PROSPECTUS | June 21, 2016 |
PRUDENTIAL FLOATING RATE INCOME FUND | |||||
A: FRFAX | C: FRFCX | Q: PFRIX | Z: FRFZX |
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | ||||
Class A | Class C | Class Q | Class Z | |
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | 3.25% | None | None | None |
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of the lower of original purchase price or net asset value at redemption) | 1.00% | 1.00% | None | None |
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends and other distributions | None | None | None | None |
Redemption fee | None | None | None | None |
Exchange fee | None | None | None | None |
Maximum account fee (accounts under $10,000) | $15 | $15 | None | None |
If Shares Are Redeemed | If Shares Are Not Redeemed | |||||||
Share Class | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
Class A | $429 | $708 | $1,008 | $1.861 | $429 | $708 | $1,008 | $1,861 |
Class C | $283 | $627 | $1,097 | $2,398 | $183 | $627 | $1,097 | $2,398 |
Class Q | $82 | $296 | $529 | $1,196 | $82 | $296 | $529 | $1,196 |
Class Z | $82 | $318 | $573 | $1,303 | $82 | $318 | $573 | $1,303 |
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Best Quarter: | Worst Quarter: | ||
3.62% | 1 st Quarter 2012 | -1.76% | 4 th Quarter 2015 |
Average Annual Total Returns % (including sales charges) (as of 12-31-15) | ||||
Return Before Taxes | One Year | Five Years | Ten Years | Since Inception |
Class C shares | -1.43% | N/A | N/A | 2.31% (3-30-11) |
Class Q shares | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Class Z shares | 0.75% | N/A | N/A | 3.38% (3-30-11) |
Class A Shares % (including sales charges) | ||||
Return Before Taxes | -2.88% | N/A | N/A | 2.37% (3-30-11) |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | -4.38% | N/A | N/A | 0.72% (3-30-11) |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -1.62% | N/A | N/A | 1.13% (3-30-11) |
Index % (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | ||||
Credit Suisse Leveraged Loan Index | -0.38% | N/A | N/A | 3.39% (3-30-11) |
Lipper Average % (reflects no deduction for sales charges or taxes) | ||||
Lipper Loan Participation Funds Average | -1.24% | N/A | N/A | 2.54% (3-30-11) |
Investment Manager | Subadviser | Portfolio Managers | Title | Service Date |
Prudential Investments LLC | Prudential Fixed Income | Robert Cignarella, CFA | Managing Director | March 2014 |
Joe Lemanowicz | Managing Director | March 2011 | ||
Brian Juliano | Principal | March 2011 |
Minimum Initial Investment | Minimum Subsequent Investment | |
Fund shares (most cases) | $2,500 | $100 |
Retirement accounts and custodial accounts for minors | $1,000 | $100 |
Automatic Investment Plan (AIP) | $50 | $50 |
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Prinicipal & Non-Principal Strategies: Investment Limits |
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Floating rate loans: at least 80% of investable assets under normal market conditions
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Prudential Fixed Income US Senior Secured Loans (Unconstrained) Composite | Prudential Fixed Income Bank Loan Fund | Credit Suisse Leveraged Loan Index | Morningstar Bank Loan Fund Category Average | |||
Annualized Returns as of 12/31/2015 | Gross | Net | Gross | Net | ||
1 Year | 1.29% | 0.73% | 0.98% | 0.42% | -0.38% | -1.25% |
3 Year | 3.08% | 2.52% | 2.85% | 2.28% | 2.57% | 1.60% |
5 Year | 4.48% | 3.91% | 4.25% | 3.68% | 3.76% | 3.15% |
Since Inception (5/1/2007) | 4.46% | 3.89% | 4.82% | 4.24% | 3.57% | 2.53% |
Prudential Fixed Income US Senior Secured Loans (Unconstrained) Composite | Prudential Fixed Income Bank Loan Fund | Credit Suisse Leveraged Loan Index | Morningstar Bank Loan Fund Category Average | |||
Calendar Year Returns | Gross | Net | Gross | Net | ||
2015 | 1.29% | 0.73% | 0.98% | 0.42% | -0.38% | -1.25% |
2014 | 2.01% | 1.45% | 1.81% | 1.25% | 2.06% | 0.60% |
2013 | 6.00% | 5.42% | 5.82% | 5.24% | 6.15% | 5.48% |
2012 | 9.58% | 8.98% | 9.25% | 8.65% | 9.43% | 9.12% |
2011 | 3.73% | 3.16% | 3.59% | 3.02% | 1.82% | 1.74% |
2010 | 9.76% | 9.15% | 9.76% | 9.15% | 9.98% | 9.44% |
2009 | 38.72% | 37.96% | 38.78% | 38.02% | 44.87% | 41.81% |
2008 | -22.99% | -23.42% | -19.92% | -20.36% | -28.75% | -29.72% |
2007 (5/1/2007 - 12/31/2007) | 0.00% | -0.37% | 0.14% | -0.22% | -0.74% | -1.50% |
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Expected Distribution Schedule* | |
Dividends | Monthly |
Short-Term Capital Gains | Annually |
Long-Term Capital Gains | Annually |
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Share Class | Eligibility |
Class A | Individual investors |
Class C | Individual investors |
Class Q | Certain group retirement plans, institutional investors and certain other investors |
Class Z | Certain group retirement plans, institutional investors and certain other investors |
■ | Class A shares purchased in amounts of less than $1 million require you to pay a sales charge at the time of purchase, but the operating expenses of Class A shares are lower than the operating expenses of Class C shares. Investors who purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares and sell these shares within 12 months of purchase are also subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 1%. |
■ | Class C shares do not require you to pay a sales charge at the time of purchase, but do require you to pay a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) if you sell your shares within 12 months of purchase. The operating expenses of Class C shares are higher than the operating expenses of Class A shares. |
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■ | The amount of your investment and any previous or planned future investments, which may qualify you for reduced sales charges for Class A shares under Rights of Accumulation or a Letter of Intent. |
■ | The length of time you expect to hold the shares and the impact of varying distribution fees. Over time, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. For this reason, Class C shares are generally appropriate only for investors who plan to hold their shares for no more than 3 years. |
■ | The different sales charges that apply to each share class — Class A's front-end sales charge (and in certain instances, CDSC) vs. Class C's lower CDSC. |
■ | Class C shares purchased in single amounts greater than $1 million are generally less advantageous than purchasing Class A shares. Purchase orders for Class C shares above this amount generally will not be accepted. |
■ | Because Class Z shares have lower operating expenses than Class A or Class C shares, you should consider whether you are eligible to purchase Class Z shares. |
Class A | Class C | Class Q | Class Z | |
Minimum purchase amount | $2,500 | $2,500 | None | None |
Minimum amount for subsequent purchases | $100 | $100 | None | None |
Maximum initial sales charge |
3.25% of the public
offering price |
None | None | None |
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) (as a percentage of the lower of the original purchase price or the net asset value at redemption) | 1% on sales of $1 million or more made within 12 months of purchase | 1% on sales made within 12 months of purchase | None | None |
Annual distribution and service (12b-1) fees (shown as a percentage of average daily net assets) | .25% | 1% | None | None |
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Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge as a % of
Offering Price * |
Sales Charge as a % of
Amount Invested * |
Dealer Reallowance |
Less than $100,000 | 3.25% | 3.36% | 3.00% |
$100,000 to $249,999 | 2.75% | 2.83% | 2.50% |
$250,000 to $499,999 | 2.25% | 2.30% | 2.00% |
$500,000 to $999,999 | 1.75% | 1.78% | 1.55% |
$1 million to $4,999,999** | None | None | 1.00%** |
$5 million to $9,999,999** | None | None | 0.50%** |
$10 million and over** | None | None | 0.25%** |
■ | Use your Rights of Accumulation , which allow you or an eligible group of related investors to combine (1) the current value of Class A, Class B and Class C Prudential Investments mutual fund shares you or the group already own, (2) the value of money market shares (other than Direct Purchase money market shares) you or an eligible group of related investors have received for shares of other Prudential Investments mutual funds in an exchange transaction, and (3) the value of the shares you or an eligible group of related investors are purchasing; or |
■ | Sign a Letter of Intent , stating in writing that you or an eligible group of related investors will purchase a certain amount of shares in the Fund and other Prudential Investments mutual funds within 13 months. |
■ | Purchases made prior to the effective date of the Letter of Intent will be applied toward the satisfaction of the Letter of Intent to determine the level of sales charge that will be paid pursuant to the Letter of Intent, but will not result in any reduction in the amount of any previously paid sales charge. |
■ | All accounts held in your name (alone or with other account holders) and taxpayer identification number (TIN); |
■ | Accounts held in your spouse's name (alone or with other account holders) and TIN (see definition of spouse below); |
■ | Accounts for your children or your spouse's children, including children for whom you and/or your spouse are legal guardian(s) (e.g., UGMAs and UTMAs); |
■ | Accounts in the name and TINs of your parents; |
■ | Trusts with you, your spouse, your children, your spouse's children and/or your parents as the beneficiaries; |
■ | With limited exclusions, accounts with the same address (exclusions include, but are not limited to, addresses for brokerage firms and other intermediaries and Post Office boxes); and |
■ | Accounts held in the name of a company controlled by you (a person, entity or group that holds 25% or more of the outstanding voting securities of a company will be deemed to control the company, and a partnership will be deemed to be controlled by each of its general partners), including employee benefit plans of the company where the accounts are held in the plan's TIN. |
■ | The person to whom you are legally married. We also consider your spouse to include the following: |
■ | An individual of the same gender with whom you have been joined in a civil union, or legal contract similar to marriage; |
■ | A domestic partner, who is an individual (including one of the same gender) with whom you have shared a primary residence for at least six months, in a relationship as a couple where you, your domestic partner or both provide for the personal or financial welfare of the other without a fee, to whom you are not related by blood; or |
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■ | An individual with whom you have a common law marriage, which is a marriage in a state where such marriages are recognized between a man and a woman arising from the fact that the two live together and hold themselves out as being married. |
■ | Mutual fund “wrap” or asset allocation programs, where the sponsor places fund trades, links its clients' accounts to a master account in the sponsor's name and charges its clients a management, consulting or other fee for its services; or |
■ | Mutual fund “supermarket” programs, where the sponsor links its clients' accounts to a master account in the sponsor's name and the sponsor charges a fee for its services. |
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■ | certain directors, officers, current employees (including their spouses, children and parents) and former employees (including their spouses, children and parents) of Prudential and its affiliates, the Prudential Investments mutual funds, and the investment subadvisers of the Prudential Investments mutual funds; former employees must have an existing investment in the Fund; |
■ | persons who have retired directly from active service with Prudential or one of its subsidiaries; |
■ | registered representatives and employees of broker-dealers (including their spouses, children and parents) that have entered into dealer agreements with the Distributor; |
■ | investors in IRAs, provided that: (a) the purchase is made either from a directed rollover to such IRA or with the proceeds of a tax-free rollover of assets from a Benefit Plan for which Prudential Retirement (the institutional Benefit Plan recordkeeping entity of Prudential) provides administrative or recordkeeping services, in each case provided that such purchase is made within 60 days of receipt of the Benefit Plan distribution, and (b) the IRA is established through Prudential Retirement as part of its “Rollover IRA” program (regardless of whether or not the purchase consists of proceeds of a tax-free rollover of assets from a Benefit Plan described above); and |
■ | Clients of financial intermediaries, who (i) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform, (ii) charge clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (iii) offer self-directed brokerage accounts that may or may not charge transaction fees to customers. |
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■ | Mutual fund “wrap” or asset allocation programs where the sponsor places fund trades, links its clients' accounts to a master account in the sponsor's name and charges its clients a management, consulting or other fee for its services; or |
■ | Mutual fund “supermarket” programs where the sponsor links its clients' accounts to a master account in the sponsor's name and the sponsor charges a fee for its services. |
■ | Certain participants in the MEDLEY Program (group variable annuity contracts) sponsored by Prudential for whom Class Z shares of the Prudential mutual funds are an available option; |
■ | Current and former Directors/Trustees of mutual funds managed by PI or any other affiliate of Prudential; |
■ | Current and former employees (including their spouses, children and parents) of Prudential and its affiliates; former employees must have an existing investment in the Fund; |
■ | Prudential; |
■ | Prudential funds, including Prudential funds-of-funds; |
■ | Qualified state tuition programs (529 plans); and |
■ | Investors working with fee-based consultants for investment selection and allocations. |
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■ | You are selling more than $100,000 of shares; |
■ | You want the redemption proceeds made payable to someone that is not in our records; |
■ | You want the redemption proceeds sent to some place that is not in our records; |
■ | You are a business or a trust; or |
■ | You are redeeming due to the death of the shareholder or on behalf of the shareholder. |
■ | Amounts representing shares you purchased with reinvested dividends and distributions, |
■ | Amounts representing the increase in NAV above the total amount of payments for shares made during the past 12 months for Class A shares (in certain cases) and 12 months for Class C shares, and |
■ | Amounts representing the cost of shares held beyond the CDSC period (12 months for Class A shares (in certain cases) and 12 months for Class C shares). |
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■ | After a shareholder is deceased or permanently disabled (or, in the case of a trust account, after the death or permanent disability of the grantor). This waiver applies to individual shareholders, as well as shares held in joint tenancy, provided the shares were purchased before the death or permanent disability; |
■ | To provide for certain distributions—made without IRS penalty—from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, benefit plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account; and |
■ | To withdraw excess contributions from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account. |
■ | After a shareholder is deceased or permanently disabled (or, in the case of a trust account, after the death or permanent disability of the grantor). This waiver applies to individual shareholders, as well as shares held in joint tenancy, provided the shares were purchased before the death or permanent disability; |
■ | To provide for certain distributions—made without IRS penalty—from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, benefit plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account; and |
■ | To withdraw excess contributions from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account. |
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Class C Shares | |||||
Year Ended February 28/29, |
March 30,
2011(a) through February 29, 2012 |
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2016(e) | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | ||
Per Share Operating Performance: | |||||
Net Asset Value, Beginning Of Period | $9.95 | $10.19 | $10.13 | $9.90 | $10.00 |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | |||||
Net investment income | .28 | .32 | .29 | .36 | .28 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions | (.58) | (.22) | .08 | .26 | (.08) |
Total from investment operations | (.30) | .10 | .37 | .62 | .20 |
Less Dividends and Distributions: | |||||
Dividends from net investment income | (.27) | (.31) | (.28) | (.35) | (.30) |
Distributions from net realized gains | – | (.03) | (.03) | (.04) | –(b) |
Total dividends and distributions | (.27) | (.34) | (.31) | (.39) | (.30) |
Net asset value, end of period | $9.38 | $9.95 | $10.19 | $10.13 | $9.90 |
Total Return(c): | (3.07)% | 1.04% | 3.74% | 6.29% | 2.10% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $35,027 | $28,408 | $32,149 | $7,403 | $1,742 |
Average net assets (000) | $33,571 | $31,363 | $21,337 | $2,997 | $1,235 |
Ratios to average net assets(d): | |||||
Expenses after waivers and/or expense reimbursement | 1.80% | 1.85% | 1.95% | 1.95% | 1.95%(f) |
Expenses before waivers and/or expense reimbursement | 2.11% | 2.30% | 2.35% | 2.62% | 3.15%(f) |
Net investment income | 2.88% | 3.15% | 2.91% | 3.57% | 3.43%(f) |
Portfolio turnover rate | 55% | 64% | 82% | 106% | 163%(g) |
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Class Q Shares | |
April 27,
2015(a) through February 29, 2016(d) |
|
Per Share Operating Performance: | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $10.03 |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | |
Net investment income | .32 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions | (.65) |
Total from investment operations | (.33) |
Dividends from net investment income | (.31) |
Net asset value, end of period | $9.39 |
Total Return(b): | (3.35)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |
Net assets, end of period (000) | $10 |
Average net assets (000) | $10 |
Ratios to average net assets(c): | |
Expenses after waivers and/or expense reimbursement | .80%(e) |
Expenses before waivers and/or expense reimbursement | .99%(e) |
Net investment income | 3.87%(e) |
Portfolio turnover rate | 55%(f) |
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Class Z Shares | |||||
Year Ended February 28//29, |
March 30,
2011(a) through February 29, 2012 |
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2016(e) | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | ||
Per Share Operating Performance: | |||||
Net Asset Value, Beginning Of Period | $9.95 | $10.19 | $10.14 | $9.91 | $10.00 |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | |||||
Net investment income | .38 | .42 | .40 | .46 | .37 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions | (.57) | (.22) | .06 | .26 | (.07) |
Total from investment operations | (.19) | .20 | .46 | .72 | .30 |
Less Dividends and Distributions: | |||||
Dividends from net investment income | (.37) | (.41) | (.38) | (.45) | (.39) |
Distributions from net realized gains | – | (.03) | (.03) | (.04) | –(b) |
Total dividends and distributions | (.37) | (.44) | (.41) | (.49) | (.39) |
Net asset value, end of period | $9.39 | $9.95 | $10.19 | $10.14 | $9.91 |
Total Return(c): | (1.98)% | 2.05% | 4.68% | 7.36% | 3.13% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $135,575 | $57,729 | $47,082 | $29,889 | $27,488 |
Average net assets (000) | $115,125 | $52,159 | $44,076 | $27,983 | $25,812 |
Ratios to average net assets(d): | |||||
Expenses after waivers and/or expense reimbursement | .80% | .85% | .95% | .95% | .95%(f) |
Expenses before waivers and/or expense reimbursement | 1.09% | 1.30% | 1.31% | 1.62% | 2.15%(f) |
Net investment income | 3.88% | 4.16% | 3.85% | 4.63% | 4.08%(f) |
Portfolio turnover rate | 55% | 64% | 82% | 106% | 163%(g) |
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E-DELIVERY
To receive your mutual fund documents on-line, go to www.prudentialfunds.com/edelivery and enroll. Instead of receiving printed documents by mail, you will receive notification via email when new materials are available. You can cancel your enrollment or change your email address at any time by visiting the website address above. |
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund | ||||
Share Class | A | C | Q | Z |
NASDAQ | FRFAX | FRFCX | PFRIX | FRFZX |
CUSIP | 74439V602 | 74439V701 | 74439V883 | 74439V800 |
MF211STAT | The Fund's Investment Company Act File No. 811-03712 |
PRUDENTIAL FLOATING RATE INCOME FUND | |||||
A: FRFAX | C: FRFCX | Q: PFRIX | Z: FRFZX |
Term | Definition |
ADR | American Depositary Receipt |
ADS | American Depositary Share |
Board | Fund’s Board of Directors or Trustees |
Board Member | A trustee or director of the Fund’s Board |
CEA | Commodity Exchange Act, as amended |
CFTC | US Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
Code | Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended |
CDO | Collateralized Debt Obligation |
CMO | Collateralized Mortgage Obligation |
ETF | Exchange-Traded Fund |
EDR | European Depositary Receipt |
Fannie Mae | Federal National Mortgage Association |
FDIC | Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation |
Fitch | Fitch, Inc. |
Freddie Mac | Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation |
GDR | Global Depositary Receipt |
Ginnie Mae | Government National Mortgage Association |
IPO | Initial Public Offering |
IRS | Internal Revenue Service |
1933 Act | Securities Act of 1933, as amended |
1934 Act | Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended |
1940 Act | Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended |
1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions | Exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations, collectively |
LIBOR | London Interbank Offered Rate |
Manager or PI | Prudential Investments LLC |
Moody’s | Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. |
NASDAQ | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System |
NAV | Net Asset Value |
NRSRO | Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization |
NYSE | New York Stock Exchange |
OTC | Over the Counter |
Prudential | Prudential Financial, Inc. |
PMFS | Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC |
REIT | Real Estate Investment Trust |
Term | Definition |
RIC | Regulated Investment Company, as the term is used in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended |
S&P | Standard & Poor’s Corporation |
SEC | US Securities & Exchange Commission |
World Bank | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
■ | Junk bonds are issued by less creditworthy issuers. These securities are vulnerable to adverse changes in the issuer's economic condition and to general economic conditions. Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing. |
■ | The issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. If the issuer experiences financial stress, it may be unable to meet its debt obligations. |
■ | Junk bonds are frequently ranked junior to claims by other creditors. If the issuer cannot meet its obligations, the senior obligations are generally paid off before the junior obligations. |
■ | Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from the Fund before it matures. If an issuer redeems the junk bonds, the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income. |
■ | Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Negative economic developments may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on other higher rated fixed-income securities. |
■ | Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted for junk bonds by the dealers. Because they are less liquid, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of the Fund’s portfolio securities than in the case of securities trading in a more liquid market. |
■ | The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer. |
■ | Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its investable assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities. |
■ | The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in senior loans that are not secured by any specific collateral. |
■ | The Fund may invest up to 20% of its investable assets in other types of debt securities, preferred stocks, convertible securities, equity and equity-related securities, and money market instruments. |
■ | The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in senior loans made to foreign-domiciled borrowers and other foreign securities, including securities of issuers located in emerging market countries, which may be denominated in US dollars or non-US currencies. |
Independent Board Members (1) | ||
Name, Address, Age
Position(s) Portfolios Overseen |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years | Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
Kevin J. Bannon (63)
Board Member Portfolios Overseen: 67 |
Managing Director (April 2008-May 2015) and Chief Investment Officer (October 2008-November 2013) of Highmount Capital LLC (registered investment adviser); formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer (April 1993-August 2007) of Bank of New York Company; President (May 2003-May 2007) of BNY Hamilton Family of Mutual Funds. | Director of Urstadt Biddle Properties (equity real estate investment trust) (since September 2008). |
Linda W. Bynoe (63)
Board Member Portfolios Overseen: 67 |
President and Chief Executive Officer (since March 1995) and formerly Chief Operating Officer (December 1989-February 1995) of Telemat Ltd. (management consulting); formerly Vice President (January 1985-June 1989) at Morgan Stanley & Co. (broker-dealer). | Director of Simon Property Group, Inc. (retail real estate) (May 2003-May 2012); Director of Anixter International, Inc. (communication products distributor) (since January 2006); Director of Northern Trust Corporation (financial services) (since April 2006); Trustee of Equity Residential (residential real estate) (since December 2009). |
Keith F. Hartstein (59)
Board Member Portfolios Overseen: 67 |
Retired; Member (since November 2014) of the Governing Council of the Independent Directors Council (organization of independent mutual fund directors); formerly President and Chief Executive Officer (2005-2012), Senior Vice President (2004-2005), Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing (1997-2004), and various executive management positions (1990-1997), John Hancock Funds, LLC (asset management); Chairman, Investment Company Institute’s Sales Force Marketing Committee (2003-2008). | None. |
Michael S. Hyland, CFA (70)
Board Member Portfolios Overseen: 67 |
Retired (since February 2005); formerly Senior Managing Director (July 2001-February 2005) of Bear Stearns & Co, Inc.; Global Partner, INVESCO (1999-2001); Managing Director and President of Salomon Brothers Asset Management (1989-1999). | None. |
Richard A. Redeker (72)
Board Member & Independent Chair Portfolios Overseen: 67 |
Retired Mutual Fund Senior Executive (47 years); Management Consultant; Director, Mutual Fund Directors Forum (since 2014); Independent Directors Council (organization of independent mutual fund directors)-Executive Committee, Chair of Policy Steering Committee, Governing Council. | None. |
Stephen G. Stoneburn (72)
Board Member Portfolios Overseen: 67 |
Chairman (since July 2011), President and Chief Executive Officer (since June 1996) of Quadrant Media Corp. (publishing company); formerly President (June 1995-June 1996) of Argus Integrated Media, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Managing Director (January 1993-1995) of Cowles Business Media; Senior Vice President of Fairchild Publications, Inc. (1975-1989). | None. |
Interested Board Members (1) | ||
Name, Address, Age
Position(s) Portfolios Overseen |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years | Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
Stuart S. Parker (53)
Board Member & President Portfolios Overseen: 67 |
President of Prudential Investments LLC (since January 2012); Executive Vice President of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (since December 2012); Executive Vice President of Jennison Associates LLC and Head of Retail Distribution of Prudential Investments LLC (June 2005-December 2011). | None. |
Scott E. Benjamin (43)
Board Member & Vice President Portfolios Overseen: 67 |
Executive Vice President (since June 2009) of Prudential Investments LLC; Executive Vice President (June 2009-June 2012) and Vice President (since June 2012) of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC; Executive Vice President (since September 2009) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice President of Product Development and Marketing, Prudential Investments (since February 2006); Vice President of Product Development and Product Management, Prudential Investments (2003-2006). | None. |
Interested Board Members (1) | ||
Name, Address, Age
Position(s) Portfolios Overseen |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years | Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
Grace C. Torres*
(57) Board Member Portfolios Overseen: 65 |
Retired; formerly Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Prudential Investments Funds, Target Funds, Advanced Series Trust, Prudential Variable Contract Accounts and The Prudential Series Fund (1998-June 2014); Assistant Treasurer (March 1999-June 2014) and Senior Vice President (September 1999-June 2014) of Prudential Investments LLC; Assistant Treasurer (May 2003-June 2014) and Vice President (June 2005-June 2014) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer (May 2003-June 2014) of Prudential Annuities Advisory Services, Inc. | Director (since July 2015) of Sun Bancorp, Inc. N.A. |
Fund Officers (a) | ||
Name, Address and Age
Position with Fund |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Length of
Service as Fund Officer |
Raymond A. O’Hara (60)
Chief Legal Officer |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since July 2010) of Prudential Insurance Company of America (Prudential); Vice President (March 2011-Present) of Pruco Life Insurance Company and Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey; Vice President and Corporate Counsel (March 2011-Present) of Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation; Chief Legal Officer of Prudential Investments LLC (since June 2012); Chief Legal Officer of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since June 2012) and Corporate Counsel of AST Investment Services, Inc. (since June 2012); formerly Assistant Vice President and Corporate Counsel (September 2008-July 2010) of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.; formerly Associate (September 1980-December 1987) and Partner (January 1988–August 2008) of Blazzard & Hasenauer, P.C. (formerly, Blazzard, Grodd & Hasenauer, P.C.). | Since 2012 |
Chad A. Earnst (40)
Chief Compliance Officer |
Chief Compliance Officer (September 2014-Present) of Prudential Investments LLC; Chief Compliance Officer (September 2014-Present) of the Prudential Investments Funds, Target Funds, Advanced Series Trust, The Prudential Series Fund, Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Income Fund, Inc., Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc. and Prudential Jennison MLP Income Fund, Inc.; formerly Assistant Director (March 2010-August 2014) of the Asset Management Unit, Division of Enforcement, US Securities & Exchange Commission; Assistant Regional Director (January 2010-August 2014), Branch Chief (June 2006–December 2009) and Senior Counsel (April 2003-May 2006) of the Miami Regional Office, Division of Enforcement, US Securities & Exchange Commission. | Since 2014 |
Deborah A. Docs (58)
Secretary |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2001) of Prudential; Vice President (since December 1996) and Assistant Secretary (since March 1999) of Prudential Investments LLC; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc. | Since 2004 |
Jonathan D. Shain (57)
Assistant Secretary |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since August 1998) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since May 2001) of Prudential Investments LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since February 2001) of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc. | Since 2005 |
Claudia DiGiacomo (41)
Assistant Secretary |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2005) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Prudential Investments LLC (since December 2005); Associate at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP (1999-2004). | Since 2005 |
Andrew R. French (53)
Assistant Secretary |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since February 2010) of Prudential; formerly Director and Corporate Counsel (2006-2010) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of Prudential Investments LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC. | Since 2006 |
Amanda S. Ryan (38)
Assistant Secretary |
Director and Corporate Counsel (since March 2012) of Prudential; Director and Assistant Secretary (since June 2012) of Prudential Investments LLC; Associate at Ropes & Gray LLP (2008-2012). | Since 2012 |
Theresa C. Thompson (53)
Deputy Chief Compliance Officer |
Vice President, Compliance, Prudential Investments LLC (since April 2004); and Director, Compliance, Prudential Investments LLC (2001-2004). | Since 2008 |
Fund Officers (a) | ||
Name, Address and Age
Position with Fund |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Length of
Service as Fund Officer |
Richard W. Kinville (47)
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer |
Vice President, Corporate Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering Unit (since January 2005) of Prudential; committee member of the American Council of Life Insurers Anti-Money Laundering and Critical Infrastructure Committee (since January 2007); formerly Investigator and Supervisor in the Special Investigations Unit for the New York Central Mutual Fire Insurance Company (August 1994-January 1999); Investigator in AXA Financial's Internal Audit Department and Manager in AXA's Anti-Money Laundering Office (January 1999-January 2005); first chair of the American Council of Life Insurers Anti-Money Laundering and Critical Infrastructure Committee (June 2007-December 2009). | Since 2011 |
M. Sadiq Peshimam (52)
Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer |
Vice President (since 2005) of Prudential Investments LLC; formerly Assistant Treasurer of funds in the Prudential Mutual Fund Complex (2006-2014). | Since 2006 |
Peter Parrella (57)
Assistant Treasurer |
Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2004-2007) within Prudential Mutual Fund Administration; formerly Tax Manager at SSB Citi Fund Management LLC (1997-2004). | Since 2007 |
Lana Lomuti (48)
Assistant Treasurer |
Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2005-2007), within Prudential Mutual Fund Administration; formerly Assistant Treasurer (December 2007-February 2014) of The Greater China Fund, Inc. | Since 2014 |
Linda McMullin (54)
Assistant Treasurer |
Vice President (since 2011) and Director (2008-2011) within Prudential Mutual Fund Administration. | Since 2014 |
Kelly A. Coyne (47)
Assistant Treasurer |
Director, Investment Operations of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since 2010). | Since 2015 |
■ | Board Members are deemed to be “Interested,” as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their affiliation with Prudential Investments LLC and/or an affiliate of Prudential Investments LLC. |
■ | Unless otherwise noted, the address of all Board Members and Officers is c/o Prudential Investments LLC, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. |
■ | There is no set term of office for Board Members or Officers. The Board Members have adopted a retirement policy, which calls for the retirement of Board Members on December 31 of the year in which they reach the age of 75. |
■ | “Other Directorships Held” includes only directorships of companies required to register or file reports with the SEC under the 1934 Act (that is, “public companies”) or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. |
■ | “Portfolios Overseen” includes all investment companies managed by Prudential Investments LLC. The investment companies for which Prudential Investments LLC serves as manager include the Prudential Investments Mutual Funds, The Prudential Variable Contract Accounts, Target Mutual Funds, Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc., The Prudential Series Fund, Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc. and the Advanced Series Trust. |
Compensation Received by Independent Board Members | ||||
Name |
Aggregate Fiscal Year
Compensation from Fund |
Pension or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation from Funds
and Fund Complex for Most Recent Calendar Year |
Ellen S. Alberding | $1,517 | None | None | $220,000 (32/67)* |
Kevin J. Bannon | $1,527 | None | None | $220,750 (32/67)* |
Linda W. Bynoe** | $1,510 | None | None | $218,000 (32/67)* |
Keith F. Hartstein** | $1,517 | None | None | $220,000 (32/67)* |
Michael S. Hyland | $1,537 | None | None | $229,000 (32/67)* |
Stephen P. Munn † | $880 | None | None | $171,750 (32/67)* |
James E. Quinn †† | $480 | None | None | $109,000 (32/67)* |
Richard A. Redeker** | $1,660 | None | None | $283,000 (32/67)* |
Stephen G. Stoneburn** | $1,510 | None | None | $218,000 (32/67)* |
Grace C. Torres ‡ | $1,483 | None | None | $199,505 (30/65)* |
Board Committee Meetings (for most recently completed fiscal year) | ||
Audit Committee | Nominating & Governance Committee | Dryden Investment Committee |
4 | 4 | 3 |
■ | the salaries and expenses of all of its and the Fund's personnel except the fees and expenses of Independent Board Members and non-management Interested Board Members; |
■ | all expenses incurred by the Manager or the Fund in connection with managing the ordinary course of a Fund’s business, other than those assumed by the Fund as described below; and |
■ | the fees, costs and expenses payable to any investment subadviser pursuant to a subadvisory agreement between PI and such investment subadviser. |
■ | the fees and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with the management of the investment and reinvestment of the Fund's assets payable to the Manager; |
■ | the fees and expenses of Independent Board Members and non-management Interested Board Members; |
■ | the fees and certain expenses of the Custodian and transfer and dividend disbursing agent, including the cost of providing records to the Manager in connection with its obligation of maintaining required records of the Fund and of pricing the Fund's shares; |
■ | the charges and expenses of the Fund's legal counsel and independent auditors and of legal counsel to the Independent Board Members; |
■ | brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Fund in connection with securities (and futures, if applicable) transactions; |
■ | all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Fund to governmental agencies; |
■ | the fees of any trade associations of which the Fund may be a member; |
■ | the cost of share certificates representing, and/or non-negotiable share deposit receipts evidencing, shares of the Fund; |
■ | the cost of fidelity, directors and officers and errors and omissions insurance; |
■ | the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Fund and of Fund shares with the SEC and paying notice filing fees under state securities laws, including the preparation and printing of the Fund's registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes; allocable communications expenses with respect to investor services and all expenses of shareholders' and Board meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing reports and notices to shareholders; and |
■ | litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business and distribution and service (12b-1) fees. |
Management Fees Paid by the Fund | |||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
$769,491 | $273,573 | $327,308 |
Subadvisory Fees Paid by PI | |||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
$663,268 | $390,736 | $340,608 |
Portfolio Managers |
Registered Investment
Companies/Total Assets |
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles/ Total Assets |
Other Accounts/
Total Assets |
Ownership of
Fund Securities |
Joe Lemanowicz | 14/$726,738,703 |
4/$424,932,524
30/$5,593,288,900 |
5/$57,654,872
2/$23,329,320 |
$100,000-$500,000 |
Brian Juliano | 14/$726,738,703 |
4/$424,932,524
30/$5,593,288,900 |
5/$57,654,872
2/$23,329,320 |
None |
Robert Cignarella, CFA | 23/$12,895,828,409 | 12/$4,066,526,555 |
87/$12,955,633,698
1/$2,462,836 |
None |
■ | business development initiatives, measured primarily by growth in operating income; |
■ | the number of investment professionals receiving a bonus; and/or |
■ | investment performance of portfolios (i) relative to appropriate peer groups and/or (ii) as measured against relevant investment indices. |
■ | elimination of the conflict; |
■ | disclosure of the conflict; or |
■ | management of the conflict through the adoption of appropriate policies and procedures. |
■ | Performance Fees— Prudential Fixed Income manages accounts with asset-based fees alongside accounts with performance-based fees. This side-by-side management may be deemed to create an incentive for Prudential Fixed Income and its investment professionals to favor one account over another. Specifically, Prudential Fixed Income could be considered to have the incentive to favor accounts for which it receives performance fees, and possibly take greater investment risks in those accounts, in order to bolster performance and increase its fees. |
■ | Affiliated accounts— Prudential Fixed Income manages accounts on behalf of its affiliates as well as unaffiliated accounts. Prudential Fixed Income could be considered to have an incentive to favor accounts of affiliates over others. |
■ | Large accounts—large accounts typically generate more revenue than do smaller accounts and certain of Prudential Fixed Income’s strategies have higher fees than others. As a result, a portfolio manager could be considered to have an incentive when allocating scarce investment opportunities to favor accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for Prudential Fixed Income. |
■ | Long only and long/short accounts— Prudential Fixed Income manages accounts that only allow it to hold securities long as well as accounts that permit short selling. Prudential Fixed Income may, therefore, sell a security short in some client accounts while holding the same security long in other client accounts. These short sales could reduce the value of the securities held in the long only accounts. In addition, purchases for long only accounts could have a negative impact on the short positions. |
■ | Securities of the same kind or class— Prudential Fixed Income may buy or sell for one client account securities of the same kind or class that are purchased or sold for another client at prices that may be different. Prudential Fixed Income may also, at any time, execute trades of securities of the same kind or class in one direction for an account and in the opposite direction for another account due to differences in investment strategy or client direction. Different strategies trading in the same securities or types of securities may appear as inconsistencies in Prudential Fixed Income’s management of multiple accounts side-by-side. |
■ | Financial interests of investment professionals— Prudential Fixed Income investment professionals may invest in investment vehicles that it advises. Also, certain of these investment vehicles are options under the 401(k) and deferred compensation plans offered by Prudential. In addition, the value of grants under Prudential Fixed Income’s long-term incentive plan is affected by the performance of certain client accounts. As a result, Prudential Fixed Income investment professionals may have financial interests in accounts managed by Prudential Fixed Income or that are related to the performance of certain client accounts. |
■ | Non-discretionary accounts or models— Prudential Fixed Income provides non-discretionary investment advice and non-discretionary model portfolios to some clients and manages others on a discretionary basis. Trades in non-discretionary accounts could occur before, in concert with, or after Prudential Fixed Income executes similar trades in its discretionary accounts. The non-discretionary clients may be disadvantaged if Prudential Fixed Income delivers the model investment portfolio or investment advice to them after it initiates trading for the discretionary clients, or vice versa. |
■ | The head of Prudential Fixed Income and its chief investment officer periodically review and compare performance and performance attribution for each client account within its various strategies. |
■ | In keeping with Prudential Fixed Income’s fiduciary obligations, its policy with respect to trade aggregation and allocation is to treat all of its accounts fairly and equitably over time. Prudential Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee, which generally meets quarterly, is responsible for providing oversight with respect to trade aggregation and allocation. Prudential Fixed Income has compliance procedures with respect to its aggregation and allocation policy that include independent monitoring by its compliance group of the timing, allocation and aggregation of trades and the allocation of investment opportunities. In addition, its compliance group reviews a sampling of new issue allocations and related documentation each month to confirm compliance with the allocation procedures. Prudential Fixed Income’s compliance group reports the results of the monitoring processes to its trade management oversight committee. Prudential Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee reviews forensic reports of new issue allocation throughout the year so that new issue allocation in each of its strategies is reviewed at least once during each year. This forensic analysis includes such data as: (i) the number of new issues allocated in the strategy; (ii) the size of new issue allocations to each portfolio in the strategy; and (iii) the profitability of new issue transactions. The results of these analyses are reviewed and discussed at Prudential Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee meetings. Prudential Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee also reviews forensic reports on the allocation of trading opportunities in the secondary market. The procedures above are designed to detect patterns and anomalies in Prudential Fixed Income’s side-by-side management and trading so that it may assess and improve its processes. |
■ | Prudential Fixed Income has policies and procedures that specifically address its side-by-side management of long/short and long only portfolios. These policies address potential conflicts that could arise from differing positions between long/short and long only portfolios. In addition, lending opportunities with respect to securities for which the market is demanding a slight premium rate over normal market rates are allocated to long only accounts prior to allocating the opportunities to long/short accounts. |
■ | Conflicts Arising Out of Legal Restrictions . Prudential Fixed Income may be restricted by law, regulation or contract as to how much, if any, of a particular security it may purchase or sell on behalf of a client, and as to the timing of such purchase or sale. These restrictions may apply as a result of its relationship with Prudential and its other affiliates. For example, Prudential Fixed Income’s holdings of a security on behalf of its clients may, under some SEC rules, be aggregated with the holdings of that security by other Prudential affiliates. These holdings could, on an aggregate basis, exceed certain reporting thresholds that are monitored, and Prudential Fixed Income may restrict purchases to avoid exceeding these thresholds. In addition, Prudential Fixed Income could receive material, non-public information with respect to a particular issuer and, as a result, be unable to execute transactions in securities of that issuer for its clients. For example, Prudential Fixed Income’s bank loan team often invests in private bank loans in connection with which the borrower provides material, non-public information, resulting in restrictions on trading securities issued by those borrowers. Prudential Fixed Income has procedures in place to carefully consider whether to intentionally accept material, non-public information with respect to certain issuers. Prudential Fixed Income is generally able to avoid receiving material, |
non-public information from its affiliates and other units within PGIM by maintaining information barriers. In some instances, it may create an isolated information barrier around a small number of its employees so that material, non-public information received by such employees is not attributed to the rest of Prudential Fixed Income. | |
■ | Conflicts Related to Outside Business Activity . From time to time, certain of Prudential Fixed Income’s employees or officers may engage in outside business activity, including outside directorships. Any outside business activity is subject to prior approval pursuant to Prudential Fixed Income’s personal conflicts of interest and outside business activities policy. Actual and potential conflicts of interest are analyzed during such approval process. Prudential Fixed Income could be restricted in trading the securities of certain issuers in client portfolios in the unlikely event that an employee or officer, as a result of outside business activity, obtains material, nonpublic information regarding an issuer. The head of Prudential Fixed Income serves on the board of directors of the operator of an electronic trading platform. Prudential Fixed Income has adopted procedures to address the conflict relating to trading on this platform. The procedures include independent monitoring by Prudential Fixed Income’s chief investment officer and chief compliance officer and reporting on Prudential Fixed Income’s use of this platform to the President of PGIM. |
■ | Conflicts Related to Investment of Client Assets in Affiliated Funds . Prudential Fixed Income may invest client assets in funds that it manages or subadvises for an affiliate. Prudential Fixed Income may also invest cash collateral from securities lending transactions in these funds. These investments benefit both Prudential Fixed Income and its affiliate. |
■ | PICA General Account . Because of the substantial size of the general account of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (PICA), trading by PICA’s general account, including Prudential Fixed Income’s trades on behalf of the account, may affect market prices. Although Prudential Fixed Income doesn’t expect that PICA’s general account will execute transactions that will move a market frequently, and generally only in response to unusual market or issuer events, the execution of these transactions could have an adverse effect on transactions for or positions held by other clients. |
■ | Securities Holdings. PGIM, Prudential, PICA’s general account and accounts of other affiliates of Prudential Fixed Income (collectively, affiliated accounts) hold public and private debt and equity securities of a large number of issuers and may invest in some of the same companies as other client accounts but at different levels in the capital structure. These investments can result in conflicts between the interests of the affiliated accounts and the interests of Prudential Fixed Income’s clients. For example: (i) Affiliated accounts can hold the senior debt of an issuer whose subordinated debt is held by Prudential Fixed Income’s clients or hold secured debt of an issuer whose public unsecured debt is held in client accounts. In the event of restructuring or insolvency, the affiliated accounts as holders of senior debt may exercise remedies and take other actions that are not in the interest of, or are adverse to, other clients that are the holders of junior debt. (ii) To the extent permitted by applicable law, Prudential Fixed Income may also invest client assets in offerings of securities the proceeds of which are used to repay debt obligations held in affiliated accounts or other client accounts. Prudential Fixed Income’s interest in having the debt repaid creates a conflict of interest. Prudential Fixed Income has adopted a refinancing policy to address this conflict. Prudential Fixed Income may be unable to invest client assets in the securities of certain issuers as a result of the investments described above. |
■ | Conflicts Related to the Offer and Sale of Securities. Certain of Prudential Fixed Income’s employees may offer and sell securities of, and interests in, commingled funds that it manages or subadvises. There is an incentive for Prudential Fixed Income’s employees to offer these securities to investors regardless of whether the investment is appropriate for such investor since increased assets in these vehicles will result in increased advisory fees to it. In addition, such sales could result in increased compensation to the employee. |
■ | Conflicts Related to Long-Term Compensation. The performance of many client accounts is not reflected in the calculation of changes in the value of participation interests under Prudential Fixed Income’s long-term incentive plan. This may be because the composite representing the strategy in which the account is managed is not one of the composites included in the calculation or because the account is excluded from a specified composite due to guideline restrictions or other factors. As a result of the long-term incentive plan, Prudential Fixed Income’s portfolio managers from time to time have financial interests related to the investment performance of some, but not all, of the accounts they manage. To address potential conflicts related to these financial interests, Prudential Fixed Income has procedures, including trade allocation and supervisory review procedures, designed to ensure that each of its client accounts is managed in a manner that is consistent with Prudential Fixed Income’s fiduciary obligations, as well as with the account’s investment objectives, investment strategies and restrictions. For example, Prudential Fixed Income’s chief investment officer reviews performance among similarly managed accounts with the head of Prudential Fixed Income on a quarterly basis. |
■ | Other Financial Interests. Prudential Fixed Income and its affiliates may also have financial interests or relationships with issuers whose securities it invests in for client accounts. These interests can include debt or equity financing, strategic corporate relationships or investments, and the offering of investment advice in various forms. For example, Prudential Fixed Income may invest client assets in the securities of issuers that are also its advisory clients. |
Compensation Received by PGIM for Securities Lending: Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund | |||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
Fees Paid to PMFS | Amount |
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund | $15,300 |
Payments Received by Distributor | |
CLASS A CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC) | $9,273 |
CLASS A DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES | $101,959 |
CLASS A INITIAL SALES CHARGES | $128,786 |
CLASS C CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC) | $16,989 |
CLASS C DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES | $335,737 |
■ | Prudential Retirement |
■ | Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC |
■ | Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. |
■ | Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc. |
■ | Raymond James |
■ | Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
■ | Fidelity |
■ | UBS Financial Services Inc. |
■ | GWFS Equities, Inc. |
■ | Principal Life Insurance Company |
■ | LPL Financial |
■ | Matrix Financial Solutions |
■ | Massachusetts Mutual |
■ | Cetera |
■ | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. |
■ | ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc. |
■ | Nationwide Financial Services Inc. |
■ | Commonwealth Financial Network |
■ | American United Life Insurance Company |
■ | AIG Advisor Group |
■ | Voya Financial |
■ | Ascensus |
■ | NYLIFE Distributors LLC |
■ | Vanguard Group, Inc. |
■ | Reliance Trust Company |
■ | Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC |
■ | Hewitt Associates LLC |
■ | MidAtlantic Capital Corp. |
■ | TIAA Cref |
■ | Transamerica |
■ | John Hancock USA |
■ | Hartford Life |
■ | TD Ameritrade Trust Company |
■ | Standard Insurance Company |
■ | T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services |
■ | Cambridge |
■ | The Ohio National Life Insurance Company |
■ | Securities America, Inc. |
■ | RBC Capital Markets Corporation |
■ | VALIC Retirement Services Company |
■ | Northwestern |
■ | Security Benefit Life Insurance Company |
■ | Janney Montgomery & Scott, Inc. |
■ | Mercer HR Services, LLC |
■ | 1st Global Capital Corp. |
■ | Citigroup |
■ | Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc. |
■ | Newport Retirement Plan Services, Inc. |
■ | Genworth |
■ | ExpertPlan, Inc. |
■ | Triad Advisors Inc. |
■ | Northern Trust |
■ | Oppenheimer & Co. |
Offering Price Per Share | |
Prudential
Floating Rate Income Fund |
|
Class A | |
NAV and redemption price per Class A share | $9.38 |
Maximum initial sales charge (3.25% of the public offering price) | 0.32 |
Maximum offering price to public | $9.70 |
Class C | |
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class C share | $9.38 |
Class Q | |
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class Q share | $9.39 |
Class Z | |
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class Z share | $9.39 |
Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Fund ($) (Fiscal years ended February 28/29) | |||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
Total brokerage commissions paid by the Fund | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Broker-Dealer Securities Holdings ($) (as of most recently completed fiscal year) | ||
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund | Equity or Debt | Amount |
None | ||
Principal Fund Shareholders (as of June 10, 2016) | |||
Shareholder Name | Address |
Share
Class |
No. of Shares/
% of Class |
Special Custody Account For The
Exclusive Benefit Of Customer |
2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103 |
A | 273,140 / 5.19% |
Morgan Stanley & Co |
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3 rd Floor Jersey City, NJ 07311 |
C | 1,279,445 / 34.05% |
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers Attn: Mutual Funds Dept |
499 Washington Blvd, 4
th
Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310 |
C | 493,720 / 13.14% |
Raymond James
Omnibus For Mutual Funds House Account Attn: Courtney Waller |
880 Carillon Parkway
St Petersburg, FL 33716 |
C | 303,417 / 8.07% |
Pershing LLC |
1 Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399 |
C | 293,396 / 7.81% |
UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F
Attn: Department Manager |
1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086 |
C | 239,917 / 6.38% |
Prudential Investment Mgmt Inc
Prudential Investments Fund Management LLC Attn: Robert McHugh |
655 Broad St
19 th Floor 08-19-24 Newark, NJ 07102 |
Q | 1,040 / 87.31% |
Matrix Trust Company Cust FBO
Paradise Management LLC |
717 17
th
Street 1300
Denver, CO 80202 |
Q | 151 /12.69% |
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers Attn: Mutual Funds Dept |
499 Washington Blvd, 4
th
Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310 |
Z | 4,368,117 / 24.05% |
Morgan Stanley & Co |
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3 rd Floor Jersey City, NJ 07311 |
Z | 3,373,258 / 18.57% |
Special Custody Account For The
Exclusive Benefit Of Customer |
2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103 |
Z | 1,543,777 / 8.50% |
Pershing LLC |
1 Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399 |
Z | 1,422,465 / 7.83% |
State of Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation |
30 W Spring St
Columbus, OH 43215 |
Z | 1,401,402 / 7.52% |
UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F
Attn: Department Manager |
1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086 |
Z | 1,305,569 / 7.19% |
Charles Schwab Co |
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105 |
Z | 1,184,631 / 6.52% |
■ | After a shareholder is deceased or permanently disabled (or, in the case of a trust account, after the death or disability of the grantor). This waiver applies to individual shareholders as well as shares held in joint tenancy, provided the shares were purchased before the death or permanent disability, |
■ | To provide for certain distributions—made without IRS penalty—from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, benefit plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account, |
■ | To withdraw excess contributions from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account, and |
■ | On certain redemptions effected through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (Class B shares only). |
■ | A request for release of portfolio holdings shall be prepared setting forth a legitimate business purpose for such release which shall specify the Fund(s), the terms of such release, and frequency (e.g., level of detail, staleness). Such request shall address whether there are any conflicts of interest between the Fund and the investment adviser, subadviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person thereof and how such conflicts shall be dealt with to demonstrate that the disclosure is in the best interest of the shareholders of the Fund(s). |
■ | The request shall be forwarded to PI’s Product Development Group and to the Chief Compliance Officer or his delegate for review and approval. |
■ | A confidentiality agreement in the form approved by a Fund officer must be executed by the recipient of the portfolio holdings. |
■ | A Fund officer shall approve the release and the agreement. Copies of the release and agreement shall be sent to PI’s Law Department. |
■ | Written notification of the approval shall be sent by such officer to PI’s Fund Administration Group to arrange the release of portfolio holdings. |
■ | PI’s Fund Administration Group shall arrange the release by the Custodian Bank. |
■ | Full holdings on a daily basis to Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), Broadridge and Glass, Lewis & Co. (proxy voting administrator/agents) at the end of each day; |
■ | Full holdings on a daily basis to ISS (securities class action claims administrator) at the end of each day; |
■ | Full holdings on a daily basis to a Fund's Subadviser(s), Custodian Bank, sub-custodian (if any) and accounting agents (which includes the Custodian Bank and any other accounting agent that may be appointed) at the end of each day. When a Fund has more than one Subadviser, each Subadviser receives holdings information only with respect to the “sleeve” or segment of the Fund for which the Subadviser has responsibility; |
■ | Full holdings to a Fund's independent registered public accounting firm as soon as practicable following the Fund's fiscal year-end or on an as-needed basis; and |
■ | Full holdings to financial printers as soon as practicable following the end of a Fund's quarterly, semi-annual and annual period-ends. |
■ | Fund trades on a quarterly basis to Abel/Noser Corp. (an agency-only broker and transaction cost analysis company) as soon as practicable following a Fund's fiscal quarter-end; |
■ | Full holdings on a daily basis to FactSet Research Systems, Inc. (investment research provider) at the end of each day; |
■ | Full holdings on a daily basis to FT Interactive Data (a fair value information service) at the end of each day; |
■ | Full holdings on a quarterly basis to Frank Russell Company (investment research provider) when made available ; |
■ | Full holdings on a monthly basis to Fidelity Advisors (wrap program provider) approximately five days after the end of each month (Prudential Jennison Growth Fund and certain other selected Prudential Investments Funds only); |
■ | Full holdings on a daily basis to IDC, Markit and Thompson Reuters (securities valuation); |
■ | Full holdings on a daily basis to Standard & Poor’s Corporation (securities valuation); |
■ | Full holdings on a monthly basis to FX Transparency (foreign exchange/transaction analysis) when made available. |
■ | Leading market positions in well-established industries. |
■ | High rates of return on funds employed. |
■ | Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection. |
■ | Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation. |
■ | Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity. |
■ | Amortization schedule-the longer the final maturity relative to other maturities the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
■ | Source of payment-the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
Name and Principal Business Address | Positions and Offices with Underwriter | Positions and Officers with Registrant | ||
David Hunt (1) | President and Chief Executive Officer | N/A | ||
Christine C. Marcks (3) | Executive Vice President | N/A | ||
Gary F. Neubeck (1) | Executive Vice President | N/A | ||
Stuart S. Parker (1) | Executive Vice President | Board Member and President | ||
Scott E. Benjamin (1) | Vice President | Board Member and Vice President | ||
Joanne M. Accurso-Soto (1) | Senior Vice President | N/A | ||
Michael J. King (2) | Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | N/A | ||
Peter J. Boland (1) | Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer | N/A | ||
John N. Christolini (3) | Senior Vice President | N/A | ||
Mark R. Hastings (1) | Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | N/A | ||
Michael J. McQuade (1) | Senior Vice President, Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer | N/A | ||
John L. Bronson (2) | Vice President and Deputy Chief Legal Officer | N/A | ||
Richard W. Kinville (2) | Vice President and Anti-Money Laundering Officer | Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer |
(1) | 655 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102 |
(2) | 751 Broad Street, Newark NJ, 07102 |
(3) | 280 Trumbull Street, Hartford, CT 06103 |
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14 |
* |
Stuart S. Parker, President |
Signature | Title | Date | ||
*
Ellen S. Alberding |
Director | |||
*
Kevin J. Bannon |
Director | |||
*
Scott E. Benjamin |
Director | |||
*
Linda W. Bynoe |
Director | |||
*
Keith F. Hartstein |
Director | |||
*
Michael S. Hyland |
Director | |||
*
Stuart S. Parker |
Director and President, Principal Executive Officer | |||
*
Richard A. Redeker |
Director | |||
*
Stephen Stoneburn |
Director | |||
*
Grace C. Torres |
Director | |||
*
M. Sadiq Peshimam |
Treasurer, Principal Financial and Accounting Officer | |||
*By: /s/ Jonathan D. Shain
Jonathan D. Shain |
Attorney-in-Fact | June 21, 2016 |
/s/ Ellen S. Alberding
Ellen S. Alberding |
/s/ Stuart S. Parker
Stuart S. Parker |
|
/s/ Kevin J. Bannon
Kevin J. Bannon |
/s/ M. Sadiq Peshimam
M. Sadiq Peshimam |
|
/s/ Scott E. Benjamin
Scott E. Benjamin |
/s/ Richard A. Redeker
Richard A. Redeker |
|
/s/ Linda W. Bynoe
Linda W. Bynoe |
/s/ Stephen Stoneburn
Stephen Stoneburn |
|
/s/ Keith F. Hartstein
Keith F. Hartstein |
/s/ Grace C. Torres
Grace C. Torres |
|
/s/ Michael S. Hyland
Michael S. Hyland |
||
Dated: September 16, 2015 | ||
Item 28
Exhibit No. |
Description | |
(j)(1) | Consent of independent registered public accounting firm. | |
(j)(2) | Consent of independent verification firm. | |
(m)(1) |
Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan for Class A shares. | |
(m)(3) | Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan for Class C shares. | |
(p)(1) |
Code of Ethics of the Registrant. | |
(p)(2) | Code of Ethics and Personal Securities Trading Policy of Prudential, including the Manager and Distributor, dated January 11, 2016. |
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Trustees and Shareholders
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14:
We consent to the use of our report dated April 15, 2016, with respect to the statement of assets and liabilities of the Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund (one of the series comprising Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14) including the portfolio of investments as of February 29, 2016, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statement of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended , incorporated by reference herein and to the references to our firm under the headings “Financial Highlights” in the prospectus and “Other Service Providers – Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and “Financial Statements” in the statement of additional information.
New York, New York
June 16, 2016
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION FIRM
As the independent verification firm for Prudential Fixed Income, we hereby consent to reference to the firm-wide verification for the period January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2014 issued by ACA Performance Services, LLC, and to related references to our firm, included in or made a part of the Prospectus for the Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund.
June 20, 2016
ACA Performance Services, LLC
By:
/s/Theodore Eichenlaub
Theodore Eichenlaub
Executive Vice President
Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan
( Class A Shares )
Introduction
The Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan set forth below (the “Plan”) has been adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), for Class A of each fund listed on Schedule A attached hereto, as it may be amended from time to time (each, a “Fund”).
A majority of the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund (the “Board”), including a majority of those Directors/Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Funds (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or any agreements related to it (the “Rule 12b-1 Trustees”), have approved this Plan by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Plan and have determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that adoption of this Plan will benefit the Funds and their shareholders. Expenditures under this Plan by the Funds for Distribution Activities (defined below) are primarily intended to result in the sale of Class A shares of the Funds within the meaning of paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
The purpose of the Plan is to create incentives for Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, the Funds’ distributor (the “Distributor”), qualified broker-dealers, other financial institutions (which may include banks and retirement recordkeepers) and others that enter into a distribution, underwriting, selling, selected dealer or services agreement or other similar agreement with respect to Class A shares of the Funds (each of the foregoing, an “Intermediary”), and such Intermediaries’ financial professionals or other employees (as applicable), to provide distribution assistance to their customers who are investors in the Funds, to defray the costs and expenses associated with the preparation, printing and distribution of prospectuses and sales literature and other promotional and distribution activities and to provide for the servicing and maintenance of shareholder accounts. The Intermediary may retain portions of the service and distribution fees payable hereunder in excess of its expenses incurred.
The Plan
The material aspects of the Plan are as follows:
1. Distribution Activities
The Funds shall, directly or indirectly, engage Intermediaries to distribute or assist in the distribution of Class A shares of each Fund and/or to service shareholder accounts. Services provided and activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Class A shares of the Funds are referred to herein as “Distribution Activities.” Distribution Activities do not include any services or activities that would constitute “personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts” under paragraph (b)(9) of Rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
2. Payment of Service Fee
Each Fund may pay with respect to Class A an annual service fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class (“service fee”) to one or more Intermediaries as compensation for providing personal service and/or maintaining shareholder accounts, including (i) expenditures for overhead and other expenses of an Intermediary, (ii) telephone and other communications expenses relating to the provision of shareholder services and (iii) compensation to and expenses of financial professionals and other employees of an Intermediary for the provision of shareholder services. Each Fund shall calculate and accrue daily amounts payable by its Class A shares hereunder and shall pay such amounts monthly or at such other intervals as the Board may determine. The service fees payable hereunder to an Intermediary to cover expenses for personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts may not exceed the maximum amount, if any, as may from time to time be permitted for such services under Rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of FINRA or any successor rule, in each case as amended or interpreted by FINRA (“Rule 2830”).
3. Payment for Distribution Activities
Each Fund may pay with respect to Class A an annual distribution fee, which, together with the service fee (described in Section 2 hereof), shall not exceed 0.30% (with respect to the Funds listed on Schedule B ) or 0.25% (with respect to the Funds listed on Schedule C ) of the average daily net assets of the Class, to one or more Intermediaries as compensation for the performance of Distribution Activities. Each Fund shall calculate and accrue daily amounts payable by its Class A shares hereunder and shall pay such amounts monthly or at such other intervals as the Board may determine. Payments under the Plan that may be used by the Intermediary to cover expenses primarily intended to result in the sale of Class A shares may not exceed the maximum amount, if any, as may from time to time be permitted for such services under Rule 2830.
Amounts paid by Class A shares of each Fund will not be used to pay the distribution expenses incurred with respect to any other class of shares of that Fund, except that distribution expenses attributable to a Fund as a whole will be allocated to the Class A shares according to the ratio of the sales of Class A shares to the total sales of that Fund’s shares over its fiscal year or such other allocation method approved by the Board. The allocation of distribution expenses among classes will be subject to the review of the Board.
The fees payable by each Fund with respect to Class A under the Plan may be used to compensate an Intermediary for Distribution Activities related to Class A, including without limitation:
(a) sales commissions (including trailer commissions) paid to, or on account of, financial professionals or other employees of the Distributor;
(b) indirect and overhead costs of an Intermediary associated with the performance of Distribution Activities, including platform development and maintenance as well as central office and branch expenses;
(c) advertising for the Fund in various forms through any available medium, including the cost of preparing, printing and distributing Fund prospectuses, statements of additional information and periodic financial reports and sales literature to persons other than current shareholders of the Fund;
(d) amounts paid to, or on account of, Intermediaries for performing services under a selling agreement, selected dealer agreement or other similar agreement with the Distributor with respect to Class A shares of the Funds, including, but not limited to, sales commissions, trailer commissions, and other costs associated with Distribution Activities;
(e) payments made to, and expenses of, an Intermediary and other persons who provide support or services to Fund shareholders, including but not limited to, office space and equipment, communication facilities, answering routine inquiries regarding the Fund and its operations, processing shareholder transactions, promotional, advertising or marketing activity, sub-accounting and recordkeeping services ( in excess of ordinary payments made to the Fund’s transfer agent or to Intermediaries or other parties that act as sub-transfer agent, sub-accounting agent or other recordkeeper), obtaining shareholder information and providing information about the Fund, and asset allocation services; and
(f) interest-related expenses, or the cost of capital associated with, the financing of any of the foregoing.
4. Quarterly Reports; Additional Information
An appropriate officer of each Fund will provide to the Board for review, at least quarterly, a written report specifying in reasonable detail the amounts expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made in compliance with the requirements of Rule 12b-1. The Distributor will provide to the Board such additional information as the Board shall from time to time reasonably request, including information about Distribution Activities undertaken or to be undertaken by the Distributor.
The Distributor will inform the Board of the amounts payable in respect of Distribution Activities (including commissions and trailer commissions and other amounts) and account servicing fees to be paid by the Distributor to financial professionals or other employees of the Distributor and to Intermediaries that have entered into selected dealer agreements, selling agreements or other similar agreements with the Distributor.
5. Effectiveness; Continuation
The Plan shall take effect as to each Fund as of the date set forth below; provided, that a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Class A shares of the Fund shall have approved a Distribution and Service Plan for Class A shares that provides for the payment of combined service and distribution fees by Class A shares of the Fund in amounts at least equal to, or higher than, those provided for in Sections 2 and 3 hereof.
The Plan shall, unless earlier terminated in accordance with its terms, continue in full force and effect for so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the continuation of the Plan.
6. Termination
This Plan may be terminated with respect to a Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Class A shares of the Fund.
7. Amendments
The Plan may not be amended to change the combined service and distribution fees to be paid as provided for in Sections 2 and 3 hereof so as to increase materially the amounts payable under this Plan with respect to a Fund unless such amendment shall be approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Class A shares of the Fund. All material amendments of the Plan, including the addition of additional Funds to Schedule A , shall be approved by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan.
8. Rule 12b-1 Trustees
While the Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees.
9. Records
Each Fund shall preserve copies of the Plan and any related agreements and all reports made pursuant to Section 4 hereof, for a period of not less than six years from the date of effectiveness of the Plan, such agreements or reports, and for at least the first two years in an easily accessible place.
10. Severability
The provisions of the Plan are severable for each Fund listed on Schedule A , and whenever any action is to be taken with respect to the Plan, such action will be taken separately for each Fund affected.
