SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT
Execution Version
This SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is dated as of January 13, 2025, by and between SUNAMERICA ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”), and ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Subadviser”).
WITNESSTH:
WHEREAS, the Adviser and SunAmerica Series Trust, a Massachusetts business trust (the “Trust”), have entered into an Investment Advisory and Management Agreement dated as of January 13, 2025, as amended from time to time (the “Advisory Agreement”), pursuant to which the Adviser has agreed to provide investment management, advisory and administrative services to the Trust, and pursuant to which the Adviser may delegate one or more of its duties to a subadviser pursuant to a written subadvisory agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”), as an open-end management investment company and may issue shares of beneficial interest, without par value, in separately designated portfolios representing separate funds with their own investment objectives, policies and purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Subadviser is engaged in the business of rendering investment advisory services and is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to retain the Subadviser to furnish investment advisory services to the investment portfolio(s) of the Trust listed on Schedule A attached hereto (the “Portfolio(s)”), and the Subadviser is willing to furnish such services;
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed between the parties hereto as follows:
1. Duties of Subadviser. Adviser hereby engages the services of Subadviser in furtherance of the Advisory Agreement with the Trust. Pursuant to this Agreement and subject to the oversight and review of Adviser, Subadviser will manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of each Portfolio. In this regard, Subadviser will determine in its discretion the securities to be purchased or sold, will provide Adviser with records concerning its activities which Adviser or the Trust is required to maintain, and will render regular reports to Adviser and to officers and Trustees of the Trust concerning its discharge of the foregoing responsibilities. Subadviser shall discharge the foregoing responsibilities subject to the control of the officers and the Trustees of the Trust and in compliance with such policies as the Trustees of the Trust may from time to time establish, and in compliance with the objectives, policies, and limitations for the Portfolio(s) set forth in the Trust’s current prospectus and statement of additional information (together, the “Registration Statement”), and applicable laws and regulations. Subadviser accepts such employment and agrees, at its own expense, to render the services set forth herein and to provide the office space, furnishings, equipment and personnel required by it to perform such services on the terms and for the compensation provided in this Agreement.
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Subadviser also represents and warrants that in furnishing services hereunder, Subadviser will not consult with any other subadviser of the Portfolio(s) or other series of the Trust, to the extent any other subadvisers are engaged by Adviser, or any other subadvisers to other investment companies that are under common control with the Trust, concerning transactions of the Portfolio(s) in securities or other assets, other than for purposes of complying with the conditions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of rule 12d3-1 under the Act.
2. Portfolio Transactions. Subadviser is authorized to select the brokers or dealers that will execute the purchases and sales of portfolio securities and is directed to use its best efforts to obtain the best price and execution. Subject to policies established by the Trustees of the Trust, Subadviser may also be authorized to effect individual securities transactions at commission rates in excess of the minimum commission rates available, if Subadviser determines in good faith that such amount of commission is 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 Subadviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to a Portfolio, other portfolios of the Trust and other clients of Subadviser. The execution of such transactions shall not be deemed to represent an unlawful act or breach of any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise. Subadviser will promptly communicate to Adviser and to the officers and the Trustees of the Trust such information relating to portfolio transactions as they may reasonably request.
With respect to any investments, including but not limited to repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements, derivatives contracts, futures contracts, International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (“ISDA”) Master Agreements and similar types of master agreements, and options on futures contracts, which are permitted to be made by the Subadviser in accordance with this Agreement and the investment objectives and strategies of the Portfolio(s), as outlined in the Registration Statement for the Portfolio(s), the Adviser hereby authorizes and directs the Subadviser to do and perform every act and thing whatsoever necessary or incidental in performing its duties and obligations under this Agreement, including, but not limited to, executing as agent, on behalf of the Portfolio(s), master and related agreements and other documents to establish, operate and conduct all brokerage, collateral or other trading accounts, and executing as agent, on behalf of the Portfolio(s), such agreements and other documentation as may be required for the purchase or sale, assignment, transfer and ownership of any permitted investment, including repurchase and derivative master agreements, including any schedules and annexes to such agreements, releases, consents, elections and confirmations. The Subadviser also is hereby authorized to instruct a Portfolio’s custodian with respect to any collateral management activities in connection with any derivatives transactions and to enter into standard industry protocol arrangements (including those published by ISDA). The Subadviser is also authorized to provide evidence of its authority to enter into such master and related agreements, including by delivering a copy of this provision. The Adviser acknowledges and understands that it will be bound by any such trading accounts established, and agreements and other documentation executed, by the Subadviser for such investment purposes and agrees to provide the Subadviser with tax information, governing documents, legal opinions and other information concerning the Portfolio(s) as may be reasonably necessary to complete such agreements and other documentation. The Subadviser is required to provide the Adviser with copies of the applicable agreements and documentation promptly upon reasonable request. The Subadviser is hereby authorized, to the extent required by regulatory agencies or market practice, to reveal the Trust and the Portfolio’s identity and address to any financial intermediary through which or with which financial instruments are traded or cleared.
