80_FR_55871 80 FR 55692 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing of and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus

80 FR 55692 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing of and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 179 (September 16, 2015)

Page Range55692-55698
FR Document2015-23219

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 179 (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 179 (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55692-55698]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23219]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-75890; File No. SR-Phlx-2015-76]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of 
Filing of and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Regarding 
NASDAQ Last Sale Plus

September 10, 2015.
    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 August 28, 2015, NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC (``Phlx'' 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 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 Chapter VIII of NASDAQ OMX PSX Fees, 
entitled PSX Last Sale Data Feeds and NASDAQ Last Sale Plus Data Feeds 
(``PSX Chapter VIII''), with language indicating the fees for NASDAQ 
Last Sale Plus (``NLS Plus''), a comprehensive data feed offered by 
NASDAQ OMX Information LLC.\3\
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    \3\ NASDAQ OMX Information LLC is a subsidiary of The NASDAQ OMX 
Group, Inc. (``NASDAQ OMX'').
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    The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's 
Web site at http://nasdaqomxphlx.cchwallstreet.com, 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.

[[Page 55693]]

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The purpose of this proposal is to amend PSX Chapter VIII(b) with 
language indicating the fees for NLS Plus. NLS Plus allows data 
distributors to access the three last sale products offered by each of 
NASDAQ OMX's three U.S. equity markets.\4\ Thus, in offering NLS Plus, 
NASDAQ OMX Information LLC is acting as a redistributor of last sale 
products already offered by NASDAQ, BX, and PSX and volume information 
provided by the securities information processors for Tape A, B, and 
C.\5\ This proposal is being filed by the Exchange to indicate the fees 
for the NLS Plus data feed offering and in light of the recent approval 
order regarding NLS Plus.\6\
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    \4\ The NASDAQ OMX U.S. equity markets include The NASDAQ Stock 
Market (``NASDAQ''), NASDAQ OMX BX (``BX''), and NASDAQ OMX PSX 
(``PSX'') (together known as the ``NASDAQ OMX equity markets''). PSX 
will shortly file companion proposals regarding data feeds similar 
to NLS Plus. NASDAQ's last sale product, NASDAQ Last Sale, includes 
last sale information from the FINRA/NASDAQ Trade Reporting Facility 
(``FINRA/NASDAQ TRF''), which is jointly operated by NASDAQ and the 
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (``FINRA''). See Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 71350 (January 17, 2014), 79 FR 4218 
(January 24, 2014) (SR-FINRA-2014-002). For proposed rule changes 
submitted with respect to NASDAQ Last Sale, BX Last Sale, and PSX 
Last Sale, see, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 57965 
(June 16, 2008), 73 FR 35178, (June 20, 2008) (SR-NASDAQ-2006-060) 
(order approving NASDAQ Last Sale data feeds pilot); 61112 (December 
4, 2009), 74 FR 65569, (December 10, 2009) (SR-BX-2009-077) (notice 
of filing and immediate effectiveness regarding BX Last Sale data 
feeds); and 62876 (September 9, 2010), 75 FR 56624, (September 16, 
2010) (SR-Phlx-2010-120) (notice of filing and immediate 
effectiveness regarding PSX Last Sale data feeds).
    \5\ Tape A and Tape B securities are disseminated pursuant to 
the Security Industry Automation Corporation's (``SIAC'') 
Consolidated Tape Association Plan/Consolidated Quotation System, or 
CTA/CQS (``CTA''). Tape C securities are disseminated pursuant to 
the NASDAQ Unlisted Trading Privileges (``UTP'') Plan.
    \6\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 75257 (June 22, 
2015), 80 FR 36862 (June 26, 2015) (SR-NASDAQ-2015-055) (order 
approving proposed rule change regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus in 
NASDAQ Rule 7039(d)) (the ``NLS Plus Approval Order''); 74972 (May 
15, 2015), 80 FR 29370 (May 21, 2015) (SR-NASDAQ-2015-055) (notice 
of filing of proposed rule change regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus) 
(the ``NLS Plus notice''); and 75600 (August 4, 2015), 80 FR 57968 
(August 10, 2015) (SR-NASDAQ-2015-088) (notice of filing and 
immediate effectiveness regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus fees in 
NASDAQ Rule 7039(d)) (the ``NLS Plus Fees Approval Order'') [sic]. 
See also Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 75763 (August 26, 
2015) (SR-Phlx-2015-72) (notice of filing and immediate 
effectiveness regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus in PSX Chapter 
VIII(b)) (the ``NLS Plus on PSX filing''); and 75709 (August 14, 
2015), 80 FR 50671 (August 20, 2015) (SR-BX-2015-047) (notice of 
filing and immediate effectiveness regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus 
in BX Rule 7039(b)) (the ``NLS Plus on BX filing'').
     NLS Plus, which is codified in NASDAQ Rule 7039(d) and PSX 
Chapter VIII(b), has been offered since 2010 via NASDAQ OMX 
Information LLC. NLS Plus is described online at http://nasdaqtrader.com/content/technicalsupport/specifications/dataproducts/NLSPlusSpecification.pdf; and the annual administrative 
and other fees for NLS Plus are noted at http://nasdaqtrader.com/Trader.aspx?id=DPUSdata#ls.
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    NLS Plus allows data distributors to access last sale products 
offered by each of NASDAQ OMX's three equity exchanges. NLS Plus 
includes all transactions from all of NASDAQ OMX's equity markets, as 
well as FINRA/NASDAQ TRF data that is included in the current NLS 
product. In addition, NLS Plus features total cross-market volume 
information at the issue level, thereby providing redistribution of 
consolidated volume information (``consolidated volume'') from the 
securities information processors (``SIPs'') for Tape A, B, and C 
securities.\7\ Thus, NLS Plus covers all securities listed on NASDAQ 
and New York Stock Exchange (``NYSE'') (now under the Intercontinental 
Exchange (``ICE'') umbrella), as well as U.S. ``regional'' exchanges 
such as NYSE MKT, NYSE Arca, and BATS (also known as BATS/Direct 
Edge).\8\ As noted in the NLS Plus Approval Order, the Exchange is 
filing this separate proposal regarding the NLS Plus fee structure, on 
PSX.
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    \7\ This reflects real-time trading activity for Tape C 
securities and 15-minute delayed information for Tape A and Tape B 
securities.
    \8\ Registered U.S. exchanges are listed at http://www.sec.gov/divisions/marketreg/mrexchanges.shtml.
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    NLS Plus is currently codified in NASDAQ Rule 7039(d) and PSX 
Chapter VIII(b),\9\ in a manner similar to products of other 
markets.\10\ NLS Plus is offered, as noted, through NASDAQ OMX 
Information LLC, which is a subsidiary of NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. that 
is separate and apart from The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC. NASDAQ OMX 
Information LLC combines publicly available data from the three filed 
last sale products of the NASDAQ OMX equity markets and from the 
network processors for the ease and convenience of market data users 
and vendors, and ultimately the investing public. In that role, the 
function of NASDAQ OMX Information LLC is analogous to that of other 
market data vendors, and it has no competitive advantage over other 
market data vendors. NASDAQ OMX Information LLC distributes no data 
that is not equally available to all market data vendors. For example, 
NASDAQ OMX Information LLC receives data from the exchange that is 
available to other market data vendors, with the same information 
distributed to NASDAQ OMX Information LLC at the same time it is 
distributed to other vendors (that is, NASDAQ OMX Information LLC has 
neither a speed nor an information differential). Through this 
structure, NASDAQ OMX Information LLC performs precisely the same 
functions as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and dozens of other market 
data vendors; and the contents of the NLS Plus data stream are similar 
in nature to what is distributed by other exchanges.
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    \9\ See supra note 6.
    \10\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 73918 (December 23, 
2014), 79 FR 78920 (December 31, 2014) (SR-BATS-2014-055; SR-BYX-
2014-030; SR-EDGA-2014-25; SR-EDGX-2014-25) (order approving market 
data product called BATS One Feed being offered by four affiliated 
exchanges). See also Securities Exchange Act Release No. 73553 
(November 6, 2014), 79 FR 67491 (November 13, 2014) (SR-NYSE-2014-
40) (order granting approval to establish the NYSE Best Quote & 
Trades (``BQT'') Data Feed). These exchanges have likewise 
instituted fees for their products.
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    The Exchange believes that market data distributors may use the NLS 
Plus data feed to feed stock tickers, portfolio trackers, trade alert 
programs, time and sale graphs, and other display systems. The contents 
of NLS Plus are set forth in PSX Chapter VIII(b).\11\ Specifically, 
subsection (b) states that NASDAQ Last Sale Plus is a comprehensive 
data feed produced by NASDAQ OMX Information LLC that provides last 
sale data as well as consolidated [sic] volume of NASDAQ OMX equity 
markets (NASDAQ, BX, and PSX) and the NASDAQ/FINRA Trade Reporting 
Facility (``TRF''). NASDAQ Last Sale Plus also reflects cumulative 
volume real-time trading activity across all U.S. exchanges for Tape C 
securities and 15-minute delayed information for Tape A and Tape B 
securities. NLS Plus also contains the following data elements: Trade 
Price, Trade Size, Sale Condition Modifiers, Cumulative Consolidated 
Market Volume, End of Day Trade Summary, Adjusted Closing Price, IPO 
Information, and Bloomberg ID. Additionally, pertinent regulatory 
information such as Market Wide Circuit Breaker, Reg SHO Short Sale 
Price Test Restricted Indicator, Trading

[[Page 55694]]

