EXHIBIT (e)(1)
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DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made effective as of the 29th of September, 1997, by and between NEW
PROVIDENCE INVESTMENT TRUST, an unincorporated business trust organized under
the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the "Trust"), and XXXXXXXXX &
CO., a Georgia corporation ("Distributor").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Trust is engaged in business as an open-end management investment
company and is so registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the "1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of
beneficial interest (the "Shares"), in separate series representing the
interests in separate funds of securities and other assets; and
WHEREAS, the Trust offers a series of such Shares representing interests in the
NEW PROVIDENCE GROWTH FUND (the "Fund") of the Trust, and has registered the
Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), pursuant
to a registration statement on Form N-1A (the "Registration Statement"),
including a prospectus (the "Prospectus") and a statement of additional
information (the "Statement of Additional Information"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust has adopted a Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act (the "Distribution Plan") with respect to the Institutional
Shares of the Fund, and may enter into related agreements providing for the
distribution of Institutional Shares of the Fund; and
WHEREAS, Distributor has agreed to act as distributor of the Shares of the Fund
for the period of this Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed between the parties hereto as follows:
1. Appointment of Distributor.
(a) The Trust hereby appoints Distributor its exclusive agent for the
distribution of the Shares of the Fund in jurisdictions wherein such
Shares may be legally offered for sale; provided, however, that the
Trust in its absolute discretion may issue Shares of the Fund in
connection with (i) the payment or reinvestment of dividends or
distributions; (ii) any merger or consolidation of the Trust or of the
Fund with any other investment company or trust or any personal holding
company, or the acquisition of the assets of any such entity or another
fund of the Trust; or (iii) any offer of exchange permitted by Section
11 of the 0000 Xxx.
(b) Distributor hereby accepts such appointment as exclusive agent for
the distribution of the Shares of the Fund and agrees that it will sell
the Shares as agent for the Trust at prices determined as hereinafter
provided and on the terms hereinafter set forth, all according to
applicable federal and state laws and regulations and to the Agreement
and Declaration of Trust of the Trust.
(c) Distributor may sell Shares of the Fund to or through qualified
securities dealers or others. Distributor will require each dealer or
other such party to conform to the provisions hereof, the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information,
and applicable law; and neither Distributor nor any such dealers or
others shall withhold the placing of purchase orders for Shares so as
to make a profit thereby.
(d) Distributor shall order Shares of the Fund from the Trust only to
the extent that it shall have received purchase orders therefor.
Distributor will not make, or authorize any dealers or others to make:
(i) any short sales of Shares; or (ii) any sales of Shares to any
Trustee or officer of the Trust or to any officer or director of
Distributor or of any corporation or association furnishing investment
advisory, managerial or supervisory services to the Trust, or to any
such corporation or association, unless such sales are made in
accordance with the then current Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information.
(e) Distributor is not authorized by the Trust to give any information
or make any representations regarding the Shares of the Fund, except
such information or representations as are contained in the
Registration Statement or in the current Prospectus or Statement of
Additional Information of the Fund, or in advertisements and sales
literature prepared by or on behalf of the Trust for Distributor's use.
(f) Notwithstanding any provision hereof, the Trust may terminate,
suspend or withdraw the offering of Shares of the Fund whenever, in its
sole discretion, it deems such action to be desirable.
2. Offering Price of Shares. All Fund Shares sold under this Agreement
shall be sold at the public offering price per Share in effect at the
time of the sale, as described in the then current Prospectus of the
Fund. The excess, if any, of the public offering price over the net
asset value of the Shares sold by Distributor as agent shall be
retained by Distributor as a commission for its services hereunder. Out
of such commission Distributor may allow commissions or concessions to
dealers and may allow them to others in its discretion in such amounts
as Distributor shall determine from time to time. Except as may be
otherwise determined by Distributor from time to time, such commissions
or concessions shall be uniform to all dealers. At no time shall the
Trust receive less than the full net asset value of the Shares,
determined in the manner set forth in the then current Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information. Distributor shall also be entitled
to such commissions and other fees and payments as may be authorized by
the Trustees of the Trust from time to time under the Distribution
Plan.
3. Furnishing of Information. The Trust shall furnish to Distributor
copies of any information, financial statements and other documents
that Distributor may reasonably request for use in connection with the
sale of Shares of the Fund under this Agreement. The Trust shall also
make available a sufficient number of copies of the Fund's current
Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information for use by the
Distributor.
4. Expenses.
(a) The Trust will pay or cause to be paid the following expenses: (i)
preparation, printing and distribution to shareholders of the
Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information; (ii) preparation,
printing and distribution of reports and other communications to
shareholders; (iii) registration of the Shares under the federal
securities laws; (iv) qualification of the Shares for sale in certain
states; (v) qualification of the Trust as a dealer or broker under
state law as well as qualification of the Trust as an entity authorized
to do business in certain states; (vi) maintaining facilities for the
issue and transfer of Shares; (vii) supplying information, prices and
other data to be furnished by the Trust under this Agreement; and
(viii) certain taxes applicable to the sale or delivery of the Shares
or certificates therefor.
