EXHIBIT NO. 99.4
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT, dated this 1st day of January, 2002, by
and between MFS SERIES TRUST III, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Trust"),
on behalf of its series of shares (each a "Fund") listed on Appendix A attached
hereto, and MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY, a Delaware corporation
(the "Adviser").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Trust is engaged in business as an investment company
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser is willing to provide services to each Fund on
the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and
agreements of the parties hereto as herein set forth, the parties covenant and
agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. DUTIES OF THE ADVISER. (a) The Adviser shall provide each
Fund with such investment advice and supervision as the latter may from time to
time consider necessary for the proper supervision of its assets. The Adviser
shall act as investment adviser to each Fund and as such shall furnish
continuously an investment program and shall determine from time to time what
securities or other instruments shall be purchased, sold or exchanged and what
portion of the assets of each Fund shall be held uninvested, subject always to
the restrictions of the Trust's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust,
dated January 1, 2002, and By-Laws, each as amended from time to time
(respectively, the "Declaration" and the "By-Laws"), to the provisions of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules, Regulations and orders thereunder
and to a Fund's then-current Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information. The Adviser also shall exercise voting rights, rights to consent
to corporate actions and any other rights pertaining to a Fund's portfolio
securities in accordance with the Adviser's policies and procedures as
presented to the Trustees of the Trust from time to time. Should the Trustees
at any time, however, make any definite determination as to the investment
policy and notify the Adviser thereof in writing, the Adviser shall be bound by
such determination for the period, if any, specified in such notice or until
similarly notified that such determination shall be revoked.
(b) The Adviser shall take, on behalf of each Fund, all actions which
it deems necessary to implement the investment policies determined as provided
above, and in particular to place all orders for the purchase or sale of
portfolio securities or other instruments for each Fund's account with brokers
or dealers selected by it, and to that end, the Adviser is authorized as the
agent of each Fund to give instructions to the Custodian of each Fund as to the
deliveries of securities or other instruments and payments of cash for the
account of each Fund. In connection with the selection of such brokers or
dealers and the placing of such orders, the Adviser is directed to seek for
each Fund the best overall price and execution available from responsible
brokerage firms, taking account of all factors it deems relevant, including by
way of illustration: price; the size of the transaction; the nature of the
market for the security; the amount of the commission; the timing and impact of
the transaction taking into account market prices and trends; the reputation,
experience and financial stability of the broker or dealer involved; and the
quality of services rendered by the broker or dealer in other transactions. In
fulfilling this requirement, the Adviser shall not be deemed to have acted
unlawfully or to have breached any duty, created by this Agreement or
otherwise, solely by reason of its having caused a Fund to pay a broker or
dealer an amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction in excess
of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for
effecting that transaction, if the Adviser determined in good faith that such
amount of commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage
and research services provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of
either that particular transaction or the Adviser's overall responsibilities
with respect to the Fund and to other clients of the Adviser as to which the
Adviser exercises investment discretion. Subject to seeking the best price and
execution as described above, and in accordance with applicable rules and
regulations, the Adviser also is authorized to consider sales of shares of each
Fund or of other funds or accounts of the Adviser as a factor in the selection
of brokers and dealers.
(c) The Adviser may from time to time enter into sub-investment
advisory agreements with respect to a Fund with one or more investment advisers
with such terms and conditions as the Adviser may determine, provided that such
sub-investment advisory agreements have been approved in accordance with
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any rules,
regulations or orders of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
Subject to the provisions of Article 6, the Adviser shall not be liable for any
error of judgment or mistake of law by any sub-adviser or for any loss arising
out of any investment made by any sub-adviser or for any act or omission in the
execution and management of a Fund by any sub-adviser.
