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 Securities and Exchange Commission [Release No. 34-59778; File No. SR-NYSEAmex-2009-12]
 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 April 6, 2009, NYSE Amex LLC (“NYSE Amex” or “Exchange”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II 
                    ( print page 18598)
                    below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Exchange has designated this proposal as eligible for immediate effectiveness pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 19b-4(f)(6).[3]
                    
                     The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposal from interested persons. I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange proposes to adopt a policy relating to its treatment of trade reports that it determines to be inconsistent with the prevailing market. 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 Trades in listed securities occasionally occur at prices that deviate significantly from prevailing market prices and those trades sometimes establish a high, low or last sale price for a security that does not reflect the true market for the security. The Consolidated Tape Association (“CTA”) offers each Participant in the CTA Plan the discretion to append an indicator (an “Aberrant Report Indicator”) to a trade report to indicate that the market believes that the trade price in a trade executed on that market does not accurately reflect the prevailing market for the security. The CTA recommends that data recipients should exclude the price of any trade to which the Aberrant Report Indicator has been appended from any calculation of the high, low and last sale prices for the security. During the course of surveillance by the Exchange or as a result of notification by another market, listed company or market participant, the Exchange may become aware of trade prices that do not accurately reflect the prevailing market for a security. In such a case, the Exchange proposes to adopt as policies that it: May determine to append an Aberrant Report Indicator to any trade report with respect to any trade executed on the Exchange that the Exchange determines to be inconsistent with the prevailing market; and
Shall discourage vendors and other data recipients from using prices to which the Exchange has appended the Aberrant Report Indicator in any calculation of the high, low or last sale price of a security. The Exchange will urge vendors to disclose the exclusion from high, low or last sale price data of any aberrant trades excluded from high, low or last sale price information they disseminate and to provide to data users an explanation of the parameters used in the Exchange's aberrant trade policy. Upon initial adoption of the Aberrant Report Indicator, the Exchange will also contact all of its listed companies to explain the aberrant trade policy and will notify users of the information that these are still valid trades. The Exchange will inform the affected listed company each time the Exchange or another market appends the Aberrant Report Indicator to a trade in an NYSE Amex listed stock and will remind the users of the information that these are still valid trades in that they were executed and not unwound as in the case of a clearly erroneous trade. While the CTA disseminates its own calculations of high, low and last sale prices, vendors and other data recipients—and not the Exchange—frequently determine their own methodology by which they wish to calculate high, low and last sale prices. Therefore, the Exchange shall endeavor to explain to those vendors and other data recipients the deleterious effects that can result from including in the calculations a trade to which the Aberrant Report Indicator has been appended. In making the determination to append the Aberrant Report Indicator, the Exchange shall consider all factors related to a trade, including, but not limited to, the following: Material news released for the security;
Suspicious trading activity;
System malfunctions or disruptions;
Locked or crossed markets;
A recent trading halt or resumption of trading in the security;
Whether the security is in its initial public offering;
Volume and volatility for the security;
Whether the trade price represents a 52-week high or low for the security;
Whether the trade price deviates significantly from recent trading patterns in the security;
Whether the trade price reflects a stock-split, reorganization or other corporate action;
The validity of consolidated tape trades and quotes in comparison to national best bids and offers; and
The general volatility of market conditions. In addition, the Exchange proposes that its policy shall be to consult with other markets (in the case of executions that take place across multiple markets) and to seek a consensus as to whether the trade price is consistent with the prevailing market for the security. In determining whether trade prices are inconsistent with the prevailing market, the Exchange proposes that Exchange policy shall be to follow the following general guidelines: The Exchange will determine whether a trade price does not reflect the prevailing market for a security if the trade occurs during regular trading hours (
                    *i.e.*, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and occurs at a price that deviates from the “Reference Price” by an amount that meets or exceeds the following thresholds: Trade price
Numerical
                             thresholdBetween $0 and $15.00
Seven percent.Between $15.01 and $50.00
Five percent.In excess of $50.00
Three percent.
 The “Reference Price” refers to (a) if the primary market for the security is open at the time of the trade, the national best bid or offer for the security, or (b) if the primary market for the security is not open at the time of the trade, the first executable quote or print for the security on the primary market after execution of the trade in question. However, if the circumstances suggest that a different Reference Price would be more appropriate, the Exchange will use the different Reference Price. For instance, if the national best bid and offer for the security are so wide apart as to fail to reflect the market for the security, the Exchange might use as the Reference Price a trade price or best bid or offer that was available prior to the trade in question. If the Exchange determines that a trade price does not reflect the prevailing market for a security and the trade represented the last sale of the security on the Exchange during a trading session, the Exchange may also 
                    ( print page 18599)
                    determine to remove that trade's designation as the last sale. The Exchange may do so either on the day of the trade or at a later date, so as to provide reasonable time for the Exchange to conduct due diligence regarding the trade, including the consideration of input from markets and other market participants. 2. Statutory Basis The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the objectives of Section 6 [4]
                    
