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"), with respect to the following recital of
facts:
R E C I T A L
- - - - - - -
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
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.
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 may also select brokers or dealers to
effect transactions for the Portfolio that provide payment for expenses
of the Portfolio. The Adviser is authorized to pay a broker or dealer who
provides such brokerage or research services or expenses, and that has
provided assistance in the distribution of shares of the Portfolio to the
extent permitted by law, 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 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
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 .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 of
.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;
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 Company'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.
For fiscal year 1999, the Adviser has agreed to waive fees and reimburse
expenses so that the 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 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. Such services may
include, but are not limited to, (a) the services of a principal financial
officer of the Fund (including applicable office space, facilities and
equipment) whose normal duties consist of maintaining the financial accounts and
books and records of the Fund and the Portfolio and the services (including
applicable office space, facilities and equipment) of any of the personnel
operating under the direction of such principal financial officer; (b) the
services of staff to respond to shareholder inquiries concerning the status of
their accounts, providing assistance to shareholders in exchanges among the
investment companies managed or advised by the Adviser, changing account
designations or changing addresses, assisting in the purchase or redemption of
shares; or otherwise providing services to shareholders of the Portfolio; and
(c) such other administrative services as may be furnished from time to time by
the Adviser to the Fund or the Portfolio at the request of the Board.
XII. 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.
XIII. TERM
This Agreement shall become effective on January 1, 1999, and shall remain in
force and effect through December 31, 1999, unless earlier terminated under the
provisions of Article XV.
XIV. 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.
XV. 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."
XVI. 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.
XVII. 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
if to the Adviser:
00 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Fax number 860/000-0000
XVIII. 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.
XIX. 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.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed
in duplicate by their respective officers on the 18th day of December, 1998.
Aeltus Investment Management, Inc.
By: /s/Xxxx X. Xxx
Attest: /s/Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx Name: Xxxx X. Xxx
Name: Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx Title: President
Title: Assistant Secretary
Aetna Variable Portfolios, Inc.
on behalf of its portfolio,
Aetna Value Opportunity VP
By: /s/J. Xxxxx Xxx
Attest: /s/Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx Name: J. Xxxxx Xxx
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx Title: President
Title: Assistant Secretary
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
---- --------- ------------- --------
12/18/98 Aetna Growth VP .60% of average daily net assets Total annual operating
fees do not exceed
0.80% of average daily
net assets
12/18/98 Aetna Small Company VP .75% of average daily net assets total annual operating
fees do not exceed
0.95% of average daily
net assets
12/18/98 Aetna Index Plus Large .35% of average daily net assets total annual operating
Cap VP fees do not exceed
0.55% of average daily
net assets
12/18/98 Aetna High Yield VP .65% of average daily net assets total annual operating
fees do not exceed
0.80% of average daily
net assets
12/18/98 Aetna Index Plus Bond VP .30% of average daily net assets total annual operating
fees do not exceed
0.45% of average daily
net assets
12/18/98 Aetna Index Plus Mid .40% of average daily net assets total annual operating
Cap VP fees do not exceed
0.60% of average daily
net assets
12/18/98 Aetna Index Plus Small .40% of average daily net assets total annual operating
Cap VP fees do not exceed
0.60% of average daily
net assets
12/18/98 Aetna International VP .85% of average daily net assets total annual operating
fees do not exceed
0.15% of average daily
net assets
12/18/98 Aetna Real Estate .75% of average daily net assets total annual operating
Securities VP fees do not exceed
0.95% of average daily
net assets
