PRUDENTIAL EQUITY FUND, INC.
Form of
Distribution Agreement
(Class Z Shares)
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Agreement made as of _______, 1995, between Prudential Equity Fund,
Inc., a Maryland Corporation/Massachusetts business trust (the Fund) and
Prudential Securities Incorporated, a Delaware Corporation (the Distributor).
WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act), as a [diversified/non-
diversified], open-end, management investment company and it is in the interest
of the Fund to offer its Class Z shares for sale continuously;
WHEREAS, the Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is engaged in the business of
selling shares of registered investment companies either directly or through
other broker-dealers; and
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Distributor wish to enter into an agreement
with each other, with respect to the continuous offering of the Fund's Class Z
shares from and after the date hereof in order to promote the growth of the Fund
and facilitate the distribution of its Class Z shares.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
Section 1. APPOINTMENT OF THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Fund hereby appoints the Distributor as the principal underwriter
and distributor of the Class Z shares of the Fund to sell Class Z shares to the
public on behalf of the Fund and the Distributor hereby accepts such appointment
and agrees to act hereunder. The Fund hereby agrees during the term of this
Agreement to sell Class Z shares of the Fund through the Distributor on the
terms and conditions set forth below.
Section 2. EXCLUSIVE NATURE OF DUTIES
The Distributor shall be the exclusive representative of the Fund to
act as principal underwriter and distributor of the Fund's Class Z shares,
except that:
2.1 The exclusive rights granted to the Distributor to sell Class Z
shares of the Fund shall not apply to Class Z shares of the Fund issued in
connection with the merger or consolidation of any other investment company or
personal holding company with the Fund or the acquisition by purchase or
otherwise of all (or substantially all) of the assets or the outstanding shares
of any such company by the Fund.
2.2 Such exclusive rights shall not apply to Class Z shares issued by
the Fund pursuant to reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions.
2.3 Such exclusive rights shall not apply to Class Z shares issued by
the Fund pursuant to the reinstatement privilege afforded redeeming
shareholders.
2.4 Such exclusive rights shall not apply to purchases made through
the Fund's transfer and dividend disbursing agent in the manner set forth in the
currently effective Prospectus of the Fund. The term "Prospectus" shall mean
the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information included as part of the
Fund's Registration Statement, as such Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information may be amended or supplemented from time to time, and the term
"Registration Statement" shall mean the Registration Statement filed by the Fund
with the Securities and Exchange Commission and effective under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and the Investment Company Act, as
such Registration Statement is amended from time to time.
Section 3. PURCHASE OF CLASS Z SHARES FROM THE FUND
3.1 The Distributor shall have the right to buy from the Fund on
behalf of investors the Class Z shares needed, but not more than the Class Z
shares needed (except for clerical errors in transmission) to fill unconditional
orders for Class Z shares placed with the Distributor by investors or registered
and qualified securities dealers and other financial institutions (selected
dealers).
3.2 The Class Z shares shall be sold by the Distributor on behalf of
the Fund and delivered by the Distributor or selected dealers, as described in
Section 6.4 hereof, to investors at the offering price as set forth in the
Prospectus.
3.3 The Fund shall have the right to suspend the sale of its Class Z
shares at times when redemption is suspended pursuant to the conditions in
Section 4.3 hereof or at such other times as may be determined by the Board of
Directors/Trustees. The Fund shall also have the right to suspend the sale of
its Class Z shares if a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal
or New York authorities.
3.4 The Fund, or any agent of the Fund designated in writing by the
Fund, shall be promptly advised of all purchase orders for Class Z shares
received by the Distributor. Any order may be rejected by the Fund; provided,
however, that the Fund will not arbitrarily or without reasonable cause refuse
to accept or confirm orders for the purchase of Class Z shares. The Fund (or
its agent) will confirm orders upon their receipt, will make appropriate book
entries and upon receipt by the Fund (or its
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agent) of payment therefor, will deliver deposit receipts for such Class Z
shares pursuant to the instructions of the Distributor. Payment shall be made
to the Fund in New York Clearing House funds or federal funds. The Distributor
agrees to cause such payment and such instructions to be delivered promptly to
the Fund (or its agent).
Section 4. REPURCHASE OR REDEMPTION OF CLASS Z SHARES BY THE FUND
4.1 Any of the outstanding Class Z shares may be tendered for
redemption at any time, and the Fund agrees to repurchase or redeem the Class Z
shares so tendered in accordance with its Articles of Incorporation/Declaration
of Trust as amended from time to time, and in accordance with the applicable
provisions of the Prospectus. The price to be paid to redeem or repurchase the
Class Z shares shall be equal to the net asset value determined as set forth in
the Prospectus. All payments by the Fund hereunder shall be made in the manner
set forth in Section 4.2 below.
