[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23327-23331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11164]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-39895; File No. SR-Phlx-98-07]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Order 
Granting Accelerated Approval of Proposed Rule Change and Amendment 
Nos. 1 and 2 Thereto by the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc., Relating 
to the Listing and Trading of Options on the Exchange's Computer Box 
Maker Index

April 21, 1998.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ notice is hereby given that on February 5, 1998, the 
Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc. (``Exchange'' or ``Phlx'') 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. On April 3, 1998, the Exchange filed with the 
Commission Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change.\2\ On April 20, 
1998, the Exchange filed with the Commission Amendment No. 2 to the 
proposed rule change.\3\ The Commission is publishing this notice to 
solicit comments on the proposed rule change, as amended, from 
interested persons and is accelerating approval of the amended 
proposal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ Amendment No. 1 revised the proposal's maintenance criteria, 
position and exercise limits, concentration limits, and corrected 
technical errors and oversights.
    \3\ Amendment No. 2 clarified that the 9,000 contract position 
limit governing options on the proposed index is independent of the 
three-tiered position limits found in Exchange Rule 1001A(b)(i), and 
instead appears as part of Exchange Rule 1001A(c). The second 
amendment also modified the concentration criteria that trigger the 
application of alternative position and exercise limits. See Letter 
to Sharon Lawson, Senior Special Counsel, Division of Market 
Regulation, Commission, from Nandita Yagnik, Attorney, Exchange, 
dated April 20, 1998.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to list and trade European style, cash-
settled options, including long term options,\4\ on the Exchange's 
Computer Box Maker Index (``Index''). The Index is a price-weighted, 
narrow-based, A.M. settled, index comprised of nine stocks issued by 
companies that manufacture, market, and support desktop and notebook 
personal computers and fault tolerant systems.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See Exchange Rule 1101A(b)(iii). Long term options also are 
referred to as ``LEAPs.'' For ease of reference and clarity, the 
term ``options'' hereafter shall include LEAPs where applicable.
    \5\ The Index is comprised of the following stocks (primary 
markets in parentheses): Apple Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq); Compaq 
Computer Corp. (NYSE); Dell Computer Corp. (Nasdaq); Gateway 2000, 
Inc. (NYSE); Hewlett Packard Co. (NYSE); International Business 
Machines (NYSE); Micron Technology, Inc. (NYSE); Sun Microsystems, 
Inc. (Nasdaq); and Unisys Corp. (NYSE).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Office of 
the Secretary, the Exchange, and at the Commission.

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 III 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 purpose of the proposed rule change is to list for trading 
European style, cash-settled options on the Index, a new index 
developed by the Exchange pursuant to Exchange Rule 1009A(a). Options 
on the Index will provide a potential hedging vehicle for basket 
traders and other market participants who trade the securities 
comprising this small subsector of the technology industry. The 
following is a detailed description of the proposed option contract and 
the underlying Index:
    (a). Ticker Symbol: BMX.
    (b). Settlement Value Symbol: BMZ.
    (c). Underlying Index: The Index is a price-weighted index 
comprised of nine stocks issued by companies that manufacture, market, 
and support desktop and notebook personal computers and fault tolerant 
systems. All of the nine component stocks trade on the New York Stock 
Exchange, Inc. (``NYSE''), or are National Market System (``NMS'') 
securities that trade through the facilities of the Nasdaq Stock market 
(``Nasdaq''), and therefore are reported securities as defined in Rule 
11Aa3-1 under the Act.\6\ Further, all of the component stocks 
presently meet the Exchange's listing criteria for equity options 
contained in Exchange Rule 1009 and are currently the subject of listed 
options on U.S. national securities exchanges.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange represents that only the securities of U.S. companies 
are represented in the Index. However, if component securities issued 
by non-U.S. companies are added to the Index (stocks or American 
Depositary Receipts) and such component securities are not subject to 
comprehensive surveillance sharing agreements, those component 
securities will not account for more than 20% of the weight of the 
Index.
    Statistical information provided by the Exchange indicates that as 
of April 2, 1998, the aggregate market capitalization of the nine 
component stocks in the Index exceeded $266 billion. The individual 
market capitalizations ranged from a high of $103.4 billion (IBM) to a 
low of $3.43 billion (Unisys Corp.). Each of the nine component stocks 
in the Index had average daily trading volumes in excess of one million 
shares per trading day over the preceding six months. The average daily 
trading volumes ranged from a high of 19.9 million shares per day 
(Compaq Computer Corp.) to a low of 2.1 million shares per day (Gateway 
2000, Inc.). The Exchange believes the Index's component stocks are 
some of the most widely held and highly capitalized common stocks.
    (d) Index Calculation: The Index is a price-weighted index. The 
following formula will be used to compute the Index value:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN28AP98.000

