82_FR_60686 82 FR 60443 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade the Common Shares of Beneficial Interest of the PowerShares Income Builder Portfolio, a Series of PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II

82 FR 60443 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade the Common Shares of Beneficial Interest of the PowerShares Income Builder Portfolio, a Series of PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 243 (December 20, 2017)

Page Range60443-60451
FR Document2017-27349

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 243 (Wednesday, December 20, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60443-60451]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27349]



[[Page 60443]]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-82328; File No. SR-CboeBZX-2017-011]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of 
Filing of a Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade the Common Shares of 
Beneficial Interest of the PowerShares Income Builder Portfolio, a 
Series of PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II

December 14, 2017
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(the ``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given 
that on December 1, 2017, Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (``Exchange'' or 
``BZX'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and 
II below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. 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 filed proposed rule change to list and trade under BZX 
Rule 14.11(c)(3) the common shares of beneficial interest of the 
PowerShares Income Builder Portfolio (the ``Fund''), a series of 
PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II (the ``Trust''). The common 
shares of beneficial interest of the Fund are referred to herein as the 
``Shares.''
    The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange's 
website at www.markets.cboe.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 parts of such 
statements.

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

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to list and trade the Shares of the Fund 
under BZX Rule 14.11(c)(5),\3\ which governs the listing and trading of 
Index Fund Shares based on equity and fixed income securities 
indexes.\4\ The Shares will be offered by the Fund, which will be a 
passively managed index-based exchange-traded fund (``ETF''). The Fund 
is a series of the Trust, which was established as a Massachusetts 
business trust on October 10, 2006. The Trust is registered with the 
Commission as an open-end management investment company and has filed a 
post-effective amendment to its registration statement on Form N-1A 
(the ``Registration Statement'') with the Commission to register the 
Fund and its Shares under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``1940 
Act'') and the Securities Act of 1933.\5\
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    \3\ The Commission approved BZX Rule 14.11(c) in Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 65225 (August 30, 2011), 76 FR 55148 
(September 6, 2011) (SR-BATS-2011-018).
    \4\ BZX Rule 14.11(c)(1)(A)(i) provides that an Index Fund Share 
is a security that is issued by an open-end management investment 
company based on a portfolio of stocks or fixed income securities or 
a combination thereof, that seeks to provide investment results that 
correspond generally to the price and yield performance or total 
return performance of a specified foreign or domestic stock index, 
fixed income securities index or combination thereof.
    \5\ See Registration Statement on Form N-1A for the Trust, filed 
on July 31, 2017 (File Nos. 333-138490 and 811-21977). The 
descriptions of the Fund and the Shares contained herein are based, 
in part, on information in the Registration Statement. In addition, 
the Commission has issued an order granting certain exemptive relief 
to the Trust under the 1940 Act. See Investment Company Act Release 
No. 27841 (May 25, 2007) (File No. 812-13335) (``Exemptive Order'').
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    Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC will be the investment 
adviser (the ``Adviser'') to the Fund. Invesco Advisers, Inc. will be 
the investment sub-adviser (the ``Sub-Adviser'') to the Fund.\6\ 
Invesco Distributors, Inc. will be the distributor (the 
``Distributor'') of the Shares. The Bank of New York Mellon (the 
``Custodian'') will act as the custodian, administrator, accounting 
agent and transfer agent for the Fund.
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    \6\ The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser are affiliated with a 
broker-dealer and have implemented, and will maintain, a fire wall 
with respect to its broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to 
information concerning the composition and/or changes to the Fund's 
portfolio.
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    As discussed in more detail below, the Fund's investment objective 
is to seek to track the investment results (before fees and expenses) 
of the Goldman Sachs Bond Buyers Equity Basket Index (the ``Underlying 
Index''). The Underlying Index is designed to measure the performance 
of a hypothetical portfolio of common equity stocks with an overlay of 
fully-collateralized written put options on those stocks.
    The Underlying Index was developed by Goldman, Sachs & Co. 
(``Goldman Sachs''). Solactive AG (the ``Calculation Agent'') 
maintains, calculates, and publishes the value of the Underlying Index 
on each business day. The Calculation Agent is not registered as an 
investment adviser or broker-dealer and is not affiliated with any 
broker-dealers. The Calculation Agent has also implemented and will 
maintain procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of 
material, non-public information regarding the Underlying Index as 
required under Rule 14.11(c)(5)(A)(iii). None of the Trust, the 
Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Custodian or the Distributor is 
affiliated with Goldman Sachs, the Calculation Agent or their 
respective affiliates.
    The Exchange is submitting this proposed rule change because the 
Underlying Index for the Fund does not meet the listing requirements of 
Rule 14.11(c)(5) applicable to an index that consists of both equity 
securities (and with respect to this underlying index, U.S. Component 
Stocks) \7\ and Fixed Income Securities,\8\ which requires that the 
equity and fixed income component securities separately meet the 
criteria set forth in Rules 14.11(c)(5) because the Underlying Index 
consists partially of put options. The Fixed Income Security component 
of the Underlying Index, which consists of only Treasury bills, meets 
the ``generic'' listing requirements of Rule 14.11(c)(4).
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    \7\ As defined in Rule 14.11(c)(1)(D), the term ``U.S. Component 
Stock'' shall mean an equity security that is registered under 
Sections 12(b) or 12(g) of the Act, or an American Depositary 
receipt, the underlying equity security of which is registered under 
Sections 12(b) or 12(g) of the Act.
    \8\ As defined in Rule 14.11(c)(4), the term ``Fixed Income 
Security'' shall mean debt securities that are notes, bonds, 
debentures or evidence of indebtedness that include, but are not 
limited to, Treasury bills, government-sponsored entity securities 
(``GSE Securities''), municipal securities, trust preferred 
securities, supranational debt and debt of a foreign country or 
subdivision thereof.
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    All statements and representations made in this filing regarding 
the Underlying Index composition, the description of the portfolio or 
reference assets, limitations on portfolio holdings or reference 
assets, dissemination and availability of the Underlying Index, 
reference asset, and intraday indicative values, and the applicability 
of

[[Page 60444]]

Exchange rules specified in this filing shall constitute continued 
listing requirements for the Fund.
Description of the Fund
    As noted above, the Underlying Index will consist of a mixture of 
(1) 100 U.S. exchange-listed common stocks of large capitalization that 
have listed options traded on a U.S. exchange (the ``Stock 
Component''), (2) put options \9\ that are sold (or ``written'') on 
those same 100 stocks that comprise the Stock Component (the ``Options 
Strategy''), and (3) Treasury bills (the ``Collateral''), which are 
intended to collateralize the Options Strategy.
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    \9\ A put option is an option contract giving the contract 
holder (or ``option holder'') the right, but not the obligation, to 
sell a specified amount of an underlying stock, typically 100 shares 
per contract, at a predetermined, specified price (the ``strike 
price'') at any time within a specified time (the ``expiration 
date''). If the option holder exercise that right, the seller (or 
``writer'') of the put option must transfer to the option holder an 
amount equal to the product of the strike price and the total number 
of shares relating to such exercised put options. In exchange for 
such payment by the seller to the option holder, the option holder 
will transfer to the seller shares of the underlying stock equal to 
the total number of shares relating to such exercised put options. 
Put option sellers risk losses if the price of a stock drops below 
the strike price (a situation when the option is referred to as 
``in-the-money''). An option holder will have an unrealized gain if 
the written put option purchased by the option holder has 
appreciated in an amount greater than the purchase price of each 
such put option purchased by the option holder. The option holder 
may recognize a realized gain on a put option by exercising the put 
option and then selling the shares or by selling the put option 
(e.g., closing out the option transaction with by selling the put 
options). As an example of the gain by an option holder related to 
an ``in-the-money'' put option, if a put option has a strike price 
of $50 per share and at the time the underlying stock price is $40 
per share, the option holder will have a gross realized gain of $10 
per share. The option holder's realized gain for such transaction 
would be equal to the $10 per share less the put option purchase 
price per share paid by the option holder to acquire the put 
options).
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    Under normal market conditions,\10\ the Fund will seek to achieve 
its investment objective by generally investing at least 90% of its 
total assets in the components of the Underlying Index.\11\ The Fund 
will use an ``indexing'' investment approach to seek to achieve its 
investment objective. The Adviser will seek a correlation over time of 
0.95 or better between the Fund's performance and the performance of 
the Underlying Index; a figure of 1.00 would represent perfect 
correlation.\12\ The Fund generally will employ a ``full replication'' 
methodology, meaning that generally it will seek to invest in all of 
the components of the Underlying Index (i.e., all of the stocks in the 
Stock Component, the Options Strategy, and the Collateral for the put 
options) in proportion to their weightings in the Underlying Index. 
However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or 
practicable for the Fund to purchase all of the components of the 
Underlying Index in the same weightings as the Underlying Index. In 
those circumstances, the Fund may purchase a representative sample of 
securities in the Underlying Index in pursuing its investment 
objective.\13\
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    \10\ The term ``normal market conditions'' includes, but is not 
limited to, the absence of trading halts in the applicable financial 
markets generally; operational issues causing dissemination of 
inaccurate market information or system failures; or force majeure 
type events such as natural or man-made disaster, act of God, armed 
conflict, act of terrorism, riot or labor disruption, or any similar 
intervening circumstance.
    \11\ The Fund will operate as an index fund and will not be 
actively managed. Therefore, the Fund will not adopt temporary 
defensive strategies. It will continue to invest at least 90% of its 
assets in the components of the Underlying Index, in accordance with 
the terms of its Exemptive Order, even during unusual market 
conditions, including extreme volatility or trading halts in the 
financial markets generally.
    \12\ Another means of evaluating the relationship between the 
returns of the Fund and the Underlying Index is to assess the 
``tracking error'' between the two. Tracking error means the 
variation between the Fund's annual return and the return of the 
Underlying Index, expressed in terms of standard deviation. The Fund 
seeks to have a tracking error of less than 5%, measured on a 
monthly basis over a one-year period by taking the standard 
deviation of the difference in the Fund's returns versus the 
Underlying Index's returns.
    \13\ A ``sampling'' methodology means that the Adviser (or Sub-
Adviser) will use a quantitative analysis to select component 
securities of the Underlying Index for the Fund's portfolio that are 
a representative sample of securities that have, in the aggregate, 
investment characteristics similar to the Underlying Index in terms 
of key risk factors, performance attributes and other 
characteristics. These include industry weightings, market 
capitalization, return variability, earnings valuation, yield and 
other financial characteristics of securities. When employing a 
sampling methodology, the Adviser (or Sub-Adviser) bases the 
quantity of holdings in the Fund on a number of factors, including 
asset size of the Fund, and generally expects the Fund to hold less 
than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. 
However, the Adviser (or Sub-Adviser) reserves the right to invest 
the Fund in as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve 
the Fund's investment objective.
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Index Methodology
    The Underlying Index is composed of a Stock Component (represented 
by 100 U.S. exchange-listed common stocks of large capitalization that 
have listed options traded on a U.S. exchange), the Options Strategy, 
and Collateral (represented by Treasury bills) intended to fully-
collateralize the Options Strategy. The selection of common stocks for 
the Stock Component, the selection of strike prices of the fully-
collateralized put options for the Options Strategy, and the asset 
allocation between the Stock Component and Collateral are determined 
pursuant to the Underlying Index's methodology, as described more fully 
below.
    According to the Registration Statement, the Underlying Index is 
designed to obtain yield from three sources: (1) The dividends and 
returns on the common stocks in the Stock Component, (2) the premiums 
received from the put options sold via the Options Strategy,\14\ and 
(3) the yield from Treasury bills serving as Collateral.\15\
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    \14\ As described above, a put option seller will incur a loss 
if the put option expires in-the-money at the expiration date or if 
the in-the-money put option is exercised by the option holder and, 
in each case, the in-the-money amount is greater than the purchase 
price of the put option (the ``premium'') collected by the put 
option seller. A put option seller will recognize a realized gain if 
the put option expires ``out of the money'' (i.e., the underlying 
stock price is below the put option strike price).
    \15\ The amount of the premiums received from selling options 
largely involves the level of implied volatility of the underlying 
reference security: The measurement of how much the market price of 
the underlying reference security historically varied from day to 
day over a specific period of time. The higher the implied 
volatility, the more likely the underlying reference security will 
experience large price changes. Another factor bearing on the put 
option premium is the time value of the options. The more time that 
remains until the expiration date of the option, the greater the 
amount of time that an option trade has to become profitable due to 
a favorable move in the underlying reference security. As a result, 
investors are willing to pay a higher premium for more time until 
the expiration date of an option (and conversely, as the expiration 
date of an option approaches, the market price of the option 
decreases, and down to zero if the option remains out-of-the-money 
on the expiration date of the option).
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    The constituents in the Stock Component are selected in accordance 
with Goldman Sachs' rules-based methodology, as described herein. The 
Underlying Index is designed to identify common stocks of companies 
with relatively low volatility, issued by companies with relatively 
strong financial conditions (as measured by a company's ``free cash 
flow'' (``FCF'')). Companies with high FCF have a lower probability of 
entering distress and/or higher probability of paying consistent 
dividends.\16\
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    \16\ In general, free cash flow is the money a company generates 
after accounting for daily operations or capital expenditures. 
Typically, a high or growing FCF indicates that a company has strong 
financial health (e.g., higher margins, lower interest expense and/
or more limited need for cash to maintain ongoing operations), is 
consistently de-leveraging and/or has the ability to return cash to 
shareholders through dividends or share buybacks.
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    From an investible universe consisting of common stocks (which 
excludes American depositary receipts and ETFs) that have listed 
options traded on a U.S. stock exchange, the Underlying Index 
identifies the 800 largest stocks (based on the issuer's 
capitalization) and applies two screens: (1) The first screen 
eliminates the 25%

