242 — Regulation NMS — Regulation of the National Market System

(b) For purposes of Regulation NMS (§§ 242.600 through 242.612), the following definitions shall apply:

(1) Actionable indication of interest means any indication of interest that explicitly or implicitly conveys all of the following information with respect to any order available at the venue sending the indication of interest:

(i) Symbol;

(ii) Side (buy or sell);

(iii) A price that is equal to or better than the national best bid for buy orders and the national best offer for sell orders; and

(iv) A size that is at least equal to one round lot.

(2) Administrative data means administrative, control, and other technical messages made available by national securities exchanges and national securities associations pursuant to the effective national market system plan or plans required under § 242.603(b) or the technical specifications thereto as of April 9, 2021.

(3) Aggregate quotation size means the sum of the quotation sizes of all responsible brokers or dealers who have communicated on any national securities exchange bids or offers for an NMS security at the same price.

(4) Alternative trading system has the meaning provided in § 242.300(a).

(5) Auction information means all information specified by national securities exchange rules or effective national market system plans that is generated by a national securities exchange leading up to and during auctions, including opening, reopening, and closing auctions, and publicly disseminated during the time periods and at the time intervals provided in such rules and plans.

(6) Automated quotation means a quotation displayed by a trading center that:

(i) Permits an incoming order to be marked as immediate-or-cancel;

(ii) Immediately and automatically executes an order marked as immediate-or-cancel against the displayed quotation up to its full size;

(iii) Immediately and automatically cancels any unexecuted portion of an order marked as immediate-or-cancel without routing the order elsewhere;

(iv) Immediately and automatically transmits a response to the sender of an order marked as immediate-or-cancel indicating the action taken with respect to such order; and

(v) Immediately and automatically displays information that updates the displayed quotation to reflect any change to its material terms.

(7) Automated trading center means a trading center that:

(i) Has implemented such systems, procedures, and rules as are necessary to render it capable of displaying quotations that meet the requirements for an automated quotation set forth in paragraph (b)(6) of this section;

(ii) Identifies all quotations other than automated quotations as manual quotations;

(iii) Immediately identifies its quotations as manual quotations whenever it has reason to believe that it is not capable of displaying automated quotations; and

(iv) Has adopted reasonable standards limiting when its quotations change from automated quotations to manual quotations, and vice versa, to specifically defined circumstances that promote fair and efficient access to its automated quotations and are consistent with the maintenance of fair and orderly markets.

(8) Average effective spread means the share-weighted average of effective spreads for order executions calculated, for buy orders, as double the amount of difference between the execution price and the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer at the time of order receipt and, for sell orders, as double the amount of difference between the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer at the time of order receipt and the execution price. For order executions of midpoint-or-better limit orders, average effective spread shall be calculated from the time such orders first become executable rather than the time of order receipt.

(9) Average midpoint means the share-weighted average of the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer at the time of order receipt or, for non-marketable limit orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders, and orders submitted with stop prices, at the time such orders first become executable.

(10) Average percentage effective spread means the average effective spread for order executions divided by the average midpoint for order executions.

(11) Average percentage realized spread means the average realized spread for order executions divided by the average midpoint for order executions.

(12) Average quoted spread means the share-weighted average of the difference between the national best offer and the national best bid at the time of order receipt or, for order executions of midpoint-or-better limit orders, the difference between the national best offer and the national best bid at the time such orders first become executable.

(13) Average realized spread means the share-weighted average of realized spreads for order executions calculated, for buy orders, as double the amount of difference between the execution price and the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer at a specified interval after the time of order execution and, for sell orders, as double the amount of difference between the midpoint and the national best bid and national best offer at a specified interval after the time of order execution and the execution price; provided, however, that the midpoint of the final national best bid and national best offer disseminated for regular trading hours shall be used to calculate a realized spread if it is disseminated less than that specified interval after the time of order execution.

(14) Best available displayed price means, with respect to an order to buy, the lower of: the national best offer at the time of order receipt or the price of the best odd-lot order to sell at the time of order receipt as disseminated pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan or effective national market system plan; and, with respect to an order to sell, the higher of: the national best bid at the time of order receipt or the price of the best odd-lot order to buy at the time of order receipt as disseminated pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan or effective national market system plan. With respect to a midpoint-or-better limit order, the best available displayed price shall be determined at the time such order becomes executable rather than the time of order receipt.

(15) Best bid and best offer mean the highest priced bid and the lowest priced offer.

(16) Bid or offer means the bid price or the offer price communicated by a member of a national securities exchange or member of a national securities association to any broker or dealer, or to any customer, at which it is willing to buy or sell one or more round lots of an NMS security, as either principal or agent, but shall not include indications of interest.

(17) Block size with respect to an order means it is:

(i) Of at least 10,000 shares; or

(ii) For a quantity of stock having a market value of at least $200,000.

(18) Categorized by order size means dividing orders into separate categories for the following sizes:

(i) Less than $250 and less than a share;

(ii) Less than $250 and odd-lot;

(iii) Less than $250 and at least a round lot;

(iv) $250 to less than $1,000 and less than a share;

(v) $250 to less than $1,000 and odd-lot;

(vi) $250 to less than $1,000 and at least a round lot;

(vii) $1,000 to less than $5,000 and less than a share;

(viii) $1,000 to less than $5,000 and odd-lot;

(ix) $1,000 to less than $5,000 and at least a round lot;

(x) $5,000 to less than $10,000 and less than a share;

(xi) $5,000 to less than $10,000 and odd-lot;

(xii) $5,000 to less than $10,000 and at least a round lot;

(xiii) $10,000 to less than $20,000 and less than a share;

(xiv) $10,000 to less than $20,000 and odd-lot;

(xv) $10,000 to less than $20,000 and at least a round lot;

(xvi) $20,000 to less than $50,000 and less than a share;

(xvii) $20,000 to less than $50,000 and odd-lot;

(xviii) $20,000 to less than $50,000 and at least a round lot;

(xix) $50,000 to less than $200,000 and less than a share;

(xx) $50,000 to less than $200,000 and odd-lot;

(xxi) $50,000 to less than $200,000 and at least a round lot;

(xxii) $200,000 or more and less than a share;

(xxiii) $200,000 or more and odd-lot; and

(xxiv) $200,000 or more and at least a round lot.

(19) Categorized by order type means dividing orders into separate categories for market orders, marketable limit orders (excluding immediate-or-cancel orders), marketable immediate-or-cancel orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders (excluding immediate-or-cancel orders), midpoint-or-better limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable non-marketable limit orders (excluding orders submitted with stop prices, midpoint-or-better limit orders, and immediate-or-cancel orders), executable non-marketable orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable market orders submitted with stop prices, executable stop marketable limit orders, and executable stop non-marketable limit orders.

(20) Categorized by security means dividing orders into separate categories for each NMS stock that is included in a report.

(21) Competing consolidator means a securities information processor required to be registered pursuant to § 242.614 (Rule 614) or a national securities exchange or national securities association that receives information with respect to quotations for and transactions in NMS stocks and generates a consolidated market data product for dissemination to any person.

(22) Consolidated display means:

(i) The prices, sizes, and market identifications of the national best bid and national best offer for a security; and

(ii) Consolidated last sale information for a security.

(23) Consolidated last sale information means the price, volume, and market identification of the most recent transaction report for a security that is disseminated pursuant to an effective national market system plan.

(24) Consolidated market data means the following data, consolidated across all national securities exchanges and national securities associations:

(i) Core data;

(ii) Regulatory data;

(iii) Administrative data;

(iv) Self-regulatory organization-specific program data; and

(v) Additional regulatory, administrative, or self-regulatory organization-specific program data elements defined as such pursuant to the effective national market system plan or plans required under § 242.603(b).

(25) Consolidated market data product means any data product developed by a competing consolidator that contains consolidated market data or data components of consolidated market data. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(25), data components of consolidated market data include the enumerated elements, and any subcomponent of the enumerated elements, of consolidated market data in paragraph (b)(24) of this section. All consolidated market data products must reflect data consolidated across all national securities exchanges and national securities associations.

(26) Core data means:

(i) The following information with respect to quotations for, and transactions in, NMS stocks:

(A) Quotation sizes;

(B) Aggregate quotation sizes;

(C) Best bid and best offer;

(D) National best bid and national best offer;

(E) Protected bid and protected offer;

(F) Transaction reports;

(G) Last sale data;

(H) Odd-lot information;

(I) Depth of book data; and

(J) Auction information.

(ii) For purposes of the calculation and dissemination of core data by competing consolidators, as defined in paragraph (b)(21) of this section, and the calculation of core data by self-aggregators, as defined in paragraph (b)(94) of this section, the best bid and best offer, national best bid and national best offer, protected bid and protected offer, and depth of book data shall include odd-lots that when aggregated are equal to or greater than a round lot; such aggregation shall occur across multiple prices and shall be disseminated at the least aggressive price of all such aggregated odd-lots.

(iii) Competing consolidators shall represent the quotation sizes of the following data elements, if disseminated in a consolidated market data product as defined in paragraph (b)(25) of this section, as the number of shares rounded down to the nearest multiple of a round lot: The best bid and best offer, national best bid and national best offer, protected bid and protected offer, depth of book data, and auction information.

(iv) Competing consolidators shall attribute the following data elements, if disseminated in a consolidated market data product as defined in paragraph (b)(25) of this section, to the national securities exchange or national securities association that is the source of each such data element: Best bid and best offer, national best bid and national best offer, protected bid and protected offer, transaction reports, last sale data, odd-lot information, depth of book data, and auction information.

(27) Covered order means any market order or any limit order (including immediate-or-cancel orders) received by a market center, broker, or dealer during regular trading hours at a time when a national best bid and national best offer is being disseminated and after the primary listing market has disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security, and, if executed, is executed during regular trading hours; or any non-marketable limit order (including an order submitted with a stop price) received by a market center, broker, or dealer outside of regular trading hours, or at a time before the primary listing market has disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security, or at a time when a national best bid and national best offer is not being disseminated and, if executed, is executed during regular trading hours. Covered order shall exclude any order for which the customer requests special handling for execution, including, but not limited to, orders to be executed at a market opening price or a market closing price, orders to be executed only at their full size, orders to be executed on a particular type of tick or bid, orders submitted on a “not held” basis, orders for other than regular settlement, and orders to be executed at prices unrelated to the market price of the security at the time of execution.

(28) Customer means any person that is not a broker or dealer.

(29) Customer limit order means an order to buy or sell an NMS stock at a specified price that is not for the account of either a broker or dealer; provided, however, that the term customer limit order shall include an order transmitted by a broker or dealer on behalf of a customer.

(30) Customer order means an order to buy or sell an NMS security that is not for the account of a broker or dealer, but shall not include any order for a quantity of a security having a market value of at least $50,000 for an NMS security that is an option contract and a market value of at least $200,000 for any other NMS security.

(31) Depth of book data means all quotation sizes at each national securities exchange and on a facility of a national securities association at each of the next five prices at which there is a bid that is lower than the national best bid and offer that is higher than the national best offer. For these five prices, the aggregate size available at each price, if any, at each national securities exchange and national securities association shall be attributed to such exchange or association.

(32) Directed order means an order from a customer that the customer specifically instructed the broker or dealer to route to a particular venue for execution.

(33) Dynamic market monitoring device means any service provided by a vendor on an interrogation device or other display that:

(i) Permits real-time monitoring, on a dynamic basis, of transaction reports, last sale data, or quotations with respect to a particular security; and

(ii) Displays the most recent transaction report, last sale data, or quotation with respect to that security until such report, data, or quotation has been superseded or supplemented by the display of a new transaction report, last sale data, or quotation reflecting the next reported transaction or quotation in that security.

(34) Effective national market system plan means any national market system plan approved by the Commission (either temporarily or on a permanent basis) pursuant to § 242.608.

(35) Effective transaction reporting plan means any transaction reporting plan approved by the Commission pursuant to § 242.601.

(36) Electronic communications network means, for the purposes of § 242.602(b)(5), any electronic system that widely disseminates to third parties orders entered therein by an exchange market maker or OTC market maker, and permits such orders to be executed against in whole or in part; except that the term electronic communications network shall not include:

(i) Any system that crosses multiple orders at one or more specified times at a single price set by the system (by algorithm or by any derivative pricing mechanism) and does not allow orders to be crossed or executed against directly by participants outside of such times; or

(ii) Any system operated by, or on behalf of, an OTC market maker or exchange market maker that executes customer orders primarily against the account of such market maker as principal, other than riskless principal.

(37) Exchange market maker means any member of a national securities exchange that is registered as a specialist or market maker pursuant to the rules of such exchange.

(38) Exchange-traded security means any NMS security or class of NMS securities listed and registered, or admitted to unlisted trading privileges, on a national securities exchange; provided, however, that securities not listed on any national securities exchange that are traded pursuant to unlisted trading privileges are excluded.

(39) Executable means, for any non-marketable buy order (excluding orders submitted with stop prices), that the limit price is equal to or greater than the national best bid during regular trading hours and after the primary listing market has disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security, and, for any non-marketable sell order (excluding orders submitted with stop prices), that the limit price is equal to or less than the national best offer during regular trading hours and after the primary listing market has disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security. Executable means, for any order submitted with a stop price, that the stop price has been triggered during regular trading hours and after the primary listing market has disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security. The time an order becomes executable shall be measured in increments of a millisecond or finer.

(40) Executable stop marketable limit order means, for buy orders, orders submitted with stop prices that have limit prices that are equal to or greater than the national best offer at the time such orders become executable, and, for sell orders, orders submitted with stop prices that have limit prices that are equal to or less than the national best bid at the time such orders become executable.

(41) Executable stop non-marketable limit order means, for buy orders, orders submitted with stop prices that have limit prices that are less than the national best offer at the time such orders become executable, and, for sell orders, orders submitted with stop prices that have limit prices that are greater than the national best bid at the time such orders become executable.

(42) Executed at the quote means, for buy orders, execution at a price equal to the national best offer at the time of order receipt and, for sell orders, execution at a price equal to the national best bid at the time of order receipt.

(43) Executed outside the best available displayed price means, for buy orders, execution at a price higher than the best available displayed price; and, for sell orders, execution at a price lower than the best available displayed price.

(44) Executed outside the quote means, for buy orders, execution at a price higher than the national best offer at the time of order receipt and, for sell orders, execution at a price lower than the national best bid at the time of order receipt.

(45) Executed with price improvement means, for buy orders, execution at a price lower than the national best offer at the time of order receipt and, for sell orders, execution at a price higher than the national best bid at the time of order receipt.

(46) Executed with price improvement relative to the best available displayed price means, for buy orders, execution at a price lower the best available displayed price and, for sell orders, execution at a price higher than the best available displayed price.