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The authority shall include, without limitation the authority on behalf of and in the name of the Portfolio(s) to execute: (i) documentation relating to private placements, loans and bank debt (including Loan Syndications and Trading Association and Loan Market Association documentation); (ii) waivers, consents, amendments or other modifications relating to investments; and (iii) purchase agreements, sales agreements, commitment letters, pricing letters, registration rights agreements, indemnities and contributions, escrow agreements and other investment related agreements.
The Subadviser is authorized to terminate all such master and related agreements and other documentation with respect to a Portfolio when it determines it is in the best interest of the Portfolio to do so, and it is authorized to exercise all default and other rights of the Portfolio against the other party(ies) to such agreements in accordance with its fiduciary duties and the best interest of the Portfolio. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Subadviser agrees to remove the Portfolio(s) as parties to such agreements and to consult with the Adviser regarding close-out, novation or continuation of positions under the agreements and retention of accounts or transfer of such accounts, which the Adviser shall determine in its sole discretion. If instructed by the Adviser to do so, the Subadviser shall close out open positions and transfer financial instruments in accordance with the Adviser’s instructions.
3. Compensation of Subadviser. The Subadviser shall not be entitled to receive any payment from the Trust and shall look solely and exclusively to the Adviser for payment of all fees for the services rendered, facilities furnished and expenses paid by it hereunder. As full compensation for the Subadviser under this Agreement, the Adviser agrees to pay to the Subadviser a fee at the annual rates set forth in Schedule A hereto with respect to the assets managed by the Subadviser for each Portfolio listed thereon. Such fee shall be accrued daily and paid monthly as soon as practicable after the end of each month. If the Subadviser shall provide its services under this Agreement for less than the whole of any month, the foregoing compensation shall be prorated.
4. Reports. Adviser and Subadviser agree to furnish to each other, if applicable, current prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy statements, reports of shareholders, certified copies of their financial statements, and such other information with regard to their affairs and that of the Trust as each may reasonably request.
5. Status of Subadviser. The services of Subadviser to Adviser and the Trust are not to be deemed exclusive, and Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others so long as its services to the Trust are not impaired thereby. Subadviser shall be deemed to be an independent contractor 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 an agent of the Trust.
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6. Proxy Voting. Subject to the prior approval by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Subadviser (or such lesser or longer notice as is acceptable to the Subadviser), the Adviser reserves the right to delegate to the Subadviser responsibility for exercising voting rights for all or a specified portion of the securities held by a Portfolio. To the extent so delegated, the Subadviser will exercise voting rights with respect to securities held by a Portfolio in accordance with written proxy voting policies and procedures mutually agreed upon by the parties. To the extent the Adviser retains the responsibility for voting proxies, the Subadviser agrees to provide input on certain proxy voting matters or proposals as may be reasonably requested by the Adviser.
7. Certain Records. Subadviser hereby undertakes and agrees to maintain, in the form and for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the Act, all records relating to the investments of the Portfolio(s) that are required to be maintained by the Trust pursuant to the requirements of Rule 31a-1 of the Act. Any records required to be maintained and preserved pursuant to the provisions of Rule 31a-1 and Rule 31a-2 promulgated under the Act which are prepared or maintained by Subadviser on behalf of the Trust are the property of the Trust and will be surrendered promptly to the Trust or Adviser on request.
Subadviser agrees that all accounts, books and other records maintained and preserved by it as required hereby shall be subject at any time, and from time to time, to such reasonable periodic, special and other examinations by the SEC, the Trust’s auditors, the Trust or any representative of the Trust, Adviser, or any governmental agency or other instrumentality having regulatory authority over the Trust.
8. Reference to Subadviser. Neither the Trust nor Adviser or any affiliate or agent thereof shall make reference to or use the name of Subadviser or any of its affiliates in any advertising or promotional materials without the prior approval of Subadviser, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Subadviser agrees to notify Adviser of any changes in the membership of the general partners of Subadviser as soon as practicable prior to such change.