4.2 The Fund shall pay the total amount of the redemption price as
defined in the above paragraph pursuant to the instructions of the Distributor
on or before the seventh day subsequent to its having received the notice of
redemption in proper form. The proceeds of any redemption of Class Z shares
shall be paid by the Fund to or for the account of the redeeming shareholder, in
each case in accordance with applicable provisions of the Prospectus.
4.3 Redemption of Class Z shares or payment may be suspended at times
when the New York Stock Exchange is closed for other than customary weekends and
holidays, when trading on said Exchange is restricted, when an emergency exists
as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not
reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly
to determine the value of its net assets, or during any other period when the
Securities and Exchange Commission, by order, so permits.
Section 5. DUTIES OF THE FUND
5.1 Subject to the possible suspension of the sale of Class Z shares
as provided herein, the Fund agrees to sell its Class Z shares so long as it has
Class Z shares available.
5.2 The Fund shall furnish the Distributor copies of all information,
financial statements and other papers which the Distributor may reasonably
request for use in connection with the distribution of Class Z shares, and this
shall include one certified copy, upon request by the Distributor, of all
financial statements examined for the Fund by independent public accountants.
The Fund shall make available to the Distributor such number of copies of its
Prospectus and annual and interim reports as the
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Distributor shall reasonably request.
5.3 The Fund shall take, from time to time, but subject to the
necessary approval of the Board of Directors/Trustees and the shareholders, all
necessary action to fix the number of authorized Class Z shares and such steps
as may be necessary to register the same under the Securities Act, to the end
that there will be available for sale such number of Class Z shares as the
Distributor reasonably may expect to sell. The Fund agrees to file from time to
time such amendments, reports and other documents as may be necessary in order
that there will be no untrue statement of a material fact in the Registration
Statement, or necessary in order that there will be no omission to state a
material fact in the Registration Statement which omission would make the
statements therein misleading.
5.4 The Fund shall use its best efforts to qualify and maintain the
qualification of any appropriate number of its Class Z shares for sales under
the securities laws of such states as the Distributor and the Fund may approve;
provided that the Fund shall not be required to amend its [Articles of
Incorporation/Declaration of Trust] or By-Laws to comply with the laws of any
state, to maintain an office in any state, to change the terms of the offering
of its Class Z shares in any state from the terms set forth in its Registration
Statement, to qualify as a foreign corporation in any state or to consent to
service of process in any state other than with respect to claims arising out of
the offering of its Class Z shares. Any such qualification may be withheld,
terminated or withdrawn by the Fund at any time in its discretion. As provided
in Section 7.1 hereof, the expense of qualification and maintenance of
qualification shall be borne by the Fund. The Distributor shall furnish such
information and other material relating to its affairs and activities as may be
required by the Fund in connection with such qualifications.
Section 6. DUTIES OF THE DISTRIBUTOR
6.1 The Distributor shall devote reasonable time and effort to effect
sales of Class Z shares of the Fund, but shall not be obligated to sell any
specific number of Class Z shares. Sales of the Class Z shares shall be on the
terms described in the Prospectus. The Distributor may enter into like
arrangements with other investment companies. The Distributor shall compensate
the selected dealers as set forth in the Prospectus.
6.2 In selling the Class Z shares, the Distributor shall use its best
efforts in all respects duly to conform with the requirements of all federal and
state laws relating to the sale of such securities. Neither the Distributor nor
any selected dealer nor any other person is authorized by the Fund to give any
information or to make any representations, other than those contained in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus and any sales
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literature approved by appropriate officers of the Fund.
6.3 The Distributor shall adopt and follow procedures for the
confirmation of sales to investors and selected dealers, the collection of
amounts payable by investors and selected dealers on such sales and the
cancellation of unsettled transactions, as may be necessary to comply with the
requirements of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASD).
6.4 The Distributor shall have the right to enter into selected
dealer agreements with registered and qualified securities dealers and other
financial institutions of its choice for the sale of Class Z shares, provided
that the Fund shall approve the forms of such agreements. Within the United
States, the Distributor shall offer and sell Class Z shares only to such
selected dealers as are members in good standing of the NASD. Class Z shares
sold to selected dealers shall be for resale by such dealers only at the
offering price determined as set forth in the Prospectus.