Action, Symbol Directory, Adjusted Closing Price, and End of Day Trade 
Summary are included.\12\ NLS Plus may be received by itself or in 
combination with NASDAQ Basic. The Exchange now proposes to add into 
PSX Chapter VIII(b) the fees associated with NLS Plus.
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    \11\ PSX Chapter VIII(b) is similar to NASDAQ Rule 7039(d). The 
contents of NLS Plus in large part mimic those of NLS, which is set 
forth in NASDAQ Rule 7039(a)-(c). Similar to NLS, NLS Plus offers 
data for all U.S. equities via two separate data channels: The first 
data channel reflects NASDAQ, BX, and PSX trades with real-time 
consolidated [sic] volume for NASDAQ-listed securities; and the 
second data channel reflects NASDAQ, BX, and PSX trades with delayed 
consolidated volume for NYSE, NYSE MKT, NYSE Arca and BATS-listed 
securities.
    \12\ The overwhelming majority of these data elements and 
messages are exactly the same as, and in fact are sourced from, NLS, 
BX Last Sale, and PSX Last Sale. Only two data elements 
(consolidated volume and Bloomberg ID) are sourced from other 
publicly accessible or obtainable resources. The Reg SHO Short Sale 
Price Test Restricted Indicator message is disseminated intra-day 
when a security has a price drop of 10% or more from the adjusted 
prior day's NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Trading Action indicates 
the current trading status of a security to the trading community, 
and indicates when a security is halted, paused, released for 
quotation, and released for trading. Symbol Directory is 
disseminated at the start of each trading day for all active NASDAQ 
and non-NASDAQ-listed security symbols. Adjusted Closing Price is 
disseminated at the start of each trading day for all active symbols 
in the NASDAQ system. End of Day Trade Summary is disseminated at 
the close of each trading day, as a summary for all active NASDAQ- 
and non-NASDAQ-listed securities. IPO Information reflects IPO 
general administrative messages from the UTP and CTA Level 1 feeds 
for Initial Public Offerings for all NASDAQ- and non-NASDAQ-listed 
securities. For additional information, see NLS Plus Approval Order.
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The Fees
    Firms that receive an NLS Plus feed today are liable for annual 
administration fees for applicable NASDAQ equity exchanges: $1,000 for 
NASDAQ, $1,000 for BX, and $1,000 for PSX.\13\ In addition, firms that 
receive NLS Plus are liable for NLS or NASDAQ Basic fees.\14\ Finally, 
firms will pay a data consolidation fee of $350 per month.
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    \13\ For current fees, see http://nasdaqtrader.com/Trader.aspx?id=DPUSdata#ls. Annual administrative fees are in BX 
Rule 7035, NASDAQ Rule 7035, and PSX Chapter VIII.
    \14\ User fees for NLS and NASDAQ Basic are in NASDAQ Rules 7039 
and 7047. User fees for BX Last Sale are in BX Rule 7039 (currently 
there is no fee liability), and for PSX Last Sale are in PSX Chapter 
VIII (currently there is no fee liability). As currently described 
in NASDAQ Rule 7047, NASDAQ Basic provides two sets of data 
elements: (1) The best bid and offer on the NASDAQ Stock Market for 
each U.S. equity security; and (2) the last sale information 
currently provided by NLS.
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    Accordingly, proposed PSX Chapter VIII states the following at 
sections (b)(1) through (b)(3):
    (1) Firms that receive NLS Plus shall pay the annual administration 
fees for NLS, BX Last Sale, and PSX Last Sale, and a data consolidation 
fee of $350 per month.
    (2) Firms that receive NLS Plus would either be liable for NLS fees 
or NASDAQ Basic fees.
    (3) In the event that NASDAQ OMX BX and/or NASDAQ OMX PHLX adopt 
user fees for BX Last Sale and/or PSX Last Sale, firms that receive NLS 
Plus would also be liable for such fees.\15\
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    \15\ BX Last Sale and PSX Last Sale currently are not fee 
liable, as noted in BX Rule 7039 and PSX Chapter VIII, respectively.
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    The Exchange notes that the proposed fee structure is designed to 
ensure that vendors could compete with the Exchange by creating a 
product similar to NLS Plus.\16\ The proposed fee structure reflects 
the current annual administrative cost as well as the incremental cost 
of the aggregation and consolidation function (generally known as the 
``consolidation function'') for NLS Plus, and would not be lower than 
the cost to a vendor creating a competing product, including the cost 
of receiving the underlying data feeds. The proposed fee structure for 
NLS Plus would enable a vendor to receive the underlying data feeds and 
offer a similar product on a competitive basis and with no greater cost 
than the Exchange.\17\
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    \16\ For discussion in addition to this proposal, see NLS Plus 
Approval Order.
    \17\ See also footnote 24 in the NLS Plus notice, wherein NASDAQ 
indicated that it expects that the fee structure for NLS Plus will 
reflect an amount that is no less than the cost to a market data 
vendor to obtain all the underlying feeds, plus an amount to be 
determined that would reflect the value of the aggregation and 
consolidation function.
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    The proposed fee structure is reasonable and proper. First, the 
proposed administration fee is essentially a codification of the 
current administration fee vis a vis NASDAQ, BX and PSX. Second, NLS 
Plus recipients would also be liable for fees if the Exchange adopts 
user fees for BX Last Sale and/or PSX Last Sale. To that end, the 
Exchange notes that it has filed separate proposals to adopt NLS Plus 
in the BX Last Sale and PSX Last Sale provisions,\18\ and will file 
separate fee proposals that would, like this filing, be expected to 
reflect an administrative fee component and a consolidation component. 
Third, firms receive NLS Plus by itself or in conjunction with NASDAQ 
Basic.\19\ Accordingly, firms would either be liable for NLS fees or 
NASDAQ Basic fees. Fourth, the Exchange proposes that NLS Plus includes 
[sic] a specific monthly $350 data consolidation fee. This fee is 
designed to recoup the monthly consolidation costs emanating from the 
aggregation and consolidation of the data and data streams that make up 
the NLS Plus data feed. Such consolidated costs include, for example, 
the costs of combining the feeds, adding the Bloomberg ID, and 
combining the consolidated sale info. The Exchange believes that this 
consolidation fee, while in addition to the current NLS Plus fee in 
place, would not be material to firms.
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    \18\ BX Rule 7039 and PSX Chapter VIII.
    \19\ As provided in NASDAQ Rule 7047, NASDAQ Basic provides the 
information contained in NLS, together with NASDAQ's best bid and 
best offer.
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    The Exchange believes that the proposed NLS Plus fee is a simple 
codification of the existing NLS PLS [sic] fee into PSX Chapter VIII, 
as discussed, with the addition of a monthly data consolidation fee, 
and as such meets the requirements of the Act.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\20\ in general, and with 
Sections 6(b)(4) and (5) of the Act,\21\ in particular, in that it 
provides for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees, and 
other charges among its members, issuers and other persons using its 
facilities, and does not unfairly discriminate between customers, 
issuers, brokers or dealers. The Exchange is codifying the fees 
regarding the NLS Plus data offering and the consolidation fee, as 
discussed, into sections (b)(1) through (b)(3) of PSX Chapter VIII.
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    \20\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \21\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4) and (5).
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    The Exchange believes that the proposed fees offered to firms that 
elect to receive NLS Plus are reasonable, equitable and not unfairly 
discriminatory. These fees are reasonable because they are, as 
discussed, simply a codification of the existing fee structure, with an 
addition of the above-discussed consolidation fee, into existing PSX 
Chapter VIII. The proposed fee structure would apply equally to all 
firms that choose to avail themselves of the NLS Plus data feed, and no 
firm is required to use NLS Plus. Moreover, the Exchange believes that 
the consolidation fee, while in addition to the current NLS Plus fee, 
would not be material to firms. The consolidation fee would, however, 
enable the Exchange to recoup the monthly consolidation cost emanating 
from the aggregation and consolidation of the data and data streams 
that make up the NLS Plus data feed. Such consolidated costs include, 
for example, the monthly costs of combining the feeds, adding the 
Bloomberg ID, and creating the consolidated sale info. The proposed fee 
structure would be equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because it 
would apply equally to all firms that choose to use NLS Plus.
    The Exchange believes that the proposed fees are also consistent 
with the investor protection objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act 
\22\ in that they

[[Page 55695]]

are designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to 
remove impediments to a free and open market and national market 
system, and in general to protect investors and the public interest. 
Specifically, the proposed fee structure will codify the fees regarding 
the NLS Plus data offering into sections (b)(1) through (b)(3) of PSX 
Chapter VIII, which helps to assure proper enforcement of the rule and 
investor protection. The Exchange believes also that the proposal 
facilitates transactions in securities, removes impediments to and 
perfects the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market 
system, and, in general, protects investors and the public interest by 
codifying into a rule the fee liability for an additional means by 
which investors may access information about securities transactions, 
namely NLS Plus, thereby providing investors with additional options 
for accessing information that may help to inform their trading 
decisions.
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    \22\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    The Exchange notes that the Commission has recently approved data 
products on several exchanges that are similar to NLS Plus, and 
specifically determined that the fee-liable approved data products were 
consistent with the Act.\23\ NLS Plus simply provides market 
participants with an additional option for receiving market data that 
has already been the subject of a proposed rule change and that is 
available from myriad market data vendors.
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    \23\ See supra note 10 regarding BATS One and NYSE BQT.
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    In adopting Regulation NMS, the Commission granted SROs and broker-
dealers (``BDs'') increased authority and flexibility to offer new and 
unique market data to the public. It was believed that this authority 
would expand the amount of data available to consumers, and also spur 
innovation and competition for the provision of market data. The 
Exchange believes that the NLS Plus market data product is precisely 
the sort of market data product that the Commission envisioned when it 
adopted Regulation NMS. The Commission concluded that Regulation NMS--
by deregulating the market in proprietary data--would itself further 
the Act's goals of facilitating efficiency and competition:

    [E]fficiency is promoted when broker-dealers who do not need the 
data beyond the prices, sizes, market center identifications of the 
NBBO and consolidated last sale information are not required to 
receive (and pay for) such data. The Commission also believes that 
efficiency is promoted when broker-dealers may choose to receive 
(and pay for) additional market data based on their own internal 
analysis of the need for such data.\24\
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    \24\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 51808 (June 9, 
2005), 70 FR 37496 (June 29, 2005).

By removing unnecessary regulatory restrictions on the ability of 
exchanges to sell their own data, Regulation NMS advanced the goals of 
the Act and the principles reflected in its legislative history. If the 
free market should determine whether proprietary data is sold to BDs at 
all, it follows that the price at which such data is sold should be set 
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by the market as well.

    The decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District 
of Columbia Circuit in NetCoalition v. SEC, 615 F.3d 525 (D.C. Cir. 
2010) (``NetCoalition I''), upheld the Commission's reliance upon 
competitive markets to set reasonable and equitably allocated fees for 
market data. ``In fact, the legislative history indicates that the 
Congress intended that the market system `evolve through the interplay 
of competitive forces as unnecessary regulatory restrictions are 
removed' and that the SEC wield its regulatory power `in those 
situations where competition may not be sufficient,' such as in the 
creation of a `consolidated transactional reporting system.' 
NetCoalition I, at 535 (quoting H.R. Rep. No. 94-229, at 92 (1975), as 
reprinted in 1975 U.S.C.C.A.N. 321, 323). The court agreed with the 
Commission's conclusion that ``Congress intended that `competitive 
forces should dictate the services and practices that constitute the 
U.S. national market system for trading equity securities.' '' \25\
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    \25\ NetCoalition I, at 535.
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    The Court in NetCoalition I, while upholding the Commission's 
conclusion that competitive forces may be relied upon to establish the 
fairness of prices, nevertheless concluded that the record in that case 
did not adequately support the Commission's conclusions as to the 
competitive nature of the market for NYSE Arca's data product at issue 
in that case. As explained below in the Exchange's Statement on Burden 
on Competition, however, the Exchange believes that there is 
substantial evidence of competition in the marketplace for data that 
was not in the record in the NetCoalition I case, and that the 
Commission is entitled to rely upon such evidence in concluding fees 
are the product of competition, and therefore in accordance with the 
relevant statutory standards.\26\ Accordingly, any findings of the 
court with respect to that product may not be relevant to the product 
at issue in this filing.
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    \26\ It should also be noted that Section 916 of the Dodd-Frank 
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (``Dodd-Frank 
Act'') has amended paragraph (A) of Section 19(b)(3) of the Act, 15 
U.S.C. 78s(b)(3), to make it clear that all exchange fees, including 
fees for market data, may be filed by exchanges on an immediately 
effective basis. See also NetCoalition v. SEC, 715 F.3d 342 (D.C. 
Cir. 2013) (``NetCoalition II'') (finding no jurisdiction to review 
Commission's non-suspension of immediately effective fee changes).
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    Moreover, fee liable data products such as NLS Plus are a means by 
which exchanges compete to attract order flow, and this proposal simply 
codifies the relevant fee structure into an Exchange rule. To the 
extent that exchanges are successful in such competition, they earn 
trading revenues and also enhance the value of their data products by 
increasing the amount of data they are able to provide. Conversely, to 
the extent that exchanges are unsuccessful, the inputs needed to add 
value to data products are diminished. Accordingly, the need to compete 
for order flow places substantial pressure upon exchanges to keep their 
fees for both executions and data reasonable.