(47) Intermarket sweep order means a limit order for an NMS stock that meets the following requirements:

(i) When routed to a trading center, the limit order is identified as an intermarket sweep order; and

(ii) Simultaneously with the routing of the limit order identified as an intermarket sweep order, one or more additional limit orders, as necessary, are routed to execute against the full displayed size of any protected bid, in the case of a limit order to sell, or the full displayed size of any protected offer, in the case of a limit order to buy, for the NMS stock with a price that is superior to the limit price of the limit order identified as an intermarket sweep order. These additional routed orders also must be marked as intermarket sweep orders.

(48) Interrogation device means any securities information retrieval system capable of displaying transaction reports, last sale data, or quotations upon inquiry, on a current basis on a terminal or other device.

(49) Joint self-regulatory organization plan means a plan as to which two or more self-regulatory organizations, acting jointly, are sponsors.

(50) Last sale data means any price or volume data associated with a transaction.

(51) Listed equity security means any equity security listed and registered, or admitted to unlisted trading privileges, on a national securities exchange.

(52) Listed option means any option traded on a registered national securities exchange or automated facility of a national securities association.

(53) Make publicly available means posting on an internet website that is free and readily accessible to the public, furnishing a written copy to customers on request without charge, and notifying customers at least annually in writing that a written copy will be furnished on request.

(54) Manual quotation means any quotation other than an automated quotation.

(55) Market center means any exchange market maker, OTC market maker, alternative trading system, national securities exchange, or national securities association.

(56) Marketable limit order means, with respect to an order received at a time when a national best bid and national best offer is being disseminated and after the primary listing market has disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security, any buy order with a limit price equal to or greater than the national best offer at the time of order receipt, or any sell order with a limit price equal to or less than the national best bid at the time of order receipt, and, with respect to an order received at a time when a national best bid and national best offer is not being disseminated, any buy order with a limit price equal to or greater than the national best offer at the time that the national best offer is first disseminated during regular trading hours after the time of order receipt, or any sell order with a limit price equal to or less than the national best bid time at the time that the national best bid is first disseminated during regular trading hours after the time of order receipt. For orders received at a time when the national best bid and national best offer is being disseminated but the primary listing market has not disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security, whether an order is a marketable limit order shall be determined from the time that the primary listing market disseminates its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security.

(57) Midpoint-or-better limit order means, with respect to an order received at a time when a national best bid and national best offer is being disseminated and the primary listing market has disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security, any non-marketable buy order with a limit price that is equal to or higher than the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer at the time of order receipt and any non-marketable sell order with a limit price that is equal to or lower than the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer at the time of order receipt, and, with respect to an order received at a time when a national best bid and national best offer is not being disseminated, any non-marketable buy order with a limit price that is equal to or higher than the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer at the time that the national best bid and national best offer is first disseminated after the time of order receipt, or any non-marketable sell order with a limit price that is equal to or lower than the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer at the time that the national best bid and national best offer is first disseminated after the time of order receipt. For orders received at a time when the national best bid and national best offer is being disseminated but the primary listing market has not disseminated its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security, whether an order is a midpoint-or-better limit order shall be determined from the time that the primary listing market disseminates its first firm, uncrossed quotations in the security.

(58) Moving ticker means any continuous real-time moving display of transaction reports or last sale data (other than a dynamic market monitoring device) provided on an interrogation or other display device.

(59) Nasdaq security means any registered security listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.

(60) National best bid and national best offer means, with respect to quotations for an NMS stock, the best bid and best offer for such stock that are calculated and disseminated on a current and continuing basis by a competing consolidator or calculated by a self-aggregator and, for NMS securities other than NMS stocks, the best bid and best offer for such security that are calculated and disseminated on a current and continuing basis by a plan processor pursuant to an effective national market system plan; provided, that in the event two or more market centers transmit to the plan processor, a competing consolidator or a self-aggregator identical bids or offers for an NMS security, the best bid or best offer (as the case may be) shall be determined by ranking all such identical bids or offers (as the case may be) first by size (giving the highest ranking to the bid or offer associated with the largest size), and then by time (giving the highest ranking to the bid or offer received first in time).

(61) National market system plan means any joint self-regulatory organization plan in connection with:

(i) The planning, development, operation or regulation of a national market system (or a subsystem thereof) or one or more facilities thereof; or

(ii) The development and implementation of procedures and/or facilities designed to achieve compliance by self-regulatory organizations and their members with any section of this Regulation NMS and part 240, subpart A, of this chapter promulgated pursuant to section 11A of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78k-1).

(62) National securities association means any association of brokers and dealers registered pursuant to section 15A of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o-3).

(63) National securities exchange means any exchange registered pursuant to section 6 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78f).

(64) NMS security means any security or class of securities for which transaction reports are collected, processed, and made available pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan, or an effective national market system plan for reporting transactions in listed options.

(65) NMS stock means any NMS security other than an option.

(66) Non-directed order means any order from a customer other than a directed order.

(67) Non-marketable limit order means any limit order other than a marketable limit order.

(68) Odd-lot means an order for the purchase or sale of an NMS stock in an amount less than a round lot.

(69) Odd-lot information means:

(i) Odd-lot transaction data disseminated pursuant to the effective national market system plan or plans required under § 242.603(b) as of April 9, 2021; and

(ii) Odd-lots at a price greater than or equal to the national best bid and less than or equal to the national best offer, aggregated at each price level at each national securities exchange and national securities association.

(70) Options class means all of the put option or call option series overlying a security, as defined in section 3(a)(10) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(10)).

(71) Options series means the contracts in an options class that have the same unit of trade, expiration date, and exercise price, and other terms or conditions.

(72) Order size benchmark means the number of shares of the full displayed size of all protected bids at the same price as the national best bid at the time of order receipt, in the case of a market or limit order to sell, or the full displayed size of all protected offers at the same price as the national best offer at the time of order receipt, in the case of a market or limit order to buy. For midpoint-or-better limit orders, the full displayed size should be measured at the time the order becomes executable rather than the time of order receipt. For each order, the share count shall be capped at the order size.

(73) Orders providing liquidity means orders that were executed against after resting at a trading center.

(74) Orders removing liquidity means orders that executed against resting trading interest at a trading center.

(75) OTC market maker means any dealer that holds itself out as being willing to buy from and sell to its customers, or others, in the United States, an NMS stock for its own account on a regular or continuous basis otherwise than on a national securities exchange in amounts of less than block size.

(76) Participants, when used in connection with a national market system plan, means any self-regulatory organization which has agreed to act in accordance with the terms of the plan but which is not a signatory of such plan.

(77) Payment for order flow has the meaning provided in § 240.10b-10 of this chapter.

(78) Plan processor means any self-regulatory organization or securities information processor acting as an exclusive processor in connection with the development, implementation and/or operation of any facility contemplated by an effective national market system plan.

(79) Primary listing exchange means, for each NMS stock, the national securities exchange identified as the primary listing exchange in the effective national market system plan or plans required under § 242.603(b).

(80) Profit-sharing relationship means any ownership or other type of affiliation under which the broker or dealer, directly or indirectly, may share in any profits that may be derived from the execution of non-directed orders.

(81) Protected bid or protected offer means a quotation in an NMS stock that:

(i) Is displayed by an automated trading center;

(ii) Is disseminated pursuant to an effective national market system plan; and

(iii) Is an automated quotation that is the best bid or best offer of a national securities exchange, or the best bid or best offer of a national securities association.

(82) Protected quotation means a protected bid or a protected offer.

(83) Published aggregate quotation size means the aggregate quotation size calculated by a national securities exchange and displayed by a vendor on a terminal or other display device at the time an order is presented for execution to a responsible broker or dealer.

(84) Published bid and published offer means the bid or offer of a responsible broker or dealer for an NMS security communicated by it to its national securities exchange or association pursuant to § 242.602 and displayed by a vendor on a terminal or other display device at the time an order is presented for execution to such responsible broker or dealer.

(85) Published quotation size means the quotation size of a responsible broker or dealer communicated by it to its national securities exchange or association pursuant to § 242.602 and displayed by a vendor on a terminal or other display device at the time an order is presented for execution to such responsible broker or dealer.

(86) Quotation means a bid or an offer.

(87) Quotation size, when used with respect to a responsible broker's or dealer's bid or offer for an NMS security, means:

(i) The number of shares (or units of trading) of that security which such responsible broker or dealer has specified, for purposes of dissemination to vendors, that it is willing to buy at the bid price or sell at the offer price comprising its bid or offer, as either principal or agent; or

(ii) In the event such responsible broker or dealer has not so specified, a normal unit of trading for that NMS security.

(88) Regular trading hours means the time between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time, or such other time as is set forth in the procedures established pursuant to § 242.605(a)(3).

(89) Regulatory data means:

(i) Information required to be collected or calculated by the primary listing exchange for an NMS stock and provided to competing consolidators and self-aggregators pursuant to the effective national market system plan or plans required under § 242.603(b), including, at a minimum:

(A) Information regarding Short Sale Circuit Breakers pursuant to § 242.201;

(B) Information regarding Price Bands required pursuant to the Plan to Address Extraordinary Market Volatility (LULD Plan);

(C) Information relating to regulatory halts or trading pauses (news dissemination/pending, LULD, Market-Wide Circuit Breakers) and reopenings or resumptions;

(D) The official opening and closing prices of the primary listing exchange; and

(E) An indicator of the applicable round lot size.

(ii) Information required to be collected or calculated by the national securities exchange or national securities association on which an NMS stock is traded and provided to competing consolidators and self-aggregators pursuant to the effective national market system plan or plans required under § 242.603(b), including, at a minimum:

(A) Whenever such national securities exchange or national securities association receives a bid (offer) below (above) an NMS stock's lower (upper) LULD price band, an appropriate regulatory data flag identifying the bid (offer) as non-executable; and

(B) Other regulatory messages including subpenny execution and trade-though exempt indicators.

(iii) For purposes of paragraph (b)(89)(i)(C) of this section, the primary listing exchange that has the largest proportion of companies included in the S&P 500 Index shall monitor the S&P 500 Index throughout the trading day, determine whether a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 decline, as defined in self-regulatory organization rules related to Market-Wide Circuit Breakers, has occurred, and immediately inform the other primary listing exchanges of all such declines.

(90) Responsible broker or dealer means:

(i) When used with respect to bids or offers communicated on a national securities exchange, any member of such national securities exchange who communicates to another member on such national securities exchange, at the location (or locations) or through the facility or facilities designated by such national securities exchange for trading in an NMS security a bid or offer for such NMS security, as either principal or agent; provided, however, that, in the event two or more members of a national securities exchange have communicated on or through such national securities exchange bids or offers for an NMS security at the same price, each such member shall be considered a responsible broker or dealer for that bid or offer, subject to the rules of priority and precedence then in effect on that national securities exchange; and further provided, that for a bid or offer which is transmitted from one member of a national securities exchange to another member who undertakes to represent such bid or offer on such national securities exchange as agent, only the last member who undertakes to represent such bid or offer as agent shall be considered the responsible broker or dealer for that bid or offer; and

(ii) When used with respect to bids and offers communicated by a member of an association to a broker or dealer or a customer, the member communicating the bid or offer (regardless of whether such bid or offer is for its own account or on behalf of another person).

(91) Revised bid or offer means a market maker's bid or offer which supersedes its published bid or published offer.

(92) Revised quotation size means a market maker's quotation size which supersedes its published quotation size.

(93) Round lot means:

(i) For any NMS stock for which the prior calendar month's average closing price on the primary listing exchange was $250.00 or less per share, an order for the purchase or sale of an NMS stock of 100 shares;

(ii) For any NMS stock for which the prior calendar month's average closing price on the primary listing exchange was $250.01 to $1,000.00 per share, an order for the purchase or sale of an NMS stock of 40 shares;

(iii) For any NMS stock for which the prior calendar month's average closing price on the primary listing exchange was $1,000.01 to $10,000.00 per share, an order for the purchase or sale of an NMS stock of 10 shares;

(iv) For any NMS stock for which the prior calendar month's average closing price on the primary listing exchange was $10,000.01 or more per share, an order for the purchase or sale of an NMS stock of 1 share; and

(v) For any NMS stock for which the prior calendar month's average closing price is not available, an order for the purchase or sale of an NMS stock of 100 shares.

(94) Self-aggregator means a broker, dealer, national securities exchange, national securities association, or investment adviser registered with the Commission that receives information with respect to quotations for and transactions in NMS stocks, including all data necessary to generate consolidated market data, and generates consolidated market data solely for internal use. A self-aggregator may make consolidated market data available to its affiliates that are registered with the Commission for their internal use. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, a self-aggregator may not disseminate or otherwise make available consolidated market data, or components of consolidated market data, as provided in paragraph (b)(25) of this section, to any person.

(95) Self-regulatory organization means any national securities exchange or national securities association.

(96) Self-regulatory organization-specific program data means:

(i) Information related to retail liquidity programs specified by the rules of national securities exchanges and disseminated pursuant to the effective national market system plan or plans required under § 242.603(b) as of April 9, 2021; and

(ii) Other self-regulatory organization-specific information with respect to quotations for or transactions in NMS stocks as specified by the effective national market system plan or plans required under § 242.603(b).

(97) Specified persons, when used in connection with any notification required to be provided pursuant to § 242.602(a)(3) and any election (or withdrawal thereof) permitted under § 242.602(a)(5), means:

(i) Each vendor;

(ii) Each plan processor; and

(iii) The processor for the Options Price Reporting Authority (in the case of a notification for a subject security which is a class of securities underlying options admitted to trading on any national securities exchange).

(98) Sponsor, when used in connection with a national market system plan, means any self-regulatory organization which is a signatory to such plan and has agreed to act in accordance with the terms of the plan.

(99) SRO display-only facility means a facility operated by or on behalf of a national securities exchange or national securities association that displays quotations in a security, but does not execute orders against such quotations or present orders to members for execution.

(100) SRO trading facility means a facility operated by or on behalf of a national securities exchange or a national securities association that executes orders in a security or presents orders to members for execution.

(101) Subject security means:

(i) With respect to a national securities exchange:

(A) Any exchange-traded security other than a security for which the executed volume of such exchange, during the most recent calendar quarter, comprised one percent or less of the aggregate trading volume for such security as reported pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan or effective national market system plan; and

(B) Any other NMS security for which such exchange has in effect an election, pursuant to § 242.602(a)(5)(i), to collect, process, and make available to a vendor bids, offers, quotation sizes, and aggregate quotation sizes communicated on such exchange; and

(ii) With respect to a member of a national securities association:

(A) Any exchange-traded security for which such member acts in the capacity of an OTC market maker unless the executed volume of such member, during the most recent calendar quarter, comprised one percent or less of the aggregate trading volume for such security as reported pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan or effective national market system plan; and

(B) Any other NMS security for which such member acts in the capacity of an OTC market maker and has in effect an election, pursuant to § 242.602(a)(5)(ii), to communicate to its association bids, offers, and quotation sizes for the purpose of making such bids, offers, and quotation sizes available to a vendor.

