EXHIBIT 23(d)(1)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
XxxxXxxxxxx.xxx Funds
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 000
Xxxxx Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
July 20, 1999
MetaMarkets Investments LLC
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 000
Xxxxx Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The above-named investment company (the "Fund") consisting of the
series named on Schedule 1 hereto, as such Schedule may be revised from time to
time (each, a "Series"), herewith confirms its agreement with you as follows:
The Fund desires to employ its capital by investing and reinvesting
the same in investments of the type and in accordance with the limitations
specified in its charter documents and in its Prospectus and Statement of
Additional Information as from time to time in effect, copies of which have been
or will be submitted to you, and in such manner and to such extent as from time
to time may be approved by the Fund's Board. The Fund desires to employ you to
act as its investment adviser.
In this connection it is understood that from time to time you will
employ or associate with yourself such person or persons as you may believe to
be particularly fitted to assist you in the performance of this Agreement. Such
person or persons may be officers or employees who are employed by both you and
the Fund. The compensation of such person or persons shall be paid by you and no
obligation may be incurred on the Fund's behalf in any such respect.
Subject to the supervision and approval of the Fund's Board, you will
provide investment management of each Series' portfolio in accordance with such
Series' investment objective and policies as stated in the Fund's Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information as from time to time in effect. In
connection therewith, you will obtain and provide investment research and will
supervise each Series' investments and conduct a continuous program of
investment, evaluation and, if appropriate, sale and reinvestment of such
Series' assets. You will furnish to the Fund such statistical information, with
respect to the investments which a Series may hold or contemplate purchasing, as
the Fund may reasonably request. The Fund wishes to be informed of important
developments materially affecting any Series' portfolio and shall expect you, on
your own initiative, to furnish to the Fund from time to time such information
as you may believe appropriate for this purpose.
You shall exercise your best judgment in rendering the services to be
provided to the Fund hereunder and the Fund agrees as an inducement to your
undertaking the same that you shall not be liable hereunder for any error of
judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by one or more Series,
provided that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect or purport to protect
you against any liability to the Fund or a Series or to its security holders to
which you would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith
or gross negligence in the performance of your duties hereunder, or by reason of
your reckless disregard of your obligations and duties hereunder ("disabling
conduct").
The Fund will indemnify you against, and hold you harmless from, any
and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable
counsel fees and expenses), including any amounts paid in satisfaction of
judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties, not resulting from your
disabling conduct. Indemnification shall be made only following: (i) a final
decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was
brought that you were not liable by reason of disabling conduct or (ii) in the
absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination, based upon a review of
the facts, that you were not liable by reason of disabling conduct by (a) the
vote of a majority of a quorum of directors of the Fund who are neither
"interested persons" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the "1940 Act")) of the Fund nor parties to the proceeding
("disinterested non-party directors") or (b) independent legal counsel in a
written opinion. You shall be entitled to advances from the Fund for payment of
the reasonable expenses incurred by you in connection with the matter as to
which you are seeking indemnification in the manner and to the fullest extent
permissible under Massachusetts law. You shall provide to the Fund a written
affirmation of your good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for
indemnification by the Fund has been met and a written undertaking to repay any
such advance if it should ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct
has not been met. In addition, at least one of the following additional
conditions shall be met: (a) you shall provide security in form and amount
acceptable to the Fund for its undertaking; (b) the Fund is insured against
losses arising by reason of the advance; or (c) a majority of a quorom of
disinterested non-party directors, or independent legal counsel in a written
opinion, shall have determined, based on a review of facts readily available to
the Fund at the time the advance is proposed to be made, that there is reason to
believe that you will ultimately be found to be entitled to indemnification.
In consideration of services rendered pursuant to this Agreement, the
Fund will pay you on the first business day of each month a fee at the rate set
forth opposite each Series' name on Schedule 1 hereto. Net asset value shall be
computed on such days and at such time or times as described in the Fund's
then-current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. The fee for the
period from the date of the commencement of the public sale of a Series' shares
to the end of the month during which such sale shall have been commenced shall
be pro-rated according to the proportion which such period bears to the full
monthly period, and upon any termination of this Agreement before the end of any
month, the fee for such part of a month shall be pro-rated according to the
proportion which such period bears to the full monthly period and shall be
payable upon the date of termination of this Agreement.