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. The proposed fee structure is 
designed to ensure a fair and reasonable use of Exchange resources by 
allowing the Exchange to recoup costs while continuing to offer its 
data products at competitive rates to firms.
    The market for data products is extremely competitive and firms may 
freely choose alternative venues and data vendors based on the 
aggregate fees assessed, the data offered, and the value provided. This 
rule proposal does not burden competition, which continues to offer 
alternative data products and, like the Exchange, set fees,\27\ but 
rather reflects the competition between data feed vendors and will 
further enhance such competition. As described, NLS Plus competes 
directly with existing similar products and potential products of 
market data vendors. NASDAQ OMX Information LLC was constructed 
specifically to establish a level playing field with market data 
vendors and to preserve fair competition between them. Therefore, 
NASDAQ OMX Information LLC receives NLS, BX Last Sale, and PSX Last 
Sale from each NASDAQ OMX-operated exchange in the same manner, at the 
same speed, and

[[Page 55696]]

reflecting the same fees as for all market data vendors. Therefore, 
NASDAQ Information LLC has no competitive advantage with respect to 
these last sale products and NASDAQ commits to maintaining this level 
playing field in the future. In other words, NASDAQ will continue to 
disseminate separately the underlying last sale products to avoid 
creating a latency differential between NASDAQ OMX Information LLC and 
other market data vendors, and to avoid creating a pricing advantage 
for NASDAQ OMX Information LLC.
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    \27\ See, e.g., supra note 10.
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    NLS Plus joins the existing market for proprietary last sale data 
products that is currently competitive and inherently contestable 
because there is fierce competition for the inputs necessary to the 
creation of proprietary data and strict pricing discipline for the 
proprietary products themselves. Numerous exchanges compete with each 
other for listings, trades, and market data itself, providing virtually 
limitless opportunities for entrepreneurs who wish to produce and 
distribute their own market data. This proprietary data is produced by 
each individual exchange, as well as other entities, in a vigorously 
competitive market. Similarly, with respect to the FINRA/NASDAQ TRF 
data that is a component of NLS and NLS Plus, allowing exchanges to 
operate TRFs has permitted them to earn revenues by providing 
technology and data in support of the non-exchange segment of the 
market. This revenue opportunity has also resulted in fierce 
competition between the two current TRF operators, with both TRFs 
charging extremely low trade reporting fees and rebating the majority 
of the revenues they receive from core market data to the parties 
reporting trades.
    Transaction execution and proprietary data products are 
complementary in that market data is both an input and a byproduct of 
the execution service. In fact, market data and trade execution are a 
paradigmatic example of joint products with joint costs. The decision 
whether and on which platform to post an order will depend on the 
attributes of the platform where the order can be posted, including the 
execution fees, data quality and price, and distribution of its data 
products. Without trade executions, exchange data products cannot 
exist. Moreover, data products are valuable to many end users only 
insofar as they provide information that end users expect will assist 
them or their customers in making trading decisions.
    The costs of producing market data include not only the costs of 
the data distribution infrastructure, but also the costs of designing, 
maintaining, and operating the exchange's transaction execution 
platform and the cost of regulating the exchange to ensure its fair 
operation and maintain investor confidence. The total return that a 
trading platform earns reflects the revenues it receives from both 
products and the joint costs it incurs. Moreover, the operation of the 
exchange is characterized by high fixed costs and low marginal costs. 
This cost structure is common in content and content distribution 
industries such as software, where developing new software typically 
requires a large initial investment (and continuing large investments 
to upgrade the software), but once the software is developed, the 
incremental cost of providing that software to an additional user is 
typically small, or even zero (e.g., if the software can be downloaded 
over the internet after being purchased).\28\ It is costly to build and 
maintain a trading platform, but the incremental cost of trading each 
additional share on an existing platform, or distributing an additional 
instance of data, is very low. Market information and executions are 
each produced jointly (in the sense that the activities of trading and 
placing orders are the source of the information that is distributed) 
and are each subject to significant scale economies. In such cases, 
marginal cost pricing is not feasible because if all sales were priced 
at the margin, an exchange would be unable to defray its platform costs 
of providing the joint products. Similarly, data products cannot make 
use of TRF trade reports without the raw material of the trade reports 
themselves, and therefore necessitate the costs of operating, 
regulating,\29\ and maintaining a trade reporting system, costs that 
must be covered through the fees charged for use of the facility and 
sales of associated data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ See William J. Baumol and Daniel G. Swanson, ``The New 
Economy and Ubiquitous Competitive Price Discrimination: Identifying 
Defensible Criteria of Market Power,'' Antitrust Law Journal, Vol. 
70, No. 3 (2003).
    \29\ It should be noted that the costs of operating the FINRA/
NASDAQ TRF borne by NASDAQ include regulatory charges paid by NASDAQ 
to FINRA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    An exchange's BD customers view the costs of transaction executions 
and of data as a unified cost of doing business with the exchange. A BD 
will direct orders to a particular exchange only if the expected 
revenues from executing trades on the exchange exceed net transaction 
execution costs and the cost of data that the BD chooses to buy to 
support its trading decisions (or those of its customers). The choice 
of data products is, in turn, a product of the value of the products in 
making profitable trading decisions. If the cost of the product exceeds 
its expected value, the BD will choose not to buy it. Moreover, as a BD 
chooses to direct fewer orders to a particular exchange, the value of 
the product to that BD decreases, for two reasons. First, the product 
will contain less information, because executions of the BD's trading 
activity will not be reflected in it. Second, and perhaps more 
important, the product will be less valuable to that BD because it does 
not provide information about the venue to which it is directing its 
orders. Data from the competing venue to which the BD is directing 
orders will become correspondingly more valuable.
    Similarly, in the case of products such as NLS Plus that are 
distributed through market data vendors, the vendors provide price 
discipline for proprietary data products because they control the 
primary means of access to end users. Vendors impose price restraints 
based upon their business models. For example, vendors such as 
Bloomberg and Reuters that assess a surcharge on data they sell may 
refuse to offer proprietary products that end users will not purchase 
in sufficient numbers. Internet portals, such as Google, impose a 
discipline by providing only data that will enable them to attract 
``eyeballs'' that contribute to their advertising revenue. Retail BDs, 
such as Schwab and Fidelity, offer their customers proprietary data 
only if it promotes trading and generates sufficient commission 
revenue. Although the business models may differ, these vendors' 
pricing discipline is the same: They can simply refuse to purchase any 
proprietary data product that fails to provide sufficient value. 
Exchanges, TRFs, and other producers of proprietary data products must 
understand and respond to these varying business models and pricing 
disciplines in order to market proprietary data products successfully. 
Moreover, the Exchange believes that products such as NLS Plus can 
enhance order flow by providing more widespread distribution of 
information about transactions in real time, thereby encouraging wider 
participation in the market by investors with access to the internet or 
television. Conversely, the value of such products to distributors and 
investors decreases if order flow falls, because the products contain 
less content.
    Competition among trading platforms can be expected to constrain 
the aggregate return each platform earns from the sale of its joint 
products, but

[[Page 55697]]

different platforms may choose from a range of possible, and equally 
reasonable, pricing strategies as the means of recovering total costs. 
The Exchange pays rebates to attract orders, charges relatively low 
prices for market information and charges relatively high prices for 
accessing posted liquidity. Other platforms may choose a strategy of 
paying lower liquidity rebates to attract orders, setting relatively 
low prices for accessing posted liquidity, and setting relatively high 
prices for market information. Still others may provide most data free 
of charge and rely exclusively on transaction fees to recover their 
costs. Finally, some platforms may incentivize use by providing 
opportunities for equity ownership, which may allow them to charge 
lower direct fees for executions and data.
    In this environment, there is no economic basis for regulating 
maximum prices for one of the joint products in an industry in which 
suppliers face competitive constraints with regard to the joint 
offering. Such regulation is unnecessary because an ``excessive'' price 
for one of the joint products will ultimately have to be reflected in 
lower prices for other products sold by the firm, or otherwise the firm 
will experience a loss in the volume of its sales that will be adverse 
to its overall profitability. In other words, an increase in the price 
of data will ultimately have to be accompanied by a decrease in the 
cost of executions, or the volume of both data and executions will 
fall.
    The level of competition and contestability in the market is 
evident in the numerous alternative venues that compete for order flow, 
including eleven SRO markets, as well as internalizing BDs and various 
forms of alternative trading systems (``ATSs''), including dark pools 
and electronic communication networks (``ECNs''). Each SRO market 
competes to produce transaction reports via trade executions, and two 
FINRA-regulated TRFs compete to attract internalized transaction 
reports. It is common for BDs to further and exploit this competition 
by sending their order flow and transaction reports to multiple 
markets, rather than providing them all to a single market. Competitive 
markets for order flow, executions, and transaction reports provide 
pricing discipline for the inputs of proprietary data products.
    The large number of SROs, TRFs, BDs, and ATSs that currently 
produce proprietary data or are currently capable of producing it 
provides further pricing discipline for proprietary data products. Each 
SRO, TRF, ATS, and BD is currently permitted to produce proprietary 
data products, and many currently do or have announced plans to do so, 
including NASDAQ, NYSE, NYSE MKT, NYSE Arca, and BATS/Direct Edge.
    Any ATS or BD can combine with any other ATS, BD, or multiple ATSs 
or BDs to produce joint proprietary data products. Additionally, order 
routers and market data vendors can facilitate single or multiple BDs' 
production of proprietary data products. The potential sources of 
proprietary products are virtually limitless. Notably, the potential 
sources of data include the BDs that submit trade reports to TRFs and 
that have the ability to consolidate and distribute their data without 
the involvement of FINRA or an exchange-operated TRF.
    The fact that proprietary data from ATSs, BDs, and vendors can by-
pass SROs is significant in two respects. First, non-SROs can compete 
directly with SROs for the production and sale of proprietary data 
products, as BATS and NYSE Arca did before registering as exchanges by 
publishing proprietary book data on the internet. Second, because a 
single order or transaction report can appear in a core data product, 
an SRO proprietary product, and/or a non-SRO proprietary product, the 
data available in proprietary products is exponentially greater than 
the actual number of orders and transaction reports that exist in the 
marketplace. Indeed, in the case of NLS Plus, the data provided through 
that product appears both in (i) real-time core data products offered 
by the SIPs for a fee, (ii) free SIP data products with a 15-minute 
time delay, and (iii) individual exchange data products, and finds a 
close substitute in last-sale products of competing venues.
    In addition to the competition and price discipline described 
above, the market for proprietary data products is also highly 
contestable because market entry is rapid, inexpensive, and profitable. 
The history of electronic trading is replete with examples of entrants 
that swiftly grew into some of the largest electronic trading platforms 
and proprietary data producers: Archipelago, Bloomberg Tradebook, 
Island, RediBook, Attain, TracECN, BATS Trading and BATS/Direct Edge. A 
proliferation of dark pools and other ATSs operate profitably with 
fragmentary shares of consolidated market volume.
    Regulation NMS, by deregulating the market for proprietary data, 
has increased the contestability of that market. While BDs have 
previously published their proprietary data individually, Regulation 
NMS encourages market data vendors and BDs to produce proprietary 
products cooperatively in a manner never before possible. Multiple 
market data vendors already have the capability to aggregate data and 
disseminate it on a profitable scale, including Bloomberg and Thomson 
Reuters. In Europe, Cinnober aggregates and disseminates data from over 
40 brokers and multilateral trading facilities.\30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ See http://www.cinnober.com/boat-trade-reporting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the case of TRFs, the rapid entry of several exchanges into this 
space in 2006-2007 following the development and Commission approval of 
the TRF structure demonstrates the contestability of this aspect of the 
market.\31\ Given the demand for trade reporting services that is 
itself a by-product of the fierce competition for transaction 
executions--characterized notably by a proliferation of ATSs and BDs 
offering internalization--any supra-competitive increase in the fees 
associated with trade reporting or TRF data would shift trade report 
volumes from one of the existing TRFs to the other \32\ and create 
incentives for other TRF operators to enter the space. Alternatively, 
because BDs reporting to TRFs are themselves free to consolidate the 
market data that they report, the market for over-the-counter data 
itself, separate and apart from the markets for execution and trade 
reporting services--is fully contestable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ The low cost exit of two TRFs from the market is also 
evidence of a contestable market, because new entrants are reluctant 
to enter a market where exit may involve substantial shut-down 
costs.
    \32\ It should be noted that the FINRA/NYSE TRF has, in recent 
weeks, received reports for almost 10% of all over-the-counter 
volume in NMS stocks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Moreover, consolidated data provides two additional measures of 
pricing discipline for proprietary data products that are a subset of 
the consolidated data stream. First, the consolidated data is widely 
available in real-time at $1 per month for non-professional users. 
Second, consolidated data is also available at no cost with a 15- or 
20-minute delay. Because consolidated data contains marketwide 
information, it effectively places a cap on the fees assessed for 
proprietary data (such as last sale data) that is simply a subset of 
the consolidated data. The mere availability of low-cost or free 
consolidated data provides a powerful form of pricing discipline for 
proprietary data products that contain data elements that are a subset 
of the consolidated data, by highlighting the optional nature of 
proprietary products.
    In this environment, a super-competitive increase in the fees 
charged for either transactions or data has the