ARTICLE 2. ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES. (a) The Adviser shall
furnish at its own expense investment advisory and administrative services,
office space, equipment and clerical personnel necessary for servicing the
investments of each Fund and maintaining its organization, and investment
advisory facilities and executive and supervisory personnel for managing the
investments and effecting the portfolio transactions of each Fund. The Adviser
shall arrange, if desired by the Trust, for directors, officers and employees
of the Adviser to serve as Trustees, officers or agents of the Trust if duly
elected or appointed to such positions and subject to their individual consent
and to any limitations imposed by law.
(b) It is understood that the Trust and each Fund will pay all of
their own expenses incurred in their operations and the offering of a Fund's
shares, unless specifically provided otherwise in this Agreement or except to
the extent that the Adviser agrees in a written instrument executed by the
Adviser (specifically referring to this Article 2(b)) to assume or otherwise
pay for specified expenses of the Trust or a Fund, including, without
limitation: compensation of Trustees "not affiliated" with the Adviser;
governmental fees; interest charges; taxes; membership dues in the Investment
Company Institute allocable to a Fund; fees and expenses of independent
auditors, of legal counsel, and of any transfer agent, registrar or dividend
disbursing agent of a Fund; expenses of repurchasing and redeeming shares and
servicing shareholder accounts; expenses of preparing, printing and mailing
stock certificates, shareholder reports, notices, proxy statements and reports
to governmental officers and commissions; brokerage and other expenses
connected with the execution, recording and settlement of portfolio security
transactions; insurance premiums; fees and expenses of the custodian for all
services to a Fund, including safekeeping of funds and securities and
maintaining required books and accounts; expenses of calculating the net asset
value of shares of a Fund; organizational and start up costs; such
non-recurring or extraordinary expenses as may arise, including those relating
to actions, suits or proceedings to which a Fund is a party or otherwise may
have an exposure, and the legal obligation which a Fund may have to indemnify
the Trust's Trustees and officers with respect thereto; and expenses relating
to the issuance, registration and qualification of shares of a Fund and the
preparation, printing and mailing of prospectuses for such purposes (except to
the extent that any Distribution Agreement to which the Trust is a party
provides that another party is to pay some or all of such expenses).
(c) The payment or assumption by the Adviser of any expenses of the
Trust or a Fund that the Adviser is not obligated by this Agreement or
otherwise to pay or assume shall not obligate the Adviser to pay or assume the
same or any similar expenses of the Trust or a Fund on any subsequent occasion.
ARTICLE 3. COMPENSATION OF THE ADVISER. For the services to be
rendered and the facilities provided, each Fund shall pay to the Adviser an
investment advisory fee computed and paid monthly as set forth in Appendix B
attached hereto. If the Adviser shall serve for less than the whole of any
period specified in this Article 3, the compensation paid to the Adviser will
be prorated.
ARTICLE 4. ADDITIONAL SERVICES. Should the Trust have occasion to
request the Adviser or its affiliates to perform administrative or other
additional services not herein contemplated or to request the Adviser or its
affiliates to arrange for the services of others, the Adviser or its affiliates
will act for the Trust on behalf of a Fund upon request to the best of its
ability, with compensation for the services to be agreed upon with respect to
each such occasion as it arises. No such agreement for additional services
shall expand, reduce or otherwise alter the obligations of the Adviser, or the
compensation that the Adviser is due, under this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5. COVENANTS OF THE ADVISER. The Adviser agrees that it will
not deal with itself, or with the Trustees of the Trust or the Trust's
distributor, if any, as principals in making purchases or sales of securities
or other property for the account of a Fund, except as permitted by the
Investment Company Act of 1940 and any rules, regulations or orders of the
Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, will not take a long or short
position in the shares of a Fund except as permitted by the applicable law, and
will comply with all other provisions of the Declaration and the By-Laws and
the then-current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of a Fund
relative to the Adviser and its directors and officers.
ARTICLE 6. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF THE ADVISER. The Adviser shall
not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss
arising out of any investment or for any act or omission in the execution and
management of a Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of its duties and obligations hereunder. As
used in this Article 6, the term "Adviser" shall include directors, officers
and employees of the Adviser as well as that corporation itself.