Dated: June 9, 2016
Schedule A
Prudential Global Total Return Fund, Inc.
Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc.
Prudential Balanced Fund
Prudential Conservative Allocation Fund
Prudential Growth Allocation Fund
Prudential Jennison Equity Opportunity Fund
Prudential Jennison Growth Fund
Prudential Moderate Allocation Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 3
Prudential Global Absolute Return Bond Fund
Prudential Jennison Select Growth Fund
Prudential QMA Global Tactical Allocation Fund
Prudential QMA Strategic Value Fund
Prudential Real Assets Fund
Prudential Unconstrained Bond Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 4
Prudential Muni High Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 5
Prudential Jennison Conservative Growth Fund
Prudential Jennison Rising Dividend Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 6
Prudential California Muni Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 7
Prudential Jennison Value Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 8
Prudential QMA Stock Index Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 9
Prudential Absolute Return Bond Fund
Prudential International Real Estate Fund
Prudential QMA Large-Cap Core Equity Fund
Prudential Real Estate Income Fund
Prudential Select Real Estate Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 10
Prudential Jennison Equity Income Fund
Prudential QMA Mid-Cap Value Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 12
Prudential Global Real Estate Fund
Prudential QMA Long-Short Equity Fund
Prudential Short Duration Muni High Income Fund
Prudential US Real Estate Fund
Prudential Investments Portfolios, Inc. 14
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund
Prudential Government Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc 15
Prudential High Yield Fund
Prudential Short Duration High Yield Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 16
Prudential Income Builder Fund
Prudential QMA Defensive Equity Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 17
Prudential Short Duration Multi Sector Bond Fund
Prudential Total Return Bond Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 18
Prudential Jennison 20/20 Focus Fund
Prudential Jennison MLP Fund
Prudential Jennison Blend Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Natural Resources Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Small Company Fund, Inc.
Prudential National Muni Fund, Inc.
Prudential Sector Funds, Inc.
Prudential Financial Services Fund
Prudential Jennison Health Sciences Fund
Prudential Jennison Utility Fund
Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.
Prudential World Fund, Inc.
Prudential Emerging Market Debt Local Currency Fund
Prudential Jennison Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Prudential Jennison global Infrastructure Fund
Prudential Jennison Global Opportunities Fund
Prudential Jennison International Opportunities Fund
Prudential QMA International Equity Fund
The Target Portfolio Trust
Prudential Core Bond Fund
Prudential Corporate Bond Fund
Prudential QMA Small-Cap Value Fund
Schedule B
Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc.
Prudential Balanced Fund
Prudential Conservative Allocation Fund
Prudential Growth Allocation Fund
Prudential Jennison Equity Opportunity Fund
Prudential Jennison Growth Fund
Prudential Moderate Allocation Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 3
Prudential Jennison Select Growth Fund
Prudential QMA Global Tactical Allocation Fund
Prudential QMA Strategic Value Fund
Prudential Real Assets Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 5
Prudential Jennison Conservative Growth Fund
Prudential Jennison Rising Dividend Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 7
Prudential Jennison Value Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 8
Prudential QMA Stock Index Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 9
Prudential International Real Estate Fund
Prudential QMA Large-Cap Core Equity Fund
Prudential Real Estate Income Fund
Prudential Select Real Estate Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 10
Prudential Jennison Equity Income Fund
Prudential QMA Mid-Cap Value Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 12
Prudential Global Real Estate Fund
Prudential QMA Long-Short Equity Fund
Prudential Short Duration Muni High Income Fund
Prudential US Real Estate Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 16
Prudential Income Builder Fund
Prudential QMA Defensive Equity Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 17
Prudential Investment Portfolios 18
Prudential Jennison 20/20 Focus Fund
Prudential Jennison MLP Fund
Prudential Jennison Blend Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Natural Resources Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Small Company Fund, Inc.
Prudential Sector Funds, Inc.
Prudential Financial Services Fund
Prudential Jennison Health Sciences Fund
Prudential Jennison Utility Fund
Prudential World Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Prudential Jennison global Infrastructure Fund
Prudential Jennison Global Opportunities Fund
Prudential Jennison International Opportunities Fund
Prudential QMA International Equity Fund
The Target Portfolio Trust
Prudential QMA Small-Cap Value Fund
Schedule C
Prudential Global Total Return Fund, Inc.
Prudential Global Total Return Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 3
Prudential Unconstrained Bond Fund
Prudential Global Absolute Return Bond Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 4
Prudential Muni High Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 6
Prudential California Muni Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 9
Prudential Absolute Return Bond Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund
Prudential Government Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 15
Prudential High Yield Fund
Prudential Short Duration High Yield Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 17
Prudential Total Return Bond Fund
Prudential Short Duration Multi-Sector Bond Fund
Prudential National Muni Fund, Inc.
Prudential National Muni Fund, Inc.
Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.
Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund
Prudential World Fund, Inc.
Prudential Emerging Markets Debt Local Currency Fund
The Target Portfolio Trust
Prudential Core Bond Fund
Prudential Corporate Bond Fund
Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan
( Class C Shares )
Introduction
The Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan set forth below (the “Plan”) has been adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), for Class C of each fund listed on Schedule A attached hereto, as it may be amended from time to time (each, a “Fund”).
A majority of the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund (the “Board”), including a majority of those Directors/Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Funds (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or any agreements related to it (the “Rule 12b-1 Trustees”), have approved this Plan by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Plan and have determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that adoption of this Plan will benefit the Funds and their shareholders. Expenditures under this Plan by the Funds for Distribution Activities (defined below) are primarily intended to result in the sale of Class C shares of the Funds within the meaning of paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
The purpose of the Plan is to create incentives for Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, the Funds’ distributor (the “Distributor”), qualified broker-dealers, other financial institutions (which may include banks and retirement recordkeepers) and others that enter into a distribution, underwriting, selling, selected dealer or services agreement or other similar agreement with respect to Class C shares of the Funds (each of the foregoing, an “Intermediary”), and such Intermediaries’ financial professionals or other employees (as applicable), to provide distribution assistance to their customers who are investors in the Funds, to defray the costs and expenses associated with the preparation, printing and distribution of prospectuses and sales literature and other promotional and distribution activities and to provide for the servicing and maintenance of shareholder accounts. The Intermediary may retain portions of the service and distribution fees payable hereunder in excess of its expenses incurred.
The Plan
The material aspects of the Plan are as follows:
1. Distribution Activities
The Funds shall, directly or indirectly, engage Intermediaries to distribute or assist in the distribution of Class C shares of each Fund and/or to service shareholder accounts. Services provided and activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Class C shares of the Funds are referred to herein as “Distribution Activities.” Distribution Activities do not include any services or activities that would constitute “personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts” under paragraph (b)(9) of Rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
2. Payment of Service Fee
Each Fund may pay with respect to Class C an annual service fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class (“service fee”) to one or more Intermediaries as compensation for providing personal service and/or maintaining shareholder accounts, including (i) expenditures for overhead and other expenses of an Intermediary, (ii) telephone and other communications expenses relating to the provision of shareholder services and (iii) compensation to and expenses of financial professionals and other employees of an Intermediary for the provision of shareholder services. Each Fund shall calculate and accrue daily amounts payable by its Class C shares hereunder and shall pay such amounts monthly or at such other intervals as the Board may determine. The service fees payable hereunder to an Intermediary to cover expenses for personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts may not exceed the maximum amount, if any, as may from time to time be permitted for such services under Rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of FINRA or any successor rule, in each case as amended or interpreted by FINRA (“Rule 2830”).
3. Payment for Distribution Activities
Each Fund may pay with respect to Class C an annual distribution fee of 0.75% (which does not include the service fee described in Section 2 hereof) of the average daily net assets of the Class, to one or more Intermediaries as compensation for the performance of Distribution Activities. Each Fund shall calculate and accrue daily amounts payable by its Class C shares hereunder and shall pay such amounts monthly or at such other intervals as the Board may determine. Payments under the Plan that may be used by the Intermediary to cover expenses primarily intended to result in the sale of Class C shares may not exceed the maximum amount, if any, as may from time to time be permitted for such services under Rule 2830.
Amounts paid by Class C shares of each Fund will not be used to pay the distribution expenses incurred with respect to any other class of shares of that Fund, except that distribution expenses attributable to a Fund as a whole will be allocated to the Class C shares according to the ratio of the sales of Class C shares to the total sales of that Fund’s shares over its fiscal year or such other allocation method approved by the Board. The allocation of distribution expenses among classes will be subject to the review of the Board.
The fees payable by each Fund with respect to Class C under the Plan may be used to compensate an Intermediary for Distribution Activities related to Class C, including without limitation:
(a) sales commissions (including trailer commissions) paid to, or on account of, financial professionals or other employees of the Distributor;
(b) indirect and overhead costs of an Intermediary associated with the performance of Distribution Activities, including platform development and maintenance as well as central office and branch expenses;
(c) advertising for the Fund in various forms through any available medium, including the cost of preparing, printing and distributing Fund prospectuses, statements of additional information and periodic financial reports and sales literature to persons other than current shareholders of the Fund;
(d) amounts paid to, or on account of, Intermediaries for performing services under a selling agreement, selected dealer agreement or other similar agreement with the Distributor with respect to Class C shares of the Funds, including, but not limited to, sales commissions, trailer commissions, and other costs associated with Distribution Activities;
(e) payments made to, and expenses of, an Intermediary and other persons who provide support or services to Fund shareholders, including but not limited to, office space and equipment, communication facilities, answering routine inquiries regarding the Fund and its operations, processing shareholder transactions, promotional, advertising or marketing activity, sub-accounting and recordkeeping services ( in excess of ordinary payments made to the Fund’s transfer agent or to Intermediaries or other parties that act as sub-transfer agent, sub-accounting agent or other recordkeeper), obtaining shareholder information and providing information about the Fund, and asset allocation services; and
(f) interest-related expenses, or the cost of capital associated with, the financing of any of the foregoing.
4. Quarterly Reports; Additional Information
An appropriate officer of each Fund will provide to the Board for review, at least quarterly, a written report specifying in reasonable detail the amounts expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made in compliance with the requirements of Rule 12b-1. The Distributor will provide to the Board such additional information as the Board shall from time to time reasonably request, including information about Distribution Activities undertaken or to be undertaken by the Distributor.
The Distributor will inform the Board of the amounts payable in respect of Distribution Activities (including commissions and trailer commissions and other amounts) and account servicing fees to be paid by the Distributor to financial professionals or other employees of the Distributor and to Intermediaries that have entered into selected dealer agreements, selling agreements or other similar agreements with the Distributor.
5. Effectiveness; Continuation
The Plan shall take effect as to each Fund as of the date set forth below; provided, that a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Class C shares of the Fund shall have approved a Distribution and Service Plan for Class C shares that provides for the payment of combined service and distribution fees by Class C shares of the Fund in amounts at least equal to, or higher than, those provided for in Sections 2 and 3 hereof.
The Plan shall, unless earlier terminated in accordance with its terms, continue in full force and effect for so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the continuation of the Plan.
6. Termination
This Plan may be terminated with respect to a Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Class C shares of the Fund.
7. Amendments
The Plan may not be amended to change the combined service and distribution fees to be paid as provided for in Sections 2 and 3 hereof so as to increase materially the amounts payable under this Plan with respect to a Fund unless such amendment shall be approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Class C shares of the Fund. All material amendments of the Plan, including the addition of additional Funds to Schedule A , shall be approved by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan.
8. Rule 12b-1 Trustees
While the Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees.
9. Records
Each Fund shall preserve copies of the Plan and any related agreements and all reports made pursuant to Section 4 hereof, for a period of not less than six years from the date of effectiveness of the Plan, such agreements or reports, and for at least the first two years in an easily accessible place.
10. Severability
The provisions of the Plan are severable for each Fund listed on Schedule A , and whenever any action is to be taken with respect to the Plan, such action will be taken separately for each Fund affected.
Dated: June 9, 2016
SCHEDULE A
List of Funds
Prudential Global Total Return Fund, Inc.
Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc.
Prudential Balanced Fund
Prudential Conservative Allocation Fund
Prudential Growth Allocation Fund
Prudential Jennison Equity Opportunity Fund
Prudential Jennison Growth Fund
Prudential Moderate Allocation Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 3
Prudential Global Absolute Return Bond Fund
Prudential Jennison Select Growth Fund
Prudential QMA Global Tactical Allocation Fund
Prudential QMA Strategic Value Fund
Prudential Real Assets Fund
Prudential Unconstrained Bond Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 4
Prudential Muni High Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 5
Prudential Jennison Conservative Growth Fund
Prudential Jennison Rising Dividend Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 6
Prudential California Muni Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 7
Prudential Jennison Value Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 8
Prudential QMA Stock Index Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 9
Prudential Absolute Return Bond Fund
Prudential International Real Estate Fund
Prudential QMA Large-Cap Core Equity Fund
Prudential Real Estate Income Fund
Prudential Select Real Estate Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 10
Prudential Jennison Equity Income Fund
Prudential QMA Mid-Cap Value Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 12
Prudential Global Real Estate Fund
Prudential QMA Long-Short Equity Fund
Prudential Short Duration Muni High Income Fund
Prudential US Real Estate Fund
Prudential Investments Portfolios, Inc. 14
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund
Prudential Government Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc 15
Prudential High Yield Fund
Prudential Short Duration High Yield Income Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 16
Prudential Income Builder Fund
Prudential QMA Defensive Equity Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 17
Prudential Short Duration Multi Sector Bond Fund
Prudential Total Return Bond Fund
Prudential Investment Portfolios 18
Prudential Jennison 20/20 Focus Fund
Prudential Jennison MLP Fund
Prudential Jennison Blend Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Natural Resources Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Small Company Fund, Inc.
Prudential National Muni Fund, Inc.
Prudential Sector Funds, Inc.
Prudential Financial Services Fund
Prudential Jennison Health Sciences Fund
Prudential Jennison Utility Fund
Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.
Prudential World Fund, Inc.
Prudential Emerging Market Debt Local Currency Fund
Prudential Jennison Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Prudential Jennison global Infrastructure Fund
Prudential Jennison Global Opportunities Fund
Prudential Jennison International Opportunities Fund
Prudential QMA International Equity Fund
The Target Portfolio Trust
Prudential Core Bond Fund
Prudential Corporate Bond Fund
Prudential QMA Small-Cap Value Fund
PRUDENTIAL MUTUAL FUNDS
Code of Ethics Adopted Pursuant to Rule 17j-1
Under the Investment Company Act of 1940
(the " Code" )
1. Purposes
This Code has been adopted by the board of directors/trustees of each fund listed on Exhibit A, on its own behalf and on behalf of each of its series (each a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"), in accordance with Rule 17j-1(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "Act") and in accordance with the following general principles:
(1) The duty at all times to place the interests of Fund shareholders first.
Fund personnel should scrupulously avoid serving their own personal interests ahead of shareholders' interests in any decision relating to their personal investments.
(2) The requirement that all personal securities transactions be conducted consistent with the Code and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual's position of trust and responsibility.
Fund personnel must not only seek to achieve technical compliance with the Code but should strive to abide by its spirit and the principles articulated herein.
(3) The fundamental standard that Fund personnel should not take inappropriate advantage of their positions.
Fund personnel must avoid any situation that might compromise, or call into question, their exercise of fully independent judgment in the interest of shareholders, including, but not limited to the receipt of unusual investment opportunities, perquisites, or gifts of more than a de minimis value from persons doing or seeking business with the Fund.
Rule 17j-1 under the Act generally proscribes fraudulent or manipulative practices with respect to a purchase or sale of a security held or to be acquired (as such term is defined in Section 2 of the Code) by an investment company, if effected by an affiliated person of such company.
The purpose of the Code is to establish procedures consistent with the Act and Rule 17j-1 to give effect to the following general prohibitions as set forth in Rule 17j-1(b) as follows:
It shall be unlawful for any affiliated person of or principal underwriter for a Fund, or any affiliated person of an investment adviser of or principal underwriter for a Fund in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by the person of a security held or to be acquired by the Fund:
(1) To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Fund;
(2) To make any untrue statement of a material fact to the Fund or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to the Fund, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
(3) To engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Fund; or
(4) To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Fund.
2. Definitions
(a) "Access Person" means any director, trustee, officer, general partner or Advisory Person (including any Investment Personnel, as that term is defined herein) of the Fund, the Manager, the Adviser/ Subadviser, or the Principal Underwriter.
(b) "Adviser/Subadviser" means the Adviser or a Subadviser, if any, of the Fund or both as the context may require.
(c) "Advisory Person" means (i) any employee of the Fund, Manager or Adviser/Subadviser (or of any company in a control relationship to the Fund, Manager or Adviser/Subadviser) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains current or pending information regarding the purchase or sale of a security by the Fund, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; and (ii) any natural person in a control relationship to the Fund who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Fund with regard to the purchase or sale of a security.
(d) "Beneficial Ownership" will be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Securities Exchange Act Rule 16a-1(a)(2) in determining which security holdings of a person are subject to the reporting and short-swing profit provisions of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations thereunder, except that the determination of direct or indirect beneficial ownership will apply to all securities which an Access Person has or acquires (Exhibit B).
(e) "Complex" means the group of registered investment companies for which Prudential Investments LLC and/or AST Investment Services, Inc. serve as investment manager; provided, however, that with respect to Access Persons of the Manager or Subadviser (including any unit or subdivision thereof), "Complex" means the group of registered investment companies in the Complex advised by the Manager or such Subadviser or unit or subdivision thereof or to which an Access Person is deemed to have access. A list of such registered investment companies will be maintained by the Compliance Officer.
(f) "Compliance Officer" means the person or persons (including his or her designees) designated by the Manager, the Adviser/Subadviser, or Principal Underwriter, respectively, as having responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Code.
(g) "Control" will have the same meaning as that set forth in
Section 2(a)(9) of the Act.
(h) "Director" means a director or trustee of a Fund, and includes a committee member for any Fund organized as a managed separate account.
(i) "Independent Director" means a Director of the Fund who is not an "interested person" of the Fund within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Act.
(j) “Initial Public Offering” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
(k) "Investment Personnel" means: (a) Portfolio Managers and other Advisory Persons who provide investment information and/or advice to the Portfolio Manager(s) and/or help execute the Portfolio Manager's(s') investment decisions, including securities analysts and traders; (b) any natural person in a control relationship to the Fund who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Fund with regard to the purchase or sale of a security; and (c) certain other individuals as designated by the Compliance Officer.
(l) "Manager" means Prudential Investments LLC, and, with respect to Advanced Series Trust, AST Investment Services, Inc. and Prudential Investments LLC.
(m) “Mutual Fund Code of Ethics/Personal Securities Trading Committee” or “Committee” means a specified group of Business Unit, Compliance, and Human Resources executives or their designees who are responsible for interpreting and administering the Code, including but not limited to, reviewing violations of the Code and determining any sanctions or other disciplinary actions that may be deemed appropriate. 1 In addition, the Committee may waive and or modify violations and sanctions or other disciplinary actions at its discretion when deemed appropriate by the Committee.
The Committee will review such violations in consultation with legal counsel. A list of such Committee members shall be maintained by the Compliance Officer.
(n) “Non-Management Interested Director” means an “interested person” of the Fund within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Act who serves as a Director of the Fund but is not an officer of the Fund, or a director, officer or employee of the Manager or any affiliate of the Manager.
(o) “Non-proprietary Registered Open-end Investment Company” or “Non-proprietary Fund” means any registered open-end investment company whose registered investment adviser is an entity other than AST Investment Services, Inc. or Prudential Investments LLC.
(p) "Portfolio Manager" means any Advisory Person who has the direct responsibility and authority to make investment decisions for the Fund.
(q) “Private Placement” means a limited offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(6) or pursuant to rule 504, rule 505 or rule 506 under the Securities Act of 1933.
(r) “Profits” means any total or partial gain realized from a securities transaction or group of transactions as defined by the Mutual Fund Code of Ethics/Personal Securities Trading Committee.
(s) “Proprietary Registered Open-End Investment Company” or “Proprietary Fund” means a registered open-end investment company for which Prudential Investments LLC and/or AST Investment Services, Inc. act as the investment adviser, with the exception of proprietary money market open-end registered investment companies or any other open-end registered investment companies identified by the Compliance Officer. 2
(t) "Security" will have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(36) of the Act, except that it will not include shares of Non-proprietary Registered Open-end Investment Companies, other than exchange traded funds; money market registered open-end investment companies; bankers' acceptances; bank certificates of deposit; commercial paper and such other money market instruments as are designated by the Compliance Officer. For purposes of the Code, an "equivalent Security" is one that has a substantial economic relationship to another Security. This would include, among other things, (1) a Security that is exchangeable for or convertible into another Security, (2) with respect to an equity Security,
a Security having the same issuer (including a private issue by the same issuer) and any derivative, option or warrant relating to that Security and (3) with respect to a fixed-income Security, a Security having the same issuer, maturity, coupon and rating.
(u) “Security held or to be acquired” means any Security or any equivalent Security which, within the most recent 15 days: (1) is or has been held by the Fund; or (2) is being considered by the Fund or its investment adviser for purchase by the Fund.
3. Applicability
The Code applies to all Access Persons, except that Access Persons covered by more than one Code of Ethics meeting the requirements of Rule 17j-1 may be governed by the provisions of such other Code of Ethics and report all transactions pursuant to the terms of such other Code of Ethics provided that such Code was reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the Fund. The Compliance Officer shall ensure that each Access Person subject to this Code receives a copy of the Code. The Compliance Officer will maintain a list of all Access Persons who are currently, and within the past five years, subject to the Code.
4. Prohibited Purchases and Sales
The requirements of this Section 4 only apply to a transaction in a security in which the designated Access Person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership.
The requirements of this Section 4 shall not apply to Independent Directors or Non-Management Interested Directors.
A. | Mutual Funds |
Except as provided in Section 5 below, Investment Personnel and certain other individuals identified by the Compliance Officer are required to hold Proprietary Funds
purchased for a period of 60 days. In addition, such persons are required to hold certain Non-proprietary Funds, for which they have access to information, for a period of 60 days after purchase. Profits realized on such transactions that do not adhere to the requirements of this Section may be required to be disgorged to the Fund or as otherwise deemed appropriate by the Committee.
B. Initial Public Offerings
Investment Personnel may not acquire any Securities in an initial public offering. For purposes of this restriction, "Initial Public Offerings" shall not include offerings of government and municipal securities.
C. Private Placements
No Access Person may acquire any Securities in a Private Placement without prior approval.
(i) Prior approval must be obtained in accordance with the preclearance procedure described in Section 6 below. Such approval will take into account, among other factors, whether the investment opportunity should be reserved for the Funds and whether the opportunity is being offered to the Access Person by virtue of his or her position with the Fund. The Adviser/Subadviser shall maintain a record of such prior approval, and reason for same, for at least 5 years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.
(ii) Access Persons who have been authorized to acquire Securities in a Private Placement must disclose that investment to the chief investment officer (including his or her designee) of the
Adviser/Subadviser (or of any unit or subdivision thereof) or the Compliance Officer when he or she plays a part in any subsequent consideration of an investment by the Fund in the issuer. In such circumstances, a Fund's decision to purchase Securities of the issuer will be subject to an independent review by appropriate personnel with no personal interest in the issuer.
D. Blackout Periods
(i) Except as provided in Section 5 below, Access Persons are prohibited from executing a Securities transaction on a day during which any investment company in the Complex has a pending "buy" or "sell" order in the same or an equivalent Security and until such time as that order is executed or withdrawn.
This prohibition shall not apply to Access Persons of the Manager, Principal Underwriter, and Adviser/Subadviser who do not, in the ordinary course of fulfilling their official duties, have access to current or pending information regarding the purchase and sale of Securities for the Fund and are not engaged in the day-to-day trading operations of the Fund; provided that Securities investments effected by such Access Persons during the proscribed period are not effected with knowledge of the purchase or sale of the same or equivalent Securities by any Fund in the Complex.
A "pending 'buy' or 'sell' order" exists when a decision to purchase or sell a Security has been made and communicated. However, this prohibition shall not apply to a “pending ‘buy’or ‘sell’ order” in the same or an equivalent Security in a
broad based index Fund. 3
(ii) Portfolio Managers are prohibited from buying or selling a Security within seven calendar days before or after a Fund in the same Complex trades in the same or an equivalent Security. Nevertheless, a personal trade by any Investment Personnel shall not prevent a Fund in the same Complex from trading in the same or an equivalent security. However, such a transaction shall be subject to independent review by the Compliance Officer. This prohibition shall not apply to purchases and sales executed in a broad based index Fund.
(iii) If trades are effected during the periods proscribed in (i) or (ii) above, except as provided in (iv) below with respect to (i) above, Profits realized on such trades will be promptly required to be disgorged to the Fund or a charitable organization approved by the Committee.
(iv) A transaction by Access Persons (other than Investment Personnel) inadvertently effected during the period proscribed in (i) above will not be considered a violation of the Code and disgorgement will not be required so long as the transaction was effected in accordance with the preclearance procedures described in Section 6 below and without prior knowledge of trading by any Fund in the Complex in the same or an equivalent Security.
E. Short-Term Trading Profits
Except as provided in Section 5 below, Investment Personnel are prohibited from profiting from a purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same or an equivalent Security within any 60 calendar day period. For purposes of this prohibition, Security shall exclude Proprietary Funds and Non-proprietaryFunds, certain broad-based exchange traded funds, including options on those funds, and securities that would not be generally ineligible for purchase by the strategy managed by the Complex. 4 If trades are effected during the proscribed period, Profits realized on such trades will be promptly required to be disgorged to the Fund or a charitable organization approved by the Committee.
F. Short Sales
No Access Person may sell any security short that is owned by any Fund in the Complex. Access Persons may, however, make short sales when he/she owns an equivalent amount of the same security.
G. Options
No Access Person may write a naked call option or buy a naked put option on a security owned by any Fund in the Complex. Access Persons may purchase options on securities not held by any Fund in the Complex, or purchase call options or write put options on securities owned by any Fund in the Complex, subject to preclearance and the same restrictions applicable to other Securities. Access Persons may write covered call options or buy covered put options on a Security owned by any Fund in the Complex at the discretion of the Compliance Officer.
H. Investment Clubs
No Access or Investment Person may participate in an investment club.
5. Exempted Transactions
The requirements of Section 4.A. above will not apply to subparagraphs (a), (c), (d), (i), (j), and (k) hereof. In addition, subject to preclearance in accordance with Section 6 below with respect to subparagraphs (b), (e), (f), (g) and (i) hereof, the prohibitions of Sections 4.D. and 4.E., will not apply to the following:
(a) Purchases or sales of Securities effected in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control or in any account of the Access Person which is managed on a discretionary basis by a person other than such Access Person and with respect to which such Access Person does not in fact influence or control such transactions. 5
(b) Purchases or sales of Securities (or their equivalents) which are generally not eligible for purchase or sale by any Fund in the Complex given its underlying strategy.
(c) Purchases or sales of Securities which are non-volitional on the part of either the Access Person or any Fund in the Complex.
(d) Purchases of Securities, which are part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan.
(e) Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its Securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired.
(f) Any equity Securities transaction, or series of related transactions effected over a 30 calendar day period, involving 500 shares or less in each direction, if the Access Person has no prior knowledge of activity in such security by any Fund in the Complex and the security meets any additional criteria deemed pertinent by Compliance. 6
(g) Any fixed-income Securities transaction, or series of related transactions effected over a 30 calendar day period, involving 100 units
($100,000 principal amount) or less in each direction, if the Access Person has no prior knowledge of transactions in such Securities by any Fund in the Complex.
(h) Any transaction in index options effected on a broad-based index. 7
(i) Purchases or sales of Securities which receive the prior approval of the Compliance Officer (such person having no personal interest in such purchases or sales), based on a determination that no abuse is involved and that such purchases and sales are not likely to have any economic impact on any Fund in the Complex or on its ability to purchase or sell Securities of the same class or other Securities of the same issuer. With respect to the requirements of Section 4.A. above, the Compliance Officer may approve certain hardship or other exceptions.
(j) Purchases or sales of unit investment trusts. However, purchases or sales of exchange traded funds, including those registered as unit investment trusts, are required to be precleared in accordance with Section 6 below.
(k) Purchases or sales of Securities that are part of an automatic investment/withdrawal program or that result from automatic rebalancing.
(l) Purchases or sales of mortgage backed securities, foreign currency options and agency securities. 8
6. Preclearance
Access Persons (other than Independent Directors and Non-Management Interested Directors) must preclear all personal Securities investments with the exception of those identified in subparts (a), (c), (d), (h), (j), (k), and (l) of Section 5 and Section 4.A. above.
All requests for preclearance must be submitted to the Compliance Officer for approval. All approved orders must be executed by the close of business on the day in which preclearance is granted; provided, however that approved orders for Securities
traded in foreign markets may be executed within two (2) business days from the date preclearance is granted.
If any order is not timely executed, a request for preclearance must be resubmitted.
7. Reporting
(a) Independent Directors shall report to the Secretary of the Fund the information described in Section 7(b) hereof with respect to transactions in any Security in which such Independent Director has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Security only if such Independent Director, at the time of that transaction knew or, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a Director of the Fund, should have known that, during the 15-day period immediately preceding or subsequent to the date of the transaction in a Security by such Director, such Security is or was purchased or sold by the Fund or was being considered for purchase or sale by the Fund, the Manager or Adviser/Subadviser; provided, however, that an Independent Director is not required to make a report with respect to transactions effected in any account over which such Director does not have any direct or indirect influence or control or in any account of the Independent Director which is managed on a discretionary basis by a person other than such Director and with respect to which such Director does not in fact influence or control such transactions. 9 The Secretary of the Fund shall maintain such reports and such other records to the extent required by Rule 17j-1 under the Act.
(b) Every report required by Section 7(a) hereof shall be made not later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction to which the report
relates was effected, and shall contain the following information:
(i) The date of the transaction, the title, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount of each Security involved;
(ii) The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
(iii) The price at which the transaction was effected;
(iv) The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and
(v) The date that the report is submitted.
(c) Any such report may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the person making such report that he or she has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Security to which the report relates.
8. Records of Securities Transactions and Post-Trade Review
With the exception of accounts identified in Section 5(a), Access Persons (other than Independent Directors) are required to direct their brokers to supply, on a timely basis, duplicate copies of confirmations of all personal Securities transactions and copies of periodic statements for all Securities accounts in which such Access Persons have a Beneficial Ownership interest to the Compliance Officer. Such instructions must be made upon becoming an Access Person and promptly as new accounts are established, but no later than 30 days after the end of a calendar quarter, with respect to any account established by the Access Person in which any securities were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect beneficial interest of the Access Person.
Notification must be made in writing and a copy of the notification must be submitted to Compliance. This notification will include the broker, dealer or bank with which the account was established and the date the account was established.
Compliance with this Code requirement will be deemed to satisfy the reporting requirements imposed on Access Persons under Rule 17j-1(d), provided, however, that such confirmations and statements contain all the information required by Section 7. b. hereof and are furnished within the time period required by such section.
The Compliance Officer will periodically review the personal investment activity of all Access Persons (including Independent Directors with respect to Securities transactions reported pursuant to Section 7 above) and holdings reports of all Access Persons.
9. Disclosure of Personal Holdings
Within ten days after an individual first becomes an Access Person and thereafter on an annual basis, each Access Person (other than Independent Directors) must disclose all personal Securities holdings with the exception of accounts identified in Section 5(a). Such disclosure must be made in writing and be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the individual first became an Access Person with respect to the initial report and include information that is current within the previous 45 days, with respect to the annual report. All such reports shall include the following: title, number of shares and principal amount of each security held; name of broker, dealer or bank with whom these securities are held; and the date of submission by the Access Person.
10. Gifts
Access Persons are prohibited from receiving any gift or other thing, which would be considered excessive in value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of the Fund. Occasional business meals or entertainment (theatrical or sporting events, etc.) are permitted so long as they are not excessive in number or cost.