Where: SP=current stock price

The initial divisor is an arbitrary number selected to achieve a 
certain index value. The divisor for the Index shall be 3.5 which 
generates an Index value of 118 as of April 2, 1998.
    (e). Index Maintenance: To maintain the continuity of the Index, 
the divisor

[[Page 23328]]

will be adjusted to reflect non-market changes in the price of the 
component securities as well as changes in the composition of the 
Index. Changes which may result in divisor adjustments include, but are 
not limited to, stock splits, dividends, spin-offs, mergers, and 
acquisitions. In accordance with Exchange Rule 1009A, if any change in 
the nature of any component in the Index (for example, due to a 
delisting, merger, acquisition or other event) will change the overall 
market character of the Index, the Exchange will take appropriate steps 
to remove the component stock or replace it with another stock that the 
Exchange believes would be compatible with the intended market 
character of the Index. The Exchange represents that any replacement 
components will be reported securities as defined in Rule 11Aa3-1 of 
the Act.
    Initially, the Index will be comprised of nine component stocks. 
Absent Commission approval, the Exchange will not increase the number 
of components to more than twelve or reduce the number of components to 
fewer than eight. The Exchange represents that the component stocks, 
comprising the top 90% of the Index, by weight, will each maintain a 
minimum market capitalization of $75 million. The remaining 10%, by 
weight, will each maintain a minimum market capitalization of $50 
million. The component stocks comprising the top 90% of the Index, by 
weight, will each maintain a trading volume of at least 500,000 shares 
per month. The trading volume for each of the component stocks 
constituting the bottom 10% of the index, by weight, will average at 
least 400,000 shares per month. No fewer than 90% of the component 
securities, by weight, or no fewer than 80% of the total number of the 
components, shall qualify as stocks eligible for options trading.\7\ If 
the Index fails at any time to satisfy one or more of the required 
maintenance criteria, the Exchange will immediately notify the 
Commission staff of that fact and will not open for trading any 
additional series of options on the Index, unless the Exchange 
determines that such failure is insignificant and the Commission 
concurs in that determination, or unless the Commission approves the 
continued listing of options on the Index under Section 19(b)(2) of the 
Act.\8\ In addition to not opening for trading any additional series, 
the Exchange may, in consultation with the Commission, prohibit opening 
purchase transactions in series of options previously opened for 
trading to the extent that the Exchange deems such action necessary or 
appropriate.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ See infra note 23.
    \8\ See 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2), and Exchange Rule 1009A.
    \9\ See Exchange Rule 1010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition to the above maintenance criteria, the Exchange 
represents that no single component security of the Index shall account 
for more than 35% of the Index, and that the three highest weighted 
component securities shall not account for more than 65% of the Index. 
If the Index fails to satisfy these concentration criteria, the 
Exchange will reduce the position and exercise limit to 5,500 contracts 
or to such other level approved by the Commission under Section 19(b) 
of the Act. All series of Index options would be scheduled for a 
position limit decrease to 5,500 contracts effective the Monday 
following the expiration of the farthest-out, then-trading, non-LEAP 
option series. If prior to the scheduled position limit decrease, 
however, the Index complied with the concentration requirements, the 
position limit would not be reduced. As of April 2, 1998, the highest 