9. Liability of Subadviser. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties (“disabling conduct”) hereunder on the part of Subadviser (and its officers, directors, agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with Subadviser), Subadviser shall not be subject to liability to Adviser or to any other person for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder including, without limitation, any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by any of them in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services.
10. Duration and Termination. This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect with respect to each Portfolio until two (2) years from the date hereof, and from year to year thereafter so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (ii) by the Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio voting separately from any other series of the Trust.
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With respect to each Portfolio, this Agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of a penalty by the Portfolio or the Trust, by vote of a majority of the Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the Act) of the Portfolio, voting separately from any other series of the Trust, or by the Adviser, on not less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Subadviser. With respect to each Portfolio, this Agreement may be terminated by the Subadviser at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on ninety (90) days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The termination of this Agreement with respect to a Portfolio or the addition of a Portfolio to Schedule A hereto (in the manner required by the Act) shall not affect the continued effectiveness of this Agreement with respect to each other Portfolio subject hereto. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined by the Act).
This Agreement will also terminate in the event that the Advisory Agreement by and between the Trust and the Adviser is terminated.
To the extent applicable, upon any termination of this Agreement, Adviser agrees that Subadviser shall have the authority to close any open futures or listed options contracts and/or to execute currency forward and spot contracts in the Portfolio(s) for purposes of off-setting any open forward positions in the Portfolio(s).
11. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
12. Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent in writing, but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the Act.
13. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Act. To the extent the applicable laws of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the Act, the latter shall control.
14. Personal Liability. The Declaration of the Trust establishing the Trust (the “Declaration”), is on file in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and, in accordance with that Declaration, no Trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their private property for satisfaction of any obligation or claim or otherwise in connection with the affairs of the Trust, but the “Trust Property,” as defined in the Declaration, only shall be liable.
15. Separate Series. Pursuant to the provisions of the Declaration, each Portfolio is a separate series of the Trust, and all debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses of a particular Portfolio shall be enforceable only against the assets of that Portfolio and not against the assets of any other Portfolio or of the Trust as a whole.
16. Confidentiality. (a) Each party will receive and hold any records or other information obtained pursuant to this Agreement (“confidential information”) in the strictest confidence, and acknowledges, represents, and warrants that it will use its reasonable best efforts to protect the confidentiality of this information. Each party agrees that, without the prior written consent of the other party, it will not use, copy, or divulge to third parties (other than such party’s respective Representatives (as defined below)) or otherwise use, except in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, any confidential information obtained from or through the other party in
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connection with this Agreement other than as reasonably necessary in the course of a Portfolio’s business, including, but not limited to, as may be requested by broker-dealers or third party firms conducting due diligence on the Portfolio; provided that such recipients must agree to protect the confidentiality of such confidential information and use such information only for the purposes of providing services to the Portfolio; provided, further, however, this covenant shall not apply to information which: (i) has been made publicly available by the other party or is otherwise in the public domain through no fault of the disclosing party; (ii) is within the legitimate possession of the disclosing party prior to its disclosure by such party and without any obligation of confidence; (iii) is lawfully received by the disclosing party from a third party when, to the best of such party’s knowledge and belief, such third party was not restricted from disclosing the information to such party; (iv) is independently developed by the disclosing party through persons who have not had access to, or knowledge of, the confidential information; or (v) is approved in writing for disclosure by the other party prior to its disclosure.
(b) Any confidential information provided by a party shall remain the sole property of such party, and shall be promptly returned to such party (or destroyed) following any request by such party to do so. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party (and others to whom permitted disclosure has been made) (i) may retain a copy of the confidential information as is required for regulatory purposes or to comply with internal policy or laws relating to document retention and (ii) shall not be required to return, delete, or destroy any confidential information as resides on its electronic systems, including email and back-up tapes, it being understood that any such surviving confidential information shall remain subject to the limitations of this Section 16.
(c) To the extent that any confidential information may include materials subject to the attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine or any other applicable privilege concerning pending or threatened legal proceedings or governmental investigations, each party agrees that they have a commonality of interest with respect to such matters and it is their mutual desire, intention and understanding that the sharing of such material is not intended to, and shall not, waive or diminish in any way the confidentiality of such material or its continued protection under the attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine or other applicable privilege. All confidential information furnished by either party to the other or such other party’s Representatives hereunder that is entitled to protection under the attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine or other applicable privilege shall remain entitled to such protection under such privileges, this Agreement, and under the joint defense doctrine.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, each party and its respective Representatives shall be permitted to retain and disclose confidential information to the extent such retention and disclosure is: (i) required by any law or regulation; (ii) required or requested by, or necessary under the rules of, any court, any governmental agency or other regulatory authority (including, without limitation, any stock exchange or self-regulatory organization); or (iii) necessary in connection with any action, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, as part of any interrogatory, court order, subpoena, administrative proceeding, civil investigatory demand, in each case whether oral or written, or any other legal or regulatory process); provided, however, to the extent permitted by law, regulation or regulatory requirement, such party shall promptly notify the other party of the pending disclosure in writing and cooperate in all reasonable respects (and at such other party’s expense) with such other party in seeking to obtain a protective order either precluding such disclosure or requiring that the confidential information so disclosed be maintained as confidential or used only for the purposes related to the action, investigation or proceeding).
