MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
This INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, made this 31st day of July, 1996,
by and between Xxxx Xxxxx Investors Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the
"Corporation"), on behalf of Xxxx Xxxxx Balanced Trust ("Fund"), and Xxxx Xxxxx
Fund Adviser, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Manager").
WHEREAS, the Corporation is registered as an open-end management
investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("1940
Act") currently consisting of one other portfolio; and
WHEREAS, the Corporation wishes to retain the Manager to provide
investment advisory, management, and administrative services to the Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Manager is willing to furnish such services on the terms
and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants
herein contained, it is agreed as follows:
1. The Corporation hereby appoints Xxxx Xxxxx Fund Adviser, Inc. as
Manager of the Fund for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement.
The Manager accepts such appointment and agrees to render the services herein
set forth, for the compensation herein provided.
2. The Fund shall at all times keep the Manager fully informed with
regard to the securities owned by it, its funds available, or to become
available, for investment, and generally as to the condition of its affairs. It
shall furnish the Manager with such other documents and information with regard
to its affairs as the Manager may from time to time reasonably request.
3. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Corporation's Board of
Directors, the Manager shall regularly provide the Fund with investment
research, advice, management and supervision and shall furnish a continuous
investment program for the Fund's portfolio of securities consistent with the
Fund's investment goals and policies. The Manager shall determine from time to
time what securities will be purchased, retained or sold by the Fund, and shall
implement those decisions, all subject to the provisions of the Corporation's
Articles of Incorporation and By-laws, the 1940 Act, the applicable rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other applicable
federal and state law, as well as the investment goals and policies of the Fund.
The Manager will place orders pursuant to its investment determinations for the
Fund either directly with the issuer or with any broker or dealer. In placing
orders with brokers and dealers the Manager will attempt to obtain the best net
price and the most favorable execution of its orders; however, the Manager may,
in its discretion, purchase and sell portfolio securities through brokers who
provide the Fund with research, analysis, advice and similar services, and the
Manager may pay to these brokers, in return for research and analysis, a higher
commission or spread than may be charged by other brokers. The Manager is
authorized to combine orders on behalf of the Fund with orders on behalf of
other clients of the Manager, consistent with guidelines adopted by the Board of
Directors of the Corporation. The Manager shall also provide advice and
recommendations with respect to other aspects of the business and affairs of the
Fund, and shall perform such other functions of management and supervision as
may be directed by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
(b) The Fund hereby authorizes any entity or person associated with the
Manager which is a member of a national securities exchange to effect any
transaction on the exchange for the account of the Fund which is permitted by
Section 11(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 11a2-2(T)
thereunder, and the Fund hereby consents to the retention by such person
associated with the Manager of compensation for such transactions in accordance
with Rule 11a2-2(T)(a)(2)(iv).
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4. The Manager may enter into a contract ("Investment Advisory
Agreement") with an investment adviser in which the Manager delegates to such
investment adviser any or all its duties specified in Paragraph 3 hereunder,
provided that such Investment Advisory Agreement imposes on the investment
adviser bound thereby all duties and conditions to which the Manager is subject
hereunder, and further provided that such Investment Advisory Agreement
meets all requirements of the 1940 Act and rules thereunder.
5. (a) The Manager, at its expense, shall supply the Board of Directors
and officers of the Corporation with all statistical information and reports
reasonably required by them and reasonably available to the Manager and shall
furnish the Fund with office facilities, including space, furniture and
equipment and all personnel reasonably necessary for the operation of the Fund.
The Manager shall oversee the maintenance of all books and records with respect
to the Fund's securities transactions and the keeping of the Fund's books of
account in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws and
regulations. In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the 1940
Act, the Manager hereby agrees that any records which it maintains for the Fund
are the property of the Corporation, and further agrees to surrender promptly to
the Fund or its agents any of such records upon the Fund's request. The Manager
further agrees to arrange for the preservation of the records required to be
maintained by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act for the periods prescribed by Rule
31a-2 under the 1940 Act. The Manager shall authorize and permit any of its
directors, officers and employees, who may be elected as directors or officers
of the Fund, to serve in the capacities in which they are elected.
