PRUDENTIAL-BACHE FLEXIFUND
MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
Agreement, made this 1st day of March, 1988, between
Prudential-Bache FlexiFund, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Fund"), and
Prudential Mutual Fund Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Manager").
WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, the Fund is a diversified, open-end management investment
company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
"1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS the shares of beneficial interest of the Fund are divided
into separate series, each of which is established pursuant to a written
instrument executed by the Trustees of the Fund, and the Trustees may from time
to time terminate such series or establish and terminate additional series; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain the Manager to render or
contract to obtain as hereinafter provided investment advisory services to the
Fund and the Fund also desires to avail itself of the facilities available to
the Manager with respect to the administration of its day to day business
affairs, and the Manager is willing to render such investment advisory and
administrative services;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
1. The Fund hereby appoints the Manager to act as manager of the
Fund and administrator of its business affairs for the period and
on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The Manager accepts such appointment
and agrees to render the services herein described, for the compensation herein
provided. The Manager will enter into an agreement, dated the date hereof, with
The Prudential Investment Corporation ("PIC") pursuant to which PIC shall
furnish to the Fund the investment advisory services specified therein in
connection with the management of the Fund. Such agreement in the form attached
as Exhibit A is hereinafter referred to as the "Subadvisory Agreement." The
Manager will continue to have responsibility for all investment advisory
services furnished pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement.
2. Subject to the supervision of the Trustees of the Fund, the
Manager shall administer the Fund's business affairs and, in connection
therewith, shall furnish the Fund with office facilities and with clerical,
bookkeeping and recordkeeping services at such office facilities and, subject to
Section 1 hereof and the Subadvisory Agreement, the Manager shall manage the
investment operations of each series of the Fund and the composition of the
portfolio of each series, including the purchase, retention and disposition
thereof, in accordance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions
of each such series as stated in the Prospectus (hereinafter defined) and
subject to the following understandings:
(a) The Manager shall provide supervision of each series'
investments and determine from time to time what investments or securities
will be purchased, retained, sold or loaned by each series of the Fund,
and what portion of the assets will be invested or held uninvested as
cash.
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(b) The Manager, in the performance of its duties and obligations
under this Agreement, shall act in conformity with the Declaration of
Trust, By-Laws and Prospectus (hereinafter defined) of the Fund and with
the instructions and directions of the Trustees of the Fund and will
conform to and comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act and all other
applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
(c) The Manager shall determine the securities and futures contracts
to be purchased or sold by each series of the Fund and will place orders
pursuant to its determinations with or through such persons, brokers,
dealers or futures commission merchants (including but not limited to
Prudential-Bache Securities Inc.) in conformity with the policy with
respect to brokerage as set forth in the Fund's Registration Statement and
Prospectus (hereinafter defined) or as the Trustees may direct from time
to time. In providing the Fund with investment supervision, it is
recognized that the Manager will give primary consideration to securing
the most favorable price and efficient execution. Consistent with this
policy, the Manager may consider the financial responsibility, research
and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers
or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such
transaction or other transactions to which other clients of the Manager
may be a party. It is understood that Prudential-Bache Securities Inc. may
be used as principal broker for securities transactions but that no
formula has been adopted for allocation of the Fund's investment
transaction business. It is also understood that it is
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desirable for the Fund that the Manager have access to supplemental
investment and market research and security and economic analysis provided
by brokers or futures commission merchants and that such brokers may
execute brokerage transactions at a higher cost to the Fund than may
result when allocating brokerage to other brokers or futures commission
merchants on the basis of seeking the most favorable price and efficient
execution. Therefore, the Manager is authorized to pay higher brokerage
commissions for the purchase and sale of securities and futures contracts
for each series of the Fund to brokers or futures commission merchants who
provide such research and analysis, subject to review by the Fund'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 broker
or futures commission merchant may be useful to the Manager in connection
with its services to other clients.
On occasions when the Manager deems the purchase or sale of a
security or a futures contract to be in the best interest of the Fund (and
each series of the Fund) as well as other clients of the Manager or the
Subadviser, the Manager, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and
regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the
securities or futures contracts to be so sold or purchased in order to
obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and
efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the securities or
futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred
in the transaction, will be made by the Manager in the manner it
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considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary
obligations to the Fund (and each series of the Fund) and to such other
clients.
(d) The Manager shall maintain all books and records with respect to
the Fund's portfolio transactions and shall render to the Fund's Trustees
such periodic and special reports as the Trustees may reasonably request.
