▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Equity Trust
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Dated: September 5, 1996
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Investment Management Agreement
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Capital Growth Fund
Dear Sirs:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Equity Trust (the "Trust") has been established as a Massachusetts
business trust to engage in the business of an investment company. Pursuant to
the Trust's Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees has divided the Trust's
shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per share, (the "Shares") into
separate series, or funds, including ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Capital Growth Fund (the "Fund").
Series may be abolished and dissolved, and additional series established, from
time to time by action of the Trustees.
That Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has selected you to act as the sole
investment manager of the Fund and to provide certain other services, as more
fully set forth below, and you have indicated that you are willing to act as
such investment manager and to perform such services under the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth.
Accordingly, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, agrees with you as follows:
1. Delivery of Documents. The Trust engages in the business of investing
and reinvesting the assets of the Fund in the manner and in accordance with the
investment objectives, policies and restrictions specified in the currently
effective Prospectus (the "Prospectus") and Statement of Additional Information
(the "SAI") relating to the Fund included in the Trust's Registration Statement
on Form N-1A, as amended from time to time, (the "Registration Statement") filed
by the Trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the "1940
Act") and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Copies of the documents
referred to in the preceding sentence have been furnished to you by the Trust.
The Trust has also furnished you with copies properly certified or authenticated
of each of the following additional documents related to the Trust and the Fund:
(a) Declaration of Trust of the Trust dated March 17, 1988, as amended to
date (the "Declaration").
(b) By-Laws of the Trust as in effect on the date hereof (the "By-Laws").
(c) Resolutions of the Trustees of the Fund and the shareholders of the
Fund selecting you as investment manager and approving the form of
this Agreement.
(d) Establishment and Designation of Additional Shares of Beneficial
Interest dated December 15, 1986.
The Trust will furnish you from time to time with copies, properly
certified or authenticated, of all amendments of or supplements, if any, to the
foregoing, including the Prospectus, the SAI and the Registration Statement.
2. Name of Trust and Fund. The Trust and the Fund may use any name derived
from the name "▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇", if the Trust elects to do so, only for
so long as this Agreement, any other investment management agreement between you
and the Trust with respect to the Fund or any extension, renewal or amendment
hereof or thereof remains in effect, including any similar agreement with any
organization which shall have succeeded to your business as investment manager.
At such time as such an agreement shall no longer be in effect, the Trust and
the Fund shall each (to the extent the Trust has the legal power to cause it to
be done) cease to use such a name or any other name indicating
that it is managed by or otherwise connected with you or any organization which
shall have so succeeded to your business.
3. Portfolio Management Services. As manager of the assets of the Fund, you
shall provide continuing investment management of the assets of the Fund in
accordance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions set forth
in the Prospectus and SAI; the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the "Code") relating to regulated
investment companies and all rules and regulations thereunder; and all other
applicable federal and state laws and regulations of which you have knowledge;
subject always to policies and instructions adopted by the Trust's Board of
Trustees. In connection therewith, you shall use reasonable efforts to manage
the Fund so that it will qualify as a regulated investment company under
Subchapter M of the Code and regulations issued thereunder. The Fund shall have
the benefit of the investment analysis and research, the review of current
economic conditions and trends and the consideration of long-range investment
policy generally available to your investment advisory clients. In managing the
Fund in accordance with the requirements set forth in this section 3, you shall
be entitled to receive and act upon advice of counsel to the Trust or counsel to
you. You shall also make available to the Trust promptly upon request all the
Fund's investment records and ledgers as are necessary to assist the Trust to
comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act and other applicable laws. To the
extent required by law, you shall furnish to regulatory authorities having the
requisite authority any information or reports in connection with the services
provided pursuant to this Agreement which may be requested in order to ascertain
whether the operations of the Trust are being conducted in a manner consistent
with applicable laws and regulations.
You shall determine the securities, instruments, investments, currencies,
repurchase agreements, futures, options and other contracts relating to
investments to be purchased, sold or entered into by the Fund and place orders
with broker-dealers, foreign currency dealers, futures commission merchants or
others pursuant to your determinations and all in accordance with Fund policies
as expressed in the Registration Statement. You shall determine what portion of
the Fund's portfolio shall be invested in securities and other assets and what
portion, if any, should be held uninvested.
You shall furnish to the Trust's Board of Trustees periodic reports on the
investment performance of the Fund and on the performance of your obligations
pursuant to this Agreement, and you shall supply such additional reports and
information as the Trust's officers or Board of Trustees shall reasonably
request.