11. Service As a Director
Investment Personnel are prohibited from serving on the boards of directors of publicly traded companies, absent prior authorization based upon a determination that the board service would be consistent with the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. In the limited instances that such board service is authorized, Investment Personnel will be isolated from those making investment decisions affecting transactions in Securities issued by any publicly traded company on whose board such Investment Personnel serves as a director through the use of an information barrier or other procedures designed to address the potential conflicts of interest.
12. Certification of Compliance with the Code
Access Persons are required to certify annually as follows:
(i) | that they have read and understood the Code; |
(ii) | that they recognize that they are subject to the Code; |
(iii) that they have complied with the requirements of the Code; and
(iv) | that they have disclosed or reported all personal Securities transactions required to be disclosed or reported pursuant to the requirements of the Code. |
13. Code Violations and Sanctions
All violations of the Code will be reviewed by the Committee. The Committee will determine any sanctions or other disciplinary actions that may be deemed appropriate. All material violations and corresponding sanctions and/or disciplinary action will be reported to the Board of Directors of the Fund on a quarterly basis.
The Board of Directors may take action as it deems appropriate, in addition to any action previously taken by the Committee.
14. Review by the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors will be provided with a report, no less frequently than annually, which at a minimum:
(i) certifies to the Board that the Fund, Manager, Investment Adviser/Subadviser, and Principal Underwriter have adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent its Access Persons from violating its Code;
(ii) summarizes existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the preceding year;
(iii) identifies material Code or procedural violations and sanctions imposed in response to those material violations; and
(iv) identifies any recommended changes in existing restrictions or procedures based upon the Fund's experience under the Code, evolving industry practices, or developments in applicable laws and regulations.
The Board will review
such report and determine if any further action is required.
Explanatory Notes to Code
1. No comparable Code requirements have been imposed upon Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, the Fund's transfer agent, or those of its directors or officers who are not Directors or officers of the Funds since they are deemed not to constitute Access Persons or Advisory Persons as defined in paragraphs (e)(1) and (2) of Rule 17j-1.
Exhibit A
Prudential Funds
Prudential Insurance Funds:
The Prudential Series Fund, Inc.
Advanced Series Trust
Prudential’s Gibraltar Fund, Inc.
Prudential Retail Funds:
Prudential Global Total Return Fund, Inc.
Prudential National Muni Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Blend Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Natural Resources Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Small Company Fund, Inc.
Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth Fund, Inc.
Prudential Givernment Money Market Fund, Inc.
Prudential Short Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc.
Prudential Investment Portfolios 2
Prudential Investment Portfolios 3
Prudential Investment Portfolios 4
Prudential Investment Portfolios 5
Prudential Investment Portfolios 6
Prudential Investment Portfolios 7
Prudential Investment Portfolios 8
Prudential Investment Portfolios 9
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 10
Prudential Investment Portfolios 12
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 15
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 16
Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 17
Prudential Investment Portfolio 18
Prudential Jennison 20/20 Focus Fund
Prudential Jennison MLP Fund
Prudential Total Return Bond Fund
The Target Portfolio Trust
Prudential World Fund, Inc.
Prudential Sector Funds, Inc.
Other – Variable Contract Accounts
The Prudential Variable Contract Account -2
The Prudential Variable Contract Account -10
The Prudential Variable Contract Account -11
Closed-End Funds
Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc.
Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc.
Exhibit B
Definition of Beneficial Ownership
The term "beneficial ownership" of securities would include not only ownership of securities held by an access person for his or her own benefit, whether in bearer form or registered in his or her own name or otherwise, but also ownership of securities held for his or her benefit by other (regardless of whether or how they are registered) such as custodians, brokers, executors, administrators, or trustees (including trusts in which he or she has only a remainder interest), and securities held for his or her account by pledges, securities owned by a partnership in which he or she should regard as a personal holding corporation. Correspondingly, this term would exclude securities held by an access person for the benefit of someone else.
Ordinarily, this term would not include securities held by executors or administrators in estates in which an access person is a legatee or beneficiary unless there is a specific legacy to such person of such securities or such person is the sole legatee or beneficiary and there are other assets in the estate sufficient to pay debts ranking ahead of such legacy, or the securities are held in the estate more than a year after the decedent's death.
Securities held in the name of another should be considered as "beneficially" owned by an access person where such person enjoys "benefits substantially equivalent to ownership". The SEC has said that although the final determination of beneficial ownership is a question to be determined in the light of the facts of the particular case, generally a person is regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in the name of his or her spouse and their minor children. Absent special circumstances such relationship ordinarily results in such person obtaining benefits substantially equivalent to ownership, e.g., application of the income derived from such securities to maintain a common home, to meet expenses which such person otherwise would meet from other sources, or the ability to exercise a controlling influence over the purchase, sale or voting of such securities.
An access person also may be regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in the name of another person, if by reason of any contact, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement, he obtains therefrom benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership. Moreover, the fact that the holder is a relative or relative of a spouse and sharing the same home as an access person may in itself indicate that the access person would obtain benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership from securities held in the name of such relative. Thus, absent countervailing facts, it is expected that securities held by relatives who share the same home as an access person will be treated as being beneficially owned by the access person.
An access person also is regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in the name of a spouse, minor children or other person, even though he does not obtain therefrom the aforementioned benefits of ownership, if he can vest or revest title in himself at once or at some future time.
1 Each Committee member will recommend a designee. The Committee must approve each designee who should generally be a direct report of the Committee member at a senior level. A designee may attend meetings and vote on Committee matters in the member’s absence.
2 The Compliance Officer will maintain a list of such exempt open-end registered investment companies .
3 A list of such Funds shall be maintained by the Compliance Officer.
4 In certain situations, the short term trading rule may only apply to the universe of securities to which the Investment Personnel have access. Compliance will maintain the criteria for determining which exchange traded funds are broad based and; therefore, exempt from the short term trading rule. Ineligible securities are securities that would not generally be traded by a Complex given its underlying strategy.
5 Includes trust accounts for which the Access Person acts only in the capacity of grantor or beneficiary. If the Access Person has given discretion to a third party, he or she must not influence or control the account, such as by suggesting purchases or sales of investments, directing transactions, or consulting with the manager regarding allocation of nvestments in any way that could affect the selection of specific securities.
6 Compliance will maintain a record of additional de minimis criteria.
7 A list of such indices will be maintained by the Compliance Officer.
8 This exemption applies to all Access Persons except certain identified Investment Personnel.
9 If discretion has been given to a third party, the account holder must not influence or control the account, such as by suggesting purchases or sales of investments, directing transactions, or consulting with the manager regarding allocation of investments in any way that could affect the selection of specific securities.
INVESTMENT ADVISER CODE OF ETHICS
INTRODUCTION
Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act requires each federally registered investment adviser to adopt a written code of ethics (the “Code”) designed to prevent fraud by reinforcing the principles that govern the conduct of investment advisory firms and their personnel. In addition, the Code must set forth specific requirements relating to personal securities trading activity including reporting transactions and holdings.
Generally, the Code applies to directors, officers and employees acting in an investment advisory capacity who are known as Supervised Persons and, in some cases, also as Access Persons of the adviser. Supervised Persons covered by more than one code of ethics meeting the requirements of Rule 204A-1 will be subject to the code of the primary entity with which the Supervised Person is associated.
Employees identified as Supervised and Access Persons must comply with the Code. Compliance is responsible for notifying each individual who is subject to the Code. Supervised Persons must be provided and must acknowledge receipt of this Code and any amendments to the Code. They must also comply with the federal securities laws.
GENERAL ETHICAL STANDARDS
Prudential holds its employees to the highest ethical standards. Maintaining high standards requires a total commitment to sound ethical principles and Prudential’s values. It also requires nurturing a business culture that supports decisions and actions based on what is right, not simply what is expedient.
It is the responsibility of management to make the Company’s ethical standards clear. At every level, employees must set the right example in their daily conduct. Prudential expects employees to be honest and forthright and to use good judgment. We expect them to deal fairly with customers, suppliers, competitors, and one another. We expect them to avoid taking unfair advantage of others through manipulation, concealment, abuse of confidential information or misrepresentation. Moreover, employees must understand the expectations of the Company and apply these guidelines to analogous situations or seek guidance if they have questions about conduct in given circumstances.
It is each employee’s responsibility to ensure that we:
Ø | Nurture a company culture that is highly moral and make decisions based on what is right. |
Ø | Build lasting customer relationships by offering only those products and services that are appropriate to customers’ needs and provide fair value. |
Ø | Maintain an environment where employees conduct themselves with courage, integrity, honesty and fair dealing at all times. |
Ø | Ensure no individual’s personal success or business group’s bottom line is more important than preserving the name and goodwill of Prudential. |
Ø | Regularly monitor and work to improve our ethical work environment. |
Because Ethics is not a science, there may be gray areas. We encourage individuals to ask for help in making the right decisions. Business Management, Business Ethics Officers, and our Human Resources, Law and Compliance and Enterprise Ethics professionals are all available for guidance at any time.
INVESTMENT ADVISER FIDUCIARY STANDARDS
Investment advisers frequently are fiduciaries for clients. Fiduciary status may exist under contract; common law; state law; or federal laws, such as the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Investment Company Act of 1940 and ERISA.
Whenever a Prudential adviser acts in a fiduciary capacity, it will endeavor to consistently put the client’s interest ahead of the firm’s. It will disclose actual and potential meaningful conflicts of interest. It will manage actual conflicts in accordance with applicable legal standards. If applicable legal standards do not permit management of a conflict, the adviser will avoid the conflict. Adviser personnel will not engage in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct. Advisers will act with appropriate care, skill and diligence.
Advisory personnel are required to know when an adviser is acting as a fiduciary with respect to the work they are doing. In such cases, advisory personnel are expected to comply with all fiduciary standards applicable to the firm in performing their duties. In addition, they must also put the client’s interest ahead of their own personal interest. An employee’s fiduciary duty is a personal obligation. While advisory personnel may rely upon subordinates to perform many tasks that are part of their responsibilities, they are personally responsible for fiduciary obligations even if carried out through subordinates.
Employees should be aware that failure to adhere to the standards under this Code might lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
REPORTING VIOLATIONS OF THE CODE
It is the responsibility of each Supervised Person and Access Person to promptly report any violations of this Code to his/her Chief Compliance Officer. The investment adviser will provide disclosure of issues to clients upon request.
INCORPORATED POLICIES
In addition to this document, the following policies are also considered part of this Code:
Ø | U.S. Information Barrier Standards. It is each Supervised and Access Person’s responsibility to know whether their investment management unit is subject to the information barrier restrictions under the U.S. Information Barrier Standards. Compliance will provide training to inform employees of their obligations. |
Ø | Personal Securities Trading Standards |
¨ | Section I – Prudential’s Standards on Insider Trading |
¨ | Section II – Securities Trade Monitoring for Covered and Access Persons |
¨ | Section III – Standards and Restrictions for Personal Trading in Securities Issued by Prudential by Designated Persons |
¨ | Section IV – Trading Restrictions for Employees of Broker-Dealers |
¨ | Section V – Trading Restrictions for Portfolio Management and Trading Units and Registered Investment Advisers |
¨ | Section VI – Trading Restrictions for Private Asset Management Units |
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Although not part of the this Code, the Prudential’s Code of Conduct, titled Making the Right Choices, applies to all Prudential employees, including those affiliated with an investment adviser. In addition to the Code, employees in the investment advisory business are also subject to all applicable compliance manuals, policies and procedures. If you have any questions as to your requirements under the Code or as to which registered investment adviser(s) you are affiliated with, you should contact your business unit compliance officer.
Personal Securities
Trading Standards
Introduction
As a leader in the financial services industry, Prudential Financial, Inc. (“Prudential” or “Company”) aspires to the highest standards of business conduct. Consistent with this standard, Prudential has developed Personal Securities Trading Standards (”Standards”) incorporating standards and procedures followed by leading financial service firms. These Standards are designed for Prudential and its associates to comply with various securities laws and regulations including the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 (“ITSFEA”) and the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), and to have its associates conduct their personal trading in a manner consistent with Prudential’s requirement of placing its shareholders’ and customers’ interests first.
These Standards set forth insider trading requirements, trade monitoring procedures, and personal trading restrictions for Prudential associates.
Section I sets forth Prudential’s Standards on Insider Trading that applies to all Prudential associates. It is important that all Prudential associates read and understand these standards, which sets forth their responsibilities in connection with the use and disclosure of material nonpublic information.
Section II sets forth Prudential’s trade monitoring procedures and trade reporting obligations for Covered and Access Persons, including the authorized broker-dealer requirements.
Section III sets forth Prudential’s standards and restrictions relating to personal trading in securities issued by Prudential for Designated Persons and all other Prudential associates. Responsibilities for Section 16 Insiders are covered under a separate document.
Section IV sets forth the additional trading standards and procedures applicable to associates of a Prudential broker-dealer.
Section V sets forth the additional trading standards and procedures applicable to associates of a Prudential portfolio management unit, trading unit or registered investment adviser.
Section VI sets forth the additional trading standards and procedures applicable to associates of the private asset management units of PGIM.
If you are unclear as to your personal trading and reporting responsibilities, or have any questions concerning any aspect of these Standards, please contact the Compliance Department at PST.help@prudential.com.
The personal trading standards and trade monitoring procedures described in this document reflect the practices followed by leading financial service firms. No business unit or group may adopt standards or procedures that are inconsistent with these Standards. However, business units may adopt standards and
procedures that are more stringent than those contained herein. Exceptions to these standards may only be granted by the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer.
Table of Contents
Introduction | i |
Table of Contents | iii |
Table of Contents | iii |
I. Prudential’s Standards On Insider Trading | 7 |
A. Use of Material Nonpublic and Confidential Information | 7 |
B. Prudential Insider Trading Rules | 8 |
C. What is Nonpublic Information? | 9 |
D. What is Material Information? | 9 |
E. “Front-running” and “Scalping” | 10 |
F. Private Securities Transactions | 11 |
G. Charitable Gifts | 11 |
H. Penalties for Insider Trading | 11 |
1. Penalties for Individuals | 11 |
2. Penalties for Supervisors | 11 |
3. Penalties for Prudential | 12 |
II. Securities Trade Monitoring for Covered and Access Persons | 13 |
A. The SunGard Protegent PTA System | 13 |
B. Covered, Access and Supervised Persons | 13 |
C. Trade Reporting Requirements | 15 |
1. Reporting New Accounts | 15 |
2. Personal and Family Member Accounts | 15 |
3. Accounts in which purchases and sales are limited to open-end mutual funds | 15 |
4. Authorized Broker-Dealer Requirements | 16 |
5. Authorized Broker-Dealer Exceptions | 17 |
6. Trade Reporting Requirements for Exception Accounts | 18 |
7. Discretionary Accounts | 19 |
8. Reportable Securities Transactions | 20 |
9. Confidentiality of Trading Information | 20 |
10. Prohibited Transactions Involving Securities of Prudential Financial, Inc. | 20 |
11. Code Violations and Sanctions | 21 |
12. Additional Requirements | 21 |
III. Standards and Restrictions for Personal Trading in Securities Issued by Prudential by Designated Persons | 22 |
A. Designated Persons | 22 |
B. Specific Trading Requirements | 23 |
1. Brokerage Account Requirements for Designated Persons | 23 |
2. Trade Reporting Requirements for Accounts with Non-Authorized Broker-Dealers | 24 |
3. Reporting New Accounts | 24 |
4. Trading Windows/Blackout Periods | 24 |
5. Preclearance of Trading in Prudential Securities | 25 |
6. Prohibited Transactions Involving Securities of Prudential Financial, Inc. | 26 |
7. PESP | 26 |
C. Supervisory Responsibilities | 26 |
D. Violations of these Standards | 26 |
IV. Trading Restrictions for Associates of Broker-Dealers | 28 |
A. Trade Monitoring for Associated Persons of a Broker-Dealer | 28 |
1. Notification Requirements for Personal Securities Accounts | 28 |
2. Periodic Compliance Training and Sign-off | 29 |
3. Requirement for Supervised Persons | 29 |
B. Restrictions on the Purchase and Sale of Initial Equity Public Offerings | 29 |
C. Private Placements | 30 |
D. Code Violations and Sanctions | 31 |
V. Trading Restrictions for Portfolio Management and Trading Units and Registered Investment Advisers | 32 |
A. Background | 32 |
1. Advisers Act Requirements | 32 |
2. Investment Company Act Requirements | 32 |
B. Definitions | 33 |
C. Conflicts of Interest | 33 |
D. Mutual Fund Reporting and Trading Restrictions | 34 |
1. Mutual Fund Holding Period | 34 |
2. Standards Relating to Reporting and Trading Mutual Funds | 35 |
E. Additional Trading Restrictions for Access and Investment Personnel of Prudential Fixed Income (“FI”), Quantitative Management Associates LLC (“QMA”), the Prudential Real Estate Investors’ Global Real Estate Securities Team (“GRES”), AST Investment Services, Inc. (“ASTIS”) , Prudential International Investments Advisers, LLC (“PIIA”), and Prudential Investments LLC (“PI”) | 36 |
1. Initial Public Offerings | 36 |
2. Private Placements | 36 |
3. Blackout Periods | 37 |
4. Short-Term Trading Profits | 37 |
5. Short Sales | 38 |
6. Options | 38 |
7. Trading Conflicts | 38 |
F. Investment Clubs | 38 |
G. Prohibited Transactions Involving Securities of Prudential Financial, Inc. | 38 |
H. Preclearance | 39 |
I. Exemptions | 40 |
J. Personal Trade Reporting | 43 |
K. Personal Securities Holdings | 43 |
L. Service as a Director | 43 |
M. Gifts | 44 |
N. Code Violations and Sanctions | 44 |
O. Reports to Clients | 44 |
P. Additional Trading Requirements for Access Persons of Global Portfolio Strategies Inc. (“GPSI”) | 45 |
1. Initial Public Offerings | 45 |
2. Private Placements | 45 |
3. Watchlist | 45 |
Q. Additional Trading Requirements for certain Covered Persons | 45 |
1. Watchlist | 45 |
R. Violations of these Standards | 46 |
VI. Trading Restrictions of Private Asset Management Units | 47 |
A. Background | 47 |
B. Conflicts of Interest | 47 |
C. Requirements of Private-Side Associates | 48 |
D. PCG, PMCC and PREI Material Nonpublic Information Lists | 49 |
E. Investment Clubs | 49 |
F. Mutual Fund Reporting and Trading Restrictions | 50 |
1. Mutual Fund Holding Period | 50 |
2. Policies Relating to Reporting and Trading Mutual Funds | 50 |
G. Personal Securities Holdings | 51 |
H. Private Placements | 52 |
I. Initial Public Offerings | 52 |
J. Additional Restrictions for Certain Units | 52 |
1. Preclearance Requirements | 52 |
2. Real Estate Units | 52 |
3. PREI – Prudential Retirement Real Estate Fund Restrictions (“PRREF”) | 53 |
4. Prudential Capital Group 90-Day Pricing List | 53 |
K. Violations of these Standards | 53 |
Exhibits | 54 |
Exhibit 1 – Sample Letter to Brokerage Firm | 54 |
Exhibit 2a – Acknowledgment of the Personal Securities Trading Standards - US | 55 |
Exhibit 2b - Acknowledgment of the Personal Securities Trading Standards - International | 57 |
Exhibit 3 – Preclearance and Reporting of Personal Transactions | 59 |
Exhibit 4 – DRIP, PESP and PSPP Requirements Relating to Designated Persons | 63 |
Exhibit 5 – Transactions in Broad-Based Indices that are Exempt from Preclearance & Short-Term Trading Prohibitions | 66 |
Exhibit 6 – Personal Securities Holdings Report | 67 |
Exhibit 7 -- Section 16 Insiders and Designated Persons Preclearance Request Form | 68 |
Exhibit 8 -- Non Proprietary Subadvised Mutual Funds | 70 |
Exhibit 9 – Initial Public Offering and Private Placement Preclearance Form for Access Persons and Private-Side Associates | 72 |
Exhibit 10 – PESP Requirements Relating to PRREF Covered Individuals | 73 |
I. Prudential’s Standards On Insider Trading
Prudential aspires to the highest standard of business ethics. Accordingly, Prudential has developed the following standards and requirements to properly protect material nonpublic information and to comply with laws and regulations governing insider trading.
A. Use of Material Nonpublic and Confidential Information
In the course of your work at Prudential, you may receive or have access to material nonpublic information about Prudential or other public companies. The Company standards, industry practice and federal and state laws establish strict guidelines regarding the use of material nonpublic information. In addition to these requirements, Prudential has established the corporate master policy entitled “Protection and Use of Material Nonpublic Information: Information Barriers and Personal Securities Trading”. Additionally, the U.S. Information Barrier Standards have been adopted to provide specific requirements for employees of a U.S. Investment Sector (as defined in the U.S. Information Barrier Standards) and its constituent investment units (including their operations located outside the U.S.).
· | You may not use material nonpublic information, including information obtained in the course of your employment, for your personal gain or share such information with others for their personal benefit. |
· | You must treat as confidential all information that is not publicly disclosed concerning Prudential’s financial information and key performance drivers, investment activity or plans, or the financial condition and business activity of Prudential or any company with which Prudential is doing business. |
· | If you possess material nonpublic information, you must preserve its confidentiality and disclose it only to other associates who have a legitimate business need for the information. In addition, there are special rules for non-investment unit employees sharing material nonpublic information with employees of an investment unit. In these circumstances, you must contact the Law Department or Compliance prior to sharing this information so that proper precautions can be taken. |
· | In the course of your business activities you may be involved in confidential analysis involving other external public companies. You must treat as confidential all information received relating to this analysis and discuss it only with those employees who have a legitimate business need for the information. You may not personally use this information or share such information with others for anyone’s personal benefit. |
Under federal securities law, it is illegal to buy or sell a security while in possession of material nonpublic information relating to the security. [1] , [2] It is also illegal to “tip” others about inside information. In other words, you may not pass material nonpublic information about an issuer on to others or recommend that they trade the issuer’s securities.
Insider trading is an extremely complex area of the law principally regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). If you have any questions concerning the law or a particular situation, you should consult with the Compliance Department or the Law Department. If you believe that you may have material nonpublic information about a public company obtained in the course of your position, or if you are in a portfolio or asset management unit and you believe you may have material nonpublic information regardless of the source, you should notify your Chief Compliance Officer so that the securities can be monitored and/or placed on a restricted list as appropriate.
B. Prudential Insider Trading Rules
Below are rules concerning insider trading. Failure to comply with these rules could result in violations of the federal securities laws and subject you to severe penalties described in Section I.H. Violations of these rules also may result in discipline by Prudential up to and including termination of employment.
(1) | You may not buy or sell securities issued by Prudential or any other public company if you are in possession of material nonpublic information relating to those companies. [3] This restriction applies to transactions for you, members of your family, Prudential or any other person for whom you may buy or sell securities. In addition, you may not recommend to others that they buy or sell that security while in possession of material nonpublic information. |
(2) | If you are aware that Prudential is considering or actually trading any security for any account it manages, you must regard that as material nonpublic information. Accordingly, you may not make any trade or recommendation involving that security until seven calendar days after you know that such trading is no longer being considered or until seven calendar days after Prudential ceases trading in that security, whichever is longer. In addition, you must treat any nonpublic information about portfolio holdings of any registered investment company managed by Prudential as material nonpublic information. |
(3) | You may not communicate material nonpublic information to anyone except individuals who are entitled to receive it in connection with the performance of their responsibilities for Prudential (i.e., individuals with a “need to know”). |
(4) | You should refrain from buying or selling securities issued by any companies about which you are involved in confidential analysis. In addition, you may not communicate any information regarding the confidential analysis of the company, or that Prudential is even evaluating the company, to anyone except individuals who are entitled to receive it in connection with the performance of their responsibilities for Prudential. |
C. What is Nonpublic Information?
Nonpublic information is information that is not generally available to the investing public. Information is public if it is generally available through the media or disclosed in public documents such as corporate filings with the SEC. If it is disclosed in a national business or financial wire service (such as Dow Jones or Bloomberg), in a national news service (such as AP or Reuters), in a newspaper, on the television, on the radio, or in a publicly disseminated disclosure document (such as a proxy statement or prospectus), you may consider the information to be public. If the information is not available in the general media or in a public filing, you should consider it to be nonpublic. Neither partial disclosure (disclosure of part of the information) nor the existence of rumors is sufficient to consider the information to be public. If you are uncertain as to whether information is nonpublic, you should consult the Law Department or your Chief Compliance Officer.
While you must be especially alert to sensitive information, you may consider information received directly from a designated company spokesperson to be public information unless you know or have reason to believe that such information is not generally available to the investing public. An associate working on a private securities transaction who receives information from a company representative regarding the transaction should presume that the information is nonpublic.
Example :
When telling a Prudential analyst certain information about the company, a company representative gives indication that the information may be nonpublic by saying: “This is not generally known but . . .” In such a situation, the analyst should assume that the information is nonpublic.
D. What is Material Information?
There is no statutory definition of material information. You should assume that information is material if an investor, considering all the surrounding facts and circumstances, would find such information important in deciding whether or when to buy, sell, or hold a security. In general, any nonpublic information that, if announced, could affect the price of the security should be considered to be material information. If you are not sure whether nonpublic information is material, you should consult the Law Department or your Chief Compliance Officer.
Material information may be about Prudential or another public company.
Examples :
· | Information about a company’s earnings or dividends (e.g., whether earnings will increase or decrease); |
· | Information about a company’s physical assets (e.g., an oil discovery, a fire that destroyed a factory, or an environmental problem); |
· | Information about a company’s personnel (e.g., a valuable employee leaving or becoming seriously ill); |
· | Information about a company’s pension plans (e.g., the removal of assets from an over-funded plan or an increase or decrease in future contributions); |
· | Information about a company’s financial status (e.g., financial restructuring plans or changes to planned payments of debt securities); |
· | Information about a merger, acquisition, tender offer, joint venture or similar transaction involving the Company; or |
· | Information about pending litigation involving a company generally should be considered material. |
Information may be material even though it may not be directly about a company (e.g., if the information is relevant to that company or its products, business, or assets).
Examples :
· | Information that a company’s primary supplier is going to increase dramatically the prices it charges; or |
· | Information that a competitor has just developed a product that will cause sales of a company’s products to plummet. |
Material information may also include information about Prudential’s activities or plans relating to a company unaffiliated with Prudential.
Example :
Information that Prudential is going to enter into a transaction with a company, such as, for example, awarding a large service contract to a particular company.
E. “Front-running” and “Scalping”
Trading while in possession of information concerning Prudential’s trades is prohibited by Prudential’s insider trading rules and may also violate federal law. This type of trading activity is referred to as “front running” and “scalping”.
Front running occurs when an individual, with knowledge of Prudential’s trading intentions, knowingly makes a trade in the same direction as Prudential just before Prudential makes its trade. Examples include buying a security just before Prudential buys that security (in the expectation that the price may rise based on such purchase) or
selling a security just before Prudential sells such security (in the expectation that such sale will lead to a drop in price).
Scalping is making a trade in the opposite direction just after Prudential’s trade, in other words, buying a security just after Prudential stops selling such security or selling just after Prudential stops buying such security.
Example:
Prudential is planning to sell a large position in ABC Co. If you sell ABC Co. securities ahead of Prudential in expectation that the large sale will depress its price, you are engaging in front running. If you purchase ABC Co. securities after Prudential has completed its sale to take advantage of the temporary price decrease, you are engaging in scalping.
F. Private Securities Transactions
The anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws apply to transactions in both publicly traded securities and private securities. However, the insider trading laws do not prohibit private securities transactions where both parties to the transaction have possession of the same material nonpublic information.
G. Charitable Gifts
If you are in possession of material nonpublic information concerning a security you hold, you may not gift the security to a charitable institution and receive a tax deduction on the gift.
H. Penalties for Insider Trading [4]
1. Penalties for Individuals
Individuals who illegally trade while in possession of material nonpublic information or who illegally tip such information to others may be subject to severe civil and criminal penalties including disgorgement of profits, substantial fines and imprisonment. Employment consequences of such behavior may include the loss or suspension of licenses to work in the securities industry, and disciplinary action by Prudential that may include fines or other monetary penalties, suspension without pay, reduction in PTO days or other disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
2. Penalties for Supervisors
The law provides for penalties for “controlling persons” of individuals who engage in insider trading. Accordingly, under certain circumstances, supervisors of an associate who is found liable for insider trading may be subject to criminal fines up to $1 million
per violation, civil penalties and fines, and discipline by Prudential up to and including termination of employment.
3. Penalties for Prudential
Prudential could also be subject to penalties in the event an associate is found liable for insider trading. Such penalties include, among others, harsh criminal fines and civil penalties, as well as restrictions placed on Prudential’s ability to conduct certain business activities including broker-dealer, investment adviser, and investment company activities.
II. Securities Trade Monitoring for Covered and Access Persons
A. The SunGard Protegent PTA System
Federal Law requires all broker-dealers and investment advisers to establish procedures to prevent insider trading by their associates. In addition, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines require companies to establish reasonable procedures to prevent and detect violations of the law. To comply with these and other similar laws and rules, Prudential has developed the Personal Securities Trading Standards to assist in preventing the misuse of material nonpublic information about Prudential or other public companies. All employees are held to the general principles of these Standards to ensure the proper use of material nonpublic information.
However, certain employees are required to have their personal trading activities monitored and may be subject to additional restrictions. Prudential has established a program to monitor the personal securities trading of associates with routine access to nonpublic corporate information about Prudential or any external public company, portfolio management activities, nonpublic mutual fund holdings information or other sensitive information. These individuals are required to have their personal securities transactions monitored in the securities trade monitoring system known as SunGard Protegent PTA [5] , [6]
B. Covered, Access and Supervised Persons
Certain employees are classified as “Covered” or “Access” Persons (as defined below). [7] These individuals are categorized based on the information to which they have access. Covered and Access Persons are required to report their personal securities transactions and conform to the authorized broker-dealer requirements (discussed below). Individuals classified as “Access”, “Covered” and “Designated Persons” (as defined in Section III.A.) are collectively referred to as “Monitored Persons” under these Standards.
“Access Persons” - Associates who work in or support portfolio management activities, have access to nonpublic investment advisory client trading information or recommendations or have access to nonpublic portfolio holdings of mutual funds. See Section V for specific requirements. Certain Access Persons are subject to preclearance of all personal securities trading activity, while other Access Persons may only be subject to specific trading restrictions.
“Covered Persons” – Associates, other than Access Persons, who may have access to material nonpublic information about external public companies or those individuals who have a regulatory obligation to be monitored. [8]
“Supervised Persons” - Individuals who are officers, directors and employees of a registered investment adviser, as well as certain other individuals who provide advice on behalf of the adviser and are subject to the adviser’s supervision and control.
Supervised Persons are subject to the following requirements:
If an individual is only classified as a Supervised Person, and is not also classified as an Access, Covered or Designated Person, as defined in Section III.A., he/she is not required to report his/her personal securities trading activity to Corporate Compliance and is not subject to the authorized broker-dealer requirements. [9]
If you are unsure as to whether you are an Access, Covered, or Supervised Person, contact your Chief Compliance Officer.
All personal trade monitoring requirements outlined in these standards remain in effect while an employee is on leave of absence, disability, or vacation. In certain circumstances when the employee will have no access to Prudential or its systems while on extended leave, the employee may request a temporary suspension from certain standard requirements. The employee must work with the appropriate business unit compliance officer (and management) to document the circumstances and obtain such an exemption. Until such time as an exemption is granted in writing, all standard requirements remain in effect for that employee.
