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###### Securities and Exchange Commission

*Upon Written Request, Copies Available From:*                     US Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 20549-0213.                

*Extension:*

Regulation AC; OMB Control No. 3235-0575; SEC File No. 270-517.

                    Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501*et seq.*), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) a request for approval of extension of the existing collection of information provided for in the following rule: Regulation Analyst Certification (AC) (17 CFR 242.500-505), under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C 78a*et seq.*).                

Regulation AC requires that research reports published, circulated, or provided by a broker or dealer or covered person contain a statement attesting that the views expressed in each research report accurately reflect the analyst's personal views and whether or not the research analyst received or will receive any compensation in connection with the views or recommendations expressed in the research report. Regulation AC also requires broker-dealers to, on a quarterly basis, make, keep, and maintain records of research analyst statements regarding whether the views expressed in public appearances accurately reflected the analyst's personal views, and whether any part of the analyst's compensation is related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in the public appearance. Regulation AC also requires that research prepared by foreign persons be presented to U.S. persons pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 15a-6 and that broker-dealers notify associated persons if they would be covered by the regulation. Regulation AC excludes the news media from its coverage.

The collections of information under Regulation AC are necessary to provide investors with information with which to determine the value of the research available to them. It is important for an investor to know whether an analyst may be biased with respect to securities or issuers that are the subject of a research report. Further, in evaluating a research report, it is reasonable for an investor to want to know about an analyst's compensation. Without the information collection, the purposes of Regulation AC could not be met.

The Commission estimates that Regulation AC imposes an aggregate annual time burden of approximately 26,230 hours on 5,186 respondents, or approximately 5 hours per respondent. The Commission estimates that the total annual internal cost of the 26,230 hours is approximately $10,615,404.00, or approximately $2,047.00 per respondent, annually.

The Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.

                    The public may view background documentation for this information collection at the following Web site,                     *www.reginfo.gov.*                     Comments should be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an email to:                     *Shagufta_Ahmed@omb.eop.gov*; and (ii) Thomas Bayer, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi Pavlik-Simon, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312 or send an email to:                     *PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov*. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.                

Dated: February 27, 2012.

Kevin M. O'Neill,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2012-5059 Filed 3-1-12; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8011-01-P