The Post-Halt 
Notification period for a regulatory halt, trading pause or market-wide 
trading halt will be configurable in the MIAX System for a time period 
between five and twenty seconds before trading in the option class 
resumes. The MIAX System will send a broadcast message indicating that 
trading in the option class will begin or resume within the 
configurable Post-Halt Notification period. The Exchange will announce 
the duration of the Post-Halt Notification

[[Page 69469]]

period through a Regulatory Circular, and will issue a Regulatory 
Circular prior to the beginning of trading on any day that the Post-
Halt Notification period is reconfigured.\4\ The Exchange believes that 
the new Post-Halt Notification will eliminate potential confusion on 
the timing of reopening after a regulatory halt, trading pause or 
market-wide trading halt and thus provide market participants with the 
opportunity to be in a position to resume quoting and/or submitting 
orders as soon as such an option class begins trading in a manner that 
facilitates the reopening of trading after a halt and benefits all 
market participants on the Exchange.
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    \4\ The Post-Halt Notification period will not be reconfigured 
on an intra-day basis. The Exchange does not anticipate changing the 
configuration on a frequent basis.
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    The Exchange notes that in the situation of a halt pursuant to Rule 
504(a), just as today, the Post-Halt Notification will continue to be 
initiated by Help Desk staff and broadcast twenty seconds before 
trading will begin or resume.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposed rule change is consistent 
with Section 6(b) \5\ of the Act in general, and furthers the 
objectives of Section 6(b)(5) \6\ of the Act 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, to remove impediments to and perfect the 
mechanisms of a free and open market and a national market system and, 
in general, to protect investors and the public interest.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    The proposal is designed to enhance the Exchange's ability to 
notify participants when a previously halted option class will begin or 
resume trading, which removes impediments to, and perfects the 
mechanisms of, a free and open market and the national market system as 
a whole, by ensuring that participants are in a position to resume 
quoting and/or submitting orders as soon as such an option class begins 
trading following a regulatory halt, trading pause or market-wide 
trading halt. The system change also fosters cooperation and 
coordination with persons engaged in facilitating transactions in 
securities by ensuring that all subscribers to the Exchange's data 
feeds receive automatic notification of the trading status of a halted 
issue.

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 not necessary or appropriate in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Act. The Exchange believes that the 
Post-Halt Notification broadcast by the MIAX System actually enhances 
competition by expeditiously notifying Members that an affected option 
class will begin or resume trading, thus incenting market participants 
to resume quoting competitively and/or to submit orders to the Exchange 
for execution upon such resumption.

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

    Because the foregoing proposed rule change does not: (i) 
Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public 
interest; (ii) impose any significant burden on competition; and (iii) 
become operative for 30 days from the date on which it was filed, or 
such shorter time as the Commission may designate, it has become 
effective pursuant to 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \7\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) 
\8\ thereunder.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6) 
requires a self-regulatory organization to give the Commission 
written notice of its intent to file 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. 
The Exchange has satisfied this requirement.
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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule 
change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend 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.

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 email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include 
File Number SR-MIAX-2013-51 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-MIAX-2013-51. This file 
number should be included on the subject line if email 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, 100 F Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the 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-MIAX-2013-51 and should be 
submitted on or before December 10, 2013.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\9\
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    \9\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-27628 Filed 11-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P


