INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made by and between AELTUS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC. a
Connecticut corporation (the "Adviser") and AETNA VARIABLE PORTFOLIOS, INC., a
Maryland corporation (the "Fund"), on behalf of its portfolio, AETNA VALUE
OPPORTUNITY VP (the "Portfolio"), as of the date set forth above the parties'
signatures.
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") as an open-end, diversified, management investment company under
the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund has established the Portfolio; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser is registered with the Commission as an investment adviser
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Advisers Act"), and is in the
business of acting as an investment adviser; and
WHEREAS, the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolio, and the Adviser desire to enter
into an agreement to provide for investment advisory and management services for
the Portfolio on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
I. APPOINTMENT AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE ADVISER
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the policies and
control of the Fund's Board of Directors (the "Board"), the Fund, on behalf of
the Portfolio, hereby appoints the Adviser to serve as the investment adviser to
the Portfolio, to provide the investment advisory services set forth below in
Section II. The Adviser agrees that, except as required to carry out its duties
under this Agreement or otherwise expressly authorized, it is acting as an
independent contractor and not as an agent of the Portfolio and has no authority
to act for or represent the Portfolio in any way.
II. DUTIES OF THE ADVISER
In carrying out the terms of this Agreement, the Adviser shall do the following:
1. supervise all aspects of the operations of the Portfolio;
2. select the securities to be purchased, sold or exchanged by the
Portfolio or otherwise represented in the Portfolio's investment
portfolio, place trades for all such securities and regularly report
thereon to the Board;
3. formulate and implement continuing programs for the purchase and sale
of securities and regularly report thereon to the Board;
4. obtain and evaluate pertinent information about significant
developments and economic, statistical and financial data, domestic,
foreign or otherwise, whether affecting the economy generally, the
Portfolio, securities held by or under consideration for the
Portfolio, or the issuers of those securities;
5. provide economic research and securities analyses as the Adviser
considers necessary or advisable in connection with the Adviser's
performance of its duties hereunder;
6. obtain the services of, contract with, and provide instructions to
custodians and/or subcustodians of the Portfolio's securities,
transfer agents, dividend paying agents, pricing services and other
service providers as are necessary to carry out the terms of this
Agreement; and
7. take any other actions which appear to the Adviser and the Board
necessary to carry into effect the purposes of this Agreement.
III. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
A. Representations and Warranties of the Adviser
The Adviser hereby represents and warrants to the Fund as follows:
1. DUE INCORPORATION AND ORGANIZATION. The Adviser is duly organized
and is in good standing under the laws of the State of Connecticut
and is fully authorized to enter into this Agreement and carry out
its duties and obligations hereunder.
2. REGISTRATION. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser
with the Commission under the Advisers Act. The Adviser shall
maintain such registration in effect at all times during the term
of this Agreement.
3. BEST EFFORTS. The Adviser at all times shall provide its best
judgment and effort to the Portfolio in carrying out its
obligations hereunder.
B. Representations and Warranties of the Portfolio and the Fund
The Fund, on behalf of the Portfolio, hereby represents and warrants to
the Adviser as follows:
1. DUE INCORPORATION AND ORGANIZATION. The Fund has been duly
incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland and it is
authorized to enter into this Agreement and carry out its
obligations hereunder.
2. REGISTRATION. The Fund is registered as an investment company with
the Commission under the 1940 Act and shares of the Portfolio are
registered or qualified for offer and sale to the public under the
Securities Act of 1933 and all applicable state securities laws.
Such registrations or qualifications will be kept in effect during
the term of this Agreement.
IV. DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Subject to the approval of the Board and the shareholders of the Portfolio, the
Adviser may enter into a Subadvisory Agreement to engage a subadviser to the
Adviser with respect to the Portfolio.
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V. BROKER-DEALER RELATIONSHIPS
A. Portfolio Trades
The Adviser shall place all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio
securities for the Portfolio with brokers or dealers selected by the
Adviser, which may include brokers or dealers affiliated with the Adviser.