(b) Except to the extent such expenses are borne by the Trust pursuant
to the Distribution Plan, Distributor will pay or cause to be paid the
following expenses: (i) payments to sales representatives of the
Distributor and to securities dealers and others in respect of the sale
of Shares of the Fund; (ii) payment of compensation to and expenses of
employees of the Distributor and any of its affiliates to the extent
they engage in or support distribution of Fund Shares or render
shareholder support services not otherwise provided by the Trust's
transfer agent, administrator, or custodian, including, but not limited
to, answering routine inquiries regarding the Fund, processing
shareholder transactions, and providing such other shareholder services
as the Trust may reasonably request; (iii) formulation and
implementation of marketing and promotional activities, including, but
not limited to, direct mail promotions and television, radio,
newspaper, magazine and other mass media advertising; (iv) preparation,
printing and distribution of sales literature and of Prospectuses and
Statements of Additional Information and reports of the Trust for
recipients other than existing shareholders of the Fund; and (v)
obtaining such information, analyses and reports with respect to
marketing and promotional activities as the Trust may, from time to
time, reasonably request.
(c) Distributor in connection with the Distribution Plan shall prepare
and deliver reports to the Trustees of the Trust on a regular basis, at
least quarterly, showing the expenditures with respect to the Fund
pursuant to the Distribution Plan and the purposes therefor, as well as
any supplemental reports as the Trustees of the Trust, from time to
time, may reasonably request.
5. Repurchase of Shares. Distributor as agent and for the account of
the Trust may repurchase Shares of the Fund offered for resale to it
and redeem such Shares at their net asset value.
6. Indemnification by the Trust. In absence of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties
hereunder on the part of Distributor, the Trust agrees to indemnify
Distributor and its officers and partners against any and all claims,
demands, liabilities and expenses that Distributor may incur under the
1933 Act, or common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon any
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or any Prospectus or Statement of Additional
Information of the Fund, or in any advertisements or sales literature
prepared by or on behalf of the Trust for Distributor's use, or any
omission to state a material fact therein, the omission of which makes
any statement contained therein misleading, unless such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished to the Trust in connection therewith by or on behalf of
Distributor. Nothing herein contained shall require the Trust to take
any action contrary to any provision of its Agreement and Declaration
of Trust or any applicable statute or regulation.
7. Indemnification by Distributor. Distributor agrees to indemnify the
Trust and its officers and Trustees against any and all claims,
demands, liabilities and expenses which the Trust may incur under the
1933 Act, or common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon (i)
any alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or any Prospectus or Statement of Additional
Information of the Fund, or in any advertisements or sales literature
prepared by or on behalf of the Trust for Distributor's use, or any
omission to state a material fact therein, the omission of which makes
any statement contained therein misleading, if such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished to the Trust in connection therewith by or on behalf of
Distributor; or (ii) any act or deed of Distributor or its sales
representatives, or securities dealers and others authorized to sell
Fund Shares hereunder, or their sales representatives, that has not
been authorized by the Trust in any Prospectus or Statement of
Additional Information of the Fund or by this Agreement.
8. Term and Termination.
(a) This Agreement shall become effective on the date hereof. Unless
terminated as herein provided, this Agreement shall continue in effect
for one year from the date hereof and shall continue in full force and
effect for successive periods of one year thereafter, but only so long
as each such continuance is approved (i) by either the Trustees of the
Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund and, in either event, (ii) by vote
of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this
Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of any
such party and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in
this Agreement or in the operation of the Distribution Plan or in any
agreement related thereto ("Independent Trustees"), cast at a meeting
called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
(b) This Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of
any penalty by vote of the Trustees of the Trust or a majority of the
Independent Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund or by Distributor,
on sixty days' written notice to the other party.
(c) This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
9. Limitation of Liability. The obligations of the Trust hereunder
shall not be binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders
of the Trust personally, but shall bind only the assets and property of
the Trust. The term "New Providence Investment Trust" means and refers
to the Trustees from time to time serving under the Agreement and
Declaration of Trust of the Trust, a copy of which is on file with the
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The execution and
delivery of this Agreement has been authorized by the Trustees, and
this Agreement has been signed on behalf of the Trust by an authorized
officer of the Trust, acting as such and not individually, and neither
such authorization by such Trustees nor such execution and delivery by
such officer shall be deemed to have been made by any of them
individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but
shall bind only the assets and property of the Trust as provided in the
Agreement and Declaration of Trust.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed
as of the date first written above.
NEW PROVIDENCE INVESTMENT TRUST
Attest: /s/ C. Xxxxx Xxxxxx, III
__________________________
By: /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxx
_____________________________
NEW PROVIDENCE CAPITAL GROWTH FUND
Attest: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
__________________________
By: /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx
_____________________________
XXXXXXXXX & CO.
Attest: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
__________________________
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
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