[[Page 55698]]

potential to impair revenues from both products. ``No one disputes that 
competition for order flow is `fierce'.'' NetCoalition I at 539. The 
existence of fierce competition for order flow implies a high degree of 
price sensitivity on the part of BDs with order flow, since they may 
readily reduce costs by directing orders toward the lowest-cost trading 
venues. A BD that shifted its order flow from one platform to another 
in response to order execution price differentials would both reduce 
the value of that platform's market data and reduce its own need to 
consume data from the disfavored platform. If a platform increases its 
market data fees, the change will affect the overall cost of doing 
business with the platform, and affected BDs will assess whether they 
can lower their trading costs by directing orders elsewhere and thereby 
lessening the need for the more expensive data. Similarly, increases in 
the cost of NLS Plus would impair the willingness of distributors to 
take a product for which there are numerous alternatives, impacting NLS 
Plus data revenues, the value of NLS Plus as a tool for attracting 
order flow, and ultimately, the volume of orders routed and the value 
of other data products.

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.\33\ 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 necessary or appropriate in the public interest, 
for the protection of investors, or 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \33\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 email to [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-Phlx-2015-76 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     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-2015-76. 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 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 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 Web site 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 
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the 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-Phlx-2015-76 and 
should be submitted on or before October 7, 2015.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\34\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \34\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-23219 Filed 9-15-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                                    55692                   Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 179 / Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Notices

                                                    26, 2015, ISE Mercury submitted                         Room. Interested persons are invited to                  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to its Form 1                           submit written data, views, and                          COMMISSION
                                                    application.                                            arguments concerning ISE Mercury’s
                                                       The Commission is publishing this                    Form 1, including whether the                            [Release No. 34–75890; File No. SR–Phlx–
                                                    notice to solicit comments on ISE                       application is consistent with the                       2015–76]
                                                    Mercury’s Form 1 application, as                        Exchange Act.                                            Self-Regulatory Organizations;
                                                    amended. The Commission will take                         Comments may be submitted by any                       NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of
                                                    any comments it receives into
                                                                                                            of the following methods:                                Filing of and Immediate Effectiveness
                                                    consideration in making its
                                                    determination about whether to grant                    Electronic Comments                                      of Proposed Rule Change Regarding
                                                    ISE Mercury’s request to be registered as                                                                        NASDAQ Last Sale Plus
                                                    a national securities exchange. The                       • Use the Commission’s Internet
                                                                                                                                                                     September 10, 2015.
                                                    Commission will grant the registration if               comment form (http://www.sec.gov/
                                                                                                            rules/sro.shtml); or                                        Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
                                                    it finds that the requirements of the                                                                            Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                                    Exchange Act and the rules and                            • Send an email to rule-comments@                      (‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
                                                    regulations thereunder with respect to                  sec.gov. Please include File Number 10–                  notice is hereby given that on August
                                                    ISE Mercury are satisfied.2                             221 on the subject line.                                 28, 2015, NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC
                                                       The Applicant’s Form 1 application,                                                                           (‘‘Phlx’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the
                                                    as amended, provides detailed                           Paper Comments
                                                                                                                                                                     Securities and Exchange Commission
                                                    information on how ISE Mercury                            • Send paper comments in triplicate                    (‘‘SEC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) the proposed
                                                    proposes to satisfy the requirements of                 to Brent J. Fields, Secretary, Securities                rule change as described in Items I, II,
                                                    the Exchange Act. The Form 1                            and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street                    and III, below, which Items have been
                                                    application also provides that ISE                      NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090.                          prepared by the Exchange. The
                                                    Mercury would operate a fully
                                                                                                                                                                     Commission is publishing this notice to
                                                    automated electronic trading platform                   All submissions should refer to File
                                                                                                                                                                     solicit comments on the proposed rule
                                                    for the trading of listed options and                   Number 10–221. This file number
                                                                                                                                                                     change from interested persons.
                                                    would not maintain a physical trading                   should be included on the subject line
                                                    floor. It also provides that liquidity                  if email is used. To help the                            I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                    would be derived from orders to buy                     Commission process and review your                       Statement of the Terms of Substance of
                                                    and orders to sell submitted to ISE                     comments more efficiently, please use                    the Proposed Rule Change
                                                    Mercury electronically by its registered                only one method. The Commission will                        The Exchange proposes to amend
                                                    broker-dealer members, as well as from                  post all comments on the Commission’s                    Chapter VIII of NASDAQ OMX PSX
                                                    quotes submitted electronically by                      Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/                   Fees, entitled PSX Last Sale Data Feeds
                                                    market makers. Further, the Form 1                      rules/other.shtml). Copies of the                        and NASDAQ Last Sale Plus Data Feeds
                                                    application states that ISE Mercury                     submission, all subsequent                               (‘‘PSX Chapter VIII’’), with language
                                                    would be wholly-owned by its parent                     amendments, all written statements                       indicating the fees for NASDAQ Last
                                                    company, International Securities                       with respect to ISE Mercury’s Form 1                     Sale Plus (‘‘NLS Plus’’), a
                                                    Exchange Holdings, Inc. (‘‘ISE                          filed with the Commission, and all                       comprehensive data feed offered by
                                                    Holdings’’), which also is the parent                   written communications relating to the                   NASDAQ OMX Information LLC.3
                                                    company of two existing national                        application between the Commission                          The text of the proposed rule change
                                                    securities exchanges, ISE and ISE                       and any person, other than those that                    is available on the Exchange’s Web site
                                                    Gemini, LLC.                                            may be withheld from the public in
                                                       A more detailed description of the                                                                            at http://
                                                                                                            accordance with the provisions of 5                      nasdaqomxphlx.cchwallstreet.com, at
                                                    manner of operation of ISE Mercury’s                    U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web
                                                    proposed system can be found in                                                                                  the principal office of the Exchange, and
                                                                                                            site viewing and printing in the                         at the Commission’s Public Reference
                                                    Exhibit E to ISE Mercury’s Form 1                       Commission’s Public Reference Room,
                                                    application. The proposed rulebook for                                                                           Room.
                                                                                                            100 F Street NE., Washington, DC
                                                    the proposed exchange can be found in                   20549, on official business days                         II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                    Exhibit B to ISE Mercury’s Form 1                       between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and                      Statement of the Purpose of, and
                                                    application, and the governing                          3:00 p.m. All comments received will be                  Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
                                                    documents for both ISE Mercury and                      posted without change; the Commission                    Change
                                                    ISE Holdings can be found in Exhibit A                  does not edit personal identifying                         In its filing with the Commission, the
                                                    and Exhibit C to ISE Mercury’s Form 1                   information from submissions. You                        Exchange included statements
                                                    application, respectively. A listing of                 should submit only information that                      concerning the purpose of and basis for
                                                    the officers and directors of ISE Mercury               you wish to make publicly available. All                 the proposed rule change and discussed
                                                    can be found in Exhibit J to ISE                        submissions should refer to File                         any comments it received on the
                                                    Mercury’s Form 1 application.                           Number 10–221 and should be
                                                       ISE Mercury’s Form 1 application,                                                                             proposed rule change. The text of these
                                                                                                            submitted on or before November 2,                       statements may be examined at the
                                                    including all of the Exhibits referenced                2015.
                                                    above, is available online at                                                                                    places specified in Item IV below. The
                                                                                                              For the Commission, by the Division of                 Exchange has prepared summaries, set
asabaliauskas on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                    www.sec.gov/rules/other.shtml as well
                                                                                                            Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated               forth in sections A, B, and C below, of
                                                    as in the Commission’s Public Reference                 authority.3                                              the most significant aspects of such
                                                                                                            Brent J. Fields,                                         statements.
                                                    subject to certain conditions, in connection with the
                                                    filing of its Form 1 application. See Securities        Secretary.
                                                                                                                                                                       1 15U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
                                                    Exchange Act Release No. 75867. Because the             [FR Doc. 2015–23220 Filed 9–15–15; 8:45 am]
                                                    Applicant’s Form 1 application was incomplete                                                                      2 17CFR 240.19b–4.
                                                                                                            BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                                    without the exemptive relief, the date of filing of                                                                3 NASDAQ OMX Information LLC is a subsidiary
                                                    such application is September 9, 2015.                                                                           of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (‘‘NASDAQ
                                                       2 15 U.S.C. 78s(a).                                    3 17   CFR 200.30–3(a)(57).                            OMX’’).



                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   18:18 Sep 15, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00105    Fmt 4703     Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\16SEN1.SGM   16SEN1


                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 179 / Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Notices                                                     55693

