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EXHIBIT e(1)
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
AIM SERIES TRUST
(CLASS A SHARES AND CLASS C SHARES)
AND
A I M DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
THIS AGREEMENT made this 1st day of July, 2000, by and between AIM
Series Trust, a Delaware business trust (the "Company"), with respect to the
series of beneficial interest set forth on Appendix A to this Agreement, and any
applicable classes thereof, (the "Portfolios"), and A I M Distributors, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the "Distributor").
WITNESSETH:
In consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained and other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, the
parties hereto agree as follows:
FIRST: The Company on behalf of the Portfolios hereby appoints the
Distributor as its exclusive agent for the sale of shares of the Portfolios to
the public directly and through investment dealers and financial institutions in
the United States and throughout the world.
SECOND: The Company shall not sell any shares of the Portfolios except
through the Distributor and under the terms and conditions set forth in
paragraph FOURTH below. Notwithstanding the provisions of the foregoing
sentence, however:
(A) the Company may issue shares of the Portfolios to any other
investment company or personal holding company, or to the shareholders thereof,
in exchange for all or a majority of the shares or assets of any such company;
and
(B) the Company may issue shares of the Portfolios at their net asset
value in connection with certain classes of transactions or to certain classes
of persons, in accordance with Rule 22d-1 under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), provided that any such class is specified in
the then current prospectus of the applicable Portfolio.
THIRD: The Distributor hereby accepts appointment as exclusive agent
for the sale of the shares of the Portfolios and agrees that it will use its
best efforts to sell such shares; provided, however, that:
(A) the Distributor may, and when requested by the Company on behalf of
a Portfolio shall, suspend its efforts to effectuate such sales at any time
when, in the opinion of the Distributor or of the Company, no sales should be
made because of market or other economic considerations or abnormal
circumstances of any kind; and
(B) the Company may withdraw the offering of the shares of a Portfolio
(i) at any time with the consent of the Distributor, or (ii) without such
consent when so required by the provisions of any statute or of any order, rule
or regulation of any governmental body having jurisdiction. It is mutually
understood and agreed that the Distributor does not undertake to sell
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any specific amount of the shares of the Portfolios. The Company shall have the
right to specify minimum amounts for initial and subsequent orders for the
purchase of shares of any Portfolio.
FOURTH:
(A) The public offering price of Class A shares of a Portfolio (the
"offering price") shall be the net asset value per share of the applicable
Portfolio plus a sales charge, if any. Net asset value per share shall be
determined in accordance with the provisions of the then current prospectus and
statement of additional information of the applicable Portfolio. The sales
charge shall be established by the Distributor, may reflect scheduled variations
in, or the elimination of, sales charges on sales of a Portfolio's Class A
shares either generally to the public, or to any specified class of investors or
in connection with any specified class of transactions, in accordance with Rule
22d-1 and as set forth in the then current prospectus and statement of
additional information of the applicable Portfolio. The Distributor shall apply
any scheduled variation in, or elimination of, the selling commission uniformly
to all offerees in the class specified. The Distributor shall be entitled to
receive the amount of any applicable contingent deferred sales charge that has
been subtracted from gross redemption proceeds (the "CDSC") provided that the
Shares being redeemed were (i) issued by a Portfolio during the term of this
Agreement and any predecessor Agreement between the Company and the Distributor
or Distributor's predecessor, GT Global Inc. ("GT Global"), or (ii) issued by a
Portfolio during or after the term of this Agreement or any predecessor
Agreement between the Company and the Distributor or GT Global in one or a
series of free exchanges of Shares for shares of the same class of another
portfolio, which can be traced to Shares or shares of the same class of another
portfolio initially issued by a Portfolio or such other portfolio during the
term of this Agreement, any predecessor Agreement or any other distribution
agreement with the Distributor or GT Global with respect to such other portfolio
(the "Distributor's Earned CDSC"). The Company shall pay or cause the Company's
transfer agent to pay the Distributor's Earned CDSC to the Distributor on the
date net redemption proceeds are payable to the redeeming shareholder.
The public offering price of the Class C shares of a Portfolio shall be
the net asset value per share of the applicable Class C shares. Net asset value
per share shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the then
current prospectus and statement of additional information of the applicable
Portfolio. The Distributor may establish a schedule of contingent deferred sales
charges to be imposed at the time of redemption of the shares, and such schedule
shall be disclosed in the current prospectus of each Portfolio. Such schedule of
contingent deferred sales charges may reflect variations in or waivers of such
charges on redemptions of Class C shares, either generally to the public or to
any specified class of shareholders and/or in connection with any specified
class of transactions, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and
exemptive relief granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and as set
forth in the current prospectus of the applicable Portfolio. The Distributor and
the Company shall apply any then applicable scheduled variation in or waiver of
contingent deferred sales charges uniformly to all shareholders and/or all
transactions belonging to a specified class. The Company shall pay or cause the
Company's transfer agent to pay the Distributor's Earned CDSC to the Distributor
on the date net redemption proceeds are payable to the redeeming shareholder.
(B) The Company shall allow directly to investment dealers and other
financial institutions through whom Class A shares of the Portfolios are sold
such portion of the sales charge as may be payable to them and specified by the
Distributor, up to but not exceeding the amount of the total sales charge. The
difference between any commissions so payable and the total sales charges
included in the offering price shall be paid to the Distributor.
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The Distributor may pay to investment dealers and other financial
institutions through whom Class C shares are sold, such sales commission as the
Distributor may specify from time to time. Payment of any such sales commissions
shall be the sole obligation of the Distributor.
(C) No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to prohibit any
payments by a Portfolio to the Distributor or by a Portfolio or the
Distributor to investment dealers, financial institutions and 401(k) plan
service providers where such payments are made under a distribution plan
adopted by the Company on behalf of a Portfolio pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act.