[[Page 60445]]

of those 800 stocks (that is, 200 stocks) with the least liquidity,\17\ 
and (2) the second screen eliminates the 25% of the remaining 600 
stocks (that is, 150 stocks) whose listed options have the lowest 
liquidity as judged by their ``notional volume.'' \18\ Next, the 
Underlying Index screens each of the remaining 450 eligible securities 
based on its current five-year credit default swap (``CDS'') 
spread.\19\ A security is eliminated from eligibility if it has a 5-
year CDS spread greater than 150 basis points annually.\20\
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    \17\ According to the Registration Statement, a stock's 
liquidity is measured by its one-year average daily trading dollar 
volume (with greater volume representing greater liquidity).
    \18\ According to the Registration Statement, a stock's notional 
volume is the one-year average notional value of all options traded 
on that stock.
    \19\ Generally, a CDS contract is a financial swap agreement 
wherein the seller of the swap will compensate the buyer should a 
credit event occur--such as a failure to pay interest or principle 
on a credit obligation, restructuring or default. A CDS generally 
operates as a form of insurance to the buyer against the risk of a 
bond. The buyer of the swap makes a series of payments (often called 
the ``spread'' or ``premiums'') to the seller up until the maturity 
date or execution of a contract. In return, the seller agrees that, 
should the credit event occur, the seller will pay the buyer the 
face value of a bond in exchange for physical delivery of an 
applicable bond of the entity.
    \20\ The ``spread'' of a CDS contract is the annual amount the 
protection buyer must pay the seller over the length of the 
contract, expressed as a percentage of the notional amount. For 
example, if the CDS has a spread of 200 basis points, or 2.0%, then 
an investor buying $1 million worth of protection from the seller 
must pay $20,000 annually. Such payments usually continue until 
either the CDS contract expires or a credit event occurs. In 
general, the higher the spread, the more likely that the marketplace 
believes the credit event will occur. Consequently, stocks with 
greater volatility (and greater likelihood of experiencing a 
significant decline in value) generally will have CDS contracts with 
a higher spread.
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    The Underlying Index calculates the following information for each 
remaining eligible security: (1) The security's latest available FCF 
yield \21\ (or change in book value (``BV'') \22\ for certain stocks, 
depending on the sector of the stock issuer \23\) for its most recently 
completed fiscal year (``FY0''); \24\ and (2) the security's estimated 
FCF yield, calculated by estimating the growth in earnings per share 
for its upcoming fiscal year (``FY1'').\25\ Next, each security's 
``implied volatility'' \26\ over the next 12 months is estimated using 
publicly available options prices.\27\
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    \21\ FCF yield is calculated by dividing a company's FCF per 
share by the company's current market price per share. FCF yield 
typically is expressed as a percentage; the greater the number, the 
greater amount of FCF (relative to its market capitalization) that a 
company generates annually.
    \22\ The book value of a company is the total value of that 
company (measured as the difference between the company's total 
assets and total liabilities). The change in book value (as a 
percent of market capitalization) for a stock is a measure of how 
the issuer's book value changed over the past year relative to the 
company's latest market value of equity.
    \23\ The Underlying Index will include stocks from issuers 
located in each of 9 market sectors (Information Technology, 
Healthcare, Consumer Services, Consumer Products, Industrials, 
Financials and Real Estate Investment Trusts, Utilities, Materials 
and Energy). Stocks issued by companies in the Financials and Real 
Estate Investment Trusts sector will use BV, while stocks issued by 
companies in the other 8 market sectors will use FCF yield. 
References herein to FCF yield are intended to include BV, as 
applicable, for securities in the Financials and Real Estate 
Investment Trusts sector.
    \24\ Securities with a FCF yield that is less than or equal to 
zero in FY0 are eliminated from eligibility.
    \25\ A stock's estimated growth in earnings from its most 
recently completed fiscal year to its next upcoming fiscal year is 
calculated using analysts' publically available consensuses.
    \26\ Implied volatility is a way of estimating the future 
fluctuations in the price of a security based on options prices. 
Implied volatility represents the marketplace's views about what the 
volatility of a stock should be in the future (i.e., high implied 
volatility means the marketplace expects a security to have large 
price swings, while low implied volatility means that the 
marketplace expects the price generally will have smaller 
movements).
    \27\ A stock's implied volatility typically is a key driver in 
the pricing of put options on the stock. Options tend to have higher 
premiums when the underlying stock has high levels of implied 
volatility. This is because a greater possibility of wider 
fluctuations in the price of an underlying stock creates a greater 
likelihood that the stock's price will drop below the option's 
strike price, resulting in a loss to the seller. By taking greater 
risk, the put option seller accordingly receives greater premiums.
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    The Underlying Index then adjusts each remaining eligible stock's 
FCF yield based on its implied volatility by dividing each stock's 
actual FCF yield in FY0 and estimated FCF yield in FY1 by its implied 
volatility. The result produces two values for each eligible stock: A 
``volatility-adjusted'' FCF yield for FY0 and a volatility-adjusted FCF 
yield for FY1. It then averages the two results from FY0 and FY1 to 
establish each security's ``average volatility adjusted FCF yield.'' 
The 100 stocks with the highest average FCF yield, after adjusting for 
volatility, are included in the Underlying Index, subject to minimum 
and maximum sector weighting requirements. Stocks with lower implied 
volatility receive greater weighting in the Underlying Index.\28\
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    \28\ According to the Registration Statement, the Underlying 
Index's methodology requires that each of the 9 market sectors have 
a maximum of 25 stocks included in the Stock Component. The 
Underlying Index targets a minimum of two stocks from each sector; 
however, if there are not two stocks in a sector that pass the 
liquidity and CDS screen, then it is possible to have no stocks from 
that sector.
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    After establishing the Stock Component, the Underlying Index's 
methodology determines the Options Strategy. The Options Strategy 
writes or sells put options on the 100 stocks included in the Stock 
Component. Those put options are standardized options listed and traded 
on U.S. exchanges and will have terms of at least six but no more than 
18 months as of each quarterly rebalance date (described below).
    The strike price for each put option will be selected, in 
accordance with the Underlying Index's methodology, at an amount that 
will generate a premium that (when annualized) is as close as possible 
to the expected return of the underlying stock.\29\ The put options 
related to the Options Strategy will have expirations between six and 
18 months. All put options in the Underlying Index are fully 
collateralized with Treasury bills in an amount equal to the 
outstanding notional value of the put options. The collateral may also 
include the premiums collected on the put options.
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    \29\ Like free cash flow, the annualized premium is expressed as 
a percentage. For example, the Underlying Index will not sell puts 
that derive premiums in an amount (when annualized) that is less 
than 2% of the underlying stock's FCF yield, calculated in the 
manner described above.
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    According to the Registration Statement, at any given time, 
depending on market conditions, the Underlying Index's assets are 
allocated between the Stock Component and the Collateral to generate 
income.\30\ According to the Registration Statement, the allocation 
depends on the amount of FCF yield or dividend yield from the Stock 
Component: During periods when the stocks' FCF yield is high (leading 
to a lower proportion of puts written) and dividend yield is high 
(leading to a lower proportion of puts written), a greater percentage 
of the Underlying Index's assets will be allocated to the Stock 
Component. Conversely, when the FCF yield and dividend yield of such 
stocks are low, a greater percentage of the Underlying Index's assets 
will be allocated to Treasury bills collateralizing the Options 
Strategy.\31\
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    \30\ There is no limit to how much or how little the Underlying 
Index may allocate to the Stock Component (i.e., at any given time, 
the portion of the Underlying Index's assets allocated to the Stock 
Component may be anywhere from 0% to 100%).
    \31\ When companies have low FCF yield, there is elevated risk 
associated with owning their stock. Therefore, the Underlying Index 
rebalances to reduce exposure to the Stock Component (where 
investors have potential losses equal to the stock price) and 
increases exposure to the Treasury bills collateralizing the Options 
Strategy (where investors have potential losses equal to the stock 
price minus the Treasury bill yield and the premiums collected).
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    The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly in March, June, 
September and December, typically on the Friday before the third 
Saturday of the month (the ``rebalance date''). The 100 common stocks 
to be included in the Stock

[[Page 60446]]

Component are made available one week prior to the rebalance date. The 
put option strike prices and weights of the Underlying Index's 
components will be made available prior to the end of the business day 
on the rebalance date.
Other Investments
    After investing at least 90% of its total assets in components of 
the Underlying Index, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets 
in the following: (i) Exchange-traded U.S. equity securities not 
included in the Underlying Index, but which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser 
believes will help the Fund to track the Underlying Index; \32\ (ii) 
high quality securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government (in 
addition to Treasury bills) and non-U.S. governments, and each of their 
agencies and instrumentalities; (iii) money market instruments, 
including repurchase agreements or other funds which invest exclusively 
in money market instruments (subject to applicable limitations under 
the 1940 Act, or exemptions therefrom); \33\ (iv) convertible 
securities; (v) structured notes; \34\ (vi) securities of other 
investment companies (including affiliated and unaffiliated funds, such 
as open-end or closed-end management investment companies, and other 
ETFs) beyond the limits permitted under the 1940 Act, subject to 
certain terms and conditions set forth in a Commission exemptive order 
issued to the Trust pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(J) of the 1940 Act; 
\35\ and (vii) OTC options.\36\
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    \32\ For example, there may be instances in which the Adviser or 
Sub-Adviser may choose to purchase or sell securities not in the 
Underlying Index which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser believes are 
appropriate to substitute for one or more Underlying Index 
components in seeking to replicate, before fees and expenses, the 
performance of the Underlying Index.
    \33\ The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with 
commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its 
excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash 
collateral.
    \34\ Structured notes are derivative securities for which the 
amount of principal repayment and/or interest payments is based on 
the movement of one or more factors, including but not limited to, 
currency exchange rates, interest rates (such as the prime lending 
rate or LIBOR), referenced bonds and stock indices.
    \35\ See Investment Company Act Release No. 30238 (October 23, 
2012) (File No. 812-13820).
    \36\ The Fund may use OTC options, together with positions in 
cash and money market instruments, to simulate full investment in 
the Underlying Index. The Fund will only enter into OTC options with 
counterparties that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser reasonably believes 
are capable of performing under the contract, and the Fund will post 
collateral as required by the counterparty and applicable 
regulations. The Adviser or Sub-Adviser will attempt to mitigate the 
Fund's respective credit risk by transacting, where possible, with 
large, well-capitalized institutions using measures designed to 
determine the creditworthiness of the counterparty. The Adviser and/
or Sub-Adviser will evaluate the creditworthiness of counterparties 
on a regular basis. In addition to information provided by credit 
agencies, the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser will review approved 
counterparties using various factors, which may include the 
counterparty's reputation, the Adviser's or Sub-Adviser's past 
experience with the counterparty, and the price/market actions of 
debt of the counterparty. The Fund may also use various techniques 
to minimize credit risk, including early termination or reset and 
payment, using different counterparties, and limiting the net amount 
due from any individual counterparty. However, the risk of losses to 
the Fund resulting from counterparty default is still possible.
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Investment Restrictions
    The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 
25% of the value of its net assets) in securities of issuers in any one 
industry or group of industries only to the extent that the Underlying 
Index reflects a concentration in that industry or group of industries. 
The Fund will not otherwise concentrate its investments in securities 
of issuers in any one industry or group of industries. This restriction 
will not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. 
government, its agencies or instrumentalities.\37\ The Fund will be 
classified as a ``non-diversified'' investment company under the 1940 
Act.\38\
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    \37\ See Form N-1A, Item 9. The Commission has taken the 
position that a fund is concentrated if it invests more than 25% of 
the value of its total assets in any one industry. See, e.g., 
Investment Company Act Release No. 9011 (October 30, 1975), 40 FR 
54241 (November 21, 1975).
    \38\ The diversification standard is set forth in Section 
5(b)(1) of the 1940 Act.
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    The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net 
assets (calculated at the time of investment) in assets deemed illiquid 
by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser.\39\ The Fund will monitor its portfolio 
liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current 
circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and 
will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate 
liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other 
circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets are held in 
illiquid securities or other illiquid assets.\40\ Illiquid securities 
and other illiquid assets include those subject to contractual or other 
restrictions on resale and other instruments or assets that lack 
readily available markets as determined in accordance with Commission 
staff guidance.\41\
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    \39\ In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser 
may consider the following factors: The frequency of trades and 
quotes for the security; the number of dealers wishing to purchase 
or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; 
dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and the nature 
of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades 
(e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of 
soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer).
    \40\ See Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), which prohibits a fund from 
acquiring any illiquid investment if, immediately after the 
acquisition, the fund would have invested more than 15% of its net 
assets in illiquid investments that are assets. See Investment 
Company Act Release No. 32315 (Oct. 13, 2016), 81 FR 82142 (Nov. 18, 
2016) (adopting Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act). Prior to the 
adoption of Rule 22e-4 in 2016, the Commission had long-standing 
guidelines that required open-end funds to hold no more than 15% of 
their net assets in illiquid securities and other illiquid assets. 
See Investment Company Act Release No. 28193 (March 11, 2008), 73 FR 
14618 (March 18, 2008), FN 34. See also Investment Company Act 
Release Nos. 5847 (October 21, 1969), 35 FR 19989 (December 31, 
1970) (Statement Regarding ``Restricted Securities''); and 18612 
(March 12, 1992), 57 FR 9828 (March 20, 1992) (Revisions of 
Guidelines to Form N-1A).
    \41\ A fund's portfolio security is illiquid if it cannot be 
disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at 
approximately the value ascribed to it by the fund. See Investment 
Company Act Release Nos. 14983 (March 12, 1986), 51 FR 9773 (March 
21, 1986) (adopting amendments to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act); and 
17452 (April 23, 1990), 55 FR 17933 (April 30, 1990) (adopting Rule 
144A under the Securities Act of 1933).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Fund may loan the equity securities in its portfolio; however, 
the Fund will not loan its securities if, as a result, the aggregate 
amount of all outstanding securities loans by the Fund exceeds 33\1/3\% 
of the Fund's total assets (including the market value of collateral 
received). To the extent the Fund engages in securities lending, it 
will loan securities to broker-dealers that the Adviser believes to be 
of relatively high credit standing pursuant to agreements that require 
the loans to be continuously collateralized by cash, liquid securities, 
or shares of other investment companies with a value at least equal to 
the market value of the loaned securities.
    The Fund intends to qualify for, and to elect to be treated as, a 
regulated investment company (``RIC'') under Subchapter M of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.\42\ The Fund will invest its 
respective assets, and otherwise conduct its operations, in a manner 
that is intended to satisfy the qualifying income, diversification and 
distribution requirements necessary to establish and maintain RIC 
qualification under Subchapter M. In addition to satisfying the above 
referenced RIC diversification requirements, no portfolio security held 
by the Fund (other than U.S. government securities) will represent more 
than 30% of the weight of the Fund's portfolio, and the five most 
heavily weighted component stocks of the Fund (other than U.S. 
government securities) will not in the aggregate account for more than 
65% of the weight of the Fund's portfolio. For these purposes, the Fund 
may treat

