[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4715-4716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01950]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-82589; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2018-006]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Make a Technical Adjustment to its Rules To Allow Sub-Penny Quoting and 
Order Entry in Managed Fund Shares Priced Less Than $1.00

January 26, 2018.
    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 January 23, 2018, The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (``Nasdaq'' 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 proposes to amend Nasdaq Rule 5735 to make a technical 
adjustment to its rules to allow sub-penny quoting and order entry in 
Managed Fund Shares. This filing is substantively identical to the 
relevant portion of a NYSE Arca, Inc. filing (SR-NYSEArca-2010-36).\3\
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    \3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62006 (April 29, 
2010), 75 FR 25019 (May 6, 2010) (SR-NYSEArca-2010-36).
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    The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's 
website at http://nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com, at the principal office of 
the Exchange, 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 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to make a technical adjustment [sic] its 
rules to allow sub-penny quoting of Managed Fund Shares. Currently, 
Nasdaq Rule 5735 restricts the minimum price variation for quoting and 
order entry to $0.01. Consistent with Regulation NMS Rule 612, the 
Exchange proposes to remove this provision to allow such securities to 
be quoted in a minimum pricing increment of $0.0001 for securities 
priced less than $1.00. The Exchange notes that it has not had any of 
the aforementioned securities quote below a dollar nor does it 
anticipate such an occurrence in the reasonably foreseeable future. The 
Exchange simply seeks to harmonize the minimum price variation in the 
aforementioned product with other equity securities traded on the 
Exchange.\4\
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    \4\ See Nasdaq Rule 4613(a)(2)(I).
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    Moreover, the Exchange notes that this approach is substantially 
similar to the approach taken by NYSE Arca in 2010 in eliminating NYSE 
Arca Equities Rule 8.600 Commentary .03, which restricted the minimum 
price variation for quoting and order entry for Managed Fund Shares to 
$0.01.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b) of the Act,\5\ in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 
6(b)(5) of the Act,\6\ in particular, because 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 regulating, clearing, settling, processing 
information with respect to, and facilitating transactions in 
securities, to remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanisms of, a 
free and open market and a national market system.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    The Exchange believes that the proposed amendment is consistent 
with the goal of removing impediments to a free and open market because 
the changes proposed herein will substantially harmonize Nasdaq's sub-
penny quoting and order entry rules with Rule 612 of Regulation NMS 
which allows a minimum pricing increment of $0.0001 for securities 
priced less than $1.00.

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 and the proposed rule change may 
serve to enhance competition and put the exchange on an equal 
competitive footing as it pertains to sub-penny quoting and order entry 
for Managed Fund Shares.

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

    No written comments were either solicited or 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

[[Page 4716]]

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 Section 
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \7\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\8\
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). As required under Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii), the Exchange provided the Commission with written 
notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change, along with a 
brief description and the 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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    A proposed rule change filed pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the 
Act \9\ normally does not become operative for 30 days after the date 
of its filing. However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \10\ 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 asked the Commission to waive the 30-day operative delay so that 
the proposal may become operative immediately upon filing. As noted 
above, NYSE Arca, Inc. has already adopted a substantively identical 
change to its rules.\11\ According to the Exchange, the proposed rule 
change will put the Exchange on an equal competitive footing with 
respect to sub-penny quoting and order entry for Managed Fund Shares 
priced less than $1.00. The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day 
operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the 
public interest. Therefore, the Commission hereby waives the 30-day 
operative delay and designates the proposal operative upon filing.\12\
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    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \11\ See supra note 3 and accompanying text.
    \12\ For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, 
the Commission has also 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 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. If the Commission 
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings to 
determine whether the proposed rule change should be approved or 
disapproved.

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 [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-NASDAQ-2018-006 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

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

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2018-006. 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 website (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 website 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. Persons submitting comments are 
cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying 
information from comment submissions. You should submit only 
information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions 
should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2018-006 and should be submitted 
on or before February 22, 2018.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\13\
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    \13\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-01950 Filed 1-31-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P


