PRUDENTIAL UTILITY FUND, INC.
Form of
Distribution Agreement
(Class Z Shares)
Agreement made as of _______, 1995, between Prudential Utility Fund, Inc., a
Maryland Corporation (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,
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.
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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. 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this
Agreement as of the day and year above written.
Prudential Securities
Incorporated
By:
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Senior Vice President
Prudential Utility
Fund, Inc.
By:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
President
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