Notice2024-19769
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Nasdaq BX, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Amend Options 3, Sections 15 and 25
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Published
September 4, 2024
Issuing agencies
Securities and Exchange Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72125-72128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19769]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-100859; File No. SR-BX-2024-031]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Nasdaq BX, Inc.; Notice of Filing
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Amend Options 3,
Sections 15 and 25
August 28, 2024.
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 August 20, 2024, Nasdaq BX, Inc. (``BX'' or ``Exchange'') 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 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 its Rules at Options 3, Sections 15
and 25.
The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's
website at <a href="https://listingcenter.nasdaq.com/rulebook/nasdaq/rules">https://listingcenter.nasdaq.com/rulebook/nasdaq/rules</a>, 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
BX proposes to amend Options 3, Section 25, Anonymity, to permit
trade reports to reveal certain additional information concerning
contra parties. The Exchange also proposes an amendment to Options 3,
Section 15, Risk Protections. Each change will be described below.
Anonymity
Today, transaction reports produced by the System indicate the
details of the transactions, but do not reveal ``contra party
identities'' pursuant to Options 3, Section 25(a). In limited
circumstances, BX will reveal a Participant's identity as described in
Options 3, Section 25(b).\3\
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\3\ Pursuant to Options 3, Section 25(b), BX will reveal a
Participant's identity: (1) when a registered clearing agency ceases
to act for a participant, or the Participant's clearing firm, and
the registered clearing agency determines not to guarantee the
settlement of the Participant's trades; (2) for regulatory purposes
or to comply with an order of an arbitrator or court; (3) if both
Participants to the transaction consent; and (4) Unless otherwise
instructed by a Member, BX will reveal to a member, no later than
the end of the day on the date an anonymous trade was executed, when
the member's Order has been decremented by another Order submitted
by that same member.
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Background
Today, BX does not display any market participant capacity
information \4\ prior to execution, nor does BX provide transaction
reports that include contra party identities.\5\ For example, BX does
not reveal the market capacity in its BX Top of Market (BX Top)
feed.\6\ Additionally, BX provides a
[[Page 72126]]
Clearing Trade Interface \7\ message for post-trade reporting and a
Trade Details report \8\ that do not display contra party identities.
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\4\ A market participant capacity is a code that correlates to
the capacity of an order at The Options Clearing Corporation
(``OCC'').
\5\ The contra party identity is the mnemonic or house account
for the contra side of the trade. The term ``mnemonic'' means an
acronym comprised of letters and/or numbers assigned to Participants
pursuant to Options 1, Section 1(a)(32). A Participant account may
be associated with multiple mnemonics. A house account is a number
provided by the Exchange to identify members.
\6\ Pursuant to Options 3, Section 23(a)(2), BX Top of Market
(BX Top) calculates and disseminates BX's best bid and offer and
last sale information for trades executed on BX Options. The feed
also provides last trade information and for each options series
includes the symbols (series and underlying security), put or call
indicator, expiration date, the strike price of the series, and
whether the option series is available for trading on BX and
identifies if the series is available for closing transactions only.
\7\ Pursuant to BX Options 3, Section 23(b)(1), the Clearing
Trade Interface (``CTI'') is a real-time clearing trade update
message that is sent to a member after an execution has occurred and
contains trade details specific to that member. The information
includes, among other things, the following: (i) The Clearing Member
Trade Agreement or ``CMTA'' or ``OCC'' number; (ii) Exchange badge
or house number; (iii) the Exchange internal firm identifier; (iv)
an indicator which will distinguish electronic and non-
electronically delivered orders; (v) liquidity indicators and
transaction type for billing purposes; and (vi) capacity.
\8\ The Trade Details report is a report containing all of a
member's executed trades along with all relevant trade information,
and clearing information.
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Unlike BX, other options exchanges are not anonymous and display
market participant capacity prior to execution and provide transaction
reports with contra party identities.\9\ For example, Phlx displays
market participants capacity information in its PHLX Orders feed,\10\
and MIAX provides a Clearing Trade Drop report \11\ with the contra
party MPID displayed.
