Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade Shares of the iShares U.S. Fixed Income Balanced Risk ETF of the iShares U.S. ETF Trust Under Rule 14.11(i)
Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2015)
Federal Register Volume 80, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2015)
Notices
Pages 585-593
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov
FR Doc No: 2014-30901
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Release No. 34-73965; File No. SR-BATS-2014-056
Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade Shares of the iShares U.S. Fixed Income Balanced Risk ETF of the iShares U.S. ETF Trust Under Rule 14.11(i)
December 30, 2014.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that on December 19, 2014, BATS Exchange, Inc. (the ``Exchange'' or ``BATS'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
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\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
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Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of the Substance of the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange filed a proposal list and trade shares of the iShares U.S. Fixed Income Balanced Risk ETF (the ``Fund'') of the iShares U.S. ETF Trust (the ``Trust'') under BATS Rule 14.11(i) (``Managed Fund Shares''). The shares of the Fund are collectively referred to herein as the ``Shares.''
The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange's Web site at http://www.batstrading.com/, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.
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Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts of such statements.
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Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
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Purpose
The Exchange proposes to list and trade the Shares under BATS Rule 14.11(i), which governs the listing and trading of Managed Fund Shares on the Exchange.\3\ The Fund will be an actively managed fund. The Shares will be offered by the Trust, which was established as a Delaware statutory trust on June 21, 2011. The Trust is registered with the Commission as an open-end investment company and has filed a registration statement on behalf of the Fund on Form N-1A (``Registration Statement'') with the Commission.\4\
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\3\ The Commission approved BATS Rule 14.11(i) in Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65225 (August 30, 2011), 76 FR 55148 (September 6, 2011) (SR-BATS-2011-018).
\4\ See Registration Statement on Form N-1A for the Trust, dated April 21, 2014 (File Nos. 333-179904 and 811-22649). The descriptions of the Fund and the Shares contained herein are based, in part, on information in the Registration Statement. The Commission has issued an order granting certain exemptive relief to the Company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-
1) (``1940 Act'') (the ``Exemptive Order''). See Investment Company Act Release No. 29571 (January 24, 2011) (File No. 812-13601).
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Description of the Shares and the Fund
BlackRock Fund Advisors is the investment adviser (``BFA'' or ``Adviser'') to the Fund.\5\ State Street Bank and Trust Company is the administrator, custodian, and transfer agent for the Trust. BlackRock Investments, LLC (``Distributor'') serves as the distributor for the Trust.
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\5\ BlackRock Fund Advisors is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.
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BATS Rule 14.11(i)(7) provides that, if the investment adviser to the investment company issuing Managed Fund Shares is affiliated with a broker-dealer, such investment adviser shall erect a ``fire wall'' between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer with respect to access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to such investment company portfolio.\6\ In addition, Rule 14.11(i)(7) further requires that personnel who make decisions on the investment company's portfolio composition must be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material nonpublic information regarding the applicable investment company portfolio. Rule 14.11(i)(7) is similar to BATS Rule 14.11(b)(5)(A)(i), however, Rule 14.11(i)(7) in connection with the establishment of a ``fire wall'' between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer reflects the applicable open-
end fund's portfolio, not an underlying benchmark index, as is the case with index-based funds. The Adviser is not a registered broker-dealer, but is affiliated with multiple broker-dealers and has implemented ``fire walls'' with respect to such broker-dealers regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the Fund's portfolio. In addition, Adviser personnel who make decisions regarding the Fund's portfolio are subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material nonpublic information regarding the Fund's portfolio. In the event that (a) the Adviser becomes a broker-
dealer or newly affiliated with a broker-dealer, or (b) any new adviser or sub-adviser is a broker-dealer or becomes affiliated with a broker-
dealer, it will implement a fire wall with respect to its relevant personnel or such broker-dealer affiliate, as applicable, regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio, and will be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding such portfolio.
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\6\ An investment adviser to an open-end fund is required to be registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the ``Advisers Act''). As a result, the Adviser and its related personnel are subject to the provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act relating to codes of ethics. This Rule requires investment advisers to adopt a code of ethics that reflects the fiduciary nature of the relationship to clients as well as compliance with other applicable securities laws. Accordingly, procedures designed to prevent the communication and misuse of non-public information by an investment adviser must be consistent with Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act. In addition, Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for an investment adviser to provide investment advice to clients unless such investment adviser has (i) adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation, by the investment adviser and its supervised persons, of the Advisers Act and the Commission rules adopted thereunder; (ii) implemented, at a minimum, an annual review regarding the adequacy of the policies and procedures established pursuant to subparagraph (i) above and the effectiveness of their implementation; and (iii) designated an individual (who is a supervised person) responsible for administering the policies and procedures adopted under subparagraph (i) above.
