▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ SERIES TRUST
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Technology Fund
Sub-Investment Management Contract
Dated December 2, 1996
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ADVISERS, INC.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ SERIES TRUST
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Technology Fund
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
AMERICAN FUND ADVISORS, INC.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Sub-Investment Management Contract
Ladies and Gentlemen:
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Series Trust (the "Trust") has been organized as a
business trust under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts to engage in
the business of an investment company. The Trust's shares of beneficial interest
may be classified into series, each series representing the entire undivided
interest in a separate portfolio of assets. Series may be established or
terminated from time to time by action of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. As
of the date hereof, the Trust has two series of shares, representing interests
in ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Emerging Growth Fund and ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Technology Fund.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Trustees") has selected ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Advisers, Inc. (the "Adviser") to provide overall investment advice and
management for the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Technology Fund (the "Fund"), and to
provide certain other services, under the terms and conditions provided in the
Investment Management Contract, dated as of the date hereof, between the Trust,
the Fund and the Adviser (the "Investment Management Contract").
The Adviser and the Trustees have selected American Fund Advisors, Inc.
(the "Sub-Adviser") to provide the Adviser and the Fund with the advice and
services set forth below, and the Sub-Adviser is willing to provide such advice
and services, subject to the review of the Trustees and overall supervision of
the Adviser, under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. The
Sub-Adviser hereby represents and warrants that it is registered as an
investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
Accordingly, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser agree with the
Sub-Adviser as follows:
1. Delivery of Documents. The Trust has furnished the Sub-Adviser with copies,
properly certified or otherwise authenticated, of each of the following:
(a) Declaration of Trust dated September 10, 1996, as amended from time
to time (the "Declaration of Trust");
(b) By-Laws of the Trust as in effect on the date hereof;
(c) Resolutions of the Trustees approving the form of this Agreement by
and among the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund;
(d) Resolutions of the Trustees selecting the Adviser as investment
adviser for the Fund and approving the form of the Investment Management
Contract;
(e) the Investment Management Contract;
(f) commitments, limitations and undertakings made by the Fund to state
securities or "blue sky" authorities for the purpose of qualifying shares of the
Fund for sale in such states;
(g) the Fund's portfolio compliance checklists; and
(h) the Fund's current Registration Statement, including the Fund's
Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
The Trust will furnish to the Sub-Adviser from time to time copies,
properly certified or otherwise authenticated, of all amendments of or
supplements to the foregoing, if any.
The Sub-Adviser has furnished the Adviser with a copy of the
Sub-Adviser's Code of Ethics, and will furnish the Adviser from time to time
with copies of any amendments to the code. The restrictions of the Sub-Adviser
may differ from those of the Trust where appropriate as long as they maintain
the same intent consistent with the sub-adviser's own procedures for
recommending and purchasing securities.
2. Investment Services. The Sub-Adviser will use its best efforts to provide to
the Fund continuing and suitable investment advice with respect to investments,
consistent with the investment policies, objectives and restrictions of the Fund
as set forth in the Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
In the performance of the Sub-Adviser's duties hereunder, subject always (x) to
the provisions contained in the documents delivered to the Sub-Adviser pursuant
to Section 1, as each of the same may from time to time be amended or
supplemented, and (y) to the limitations set forth in the Registration Statement
of the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, as in effect from time to time under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the "1940 Act"), the Sub-Adviser will, have investment discretion with
respect to the Fund and will, at its own expense:
(a) furnish the Adviser and the Fund with advice and recommendations,
consistent with the investment policies, objectives and restrictions of the Fund
as set forth in the Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information,
with respect to the purchase, holding and disposition of portfolio securities
including, the purchase and sale of options;
(b) furnish the Adviser and the Fund with advice as to the manner in
which voting rights, subscription rights, rights to consent to corporate action
and any other rights pertaining to the Fund's assets shall be exercised, the
Fund having the responsibility to exercise such voting and other rights;
(c) furnish the Adviser and the Fund with research, economic and
statistical data in connection with the Fund's investments and investment
policies;
(d) submit such reports relating to the valuation of the Fund's
securities as the Trustees may reasonably request;
(e) subject to prior consultation with the Adviser, engage in
negotiations relating to the Fund's investments with issuers, investment banking
firms, securities brokers or dealers and other institutions or investors;
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(f) consistent with provisions of Section 7 of this Agreement, place
orders for the purchase, sale or exchange of portfolio securities with brokers
or dealers selected by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, provided that in
connection with the placing of such orders and the selection of such brokers or
dealers the Sub-Adviser shall seek to obtain execution and pricing within the
policy guidelines determined by the Trustees and set forth in the Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information of the Fund as in effect and furnished to
the Sub-Adviser from time to time;
(g) from time to time or at any time requested by the Adviser or the
Trustees, make reports to the Adviser or the Trust of the Sub-Adviser's
performance of the foregoing services;
(h) subject to the supervision of the Adviser, maintain all books and
records with respect to the Fund's securities transactions required by the 1940
Act, and preserve such records for the periods prescribed therefor by the 1940
Act (the Sub-Adviser agrees that such records are the property of the Trust and
copies will be surrendered to the Trust promptly upon request therefor);
(i) give instructions to the Fund's custodian as to deliveries of
securities to and from such custodian and transfer of payment of cash for the
account of the Fund, and advise the Adviser on the same day such instructions
are given; and
(j) cooperate generally with the Fund and the Adviser to provide
information necessary for the preparation of registration statements and
periodic reports to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including Form N-1A, periodic statements, shareholder communications and proxy
materials furnished to holders of shares of the Fund, filings with state "blue
sky" authorities and with United States agencies responsible for tax matters,
and other reports and filings of like nature.