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\9\ See e.g. Nasdaq Phlx, LLC (``Phlx''), Nasdaq ISE, LLC
(``ISE''), Nasdaq GEMX, LLC (``GEMX'') and Nasdaq MRX, LLC (``MRX'')
and MIAX.
\10\ Pursuant to Options 3, Section 23(a)(2), PHLX Orders is a
real-time full Limit Order book data feed that provides pricing
information for orders on the PHLX Order book for displayed order
types as well as market participant capacity. PHLX Orders is
currently provided as part of the TOPO Plus Orders data product.
PHLX Orders provides real-time information to enable users to keep
track of the single and complex order book(s). The data provided for
each options series includes the symbols (series and underlying
security), put or call indicator, expiration date, the strike price
of the series, leg information on complex strategies and whether the
option series is available for trading on Phlx and identifies if the
series is available for closing transactions only. The feed also
provides auction and exposure notifications and order imbalances on
opening/reopening (size of matched contracts and size of the
imbalance).
\11\ For example, see Miami International Securities Exchange
LLC (``MIAX'') Clearing Trade Drop specifications at: <a href="https://www.miaxglobal.com/sites/default/files/page-files/Clearing_Trade_Drop_CTD_v2.6c.pdf">https://www.miaxglobal.com/sites/default/files/page-files/Clearing_Trade_Drop_CTD_v2.6c.pdf</a>.
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With this amendment, BX's CTI would provide the house account of
the contra party and BX's Trade Detail report would provide the
mnemonic, firm name, and other relevant clearing information of the
contra party. These changes would be identical to the CTI and Trade
Detail Report contra party information provided by Phlx, ISE, GEMX and
MRX and analogous to the contra party information that MIAX provides
its members.
Ovation
In terms of workflow, today, BX's System executes an order, the
trade information for that order is sent to OCC and includes contra
party identities. OCC then disseminates trade messages that contain a
matched trade per record with both buy and sell sides of an order, also
revealing contra party identities.
OCC announced that it will amend its platform, with project
Ovation, in 2025.\12\ Among other changes, OCC will amend trade
reporting and will split the trade into two trade messages; one for the
buyer and one for the seller. As a result of this change, OCC Clearing
Members will only receive the clearing message relevant to their
side(s) of the trade and exchanges will receive both messages and will
need to link each trade by clearing sequence numbers, exchange and
business date.\13\ Therefore, BX Participants will no longer receive
trade message information from OCC that reveals contra party
identities. BX Participants have requested that the Exchange offer
contra party identities, similar to other exchanges, on its post-trade
reporting because this information is essential information for
reconciliations when there are errors or clearing breaks especially on
an expiring option or option with a pending corporate action.
Additionally, contra party identities are important in the event of an
obvious or catastrophic error. Without this information, a representing
broker dealer would be less able to input trade detail to the Exchange
in a timely manner.
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\12\ See <a href="https://www.theocc.com/company-information/occ-transformation">https://www.theocc.com/company-information/occ-transformation</a>.
\13\ See <a href="https://www.theocc.com/getmedia/0db1ac5e-ca85-43b6-a109-4354a572d912/Ovation-Platform-Changes-and-Enhancements_Trade-Sources_Jan2024.pdf">https://www.theocc.com/getmedia/0db1ac5e-ca85-43b6-a109-4354a572d912/Ovation-Platform-Changes-and-Enhancements_Trade-Sources_Jan2024.pdf</a>.
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Proposal
At this time, at the request of several BX Participants, BX
proposes to amend Options 3, Section 25, Anonymity, to permit the
Exchange to reveal contra party identities, post-trade, to provide BX
Participants with information that OCC provides today and that other
options exchanges also provide today.\14\ Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to amend Options 3, Section 25(a) which currently states,
``The transaction reports produced by the System will indicate the
details of the transactions and shall not reveal contra party
identities.'' As amended, Options 3, Section 25(a) would provide,
``Orders and quotes entered into the System will be displayed
anonymously and, as such, will trade anonymously. Transaction reports
produced by the System (i.e. the Clearing Trade Interface and the Trade
Details report) will indicate the details of the transactions, and will
include contra party identities.''
