INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND MANAGEMENT FEE (a) The Fund shall pay to the Advisor, and the Advisor agrees to accept, as full compensation for all services furnished or provided to such Fund pursuant to this Agreement, an annual management fee at the rate set forth in Schedule A to this Agreement.
(b) The management fee shall be accrued daily by the Fund and paid to the Advisor on the first business day of the succeeding month.
(c) The initial fee under this Agreement shall be payable on the first business day of the first month following the effective date of this Agreement and shall be prorated as set forth below. If this Agreement is terminated prior to the end of any month, the fee to the Advisor shall be prorated for the portion of any month in which this Agreement is in effect which is not a complete month according to the proportion which the number of calendar days in the month during which the Agreement is in effect bears to the number of calendar days in the month, and shall be payable within ten (10) days after the date of termination.
(d) The fee payable to the Advisor under this Agreement will be reduced to the extent of any receivable owed by the Advisor to the Fund and as required under any expense limitation applicable to the Fund.
(e) The Advisor voluntarily may reduce any portion of the compensation or reimbursement of expenses due to it pursuant to this Agreement and may agree to make payments to limit the expenses which are the responsibility of the Fund under this Agreement. Any such reduction or payment shall be applicable only to such specific reduction or payment and shall not constitute an agreement to reduce any future compensation or reimbursement due to the Advisor hereunder or to continue future payments. Any such reduction will be agreed to prior to accrual of the related expense or fee and will be estimated daily and reconciled and paid on a monthly basis.
(f) Any such reductions made by the Advisor in its fees or payment of expenses which are the Fund’s obligation are subject to reimbursement by the Fund to the Advisor, if so requested by the Advisor, in subsequent fiscal years if the aggregate amount actually paid by the Fund toward the operating expenses for such fiscal year (taking into account the reimbursement) does not exceed the applicable limitation on Fund expenses. Under the expense limitation agreement, the Advisor may recoup reimbursements made in any fiscal year of the Fund over the following three fiscal years. Any such reimbursement is also contingent upon Board of Trustees review and approval at time the reimbursement is made. Such reimbursement may not be paid prior to the Fund’s payment of current ordinary operating expenses.
(g) The Advisor may agree not to require payment of any portion of the compensation or reimbursement of expenses otherwise due to it pursuant to this Agreement. Any such agreement shall be applicable only with respect to the specific items covered thereby and shall not constitute an agreement not to require payment of any future compensation or reimbursement due to the Advisor hereunder.
Investment Advisory and Management Services The Investment Adviser hereby appoints the Subadviser to serve as subadviser to the Fund and the Subadviser hereby accepts such appointment. Subject to the supervision of the Investment Adviser, Subadviser will regularly provide the Fund with investment advice and investment management services concerning the investments of the Fund. The Subadviser will determine what securities shall be purchased, held or sold by the Fund and what portion of the Funds assets shall be held uninvested in cash and cash equivalents, subject always to the provisions of the Trusts Declaration of Trust and By-laws and the 1940 Act, and to the investment objectives, policies and restrictions applicable to the Fund (including, without limitation, the requirements of Subchapters L and M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended) (the Code), as each of the same shall be from time to time in effect or set forth in the Funds Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as well as any other investment guidelines or policies the Board of Trustees or the Investment Adviser may from time to time establish and deliver in writing to the Subadviser. To carry out such determinations the Subadviser will exercise full discretion, subject to the preceding paragraph, and act for the Fund in the same manner and with the same force and effect as the Trust might or could do with respect to purchases, sales or other transactions, as well as with respect to all other things necessary or incidental to the furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Subadviser shall, upon written instructions from the Investment Adviser, effect such portfolio transactions for the Fund as the Investment Adviser may from time to time direct. Such instructions will be given in reasonable circumstances, including, without limitation, any termination of this Agreement. The Subadviser will also make its officers and employees available to meet with the officers of the Investment Adviser and the Trusts officers and Trustees at least quarterly on due notice to review the investments and investment program of the Fund in the light of current and prospective economic and market conditions. From time to time as the Board of Trustees of the Trust or the Investment Adviser may reasonably request, the Subadviser will furnish to the Investment Adviser and Trusts officers and to each of its Trustees, at the Subadvisers expense, reports on portfolio transactions and reports on issues of securities held by the Fund, all in such detail as the Trust or the Investment Adviser may reasonably request. The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act relating to its responsibilities provided hereunder with respect to the Fund, and shall preserve such records for the periods and in a manner prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act. The Subadviser shall permit the Investment Adviser, the Funds officers and its independent public accountants to inspect and audit such records at reasonable times during normal business hours upon due notice. If any occasion should arise in which the Subadviser gives any advice to its clients concerning the shares of the Fund, the Subadviser will act solely as investment counsel for such clients and not in any way on behalf of the Fund. The Subadvisers services to the Fund pursuant to this Agreement are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and it is understood that the Subadviser may render investment advice, management and other services to others.