C. Trade Reporting Requirements
1. Reporting New Accounts
Covered and Access Persons must promptly report any new bank or brokerage accounts in which securities can be held to the Securities Monitoring Unit, including new account numbers, to ensure that transaction records are sent to the Securities Monitoring Unit. Employees should disclose account information on the Acknowledgment of the Personal Securities Trading Standards form, to PST.Help@Prudential.com, or complete electronically through SunGard Protegent PTA Preclearance which can be accessed by typing PST into your browser. We recommend that you bookmark this link for future use. Monitored associates are required to report new accounts within thirty days of activating the account.
2. Personal and Family Member Accounts
You are required to report, in the manner described above, all securities accounts in which you have a beneficial interest, including the following:
(1) | Personal accounts; |
(2) | Accounts in which your spouse has a beneficial interest; [10] |
(3) | Accounts in which your minor children or any dependent family member has a beneficial interest; 10 |
(4) | Joint or tenant-in-common accounts in which you are a participant; |
(5) | Accounts for which you act as trustee, executor or custodian; |
(6) | Accounts over which you exercise control or have any investment discretion, including accounts of family members and other persons that reside at locations other than your residence; and |
(7) | Accounts of any individual to whose financial support you materially contribute. [11] |
3. Accounts in which purchases and sales are limited to open-end mutual funds
This requirement, to report new brokerage accounts, only applies to Investment Personnel, Access Persons, Public-Side Associates and Private-Side Associates. This requirement also does not apply to 401(k) accounts, variable annuities, transfer agency accounts and 529 plans acquired directly from the state. Furthermore, authorized broker-dealer requirements, preclearance, duplicate confirmations and statements are not required for mutual fund only accounts. Additionally, the holdings in mutual fund only accounts do not require disclosure on Personal Securities Holdings Reports.
Some mutual fund companies allow mutual fund shares to be purchased and held directly through the fund’s transfer agent, rather than through a broker-dealer. Such
mutual fund transfer agency accounts, including the underlying transactions and holdings in those accounts, do not need to be reported to Prudential. Additionally, 529 College Savings Plans purchased directly from a state sponsor are not subject to these Standards and do not require disclosure. [12]
All Monitored associates are required to complete and sign an annual Acknowledgment Form, attached as Exhibit 2, identifying and listing the location of all reportable securities accounts, including those held at authorized broker-dealers and those held at non-authorized firms. For the latter, your signature on the Acknowledgement Form will confirm that you have instructed all brokers for such accounts to send duplicate copies of account statements and trade confirmations to the Securities Monitoring Unit. [13] If you are classified as an Access or Covered Person, by signing the annual Acknowledgment Form you are also confirming your obligations of notifying the Securities Monitoring Unit of any changes to your accounts that have been granted exceptions under the authorized broker-dealer requirements. [14] Acknowledgment forms, which are supplied to you electronically by the Securities Monitoring Unit, must be completed annually. [15]
4. Authorized Broker-Dealer Requirements
Covered and Access Persons are required to maintain personal securities accounts at an authorized broker-dealer. [16] The authorized firms are:
· | Charles Schwab |
· | Chase Investor Services Corp (CISC) |
· | E*TRADE |
· | Fidelity Investments |
· | JP Morgan Chase |
· | Merrill Lynch |
· | Morgan Stanley |
· | Pruco Securities |
· | Raymond James |
· | Scottrade |
· | TD Ameritrade |
· | UBS Financial Services |
· | Wells Fargo Advisors |
Covered and Access Persons should review the Frequently Asked Questions document which is available through SunGard Protegent PTA for additional information about each firm. The account types that are subject to the authorized broker-dealer requirements are listed below in Section II.C.2. Covered and Access Persons must report new accounts within 30 days to the Securities Monitoring Unit, including new account numbers, to ensure that transaction records are sent to Prudential via electronic feed. [17]
Prudential Financial, Inc. securities held at Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (“Computershare”) are not required to be transferred.
New Monitored Persons who are subject to this requirement will be required to transfer accounts to an authorized broker-dealer within sixty days of becoming a Covered and/or Access Person. Such Monitored Persons must instruct their brokers to send trading activity (written confirmations and statements) to the Securities Monitoring Unit while they are in the process of transferring their accounts. A sample letter to a brokerage firm is provided as Exhibit 1 to these Standards. New Monitored Persons should disclose all accounts on the Personal Securities Trading Standards Acknowledgement form or by entering them into SunGard Protegent PTA Preclearance. We recommend that you bookmark this link for future use. Alternatively, you may send the new account information to PST.help@Prudential.com.
It is recommended that employees subject to preclearance and special restricted lists not maintain margin accounts. Transactions triggered by margin calls or maintenance fees may result in violations of the Standards.
5. Authorized Broker-Dealer Exceptions
Exceptions to the authorized broker-dealer requirement are limited and should be submitted to the Chief Compliance Officer responsible for your business unit who will submit the request to the appropriate Business Unit or Corporate Department Executive at the Senior Vice President (“SVP”) level or above for review. [18] Documentation for all exceptions must be forwarded to your business unit compliance officer for review. Exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on the following criteria [19] :
· | Accounts held jointly with or accounts for spouses who are subject to the same type of personal trading requirements prior to being subject to these Standards. Employees must provide supporting documentation from their spouse’s employer to business unit compliance officers. |
· | Accounts for which the employee has a formal investment management agreement that provides full discretionary authority to a third party money manager (“Discretionary Accounts”) further defined in Section II.C.7. Access and Covered Persons should follow instructions in Section II.C.7. pertaining to Discretionary |
Accounts and are not required to receive formal SVP approval under the authorized broker-dealer requirements for Discretionary Accounts. However, employees must submit signed copies of managed account agreements to business unit compliance officers to verify the criteria have been met for the account exception. Note, accounts where trading authorization has been granted to another do not qualify as Discretionary Accounts.
· | Blind trusts and family trusts. A copy of the trust agreement must be submitted to the business unit compliance officer. Trust accounts with multiple trustees, where all trustees do not unanimously support transfer of the account, may be eligible for an exception. [20] |
· | Accounts holding non-transferable securities that may not, due to their nature, be liquidated without undue hardship to the employee (new purchases generally will not be permitted.) |
· | Direct stock purchase or dividend reinvestment plans that are established directly with a public company or certain limited purpose accounts, such as 401(k) accounts and employee stock compensation accounts (Senior Vice President may delegate authority for approving these accounts to the Business Unit Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee). |
· | Accounts of dependent parents for which the Monitored person exercises control or has investment discretion where the account was established prior to the Monitored person’s role in managing the account. |
If, at any time, the facts and circumstances have changed regarding an account(s) for which an exception has been previously granted, the employee must promptly notify Compliance and request that the account(s) be reviewed in light of the changed circumstances.
6. Trade Reporting Requirements for Exception Accounts
Even if you are granted an exception to the authorized broker-dealer requirement and are permitted to maintain an account with a broker-dealer who is not authorized, you must direct the brokerage firm(s) that maintain(s) your securities account(s) to send duplicate copies of your trade confirmations and account statements (“trading activity”) to the Securities Monitoring Unit. A sample letter to a brokerage firm is provided as Exhibit 1 to these Standards. Remember, accounts maintained at Charles Schwab, Chase Investor Services Corp. (CISC), E*TRADE, Fidelity Investments, JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Pruco Securities, Raymond James, Scottrade, TD Ameritrade, UBS Financial Services and Wells Fargo Advisors, as well as Discretionary Accounts and certain trust accounts, are exempt from this requirement. [21]
For employees outside of the United States who are only classified as Designated Persons, accounts established in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Mexico are exempt from the duplicate statement and confirmation requirement. [22] However, Prudential Financial, Inc. securities may not be traded in these accounts. Individuals located in these countries who open or maintain accounts in the United States or in other countries not specifically identified will generally be required to send duplicate statements and confirmations to the Securities Monitoring Unit. Designated Persons located outside of the US should contact the Securities Monitoring Unit or their local compliance officer for guidance.
7. Discretionary Accounts
A Discretionary Account is an account for which the employee has a formal investment management agreement that provides full discretionary authority to a third party money manager (“Discretionary Accounts”). A Discretionary Account agreement may establish general investment objectives but cannot permit the employee to make specific decisions regarding the purchase or sale of any individual securities for the account and the employee must not in fact influence or control such transactions. If the employee has given discretion to a third party, he or she must not influence or control the account, such as by suggesting purchases or sales of investments, directing transactions, or consulting with the manager regarding allocation of investments in any way that could affect the selection of specific securities.
Designated, Access and Covered Persons must disclose Discretionary Account(s) to the Securities Monitoring Unit and must provide a copy of the executed investment management agreement to the Securities Monitoring Unit for review and approval, however, duplicate statements and trade confirmations for these accounts are not required to be submitted. [23] However, an employee may be asked to provide Compliance with periodic statements for these discretionary accounts.
These employees are required to complete a periodic certification to the effect that they have not suggested or directed purchases and sales of investments to the discretionary manager nor have they consulted with the discretionary manager regarding the allocation of investments in any way that could affect the selection of specific securities. Additionally, they may be asked periodically to discuss the nature of the account with Compliance.
8. Reportable Securities Transactions
In general, all securities transactions are reportable by Access and Covered Persons except where noted below:
Individuals under these classifications are, however, required to report purchases and sales of affiliated variable insurance products and variable annuities and any underlying sub-account transactions associated with these products, as well as any transactions and holdings of certain open-end mutual funds as described in Section V.D.
The chart attached as Exhibit 3 identifies the personal securities transactions that are reportable.
9. Confidentiality of Trading Information
The Securities Monitoring Unit uses SunGard Protegent PTA which is a third party vendor system that facilitates the surveillance and reporting of personal securities trading information, disclosures, and certifications and reporting. Associates’ personal data, including personal trading information, is housed on Prudential’s own servers behind the Prudential firewall. Only authorized persons within the Prudential Compliance Department have access to this information.
10. Prohibited Transactions Involving Securities of Prudential Financial, Inc.
All employees, including Covered and Access Persons, are prohibited from selling short including “short sales against the box”, hedging transactions [25] and from participating in any exchange traded Prudential options or futures transactions on any securities issued by Prudential. Non-margin account collateral arrangements are prohibited. Employees may not enter into any arrangement involving the pledge or use as collateral of Company securities, other than a permissible securities brokerage margin account. It is recommended that employees subject to preclearance and special restricted lists not maintain margin accounts. Transactions triggered by margin calls or maintenance fees may result in violations of the Standards. Employees classified as Designated Persons are subject to additional restrictions relating to securities issued by Prudential. These requirements are outlined in Section III of these Standards.
11. Code Violations and Sanctions
Access Persons and Supervised Persons are required to promptly report any known violations of the Code or these Standards to the Business Unit Chief Compliance Officer. Reported violations and other exceptions to these Standards detected through internal monitoring will be provided to the Business Unit Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee and the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee (“Committee”). The Committee, comprised of business unit executives, compliance and human resources personnel, will review all violations of these Standards. The Committee will determine any sanctions or other disciplinary actions that may be deemed appropriate, which may include monetary penalties, suspension without pay, reduction in PTO days or other disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
In accordance with FINRA Rule 3110, certain transactions by Registered Representatives prompting an investigation, may require notification to the SRO.
12. Additional Requirements
Additional information and guidance can be found in the following Sections:
Requirements for Designated Person – Section III.
Requirements for Associates of Broker Dealers – Section IV.
Requirements for Portfolio Management and Trading Units and Registered Investment Advisers – Section V.
Requirements for Private Asset Management Units – Section VI.
III. Standards and Restrictions for Personal Trading in Securities Issued by Prudential by Designated Persons
This Section specifically addresses the requirements for those associates who have routine access to material nonpublic information about Prudential. These requirements are consistent with policies of leading financial service firms. Specific standards and procedures relating to Section 16 Insiders are addressed in a separate document, which is available through the Securities Monitoring Unit. The requirements and restrictions covered in this Section apply to all accounts in which a Designated Person has a direct or indirect beneficial interest as described in Section II.C.2 including, but not limited to, accounts for spouses, family members and other persons that reside at locations other than their residence, and accounts for which the Designated Person or his/her family member exercises investment discretion.
A. Designated Persons
A “Designated Person” is an employee who, during the normal course of his or her job, has routine access to material nonpublic information about Prudential. [26] Material nonpublic information may consist of financial or non-financial information about Prudential as a whole or one or more Divisions or Segments. The Vice Presidents (“VPs”) of Finance for each business unit must identify employees in each unit who have routine access to material nonpublic information about Prudential. It is the responsibility of the VPs of Finance to notify the Securities Monitoring Unit of any changes to this list.
Management of all other business groups and corporate departments are required to identify and inform the Securities Monitoring Unit of any additional employees, who through the performance of their jobs, have regular access to material nonpublic information.
Employees who have been classified as a Designated Person, but believe that they do not have access to material nonpublic information, may request an exception to or reclassification under this requirement. Requests should be forwarded to the business unit compliance officer or Securities Monitoring Unit, who in consultation with the Law Department, will review and facilitate the request. Certain exceptions must be approved by Prudential’s General Counsel.
B. Specific Trading Requirements
All employees are prohibited from trading Prudential securities while in possession of material nonpublic information regarding the Company. [27] For purposes of these Standards, all requirements and restrictions relating to Prudential securities include, but are not limited to common stock, bonds (including convertible bonds), the Prudential Financial, Inc. Common Stock Fund (“PFI Common Stock Fund”), employee stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, exchange traded or other options and Prudential Financial single stock futures. All employees, including Designated Persons, are prohibited from selling short including “short sales against the box”, hedging transactions [28] and from participating in any exchange traded Prudential options or futures transactions on any security issued by Prudential. Non-margin account collateral arrangements are prohibited. Employees may not enter into any arrangement involving the pledge or use as collateral of Company securities, other than a permissible securities brokerage margin account. It is recommended that employees subject to preclearance and special restricted lists not maintain margin accounts. Transactions triggered by margin calls or maintenance fees may result in violations of the Standards. Employees are also discouraged from engaging in speculative transactions in Prudential securities and are encouraged to hold Prudential securities for long-term investment.
Designated Persons are required to preclear all transactions in Prudential securities through the Securities Monitoring Unit prior to execution. [29] This requirement excludes transactions in Prudential mutual funds and annuities. Trades will be approved only during open “trading windows.” Designated Persons are also subject to the general prohibition relating to short sales and options transactions on Prudential securities. These restrictions apply to all accounts in which a Designated Person has a direct or indirect beneficial interest as described in Section II.C.2 including, but not limited to, accounts for spouses, family members and other persons that reside at locations other than their residence, and accounts for which the Designated Person or his/her family member exercises investment discretion.
1. Brokerage Account Requirements for Designated Persons
Designated Persons are required to hold and trade Prudential securities (“PRU”) only at an authorized broker-dealer. The authorized firms are Charles Schwab, Chase Investor Services Corp. (CISC), E*TRADE, Fidelity Investments, JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Pruco Securities, Raymond James, Scottrade, TD Ameritrade, UBS Financial Services and Wells Fargo Advisors. In addition, the PFI Common Stock Fund may be held in Prudential Employee Savings Plan (“PESP”) or Prudential Deferred
Compensation Plan accounts. Designated Persons should review the Frequently Asked Questions document which is available through SunGard Protegent PTA.
This requirement applies to accounts for you, your family members, or accounts in which you have a beneficial interest or over which you have trading authority. See Section II.C.2. for a complete list of applicable accounts. If you are a Designated Person, and not a Covered Person as defined in Section II.B., you may maintain your accounts at non-authorized broker-dealers for your non-PRU positions; however, those accounts are subject to Prudential’s monitoring procedures outlined below in Section B.2. Discretionary Accounts, as defined in Section II.C.7., must be disclosed to the Securities Monitoring Unit and Designated Persons must provide a copy of the signed Discretionary Account agreement to the Securities Monitoring Unit for review and approval. However, duplicate statements and trade confirmations for these accounts are not required to be submitted.
While PRU stock held by you at Computershare is subject to the provisions of these Standards (e.g., transactions are subject to preclearance and trading window requirements), Designated Persons are not required to transfer PRU positions held at Computershare to an authorized broker-dealer.
2. Trade Reporting Requirements for Accounts with Non-Authorized Broker-Dealers
Designated Persons who maintain brokerage accounts with brokerage firms (for their non-PRU positions) other than the authorized broker-dealers listed in Section B.1. above, and certain trust accounts must direct the brokerage firm(s) to send duplicate copies of trade confirmations and account statements to the Securities Monitoring Unit. [30] A sample letter to a brokerage firm is provided as Exhibit 1 to these Standards. Duplicate statements and trade confirmations are not required for Discretionary Accounts.
3. Reporting New Accounts
Designated Persons must report new accounts promptly to the Securities Monitoring Unit, including new account numbers, to ensure that transaction records are sent to the Securities Monitoring Unit. [31]
4. Trading Windows/Blackout Periods
Designated Persons are permitted to trade in Prudential securities only during open trading windows. [32] In addition, sales of stock acquired by participating in the Prudential Stock Purchase Plan (“PSPP”) can be made only during an open trading window and are subject to preclearance, see Section III.B.5. below. Approximately 48 hours after the Company releases its quarterly earnings to the public, the trading window generally
opens and generally will remain open until approximately two weeks before the end of each quarter. In addition, the Company may notify Designated Persons regarding unscheduled blackout periods. For example, in the event the Company decides to make an unscheduled announcement (e.g., a pre quarter-end earnings estimate), Prudential may restrict trading activity during a normally permissible trading window. The Securities Monitoring Unit will notify Designated Persons of the opening of trading windows and the commencement of blackout periods via e-mail. Preclearances will only be approved weekdays from 6:00 AM through 4:00 PM EST.
5. Preclearance of Trading in Prudential Securities
Designated Persons are required to preclear all transactions in Prudential securities,
including equity and debt securities, through the Securities Monitoring Unit. [33] , [34] Designated Persons should submit requests electronically through the SunGard Protegent PTA Preclearance Intranet site which can be accessed by typing PST into your browser(we recommend that you bookmark this link for future use). Since SunGard Protegent PTA accommodates single sign on, no additional logging in will be necessary. All approved transactions are valid until the close of the market on the day in which preclearance is granted. Designated Persons located outside of North or South America are granted approval for two business days including the date preclearance is granted, however, trades must be executed before the trading window closes. [35] Therefore, Designated Persons may not enter into “good until cancelled” or “limit” orders involving Prudential securities that carry over until the next trading day. (See Exhibit 7 for sample SunGard Protegent PTA Preclearance Request Form.)
Transactions that require preclearance include, but are not limited to, the following:
· | Open market transactions through a broker-dealer; |
· | Prudential securities transactions executed in Computershare accounts; |
· | Gifts received or given; |
· | Stock option exercises; |
· | Sales of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares and performance units; |
· | PESP and Deferred Compensation Plan Company Stock Fund transactions. For more details relating to PESP transactions that are subject to this requirement see Exhibit 4; |
· | Prudential Stock Purchase Plan (“PSPP”) transactions. Sales of shares of Prudential stock that have accumulated in your account under the PSPP are permitted during an open trading window. |
6. Prohibited Transactions Involving Securities of Prudential Financial, Inc.
All employees are prohibited from selling short including “short sales against the box”, hedging transactions [36] and from participating in any exchange traded Prudential options or futures transactions on any security issued by Prudential. Non-margin account collateral arrangements are prohibited. Employees may not enter into any arrangement involving the pledge or use as collateral of Company securities, other than a permissible securities brokerage margin account. It is recommended that employees subject to preclearance and special restricted lists not maintain margin accounts. Transactions triggered by margin calls or maintenance fees may result in violations of the Standards. In addition, Designated Persons are prohibited from exercising and selling their employee stock options during a blackout period. As a result, some controls have been established to prevent employee stock option exercises during closed trading windows such as blocks on Designated Persons established at E*Trade, preventing a trade in Prudential common stock from occurring during a closed trading window. However, there are currently no blocking capabilities in place during blackout periods to prevent transactions relating to your PSPP related sales as described above. When no blocking system exists or if a blocking system fails, the employee is still responsible for adherence to these Standards.
7. PESP
Certain controls have been established to prevent trading activity in the PFI Common Stock Fund within PESP during closed trading periods. Additionally, loans and in-service distributions are processed from sources other than the PFI Common Stock Fund and therefore are permitted during closed trading windows however, repayments may or may not be permitted during a closed window. Remember, it is the Designated Person’s obligation to comply with these Standards including the preclearance and trading window requirements. If a blocking system fails, the employee remains responsible (for a violation of these Standards). See Exhibit 4 for more details.
C. Supervisory Responsibilities
The VPs of Finance, in conjunction with the Business Unit and Department Heads or their designees, are responsible for identifying changes to the Designated Persons list in their areas and informing the Securities Monitoring Unit, and, with the Securities Monitoring Unit, facilitating employee understanding of and conformity with these Standards. The trade monitoring process is conducted by the Securities Monitoring Unit with matters brought to the attention of Business Unit/Department Head management as needed.
D. Violations of these Standards
Violations or other exceptions to Section III of these Standards including the preclearance and trading window requirements are reviewed by the Designated Persons
and Pension Risk Transfer Personal Trading Standards Committee. [37] Violations or exceptions that may result in disciplinary action, other than an educational reminder, will be resolved with the employee’s supervisor. Individuals who do not comply with these Standards are subject to disciplinary action that may include fines, as permitted by law, or other monetary penalties, suspension without pay, reduction in PTO days or other disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
In accordance with FINRA Rule 3110, certain transactions by Registered Representatives prompting an investigation, may require notification to the SRO.
IV. Trading Restrictions for Associates of Broker-Dealers
A. Trade Monitoring for Associated Persons of a Broker-Dealer
Prudential has three broker-dealers, Pruco Securities, LLC (“Pruco”), Prudential Investment Management Services, LLC (“PIMS”) and Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), referred to collectively as “Broker-Dealers” under this Section.
Pruco is a full service broker-dealer whose business is limited to the facilitation of non-solicited customer orders of general securities and the distribution of investment company, variable life and annuity products and 529 Plans. PIMS and PAD are limited broker-dealers whose primary business is restricted to the facilitation of customer orders in and distribution of Prudential mutual funds and annuities. In addition, PAD offers 529 plan interests and PIMS is a discount broker-dealer that offers brokerage accounts and Individual Retirement Accounts ("IRAs") to roll over customers who were formerly retirement plan participants serviced by Prudential Retirement. Investments offered include mutual funds, stocks, bonds and municipal securities.
Unlike other Prudential businesses that are subject to the personal trade monitoring system, the nature and scope of the Pruco, PIMS, and PAD Broker-Dealers’ businesses are such that their Associated Persons do not have access to material nonpublic information concerning publicly traded securities through their association with the broker-dealer. [38] , [39] Accordingly, Pruco, PIMS, and PAD Broker-Dealer associates are generally not required to participate in SunGard Protegent PTA. However, pursuant to SEC and FINRA regulations, Broker-Dealer Associated Persons must comply with the reporting requirements listed below. [40] In addition, certain officers and Registered Representatives of Pruco, which is also a federally registered investment adviser, have been identified as Supervised Persons, as defined in Section II.B. The requirements for Supervised Persons are also outlined below in Section IV.A.3.
1. Notification Requirements for Personal Securities Accounts
In accordance with NASD Rule 3050, Broker-Dealer Associated Persons (“Associated Persons”) must notify the Broker-Dealer to which they are associated, in writing, prior to opening an account at another broker-dealer, and must notify the Broker-Dealer of any accounts opened prior to becoming an Associated Person. Associated Persons must also notify broker-dealers, prior to opening such accounts, that they are an Associated Person of a broker-dealer. However, if the account was established prior to the association of
the person with the Broker-Dealer, the Associated Person must notify the broker-dealer in writing promptly after becoming so associated.
These notification requirements apply to all personal securities accounts of Associated Persons and any securities accounts over which they have discretionary authority.
Associated Persons are not required to report accounts that are limited to the following types of investments: (1) mutual funds; (2) variable life and variable annuity contracts; (3) unit investment trusts; (4) certificates of deposit; (5) 529 Plans; and (6) money market fund accounts. [41]
2. Periodic Compliance Training and Sign-off
The NASD/NYSE Joint Memorandum on Information Barriers and Procedures (NASD Notice to Members 91-45) provides that firms that do not conduct investment banking research or arbitrage activities still must have “reasonable procedures for the education and training of its associates about insider trading” in order to be in compliance with ITSFEA. Annually, all Registered Representatives are required to sign a statement affirming that they have read and understand the policy concerning insider trading as described in the Broker-Dealer’s compliance manual and as set forth in Prudential’s Policy Statement On Insider Trading contained in Section I of these Standards.
3. Requirement for Supervised Persons
Certain Pruco officers and Registered Representatives involved in investment advisory activity have been classified as Supervised Persons. [42] Supervised Persons are subject to the following additional requirements:
If an individual is only classified as a Supervised Person, and is not also classified as an Access, Covered, or Designated Person, he/she is not required to report his/her personal securities trading activity to Corporate Compliance and is not subject to the authorized broker-dealer requirements outlined in Section II. However, these individuals are still subject to the notification requirements outlined in Section IV.A.1 .
B. Restrictions on the Purchase and Sale of Initial Equity Public Offerings
FINRA Rule 5130 prohibits broker-dealers from purchasing or retaining “new issues” in their own accounts and from selling new issues to a restricted person. “Restricted
persons” are defined as directors, officers, general partners, employees, associated persons and agents engaged in the investment banking or securities business of any broker-dealer. “New Issues” are any initial public offerings of an equity security.
This basic prohibition also covers sales of new issues to accounts in which any restricted person may have a beneficial interest and, with limited exceptions, to members of the immediate family of such persons. A Restricted Person is permitted to have an interest in an account that purchases new issues (i.e., collective investment accounts including hedge funds, investment partnerships, investment corporations, etc.) provided that the beneficial interests of all restricted persons do not in aggregate exceed 10% of the total account.
The overall purpose of this prohibition is to protect the integrity of the public offering process by requiring that FINRA members make a bona-fide public distribution of securities by not withholding such securities for their own benefit or using the securities to reward other persons who are in a position to direct future business to the firm.
To ensure compliance with this Rule, Associated Persons of Prudential’s Broker-Dealers are prohibited from purchasing securities in any public offerings of equity securities, except as noted below.
The FINRA Rule and these Standards apply to all public offerings of equity securities, whether or not the above broker-dealers are participating in the offering. However, the prohibitions do not apply to purchases of public offerings of investment grade asset-backed securities, open-end mutual funds, closed-end mutual funds, preferred securities, convertible securities or any debt securities, including but not limited to municipal or government securities.
Which accounts are restricted:
Accounts of all Associated Persons of the above broker-dealers and their immediate families are restricted from purchasing equity public offerings of securities. The term “immediate family” includes parents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, spouse, siblings, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, children and their spouses, or any other person who is supported (directly or indirectly) to a material extent by the Associated Person.
The prohibition does not apply to sales to a member of the Associated Person’s immediate family who is not supported directly or indirectly to a material extent by the associate, if the sale is by a broker-dealer other than that employing the restricted person and the restricted person has no ability to control the allocation of the new issue. For information on this exception, please contact your broker-dealer compliance officer.
C. Private Placements
In order to review private placement transactions in relation to certain conflicts of interest that may arise, all associates of Prudential’s Broker-Dealers must notify their broker-dealer, in writing, and obtain written approval from the broker-dealer, prior to engaging in any private placement transactions, including purchases and sales of limited
partnership interests. Such notification should be made to the compliance officer for the broker-dealer or the compliance officer’s designee who will be responsible for approving the private placement transaction. [43] For associates who are subject to preclearance, the preclearance form will satisfy the notification requirement.
D. Code Violations and Sanctions
Access Persons and Supervised Persons are required to promptly report any known violations of the Code or these Standards to the Business Unit Chief Compliance Officer. Reported violations and other exceptions to these Standards detected through internal monitoring will be provided to the Business Unit Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee and the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee (“Committee”). The Committee, generally comprised of business unit executives, compliance and human resources personnel, will review all violations of these Standards. The Committee will determine any sanctions or other disciplinary actions that may be deemed appropriate, which may include monetary penalties, suspension without pay, reduction in PTO days or other disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
In accordance with FINRA Rule 3110, certain transactions by Registered Representatives prompting an investigation, may require notification to the SRO.
V. Trading Restrictions for Portfolio Management and Trading Units and Registered Investment Advisers
A. Background
The Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) govern activities of officers, directors and employees of registered investment advisers and advisers who manage registered investment companies, respectively. These rules set forth specific requirements relating to conflicts of interest and personal securities trading activity.
1. Advisers Act Requirements
Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act requires each federally registered investment adviser to adopt a written code of ethics designed to prevent fraud by reinforcing fiduciary principles that govern the conduct of investment advisory firms and their personnel. In addition, the code must set forth specific requirements relating to personal trading activity including reporting transactions and holdings.
Generally, the code of ethics applies to all Supervised Persons of the adviser, including all Access Persons of the adviser. The Investment Adviser Code of Ethics (“Code”), as adopted by Prudential’s registered investment advisers, includes the Personal Securities Trading Standards and the U. S. Information Barrier Standards. Employees identified as Supervised Persons must comply with the Code, including these Standards. [44] Compliance is responsible for notifying each individual who is subject to the Code.
2. Investment Company Act Requirements
Rule 17(j) under the Investment Company Act requires that every investment company adopt procedures designed to prevent improper personal trading by investment company personnel. Rule 17(j) was created to prevent conflicts of interest between investment company personnel and shareholders, to promote shareholder value, and to prevent investment company personnel from profiting from their access to proprietary information.
In light of the adoption of Rule 17(j) and the growing concern that the mutual fund industry needed to police itself, the Investment Company Institute (“ICI”), an industry group, assembled a blue ribbon panel and, in 1994, issued a report setting forth a series of recommendations concerning personal trading by investment personnel. These recommendations, known as the “ICI rules”, have been praised by the SEC, and have been adopted by the majority of the asset management industry associated with U.S. registered investment companies.
In keeping with our ethical standards and the practices of the industry leaders, Prudential has adopted the ICI rules for all of its portfolio management units. The ICI rules concerning personal trading are set forth below and are applicable to these
portfolio management units and certain associates outside the specific business unit who provide direct support to these units. [45] In addition, the ICI rules, with certain exceptions, have also been adopted for other investment management units within Prudential. [46]
B. Definitions
The following terms are defined for purposes of these Standards:
· | “Access Persons”, as defined in Section II.B., include employees or officers of a mutual fund or investment adviser, who, in connection with their normal responsibilities, make, participate in, or have access to current or pending information regarding the purchase or sale of a security by the Complex (Complex defined below) or nonpublic portfolio holdings of mutual funds. |
· | “Investment Personnel” are Access Persons who are public-side portfolio managers, analysts, traders, or certain other individuals as designated by the compliance officer. |
· | A “pending buy or sell order” exists when a decision to purchase or sell a security has been made and communicated. |
· | The “Complex” includes all portfolios managed by the business unit or group of units to which an individual is deemed to have access. |
C. Conflicts of Interest
Prudential holds its employees to the highest ethical standards. Maintaining high standards requires a total commitment to sound ethical principles and Prudential’s values. It also requires nurturing a business culture that supports decisions and actions based on what is right, not simply what is expedient. Management must make the Company’s ethical standards clear. At every level, associates must set the right example in their daily conduct. Moreover, associates are encouraged to understand the expectations of the Company and apply these guidelines to analogous situations or seek guidance if they have questions about conduct in given circumstances.
All Access Persons must act in accordance with the following general principles:
· | It is their duty at all times to place the interests of investment company shareholders and other investment advisory clients first. |
· | Access Persons should scrupulously avoid serving their own personal interests ahead of clients’ interests in any decision relating to their personal investments. |
· | All personal securities transactions must be conducted in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual’s position of trust and responsibility. |
· | Access Persons must not only seek to achieve technical compliance with these Standards, but should strive to abide by the spirit and the principles articulated herein. |
Example:
An appearance of a conflict of interest may occur if, following a meeting with a representative of an issuer, an analyst buys the issuer’s securities for his or her personal account, but does not recommend his or her client purchase such securities.