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iShares U.S. Fixed Income Balanced Risk Fund
According to the Registration Statement, the Fund will seek total return and preservation of capital. To achieve its objective, the Fund will invest, under normal circumstances,\7\ at least 80% of its net assets in U.S. dollar-denominated investment-grade and high-yield fixed-income securities, futures, and swaps, as described below. The Fund seeks to provide exposure to a portfolio of Fixed Income Securities, as defined below, where the expected contribution of interest rate risk and credit spread risk are approximately equal. The Fund will attempt to achieve an aggregate credit spread risk based on the credit spread risk of the underlying securities (as determined by BFA) primarily by adjusting the allocation among underlying securities. To the extent necessary, the Fund will attempt to balance the aggregate interest rate risk against the aggregate credit spread risk of the underlying securities (as determined by BFA) primarily by taking short or long positions in U.S. Treasury futures contracts and interest rate swaps, as further described below. In the absence of normal circumstances, the Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment process, provided that such departure is, in the opinion of BFA, consistent with the Fund's investment objective and in the best interests of the Fund. For example, the Fund may hold a higher than normal proportion of its assets in cash in response to adverse market, economic, or political conditions.
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\7\ The term ``under normal circumstances'' includes, but is not limited to, the absence of adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions, including extreme volatility or trading halts in the fixed income markets or the financial markets generally; operational issues causing dissemination of inaccurate market information; or force majeure type events such as systems failure, natural or man-made disaster, act of God, armed conflict, act of terrorism, riot, or labor disruption, or any similar intervening circumstance.
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The Fund is a non-diversified fund and therefore may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of one or more issuers than a diversified fund. The Fund, however, will not purchase the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activity in the same industry if, immediately after the purchase and as a result thereof, the value of the Fund's investments in that industry would equal or exceed 25% of the current value of the Fund's total assets, provided that this restriction does not limit the Fund's: (i) Investments in securities of other investment companies, (ii) investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or (iii) investments in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities.\8\
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\8\ See Form N-1A, Item 9. The Commission has taken the position that a fund is concentrated if it invests in more than 25% of the value of its total assets in any one industry. See, e.g., Investment Company Act Release No. 9011 (October 30, 1975), 40 FR 54241 (November 21, 1975).
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The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (a ``RIC'') under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.\9\ The Fund will invest its assets, and otherwise conduct its operations, in a manner that is intended to satisfy the qualifying income, diversification and distribution requirements necessary to establish and maintain RIC qualification under Subchapter M.
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\9\ 26 U.S.C. 851.
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Principal Holdings--Fixed Income Securities and Derivatives
The Fund intends to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in a portfolio of U.S. dollar-denominated investment-grade and high-yield fixed-income securities (``Fixed Income Securities''), futures, and swaps, as described below. The Fund may invest, without limitation, in high-yield securities rated CCC or higher by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or equivalently rated by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and/or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by BFA to be of equivalent quality.\10\ Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest primarily in fixed-rate Fixed Income Securities of varying maturities.
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\10\ According to the Adviser, BFA may determine that unrated Fixed Income Securities are of ``equivalent quality'' based on such credit quality factors that it deems appropriate, which may include among other things, performing an analysis similar, to the extent possible, to that performed by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization when rating similar securities and issuers. In making such a determination, BFA may consider internal analyses and risk ratings, third party research and analysis, and other sources of information, as deemed appropriate by the Adviser.
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The Fund seeks to balance interest rate and credit spread risk by investing in a portfolio of Fixed Income Securities that in the aggregate has approximately equal exposure to credit spread risk and interest rate risk, which are measured by BFA as the volatility of returns of a security associated with changes in the security's credit spread or changes in interest rates. The Fund will adjust the allocation among its underlying securities in an effort to achieve a target credit spread risk and interest rate risk for the Fund's portfolio. When necessary to balance the Fund's exposure to interest rate risk against its exposure to credit spread risk, the Fund may take short or long positions in U.S. Treasury futures and, through transactions in interest rate swaps, take short positions in U.S. Treasury securities. BFA will determine the aggregate credit spread risk and interest rate risk of the Fund's portfolio. The Fund may also invest in other interest rate futures contracts, including but not limited to, Eurodollar and Federal Funds futures. The Fund's short positions in U.S. Treasury futures and similar positions through transaction in interest rate swaps are not intended to mitigate credit spread risk or other factors influencing the price of non-government bonds, which may have a greater impact than interest rates.\11\
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\11\ Derivatives held as part of the Fund's principal investment strategy will be exchange traded and/or centrally cleared, and they will be collateralized.