ARTICLE 7. ACTIVITIES OF THE ADVISER. (a) The Trust acknowledges that
the services of the Adviser to a Fund are not exclusive, the Adviser being free
to render investment advisory and/or other services to others. The Trust
further acknowledges that it is possible that, based on their investment
objectives and policies, certain funds or accounts managed by the Adviser or
its affiliates may at times take investment positions or engage in investment
techniques which are contrary to positions taken or techniques engaged in on
behalf of a Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser will at all times
endeavor to treat all of its clients in a fair and equitable manner.
(b) The Trust acknowledges that whenever a Fund and one or more other
funds or accounts advised by the Adviser have available monies for investment,
investments suitable and appropriate for each shall be allocated in a manner
believed by the Adviser to be fair and equitable to each entity. Similarly,
opportunities to sell securities or other investments shall be allocated in a
manner believed by the Adviser to be fair and equitable to each entity. The
Trust acknowledges that in some instances this may adversely affect the size of
the position that may be acquired or disposed of for a Fund.
(c) It is understood that the Trustees, officers and shareholders of
the Trust are or may be or become interested in the Adviser, as directors,
officers, employees, or otherwise and that directors, officers and employees of
the Adviser are or may become similarly interested in the Trust, and that the
Adviser may be or become interested in a Fund as a shareholder or otherwise.
ARTICLE 8. MFS NAME. The Trust acknowledges that the names
"Massachusetts Financial Services," "MFS" or any derivatives thereof or logos
associated with those names (collectively, the "MFS Marks") are the valuable
property of the Adviser and its affiliates. The Adviser grants the Trust and
each Fund a non-exclusive and non-transferable right and sub-license to use the
MFS Marks only so long as the Adviser serves as investment adviser to the Trust
and each Fund. The Trust agrees that if the Adviser for any reason no longer
serves as investment adviser to a Fund, and the Adviser so requests, that Fund
promptly shall cease to use the MFS Marks and promptly shall amend its
registration statement to delete any references to the MFS Marks. Likewise, the
Trust agrees that if the Adviser for any reason no longer serves as investment
adviser to any Fund of the Trust, and the Adviser so requests, the Trust
promptly shall cease to use the MFS Marks and promptly shall amend its
Declaration of Trust to delete any references to the MFS Marks. The Trust
acknowledges that the Adviser may permit other clients to use the MFS Marks in
their names or other material. For purposes of this Article, the Trust shall be
deemed to have taken the required action "promptly" if such action is taken
within 90 days of the Adviser no longer serving as the investment adviser to a
Fund of the Trust, or from the date of the Adviser's request, as the case may
be.
ARTICLE 9. DURATION, TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT. (a)
This Agreement shall become effective with respect to the Trust on the date
first written above, and shall become effective with respect to a Fund, if
approved by the shareholders of such Fund, on the Effective Date for such Fund,
as set forth in Appendix A attached hereto. Thereafter, this Agreement will
remain in effect with respect to a Fund for a period of two years from that
Fund's Effective Date as set forth in Appendix A, on which date it will
terminate for that Fund unless its continuance is "specifically approved at
least annually" (i) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who
are not "interested persons" of the Trust or of the Adviser at a meeting
specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (ii) by the
Board of Trustees of the Trust, or by "vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities" of the applicable Fund.
(b) This Agreement may be terminated as to the Trust or as to any Fund
at any time without the payment of any penalty by the Trustees or by "vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the applicable Fund, or by
the Adviser, in each case on not more than sixty days' nor less than thirty
days' written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall automatically
terminate in the event of its "assignment".
(c) This Agreement may be amended with respect to a Fund only if such
amendment is in writing signed by or on behalf of the Trust and the Adviser and
is approved by "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the
applicable Fund (if such shareholder approval is required by the Investment
Company Act of 1940).