(102) Time of order execution means the time (at a minimum to the millisecond) that an order was executed at any venue.

(103) Time of order receipt means the time (at a minimum to the millisecond) that an order was received by a market center for execution, or in the case of a broker or dealer that is not acting as a market center, the time (at a minimum to the millisecond) that an order was received by the broker or dealer for execution.

(104) Time of the transaction has the meaning provided in § 240.10b-10 of this chapter.

(105) Trade-through means the purchase or sale of an NMS stock during regular trading hours, either as principal or agent, at a price that is lower than a protected bid or higher than a protected offer.

(106) Trading center means a national securities exchange or national securities association that operates an SRO trading facility, an alternative trading system, an exchange market maker, an OTC market maker, or any other broker or dealer that executes orders internally by trading as principal or crossing orders as agent.

(107) Trading rotation means, with respect to an options class, the time period on a national securities exchange during which:

(i) Opening, re-opening, or closing transactions in options series in such options class are not yet completed; and

(ii) Continuous trading has not yet commenced or has not yet ended for the day in options series in such options class.

(108) Transaction report means a report containing the price and volume associated with a transaction involving the purchase or sale of one or more round lots of a security.

(109) Transaction reporting association means any person authorized to implement or administer any transaction reporting plan on behalf of persons acting jointly under § 242.601(a).

(110) Transaction reporting plan means any plan for collecting, processing, making available or disseminating transaction reports with respect to transactions in securities filed with the Commission pursuant to, and meeting the requirements of, § 242.601.

(111) Vendor means any securities information processor engaged in the business of disseminating transaction reports, last sale data, or quotations with respect to NMS securities to brokers, dealers, or investors on a real-time or other current and continuing basis, whether through an electronic communications network, moving ticker, or interrogation device.

(2) Any transaction reporting plan, or any amendment thereto, filed pursuant to this section shall be filed with the Commission, and considered for approval, in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 242.608(a) and (b). Any such plan, or amendment thereto, shall specify, at a minimum:

(i) The listed equity and Nasdaq securities or classes of such securities for which transaction reports shall be required by the plan;

(ii) Reporting requirements with respect to transactions in listed equity securities and Nasdaq securities, for any broker or dealer subject to the plan;

(iii) The manner of collecting, processing, sequencing, making available and disseminating transaction reports and last sale data reported pursuant to such plan;

(iv) The manner in which such transaction reports reported pursuant to such plan are to be consolidated with transaction reports from national securities exchanges and national securities associations reported pursuant to any other effective transaction reporting plan;

(v) The applicable standards and methods which will be utilized to ensure promptness of reporting, and accuracy and completeness of transaction reports;

(vi) Any rules or procedures which may be adopted to ensure that transaction reports or last sale data will not be disseminated in a fraudulent or manipulative manner;

(vii) Specific terms of access to transaction reports made available or disseminated pursuant to the plan; and

(viii) That transaction reports or last sale data made available to any vendor for display on an interrogation device identify the marketplace where each transaction was executed.

(3) No transaction reporting plan filed pursuant to this section, or any amendment to an effective transaction reporting plan, shall become effective unless approved by the Commission or otherwise permitted in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 242.608.

(b) Prohibitions and reporting requirements. (1) No broker or dealer may execute any transaction in, or induce or attempt to induce the purchase or sale of, any NMS stock:

(i) On or through the facilities of a national securities exchange unless there is an effective transaction reporting plan with respect to transactions in such security executed on or through such exchange facilities; or

(ii) Otherwise than on a national securities exchange unless there is an effective transaction reporting plan with respect to transactions in such security executed otherwise than on a national securities exchange by such broker or dealer.

(2) Every broker or dealer who is a member of a national securities exchange or national securities association shall promptly transmit to the exchange or association of which it is a member all information required by any effective transaction reporting plan filed by such exchange or association (either individually or jointly with other exchanges and/or associations).

(c) Retransmission of transaction reports or last sale data. Notwithstanding any provision of any effective transaction reporting plan, no national securities exchange or national securities association may, either individually or jointly, by rule, stated policy or practice, transaction reporting plan or otherwise, prohibit, condition or otherwise limit, directly or indirectly, the ability of any vendor to retransmit, for display in moving tickers, transaction reports or last sale data made available pursuant to any effective transaction reporting plan; provided, however, that a national securities exchange or national securities association may, by means of an effective transaction reporting plan, condition such retransmission upon appropriate undertakings to ensure that any charges for the distribution of transaction reports or last sale data in moving tickers permitted by paragraph (d) of this section are collected.

(d) Charges. Nothing in this section shall preclude any national securities exchange or national securities association, separately or jointly, pursuant to the terms of an effective transaction reporting plan, from imposing reasonable, uniform charges (irrespective of geographic location) for distribution of transaction reports or last sale data.

(e) Appeals. The Commission may, in its discretion, entertain appeals in connection with the implementation or operation of any effective transaction reporting plan in accordance with the provisions of § 242.608(d).

(f) Exemptions. The Commission may exempt from the provisions of this section, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, any national securities exchange, national securities association, broker, dealer, or specified security if the Commission determines that such exemption is consistent with the public interest, the protection of investors and the removal of impediments to, and perfection of the mechanisms of, a national market system.

(i) Each national securities exchange shall at all times such exchange is open for trading, collect, process, and make available to vendors the best bid, the best offer, and aggregate quotation sizes for each subject security listed or admitted to unlisted trading privileges which is communicated on any national securities exchange by any responsible broker or dealer, but shall not include:

(A) Any bid or offer executed immediately after communication and any bid or offer communicated by a responsible broker or dealer other than an exchange market maker which is cancelled or withdrawn if not executed immediately after communication; and

(B) Any bid or offer communicated during a period when trading in that security has been suspended or halted, or prior to the commencement of trading in that security on any trading day, on that exchange.

(ii) Each national securities association shall, at all times that last sale information with respect to NMS securities is reported pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan, collect, process, and make available to vendors the best bid, best offer, and quotation sizes communicated otherwise than on an exchange by each member of such association acting in the capacity of an OTC market maker for each subject security and the identity of that member (excluding any bid or offer executed immediately after communication), except during any period when over-the-counter trading in that security has been suspended.

(2) Each national securities exchange shall, with respect to each published bid and published offer representing a bid or offer of a member for a subject security, establish and maintain procedures for ascertaining and disclosing to other members of that exchange, upon presentation of orders sought to be executed by them in reliance upon paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the identity of the responsible broker or dealer who made such bid or offer and the quotation size associated with it.

(3)(i) If, at any time a national securities exchange is open for trading, such exchange determines, pursuant to rules approved by the Commission pursuant to section 19(b)(2) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)), that the level of trading activities or the existence of unusual market conditions is such that the exchange is incapable of collecting, processing, and making available to vendors the data for a subject security required to be made available pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section in a manner that accurately reflects the current state of the market on such exchange, such exchange shall immediately notify all specified persons of that determination. Upon such notification, responsible brokers or dealers that are members of that exchange shall be relieved of their obligation under paragraphs (b)(2) and (c)(3) of this section and such exchange shall be relieved of its obligations under paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section for that security; provided, however, that such exchange will continue, to the maximum extent practicable under the circumstances, to collect, process, and make available to vendors data for that security in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(ii) During any period a national securities exchange, or any responsible broker or dealer that is a member of that exchange, is relieved of any obligation imposed by this section for any subject security by virtue of a notification made pursuant to paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section, such exchange shall monitor the activity or conditions which formed the basis for such notification and shall immediately renotify all specified persons when that exchange is once again capable of collecting, processing, and making available to vendors the data for that security required to be made available pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section in a manner that accurately reflects the current state of the market on such exchange. Upon such renotification, any exchange or responsible broker or dealer which had been relieved of any obligation imposed by this section as a consequence of the prior notification shall again be subject to such obligation.

(4) Nothing in this section shall preclude any national securities exchange or national securities association from making available to vendors indications of interest or bids and offers for a subject security at any time such exchange or association is not required to do so pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(5)(i) Any national securities exchange may make an election for purposes of the definition of subject security in § 242.600(b)(101) for any NMS security, by collecting, processing, and making available bids, offers, quotation sizes, and aggregate quotation sizes in that security; except that for any NMS security previously listed or admitted to unlisted trading privileges on only one exchange and not traded by any OTC market maker, such election shall be made by notifying all specified persons, and shall be effective at the opening of trading on the business day following notification.

(ii) Any member of a national securities association acting in the capacity of an OTC market maker may make an election for purposes of the definition of subject security in § 242.600(b)(101) for any NMS security, by communicating to its association bids, offers, and quotation sizes in that security; except that for any other NMS security listed or admitted to unlisted trading privileges on only one exchange and not traded by any other OTC market maker, such election shall be made by notifying its association and all specified persons, and shall be effective at the opening of trading on the business day following notification.

(iii) The election of a national securities exchange or member of a national securities association for any NMS security pursuant to this paragraph (a)(5) shall cease to be in effect if such exchange or member ceases to make available or communicate bids, offers, and quotation sizes in such security.

(b) Obligations of responsible brokers and dealers. (1) Each responsible broker or dealer shall promptly communicate to its national securities exchange or national securities association, pursuant to the procedures established by that exchange or association, its best bids, best offers, and quotation sizes for any subject security.

(2) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b)(3) of this section, each responsible broker or dealer shall be obligated to execute any order to buy or sell a subject security, other than an odd-lot order, presented to it by another broker or dealer, or any other person belonging to a category of persons with whom such responsible broker or dealer customarily deals, at a price at least as favorable to such buyer or seller as the responsible broker's or dealer's published bid or published offer (exclusive of any commission, commission equivalent or differential customarily charged by such responsible broker or dealer in connection with execution of any such order) in any amount up to its published quotation size.

(3)(i) No responsible broker or dealer shall be obligated to execute a transaction for any subject security as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section to purchase or sell that subject security in an amount greater than such revised quotation size if:

(A) Prior to the presentation of an order for the purchase or sale of a subject security, a responsible broker or dealer has communicated to its exchange or association, pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section, a revised quotation size; or

(B) At the time an order for the purchase or sale of a subject security is presented, a responsible broker or dealer is in the process of effecting a transaction in such subject security, and immediately after the completion of such transaction, it communicates to its exchange or association a revised quotation size, such responsible broker or dealer shall not be obligated by paragraph (b)(2) of this section to purchase or sell that subject security in an amount greater than such revised quotation size.

(ii) No responsible broker or dealer shall be obligated to execute a transaction for any subject security as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section if:

(A) Before the order sought to be executed is presented, such responsible broker or dealer has communicated to its exchange or association pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section, a revised bid or offer; or

(B) At the time the order sought to be executed is presented, such responsible broker or dealer is in the process of effecting a transaction in such subject security, and, immediately after the completion of such transaction, such responsible broker or dealer communicates to its exchange or association pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section, a revised bid or offer; provided, however, that such responsible broker or dealer shall nonetheless be obligated to execute any such order in such subject security as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section at its revised bid or offer in any amount up to its published quotation size or revised quotation size.

(4) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (a)(4) of this section:

(i) No national securities exchange or OTC market maker may make available, disseminate or otherwise communicate to any vendor, directly or indirectly, for display on a terminal or other display device any bid, offer, quotation size, or aggregate quotation size for any NMS security which is not a subject security with respect to such exchange or OTC market maker; and

(ii) No vendor may disseminate or display on a terminal or other display device any bid, offer, quotation size, or aggregate quotation size from any national securities exchange or OTC market maker for any NMS security which is not a subject security with respect to such exchange or OTC market maker.

(5)(i) Entry of any priced order for an NMS security by an exchange market maker or OTC market maker in that security into an electronic communications network that widely disseminates such order shall be deemed to be:

(A) A bid or offer under this section, to be communicated to the market maker's exchange or association pursuant to this paragraph (b) for at least the minimum quotation size that is required by the rules of the market maker's exchange or association if the priced order is for the account of a market maker, or the actual size of the order up to the minimum quotation size required if the priced order is for the account of a customer; and

(B) A communication of a bid or offer to a vendor for display on a display device for purposes of paragraph (b)(4) of this section.

(ii) An exchange market maker or OTC market maker that has entered a priced order for an NMS security into an electronic communications network that widely disseminates such order shall be deemed to be in compliance with paragraph (b)(5)(i)(A) of this section if the electronic communications network:

(A)(1) Provides to a national securities exchange or national securities association (or an exclusive processor acting on behalf of one or more exchanges or associations) the prices and sizes of the orders at the highest buy price and the lowest sell price for such security entered in, and widely disseminated by, the electronic communications network by exchange market makers and OTC market makers for the NMS security, and such prices and sizes are included in the quotation data made available by such exchange, association, or exclusive processor to vendors pursuant to this section; and

(2) Provides, to any broker or dealer, the ability to effect a transaction with a priced order widely disseminated by the electronic communications network entered therein by an exchange market maker or OTC market maker that is:

(i) Equivalent to the ability of any broker or dealer to effect a transaction with an exchange market maker or OTC market maker pursuant to the rules of the national securities exchange or national securities association to which the electronic communications network supplies such bids and offers; and

(ii) At the price of the highest priced buy order or lowest priced sell order, or better, for the lesser of the cumulative size of such priced orders entered therein by exchange market makers or OTC market makers at such price, or the size of the execution sought by the broker or dealer, for such security; or

(B) Is an alternative trading system that:

(1) Displays orders and provides the ability to effect transactions with such orders under § 242.301(b)(3); and

(2) Otherwise is in compliance with Regulation ATS (§ 242.300 through § 242.303).

(c) Transactions in listed options. (1) A national securities exchange or national securities association:

(i) Shall not be required, under paragraph (a) of this section, to collect from responsible brokers or dealers who are members of such exchange or association, or to make available to vendors, the quotation sizes and aggregate quotation sizes for listed options, if such exchange or association establishes by rule and periodically publishes the quotation size for which such responsible brokers or dealers are obligated to execute an order to buy or sell an options series that is a subject security at its published bid or offer under paragraph (b)(2) of this section;

(ii) May establish by rule and periodically publish a quotation size, which shall not be for less than one contract, for which responsible brokers or dealers who are members of such exchange or association are obligated under paragraph (b)(2) of this section to execute an order to buy or sell a listed option for the account of a broker or dealer that is in an amount different from the quotation size for which it is obligated to execute an order for the account of a customer; and

(iii) May establish and maintain procedures and mechanisms for collecting from responsible brokers and dealers who are members of such exchange or association, and making available to vendors, the quotation sizes and aggregate quotation sizes in listed options for which such responsible broker or dealer will be obligated under paragraph (b)(2) of this section to execute an order from a customer to buy or sell a listed option and establish by rule and periodically publish the size, which shall not be less than one contract, for which such responsible brokers or dealers are obligated to execute an order for the account of a broker or dealer.

