NYSE American raises manual options fees and adds floor broker rebate

The Securities and Exchange Commission published a notice (Release No. 34-106720; File No. SR-NYSEAMER-2026-93) that NYSE American LLC filed a proposed rule change on Oct. 14, 2026 to modify its Options Fee Schedule for manual transactions. The filing is immediately effective, and the Commission is soliciting comments.

The proposal increases the fee that market makers pay for manual transactions in non-penny issues from $0.50 to $0.90 per contract, with a further increase to $1.00 per contract beginning Nov. 1, 2026. The current $0.50 fee does not apply to MXEA, MXEF, MXUSA, MXWLD, and MXACW issues. The exchange says the two-tiered increase simplifies billing and aligns its fees with those of other options venues.

In addition, NYSE American proposes a $0.20 per contract rebate to floor broker orders that trade with a market-maker order on the trading floor. For floor brokers participating in the FB Prepay Program, the rebate would replace any rebate earned under the Manual Billable Rebate Program in Section III.E of the Fee Schedule.

The exchange states the rebate is intended to strengthen its competitive position for order flow by incentivizing floor brokers to execute on the NYSE American trading floor rather than routing to competing venues. It notes that market-maker participation in non-penny manual volume rose from 12% to 20% after prior fee adjustments, suggesting the higher fees have not deterred activity.

NYSE American cites Section 6(b) of the Securities Exchange Act as the statutory basis, asserting that the rule change fairly allocates reasonable dues and fees among its members and does not discriminate against customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.