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Fixed Income Securities will include only the following instruments: Fixed and floating rate debt securities, such as corporate \12\ and government bonds, agency securities,\13\ instruments of non-
U.S. issuers,\14\ privately-issued securities,\15\ municipal bonds, money market securities,\16\ and exchange traded and non-exchange traded investment companies (including investment companies advised by BFA or its affiliates) that invest in such Fixed Income Securities.17 18
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\12\ While the Fund is permitted to invest without restriction in corporate bonds, the Adviser expects that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will generally invest in corporate bond issuances that have at least $250 million par amount outstanding.
\13\ ``Agency securities'' for these purposes generally includes securities issued by the following entities: Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), Farm Credit System (FCS) Farm Credit Banks (FCBanks), Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae), Resolution Funding Corporation (REFCORP), Financing Corporation (FICO), and the Farm Credit System (FCS) Financial Assistance Corporation (FAC). Agency securities can include, but are not limited to, mortgage-backed securities.
\14\ ``Instruments of non-U.S. issuers'' means U.S. dollar-
denominated fixed income securities issued by non-U.S. corporate or sovereign entities.
\15\ ``Privately-issued securities'' generally includes Rule 144A securities and, in this context, may include both mortgage-
backed and non-mortgage 144A securities. To the Extent that the Fund's holding of privately-issued securities include non-agency mortgage-backed securities or illiquid assets, such holdings will be subject to the limitations established in the ``Other Portfolio Holdings'' and ``Investment Restrictions'' sections set forth below, as applicable.
\16\ The Adviser expects that, under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest in money market securities (as described below) in a manner consistent with its investment objective in order to help manage cash flows in and out of the Fund, such as in connection with payment of dividends or expenses, and to satisfy margin requirements, to provide collateral or to otherwise back investments in derivative instruments. For these purposes, money market securities include: Short-term, high-quality obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or the agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government; short-term, high-quality securities issued or guaranteed by non-U.S. governments, agencies and instrumentalities; repurchase agreements; money market mutual funds; commercial paper; and deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions. All money market securities acquired by the Fund will be rated investment grade. The Fund does not intend to invest in any unrated money market securities. However, it may do so, to a limited extent, such as where a rated money market security becomes unrated, if such money market security is determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. BFA may determine that unrated securities are of comparable quality based on such credit quality factors that it deems appropriate, which may include, among other things, performing an analysis similar, to the extent possible, to that performed by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization rating similar securities and issuers.
\17\ The Fund currently anticipates investing in only registered open-end investment companies, including mutual funds and the open-
end investment company funds described in BATS Rule 14.11, but notes that the Exemptive Order allows the Fund to invest in ``shares of other ETFs, shares of money market mutual funds, or other investment companies.''
\18\ See BATS Rule 14.11(c)(4)(B)(i) governing fixed income based Index Fund Shares. For the purposes of this footnote, the term ``fixed income securities'' will include all holdings of the Fund. The Fund's portfolio will meet the following requirements of Rule 14.11(c)(4)(B)(i): (1) Components that in the aggregate account for at least 75% of the weight of the index or portfolio must have a minimum original principal amount outstanding of $100 million or more (Rule 14.11(c)(4)(B)(i)(b)); (2) a component may be a convertible security, however, once the convertible security component converts to an underlying equity security, the component is removed from the index or portfolio (Rule 14.11(c)(4)(B)(i)(c)); and (3) no component fixed-income security (excluding Treasury Securities) will represent more than 30% of the weight of the index or portfolio, and the five highest weighted component fixed-income securities do not in the aggregate account for more than 65% of the weight of the index or portfolio (Rule 14.11(c)(4)(B)(i)(d)).