                                                    A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                          NLS Plus allows data distributors to                  convenience of market data users and
                                                    Statement of the Purpose of, and                        access last sale products offered by each                vendors, and ultimately the investing
                                                    Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule                  of NASDAQ OMX’s three equity                             public. In that role, the function of
                                                    Change                                                  exchanges. NLS Plus includes all                         NASDAQ OMX Information LLC is
                                                                                                            transactions from all of NASDAQ                          analogous to that of other market data
                                                    1. Purpose
                                                                                                            OMX’s equity markets, as well as                         vendors, and it has no competitive
                                                       The purpose of this proposal is to                   FINRA/NASDAQ TRF data that is                            advantage over other market data
                                                    amend PSX Chapter VIII(b) with                          included in the current NLS product. In                  vendors. NASDAQ OMX Information
                                                    language indicating the fees for NLS                    addition, NLS Plus features total cross-                 LLC distributes no data that is not
                                                    Plus. NLS Plus allows data distributors                 market volume information at the issue                   equally available to all market data
                                                    to access the three last sale products                  level, thereby providing redistribution                  vendors. For example, NASDAQ OMX
                                                    offered by each of NASDAQ OMX’s                         of consolidated volume information                       Information LLC receives data from the
                                                    three U.S. equity markets.4 Thus, in                    (‘‘consolidated volume’’) from the                       exchange that is available to other
                                                    offering NLS Plus, NASDAQ OMX                           securities information processors                        market data vendors, with the same
                                                    Information LLC is acting as a                          (‘‘SIPs’’) for Tape A, B, and C                          information distributed to NASDAQ
                                                    redistributor of last sale products                     securities.7 Thus, NLS Plus covers all                   OMX Information LLC at the same time
                                                    already offered by NASDAQ, BX, and                      securities listed on NASDAQ and New                      it is distributed to other vendors (that is,
                                                    PSX and volume information provided                     York Stock Exchange (‘‘NYSE’’) (now                      NASDAQ OMX Information LLC has
                                                    by the securities information processors                under the Intercontinental Exchange                      neither a speed nor an information
                                                    for Tape A, B, and C.5 This proposal is                 (‘‘ICE’’) umbrella), as well as U.S.                     differential). Through this structure,
                                                    being filed by the Exchange to indicate                 ‘‘regional’’ exchanges such as NYSE                      NASDAQ OMX Information LLC
                                                    the fees for the NLS Plus data feed                     MKT, NYSE Arca, and BATS (also                           performs precisely the same functions
                                                    offering and in light of the recent                     known as BATS/Direct Edge).8 As noted                    as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and
                                                    approval order regarding NLS Plus.6                     in the NLS Plus Approval Order, the                      dozens of other market data vendors;
                                                                                                            Exchange is filing this separate proposal                and the contents of the NLS Plus data
                                                       4 The NASDAQ OMX U.S. equity markets include
                                                                                                            regarding the NLS Plus fee structure, on                 stream are similar in nature to what is
                                                    The NASDAQ Stock Market (‘‘NASDAQ’’),                                                                            distributed by other exchanges.
                                                    NASDAQ OMX BX (‘‘BX’’), and NASDAQ OMX                  PSX.
                                                    PSX (‘‘PSX’’) (together known as the ‘‘NASDAQ              NLS Plus is currently codified in                        The Exchange believes that market
                                                    OMX equity markets’’). PSX will shortly file            NASDAQ Rule 7039(d) and PSX                              data distributors may use the NLS Plus
                                                    companion proposals regarding data feeds similar
                                                                                                            Chapter VIII(b),9 in a manner similar to                 data feed to feed stock tickers, portfolio
                                                    to NLS Plus. NASDAQ’s last sale product, NASDAQ                                                                  trackers, trade alert programs, time and
                                                    Last Sale, includes last sale information from the      products of other markets.10 NLS Plus is
                                                    FINRA/NASDAQ Trade Reporting Facility                   offered, as noted, through NASDAQ                        sale graphs, and other display systems.
                                                    (‘‘FINRA/NASDAQ TRF’’), which is jointly                OMX Information LLC, which is a                          The contents of NLS Plus are set forth
                                                    operated by NASDAQ and the Financial Industry
                                                                                                            subsidiary of NASDAQ OMX Group,                          in PSX Chapter VIII(b).11 Specifically,
                                                    Regulatory Authority (‘‘FINRA’’). See Securities                                                                 subsection (b) states that NASDAQ Last
                                                    Exchange Act Release No. 71350 (January 17, 2014),      Inc. that is separate and apart from The
                                                    79 FR 4218 (January 24, 2014) (SR–FINRA–2014–           NASDAQ Stock Market LLC. NASDAQ                          Sale Plus is a comprehensive data feed
                                                    002). For proposed rule changes submitted with          OMX Information LLC combines                             produced by NASDAQ OMX
                                                    respect to NASDAQ Last Sale, BX Last Sale, and
                                                                                                            publicly available data from the three                   Information LLC that provides last sale
                                                    PSX Last Sale, see, e.g., Securities Exchange Act                                                                data as well as consolidated [sic]
                                                    Release Nos. 57965 (June 16, 2008), 73 FR 35178,        filed last sale products of the NASDAQ
                                                                                                                                                                     volume of NASDAQ OMX equity
                                                    (June 20, 2008) (SR–NASDAQ–2006–060) (order             OMX equity markets and from the
                                                    approving NASDAQ Last Sale data feeds pilot);                                                                    markets (NASDAQ, BX, and PSX) and
                                                                                                            network processors for the ease and
                                                    61112 (December 4, 2009), 74 FR 65569, (December                                                                 the NASDAQ/FINRA Trade Reporting
                                                    10, 2009) (SR–BX–2009–077) (notice of filing and
                                                                                                            2015–047) (notice of filing and immediate
                                                                                                                                                                     Facility (‘‘TRF’’). NASDAQ Last Sale
                                                    immediate effectiveness regarding BX Last Sale data                                                              Plus also reflects cumulative volume
                                                    feeds); and 62876 (September 9, 2010), 75 FR            effectiveness regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus in
                                                    56624, (September 16, 2010) (SR–Phlx–2010–120)          BX Rule 7039(b)) (the ‘‘NLS Plus on BX filing’’).        real-time trading activity across all U.S.
                                                    (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness              NLS Plus, which is codified in NASDAQ Rule            exchanges for Tape C securities and 15-
                                                    regarding PSX Last Sale data feeds).                    7039(d) and PSX Chapter VIII(b), has been offered        minute delayed information for Tape A
                                                       5 Tape A and Tape B securities are disseminated      since 2010 via NASDAQ OMX Information LLC.
                                                                                                            NLS Plus is described online at http://                  and Tape B securities. NLS Plus also
                                                    pursuant to the Security Industry Automation
                                                    Corporation’s (‘‘SIAC’’) Consolidated Tape              nasdaqtrader.com/content/technicalsupport/               contains the following data elements:
                                                    Association Plan/Consolidated Quotation System,         specifications/dataproducts/                             Trade Price, Trade Size, Sale Condition
                                                    or CTA/CQS (‘‘CTA’’). Tape C securities are             NLSPlusSpecification.pdf; and the annual                 Modifiers, Cumulative Consolidated
                                                    disseminated pursuant to the NASDAQ Unlisted            administrative and other fees for NLS Plus are
                                                                                                            noted at http://nasdaqtrader.com/                        Market Volume, End of Day Trade
                                                    Trading Privileges (‘‘UTP’’) Plan.
                                                       6 See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 75257     Trader.aspx?id=DPUSdata#ls.                              Summary, Adjusted Closing Price, IPO
                                                    (June 22, 2015), 80 FR 36862 (June 26, 2015) (SR–
                                                                                                               7 This reflects real-time trading activity for Tape   Information, and Bloomberg ID.
                                                    NASDAQ–2015–055) (order approving proposed              C securities and 15-minute delayed information for       Additionally, pertinent regulatory
                                                                                                            Tape A and Tape B securities.
                                                    rule change regarding NASDAQ Last Sale Plus in
                                                                                                               8 Registered U.S. exchanges are listed at http://
                                                                                                                                                                     information such as Market Wide
                                                    NASDAQ Rule 7039(d)) (the ‘‘NLS Plus Approval                                                                    Circuit Breaker, Reg SHO Short Sale
                                                    Order’’); 74972 (May 15, 2015), 80 FR 29370 (May        www.sec.gov/divisions/marketreg/
                                                    21, 2015) (SR–NASDAQ–2015–055) (notice of filing        mrexchanges.shtml.                                       Price Test Restricted Indicator, Trading
                                                                                                               9 See supra note 6.
                                                    of proposed rule change regarding NASDAQ Last
                                                    Sale Plus) (the ‘‘NLS Plus notice’’); and 75600            10 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 73918         11 PSX Chapter VIII(b) is similar to NASDAQ Rule
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                                                    (August 4, 2015), 80 FR 57968 (August 10, 2015)         (December 23, 2014), 79 FR 78920 (December 31,           7039(d). The contents of NLS Plus in large part
                                                    (SR–NASDAQ–2015–088) (notice of filing and              2014) (SR–BATS–2014–055; SR–BYX–2014–030;                mimic those of NLS, which is set forth in NASDAQ
                                                    immediate effectiveness regarding NASDAQ Last           SR–EDGA–2014–25; SR–EDGX–2014–25) (order                 Rule 7039(a)–(c). Similar to NLS, NLS Plus offers
                                                    Sale Plus fees in NASDAQ Rule 7039(d)) (the ‘‘NLS       approving market data product called BATS One            data for all U.S. equities via two separate data
                                                    Plus Fees Approval Order’’) [sic]. See also             Feed being offered by four affiliated exchanges). See    channels: The first data channel reflects NASDAQ,
                                                    Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 75763              also Securities Exchange Act Release No. 73553           BX, and PSX trades with real-time consolidated
                                                    (August 26, 2015) (SR–Phlx–2015–72) (notice of          (November 6, 2014), 79 FR 67491 (November 13,            [sic] volume for NASDAQ-listed securities; and the
                                                    filing and immediate effectiveness regarding            2014) (SR–NYSE–2014–40) (order granting approval         second data channel reflects NASDAQ, BX, and
                                                    NASDAQ Last Sale Plus in PSX Chapter VIII(b))           to establish the NYSE Best Quote & Trades (‘‘BQT’’)      PSX trades with delayed consolidated volume for
                                                    (the ‘‘NLS Plus on PSX filing’’); and 75709 (August     Data Feed). These exchanges have likewise                NYSE, NYSE MKT, NYSE Arca and BATS-listed
                                                    14, 2015), 80 FR 50671 (August 20, 2015) (SR–BX–        instituted fees for their products.                      securities.



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                                                    55694                    Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 179 / Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Notices