weighted component stock (IBM) made up 24.6% of the Index and the top 
three components (IBM, Dell Computer Corp., and Hewlitt Packard Co.) 
accounted for 55% of the Index.
    (f). Unit of Trading: Each option contract on the Index will 
represent $100 (the Index multiplier) times the Index value. For 
example, an Index value of 200 will result in an option contract value 
of $20,000 ($100  x  200).
    (g). Exercise Price: The exercise price of an option contract on 
the Index will be set in accordance with Exchange Rule 1101A(a).
    (h). Settlement Value: The Index value for purposes of settling 
outstanding Index option contracts upon expiration will be calculated 
based upon the regular way opening sale prices for each of the Index's 
component stocks in their primary market on the last trading day prior 
to expiration. In the case of National Market System securities traded 
through Nasdaq, the first reported sale price will be used for the 
final settlement value for expiring Index option contracts. In the 
event that a component security does not open for trading on the last 
day before the expiration of a series of Index option contracts, the 
last sale price for that security will be used in calculating the Index 
value. However, in the event that the Options Clearing Corporation 
(``OCC'') determines that the current Index value is unreported or 
otherwise unavailable (including instances where the primary market(s) 
for securities representing a substantial part of the value of the 
Index is not open for trading at the time when the current Index value 
used for exercise settlement purposes would be determined), the OCC may 
determine an exercise settlement amount for the Index in accordance 
with Article XVII, Section 4, of the OCC By-Laws.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \10\ See OCC By-Laws, Article XVII, Section 4, and Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 37315 (June 17, 1996), 61 FR 32471 (June 
24, 1996).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (i). Last Trading Day: The last business day prior to the third 
Friday of the month for options which expire on the Saturday following 
the third Friday of that month.
    (j). Trading Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:02 p.m. e.s.t.
    (k). Position and Exercise Limits: The Index is an industry or 
narrow-based index. The position and exercise limits will be 9,000 
contracts.\11\ As described earlier, if at any time any one component 
security accounts for more than 35% of the Index, or any three 
component securities account for more than 65% of the Index, the 
Exchange will reduce the position and exercise limits to 5,500 
contracts, or to such other level approved by the Commission under 
Section 19(b) of the Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ The 9,000 contract position limit for options on the Index 
is separate and independent of the position limits set forth in 
Exchange Rule 1001A(b)(i). See supra note 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (l). Expiration Cycles: Three months from the March, June, 
September, December cycle plus at least two additional near-term 
months. LEAPs also will be traded on the Index pursuant to Exchange 
Rule 1101A(b)(iii).
    (m). Exercise Style: European.
    (n). Premium Quotations: Premiums will be expressed in terms of 
dollars and fractions of dollars pursuant to Exchange Rule 1033A. For 
example, a bid or offer of 1\1/2\ will represent a premium per options 
contract of $150 ($1\1/2\  x  100).
    The value of the Index will be calculated and disseminated every 15 
seconds during the trading day. The Exchange has retained Bridge Data 
Inc. to compute and perform all necessary maintenance of the Index.\12\ 
Pursuant to Exchange Rule 100A, updated Index values will be 
disseminated and displayed by means of primary market prints reported 
by the Consolidated Tape Association and over the facilities of the 
Options Price Reporting Authority (``OPRA''). The Index value also will 
be available on broker-dealer

[[Page 23329]]

