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Exhibit (c) (1)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT, dated as of May 31, 1997 (the "Agreement"),
by and between XXX XXXXXX AMERICAN CAPITAL PRIME RATE INCOME TRUST, a
Massachusetts business trust (the "Trust"), and XXX XXXXXX AMERICAN CAPITAL
INVESTMENT ADVISORY CORP. (the "ADVISER"), a Delaware corporation.
1. (a) RETENTION OF ADVISER BY FUND. Subject to the terms and conditions
set forth herein, the Fund hereby employs the Adviser to act as the investment
adviser for and to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the
Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives and policies and
limitations, and to administer its affairs to the extent requested by, and
subject to the review and supervision of, the Board of Trustees of the Fund for
the period and upon the terms herein set forth. The investment of funds shall
be subject to all applicable restrictions of applicable law and of the
Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Trust, and resolutions of the Board of
Trustees of the Fund as may from time to time be in force and delivered or made
available to the Adviser.
(b) ADVISER'S ACCEPTANCE OF EMPLOYMENT. The Adviser accepts such
employment and agrees during such period to render such services, to supply
investment research and portfolio management (including without limitation the
selection of securities for the Fund to purchase, hold or sell and the
selection of brokers through whom the Fund's portfolio transactions are
executed, in accordance with the policies adopted by the Fund and its Board of
Trustees), to administer the business affairs of the Fund, to furnish offices
and necessary facilities and equipment to the Fund, to provide administrative
services for the Fund, to render periodic reports to the Board of Trustees of
the Fund, and to permit any of its officers or employees to serve without
compensation as trustees or officers of the Fund if elected to such positions.
(c) ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL. For a period of one year commencing on the
effective date of this Agreement, the Adviser and the Fund agree that the
retention of (i) the chief executive officer, president, chief financial
officer and secretary of the Adviser and (ii) each director, officer and
employee of the Adviser or any of its Affiliates (as defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act")) who serves as an officer of
the Fund (each person referred to in (i) or (ii) hereinafter being referred to
as an "Essential Person"), in his or her current capacities, is in the best
interest of the Fund and the Fund's shareholders. In connection with the
Adviser's acceptance of employment hereunder, the Adviser hereby agrees and
covenants for itself and on behalf of its Affiliates that neither the Adviser
nor any of its Affiliates shall make any material or significant personnel
changes or replace or seek to replace any Essential Person or cause to be
replaced any Essential Person, in each case without first informing the Board
of Trustees of the Fund in a timely manner. In Addition, neither the Adviser
nor any Affiliate of the Adviser shall change or seek to change or cause to be
changed, in any material respect, the duties and responsibilities of any
Essential Person, in each case without first informing the Board of Trustees of
the Fund in a timely manner.
(d) INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. The Adviser shall be deemed to be an
independent contractor under this Agreement and, unless otherwise expressly
provided or authorized, shall have no authority to act for or represent the
Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed as agent of the Fund.
(e) NON-EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT. The services of the Adviser to the Fund
under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Adviser shall be
free to render similar services or other services to others so long as its
services hereunder are not impaired thereby.
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2. (a) FEE. For the services and facilities described in Section 1, the
Fund will accrue daily and pay to the Adviser at the end of each calendar month
an investment management fee computed based on a fee rate (expressed as a
percentage per annum) applied to the average daily net assets of the Fund as
follows:
FEE PERCENT
PER ANNUM OF
AVERAGE DAILY AVERAGE DAILY
NET ASSETS (MILLIONS) NET ASSETS
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First $4.0 billion 0.950 of 1.00%
Next $3.5 billion 0.900 of 1.00%
Next $2.5 billion 0.875 of 1.00%
Over $10.0 billion 0.850 of 1.00%
(b) DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE. The net asset value of the Fund
shall be calculated as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange on the last
day the Exchange is open for trading or such other time or times as the
trustees may determine in accordance with the provisions of applicable law and
the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Trust, and resolutions of the Board
of Trustees of the Fund as from time to time in force. For the purpose of the
foregoing computations, on each such day when net asset value is not
calculated, the net asset value of a share of beneficial interest of the Fund
shall be deemed to be the net asset value of such share as of the close of
business of the last day on which such calculation was made.
(c) PRORATION. For the month and year in which this Agreement becomes
effective or terminates, there shall be an appropriate proration of the
Adviser's fee on the basis of the number of days that the Agreement is in
effect during such month and year, respectively.
