FORM OF RULE 12d1-4 FUND OF FUNDS INVESTMENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit (h)(23)
FORM OF RULE 12d1-4
FUND OF FUNDS INVESTMENT AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of, January 19, 2022 between each Acquiring Fund(s) listed on Schedule A, severally and not jointly (each, an “Acquiring Fund”), and each series of VanEck ETF Trust (except such series listed on Schedule B which may be amended from time to time), severally and not jointly (each, an “Acquired Fund” and together with the Acquiring Fund[s], the “Funds”).
WHEREAS, each Fund is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”);
WHEREAS, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act limits the extent to which a registered investment company may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, Section 12(d)(1)(B) limits the extent to which a registered investment company, its principal underwriter or registered brokers or dealers may knowingly sell shares of such registered investment company to other investment companies, and Section 12(d)(1)(C) limits the extent to which an investment company may invest in the shares of a registered closed-end investment company;
WHEREAS, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Rule”) permits registered investment companies, such as the Acquiring Funds, to invest in shares of other registered investment companies, such as the Acquired Funds, in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act subject to compliance with the conditions of the Rule; and
WHEREAS, an Acquiring Fund may, from time to time, invest in shares of one or more Acquired Funds in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1)(A) in reliance on the Rule.
NOW THEREFORE, in accordance with the Rule, the Acquiring Fund(s) and the Acquired Fund(s) desire to set forth the following terms pursuant to which the Acquiring Fund(s) may invest in the Acquired Fund(s) in reliance on the Rule.
| 1. | Terms of Investment. |
(a) In order to help reasonably address the risk of undue influence on an Acquired Fund by an Acquiring Fund, and to assist the Acquired Fund’s investment adviser with making the required findings under the Rule each Acquiring Fund and each Acquired Fund agree as follows:
(i) In-kind redemptions. The Acquiring Fund acknowledges and agrees that, if and to the extent consistent with the Acquired Fund’s registration statement, as amended from time to time, and Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act, the Acquired Fund may honor any redemption request from the Authorized Participant acting as an intermediary to execute the Acquiring Fund’s transaction partially or wholly in-kind.
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(ii) Timing/advance notice of transactions. Only upon the request of the Acquired Fund, the Acquiring Fund will use reasonable efforts to spread orders given to an Authorized Participant that reasonably are expected to result in that Authorized Participant redeeming shares from the Acquired Fund (greater than such percentage of the Acquired Fund’s total outstanding shares as the Acquired Fund shall establish, from time to time, which percentage may be amended, upon notification to the Acquiring Fund, in the sole discretion of the Acquired Fund) over multiple days or to provide advance notification of such orders to the Acquired Fund whenever practicable and only if consistent with the Acquiring Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests. The Acquired Fund acknowledges and agrees that any notification provided pursuant to the foregoing is not a commitment to sell the Acquired Fund shares and constitutes an estimate that may differ materially from the amount, timing and manner in which a redemption request is submitted, if any. The Acquiring Fund and Acquired Fund each acknowledge and agree that this voluntary notification provision does not apply to trades placed by the Acquiring Fund in secondary markets.
(iii) Scale of investment. Upon a reasonable request by an Acquired Fund, the Acquiring Fund will provide summary information regarding the anticipated timeline of its investment in the Acquired Fund and the scale of its contemplated investments in the Acquired Fund.
(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any Acquiring Fund that has an “affiliated person” (as defined under the 0000 Xxx) that is: (i) a broker or dealer, (ii) a bank or bank holding company, or (iii) a futures commission merchant or a swap dealer, (collectively, “Affiliates”), will: (a) provide VanEck ETF Trust with a complete list of such Affiliates (“List of Affiliates”) on or before the effective date of this Agreement; (b) promptly provide VanEck ETF Trust with an updated List of Affiliates following any change to such list; and (c) not make an investment in an Acquired Fund that causes such Acquiring Fund to hold 5% or more of such Acquired Fund’s total outstanding voting securities without prior approval from the Acquired Fund.
(c) In order to assist the Acquiring Fund’s investment adviser with evaluating the complexity of the structure and fees and expenses associated with an investment in an Acquired Fund, each Acquired Fund shall provide each Acquiring Fund with information on the fees and expenses of the Acquired Fund reasonably requested by the Acquiring Fund with reference to the Rule.
| 2. | Representations of the Acquired Funds. |
In connection with any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A), the Acquired Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to Acquired Funds; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquiring Fund if such Acquired Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to an investment by the Acquiring Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or this Agreement.