                                                    Action, Symbol Directory, Adjusted                       Last Sale, firms that receive NLS Plus                  believes that this consolidation fee,
                                                    Closing Price, and End of Day Trade                      would also be liable for such fees.15                   while in addition to the current NLS
                                                    Summary are included.12 NLS Plus may                        The Exchange notes that the proposed                 Plus fee in place, would not be material
                                                    be received by itself or in combination                  fee structure is designed to ensure that                to firms.
                                                    with NASDAQ Basic. The Exchange                          vendors could compete with the                             The Exchange believes that the
                                                    now proposes to add into PSX Chapter                     Exchange by creating a product similar                  proposed NLS Plus fee is a simple
                                                    VIII(b) the fees associated with NLS                     to NLS Plus.16 The proposed fee                         codification of the existing NLS PLS
                                                    Plus.                                                    structure reflects the current annual                   [sic] fee into PSX Chapter VIII, as
                                                                                                             administrative cost as well as the                      discussed, with the addition of a
                                                    The Fees                                                                                                         monthly data consolidation fee, and as
                                                                                                             incremental cost of the aggregation and
                                                       Firms that receive an NLS Plus feed                   consolidation function (generally                       such meets the requirements of the Act.
                                                    today are liable for annual                              known as the ‘‘consolidation function’’)
                                                    administration fees for applicable                                                                               2. Statutory Basis
                                                                                                             for NLS Plus, and would not be lower
                                                    NASDAQ equity exchanges: $1,000 for                      than the cost to a vendor creating a                       The Exchange believes that the
                                                    NASDAQ, $1,000 for BX, and $1,000 for                    competing product, including the cost                   proposed rule change is consistent with
                                                    PSX.13 In addition, firms that receive                   of receiving the underlying data feeds.                 the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,20
                                                    NLS Plus are liable for NLS or NASDAQ                    The proposed fee structure for NLS Plus                 in general, and with Sections 6(b)(4) and
                                                    Basic fees.14 Finally, firms will pay a                  would enable a vendor to receive the                    (5) of the Act,21 in particular, in that it
                                                    data consolidation fee of $350 per                       underlying data feeds and offer a similar               provides for the equitable allocation of
                                                    month.                                                   product on a competitive basis and with                 reasonable dues, fees, and other charges
                                                       Accordingly, proposed PSX Chapter                     no greater cost than the Exchange.17                    among its members, issuers and other
                                                    VIII states the following at sections                       The proposed fee structure is                        persons using its facilities, and does not
                                                    (b)(1) through (b)(3):                                   reasonable and proper. First, the                       unfairly discriminate between
                                                       (1) Firms that receive NLS Plus shall                 proposed administration fee is                          customers, issuers, brokers or dealers.
                                                    pay the annual administration fees for                   essentially a codification of the current               The Exchange is codifying the fees
                                                    NLS, BX Last Sale, and PSX Last Sale,                    administration fee vis a vis NASDAQ,                    regarding the NLS Plus data offering and
                                                    and a data consolidation fee of $350 per                 BX and PSX. Second, NLS Plus                            the consolidation fee, as discussed, into
                                                    month.                                                   recipients would also be liable for fees                sections (b)(1) through (b)(3) of PSX
                                                       (2) Firms that receive NLS Plus would                                                                         Chapter VIII.
                                                                                                             if the Exchange adopts user fees for BX
                                                    either be liable for NLS fees or NASDAQ                                                                             The Exchange believes that the
                                                                                                             Last Sale and/or PSX Last Sale. To that
                                                    Basic fees.                                                                                                      proposed fees offered to firms that elect
                                                       (3) In the event that NASDAQ OMX                      end, the Exchange notes that it has filed
                                                                                                             separate proposals to adopt NLS Plus in                 to receive NLS Plus are reasonable,
                                                    BX and/or NASDAQ OMX PHLX adopt                                                                                  equitable and not unfairly
                                                    user fees for BX Last Sale and/or PSX                    the BX Last Sale and PSX Last Sale
                                                                                                             provisions,18 and will file separate fee                discriminatory. These fees are
                                                                                                             proposals that would, like this filing, be              reasonable because they are, as
                                                       12 The overwhelming majority of these data
                                                                                                             expected to reflect an administrative fee               discussed, simply a codification of the
                                                    elements and messages are exactly the same as, and
                                                    in fact are sourced from, NLS, BX Last Sale, and         component and a consolidation                           existing fee structure, with an addition
                                                    PSX Last Sale. Only two data elements                    component. Third, firms receive NLS                     of the above-discussed consolidation
                                                    (consolidated volume and Bloomberg ID) are
                                                                                                             Plus by itself or in conjunction with                   fee, into existing PSX Chapter VIII. The
                                                    sourced from other publicly accessible or obtainable                                                             proposed fee structure would apply
                                                    resources. The Reg SHO Short Sale Price Test             NASDAQ Basic.19 Accordingly, firms
                                                    Restricted Indicator message is disseminated intra-      would either be liable for NLS fees or                  equally to all firms that choose to avail
                                                    day when a security has a price drop of 10% or           NASDAQ Basic fees. Fourth, the                          themselves of the NLS Plus data feed,
                                                    more from the adjusted prior day’s NASDAQ
                                                                                                             Exchange proposes that NLS Plus                         and no firm is required to use NLS Plus.
                                                    Official Closing Price. Trading Action indicates the                                                             Moreover, the Exchange believes that
                                                    current trading status of a security to the trading      includes [sic] a specific monthly $350
                                                    community, and indicates when a security is              data consolidation fee. This fee is                     the consolidation fee, while in addition
                                                    halted, paused, released for quotation, and released     designed to recoup the monthly                          to the current NLS Plus fee, would not
                                                    for trading. Symbol Directory is disseminated at the
                                                                                                             consolidation costs emanating from the                  be material to firms. The consolidation
                                                    start of each trading day for all active NASDAQ and                                                              fee would, however, enable the
                                                    non-NASDAQ-listed security symbols. Adjusted             aggregation and consolidation of the
                                                    Closing Price is disseminated at the start of each       data and data streams that make up the                  Exchange to recoup the monthly
                                                    trading day for all active symbols in the NASDAQ         NLS Plus data feed. Such consolidated                   consolidation cost emanating from the
                                                    system. End of Day Trade Summary is disseminated
                                                                                                             costs include, for example, the costs of                aggregation and consolidation of the
                                                    at the close of each trading day, as a summary for                                                               data and data streams that make up the
                                                    all active NASDAQ- and non-NASDAQ-listed                 combining the feeds, adding the
                                                    securities. IPO Information reflects IPO general         Bloomberg ID, and combining the                         NLS Plus data feed. Such consolidated
                                                    administrative messages from the UTP and CTA             consolidated sale info. The Exchange                    costs include, for example, the monthly
                                                    Level 1 feeds for Initial Public Offerings for all                                                               costs of combining the feeds, adding the
                                                    NASDAQ- and non-NASDAQ-listed securities. For                                                                    Bloomberg ID, and creating the
                                                                                                               15 BX Last Sale and PSX Last Sale currently are
                                                    additional information, see NLS Plus Approval
                                                    Order.                                                   not fee liable, as noted in BX Rule 7039 and PSX        consolidated sale info. The proposed fee
                                                       13 For current fees, see http://nasdaqtrader.com/     Chapter VIII, respectively.                             structure would be equitable and not
                                                                                                               16 For discussion in addition to this proposal, see
                                                    Trader.aspx?id=DPUSdata#ls. Annual                                                                               unfairly discriminatory because it
                                                    administrative fees are in BX Rule 7035, NASDAQ          NLS Plus Approval Order.
                                                                                                               17 See also footnote 24 in the NLS Plus notice,
                                                                                                                                                                     would apply equally to all firms that
                                                    Rule 7035, and PSX Chapter VIII.
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                                                       14 User fees for NLS and NASDAQ Basic are in          wherein NASDAQ indicated that it expects that the       choose to use NLS Plus.
                                                    NASDAQ Rules 7039 and 7047. User fees for BX             fee structure for NLS Plus will reflect an amount          The Exchange believes that the
                                                    Last Sale are in BX Rule 7039 (currently there is no     that is no less than the cost to a market data vendor   proposed fees are also consistent with
                                                    fee liability), and for PSX Last Sale are in PSX         to obtain all the underlying feeds, plus an amount      the investor protection objectives of
                                                    Chapter VIII (currently there is no fee liability). As   to be determined that would reflect the value of the
                                                                                                             aggregation and consolidation function.                 Section 6(b)(5) of the Act 22 in that they
                                                    currently described in NASDAQ Rule 7047,
                                                                                                               18 BX Rule 7039 and PSX Chapter VIII.
                                                    NASDAQ Basic provides two sets of data elements:
                                                                                                                                                                      20 15 U.S.C. 78f.
                                                    (1) The best bid and offer on the NASDAQ Stock             19 As provided in NASDAQ Rule 7047, NASDAQ
                                                                                                                                                                      21 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4) and (5).
                                                    Market for each U.S. equity security; and (2) the last   Basic provides the information contained in NLS,
                                                    sale information currently provided by NLS.              together with NASDAQ’s best bid and best offer.          22 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).




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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 179 / Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Notices                                                      55695

                                                    are designed to promote just and                        pay for) additional market data based on their          Accordingly, any findings of the court
                                                    equitable principles of trade, to remove                own internal analysis of the need for such              with respect to that product may not be
                                                    impediments to a free and open market                   data.24                                                 relevant to the product at issue in this
                                                    and national market system, and in                      By removing unnecessary regulatory                      filing.
                                                    general to protect investors and the                    restrictions on the ability of exchanges                   Moreover, fee liable data products
                                                    public interest. Specifically, the                      to sell their own data, Regulation NMS                  such as NLS Plus are a means by which
                                                    proposed fee structure will codify the                  advanced the goals of the Act and the                   exchanges compete to attract order flow,
                                                    fees regarding the NLS Plus data                        principles reflected in its legislative                 and this proposal simply codifies the
                                                    offering into sections (b)(1) through                   history. If the free market should                      relevant fee structure into an Exchange
                                                    (b)(3) of PSX Chapter VIII, which helps                 determine whether proprietary data is                   rule. To the extent that exchanges are
                                                    to assure proper enforcement of the rule                sold to BDs at all, it follows that the                 successful in such competition, they
                                                    and investor protection. The Exchange                   price at which such data is sold should                 earn trading revenues and also enhance
                                                    believes also that the proposal facilitates             be set by the market as well.                           the value of their data products by
                                                    transactions in securities, removes                        The decision of the United States                    increasing the amount of data they are
                                                    impediments to and perfects the                         Court of Appeals for the District of                    able to provide. Conversely, to the
                                                    mechanism of a free and open market                     Columbia Circuit in NetCoalition v.                     extent that exchanges are unsuccessful,
                                                    and a national market system, and, in                   SEC, 615 F.3d 525 (D.C. Cir. 2010)                      the inputs needed to add value to data
                                                    general, protects investors and the                     (‘‘NetCoalition I’’), upheld the                        products are diminished. Accordingly,
                                                    public interest by codifying into a rule                Commission’s reliance upon                              the need to compete for order flow
                                                    the fee liability for an additional means               competitive markets to set reasonable                   places substantial pressure upon
                                                    by which investors may access                           and equitably allocated fees for market                 exchanges to keep their fees for both
                                                    information about securities                            data. ‘‘In fact, the legislative history                executions and data reasonable.
                                                    transactions, namely NLS Plus, thereby                  indicates that the Congress intended                    B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                    providing investors with additional                     that the market system ‘evolve through                  Statement on Burden on Competition
                                                    options for accessing information that                  the interplay of competitive forces as
                                                    may help to inform their trading                        unnecessary regulatory restrictions are                    The Exchange does not believe that
                                                    decisions.                                              removed’ and that the SEC wield its                     the proposed rule change will impose
                                                       The Exchange notes that the                          regulatory power ‘in those situations                   any burden on competition not
                                                    Commission has recently approved data                   where competition may not be                            necessary or appropriate in furtherance
                                                    products on several exchanges that are                  sufficient,’ such as in the creation of a               of the purposes of the Act. The
                                                    similar to NLS Plus, and specifically                   ‘consolidated transactional reporting                   proposed fee structure is designed to
                                                    determined that the fee-liable approved                 system.’ NetCoalition I, at 535 (quoting                ensure a fair and reasonable use of
                                                    data products were consistent with the                  H.R. Rep. No. 94–229, at 92 (1975), as                  Exchange resources by allowing the
                                                    Act.23 NLS Plus simply provides market                  reprinted in 1975 U.S.C.C.A.N. 321,                     Exchange to recoup costs while
                                                    participants with an additional option                  323). The court agreed with the                         continuing to offer its data products at
                                                    for receiving market data that has                      Commission’s conclusion that                            competitive rates to firms.
                                                    already been the subject of a proposed                  ‘‘Congress intended that ‘competitive                      The market for data products is
                                                    rule change and that is available from                  forces should dictate the services and                  extremely competitive and firms may
                                                    myriad market data vendors.                             practices that constitute the U.S.                      freely choose alternative venues and
                                                       In adopting Regulation NMS, the                      national market system for trading                      data vendors based on the aggregate fees
                                                    Commission granted SROs and broker-                     equity securities.’ ’’ 25                               assessed, the data offered, and the value
                                                    dealers (‘‘BDs’’) increased authority and                  The Court in NetCoalition I, while                   provided. This rule proposal does not
                                                    flexibility to offer new and unique                     upholding the Commission’s conclusion                   burden competition, which continues to
                                                    market data to the public. It was                       that competitive forces may be relied                   offer alternative data products and, like
                                                    believed that this authority would                      upon to establish the fairness of prices,               the Exchange, set fees,27 but rather
                                                    expand the amount of data available to                  nevertheless concluded that the record                  reflects the competition between data
                                                    consumers, and also spur innovation                     in that case did not adequately support                 feed vendors and will further enhance
                                                    and competition for the provision of                    the Commission’s conclusions as to the                  such competition. As described, NLS
                                                    market data. The Exchange believes that                 competitive nature of the market for                    Plus competes directly with existing
                                                    the NLS Plus market data product is                     NYSE Arca’s data product at issue in                    similar products and potential products
                                                    precisely the sort of market data product               that case. As explained below in the                    of market data vendors. NASDAQ OMX
                                                    that the Commission envisioned when it                  Exchange’s Statement on Burden on                       Information LLC was constructed
                                                    adopted Regulation NMS. The                             Competition, however, the Exchange                      specifically to establish a level playing
                                                    Commission concluded that Regulation                    believes that there is substantial                      field with market data vendors and to
                                                    NMS—by deregulating the market in                       evidence of competition in the                          preserve fair competition between them.
                                                    proprietary data—would itself further                   marketplace for data that was not in the                Therefore, NASDAQ OMX Information
                                                    the Act’s goals of facilitating efficiency              record in the NetCoalition I case, and                  LLC receives NLS, BX Last Sale, and
                                                    and competition:                                        that the Commission is entitled to rely                 PSX Last Sale from each NASDAQ
                                                      [E]fficiency is promoted when broker-                 upon such evidence in concluding fees                   OMX-operated exchange in the same
                                                    dealers who do not need the data beyond the             are the product of competition, and                     manner, at the same speed, and
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                                                    prices, sizes, market center identifications of         therefore in accordance with the
                                                    the NBBO and consolidated last sale                                                                             amended paragraph (A) of Section 19(b)(3) of the
                                                                                                            relevant statutory standards.26                         Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3), to make it clear that all
                                                    information are not required to receive (and
                                                                                                                                                                    exchange fees, including fees for market data, may
                                                    pay for) such data. The Commission also                    24 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 51808
                                                                                                                                                                    be filed by exchanges on an immediately effective
                                                    believes that efficiency is promoted when               (June 9, 2005), 70 FR 37496 (June 29, 2005).            basis. See also NetCoalition v. SEC, 715 F.3d 342
                                                    broker-dealers may choose to receive (and                  25 NetCoalition I, at 535.                           (D.C. Cir. 2013) (‘‘NetCoalition II’’) (finding no
                                                                                                               26 It should also be noted that Section 916 of the   jurisdiction to review Commission’s non-
                                                     23 See supra note 10 regarding BATS One and            Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer              suspension of immediately effective fee changes).
                                                    NYSE BQT.                                               Protection Act of 2010 (‘‘Dodd-Frank Act’’) has           27 See, e.g., supra note 10.