                     of the Act in general and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) [5]
                    
                     in particular, in that it is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments, and to perfect the mechanism of, a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest.[6] 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 that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others Written comments on the proposed rule change were neither solicited nor received. III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action Pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act [7]
                    
                     and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder,[8]
                    
                     the Exchange has designated this proposal as one that effects a change that: (A) does not significantly affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (B) does not impose any significant burden on competition; and (C) by its terms, does not become operative for 30 days after the date of the filing, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate if consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. A proposed rule change filed under 19b-4(f)(6) normally may not become operative for 30 days after the date of filing.[9]
                    
                     However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) [10]
                    
                     permits the Commission to designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has requested that the Commission waive the 30-day operative delay and designate the proposed rule change to become operative upon filing. The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest because the proposal is substantially similar to a proposal previously approved by the Commission.[11]
                    
                     The Commission believes that the Exchange's proposal to append an Aberrant Report Indicator to certain trade reports is a reasonable means to alert investors and others that the Exchange believes that the trade price for a trade executed in its market does not accurately reflect the prevailing market for the security. In addition, the Commission notes that the Exchange will use objective numerical thresholds in determining whether a trade report is eligible to have an Aberrant Trade Indicator appended to it. The Commission further notes that the Exchange's appending the Aberrant Trade Indicator to a trade report has no effect on the validity of the underlying trade. Finally, waiving the 30-day operative delay will allow the Exchange to apply the proposed change to aberrant trades immediately.[12]
                    
                     Based on the above, the Commission designates the proposal to become operative upon filing. At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule change, the Commission may summarily abrogate 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 the furtherance of the purposes of the Act. 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 Use the Commission's Internet comment form (*http://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml*); or
Send an e-mail to*rule-comments@sec.gov*. Please include File Number SR-NYSEAmex-2009-12 on the subject line. Paper Comments Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEAmex-2009-12. This file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail 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 Web site (
                    *http://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml*). 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 
                    ( print page 18600)
                    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 on official business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEAmex-2009-12 and should be submitted on or before May 14, 2009. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.[13] Florence E. Harmon, Deputy Secretary.


# Footnotes

1.
    
                         15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). Back to Citation
 2.
    
                         17 CFR 240.19b-4. Back to Citation
 3.
    
                         17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). Back to Citation
 4.
    
                         15 U.S.C. 78f. Back to Citation
 5.
    
                         15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5). Back to Citation
 6.
    
                         The Commission notes that, in the filing's purpose section, the Exchange provided a more complete statutory basis for the proposed rule change, as follows: The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”), in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act, in particular in that it is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, and facilitating transactions in securities, 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. In particular, the Aberrant Report Indicator is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest in that the Exchange will seek to ensure a proper understanding of the Aberrant Report Indicator among securities market participants by: (i) Urging vendors to disclose the exclusion from high, low or last sale price data of any aberrant trades excluded from high, low or last sale price information they disseminate and to provide to data users an explanation of the parameters used in the Exchange's aberrant trade policy; (ii) informing the affected listed company each time the Exchange or another market appends the Aberrant Report Indicator to a trade in an NYSE Amex listed stock; and (iii) reminding the users of the information that these are still valid trades in that they were executed and not unwound as in the case of a clearly erroneous trade. Back to Citation
 7.
    
                         15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). Back to Citation
 8.
    
                         17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). Back to Citation
 9.
    
                         17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) 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. Back to Citation
 10.
    
                         
                        *Id.* Back to Citation
 11.
    
                         
                        *See*
                         Securities Exchange Act Release No. 58736 (October 6, 2008), 73 FR 60380 (October 10, 2008) (SR-NYSE-2008-91). 
                        *See also*
                         Securities Exchange Act Release No. 59151 (December 23, 2008), 74 FR 158 (January 2, 2009) (SR-NASDAQ-2008-100). Back to Citation
 12.
    
                         For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, the Commission has considered the impact of the proposed rule on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f). Back to Citation
 13.
    
                             17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12). Back to Citation


[FR Doc. E9-9240 Filed 4-22-09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8010-01-P