Deposit of Fund Assets in U.S. Securities Systems The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain securities owned by a Portfolio in a U.S. Securities System in compliance with the conditions of Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time.
Deposit of Fund Assets in Securities Systems The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain securities owned by the Fund in a clearing agency registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which acts as a securities depository, or in the book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and certain federal agencies, collectively referred to herein as "Securities System" in accordance with applicable Federal Reserve Board and Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations, if any, and subject to the following provisions:
1) The Custodian may keep securities of the Fund in a Securities System provided that such securities are represented in an account ("Account") of the Custodian in the Securities System which shall not include any assets of the Custodian other than assets held as a fiduciary, custodian or otherwise for customers;
2) The records of the Custodian with respect to securities of the Fund which are maintained in a Securities System shall identify by book-entry those securities belonging to the Fund;
3) The Custodian shall pay for securities purchased for the account of the Fund upon (i) receipt of advice from the Securities System that such securities have been transferred to the Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such payment and transfer for the account of the Fund. The Custodian shall transfer securities sold for the account of the Fund upon (i) receipt of advice from the Securities System that payment for such securities has been transferred to the Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer and payment for the account of the Fund. Copies of all advices from the Securities System of transfers of securities for the account of the Fund shall identify the Fund, be maintained for the Fund by the Custodian and be provided to the Fund at its request. Upon request, the Custodian shall furnish the Fund confirmation of each transfer to or from the account of the Fund in the form of a written advice or notice and shall furnish to the Fund copies of daily transaction sheets reflecting each day's transactions in the Securities System for the account of the Fund.
4) The Custodian shall provide the Fund with any report obtained by the Custodian on the Securities System's accounting system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding securities deposited in the Securities System;
5) The Custodian shall have received the initial or annual certificate, as the case may be, required by Article 9 hereof;
6) Anything to the contrary in this Contract notwithstanding, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund for any loss or damage to the Fund resulting from use of the Securities System by reason of any negligence, misfeasance or misconduct of the Custodian or any of its agents or of any of its or their employees or from failure of the Custodian or any such agent to enforce effectively such rights as it may have against the Securities System; at the election of the Fund, it shall be entitled to be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claim against the Securities System or any other person which the Custodian may have as a consequence of any such loss or damage if and to the extent that the Fund has not been made whole for any such loss or damage.
Investment Securities and Commodities (i) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has good title in all material respects to all securities and commodities owned by it (except those sold under repurchase agreements) which are material to the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, free and clear of any Liens, except for such failures to have good title as are set forth in the financial statements included in the Company Reports as of the entry into this Agreement or to the extent such securities or commodities are pledged in the ordinary course of business to secure obligations of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Such securities and commodities are valued on the books of the Company in accordance with GAAP in all material respects.
(ii) The Company and its Subsidiaries and their respective businesses employ investment, securities, commodities, risk management and other policies, practices and procedures that the Company believes are prudent and reasonable in the context of such businesses, and the Company and its Subsidiaries have, since January 1, 2023, been in compliance with such policies, practices and procedures in all material respects.
FOREIGN SECURITIES SYSTEMS Foreign securities shall be maintained in a Foreign Securities System in a designated country through arrangements implemented by the Custodian or a Foreign Sub-Custodian, as applicable, in such country.
LIABILITY OF FOREIGN SUB-CUSTODIANS AND FOREIGN SECURITIES SYSTEMS Each agreement pursuant to which the Custodian employs as a Foreign Sub-Custodian shall, to the extent possible, require the Foreign Sub-Custodian to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties and, to the extent possible, to indemnify, and hold harmless, the Custodian from and against any loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim arising out of or in connection with the Foreign Sub-Custodian’s performance of such obligations. At the Fund’s election, the Funds shall be entitled to be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claims against a Foreign Sub-Custodian as a consequence of any such loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim if and to the extent that the Funds have not been made whole for any such loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim.
Deposit of Securities in Securities Systems The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain Domestic Securities owned by a Fund in a Securities System in accordance with applicable Federal Reserve Board and Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations, if any, and subject to the following provisions:
(a) the Custodian may hold Domestic Securities of the Fund in the Depository Trust Company or the Federal Reserve's book entry system or, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, in another Securities System provided that such securities are held in an account of the Custodian in the Securities System ("Securities System Account") which shall not include any assets of the Custodian other than assets held as a fiduciary, custodian or otherwise for customers;
(b) the records of the Custodian with respect to Domestic Securities of the Fund which are maintained in a Securities System shall identify by book-entry those Domestic Securities belonging to the Fund;
(c) the Custodian shall pay for Domestic Securities purchased for the account of the Fund upon (i) receipt of advice from the Securities System that such securities have been transferred to the Securities System Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such payment and transfer for the account of the Fund. The Custodian shall transfer Domestic Securities sold for the account of the Fund upon (A) receipt of advice from the Securities System that payment for such securities has been transferred to the Securities System Account, and (B) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer and payment for the account of the Fund. Copies of all advices from the Securities System of transfers of Domestic Securities for the account of the Fund shall be maintained for the Fund by the Custodian and be provided to the Fund at its request. Upon request, the Custodian shall furnish the Fund confirmation of the transfer to or from the account of the Fund in the form of a written advice or notice; and
(d) upon request, the Custodian shall provide the Fund with any report obtained by the Custodian on the Securities System's accounting system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding domestic securities deposited in the Securities System.
Domestic Subcustodians and Securities Depositories The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain, either directly or through one or more agents appointed by the Custodian, Investments of the Fund in any Securities Depository in the United States, including The Depository Trust Company, provided such Depository meets applicable requirements of the Federal Reserve Bank or of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Custodian may, at any time and from time to time, appoint any bank as defined in Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act meeting the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, to act on behalf of the Fund as a Subcustodian for purposes of holding Investments of the Fund in the United States.
Foreign Securities Depositories Except as may otherwise be agreed upon in writing by the Custodian and the Fund, assets of the Portfolios shall be maintained in foreign securities depositories only through arrangements implemented by the foreign banking institutions serving as sub-custodians pursuant to the terms hereof. Where possible, such arrangements shall include entry into agreements containing the provisions set forth in Section 3.4 hereof.
Recent Securities Transactions Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Sale Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and except as may otherwise be indicated or contemplated herein or therein, the Company has not (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its share capital.
Foreign Subcustodians and Securities Depositories Unless instructed otherwise by the Fund, the Custodian may deposit and/or maintain non-U.S. Investments of the Fund in any non-U.S. Securities Depository provided such Securities Depository meets the requirements of an "eligible securities depository" under Rule 17f-7 promulgated under the 1940 Act, or any successor rule or regulation ("Rule 17f-7") or which by order of the Securities and Exchange Commission is exempted therefrom. Prior to the time that securities are placed with such depository, but subject to the provisions of Section 8.5 below, the Custodian shall have prepared an assessment of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with the Securities Depository and shall have established a system to monitor such risks on a continuing basis in accordance with Section 8.5. Additionally, the Custodian may, from time to time, appoint (a) any bank, trust company or other entity meeting the requirements of an “eligible foreign custodian” under Rule 17f-5 or which by order of the Securities and Exchange Commission is exempted therefrom, or (b) any bank as defined in Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act meeting the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, to act on behalf of the Fund as a Subcustodian for purposes of holding Investments of the Fund outside the United States.