(2) If, pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the rules of a national securities exchange or national securities association do not require its members to communicate to it their quotation sizes for listed options, a responsible broker or dealer that is a member of such exchange or association shall:

(i) Be relieved of its obligations under paragraph (b)(1) of this section to communicate to such exchange or association its quotation sizes for any listed option; and

(ii) Comply with its obligations under paragraph (b)(2) of this section by executing any order to buy or sell a listed option, in an amount up to the size established by such exchange's or association's rules under paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(3) Thirty second response. Each responsible broker or dealer, within thirty seconds of receiving an order to buy or sell a listed option in an amount greater than the quotation size established by a national securities exchange's or national securities association's rules pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of this section, or its published quotation size must:

(i) Execute the entire order; or

(ii)(A) Execute that portion of the order equal to at least:

(1) The quotation size established by a national securities exchange's or national securities association's rules, pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of this section, to the extent that such exchange or association does not collect and make available to vendors quotation size and aggregate quotation size under paragraph (a) of this section; or

(2) Its published quotation size; and

(B) Revise its bid or offer.

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (c)(3) of this section, no responsible broker or dealer shall be obligated to execute a transaction for any listed option as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section if:

(i) Any of the circumstances in paragraph (b)(3) of this section exist; or

(ii) The order for the purchase or sale of a listed option is presented during a trading rotation in that listed option.

(d) Exemptions. The Commission may exempt from the provisions of this section, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, any responsible broker or dealer, electronic communications network, national securities exchange, or national securities association if the Commission determines that such exemption is consistent with the public interest, the protection of investors and the removal of impediments to and perfection of the mechanism of a national market system.

(2) Any national securities exchange, national securities association, broker, or dealer that distributes information with respect to quotations for or transactions in an NMS stock to a securities information processor, broker, dealer, or other persons shall do so on terms that are not unreasonably discriminatory.

(b) Dissemination of information. Every national securities exchange on which an NMS stock is traded and national securities association shall act jointly pursuant to one or more effective national market system plans for the dissemination of consolidated market data. Every national securities exchange on which an NMS stock is traded and national securities association shall make available to all competing consolidators and self-aggregators its information with respect to quotations for and transactions in NMS stocks, including all data necessary to generate consolidated market data, in the same manner and using the same methods, including all methods of access and the same format, as such national securities exchange or national securities association makes available any information with respect to quotations for and transactions in NMS stocks to any person.

(c) Display of information. (1) No securities information processor, broker, or dealer shall provide, in a context in which a trading or order-routing decision can be implemented, a display of any information with respect to quotations for or transactions in an NMS stock without also providing, in an equivalent manner, a consolidated display for such stock.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (c)(1) of this section shall not apply to a display of information on the trading floor or through the facilities of a national securities exchange or to a display in connection with the operation of a market linkage system implemented in accordance with an effective national market system plan.

(d) Exemptions. The Commission, by order, may exempt from the provisions of this section, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, any person, security, or item of information, or any class or classes of persons, securities, or items of information, if the Commission determines that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, and is consistent with the protection of investors.

(1) Each member of a national securities exchange that is registered by that exchange as a specialist, or is authorized by that exchange to perform functions substantially similar to that of a specialist, shall publish immediately a bid or offer that reflects:

(i) The price and the full size of each customer limit order held by the specialist that is at a price that would improve the bid or offer of such specialist in such security; and

(ii) The full size of each customer limit order held by the specialist that:

(A) Is priced equal to the bid or offer of such specialist for such security;

(B) Is priced equal to the national best bid or national best offer; and

(C) Represents more than a de minimis change in relation to the size associated with the specialist's bid or offer.

(2) Each registered broker or dealer that acts as an OTC market maker shall publish immediately a bid or offer that reflects:

(i) The price and the full size of each customer limit order held by the OTC market maker that is at a price that would improve the bid or offer of such OTC market maker in such security; and

(ii) The full size of each customer limit order held by the OTC market maker that:

(A) Is priced equal to the bid or offer of such OTC market maker for such security;

(B) Is priced equal to the national best bid or national best offer; and

(C) Represents more than a de minimis change in relation to the size associated with the OTC market maker's bid or offer.

(b) Exceptions. The requirements in paragraph (a) of this section shall not apply to any customer limit order:

(1) That is executed upon receipt of the order.

(2) That is placed by a customer who expressly requests, either at the time that the order is placed or prior thereto pursuant to an individually negotiated agreement with respect to such customer's orders, that the order not be displayed.

(3) That is an odd-lot order.

(4) That is a block size order, unless a customer placing such order requests that the order be displayed.

(5) That is delivered immediately upon receipt to a national securities exchange or national securities association-sponsored system, or an electronic communications network that complies with the requirements of § 242.602(b)(5)(ii) with respect to that order.

(6) That is delivered immediately upon receipt to another exchange member or OTC market maker that complies with the requirements of this section with respect to that order.

(7) That is an “all or none” order.

(c) Exemptions. The Commission may exempt from the provisions of this section, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, any responsible broker or dealer, electronic communications network, national securities exchange, or national securities association if the Commission determines that such exemption is consistent with the public interest, the protection of investors and the removal of impediments to and perfection of the mechanism of a national market system.

(a) Monthly electronic reports by market centers, brokers, and dealers. (1) Every market center, broker, or dealer shall make available for each calendar month, in accordance with the procedures established pursuant to paragraph (a)(3) of this section, a report on the covered orders in NMS stocks that it received for execution from any person or that it received for execution in a prior calendar month but which remained open. Any OTC market maker that provides a trading system for only a single dealer to solely buy and sell securities against all other persons entering orders in that system shall produce a separate report pertaining only to covered orders entered in such trading system. Alternative trading systems (as defined in § 242.300(a)) shall prepare reports separately from their broker-dealer operators to the extent such entities are required to prepare reports. Each report shall be in electronic form; shall be categorized by security, order type, and order size; and shall include the following columns of information:

(i) For market orders, marketable limit orders, marketable immediate-or-cancel orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable non-marketable limit orders, executable non-marketable limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable market orders submitted with stop prices, executable stop marketable limit orders, and executable stop non-marketable limit orders:

(A) The number of covered orders;

(B) The cumulative notional value of covered orders;

(C) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders;

(D) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders cancelled prior to execution;

(E) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed at the receiving market center, broker, or dealer (excluding shares that the market center, broker, or dealer executes on a riskless principal basis);

(F) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed at any other venue;

(G) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed less than 100 microseconds after the time of order receipt; or, for non-marketable limit orders or orders submitted with stop prices, after the time the order becomes executable;

(H) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed from 100 microseconds to less than 1 millisecond after the time of order receipt; or, for non-marketable limit orders or orders submitted with stop prices, after the time the order becomes executable ;

(I) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed from 1 millisecond to less than 10 milliseconds after the time of order receipt; or, for non-marketable limit orders or orders submitted with stop prices, after the time the order becomes executable;

(J) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed from 10 milliseconds to less than 1 second after the time of order receipt; or, for non-marketable limit orders or orders submitted with stop prices, after the time the order becomes executable;

(K) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed from 1 second to less than 10 seconds after the time of order receipt; or, for non-marketable limit orders or orders submitted with stop prices, after the time the order becomes executable;

(L) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed from 10 seconds to less than 30 seconds after the time of order receipt; or, for non-marketable limit orders or orders submitted with stop prices, after the time the order becomes executable;

(M) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed from 30 seconds to less than 5 minutes after the time of order receipt; or, for non-marketable limit orders or orders submitted with stop prices, after the time the order becomes executable;

(N) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed 5 minutes or more after the time of order receipt; or, for non-marketable limit orders or orders submitted with stop prices, after the time the order becomes executable;

(O) For executions of covered orders, the average realized spread as calculated 50 milliseconds after the time of execution;

(P) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage realized spread as calculated 50 milliseconds after the time of execution;

(Q) For executions of covered orders, the average realized spread as calculated 1 second after the time of execution;

(R) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage realized spread as calculated 1 second after the time of execution;

(S) For executions of covered orders, the average realized spread as calculated 15 seconds after the time of execution;

(T) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage realized spread as calculated 15 seconds after the time of execution;

(U) For executions of covered orders, the average realized spread as calculated 1 minute after the time of execution;

(V) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage realized spread as calculated 1 minute after the time of execution;

(W) For executions of covered orders, the average realized spread as calculated 5 minutes after the time of execution;

(X) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage realized spread as calculated 5 minutes after the time of execution;

(Y) For executions of covered orders, the average midpoint; and

(ii) For market orders, marketable limit orders, marketable immediate-or-cancel orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable market orders submitted with stop prices, and executable stop marketable limit orders:

(A) For executions of covered orders, the average quoted spread;

(B) For executions of covered orders, the average effective spread;

(C) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage effective spread;

(D) For executions of covered orders, the average effective divided by the average quoted spread, expressed as a percentage;

(E) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed with price improvement;

(F) For shares executed with price improvement, the share-weighted average amount per share that prices were improved;

(G) For shares executed with price improvement, the share-weighted average period from the time of order receipt to the time of order execution, expressed in increments of a millisecond or finer, or, in the case of midpoint-or-better limit orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable market orders submitted with stop prices, and executable stop marketable limit orders, from the time such orders first become executable to the time of order execution, expressed in increments of a millisecond or finer;

(H) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed at the quote;

(I) For shares executed at the quote, the share-weighted average period from the time of order receipt to the time of order execution, expressed in increments of a millisecond or finer, or, in the case of midpoint-or-better limit orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable market orders submitted with stop prices, and executable stop marketable limit orders, from the time such orders first become executable to the time of order execution, expressed in increments of a millisecond or finer;

(J) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed outside the quote;

(K) For shares executed outside the quote, the share-weighted average amount per share that prices were outside the quote;

(L) For shares executed outside the quote, the share-weighted average period from the time of order receipt, expressed in increments of a millisecond or finer, or, in the case of midpoint-or-better limit orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable market orders submitted with stop prices, and executable stop marketable limit orders, from the time such orders first become executable to the time of order execution, expressed in increments of a millisecond or finer;

(M) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed with price improvement relative to the best available displayed price;

(N) For shares executed with price improvement relative to the best available displayed price, the share-weighted average amount per share that prices were improved as compared to the best available displayed price;

(O) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed at the best available displayed price;

(P) The cumulative number of shares of covered orders executed outside the best available displayed price;

(Q) For shares executed outside the best available displayed price, the share-weighted average amount per share that prices were outside the best available displayed price;

(R) For executions of covered orders, the cumulative number of shares of the order size benchmark;

(S) The sum of, for each execution of a covered order, the greater of: the total number of shares executed with price improvement plus the total number of shares executed at the quote minus the order size benchmark, or zero; and

(iii) For midpoint-or-better limit orders, midpoint-or-better limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, executable non-marketable limit orders, executable non-marketable limit orders that are immediate-or-cancel, and executable stop non-marketable limit orders:

(A) The number of covered orders that received either a complete or partial fill;

(B) The cumulative number of shares executed regular way at prices that could have filled the order while the order was in force, as reported pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan or effective national market system plan. For each order, the share count shall be capped at the order size;

(C) The cumulative number of shares executed regular way on any national securities exchange at prices that could have filled the order while the order was in force, as reported pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan or effective national market system plan. For each order, the share count shall be capped at the order size; and

(D) For shares executed, the share-weighted average period from the time the order becomes executable to the time of order execution expressed in increments of a millisecond or finer.

(2) Every market center, broker, or dealer shall make publicly available for each calendar month a report providing summary statistics on all covered orders that are market and marketable limit orders that it received for execution from any person. Such report shall be made available as an electronic file using the most recent version of the schema for comma separated values format (CSV) and the associated PDF renderer as published on the Commission's website for all reports required by this paragraph (a)(2). Such report shall include a section for NMS stocks that are included in the S&P 500 Index as of the first day of that month and a section for other NMS stocks. Each section shall be categorized by order type (market orders or marketable limit orders) and order size (less than $250, $250 to less than $1,000, $1,000 to less than $5,000, $5,000 to less than $10,000, $10,000 to less than $20,000, $20,000 to less than $50,000, $50,000 to less than $200,000, $200,000 or more, and all order sizes combined, excluding orders with a notional value of $200,000 or more), and shall include the following columns of information:

(i) The average order size in shares;

(ii) The average notional order size;

(iii) For executions of covered orders, the average midpoint;

(iv) For executions of covered orders, the percentage of shares executed at the quote or better;

(v) For executions of covered orders, the percentage of shares that received price improvement;

(vi) For executions of covered orders, the share-weighted average percentage price improvement, calculated as the cumulative amount that prices were improved less the cumulative amount that prices were executed outside the quote divided by sum of the average midpoint times the number of shares executed;

(vii) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage effective spread;

(viii) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage quoted spread, calculated as the average quoted spread divided by the average midpoint for such orders;

(ix) For executions of covered orders, the average effective spread divided by the average quoted spread, expressed as a percentage;

(x) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage realized spread as calculated 15 seconds after the time of execution;

(xi) For executions of covered orders, the average percentage realized spread as calculated 1 minute after the time of execution; and

(xii) For executions of covered orders, the share-weighted average execution speed, in milliseconds.

(3) Every national securities exchange on which NMS stocks are traded and each national securities association shall act jointly in establishing procedures for market centers, brokers, and dealers to follow in making available to the public the reports required by this section in a uniform, readily accessible, and usable electronic form.

(4) In the event there is no effective national market system plan establishing such procedures, market centers, brokers, and dealers shall prepare their reports in a consistent, usable, and machine-readable electronic format, in accordance with the requirements in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and make such reports available for downloading from an internet website that is free and readily accessible to the public.

(5) Every market center, broker, or dealer shall keep the reports required by paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section posted on an internet website that is free and readily accessible to the public for a period of three years from the initial date of posting on the internet website.

(6) A market center, broker, or dealer shall make available the reports required by paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section within one month after the end of the month addressed in the reports.

(7) A broker or dealer that is not a market center shall not be subject to the requirements of this section unless that broker or dealer introduces or carries 100,000 or more customer accounts through which transactions are effected for the purchase or sale of NMS stocks (the “customer account threshold” for purposes of this paragraph). For purposes of this section, a broker or dealer that utilizes an omnibus clearing arrangement with respect to any of its underlying customer accounts shall be considered to carry such underlying customer accounts when calculating the number of customer accounts that it introduces or carries. Any broker or dealer that meets or exceeds this customer account threshold and is also a market center shall produce separate reports pertaining to each function. A broker or dealer that meets or exceeds the customer account threshold shall be required to produce reports pursuant to this section for at least three calendar months (“Reporting Period”). The Reporting Period shall begin the first calendar day of the next calendar month after the broker or dealer met or exceeded the customer account threshold, unless it is the first time the broker or dealer has met or exceeded the customer account threshold, in which case the Reporting Period shall begin the first calendar day four calendar months later. If, at any time after a broker or dealer has been required to produce reports pursuant to this section for at least a Reporting Period, a broker or dealer falls below the customer account threshold, the broker or dealer shall not be required to produce a report pursuant to this paragraph (a)(7) for the next calendar month.

