Quotations Relating to Municipal Securities

 

 

Rule G-13. (a) General. The provisions of this rule shall apply to all quotations relating to municipal securities which are distributed or published, or caused to be distributed or published, by any broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer or any person associated with and acting on behalf of a broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer. For purposes of this rule, the term "quotation" shall mean any bid for, or offer of, municipal securities, or any request for bids for or offers of municipal securities, including indications of "bid wanted" or "offer wanted." The terms "distributed" or "published" shall mean the dissemination of quotations by any means of communication. Reference in this rule to a broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall be deemed to include reference to any person associated with a broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer.

(b) Bona Fide Quotations.

(i) Except as provided below, no broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall distribute or publish, or cause to be distributed or published, any quotation relating to municipal securities, unless the quotation represents a bona fide bid for, or offer of, municipal securities by such broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer, provided, however, that all quotations, unless otherwise indicated at the time made, shall be subject to prior purchase or sale and to subsequent change in price. If such broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer is distributing or publishing the quotation on behalf of another broker, dealer, or municipal securities dealer, such broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall have no reason to believe that such quotation does not represent a bona fide bid for, or offer of, municipal securities. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit requests for bids or offers, including indications of "bid wanted" or "offer wanted," or shall be construed to prohibit nominal quotations, if such quotations are, at the time made, clearly stated or indicated to be such. For purposes of this paragraph, a "nominal quotation" shall mean an indication of the price given solely for informational purposes.

(ii) No broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall distribute or publish, or cause to be distributed or published, any quotation relating to municipal securities, unless the price stated in the quotation is based on the best judgment of such broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer of the fair market value of the securities which are the subject of the quotation at the time the quotation is made. If a broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer is distributing or publishing a quotation on behalf of another broker, dealer, or municipal securities dealer, such broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall have no reason to believe that the price stated in the quotation is not based on the best judgment of the fair market value of the securities of the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer on whose behalf such broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer is distributing or publishing the quotation.

(iii) For purposes of subparagraph (i), a quotation shall be deemed to represent a "bona fide bid for, or offer of, municipal securities" if the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer making the quotation is prepared to purchase or sell the security which is the subject of the quotation at the price stated in the quotation and under such conditions, if any, as are specified at the time the quotation is made.

(iv) No broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall knowingly misrepresent a quotation relating to municipal securities made by any other broker, dealer, or municipal securities dealer.

(c) Multiple Markets in the Same Securities. No broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer participating in a joint account shall, together with one or more other participants in such account, distribute or publish, or cause to be distributed or published, quotations relating to the municipal securities which are the subject of such account if such quotations indicate more than one market for the same securities.

 

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