80 FR 71853 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Discontinue the NYSE Realtime Reference Price Market Data Product Offering

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 221 (November 17, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 221 (Tuesday, November 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71853-71855]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-29219]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-76406; File No. SR-NYSE-2015-55]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Discontinue the NYSE Realtime Reference Price Market Data Product 
Offering

November 10, 2015.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1)\1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (the ``Act'') \2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby 
given that on October 30, 2015, New York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'' 
or the ``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(the ``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, 
II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the self-
regulatory organization. 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\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
    \3\ 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 discontinue the NYSE Realtime Reference 
Price (``NYSE RRP'') market data product offering. The text of the 
proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at 
www.nyse.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 self-regulatory organization 
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 those 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,

[[Page 71854]]

of the most significant parts of such statements.

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

1. Purpose
    In 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') 
approved the NYSE RRP market data product and certain fees for it.\4\ 
The NYSE RRP market data product provides, on a real-time basis, last 
sale prices in all securities that trade on the Exchange. Currently, 
there are no subscribers to the NYSE RRP market data product. 
Therefore, the Exchange has determined to discontinue the NYSE RRP 
market data product. The Exchange also proposes to update the Fee 
Schedule to remove reference to the NYSE RRP in connection with this 
change.
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    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 60004 (May 29, 
2009), 74 FR 26905 (June 4, 2009) (SR-NYSE-2009-42).
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    The Exchange will announce the date that the NYSE RRP will be 
decommissioned via an NYSE Market Data Notice.
2. Statutory Basis
    The proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b)\5\ of the 
Act, in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5)\6\ of 
the Act, in particular, in that it is designed to prevent fraudulent 
and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable 
principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with 
persons engaged in facilitating transactions in securities, to remove 
impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and 
a national market system and, in general, to protect investors and the 
public interest, and it is not designed to permit unfair discrimination 
among customers, brokers, or dealers.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    The Exchange believes that discontinuing NYSE RRP and removing it 
from the Fee Schedule would remove impediments to and perfect a free 
and open market by streamlining the Exchange's market data product 
offerings to include those for which there has been more demand and 
would provide vendors and subscribers with a simpler and more 
standardized suite of market data products. The proposal to discontinue 
NYSE RRP is applicable to all members, issuers and other persons and 
does not unfairly discriminate between customers, issuers, brokers or 
dealers.
    In adopting Regulation NMS, the Commission granted self-regulatory 
organizations (``SROs'') and broker-dealers increased authority and 
flexibility to offer new and unique market data to consumers of such 
data. It was believed that this authority would expand the amount of 
data available to users and consumers of such data and also spur 
innovation and competition for the provision of market data. The 
Commission concluded that Regulation NMS--by lessening regulation of 
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.\7\
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    \7\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 51808 (June 9, 
2005), 70 FR 37496 (June 29, 2005) (File No. S7-10-04).

    The Exchange believes that the discontinuation of a market data 
product for which there is little or no demand, as is the case with 
NYSE RRP, is a direct example of efficiency because it acknowledges 
that investors and the public have indicated that they have little or 
no use for certain information and allows the Exchange to dedicate 
resources to developing products (including through innovations of 
existing products and entirely new products) that provide information 
for which there is more of an expressed need.

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

    In accordance with Section 6(b)(8) of the Act,\8\ the Exchange does 
not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on 
competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the 
purposes of the Act.
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(8).
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    The Exchange notes that it operates in a highly competitive market 
in which other exchanges are free to offer similar products. 
Additionally, since there has been little or no demand for the NYSE RRP 
product the Exchange's proposed discontinuance will not harm 
competition.

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

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

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

    Because the foregoing proposed rule does not (i) significantly 
affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (ii) impose 
any significant burden on competition; and (iii) become operative for 
30 days from the date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as 
the Commission may designate if consistent with the protection of 
investors and the public interest, provided that the self-regulatory 
organization has given the Commission written notice of its intent to 
file the proposed rule change at least five business days prior to the 
date of filing of the proposed rule change or such shorter time as 
designated by the Commission,\9\ the proposed rule change has become 
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \10\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6) thereunder.\11\
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    \9\ The Exchange has fulfilled this requirement.
    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \11\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of such 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 under 
Section 19(b)(2)(B)\12\ of the Act to determine whether the proposed 
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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    \12\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6)\13\ normally 
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the 
filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\14\ the Commission 
may designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has asked 
the Commission to waive the 30-day operative because it believes that 
immediate operation of this filing would not impact any users of NYSE 
RRP. The Commission, noting that there are currently no subscribers to 
these data

[[Page 71855]]

services, finds that it is consistent with the protection of investors 
and the public interest to waive the 30-day operative date and to 
permit the proposal to take effect upon filing.\15\
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    \13\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \14\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \15\ For purposes only of accelerating the operative date of 
this proposal, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's 
impact on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 
78c(f).
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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-NYSE-2015-55 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Brent J. Fields, 
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSE-2015-55. 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 will also be available 
for inspection and copying at the NYSE's principal office and on its 
Internet Web site at www.nyse.com. 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-NYSE-2015-55 and should be submitted on or before 
December 8, 2015.
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    \16\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\16\
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-29219 Filed 11-16-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P