(b) Exemptions. The Commission may, by order upon application, conditionally or unconditionally exempt any person, security, or transaction, or any class or classes of persons, securities, or transactions, from any provision or provisions of this section, if the Commission determines that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, and is consistent with the protection of investors.

(i) The percentage of total orders for the section that were non-directed orders, and the percentages of total non-directed orders for the section that were market orders, marketable limit orders, non-marketable limit orders, and other orders;

(ii) The identity of the ten venues to which the largest number of total non-directed orders for the section were routed for execution and of any venue to which five percent or more of non-directed orders were routed for execution, the percentage of total non-directed orders for the section routed to the venue, and the percentages of total non-directed market orders, total non-directed marketable limit orders, total non-directed non-marketable limit orders, and total non-directed other orders for the section that were routed to the venue;

(iii) For each venue identified pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section, the net aggregate amount of any payment for order flow received, payment from any profit-sharing relationship received, transaction fees paid, and transaction rebates received, both as a total dollar amount and per share, for each of the following non-directed order types:

(A) Market orders;

(B) Marketable limit orders;

(C) Non-marketable limit orders; and

(D) Other orders.

(iv) A discussion of the material aspects of the broker's or dealer's relationship with each venue identified pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section, including a description of any arrangement for payment for order flow and any profit-sharing relationship and a description of any terms of such arrangements, written or oral, that may influence a broker's or dealer's order routing decision including, among other things:

(A) Incentives for equaling or exceeding an agreed upon order flow volume threshold, such as additional payments or a higher rate of payment;

(B) Disincentives for failing to meet an agreed upon minimum order flow threshold, such as lower payments or the requirement to pay a fee;

(C) Volume-based tiered payment schedules; and

(D) Agreements regarding the minimum amount of order flow that the broker-dealer would send to a venue.

(2) A broker or dealer shall make the report required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section publicly available within one month after the end of the quarter addressed in the report.

(b) Customer requests for information on order routing. (1) Every broker or dealer shall, on request of a customer, disclose to its customer, for:

(i) Orders in NMS stocks that are submitted on a held basis;

(ii) Orders in NMS stocks that are submitted on a not held basis and the broker or dealer is not required to provide the customer a report under subsection (3) below; and

(iii) Orders in NMS securities that are option contracts, the identity of the venue to which the customer's orders were routed for execution in the six months prior to the request, whether the orders were directed orders or non-directed orders, and the time of the transactions, if any, that resulted from such orders. Such disclosure shall be made available using the most recent versions of the XML schema and the associated PDF renderer as published on the Commission's Web site for all reports required by this section.

(2) A broker or dealer shall notify customers in writing at least annually of the availability on request of the information specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(3) Except as provided for in paragraphs (b)(4) and (b)(5) of this section, every broker or dealer shall, on request of a customer that places, directly or indirectly, one or more orders in NMS stocks that are submitted on a not held basis with the broker or dealer, disclose to such customer within seven business days of receiving the request, a report on its handling of such orders for that customer for the prior six months by calendar month. Such report shall be made available using the most recent versions of the XML schema and the associated PDF renderer as published on the Commission's Web site for all reports required by this section. For purposes of such report, the handling of a NMS stock order submitted by a customer to a broker-dealer on a not held basis includes the handling of all child orders derived from that order. Such report shall be divided into two sections: one for directed orders and one for non-directed orders. Each section of such report shall include, with respect to such order flow sent by the customer to the broker or dealer, the total number of shares sent to the broker or dealer by the customer during the relevant period; the total number of shares executed by the broker or dealer as principal for its own account; the total number of orders exposed by the broker or dealer through an actionable indication of interest; and the venue or venues to which orders were exposed by the broker or dealer through an actionable indication of interest, provided that, where applicable, a broker or dealer must disclose that it exposed a customer's order through an actionable indication of interest to other customers but need not disclose the identity of such customers. Each section of such report also shall include the following columns of information for each venue to which the broker or dealer routed such orders for the customer, in the aggregate:

(i) Information on Order Routing. (A) Total shares routed;

(B) Total shares routed marked immediate or cancel;

(C) Total shares routed that were further routable; and

(D) Average order size routed.

(ii) Information on Order Execution. (A) Total shares executed;

(B) Fill rate (shares executed divided by the shares routed);

(C) Average fill size;

(D) Average net execution fee or rebate (cents per 100 shares, specified to four decimal places);

(E) Total number of shares executed at the midpoint;

(F) Percentage of shares executed at the midpoint;

(G) Total number of shares executed that were priced on the side of the spread more favorable to the order;

(H) Percentage of total shares executed that were priced at the side of the spread more favorable to the order;

(I) Total number of shares executed that were priced on the side of the spread less favorable to the order; and

(J) Percentage of total shares executed that were priced on the side of the spread less favorable to the order.

(iii) Information on Orders that Provided Liquidity. (A) Total number of shares executed of orders providing liquidity;

(B) Percentage of shares executed of orders providing liquidity;

(C) Average time between order entry and execution or cancellation, for orders providing liquidity (in milliseconds); and

(D) Average net execution rebate or fee for shares of orders providing liquidity (cents per 100 shares, specified to four decimal places).

(iv) Information on Orders that Removed Liquidity. (A) Total number of shares executed of orders removing liquidity;

(B) Percentage of shares executed of orders removing liquidity; and

(C) Average net execution fee or rebate for shares of orders removing liquidity (cents per 100 shares, specified to four decimal places).

(4) Except as provided below, no broker or dealer shall be required to provide reports pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of this section if the percentage of shares of not held orders in NMS stocks the broker or dealer received from its customers over the prior six calendar months was less than five percent of the total shares in NMS stocks the broker or dealer received from its customers during that time (the “five percent threshold” for purposes of this paragraph). A broker or dealer that equals or exceeds this five percent threshold shall be required (subject to paragraph (b)(5)) to provide reports pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of this section for at least six calendar months (“Compliance Period”) regardless of the percentage of shares of not held orders in NMS stocks the broker or dealer receives from its customers during the Compliance Period. The Compliance Period shall begin the first calendar day of the next calendar month after the broker or dealer equaled or exceeded the five percent threshold, unless it is the first time the broker or dealer has equaled or exceeded the five percent threshold, in which case the Compliance Period shall begin the first calendar day four calendar months later. A broker or dealer shall not be required to provide reports pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of this section for orders that the broker or dealer did not receive during a Compliance Period. If, at any time after the end of a Compliance Period, the percentage of shares of not held orders in NMS stocks the broker or dealer received from its customers was less than five percent of the total shares in NMS stocks the broker or dealer received from its customers over the prior six calendar months, the broker or dealer shall not be required to provide reports pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of this section, except for orders that the broker or dealer received during the portion of a Compliance Period that remains covered by paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(5) No broker or dealer shall be subject to the requirements of paragraph (b)(3) of this section with respect to a customer that traded on average each month for the prior six months less than $1,000,000 of notional value of not held orders in NMS stocks through the broker or dealer.

(c) Exemptions. The Commission may, by order upon application, conditionally or unconditionally exempt any person, security, or transaction, or any class or classes of persons, securities, or transactions, from any provision or provisions of this section, if the Commission determines that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, and is consistent with the protection of investors.

(1) The broker's or dealer's policies regarding receipt of payment for order flow from any broker or dealer, national securities exchange, national securities association, or exchange member to which it routes customers' orders for execution, including a statement as to whether any payment for order flow is received for routing customer orders and a detailed description of the nature of the compensation received; and

(2) The broker's or dealer's policies for determining where to route customer orders that are the subject of payment for order flow absent specific instructions from customers, including a description of the extent to which orders can be executed at prices superior to the national best bid and national best offer.

(b) Exemptions. The Commission, upon request or upon its own motion, may exempt by rule or by order, any broker or dealer or any class of brokers or dealers, security or class of securities from the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section with respect to any transaction or class of transactions, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, if the Commission determines that such exemption is consistent with the pubic interest and the protection of investors.

(2) The Commission may propose amendments to any effective national market system plan by publishing the text thereof, together with a statement of the purpose of such amendment, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section.

(3) Self-regulatory organizations are authorized to act jointly in:

(i) Planning, developing, and operating any national market subsystem or facility contemplated by a national market system plan;

(ii) Preparing and filing a national market system plan or any amendment thereto; or

(iii) Implementing or administering an effective national market system plan.

(4) Every national market system plan filed pursuant to this section, or any amendment thereto, shall be accompanied by:

(i) Copies of all governing or constituent documents relating to any person (other than a self-regulatory organization) authorized to implement or administer such plan on behalf of its sponsors; and

(ii) To the extent applicable:

(A) A detailed description of the manner in which the plan or amendment, and any facility or procedure contemplated by the plan or amendment, will be implemented;

(B) A listing of all significant phases of development and implementation (including any pilot phase) contemplated by the plan or amendment, together with the projected date of completion of each phase;

(C) An analysis of the impact on competition of implementation of the plan or amendment or of any facility contemplated by the plan or amendment;

(D) A description of any written understandings or agreements between or among plan sponsors or participants relating to interpretations of the plan or conditions for becoming a sponsor or participant in the plan; and

(E) In the case of a proposed amendment, a statement that such amendment has been approved by the sponsors in accordance with the terms of the plan.

(5) Every national market system plan, or any amendment thereto, filed pursuant to this section shall include a description of the manner in which any facility contemplated by the plan or amendment will be operated. Such description shall include, to the extent applicable:

(i) The terms and conditions under which brokers, dealers, and/or self-regulatory organizations will be granted or denied access (including specific procedures and standards governing the granting or denial of access);

(ii) The method by which any fees or charges collected on behalf of all of the sponsors and/or participants in connection with access to, or use of, any facility contemplated by the plan or amendment will be determined and imposed (including any provision for distribution of any net proceeds from such fees or charges to the sponsors and/or participants) and the amount of such fees or charges;

(iii) The method by which, and the frequency with which, the performance of any person acting as plan processor with respect to the implementation and/or operation of the plan will be evaluated; and

(iv) The method by which disputes arising in connection with the operation of the plan will be resolved.

(6) In connection with the selection of any person to act as plan processor with respect to any facility contemplated by a national market system plan (including renewal of any contract for any person to so act), the sponsors shall file with the Commission a statement identifying the person selected, describing the material terms under which such person is to serve as plan processor, and indicating the solicitation efforts, if any, for alternative plan processors, the alternatives considered and the reasons for selection of such person.

(7) Any national market system plan (or any amendment thereto) which is intended by the sponsors to satisfy a plan filing requirement contained in any other section of this Regulation NMS and part 240, subpart A of this chapter shall, in addition to compliance with this section, also comply with the requirements of such other section.

(8)(i) A participant in an effective national market system plan shall ensure that a current and complete version of the plan is posted on a plan website or on a website designated by plan participants within two business days after notification by the Commission of effectiveness of the plan. Each participant in an effective national market system plan shall ensure that such website is updated to reflect amendments to such plan within two business days after the plan participants have been notified by the Commission of its approval of a proposed amendment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section. If the amendment is not effective for a certain period, the plan participants shall clearly indicate the effective date in the relevant text of the plan. Each plan participant also shall provide a link on its own website to the website with the current version of the plan.

(ii) The plan participants shall ensure that any proposed amendments filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section are posted on a plan website or a designated website no later than two business days after the filing of the proposed amendments with the Commission. If the plan participants do not post a proposed amendment on a plan website or a designated website on the same business day that they file such proposed amendment with the Commission, then the plan participants shall inform the Commission of the business day on which they posted such proposed amendment on a plan website or a designated website. The plan participants shall maintain any proposed amendment to the plan on a plan website or a designated website until the Commission approves the plan amendment and the plan participants update the website to reflect such amendment or the plan participants withdraw the proposed amendment or the plan participants are notified pursuant to paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section that the proposed amendment is not filed in compliance with requirements or the Commission disapproves the proposed amendment. If the plan participants withdraw a proposed amendment or are notified pursuant to paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section that a proposed amendment is not filed in compliance with requirements or the Commission disapproves a proposed amendment, the plan participants shall remove such amendment from the plan website or designated website within two business days of withdrawal, notification of non-compliant filing or disapproval. Each plan participant shall provide a link to the website with the current version of the plan.

(b) Effectiveness of national market system plans. (1) The Commission shall publish notice of the filing of any national market system plan, or any proposed amendment to any effective national market system plan (including any amendment initiated by the Commission), together with the terms of substance of the filing or a description of the subjects and issues involved, and shall provide interested persons an opportunity to submit written comments. No national market system plan, or any amendment thereto, shall become effective unless approved by the Commission or otherwise permitted in accordance with paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(i) Publication of national market system plans. The Commission shall send the notice of the filing of a national market system plan to the Federal Register for publication thereof under this paragraph (b)(1) within 90 days of the business day on which such plan was filed with the Commission pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section. If the Commission fails to send the notice to the Federal Register for publication thereof within such 90-day period, then the date of publication shall be deemed to be the last day of such 90-day period.

(ii) Publication of proposed amendments. The Commission shall send the notice of the filing of a proposed amendment to the Federal Register for publication thereof under this paragraph (b)(1) within 15 days of the business day on which such proposed amendment was posted on a plan website or a website designated by plan participants pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section after being filed with the Commission pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section. If the Commission fails to send the notice to the Federal Register for publication thereof within such 15-day period, then the date of publication shall be deemed to be the business day on which such website posting was made.

(iii) A national market system plan or proposed amendment has not been filed with the Commission for purposes of this paragraph (b)(1) if, not later than 7 business days after the business day of receipt by the Commission, the Commission notifies the plan participants that the filing of the national market system plan or proposed amendment does not comply with paragraph (a) of this section or plan filing requirements in other sections of Regulation NMS and part 240, subpart A of this chapter, except that if the Commission determines that the plan or amendment is unusually lengthy and is complex or raises novel regulatory issues, the Commission shall inform the plan participants of such determination not later than 7 business days after the business day of receipt by the Commission and, for purposes of this paragraph (b)(1), the filing of such plan or amendment has not been made with the Commission if, not later than 21 days after the business day of receipt by the Commission, the Commission notifies the plan participants that the filing of such plan or amendment does not comply with paragraph (a) of this section or plan filing requirements in other sections of Regulation NMS and part 240, subpart A of this chapter.

(iv) For purposes of this section, a “business day” is any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, Federal holiday, a day that the Office of Personnel Management has announced that Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area are closed to the public, a day on which the Commission is subject to a Federal government shutdown or a day on which the Commission's Washington, DC office is otherwise not open for regular business; provided further, a filing received by the Commission or a website posting made at or before 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Saving Time, whichever is currently in effect, on a business day, shall be deemed received or made on that business day, and a filing received by the Commission or a website posting made after 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Saving Time, whichever is currently in effect, shall be deemed received or made on the next business day.