· | Access Persons may not take inappropriate advantage of their positions. |
· | Access Persons must avoid any situation that might compromise, or call into question, their exercise of fully independent judgment in the interest of shareholders or clients, including, but not limited to the receipt of unusual investment opportunities, perquisites or gifts from persons doing or seeking business with their portfolios. |
· | Access Persons may not bunch a personal order with a client order. |
· Access Persons may not conduct personal business with brokers who execute trades for their portfolios. |
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D. Mutual Fund Reporting and Trading Restrictions
Investment Personnel and Access Persons are prohibited from market timing any proprietary mutual funds, as well as non-proprietary funds subadvised by Prudential, and must comply with any trading restrictions established by Prudential and its clients to prevent market timing of these funds.
To deter the market timing in proprietary and non-proprietary funds subadvised by Prudential, Investment Personnel and certain officers of PGIM and Prudential Investments LLC (“PI”) are required to hold all proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds for a period of sixty days. Investment Persons and Access Persons are also required to report mutual fund transactions covered under these Standards as described below.
1 . Mutual Fund Holding Period
Investment Personnel and certain PGIM and PI, AST Investment Services, Inc. (“ASTIS”) officers and/or employees are required to hold proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds, excluding money market funds and the PESP Fixed Rate Fund, for a period of at least sixty days. [47] , [48] Proprietary funds include Prudential Investments,
Advanced Series Trust, Target, and Variable Contract Accounts 2, 10, and 11. Non-proprietary subadvised funds are defined in Exhibit 8. Specifically, Investment Personnel and certain PGIM and PI employees are prohibited from executing a purchase and a sale of the same proprietary or certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual fund during any sixty day period. [49] This restriction applies to accounts for which Investment Personnel and certain PIM and PI employees have a direct or indirect beneficial interest, including household members. See Section II.C. Profits realized on such transactions must be disgorged to the applicable mutual fund or client, or as otherwise deemed appropriate by the Committee. [50]
2. Standards Relating to Reporting and Trading Mutual Funds
Access Persons are required to report all transactions in proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds. [51] This requirement applies to accounts for which Access Persons have a direct or indirect beneficial interest, including household members. Transactions in proprietary funds that are held directly at the transfer agency (Prudential Mutual Fund Services, LLC) are monitored by the Securities Monitoring Unit via electronic feed and therefore, employees are not required to independently report such transactions. See Section II.C.
Access Persons may hold and trade proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds only through one of the authorized broker-dealers, directly with Prudential Mutual Fund Services (“PMFS”), the Prudential Employee Savings Plan (“PESP”), or the Jennison Associates (“Jennison”) Savings Plan. [52] However, non-proprietary subadvised funds may be traded directly with the fund provided that duplicate account statements and trade confirmations are sent directly to the Securities Monitoring Unit, Compliance Department. For certain non-proprietary subadvised funds, Access Persons must notify fund complexes within ten business days of receipt of these Standards requesting that duplicate statements and confirmations be forwarded to the Securities Monitoring Unit. Investment elections or transactions executed in the executive deferred compensation plans are not subject to this requirement. [53]
Investment Personnel and Access Persons must notify the Securities Monitoring Unit of all mutual fund accounts. This includes accounts of all household members, 401(k) Plans held at other companies, variable insurance products and annuities held directly with the fund or through another company or service provider for all proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds. [54] In addition, Investment Personnel and Access Persons must contact these funds to request that duplicate statements and confirmations of mutual fund trading activity be sent to the Securities Monitoring Unit. A sample letter to a brokerage firm is provided as Exhibit 1 to these Standards.
E. Additional Trading Restrictions for Access and Investment Personnel of Prudential Fixed Income (“FI”), Quantitative Management Associates LLC (“QMA”), the Prudential Real Estate Investors’ Global Real Estate Securities Team (“GRES”), AST Investment Services, Inc. (“ASTIS”) , Prudential International Investments Advisers, LLC (“PIIA”), and Prudential Investments LLC (“PI”) [55]
The following restrictions and requirements apply to all accounts in which Access Persons and Investment Personnel have a direct or indirect beneficial interest, including accounts of household members as described in Section II.C.2.
1. Initial Public Offerings
Investment Personnel are prohibited from purchasing initial public offerings of securities. [56] Access Persons must obtain preclearance prior to purchasing initial public offerings of securities. For purposes of these Standards, “initial public offerings of securities” do not include offerings of government or municipal securities. [57]
2. Private Placements
Investment Personnel and Access Persons are prohibited from acquiring any securities in a private placement without express prior approval. Such approval must be obtained from the local business unit head in consultation with the business unit compliance officer (such person having no personal interest in such purchases or sales), based on a determination that no conflict of interest is involved.
Investment Personnel must disclose their private placement holdings to the business unit compliance officer and the business unit’s chief investment officer when the Investment Personnel play a part in the consideration of any investment by the portfolio in the
issuer. In such circumstances, the portfolio’s decision to purchase securities of the issuer will be subject to independent review by appropriate personnel with no personal interest in the issuer.
3. Blackout Periods
Access Persons are prohibited from knowingly executing a securities transaction on a day during which any portfolio in their Complex has a pending buy or sell order in the same or an equivalent security and until such time as that order is executed or withdrawn. [58] This prohibition will not apply to purchases and sales executed in a fund or portfolio that replicates a broad based securities market index. Transactions inadvertently executed by an Access Person during a blackout period will not be considered a violation and disgorgement will not be required provided that the transaction was effected in accordance with the preclearance procedures applicable to such person under the Standards and without prior knowledge of any pending purchase or sale orders in the Complex in the same or equivalent security.
Investment Personnel are prohibited from knowingly buying or selling a security within seven calendar days before or after a portfolio in their Complex trades in the same or an equivalent security. Nevertheless, a personal trade by any Investment Personnel shall not prevent a portfolio in the same business unit from trading in the same or an equivalent security. However, such a transaction shall be subject to independent review by their business unit compliance officer. [59] This prohibition will not apply to purchases and sales executed in a fund or portfolio that replicates a broad based securities market index.
Profits realized on transactions that are executed during blackout periods may be required to be disgorged. All disgorged profits will be donated to a charitable organization in the name of the Company or to an account or client for which the security is held or traded.
4. Short-Term Trading Profits
Investment Personnel are prohibited from profiting from a purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same or an equivalent security within any sixty calendar day period. [60] , [61] In keeping with the spirit of this restriction, Investment Personnel should not engage in options or other derivative strategies, even if intended solely to generate option premium income, that lead to the exercise or assignment of securities that would result in a prohibited transaction, i.e., writing a short call or buying a long put with an expiration date of less than sixty days. Any such transaction would be considered as turnover within the sixty day period and will result in a violation of these Standards. Investments in derivatives offer a variety of alternative investment strategies and it is
incumbent upon the investor to understand the potential outcomes of using derivatives and to take into account whether a violation of these Standards may occur. Profits realized on such proscribed trades must be disgorged. All disgorged profits will be donated to a charitable organization in the name of the Company or to an account or client for which the security is held. [62]
5. Short Sales
Access Persons may not sell any security short which is owned by any portfolio managed by the business unit with the exception of short sales “against the box.” A short sale “against the box” refers to a short sale when the seller owns an equivalent amount of the same securities. However, employees may not sell short Prudential securities under any circumstances.
6. Options
Access Persons may not write naked call options or buy naked put options on a security owned by any portfolio managed by the business unit. Access Persons may purchase options on securities not held by any portfolio managed by the business unit, or purchase call options or write put options on securities owned by any portfolio managed by the business unit, subject to preclearance and the same restrictions applicable to other securities. Access Persons may write covered call options or buy covered put options on a security owned by any portfolio managed by the business unit at the discretion of the business unit compliance officer. However, Investment Personnel should keep in mind that the short-term trading profit rule might affect their ability to close out an option position at a profit.
7. Trading Conflicts
To avoid perceived or actual conflicts inherent in managing client assets, the personal trading of Investments Persons must not be opposed to the prevailing strategy they employ on behalf of clients. Consequently, Investment Persons are prohibited from effecting trades in securities also held in portfolio(s) they manage, where such trades represent an investment view that is inconsistent with the strategy then employed for their clients.
F. Investment Clubs
Access Persons and Investment Persons may not participate in investment clubs.
G. Prohibited Transactions Involving Securities of Prudential Financial, Inc.
All employees, including Access Persons, are prohibited from selling short including “short sales against the box”, hedging transactions [63] and from participating in any
exchange traded options or futures transactions on any Prudential securities. Employees classified as Designated Persons are subject to additional restrictions relating to securities issued by Prudential. Non-margin account collateral arrangements are prohibited. Employees may not enter into any arrangement involving the pledge or use as collateral of Company securities, other than a permissible securities brokerage margin account. It is recommended that employees subject to preclearance and special restricted lists not maintain margin accounts. Transactions triggered by margin calls or maintenance fees may result in violations of the Standards. These requirements are outlined in Section III of these Standards.
H. Preclearance
Access and Investment Persons of FI, QMA, PIIA, ASTIS, GRES and PI must preclear all personal securities transactions with the exception of those identified in Section V.I. below. [64] , [65] See also Exhibit 3 for a list of securities transactions requiring preclearance. Preclearance is also not required for both proprietary and non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds. All requests for preclearance are submitted to the business unit compliance officer for approval using the SunGard Protegent PTA automated preclearance website which can be accessed by typing PST into your browser. We recommend that you bookmark this link for future use. [66] , [67]
All approved orders must be executed by the close of business on the day in which preclearance is granted; provided however that approved orders for securities traded in foreign markets may be executed within two business days from the date preclearance is granted. If any order is not timely executed, a request for preclearance must be resubmitted by the Access Person.
I. Exemptions
The following exemptions apply to the blackout periods, short-term trading profit rule, preclearance requirements and mutual fund sixty-day holding period as noted below. [68]
Type of Account/Security |
Short Swing Profit Rule |
Blackout Periods |
Preclearance [69] |
Mutual Fund 60-Day Holding Period |
Ineligible Securities [70] |
Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Required |
Applies |
Exercise of rights issued by an issuer [71] |
Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Required |
Applies |
De Minimis Transactions:
1) Any trades, or series of trades effected over a 30 calendar day period, involving 500 shares or less in each direction (purchase or sale) of an equity security, if the Access Person has no prior knowledge of activity in such security by any portfolio in the business unit. [72] 2) Any fixed-income securities transaction, or series of related transactions effected over a 30 calendar day period, involving 100 units ($100,000 principal amount) or less in each direction (purchase or sale), if the Access Person has no prior knowledge of transactions in such security by any portfolio in the business unit. |
Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Required |
Applies
|
Discretionary Accounts [73] |
Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Not Required |
Not Applicable |
Index Options on a Broad Based Index [74] |
Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Not Required |
Not Applicable |
Unit Investment Trusts and Open-End Mutual Funds, including Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”)
|
Applies to all ETFs with limited exceptions for certain broad based funds and options that track such funds. [75] Not Applicable for all other UITs and Open-end funds. |
Applies to all ETFs. Not Applicable for all other UITs and Open-end funds. |
Required for all ETFs. [76]
Not required for all other UITs and Open-end funds.
|
Applies – See Section V.D.1. |
Non-volitional Transactions and Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPS) | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Not applicable for non-volitional transactions. For non-Prudential stock DRIPs, the plan requires approval and subsequent transactions do not require preclearance.
|
Not Applicable |
Automatic Investment/ Withdrawal Programs and Automatic Rebalancing [77] |
Not Applicable. However, applicable for transactions that override any pre-set schedule or allocation.
|
Not Applicable. However, applicable for transactions that override any pre-set schedule or allocation.
|
Not required - However, transactions that override any pre-set schedule or allocation must be precleared and reported to the Securities Monitoring Unit. |
Not Applicable |
PSPP Transactions [78] | Applies only to PSPP sales. Purchases made under PSPP are exempt. | Applies only to PSPP sales. Purchases made under PSPP are exempt. | Required only for Prudential stock sold under the PSPP. Elections and purchases made under the plan are exempt. | Not Applicable |
Prudential Financial, Inc. common stock | Only applies to employees of QMA, including its support functions | Only applies to employees of QMA, including its support functions. Designated Persons should refer to Section III.4. | Only applies to Designated Persons, Section 16 Officers/Directors, and employees of QMA, including its support functions | Not Applicable |
Proprietary Closed-end Funds [79] | Applies to certain Access and Investment Persons | Applies to certain Access and Investment Persons | Applies to certain Access and Investment Persons | Not applicable- See Short Swing Profit Rule prohibition |
J. Personal Trade Reporting
All Access Persons must participate in SunGard Protegent PTA Trade Monitoring System as described in Section II of these Standards. In addition, all Access Persons must preclear all private securities transactions immediately and report completion of the transaction promptly, in any event not later than ten days following the close of each quarter in which the trade was executed. Forms to report such private securities transactions are available from your business unit compliance officer or the Securities Monitoring Unit.
K. Personal Securities Holdings
Within ten calendar days of becoming an Access Person, and thereafter on an annual basis, Access Persons (other than disinterested directors/trustees) must disclose their personal securities holdings. This report should include all holdings of private securities (e.g., limited partnership interests, private placements, hedge funds, etc.) and all holdings of proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds. [80] , [81] This includes those positions held in 401(k) Plans held at other companies, variable insurance products and annuities, excluding money market funds. Security positions held in Discretionary Accounts, as defined in Section II.C.7., and certain trust accounts are not required to be reported. Holdings Reports must include information that is current within the previous forty five days of becoming an Access Person or submitting the annual Holdings Report. (See Exhibit 6 for the Holdings Report Form.)
L. Service as a Director
Consistent with Prudential standards, Investment Personnel are prohibited from serving on the board of directors of publicly traded companies, absent prior authorization from the business unit compliance officer or pursuant to Prudential Standards based upon a determination that the board service would not be inconsistent with the interests of the investment company or other clients. In the limited instances that such board service may be authorized, Investment Personnel will be isolated from those making investment decisions affecting transactions in securities issued by any publicly traded company on whose board such Investment Personnel serves as a director through the use of an Information Barrier or other procedures designed to address the potential conflicts of interest.
M. Gifts
Consistent with Prudential’s Gift and Entertainment Policy, Access Persons are prohibited from receiving any gift or other thing that would be considered excessive in value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of Prudential. Access Persons must comply with Company limits and reporting guidelines for all gifts and entertainment given and/or received.
N. Code Violations and Sanctions
Access Persons and Supervised Persons are required to promptly report any known violations of the Code or these Standards to the Business Unit Chief Compliance Officer. Reported violations and other exceptions to these Standards detected through internal monitoring will be provided to the Business Unit Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee and the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee (“Committee”). The Committee, comprised of business unit executives, compliance and human resource personnel, will review all violations of these Standards. The Committee will determine any sanctions or other disciplinary actions that may be deemed appropriate, which may include monetary penalties, suspension without pay, reduction in PTO days or other disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
In accordance with FINRA Rule 3110, certain transactions by Registered Representatives prompting an investigation, may require notification to the SRO.
O. Reports to Clients
The Board of Directors/Trustees of any investment company client will be provided, as requested by client or otherwise required by regulation, with a report, no less frequently than annually, which at a minimum:
· | Certifies that the investment adviser/portfolio management unit has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent its Access Persons from violating these Standards; |
· | Summarizes existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the preceding year; |
· | Identifies material violations of these Standards and sanctions imposed in response to those violations; and |
· | Identifies any recommended changes in existing restrictions or procedures based upon experience under these Standards, evolving industry practices, or developments in applicable laws and regulations. |
P. Additional Trading Requirements for Access Persons of Global Portfolio Strategies Inc. (“GPSI”)
The following restrictions and requirements apply to all accounts in which GPSI Access Persons have a direct or indirect beneficial interest, including accounts of household members as described in Section II.C.2.
1. Initial Public Offerings
GPSI Access Persons must preclear purchases of initial public offerings of securities. For purposes of these Standards, “initial public offerings of securities” do not include offerings of government or municipal securities. See Exhibit 9 for a copy of the preclearance request form.
2. Private Placements
GPSI Access Persons are prohibited from personally acquiring any securities in a private placement without express prior approval. Such approval must be obtained from the business unit compliance officer, based on a determination that no conflict of interest is involved. See Exhibit 9 for a copy of the preclearance request form.
3. Watchlist
GPSI Access Persons may be restricted from purchasing or selling securities of certain issuers on the GPSI Watchlist. Such restrictions apply to all accounts in which the associate is deemed to have a beneficial interest as listed above. Associates who held GPSI Watchlist securities prior to becoming a GPSI Access Person, the security being placed on the GPSI Watchlist or the institution of these Standards must obtain written approval from their business unit compliance officer prior to the sale of such securities.
Q. Additional Trading Requirements for certain Covered Persons
1. Watchlist
Certain Covered Persons in Prudential Retirement and other areas of the company may be restricted from purchasing or selling securities of certain issuers engaged in pension risk transfer activities. [82] Such restrictions apply to all accounts in which the associate is deemed to have a beneficial interest as listed above. Associates who held pension risk transfer securities prior to becoming a Covered Person, the security being placed on a Watchlist or the institution of these Standards, must obtain written approval from their business unit compliance officer prior to the sale of such securities.
If you are a Covered Person subject to pension risk transfer restrictions, you must determine whether the security you intend to trade is restricted prior to executing a
trade. You can confirm the restricted status of a security by entering a preclearance request into SunGard Protegent PTA. Preclearance approval is valid until the close of the market on the day preclearance is granted. Trading in a restricted security is prohibited and may result in review by a disciplinary committee and potential disciplinary action.
R. Violations of these Standards
Violations or other exceptions to these standards, excluding GPSI, are reviewed by the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee. Individuals who do not comply with these Standards are subject to disciplinary action that may include fines, as permitted by law, or other monetary penalties, suspension without pay, reduction in PTO days or other disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
VI. Trading Restrictions of Private Asset Management Units
A. Background
The Advisers Act governs activities of officers, directors and employees of registered investment advisers. The rules under the Advisers Act set forth specific requirements relating to conflicts of interest and personal securities trading activity.
Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act requires each federally registered investment adviser to adopt a written code of ethics designed to prevent fraud by reinforcing fiduciary principles that govern the conduct of investment advisory firms and their Personnel. In addition, the code must set forth specific requirements relating to personal trading activity including reporting transactions and holdings.
The code of ethics applies to all Supervised Persons of the adviser, including all “Access Persons” of the adviser. Under the rules, “Access Persons” are considered employees of the adviser who have access to client recommendations and trading activity. Based on this definition, Private-Side Associates, as defined in Section VI.C. below, (excluding employees of PMCC) would be considered “Access Persons” and be subject to the requirements of the rules due to their access to investment advisory client recommendations and trading activity. In addition, employees of Prudential Real Estate Fixed Income Investors (“PREFII”) are considered Supervised Persons under the rules.
The Investment Adviser Code of Ethics (“Code”), as adopted by Prudential’s registered investment advisers, includes the Personal Securities Trading Standards and the U.S. Information Barrier Standards. Employees identified as Supervised Persons must comply with the Code, including these Standards. Compliance is responsible for notifying each individual who is subject to the Code. Sections II and VI of these Standards set forth the requirements that are intended to enable Private-Side Associates to comply with Rule 204A-1.
B. Conflicts of Interest
Prudential holds its employees to the highest ethical standards. Maintaining high standards requires a total commitment to sound ethical principles and Prudential’s values. It also requires nurturing a business culture that supports decisions and actions based on what is right, not simply what is expedient. Management must make the Company’s ethical standards clear. At every level, associates must set the right example in their daily conduct. Moreover, associates are encouraged to understand the expectations of the Company and apply these guidelines to analogous situations or seek guidance if they have questions about conduct in given circumstances.
All Private-Side Associates must act in accordance with the following general principles:
· | It is their duty at all times to place the interests of investment advisory clients and investment company shareholders first. |
· | Private Side Associates should scrupulously avoid serving their own personal interests |
ahead of clients’ interests in any decision relating to their personal investments.
· | All personal securities transactions must be conducted in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual’s position of trust and responsibility. |
· | Private-Side Associates must not only seek to achieve technical compliance with these Standards, but should strive to abide by the spirit and the principles articulated herein. |
· | Private-Side Associates may not take inappropriate advantage of their positions. |
· | Private-Side Associates must avoid any situation that might compromise, or call into question, their exercise of fully independent judgment in the interest of clients, including, but not limited to the receipt of unusual investment opportunities, perquisites or gifts from persons doing or seeking business with their portfolios. |
· | Private-Side Associates may not bunch a personal order with a client order. |
· Private-Side Associates may not conduct personal business with brokers who execute trades for their portfolios. |
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C. Requirements of Private-Side Associates
In addition to the personal securities trade reporting requirements set forth in Section II of these Standards, all associates of Private Asset Management units of PGIM are subject to certain trading restrictions as set forth below. The Private Asset Management units of PGIM are as follows: Prudential Capital Group (“PCG”), Prudential Real Estate Investors (“PREI”) and Prudential Mortgage Capital Company (“PMCC”). [83] These individuals are referred to as Private-Side Associates throughout these Standards.
The following restrictions and requirements apply to all accounts in which Private-Side Associates have a direct or indirect beneficial interest, including accounts of household members as described in Section II.C.2.
Such restrictions apply to transactions in any securities accounts for which the associate maintains a beneficial interest, including the following:
· | Personal accounts; |
· | Joint or tenant-in-common accounts in which the associate is a participant; |
· | Accounts for which the associate acts as trustee, executor or custodian; |
· | Accounts in which the associate’s spouse has a beneficial interest; |
· | Accounts in which the associate’s minor children or any dependent family member has a beneficial interest; |
· | Accounts over which the associate exercises control or has any investment discretion including accounts of family members and other persons that reside at locations other than the associate’s residence; and |
· | Accounts of any individual to whose financial support the associate materially contributes. |
D. PCG, PMCC and PREI Material Nonpublic Information Lists
Under the U.S. Information Barrier Standards, PCG, PMCC and PREI are each required to maintain a material nonpublic information list (“MNPI Lists”) containing the names of publicly traded issuers about which they possess material nonpublic information. In addition, PCG maintains a list of companies that have issued public securities on a PCG Portfolio Holdings List, as well as the PCG 90 Day Pricing List and the PCG Watch and Early Warning List. PREI, PCG and PMCC employees are restricted from purchasing or selling securities of the issuers on the PCG, PMCC and PREI MNPI Lists as well as PCG’s Portfolio Holdings List, 90 Day Pricing Lists and PCG Watch and Early Warning List (“Applicable Restricted Lists”) for their personal accounts. These restrictions apply to all accounts in which the associate is deemed to have a beneficial interest as listed above.
For clarity, all Private-Side Associates are subject to all restricted lists for the relevant units except that only PMCC and PREI employees are subject to the REIT/REOC Restricted List, as referred to in Section VI.J.2.
Associates should not provide the Applicable Restricted Lists to individuals outside of their investment sector. The employee should instruct individuals (e.g., spouse, parent, etc.) who exercise control or have investment discretion over an account in which the associate has a beneficial interest to check with the associate prior to purchasing or selling any security for such account to ensure that no trade is placed in a security of an issuer on any of the Applicable Restricted Lists.
If an issuer of a security is on any of the Applicable Restricted Lists, the employee should instruct the individual exercising control over the account (e.g., spouse, parent, etc.) that he or she is prohibited from trading the security because of his or her employment with Prudential. In the case of a Discretionary Account (as defined in Section II.C.7.), the preceding rule does not apply and the associate must not discuss any security or issuer with the broker or investment adviser in advance of any trade. In addition, a copy of the signed Discretionary Account agreement must be sent to the Securities Monitoring Unit for review and approval.
Associates of Private Asset Management units may not advise a person not employed by Prudential, or a Prudential employee of another investment sector that a security is restricted because Prudential is in possession of material nonpublic information.
E. Investment Clubs
Private-Side Associates are prohibited from participating in investment clubs.
F. Mutual Fund Reporting and Trading Restrictions
Private-Side Associates are prohibited from market timing any proprietary mutual funds, as well as non-proprietary funds subadvised by Prudential, and must comply with any trading restrictions established by Prudential and its clients to prevent market timing of these funds.
To deter the market timing in proprietary and non-proprietary funds subadvised by Prudential, certain officers of PGIM are required to hold all proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds for a period of sixty days. [84] Private-Side Associates are also required to report mutual fund transactions covered under these standards as described below.
1. Mutual Fund Holding Period
Certain officers of PGIM are required to hold proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds, excluding money market funds and the PESP Fixed Rate Fund, purchased for a period of sixty days. [85] [86] Proprietary funds include Prudential Investments, Target, Advanced Series Trust, Prudential Series Fund and Variable Contract Accounts 2, 10, and 11. Non-proprietary subadvised funds are defined in Exhibit 8. Specifically, affected officers are prohibited from executing a purchase and a sale of the same proprietary or non-proprietary subadvised mutual fund during any sixty day period. [87] This restriction applies to accounts for which these officers have a direct or indirect beneficial interest, including household members. See Section II.C. Profits realized on such transactions must be disgorged to the applicable mutual fund or client, or as otherwise deemed appropriate by the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee (“Committee”). [88] , [89]
2. Policies Relating to Reporting and Trading Mutual Funds
Private-Side Associates are required to report all transactions of proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds. [90] This requirement applies to accounts for
which Private-Side Associates have a direct or indirect beneficial interest, including household members. See Section II.C.
Private-Side Associates may hold and trade proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds only through one of the authorized broker-dealers, directly with Prudential Mutual Fund Services (“PMFS”), or the Prudential Employee Savings Plan (“PESP”). [91] However, non-proprietary subadvised funds may be traded directly with the fund provided that duplicate account statements and trade confirmations are sent directly to the Securities Monitoring Unit. For certain non-proprietary subadvised funds, Private-Side Associates must notify fund complexes within ten business days of receipt of these Standards requesting that duplicate statements and confirmations be forwarded to the Securities Monitoring Unit. Investment elections or transactions executed in the executive deferred compensation plans are not subject to this requirement. [92]
Private-Side Associates must notify the Securities Monitoring Unit of any mutual fund accounts that can trade proprietary or certain non-proprietary subadvised funds. This also includes accounts of all household members, 401(k) Plans held at other companies, variable insurance products and annuities held directly with the fund or through another company or service provider for all proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds. [93] In addition, Private-Side Associates must contact these funds to request that duplicate statements and confirmations of mutual fund trading activity be sent to the Securities Monitoring Unit. A sample letter to a brokerage firm is provided as Exhibit 1 to these Standards.
G. Personal Securities Holdings
Within ten calendar days of becoming a Private-Side Associate, and thereafter on an annual basis, Private-Side Associates (other than disinterested directors/trustees) must disclose their personal securities holdings. This report should include all holdings of private securities (e.g., hedge funds, limited partnership interests, private placements, etc.) and all holdings of proprietary and certain non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds. [94] This includes those positions held in 401(k) Plans at other companies, variable insurance products and annuities, excluding money market funds. Security positions held in Discretionary Accounts, as defined in Section II.C.7., and certain Trust Accounts
are not required to be reported. Holdings Reports must include information that is current within the previous forty five days of becoming an Access Person or submitting the annual Holdings Report. (See Exhibit 6 for the Holdings Report Form.)
H. Private Placements
Private-Side Associates are prohibited from personally acquiring any securities in a private placement without express prior approval. Such approval must be obtained from the business unit compliance officer (such person having no personal interest in such purchases or sales), who may consult with the local business unit head when reviewing the request. Approval will be granted based on a determination that no conflict of interest is involved. See Exhibit 9 for a copy of the preclearance request form.
I. Initial Public Offerings
Private-Side Associates must preclear all purchases of initial public offerings of securities. For purposes of these Standards, “initial public offerings of securities” do not include offerings of government or municipal securities. See Exhibit 9 for a copy of the preclearance request form.
J. Additional Restrictions for Certain Units
1. Preclearance Requirements
Upon notification from Compliance in early 2016, Private-Side Associates will be required to preclear personal securities transactions. See Exhibit 3 for a list of securities transactions that will require preclearance upon this notification from Compliance. Thereafter, failure to preclear will be subject to review by the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee and potential disciplinary action.
2. Real Estate Units
In order to comply with certain U.S. federal securities laws and to prevent actual and apparent conflicts of interest in the Private Asset Management Real Estate units, all associates of PREI, PMCC and functional associates who are co-located with these units are restricted from purchasing interests in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and real estate-related securities as governed by those units’ respective restricted lists. [95]
PGIM Compliance maintains the REIT/REOC Restricted List, which constitutes the broad universe of REIT securities using conventional sources, and for which associates are prohibited from trading. Please note however, that absence from this list does not indicate approval to trade. This prohibition applies to all REITs and real estate-related securities, whether they are on the list or not.
Currently, in order to confirm whether a security is restricted, Private-Side Associates must enter a preclearance request into SunGard Protegent PTA. SunGard Protegent PTA can be accessed by typing PST into your browser. We recommend that you bookmark this link for future reference .
Associates who hold REIT securities or real estate securities prior to the institution of these Standards or joining PREI and PMCC must obtain written approval from PGIM Compliance prior to the sale of such securities. Associates of the Private Asset Management Real Estate units will be permitted to purchase shares of open-end mutual funds that invest in REITs or real estate securities.
3. PREI – Prudential Retirement Real Estate Fund Restrictions (“PRREF”)
PREI employees, as well as certain other individuals who have been specifically notified, collectively called “PRREF Covered Individuals”, are subject to special restrictions and requirements relating to PRREF. PRREF Covered Individuals are subject to the PRREF trading window and blackout period procedures. PRREF Covered Individuals are only permitted to execute PRREF transactions during a PRREF open trading window - see Exhibit 10 for the PESP Requirements for PRREF Covered Individuals. As a result, some controls have been established to prevent transactions during closed trading windows. If a blocking system fails, the employee is still responsible for adherence to these Standards. PREI Compliance will send PRREF trading window and blackout period notices to all PRREF Covered Persons.
4. Prudential Capital Group 90-Day Pricing List
To prevent actual or apparent conflicts of interest and to assure compliance with ITSFEA, all Private-Side Associates (and functional associates in support thereof) are prohibited from purchasing or selling securities of companies listed on PCG’s 90 Day Pricing Summary Update for Public Companies (90 Day Pricing List). Currently, Private-Side Associates who have access to information about investment advisory client transactions and holdings involving public securities are prohibited from trading the securities of those publicly traded issuers and must preclear using SunGard Protegent PTA Preclearance. SunGard Protegent PTA can be accessed by typing PST into your browser. We recommend you bookmark this site.
K. Violations of these Standards
Violations or other exceptions to these standards are reviewed by the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee. Individuals who do not comply with these Standards are subject to disciplinary action that may include fines, as permitted by law, or other monetary penalties, suspension without pay, reduction in PTO days or other disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
Exhibits
Exhibit 1 – Sample Letter to Brokerage Firm
TO: Broker-Dealer
RE: Account #:
Date of Establishment:
Dear Sir/Madam:
Please furnish to Prudential Financial, Inc. (“Prudential”), copies of all trade confirmations and account statements with respect to all transactions for the above listed account(s). Please include all transactions in shares of unit investment trusts, exchange traded funds and all closed-end mutual funds.
Copies of these confirmations and statements should be sent to Prudential, as trades are effected, addressed as follows:
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Compliance Department
P.O. Box 919
Newark, NJ 07101-9998
This request is being made pursuant to NASD Rule 3050 and/or Rule 204-2(a) of the Investment Advisers Act, as applicable.