3. EXPENSES. In addition to the fee of the Adviser, the Fund shall
assume and pay any expenses for services rendered by a custodian for the
safekeeping of the Fund's securities or other property, for keeping its books
of account, for any other changes of the custodian and for calculating the net
asset value of the Fund as provided above. The adviser shall not be required
to pay, and the Fund shall assume and pay, the charges and expenses of its
operations, including compensation of the trustees (other than those who are
interested persons of the Adviser and other than those who are interested
persons of the distributor of the Fund but not of the Adviser, if the
distributor has agreed to pay such compensation), charges and expenses of
independent accountants, of legal counsel and of any transfer or dividend
disbursing agent, costs of acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities,
cost of listing shares on the New York Stock Exchange or other exchange,
interest (if any) on obligations incurred by the Fund, costs of shares
certificates, membership dues in the Investment Company Institute or any
similar organization, costs of reports and notices to shareholders, cost of
registering shares of the Fund under the federal securities laws, miscellaneous
expenses and all taxes and fees to federal, state or other governmental
agencies on account of the registration of securities issued by the Fund,
filing of corporate documents or otherwise. The Fund shall not pay or incur
any obligation for any management or administrative expenses for which the Fund
intends to seek reimbursement from the Adviser without first obtaining the
written approval of the Adviser. The Adviser shall arrange, if desired by the
Fund, for officers or employees of the Adviser to serve, without compensation
from the Fund, as trustees, officers or agents of the Fund if duly elected or
appointed to such positions and subject to their individual consent and to any
limitations imposed by the law.
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4. INTERESTED PERSONS. Subject to applicable statutes and regulations,
it is understood that trustees, officers, shareholders and agents of the Fund
are or may be interested in the Adviser as directors, officers, shareholders,
agents or otherwise and that the directors, officers, shareholders and agents
of the Adviser may be interested in the Fund as trustees, officers,
shareholders, agents or otherwise.
5. LIABILITY. The Adviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment
or of law, or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters
to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the
performance of its obligations and duties, or by reason of its reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
6. (a) TERM. This Agreement shall become effective on the date hereof
and shall remain in full force until May 31, 1999 unless sooner terminated as
hereinafter provided. This Agreement shall continue in force from year to year
thereafter, but only for so long as such continuance is specifically approved
as least annually, in the manner required by the 1940 Act.
(b) TERMINATION. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the
event of its assignment. This Agreement may be terminated at any time without
the payment of any penalty by the Fund or by the Adviser on sixty (60) days
written notice to the other party. The Fund may effect termination by action
of the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of
stock of the Fund, accompanied by appropriate notice. This Agreement may be
terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty and without advance
notice by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding
shares of the Fund in the event that it shall have been established by a court
of competent jurisdiction that the Adviser or any officer or director of the
Adviser has taken any action which results in a breach of the covenants of the
Adviser set forth herein.
(c) PAYMENT UPON TERMINATION. Termination of this Agreement shall not
affect the right of the Adviser to receive payment on any unpaid balance of the
compensation described in Section 2 earned prior to such termination.
7. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or
made invalid by a court decision, statue, rule or otherwise, the remainder
shall not thereby be affected.
8. NOTICES. Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing,
addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at such
address as such other party may designate for the receipt of such notice.
9. DISCLAIMER. The Adviser acknowledges and agrees that, as provided by
Section 5.5 of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust, the shareholders,
trustees, officers, employees and other agents of the Trust and the Fund shall
not personally be bound by or liable hereunder, nor shall resort be had to
their private property for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim
hereunder.
10. GOVERNING LAW. All questions concerning the validity, meaning and
effect of this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the laws
(without giving effect to the conflict-of-law principles thereof) of the State
of Delaware applicable to contracts made and to be performed in that state.
11. NAME. In connection with its employment hereunder, the Adviser
hereby agrees and covenants not to change its name without the prior consent of
the Board of Trustees of the Fund.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed by their officers designated below on the day and year first above
written.
XXX XXXXXX AMERICAN XXX XXXXXX AMERICAN
CAPITAL INVESTMENT ADVISORY CAPITAL PRIME RATE INCOME TRUST
CORP.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
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Name: Xxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxx Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President Title: Vice President
