[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 136 (Thursday, July 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38441-38442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18905]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-40186; File No. SR-CBOE-98-20]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule 
Change by the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. and Amendment No. 1 
Thereto Relating to RAES Eligibility Requirements for OEX and DJX 
Options

    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 May 18, 1998, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. (``CBOE'' or 
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``SEC'' or ``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in 
Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the CBOE. 
On June 24, 1998, the CBOE filed an amendment to the proposal.\3\ The 
Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the 
proposed rule change, as amended, from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ See letter from Timothy H. Thompson, Director, Regulatory 
Affairs, Legal Department, CBOE, to Deborah Flynn, Attorney, 
Division of Market Regulation, Commission, dated June 19, 1998 
(``Amendment No. 1''). In Amendment No. 1, the CBOE proposes to 
amend the proposed rule change to add cross-references to new 
paragraph (b)(vi) where the Rule only refers to paragraph (b)(v) 
presently. The proposed change will make clear to joint account 
participants, or the nominee of the member organization, that the 
requirements of paragraph (b)(v) need not be met in order to 
participate in the joint account, or in the firm's Retail Automatic 
Execution System account, if the requirements for paragraph (b)(vi) 
are met.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    The CBOE proposes to add a new sub-paragraph to CBOE Rule 24.17, 
RAES Eligibility in OEX and DJX, that would allow a Market-Maker to 
participate on the Retail Automatic Execution System (``RAES'') in both 
options on the Standard & Poor's 100 Index (``OEX'') and options on the 
Dow Jones Industrial Average (``DJX'') during the same calendar month 
by meeting the eligibility requirements for OEX alone, DJX alone, or 
eligibility requirements which consider the percentage of transactions 
and contracts a Market-Maker transacted in OEX and DJX combined. The 
text of the proposed rule change is available at the Office of the 
Secretary, the CBOE, 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 CBOE 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 CBOE 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
    Currently, CBOE Rule 24.17(b)(v) sets forth four eligibility 
requirements that a Market-Maker must meet before he can participate in 
RAES in either OEX or DJX. One of these requirements is that the 
Market-Maker must execute at least seventy-five percent of his Market-
Maker contracts for the preceding calendar month in the option class in 
which the Market-Maker is participating on RAES. Because of the high 
percentage requirement, a Market-Maker who qualifies to participate in 
RAES in either OEX or DJX would not be able to qualify to participate 
in RAES in the other class. In fact, the Exchange believes the seventy-
five percent requirement is so high that it serves as a disincentive 
for a Market-Maker on one side of the common structure in which OEX and 
DJX are traded to move into the other side of the structure to trade 
the other option product for fear that the Market-Maker will no longer 
qualify for RAES in his primary trading area.
    The Exchange believes, however, that a strength of the Market-Maker 
system is the ability of Market-Makers to move from one trading pit to 
another to provide liquidity and capital when market conditions 
warrant. Because the traders in OEX or DJX stand right next to each 
other in the same physical trading structure, they are in the best 
position to provide added liquidity and capital to the products by 
moving from one side of the trading structure to the other. 
Consequently, the Exchange determined to add new sub-paragraph (b)(vi) 
to Rule 24.17 to allow a Market-Maker to qualify for RAES in both OEX 
and DJX during the same calendar month (1) by meeting the individual 
requirements for OEX, (2) by meeting the individual requirements for 
DJX, or (3) by transacting seventy-five percent of his contracts for 
the month in both OEX and/or DJX combined and by transacting seventy-
five percent of his contracts in OEX and DJX during the month in 
person. A Market-Maker can participate in RAES in both OEX and DJX 
during the same calendar month as long as he meets one of the sets of 
criteria above and as long as the two products continue to be traded at 
the same physical trading location. It should be noted that in the 
equity posts on the floor, a Market-Maker may participate in RAES in 
all classes traded at that post. Although OEX and DJX are technically 
traded at two separate trading posts, the Market-Makers for each 
product are separated by a movable railing within the same physical 
structure. A Market-Maker must be present in the particular trading 
crowd where the class is traded while he is participating in RAES for 
that class.
    The Exchange proposes to implement this rule change at the 
beginning of the next calendar month after the rule proposal is 
approved by the Commission. Finally, the Exchange is proposing to 
delete current Interpretation .02 because it is no longer relevant now 
that December 1, 1997 has passed.
2. Statutory Basis
    By eliminating a disincentive for Market-Makers, in the physical 
structure where OEX and DJX are traded, to move between trading pits to 
provide added liquidity and capital when market conditions warrant, the 
Exchange believes the proposed rule change is

[[Page 38442]]

consistent with Section 6 of the Act,\4\ in general, and with section 
6(b)(5),\5\ in particular, because it is designed to promote just and 
equitable principles of trade and to protect investors and the public 
interest.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The CBOE does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose 
any burden on competition.

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

    No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the 
proposed rule change.

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

    Within 35 days of the date of publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register or within such longer period (i) as the Commission may 
designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to 
be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to 
which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will:
    (a) By order approve such proposed rule change, or
    (b) Institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule 
change should be 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, 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 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 inspection and 
copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room. Copies of such 
filing will also be available for inspection and copying at the 
principal office of the CBOE. All submissions should refer to File No. 
SR-CBOE-98-20 and should be submitted by August 6, 1998.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\6\
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    \6\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-18905 Filed 7-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M