Very truly yours,
cc:
Vice President, Compliance
Compliance Department
Exhibit 2a – Acknowledgment of the Personal Securities Trading Standards - US
For employees required to report their transactions in SunGard Protegent PTA as described in Section II of these Standards, please complete the following acknowledgment and send it to:
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Compliance Department
P.O. Box 919
Newark, NJ 07101-9998
I have read and understand the Personal Securities Trading Standards and have and will continue to comply in all respects with the rules contained therein.
I confirm that I have instructed in writing all brokers for all securities accounts in which I maintain a beneficial interest, as described below, to send duplicate copies of all confirmations covering any transactions as trades are effected and all account statements to the address listed above. I understand that for accounts maintained at:
· | Charles Schwab |
· | Chase Investor Services Corp (CISC) |
· | E*TRADE |
· | Fidelity Investments |
· | JP Morgan Chase |
· | Merrill Lynch |
· | Morgan Stanley |
· | Pruco Securities |
· | Raymond James |
· | Scottrade |
· | TD Ameritrade |
· | UBS Financial Services |
· | Wells Fargo Advisors |
as well as Discretionary Accounts as defined in Section II.C.7., I do not need to contact these brokers in writing. Beneficial interest includes the following:
· | personal accounts; |
· | accounts in which my spouse has a beneficial interest;** |
· | accounts in which my minor children or any dependent family member has a beneficial interest;** |
· | joint or tenant-in-common accounts in which I am a participant; |
· | accounts for which I act as trustee, executor or custodian; |
· | accounts over which I exercise control or have investment discretion; |
· | accounts of any individual to whose financial support I materially contribute; and |
· | accounts in which purchases and sales are limited to open-end mutual funds.*** |
** Due to applicable laws, employees located in Japan are not required to disclose or report information regarding accounts for which a spouse, dependent family member and/or minor child has a beneficial interest.
*** This requirement only applies to Investment Personnel, Access Persons, Public-Side and Private-Side Associates. Duplicate confirmations and statements are not required for such accounts.
Set forth below (and on accompanying pages if necessary) is a list of all such accounts (including my
Discretionary Accounts and accounts held at Charles Schwab, E*Trade, Merrill Lynch, TD Ameritrade, UBS Financial Services, Fidelity Investments, Pruco Securities, Wells Fargo Advisors, JP Morgan Chase, Chase Investor Services Corp. (CISC), Morgan Stanley, Scottrade and Raymond James) indicating the individual holding the account, the name of the institution, and the account number. I understand that I must promptly advise the Compliance Department of any change in this information or changes to my previously reported Discretionary Account agreements or circumstances surrounding these Discretionary Accounts and that I cannot influence or control trades in Discretionary Accounts. I understand that if I have been classified as a Covered or Access Person that in the event circumstances change for an account for which I have been granted an exception to maintain at a non-authorized brokerage firm, I must notify the Compliance Department immediately and request that the account be reviewed in light of the changed circumstances.
_____________________________ ______________________________
Full Name of Employee Business Unit/Location
_____________________________ ______________________________
Signature Date
List of all Accounts
Name of Individual | Name of Institution | Account Number | |
Exhibit 2b - Acknowledgment of the Personal Securities Trading Standards - International
I have read and understand the Personal Securities Trading Standards and have and will continue to comply in all respects with the rules contained therein.
I confirm that, where applicable, I have instructed in writing all brokers for all securities accounts in which I maintain a beneficial interest, as described below, to send duplicate copies of all confirmations covering any transactions as trades are effected and all account statements to the address listed below. I confirm that in cases where the broker cannot forward account information to Prudential that I will provide copies of all confirmations and account statements to Prudential in a timely manner. I understand that my account information will be maintained in a secure manner and available to only limited individuals with a business need for the information.
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Compliance Department
P.O. Box 919
Newark, NJ 07101-9998
USA
I understand that for accounts maintained at Charles Schwab, Chase Investor Services Corp (CICS), E*Trade, JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, TD Ameritrade, UBS Financial Services , Fidelity Investments, Pruco Securities, Raymond James, Scottrade or Wells Fargo Advisors, as well as Discretionary Accounts as defined in Section II.C.7., I do not need to contact these brokers in writing. Beneficial interest includes the following:
· | personal accounts; |
· | accounts in which my spouse has a beneficial interest;** |
· | accounts in which my minor children or any dependent family member has a beneficial interest;** |
· | joint or tenant-in-common accounts in which I am a participant; |
· | accounts for which I act as trustee, executor or custodian; |
· | accounts over which I exercise control or have investment discretion, |
· | accounts of any individual to whose financial support I materially contribute; and |
· | accounts in which purchases and sales are limited to U.S. open-end mutual funds.*** |
** Due to applicable laws, employees located in Japan are not required to disclose or report information regarding accounts for which a spouse, dependent family member and/or minor child has a beneficial interest.
*** This requirement only applies to Investment Personnel, Access Persons, Public-Side and Private-Side Associates. Duplicate confirmations and statements are not required for such accounts.
Set forth below (and on accompanying pages if necessary) is a list of all such accounts (including my Discretionary Accounts and accounts held at:
· | Charles Schwab |
· | Chase Investor Services Corp (CISC) |
· | E*TRADE |
· | Fidelity Investments |
· | JP Morgan Chase |
· | Merrill Lynch |
· | Morgan Stanley |
· | Pruco Securities |
· | Raymond James |
· | Scottrade |
· | TD Ameritrade |
· | UBS Financial Services |
· | Wells Fargo Advisors |
) indicating the individual holding the account, the name of the institution, and the account number. I understand that it is my obligation to ensure that Compliance has an accurate record of each account holder identified below. I understand that I must promptly advise the Compliance Department of any change in this information or changes to my previously reported Discretionary Account agreements or circumstances surrounding my Discretionary Accounts and that I cannot influence or control trades in Discretionary Accounts. I understand that if I have been classified as a Covered or Access Person that in the event circumstances change for an account for which I have been granted an exception to maintain at a non-authorized brokerage firm, I must notify the Compliance Department immediately and request that the account be reviewed in light of the changed circumstances.
I freely give my explicit unambiguous consent for this account information to be forwarded to Prudential’s Securities Trade Monitoring Unit in the U.S. for the purpose of monitoring my trading activities to ensure compliance with the Personal Securities Trading Standards and the various securities laws and regulations governing insider trading and the protection of material nonpublic information.
_____________________________ ______________________________
Full Name of Employee Business Unit/Location
_____________________________ ______________________________
Signature Date
List of all Accounts
Name of Individual
|
Name of Institution
|
Account Number
|
|
Exhibit 3 – Preclearance and Reporting of Personal Transactions
Investment Category/ Method |
Sub-Category |
Reportable (Yes/No) |
Requires Pre-clearance for Access and Investment Personnel [96] , [97] | Comments |
Bonds |
ABS Agency
CMOs Convertibles Corporates MBS
Municipals Public Offerings Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds |
Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes No |
Yes Yes – only QMA & FI Investment Personnel; for all others no preclearance required.
Yes Yes Yes Yes – only FI Investment Personnel; for all others No preclearance required.
Yes Yes Yes - only FI Investment Personnel; for all others No preclearance required. |
|
Stocks ( Purchases and sales of Individual Stocks) |
Common (non-Prudential securities) Common (Prudential securities only)
Optional Dividend Reinvestments Preferred Public Offerings (Initial & Secondary) Rights Warrants Dividend Reinvestments Plans (Initial Enrollment)
Automatic Dividend Reinvestments |
Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes- except for Prudential Stock
No |
Yes Yes- exceptions apply, see comments
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes- except for Prudential stock
No- However, initial enrollments require preclearance. |
Private-Side Associates must preclear initial public offerings of securities, see Section VI.I.
Transactions in Prudential only need to be precleared by employees of QMA, including its support functions, and Designated Persons. |
Private Placements including Limited Partnerships and Hedge Funds | Yes | Yes |
Private-Side Associates must preclear private placement transactions, see Section VI.H.
|
Investment Category/ Method – CONTINUED |
Sub-Category |
Reportable (Yes/No) |
Requires Pre-clearance for Access and Investment Personnel [98] | Comments |
Open End Mutual Funds- For Designated and Covered Persons |
Proprietary Non Proprietary Prudential Financial, Inc. Common Stock Fund 529 Plans |
No No Yes
No
|
See rules below for Access and Investment Persons. Designated Persons must preclear all transactions in Prudential securities. | Transactions of the Prudential Financial, Inc. Common Stock Fund executed in the PESP plan are fed electronically to SUNGARD PROTEGENT PTA. |
Open End Mutual Funds- For Investment Personnel, Access Personsand Private-Side Associates |
Exchange Traded Funds Proprietary Non-Money Market Non-proprietary subadvised Non-Money Market Proprietary and Non-Proprietary Off-Shore Funds
Money Market Funds Non Affiliated 529 Plans |
Yes Yes Yes [99]
Yes 99
No No No [100] |
Yes - see comments No No
No
No No No |
All ETFs must be precleared, including those registered as open end mutual funds. Proprietary Funds include Prudential Investments, Target, Advanced Series Trust, and Variable Contract Accounts 2, 10 & 11. A list of non-proprietary subadvised funds can be found in Exhibit 8. |
Closed End Funds & Unit Investments Trusts |
Affiliated Funds Affiliated Unit Investment Trusts Non-Affiliated Funds Non-Affiliated Unit Inv. Trusts |
Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes No - see comments Yes No - see comments
|
All ETFs must be precleared, including those registered as unit investment trusts. |
Derivatives |
Any Exchange Traded, NASDAQ, or OTC Option or Future including but not limited to: Security Futures/Single Stock Futures All other Futures (Including Financial Futures) Options on Foreign Currency
Options on Futures Options on Indexes Options on Securities |
Yes No
Yes
Yes Yes Yes |
Yes No - see comments
Yes – only FI Investment Personnel; for all others No preclearance required.
Yes Yes- see comments Yes |
Purchases and Sales of options on indexes must be precleared except as noted in Exhibit 5. Exercises of options (other than Prudential Employee Stock Options) do not require preclearance.
PGIM/QMA Associated Persons with the National Futures Association are prohibited from trading futures in their personal trading accounts and are prohibited from maintaining a personal futures trading account.
|
Investment Category/ Method – CONTINUED |
Sub-Category |
Reportable (Yes/No) |
Requires Pre-clearance for Access and Investment Personnel [101] | Comments |
Foreign Currency | No | No | Exchanges made for personal travel are not reportable. | |
Stock or Option Bonus Awards
Prudential Employees
Non-Pru Employee/ Household Member |
Shares or Options received as part of Compensation:
Receipt of grant, including Options, Restricted Stock (“RS”), Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) Performance Shares (“PS”) Performance Units (“PUs”)
Exercise of Employee Stock Options (including employee stock options from a former employer)
Sale of RS, RSUs, PS, or PUs
Options received as part of Compensation
Shares received as part of Compensation
Exercise of Employee Stock Options
Sale of Stock Received
|
Yes- see comments
Yes- see comments
Yes- see comments
No
Yes
No
Yes |
No
Yes- see comments
Yes- see comments
No
No
No
Yes |
Prudential employee stock or option bonus awards and subsequent transactions (i.e., option exercises and sales of RS, RSU’s and PS) are electronically reported to the Securities Monitoring Unit. Only Designated Persons and employees of QMA and its support functions must preclear these transactions.
For Non-employee option bonus awards, the receipt is not reportable. However, the receipt of a stock award is reportable. The sale of stock or the exercise of an option is a reportable event.
|
PSPP Transactions | Yes- exceptions apply, see comments | Yes- exceptions apply, see comments |
PSPP elections and purchases do not have to be precleared by Access and Investment Persons. However, the sale of shares acquired through the plan must be precleared by employees of QMA and its support functions. All other Access and Investment Persons need not preclear PSPP transactions.
For Designated Persons, additional rules apply. See Exhibit 4.
|
Investment Category/ Method - CONTINUED |
Sub-Category |
Reportable (Yes/No) |
Requires Pre-clearance for Access and Investment Personnel [102] | Comments |
Gifts
Prudential securities
All other gifts |
Gifts given and received
Given by Employee - Bonds and/or Stock Received by Employee - Bonds and/or Stock |
Yes - exceptions apply, see comments
Yes
No |
Yes - exceptions apply, see comments
Yes
No |
Only employees of QMA, including its support functions, and Designated Persons must preclear gifts of Prudential securities.
For non-Prudential securities, a gift given to a charity is reportable, however, the receipt of a gift is not a reportable transaction under the Personal Securities Trading Standards. Please see the Gift and Entertainment Policy for additional reporting requirements for gifts. |
Commodities | Other Commodities | No | No | |
Annuities & Life Insurance Contracts w/Investment Components (e.g. Variable Life) |
Affiliated Non Affiliated |
Yes** Yes** |
No No |
** Investment Personnel, Access Persons and Private-Side Associates must report transactions of both affiliated and non-affiliated variable life and annuities contracts where the underlying investment components invest in proprietary and/or certain subadvised non-proprietary mutual funds. In addition, any underlying sub-account transactions are also reportable. |
Exhibit 4 – DRIP, PESP and PSPP Requirements Relating to Designated Persons
DRIP Requirements
PESP Transactions |
Open Trading Windows |
Blackout Periods (Closed Trading Windows) |
Prudential Stock Dividend Reinvestment Plan Enrollment
|
Permitted – No Preclearance required |
Permitted |
PESP Requirements
PESP Transactions (CONTINUED) |
Open Trading Windows |
Blackout Periods (Closed Trading Windows) |
Loan Initiations |
Permitted - Preclearance required if funds will be taken from the PFI Common Stock Fund. |
Permitted – The proceeds for the loan will be taken from all your investments except for the PFI Common Stock Fund.
Preclearance is not required. |
Single Lump Sum Repayments |
Permitted - Preclearance required if funds will upon repayment be invested in the PFI Common Stock Fund |
Permitted if funds, upon repayment, will not be invested in the PFI Common Stock Fund
Otherwise Prohibited |
Catch-up Contributions (generally available for those age 50 and older who meet the PESP rules) |
Permitted – No preclearance required |
Permitted |
GoalMaker Elections |
Permitted - No preclearance required
|
Permitted if you are not currently allocating funds to the PFI Common Stock Fund AND if none of your assets (other than the company directed match) are invested in the PFI Common Stock Fund
Otherwise Prohibited |
PESP Transactions (CONTINUED) |
Open Trading Windows |
Blackout Periods (Closed Trading Windows) |
Disbursements from the PFI Common Stock Fund for an In-Service Withdrawal |
Permitted - Preclearance required |
Prohibited from the PFI Common Stock Fund. However, you MAY receive a disbursement from your other PESP investments. Contact 1-800-PRU-EASY for more information. |
Disbursements from the PFI Common Stock Fund for a Hardship Withdrawal |
Permitted – No preclearance required |
Permitted |
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) dividend elections
|
Permitted – No preclearance required |
Permitted |
Changing your Contribution Rate a/k/a Deferral Rate (includes After Tax and Before Tax) |
Permitted – No preclearance required |
Permitted |
Prudential Supplemental Employee Savings Plan (SESP) |
Permitted – No preclearance required |
Permitted |
PSPP Requirements
PSPP Transactions | Open Trading Windows |
Blackout Periods (Closed Trading Windows) |
PSPP Enrollment |
Permitted – No preclearance required |
Permitted |
PSPP Contribution Rate Change |
Permitted – No preclearance required |
Permitted |
PSPP Suspension | Permitted – No preclearance required |
Permitted
|
PSPP Withdrawals | Permitted – No Preclearance required | Permitted |
PSPP Sale | Permitted – Preclearance required | Prohibited |
Exhibit 5 – Transactions in Broad-Based Indices that are Exempt from Preclearance & Short-Term Trading Prohibitions
Exhibit 6 – Personal Securities Holdings Report
Reviewed by: Initials:______ Date:______
Business Unit Compliance Officer
Personal Securities Holdings Report
To: Securities Monitoring Unit
Compliance Department
From: _______________________________ Employee ID: ______
Department: ___________________________________ Division: _______________
Signed: ____________________________________ Date:__________________
I currently have no securities holdings to report: ________________
Employee’s Initials
Listed below are all securities that I held, including those in which I had a direct or indirect beneficial interest, as of a date within the previous 45 days, as required by the Personal Securities Trading Standards and the Mutual Fund Code of Ethics.
Public Securities (including proprietary and non-proprietary subadvised mutual funds). Please indicate if security was acquired through an initial public offering (“IPO”).
Number Mkt Value/ Broker-Dealer Account
Title of Security Of Shares Principal Amt or Institution Number Ticker IPO
______________ _________ ___________ ____________ _________ ____ ____
______________ _________ ___________ ____________ _________ ____ ____
______________ _________ ___________ ____________ _________ ____ ____
______________ _________ ___________ ____________ _________ ____ ____
Private Securities (e.g., hedge funds, limited partnerships, private placements).
Number Mkt Value/ Broker-Dealer Account
Title of Security Of Shares Principal Amt or Institution Number
______________ _________ ___________ ____________ _________
______________ _________ ___________ ____________ _________
Exhibit 7 -- Section 16 Insiders and Designated Persons Preclearance Request Form
This form is for preclearing transactions in Prudential securities (including equity and debt securities). Please include all requested information. An associate from the Securities Monitoring Unit of the Compliance Department will review and respond to this request. The response will indicate that your request has either been approved or denied. A request is not considered approved until you receive a confirmation of approval from the Securities Monitoring Unit. For employees located in North or South America, preclearance is only valid until the close of the market on the day approval is granted. Employees located outside of North and South America are granted preclearance approval for two business days counting the date of approval as the first business day, however trades must be executed before the trading window closes. Preclearance Forms should be faxed to the Securities Monitoring Unit at (973) 802-7454 [International Fax Number +1-973-802-7454] .
Part I – Information on Individual Requesting Preclearance:
Name: __________________________________ Phone #: ______________ Fax #: ________________
Department: ___________________________________ Division: ___________________________
In making this transaction, I understand it is my personal obligation under federal securities law not to trade securities of Prudential Financial, Inc. while in possession of material nonpublic information about the Company. This obligation continues during open trading windows and even where I have had a trade precleared.
___________________________ [Employee’s Signature]
If you have any questions, please contact Hillary Lorenzo at (973) 367-9358 [International +1-973-367-9358] or Richard Baker at (973) 802-6691 [International +1-973-802-6691].
Part II - Transaction Information:
Date: _______________________ Number of Shares/Options: ______
Transaction Type:
Open Market Transactions
______ Buy
______ Sell*
______Gift
Stock Option Exercises
______ Cashless Exercise (Exercise and Sell all Options)
______ Exercise & Sell to Cover (Exercise and Sell only enough shares to cover option cost and taxes) |
______ Exercise & Hold (Exercise options and hold shares – no sale involved)
Prudential Employee Savings Plan (PESP) Transactions
______Exchange (into or out of Company Stock Fund)
______Disbursement (from Company Stock Fund)
______Loans (impacting Company Stock Fund)
______Single Lump Sum Loan Repayment (impacting Company Stock Fund)
______ Rebalancing (impacting Company Stock Fund)
Prudential Stock Purchase Plan (PSPP) Transactions
______ Sell (stock previously obtained from the PSPP)
Other Benefit Plan Elections
______Deferred Compensation Transactions (impacting Company Stock Fund)
Asset Type: ______Common Stock ______Employee Stock Option ______Company Stock Fund
______Bonds (including Convertible Bonds)
* I confirm that I currently hold securities to cover this transaction. (Note that this question applies to all sales due to the fact that short sales are prohibited.) _____ (employee’s initials)
Account in which transaction will take place: Brokerage Firm ________________________________
Account No. __________________________________
Part III – Information To Be Completed by Section 16 Insiders Only:
Have you traded the same or equivalent security for your personal account, accounts in which you have a beneficial interest, such as accounts of your spouse or family members, or accounts over which you maintain investment discretion within the past six months? If yes, the Securities Monitoring Unit may contact you for additional information.______________
Comments: ______________________________________________________________________
Part IV – Compliance/Law Response
Compliance Response: APPROVED : ____ DENIED:_____REVIEWER :____________DATE/TIME:__________
Law Response (for Section 16 Insiders Only): APPROVED : ____ DENIED:_____ REVIEWER :___________ DATE/TIME:__________
Exhibit 8 -- Non Proprietary Subadvised Mutual Funds [105]
QMA Subadvised Funds – reportable and subject to the sixty day holding period for all QMA division employees and support functions with access to QMA investment information (and therefore must preclear against QMA activity). This includes Investment, Operations, Systems, Finance and Compliance teams, as well as certain PIM Operations and Systems divisions such as Enterprise Reporting, PAM Support/Maintenance and Sec Lending Support teams. This will also apply to any “dual hat” employees subject to both Jennison and QMA’s Personal Securities Trading Standards.
SEI Institutional Investments Trust (SIIT) – Large Cap Disciplined Equity Fund
SEI Institutional Managed Trust (SIMT) – Mid-Cap Fund
USAA Cornerstone Strategy Fund
USAA Global Strategies Fund
USAA First Start Growth Fund
Trans America Market Participation Strategy (MPS)
Prudential Fixed Income Subadvised Funds – reportable and subject to the sixty day holding period for all employees and support functions with access to Prudential Fixed Income investment information and therefore must preclear against Prudential Fixed Income activity. This includes Investment, Operations, Systems, Finance and Compliance teams, as well as certain PGIM Operations and Systems divisions such as Enterprise Reporting, PAM Support/Maintenance and Sec Lending Support teams. This will also apply to any “dual hat” employees subject to Jennison’s, Fixed Income’s and Prudential Investment’s Personal Securities Trading Standards.
Fidelity Strategic Advisers Core Income Fund
Fidelity Strategic Advisers Core Income Multi-Manager Fund
Edward Jones Bridge Builder Bond Fund
Jennison Subadvised Funds – reportable and subject to the sixty day holding period for all Jennison employees who preclear against Jennison activity, including any “dual hat” employees subject to both Jennison and QMA’s Personal Securities Trading Standards .
Harbor Funds – Harbor Capital Appreciation Fund
John Hancock Funds II – Capital Appreciation Fund
Northern Funds - Multi-Manager Large Cap Fund
Principal Funds, Inc. – Diversified Real Asset Fund
SEI Institutional Investments Trust - Long Duration Fund
SEI Institutional Investments Trust – Core Fixed Income Fund
SEI Institutional Managed Trust – Core Fixed Income Fund
SEI Institutional Managed Trust – U.S. Fixed Income Fund
HC Capital Trust – The Growth Equity Portfolio
HC Capital Trust – The Institutional Growth Equity Portfolio
Transamerica Funds – Transamerica Jennison Growth
Transamerica Partners Portfolios – Transamerica Partners Large Growth Portfolio
Vanguard Morgan Growth Fund
Vanguard Fenway Funds – Vanguard Growth Equity Fund
Transamerica Series Trust – Transamerica Jennison Growth VP
John Hancock Trust – Capital Appreciation Trust
Metropolitan Series Fund, Inc. – Jennison Growth Portfolio
Ohio National Fund, Inc. – Capital Appreciation Portfolio
Pacific Select Fund – Health Sciences Portfolio
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II – Variable Portfolio - Jennison Mid Cap Growth Fund
Franklin K2 Alternative Strategies Fund
Exhibit 9 – Initial Public Offering and Private Placement Preclearance Form for Access Persons and Private-Side Associates
This form is for preclearing transactions in Initial Public Offering (IPOs) and Private Placements for Access Persons and Private-Side Associates. Please include all requested information and submit the form to your business unit compliance officer. Your business unit compliance officer will review and respond to this request. The response will indicate that your request has either been approved or denied. A request is not considered approved until you receive a confirmation of approval from your business unit compliance officer.
Part I – Information on Individual Requesting Preclearance:
Name: __________________________________ Phone #: ______________ Fax #: ________________
Department: ___________________________________ Division: ___________________________
Registered Representative: (Yes) _____ (No) _____
Please be advised that Registered Representatives are prohibited from participating in initial public offerings.
Employee’s signature: ___________________________
Part II - Transaction Information:
Date: _______________________ Number of Shares/Options: ______
Transaction Type:
_______Initial Public Offering
_______Private Placement/Limited Partnership (A copy of the subscription agreement must be
submitted to the Securities Monitoring Unit of the Compliance Department).
Name of Issuer: _________________________________
Account in which transaction will take place:
Brokerage Firm _______________________________________
Account No. _________________________________________
Comments: ______________________________________________________________________
Part IV – Compliance/Law Response
Compliance Response:
APPROVED : ____ DENIED:_____REVIEWER :____________DATE/TIME:__________
Exhibit 10 – PESP Requirements Relating to PRREF Covered Individuals
Type of PESP Transaction | During Open PRREF Trading Windows | During PRREF Blackout Period (PRREF Closed Trading Windows) |
Initial PRREF Enrollment | Permitted | Permitted |
Initial Enrollment in Goal Maker | Permitted | Prohibited |
Automatic Rebalancing Elections | Permitted | Permitted only if you are not allocating funds to PRREF or do not have funds invested in PRREF. |
On-Demand Rebalancing | Permitted | Permitted only if you do not have funds invested in PRREF. |
Increase in Employee Contribution | Permitted | Permitted |
Allocation Changes to PRREF | Permitted | Permitted |
Catch-up Contributions | Permitted | Permitted |
Fund Transfers In/Out of PRREF | Permitted | Prohibited |
In-Service Withdrawals | Permitted | Prohibited from PRREF. However, you MAY receive a disbursement from your other PESP investments. |
Hardship Withdrawals | Permitted | Permitted |
Loan Initiation | Permitted | Permitted – The proceeds for the loan will be taken from all your investments except for PRREF. |
Lump Sum Loan Repayment | Permitted |
Permitted if loan was taken during a closed window. (Loans taken during a closed window are blocked from PRREF and repayment is not invested in PRREF regardless of trading window status at time of repayment.)
Permitted if loan was taken during open window and current allocations are not going to PRREF (repayment of funds will be invested based on current allocations).
Otherwise Prohibited. |
[1] Rule 10b5-1(c), adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, provides for an affirmative defense to allegations of insider trading for trades implemented in accordance with a Rule 10b5-1(c) trading plan (“Individual Trading Plan”). Certain Prudential employees may be eligible to enter into an Individual Trading Plan with respect to certain sales of Prudential securities and exercises of Prudential employee stock options. Any Individual Trading Plan must be precleared in accordance with Company standards. These individuals have been specifically notified.
[2] In some circumstances, additional elements may be required for there to be a violation of law, including scienter and breach of a duty.
[3] Certain sales of Prudential securities and exercises of Prudential employee stock options are permitted if made pursuant to a Company precleared Individual Trading Plan.
[4] In addition to the penalties listed in this section, Prudential and/or Prudential associates could be subject to penalties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) if the insider trading occurs in connection with an ERISA plan’s investment.
[5] Jennison Associates maintain a separate personal trading policy and monitoring system which may differ from these Standards. Any differences between the Jennison Associates policy and these Standards must be approved by the Chief Compliance Officer of Prudential.
[6] In certain circumstances due to local law and administrative issues, employees located outside the U.S. are monitored locally by the business unit compliance department.
[7] In certain circumstances temporary workers, consultants or independent contractors may be subject to certain aspects of these Standards based on their access to confidential information. Temporary employees should contact their business unit compliance officer with any questions about their obligations.
[8] Private-Side Associates, as defined under Section VI of these Standards(excluding employees of PMCC), are considered Access Persons under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 due to their access to investment advisory client trading information. These individuals will continue to be called Covered Persons or Private-Side Associates under these Standards.
[9] Supervised Persons who are Broker-Dealer Registered Representatives are subject to the additional requirements in Section IV.
[10] Due to applicable laws, employees located in Japan are not required to disclose or report information regarding accounts for which a spouse, dependent family member and/or minor child has a beneficial interest.
[11] For example, this could include individuals with whom you share living expenses, bank accounts, rent or mortgage payments, ownership of a home, or any other material financial support. These situations should be reviewed on a case by case basis by the business unit compliance officer or Securities Monitoring Unit.
[12] 529 plans purchased through a broker-dealer are reportable; however, 529 plans purchased directly from a state sponsor are not reportable. Investment Personnel, Access Persons and Private-Side Associates are subject to trading restrictions and reporting requirements with respect to certain mutual fund transactions and holdings. See Sections V.D. and VI.F.
[13] Duplicate confirmations and statements are not required for accounts in which purchases and sales are limited to open-end mutual funds.
[14] Any changes to accounts that have previously been granted exceptions must be reevaluated to determine if the exception is still permitted. This requirement does not apply to accounts in which purchases and sales are limited to open-end mutual funds.
[15] If you are a reporting associate, and have not completed an acknowledgment form, please contact the Securities Monitoring Unit.
[16] This requirement does not apply to accounts in which purchases and sales are limited to open-end mutual funds only. It similarly does not apply to employees outside of the U.S. maintaining accounts with foreign broker/dealers.
[17] Employees are required to report new accounts within thirty days of activating the account.
[18] Exceptions for employees outside the U.S. may be granted by the local Business Unit Head provided that Compliance recommends approval. Compliance recommendations are solely based on criteria provided in these Standards.
[19] Additional criteria may be evaluated by business unit compliance officers and Securities Monitoring Unit to grant account exceptions as warranted.
[20] Trust accounts for which the employee or other Monitored person is only the grantor and has no decision making capabilities do not need to be disclosed and are not subject to monitoring. Trust accounts for which the monitored person is only the beneficiary must be disclosed to Corporate Compliance, however, these accounts are not subject to monitoring. Additionally, when the monitored person is the trustee of a trust and he/she does not have investment discretion, the trust is not subject to monitoring or the authorized broker dealer requirements.
[21] Information concerning securities transactions at the authorized broker-dealers is fed by computer link directly to the SunGard Protegent PTA system which Prudential uses for trade monitoring.
[22] For accounts established in countries not specifically listed, please contact the Securities Monitoring Unit or your local compliance officer for reporting requirements.
[23] Employees who are subject to reporting requirements under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are required to report transactions in Discretionary Accounts due to their Prudential securities filing obligations. Therefore, employees who maintain Discretionary Accounts at unauthorized broker dealers must provide duplicate statements and trade confirmations.
Section 204 of the Advisers Act requires access persons of a registered investment adviser to report their personal securities holdings and transactions. This rule provides an exemption to these reporting requirements with respect to securities that are held in accounts over which the access person has no direct or indirect influence or control. It is this exemption that permits Prudential employees covered by this rule to maintain managed accounts at brokers other than the Prudential approved brokers, with holdings and trading not required to be reported to Prudential.
[24] Open end mutual fund accounts are reportable.
[25] Includes prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, exchange funds, and other financial instruments that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in market value of equity securities.
[26] In certain circumstances temporary workers, consultants or independent contractors may be subject to certain aspects of these Standards based on their access to confidential information.
[27] Certain sales of Prudential securities and exercises of Prudential employee stock options are permitted if made pursuant to a Company precleared Individual Trading Plan.
[28] Includes prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, exchange funds, and other financial instruments that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in market value of equity securities
[29] Transactions executed pursuant to a Company precleared Individual Trading Plan are not required to be individually precleared. However, the Individual Trading Plan itself must be precleared in accordance with Company standards.
[30] Information concerning securities transactions at the authorized broker-dealers is fed by computer link directly to SunGard Protegent PTA. For accounts held at unauthorized firms, other than Discretionary Accounts and certain trust accounts, the Securities Monitoring Unit must receive paper copies of all confirms and monthly statements.
[31] Monitored Persons are expected to report new accounts within thirty days of activating the account.
[32] Trades executed pursuant to a Company precleared Individual Trading Plan need not be individually precleared and may be made in accordance with the terms of the Individual Trading Plan either during open trading windows or blackout periods.
[33] Certain sales of Prudential securities and exercises of Prudential employee stock options are permitted if made pursuant to a Company precleared Individual Trading Plan.
[34] Monitored Persons are expected to report new accounts within thirty days of activating the account.
