AIM COUNSELOR SERIES TRUST MASTER INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT d(1)
AIM COUNSELOR SERIES TRUST
MASTER INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made this 25th day of November, 2003, by and between AIM Counselor Series Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”) with respect to its series of shares shown on the Appendix A attached hereto, as the same may be amended from time to time, and A I M Advisors, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Advisor”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end, diversified management investment company;
WHEREAS, the Advisor is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), as an investment advisor and engages in the business of acting as an investment advisor;
WHEREAS, the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”) authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board of Trustees”) to create separate series of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust, and as of the date of this Agreement, the Board of Trustees has created two separate series portfolios (such portfolios and any other portfolios hereafter added to the Trust being referred to collectively herein as the “Funds”); and
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Advisor desire to enter into an agreement to provide for investment advisory services to the Funds upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1. Advisory Services. The Advisor shall act as investment advisor for the Funds and shall, in such capacity, supervise all aspects of the Funds’ operations, including the investment and reinvestment of cash, securities or other properties comprising the Funds’ assets, subject at all times to the policies and control of the Board of Trustees. The Advisor shall give the Trust and the Funds the benefit of its best judgment, efforts and facilities in rendering its services as investment advisor.
2. Investment Analysis and Implementation. In carrying out its obligations under Section 1 hereof, the Advisor shall:
(a) supervise all aspects of the operations of the Funds;
(b) obtain and evaluate pertinent information about significant developments and economic, statistical and financial data, domestic, foreign or otherwise, whether affecting the economy generally or the Funds, and whether concerning the individual issuers whose securities are included in the assets of the Funds or the activities in which such issuers engage, or with respect to securities which the Advisor considers desirable for inclusion in the Funds’ assets;
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(c) determine which issuers and securities shall be represented in the Funds’ investment portfolios and regularly report thereon to the Board of Trustees;
(d) formulate and implement continuing programs for the purchases and sales of the securities of such issuers and regularly report thereon to the Board of Trustees; and
(e) take, on behalf of the Trust and the Funds, all actions which appear to the Trust and the Funds necessary to carry into effect such purchase and sale programs and supervisory functions as aforesaid, including but not limited to the placing of orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Funds.
3. Securities Lending Duties and Fees. The Advisor agrees to provide the following services in connection with the securities lending activities of each Fund: (a) oversee participation in the securities lending program to ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory and investment guidelines; (b) assist the securities lending agent or principal (the “Agent”) in determining which specific securities are available for loan; (c) monitor the Agent to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with the Advisor’s instructions and with procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees; (d) prepare appropriate periodic reports for, and seek appropriate approvals from, the Board of Trustees with respect to securities lending activities; (e) respond to Agent inquiries; and (f) perform such other duties as necessary.
As compensation for such services provided by the Advisor in connection with securities lending activities of each Fund, a lending Fund shall pay the Advisor a fee equal to 25% of the net monthly interest or fee income retained or paid to the Fund from such activities.
4. Delegation of Responsibilities. The Advisor is authorized to delegate any or all of its rights, duties and obligations under this Agreement to one or more sub-advisors, and may enter into agreements with sub-advisors, and may replace any such sub-advisors from time to time in its discretion, in accordance with the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, and rules and regulations thereunder, as such statutes, rules and regulations are amended from time to time or are interpreted from time to time by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and if applicable, exemptive orders or similar relief granted by the SEC and upon receipt of approval of such sub-advisors by the Board of Trustees and by shareholders (unless any such approval is not required by such statutes, rules, regulations, interpretations, orders or similar relief).
5. Independent Contractors. The Advisor and any sub-advisors shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be independent contractors and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed to be an agent of the Trust.
6. Control by Board of Trustees. Any investment program undertaken by the Advisor pursuant to this Agreement, as well as any other activities undertaken by the Advisor on behalf of the Funds, shall at all times be subject to any directives of the Board of Trustees.