The Adviser shall use its best efforts to seek to execute portfolio
transactions at prices that are advantageous to the Portfolio and at
commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received.
B. Selection of Broker-Dealers
In selecting broker-dealers qualified to execute a particular transaction,
brokers or dealers may be selected who also provide brokerage or research
services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934) to the Adviser and/or the other accounts over which
the Adviser or its affiliates exercise investment discretion. The Adviser
is authorized to pay a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage or
research services a commission for executing a portfolio transaction for
the Portfolio that is in excess of the amount of commission another broker
or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if the Adviser
determines in good faith that such amount of commission is reasonable in
relation to the value of the brokerage or research services provided by
such broker or dealer and is paid in compliance with Section 28(e). This
determination may be viewed in terms of either that particular transaction
or the overall responsibilities that the Adviser and its affiliates have
with respect to accounts over which they exercise investment discretion.
The Adviser may consider the sale of shares of the Portfolio and of other
investment companies advised by the Adviser as a factor in the selection
of brokers or dealers to effect transactions for the Portfolio, subject to
the Adviser's duty to seek best execution. The Adviser may also select
brokers or dealers to effect transactions for the Portfolio that provide
payment for expenses of the Portfolio. The Board shall periodically review
the commissions paid by the Portfolio to determine if the commissions paid
over representative periods of time were reasonable in relation to the
benefits received.
VI. CONTROL BY THE BOARD
Any investment program undertaken by the Adviser pursuant to this Agreement, as
well as any other activities undertaken by the Adviser on behalf of the
Portfolio pursuant thereto, shall at all times be subject to any directives of
the Board.
VII. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
In carrying out its obligations under this Agreement, the Adviser shall at all
times conform to:
1. all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act;
2. the provisions of the current Registration Statement of the Fund;
3. the provisions of the Fund's Articles of Incorporation, as amended;
4. the provisions of the Bylaws of the Fund, as amended; and
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5. any other applicable provisions of state and federal law.
VIII. COMPENSATION
For the services to be rendered, the facilities furnished and the expenses
assumed by the Adviser, the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolio, shall pay to the
Adviser an annual fee, payable monthly, equal to 0.60% of the average daily net
assets of the Portfolio. Except as hereinafter set forth, compensation under
this Agreement shall be calculated and accrued daily at the rate of 1/365 (1/366
in the event of a leap year) of 0.60% of the daily net assets of the Portfolio.
If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent to the first day of a month or
terminates before the last day of a month, compensation for that part of the
month this Agreement is in effect shall be prorated in a manner consistent with
the calculation of the fees set forth above. Subject to the provisions of
Section X hereof, payment of the Adviser's compensation for the preceding month
shall be made as promptly as possible.
IX. EXPENSES
The expenses in connection with the management of the Portfolio shall be
allocated between the Portfolio and the Adviser as follows:
A. Expenses of the Adviser
The Adviser shall pay:
1. the salaries, employment benefits and other related costs and
expenses of those of its personnel engaged in providing investment
advice to the Portfolio, including without limitation, office
space, office equipment, telephone and postage costs; and
2. all fees and expenses of all directors, officers and employees, if
any, of the Fund who are employees of the Adviser, including any
salaries and employment benefits payable to those persons.
