INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT dated this 4th day of November, 1998 between Sun Capital
Advisers Trust, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), and Sun Capital
Advisers, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Manager").
W I T N E S S E T H
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WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as an open-end, diversified, management
investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
"1940 Act"), and has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") a registration statement (the "Registration Statement") for the
purpose of registering its shares for public offering under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"),
WHEREAS, the parties hereto deem it mutually advantageous that the Manager
should be engaged, subject to the supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees
and officers, to manage the investment series of the Trust identified in Exhibit
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A hereto (each a "Fund," collectively the "Funds").
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NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and benefits set
forth herein, the Trust and the Manager do hereby agree as follows:
1. (a) The Manager will regularly provide the Trust with investment
research, advice and supervision and will furnish continuously an investment
program for each Fund, consistent with the investment objective and policies of
such Fund. The Manager will determine from time to time what securities shall
be purchased for each Fund, what securities shall be held or sold by each Fund
and what portion of each Fund's assets shall be held uninvested as cash, subject
always to the provisions of the Trust's Certificate of Trust, Agreement and
Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and its registration statements under the 1940 Act
and under the 1933 Act covering the Trust's shares, as filed with the
Commission, and to the investment objective, policies and restrictions of each
Fund, as each of the same shall be from time to time in effect, and subject,
further, to such policies and instructions as the Board of Trustees of the Trust
may from time to time establish. To carry out such determinations, the Manager
will exercise full discretion and act for the Trust in the same manner and with
the same force and effect as the Trust itself might or could do with respect to
purchases, sales or other transactions, as well as with respect to all other
things necessary or incidental to the furtherance or conduct of such purchases,
sales or other transactions.
(b) The Manager will, to the extent reasonably required in the conduct
of the business of the Trust and upon the Trust's request, furnish to the Trust
research, statistical and advisory reports upon the industries, businesses,
corporations or securities as to which such requests shall be made, whether or
not
any of the Funds shall at the time have any investment in such industries,
businesses, corporations or securities. The Manager will use its best efforts in
the preparation of such reports and will endeavor to consult the persons and
sources believed by it to have information available with respect to such
industries, businesses, corporations or entities.
(c) The Manager will maintain all books and records with respect to
the Funds' securities transactions required by subparagraphs (b)(5), (6), (9)
and (10) and paragraph (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act (other than those
records being maintained by the custodian or transfer agent appointed by the
Trust) and preserve such records for the periods prescribed therefor by Rule
31a-2 under the 1940 Act. The Manager will also provide to the Board of Trustees
such periodic and special reports as the Board may reasonably request.
2. (a) Except as otherwise provided herein, the Manager, at its own
expense, shall furnish to the Trust office space in the offices of the Manager
or in such other place as may be agreed upon from time to time, and all
necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for managing the Trust's
investments, and shall arrange, if desired by the Trust, for members of the
Manager's organization to serve as officers or agents of the Trust.
(b) The Manager shall pay directly or reimburse the Trust for: (i)
the compensation (if any) of the Trustees who are affiliated with, or
"interested persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of, the Manager and all
officers of the Trust as such; and (ii) all expenses not hereinafter
specifically assumed by the Trust where such expenses are incurred by the
Manager or by the Trust in connection with the management of the affairs of, and
the investment and reinvestment of the assets of, the Trust and each Fund.
(c) The Trust shall assume and shall pay: (i) charges and expenses
for fund accounting, pricing and appraisal services and related overhead,
including, to the extent such services are performed by personnel of the
Manager, or its affiliates, office space and facilities and personnel
compensation, training and benefits; (ii) the charges and expenses of auditors;
(iii) the charges and expenses of any custodian, administrator, transfer agent,
plan agent, dividend disbursing agent and registrar appointed by the Trust; (iv)
issue and transfer taxes chargeable to the Trust in connection with securities
transactions to which the Trust is a party; (v) insurance premiums, interest
charges, dues and fees for membership in trade associations and all taxes and
corporate fees payable by the Trust to federal, state or other governmental
agencies; (vi) fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining
registrations of the Trust and/or its shares with the Commission, state
securities agencies and foreign jurisdictions, including the preparation of
prospectuses and statements of additional information for filing with such
regulatory agencies; (vii) all expenses of shareholders' and Trustees' meetings
and of preparing, printing
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and distributing prospectuses, notices, proxy statements and all reports to
shareholders and to governmental agencies; (viii) charges and expenses of legal
counsel to the Trust and the Trustees; (ix) if applicable, any distribution fees
paid by the Trust in accordance with Rule 12b-1 promulgated by the Commission
pursuant to the 1940 Act; (x) compensation of those Trustees of the Trust who
are not affiliated with or interested persons of the Manager or the Trust (other
than as Trustees); (xi) the cost of preparing and printing share certificates;
and (xii) interest on borrowed money, if any.