[35] In addition, Designated Persons located in the United Kingdom (“UK”) will be permitted additional time to complete exercises of Prudential employee stock options due to the settlement requirements within the UK, provided that the exercise is submitted within two days of receiving preclearance approval.
[36] Includes prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, exchange funds, and other financial instruments that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in market value of equity securities.
[37] Section 16 Insider policy exceptions are addressed in the Reporting Responsibilities and Procedures for Section 16 Officers and Control Persons of Prudential policy (“Section 16 Policy”). A similar policy also exists for Section 16 Directors.
[38] Associated Person means any officer, director or branch manager (or any person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the broker-dealer, any employee of the broker-dealer or individuals performing covered functions under the Operations Professional rule 1230 (b)(6), except someone whose functions are solely clerical or ministerial. All Registered Representatives are Associated Persons.
[39] Certain PIMS personnel employed by portfolio management units may be subject to the personal securities trading restrictions set forth in Section V. due to their association with portfolio management activities in addition to the restrictions set forth in this Section.
[40] PAD Associated Persons follow policies and procedures outlined in PAD’s compliance manual that are generally consistent with the requirements of this Section.
[41] Associated persons who are also Access Persons and/or Private-Side Associates are required to report certain mutual fund transactions and holdings and purchases of certain variable-life and variable-annuity contracts and sub-account transactions, as described in Sections V.D. and VI.F.
[42] The Securities Monitoring Unit will notify all individuals who are classified as Supervised Persons.
[43] For PIMS Registered Representatives, approval may be granted by the appropriate business unit compliance officer, in conjunction with that unit’s policies and procedures. This review may serve as notification to and review by the broker-dealer.
[44] Generally, Private-Side Associates are also considered Access Persons under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. See Section VI for information on the requirements for Private-Side Associates.
[45] Certain PIMS personnel employed by portfolio management units may be subject to the personal securities trading restrictions set forth in this section due to their association with portfolio management activities in addition to the restrictions set forth in Section IV.
[46] Certain international units may also be subject to the requirements of this Section. Individuals should consult the applicable business unit compliance officer for additional information.
[47] PGIM employees are identified by the President of PGIM in consultation with the PGIM Chief Compliance Officer. PI and ASTIS employees are identified by the Presidents of PI and ASTIS, in consultation with the PI/ASTIS Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officers will be responsible for maintaining the list and submitting any changes to the Securities Monitoring Unit.
[48] The requirement for non-proprietary subadvised funds only applies to those funds for which the employee has access to information. See Exhibit 8 for details or contact your business unit compliance officer.
[49] For the Prudential Employee Savings Plan and the Jennison Associates Savings Plan, only exchanges of proprietary and non-proprietary subadvised funds are subject to the sixty-day holding period. Transactions due to automatic payroll deductions, company match, hardship withdrawals, loans and automatic rebalancing transactions are exempt from this requirement.
[50] Discipline and sanctions relating to violations occurring in the Prudential Employee Savings Plan or the Jennison Associates Savings Plan will be determined by the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee.
[51] Certain international units may also be subject to the requirements of this Section. Individuals should consult the applicable business unit compliance officer for additional information.
[52] Mutual fund transactions executed through PMFS, PESP and the Jennison Associates Savings Plan will be sent to Compliance through a daily electronic trading feed.
[53] Prudential’s deferred compensation plans (including The Prudential Insurance Company of America Deferred Compensation Plan, the Amended and Restated American Skandia Lifestyle Security Plan, and the Trust Agreement Between Jennison Associates LLC and Wachovia Bank, N.A.) are notional plans; therefore, they are not susceptible to market timing. As a consequence, transactions in these plans are exempt from both the sixty-day holding period and reporting requirements.
[54] Certain exceptions may be granted for the proprietary and non-proprietary mutual fund reporting and holding requirements where funds are held in 401(k) Plans and variable insurance and annuity products held through companies other than Prudential, the fund transfer agent or one of the authorized broker-dealers. Access and Investment Persons should contact their local compliance officer to disclose these accounts and request an exception.
[55] GRES employees are also subject to certain trading restrictions covered under Section VI of these Standards.
[56] Investment Persons must preclear the purchase or sale of a new issue once it begins trading on an exchange.
[57] For purposes of this requirement, Strategic Investment Research Group’s Investment Persons are subject to the IPO prohibition only for IPOs of exchange traded funds and not any other securities.
[58] There is no presumption that Access Persons have knowledge of actual trading activity.
[59] Properly precleared personal trades executed within seven days prior to a portfolio trading will be presumed not violative of the seven day rule provided there was no additional evidence to the contrary.
[60] For purposes of this requirement, SIRG Investment Persons are subject to the sixty day holding period only for transactions in exchange traded funds and their equivalents. This prohibition does not apply to any other securities for SIRG Investment Persons.
[61] Transactions resulting in a loss are not subject to this prohibition; however, preclearance approval is still required.
[62] Purchases of Prudential stock automatically executed under PSPP are exempt from the short-swing profit restrictions. However, PSPP sales of Prudential stock are subject to the short-swing profit restrictions for employees of QMA and its support functions.
[63] Includes prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, exchange funds, and other financial instruments that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in market value of equity securities.
[64] For Access and Investment Persons, PSPP elections and purchases are exempt from preclearance. However, Designated Persons are subject to additional restrictions relating to PSPP. See Section III.B.5. for more details.
[65] As part of the preclearance process, Compliance will review the preclearance requests against the appropriate restricted lists that apply to the individual.
[66] Paper preclearance forms may be used for international units and in certain hardship cases. Paper Forms are available from the business unit compliance officer.
[67] Access Persons preclearance forms are submitted to the business unit compliance officer of the Complex to which they are deemed to have access via SunGard Protegent PTA.
[68] In addition to the examples listed in the grid, exceptions by Prior Written Approval may be available in certain circumstances. This may include, purchases or sales of securities which receive prior written approval of the business unit compliance officer (such person having no personal interest in such purchases or sales), based on a determination that no conflict of interest is involved and that such purchases or sales are not likely to have any economic impact on any portfolio in the business unit or on its ability to purchase or sell securities of the same class or other securities of the same issuer. For purposes of the mutual fund sixty-day holding period, only certain limited exceptions will be approved including, but not limited to, hardships and extended disability and must be approved by the Business Unit Head and the PGIM Chief Compliance Officer prior to execution. For purposes of these Standards, Business Unit Head is defined as the executive in charge of Prudential Fixed Income Management, QMA, Jennison, PI or his/her delegate. Delegation of this responsibility must be done in writing and submitted to the PGIM Chief Compliance Officer.
[69] See also Exhibit 3 for more details regarding the securities transactions that require preclearance.
[70] Those securities that are generally not eligible for purchase by the strategy utilized by your business unit.
[71] Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired.
[72] For certain limited transactions, Jennison has a different de minimis standard under its Code of Ethics.
[73] Purchases or sales of securities effected in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control or in any account of the Access Person which is managed exclusively on a discretionary basis by a person other than such Access Person and with respect to which such Access Person does not in fact influence or control such transactions. Access Persons must provide written documentation that evidences he/she does not have authority to participate in the management of the account and the employee must give exclusive discretion to his/her broker or investment adviser. A copy of such Discretionary Account agreement must be sent to the business unit compliance officer which will be forwarded to the Securities Monitoring Unit for review and approval. Such Discretionary Accounts are required to be reported, however duplicate statements and trade confirmations are not required to be reported. However, employees who maintain discretionary accounts may be required to submit periodic transaction confirmations and statements.
[74] Any transactions in index options effected on a broad-based index as indicated in Exhibit 5.
[75] Compliance will maintain criteria for determining which ETFs are broad based and exempt from this rule. All ETFs require preclearance.
[76] Preclearance is required for closed-end funds.
[77] This includes purchases or sales of securities that are part of an automatic investment/withdrawal program or resulting from an automatic rebalancing. Transactions that override any pre-set schedule or allocation are subject to the blackout period and short swing profit rules and must be precleared and reported to the Securities Monitoring Unit.
[78] Additional PSPP restrictions and requirements apply to Designated Persons, see Section III.B.5.
[79] Short Swing Profit, blackout period and preclearance requirements for proprietary closed end funds do not apply to GPSI Access Persons.
[80] The requirement for non-proprietary subadvised funds only applies to those funds for which the employee has access to information. See Exhibit 8 for details or contact your business unit compliance officer.
[81] Accounts that hold only mutual funds are reportable; however, the holdings in such accounts are exempt from disclosure.
[82] Employees working in or supporting portfolio management, trading and private asset management units are generally monitored as Access, Investment or Private-Side Associates. Such persons are subject to additional trading requirements.
[83] GRES employees are also subject to specific restrictions as Access and Investment Persons under these Standards - Private-Side Associates excluded – see Section V.E. for more details.
[84] Public-Side Investment Personnel and other individuals who are specifically notified are also subject to the sixty-day mutual fund holding period.
[85] These officers will be identified by the President of PGIM in consultation with the PGIM Chief Compliance Officer. The PGIM Chief Compliance Officer will be responsible for maintaining the list and submitting any changes to the Securities Monitoring Unit of the Compliance Department.
[86] The requirement for non-proprietary subadvised funds only applies to those funds for which the employee has access to information. See Exhibit 8 for details or contact your business unit compliance officers.
[87] For the Prudential Employee Savings Plan, only exchanges of proprietary and non-proprietary subadvised funds are subject to the sixty-day holding period. Transactions due to automatic payroll deductions, company match, hardship withdrawals, loans and automatic rebalancing transactions are exempt from this requirement.
[88] The Committee evaluates violations of the Standards and determines appropriate disciplinary action.
[89] Discipline and sanctions relating to violations occurring in the Prudential Employee Savings Plan or the Jennison Associates Savings Plan will be determined separately by the Personal Securities Trading/Mutual Fund Code of Ethics Committee.
[90] The requirement for non-proprietary subadvised funds only applies to those funds for which the employee has access to information. See Exhibit 8 for details or contact your business unit compliance officers.
[91] Mutual fund transactions executed through PMFS and PESP will be sent to the Securities Monitoring Unit through a daily electronic trading feed.
[92] Prudential’s deferred compensation plans (including The Prudential Insurance Company of America Deferred Compensation Plan) are notional plans; therefore, they are not susceptible to market timing. As a consequence, transactions in these plans are exempt from both the sixty-day holding period and reporting requirements.
[93] Certain exceptions may be granted for the proprietary and non-proprietary mutual fund reporting and holding requirements, where funds are held in 401(k) and in variable insurance and annuity products held through companies other than Prudential, the fund transfer agent or one of the authorized broker-dealers. Access and Investment Persons should contact their local compliance officer to disclose these accounts and request an exception.
[94] The requirement for non-proprietary subadvised funds only applies to those funds for which the employee has access to information. See Exhibit 8 for details or contact your business unit compliance officer.
[95] Business Unit Compliance may approve certain transactions in private real estate securities on a case by case basis, subject to a conflict of interest review.
[96] Designated Persons must preclear transactions in Prudential securities, See Section III.B.5. for more details.
[97] If you do not see a particular security listed below, please check with your business unit compliance officer for reporting and preclearance requirements.
[98] Designated Persons must preclear transactions in Prudential securities, See Section III.B.5. for more details.
[99] This requirement only applies to the funds for which the employee is deemed to have access. See Exhibit 8 for details or contact your business unit compliance officer.
[100] 529 plans purchased through a broker-dealer are reportable.
[101] Designated Persons must preclear transactions in Prudential securities, See Section III.B.5. for more details.
[102] Designated Persons must preclear transactions in Prudential securities, See Section III.B.5. for more details.
[103] There are two types of rebalancing features, automatic (quarterly) and on-demand (ad hoc at your request), which may be used so your current PESP account is rebalanced to reflect your designated target investment allocation. Designated Persons may elect automatic rebalancing upon preclearance during an open trading window even though rebalancing may occur during a blackout period.
[104] When selecting on-demand rebalancing, if all sources or company match 2 (mandatory employer directed match) is selected, then any money previously moved out of company match 2 will be moved back into the company stock fund. Preclearance is therefore required.
[105] The reporting and holding period requirements for non-proprietary subadvised funds are applicable for only the funds to which the employee is deemed to have access. Contact your business unit compliance officer for additional information. Please note, these restrictions on Pru subadvised funds do not currently apply to Fixed Income, PREI, PMCC, PCG, PIIA, and PI employees as these units do not subadvise any non-proprietary funds.
U.S. INFORMATION BARRIER STANDARDS
INTRODUCTION
Prudential Financial, Inc.’s (“Prudential”) corporate master policy on Protection and Use of Material Nonpublic Information: Information Barriers and Personal Securities Trading requires that businesses that routinely or predictably obtain material nonpublic information (“MNPI”) about issuers of publicly traded securities have policies and procedures designed to preserve the confidentiality of MNPI and prevent its communication to other areas of the Company unless in accordance with appropriate controls. Such policies and procedures must prohibit sharing MNPI within units except on a need-to-know basis, provide for restricted lists of relevant issuers and prohibit firm and personal trading in securities of restricted issuers. In addition, the policies and procedures of areas that manage investments of Prudential or its clients must establish and maintain information barriers that create appropriate physical and electronic data separation of such units from other investment units and include compliance monitoring procedures and employee training requirements and acknowledgement procedures designed to cause compliance with these Standards. Federal securities laws prohibit trading securities on the basis of MNPI and require Prudential to establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed, taking into consideration the nature of its business, to prevent the misuse of MNPI by Prudential or any Prudential employee. [1] These U.S. Information Barrier Standards are designed to ensure that Prudential’s investment operations comply with these requirements and imposes restrictions on communication and use of issuer-related information by Prudential investment employees.
These Standards establish Information Barriers between and among Prudential’s investment units or groups of investment units identified in Exhibit A to these Standards (each an “Investment Sector”). These Standards are designed to allow Investment Sectors that commonly obtain MNPI about issuers of publicly traded securities to do so without affecting the investment activity of other Investment Sectors. The principal restriction imposed by these Standards is that, without the prior written approval of a Compliance Officer [2] , employees assigned to an Investment Sector may not communicate any information with respect to identified issuers of publicly traded securities as to which that Investment Sector has MNPI to any employee of another Investment Sector. It also prohibits employees of one Investment Sector from communicating with employees of another Investment Sector for the purpose of eliciting MNPI with respect to issuers of publicly traded securities. In addition, these Standards establish access restrictions, compliance monitoring procedures, training requirements and confirmation procedures that are designed to ensure compliance with the Standards’ communication restrictions.
All employees assigned to a Prudential Investment Sector are required to become familiar with and to comply with these Standards and to sign an annual statement confirming their understanding of and compliance with these Standards. Violations of these Standards will be considered serious matters and may lead to serious disciplinary actions, including termination of employment in appropriate cases, to the extent consistent with local law.
Any questions with respect to these Standards should be referred to Compliance Officers or the Law Department.
1. | COMMUNICATION RESTRICTIONS |
A. | Designation of Investment Sectors. For purposes of these Standards, Prudential’s investment units have been designated as or grouped into “Investment Sectors,” listed in Exhibit A, that are presumed to have access to the same information about third-party issuers and accordingly share the same restricted list. Investment units and their employees are prohibited from trading securities of issuers on the restricted list to which they are subject, whether for client, proprietary or personal accounts. [3] Each Investment Sector and its constituent investment units (including their operations located outside the U.S.) and their employees are considered “walled off” from each other Investment Sector for purposes of the communication and access restrictions set forth in these Standards. |
B. |
Restricted Communications
.
Without the prior written approval of a Compliance Officer for each Investment Sector,
except as provided below, an Investment Sector employee may not communicate to any employee of another Investment Sector any information
(whether or not material or nonpublic) with respect to:
|
(i) | an issuer whose name appears on his or her Investment Sector’s restricted list; or |
(ii) | any other identified issuer of publicly traded securities with respect to which he or she has MNPI. [4] |
In addition, Investment Sector employees
may not communicate with employees of another Investment Sector for the purpose of:
(i) | eliciting MNPI with respect to an issuer of publicly traded securities; |
(ii) | determining whether they have MNPI with respect to particular issuers of publicly traded securities; or |
(iii) | determining whether the names of particular issuers of publicly traded securities appear on another Investment Sector’s restricted list. |
These restrictions apply to both oral and written communication, including communication through e-mail, instant message or text message. If an Investment Sector employee receives a request from an employee of another Investment Sector about an issuer that is on the restricted list to which he or she is subject or about which he or she has MNPI, the employee may provide
publicly available information but shall
not communicate any other information about the issuer and shall not disclose that the issuer’s name appears on the restricted
list to which he or she is subject or that he or she has MNPI about the issuer. An employee who receives such a request is required
to report it to a Compliance Officer, who will document it and forward a record to Corporate Compliance.
C. |
Permitted Cross-Wall Communications
.
(1) Compliance Officers may approve communications otherwise prohibited
under paragraph 1B subject to such conditions as they may deem appropriate to ensure that Investment Sector employees will not
communicate to employees of another Investment Sector any material non-public information with respect to identified issuers of
publicly traded securities. Examples of conditions that may be deemed appropriate on a case-by-case basis include monitoring of
oral communications by Compliance Officers or the Law Department, limiting the subjects to be addressed in oral communications,
pre-clearing written communications and requiring use of code names in oral and written communications. The Compliance Department
shall maintain a log of such approved cross-wall communications.
(2) An Investment Sector employee may communicate about an issuer whose name does not appear on his or her Investment Sector’s restricted list and with respect to which he or she does not have MNPI with an employee in another Investment Sector, provided that, if the employee is an investment professional, he or she promptly reports the communication to a Compliance Officer. This requirement applies to both oral and written communication, including communication through e-mail, instant message or text message. Business Unit Compliance shall maintain a log of such reported cross-wall communications. If an Investment Sector employee receives such a communication about an issuer that is on the restricted list to which he or she is subject or about which he or she has MNPI, the employee may provide publicly available information but shall not communicate any other information about the issuer and shall not disclose that the issuer’s name appears on the restricted list to which he or she is subject or that he or she has MNPI about the issuer. An Investment Sector employee who receives such a request is required to report it to a Compliance Officer, who will document it and forward a record to Corporate Compliance. |
D. |
Determinations of Materiality;
Materiality Guidelines
.
Questions about the materiality of
particular non-public information that Investment Sector employees may have should be referred to Compliance Officers (who may
make determinations in consultation with the Law Department) or directly to the Law Department.
Corporate Compliance, in consultation with the Law Department, shall maintain guidelines with respect to the materiality of non-public issuer-related information of the types commonly possessed by Investment Sector employees. The materiality guidelines, and any modifications approved by Corporate Compliance, shall be communicated in writing to all Investment Sector employees by Human Resources when they are hired and annually thereafter by Corporate |
Compliance. All determinations of the materiality of non-public issuer-related information for purposes of these Standards shall be consistent with the materiality guidelines, except in cases where a Compliance Officer, in consultation with the Law Department, determines in writing that the materiality guidelines should not apply.
E. | Confidentiality Agreements . This Statement of Standards does not affect any party’s rights or obligations under confidentiality agreements restricting the internal or external communication of issuer-related information by Prudential employees. When an investment unit enters into a confidentiality agreement governing information to be received from a third party in connection with an actual or potential investment, the employee who signs the agreement is responsible for determining whether the subject company or its parent is an issuer of publicly traded securities (including debt securities) and, if so, he or she must promptly report the confidentiality agreement to a Compliance Officer so that the issuer may be placed on the Investment Sector’s restricted list, unless the employee determines, in consultation with a Compliance Officer, that the confidentiality agreement is not likely to result in receipt of MNPI. If a determination is made that the confidentiality agreement is not likely to result in MNPI, the investment unit must take reasonable precautions to ensure that information is not shared with other investment units within the same investment sector. [5] |
2. ACCESS RESTRICTIONS
A. | Internal Meetings . Investment Sector employees must observe the communication restrictions in paragraph 1B in making presentations at any internal meetings where they are aware that employees of another Investment Sector are in attendance. Additionally, without the prior written approval of a Compliance Officer, Investment Sector employees may not attend or participate in those parts of Board of Directors, Investment Committee, Capital and Financial Controls Committee or other oversight meetings (such as Risk Management, PGIM Investment Committee or other meetings attended by employees of other Investment Sectors) or teleconferences or videoconferences during which employees of another Investment Sector make presentations that are expected to include discussion of an identified issuer of publicly traded securities with respect to which the presenting Investment Sector has MNPI. |
B. | Records . Without the prior written approval of a Compliance Officer, Investment Sector employees may not have access to board or committee memoranda, portfolio reports, paper or electronic files or computer databases prepared or maintained by another Investment Sector that include non-public information with respect to identified issuers of publicly traded securities. For purposes of this paragraph 2B, an Investment Sector’s restricted list, as well as non-public quality ratings assigned to issuers of debt securities, shall generally be deemed to incorporate non-public information. |
C. | Office Space . All office space occupied by Investment Sector employees must have appropriate access control to limit access to such employees or persons not subject to these Standards or exempted from provisions hereof under paragraph 5A, B or C. Employees of two or more Investment Sectors shall not maintain offices on the same floor of any building, unless the office space for each Investment Sector is physically separated and the only investment unit employees that have free access to each respective space belong to a single Investment Sector. Access should be limited through coded identification cards or another method approved by Compliance Officers. |
D. | Trading Rooms . Without either the prior written approval of a Compliance Officer or a Compliance escort, Investment Sector employees may not enter a public securities trading room maintained by another Investment Sector. |
3. COMPLIANCE MONITORING
A. | Restricted Lists . The Compliance unit supporting each Investment Sector shall maintain in electronic format a list of all issuers of publicly traded securities with respect to which such Investment Sector has MNPI. Whenever any Investment Sector employee obtains (from any source, including without limitation data warehouses such as IntraLinks, meetings with corporate insiders and financial statements or projections received from issuers) MNPI with respect to an issuer of publicly traded securities, he or she must immediately notify a Compliance Officer, who shall immediately arrange for the issuer’s name to be placed on the Investment Sector’s restricted list, except in certain limited situations as provided in paragraph 3B, and maintained thereon until such time as a Compliance Officer concludes that no employee of that Investment Sector possesses MNPI with respect to the issuer. Without the prior written approval of a Compliance Officer and the Law Department, an Investment Sector employee may not purchase or sell, for any account, securities of any issuer whose name appears on the restricted list to which he or she is subject, or any derivative contracts in respect of such securities, unless the purchase or sale is from or to the issuer or an underwriter for the issuer. |
B. | Isolated Information Barriers . In certain circumstances, the Investments Division Chief Compliance Officer for Asset Management [6] , in conjunction with the Law Department, may determine in writing that it is appropriate to place an isolated information barrier around one or more persons within an Investment Sector with respect to an identified issuer about which they have received or are expected to receive MNPI. In these situations, the issuer need not be placed on the Investment Sector’s restricted list and investment unit Compliance in consultation with the Law Department will determine other appropriate procedures and restrictions that may apply. Investment Sector Compliance, in conjunction with the Law Department, shall develop and maintain procedures governing the circumstances in which an isolated information barrier may be established and how it shall be maintained and monitored. These procedures must provide that only specific named individuals be designated; that Corporate |
Compliance be advised of their names and the name of the issuer for purposes of monitoring trading; that the barrier be regularly assessed by investment unit Compliance; that written approvals and other appropriate records be maintained; and that the designated individuals be notified of appropriate restrictions on communication about the issuer and be provided guidance on how to conduct themselves while the barrier is in effect. In the event of any breach of an isolated information barrier, investment unit Compliance shall immediately place the issuer on the Investment Sector’s restricted list.
C. | Monitoring of Investment Sectors that Trade in Public Markets . Periodically, Corporate Compliance shall arrange for (i) reports of trades executed by Investment Sectors participating in public market activities during the 15 preceding calendar days to be compared with certain Investment Sector restricted lists, (ii) trades in securities of issuers whose names appear on these restricted lists to be identified and (iii) such trading activity to be reviewed and, in appropriate cases, investigated pursuant to procedures approved in writing by Corporate Compliance. Results of these investigations shall be documented. |
D. | Monitoring of Employee Trading . Corporate Compliance shall arrange for reports of trades executed by Investment Sector employees for their own personal accounts to be compared with the Investment Sector restricted lists in accordance with Prudential’s Personal Securities Trading Standards. |
4. TRAINING AND CONFIRMATIONS
A. |
Initial Training
.
Whenever an employee becomes an Investment Sector employee (other than upon transfer from another
Prudential Investment Sector), an appropriate investment unit compliance contact shall provide him or her with copies of these
Standards and the materiality guidelines established pursuant to paragraph 1D.
Within 30 days of becoming a new Investment Sector employee, every employee must participate in a training presentation on these Standards by a Compliance Officer, Corporate Compliance or by the Law Department. |
B. | Periodic Training . Except as approved by a Chief Compliance Officer, each Investment Sector employee must participate in periodic training, preferably once per 12 month period, on these Standards. |
C. | Annual Confirmations . At least once in each calendar year, each Investment Sector employee must file with Corporate Compliance written confirmation that he or she (i) has read and understands these Standards, (ii) participated in periodic training on these Standards, (iii) complied with these Standards during the preceding calendar year and (iv) is not aware of any violation of these Standards by another Investment Sector employee that has not been brought to the attention of Compliance or Law. Failure to submit such confirmation in a timely fashion may lead to disciplinary action. |
D. | Investment Sector Employee Transfers . Whenever an Investment Sector employee transfers to a different Investment Sector, the transferee shall sign and file with investment unit Compliance a statement (i) confirming the signer’s |
understanding of his or her new responsibilities under these Standards and (ii) identifying any issuer of publicly traded securities with respect to which he or she has MNPI. The names of any issuers of publicly traded securities so identified shall be immediately placed on the restricted list of the Investment Sector to which the employee has been transferred unless an isolated information barrier is created in accordance with paragraph 3B above.
5. | INDIVIDUALS OR SUPPORT FUNCTIONS DEEMED TO BE “ABOVE” INFORMATION BARRIERS |
A. | Investment Sector Senior Officers . Certain Investment Sector Senior Officers, each of whom is listed on Exhibit B, may have management or supervisory responsibility for more than one Investment Sector or may have responsibilities involving non-investments businesses. These Investment Sector Senior Officers are deemed to be “above” the information barrier(s) that separate such Investment Sectors from each other and accordingly shall not be subject to the access and communication restrictions set forth in these Standards relating to such barrier(s), provided that these individuals meet the requirements listed in paragraph 5D below. These individuals are nevertheless prohibited from disclosing non-public information about a publicly traded issuer to any investment unit employee whose Investment Sector does not already have the information without prior approval of a Compliance Officer. Individuals designated as Investment Sector Senior Officers will be notified in writing of their status by investment unit Compliance. |
B. | Investment Sector Support Functions. Due to their job function and requirements, certain Investment Sector Support Functions, each of which is listed on Exhibit A, may support or have access to information for one or more Investment Sectors. In certain instances, the employees of Investment Sector Support Functions may be deemed to be “above” the information barriers that separate such Investment Sectors and are not subject to the access and communication restrictions set forth in these Standards, provided that these individuals meet the requirements listed in paragraph 5D below. However, Investment Sector Support Function employees who support, and are physically located within space occupied by, an Investment Sector are not deemed to be above any information barrier and are deemed to be employees of the Investment Sector they support, other than Compliance Officers and the Law Department who shall in all cases be deemed to be above all information barriers . Employees of the Investment Sector Support Functions who are deemed to be above an information barrier are prohibited from disclosing non-public information about a publicly traded issuer to any investment unit employee who does not already have access to the information without prior approval of a Compliance Officer. Units designated as Investment Sector Support Functions will be notified in writing of their status by investment unit Compliance, which will maintain records of the determinations made to designate Investment Sector Support Functions. |
C. | Additional Limited Exceptions. In certain circumstances, the Investments Division Chief Compliance Officer for Asset Management [7] , in conjunction with the Law Department, may classify certain individuals as being “above” an information barrier and therefore not subject to the access and communication restrictions set forth in these Standards. These individuals are nevertheless prohibited from disclosing non-public information about a publicly traded issuer to any investment unit employee who does not already have access to the information without prior approval from a Compliance Officer. Investment unit Compliance will advise such individuals in writing of their status and of any specific restrictions that Compliance determines should apply to their conduct. |
D. | Above the Information Barrier Criteria. Investment Sector Senior Officers or Support Functions must meet the following criteria in order to be deemed above an information barrier: |
i. | They do not have trade date access to trading information of any Investment Sector through reports, regular communication or access to trading systems (during normal trading hours). |
ii. | They do not make trading or investment decisions or have any direct day-to-day investment management responsibilities for any units engaging in public market or private investment activity. |
iii. | They do not participate in regular periodic meetings where specific securities to be purchased or sold by any investment unit engaging in public market activity are discussed. |
6. EXCEPTIONS AND MODIFICATIONS
A. | Approval . Prudential’s Chief Compliance Officer is authorized to approve exceptions to and modifications of this Statement of Standards. Approvals shall be in writing and shall set forth the basis and rationale therefore and any conditions to which the approval is subject. |
B. | Information Barrier Breaches . Any known breach of an information barrier shall be documented by investment unit Compliance and a record of the breach shall be sent to Corporate Compliance. When a breach of an information barrier results in material non-public information about an issuer of publicly traded securities being passed to another Investment Sector, unless an isolated information barrier is established pursuant to paragraph 3B, investment unit Compliance must immediately place the issuer on the recipient Investment Sector’s restricted list. If, at the time of the breach or promptly thereafter, it is determined that in spite of the fact that the name of the issuer was disclosed to another Investment Sector, no MNPI was disclosed, a Compliance Officer may determine that the issuer does not have to be placed on, or may be removed from, the recipient’s restricted list. |
7. MISCELLANEOUS
A. | Prior Policy Statements . This Statement of Standards supersedes all prior policy statements restricting the communication and use of issuer-related information by Prudential investment units generally and prior exceptions thereto, but it shall not supersede policy statements adopted by particular Prudential investment units that are consistent with these Standards. |
B. |
New Investment Sector Senior Officers and Investment Sectors
.
Exhibits A and B to these Standards may be amended
with the written approval of Prudential’s Chief Compliance Officer.
|
C. | Records. Corporate Compliance shall maintain a central file of the materiality guidelines established pursuant to paragraph 1D and all other written approvals, exceptions, violations, confirmations, determinations, memoranda and communications required by this Statement of Standards. |
Exhibit B
Investment Sector Senior Officers
David Hunt
Christopher Rowe
Clifford Axelson
David Brooker
Emer Casey
Caitlin Pincus
Kathryn Sayko
Taimur Hyat
Sylvia Pozezanac
Melissa Madura-Altman
Eric Adler
Michael Schlachter
Miguel Thames
Support staff for Investment Sector senior management
[1] In addition, Prudential’s Personal Securities Trading Standards provides a description of MNPI and establishes requirements and restrictions relating to employees’ personal trading.
[2] In these Standards, “Compliance Officer” means (i) the Investments Division Chief Compliance Officer for Asset Management, (ii) his or her Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, (iii) the relevant investment unit’s senior Compliance Officer or (iv) designee of one of the foregoing.
[3] Restricted lists required under these Standards identify issuers of publicly traded securities with respect to which Investment Sectors have MNPI. Investment units may have or be subject to other restricted lists that are outside the scope of these Standards.
4 An issuer is covered by paragraph 1B and is deemed “identified” for purposes of these Standards whenever the information in question either includes the issuer’s name or other facts from which a knowledgeable investment analyst could infer its identity.
[5] Note that when a confidentiality agreement governs information to be provided to a third party, the fact that the third party seeks to complete a transaction could involve MNPI requiring the third party to be placed on the Investment Sector’s restricted list.
[6] Or, for any Investment Sector not comprised within Prudential’s Investments Division, its Chief Compliance Officer.
[7] Or, for any Investment Sector not comprised within Prudential’s Investment Division, its Chief Compliance Officer.