Advisory Subject to the general supervision of the Trustees and in conformity with the stated policy of the Trustees with respect to the investments of the Trust or of the assets belonging to any Series of Shares of the Trust (as that phrase is defined in subsection (a) of Section 4.2), to manage such investments and assets, make investment decisions with respect thereto, and to place purchase and sale orders for portfolio transactions relating to such investments and assets;
Sub-Advisory Services The Sub-Adviser shall have full discretionary authority for portfolio investment decisions for a Fund (or each portion of a Fund’s assets allocated to the Sub-Adviser by the Adviser), including determining, from time to time, what securities (and other financial instruments) shall be purchased for the Fund, what securities (and other financial instruments) shall be held or sold by the Fund, and what portion of the Fund’s assets shall be held uninvested in cash, subject always to the provisions of the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and each Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information as set forth in the Trust’s registration statement on Form N-1A (the “Registration Statement”) under the 1940 Act, and under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), covering Fund shares, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and to the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of each Fund, as shall be from time to time in effect, and such other limitations, policies and procedures as the Board or the Adviser may reasonably impose from time to time and provide in writing to the Sub-Adviser (the “Investment Policies”). No reference in this Agreement to the Sub-Adviser having full discretionary authority over each Fund’s portfolio investment decisions shall in any way limit the right of the Board or the Adviser to establish or revise policies in connection with the management of a Fund’s assets or to otherwise exercise its right to control the overall management of the Trust and each Fund. The scope of the Sub-Adviser’s authority for trading portfolio securities (and other financial instruments) for a Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions (“trading authority”), shall initially be as set forth on Schedule A hereto (which may differ by Fund). The Adviser may revise the scope of the Sub-Adviser’s trading authority upon the provision of at least 30 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser. Absent the Sub-Adviser’s provision of written notice declining such change, such a change shall be effective as of the later of the end of such 30-day period or the date set forth in such notice. If Schedule A indicates “partially discretionary” trading authority, initially, the Adviser shall retain discretionary trading authority for a mutually agreed subset of the Fund’s portfolio investments (the “Subset”), and the Sub-Adviser shall be responsible for providing non-discretionary trading recommendations to the Adviser with respect to the Subset (in accordance with the applicable terms of the “non-discretionary” trading authority paragraph below). In addition, the Sub-Adviser shall have full discretionary trading authority for the remaining portion of the Fund’s portfolio (in accordance with the applicable terms of the “discretionary” trading authority paragraph below). If Schedule A indicates “fully discretionary” trading authority, initially, the Sub-Adviser shall exercise full trading authority for a Fund with respect to purchases, sales or other transactions, as well as with respect to all other such things necessary or incidental to the furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions. If Schedule A indicates “non-discretionary” trading authority, initially, the Sub-Adviser shall be responsible for promptly informing the Adviser (or another investment sub-advisory firm designated by the Adviser (herein, a “Trading Adviser”)) of portfolio investment decisions for a Fund in writing pursuant to mutually agreed notification protocols. In turn, the parties understand and acknowledge that the Adviser or the Trading Adviser, as the case may be, will fully rely on such notifications to effect the security (and other financial instrument) trading execution for each Fund’s portfolio investments. Additionally, the Adviser and the Trading Adviser, as the case may be, has full discretionary authority to select broker-dealers to effect the trading execution for a Fund’s portfolio investments. In the event the Adviser or the Trading Adviser desire clarification on a particular Sub-Adviser notification, the Adviser or the Trading Adviser, as the case may be, will seek guidance from the Sub-Adviser prior to executing any transaction in question. In any case (e.g., non-discretionary, partial discretion, or full discretion), the Adviser may retain such discretionary authority as it deems appropriate for effecting in-kind and other transactions of Fund portfolio investments vis-à-vis “creation units.” Regardless of the scope of the Sub-Adviser’s trading authority, the Sub-Adviser acknowledges that the Board retains ultimate authority over each Fund and may take any and all actions necessary and reasonable to protect the interests of Fund shareholders.
Advisory Agreement The Advisory Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Advisor and constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Advisor enforceable against the Advisor in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general principles of equity.