You will bear all expenses in connection with the performance of your
services under this Agreement. All other expenses to be incurred in the
operation of the Fund will be borne by the Fund, except to the extent
specifically assumed by you. The expenses to be borne by the Fund include,
without limitation, the following: organizational costs, taxes, interest, loan
commitment fees, interest and distributions paid on securities sold short,
brokerage fees and commissions, if any, fees of Board members who are not your
officers, directors or employees or holders of 5% or more of your outstanding
voting securities, Securities and Exchange Commission fees and state Blue Sky
qualification fees, advisory and administration fees, charges of custodians,
transfer and dividend disbursing agents' fees, certain insurance premiums,
industry association fees, outside auditing and legal expenses, costs of
independent pricing services, costs of maintaining the Fund's existence, costs
attributable to investor services (including, without limitation, telephone and
personnel expenses), costs of preparing and printing prospectuses and statements
of additional information for regulatory purposes and for distribution to
existing stockholders, costs of stockholders' reports and meetings, and any
extraordinary expenses. The Fund understands that from time to time hereafter
you may act as investment adviser to one or more other investment companies and
fiduciary or other managed accounts, and the Fund has no objection to your so
acting, provided that when the purchase or sale of securities of the same issuer
is suitable for the investment objectives of two or more companies or accounts
managed by you which have available funds for investment, the available
securities will be allocated in a manner believed by you to be equitable to each
company or account. It is recognized that in some cases this procedure may
adversely affect the price paid or received by one or more Series or the size of
the position obtainable for or disposed of by one or more Series.
In addition, it is understood that the persons employed by you to
assist in the performance of your duties hereunder will not devote their full
time to such service and nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit or
restrict your right or the right of any of your affiliates to engage in and
devote time and attention to other businesses or to render services of whatever
kind or nature.
Any person, even though also your officer, director, partner, employee
or agent, who may be or become an officer, Board member, employee or agent of
the Fund, shall be deemed, when rendering services to the Fund or acting on any
business of the Fund, to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the
Fund and not as your officer, director, partner, employee or agent or one under
your control or direction even though paid by you.
As to each Series, this Agreement shall continue until the date set
forth opposite such Series' name on Schedule 1 hereto (the "Reapproval Date")
and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods ending
on the day of each year set forth opposite the Series' name on Schedule 1 hereto
(the "Reapproval Day"), provided such continuance is specifically approved at
least annually by (i) the Fund's Board or (ii) vote of a majority (as defined in
the 0000 Xxx) of such Series' outstanding voting securities, provided that in
either event its continuance also is approved by a majority of the Fund's Board
members who are not "interested persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of any
party to this Agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such approval. As to each Series, this Agreement is
terminable without penalty, on 60 days' notice, by the Fund's Board or by vote
of holders of a majority of such Series' shares or, upon not less than 90 days'
notice, by you. This Agreement also will terminate automatically, as to the
relevant Series, in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
The Fund recognizes that from time to time your directors, officers
and employees may serve as directors, trustees, partners, officers and employees
of other business trusts, corporations, partnerships or other entities
(including other investment companies) and that such other entities may include
the name "MetaMarkets" as part of their name, and that your company or its
affiliates may enter into investment advisory or other agreements with such
other entities. If you cease to act as the Fund's investment adviser, the Fund
agrees that, at your request, the Fund will take all necessary action to change
the name of the Fund to a name not including "MetaMarkets" in any form or
combination of words.
This Agreement has been executed on behalf of the Fund by the
undersigned officer of the Fund in his capacity as an officer of the Fund. The
obligations of this Agreement shall only be binding upon the assets and property
of the Fund or the affected Series, as the case may be, and shall not be binding
upon any Board member, officer or shareholder of the Fund individually.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, will you
kindly so indicate by signing and returning to us the enclosed copy hereof.
Very truly yours,
XXXXXXXXXXX.XXX FUNDS
By:___________________________
Accepted:
METAMARKETS INVESTMENTS LLC
By: _____________________
SCHEDULE 1
Annual Rate
of Fee as a
Percentage
of Average
Name of Daily Net Reapproval Reapproval
Series Assets Date Day
Communications * July 20, 2001 July 20th
Technology Fund
Media * July 20, 2001 July 20th
Technology Fund
Aggressive Growth Fund * July 20, 2001 July 20th
[New Name] Fund * July 20, 2001 July 20th
________________
* As to each Series, 1.00% on the first $250 million of average daily net
assets; .75% on the next $500 million of such assets; and .50% on assets in
excess of $750 million.