[[Page 60447]]

repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities as 
U.S. government securities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \42\ 26 U.S.C. 851 et seq.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Fund's investments will be consistent with the Fund's 
investment objective. The Fund does not presently intend to engage in 
any form of borrowing for investment purposes, and will not be operated 
as a ``leveraged ETF'' or ``inverse leveraged ETF,'' i.e., it will not 
be operated in a manner designed to seek a multiple or an inverse 
multiple of the performance of an underlying reference index.
Creation and Redemption of Shares
    The Fund will issue and sell Shares only in large blocks of Shares 
(``Creation Units'') in transactions with Authorized Participants, as 
defined below. The Fund currently anticipates that a Creation Unit will 
consist of 50,000 Shares, though this number may change from time to 
time, including prior to the listing of the Fund. The exact number of 
Shares that will comprise a Creation Unit will be disclosed in the 
Fund's Registration Statement. The Trust will issue and sell Shares of 
the Fund in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the 
Distributor or its agent, without a sales load, at a price based on the 
Fund's net asset value (``NAV'') per Share next determined after 
receipt, on any business day.\43\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \43\ To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor or its 
agent to create a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be: (i) 
A ``Participating Party,'' i.e., a broker-dealer or other 
participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net 
Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation 
(``NSCC'') (the ``Clearing Process''); or (ii) a DTC Participant (as 
defined below); and, in either case, must have executed an agreement 
with the Distributor (as it may be amended from time to time in 
accordance with its terms) (``Participant Agreement''). DTC 
Participants are participants of the Depository Trust Company 
(``DTC''), which acts as a securities depositary for Index Fund 
Shares. A Participating Party and DTC Participant are collectively 
referred to as an ``Authorized Participant.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant 
must submit to the Distributor or its agent an irrevocable order to 
purchase Shares of the Fund, in proper form, generally before 3:30 
p.m., Eastern Time, on any business day to receive that day's NAV. On 
days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require 
orders to be placed earlier in the day.
    The consideration for a purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund 
generally will consist of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a 
designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such 
securities for which cash may be substituted) (``Deposit Securities'') 
and a corresponding ``Cash Component'' (defined below), computed as 
described below, or the cash value of the Deposit Securities (``Deposit 
Cash'') and the ``Cash Component,'' computed as described below.\44\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \44\ Because OTC options and certain listed options are not 
currently eligible for in-kind transfer, they will be substituted 
with an amount of cash of equal value (i.e., Deposit Cash) when the 
Fund processes purchases of Creation Units in-kind. When accepting 
purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional 
costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that 
would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchase.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, 
and the Cash Component constitute the ``Fund Deposit,'' which will be 
applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to creation 
requests received in proper form. The Fund Deposit represents the 
minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit. 
The ``Cash Component'' represents the difference between the NAV of the 
Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit 
Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. The Cash Component serves 
the function of compensating for any difference between the NAV per 
Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit 
Cash, as applicable.
    A portfolio composition file, to be sent via the NSCC, will be made 
available on each business day, prior to the opening of business of the 
Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), containing a list of the 
names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security to be 
included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end 
of the previous business day). In addition, on each business day, the 
estimated Cash Component, effective through and including the previous 
business day, will be made available through NSCC. Such Fund Deposit is 
applicable, subject to any adjustments,\45\ to purchases of Creation 
Units of Shares of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund 
Deposit composition is made available.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \45\ The Fund reserves the right to permit or require the 
substitution of a ``cash in lieu'' amount to be added to the Cash 
Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available 
in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for 
transfer through the DTC or the Clearing Process. The Fund also 
reserves the right to permit or require a ``cash in lieu'' amount in 
certain circumstances, including circumstances in which the delivery 
of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant would be 
restricted under applicable securities or other local laws or in 
certain other situations, such as if the Authorized Participant is 
not able to trade due to a trading restriction. The Fund also 
reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued 
solely in exchange for cash.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Shares of the Fund may be redeemed only in Creation Units on a 
business day, and only by Authorized Participants at the NAV next 
determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the 
Distributor or its agent. Unless cash redemptions are permitted or 
required for the Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit 
generally will consist of a designated portfolio of securities 
(including any portion of such securities for which cash may be 
substituted) that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or 
correction) to redemption requests received in proper form on that day 
(the ``Fund Securities''), plus an amount of cash (the ``Cash Amount'') 
equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, 
as next determined after the receipt of a redemption request in proper 
form, and the value of Fund Securities, less any redemption transaction 
fees.\46\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \46\ Should the Fund Securities have a value greater than the 
NAV of the Shares being redeemed, a compensating cash payment to the 
Trust equal to the differential plus the applicable redemption 
transaction fee will be required to be arranged for, by or on behalf 
of, the redeeming shareholder.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Custodian will make available through the NSCC, prior to the 
opening of business on the Exchange on each business day, the Fund 
Securities and corresponding Cash Amount (each being subject to 
possible amendment or correction) that will be applicable to 
redemptions requests received in proper form on that day. The Fund 
reserves the right to honor a redemption request by delivering a basket 
of securities or cash that differs from the Fund Securities.\47\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \47\ The Fund reserves the right to distribute cash as some or 
all of the payment for Creation Units being redeemed. The Adviser 
represents that, to the extent that the Trust permits or requires a 
``cash in lieu'' amount, such transactions will be effected in the 
same or equitable manner for all Authorized Participants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Fund must be delivered 
through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant Agreement 
with the Distributor. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order 
for redemption of Creation Units of the Fund to be effected need not be 
a Participating Party, but such orders must state that redemption of 
Creation Units of the Fund will instead be effected through transfer of 
Creation Units of the Fund directly through DTC. An order to redeem 
Creation Units of a Fund is deemed received by the Distributor on the 
transmittal date if (i) such order is received not later than 3:30 p.m. 
Eastern Time on such transmittal date; (ii) such order is preceded or 
accompanied by the requisite number of Shares of

[[Page 60448]]

Creation Units specified in such order, which delivery must be made 
through DTC to the Distributor no later than 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, 
on such transmittal date (the ``DTC Cut-Off-Time''); and (iii) all 
other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly 
followed.
    After the Distributor has deemed an order for redemption received, 
the Distributor will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Fund 
Securities which are expected to be delivered within two business days 
and the Cash Amount to the redeeming beneficial owner by the second 
business day following the transmittal date on which such redemption 
order is deemed received.
    The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment 
postponed with respect to the Fund: (i) For any period during which the 
Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); 
(ii) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended 
or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as 
a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund's portfolio 
securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; 
or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the Commission.
Availability of Information
    The Trust's website (www.invesco.com), which will be publicly 
available prior to the public offering of Shares, will include a form 
of the prospectus for the Fund that may be downloaded. The website will 
include additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis, 
including, for the Fund: (1) The prior business day's reported NAV, 
mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV 
(the ``Bid/Ask Price''),\48\ daily trading volume, and a calculation of 
the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask Price against the NAV; and (2) 
data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts 
and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within 
appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters. 
Daily trading volume information for the Fund will also be available in 
the financial section of newspapers, through subscription services such 
as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and International Data Corporation, 
which can be accessed by authorized participants and other investors, 
as well as through other electronic services, including major public 
websites.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \48\ The Bid/Ask Price of the Fund will be determined using the 
mid-point of the highest bid and the lowest offer on the Exchange as 
of the time of calculation of the Fund's NAV. The records relating 
to Bid/Ask Prices will be retained by the Fund and its service 
providers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares 
during the Regular Trading Hours \49\ on the Exchange, the Fund will 
disclose on its website the identities and quantities of the portfolio 
of securities and other assets in the daily disclosed portfolio held by 
the Fund (the ``Disclosed Portfolio'') that will form the basis for the 
Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day.\50\ The 
Disclosed Portfolio will include the following information regarding 
each portfolio holding, as applicable to the type of holding: Ticker 
symbol, CUSIP number or other identifier, if any; a description of the 
holding (including the type of holding); the identity of the security, 
index or other asset or instrument underlying the holding, if any; for 
options, the option strike price; quantity held (as measured by, for 
example, par value, notional value or number of shares, contracts or 
units); maturity date, if any; coupon rate, if any; effective date, if 
any; market value of the holding; and the percentage weighting of the 
holding in the Fund's portfolio. The website and information will be 
publicly available at no charge. The value of the Underlying Index will 
be calculated and disseminated at least once every 15 seconds during 
regular market session and will be available from major market data 
vendors, provided however, that with respect to the fixed income 
components of the index, such data points will be calculated and 
disseminated at least once daily.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \49\ Regular Trading Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern 
Time.
    \50\ Under accounting procedures to be followed by the Fund, 
trades made on the prior business day (``T'') will be booked and 
reflected in NAV on the current business day (``T+1''). 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, portfolio trades that are executed 
prior to the opening of the Exchange on any business day may be 
booked and reflected in NAV on such business day. Accordingly, the 
Fund will be able to disclose at the beginning of the business day 
the portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation at 
the end of the business day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, for the Fund, an estimated value, defined in BZX Rule 
14.11(c)(6)(A) as the ``Intraday Indicative Value,'' that reflects an 
estimated intraday value of the Fund's portfolio, will be disseminated. 
Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value will be based upon the current 
value for the components of the Disclosed Portfolio and will be updated 
and widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors and 
broadly displayed at least every 15 seconds during the Exchange's 
Regular Trading Hours.\51\ In addition, the quotations of certain of 
the Fund's holdings may not be updated if updated prices cannot be 
ascertained.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \51\ Currently, it is the Exchange's understanding that several 
major market data vendors display and/or make widely available 
Intraday Indicative Values published via the Consolidated Tape 
Association (``CTA'') or other data feeds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The dissemination of the Intraday Indicative Value, together with 
the Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors to determine the value of 
the underlying portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis and will provide 
a close estimate of that value throughout Regular Trading Hours.
    Intraday, closing, and settlement prices of common stocks and other 
exchange-listed instruments will be readily available from the 
exchanges trading such securities as well as automated quotation 
systems, published or other public sources, or online information 
services such as Bloomberg or Reuters. In addition, price information 
for U.S. exchange-traded options will be available from the Options 
Price Reporting Authority. Quotation information from brokers and 
dealers or pricing services will be available for U.S. government 
obligations, high quality securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. 
government (in addition to Treasury bills) and non-U.S. governments, 
and each of their agencies and instrumentalities, money market 
instruments, convertible securities, structured notes, and OTC options.
    Information regarding market price and trading volume of the Shares 
will be continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day 
on brokers' computer screens and other electronic services. Information 
regarding the previous day's closing price and trading volume for the 
Shares will be published daily in the financial section of newspapers. 
Quotation and last sale information for the Shares will be on the 
facilities of the CTA.
Initial and Continued Listing
    The Shares of the Fund will conform to the initial and continued 
listing criteria under BZX Rule 14.11(c), other than the portion of the 
Fund that consists of options. The Exchange represents that, for 
initial and/or continued listing, the Fund and the Trust must be in 
compliance with Rule 10A-3 \52\ under the Act. A minimum of 100,000 
Shares of the Fund will be outstanding at the commencement of trading 
on the Exchange. The Exchange

[[Page 60449]]

will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV 
per Share for the Fund will be calculated daily and will be made 
available to all market participants at the same time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \52\ See 17 CFR 240.10A-3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trading Halts
    With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may consider all 
relevant factors in exercising its discretion to halt or suspend 
trading in the Shares of the Fund. The Exchange will halt trading in 
the Shares under the conditions specified in BZX Rule 11.18. Trading 
may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the 
view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable. These may 
include: (1) The extent to which trading is not occurring in the 
securities and/or the financial instruments constituting the Disclosed 
Portfolio of the Fund; or (2) whether other unusual conditions or 
circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly 
market are present. Trading in the Shares also will be subject to Rule 
14.11(c)(1)(B)(iv), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares 
of the Fund may be halted. Further, trading in the Shares will be 
halted if an interruption to the dissemination of either of the 
Intraday Indicative Value or the value of the Underlying Index persists 
past the trading day in which it occurred.
Trading Rules
    The Exchange deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus 
rendering trading in the Shares subject to the Exchange's existing 
rules governing the trading of equity securities. The Exchange will 
allow trading in the Shares from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time 
and has appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in the Shares 
during all trading sessions. As provided in BZX Rule 11.11(a), the 
minimum price variation for quoting and entry of orders in securities 
traded on the Exchange is $0.01, with the exception of securities that 
are priced less than $1.00, for which the minimum price variation for 
order entry is $0.0001.
Surveillance
    The Exchange believes that its surveillance procedures are adequate 
to properly monitor the trading of the Shares on the Exchange during 
all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange 
rules and the applicable federal securities laws. Trading of the Shares 
through the Exchange will be subject to the Exchange's surveillance 
procedures for derivative products, including Index Fund Shares. The 
issuer has represented to the Exchange that it will advise the Exchange 
of any failure by the Fund to comply with the continued listing 
requirements, and, pursuant to its obligations under Section 19(g)(1) 
of the Act, the Exchange will surveil for compliance with the continued 
listing requirements. If the Fund is not in compliance with the 
applicable listing requirements, the Exchange will commence delisting 
procedures under BZX Rule 14.12. All exchange-listed options and 
equities (including certain investment company securities such as ETFs) 
held by the Fund will be traded on U.S. exchanges, all of which are 
members of ISG or are exchanges with which the Exchange has in place a 
comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. The Exchange may obtain 
information regarding trading in the Shares and other exchange-traded 
securities and instruments held by the Fund via the ISG, from other 
exchanges that are members or affiliates of the ISG, or with which the 
Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing 
agreement.\53\ The Exchange prohibits the distribution of material non-
public information by its employees.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \53\ For a list of the current members of ISG, see 
www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all components of the 
Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund may trade on markets that are 
members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a 
comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Information Circular
    Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its 
members in an Information Circular of the special characteristics and 
risks associated with trading the Shares. Specifically, the Information 
Circular will discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases 
and redemptions of Shares in Creation Units (and that Shares are not 
individually redeemable); (2) BZX Rule 3.7, which imposes suitability 
obligations on Exchange members with respect to recommending 
transactions in the Shares to customers; (3) how information regarding 
the Intraday Indicative Value and the Underlying Index is disseminated; 
(4) the risks involved in trading the Shares during the Pre-Opening 
\54\ and After Hours Trading Sessions \55\ when an updated Intraday 
Indicative Value and Underlying Index value will not be calculated or 
publicly disseminated; (5) the requirement that members deliver a 
prospectus to investors purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or 
concurrently with the confirmation of a transaction; and (6) trading 
information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \54\ The Pre-Opening Session is from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. 
Eastern Time.
    \55\ The After Hours Trading Session is from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 
p.m. Eastern Time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, the Information Circular will advise members, prior to 
the commencement of trading, of the prospectus delivery requirements 
applicable to the Fund. Members purchasing Shares from the Fund for 
resale to investors will deliver a prospectus to such investors. The 
Information Circular will also discuss any exemptive, no-action and 
interpretive relief granted by the Commission from any rules under the 
Act.
    In addition, the Information Circular will reference that the Fund 
is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Registration 
Statement. The Information Circular will also disclose the trading 
hours of the Shares of the Fund and the applicable NAV calculation time 
for the Shares. The Information Circular will disclose that information 
about the Shares of the Fund will be publicly available on the Fund's 
website. In addition, the Information Circular will reference that the 
Fund is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Fund's 
Registration Statement.
2. Statutory Basis
    Item 3(b) Purpose of 19b-4 Information [sic] The Exchange believes 
that the proposal is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act \56\ in 
general and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act \57\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \56\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \57\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is designed to 
prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices in that the 
Shares will be listed and traded on the Exchange pursuant to the 
listing criteria in BZX Rule 14.11(c), except that the Underlying Index 
will consist in part of written put options, which are based on U.S. 
Component Stocks, rather than completely on U.S. Component Stocks 
themselves. The Exchange believes that its surveillances, which 
generally focus on detecting securities trading outside of their normal 
patterns which could be indicative of manipulative or other