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BFA utilizes a model-based proprietary investment process to assemble an investment portfolio comprised of (i) long positions in U.S. dollar denominated investment-grade corporate bonds selected by BFA based on certain criteria determined by BFA to be indicators of creditworthiness; (ii) long positions in U.S. dollar-denominated high-
yield corporate bonds selected by BFA based on certain criteria determined by BFA to be indicators of creditworthiness; (iii) long positions in U.S. dollar-denominated agency mortgage backed securities; (iv) long positions in U.S. dollar denominated agency mortgage to-be-
announced transactions; (v) long positions in U.S. Treasury securities; (vi) short positions in U.S. Treasury futures; and (vii) short positions in U.S. Treasury securities through transactions in interest rate swaps. The Fund seeks to invest in a portfolio of Fixed Income Securities that in the aggregate has approximately equal exposure to credit spread risk and interest rate risk, which is measured by BFA as the volatility of returns of a security associated with changes in the security's credit spread or changes in interest rates.
In selecting corporate securities for the Fund, BFA may employ a credit
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screening process centered on research and analysis of issuer credit quality to reduce exposure to credit issuers that have potential for experiencing credit deterioration. The remaining credit portfolio is then constructed to match the key target risk characteristics which BFA determines to be relevant in prevailing market conditions.
To adjust the exposure to interest rate risks, BFA may employ short positions primarily in U.S. Treasury futures and interest rate swaps. By taking these short positions, BFA seeks to mitigate, but not eliminate, the impact of Treasury interest rates on the performance of the underlying bonds. The short positions are not intended to mitigate other factors influencing the price of bonds.
The Fund is an actively-managed fund that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
Other Portfolio Holdings
In addition to the derivatives holdings described above as part of the Fund's principal investment strategy, the Fund may also, to a limited extent (under normal circumstances, less than 20% of the Fund's net assets), engage in transactions in the following instruments:
Treasury futures, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, asset-
backed Fixed Income Securities, non-Agency mortgage-backed fixed-income securities, and structured securities \19\ in order to serve additional investment objectives of the Fund.\20\ Asset-backed securities are fixed-income securities that are backed by a pool of assets, usually loans such as installment sale contracts or credit card receivables. Mortgage-backed securities are asset-backed securities based on a particular type of asset, a mortgage. There are a wide variety of mortgage-backed securities involving commercial or residential, fixed-
rate or adjustable rate mortgages and mortgages issued by banks or government agencies.
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\19\ ``Structured securities'' generally includes privately-
issued and publicly-issued structured securities, including certain publicly-issued structured securities that are not agency securities, excluding agency mortgage backed securities. Examples include, but are not limited to: Asset-backed securities backed by assets such as consumer receivables, credit cards, student loans, and equipment leases; asset-backed commercial paper; credit linked notes; and secured funding notes. Structured securities do not include agency mortgage-backed securities.
\20\ In addition to the uses described above, derivatives might be included in the Fund's investments to serve additional investment objectives of the Fund. Such uses are limited to the following: Using a combination of treasury futures, interest rate swaps, and credit default swaps to equitize coupon income and cash holdings. The derivatives will be exchange traded and/or centrally cleared, and they will be collateralized.
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Investment Restrictions
The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), including Rule 144A securities deemed illiquid by the Adviser \21\ under the 1940 Act.\22\ The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets are held in illiquid assets. Illiquid assets include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in accordance with Commission staff guidance.
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\21\ In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider factors including: The frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer); any legal or contractual restrictions on the ability to transfer the security or asset; significant developments involving the issuer or counterparty specifically (e.g., default, bankruptcy, etc.) or the securities markets generally; and settlement practices, registration procedures, limitations on currency conversion or repatriation, and transfer limitations (for foreign securities or other assets).
\22\ The Commission has stated that long-standing Commission guidelines have required open-end funds to hold no more than 15% of their net assets in illiquid securities and other illiquid assets. See Investment Company Act Release No. 28193 (March 11, 2008), 73 FR 14618 (March 18, 2008), footnote 34. See also, Investment Company Act Release No. 5847 (October 21, 1969), 35 FR 19989 (December 31, 1970) (Statement Regarding ``Restricted Securities''); Investment Company Act Release No. 18612 (March 12, 1992), 57 FR 9828 (March 20, 1992) (Revisions of Guidelines to Form N-1A). A fund's portfolio security is illiquid if it cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value ascribed to it by the fund. See Investment Company Act Release No. 14983 (March 12, 1986), 51 FR 9773 (March 21, 1986) (adopting amendments to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act); Investment Company Act Release No. 17452 (April 23, 1990), 55 FR 17933 (April 30, 1990) (adopting Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933).
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The Fund's investments will be consistent with the Fund's investment objective and will not be used to achieve leveraged or inverse leveraged returns (i.e. two times or three times the Fund's benchmark).