(e) The Manager shall be responsible for the financial and
accounting records to be maintained by the Fund (including those being
maintained by the Fund's Custodian).
(f) The Manager shall provide the Fund's Custodian on each business
day with information relating to all transactions concerning the Fund's
assets.
(g) The investment management services of the Manager to the Fund
under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Manager shall
be free to render similar services to others.
3. The Fund has delivered to the Manager copies of each of the
following documents and will deliver to it all future amendments and
supplements, if any:
(a) Declaration of Trust of the Fund, as filed with the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts (such Declaration of Trust, as in effect on the date
hereof and as amended from time to time, is herein called the "Declaration
of Trust");
(b) By-Laws of the Fund (such By-Laws, as in effect on the date
hereof and as amended from time to time, are herein called the "By-Laws");
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(c) Certified resolutions of the Trustees of the Fund authorizing
the appointment of the Manager and approving the form of this agreement;
(d) Written Instrument to Establish and Designate Separate Series of
Shares;
(e) Registration Statement under the 1940 Act and the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, on Form N-1A (the "Registration Statement"), as filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") relating to
the Fund and shares of beneficial interest of the Fund and all amendments
thereto;
(f) Notification of Registration of the Fund under the 1940 Act on
Form N-8A as filed with the Commission and all amendments thereto; and
(g) Prospectus of the Fund (such Prospectus and Statement of
Additional Information, as currently in effect and as amended or
supplemented from time to time, being herein called the "Prospectus").
4. The Manager shall authorize and permit any of its directors,
officers and employees who may be elected as Trustees or officers of the Fund to
serve in the capacities in which they are elected. All services to be furnished
by the Manager under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any
such directors, officers or employees of the Manager.
5. The Manager shall keep the Fund's books and records required to
be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 2 hereof. The Manager agrees that all
records which it maintains for the Fund are the property of the Fund and it will
surrender promptly to the Fund any such
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records upon the Fund's request, provided however that the Manager may retain a
copy of such records. The Manager further agrees to preserve for the periods
prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act any such records as are required to
be maintained by the Manager pursuant to Paragraph 2 hereof.
6. During the term of this Agreement, the Manager shall pay the
following expenses:
(i) the salaries and expenses of all personnel of the Fund and the
Manager except the fees and expenses of Trustees who are not affiliated
persons of the Manager or the Fund's investment adviser,
(ii) all expenses incurred by the Manager or by the Fund in
connection with managing the ordinary course of the Fund's business other
than those assumed by the Fund herein, and
(iii) the costs and expenses payable to PIC pursuant to the
Subadvisory Agreement.
The Fund assumes and will pay the expenses described below:
(a) the fees and expenses incurred by each series of the Fund in
connection with the management of the investment and reinvestment of the
assets of each series,
(b) the fees and expenses of Trustees who are not affiliated persons
of the Manager or the Fund's investment adviser,
(c) the fees and expenses of the Custodian that relate to (i) the
custodial function and the recordkeeping connected therewith, (ii)
preparing and maintaining the general accounting records of the Fund and
the providing of any such records to the Manager useful to the Manager in
connection with the Manager's
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responsibility for the accounting records of the Fund pursuant to Section
31 of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, (iii) the pricing
of the shares of each series of the Fund, including the cost of any
pricing service or services which may be retained pursuant to the
authorization of the Trustees of the Fund, and (iv) for both mail and wire
orders, the cashiering function in connection with the issuance and
redemption of the Fund's securities,
(d) the fees and expenses of the Fund's Transfer and Dividend
Disbursing Agent, which may be the Custodian, that relate to the
maintenance of each shareholder account,
(e) the charges and expenses of legal counsel and independent
accountants for the Fund,
(f) brokers' commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable
to each series of the Fund in connection with its securities and futures
transactions,
(g) all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Fund to federal,
state or other governmental agencies,
(h) the fees of any trade associations of which the Fund may be a
member,
(i) the cost of share certificates representing, and/or
non-negotiable share deposit receipts evidencing, shares of each series of
the Fund,
(j) the cost of fidelity, directors and officers and errors and
omissions insurance,
(k) the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining
registration of the Fund and of its shares with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, registering the Fund as a
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broker or dealer and qualifying its shares under state securities laws,
including the preparation and printing of the Fund's registration
statements, prospectuses and statements of additional information for
filing under federal and state securities laws for such purposes,
(l) allocable communications expenses with respect to investor
services and all expenses of shareholders' and Trustees' meetings and of
preparing, printing and mailing reports to shareholders in the amount
necessary for distribution to the shareholders,
(m) litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary
expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business, and
(n) any expenses assumed by the Fund pursuant to a Plan of
Distribution adopted in conformity with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
7. In the event the expenses of the Fund for any fiscal year
(including the fees payable to the Manager but excluding interest, taxes,
brokerage commissions, distribution fees and litigation and indemnification
expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of
the Fund's business) exceed the lowest applicable annual expense limitation
established and enforced pursuant to the statute or regulations of any
jurisdictions in which shares of the Fund are then qualified for offer and sale,
the compensation due the Manager will be reduced by the amount of such excess,
or, if such reduction exceeds the compensation payable to the Manager, the
Manager will pay to the Fund the amount of such reduction which exceeds the
amount of such compensation.