4. Administrative Services. In addition to the portfolio management
services specified above in section 3, you shall furnish at your expense for the
use of the Fund such office space and facilities in the United States as the
Fund may require for its reasonable needs, and you (or one or more of your
affiliates designated by you) shall render to the Trust administrative services
on behalf of the Fund necessary for operating as an open-end investment company
and not provided by persons not parties to this Agreement including, but not
limited to, preparing reports to and meeting materials for the Trust's Board of
Trustees and reports and notices to Fund shareholders; supervising, negotiating
contractual arrangements with, to the extent appropriate, and monitoring the
performance of, custodians, depositories, transfer and pricing agents,
accountants, attorneys, printers, underwriters, brokers and dealers, insurers
and other persons in any capacity deemed to be necessary or desirable to Fund
operations; preparing and making filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") and other regulatory and self-regulatory organizations,
including, but not limited to, preliminary and definitive proxy materials,
post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, semi-annual reports on
Form N-SAR and notices pursuant to Rule 24f-2 under the 1940 Act; overseeing the
tabulation of proxies by the Fund's transfer agent; assisting in the preparation
and filing of the Fund's federal, state and local tax returns; preparing and
filing the Fund's federal excise tax return pursuant to Section 4982 of the
Code; providing assistance with investor and public relations matters;
monitoring the valuation of portfolio securities, the calculation of net asset
value and the calculation and payment of distributions to Fund shareholders;
monitoring the registration of shares of the Fund under applicable federal and
state securities laws; maintaining or causing to be maintained for the Fund all
books, records and reports and any other information required under the 1940
Act, to the extent that such books, records and reports and other information
are not maintained by the Fund's custodian or other agents of the Trust;
assisting in establishing the accounting policies of the Fund; assisting in the
resolution of accounting issues that may arise with respect to the Fund's
operations and consulting with the Trust's independent accountants, legal
counsel and the Fund's other agents as necessary in connection therewith;
establishing and monitoring
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the Fund's operating expense budgets; reviewing the Fund's bills; processing the
payment of bills that have been approved by an authorized person; assisting the
Fund in determining the amount of dividends and distributions available to be
paid by the Fund to its shareholders, preparing and arranging for the printing
of dividend notices to shareholders, and providing the transfer and dividend
paying agent and the custodian with such information as is required for such
parties to effect the payment of dividends and distributions; and otherwise
assisting the Trust as it may reasonably request in the conduct of the Fund's
business, subject to the direction and control of the Trust's Board of Trustees.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to shift to you or to diminish the
obligations of any agent of the Fund or any other person not a party to this
Agreement which is obligated to provide services to the Fund.
5. Allocation of Charges and Expenses. Except as otherwise specifically
provided in this section 5, you shall pay the compensation and expenses of all
Trustees, officers and executive employees of the Trust (including the Fund's
share of payroll taxes) who are affiliated persons of you, and you shall make
available, without expense to the Fund, the services of such of your directors,
officers and employees as may duly be elected officers of the Trust, subject to
their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by law. You
shall provide at your expense the portfolio management services described in
section 3 hereof and the administrative services described in section 4 hereof.
You shall not be required to pay any expenses of the Fund other than those
specifically allocated to you in this section 5. In particular, but without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, you shall not be responsible, except
to the extent of the reasonable compensation of such of the Fund's Trustees and
officers as are directors, officers or employees of you whose services may be
involved, for the following expenses of the Fund: organization expenses of the
Fund (including out-of-pocket expenses, but not including your overhead or
employee costs); fees payable to you and to any other Fund advisors or
consultants; legal expenses; auditing and accounting expenses; maintenance of
books and records which are required to be maintained by the Fund's custodian or
other agents of the Trust; telephone, telex, facsimile, postage and other
communications expenses; taxes and governmental fees; fees, dues and expenses
incurred by the Trust in connection with membership in investment company trade
organizations; fees and expenses of the Fund's custodians, subcustodians,
transfer agents, dividend disbursing agents and registrars; payment for
portfolio pricing or valuation services to pricing agents, accountants, bankers
and other specialists, if any; expenses of preparing share certificates and,
except as provided below in this section 5, other expenses in connection with
the issuance, offering, distribution, sale, redemption or repurchase of
securities issued by the Fund; expenses relating to investor and public
relations; expenses and fees of registering or qualifying Shares of the Fund for
sale; interest charges, bond premiums and other insurance expense; freight,
insurance and other charges in connection with the shipment of the Fund's
portfolio securities; the compensation and all expenses (specifically including
travel expenses relating to Trust business) of Trustees, officers and employees
of the Trust who are not affiliated persons of you; brokerage commissions or
other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio securities of the Fund;
expenses of printing and distributing reports, notices and dividends to
shareholders; expenses of printing and mailing Prospectuses and SAls of the Fund
and supplements thereto; costs of stationery; any litigation expenses;
indemnification of Trustees and officers of the Trust; costs of shareholders'
and other meetings; and travel expenses (or an appropriate portion thereof) of
Trustees and officers of the Trust who are directors, officers or employees of
you to the extent that such expenses relate to attendance at meetings of the
Board of Trustees of the Trust or any committees thereof or advisors thereto
held outside of Boston, Massachusetts or New York, New York.