Net Asset Value
According to the Registration Statement, the net asset value (``NAV'') of the Fund's Shares generally will be calculated once daily Monday through Friday as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (the ``NAV Calculation Time'') on each day that the Exchange is open for trading, based on prices at the NAV Calculation Time. NAV per Share is calculated by dividing the Fund's net assets by the number of Fund Shares outstanding. The Fund's net assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations.
According to the Registration Statement, the Fund values non-
exchange traded Fixed Income Securities using prices provided directly from one or more broker-dealers, market makers, independent third-party pricing services which may use matrix pricing and valuation models to derive values, or, for investment companies, NAV. Exchange traded instruments, including exchange traded Fixed Income Securities and futures, will be valued at market closing price or, if no sale has occurred, at the last quoted bid price on the primary exchange on which they are traded. Price information for exchange traded instruments, including exchange traded derivatives, will be taken from the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Over-the-counter derivatives are valued based upon quotations from market makers or by a pricing service in accordance with valuation procedures approved by the Fund's board of directors. Certain short-term debt securities will be valued on the basis of amortized cost.
According to the Registration Statement, generally, trading in certain Fixed Income Securities is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of business on the Exchange. Additionally, trading in certain derivatives is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of business on the Exchange. The values of such securities and derivatives used in computing the NAV of the Fund are determined at such times.
According to the Registration Statement, when market quotations are not readily available or are believed by BFA to be unreliable, the Fund's investments are valued at fair value. Fair value determinations are made by BFA in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Fund's board of directors and in accordance with the 1940 Act. BFA may conclude that a market quotation is not readily available or is unreliable if a security or other asset or liability is thinly traded,
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or where there is a significant event \23\ subsequent to the most recent market quotation.
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\23\ A ``significant event'' is an event that, in the judgment of BFA, is likely to cause a material change to the closing market price of the asset or liability held by the Fund.
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According to the Registration Statement, fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of an asset or liability. The fair value of an asset or liability held by the Fund is the amount the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset or the cost to extinguish that liability in an arm's-length transaction. Valuing the Fund's investments using fair value pricing will result in prices that may differ from current valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used.
The Shares
The Fund will issue and redeem Shares on a continuous basis at the NAV per Share only in large blocks of a specified number of Shares or multiples thereof (``Creation Units'') in transactions with authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Distributor. The Fund currently anticipates that a Creation Unit will consist of 50,000 Shares, though this number may change from time to time, including prior to listing of the Fund. The exact number of Shares that will constitute a Creation Unit will be disclosed in the Registration Statement of the Fund. Once created, Shares of the Fund trade on the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.
The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of the Fund generally will consist of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) (i.e., the ``Deposit Securities''), and the ``Cash Component'' computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the ``Fund Deposit,'' which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund.
The portfolio of securities required for purchase of a Creation Unit may not be identical to the portfolio of securities the Fund will deliver upon redemption of Fund Shares. The Deposit Securities and Fund Securities (as defined below), as the case may be, in connection with a purchase or redemption of a Creation Unit, generally will correspond pro rata to the securities held by the Fund.
The Cash Component will be an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the ``Deposit Amount,'' which will be an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities, and serve to compensate for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount. The Fund generally offers Creation Units partially for cash. BFA will make available through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (``NSCC'') on each business day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange, the list of names and the required number or par value of each Deposit Security and the amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information as of the end of the previous business day) for the Fund.
The identity and number or par value of the Deposit Securities may change pursuant to changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events occur from time to time. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the holdings of the Fund.
The Fund reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a ``cash in lieu'' amount to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the Depository Trust Company (``DTC'') or the clearing process through the NSCC.\24\
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\24\ The Adviser represents that, to the extent the Trust permits or requires a ``cash in lieu'' amount, such transactions will be effected in the same or equitable manner for all authorized participants.
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Except as noted below, all creation orders must be placed for one or more Creation Units and must be received by the Distributor in proper form no later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, in each case on the date such order is placed in order for creation of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. Orders requesting substitution of a ``cash in lieu'' amount generally must be received by the Distributor no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the Settlement Date. The ``Settlement Date'' is generally the third business day after the transmittal date. On days when the Exchange or the bond markets close earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create or to redeem Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day.
Fund Deposits must be delivered through the Federal Reserve System (for cash and government securities), through DTC (for corporate and municipal securities), or through a central depository account, such as with Euroclear or DTC, maintained by State Street or a sub-custodian (a ``Central Depository Account'') by an authorized participant. Any portion of a Fund Deposit that may not be delivered through the Federal Reserve System or DTC must be delivered through a Central Depository Account. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the authorized participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities to the account of the Fund by no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Settlement Date.