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\14\ See supra note 9.
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Today, options trades on BX are not completely anonymous through
settlement as they are submitted by the Exchange to OCC with contra-
side OCC member information. The Exchange believes that this amendment
will continue to provide Participants with anonymity when transacting
options orders on BX, while also providing Participants with post-trade
contra party identities as a replacement for the data that OCC is
providing today and will no longer be provided with OCC's technology
migration. BX's post trade reporting (i.e. the Clearing Trade Interface
and the Trade Details report) would provide information identical to or
analogous to other options exchanges that display contra party
identities.\15\
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\15\ See supra note 9.
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Acceptable Trade Range
The Exchange proposes to amend Options 3, Section 15(b)(1), which
describes the Acceptable Trade Range. Today, BX's System calculates an
Acceptable Trade Range to limit the range of prices at which an order
and/or quote (except an All-or-None Order) will be allowed to execute.
The Acceptable Trade Range is calculated by taking the Reference Price,
plus or minus a value to be determined by the Exchange. (i.e., the
Reference Price--(x) for sell orders/quotes and the Reference Price +
(x) for buy orders/quotes). Upon receipt of a new order/quote, the
Reference Price is the better of the National Best Bid (``NBB'') or
internal best bid for sell orders/quotes and the National Best Offer
(``NBO'') or internal best offer for buy orders/quotes or the last
price at which the order/quote is posted whichever is higher for a buy
order/quote or lower for a sell order/quote.
If an order/quote reaches the outer limit of the Acceptable Trade
Range (the ``Threshold Price'') without being fully executed, it will
be posted at the Threshold Price for a brief period, not to exceed one
second (``Posting Period''), to allow more liquidity to be collected,
unless a Quote Exhaust has occurred, in which case the Quote Exhaust
process in Options 3, Section 6(a)(ii)(B)(3) will ensue, triggering a
new Reference Price. Upon posting, either the current Threshold Price
of the order or an updated NBB for buy orders or the NBO for sell
orders (whichever is higher for a buy order/lower for a sell order)
[[Page 72127]]
then becomes the Reference Price for calculating a new Acceptable Trade
Range. If the order/quote remains unexecuted after the Posting Period,
a New Acceptable Trade Range will be calculated and the order/quote
will execute, route, or post up to the new Acceptable Trade Range
Threshold Price, unless a member organization has requested that their
orders be returned if posted at the outer limit of the Acceptable Trade
Range (in which case, the order will be returned).
Today, the System permits a BX Participant to request that their
order be returned to them if posted at the outer limit of the
Acceptable Trade Range instead of executing, routing or posting to the
order book. This functionality, which is not specified in the current
rule, provides a BX Participant with additional choice as to the price
at which their order could execute. The Exchange proposes to reflect
this existing functionality in Options 3, Section 15(b)(1)(A) to make
clear that the choice exists to have an order returned. Today, Phlx
offers this functionality.\16\
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\16\ See Phlx Options 3, Section 15(b)(1)(B).
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Implementation
The Exchange proposes to implement the amendments to Options 3,
Section 25 on or before March 31, 2025. The Exchange would announce the
date of implementation in an Options Trader Alert ahead of the
implementation date. No implementation is necessary for the change to
the Acceptable Trade Range rule.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section
6(b) of the Act,\17\ in general, and furthers the objectives of Section
6(b)(5) of the Act,\18\ in particular, in that it is designed to
promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments
to and perfect the mechanism 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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\17\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
\18\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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Anonymity
BX's proposal to amend Options 3, Section 25 to reveal contra party
identities post-trade promotes just and equitable principles of trade,
and removes impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open
market and a national market system because it would provide BX
Participants with identical or analogous post trade information (i.e.
the Clearing Trade Interface and the Trade Details report) that OCC and
other options exchanges \19\ provide these market participants today.