You shall not be required to pay expenses of any activity which is
primarily intended to result in sales of Shares of the Fund if and to the extent
that (i) such expenses are required to be borne by a principal underwriter which
acts as the distributor of the Fund's Shares pursuant to an underwriting
agreement which provides that the underwriter shall assume some or all of such
expenses, or (ii) the Trust on behalf of the Fund shall have adopted a plan in
conformity with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act providing that the Fund (or some
other party) shall assume some or all of such expenses. You shall be required to
pay such of the foregoing sales expenses as are not required to be paid by the
principal underwriter pursuant to the underwriting agreement or are not
permitted to be paid by the Fund (or some other party) pursuant to such a plan.
6. Management Fee. For all services to be rendered, payments to be made and
costs to be assumed by you as provided in sections 3, 4 and 5 hereof, the Trust
on behalf of the Fund shall pay you on the last day of each month the unpaid
balance of a fee equal to the excess of (a) 1/12 of .75 of 1% of
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the average daily net assets as defined below of the Fund for such month;
provided that, for any calendar month during which the average of such values
exceeds $500 million, the fee payable for that month based on the portion of the
average of such values in excess of $500 million shall be 1/12 of .65 of 1% of
such portion; provided that, for any calendar month during which the average of
such values exceeds $1 billion, the fee payable for that month based on the
portion of the average of such values in excess of $1 billion shall be 1/12 of
1% of .60 of 1% of such portion; and provided that, for any calendar month
during which the average of such values exceeds $1.5 billion, the fee payable
for that month based on the portion of the average of such values in excess of
$1.5 billion shall be 1/12 of 0.55 of 1% of such portion over (b) the greater of
(i) the amount by which the Fund's expenses exceed the lowest applicable expense
limitation (as more fully described below) or (ii) any compensation waived by
you from time to time (as more fully described below). You shall be entitled to
receive during any month such interim payments of your fee hereunder as you
shall request, provided that no such payment shall exceed 75% of the amount of
your fee then accrued on the books of the Fund and unpaid.
The "average daily net assets" of the Fund shall mean the average of the
values placed on the Fund's net assets as of 4:00 p.m. (New York time) on each
day on which the net asset value of the Fund is determined consistent with the
provisions of Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act or, if the Fund lawfully determines
the value of its net assets as of some other time on each business day, as of
such time. The value of the net assets of the Fund shall always be determined
pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Declaration and the Registration
Statement. If the determination of net asset value does not take place for any
particular day, then for the purposes of this section 6, the value of the net
assets of the Fund as last determined shall be deemed to be the value of its net
assets as of 4:00 p.m. (New York time), or as of such other time as the value of
the net assets of the Fund's portfolio may be lawfully determined on that day.
If the Fund determines the value of the net assets of its portfolio more than
once on any day, then the last such determination thereof on that day shall be
deemed to be the sole determination thereof on that day for the purposes of this
section 6.
You agree that your gross compensation for any fiscal year shall not be
greater than an amount which, when added to the other expenses of the Fund,
shall cause the aggregate expenses of the Fund to equal the maximum expenses
under the lowest applicable expense limitation established pursuant to the
statutes or regulations of any jurisdiction in which the Shares of the Fund may
be qualified for offer and sale. Except to the extent that such amount has been
reflected in reduced payments to you, you shall refund to the Fund the amount of
any payment received in excess of the limitation pursuant to this section 6 as
promptly as practicable after the end of such fiscal year, provided that you
shall not be required to pay the Fund an amount greater than the fee paid to you
in respect of such year pursuant to this Agreement. As used in this section 6,
"expenses" shall mean those expenses included in the applicable expense
limitation having the broadest specifications thereof, and "expense limitation"
means a limit on the maximum annual expenses which may be incurred by an
investment company determined (i) by multiplying a fixed percentage by the
average, or by multiplying more than one such percentage by different specified
amounts of the average, of the values of an investment company's net assets for
a fiscal year or (ii) by multiplying a fixed percentage by an investment
company's net investment income for a fiscal year. The words "lowest applicable
expense limitation" shall be construed to result in the largest reduction of
your compensation for any fiscal year of the Fund; provided, however, that
nothing in this Agreement shall limit your fees if not required by an applicable
statute or regulation referred to above in this section 6.