(2) The Commission shall approve a national market system plan or proposed amendment to an effective national market system plan, with such changes or subject to such conditions as the Commission may deem necessary or appropriate, if it finds that such plan or amendment is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors and the maintenance of fair and orderly markets, to remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanisms of, a national market system, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. The Commission shall disapprove a national market system plan or proposed amendment if it does not make such a finding. Approval or disapproval of a national market system plan, or an amendment to an effective national market system plan (other than an amendment initiated by the Commission), shall be by order. Promulgation of an amendment to an effective national market system plan initiated by the Commission shall be by rule.

(i) Within 90 days of the date of publication of notice of the filing of a national market system plan or proposed amendment, or within such longer period as to which the plan participants consent, the Commission shall, by order, approve or disapprove the plan or amendment, or institute proceedings to determine whether the plan or amendment should be disapproved. Proceedings to determine whether the plan or amendment should be disapproved will be conducted pursuant to 17 CFR 201.700 and 201.701. Such proceedings shall include notice of the grounds for disapproval under consideration and opportunity for hearing and shall be concluded within 180 days of the date of publication of notice of the plan or amendment. At the conclusion of such proceedings the Commission shall, by order, approve or disapprove the plan or amendment. The time for conclusion of such proceedings may be extended for up to 60 days (up to 240 days from the date of notice publication) if the Commission determines that a longer period is appropriate and publishes the reasons for such determination or the plan participants consent to the longer period.

(ii) The time for conclusion of proceedings to determine whether a national market system plan or proposed amendment should be disapproved may be extended for an additional period up to 60 days beyond the period set forth in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section (up to 300 days from the date of notice publication) if the Commission determines that a longer period is appropriate and publishes the reasons for such determination or the plan participants consent to the longer period.

(3) A proposed amendment may be put into effect upon filing with the Commission if designated by the sponsors as:

(i) [Reserved]

(ii) Concerned solely with the administration of the plan, or involving the governing or constituent documents relating to any person (other than a self-regulatory organization) authorized to implement or administer such plan on behalf of its sponsors; or

(iii) Involving solely technical or ministerial matters. At any time within 60 days of the filing of any such amendment, the Commission may summarily abrogate the amendment and require that such amendment be refiled in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section and reviewed in accordance with paragraph (b)(2) of this section, if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or the maintenance of fair and orderly markets, to remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanisms of, a national market system or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, a proposed amendment may be put into effect summarily upon publication of notice of such amendment, on a temporary basis not to exceed 120 days, if the Commission finds that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors or the maintenance of fair and orderly markets, to remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanisms of, a national market system or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

(5) Any plan (or amendment thereto) in connection with:

(i) The planning, development, operation, or regulation of a national market system (or a subsystem thereof) or one or more facilities thereof; or

(ii) The development and implementation of procedures and/or facilities designed to achieve compliance by self-regulatory organizations and/or their members of any section of this Regulation NMS (§§ 242.600 through 242.612) and part 240, subpart A of this chapter promulgated pursuant to section 11A of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78k-1), approved by the Commission pursuant to section 11A of the Act (or pursuant to any rule or regulation thereunder) prior to the effective date of this section (either temporarily or permanently) shall be deemed to have been filed and approved pursuant to this section and no additional filing need be made by the sponsors with respect to such plan or amendment; provided, however, that all terms and conditions associated with any such approval (including time limitations) shall continue to be applicable; provided, further, that any amendment to such plan filed with or approved by the Commission on or after the effective date of this section shall be subject to the provisions of, and considered in accordance with the procedures specified in, this section.

(c) Compliance with terms of national market system plans. Each self-regulatory organization shall comply with the terms of any effective national market system plan of which it is a sponsor or a participant. Each self-regulatory organization also shall, absent reasonable justification or excuse, enforce compliance with any such plan by its members and persons associated with its members.

(d) Appeals. The Commission may, in its discretion, entertain appeals in connection with the implementation or operation of any effective national market system plan as follows:

(1) Any action taken or failure to act by any person in connection with an effective national market system plan (other than a prohibition or limitation of access reviewable by the Commission pursuant to section 11A(b)(5) or section 19(d) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78k-1(b)(5) or 78s(d))) shall be subject to review by the Commission, on its own motion or upon application by any person aggrieved thereby (including, but not limited to, self-regulatory organizations, brokers, dealers, issuers, and vendors), filed not later than 30 days after notice of such action or failure to act or within such longer period as the Commission may determine.

(2) Application to the Commission for review, or the institution of review by the Commission on its own motion, shall not operate as a stay of any such action unless the Commission determines otherwise, after notice and opportunity for hearing on the question of a stay (which hearing may consist only of affidavits or oral arguments).

(3) In any proceedings for review, if the Commission, after appropriate notice and opportunity for hearing (which hearing may consist solely of consideration of the record of any proceedings conducted in connection with such action or failure to act and an opportunity for the presentation of reasons supporting or opposing such action or failure to act) and upon consideration of such other data, views, and arguments as it deems relevant, finds that the action or failure to act is in accordance with the applicable provisions of such plan and that the applicable provisions are, and were, applied in a manner consistent with the public interest, the protection of investors, the maintenance of fair and orderly markets, and the removal of impediments to, and the perfection of the mechanisms of a national market system, the Commission, by order, shall dismiss the proceeding. If the Commission does not make any such finding, or if it finds that such action or failure to act imposes any burden on competition not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act, the Commission, by order, shall set aside such action and/or require such action with respect to the matter reviewed as the Commission deems necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, and the maintenance of fair and orderly markets, or to remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanisms of, a national market system.

(e) Exemptions. The Commission may exempt from the provisions of this section, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, any self-regulatory organization, member thereof, or specified security, if the Commission determines that such exemption is consistent with the public interest, the protection of investors, the maintenance of fair and orderly markets and the removal of impediments to, and perfection of the mechanisms of, a national market system.

(b) If any information reported in items 1-13 or item 21 of Form SIP or in any amendment thereto is or becomes inaccurate for any reason, whether before or after the registration has been granted, the securities information processor shall promptly file an amendment on Form SIP correcting such information.

(c) The Commission, upon its own motion or upon application by any securities information processor, may conditionally or unconditionally exempt any securities information processor from any provision of the rules or regulations adopted under section 11A(b) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78k-1(b)).

(d) Every amendment filed pursuant to this section shall constitute a “report” within the meaning of sections 17(a), 18(a) and 32(a) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78q(a), 78r(a), and 78ff(a)).

(b) Quotations of SRO display-only facility. (1) Any trading center that displays quotations in an NMS stock through an SRO display-only facility shall provide a level and cost of access to such quotations that is substantially equivalent to the level and cost of access to quotations displayed by SRO trading facilities in that stock.

(2) Any trading center that displays quotations in an NMS stock through an SRO display-only facility shall not impose unfairly discriminatory terms that prevent or inhibit any person from obtaining efficient access to such quotations through a member, subscriber, or customer of the trading center.

(c) Fees for access to quotations. A trading center shall not impose, nor permit to be imposed, any fee or fees for the execution of an order against a protected quotation of the trading center or against any other quotation of the trading center that is the best bid or best offer of a national securities exchange, the best bid or best offer of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., or the best bid or best offer of a national securities association other than the best bid or best offer of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. in an NMS stock that exceed or accumulate to more than the following limits:

(1) If the price of a protected quotation or other quotation is $1.00 or more, the fee or fees cannot exceed or accumulate to more than $0.003 per share; or

(2) If the price of a protected quotation or other quotation is less than $1.00, the fee or fees cannot exceed or accumulate to more than 0.3% of the quotation price per share.

(d) Locking or crossing quotations. Each national securities exchange and national securities association shall establish, maintain, and enforce written rules that:

(1) Require its members reasonably to avoid:

(i) Displaying quotations that lock or cross any protected quotation in an NMS stock; and

(ii) Displaying manual quotations that lock or cross any quotation in an NMS stock disseminated pursuant to an effective national market system plan;

(2) Are reasonably designed to assure the reconciliation of locked or crossed quotations in an NMS stock; and

(3) Prohibit its members from engaging in a pattern or practice of displaying quotations that lock or cross any protected quotation in an NMS stock, or of displaying manual quotations that lock or cross any quotation in an NMS stock disseminated pursuant to an effective national market system plan, other than displaying quotations that lock or cross any protected or other quotation as permitted by an exception contained in its rules established pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this section.

(e) Exemptions. The Commission, by order, may exempt from the provisions of this section, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, any person, security, quotations, orders, or fees, or any class or classes of persons, securities, quotations, orders, or fees, if the Commission determines that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, and is consistent with the protection of investors.

(1) For Test Group 1, impose, or permit to be imposed, any fee or fees for the display of, or execution against, the displayed best bid or best offer of such market that exceed or accumulate to more than $0.0010 per share;

(2) For Test Group 2, provide to any person, or permit to be provided to any person, a rebate or other remuneration in connection with an execution, or offer, or permit to be offered, any linked pricing that provides a discount or incentive on transaction fees applicable to removing (providing) liquidity that is linked to providing (removing) liquidity, except to the extent the exchange has a rule to provide non-rebate linked pricing to its registered market makers in consideration for meeting market quality metrics; and

(3) For the Control Group, impose, or permit to be imposed, any fee or fees in contravention of the limits specified in § 242.610(c).

(b) Pilot securities—(1) Initial List of Pilot Securities. (i) The Commission shall designate by notice the initial List of Pilot Securities, and shall assign each Pilot Security to one Test Group or the Control Group. Further, the Commission may designate by notice the assignment of NMS stocks that are interlisted on a Canadian securities exchange to Test Group 2 or the Control Group.

(ii) For purposes of this section, “Pilot Securities” means the NMS stocks designated by the Commission on the initial List of Pilot Securities pursuant to paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section and any successors to such NMS stocks. At the time of selection by the Commission, an NMS stock must have a minimum share price of $2 to be included in the Pilot and must have an unlimited duration or a duration beyond the end of the post-Pilot Period. In addition, an NMS stock must have an average daily volume of 30,000 shares or more to be included in the Pilot. If the share price of a Pilot Security in one of the Test Groups or the Control Group closes below $1 at the end of a trading day, it shall be removed from the Pilot.

(iii) For purposes of this section, “primary listing exchange” means the national securities exchange on which the NMS stock is listed. If an NMS stock is listed on more than one national securities exchange, the national securities exchange upon which the NMS stock has been listed the longest shall be the primary listing exchange.

(2) Pilot Securities Exchange Lists. (i) After the Commission selects the initial List of Pilot Securities and prior to the beginning of trading on the first day of the Pilot Period each primary listing exchange shall publicly post on its website downloadable files containing a list, in pipe-delimited ASCII format, of the Pilot Securities for which the exchange serves as the primary listing exchange. Each primary listing exchange shall maintain and update this list as necessary prior to the beginning of trading on each business day that the U.S. equities markets are open for trading through the end of the post-Pilot Period.

(ii) The Pilot Securities Exchange Lists shall contain the following fields:

(A) Ticker Symbol;

(B) Security Name;

(C) Primary Listing Exchange;

(D) Security Type:

(1) Common Stock;

(2) ETP;

(3) Preferred Stock;

(4) Warrant;

(5) Closed-End Fund;

(6) Structured Product;

(7) ADR; and

(8) Other;

(E) Pilot Group:

(1) Control Group;

(2) Test Group 1; and

(3) Test Group 2;

(F) Stratum Code; and

(G) Date the Entry Was Last Updated.

(3) Pilot Securities Change Lists. (i) Prior to the beginning of trading on each trading day the U.S. equities markets are open for trading throughout the end of the post-Pilot Period, each primary listing exchange shall publicly post on its website downloadable files containing a Pilot Securities Change List, in pipe-delimited ASCII format, that lists each separate change applicable to any Pilot Securities for which it serves or has served as the primary listing exchange. The Pilot Securities Change List will provide a cumulative list of all changes to the Pilot Securities that the primary listing exchange has made to the Pilot Securities Exchange List published pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(ii) In addition to the fields required for the Pilot Securities Exchange List, the Pilot Securities Change Lists shall contain the following fields:

(A) New Ticker Symbol (if applicable);

(B) New Security Name (if applicable);

(C) Deleted Date (if applicable);

(D) Date Security Closed Below $1 (if applicable);

(E) Effective Date of Change; and

(F) Reason for the Change.

(4) Posting requirement. All information publicly posted in downloadable files pursuant to paragraphs (b)(2) and (3) of this section shall be and remain freely and persistently available and easily accessible by the general public on the primary listing exchange's website for a period of not less than five years from the conclusion of the post-Pilot Period. In addition, the information shall be presented in a manner that facilitates access by machines without encumbrance, and shall not be subject to any restrictions, including restrictions on access, retrieval, distribution and reuse.

(c) Pilot duration. (1) The Pilot shall include:

(i) A six-month “pre-Pilot Period;”

(ii) A two-year “Pilot Period” with an automatic sunset at the end of the first year unless, no later than thirty days prior to that time, the Commission publishes a notice that the Pilot shall continue for up to one additional year; and

(iii) A six-month “post-Pilot Period.”

(2) The Commission shall designate by notice the commencement and termination dates of the pre-Pilot Period, Pilot Period, and post-Pilot Period, including any suspension of the one-year sunset of the Pilot Period.

(d) Order routing datasets. Throughout the duration of the Pilot, including the pre-Pilot Period and post-Pilot Period, each national securities exchange that facilitates trading in NMS stocks shall prepare and transmit to the Commission a file, in pipe-delimited ASCII format, no later than the last day of each month, containing sets of order routing data, for the prior month, in accordance with the specifications in paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this section. For the pre-Pilot Period, order routing datasets shall include each NMS stock. For the Pilot Period and post-Pilot Period, order routing datasets shall include each Pilot Security. Each national securities exchange shall treat the order routing datasets as regulatory information and shall not access or use that information for any commercial or non-regulatory purpose.

(1) Dataset of daily volume statistics, with field names as the first record and a consistent naming convention that indicates the exchange and date of the file, that include the following specifications of liquidity-providing orders by security and separating orders by order designation (exchanges may exclude auction orders) and order capacity:

(i) Code identifying the submitting exchange.

(ii) Eight-digit code identifying the date of the calendar day of trading in the format “yyyymmdd.”

(iii) Symbol assigned to an NMS stock (including ETPs) under the national market system plan to which the consolidated best bid and offer for such a security are disseminated.

(iv) The broker-dealer's CRD number and MPID.

(v) Order type code:

(A) Inside-the-quote orders;

(B) At-the-quote limit orders; and

(C) Near-the-quote limit orders.

(vi) Order size codes:

(A) <100 share bucket;

(B) 100-499 share bucket;

(C) 500-1,999 share bucket;

(D) 2,000-4,999 share bucket;

(E) 5,000-9,999 share bucket; and

(F) ≥10,000 share bucket.

(vii) Number of orders received.