BX Participants have requested that the Exchange offer contra party
identities, similar to other exchanges, on its post-trade reporting
because this information is essential information for reconciliations
when there are errors or clearing breaks especially on an expiring
option or option with a pending corporate action. Additionally, contra
party identities are important in the event of an obvious or
catastrophic error. Without this information, a representing broker
dealer would be less able to input trade detail to the Exchange in a
timely manner.
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\19\ See supra note 9.
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Today, options trades are not completely anonymous through
settlement as they are submitted by the Exchange to OCC with contra-
side identities. This amendment will continue to provide BX
Participants with anonymity when transacting options orders on BX pre-
trade, while also providing Participants with post-trade contra party
identities as a replacement for the data that OCC is providing today
and will no longer provide with OCC's technology migration.
Acceptable Trade Range
The Exchange's proposal to amend Options 3, Section 15(b)(1), which
describes the Acceptable Trade Range, to note that, ``. . . . unless a
Participants has requested that their orders be returned if posted at
the outer limit of the Acceptable Trade Range (in which case, the order
will be returned) . . .'' protects investors and the public interest
because it permits BX Participants to elect to have their orders
returned to them if posted at the outer limit of the Acceptable Trade
Range instead of executing, routing or posting to the order book. This
functionality provides Participants with additional choice as to the
price at which their order could execute. The Acceptable Trade Range
functionality is intended to reduce the negative impacts of sudden,
unanticipated volatility in individual options, and serve to preserve
an orderly market in a transparent and uniform manner, enhance the
price-discovery process, increase overall market confidence, and
promote fair and orderly markets and the protection of investors. The
Exchange proposes to reflect this existing functionality in Options 3,
Section 15(b)(1)(A) to make clear that the option exists to have an
order returned. Today, Phlx offers this functionality.\20\
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\20\ See Phlx Options 3, Section 15(b)(1)(B).
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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 not necessary or appropriate in
furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
Anonymity
The Exchange's proposal does not impose an undue burden on
intramarket competition because all BX Participants currently have the
ability to view contra party identities at OCC once the trade executes.
With this amendment, all Participants will be able to continue to have
the ability to view contra party identities through BX's post trade
reporting. Further, to the extent that BX fails to provide equivalent
post trade information to its Participants as other options exchanges
provide today, it would be at a competitive disadvantage as market
participants have expressed the importance to receiving this
information.
The Exchange's proposal does not impose an undue burden on
intermarket competition because other options exchanges \21\ provide
contra party identities today post-trade. Other options markets could
also adopt an anonymity rule similar to BX.
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\21\ See supra note 9.
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Acceptable Trade Range
The Exchange's proposal to amend Options 3, Section 15(b)(1) does
not impose an undue burden on intramarket competition because all
Participants would have the ability to have their orders returned to
them.
The Exchange's proposal to amend Options 3, Section 15(b)(1) does
not impose an undue burden on intermarket competition because other
options exchanges could adopt similar functionality.
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 the protection of investors or the public
interest; (ii) impose any significant burden on competition; and (iii)
become
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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)(iii) of the Act \22\ and subparagraph
(f)(6) of Rule 19b-4 thereunder.\23\
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\22\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
\23\ 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. If the Commission
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings to
determine whether the proposed rule 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
<bullet> Use the Commission's internet comment form (<a href="https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml">https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml</a>); or
<bullet> Send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#384a4d545d155b5755555d564c4b784b5d5b165f574e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e694938a83cb85898b8b83889295a6958385c8818990">[email protected]</span></a>. Please include
file number SR-BX-2024-031 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
<bullet> 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-BX-2024-031. 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 (<a href="https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml">https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml</a>). 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
a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for
inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. Do not
include personal identifiable information in submissions; you should
submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. We
may redact in part or withhold entirely from publication submitted
material that is obscene or subject to copyright protection. All
submissions should refer to file number SR-BX-2024-031 and should be
submitted on or before September 25, 2024.
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\24\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\24\
Sherry R. Haywood,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-19769 Filed 9-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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