[[Page 60450]]

violative activity, and associated surveillance procedures are adequate 
to properly monitor the trading of the Shares on the Exchange during 
all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange 
rules and the applicable federal securities laws. The Exchange will 
communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares with other 
markets or other entities that are members of the Intermarket 
Surveillance group (``ISG''), and may obtain trading information 
regarding trading in the Shares from such markets or entities. In 
addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the 
Shares and other exchange-traded securities and instruments held by the 
Fund from markets and other entities that are members of ISG or with 
which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing 
agreement.
    The Calculation Agent has implemented and will maintain procedures 
designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material, non-public 
information regarding the Underlying Index. The Adviser and the Sub-
Adviser are affiliated with a broker-dealer and have implemented, and 
will maintain, a fire wall with respect to its broker-dealer affiliate 
regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or 
changes to the Fund's portfolio.
    Under normal market conditions, not less than 90% of the Fund's 
total assets will be comprised of common stocks, put options, and 
Treasury bills (serving as collateral for written put options), 
although the Fund may also invest in other U.S. government and money 
market instruments. The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% 
of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of 
investment), consistent with Commission guidance. The Fund will not use 
derivative instruments to enhance leverage.
    The proposed rule change is designed to promote just and equitable 
principles of trade and to protect investors and the public interest in 
that a large amount of information will be publicly available regarding 
the Fund and the Shares, thereby promoting market transparency. The 
Fund's portfolio holdings will be disclosed on the Fund's website daily 
after the close of trading on the Exchange and prior to the opening of 
trading on the Exchange the following day.
    Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value will be widely disseminated 
by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15 seconds 
during Regular Trading Hours. The current value of the Underlying Index 
will be calculated and disseminated at least once every 15 seconds 
during regular market session and will be available from major market 
data vendors, provided however, that with respect to the fixed income 
components of the index, such value will be calculated and disseminated 
at least once daily. Information regarding market price and trading 
volume of the Shares will be continually available on a real-time basis 
throughout the day on brokers' computer screens and other electronic 
services, and quotation and last sale information will be available via 
the CTA high-speed line. Quotation and last sale information for U.S. 
exchange-listed options contracts cleared by The Options Clearing 
Corporation will be available via the Options Price Reporting 
Authority. The intra-day, closing and settlement prices of exchange-
traded portfolio assets, including investment companies, will be 
readily available from the securities exchanges trading such 
securities, as the case may be, automated quotation systems, published 
or other public sources, or online information services such as 
Bloomberg or Reuters. Such price information on other portfolio 
securities, including money market instruments, and other Fund assets 
traded in the OTC markets, is available from major broker-dealer firms 
or market data vendors, as well as from automated quotation systems, 
published or other public sources, or online information services.
    The website for the Fund will include the prospectus for the Fund 
and additional data relating to NAV and other applicable quantitative 
information. Moreover, prior to the commencement of trading, the 
Exchange will inform its Members in an information circular of the 
special characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares. 
If the Exchange becomes aware that the NAV is not being disseminated to 
all market participants at the same time, it will halt trading in the 
Shares until such time as the NAV is available to all market 
participants. With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may consider 
all relevant factors in exercising its discretion to halt or suspend 
trading in the Shares of the Fund. Trading also may be halted because 
of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, 
make trading in the Shares inadvisable. These may include: (1) The 
extent to which trading is not occurring in the securities and/or the 
financial instruments composing the daily disclosed portfolio of the 
Fund; or (2) whether other unusual conditions or circumstances 
detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market are 
present. Trading in the Shares also will be subject to Rule 
14.11(c)(1)(B)(iv), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares 
of the Fund may be halted. If the Intraday Indicative Value of the Fund 
or value of the Underlying Index are not being disseminated as 
required, the Exchange may halt trading during the day in which the 
interruption to the dissemination of the Intraday Indicative Value or 
index value occurs.
    The proposed rule change is designed to perfect the mechanism of a 
free and open market and, in general, to protect investors and the 
public interest in that it will facilitate the listing and trading of 
an additional type of exchange-traded product that will enhance 
competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and 
the marketplace. As noted above, the Exchange has in place surveillance 
procedures relating to trading in the Shares and may obtain information 
in the Shares and other exchange-traded securities and instruments held 
by the Fund via ISG, from other exchanges that are members of ISG, or 
with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance 
sharing agreement. In addition, investors will have ready access to 
information regarding the Intraday Indicative Value and quotation and 
last sale information for the Shares.
    For the above reasons, the Exchange believes the proposed rule 
change is consistent with the requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of the 
Act.

(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will 
impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate 
in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. The Exchange notes that the 
proposed rule change will facilitate the listing and trading of an 
additional type of exchange-traded product that will enhance 
competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and 
the marketplace.

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

    The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on 
the proposed rule change.

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

    Within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the 
Federal

[[Page 60451]]

Register or within such longer period up to 90 days (i) as the 
Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be 
appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to 
which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will:
    A. By order approve or disapprove the proposed rule change, or
    B. institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule 
change should be disapproved.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposal 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 No. SR-CboeBZX-2017-011 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 No. SR-CboeBZX-2017-011. 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 website (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 website 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 such filing will also be available for inspection 
and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments 
received will be posted without change. Persons submitting comments are 
cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying 
information from comment submissions. You should submit only 
information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions 
should refer to File No. SR-CboeBZX-2017-011 and should be submitted on 
or before January 10, 2018.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\58\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \58\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-27349 Filed 12-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices                                                       60443

                                                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                                    (A) Self-Regulatory Organization’s                       (before fees and expenses) of the
                                                COMMISSION                                                 Statement of the Purpose of, and                         Goldman Sachs Bond Buyers Equity
                                                                                                           Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule                   Basket Index (the ‘‘Underlying Index’’).
                                                [Release No. 34–82328; File No. SR–                        Change                                                   The Underlying Index is designed to
                                                CboeBZX–2017–011]                                                                                                   measure the performance of a
                                                                                                           1. Purpose
                                                                                                                                                                    hypothetical portfolio of common equity
                                                Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe                           The Exchange proposes to list and                     stocks with an overlay of fully-
                                                BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of                    trade the Shares of the Fund under BZX                   collateralized written put options on
                                                a Proposed Rule Change To List and                         Rule 14.11(c)(5),3 which governs the                     those stocks.
                                                Trade the Common Shares of                                 listing and trading of Index Fund Shares                    The Underlying Index was developed
                                                Beneficial Interest of the PowerShares                     based on equity and fixed income                         by Goldman, Sachs & Co. (‘‘Goldman
                                                Income Builder Portfolio, a Series of                      securities indexes.4 The Shares will be                  Sachs’’). Solactive AG (the ‘‘Calculation
                                                PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund                           offered by the Fund, which will be a                     Agent’’) maintains, calculates, and
                                                Trust II                                                   passively managed index-based                            publishes the value of the Underlying
                                                                                                           exchange-traded fund (‘‘ETF’’). The                      Index on each business day. The
                                                December 14, 2017
                                                                                                           Fund is a series of the Trust, which was                 Calculation Agent is not registered as an
                                                   Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the                     established as a Massachusetts business                  investment adviser or broker-dealer and
                                                Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the                       trust on October 10, 2006. The Trust is                  is not affiliated with any broker-dealers.
                                                ‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2                     registered with the Commission as an                     The Calculation Agent has also
                                                notice is hereby given that on December                    open-end management investment                           implemented and will maintain
                                                1, 2017, Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.                           company and has filed a post-effective                   procedures designed to prevent the use
                                                (‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘BZX’’) filed with the                   amendment to its registration statement                  and dissemination of material, non-
                                                Securities and Exchange Commission                         on Form N–1A (the ‘‘Registration                         public information regarding the
                                                (‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule                         Statement’’) with the Commission to                      Underlying Index as required under
                                                change as described in Items I and II                      register the Fund and its Shares under                   Rule 14.11(c)(5)(A)(iii). None of the
                                                below, which Items have been prepared                      the Investment Company Act of 1940                       Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the
                                                by the Exchange. The Commission is                         (‘‘1940 Act’’) and the Securities Act of                 Custodian or the Distributor is affiliated
                                                publishing this notice to solicit                          1933.5                                                   with Goldman Sachs, the Calculation
                                                comments on the proposed rule change                          Invesco PowerShares Capital                           Agent or their respective affiliates.
                                                from interested persons.                                   Management LLC will be the investment                       The Exchange is submitting this
                                                I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                          adviser (the ‘‘Adviser’’) to the Fund.                   proposed rule change because the
                                                Statement of the Terms of Substance of                     Invesco Advisers, Inc. will be the                       Underlying Index for the Fund does not
                                                the Proposed Rule Change                                   investment sub-adviser (the ‘‘Sub-                       meet the listing requirements of Rule
                                                                                                           Adviser’’) to the Fund.6 Invesco                         14.11(c)(5) applicable to an index that
                                                   The Exchange filed proposed rule
                                                                                                           Distributors, Inc. will be the distributor               consists of both equity securities (and
                                                change to list and trade under BZX Rule
                                                                                                           (the ‘‘Distributor’’) of the Shares. The                 with respect to this underlying index,
                                                14.11(c)(3) the common shares of
                                                                                                           Bank of New York Mellon (the                             U.S. Component Stocks) 7 and Fixed
                                                beneficial interest of the PowerShares
                                                                                                           ‘‘Custodian’’) will act as the custodian,                Income Securities,8 which requires that
                                                Income Builder Portfolio (the ‘‘Fund’’),
                                                                                                           administrator, accounting agent and                      the equity and fixed income component
                                                a series of PowerShares Exchange-
                                                                                                           transfer agent for the Fund.                             securities separately meet the criteria set
                                                Traded Fund Trust II (the ‘‘Trust’’). The
                                                                                                              As discussed in more detail below,                    forth in Rules 14.11(c)(5) because the
                                                common shares of beneficial interest of
                                                                                                           the Fund’s investment objective is to                    Underlying Index consists partially of
                                                the Fund are referred to herein as the
                                                                                                           seek to track the investment results                     put options. The Fixed Income Security
                                                ‘‘Shares.’’
                                                                                                                                                                    component of the Underlying Index,
                                                   The text of the proposed rule change                       3 The Commission approved BZX Rule 14.11(c) in
                                                                                                                                                                    which consists of only Treasury bills,
                                                is available at the Exchange’s website at                  Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65225 (August        meets the ‘‘generic’’ listing requirements
                                                www.markets.cboe.com, at the principal                     30, 2011), 76 FR 55148 (September 6, 2011) (SR–
                                                                                                           BATS–2011–018).                                          of Rule 14.11(c)(4).
                                                office of the Exchange, and at the
                                                                                                              4 BZX Rule 14.11(c)(1)(A)(i) provides that an            All statements and representations
                                                Commission’s Public Reference Room.
                                                                                                           Index Fund Share is a security that is issued by an      made in this filing regarding the
                                                II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                         open-end management investment company based             Underlying Index composition, the
                                                                                                           on a portfolio of stocks or fixed income securities
                                                Statement of the Purpose of, and                           or a combination thereof, that seeks to provide
                                                                                                                                                                    description of the portfolio or reference
                                                Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule                     investment results that correspond generally to the      assets, limitations on portfolio holdings
                                                Change                                                     price and yield performance or total return              or reference assets, dissemination and
                                                                                                           performance of a specified foreign or domestic stock     availability of the Underlying Index,
                                                  In its filing with the Commission, the                   index, fixed income securities index or combination
                                                                                                                                                                    reference asset, and intraday indicative
                                                Exchange included statements                               thereof.
                                                                                                                                                                    values, and the applicability of
                                                concerning the purpose of and basis for                       5 See Registration Statement on Form N–1A for

                                                the proposed rule change and discussed                     the Trust, filed on July 31, 2017 (File Nos. 333–
                                                                                                           138490 and 811–21977). The descriptions of the             7 As defined in Rule 14.11(c)(1)(D), the term ‘‘U.S.
                                                any comments it received on the                            Fund and the Shares contained herein are based, in       Component Stock’’ shall mean an equity security
                                                proposed rule change. The text of these                    part, on information in the Registration Statement.      that is registered under Sections 12(b) or 12(g) of
                                                statements may be examined at the                          In addition, the Commission has issued an order          the Act, or an American Depositary receipt, the
                                                places specified in Item IV below. The                     granting certain exemptive relief to the Trust under     underlying equity security of which is registered
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                           the 1940 Act. See Investment Company Act Release         under Sections 12(b) or 12(g) of the Act.
                                                Exchange has prepared summaries, set                       No. 27841 (May 25, 2007) (File No. 812–13335)              8 As defined in Rule 14.11(c)(4), the term ‘‘Fixed
                                                forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of                    (‘‘Exemptive Order’’).                                   Income Security’’ shall mean debt securities that are
                                                the most significant parts of such                            6 The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser are affiliated      notes, bonds, debentures or evidence of
                                                statements.                                                with a broker-dealer and have implemented, and           indebtedness that include, but are not limited to,
                                                                                                           will maintain, a fire wall with respect to its broker-   Treasury bills, government-sponsored entity
                                                                                                           dealer affiliate regarding access to information         securities (‘‘GSE Securities’’), municipal securities,
                                                  1 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).                                 concerning the composition and/or changes to the         trust preferred securities, supranational debt and
                                                  2 17   CFR 240.19b–4.                                    Fund’s portfolio.                                        debt of a foreign country or subdivision thereof.