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8. For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to
this Agreement, the Fund will pay to the Manager as full compensation therefor a
fee at an annual rate of .65 of 1% of the average daily net assets of each
series of the Fund. This fee will be computed daily and will be paid to the
Manager monthly. Any reduction in the fee payable and any payment by the Manager
to the Fund pursuant to paragraph 7 shall be made monthly. Any such reductions
or payments are subject to readjustment during the year.
9. The Manager shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for
any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which this
Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with
respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of
damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section
36(b)(3) of the 0000 Xxx) or loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith
or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from
reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
10. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more
than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually with respect to each series in
conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this
Agreement may be terminated with respect to any series by the Fund at any time,
without the payment of any penalty, by the Trustees of the Fund or by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of
such series, or by the Manager at any time, without the payment of any penalty,
on not more than 60 days' nor less than 30 days' written notice to the other
party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its
assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
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11. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of
any director, officer or employee of the Manager who may also be a Trustee,
officer or employee of the Fund to engage in any other business or to devote his
or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any
business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the
right of the Manager to engage in any other business or to render services of
any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.
12. Except as otherwise provided herein or authorized by the
Trustees of the Fund from time to time, the Manager shall for all purposes
herein be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall have no authority to
act for or represent the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the
Fund.
13. During the term of this Agreement, the Fund agrees to furnish
the Manager at its principal office all prospectuses, proxy statements, reports
to shareholders, sales literature, or other material prepared for distribution
to shareholders of the Fund or the public, which refer in any way to the
Manager, prior to use thereof and not to use such material if the Manager
reasonably objects in writing within five business days (or such other time as
may be mutually agreed) after receipt thereof. In the event of termination of
this Agreement, the Fund will continue to furnish to the Manager copies of any
of the above mentioned materials which refer in any way to the Manager. Sales
literature may be furnished to the Manager hereunder by first-class or overnight
mail, facsimile transmission equipment or hand delivery. The Fund shall furnish
or otherwise make available to the Manager such other information relating to
the business affairs of the Fund as the Manager at any time, or from time to
time, reasonably requests in order to discharge its obligations hereunder.
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14. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent
of each series of the Fund must be obtained in conformity with the requirements
of the 1940 Act.
15. Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant
to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by
registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Manager at Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx
Xxxx, X.X. 00000, Attention: Secretary; or (2) to the Fund at Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000, Attention: President.
16. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York.
17. The Fund may use the name "Prudential-Bache FlexiFund" or any
name including the words "Prudential" or "Bache" only for so long as this
Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment hereof remains in effect,
including any similar agreement with any organization which shall have succeeded
to the Manager's business as Manager or any extension, renewal or amendment
thereof remain in effect. At such time as such an agreement shall no longer be
in effect, the Fund will (to the extent that it lawfully can) cease to use such
a name or any other name indicating that it is advised by, managed by or
otherwise connected with the Manager, or any organization which shall have so
succeeded to such businesses. In no event shall the Fund use the name
"Prudential-Bache FlexiFund" or any name including the word "Prudential" or
"Bache" if the Manager's function is transferred or assigned to a company of
which The Prudential Insurance Company of America does not have control.
18. The name "Prudential-Bache FlexiFund" is the designation of the
Trustees under a Declaration of Trust, dated February 23, 1987, and all persons
dealing with the Fund must look solely to the property of the Fund for the
enforcement of any clams against the Fund as
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neither the Trustees, officers, agents or shareholders assume any personal
liability for obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument
to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first
above written.
PRUDENTIAL-BACHE FLEXIFUND
By /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. XxXxxxx
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PRUDENTIAL MUTUAL FUND MANAGEMENT, INC.
By /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
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