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                                                    55696                   Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 179 / Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Notices

                                                    reflecting the same fees as for all market              costs of designing, maintaining, and                    products is, in turn, a product of the
                                                    data vendors. Therefore, NASDAQ                         operating the exchange’s transaction                    value of the products in making
                                                    Information LLC has no competitive                      execution platform and the cost of                      profitable trading decisions. If the cost
                                                    advantage with respect to these last sale               regulating the exchange to ensure its fair              of the product exceeds its expected
                                                    products and NASDAQ commits to                          operation and maintain investor                         value, the BD will choose not to buy it.
                                                    maintaining this level playing field in                 confidence. The total return that a                     Moreover, as a BD chooses to direct
                                                    the future. In other words, NASDAQ                      trading platform earns reflects the                     fewer orders to a particular exchange,
                                                    will continue to disseminate separately                 revenues it receives from both products                 the value of the product to that BD
                                                    the underlying last sale products to                    and the joint costs it incurs. Moreover,                decreases, for two reasons. First, the
                                                    avoid creating a latency differential                   the operation of the exchange is                        product will contain less information,
                                                    between NASDAQ OMX Information                          characterized by high fixed costs and                   because executions of the BD’s trading
                                                    LLC and other market data vendors, and                  low marginal costs. This cost structure                 activity will not be reflected in it.
                                                    to avoid creating a pricing advantage for               is common in content and content                        Second, and perhaps more important,
                                                    NASDAQ OMX Information LLC.                             distribution industries such as software,               the product will be less valuable to that
                                                       NLS Plus joins the existing market for               where developing new software                           BD because it does not provide
                                                    proprietary last sale data products that                typically requires a large initial                      information about the venue to which it
                                                    is currently competitive and inherently                 investment (and continuing large                        is directing its orders. Data from the
                                                    contestable because there is fierce                     investments to upgrade the software),                   competing venue to which the BD is
                                                    competition for the inputs necessary to                 but once the software is developed, the                 directing orders will become
                                                    the creation of proprietary data and                    incremental cost of providing that                      correspondingly more valuable.
                                                    strict pricing discipline for the                       software to an additional user is                          Similarly, in the case of products such
                                                    proprietary products themselves.                        typically small, or even zero (e.g., if the             as NLS Plus that are distributed through
                                                    Numerous exchanges compete with                         software can be downloaded over the                     market data vendors, the vendors
                                                    each other for listings, trades, and                    internet after being purchased).28 It is                provide price discipline for proprietary
                                                    market data itself, providing virtually                 costly to build and maintain a trading                  data products because they control the
                                                    limitless opportunities for entrepreneurs               platform, but the incremental cost of                   primary means of access to end users.
                                                    who wish to produce and distribute                      trading each additional share on an                     Vendors impose price restraints based
                                                    their own market data. This proprietary                 existing platform, or distributing an                   upon their business models. For
                                                    data is produced by each individual                     additional instance of data, is very low.               example, vendors such as Bloomberg
                                                    exchange, as well as other entities, in a               Market information and executions are                   and Reuters that assess a surcharge on
                                                    vigorously competitive market.                          each produced jointly (in the sense that                data they sell may refuse to offer
                                                    Similarly, with respect to the FINRA/                   the activities of trading and placing                   proprietary products that end users will
                                                    NASDAQ TRF data that is a component                     orders are the source of the information                not purchase in sufficient numbers.
                                                    of NLS and NLS Plus, allowing                           that is distributed) and are each subject               Internet portals, such as Google, impose
                                                    exchanges to operate TRFs has                           to significant scale economies. In such                 a discipline by providing only data that
                                                    permitted them to earn revenues by                      cases, marginal cost pricing is not                     will enable them to attract ‘‘eyeballs’’
                                                    providing technology and data in                        feasible because if all sales were priced               that contribute to their advertising
                                                    support of the non-exchange segment of                  at the margin, an exchange would be                     revenue. Retail BDs, such as Schwab
                                                    the market. This revenue opportunity                    unable to defray its platform costs of                  and Fidelity, offer their customers
                                                    has also resulted in fierce competition                 providing the joint products. Similarly,                proprietary data only if it promotes
                                                    between the two current TRF operators,                  data products cannot make use of TRF                    trading and generates sufficient
                                                    with both TRFs charging extremely low                   trade reports without the raw material of               commission revenue. Although the
                                                    trade reporting fees and rebating the                   the trade reports themselves, and                       business models may differ, these
                                                    majority of the revenues they receive                   therefore necessitate the costs of                      vendors’ pricing discipline is the same:
                                                    from core market data to the parties                    operating, regulating,29 and maintaining                They can simply refuse to purchase any
                                                    reporting trades.                                       a trade reporting system, costs that must               proprietary data product that fails to
                                                       Transaction execution and proprietary                be covered through the fees charged for                 provide sufficient value. Exchanges,
                                                    data products are complementary in that                 use of the facility and sales of associated             TRFs, and other producers of
                                                    market data is both an input and a                      data.                                                   proprietary data products must
                                                    byproduct of the execution service. In                     An exchange’s BD customers view the                  understand and respond to these
                                                    fact, market data and trade execution are               costs of transaction executions and of                  varying business models and pricing
                                                    a paradigmatic example of joint                         data as a unified cost of doing business                disciplines in order to market
                                                    products with joint costs. The decision                 with the exchange. A BD will direct                     proprietary data products successfully.
                                                    whether and on which platform to post                   orders to a particular exchange only if                 Moreover, the Exchange believes that
                                                    an order will depend on the attributes                  the expected revenues from executing                    products such as NLS Plus can enhance
                                                    of the platform where the order can be                  trades on the exchange exceed net                       order flow by providing more
                                                    posted, including the execution fees,                   transaction execution costs and the cost                widespread distribution of information
                                                    data quality and price, and distribution                                                                        about transactions in real time, thereby
                                                                                                            of data that the BD chooses to buy to
                                                    of its data products. Without trade                                                                             encouraging wider participation in the
                                                                                                            support its trading decisions (or those of
                                                    executions, exchange data products                                                                              market by investors with access to the
                                                                                                            its customers). The choice of data
                                                    cannot exist. Moreover, data products
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                                                                                                                                                                    internet or television. Conversely, the
                                                    are valuable to many end users only                        28 See William J. Baumol and Daniel G. Swanson,      value of such products to distributors
                                                    insofar as they provide information that                ‘‘The New Economy and Ubiquitous Competitive            and investors decreases if order flow
                                                    end users expect will assist them or                    Price Discrimination: Identifying Defensible Criteria   falls, because the products contain less
                                                    their customers in making trading                       of Market Power,’’ Antitrust Law Journal, Vol. 70,      content.
                                                                                                            No. 3 (2003).                                              Competition among trading platforms
                                                    decisions.                                                 29 It should be noted that the costs of operating
                                                       The costs of producing market data                   the FINRA/NASDAQ TRF borne by NASDAQ
                                                                                                                                                                    can be expected to constrain the
                                                    include not only the costs of the data                  include regulatory charges paid by NASDAQ to            aggregate return each platform earns
                                                    distribution infrastructure, but also the               FINRA.                                                  from the sale of its joint products, but


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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 179 / Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Notices                                                   55697