B. Expenses of the Portfolio
The Portfolio shall pay:
1. investment advisory fees pursuant to this Agreement;
2. brokers' commissions, issue and transfer taxes or other
transaction fees payable in connection with any transactions in
the securities in the Portfolio's investment portfolio or other
investment transactions incurred in managing the Portfolio's
assets, including portions of commissions that may be paid to
reflect brokerage research services provided to the Adviser;
3. fees and expenses of the Portfolio's independent accountants and
legal counsel and the independent directors' legal counsel;
4. fees and expenses of any administrator, transfer agent, custodian,
dividend, accounting, pricing or disbursing agent of the
Portfolio;
5. interest and taxes;
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6. fees and expenses of any membership in the Investment Company
Institute or any similar organization in which the Board deems it
advisable for the Fund to maintain membership;
7. insurance premiums on property or personnel (including officers
and directors) of the Fund;
8. all fees and expenses of the Fund's directors, who are not
"interested persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund or
the Adviser;
9. expenses of preparing, printing and distributing proxies, proxy
statements, prospectuses and reports to shareholders of the
Portfolio, except for those expenses paid by third parties in
connection with the distribution of Portfolio shares and all costs
and expenses of shareholders' meetings;
10. all expenses incident to the payment of any dividend,
distribution, withdrawal or redemption, whether in shares of the
Portfolio or in cash;
11. costs and expenses (other than those detailed in paragraph 9
above) of promoting the sale of shares in the Portfolio, including
preparing prospectuses and reports to shareholders of the
Portfolio, provided, nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the
charging of such costs to third parties involved in the
distribution and sale of Portfolio shares;
12. fees payable by the Portfolio to the Commission or to any state
securities regulator or other regulatory authority for the
registration of shares of the Portfolio in any state or territory
of the United States or of the District of Columbia;
13. all costs attributable to investor services, administering
shareholder accounts and handling shareholder relations,
(including, without limitation, telephone and personnel expenses),
which costs may also be charged to third parties by the Adviser;
and
14. any other ordinary, routine expenses incurred in the management of
the Portfolio's assets, and any nonrecurring or extraordinary
expenses, including organizational expenses, litigation affecting
the Portfolio and any indemnification by the Fund of its officers,
directors or agents.
Notwithstanding the above, the Adviser may waive a portion or all of the fees it
is entitled to receive.
In addition, the Adviser may reimburse the Fund, on behalf of a Portfolio, for
expenses allocated to a Portfolio.
The Adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses through December
31, 2001 so that the Portfolio's total annual operating expenses (excluding
distribution fees) do not exceed 0.80% of the average daily net assets.
X. ADDITIONAL SERVICES
Upon the request of the Board, the Adviser may perform certain accounting,
shareholder servicing or other administrative services on behalf of the
Portfolio that are not required by this Agreement. Such services will be
performed on behalf of the Portfolio and the
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Adviser may receive from the Portfolio such reimbursement for costs or
reasonable compensation for such services as may be agreed upon between the
Adviser and the Board on a finding by the Board that the provision of such
services by the Adviser is in the best interests of the Portfolio and its
shareholders. Payment or assumption by the Adviser of any Portfolio expense that
the Adviser is not otherwise required to pay or assume under this Agreement
shall not relieve the Adviser of any of its obligations to the Portfolio nor
obligate the Adviser to pay or assume any similar Portfolio expense on any
subsequent occasions.
XI. NONEXCLUSIVITY
The services of the Adviser to the Portfolio are not to be deemed to be
exclusive, and the Adviser shall be free to render investment advisory or other
services to others (including other investment companies) and to engage in other
activities, so long as its services under this Agreement are not impaired
thereby. It is understood and agreed that officers and directors of the Adviser
may serve as officers or directors of the Fund, and that officers or directors
of the Fund may serve as officers or directors of the Adviser to the extent
permitted by law; and that the officers and directors of the Adviser are not
prohibited from engaging in any other business activity or from rendering
services to any other person, or from serving as partners, officers, directors
or trustees of any other firm or trust, including other investment companies.
XII. TERM
This Agreement shall become effective on December 13, 2000, and shall remain in
force and effect through December 31, 2001, unless earlier terminated under the
provisions of Article XIV.
XIII. RENEWAL
Following the expiration of its initial term, the Agreement shall continue in
force and effect from year to year, provided that such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually:
1. a. by the Board, or
b. by the vote of a majority of the Portfolio's outstanding voting
securities (as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act), and
2. by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors who are not
parties to this Agreement or interested persons of a party to this
Agreement (other than as a director of the Fund), by votes cast in
person at a meeting specifically called for such purpose.