A standard creation transaction fee will be imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units.
Shares of the Fund may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Distributor and only on a business day. BFA will make available through the NSCC, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange on each business day, the designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form on that day (``Fund Securities''). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units.
Unless cash redemptions are available or specified for the Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally will consist of a specified amount of cash, Fund Securities, plus additional cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after the receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the specified amount of cash and Fund Securities, less a redemption transaction fee. The Fund generally redeems Creation Units partially for cash.
A standard redemption transaction fee will be imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the Fund.
Redemption requests for Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted to the Distributor by or through an authorized participant no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on any business day, in order to receive that day's NAV. The authorized participant must transmit the
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request for redemption in the form required by the Fund to the Distributor in accordance with procedures set forth in the authorized participant agreement.
Additional information regarding the Shares and the Fund, including investment strategies, risks, creation and redemption procedures, fees and expenses, portfolio holdings disclosure policies, distributions, taxes and reports to be distributed to beneficial owners of the Shares can be found in the Registration Statement or on the Web site for the Fund (www.iShares.com), as applicable.
Availability of Information
The Fund's Web site, which will be publicly available prior to the public offering of Shares, will include a form of the prospectus for the Fund that may be downloaded. The Web site will include additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis, including, for the Fund: (1) The prior business day's reported NAV, mid-point of the bid/
ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV (the ``Bid/Ask Price''),\25\ daily trading volume, and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask Price against the NAV; and (2) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters. Daily trading volume information for the Fund will also be available in the financial section of newspapers, through subscription services such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and International Data Corporation, which can be accessed by authorized participants and other investors, as well as through other electronic services, including major public Web sites. On each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares during Regular Trading Hours \26\ on the Exchange, the Fund will disclose on its Web site the identities and quantities of the portfolio of securities and other assets (the ``Disclosed Portfolio'') held by the Fund that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day.\27\
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\25\ The Bid/Ask Price of the Fund will be determined using the midpoint of the highest bid and the lowest offer on the Exchange as of the time of calculation of the Fund's NAV. The records relating to Bid/Ask Prices will be retained by the Fund and its service providers.
\26\ Regular Trading Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
\27\ Under accounting procedures to be followed by the Fund, trades made on the prior business day (``T'') will be booked and reflected in NAV on the current business day (``T + 1''). Accordingly, the Fund will be able to disclose at the beginning of the business day the portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation at the end of the business day.
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On a daily basis, the Disclosed Portfolio displayed on the Fund's Web site will include the following information regarding each portfolio holding, as applicable to the type of holding: Ticker symbol, if any, CUSIP number or other identifier, if any; a description of the holding (including the type of holding, such as the type of swap); the identity of the security or other asset or instrument underlying the holding,\28\ if any; quantity held (as measured by, for example, par value, notional value or number of shares, contracts or units); maturity date, if any; coupon rate, if any; market value of the holding; and the percentage weighting of the holding in the Fund's portfolio. The Web site information will be publicly available at no charge.
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\28\ Derivatives that reference or allow delivery of more than one asset, such as U.S. Treasury futures, will identify the underlying asset generically.
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In addition, for the Fund, an estimated value, defined in BATS Rule 14.11(i)(3)(C) as the ``Intraday Indicative Value,'' that reflects an estimated intraday value of the Fund's portfolio, will be disseminated. Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value will be based upon the current value for the components of the Disclosed Portfolio and will be updated and widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15 seconds during the Exchange's Regular Trading Hours.\29\ In addition, the quotations of certain of the Fund's holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the United States or if updated prices cannot be ascertained.
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\29\ Currently, it is the Exchange's understanding that several major market data vendors display and/or make widely available Intraday Indicative Values published via the Consolidated Tape Association (``CTA'') or other data feeds.
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The dissemination of the Intraday Indicative Value, together with the Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors to determine the value of the underlying portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis and provide a close estimate of that value throughout the trading day.
Intraday, executable price quotations on Fixed Income Securities and non-exchange traded derivatives, including non-exchange listed investment companies, are available from major broker-dealer firms and for exchange-traded assets, including exchange listed investment companies and futures, such intraday information is available directly from the applicable listing exchange. All such intraday price information is available through subscription services, such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and International Data Corporation, which can be accessed by authorized participants and other investors.