interrogation devices to subscribers of options information. The 
Exchange represents that it has the capacity to handle the additional 
traffic expected to be generated by the Index.\13\ In addition, OPRA 
has informed the Commission that the additional traffic from option 
contracts on the Index is within OPRA's capacity.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ As a back-up to Bridge Data Inc., the Exchange will utilize 
its own internal index calculation system, the Index Calculation 
Engine (``ICE'') System.
    \13\ See Letter to Michael Walinskas, Senior Special Counsel, 
Office of Market Supervision, Commission, from Thomas A. Wittman, 
First Vice President, Trading Systems, Exchange, dated February 6, 
1998.
    \14\ See Letter to Michael Walinskas, Senior Special Counsel, 
Office of Market Supervision, Commission, from Joseph P. Corrigan, 
Executive Director, OPRA, dated February 11, 1998.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Option contracts on the Index will be traded pursuant to current 
Exchange rules governing the trading of narrow-based index options, 
including provisions addressing sales practices, floor trading 
procedures, margin requirements, and trading halts and suspensions.\15\ 
The Exchange represents that the surveillance procedures currently used 
to monitor trading in index options also will be used to monitor 
options based on the Index. These procedures entail complete access to 
trading activity in the underlying component securities which all trade 
on either the NYSE or Nasdaq. In addition, the Intermarket Surveillance 
Group (``ISG'') Agreement dated July 14, 1983, as amended on January 
29, 1990, will be applicable to the trading of option contracts on the 
Index.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ See Exchange Rule 722, Exchange Rules 1000A through 1102A, 
and generally Exchange Rules 1000 through 1072.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with 
Section 6 of the Act,\16\ in general, and with Section 6(b)(5),\17\ in 
particular, in that it is designed to promote just and equitable 
principles of trade; prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and 
practices; foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in 
regulating, clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, 
and facilitating transactions in securities; remove impediments to and 
perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market 
system; and protect investors and the public interest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \17\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe the proposed rule change will impose 
any inappropriate burden on competition.

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

    The Exchange did not solicit or receive written comments with 
respect to the proposed rule change.

II. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and 
arguments concerning the foregoing proposed rule change and Amendment 
Nos. 1 and 2 thereto, including whether the proposed rule change, as 
amended, is consistent with the Act. Persons making written submissions 
should file six copies thereof with the Secretary, Securities and 
Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. 
Copies of the submissions, 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 persons, 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 inspection and copying in the 
Commission's Public Reference Section, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such filing will also be available 
for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All 
submissions should refer to File No. SR-Phlx-98-07 and should be 
submitted by May 19, 1998.

IV. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing 
for Commission Action

    The Exchange has requested that the Commission grant accelerated 
approval of the Index pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act.\18\ The 
request for accelerated approval is predicated on the Index's 
substantial compliance with the generic listing standards \19\ and the 
Exchange's desire to remain competitive in the area of new product 
development.\20\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
    \19\ See infra note 27.
    \20\ See Letter to Michael Loftus, Attorney, Division of Market 
Regulation, Commission, from Nandita Yagnik, Attorney, Exchange, 
dated April 3, 1998.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

V. Commission's Findings and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of 
Proposed Rule Change

    The Commission has carefully reviewed the Exchange's proposed rule 
change and believes, for the reasons set forth below, the proposal is 
consistent with the requirements of the Act and the rules thereunder 
applicable to a national securities exchange, and, in particular, the 
requirements of Section 6(b)(5).\21\ Specifically, the Commission finds 
that the trading of options on the Index will serve to promote the 
public interest and help to remove impediments to a free and open 
securities market by providing investors with a means of hedging 
exposure to market risks associated with the securities issued by 
companies that manufacture and support computers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Commission finds that the trading of options on the Index will 
permit investors to participate in the price movements of the nine 
securities on which the Index is based. Further trading of options on 
the Index will allow investors holding positions in some or all of the 
securities underlying the Index to hedge the risks associated with 
these securities. Accordingly, the Commission believes that options on 
the Index will provide investors with an additional trading and hedging 
mechanism.\22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ Pursuant to Section 6(b)(5) of the Act, the Commission must 
predicate approval of any new option proposal upon a finding that 
the introduction of such new derivative instrument is in the public 
interest. Such finding would be difficult for a derivative 
instrument that served no hedging or other economic function, 
because any benefits that might be derived by market participants 
likely would be outweighed by the potential for manipulation, 
diminished public confidence in the integrity of the markets, and 
other valid regulatory concerns.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Nevertheless, the trading of options on the Index raises several 
issues related to design of the Index, customer protections, and 
surveillance. The Commission believes, however, for the reasons 
described below, that the Exchange adequately has addressed these 
issues.