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                                                60444                     Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices

                                                Exchange rules specified in this filing                    to achieve its investment objective. The                  Index’s methodology, as described more
                                                shall constitute continued listing                         Adviser will seek a correlation over time                 fully below.
                                                requirements for the Fund.                                 of 0.95 or better between the Fund’s                         According to the Registration
                                                                                                           performance and the performance of the                    Statement, the Underlying Index is
                                                Description of the Fund                                                                                              designed to obtain yield from three
                                                                                                           Underlying Index; a figure of 1.00
                                                   As noted above, the Underlying Index                    would represent perfect correlation.12                    sources: (1) The dividends and returns
                                                will consist of a mixture of (1) 100 U.S.                  The Fund generally will employ a ‘‘full                   on the common stocks in the Stock
                                                exchange-listed common stocks of large                     replication’’ methodology, meaning that                   Component, (2) the premiums received
                                                capitalization that have listed options                    generally it will seek to invest in all of                from the put options sold via the
                                                traded on a U.S. exchange (the ‘‘Stock                     the components of the Underlying Index                    Options Strategy,14 and (3) the yield
                                                Component’’), (2) put options 9 that are                   (i.e., all of the stocks in the Stock                     from Treasury bills serving as
                                                sold (or ‘‘written’’) on those same 100                    Component, the Options Strategy, and                      Collateral.15
                                                stocks that comprise the Stock                             the Collateral for the put options) in                       The constituents in the Stock
                                                Component (the ‘‘Options Strategy’’),                      proportion to their weightings in the                     Component are selected in accordance
                                                and (3) Treasury bills (the ‘‘Collateral’’),               Underlying Index. However, under                          with Goldman Sachs’ rules-based
                                                which are intended to collateralize the                    various circumstances, it may not be                      methodology, as described herein. The
                                                Options Strategy.                                          possible or practicable for the Fund to                   Underlying Index is designed to identify
                                                   Under normal market conditions,10                       purchase all of the components of the                     common stocks of companies with
                                                the Fund will seek to achieve its                          Underlying Index in the same                              relatively low volatility, issued by
                                                investment objective by generally                          weightings as the Underlying Index. In                    companies with relatively strong
                                                investing at least 90% of its total assets                 those circumstances, the Fund may                         financial conditions (as measured by a
                                                in the components of the Underlying                        purchase a representative sample of                       company’s ‘‘free cash flow’’ (‘‘FCF’’)).
                                                Index.11 The Fund will use an                              securities in the Underlying Index in                     Companies with high FCF have a lower
                                                ‘‘indexing’’ investment approach to seek                   pursuing its investment objective.13                      probability of entering distress and/or
                                                                                                                                                                     higher probability of paying consistent
                                                   9 A put option is an option contract giving the         Index Methodology                                         dividends.16
                                                contract holder (or ‘‘option holder’’) the right, but         The Underlying Index is composed of                       From an investible universe
                                                not the obligation, to sell a specified amount of an
                                                underlying stock, typically 100 shares per contract,       a Stock Component (represented by 100                     consisting of common stocks (which
                                                at a predetermined, specified price (the ‘‘strike          U.S. exchange-listed common stocks of                     excludes American depositary receipts
                                                price’’) at any time within a specified time (the          large capitalization that have listed                     and ETFs) that have listed options
                                                ‘‘expiration date’’). If the option holder exercise that                                                             traded on a U.S. stock exchange, the
                                                right, the seller (or ‘‘writer’’) of the put option must
                                                                                                           options traded on a U.S. exchange), the
                                                transfer to the option holder an amount equal to the       Options Strategy, and Collateral                          Underlying Index identifies the 800
                                                product of the strike price and the total number of        (represented by Treasury bills) intended                  largest stocks (based on the issuer’s
                                                shares relating to such exercised put options. In          to fully-collateralize the Options                        capitalization) and applies two screens:
                                                exchange for such payment by the seller to the
                                                option holder, the option holder will transfer to the      Strategy. The selection of common                         (1) The first screen eliminates the 25%
                                                seller shares of the underlying stock equal to the         stocks for the Stock Component, the
                                                total number of shares relating to such exercised          selection of strike prices of the fully-                     14 As described above, a put option seller will

                                                put options. Put option sellers risk losses if the         collateralized put options for the                        incur a loss if the put option expires in-the-money
                                                price of a stock drops below the strike price (a                                                                     at the expiration date or if the in-the-money put
                                                situation when the option is referred to as ‘‘in-the-      Options Strategy, and the asset                           option is exercised by the option holder and, in
                                                money’’). An option holder will have an unrealized         allocation between the Stock                              each case, the in-the-money amount is greater than
                                                gain if the written put option purchased by the            Component and Collateral are                              the purchase price of the put option (the
                                                option holder has appreciated in an amount greater         determined pursuant to the Underlying                     ‘‘premium’’) collected by the put option seller. A
                                                than the purchase price of each such put option                                                                      put option seller will recognize a realized gain if
                                                purchased by the option holder. The option holder                                                                    the put option expires ‘‘out of the money’’ (i.e., the
                                                                                                              12 Another means of evaluating the relationship
                                                may recognize a realized gain on a put option by                                                                     underlying stock price is below the put option
                                                exercising the put option and then selling the             between the returns of the Fund and the Underlying        strike price).
                                                shares or by selling the put option (e.g., closing out     Index is to assess the ‘‘tracking error’’ between the        15 The amount of the premiums received from
                                                the option transaction with by selling the put             two. Tracking error means the variation between the       selling options largely involves the level of implied
                                                options). As an example of the gain by an option           Fund’s annual return and the return of the                volatility of the underlying reference security: The
                                                holder related to an ‘‘in-the-money’’ put option, if       Underlying Index, expressed in terms of standard          measurement of how much the market price of the
                                                a put option has a strike price of $50 per share and       deviation. The Fund seeks to have a tracking error        underlying reference security historically varied
                                                at the time the underlying stock price is $40 per          of less than 5%, measured on a monthly basis over         from day to day over a specific period of time. The
                                                share, the option holder will have a gross realized        a one-year period by taking the standard deviation        higher the implied volatility, the more likely the
                                                gain of $10 per share. The option holder’s realized        of the difference in the Fund’s returns versus the        underlying reference security will experience large
                                                gain for such transaction would be equal to the $10        Underlying Index’s returns.                               price changes. Another factor bearing on the put
                                                per share less the put option purchase price per              13 A ‘‘sampling’’ methodology means that the
                                                                                                                                                                     option premium is the time value of the options.
                                                share paid by the option holder to acquire the put         Adviser (or Sub-Adviser) will use a quantitative          The more time that remains until the expiration
                                                options).                                                  analysis to select component securities of the            date of the option, the greater the amount of time
                                                   10 The term ‘‘normal market conditions’’ includes,      Underlying Index for the Fund’s portfolio that are        that an option trade has to become profitable due
                                                but is not limited to, the absence of trading halts        a representative sample of securities that have, in       to a favorable move in the underlying reference
                                                in the applicable financial markets generally;             the aggregate, investment characteristics similar to      security. As a result, investors are willing to pay a
                                                operational issues causing dissemination of                the Underlying Index in terms of key risk factors,        higher premium for more time until the expiration
                                                inaccurate market information or system failures; or       performance attributes and other characteristics.         date of an option (and conversely, as the expiration
                                                force majeure type events such as natural or man-          These include industry weightings, market                 date of an option approaches, the market price of
                                                made disaster, act of God, armed conflict, act of          capitalization, return variability, earnings valuation,   the option decreases, and down to zero if the option
                                                terrorism, riot or labor disruption, or any similar        yield and other financial characteristics of              remains out-of-the-money on the expiration date of
                                                intervening circumstance.                                  securities. When employing a sampling                     the option).
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES




                                                   11 The Fund will operate as an index fund and           methodology, the Adviser (or Sub-Adviser) bases              16 In general, free cash flow is the money a

                                                will not be actively managed. Therefore, the Fund          the quantity of holdings in the Fund on a number          company generates after accounting for daily
                                                will not adopt temporary defensive strategies. It          of factors, including asset size of the Fund, and         operations or capital expenditures. Typically, a
                                                will continue to invest at least 90% of its assets in      generally expects the Fund to hold less than the          high or growing FCF indicates that a company has
                                                the components of the Underlying Index, in                 total number of securities in the Underlying Index.       strong financial health (e.g., higher margins, lower
                                                accordance with the terms of its Exemptive Order,          However, the Adviser (or Sub-Adviser) reserves the        interest expense and/or more limited need for cash
                                                even during unusual market conditions, including           right to invest the Fund in as many securities as it      to maintain ongoing operations), is consistently de-
                                                extreme volatility or trading halts in the financial       believes necessary to achieve the Fund’s investment       leveraging and/or has the ability to return cash to
                                                markets generally.                                         objective.                                                shareholders through dividends or share buybacks.



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                                                                          Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices                                                       60445

                                                of those 800 stocks (that is, 200 stocks)                recently completed fiscal year                           included in the Stock Component.
                                                with the least liquidity,17 and (2) the                  (‘‘FY0’’); 24 and (2) the security’s                     Those put options are standardized
                                                second screen eliminates the 25% of the                  estimated FCF yield, calculated by                       options listed and traded on U.S.
                                                remaining 600 stocks (that is, 150                       estimating the growth in earnings per                    exchanges and will have terms of at
                                                stocks) whose listed options have the                    share for its upcoming fiscal year                       least six but no more than 18 months as
                                                lowest liquidity as judged by their                      (‘‘FY1’’).25 Next, each security’s                       of each quarterly rebalance date
                                                ‘‘notional volume.’’ 18 Next, the                        ‘‘implied volatility’’ 26 over the next 12               (described below).
                                                Underlying Index screens each of the                     months is estimated using publicly                          The strike price for each put option
                                                remaining 450 eligible securities based                  available options prices.27                              will be selected, in accordance with the
                                                on its current five-year credit default                     The Underlying Index then adjusts                     Underlying Index’s methodology, at an
                                                swap (‘‘CDS’’) spread.19 A security is                   each remaining eligible stock’s FCF                      amount that will generate a premium
                                                eliminated from eligibility if it has a 5-               yield based on its implied volatility by                 that (when annualized) is as close as
                                                year CDS spread greater than 150 basis                   dividing each stock’s actual FCF yield                   possible to the expected return of the
                                                points annually.20                                       in FY0 and estimated FCF yield in FY1                    underlying stock.29 The put options
                                                   The Underlying Index calculates the                   by its implied volatility. The result                    related to the Options Strategy will have
                                                following information for each                           produces two values for each eligible                    expirations between six and 18 months.
                                                remaining eligible security: (1) The                     stock: A ‘‘volatility-adjusted’’ FCF yield               All put options in the Underlying Index
                                                security’s latest available FCF yield 21                 for FY0 and a volatility-adjusted FCF                    are fully collateralized with Treasury
                                                (or change in book value (‘‘BV’’) 22 for                 yield for FY1. It then averages the two                  bills in an amount equal to the
                                                certain stocks, depending on the sector                  results from FY0 and FY1 to establish                    outstanding notional value of the put
                                                of the stock issuer 23) for its most                     each security’s ‘‘average volatility                     options. The collateral may also include
                                                                                                         adjusted FCF yield.’’ The 100 stocks                     the premiums collected on the put
                                                   17 According to the Registration Statement, a         with the highest average FCF yield, after                options.
                                                stock’s liquidity is measured by its one-year average    adjusting for volatility, are included in                   According to the Registration
                                                daily trading dollar volume (with greater volume                                                                  Statement, at any given time, depending
                                                representing greater liquidity).
                                                                                                         the Underlying Index, subject to
                                                   18 According to the Registration Statement, a         minimum and maximum sector                               on market conditions, the Underlying
                                                stock’s notional volume is the one-year average          weighting requirements. Stocks with                      Index’s assets are allocated between the
                                                notional value of all options traded on that stock.      lower implied volatility receive greater                 Stock Component and the Collateral to
                                                   19 Generally, a CDS contract is a financial swap
                                                                                                         weighting in the Underlying Index.28                     generate income.30 According to the
                                                agreement wherein the seller of the swap will                                                                     Registration Statement, the allocation
                                                compensate the buyer should a credit event occur—
                                                                                                            After establishing the Stock
                                                such as a failure to pay interest or principle on a      Component, the Underlying Index’s                        depends on the amount of FCF yield or
                                                credit obligation, restructuring or default. A CDS       methodology determines the Options                       dividend yield from the Stock
                                                generally operates as a form of insurance to the         Strategy. The Options Strategy writes or                 Component: During periods when the
                                                buyer against the risk of a bond. The buyer of the
                                                                                                         sells put options on the 100 stocks                      stocks’ FCF yield is high (leading to a
                                                swap makes a series of payments (often called the                                                                 lower proportion of puts written) and
                                                ‘‘spread’’ or ‘‘premiums’’) to the seller up until the
                                                maturity date or execution of a contract. In return,     Investment Trusts sector will use BV, while stocks       dividend yield is high (leading to a
                                                the seller agrees that, should the credit event occur,   issued by companies in the other 8 market sectors        lower proportion of puts written), a
                                                the seller will pay the buyer the face value of a        will use FCF yield. References herein to FCF yield       greater percentage of the Underlying
                                                bond in exchange for physical delivery of an             are intended to include BV, as applicable, for
                                                                                                         securities in the Financials and Real Estate
                                                                                                                                                                  Index’s assets will be allocated to the
                                                applicable bond of the entity.
                                                   20 The ‘‘spread’’ of a CDS contract is the annual     Investment Trusts sector.                                Stock Component. Conversely, when the
                                                amount the protection buyer must pay the seller             24 Securities with a FCF yield that is less than or   FCF yield and dividend yield of such
                                                over the length of the contract, expressed as a          equal to zero in FY0 are eliminated from eligibility.    stocks are low, a greater percentage of
                                                percentage of the notional amount. For example, if          25 A stock’s estimated growth in earnings from its
                                                                                                                                                                  the Underlying Index’s assets will be
                                                the CDS has a spread of 200 basis points, or 2.0%,       most recently completed fiscal year to its next          allocated to Treasury bills
                                                then an investor buying $1 million worth of              upcoming fiscal year is calculated using analysts’
                                                protection from the seller must pay $20,000              publically available consensuses.                        collateralizing the Options Strategy.31
                                                annually. Such payments usually continue until              26 Implied volatility is a way of estimating the         The Underlying Index is rebalanced
                                                either the CDS contract expires or a credit event        future fluctuations in the price of a security based     quarterly in March, June, September and
                                                occurs. In general, the higher the spread, the more      on options prices. Implied volatility represents the     December, typically on the Friday
                                                likely that the marketplace believes the credit event    marketplace’s views about what the volatility of a
                                                will occur. Consequently, stocks with greater
                                                                                                                                                                  before the third Saturday of the month
                                                                                                         stock should be in the future (i.e., high implied
                                                volatility (and greater likelihood of experiencing a     volatility means the marketplace expects a security      (the ‘‘rebalance date’’). The 100 common
                                                significant decline in value) generally will have        to have large price swings, while low implied            stocks to be included in the Stock
                                                CDS contracts with a higher spread.                      volatility means that the marketplace expects the
                                                   21 FCF yield is calculated by dividing a              price generally will have smaller movements).              29 Like free cash flow, the annualized premium is
                                                company’s FCF per share by the company’s current            27 A stock’s implied volatility typically is a key
                                                                                                                                                                  expressed as a percentage. For example, the
                                                market price per share. FCF yield typically is           driver in the pricing of put options on the stock.       Underlying Index will not sell puts that derive
                                                expressed as a percentage; the greater the number,       Options tend to have higher premiums when the            premiums in an amount (when annualized) that is
                                                the greater amount of FCF (relative to its market        underlying stock has high levels of implied              less than 2% of the underlying stock’s FCF yield,
                                                capitalization) that a company generates annually.       volatility. This is because a greater possibility of     calculated in the manner described above.
                                                   22 The book value of a company is the total value     wider fluctuations in the price of an underlying           30 There is no limit to how much or how little the
                                                of that company (measured as the difference              stock creates a greater likelihood that the stock’s      Underlying Index may allocate to the Stock
                                                between the company’s total assets and total             price will drop below the option’s strike price,         Component (i.e., at any given time, the portion of
                                                liabilities). The change in book value (as a percent     resulting in a loss to the seller. By taking greater     the Underlying Index’s assets allocated to the Stock
                                                of market capitalization) for a stock is a measure of    risk, the put option seller accordingly receives         Component may be anywhere from 0% to 100%).
                                                how the issuer’s book value changed over the past        greater premiums.
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                                                                                                                                                                    31 When companies have low FCF yield, there is
                                                year relative to the company’s latest market value          28 According to the Registration Statement, the
                                                                                                                                                                  elevated risk associated with owning their stock.
                                                of equity.                                               Underlying Index’s methodology requires that each        Therefore, the Underlying Index rebalances to
                                                   23 The Underlying Index will include stocks from      of the 9 market sectors have a maximum of 25             reduce exposure to the Stock Component (where
                                                issuers located in each of 9 market sectors              stocks included in the Stock Component. The              investors have potential losses equal to the stock
                                                (Information Technology, Healthcare, Consumer            Underlying Index targets a minimum of two stocks         price) and increases exposure to the Treasury bills
                                                Services, Consumer Products, Industrials,                from each sector; however, if there are not two          collateralizing the Options Strategy (where
                                                Financials and Real Estate Investment Trusts,            stocks in a sector that pass the liquidity and CDS       investors have potential losses equal to the stock
                                                Utilities, Materials and Energy). Stocks issued by       screen, then it is possible to have no stocks from       price minus the Treasury bill yield and the
                                                companies in the Financials and Real Estate              that sector.                                             premiums collected).