(viii) Cumulative number of shares of orders received.

(ix) Cumulative number of shares of orders cancelled prior to execution.

(x) Cumulative number of shares of orders executed at receiving market center.

(xi) Cumulative number of shares of orders routed to another execution venue.

(xii) Cumulative number of shares of orders executed within:

(A) 0 to < 100 microseconds of order receipt;

(B) 100 microseconds to < 100 milliseconds of order receipt;

(C) 100 milliseconds to < 1 second of order receipt;

(D) 1 second to < 30 seconds of order receipt;

(E) 30 seconds to < 60 seconds of order receipt;

(F) 60 seconds to < 5 minutes of order receipt;

(G) 5 minutes to < 30 minutes of order receipt; and

(H) ≥ 30 minutes of order receipt.

(2) Dataset of daily volume statistics, with field names as the first record and a consistent naming convention that indicates the exchange and date of the file, that include the following specifications of liquidity-taking orders by security and separating orders by order designation (exchanges may exclude auction orders) and order capacity:

(i) Code identifying the submitting exchange.

(ii) Eight-digit code identifying the date of the calendar day of trading in the format “yyyymmdd.”

(iii) Symbol assigned to an NMS stock (including ETPs) under the national market system plan to which the consolidated best bid and offer for such a security are disseminated.

(iv) The broker-dealer's CRD number and MPID.

(v) Order type code:

(A) Market orders; and

(B) Marketable limit orders.

(vi) Order size codes:

(A) <100 share bucket;

(B) 100-499 share bucket;

(C) 500-1,999 share bucket;

(D) 2,000-4,999 share bucket;

(E) 5,000-9,999 share bucket; and

(F) ≥10,000 share bucket.

(vii) Number of orders received.

(viii) Cumulative number of shares of orders received.

(ix) Cumulative number of shares of orders cancelled prior to execution.

(x) Cumulative number of shares of orders executed at receiving market center.

(xi) Cumulative number of shares of orders routed to another execution venue.

(e) Exchange Transaction Fee Summary. Throughout the duration of the Pilot, including the pre-Pilot Period and post-Pilot Period, each national securities exchange that facilitates trading in NMS stocks shall publicly post on its website downloadable files containing information relating to transaction fees and rebates and changes thereto (applicable to securities having a price equal to or greater than $1). Each national securities exchange shall post its initial Exchange Transaction Fee Summary prior to the start of trading on the first day of the pre-Pilot Period and update its Exchange Transaction Fee Summary on a monthly basis within 10 business days of the first day of each calendar month, to reflect data collected for the prior month. The information prescribed by this section shall be made available using the most recent version of the XML schema published on the Commission's website. All information publicly posted pursuant to this paragraph (e) shall be and remain freely and persistently available and easily accessible on the national securities exchange's website for a period of not less than five years from the conclusion of the post-Pilot Period. In addition, the information shall be presented in a manner that facilitates access by machines without encumbrance, and shall not be subject to any restrictions, including restrictions on access, retrieval, distribution, and reuse. The Exchange Transaction Fee Summary shall contain the following fields:

(1) Exchange Name;

(2) Record Type Indicator:

(i) Reported Fee is the Monthly Average;

(ii) Reported Fee is the Median; and

(iii) Reported Fee is the Spot Monthly;

(3) Participant Type:

(i) Registered Market Maker; and

(ii) All Others;

(4) Pilot Group:

(i) Control Group;

(ii) Test Group 1; and

(iii) Test Group 2;

(5) Applicability to Displayed and Non-Displayed Interest:

(i) Displayed only;

(ii) Non-displayed only; and

(iii) Both displayed and non-displayed;

(6) Applicability to Top and Depth of Book Interest:

(i) Top of book only;

(ii) Depth of book only; and

(iii) Both top and depth of book;

(7) Effective Date of Fee or Rebate;

(8) End Date of Currently Reported Fee or Rebate (if applicable);

(9) Month and Year of the monthly realized reported average and median per share fees and rebates;

(10) Pre/Post Fee Changes Indicator (if applicable) denoting implementation of a new fee or rebate on a day other than the first day of the month;

(11) Base and Top Tier Fee or Rebate:

(i) Take (to remove):

(A) Base Fee/Rebate reflecting the standard amount assessed or rebated before any applicable discounts, tiers, caps, or other incentives are applied; and

(B) Top Tier Fee/Rebate reflecting the amount assessed or rebated after any applicable discounts, tiers, caps, or other incentives are applied; and

(ii) Make (to provide):

(A) Base Fee/Rebate reflecting the standard amount assessed or rebated before any applicable discounts, tiers, caps, or other incentives are applied; and

(B) Top Tier Fee/Rebate reflecting the amount assessed or rebated after any applicable discounts, tiers, caps, or other incentives are applied;

(12) Average Take Fee (Rebate)/Average Make Rebate (Fee), by Participant Type, Test Group, Displayed/Non-Displayed, and Top/Depth of Book; and

(13) Median Take Fee (Rebate)/Median Make Fee (Rebate), by Participant Type, Test Group, Displayed/Non-Displayed, and Top/Depth of Book.

(2) A trading center shall regularly surveil to ascertain the effectiveness of the policies and procedures required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section and shall take prompt action to remedy deficiencies in such policies and procedures.

(b) Exceptions. (1) The transaction that constituted the trade-through was effected when the trading center displaying the protected quotation that was traded through was experiencing a failure, material delay, or malfunction of its systems or equipment.

(2) The transaction that constituted the trade-through was not a “regular way” contract.

(3) The transaction that constituted the trade-through was a single-priced opening, reopening, or closing transaction by the trading center.

(4) The transaction that constituted the trade-through was executed at a time when a protected bid was priced higher than a protected offer in the NMS stock.

(5) The transaction that constituted the trade-through was the execution of an order identified as an intermarket sweep order.

(6) The transaction that constituted the trade-through was effected by a trading center that simultaneously routed an intermarket sweep order to execute against the full displayed size of any protected quotation in the NMS stock that was traded through.

(7) The transaction that constituted the trade-through was the execution of an order at a price that was not based, directly or indirectly, on the quoted price of the NMS stock at the time of execution and for which the material terms were not reasonably determinable at the time the commitment to execute the order was made.

(8) The trading center displaying the protected quotation that was traded through had displayed, within one second prior to execution of the transaction that constituted the trade-through, a best bid or best offer, as applicable, for the NMS stock with a price that was equal or inferior to the price of the trade-through transaction.

(9) The transaction that constituted the trade-through was the execution by a trading center of an order for which, at the time of receipt of the order, the trading center had guaranteed an execution at no worse than a specified price (a “stopped order”), where:

(i) The stopped order was for the account of a customer;

(ii) The customer agreed to the specified price on an order-by-order basis; and

(iii) The price of the trade-through transaction was, for a stopped buy order, lower than the national best bid in the NMS stock at the time of execution or, for a stopped sell order, higher than the national best offer in the NMS stock at the time of execution.

(c) Intermarket sweep orders. The trading center, broker, or dealer responsible for the routing of an intermarket sweep order shall take reasonable steps to establish that such order meets the requirements set forth in § 242.600(b)(47).

(d) Exemptions. The Commission, by order, may exempt from the provisions of this section, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, any person, security, transaction, quotation, or order, or any class or classes of persons, securities, quotations, or orders, if the Commission determines that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, and is consistent with the protection of investors.

(b) No national securities exchange, national securities association, alternative trading system, vendor, or broker or dealer shall display, rank, or accept from any person a bid or offer, an order, or an indication of interest in any NMS stock priced in an increment smaller than $0.0001 if that bid or offer, order, or indication of interest is priced less than $1.00 per share.

(c) The Commission, by order, may exempt from the provisions of this section, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, any person, security, quotation, or order, or any class or classes of persons, securities, quotations, or orders, if the Commission determines that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, and is consistent with the protection of investors.

(1) Each national securities exchange and national securities association shall jointly file on or before 270 days from the date of publication of the Adopting Release in the Federal Register a national market system plan to govern the creation, implementation, and maintenance of a consolidated audit trail and central repository as required by this section. The national market system plan shall discuss the following considerations:

(i) The method(s) by which data will be reported to the central repository including, but not limited to, the sources of such data and the manner in which the central repository will receive, extract, transform, load, and retain such data; and the basis for selecting such method(s);

(ii) The time and method by which the data in the central repository will be made available to regulators, in accordance with paragraph (e)(1) of this section, to perform surveillance or analyses, or for other purposes as part of their regulatory and oversight responsibilities;

(iii) The reliability and accuracy of the data reported to and maintained by the central repository throughout its lifecycle, including transmission and receipt from market participants; data extraction, transformation and loading at the central repository; data maintenance and management at the central repository; and data access by regulators;

(iv) The security and confidentiality of the information reported to the central repository;

(v) The flexibility and scalability of the systems used by the central repository to collect, consolidate and store consolidated audit trail data, including the capacity of the consolidated audit trail to efficiently incorporate, in a cost-effective manner, improvements in technology, additional capacity, additional order data, information about additional securities or transactions, changes in regulatory requirements, and other developments;

(vi) The feasibility, benefits, and costs of broker-dealers reporting to the consolidated audit trail in a timely manner:

(A) The identity of all market participants (including broker-dealers and customers) that are allocated NMS securities, directly or indirectly, in a primary market transaction;

(B) The number of such securities each such market participant is allocated; and

(C) The identity of the broker-dealer making each such allocation;

(vii) The detailed estimated costs for creating, implementing, and maintaining the consolidated audit trail as contemplated by the national market system plan, which estimated costs should specify:

(A) An estimate of the costs to the plan sponsors for establishing and maintaining the central repository;

(B) An estimate of the costs to members of the plan sponsors, initially and on an ongoing basis, for reporting the data required by the national market system plan;

(C) An estimate of the costs to the plan sponsors, initially and on an ongoing basis, for reporting the data required by the national market system plan; and

(D) How the plan sponsors propose to fund the creation, implementation, and maintenance of the consolidated audit trail, including the proposed allocation of such estimated costs among the plan sponsors, and between the plan sponsors and members of the plan sponsors;

(viii) An analysis of the impact on competition, efficiency and capital formation of creating, implementing, and maintaining of the national market system plan;

(ix) A plan to eliminate existing rules and systems (or components thereof) that will be rendered duplicative by the consolidated audit trail, including identification of such rules and systems (or components thereof); to the extent that any existing rules or systems related to monitoring quotes, orders, and executions provide information that is not rendered duplicative by the consolidated audit trail, an analysis of:

(A) Whether the collection of such information remains appropriate;

(B) If still appropriate, whether such information should continue to be separately collected or should instead be incorporated into the consolidated audit trail; and

(C) If no longer appropriate, how the collection of such information could be efficiently terminated; the steps the plan sponsors propose to take to seek Commission approval for the elimination of such rules and systems (or components thereof); and a timetable for such elimination, including a description of how the plan sponsors propose to phase in the consolidated audit trail and phase out such existing rules and systems (or components thereof);

(x) Objective milestones to assess progress toward the implementation of the national market system plan;

(xi) The process by which the plan sponsors solicited views of their members and other appropriate parties regarding the creation, implementation, and maintenance of the consolidated audit trail, a summary of the views of such members and other parties, and how the plan sponsors took such views into account in preparing the national market system plan; and

(xii) Any reasonable alternative approaches to creating, implementing, and maintaining a consolidated audit trail that the plan sponsors considered in developing the national market system plan including, but not limited to, a description of any such alternative approach; the relative advantages and disadvantages of each such alternative, including an assessment of the alternative's costs and benefits; and the basis upon which the plan sponsors selected the approach reflected in the national market system plan.

(2) The national market system plan, or any amendment thereto, filed pursuant to this section shall comply with the requirements in § 242.608(a), if applicable, and be filed with the Commission pursuant to § 242.608.

(3) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require each national securities exchange and national securities association to:

(i) Within two months after effectiveness of the national market system plan jointly (or under the governance structure described in the plan) select a person to be the plan processor;

(ii) Within four months after effectiveness of the national market system plan synchronize their business clocks and require members of each such exchange and association to synchronize their business clocks in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section;

(iii) Within one year after effectiveness of the national market system plan provide to the central repository the data specified in paragraph (c) of this section;

(iv) Within fourteen months after effectiveness of the national market system plan implement a new or enhanced surveillance system(s) as required by paragraph (f) of this section;

(v) Within two years after effectiveness of the national market system plan require members of each such exchange and association, except those members that qualify as small broker-dealers as defined in § 240.0-10(c) of this chapter, to provide to the central repository the data specified in paragraph (c) of this section; and

(vi) Within three years after effectiveness of the national market system plan require members of each such exchange and association that qualify as small broker-dealers as defined in § 240.0-10(c) of this chapter to provide to the central repository the data specified in paragraph (c) of this section.

(4) Each national securities exchange and national securities association shall be a sponsor of the national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section and approved by the Commission.

(5) No national market system plan filed pursuant to this section, or any amendment thereto, shall become effective unless approved by the Commission or otherwise permitted in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 242.608. In determining whether to approve the national market system plan, or any amendment thereto, and whether the national market system plan or any amendment thereto is in the public interest under § 242.608(b)(2), the Commission shall consider the impact of the national market system plan or amendment, as applicable, on efficiency, competition, and capital formation.

(b) Operation and administration of the national market system plan.

(1) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a governance structure to ensure fair representation of the plan sponsors, and administration of the central repository, including the selection of the plan processor.

(2) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a provision addressing the requirements for the admission of new sponsors of the plan and the withdrawal of existing sponsors from the plan.

(3) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a provision addressing the percentage of votes required by the plan sponsors to effectuate amendments to the plan.

(4) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a provision addressing the manner in which the costs of operating the central repository will be allocated among the national securities exchanges and national securities associations that are sponsors of the plan, including a provision addressing the manner in which costs will be allocated to new sponsors to the plan.

(5) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require the appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer to regularly review the operation of the central repository to assure its continued effectiveness in light of market and technological developments, and make any appropriate recommendations for enhancements to the nature of the information collected and the manner in which it is processed.

(6) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a provision requiring the plan sponsors to provide to the Commission, at least every two years after effectiveness of the national market system plan, a written assessment of the operation of the consolidated audit trail. Such document shall include, at a minimum:

(i) An evaluation of the performance of the consolidated audit trail including, at a minimum, with respect to data accuracy (consistent with paragraph (e)(6) of this section), timeliness of reporting, comprehensiveness of data elements, efficiency of regulatory access, system speed, system downtime, system security (consistent with paragraph (e)(4) of this section), and other performance metrics to be determined by the Chief Compliance Officer, along with a description of such metrics;

(ii) A detailed plan, based on such evaluation, for any potential improvements to the performance of the consolidated audit trail with respect to any of the following: improving data accuracy; shortening reporting timeframes; expanding data elements; adding granularity and details regarding the scope and nature of Customer-IDs; expanding the scope of the national market system plan to include new instruments and new types of trading and order activities; improving the efficiency of regulatory access; increasing system speed; reducing system downtime; and improving performance under other metrics to be determined by the Chief Compliance Officer;

(iii) An estimate of the costs associated with any such potential improvements to the performance of the consolidated audit trail, including an assessment of the potential impact on competition, efficiency, and capital formation; and

(iv) An estimated implementation timeline for any such potential improvements, if applicable.