7. Compliance with Applicable Requirements. In carrying out its obligations under this Agreement, the Advisor shall at all times conform to:
(a) all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act and any rules and regulations adopted thereunder;
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(b) the provisions of the registration statement of the Trust, as the same may be amended from time to time under the Securities Act of 1933 and the 1940 Act;
(c) the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, as the same may be amended from time to time;
(d) the provisions of the by-laws of the Trust, as the same may be amended from time to time; and
(e) any other applicable provisions of state, federal or foreign law.
8. Broker-Dealer Relationships. The Advisor is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Funds, broker-dealer selection, and negotiation of brokerage commission rates.
(a) The Advisor’s primary consideration in effecting a security transaction will be to obtain the best execution.
(b) In selecting a broker-dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Advisor will take the following into consideration: the best net price available; the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer; the size of and the difficulty in executing the order; and the value of the expected contribution of the broker-dealer to the investment performance of the Funds on a continuing basis. Accordingly, the price to the Funds in any transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the fund execution services offered.
(c) Subject to such policies as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine, the Advisor shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of its having caused the Funds to pay a broker or dealer that provides brokerage and research services to the Advisor an amount of commission for effecting a fund investment transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Advisor determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Advisor’s overall responsibilities with respect to a particular Fund, other Funds of the Trust, and to other clients of the Advisor as to which the Advisor exercises investment discretion. The Advisor is further authorized to allocate the orders placed by it on behalf of the Funds to such brokers and dealers who also provide research or statistical material, or other services to the Funds, to the Advisor, or to any sub-advisor. Such allocation shall be in such amounts and proportions as the Advisor shall determine and the Advisor will report on said allocations regularly to the Board of Trustees indicating the brokers to whom such allocations have been made and the basis therefor.
(d) With respect to one or more Funds, to the extent the Advisor does not delegate trading responsibility to one or more sub-advisors, in making decisions regarding broker-dealer relationships, the Advisor may take into consideration the recommendations of any sub-advisor appointed to provide investment research or advisory services in connection with the Funds, and may take into consideration any research services provided to such sub-advisor by broker-dealers.
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(e) Subject to the other provisions of this Section 8, the 1940 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and rules and regulations thereunder, as such statutes, rules and regulations are amended from time to time or are interpreted from time to time by the staff of the SEC, any exemptive orders issued by the SEC, and any other applicable provisions of law, the Advisor may select brokers or dealers with which it or the Funds are affiliated.
9. Compensation. The compensation that each Fund shall pay the Advisor is set forth in Appendix B attached hereto.
10. Expenses of the Funds. All of the ordinary business expenses incurred in the operations of the Funds and the offering of their shares shall be borne by the Funds unless specifically provided otherwise in this Agreement. These expenses borne by the Funds include but are not limited to brokerage commissions, taxes, legal, accounting, auditing, or governmental fees, the cost of preparing share certificates, custodian, transfer and shareholder service agent costs, expenses of issue, sale, redemption and repurchase of shares, expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale, expenses relating to trustees and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing and distributing reports and notices to shareholders, the fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust on behalf of the Funds in connection with membership in investment company organizations and the cost of printing copies of prospectuses and statements of additional information distributed to the Funds’ shareholders.
11. Services to Other Companies or Accounts. The Trust understands that the Advisor now acts, will continue to act and may act in the future as investment manager or advisor to fiduciary and other managed accounts, and as investment manager or advisor to other investment companies, including any offshore entities, or accounts, and the Trust has no objection to the Advisor so acting, provided that whenever the Trust and one or more other investment companies or accounts managed or advised by the Advisor have available funds for investment, investments suitable and appropriate for each will be allocated in accordance with a formula believed to be equitable to each company and account. The Trust recognizes that in some cases this procedure may adversely affect the size of the positions obtainable and the prices realized for the Funds.