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(e) For purposes of this Agreement, “Representatives” with respect to a party means such party’s representatives, directors, officers, investment and advisory committee members, employees, fund participants, rating agencies, professional advisers (including lawyers, accountants and investment bankers), affiliates or agents of such party who have a need to know confidential information. A party shall be responsible for enforcing compliance with this Agreement by its Representatives, if and to the extent such party has disclosed confidential information to any of them. The terms of this Section 16 are in addition to the terms of any other agreements between the parties or their affiliates.
(f) The parties agree that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Subadviser may disclose the total return earned by the Portfolio(s) and may include such total return in the calculation of composite performance information.
17. Notices. All notices required or permitted to be given under this Agreement shall be in writing, shall specifically refer to this Agreement, and shall be addressed to the appropriate party at the address specified below, or such other address as may be specified by such party in writing in accordance with this Section, and shall be deemed to have been properly given when delivered or mailed by electronic mail, by U.S. certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or by reputable courier service.
The Adviser consents to the delivery of a Portfolio’s account statements, reports and other communications related to the services provided under this Agreement (collectively, “Account Communications”) via electronic mail and/or other electronic means acceptable to the Adviser, in lieu of sending such Account Communications as hard copies via facsimile, mail or other means. The Adviser confirms that it has provided the Subadviser with at least one valid electronic mail address where Account Communications can be sent. The Adviser acknowledges that the Subadviser reserves the right to distribute certain Account Communications via facsimile, mail or other means to the extent required by applicable law or otherwise deemed advisable. The Adviser may withdraw consent to electronic delivery at any time by giving the Subadviser notice pursuant this Section.
Subadviser: | AllianceBernstein L.P. | |||||
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||||||
Nashville, TN 37203 | ||||||
Attention: Chief Compliance Officer | ||||||
Email address: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ | ||||||
Adviser: | SunAmerica Asset Management, LLC | |||||
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ | ||||||
Jersey City, NJ 07302 | ||||||
Attention: General Counsel | ||||||
Email address: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ |
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18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ or ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇, or other applicable law) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their respective duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
CTA EXEMPTION: PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH ACCOUNTS OF QUALIFIED ELIGIBLE PERSONS, THIS ACCOUNT DOCUMENT IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE, AND HAS NOT BEEN, FILED WITH THE COMMISSION. THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION DOES NOT PASS UPON THE MERITS OF PARTICIPATING IN A TRADING PROGRAM OR UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF COMMODITY TRADING ADVISOR DISCLOSURE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION HAS NOT REVIEWED OR APPROVED THIS TRADING PROGRAM OR THIS ACCOUNT DOCUMENT.
SUNAMERICA ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC | ||
By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ | |
Name: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
Title: President | ||
ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN, L.P. | ||
By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ | |
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
Title: Assistant Secretary |
[Signature Page to SAST AllianceBernstein Subadvisory Agreement]
SCHEDULE A
Effective January 13, 2025
Portfolio(s) |
Annual Rate (as a percentage of the average daily net assets the | |
SA AB Growth Portfolio | [Omitted] | |
SA AB Small & Mid Cap Value Portfolio | [Omitted] | |
SA VCP Dynamic Allocation Portfolio1 | [Omitted] | |
SA VCP Dynamic Strategy Portfolio1 | [Omitted] |
1 | The average daily net assets for the purpose of calculating the subadvisory fee will be determined on the basis of the combined assets of the SA VCP Dynamic Allocation Portfolio and the SA VCP Dynamic Strategy Portfolio, series of the Trust, and the Dynamic Allocation Fund, a series of VALIC Company I. Assets are combined only while the Subadviser is managing all of the SA VCP Dynamic Allocation Portfolio, the SA VCP Dynamic Strategy Portfolio and the Dynamic Allocation Fund. Otherwise, rates presented above are applied as an annual percentage of the average daily net assets of the applicable Portfolio. |