(7) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include an Advisory Committee which shall function in accordance with the provisions set forth in this paragraph (b)(7). The purpose of the Advisory Committee shall be to advise the plan sponsors on the implementation, operation, and administration of the central repository.

(i) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall set forth the term and composition of the Advisory Committee, which composition shall include representatives of the member firms of the plan sponsors.

(ii) Members of the Advisory Committee shall have the right to attend any meetings of the plan sponsors, to receive information concerning the operation of the central repository, and to provide their views to the plan sponsors; provided, however, that the plan sponsors may meet without the Advisory Committee members in executive session if, by affirmative vote of a majority of the plan sponsors, the plan sponsors determine that such an executive session is required.

(c) Data recording and reporting.

(1) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall provide for an accurate, time-sequenced record of orders beginning with the receipt or origination of an order by a member of a national securities exchange or national securities association, and further documenting the life of the order through the process of routing, modification, cancellation, and execution (in whole or in part) of the order.

(2) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require each national securities exchange, national securities association, and member to report to the central repository the information required by paragraph (c)(7) of this section in a uniform electronic format, or in a manner that would allow the central repository to convert the data to a uniform electronic format, for consolidation and storage.

(3) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require each national securities exchange, national securities association, and member to record the information required by paragraphs (c)(7)(i) through (v) of this section contemporaneously with the reportable event. The national market system plan shall require that information recorded pursuant to paragraphs (c)(7)(i) through (v) of this section must be reported to the central repository by 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the trading day following the day such information has been recorded by the national securities exchange, national securities association, or member. The national market system plan may accommodate voluntary reporting prior to 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, but shall not impose an earlier reporting deadline on the reporting parties.

(4) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require each member of a national securities exchange or national securities association to record and report to the central repository the information required by paragraphs (c)(7)(vi) through (viii) of this section by 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the trading day following the day the member receives such information. The national market system plan may accommodate voluntary reporting prior to 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, but shall not impose an earlier reporting deadline on the reporting parties.

(5) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require each national securities exchange and its members to record and report to the central repository the information required by paragraph (c)(7) of this section for each NMS security registered or listed for trading on such exchange or admitted to unlisted trading privileges on such exchange.

(6) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require each national securities association and its members to record and report to the central repository the information required by paragraph (c)(7) of this section for each NMS security for which transaction reports are required to be submitted to the association.

(7) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require each national securities exchange, national securities association, and any member of such exchange or association to record and electronically report to the central repository details for each order and each reportable event, including, but not limited to, the following information:

(i) For original receipt or origination of an order:

(A) Customer-ID(s) for each customer;

(B) The CAT-Order-ID;

(C) The CAT-Reporter-ID of the broker-dealer receiving or originating the order;

(D) Date of order receipt or origination;

(E) Time of order receipt or origination (using time stamps pursuant to paragraph (d)(3) of this section); and

(F) Material terms of the order.

(ii) For the routing of an order, the following information:

(A) The CAT-Order-ID;

(B) Date on which the order is routed;

(C) Time at which the order is routed (using time stamps pursuant to paragraph (d)(3) of this section);

(D) The CAT-Reporter-ID of the broker-dealer or national securities exchange routing the order;

(E) The CAT-Reporter-ID of the broker-dealer, national securities exchange, or national securities association to which the order is being routed;

(F) If routed internally at the broker-dealer, the identity and nature of the department or desk to which an order is routed; and

(G) Material terms of the order.

(iii) For the receipt of an order that has been routed, the following information:

(A) The CAT-Order-ID;

(B) Date on which the order is received;

(C) Time at which the order is received (using time stamps pursuant to paragraph (d)(3) of this section);

(D) The CAT-Reporter-ID of the broker-dealer, national securities exchange, or national securities association receiving the order;

(E) The CAT-Reporter-ID of the broker-dealer or national securities exchange routing the order; and

(F) Material terms of the order.

(iv) If the order is modified or cancelled, the following information:

(A) The CAT-Order-ID;

(B) Date the modification or cancellation is received or originated;

(C) Time the modification or cancellation is received or originated (using time stamps pursuant to paragraph (d)(3) of this section);

(D) Price and remaining size of the order, if modified;

(E) Other changes in material terms of the order, if modified; and

(F) The CAT-Reporter-ID of the broker-dealer or Customer-ID of the person giving the modification or cancellation instruction.

(v) If the order is executed, in whole or part, the following information:

(A) The CAT-Order-ID;

(B) Date of execution;

(C) Time of execution (using time stamps pursuant to paragraph (d)(3) of this section);

(D) Execution capacity (principal, agency, riskless principal);

(E) Execution price and size;

(F) The CAT-Reporter-ID of the national securities exchange or broker-dealer executing the order; and

(G) Whether the execution was reported pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan or the Plan for Reporting of Consolidated Options Last Sale Reports and Quotation Information.

(vi) If the order is executed, in whole or part, the following information:

(A) The account number for any subaccounts to which the execution is allocated (in whole or part);

(B) The CAT-Reporter-ID of the clearing broker or prime broker, if applicable; and

(C) The CAT-Order-ID of any contra-side order(s).

(vii) If the trade is cancelled, a cancelled trade indicator.

(viii) For original receipt or origination of an order, the following information:

(A) Information of sufficient detail to identify the customer; and

(B) Customer account information.

(8) All plan sponsors and their members shall use the same Customer-ID and CAT-Reporter-ID for each customer and broker-dealer.

(d) Clock synchronization and time stamps. The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require:

(1) Each national securities exchange, national securities association, and member of such exchange or association to synchronize its business clocks that are used for the purposes of recording the date and time of any reportable event that must be reported pursuant to this section to the time maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, consistent with industry standards;

(2) Each national securities exchange and national securities association to evaluate annually the clock synchronization standard to determine whether it should be shortened, consistent with changes in industry standards; and

(3) Each national securities exchange, national securities association, and member of such exchange or association to utilize the time stamps required by paragraph (c)(7) of this section, with at minimum the granularity set forth in the national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section, which shall reflect current industry standards and be at least to the millisecond. To the extent that the relevant order handling and execution systems of any national securities exchange, national securities association, or member of such exchange or association utilize time stamps in increments finer than the minimum required by the national market system plan, the plan shall require such national securities exchange, national securities association, or member to utilize time stamps in such finer increments when providing data to the central repository, so that all reportable events reported to the central repository by any national securities exchange, national securities association, or member can be accurately sequenced. The national market system plan shall require the sponsors of the national market system plan to annually evaluate whether industry standards have evolved such that the required time stamp standard should be in finer increments.

(e) Central repository.

(1) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall provide for the creation and maintenance of a central repository. Such central repository shall be responsible for the receipt, consolidation, and retention of all information reported pursuant to paragraph (c)(7) of this section. The central repository shall store and make available to regulators data in a uniform electronic format, and in a form in which all events pertaining to the same originating order are linked together in a manner that ensures timely and accurate retrieval of the information required by paragraph (c)(7) of this section for all reportable events for that order.

(2) Each national securities exchange, national securities association, and the Commission shall have access to the central repository, including all systems operated by the central repository, and access to and use of the data reported to and consolidated by the central repository under paragraph (c) of this section, for the purpose of performing its respective regulatory and oversight responsibilities pursuant to the federal securities laws, rules, and regulations. The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall provide that such access to and use of such data by each national securities exchange, national securities association, and the Commission for the purpose of performing its regulatory and oversight responsibilities pursuant to the federal securities laws, rules, and regulations shall not be limited.

(3) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a provision requiring the creation and maintenance by the plan processor of a method of access to the consolidated data stored in the central repository that includes the ability to run searches and generate reports.

(4) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include policies and procedures, including standards, to be used by the plan processor to:

(i) Ensure the security and confidentiality of all information reported to the central repository by requiring that:

(A) All plan sponsors and their employees, as well as all employees of the central repository, agree to use appropriate safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of such data and agree not to use such data for any purpose other than surveillance and regulatory purposes, provided that nothing in this paragraph (e)(4)(i)(A) shall be construed to prevent a plan sponsor from using the data that it reports to the central repository for regulatory, surveillance, commercial, or other purposes as otherwise permitted by applicable law, rule, or regulation;

(B) Each plan sponsor adopt and enforce rules that:

(1) Require information barriers between regulatory staff and non-regulatory staff with regard to access and use of data in the central repository; and

(2) Permit only persons designated by plan sponsors to have access to the data in the central repository;

(C) The plan processor:

(1) Develop and maintain a comprehensive information security program for the central repository, with dedicated staff, that is subject to regular reviews by the Chief Compliance Officer;

(2) Have a mechanism to confirm the identity of all persons permitted to access the data; and

(3) Maintain a record of all instances where such persons access the data; and

(D) The plan sponsors adopt penalties for non-compliance with any policies and procedures of the plan sponsors or central repository with respect to information security.

(ii) Ensure the timeliness, accuracy, integrity, and completeness of the data provided to the central repository pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section; and

(iii) Ensure the accuracy of the consolidation by the plan processor of the data provided to the central repository pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.

(5) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall address whether there will be an annual independent evaluation of the security of the central repository and:

(i) If so, provide a description of the scope of such planned evaluation; and

(ii) If not, provide a detailed explanation of the alternative measures for evaluating the security of the central repository that are planned instead.

(6) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall:

(i) Specify a maximum error rate to be tolerated by the central repository for any data reported pursuant to paragraphs (c)(3) and (c)(4) of this section; describe the basis for selecting such maximum error rate; explain how the plan sponsors will seek to reduce such maximum error rate over time; describe how the plan will seek to ensure compliance with such maximum error rate and, in the event of noncompliance, will promptly remedy the causes thereof;

(ii) Require the central repository to measure the error rate each business day and promptly take appropriate remedial action, at a minimum, if the error rate exceeds the maximum error rate specified in the plan;

(iii) Specify a process for identifying and correcting errors in the data reported to the central repository pursuant to paragraphs (c)(3) and (c)(4) of this section, including the process for notifying the national securities exchanges, national securities association, and members who reported erroneous data to the central repository of such errors, to help ensure that such errors are promptly corrected by the reporting entity, and for disciplining those who repeatedly report erroneous data; and

(iv) Specify the time by which data that has been corrected will be made available to regulators.

(7) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require the central repository to collect and retain on a current and continuing basis and in a format compatible with the information consolidated and stored pursuant to paragraph (c)(7) of this section:

(i) Information, including the size and quote condition, on the national best bid and national best offer for each NMS security;

(ii) Transaction reports reported pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan filed with the Commission pursuant to, and meeting the requirements of, § 242.601; and

(iii) Last sale reports reported pursuant to the Plan for Reporting of Consolidated Options Last Sale Reports and Quotation Information filed with the Commission pursuant to, and meeting the requirements of, § 242.608.

(8) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall require the central repository to retain the information collected pursuant to paragraphs (c)(7) and (e)(7) of this section in a convenient and usable standard electronic data format that is directly available and searchable electronically without any manual intervention for a period of not less than five years.

(f) Surveillance. Every national securities exchange and national securities association subject to this section shall develop and implement a surveillance system, or enhance existing surveillance systems, reasonably designed to make use of the consolidated information contained in the consolidated audit trail.

(g) Compliance by members.

(1) Each national securities exchange and national securities association shall file with the Commission pursuant to section 19(b)(2) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)) and § 240.19b-4 of this chapter on or before 60 days from approval of the national market system plan a proposed rule change to require its members to comply with the requirements of this section and the national market system plan approved by the Commission.

(2) Each member of a national securities exchange or national securities association shall comply with all the provisions of any approved national market system plan applicable to members.

(3) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a provision requiring each national securities exchange and national securities association to agree to enforce compliance by its members with the provisions of any approved plan.

(4) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a mechanism to ensure compliance with the requirements of any approved plan by the members of a national securities exchange or national securities association.

(h) Compliance by national securities exchanges and national securities associations.

(1) Each national securities exchange and national securities association shall comply with the provisions of the national market system plan approved by the Commission.

(2) Any failure by a national securities exchange or national securities association to comply with the provisions of the national market system plan approved by the Commission shall be considered a violation of this section.

(3) The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a mechanism to ensure compliance by the sponsors of the plan with the requirements of any approved plan. Such enforcement mechanism may include penalties where appropriate.

(i) Other securities and other types of transactions. The national market system plan submitted pursuant to this section shall include a provision requiring each national securities exchange and national securities association to jointly provide to the Commission within six months after effectiveness of the national market system plan a document outlining how such exchanges and associations could incorporate into the consolidated audit trail information with respect to equity securities that are not NMS securities, debt securities, primary market transactions in equity securities that are not NMS securities, and primary market transactions in debt securities, including details for each order and reportable event that may be required to be provided, which market participants may be required to provide the data, an implementation timeline, and a cost estimate.

(j) Definitions. As used in this section:

(1) The term CAT-Order-ID shall mean a unique order identifier or series of unique order identifiers that allows the central repository to efficiently and accurately link all reportable events for an order, and all orders that result from the aggregation or disaggregation of such order.

(2) The term CAT-Reporter-ID shall mean, with respect to each national securities exchange, national securities association, and member of a national securities exchange or national securities association, a code that uniquely and consistently identifies such person for purposes of providing data to the central repository.

(3) The term customer shall mean:

(i) The account holder(s) of the account at a registered broker-dealer originating the order; and

(ii) Any person from whom the broker-dealer is authorized to accept trading instructions for such account, if different from the account holder(s).

(4) The term customer account information shall include, but not be limited to, account number, account type, customer type, date account opened, and large trader identifier (if applicable).

(5) The term Customer-ID shall mean, with respect to a customer, a code that uniquely and consistently identifies such customer for purposes of providing data to the central repository.

(6) The term error rate shall mean the percentage of reportable events collected by the central repository in which the data reported does not fully and accurately reflect the order event that occurred in the market.

(7) The term material terms of the order shall include, but not be limited to, the NMS security symbol; security type; price (if applicable); size (displayed and non-displayed); side (buy/sell); order type; if a sell order, whether the order is long, short, short exempt; open/close indicator; time in force (if applicable); if the order is for a listed option, option type (put/call), option symbol or root symbol, underlying symbol, strike price, expiration date, and open/close; and any special handling instructions.

(8) The term order shall include:

(i) Any order received by a member of a national securities exchange or national securities association from any person;

(ii) Any order originated by a member of a national securities exchange or national securities association; or

(iii) Any bid or offer.

(9) The term reportable event shall include, but not be limited to, the original receipt or origination, modification, cancellation, routing, and execution (in whole or in part) of an order, and receipt of a routed order.