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                                                60446                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices

                                                Component are made available one                        Investment Restrictions                                  other illiquid assets include those
                                                week prior to the rebalance date. The                      The Fund will concentrate its                         subject to contractual or other
                                                put option strike prices and weights of                 investments (i.e., invest more than 25%                  restrictions on resale and other
                                                the Underlying Index’s components will                  of the value of its net assets) in                       instruments or assets that lack readily
                                                be made available prior to the end of the               securities of issuers in any one industry                available markets as determined in
                                                business day on the rebalance date.                     or group of industries only to the extent                accordance with Commission staff
                                                                                                        that the Underlying Index reflects a                     guidance.41
                                                Other Investments                                                                                                   The Fund may loan the equity
                                                                                                        concentration in that industry or group
                                                   After investing at least 90% of its total                                                                     securities in its portfolio; however, the
                                                                                                        of industries. The Fund will not
                                                assets in components of the Underlying                                                                           Fund will not loan its securities if, as a
                                                                                                        otherwise concentrate its investments in
                                                Index, the Fund may invest up to 10%                                                                             result, the aggregate amount of all
                                                                                                        securities of issuers in any one industry
                                                of its total assets in the following: (i)                                                                        outstanding securities loans by the Fund
                                                                                                        or group of industries. This restriction
                                                Exchange-traded U.S. equity securities                                                                           exceeds 331⁄3% of the Fund’s total assets
                                                                                                        will not apply to obligations issued or
                                                not included in the Underlying Index,                                                                            (including the market value of collateral
                                                                                                        guaranteed by the U.S. government, its
                                                but which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser                                                                             received). To the extent the Fund
                                                                                                        agencies or instrumentalities.37 The
                                                believes will help the Fund to track the                                                                         engages in securities lending, it will
                                                                                                        Fund will be classified as a ‘‘non-
                                                Underlying Index; 32 (ii) high quality                                                                           loan securities to broker-dealers that the
                                                                                                        diversified’’ investment company under
                                                securities issued or guaranteed by the                                                                           Adviser believes to be of relatively high
                                                                                                        the 1940 Act.38
                                                U.S. government (in addition to                            The Fund may hold up to an aggregate                  credit standing pursuant to agreements
                                                Treasury bills) and non-U.S.                            amount of 15% of its net assets                          that require the loans to be continuously
                                                governments, and each of their agencies                 (calculated at the time of investment) in                collateralized by cash, liquid securities,
                                                and instrumentalities; (iii) money                      assets deemed illiquid by the Adviser or                 or shares of other investment companies
                                                market instruments, including                           Sub-Adviser.39 The Fund will monitor                     with a value at least equal to the market
                                                repurchase agreements or other funds                    its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing                    value of the loaned securities.
                                                which invest exclusively in money                       basis to determine whether, in light of                     The Fund intends to qualify for, and
                                                market instruments (subject to                          current circumstances, an adequate                       to elect to be treated as, a regulated
                                                applicable limitations under the 1940                   level of liquidity is being maintained,                  investment company (‘‘RIC’’) under
                                                Act, or exemptions therefrom); 33 (iv)                  and will consider taking appropriate                     Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue
                                                convertible securities; (v) structured                  steps in order to maintain adequate                      Code of 1986, as amended.42 The Fund
                                                notes; 34 (vi) securities of other                      liquidity if, through a change in values,                will invest its respective assets, and
                                                investment companies (including                         net assets, or other circumstances, more                 otherwise conduct its operations, in a
                                                affiliated and unaffiliated funds, such as              than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are                    manner that is intended to satisfy the
                                                open-end or closed-end management                       held in illiquid securities or other                     qualifying income, diversification and
                                                investment companies, and other ETFs)                   illiquid assets.40 Illiquid securities and               distribution requirements necessary to
                                                beyond the limits permitted under the                                                                            establish and maintain RIC qualification
                                                1940 Act, subject to certain terms and                  creditworthiness of counterparties on a regular          under Subchapter M. In addition to
                                                conditions set forth in a Commission                    basis. In addition to information provided by credit     satisfying the above referenced RIC
                                                exemptive order issued to the Trust                     agencies, the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser will            diversification requirements, no
                                                pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(J) of the                  review approved counterparties using various
                                                                                                        factors, which may include the counterparty’s
                                                                                                                                                                 portfolio security held by the Fund
                                                1940 Act; 35 and (vii) OTC options.36                   reputation, the Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s past          (other than U.S. government securities)
                                                                                                        experience with the counterparty, and the price/         will represent more than 30% of the
                                                   32 For example, there may be instances in which      market actions of debt of the counterparty. The          weight of the Fund’s portfolio, and the
                                                the Adviser or Sub-Adviser may choose to purchase       Fund may also use various techniques to minimize
                                                or sell securities not in the Underlying Index which    credit risk, including early termination or reset and    five most heavily weighted component
                                                the Adviser or Sub-Adviser believes are appropriate     payment, using different counterparties, and             stocks of the Fund (other than U.S.
                                                to substitute for one or more Underlying Index          limiting the net amount due from any individual          government securities) will not in the
                                                components in seeking to replicate, before fees and     counterparty. However, the risk of losses to the         aggregate account for more than 65% of
                                                expenses, the performance of the Underlying Index.      Fund resulting from counterparty default is still
                                                   33 The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements      possible.                                                the weight of the Fund’s portfolio. For
                                                with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to               37 See Form N–1A, Item 9. The Commission has          these purposes, the Fund may treat
                                                generate income from its excess cash balances and       taken the position that a fund is concentrated if it
                                                to invest securities lending cash collateral.           invests more than 25% of the value of its total          under the 1940 Act). Prior to the adoption of Rule
                                                   34 Structured notes are derivative securities for    assets in any one industry. See, e.g., Investment        22e–4 in 2016, the Commission had long-standing
                                                which the amount of principal repayment and/or          Company Act Release No. 9011 (October 30, 1975),         guidelines that required open-end funds to hold no
                                                interest payments is based on the movement of one       40 FR 54241 (November 21, 1975).                         more than 15% of their net assets in illiquid
                                                or more factors, including but not limited to,             38 The diversification standard is set forth in       securities and other illiquid assets. See Investment
                                                currency exchange rates, interest rates (such as the    Section 5(b)(1) of the 1940 Act.                         Company Act Release No. 28193 (March 11, 2008),
                                                prime lending rate or LIBOR), referenced bonds and         39 In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser or    73 FR 14618 (March 18, 2008), FN 34. See also
                                                stock indices.                                          Sub-Adviser may consider the following factors:          Investment Company Act Release Nos. 5847
                                                   35 See Investment Company Act Release No.            The frequency of trades and quotes for the security;     (October 21, 1969), 35 FR 19989 (December 31,
                                                30238 (October 23, 2012) (File No. 812–13820).          the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell        1970) (Statement Regarding ‘‘Restricted
                                                   36 The Fund may use OTC options, together with       the security and the number of other potential           Securities’’); and 18612 (March 12, 1992), 57 FR
                                                positions in cash and money market instruments, to      purchasers; dealer undertakings to make a market         9828 (March 20, 1992) (Revisions of Guidelines to
                                                simulate full investment in the Underlying Index.       in the security; and the nature of the security and      Form N–1A).
                                                The Fund will only enter into OTC options with          the nature of the marketplace in which it trades           41 A fund’s portfolio security is illiquid if it

                                                counterparties that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser          (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the   cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of
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                                                reasonably believes are capable of performing under     method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of         business within seven days at approximately the
                                                the contract, and the Fund will post collateral as      transfer).                                               value ascribed to it by the fund. See Investment
                                                required by the counterparty and applicable                40 See Rule 22e–4(b)(1)(iv), which prohibits a        Company Act Release Nos. 14983 (March 12, 1986),
                                                regulations. The Adviser or Sub-Adviser will            fund from acquiring any illiquid investment if,          51 FR 9773 (March 21, 1986) (adopting
                                                attempt to mitigate the Fund’s respective credit risk   immediately after the acquisition, the fund would        amendments to Rule 2a–7 under the 1940 Act); and
                                                by transacting, where possible, with large, well-       have invested more than 15% of its net assets in         17452 (April 23, 1990), 55 FR 17933 (April 30,
                                                capitalized institutions using measures designed to     illiquid investments that are assets. See Investment     1990) (adopting Rule 144A under the Securities Act
                                                determine the creditworthiness of the counterparty.     Company Act Release No. 32315 (Oct. 13, 2016), 81        of 1933).
                                                The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser will evaluate the        FR 82142 (Nov. 18, 2016) (adopting Rule 22e–4              42 26 U.S.C. 851 et seq.




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                                                                          Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices                                                       60447

                                                repurchase agreements collateralized by                  (defined below), computed as described                      Shares of the Fund may be redeemed
                                                U.S. government securities as U.S.                       below, or the cash value of the Deposit                  only in Creation Units on a business
                                                government securities.                                   Securities (‘‘Deposit Cash’’) and the                    day, and only by Authorized
                                                  The Fund’s investments will be                         ‘‘Cash Component,’’ computed as                          Participants at the NAV next
                                                consistent with the Fund’s investment                    described below.44                                       determined after receipt of a redemption
                                                objective. The Fund does not presently                      Together, the Deposit Securities or                   request in proper form by the
                                                intend to engage in any form of                          Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the                     Distributor or its agent. Unless cash
                                                borrowing for investment purposes, and                   Cash Component constitute the ‘‘Fund                     redemptions are permitted or required
                                                will not be operated as a ‘‘leveraged                    Deposit,’’ which will be applicable                      for the Fund, the redemption proceeds
                                                ETF’’ or ‘‘inverse leveraged ETF,’’ i.e., it             (subject to possible amendment or                        for a Creation Unit generally will consist
                                                will not be operated in a manner                         correction) to creation requests received                of a designated portfolio of securities
                                                designed to seek a multiple or an                        in proper form. The Fund Deposit                         (including any portion of such securities
                                                inverse multiple of the performance of                   represents the minimum initial and                       for which cash may be substituted) that
                                                an underlying reference index.                           subsequent investment amount for a                       will be applicable (subject to possible
                                                Creation and Redemption of Shares                        Creation Unit. The ‘‘Cash Component’’                    amendment or correction) to
                                                                                                         represents the difference between the                    redemption requests received in proper
                                                   The Fund will issue and sell Shares                   NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit)                    form on that day (the ‘‘Fund
                                                only in large blocks of Shares (‘‘Creation               and the market value of the Deposit                      Securities’’), plus an amount of cash
                                                Units’’) in transactions with Authorized                 Securities or Deposit Cash, as                           (the ‘‘Cash Amount’’) equal to the
                                                Participants, as defined below. The                      applicable. The Cash Component serves                    difference between the NAV of the
                                                Fund currently anticipates that a                        the function of compensating for any                     Shares being redeemed, as next
                                                Creation Unit will consist of 50,000                     difference between the NAV per                           determined after the receipt of a
                                                Shares, though this number may change                    Creation Unit and the market value of                    redemption request in proper form, and
                                                from time to time, including prior to the                the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash,                  the value of Fund Securities, less any
                                                listing of the Fund. The exact number of                 as applicable.                                           redemption transaction fees.46
                                                Shares that will comprise a Creation                        A portfolio composition file, to be                      The Custodian will make available
                                                Unit will be disclosed in the Fund’s                     sent via the NSCC, will be made                          through the NSCC, prior to the opening
                                                Registration Statement. The Trust will                   available on each business day, prior to                 of business on the Exchange on each
                                                issue and sell Shares of the Fund in                     the opening of business of the Exchange                  business day, the Fund Securities and
                                                Creation Units on a continuous basis                     (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time),                     corresponding Cash Amount (each being
                                                through the Distributor or its agent,                    containing a list of the names and the                   subject to possible amendment or
                                                without a sales load, at a price based on                required number of shares of each                        correction) that will be applicable to
                                                the Fund’s net asset value (‘‘NAV’’) per                 Deposit Security to be included in the                   redemptions requests received in proper
                                                Share next determined after receipt, on                  current Fund Deposit (based on                           form on that day. The Fund reserves the
                                                any business day.43                                      information at the end of the previous                   right to honor a redemption request by
                                                   To initiate an order for a Creation                                                                            delivering a basket of securities or cash
                                                                                                         business day). In addition, on each
                                                Unit, an Authorized Participant must                                                                              that differs from the Fund Securities.47
                                                                                                         business day, the estimated Cash
                                                submit to the Distributor or its agent an                                                                            Orders to redeem Creation Units of
                                                                                                         Component, effective through and
                                                irrevocable order to purchase Shares of                                                                           the Fund must be delivered through a
                                                                                                         including the previous business day,
                                                the Fund, in proper form, generally                                                                               DTC Participant that has executed the
                                                                                                         will be made available through NSCC.
                                                before 3:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on any                                                                            Participant Agreement with the
                                                                                                         Such Fund Deposit is applicable,
                                                business day to receive that day’s NAV.                                                                           Distributor. A DTC Participant who
                                                                                                         subject to any adjustments,45 to
                                                On days when the Exchange closes                                                                                  wishes to place an order for redemption
                                                                                                         purchases of Creation Units of Shares of
                                                earlier than normal, the Fund may                                                                                 of Creation Units of the Fund to be
                                                                                                         the Fund until such time as the next-
                                                require orders to be placed earlier in the                                                                        effected need not be a Participating
                                                                                                         announced Fund Deposit composition is
                                                day.                                                                                                              Party, but such orders must state that
                                                   The consideration for a purchase of a                 made available.
                                                                                                                                                                  redemption of Creation Units of the
                                                Creation Unit of the Fund generally will                                                                          Fund will instead be effected through
                                                                                                            44 Because OTC options and certain listed options
                                                consist of either (i) the in-kind deposit                are not currently eligible for in-kind transfer, they    transfer of Creation Units of the Fund
                                                of a designated portfolio of securities                  will be substituted with an amount of cash of equal      directly through DTC. An order to
                                                (including any portion of such securities                value (i.e., Deposit Cash) when the Fund processes       redeem Creation Units of a Fund is
                                                for which cash may be substituted)                       purchases of Creation Units in-kind. When                deemed received by the Distributor on
                                                                                                         accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the
                                                (‘‘Deposit Securities’’) and a                           Fund may incur additional costs associated with          the transmittal date if (i) such order is
                                                corresponding ‘‘Cash Component’’                         the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would         received not later than 3:30 p.m. Eastern
                                                                                                         otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchase.            Time on such transmittal date; (ii) such
                                                   43 To be eligible to place orders with the               45 The Fund reserves the right to permit or require
                                                                                                                                                                  order is preceded or accompanied by
                                                Distributor or its agent to create a Creation Unit of    the substitution of a ‘‘cash in lieu’’ amount to be
                                                the Fund, an entity must be: (i) A ‘‘Participating       added to the Cash Component to replace any
                                                                                                                                                                  the requisite number of Shares of
                                                Party,’’ i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in   Deposit Security that may not be available in
                                                                                                                                                                     46 Should the Fund Securities have a value greater
                                                the clearing process through the Continuous Net          sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be
                                                Settlement System of the National Securities             eligible for transfer through the DTC or the Clearing    than the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, a
                                                Clearing Corporation (‘‘NSCC’’) (the ‘‘Clearing          Process. The Fund also reserves the right to permit      compensating cash payment to the Trust equal to
                                                Process’’); or (ii) a DTC Participant (as defined        or require a ‘‘cash in lieu’’ amount in certain          the differential plus the applicable redemption
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                                                below); and, in either case, must have executed an       circumstances, including circumstances in which          transaction fee will be required to be arranged for,
                                                agreement with the Distributor (as it may be             the delivery of the Deposit Security by the              by or on behalf of, the redeeming shareholder.
                                                amended from time to time in accordance with its         Authorized Participant would be restricted under            47 The Fund reserves the right to distribute cash