12. Non-Exclusivity. The Trust understands that the persons employed by the Advisor to assist in the performance of the Advisor’s duties under this Agreement will not devote their full time to such service and nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to limit or restrict the right of the Advisor or any affiliate of the Advisor to engage in and devote time and attention to other businesses or to render services of whatever kind or nature. The Trust further understands and agrees that officers or directors of the Advisor may serve as officers or trustees of the Trust, and that officers or trustees of the Trust may serve as officers or directors of the Advisor to the extent permitted by law; and that the officers and directors of the Advisor are not prohibited from engaging in any other business activity or from rendering services to any other person, or from serving as partners, officers, directors or trustees of any other firm or trust, including other investment advisory companies.
13. Effective Date, Term and Approval. This Agreement shall become effective with respect to a Fund, if approved by the shareholders of such Fund, on the Effective Date for such Fund, as set forth in Appendix A attached hereto. If so approved, this Agreement shall thereafter continue in force and effect until June 30, 2004, and may be continued from year to year thereafter, provided that the continuation of the Agreement is specifically approved at least annually:
(a) (i) by the Board of Trustees or (ii) by the vote of “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of such Fund (as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇); and
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(b) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of a party to this Agreement (other than as trustees of the Trust), by votes cast in person at a meeting specifically called for such purpose.
14. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated as to the Trust or as to any one or more of the Funds at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Fund, or by the Advisor, on sixty (60) days’ written notice to the other party. The notice provided for herein may be waived by the party entitled to receipt thereof. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, the term “assignment” for purposes of this paragraph having the meaning defined in Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act.
15. Amendment. No amendment of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by the party against which enforcement of the amendment is sought.
16. Liability of Advisor and Fund. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Advisor or any of its officers, directors or employees, the Advisor shall not be subject to liability to the Trust or to the Funds or to any shareholder of the Funds 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. Any liability of the Advisor to one Fund shall not automatically impart liability on the part of the Advisor to any other Fund. No Fund shall be liable for the obligations of any other Fund.
17. Liability of Shareholders. Notice is hereby given that, as provided by applicable law, the obligations of or arising out of this Agreement are not binding upon any of the shareholders of the Trust individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust and that the shareholders shall be entitled, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to the same limitation on personal liability as shareholders of private corporations for profit.
18. Notices. Any notices under this Agreement shall be in writing, addressed and delivered, telecopied or mailed postage paid, to the other party entitled to receipt thereof at such address as such party may designate for the receipt of such notice. Until further notice to the other party, it is agreed that the address of the Trust and that of the Advisor shall be ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇.
19. Questions of Interpretation. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States Courts or in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the SEC issued pursuant to said Acts. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act reflected in any provision of the Agreement is revised by rule, regulation or order of the SEC, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws (without reference to conflicts of law provisions) of the State of Texas.
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20. License Agreement. The Trust shall have the non-exclusive right to use the name “AIM” to designate any current or future series of shares only so long as A I M Advisors, Inc. serves as investment manager or advisor to the Trust with respect to such series of shares.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in duplicate by their respective officers on the day and year first written above.
| AIM COUNSELOR SERIES TRUST | ||||||||
| (a Delaware statutory trust) | ||||||||
| Attest: |
||||||||
| /s/ Illegible |
By: |
/s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||||||
| Assistant Secretary | Executive Vice President | |||||||
| (SEAL) |
||||||||
| Attest: |
A I M ADVISORS, INC. | |||||||
| /s/ Illegible |
By: |
/s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||||||
| Assistant Secretary | President | |||||||
| (SEAL) |
||||||||
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APPENDIX A
FUNDS AND EFFECTIVE DATES
| Name of Fund |
Effective Date of Advisory Agreement | |
| INVESCO Advantage Health Sciences Fund |
November 25, 2003 | |
| INVESCO Multi-Sector Fund |
November 25, ▇▇▇▇ | |
▇-▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇
COMPENSATION TO THE ADVISOR
INVESCO Multi-Sector Fund
The Trust shall pay the Advisor, out of the assets of INVESCO Multi-Sector Fund (“Multi-Sector”), as full compensation for all services rendered, an advisory fee for Multi-Sector set forth below. Such fee shall be calculated by applying the following annual rates to the average daily net assets of Multi-Sector for the calendar year computed in the manner used for the determination of the net asset value of shares of Multi-Sector.