XIV. TERMINATION
This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any
penalty, by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the Portfolio's
outstanding voting securities (as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act),
or by the Adviser, on sixty (60) days' written notice to the other party. The
notice provided for herein may be waived by the party required to be notified.
This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its "assignment"
(as defined in Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act).
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XV. LIABILITY
The Adviser shall be liable to the Fund and shall indemnify the Fund for any
losses incurred by the Fund, whether in the purchase, holding or sale of any
security or otherwise, to the extent that such losses resulted from an act or
omission on the part of the Adviser or its officers, directors or employees,
that is found to involve willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence, or
reckless disregard by the Adviser of its duties under this Agreement, in
connection with the services rendered by the Adviser hereunder.
XVI. NOTICES
Any notices under this Agreement shall be in writing, addressed and delivered,
mailed postage paid, or sent by other delivery service, or by facsimile
transmission to each party at such address as each party may designate for the
receipt of notice. Until further notice, such addresses shall be:
IF TO THE FUND, ON BEHALF OF THE PORTFOLIO:
00 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Fax number 860/000-0000
Attention: President
IF TO THE ADVISER:
00 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Fax number 860/000-0000
Attention: President or Chief Compliance Officer
XVII. QUESTIONS OF INTERPRETATION
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Connecticut. Any
question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a
counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act
shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to
interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence
of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules or orders of the
Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act, or contained in no-action and
interpretive positions taken by the Commission staff. In addition, where the
effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in the provisions of this
Agreement is revised by rule or order of the Commission, such provisions shall
be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule or order.
XVIII. SERVICE XXXX
The service xxxx of the Fund and the Portfolio and the name "Aetna" have been
adopted by the Fund with the permission of Aetna Services, Inc. (formerly known
as Aetna Life and Casualty Company) and their continued use is subject to the
right of Aetna Services, Inc. to withdraw this permission in the event the
Adviser or another affiliated corporation of Aetna Services, Inc. should not be
the investment adviser of the Portfolio.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed
in duplicate by their respective officers on the 13th day of December, 2000.
Aeltus Investment Management, Inc.
Attest:
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx
------------------------- ------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxx
---------------------- ---------------------------
Title: Secretary Title: Managing Director
---------------------- ----------------------------
Aetna Variable Portfolios, Inc. on
behalf of its Portfolio Aetna Value
Opportunity VP
Attest:
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx By: /s/ J. Xxxxx Xxx
------------------------- ------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx Name: J. Xxxxx Xxx
---------------------- ---------------------------
Title: Secretary Title: President
---------------------- ----------------------------
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Investment Advisory Agreement
Schedule Pursuant to Rule 483(d)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933
Investment Advisory Agreements have been entered into by Aetna Variable
Portfolios, Inc. on behalf of the following series in substantially the same
form and type as exhibit (d.1) - Investment Advisory Agreement, included
herewith.
Difference in Difference in
Date Portfolio Compensation Expenses
------- --------- -------------- --------------
12/13/00 Aetna Growth VP .60% of average daily total annual operating
net assets fees do not exceed 0.80%
of average daily net assets
12/13/00 Aetna Small Company VP .75% of average daily total annual operating
net assets fees do not exceed 0.95%
of average daily net assets
12/13/00 Aetna Index Plus Large .35% of average daily total annual operating
Cap VP net assets fees do not exceed 0.55%
of average daily net assets
12/13/00 Aetna Index Plus Mid .40% of average daily total annual operating
Cap VP net assets fees do not exceed 0.60%
of average daily net assets
12/13/00 Aetna Index Plus Small .40% of average daily total annual operating
Cap VP net assets fees do not exceed 0.60%
of average daily net assets
12/13/00 Aetna International VP .85% of average daily total annual operating
net assets fees do not exceed 1.15%
of average daily net assets
12/13/00 Aetna Technology VP .95% of average daily total annual operating
net assets fees do not exceed 1.15%
of average daily net assets
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