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EXHIBIT e(10)
MASTER DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
AIM EQUITY FUNDS
(CLASS A SHARES AND CLASS C SHARES)
AND
A I M DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
THIS AGREEMENT is made this 21st day of June, 2000, by and between AIM
EQUITY FUNDS, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), and A I M DISTRIBUTORS,
INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Distributor").
WITNESSETH:
In consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained and other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, the
parties hereto agree as follows:
FIRST: The Trust hereby appoints the Distributor as its exclusive agent
for the sale of shares set forth in Appendix A attached hereto (collectively,
the "Funds" and each separately a "Fund"), and any applicable classes thereof,
to the public directly and through investment dealers and financial institutions
in the United States and throughout the world in accordance with the terms of
the Trust's current prospectus applicable to the Funds.
SECOND: The Trust shall not sell any shares of a Fund except through the
Distributor and under the terms and conditions set forth in paragraph FOURTH
below. Notwithstanding the provisions of the foregoing sentence, however:
(A) the Trust may issue shares of a Fund to any other investment
company or personal holding company, or to the shareholders thereof, in exchange
for all or a majority of the shares or assets of any such company; and
(B) the Trust may issue shares of a Fund at their net asset value in
connection with certain classes of transactions or to certain categories of
persons, in accordance with Rule 22d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the "1940 Act"), provided that any such category is specified in the
then current prospectus of the Funds.
THIRD: The Distributor hereby accepts appointment as exclusive agent
for the sale of the shares of the Funds and agrees that it will use its best
efforts to sell such shares; provided, however, that:
(A) the Distributor may, and when requested by the Trust on behalf of
each Fund shall, suspend its efforts to effectuate such sales at any time when,
in the opinion of the Distributor or of the Trust, no sales should be made
because of market or other economic considerations or abnormal circumstances of
any kind; and
(B) the Trust may withdraw the offering of the shares of a Fund (i) at
any time with the consent of the Distributor, or (ii) without such consent when
so required by the provisions of any statute or of any order, rule or regulation
of any governmental body having jurisdiction. It is mutually understood and
agreed that the Distributor does not undertake to sell any specific amount of
the shares of a Fund. The Trust shall have the right to specify minimum amounts
for initial and subsequent orders for the purchase of Fund shares.
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FOURTH:
(A) The public offering price of the Class A shares of a Fund (the
"offering price") shall be the net asset value per share plus a sales charge, if
any. Net asset value per share shall be determined in accordance with the
provisions of the then current prospectus and statement of additional
information of the Funds. The sales charge shall be established by the
Distributor, may reflect scheduled variations in, or the elimination of, sales
charges on sales of a Fund's Class A shares either generally to the public, or
to any specified class of investors or in connection with any specified class of
transactions, in accordance with Rule 22d-1 and as set forth in the then current
prospectus and statement of additional information of the Funds. The Distributor
shall apply any scheduled variation in, or elimination of, the selling
commission uniformly to all offerees in the class specified.
The public offering price of the Class C shares shall be the net asset
value per share of the applicable Class C shares. Net asset value per share
shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the then current
prospectus and statement of additional information of the applicable Fund. The
Distributor may establish a schedule of contingent deferred sales charges to be
imposed at the time of redemption of the Shares, and such schedule shall be
disclosed in the current prospectus of each Fund. Such schedule of contingent
deferred sales charges may reflect variations in or waivers of such charges on
redemptions of Class C shares, either generally to the public or to any
specified class of shareholders and/or in connection with any specified class of
transactions, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and exemptive
relief granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and as set forth in
the Funds' current prospectus(es). The Distributor and the Trust shall apply any
then applicable scheduled variation in or waiver of contingent deferred sales
charges uniformly to all shareholders and/or all transactions belonging to a
specified class.
(B) The Funds shall allow directly to investment dealers and other
financial institutions through whom Class A shares of each Fund are sold such
portion of the sales charge as may be payable to them and specified by the
Distributor up to but not exceeding the amount of the total sales charge. The
difference between any commissions so payable and the total sales charges
included in the offering price shall be paid to the Distributor.
The Distributor may pay to investment dealers and other financial
institutions through whom Class C shares are sold, such sales commission as the
Distributor may specify from time to time. Payment of any such sales commissions
shall be the sole obligation of the Distributor.
(C) No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to prohibit any
payments by a Fund to the Distributor or by a Fund or the Distributor to
investment dealers, financial institutions and 401(k) plan service providers
where such payments are made under a distribution plan adopted by the Trust on
behalf of each Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
FIFTH: The Distributor shall act as agent of the Trust on behalf of
each Fund in connection with the sale and repurchase of shares of a Fund. Except
with respect to such sales and repurchases, the Distributor shall act as
principal in all matters relating to the promotion or the sale of shares of the
Funds and shall enter into all of its own engagements, agreements and contracts
as principal on its own account. The Distributor shall enter into agreements
with investment dealers and financial institutions selected by the Distributor,
authorizing such investment dealers and financial institutions to offer and sell
shares of each Fund to the public upon the terms and conditions set forth
therein, which shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement.
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Each agreement shall provide that the investment dealer and financial
institution shall act as a principal, and not as an agent, of the Trust on
behalf of the Funds.