                                                    different platforms may choose from a                   proprietary data products, and many                   BDs to produce proprietary products
                                                    range of possible, and equally                          currently do or have announced plans to               cooperatively in a manner never before
                                                    reasonable, pricing strategies as the                   do so, including NASDAQ, NYSE,                        possible. Multiple market data vendors
                                                    means of recovering total costs. The                    NYSE MKT, NYSE Arca, and BATS/                        already have the capability to aggregate
                                                    Exchange pays rebates to attract orders,                Direct Edge.                                          data and disseminate it on a profitable
                                                    charges relatively low prices for market                   Any ATS or BD can combine with any                 scale, including Bloomberg and
                                                    information and charges relatively high                 other ATS, BD, or multiple ATSs or BDs                Thomson Reuters. In Europe, Cinnober
                                                    prices for accessing posted liquidity.                  to produce joint proprietary data                     aggregates and disseminates data from
                                                    Other platforms may choose a strategy                   products. Additionally, order routers                 over 40 brokers and multilateral trading
                                                    of paying lower liquidity rebates to                    and market data vendors can facilitate                facilities.30
                                                    attract orders, setting relatively low                  single or multiple BDs’ production of                    In the case of TRFs, the rapid entry of
                                                    prices for accessing posted liquidity,                  proprietary data products. The potential              several exchanges into this space in
                                                    and setting relatively high prices for                  sources of proprietary products are                   2006–2007 following the development
                                                    market information. Still others may                    virtually limitless. Notably, the                     and Commission approval of the TRF
                                                    provide most data free of charge and                    potential sources of data include the                 structure demonstrates the
                                                    rely exclusively on transaction fees to                 BDs that submit trade reports to TRFs                 contestability of this aspect of the
                                                    recover their costs. Finally, some                      and that have the ability to consolidate              market.31 Given the demand for trade
                                                    platforms may incentivize use by                        and distribute their data without the                 reporting services that is itself a by-
                                                    providing opportunities for equity                      involvement of FINRA or an exchange-                  product of the fierce competition for
                                                    ownership, which may allow them to                      operated TRF.                                         transaction executions—characterized
                                                    charge lower direct fees for executions                    The fact that proprietary data from                notably by a proliferation of ATSs and
                                                    and data.                                               ATSs, BDs, and vendors can by-pass                    BDs offering internalization—any supra-
                                                       In this environment, there is no                     SROs is significant in two respects.                  competitive increase in the fees
                                                    economic basis for regulating maximum                   First, non-SROs can compete directly                  associated with trade reporting or TRF
                                                    prices for one of the joint products in an              with SROs for the production and sale                 data would shift trade report volumes
                                                    industry in which suppliers face                        of proprietary data products, as BATS                 from one of the existing TRFs to the
                                                    competitive constraints with regard to                  and NYSE Arca did before registering as               other 32 and create incentives for other
                                                    the joint offering. Such regulation is                  exchanges by publishing proprietary                   TRF operators to enter the space.
                                                    unnecessary because an ‘‘excessive’’                    book data on the internet. Second,                    Alternatively, because BDs reporting to
                                                    price for one of the joint products will                because a single order or transaction                 TRFs are themselves free to consolidate
                                                    ultimately have to be reflected in lower                report can appear in a core data product,             the market data that they report, the
                                                    prices for other products sold by the                   an SRO proprietary product, and/or a                  market for over-the-counter data itself,
                                                    firm, or otherwise the firm will                        non-SRO proprietary product, the data                 separate and apart from the markets for
                                                    experience a loss in the volume of its                  available in proprietary products is                  execution and trade reporting services—
                                                    sales that will be adverse to its overall               exponentially greater than the actual                 is fully contestable.
                                                    profitability. In other words, an increase              number of orders and transaction                         Moreover, consolidated data provides
                                                    in the price of data will ultimately have               reports that exist in the marketplace.                two additional measures of pricing
                                                    to be accompanied by a decrease in the                  Indeed, in the case of NLS Plus, the data             discipline for proprietary data products
                                                    cost of executions, or the volume of both               provided through that product appears                 that are a subset of the consolidated data
                                                    data and executions will fall.                          both in (i) real-time core data products              stream. First, the consolidated data is
                                                       The level of competition and                         offered by the SIPs for a fee, (ii) free SIP          widely available in real-time at $1 per
                                                    contestability in the market is evident in              data products with a 15-minute time                   month for non-professional users.
                                                    the numerous alternative venues that                    delay, and (iii) individual exchange data             Second, consolidated data is also
                                                    compete for order flow, including                       products, and finds a close substitute in             available at no cost with a 15- or 20-
                                                    eleven SRO markets, as well as                          last-sale products of competing venues.               minute delay. Because consolidated
                                                    internalizing BDs and various forms of                     In addition to the competition and                 data contains marketwide information,
                                                    alternative trading systems (‘‘ATSs’’),                 price discipline described above, the                 it effectively places a cap on the fees
                                                    including dark pools and electronic                     market for proprietary data products is               assessed for proprietary data (such as
                                                    communication networks (‘‘ECNs’’).                      also highly contestable because market                last sale data) that is simply a subset of
                                                    Each SRO market competes to produce                     entry is rapid, inexpensive, and                      the consolidated data. The mere
                                                    transaction reports via trade executions,               profitable. The history of electronic                 availability of low-cost or free
                                                    and two FINRA-regulated TRFs compete                    trading is replete with examples of                   consolidated data provides a powerful
                                                    to attract internalized transaction                     entrants that swiftly grew into some of               form of pricing discipline for
                                                    reports. It is common for BDs to further                the largest electronic trading platforms              proprietary data products that contain
                                                    and exploit this competition by sending                 and proprietary data producers:                       data elements that are a subset of the
                                                    their order flow and transaction reports                Archipelago, Bloomberg Tradebook,                     consolidated data, by highlighting the
                                                    to multiple markets, rather than                        Island, RediBook, Attain, TracECN,                    optional nature of proprietary products.
                                                    providing them all to a single market.                  BATS Trading and BATS/Direct Edge. A                     In this environment, a super-
                                                    Competitive markets for order flow,                     proliferation of dark pools and other                 competitive increase in the fees charged
                                                    executions, and transaction reports                     ATSs operate profitably with                          for either transactions or data has the
                                                    provide pricing discipline for the inputs               fragmentary shares of consolidated
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                                                    of proprietary data products.                           market volume.                                           30 See http://www.cinnober.com/boat-trade-
                                                       The large number of SROs, TRFs, BDs,                    Regulation NMS, by deregulating the                reporting.
                                                    and ATSs that currently produce                         market for proprietary data, has                         31 The low cost exit of two TRFs from the market

                                                    proprietary data or are currently capable               increased the contestability of that                  is also evidence of a contestable market, because
                                                    of producing it provides further pricing                market. While BDs have previously                     new entrants are reluctant to enter a market where
                                                                                                                                                                  exit may involve substantial shut-down costs.
                                                    discipline for proprietary data products.               published their proprietary data                         32 It should be noted that the FINRA/NYSE TRF
                                                    Each SRO, TRF, ATS, and BD is                           individually, Regulation NMS                          has, in recent weeks, received reports for almost
                                                    currently permitted to produce                          encourages market data vendors and                    10% of all over-the-counter volume in NMS stocks.



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                                                    55698                       Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 179 / Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Notices

                                                    potential to impair revenues from both                     Comments may be submitted by any of                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                                    products. ‘‘No one disputes that                           the following methods:                                 COMMISSION
                                                    competition for order flow is ‘fierce’.’’
                                                    NetCoalition I at 539. The existence of                    Electronic Comments                                    [Release No. 34–75882; File No. SR–
                                                                                                                                                                      NASDAQ–2015–110]
                                                    fierce competition for order flow                            • Use the Commission’s Internet
                                                    implies a high degree of price sensitivity                 comment form (http://www.sec.gov/                      Self-Regulatory Organizations; The
                                                    on the part of BDs with order flow, since                  rules/sro.shtml); or                                   NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of
                                                    they may readily reduce costs by                                                                                  Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of
                                                    directing orders toward the lowest-cost                      • Send an email to rule-comments@
                                                                                                               sec.gov. Please include File Number SR–                Proposed Rule Change to Amend
                                                    trading venues. A BD that shifted its                                                                             NASDAQ Rules 7015(b) and (g) to
                                                    order flow from one platform to another                    Phlx–2015–76 on the subject line.
                                                                                                                                                                      Modify Port Fees
                                                    in response to order execution price                       Paper Comments
                                                    differentials would both reduce the                                                                               September 10, 2015.
                                                    value of that platform’s market data and                     • Send paper comments in triplicate                     Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
                                                    reduce its own need to consume data                        to Secretary, Securities and Exchange                  Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                                    from the disfavored platform. If a                         Commission, 100 F Street NE.,                          (‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
                                                    platform increases its market data fees,                   Washington, DC 20549–1090.                             notice is hereby given that, on
                                                    the change will affect the overall cost of                                                                        September 3, 2015, The NASDAQ Stock
                                                                                                               All submissions should refer to File                   Market LLC (‘‘NASDAQ’’ or
                                                    doing business with the platform, and
                                                                                                               Number SR–Phlx–2015–76. This file                      ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the Securities
                                                    affected BDs will assess whether they
                                                                                                               number should be included on the                       and Exchange Commission (‘‘SEC’’ or
                                                    can lower their trading costs by
                                                                                                               subject line if email is used. To help the             ‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
                                                    directing orders elsewhere and thereby
                                                    lessening the need for the more                            Commission process and review your                     change as described in Items I, II, and
                                                    expensive data. Similarly, increases in                    comments more efficiently, please use                  III below, which Items have been
                                                    the cost of NLS Plus would impair the                      only one method. The Commission will                   prepared by the Exchange. The
                                                    willingness of distributors to take a                      post all comments on the Commission’s                  Commission is publishing this notice to
                                                    product for which there are numerous                       Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/                 solicit comments on the proposed rule
                                                    alternatives, impacting NLS Plus data                      rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the                        change from interested persons.
                                                    revenues, the value of NLS Plus as a tool                  submission, all subsequent
                                                                                                               amendments, all written statements                     I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                    for attracting order flow, and ultimately,                                                                        Statement of the Terms of Substance of
                                                    the volume of orders routed and the                        with respect to the proposed rule
                                                                                                               change that are filed with the                         the Proposed Rule Change
                                                    value of other data products.
                                                                                                               Commission, and all written                               The Exchange proposes to reduce the
                                                    C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                          communications relating to the                         fee charged for FIX Trading Ports under
                                                    Statement on Comments on the                               proposed rule change between the                       Rule 7015(b) and certain other ports
                                                    Proposed Rule Change Received From                         Commission and any person, other than                  under Rule 7015(g) in light of the
                                                    Members, Participants, or Others                           those that may be withheld from the                    Exchange removing recently-upgraded
                                                      No written comments were either                          public in accordance with the                          hardware supporting the ports, which
                                                    solicited or received.                                     provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be                    was the basis for an increased fee. The
                                                                                                               available for Web site viewing and                     Exchange will implement the proposed
                                                    III. Date of Effectiveness of the                          printing in the Commission’s Public                    new fees on September 1, 2015.
                                                    Proposed Rule Change and Timing for                        Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,                         The text of the proposed rule change
                                                    Commission Action                                          Washington, DC 20549, on official                      is below; proposed new language is
                                                       The foregoing rule change has become                    business days between the hours of                     underlined; proposed deletions are in
                                                    effective pursuant to Section                              10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the                 brackets.
                                                    19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act.33 At any time                  filing also will be available for                      *     *     *     *    *
                                                    within 60 days of the filing of the                        inspection and copying at the principal
                                                                                                               office of the Exchange. All comments                   7015. Access Services
                                                    proposed rule change, the Commission
                                                    summarily may temporarily suspend                          received will be posted without change;                  The following charges are assessed by
                                                    such rule change if it appears to the                      the Commission does not edit personal                  Nasdaq for connectivity to systems
                                                    Commission that such action is                             identifying information from                           operated by NASDAQ, including the
                                                    necessary or appropriate in the public                     submissions. You should submit only                    Nasdaq Market Center, the FINRA/
                                                    interest, for the protection of investors,                 information that you wish to make                      NASDAQ Trade Reporting Facility, and
                                                    or otherwise in furtherance of the                         available publicly.                                    FINRA’s OTCBB Service. The following
                                                    purposes of the Act. If the Commission                        All submissions should refer to File                fees are not applicable to the NASDAQ
                                                    takes such action, the Commission shall                    Number SR–Phlx–2015–76 and should                      Options Market LLC. For related options
                                                    institute proceedings to determine                         be submitted on or before October 7,                   fees for Access Services refer to Chapter
                                                    whether the proposed rule should be                        2015.                                                  XV, Section 3 of the Options Rules.
                                                    approved or disapproved.                                                                                            (a) No change.
                                                                                                                 For the Commission, by the Division of                 (b) Financial Information Exchange
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                                                    IV. Solicitation of Comments                               Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated             (FIX)
                                                                                                               authority.34
                                                      Interested persons are invited to
                                                                                                               Robert W. Errett,                                                    Ports                      Price
                                                    submit written data, views, and
                                                    arguments concerning the foregoing,                        Deputy Secretary.
                                                                                                                                                                      FIX Trading Port ...............   $550[75]/port/
                                                    including whether the proposed rule                        [FR Doc. 2015–23219 Filed 9–15–15; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                                                                                                                           month.
                                                    change is consistent with the Act.                         BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                                                                                                                                                        1 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
                                                      33 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).                           34 17   CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).                           2 17   CFR 240.19b–4.



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Document Created: 2018-02-26 10:16:35
Document Modified: 2018-02-26 10:16:35
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
FR Citation80 FR 55692 

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