(b) Other than as herein specifically indicated, the Manager shall not
be responsible for the Fund's expenses. Specifically, the Manager will not be
responsible, except to the extent of the reasonable compensation of employees of
the Fund whose services may be used by the Manager hereunder, for any of the
following expenses of the Fund, which expenses shall be borne by the Fund:
advisory fees; distribution fees; interest, taxes, governmental fees, fees,
voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership
in investment company organizations; the cost (including brokerage commissions
or charges, if any) of securities purchased or sold by the Fund and any losses
in connection therewith; fees of custodians, transfer agents, registrars or
other agents; legal expenses; expenses of preparing share certificates; expenses
relating to the redemption or repurchase of the Fund's shares; expenses of
registering and qualifying shares of the Fund for sale under applicable federal
and state law; expenses of preparing, setting in print, printing and
distributing prospectuses, reports, notices and dividends to Fund shareholders;
costs of stationery; costs of stockholders' and other meetings of the Fund;
directors' fees; audit fees; travel expenses of officers, directors and
employees of the Corporation if any; and the Corporation's pro rata portion of
premiums on any fidelity bond and other insurance covering the Corporation and
its officers and directors.
6. No director, officer or employee of the Corporation or Fund shall
receive from the Corporation any salary or other compensation as such director,
officer or employee while he or she is at the same time a director, officer, or
employee of the Manager or any affiliated company of the Manager. This paragraph
shall not apply to directors, executive committee members, consultants and other
persons who are not regular members of the Manager's or any affiliated company's
staff.
7. As compensation for the services performed and the facilities
furnished and expenses assumed by the Manager, including the services of any
consultants or sub-advisers retained by the Manager, the Fund shall pay the
Manager, as promptly as possible after the last day of each month, a fee,
computed daily at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of the
Fund. The first payment of the fee shall be made as promptly as possible at the
end of the month succeeding the effective date of this Agreement. If this
Agreement is terminated as of any date not the last day of a month, such fee
shall be paid as promptly as possible after such date of termination, shall be
based on the average daily net assets of the Fund in that period from the
beginning of such month to such date of termination, and shall be based on that
proportion of such average daily net assets as the number of business days in
such period bears to the number of business days in such month. The average
daily net assets of the Fund shall in all cases be based only on business days
and be computed as of the time of the regular close of business of the New York
Stock
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Exchange, or such other time as may be determined by the Board of Directors of
the Corporation. Each such payment shall be accompanied by a report prepared
either by the Fund or by a reputable firm of independent accountants, which
shall show the amount properly payable to the Manager under this Agreement and
the detailed computation thereof.
8. The Manager assumes no responsibility under this Agreement other
than to render the services called for hereunder, in good faith, and shall not
be responsible for any action of the Board of Directors of the Corporation in
following or declining to follow any advice or recommendations of the Manager;
provided, that nothing in this Agreement shall protect the Manager against any
liability to the Fund or its shareholders to which it would otherwise be subject
by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its
obligations and duties hereunder.
9. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any
director, officer, or employee of the Manager who may also be a director,
officer, or employee of the Corporation or the Fund, to engage in any other
business or to devote his time and attention in part to the management or other
aspects of any other business, whether of a similar nature or a dissimilar
nature, or limit or restrict the right of the Manager to engage in any other
business or to render services of any kind, including investment advisory and
management services, to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.
10. As used in this Agreement, the terms "assignment", "interested
persons", and "majority of the outstanding voting securities" shall have the
meanings given to them by Section 2(a) of the 1940 Act, subject to such
exemptions and interpretations as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission by any rule, regulation or order.
11. This Agreement will become effective with respect to the Fund on
the date first written above, provided that it shall have been approved by the
Corporation's Board of Directors and by the shareholders of the Fund in
accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and, unless sooner terminated
as provided herein, will continue in effect for two years from the above written
date. Thereafter, if not terminated, this Agreement shall continue in effect
with respect to the Fund for successive annual periods ending on the same date
of each year, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least
annually (i) by the Corporation's Board of Directors or (ii) by a vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the
1940 Act), provided that in either event the continuance is also approved by a
majority of the Corporation's Directors who are not interested persons (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) of any party to this Agreement, by vote cast in person
at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
12. This Agreement is terminable with respect to the Fund without
penalty by the Corporation's Board of Directors, by vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act), or by
the Manager, on not less than 60 days' notice to the other party and will be
terminated upon the mutual written consent of the Manager and the Corporation.
This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment by
the Manager and shall not be assignable by the Corporation without the consent
of the Manager.
13. In the event this Agreement is terminated by either party or upon
written notice from the Manager at any time, the Corporation hereby agrees that
it will eliminate from its corporate name any reference to the name of "Xxxx
Xxxxx." The Corporation shall have the non-exclusive use of the name "Xxxx
Xxxxx" in whole or in part only so long as this Agreement is effective or until
such notice is given.
14. The Manager agrees that for services rendered to the Fund, or
indemnity due in connection with service to the Fund, it shall look only to
assets of the Fund for satisfaction and that it shall have no claim against the
assets of any other fund.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed by their officers thereunto duly authorized.
Attest: XXXX XXXXX INVESTORS TRUST, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
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Attest: XXXX XXXXX FUND ADVISER, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
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