3. Expenses Paid by the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser will pay the cost of
maintaining the staff and personnel necessary for it to perform its obligations
under this Agreement, the expenses of office rent, telephone, telecommunications
and other facilities it is obligated to provide in order to perform the services
specified in Section 2, and any other expenses incurred by it in connection with
the performance of its duties hereunder.
4. Expenses of the Fund Not Paid by the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser will not be
required to pay any expenses which this Agreement does not expressly make
payable by the Sub-Adviser. In particular, and without limiting the generality
of the foregoing but subject to the provisions of Section 3, the Sub-Adviser
will not be required to pay under this Agreement:
(a) the compensation and expenses of Trustees and of independent
advisers, independent contractors, consultants, managers and other agents
employed by the Trust or the Fund other than through the Sub-Adviser;
(b) legal, accounting and auditing fees and expenses of the Trust or
the Fund;
(c) the fees and disbursements of custodians and depositories of the
Trust or the Fund's assets, transfer agents, disbursing agents, plan agents and
registrars;
(d) taxes and governmental fees assessed against the Trust or the
Fund's assets and payable by the Trust or the Fund;
(e) the cost of preparing and mailing dividends, distributions,
reports, notices and proxy materials to shareholders of the Trust or the Fund
except that the Sub-Adviser shall bear the costs of providing the information
referred to in Section 2(j) to the Adviser;
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(f) brokers' commissions and underwriting fees; and
(g) the expense of periodic calculations of the net asset value of the
shares of the Fund.
5. Compensation of the Sub-Adviser. For all services to be rendered, facilities
furnished and expenses paid or assumed by the Sub-Adviser as herein provided for
the Fund, the Adviser will pay the Sub-Adviser monthly, in arrears, a fee at the
annual rate of (i) 0.40%, 0.35% as reduced by the Sub-Adviser, of the first
$100,000,000 of the average daily net asset value of the Fund and (ii) 40% of
the investment advisory fee received by the Adviser in excess of $100,000,000.
The fee payable to the Adviser is caluclated on the basis of the
"average daily net assets" of the Fund and shall be determined on the basis set
forth in the Fund's Prospectus or otherwise consistent with the 1940 Act and the
regulations promulgated thereunder. The Sub-Adviser will receive a pro rata
portion of such fee for any periods in which the Sub-Adviser advises the Fund
less than a full month. Fund shall not be liable to the Sub-Adviser for the
Sub-Adviser's compensation hereunder. Calculations of the Sub-Adviser's fee will
be based on average net asset values as provided by the Adviser.
In addition to the foregoing, the Sub-Adviser may from time to time
agree not to impose all or a portion of its fee otherwise payable hereunder (in
advance of the time such fee or portion thereof would otherwise accrue) and/or
undertake to pay or reimburse the Fund for all or a portion of its expenses not
otherwise required to be borne or reimbursed by it. Any such fee reduction or
undertaking may be discontinued or modified by the Sub-Adviser at any time.
6. Other Activities of the Sub-Adviser and Its Affiliates. Nothing herein
contained shall prevent the Sub-Adviser or any associate of the Sub-Adviser from
engaging in any other business or from acting as investment adviser or
investment manager for any other person or entity, whether or not having
investment policies or portfolios similar to the Fund's; and it is specifically
understood that officers, directors and employees of the Sub-Adviser or other
affiliates may continue to engage in providing portfolio management services and
advice to other investment companies, whether or not registered, to other
investment advisory clients of the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates and to said
affiliates themselves.