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| 3. | Representations of the Acquiring Funds. |
In connection with any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A), the Acquiring Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to Acquiring Funds; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquired Fund if such Acquiring Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to its investment in such Acquired Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or this Agreement.
| 4. | Notices. |
All notices, including all information that either party is required to provide under the terms of this Agreement and the Rule, shall be in writing and shall be delivered by registered or overnight mail, or electronic mail to the address for each party specified below.
| If to the Acquiring Fund: | If to the Acquired Fund: |
| Xxx Xxxxxxxxx | XxxXxx Compliance Department |
| c/o Xxxx Xxxxxxx Investment Management LLC | c/o Van Eck Associates Corporation |
| 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx | 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx |
| Xxxxxx, XX 00000 | Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 |
| Email: Xxx_Xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx | Email: xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx |
| With a copy to: | With a copy to: |
| Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | Xxx Xxx Associates Corporation |
| Attn: Legal Dept. | Attn: Legal Dept. |
| 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx | 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx |
| Xxxxxx, XX 00000 | Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 |
| Email: XXxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx | Email: xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx |
| 5. | Term and Termination; Assignment; Amendment. |
(a) This Agreement shall be effective for the duration of the Acquired Funds’ and the Acquiring Funds’ reliance on the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time. While the terms of the Agreement shall only be applicable to investments in Funds made in reliance on the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, the Agreement shall continue in effect until terminated pursuant to Section 5(b).
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(b) This Agreement shall continue until terminated in writing by either party upon 60 days’ notice to the other party. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund may not purchase additional shares of the Acquired Fund beyond the Section 12(d)(1)(A) limits in reliance on the Rule.
(c) This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other.
(d) This Agreement may be amended only by a writing that is signed by each affected party, except that Schedule B to this Agreement may be amended by the Acquired Funds, in their sole discretion, by providing notice to the Acquiring Funds in accordance with Section 4.
(e) In any action involving the Acquiring Funds under this Agreement, each Acquired Fund agrees to look solely to the individual series of the Acquiring Fund(s) that are involved in the matter in controversy and not to any other series of the Acquiring Fund(s).
(f) In any action involving the Acquired Funds under this Agreement, each Acquiring Fund agrees to look solely to the individual series of the Acquired Funds that are involved in the matter in controversy and not to any other series of the Acquired Funds.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
VanEck ETF Trust
| Signature | Name | Title | ||
| /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | Vice President & Associate General Counsel |
Xxxx Xxxxxxx Investment Management LLC on behalf of the Acquiring Funds
| Signature | Name | Title | ||
| /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | President |
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SCHEDULE A
List of Acquiring Funds to Which the Agreement Applies
Xxxx Xxxxxxx Variable Insurance Trust
Lifestyle Balanced Portfolio
Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio
Lifestyle Growth Portfolio
Lifestyle Moderate Portfolio
Managed Volatility Balanced Portfolio
Managed Volatility Conservative Portfolio
Managed Volatility Growth Portfolio
Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio
Xxxx Xxxxxxx Funds II
Alternative Asset Allocation Fund
Multi-Index 2010 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2015 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2020 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2025 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2030 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2035 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2040 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2045 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2050 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2055 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2060 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index 2065 Lifetime Portfolio
Multi-Index Income Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index Lifestyle Aggressive Portfolio
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Multi-Index Lifestyle Balanced Portfolio
Multi-Index Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio
Multi-Index Lifestyle Growth Portfolio
Multi-Index Lifestyle Moderate Portfolio
Multi-Index 2025 Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index 2030 Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index 2035 Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index 2040 Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index 2045 Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index 2050 Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index 2055 Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index 2060 Preservation Portfolio
Multi-Index 2065 Preservation Portfolio
Multimanager 2010 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2015 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2020 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2025 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2030 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2035 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2040 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2045 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2050 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2055 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2060 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager 2065 Lifetime Portfolio
Multimanager Lifestyle Aggressive Portfolio
Multimanager Lifestyle Balanced Portfolio
Multimanager Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio
Multimanager Lifestyle Growth Portfolio
Multimanager Lifestyle Moderate Portfolio
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SCHEDULE B (as of November 30, 2021)
List of Series of VanEck ETF Trust to which the Agreement Does Not Apply
VanEck BDC Income ETF
VanEck CEF Muni Income ETF
XxxXxx Inflation Allocation ETF
XxxXxx Long/Flat Trend ETF
XxxXxx Muni Allocation ETF
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