(d) In addition to the expenses described in Section 2(c) above, the
Trust shall pay all brokers' and underwriting commissions chargeable to the
Trust or any Fund in connection with securities transactions to which the Trust
is a party.
3. (a) The Trust shall pay to the Manager, as compensation for the
Manager's services and expenses assumed hereunder, a fee with respect to each
Fund calculated as a percentage of such Fund's average daily net assets as set
forth in Exhibit A hereto. Management fees payable hereunder shall be computed
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daily and paid monthly in arrears.
In the event of termination of this Agreement, the Management Fee shall be
computed on the basis of the period ending on the last business day on which
this Agreement is in effect subject to a pro rata adjustment based on the number
of days elapsed in the current month as a percentage of the total number of days
in such month.
(b) If the operating expenses of any Fund in any year exceed the
limits set by state securities laws or regulations in states in which shares of
the Fund are sold, the amount payable to the Manager with respect to such Fund
under subsection (a) above will be reduced (but not below $0), and the Manager
shall make other arrangements concerning expenses but, in each instance, only as
and to the extent required by such laws or regulations. If amounts have already
been advanced to the Manager under this Agreement, the Manager will return such
amounts to the relevant Fund to the extent required by the preceding sentence.
(c) In addition to the foregoing, the Manager may from time to time
agree not to impose all or a portion of its fee otherwise payable hereunder (in
advance of the time such fee or a portion thereof would otherwise accrue) and/or
undertake to pay or reimburse the relevant Fund for all or a portion of its
expenses not otherwise required to be borne or reimbursed by the Manager. Any
such fee reduction or undertaking may be discontinued or modified by the Manager
at any time.
4. It is understood that the Manager may employ one or more sub-
investment advisers (each a "Subadviser") to provide investment advisory
services to
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any Fund of the Trust by entering into a written agreement with each such
Subadviser; provided, that any such agreement first shall be approved by the
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vote of a majority of the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are
not "interested persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Trust, the Manager
or any such Subadviser, at a meeting of Trustees called for the purpose of
voting on such approval and, except as may be otherwise permitted by then
current law or an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange
Commission, by the affirmative vote of a "majority of the outstanding voting
securities" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the relevant Fund. The authority
given to the Manager in Sections 1 through 6 hereof may be delegated by it under
any such agreement; provided, that any Subadviser shall be subject to the same
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restrictions and limitations on investments and brokerage discretion as the
Manager. The Trust agrees that the Manager shall not be accountable to the
Trust, the relevant Fund or the relevant Fund's shareholders for any loss or
other liability relating to specific investments directed by any Subadviser,
even though the Manager retains the right to reverse any such investment,
because, in the event a Subadviser is retained, the Trust and the Manager will
rely almost exclusively on the expertise of such Subadviser for the selection
and monitoring of specific investments.
5. The Manager will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of
law or for any loss sustained by reason of the adoption of any investment policy
or the purchase, sale, or retention of any security on the recommendation of the
Manager, whether or not such recommendation shall have been based upon its own
investigation and research or upon investigation and research made by any other
individual, firm or corporation, but nothing contained herein will be construed
to protect the Manager against any liability to the Trust or any Fund or its
shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in
the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its
obligations and duties under this Agreement.
6. (a) Nothing in this Agreement will in any way limit or restrict the
Manager or any of its officers, directors, or employees from buying, selling or
trading in any securities for its or their own accounts or other accounts. The
Manager may act as an investment advisor to any other person, firm or
corporation, and may perform management and any other services for any other
person, association, corporation, firm or other entity pursuant to any contract
or otherwise, and take any action or do any thing in connection therewith or
related thereto; and no such performance of management or other services or
taking of any such action or doing of any such thing shall be in any manner
restricted or otherwise affected by any aspect of any relationship of the
Manager to or with the Trust or deemed to violate or give rise to any duty or
obligation of the Manager to the Trust except as otherwise imposed by law. The
Trust recognizes that the Manager, in effecting transactions for its various
accounts, may not always be able to take or liquidate investment positions in
the same security at the same time and at the same price.