7. Avoidance of Inconsistent Position. In connection with purchases or sales of
portfolio securities for the account of the Fund, neither the Sub-Adviser nor
any of its investment management subsidiaries nor any of such investment
management subsidiaries' directors, officers or employees will act as principal
or agent or receive any commission, except as may be permitted by the 1940 Act
and rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The Sub-Adviser shall not
knowingly recommend that the Fund purchase, sell or retain securities of any
issuer in which the Sub-Adviser has a financial interest without obtaining prior
approval of the Adviser prior to the execution of any such transaction.
Nothing herein contained shall limit or restrict the Sub-Adviser or any
of its officers, affiliates or employees from buying, selling or trading in any
securities for its or their own account or accounts. The Trust and Fund
acknowledge the Sub-Adviser and its officers, affiliates, and employees, and its
other clients may at any time have, acquire, increase, decrease or dispose of
positions in investments which are at the same time being acquired or disposed
of hereunder. The Sub-Adviser shall have no obligation to acquire with respect
to the Fund, a position in any investment which the Sub-Adviser, its officers,
affiliates or employees may acquire for its or their own accounts or for the
account of another client, if in the sole discretion of the Sub-Adviser, it is
not feasible or desirable to acquire a position in such investment on behalf of
the Fund. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the Sub-Adviser from purchasing
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or recommending the purchase of a particular security for one or more funds or
clients while other funds or clients may be selling the same security.
8. No Partnership or Joint Venture. The Trust, the Fund, the Adviser and the
Sub-Adviser are not partners of or joint venturers with each other and nothing
herein shall be construed so as to make them such partners or joint venturers or
impose any liability as such on any of them.
9. Limitation of Liability of Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser shall not be liable
for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the
Trust or the Fund or the Adviser in connection with the matters to which this
Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith
or gross negligence on the Sub-Adviser's part in the performance of its duties
or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this
Agreement. Any person, even though also employed by the Sub-Adviser, who may be
or become an employee of and paid by the Trust or the Fund shall be deemed, when
acting within the scope of his employment by the Trust or the Fund, to be acting
in such employment solely for the Trust or the Fund and not as the Sub-Adviser's
employee or agent.
10. Duration and Termination of this Agreement. This Agreement shall remain in
force until the second anniversary of the date upon which this Agreement was
executed by the parties hereto, and from year to year thereafter, but only so
long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (a) a
majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Adviser, the
Sub-Adviser, or (other than as Board members) of the Trust or the Fund, cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (b)
either (i) the Trustees or (ii) a majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the Fund. This Agreement may, on 60 days' written notice, be terminated at
any time without the payment of any penalty by the Trust or the Fund by vote of
a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, by the Trustees,
the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser. Termination of this Agreement with respect to
the Fund shall not be deemed to terminate or otherwise invalidate any provisions
of any contract between the Sub-Adviser and any other series of the Trust. This
Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment or upon
termination of the Investment Management Contract. In interpreting the
provisions of this Section 11, the definitions contained in Section 2(a) of the
1940 Act (particularly the definitions of "assignment," "interested person" or
"voting security"), shall be applied.
11. Amendment of this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement may be changed,
waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing
signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge
or termination is sought, and no amendment, transfer, assignment, sale,
hypothecation or pledge of this Agreement shall be effective until approved by
(a) the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested
persons of the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or (other than as Board members) of the
Trust or the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting
on such approval, and (b) a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act.
12. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance
with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
13. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are independent of and
separable from each other, and no provision shall be affected or rendered
invalid or unenforceable by virtue of the fact that for any reason any other or
others of them may be deemed invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part.
14. Miscellaneous. (a) The captions in this Agreement are included for
convenience of reference only and in no way define or limit any of the
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provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. This
Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute
one and the same instrument. The name ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Series Trust is the
designation of the Trustees under the Declaration of Trust dated September 10,
1996, as amended from time to time. The Declaration of Trust has been filed with
the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The obligations of the Trust
and the Fund are not personally binding upon, nor shall resort be had to the
private property of, any of the Trustees, shareholders, officers, employees or
agents of the Fund, but only the Fund's property shall be bound. The Trust or
the Fund shall not be liable for the obligations of any other series of the
Trust. (b) Any information supplied by the Sub-Adviser, which is not otherwise
in the public domain, in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder
is to be regarded as confidential and for use only by the Fund and/or its
agents, and only in connection with the Fund and its investments.
Yours very truly,
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ADVISERS, INC.
By: /s/▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Vice Chairman & Chief Investment Officer
The foregoing contract
is hereby agreed to as
of the date hereof.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ SERIES TRUST
on behalf of ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Technology Fund
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
President
AMERICAN FUND ADVISORS, INC.
By: /s/▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: President
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