A. Index Design and Structure

    The Commission believes it is appropriate for the Exchange to apply 
its rules governing the trading of narrow-based index options to 
options based on the Index. The Commission notes that the Index 
contains nine stocks representing one industry group, and thus reflects 
a very narrow segment of the U.S. equities market.
    The Commission notes that the nine securities comprising the Index 
are actively-traded. For the six month period ending April 2, 1998, the 
average daily trading volume among the component securities ranged from 
a high of 19.9 million shares per day (Compaq Computer Corp.) to a low 
of 2.1 million shares per day (Gateway 2000, Inc.). In addition, the 
market capitalizations of the securities in the Index are extremely 
large, ranging from

[[Page 23330]]

a high of $103.4 billion (IBM) to a low of $3.43 billion (Unisys Corp.) 
as of April 2, 1998. Finally, no one component stock accounted for more 
than 24.6% of the Index's total value, and the percentage weighting of 
the three largest issues in the Index accounted for 55% of the Index's 
value.
    With respect to the maintenance of the Index, the Commission 
believes the Exchange has implemented several safeguards in connection 
with the listing and trading of options on the Index that will serve to 
ensure that the Index remains comprised of highly-capitalized, 
actively-traded securities, thereby ensuring that the Index will remain 
substantially the same over time. In this regard, the Exchange will 
maintain the Index so that: (1) the component securities comprising the 
top 90% of the Index, by weight, each will have market capitalizations 
of at least $75 million, and the remaining 10% each will have market 
capitalizations no less than $50 million; (2) the component securities 
comprising the top 90% of the Index, by weight, each will have monthly 
trading volumes of at least 500,000 shares, and the remaining 10% each 
will have monthly trading volumes no less than 400,000 shares; (3) at 
least 90% of the components in the Index, by weight, and 80% of the 
number of components in the Index will be eligible \23\ for 
standardized options trading; (4) the component securities will be 
``reported'' securities pursuant to Rule 11Aa3-1 of the Act; \24\ (5) 
absent approval from the Commission pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the 
Act, the Exchange will not increase the number of components to more 
than twelve or reduce the number of components to fewer than eight; and 
(6) if any component security requires replacement because of a 
delisting, merger, acquisition, or other event affecting the market 
character of such component security, the Exchange will replace it with 
another security that the Exchange believes would be compatible with 
the intended market character of the Index.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \23\ The Exchange's options listing standards, which are uniform 
among the options exchanges, provide that a security underlying an 
option must, among other things, meet the following requirements: 
(1) the public float must be at least 7,000,000 shares; (2) there 
must be a minimum of 2,000 securityholders; (3) trading volume in 
the U.S. must have been at least 2.4 million shares over the 
preceding twelve months; and (4) the market price per share must 
have been at least $7.50 for a majority of the business days during 
the preceding three calendar months. See Exchange Rule 1009, 
``Criteria for Underlying Securities,'' Commentary .01.
    \24\ 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Commission further believes the maintenance standards governing 
the Index will help protect against material changes in the composition 
and design of the Index that might adversely affect the Exchange's 
obligations to protect investors and to maintain fair and orderly 
markets in options based on the Index. The Exchange is required to 
immediately notify the Commission staff if the Index fails at any time 
to satisfy one or more of the specified maintenance criteria. Further, 
in such an event, the Exchange will not open for trading any additional 
series of options on the Index, unless the Exchange determines that 
such failure is insignificant and the Commission concurs in that 
determination, or unless the Commission approves the continued listing 
of options on the Index under Section 19(b)(2) of the ACt.\25\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \25\ See 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2), and Exchange Rule 1009A.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Customer Protection

    The Commission believes that a regulatory system designed to 
protect public customers must be in place before the trading of 
sophisticated financial instruments, such as options based on the 
Index, can commence on a national securities exchange. The Commission 
notes that the trading of standardized exchange-listed options occurs 
in an environment that is designed to ensure that: (1) the special 
risks of options are disclosed to public customers; (2) only investors 
capable of evaluating and bearing the risks of options trading are 
engaged in such trading; and (3) special compliance procedures are 
applicable to options accounts. Accordingly, because the Index options 
will be subject to the same regulatory regime as the other standardized 
options currently traded on the Exchange, the Commission believes that 
adequate safeguards are in place to ensure the protection of investors 
in Index options.