Investment Sub-Advisory Services Subject to the supervision of the applicable Corporation’s Board of Directors (“Board”) and the Adviser, the Sub-adviser shall act as the investment sub-adviser and shall supervise and direct the Fund’s investments as specified by the Adviser from time to time, and in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective(s), investment strategies, policies, and restrictions as provided in the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time (hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus”), and such other limitations as the Fund or Adviser may impose by notice in writing to the Sub-adviser. The Sub-adviser shall obtain and evaluate such information relating to the economy, industries, businesses, securities markets, and securities as it may deem necessary or useful in the discharge of its obligations hereunder and shall formulate and implement a continuing program for the management of the assets and resources of each Fund allocated to the Sub-adviser in a manner consistent with the Fund’s investment objective(s), investment strategies, policies, and restrictions. In furtherance of this duty, the Sub-adviser, on behalf of each Fund is authorized to:
(1) make discretionary investment decisions to buy, sell, exchange, convert, lend, and otherwise trade in any stocks, bonds, and other securities or assets;
(2) place orders and negotiate the commissions for the execution of transactions in securities or other assets with or through such brokers, dealers, underwriters or issuers as the Sub-adviser may select or instruct the Affiliated Trading Desk (as defined below) to do so on behalf of the Subadviser, as applicable;
(3) vote proxies, exercise conversion or subscription rights, and respond to tender offers and other consent solicitations with respect to the issuers of securities in which Fund assets may be invested provided such materials have been forwarded to the Sub-adviser in a timely fashion by the Fund’s custodian;
(4) instruct the Fund custodian to deliver for cash received, securities or other cash and/or securities instruments sold, exchanged, redeemed or otherwise disposed of from the Fund, and to pay cash for securities or other cash and/or securities instruments delivered to the custodian and/or credited to the Fund upon acquisition of the same for the Fund;
(5) maintain all or part of the Fund’s uninvested assets in short-term income producing instruments for such periods of time as shall be deemed reasonable and prudent by the Sub-adviser, including any other internal money market or short-term bond fund available for use only by clients of the Adviser and certain of its affiliates; and
(6) generally, perform any other act necessary to enable the Sub-adviser to carry out its obligations under this Agreement or as agreed upon with the Adviser. The Adviser agrees that Subadviser may delegate trading execution and related reporting functions to the trading desk of an affiliate (“Affiliated Trading Desk”).
Advisory and Management Arrangements Subject to the requirements of applicable law as in effect from time to time, the Trustees may in their discretion from time to time enter into advisory, administration or management contracts (including, in each case, one or more sub-advisory, sub-administration or sub-management contracts) whereby the other party to any such contract shall undertake to furnish such advisory, administrative and management services with respect to the Trust as the Trustees shall from time to time consider desirable and all upon such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Declaration, the Trustees may authorize any advisor, administrator or manager (subject to such general or specific instructions as the Trustees may from time to time adopt) to exercise any of the powers of the Trustees, including to effect investment transactions with respect to the assets on behalf of the Trust to the full extent of the power of the Trustees to effect such transactions or may authorize any officer, employee or Trustee to effect such transactions pursuant to recommendations of any such advisor, administrator or manager (and all without further action by the Trustees). Any such investment transaction shall be deemed to have been authorized by all of the Trustees.
SUB-ADVISORY FEES For all of the services rendered with respect to the Fund as herein provided, the Advisor shall pay to the Sub-Advisor a fee (for the payment of which the Fund shall have no obligation or liability), based on the Current Net Assets of the Portfolio (as defined below), as set forth in Schedule A attached hereto and made a part hereof. Such fee shall be accrued daily and payable quarterly, as soon as practicable after the last day of each calendar quarter. In the case of termination of this Agreement with respect to the Fund during any calendar month, the fee with respect to such Portfolio accrued to, but excluding, the date of termination shall be paid promptly following such termination. For purposes of computing the amount of advisory fee accrued for any day, “
Reference to Adviser and Subadviser (a) Neither the Adviser nor any Affiliate or agent of the Adviser shall make reference to or use the name of Subadviser or any of its Affiliates, or any of their clients, except references concerning the identity of and services provided by the Subadviser to the Fund, which references shall not differ in substance from those included in the Prospectus and this Agreement, in any advertising or promotional materials without the prior approval of Subadviser, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Adviser hereby agrees to make all reasonable efforts to cause the Fund and any Affiliate thereof to satisfy the foregoing obligation.
(b) Neither the Subadviser nor any Affiliate or agent of it shall make reference to or use the name of the Adviser or any of its Affiliates, or any of their clients, except references concerning the identity of and services provided by the Adviser to the Fund or to the Subadviser, which references shall not differ in substance from those included in the Prospectus and this Agreement, in any advertising or promotional materials without the prior approval of Adviser, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Subadviser hereby agrees to make all reasonable efforts to cause any Affiliate of the Subadviser to satisfy the foregoing obligation.
Investment Advisory Services The Adviser undertakes to act as investment adviser of the Portfolio and shall, subject to the supervision of the Fund's Board of Trustees, direct the investments of the Portfolio in accordance with the investment objective, policies and limitations as provided in the Portfolio's Prospectus or other governing instruments, as amended from time to time, the Investment Company Act of 1940 and rules thereunder, as amended from time to time (the "1940 Act"), and such other limitations as the Portfolio may impose by notice in writing to the Adviser. The Adviser shall also furnish for the use of the Portfolio office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for servicing the investments of the Portfolio; and shall pay the salaries and fees of all officers of the Fund, of all Trustees of the Fund who are "interested persons" of the Fund or of the Adviser and of all personnel of the Fund or the Adviser performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities. The Adviser is authorized, in its discretion and without prior consultation with the Portfolio, to buy, sell, lend and otherwise trade in any stocks, bonds and other securities and investment instruments on behalf of the Portfolio. The investment policies and all other actions of the Portfolio are and shall at all times be subject to the control and direction of the Fund's Board of Trustees.