Information regarding market price and trading volume will be continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on brokers' computer screens and other electronic services. The previous day's closing price and trading volume information for the Shares will be published daily in the financial section of newspapers. Quotation and last sale information for the Shares will be available on the facilities of the CTA.
Initial and Continued Listing
The Shares will be subject to BATS Rule 14.11(i), which sets forth the initial and continued listing criteria applicable to Managed Fund Shares. The Exchange represents that, for initial and/or continued listing, the Fund must be in compliance with Rule 10A-3 under the Act.\30\ A minimum of 100,000 Shares will be outstanding at the commencement of trading on the Exchange. The Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio will be made available to all market participants at the same time.
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\30\ See 17 CFR 240.10A-3.
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Trading Halts
With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may consider all relevant factors in exercising its discretion to halt or suspend trading in the Shares of the Fund. The Exchange will halt trading in the Shares under the conditions specified in BATS Rule 11.18. Trading may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable. These may include: (1) The extent to which trading is not occurring in the securities and/or the financial instruments composing the Disclosed Portfolio of the Fund; or (2) whether other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present. Trading in the Shares also will be subject to Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the Fund may be halted.
Trading Rules
The Exchange deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus rendering trading in the Shares subject to the Exchange's existing rules governing the trading of equity securities. BATS will allow trading in the Shares from 8:00 a.m.
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until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Exchange has appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in the Shares during all trading sessions. As provided in BATS Rule 11.11(a), the minimum price variation for quoting and entry of orders in Managed Fund Shares traded on the Exchange is $0.01, with the exception of securities that are priced less than $1.00, for which the minimum price variation for order entry is $0.0001.
Surveillance
The Exchange believes that its surveillance procedures are adequate to properly monitor the trading of the Shares on the Exchange during all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and the applicable federal securities laws. Trading of the Shares through the Exchange will be subject to the Exchange's surveillance procedures for derivative products, including Managed Fund Shares. The Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and the underlying shares in exchange traded investment companies and futures via the Intermarket Surveillance Group (``ISG''), from other exchanges who are members or affiliates of the ISG, or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.\31\ In addition, the Exchange is able to access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income instruments reported to FINRA's Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (``TRACE''). The Exchange prohibits the distribution of material non-public information by its employees.
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\31\ For a list of the current members and affiliate members of ISG, see www.isgportal.com. The Exchange notes that not all components of the Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund may trade on markets that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. The Exchange also notes that all of the investment company securities and futures will trade on markets that are a member of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
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Information Circular
Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its members in an Information Circular of the special characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares. Specifically, the Information Circular will discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases and redemptions of Shares in Creation Units (and that Shares are not individually redeemable); (2) BATS Rule 3.7, which imposes suitability obligations on Exchange members with respect to recommending transactions in the Shares to customers; (3) how information regarding the Intraday Indicative Value and the Disclosed Portfolio is disseminated; (4) the risks involved in trading the Shares during the Pre-Opening \32\ and After Hours Trading Sessions \33\ when an updated Intraday Indicative Value will not be calculated or publicly disseminated; (5) the requirement that members deliver a prospectus to investors purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or concurrently with the confirmation of a transaction; and (6) trading information.
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\32\ The Pre-Opening Session is from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
\33\ The After Hours Trading Session is from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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In addition, the Information Circular will advise members, prior to the commencement of trading, of the prospectus delivery requirements applicable to the Fund. Members purchasing Shares from the Fund for resale to investors will deliver a prospectus to such investors. The Information Circular will also discuss any exemptive, no-action, and interpretive relief granted by the Commission from any rules under the Act.
In addition, the Information Circular will reference that the Fund is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Registration Statement. The Information Circular will also disclose the trading hours of the Shares of the Fund and the applicable NAV Calculation Time for the Shares. The Information Circular will disclose that information about the Shares of the Fund will be publicly available on the Fund's Web site. In addition, the Information Circular will reference that the Trust is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Fund's Registration Statement.
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Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the proposal is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act \34\ in general and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act \35\ in particular in that it is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in facilitating transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest.
