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INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 23rd day of July, 1999, by and between
X. Xxxx Price Associates, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the
"Adviser"), and Endeavor Management Co., a California corporation
(the "Manager").
WHEREAS, the Manager has been organized to serve as investment manager
and administrator of Endeavor Series Trust (the "Trust"), a Massachusetts
business trust which has filed a registration statement under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and the Securities Act of 1933
(the "Registration Statement"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust is comprised of several separate
investment portfolios, one of which is the X. Xxxx Price Growth
Stock Portfolio (the "Portfolio"); and
WHEREAS, the Manager desires to avail itself of the services,
information, advice, assistance and facilities of an investment adviser to
assist the Manager in performing services for the Portfolio; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940, as amended, and is engaged in the business of rendering investment
advisory services to investment companies and desires to provide such services
to the Manager;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth, it is agreed as follows:
1. Employment of the Adviser. The Manager hereby employs the Adviser as
sub-adviser to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the
Portfolio, subject to the control and direction of the Trust's Board of
Trustees, for the period and on the terms hereinafter set forth. The Adviser
hereby accepts such employment and agrees during such period to render the
services and to assume the obligations herein set forth for the compensation
herein provided. The Adviser shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be an
independent contractor and shall, except as expressly provided or authorized
(whether herein or otherwise), have no authority to act for or represent the
Manager, the Portfolio or the Trust in any way.
2. Obligations of and Services to be Provided by the
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Adviser. The Adviser undertakes to provide the following
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services and to assume the following obligations:
a. The Adviser shall manage the investment and reinvestment of
the portfolio assets of the Portfolio, all without prior consultation with the
Manager, subject to and in accordance with the respective investment objectives
and policies of the Portfolio set forth in the Trust's Registration Statement,
as such Registration Statement may be amended from time to time, and any written
instructions which the Manager or
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the Trust's Board of Trustees may issue from time-to-time in accordance
therewith. In pursuance of the foregoing, the Adviser shall make all
determinations with respect to the purchase and sale of portfolio securities and
shall take such action necessary to implement the same. The Adviser shall render
regular reports as mutually agreed upon by both parties to the Trust's Board of
Trustees and the Manager concerning the investment activities of the Portfolio.
b. To the extent provided in the Trust's Registration
Statement, as such Registration Statement may be amended from time to time, the
Adviser shall, in the name of the Portfolio, place orders for the execution of
portfolio transactions with or through such brokers, dealers or banks as it may
select including affiliates of the Adviser and, complying with Section 28(e) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, may pay a commission on transactions in
excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged.
c. In connection with the placement of orders for the
execution of the portfolio transactions of the Portfolio, the Adviser shall
create and maintain all necessary records in accordance with applicable law
adequately demonstrating its compliance with its obligations under this
Agreement. All records shall be the property of the Trust and shall be available
for inspection and use by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), the
Trust, the Manager or any person retained by the Trust. Where applicable, such
records shall be maintained by the Adviser for the periods and in the places
required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act.
d. The Adviser shall bear its expenses of providing
services pursuant to this Agreement.
3. Compensation of the Adviser. In consideration of services rendered
pursuant to this Agreement, the Manager will pay the Adviser a fee at the annual
rate of the value of the Portfolio's average daily net assets set forth in
Schedule A hereto. Such fee shall be accrued daily and paid monthly as soon as
practicable after the end of each month. If the Adviser shall serve for less
than the whole of any month, the foregoing compensation shall be prorated. For
the purpose of determining fees payable to the Adviser, the value of the
Portfolio's net assets shall be computed at the times and in the manner
specified in the Trust's Registration Statement.
4. Activities of the Adviser. The services of the Adviser hereunder are
not to be deemed exclusive, and the Adviser shall be free to render similar
services to others and to engage in other activities, so long as the services
rendered hereunder are not impaired.
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5. Use of Names. The Manager shall not use the name of the Adviser in
any prospectus, sales literature or other material relating to the Trust in any
manner not approved prior thereto by the Adviser; provided, however, that the
Adviser shall approve all uses of its name and that of its parent which merely
refer in accurate terms to its appointment hereunder or which are required by
the SEC or a state securities commission; and, provided, further, that in no
event shall such approval be unreasonably withheld. The Adviser shall not use
the name of the Trust or the Manager in any material relating to the Adviser in
any manner not approved prior thereto by the Manager; provided, however, that
the Manager shall approve all uses of its or the Trust's name which merely refer
in accurate terms to the appointment of the Adviser hereunder or which are
required by the SEC or a state securities commission; and, provided further,
that in no event shall such approval be unreasonably withheld.
6. Liability of the Adviser. Absent willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence, or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on
the part of the Adviser, the Adviser shall not be liable for any act or omission
in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any
losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
7. Limitation of Trust's Liability. The Adviser acknowledges that it
has received notice of and accepts the limitations upon the Trust's liability
set forth in its Agreement and Declaration of Trust. The Adviser agrees that any
of the Trust's obligations shall be limited to the assets of the Portfolio and
that the Adviser shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the
shareholders of the Trust nor from any Trust officer, employee or agent of the
Trust.
8. Renewal, Termination and Amendment. This Agreement shall continue in
effect, unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided, for a period of two
years from the date hereof and shall continue in full force and effect for
successive periods of one year thereafter, but only so long as each such
continuance as to the Portfolio is specifically approved at least annually by
vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the Trust's Board of Trustees; and further
provided that such continuance is also approved annually by the vote of a
majority of the Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested
persons of the Adviser, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such approval. This Agreement may be terminated as to the Portfolio at
any time, without payment of any penalty, by the Trust's Board of Trustees, by
the Manager, or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the Portfolio upon 60 days' prior written notice to the Adviser, or by the
Adviser upon 150 days' prior
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written notice to the Manager, or upon such shorter notice as may be mutually
agreed upon. This Agreement shall terminate automatically and immediately upon
termination of the Management Agreement dated July 22, 1999 between the Manager
and the Trust. This Agreement shall terminate automatically and immediately in
the event of its assignment. The terms "assignment" and "vote of a majority of
the outstanding voting securities" shall have the meaning set forth for such
terms in the 1940 Act. This Agreement may be amended at any time be the Adviser
and the Manager, subject to approval by the Trust's Board of Trustees and, if
required by applicable SEC rules and regulations, a vote of a majority of the
Portfolio's outstanding voting securities.
9. Confidential Relationship. Any information and advice
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furnished by either party to this Agreement to the other shall be
treated as confidential and shall not be disclosed to third
parties except as required by law.
10. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall
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be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or
otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected
thereby.
11. Miscellaneous. This Agreement constitutes the full and complete
agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Each
party agrees to perform such further actions and execute such further documents
as are necessary to effectuate the purposes hereof. This Agreement shall be
construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State
of California. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience only
and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect
their construction or effect. This Agreement may be executed in several
counterparts, all of which together shall for all purposes constitute one
Agreement, binding on all the parties.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Agreement as of
the date first written above.
ENDEAVOR MANAGEMENT CO.
BY: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxxx
Authorized Officer
X. XXXX PRICE ASSOCIATES, INC.
BY: /s/
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Authorized Officer
SCHEDULE A
X. Xxxx Price Growth Stock
Portfolio .40% of average daily net
assets.