You may waive all or a portion of your fees provided for hereunder and such
waiver shall be treated as a reduction in purchase price of your services. You
shall be contractually bound hereunder by the terms of any publicly announced
waiver of your fee, or any limitation of the Fund's expenses, as if such waiver
or limitation were fully set forth herein.
7. Avoidance of Inconsistent Position; Services Not Exclusive. In
connection with purchases or sales of portfolio securities and other investments
for the account of the Fund, neither you nor any of your directors, officers or
employees shall act as a principal or agent or receive any commission. You or
your agent shall arrange for the placing of all orders for the purchase and sale
of portfolio securities and other investments for the Fund's account with
brokers or dealers selected by you in accordance with Fund policies as expressed
in the Registration Statement. If any occasion should arise in which you give
any advice to clients of yours concerning the Shares of the Fund, you shall act
solely as investment counsel for such clients and not in any way on behalf of
the Fund.
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Your services to the Fund pursuant to this Agreement are not to be deemed
to be exclusive and it is understood that you may render investment advice,
management and services to others. In acting under this Agreement, you shall be
an independent contractor and not an agent of the Trust.
8. Limitation of Liability of Manager As an inducement to your undertaking
to render services pursuant to this Agreement, the Trust agrees that you shall
not be liable under this Agreement for any error of judgment or mistake of law
or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which
this Agreement relates, provided that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed
to protect or purport to protect you against any liability to the Trust, the
Fund or its shareholders to which you would otherwise be subject by reason of
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of your
duties, or by reason of your reckless disregard of your obligations and duties
hereunder. Any person, even though also employed by you, who may be or become an
employee of and paid by the Fund shall be deemed, when acting within the scope
of his or her employment by the Fund, to be acting in such employment solely for
the Trust and not as your employee or agent.
9. Duration and Termination of This Agreement This Agreement shall remain
in force until September 30,1997, and continue in force from year to year
thereafter, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at
least annually (a) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties
to this Agreement or interested persons of any party to this Agreement, cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval and (b) by
the Trustees of the Trust, or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund. The aforesaid requirement that continuance of
this Agreement be "specifically approved at least annually" shall be construed
in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder.
This Agreement may be terminated with respect to the Fund at any time,
without the payment of any penalty, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund or by the Trust's Board of Trustees on 60 days'
written notice to you, or by you on 60 days' written notice to the Trust. This
Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
10. Amendment of this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement may be
changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in
writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of the change, waiver,
discharge or termination is sought, and no amendment of this Agreement shall be
effective until approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund and by the Trust's Board of Trustees, including a
majority of the Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested
persons of any party to this Agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on such approval.
11. Limitation of Liability for Claims. The Declaration, a copy of which,
together with all amendments thereto, is on file in the Office of the Secretary
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, provides that the name "▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Equity
Trust" refers to the Trustees under the Declaration collectively as trustees and
not as individuals or personally, and that no shareholder of the Fund, or
Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, shall be subject to claims
against or obligations of the Trust or of the Fund to any extent whatsoever, but
that the Trust estate only shall be liable.
You are hereby expressly put on notice of the limitation of liability as
set forth in the Declaration and you agree that the obligations assumed by the
Trust on behalf of the Fund pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited in all
cases to the Fund and its assets, and you shall not seek satisfaction of any
such obligation from the shareholders or any shareholder of the Fund or any
other series of the Trust, or from any Trustee, officer, employee or agent of
the Trust. You understand that the rights and obligations of the Fund, or
series, under the Declaration are separate and distinct from those of any and
all other series.
12. Miscellaneous. The captions in this Agreement are included for
convenience of reference only and in no way define or limit any of the
provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. This
Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute
one and the same instrument.
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In interpreting the provisions of this Agreement, the definitions contained
in Section 2(a) of the 1940 Act (particularly the definitions of "affiliated
person," "assignment" and "majority of the outstanding voting securities"), as
from time to time amended, shall be applied, subject, however, to such
exemptions as may be granted by the SEC by any rule, regulation or order.
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, provided that nothing herein shall be construed
in a manner inconsistent with the 1940 Act, or in a manner which would cause the
Fund to fail to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code.
This Agreement shall supersede all prior investment advisory or management
agreements entered into between you and the Trust on behalf of the Fund.
If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please execute the form of
acceptance on the accompanying counterpart of this letter and return such
counterpart to the Trust, whereupon this letter shall become a binding contract
effective as of the date of this Agreement.
Yours very truly,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ EQUITY TRUST
(on behalf of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Capital Growth Fund)
By /s/▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
----------------------------
President
The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted as of the date thereof.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, INC.
By /s/▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇
----------------------------
Managing Director
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