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(b) In connection with purchases or sales of securities for the
account of a Fund, neither the Manager nor any of its Trustees, officers or
employees will act as a principal or agent or receive any commission except as
permitted by the 1940 Act. The Manager shall arrange for the placing of all
orders for the purchase and sale of securities for a Fund's account with brokers
or dealers selected by the Manager. In the selection of such brokers or dealers
and the placing of such orders, the Manager is directed at all times to seek for
a Fund the most favorable execution and net price available except as described
herein. It is also understood that it is desirable for the Funds that the
Manager have access to supplemental investment and market research and security
and economic analyses provided by brokers who may execute brokerage transactions
at a higher cost to a Fund than may result when allocating brokerage to other
brokers on the basis of seeking the most favorable price and efficient
execution. Therefore, the Manager is authorized to place orders for the
purchase and sale of securities for the Funds with such brokers, subject to
review by the Trust's Trustees from time to time with respect to the extent and
continuation of this practice. It is understood that the services provided by
such brokers may be useful to the Manager in connection with its or its
affiliates' services to other clients.
(c) On occasions when the Manager deems the purchase or sale of a
security to be in the best interest of a Fund as well as another Fund or other
clients, the Manager, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and
regulations, may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased in order to
obtain the best execution and lower brokerage commissions, if any. In such
event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the
expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Manager in the manner
it considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary
obligations to the relevant Fund and to such other Funds or other clients.
7. This Agreement shall become effective on the date hereof and shall
remain in force as to a Fund until October 31, 2000 and from year to year
thereafter, but only so long as its continuance is approved annually by a vote
of the Trustees of the Trust voting in person, including a majority of its
Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or "interested persons" (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) of any such parties, at a meeting of Trustees called
for the purpose of voting on such approval or by a vote of a "majority of the
outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the relevant
Fund, subject to the right of the Trust and the Manager to terminate this
contract as provided in Section 8 hereof.
8. Either party hereto may, without penalty, terminate this Agreement as
to any or all of the Funds by vote of its Board of Trustees or Directors, as the
case may be, or by vote of a "majority of its outstanding voting securities" (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) and the giving of 60 days' written notice to the other
party.
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9. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment. For purposes of this Agreement, the term "assignment" shall have
the meaning given it by Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act.
10. The Trust agrees that in the event that neither the Manager nor any of
its affiliates acts as an investment adviser to the Trust, the name of the Trust
and each Fund will be changed to one that does not contain the name "Sun
Capital," or "Sun Life" or otherwise suggest an affiliation with the Manager.
11. The Manager is an independent contractor and not an employee of the
Trust for any purpose. If any occasion should arise in which the Manager gives
any advice to its clients concerning the shares of a Fund, the Manager will act
solely as investment counsel for such clients and not in any way on behalf of
the Trust or any series thereof.
12. This Agreement states the entire agreement of the parties hereto, and
is intended to be the complete and exclusive statement of the terms hereof. It
may not be added to or changed orally, and may not be modified or rescinded
except by a writing signed by the parties hereto and in accordance with the 1940
Act, when applicable.
13. This Agreement and all performance hereunder shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
14. Any term or provision of this Agreement which is invalid or
unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction be ineffective
to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability without rendering invalid
or unenforceable the remaining terms or provisions of this Agreement or
affecting the validity or enforceability of any of the terms or provisions of
this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
15. The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that all
liabilities arising hereunder, whether direct or indirect, and of any and every
nature whatsoever shall be satisfied solely out of the assets of the Fund
affected thereby and that no Trustee, officer or holder of shares of beneficial
interest of the Trust shall be personally liable for any of the foregoing
liabilities.
16. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed by their duly authorized officers and their seal to be hereto affixed
as of the day and year first above written.
ATTEST: SUN CAPITAL ADVISERS TRUST
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxx By: /s/ Xxxxx M. A. Xxxxxxxx
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ATTEST: SUN CAPITAL ADVISERS, INC.
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxx By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
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Exhibit A
Management Fee as a percentage
Fund of average daily net assets
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Sun Capital Money Market Fund .50%
Sun Capital Investment Grade Bond Fund .60%
Sun Capital Real Estate Fund .95%
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