                                                terms) (‘‘Participant Agreement’’). DTC Participants     applicable securities or other local laws or in          as some or all of the payment for Creation Units
                                                are participants of the Depository Trust Company         certain other situations, such as if the Authorized      being redeemed. The Adviser represents that, to the
                                                (‘‘DTC’’), which acts as a securities depositary for     Participant is not able to trade due to a trading        extent that the Trust permits or requires a ‘‘cash in
                                                Index Fund Shares. A Participating Party and DTC         restriction. The Fund also reserves the right to         lieu’’ amount, such transactions will be effected in
                                                Participant are collectively referred to as an           permit or require Creation Units to be issued solely     the same or equitable manner for all Authorized
                                                ‘‘Authorized Participant.’’                              in exchange for cash.                                    Participants.



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                                                60448                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices

                                                Creation Units specified in such order,                 International Data Corporation, which                    displayed at least every 15 seconds
                                                which delivery must be made through                     can be accessed by authorized                            during the Exchange’s Regular Trading
                                                DTC to the Distributor no later than                    participants and other investors, as well                Hours.51 In addition, the quotations of
                                                11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, on such                        as through other electronic services,                    certain of the Fund’s holdings may not
                                                transmittal date (the ‘‘DTC Cut-Off-                    including major public websites.                         be updated if updated prices cannot be
                                                Time’’); and (iii) all other procedures set                On each business day, before                          ascertained.
                                                forth in the Participant Agreement are                  commencement of trading in Shares                           The dissemination of the Intraday
                                                properly followed.                                      during the Regular Trading Hours 49 on                   Indicative Value, together with the
                                                   After the Distributor has deemed an                  the Exchange, the Fund will disclose on                  Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors
                                                order for redemption received, the                      its website the identities and quantities                to determine the value of the underlying
                                                Distributor will initiate procedures to                 of the portfolio of securities and other                 portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis
                                                transfer the requisite Fund Securities                  assets in the daily disclosed portfolio                  and will provide a close estimate of that
                                                which are expected to be delivered                      held by the Fund (the ‘‘Disclosed                        value throughout Regular Trading
                                                within two business days and the Cash                   Portfolio’’) that will form the basis for                Hours.
                                                Amount to the redeeming beneficial                      the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the                        Intraday, closing, and settlement
                                                owner by the second business day                        end of the business day.50 The Disclosed                 prices of common stocks and other
                                                following the transmittal date on which                 Portfolio will include the following                     exchange-listed instruments will be
                                                such redemption order is deemed                         information regarding each portfolio                     readily available from the exchanges
                                                received.                                               holding, as applicable to the type of                    trading such securities as well as
                                                   The right of redemption may be                       holding: Ticker symbol, CUSIP number                     automated quotation systems, published
                                                suspended or the date of payment                        or other identifier, if any; a description               or other public sources, or online
                                                postponed with respect to the Fund: (i)                 of the holding (including the type of                    information services such as Bloomberg
                                                For any period during which the                         holding); the identity of the security,                  or Reuters. In addition, price
                                                Exchange is closed (other than                          index or other asset or instrument                       information for U.S. exchange-traded
                                                customary weekend and holiday                           underlying the holding, if any; for                      options will be available from the
                                                closings); (ii) for any period during                   options, the option strike price; quantity               Options Price Reporting Authority.
                                                which trading on the Exchange is                        held (as measured by, for example, par                   Quotation information from brokers and
                                                suspended or restricted; (iii) for any                  value, notional value or number of                       dealers or pricing services will be
                                                period during which an emergency                        shares, contracts or units); maturity                    available for U.S. government
                                                exists as a result of which disposal of                 date, if any; coupon rate, if any;                       obligations, high quality securities
                                                the shares of the Fund’s portfolio                      effective date, if any; market value of the              issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
                                                securities or determination of its NAV is               holding; and the percentage weighting                    government (in addition to Treasury
                                                not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in                  of the holding in the Fund’s portfolio.                  bills) and non-U.S. governments, and
                                                such other circumstance as is permitted                 The website and information will be                      each of their agencies and
                                                by the Commission.                                      publicly available at no charge. The                     instrumentalities, money market
                                                                                                        value of the Underlying Index will be                    instruments, convertible securities,
                                                Availability of Information
                                                                                                        calculated and disseminated at least                     structured notes, and OTC options.
                                                   The Trust’s website                                  once every 15 seconds during regular                        Information regarding market price
                                                (www.invesco.com), which will be                        market session and will be available                     and trading volume of the Shares will be
                                                publicly available prior to the public                  from major market data vendors,                          continually available on a real-time
                                                offering of Shares, will include a form                 provided however, that with respect to                   basis throughout the day on brokers’
                                                of the prospectus for the Fund that may                 the fixed income components of the                       computer screens and other electronic
                                                be downloaded. The website will                         index, such data points will be                          services. Information regarding the
                                                include additional quantitative                         calculated and disseminated at least                     previous day’s closing price and trading
                                                information updated on a daily basis,                   once daily.                                              volume for the Shares will be published
                                                including, for the Fund: (1) The prior                     In addition, for the Fund, an                         daily in the financial section of
                                                business day’s reported NAV, mid-point                  estimated value, defined in BZX Rule                     newspapers. Quotation and last sale
                                                of the bid/ask spread at the time of                    14.11(c)(6)(A) as the ‘‘Intraday                         information for the Shares will be on the
                                                calculation of such NAV (the ‘‘Bid/Ask                  Indicative Value,’’ that reflects an                     facilities of the CTA.
                                                Price’’),48 daily trading volume, and a                 estimated intraday value of the Fund’s
                                                calculation of the premium and                                                                                   Initial and Continued Listing
                                                                                                        portfolio, will be disseminated.
                                                discount of the Bid/Ask Price against                   Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value                     The Shares of the Fund will conform
                                                the NAV; and (2) data in chart format                   will be based upon the current value for                 to the initial and continued listing
                                                displaying the frequency distribution of                the components of the Disclosed                          criteria under BZX Rule 14.11(c), other
                                                discounts and premiums of the daily                     Portfolio and will be updated and                        than the portion of the Fund that
                                                Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within                   widely disseminated by one or more                       consists of options. The Exchange
                                                appropriate ranges, for each of the four                major market data vendors and broadly                    represents that, for initial and/or
                                                previous calendar quarters. Daily                                                                                continued listing, the Fund and the
                                                trading volume information for the                         49 Regular Trading Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00        Trust must be in compliance with Rule
                                                Fund will also be available in the                      p.m. Eastern Time.                                       10A–3 52 under the Act. A minimum of
                                                financial section of newspapers, through                   50 Under accounting procedures to be followed by      100,000 Shares of the Fund will be
                                                                                                        the Fund, trades made on the prior business day          outstanding at the commencement of
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                                                subscription services such as
                                                                                                        (‘‘T’’) will be booked and reflected in NAV on the
                                                Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and                         current business day (‘‘T+1’’). Notwithstanding the
                                                                                                                                                                 trading on the Exchange. The Exchange
                                                                                                        foregoing, portfolio trades that are executed prior to
                                                  48 The Bid/Ask Price of the Fund will be                                                                          51 Currently, it is the Exchange’s understanding
                                                                                                        the opening of the Exchange on any business day
                                                determined using the mid-point of the highest bid       may be booked and reflected in NAV on such               that several major market data vendors display and/
                                                and the lowest offer on the Exchange as of the time     business day. Accordingly, the Fund will be able to      or make widely available Intraday Indicative Values
                                                of calculation of the Fund’s NAV. The records           disclose at the beginning of the business day the        published via the Consolidated Tape Association
                                                relating to Bid/Ask Prices will be retained by the      portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV           (‘‘CTA’’) or other data feeds.
                                                Fund and its service providers.                         calculation at the end of the business day.                 52 See 17 CFR 240.10A–3.




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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices                                            60449

                                                will obtain a representation from the                   to the Exchange that it will advise the               newly issued Shares prior to or
                                                issuer of the Shares that the NAV per                   Exchange of any failure by the Fund to                concurrently with the confirmation of a
                                                Share for the Fund will be calculated                   comply with the continued listing                     transaction; and (6) trading information.
                                                daily and will be made available to all                 requirements, and, pursuant to its                       In addition, the Information Circular
                                                market participants at the same time.                   obligations under Section 19(g)(1) of the             will advise members, prior to the
                                                                                                        Act, the Exchange will surveil for                    commencement of trading, of the
                                                Trading Halts                                                                                                 prospectus delivery requirements
                                                                                                        compliance with the continued listing
                                                   With respect to trading halts, the                   requirements. If the Fund is not in                   applicable to the Fund. Members
                                                Exchange may consider all relevant                      compliance with the applicable listing                purchasing Shares from the Fund for
                                                factors in exercising its discretion to                 requirements, the Exchange will                       resale to investors will deliver a
                                                halt or suspend trading in the Shares of                commence delisting procedures under                   prospectus to such investors. The
                                                the Fund. The Exchange will halt                        BZX Rule 14.12. All exchange-listed                   Information Circular will also discuss
                                                trading in the Shares under the                         options and equities (including certain               any exemptive, no-action and
                                                conditions specified in BZX Rule 11.18.                 investment company securities such as                 interpretive relief granted by the
                                                Trading may be halted because of                        ETFs) held by the Fund will be traded                 Commission from any rules under the
                                                market conditions or for reasons that, in               on U.S. exchanges, all of which are                   Act.
                                                the view of the Exchange, make trading                  members of ISG or are exchanges with                     In addition, the Information Circular
                                                in the Shares inadvisable. These may                    which the Exchange has in place a                     will reference that the Fund is subject
                                                include: (1) The extent to which trading                comprehensive surveillance sharing                    to various fees and expenses described
                                                is not occurring in the securities and/or               agreement. The Exchange may obtain                    in the Registration Statement. The
                                                the financial instruments constituting                  information regarding trading in the                  Information Circular will also disclose
                                                the Disclosed Portfolio of the Fund; or                 Shares and other exchange-traded                      the trading hours of the Shares of the
                                                (2) whether other unusual conditions or                 securities and instruments held by the                Fund and the applicable NAV
                                                circumstances detrimental to the                        Fund via the ISG, from other exchanges                calculation time for the Shares. The
                                                maintenance of a fair and orderly                       that are members or affiliates of the ISG,            Information Circular will disclose that
                                                market are present. Trading in the                      or with which the Exchange has entered                information about the Shares of the
                                                Shares also will be subject to Rule                     into a comprehensive surveillance                     Fund will be publicly available on the
                                                14.11(c)(1)(B)(iv), which sets forth                    sharing agreement.53 The Exchange                     Fund’s website. In addition, the
                                                circumstances under which Shares of                     prohibits the distribution of material                Information Circular will reference that
                                                the Fund may be halted. Further,                        non-public information by its                         the Fund is subject to various fees and
                                                trading in the Shares will be halted if an              employees.                                            expenses described in the Fund’s
                                                interruption to the dissemination of                                                                          Registration Statement.
                                                either of the Intraday Indicative Value                 Information Circular
                                                                                                                                                              2. Statutory Basis
                                                or the value of the Underlying Index                       Prior to the commencement of
                                                persists past the trading day in which it                                                                        Item 3(b) Purpose of 19b–4
                                                                                                        trading, the Exchange will inform its
                                                occurred.                                                                                                     Information [sic] The Exchange believes
                                                                                                        members in an Information Circular of
                                                                                                                                                              that the proposal is consistent with
                                                Trading Rules                                           the special characteristics and risks
                                                                                                                                                              Section 6(b) of the Act 56 in general and
                                                                                                        associated with trading the Shares.
                                                   The Exchange deems the Shares to be                                                                        Section 6(b)(5) of the Act 57 in particular
                                                                                                        Specifically, the Information Circular
                                                equity securities, thus rendering trading                                                                     in that it is designed to prevent
                                                                                                        will discuss the following: (1) The
                                                in the Shares subject to the Exchange’s                                                                       fraudulent and manipulative acts and
                                                                                                        procedures for purchases and
                                                existing rules governing the trading of                                                                       practices, to promote just and equitable
                                                                                                        redemptions of Shares in Creation Units
                                                equity securities. The Exchange will                                                                          principles of trade, to foster cooperation
                                                                                                        (and that Shares are not individually
                                                allow trading in the Shares from 8:00                                                                         and coordination with persons engaged
                                                                                                        redeemable); (2) BZX Rule 3.7, which
                                                a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time and                                                                         in facilitating transactions in securities,
                                                                                                        imposes suitability obligations on
                                                has appropriate rules to facilitate                                                                           to remove impediments to and perfect
                                                                                                        Exchange members with respect to
                                                transactions in the Shares during all                                                                         the mechanism of a free and open
                                                                                                        recommending transactions in the
                                                trading sessions. As provided in BZX                                                                          market and a national market system
                                                                                                        Shares to customers; (3) how
                                                Rule 11.11(a), the minimum price                                                                              and, in general, to protect investors and
                                                                                                        information regarding the Intraday
                                                variation for quoting and entry of orders                                                                     the public interest.
                                                                                                        Indicative Value and the Underlying                      The Exchange believes that the
                                                in securities traded on the Exchange is
                                                                                                        Index is disseminated; (4) the risks                  proposed rule change is designed to
                                                $0.01, with the exception of securities
                                                                                                        involved in trading the Shares during                 prevent fraudulent and manipulative
                                                that are priced less than $1.00, for
                                                                                                        the Pre-Opening 54 and After Hours                    acts and practices in that the Shares will
                                                which the minimum price variation for
                                                                                                        Trading Sessions 55 when an updated                   be listed and traded on the Exchange
                                                order entry is $0.0001.
                                                                                                        Intraday Indicative Value and                         pursuant to the listing criteria in BZX
                                                Surveillance                                            Underlying Index value will not be                    Rule 14.11(c), except that the
                                                   The Exchange believes that its                       calculated or publicly disseminated; (5)              Underlying Index will consist in part of
                                                surveillance procedures are adequate to                 the requirement that members deliver a                written put options, which are based on
                                                properly monitor the trading of the                     prospectus to investors purchasing                    U.S. Component Stocks, rather than
                                                Shares on the Exchange during all                         53 For a list of the current members of ISG, see
                                                                                                                                                              completely on U.S. Component Stocks
                                                trading sessions and to deter and detect
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                                                                                                        www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all    themselves. The Exchange believes that
                                                violations of Exchange rules and the                    components of the Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund    its surveillances, which generally focus
                                                applicable federal securities laws.                     may trade on markets that are members of ISG or       on detecting securities trading outside
                                                Trading of the Shares through the                       with which the Exchange has in place a
                                                                                                        comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
                                                                                                                                                              of their normal patterns which could be
                                                Exchange will be subject to the                           54 The Pre-Opening Session is from 8:00 a.m. to     indicative of manipulative or other
                                                Exchange’s surveillance procedures for                  9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
                                                derivative products, including Index                      55 The After Hours Trading Session is from 4:00       56 15   U.S.C. 78f.
                                                Fund Shares. The issuer has represented                 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.                         57 15   U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).