(d) Any approval, renewal or amendment of this Agreement with respect
to a Fund by "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of that
Fund, by the Trustees of the Trust, or by a majority of the Trustees of the
Trust who are not "interested persons" of the Trust or the Adviser, shall be
effective to approve, renew or amend the Agreement with respect to that Fund
notwithstanding (i) that the approval, renewal or amendment has not been so
approved as to any other Fund, or (ii) that the approval, renewal or amendment
has not been approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Trust as a whole.
ARTICLE 10. SCOPE OF TRUST'S OBLIGATIONS. A copy of the Trust's
Declaration of Trust is on file with the Secretary of State of The Commonwealth
of Massachusetts. The Adviser acknowledges that the obligations of or arising
out of this Agreement are not binding upon any of the Trust's Trustees,
officers, employees, agents or shareholders individually, but are binding
solely upon the assets and property of the Trust. If this Agreement is executed
by the Trust on behalf of one or more Funds, the Adviser further acknowledges
that the assets and liabilities of each Fund are separate and distinct and that
the obligations of or arising out of this Agreement concerning a Fund are
binding solely upon the assets or property of such Fund and not upon the assets
or property of any other Fund.
ARTICLE 11. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS. The terms "specifically
approved at least annually," "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities," "assignment," "affiliated person," and "interested person," when
used in this Agreement, shall have the respective meanings specified, and shall
be construed in a manner consistent with, the Investment Company Act of 1940
and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. 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 Investment Company Act
of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, or
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (collectively, the "Federal Securities
Acts") shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the Federal
Securities Acts and to interpretations thereof, if any, by United States
federal courts or, in the absence of any controlling decisions of any such
court, by rules or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Where
the effect of a requirement of the Federal Securities Acts reflected in any
provision of this Agreement is revised by rule or regulation of the Securities
and Exchange Commission, such provisions shall be deemed to incorporate the
effect of such rule or regulation.
ARTICLE 12. RECORD KEEPING. The Adviser will maintain records in a
form acceptable to the Trust and in compliance with the rules and regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to records
required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of
1940 and the rules thereunder, which at all times will be the property of the
Trust and will be available for inspection and use by the Trust.
ARTICLE 13. MISCELLANEOUS. (a) This Agreement contains the entire
understanding and agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter
hereof.
(b) Headings in this Agreement are for ease of reference only and
shall not constitute a part of the Agreement.
(c) Should any portion of this Agreement for any reason be held void
in law or equity, the remainder of the Agreement shall be construed to the
extent possible as if such voided portion had never been contained herein.
(d) This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, without giving effect to the choice of laws provisions
thereof, except that questions of interpretation shall be resolved in
accordance with the provisions of Article 11 above.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be executed and delivered in their names and on their behalf by the undersigned
officers thereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first above
written. The undersigned officer of the Trust has executed this Agreement not
individually, but as an officer under the Declaration and the obligations of
this Agreement are not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or
shareholders of a Fund, individually, but bind only the trust estate.
MFS SERIES TRUST III,
on behalf of its series set forth in
Appendix A attached hereto
By: XXXXX X. XXXXXXXXX, XX.
---------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx, Xx.
Title: Assistant Secretary
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL
SERVICES COMPANY
By: XXXXXXX X. XXXXXX
---------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Chairman
APPENDIX A
FUNDS AND EFFECTIVE DATES
Fund Effective Date
---- --------------
MFS High Income Fund January 1, 2002
MFS Municipal High Income Fund January 1, 2002
MFS High Yield Opportunities Fund January 1, 0000
XXXXXXXX X
COMPENSATION TO THE ADVISER
The investment advisory fee payable by each Fund shall be computed and paid
monthly at the annual rate equal to that Fund's average daily net assets for
its then current fiscal year noted below:
FUND RATE
---- ----
MFS High Income Fund 0.46% of the first $1.4 billion
0.44% of the amount in excess of $1.4
billion
MFS Municipal High Income Fund 0.60% of the first $1.4 billion
0.57% of the amount in excess of $1.4
billion
MFS High Yield Opportunities Fund 0.65%