SIXTH: The Funds shall bear:
(A) the expenses of qualification of shares of a Fund for sale in
connection with such public offerings in such states as shall be selected by the
Distributor, and of continuing the qualification therein until the Distributor
notifies the Trust that it does not wish such qualification continued; and
(B) all legal expenses in connection with the foregoing.
SEVENTH:
(A) The Distributor shall bear the expenses of printing from the final
proof and distributing the Funds' prospectuses and statements of additional
information (including supplements thereto) relating to public offerings made by
the Distributor pursuant to this Agreement (which shall not include those
prospectuses and statements of additional information, and supplements thereto,
to be distributed to shareholders of each Fund), and any other promotional or
sales literature used by the Distributor or furnished by the Distributor to
dealers in connection with such public offerings, and expenses of advertising in
connection with such public offerings.
(B) The Distributor may be reimbursed for all or a portion of such
expenses, or may receive reasonable compensation for distribution related
services, to the extent permitted by a distribution plan adopted by the Trust on
behalf of the Funds pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
EIGHTH: The Distributor will accept orders for the purchase of shares
of each Fund only to the extent of purchase orders actually received and not in
excess of such orders, and it will not avail itself of any opportunity of making
a profit by expediting or withholding orders. It is mutually understood and
agreed that the Trust may reject purchase orders where, in the judgment of the
Trust, such rejection is in the best interest of the Trust.
NINTH: The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Distributor shall
each comply with all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the Securities Act
of 1933 and of all other federal and state laws, rules and regulations governing
the issuance and sale of shares of each Fund.
TENTH:
(A) In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence
or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the
Distributor, the Trust on behalf of the Funds agrees to indemnify the
Distributor against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses which
the Distributor may incur under the Securities Act of 1933, or common law or
otherwise, arising out of or based upon any alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any registration statement or prospectus of the
Funds, or any omission to state a material fact therein, the omission of which
makes any statement contained therein misleading, unless such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information
furnished to the Trust or Fund in connection therewith by or on behalf of the
Distributor. The Distributor agrees to indemnify the Trust and the Funds against
any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses which the Trust or the
Funds may incur arising out of or based upon any act or deed of the Distributor
or its sales representatives which has not been authorized by the Trust or the
Funds in its prospectus or in this Agreement.
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(B) The Distributor agrees to indemnify the Trust and the Funds against
any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses which the Trust or the
Funds may incur under the Securities Act of 1933, or common law or otherwise,
arising out of or based upon any alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any registration statement or prospectus of the Funds, or any
omission to state a material fact therein if such statement or omission was made
in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Trust or
the Funds in connection therewith by or on behalf of the Distributor.
(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the
Distributor shall not be liable for any errors of the Funds' transfer agent(s),
or for any failure of any such transfer agent to perform its duties.
ELEVENTH: Nothing herein contained shall require the Trust to take any
action contrary to any provision of its Articles of Incorporation, or to any
applicable statute or regulation.
TWELFTH: This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof,
shall continue in force and effect until June 30, 2001, and shall continue in
force and effect from year to year thereafter, provided, that such continuance
is specifically approved at least annually (a)(i) by the Board of Trustees of
the Trust or (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Funds' outstanding voting
securities (as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act), and (b) by vote of
a majority of the trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or
"interested persons" (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 0000 Xxx) of any
party to this Agreement cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose.
THIRTEENTH:
(A) This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment
of any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund, or by the
Distributor, on sixty (60) days' written notice to the other party.
(B) This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment, the term "assignment" having the meaning set forth in Section
2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act.
FOURTEENTH: Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing,
addressed and delivered, or mailed postage prepaid, to the other party at such
address as the other party may designate for the receipt of notices. Until
further notice to the other party, it is agreed that the addresses of both the
Trust and the Distributor shall be 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx
00000.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be
executed in duplicate on the day and year first above written.
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AIM EQUITY FUNDS
By: /s/ XXXXXX X. XXXXXX
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Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
Attest:
/s/ XXXX X. XXXX
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Name: Xxxx X. Xxxx
Title: Assistant Secretary
A I M DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
By: /s/ XXXXXXX X. XXXXXX
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Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Senior Vice President
Attest:
/s/ XXXX X. XXXX
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Name: Xxxx X. Xxxx
Title: Assistant Secretary
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"APPENDIX A
TO
MASTER DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
OF
AIM EQUITY FUNDS
CLASS A SHARES
AIM Aggressive Growth Fund
AIM Blue Chip Fund
AIM Capital Development Fund
AIM Charter Fund
AIM Constellation Fund
AIM Dent Demographic Trends Fund
AIM Emerging Growth Fund
AIM Large Cap Basic Value Fund
AIM Large Cap Growth Fund
AIM Mid Cap Growth Fund
AIM Xxxxxxxxxx Fund
CLASS C SHARES
AIM Aggressive Growth Fund
AIM Blue Chip Fund
AIM Capital Development Fund
AIM Charter Fund
AIM Constellation Fund
AIM Dent Demographic Trends Fund
AIM Emerging Growth Fund
AIM Large Cap Basic Value Fund
AIM Large Cap Growth Fund
AIM Mid Cap Growth Fund
AIM Xxxxxxxxxx Fund"
A-1
