Removal From Listing and Registration of Securities Pursuant to Section 12(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission') is adopting amendments to its rules and Form 25 to streamline the procedures for removing from listing, and withdrawing from registration, securities under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act'). The final rules require all issuers and national securities exchanges seeking to delist and/or deregister a security in accordance with the rules of an exchange and the Commission to file the amended Form 25 in an electronic format with the Commission on the EDGAR database. The final rules also provide that the Form 25 serves as an exchange's notice to the Commission under Section 19(d) of the Exchange Act. Finally, the final rules exempt, on a permanent basis, standardized options and security futures products traded on a national securities exchange from Section 12(d) of the Exchange Act. The amendments serve to reduce regulatory burdens on the exchanges and issuers, and to make the delisting and deregistration process more transparent and efficient in the interest of investors and the public.