Section 7. ALLOCATION OF EXPENSES
7.1 The Fund shall bear all costs and expenses of the continuous
offering of its Class Z shares, including fees and disbursements of its counsel
and auditors, in connection with the preparation and filing of any required
Registration Statements and/or Prospectuses under the Investment Company Act or
the Securities Act, and preparing and mailing annual and periodic reports and
proxy materials to shareholders (including but not limited to the expense of
setting in type any such Registration Statements, Prospectuses, annual or
periodic reports or proxy materials). The Fund shall also bear the cost of and
expense of qualification of the Class Z shares for sale, and, if necessary or
advisable in connection therewith, of qualifying the Fund as a broker or dealer,
in such states of the United States or other jurisdictions as shall be selected
by the Fund and the Distributor pursuant to Section 5.4 hereof and the cost and
expense payable to each such state for continuing qualification therein until
the Fund decides to discontinue such qualification pursuant to Section 5.4
hereof.
Section 8. INDEMNIFICATION
8.1 The Fund agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor,
its officers and Directors and any person who controls the Distributor within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, free and harmless from and
against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the
cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the Distributor, its
officers, Directors or any such controlling person may incur under the
Securities Act, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon
any untrue statement of a
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material fact contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or arising
out of or based upon any alleged omission to state a material fact required to
be stated in either thereof or necessary to make the statements in either
thereof not misleading, except insofar as such claims, demands, liabilities or
expenses arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or omission or
alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished in writing by the Distributor to the Fund for use in
the Registration Statement or Prospectus; provided, however, that this indemnity
agreement shall not inure to the benefit of any such officer, Director or
controlling person unless a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine in a
final decision on the merits, that the person to be indemnified was not liable
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 under this Agreement (disabling conduct), or, in the absence of such
a decision, a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that
the indemnified person was not liable by reason of disabling conduct, by (a) a
vote of a majority of a quorum of Directors who are neither "interested persons"
of the Fund as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act nor
parties to the proceeding, or (b) an independent legal counsel in a written
opinion. The Fund's agreement to indemnify the Distributor, its officers and
Directors and any such controlling person as aforesaid is expressly conditioned
upon the Fund's being promptly notified of any action brought against the
Distributor, its officers or Directors, or any such controlling person, such
notification to be given in writing addressed to the Fund at its principal
business office. The Fund agrees promptly to notify the Distributor of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers
or Directors in connection with the issue and sale of any Class Z shares.
8.2 The Distributor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Fund,
its officers and Directors/Trustees and any person who controls the Fund, if
any, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, free and harmless
from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses
(including the cost of investigating or defending against such claims, demands
or liabilities and any counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the
Fund, its officers and Directors/Trustees or any such controlling person may
incur under the Securities Act or under common law or otherwise, but only to the
extent that such liability or expense incurred by the Fund, its
Directors/Trustees or officers or such controlling person resulting from such
claims or demands shall arise out of or be based upon any alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in information furnished in writing by
the Distributor to the Fund for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus
or shall arise out of or be based upon any alleged omission to state a material
fact in connection with such information required to be stated in the
Registration Statement or
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Prospectus or necessary to make such information not misleading. The
Distributor's agreement to indemnify the Fund, its officers and
Directors/Trustees and any such controlling person as aforesaid, is expressly
conditioned upon the Distributor's being promptly notified of any action brought
against the Fund, its officers and Directors/Trustees or any such controlling
person, such notification to be given to the Distributor in writing at its
principal business office.
Section 9. DURATION AND TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT
9.1 This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first above
written and shall remain in force for two years from the date hereof and
thereafter, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at
least annually by (a) the Board of Directors/Trustees of the Fund, or by the
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Class Z shares of
the Fund and (b) by the vote of a majority of those Directors/Trustees who are
not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such parties and who
have no direct or indirect financial interest in this Agreement.
9.2 This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment
of any penalty, by a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Directors/Trustees or by vote of
a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Class Z shares of the
Fund, or by the Distributor, on sixty (60) days' written notice to the other
party. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment.
9.3 The terms "affiliated person," "assignment," "interested person"
and "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities," when used in this
Agreement, shall have the respective meanings specified in the Investment
Company Act.
Section 10. AMENDMENTS TO THIS AGREEMENT
This Agreement may be amended by the parties only if such amendment is
specifically approved by the Board of Directors/Trustees of the Fund, or by the
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Class Z shares of
the Fund.
Section 11. GOVERNING LAW
The provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York as at the time in effect and
the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. To the extent that the
applicable law of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein,
conflict with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, the
latter shall control.
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[Section 11. LIABILITIES OF THE FUND
The name ________________________ is the designation of the Trustees under
a Declaration of Trust, dated ________, 19__, as thereafter amended, and all
persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the property of the Fund for
the enforcement of any claims against the Fund as 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 executed this Agreement as
of the day and year above written.
Prudential Securities
Incorporated
By:
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Senior Vice President
Prudential Equity Fund, Inc.
By:
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
President
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