C. Surveillance

    In evaluating new derivative instruments, the Commission, 
consistent with the protection of investors, considers the degree to 
which the derivative exchange has the ability to obtain information 
necessary to detect and deter market manipulation and other trading 
abuses. Therefore, the Commission believes that a surveillance sharing 
agreement between an exchange proposing to list a security index 
derivative product and the exchange(s) trading the securities 
underlying the derivative product is an important measure for 
surveillance of the derivative and underlying securities markets. Such 
agreements facilitate and ensure the availability of information needed 
to fully investigate manipulation if it were to occur.\26\ In this 
regard, the Commission notes that the primary markets for the stocks 
underlying the Index--the NYSE and the NASD (the self-regulatory 
organization which oversees Nasdaq)--as well as the Exchange, are 
members of the ISG, which provides for the sharing of all necessary 
surveillance information. The Commission believes this arrangement will 
ensure the availability of information necessary to detect potential 
manipulations and other trading abuses.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \26\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 31243 (Sept. 28, 
1992), 57 FR 45849 (Oct. 5, 1992).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Commission finds good cause for approving the proposal, 
including Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 thereto, prior to the thirtieth day 
after the date of publication of notice thereof in the Federal 
Register. The Commission notes that proposed rule changes regarding the 
listing and trading of options on narrow-based indexes may become 
effective immediately upon filing provided they satisfy certain generic 
listing standards.\27\ The generic listing standards establish minimum 
guidelines concerning the design and operation of narrow-based indexes. 
The Commission recognizes that the Index, as amended, satisfies all of 
the generic listing standards save two, the minimum number of component 
securities \28\ and the concentration limits.\29\ In addition, to the 
extent that the Index deviates from the generic listing standards in 
these categories, the Commission notes that the Exchange has amended 
its proposal to adequately address the concerns identified by the 
Commission staff. This includes for example, providing for a reduction 
in position and exercise limits if the concentration limits are 
exceeded, and maintaining the Index at a minimum of eight component 
securities.\30\ Therefore, the

[[Page 23331]]

Commission believes there is no compelling reason to delay the listing 
and trading of options based on the Index. Accordingly, because the 
Index substantially complies with the generic listing standards, and 
the investor protection concerns have been addressed, the Commission 
finds good cause exists for granting accelerated approval to the 
proposed rule change and Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 thereto.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \27\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34157 (June 3, 
1994), 59 FR 30062 (June 10, 1994). Although, a proposed rule change 
filed in accordance with the generic listing standards becomes 
effective immediately upon filing, trading in the approved options 
may not commence until 30 days after the date of effectiveness.
    \28\ The generic listing standards require that a narrow-based 
index initially consist of no fewer than ten component securities. 
Thereafter, it may not consist of fewer than nine component 
securities. Id.
    \29\ Under the generic listing standards, an individual 
component security may not represent more than 25% of the weight of 
the index. Furthermore, in an index of less than 25 components, the 
five highest weighted component securities may not constitute more 
than 60% of the weight of the index. Id.
    \30\ As previously noted, the Index currently contains nine 
securities and may consist of as few as eight component securities. 
On other occasions, the Commission has approved narrow-based indexes 
with similar minimum component standards. See e.g., Securities 
Exchange Act Release Nos. 38143 (Jan. 8, 1997), 62 FR 2411 (Jan. 16, 
1997) (permitted American Stock Exchange's ``Tobacco Index'' to 
initially consist of nine securities and thereafter consist of no 
fewer than nine securities); 37198 (May 10, 1996), 61 FR 25251 (May 
20, 1996) (permitted Chicago Board Options Exchange's ``PC Index'' 
to initially consist of eight securities and thereafter consist of 
no fewer than eight securities); and 34345 (July 11, 1994), 59 FR 
36245 (July 15, 1994) (permitted Exchange's ``Phone Index'' to 
initially consist of eight securities and thereafter consist of no 
fewer than eight securities).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the 
Act,\31\ that the proposed rule change, SR-Phlx-98-07, and Amendment 
Nos. 1 and 2 thereto, are hereby approved on an accelerated basis.

    \31\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\32\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-11164 Filed 4-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M