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\34\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
\35\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices in that the Shares will be listed and traded on the Exchange pursuant to the initial and continued listing criteria in BATS Rule 14.11(i). The Exchange believes that its surveillance procedures are adequate to properly monitor the trading of the Shares on the Exchange during all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and the applicable federal securities laws. If the investment adviser to the investment company issuing Managed Fund Shares is affiliated with a broker-dealer, such investment adviser to the investment company shall erect a ``fire wall'' between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer with respect to access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to such investment company portfolio. The Adviser is not a registered broker-dealer, but is affiliated with multiple broker-dealers and has implemented ``fire walls'' with respect to such broker-dealers regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the Fund's portfolio. The Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and the underlying shares in investment companies and futures via the ISG, from other exchanges who are members or affiliates of the ISG, or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.\36\
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\36\ See supra note 31.
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According to the Registration Statement, the Fund expects that it will have at least 80% of its assets invested in U.S. dollar-
denominated investment grade Fixed Income Securities, futures, and swaps. The Fund's exposure to any single industry will generally be limited to 25% of the Fund's assets. The Fund's investments will be consistent with the Fund's investment objective and will not be used to achieve leveraged or inverse leveraged returns (i.e. two times or three times the Fund's benchmark). The Fund also may invest its net assets in money market instruments at the discretion of the Adviser. While the Fund is permitted to invest without restriction in corporate bonds, the Adviser expects that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will generally invest in corporate bond issuances that have at least $250 million par amount outstanding. The Fund will not invest in non-U.S. equity securities.
The Fund may employ short positions primarily in U.S. Treasury futures and interest rate swaps in order to mitigate the impact of Treasury interest rates on the performance of the underlying bonds. The short positions are not
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intended to mitigate other factors influencing the price of bonds.
Additionally, the Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), including Rule 144A securities. The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets are held in illiquid assets. Illiquid assets include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in accordance with Commission staff guidance.
In addition to the derivatives holdings described above as part of the Fund's principal investment strategy, the Fund may also, to a limited extent (under normal circumstances, less than 20% of the Fund's net assets), engage in transactions in the following instruments:
Treasury futures, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, asset-
backed Fixed Income Securities, non-Agency mortgage-backed fixed-income securities, and structured securities in order to serve additional investment objectives of the Fund, as described above.\37\
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\37\ See supra note 20.
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The proposed rule change is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade and to protect investors and the public interest in that the Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio will be made available to all market participants at the same time. In addition, a large amount of information is publicly available regarding the Fund and the Shares, thereby promoting market transparency. Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value will be disseminated by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15 seconds during Regular Trading Hours. On each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares during Regular Trading Hours, the Fund will disclose on its Web site the Disclosed Portfolio that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day. Pricing information will be available on the Fund's Web site including: (1) The prior business day's reported NAV, the Bid/Ask Price of the Fund, and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask Price against the NAV; and (2) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters. Additionally, information regarding market price and trading of the Shares will be continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on brokers' computer screens and other electronic services, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares will be available on the facilities of the CTA. The Web site for the Fund will include a form of the prospectus for the Fund and additional data relating to NAV and other applicable quantitative information. Trading in Shares of the Fund will be halted under the conditions specified in BATS Rule 11.18. Trading may also be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable. Finally, trading in the Shares will be subject to BATS Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the Fund may be halted. In addition, the Exchange is able to access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income instruments reported to FINRA's TRACE. As noted above, investors will also have ready access to information regarding the Fund's holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares.
Intraday, executable price quotations on Fixed Income Securities and non-exchange traded derivatives are available from major broker-
dealer firms and for exchange-traded assets, including investment companies and futures, such intraday information is available directly from the applicable listing exchange. All such intraday price information is available through subscription services, such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and International Data Corporation, which can be accessed by authorized participants and other investors.
The proposed rule change is designed to perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest in that it will facilitate the listing and trading of an additional type of actively-managed exchange-traded product that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace. As noted above, the Exchange has in place surveillance procedures relating to trading in the Shares and may obtain information via ISG from other exchanges that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, as noted above, investors will have ready access to information regarding the Fund's holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares.
For the above reasons, the Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act.
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Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purpose of the Act. The Exchange notes that the proposed rule change will facilitate the listing and trading of an additional actively-managed exchange-traded product that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace.
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Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others
The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on the proposed rule change.
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Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action
Within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register or within such longer period up to 90 days (i) as the Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will:
(A) By order approve or disapprove the proposed rule change, or
(B) institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved.
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Solicitation of Comments
Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
Electronic Comments
Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
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Send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include File Number SR-BATS-2014-056 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File Number SR-BATS-2014-056. This file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090 on official business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-
BATS-2014-056, and should be submitted on or before January 27, 2015.
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.\38\
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\38\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Brent J. Fields,
Secretary.
FR Doc. 2014-30901 Filed 1-5-15; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