FIFTH: The Distributor shall act as agent of the Company on behalf of
the Portfolios in connection with the sale and repurchase of shares of the
Portfolios. Except with respect to such sales and repurchases, the Distributor
shall act as principal in all matters relating to the promotion of the sale of
shares of the Portfolios and shall enter into all of its own engagements,
agreements and contracts as principal on its own account. The Distributor shall
enter into agreements with investment dealers and financial institutions
selected by the Distributor, authorizing such investment dealers and financial
institutions to offer and sell shares of the Portfolios to the public upon the
terms and conditions set forth therein, which shall not be inconsistent with the
provisions of this Agreement. Each agreement shall provide that the investment
dealer and financial institution shall act as a principal, and not as an agent,
of the Company on behalf of the Portfolios.
SIXTH: The Portfolios shall bear:
(A) The expenses of qualification of shares of the Portfolios for sale
in connection with such public offerings in such states as shall be selected by
the Distributor, and of continuing the qualification therein until the
Distributor notifies the Company that it does not wish such qualification
continued; and
(B) All legal expenses in connection with the foregoing.
SEVENTH:
(A) The Distributor shall bear the expenses of printing from the final
proof and distributing the Portfolios' prospectuses and statements of additional
information (including supplements thereto) relating to public offerings made by
the Distributor pursuant to this Agreement (which shall not include those
prospectuses and statements of additional information, and supplements thereto,
to be distributed to shareholders of the Portfolios), and any other promotional
or sales literature used by the Distributor or furnished by the Distributor to
dealers in connection with such public offerings, and expenses of advertising in
connection with such public offerings.
(B) The Distributor shall be reimbursed for all or a portion of such
expenses, and shall receive reasonable compensation for distribution related
services, to the extent permitted by a distribution plan adopted by the Company
on behalf of a Portfolio pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which plan
may be amended from time to time as provided therein without the consent of the
Distributor.
EIGHTH: The Distributor will accept orders for the purchase of shares
of the Portfolios only to the extent of purchase orders actually received and
not in excess of such orders, and it
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will not avail itself of any opportunity of making a profit by expediting or
withholding orders. It is mutually understood and agreed that the Company may
reject purchase orders where, in the judgment of the Company, such rejection is
in the best interest of the Company.
NINTH: The Company, on behalf of the Portfolios, and the Distributor
shall each comply with all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the Securities
Act of 1933 and all other federal and state laws, rules and regulations
governing the issuance and sale of shares of the Portfolios.
TENTH:
(A) In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence
or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the
Distributor, the Company on behalf of the Portfolios agrees to indemnify the
Distributor against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses which
the Distributor may incur under the Securities Act of 1933, or common law or
otherwise, arising out of or based upon any alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any registration statement or prospectus of a
Portfolio, or any omission to state a material fact therein, the omission of
which makes any statement contained therein misleading, unless such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information
furnished to the Company or a Portfolio in connection therewith by or on behalf
of the Distributor. The Distributor agrees to indemnify the Company and the
Portfolios against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses which
the Company or a Portfolio may incur arising out of or based upon any act or
deed of the Distributor or its sales representatives which has not been
authorized by the Company or a Portfolio in its prospectus or in this Agreement.
(B) The Distributor agrees to indemnify the Company and the Portfolios
against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses which the Company
or the Portfolios may incur under the Securities Act of 1933, or common law or
otherwise, arising out of or based upon any alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any registration statement or prospectus of a
Portfolio, or any omission to state a material fact therein if such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information
furnished to the Company or a Portfolio in connection therewith by or on behalf
of the Distributor.
(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the
Distributor shall not be liable for any errors of the Portfolios' transfer
agent(s), or for any failure of any such transfer agent to perform its duties.
ELEVENTH: Nothing herein contained shall require the Company to take
any action contrary to any provision of its Agreement and Declaration of Trust,
or to any applicable statute or regulation.
TWELFTH: This Agreement shall become effective with respect to each
Portfolio as of the date hereof, shall continue in force and effect until June
30, 2001, and shall continue in force and effect from year to year thereafter,
provided, that such continuance is specifically approved with respect to such
Portfolio at least annually (a)(i) by the Board of Trustees of the Company or
(ii) by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined
in Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act), and (b) by vote of a majority of the
Company's trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or "interested persons"
(as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act ) of any party to this Agreement
cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose.
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THIRTEENTH:
(A) This Agreement may be terminated with respect to any Portfolio at
any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees
of the Company or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of
the applicable Portfolio, or by the Distributor, on sixty (60) days' written
notice to the other party.
(B) This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment, the term "assignment" having the meaning set forth in Section
2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act.
FOURTEENTH: Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing,
addressed and delivered, or mailed postage prepaid, to the other party at such
address as the other party may designate for the receipt of notices. Until
further notice to the other party, it is agreed that the addresses of both the
Company and the Distributor shall be ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
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FIFTEENTH: 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 Company individually, but are binding only upon the
assets and property of the Company and that the shareholders shall be entitled,
to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to the same limitation on
personal liability as stockholders of private corporations for profit.
SIXTEENTH: This Agreement shall be deemed to be a contract made in the
State of Delaware and governed by, construed in accordance with and enforced
pursuant to the internal laws of the State of Delaware without reference to its
conflicts of laws rules.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be
executed in duplicate on the day and year first above written.
AIM SERIES TRUST
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: President
Attest:
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
Title: Assistant Secretary
A I M DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
Title: President
Attest:
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
Title: Assistant Secretary
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APPENDIX A
TO
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
OF
AIM SERIES TRUST
CLASS A SHARES
AIM Global Trends Fund
CLASS C SHARES
AIM Global Trends Fund
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