| Net Assets |
Annual Rate |
||
| All Assets |
0.75 | % |
INVESCO Advantage Health Sciences Fund
For the services to be rendered and the charges and expenses to be assumed by the Advisor hereunder, the Trust shall pay to the Advisor an advisory fee which will be computed daily and paid as of the last day of each month, using for each daily calculation the most recently determined net asset value of the INVESCO Advantage Health Sciences Fund, (the “Portfolio”), as determined by valuations made in accordance with the Portfolio’s procedures for calculating its net asset value as described in the Portfolio’s current Prospectus and/or Statement of Additional Information. The advisory fee to the Advisor shall be computed at an annual rate of 1.50% of the Portfolio’s daily average net assets (the “Base Fee”). This Base Fee will be adjusted, on a monthly basis (i) upward at the rate of 0.20%, on a pro rata basis, for each percentage point by which the investment performance of the Portfolio exceeds the sum of 2.00% and the investment record of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Health Care Product Index (the “Index” or “Indexes”), or (ii) downward at the rate of 0.20%, on a pro rata basis, for each percentage point by which the investment record of the applicable Index less 2.00% exceeds the investment performance of the Portfolio. The maximum or minimum adjustment, if any, will be 1.00% annually. Therefore, the maximum annual fee payable to the Advisor will be 2.50% of average daily net assets and the minimum annual fee will be 0.50% of average daily net assets. During the first twelve months of operation, the management fee will be charged at the base fee of 1.50% with no performance adjustment. During any period when the determination of the Portfolio’s net asset value is suspended by the Trustees of the Trust, the net asset value of a share of the Portfolio as of the last business day prior to such suspension shall be deemed to be the net asset value at the close of each succeeding business day until it is again determined.
In determining the fee adjustment, if any, applicable during any month, the Advisor will compare the investment performance of the Class A Shares of each Portfolio for the twelve-month period ending on the last day of the prior month (the “Performance Period:”) to the investment record of the applicable Index during the Performance Period. The investment performance of the Portfolio will be determined by adding together (i) the change in the net asset value of the Class A Shares during the Performance Period, (ii) the value of cash distributions made by the Portfolio to holders of Class A Shares to the end of the Performance Period, and (iii) the value of capital gains per share, if any, paid on undistributed realized long-term capital gains accumulated to the end of the Performance Period, and will be expressed as a percentage of the net asset value per share of the Class A Shares at the beginning of the Performance Period.
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The investment record of the Index will be determined by adding together (i) the change in the level of the Index during the Performance Period and (ii) the value, computed consistently with the Index, of cash distributions made by companies whose securities comprise the Index accumulated to the end of the Performance Period, and will be expressed as a percentage of the Index at the beginning of such Period.
After it determines any fee adjustment, the Advisor will determine the dollar amount of additional fees or fee reductions to be accrued for each day of a month by multiplying the fee adjustment by the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio during the Performance Period and dividing that number by the number of days in the Performance Period. The management fee, as adjusted, is accrued daily and paid monthly.
If the Trustees determine at some future date that another securities index is more representative of the composition of the Index for the Portfolio, the Trustees may change the securities index used to compute the fee adjustment. If the Trustees do so, the new securities index (the “New Index”) will be applied prospectively to determine the amount of the fee adjustment. The Index will continue to be used to determine the amount of the fee adjustment for that part of the Performance Period prior to the effective date of the New Index. A change in the Index will be submitted to shareholders for their approval unless the SEC determines that shareholder approval is not required.
However, no such fee shall be paid to the Advisor with respect to any assets of the Portfolio which may be invested in any other investment company for which the Advisor serves as investment advisor. The fee provided for hereunder shall be prorated in any month in which this Agreement is not in effect for the entire month.
Interest, taxes and extraordinary items such as litigation costs are not deemed expenses for purposes of this section and shall be borne by the Portfolio in any event. Expenditures, including costs incurred in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities, which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applicable to investment companies, are accounted for as capital items and shall not be deemed to be expenses for purposes of this section.
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