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                                                60450                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices

                                                violative activity, and associated                      disseminated at least once every 15                   maintenance of a fair and orderly
                                                surveillance procedures are adequate to                 seconds during regular market session                 market are present. Trading in the
                                                properly monitor the trading of the                     and will be available from major market               Shares also will be subject to Rule
                                                Shares on the Exchange during all                       data vendors, provided however, that                  14.11(c)(1)(B)(iv), which sets forth
                                                trading sessions and to deter and detect                with respect to the fixed income                      circumstances under which Shares of
                                                violations of Exchange rules and the                    components of the index, such value                   the Fund may be halted. If the Intraday
                                                applicable federal securities laws. The                 will be calculated and disseminated at                Indicative Value of the Fund or value of
                                                Exchange will communicate as needed                     least once daily. Information regarding               the Underlying Index are not being
                                                regarding trading in the Shares with                    market price and trading volume of the                disseminated as required, the Exchange
                                                other markets or other entities that are                Shares will be continually available on               may halt trading during the day in
                                                members of the Intermarket                              a real-time basis throughout the day on               which the interruption to the
                                                Surveillance group (‘‘ISG’’), and may                   brokers’ computer screens and other                   dissemination of the Intraday Indicative
                                                obtain trading information regarding                    electronic services, and quotation and                Value or index value occurs.
                                                trading in the Shares from such markets                 last sale information will be available                  The proposed rule change is designed
                                                or entities. In addition, the Exchange                  via the CTA high-speed line. Quotation                to perfect the mechanism of a free and
                                                may obtain information regarding                        and last sale information for U.S.                    open market and, in general, to protect
                                                trading in the Shares and other                         exchange-listed options contracts                     investors and the public interest in that
                                                exchange-traded securities and                          cleared by The Options Clearing                       it will facilitate the listing and trading
                                                instruments held by the Fund from                       Corporation will be available via the                 of an additional type of exchange-traded
                                                markets and other entities that are                     Options Price Reporting Authority. The                product that will enhance competition
                                                members of ISG or with which the                        intra-day, closing and settlement prices              among market participants, to the
                                                Exchange has in place a comprehensive                   of exchange-traded portfolio assets,                  benefit of investors and the marketplace.
                                                surveillance sharing agreement.                         including investment companies, will                  As noted above, the Exchange has in
                                                   The Calculation Agent has                            be readily available from the securities              place surveillance procedures relating to
                                                implemented and will maintain                           exchanges trading such securities, as the             trading in the Shares and may obtain
                                                procedures designed to prevent the use                  case may be, automated quotation                      information in the Shares and other
                                                and dissemination of material, non-                     systems, published or other public                    exchange-traded securities and
                                                public information regarding the                        sources, or online information services               instruments held by the Fund via ISG,
                                                Underlying Index. The Adviser and the                   such as Bloomberg or Reuters. Such                    from other exchanges that are members
                                                Sub-Adviser are affiliated with a broker-               price information on other portfolio                  of ISG, or with which the Exchange has
                                                dealer and have implemented, and will                   securities, including money market                    entered into a comprehensive
                                                maintain, a fire wall with respect to its               instruments, and other Fund assets                    surveillance sharing agreement. In
                                                broker-dealer affiliate regarding access                traded in the OTC markets, is available               addition, investors will have ready
                                                to information concerning the                           from major broker-dealer firms or                     access to information regarding the
                                                composition and/or changes to the                       market data vendors, as well as from                  Intraday Indicative Value and quotation
                                                Fund’s portfolio.                                       automated quotation systems, published                and last sale information for the Shares.
                                                   Under normal market conditions, not                                                                           For the above reasons, the Exchange
                                                                                                        or other public sources, or online
                                                less than 90% of the Fund’s total assets                                                                      believes the proposed rule change is
                                                                                                        information services.
                                                will be comprised of common stocks,                                                                           consistent with the requirements of
                                                put options, and Treasury bills (serving                   The website for the Fund will include
                                                                                                        the prospectus for the Fund and                       Section 6(b)(5) of the Act.
                                                as collateral for written put options),
                                                although the Fund may also invest in                    additional data relating to NAV and                   (B) Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                other U.S. government and money                         other applicable quantitative                         Statement on Burden on Competition
                                                market instruments. The Fund may hold                   information. Moreover, prior to the                      The Exchange does not believe that
                                                up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its                 commencement of trading, the Exchange                 the proposed rule change will impose
                                                net assets in illiquid assets (calculated               will inform its Members in an                         any burden on competition that is not
                                                at the time of investment), consistent                  information circular of the special                   necessary or appropriate in furtherance
                                                with Commission guidance. The Fund                      characteristics and risks associated with             of the purposes of the Act. The
                                                will not use derivative instruments to                  trading the Shares. If the Exchange                   Exchange notes that the proposed rule
                                                enhance leverage.                                       becomes aware that the NAV is not                     change will facilitate the listing and
                                                   The proposed rule change is designed                 being disseminated to all market                      trading of an additional type of
                                                to promote just and equitable principles                participants at the same time, it will halt           exchange-traded product that will
                                                of trade and to protect investors and the               trading in the Shares until such time as              enhance competition among market
                                                public interest in that a large amount of               the NAV is available to all market                    participants, to the benefit of investors
                                                information will be publicly available                  participants. With respect to trading                 and the marketplace.
                                                regarding the Fund and the Shares,                      halts, the Exchange may consider all
                                                thereby promoting market transparency.                  relevant factors in exercising its                    (C) Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                The Fund’s portfolio holdings will be                   discretion to halt or suspend trading in              Statement on Comments on the
                                                disclosed on the Fund’s website daily                   the Shares of the Fund. Trading also                  Proposed Rule Change Received From
                                                after the close of trading on the                       may be halted because of market                       Members, Participants or Others
                                                Exchange and prior to the opening of                    conditions or for reasons that, in the                  The Exchange has neither solicited
                                                                                                        view of the Exchange, make trading in
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES




                                                trading on the Exchange the following                                                                         nor received written comments on the
                                                day.                                                    the Shares inadvisable. These may                     proposed rule change.
                                                   Moreover, the Intraday Indicative                    include: (1) The extent to which trading
                                                Value will be widely disseminated by                    is not occurring in the securities and/or             III. Date of Effectiveness of the
                                                one or more major market data vendors                   the financial instruments composing the               Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
                                                at least every 15 seconds during Regular                daily disclosed portfolio of the Fund; or             Commission Action
                                                Trading Hours. The current value of the                 (2) whether other unusual conditions or                  Within 45 days of the date of
                                                Underlying Index will be calculated and                 circumstances detrimental to the                      publication of this notice in the Federal


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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2017 / Notices                                                   60451

                                                Register or within such longer period                   comment submissions. You should                       of those statements may be examined at
                                                up to 90 days (i) as the Commission may                 submit only information that you wish                 the places specified in Item IV below.
                                                designate if it finds such longer period                to make available publicly. All                       The Exchange has prepared summaries,
                                                to be appropriate and publishes its                     submissions should refer to File No.                  set forth in sections A, B, and C below,
                                                reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which              SR–CboeBZX–2017–011 and should be                     of the most significant parts of such
                                                the self-regulatory organization                        submitted on or before January 10, 2018.              statements.
                                                consents, the Commission will:                            For the Commission, by the Division of
                                                  A. By order approve or disapprove the                                                                       A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                                                                        Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated            Statement of the Purpose of, and the
                                                proposed rule change, or                                authority.58
                                                  B. institute proceedings to determine                                                                       Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
                                                                                                        Eduardo A. Aleman,                                    Change
                                                whether the proposed rule change                        Assistant Secretary.
                                                should be disapproved.                                                                                        1. Purpose
                                                                                                        [FR Doc. 2017–27349 Filed 12–19–17; 8:45 am]
                                                IV. Solicitation of Comments                            BILLING CODE 8011–01–P                                   NYSE Rule 300(b) currently provides
                                                  Interested persons are invited to                                                                           that, in each annual offering, up to 1,366
                                                submit written data, views and                                                                                trading licenses for the following
                                                arguments concerning the foregoing,                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                               calendar year will be sold annually at a
                                                including whether the proposal is                       COMMISSION                                            price per trading license to be
                                                consistent with the Act. Comments may                   [Release No. 34–82325; File No. SR–NYSE–              established each year by the Exchange
                                                be submitted by any of the following                    2017–67]                                              pursuant to a rule filing submitted to the
                                                methods:                                                                                                      Securities and Exchange Commission
                                                                                                        Self-Regulatory Organizations; New                    (‘‘Commission’’) and that the price per
                                                Electronic Comments                                     York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of                    trading license will be published each
                                                  • Use the Commission’s internet                       Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of                 year in the Exchange’s price list.
                                                comment form (http://www.sec.gov/                       Proposed Rule Change To Amend Rule
                                                                                                                                                                 The Exchange proposes to delete the
                                                rules/sro.shtml); or                                    300
                                                  • Send an email to rule-comments@                                                                           phrase ‘‘each year’’ in the first and
                                                sec.gov. Please include File No. SR–                    December 14, 2017.                                    second sentences of Rule 300(b) and the
                                                CboeBZX–2017–011 on the subject line.                      Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) 1 of the              phrase ‘‘established for that year by the
                                                                                                        Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the                  Exchange pursuant to section (b) above’’
                                                Paper Comments                                          ‘‘Act’’) 2 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,3                in Rule 300(b)(i).
                                                   • Send paper comments in triplicate                  notice is hereby given that on December                  The Exchange establishes its fees for
                                                to Secretary, Securities and Exchange                   11, 2017, New York Stock Exchange                     trading licenses pursuant to separate
                                                Commission, 100 F Street NE,                            LLC (‘‘NYSE’’ or the ‘‘Exchange’’) filed              proposed rule changes. The last time the
                                                Washington, DC 20549–1090.                              with the Securities and Exchange                      Exchange amended its trading license
                                                All submissions should refer to File No.                Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) the                   fee was on July 1, 2016.4 Because the
                                                SR–CboeBZX–2017–011. This file                          proposed rule change as described in                  NYSE Price List sets forth this annual
                                                number should be included on the                        Items I and II below, which Items have                fee and is continuously available on the
                                                subject line if email is used. To help the              been prepared by the self-regulatory                  Exchange’s website, the Exchange
                                                Commission process and review your                      organization. The Commission is                       believes it is redundant to make a
                                                comments more efficiently, please use                   publishing this notice to solicit                     separate proposed rule change under
                                                only one method. The Commission will                    comments on the proposed rule change                  Rule 300(b) to ‘‘establish’’ a trading
                                                post all comments on the Commission’s                   from interested persons.                              license fee even if the fee is not
                                                internet website (http://www.sec.gov/                   I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                     changing. The Exchange believes that
                                                rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the                         Statement of the Terms of Substance of                amending Rule 300(b) by deleting the
                                                submission, all subsequent                              the Proposed Rule Change                              proposed text would relieve the
                                                amendments, all written statements                                                                            Exchange of the need to make a rule
                                                                                                           The Exchange proposes to amend                     filing with the Commission in those
                                                with respect to the proposed rule
                                                                                                        Rule 300 (Trading Licenses). The                      years when the fee would remain the
                                                change that are filed with the
                                                                                                        proposed rule change is available on the              same, and only require a rule filing
                                                Commission, and all written
                                                                                                        Exchange’s website at www.nyse.com, at                when the Exchange is changing the
                                                communications relating to the
                                                                                                        the principal office of the Exchange, and             amount of the fee set forth in the NYSE
                                                proposed rule change between the
                                                                                                        at the Commission’s Public Reference                  Price List. The proposal is consistent
                                                Commission and any person, other than
                                                                                                        Room.                                                 with the way the Exchange handles the
                                                those that may be withheld from the
                                                public in accordance with the                           II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                    other fees set forth in its Price List. The
                                                provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be                     Statement of the Purpose of, and                      remaining requirements of Rule 300
                                                available for website viewing and                       Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule                would remain unchanged.
                                                printing in the Commission’s Public                     Change                                                2. Statutory Basis
                                                Reference Room, 100 F Street NE,                           In its filing with the Commission, the
                                                Washington, DC 20549, on official                       self-regulatory organization included                   The Exchange believes that the
                                                business days between the hours of                      statements concerning the purpose of,                 proposed rule change is consistent with
                                                10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such                                                                       Section 6(b) of the Act,5 in general, and
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                        and basis for, the proposed rule change
                                                filing will also be available for                       and discussed any comments it received
                                                inspection and copying at the principal                 on the proposed rule change. The text                    4 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 78233

                                                office of the Exchange. All comments                                                                          (July 6, 2016), 81 FR 45190 (July 12, 2016) (SR–
                                                received will be posted without change.                                                                       NYSE–2016–47) (establishing the current trading
                                                                                                          58 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).                          license fee of $50,000 for the first license held by
                                                Persons submitting comments are                           1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).                              a member organization and no charge for additional
                                                cautioned that we do not redact or edit                   2 15 U.S.C. 78a.                                    licenses held by a member organization).
                                                personal identifying information from                     3 17 CFR 240.19b–4.                                    5 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).




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Document Created: 2018-10-25 10:57:42
Document Modified: 2018-10-25 10:57:42
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 Citation82 FR 60443 

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