Notice2025-12917

Self-Regulatory Organizations; Nasdaq PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Amend Port Fee Pricing in Options 7, Section 9, B

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Published
July 11, 2025

Issuing agencies

Securities and Exchange Commission

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 131 (Friday, July 11, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 131 (Friday, July 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31096-31097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-12917]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-103401; File No. SR-Phlx-2025-27]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Nasdaq PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Amend Port Fee 
Pricing in Options 7, Section 9, B

July 8, 2025.
    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 July 2, 2025, Nasdaq PHLX LLC (``Phlx'' 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 Phlx's Pricing Schedule at Options 
7, Section 9, B, Port Fees, to specify that the Exchange will not 
assess the Port Fees in Options 7, Section 9, B for any pre-production 
ports \3\ acquired in anticipation of a technology migration.\4\
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    \3\ A pre-production port may be used for port connectivity 
testing purposes only and is not connected to the Exchange's match 
engine that is currently in production for the execution of 
interest. A pre-production may not be used to enter an order or 
quote for execution or otherwise send a message through a pre-
production port that would be acted upon by the Exchange. Testing 
means the dates designated by the Exchange for user acceptance 
testing and final confidence tests.
    \4\ On June 25, 2025, the Exchange filed SR-Phlx-2025-23. At 
this time, the Exchange proposes to withdraw SR-Phlx-2025-23 and 
file this proposal.
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    The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's 
website at <a href="https://listingcenter.nasdaq.com/rulebook/phlx/rulefilings">https://listingcenter.nasdaq.com/rulebook/phlx/rulefilings</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
    Phlx proposes to amend its Pricing Schedule at Options 7, Section 
9, B, Port Fees, to specify that the Exchange will not assess the Port 
Fees in Options 7, Section 9, B for any pre-production ports acquired 
in anticipation of a technology migration.
    Phlx is planning a technology migration commencing in November 
2025.\5\ As part of this technology migration, Phlx members and member 
organizations will need to acquire new ports to connect to the new 
technology platform to accommodate the symbol migration plan.\6\ 
Therefore, members and member organizations will need to utilize both 
existing ports and new ports during the technology migration rollout 
which will occur over a 5 week period on a symbol-by-symbol basis.\7\ 
At this time, in order to conduct testing ahead of the technology 
migration, Phlx proposes to not assess fees for any pre-production 
ports acquired in anticipation of a technology migration to enhance 
participation in testing.
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    \5\ See <a href="https://www.nasdaqtrader.com/MicroNews.aspx?id=OTU2025-6">https://www.nasdaqtrader.com/MicroNews.aspx?id=OTU2025-6</a>.
    \6\ Phlx plans to migrate to the new platform on a symbol-by-
symbol basis over multiple weeks. See id.
    \7\ For example, once the technology migration commences in 
November 2025, new ports will be utilized to enter order and quote 
for symbols that have migrated to the new platform and existing 
ports will be utilized to enter orders and quotes that have not yet 
migrated to the new platform. Once the 5 week rollout is complete, 
or a longer period as the Exchange may designate for the rollout, 
the Exchange would sunset the ports, on a defined date, that are 
connected to the current environment.
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    Pre-production ports will become production ports only after Phlx 
begins the technology migration in November 2025 and, at that time, the 
ports may be

[[Page 31097]]

used to submit quotes and orders for execution. Prior to the ports 
being placed into production, Phlx will file a separate rule change to 
address how duplicate ports will be assessed fees during the time the 
ports will be in production.\8\ Additionally, in that filing, Phlx will 
discuss when duplicate port billing will end, how the Exchange will 
assess fees for duplicate ports after the technology migration is 
complete, and on what date the Exchange intends to sunset the legacy 
ports that would no longer be connected to a production environment.
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    \8\ In the past the Exchange has permitted members and members 
to replicate the exact amount of ports that they held in the month 
prior for free until the migration is complete.
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2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b) of the Act,\9\ in general, and furthers the objectives of Sections 
6(b)(4) and 6(b)(5) of the Act,\10\ 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, 
and is not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, 
issuers, brokers, or dealers.
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    \9\ See 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \10\ See 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4) and (5).
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    The Exchange's proposal to assess no fees for pre-production ports 
acquired in anticipation of a technology migration is reasonable 
because the Exchange is seeking to permit members and member 
organizations to acquire pre-production ports at no cost to encourage 
participation in testing. The Exchange's proposal is equitable and not 
unfairly discriminatory as no member or member organization will be 
assessed Port Fees for any pre-production ports acquired in 
anticipation of a technology migration.

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.
Intermarket Competition
    The proposal does not impose an undue burden on intermarket 
competition. The Exchange believes its proposal remains competitive 
with other options markets who also offer order entry protocols. The 
Exchange notes that it operates in a highly competitive market in which 
market participants can readily favor competing venues if they deem fee 
levels at a particular venue to be excessive, or rebate opportunities 
available at other venues to be more favorable. Because competitors are 
free to modify their own fees in response, and because market 
participants may readily adjust their order routing practices, the 
Exchange believes that the degree to which fee changes in this market 
may impose any burden on competition is extremely limited.
Intramarket Competition
    The Exchange's proposal does not impose an undue burden on intra-
market competition as no member or member organization will be assessed 
Port Fees for any pre-production ports acquired in anticipation of a 
technology migration.

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

    The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act.\11\
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    \11\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
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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: (i) 
necessary or appropriate in the public interest; (ii) for the 
protection of investors; or (iii) 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#4230372e276f212d2f2f272c3631023127216c252d34"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4230372e276f212d2f2f272c3631023127216c252d34">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. Please include 
file number SR-Phlx-2025-27 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-Phlx-2025-27. 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-Phlx-2025-27 and should be 
submitted on or before August 1, 2025.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\12\
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    \12\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Sherry R. Haywood,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-12917 Filed 7-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P


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