THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ☒ |
Pre-Effective Amendment No. | ☐ |
Post-Effective Amendment No. 90 | ☒ |
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | ☒ |
Amendment No. 91 | ☒ |
Daniel
J. Beckman c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC 290 Congress Street Boston, Massachusetts 02210 |
Ryan
C. Larrenaga, Esq. c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC 290 Congress Street Boston, Massachusetts 02210 |
Exhibit
Number |
Exhibit Description | Filed
Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
Registrant
that Made the Filing |
File
No. of Such Registrant |
Type
of Filing |
Exhibit
of Document in that Filing |
Filing
Date | |||
(a)(1) | Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 11, 2007 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Registration Statement on Form N-1A | (a)(1) | 9/28/2007 |
(a)(2) | Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 9, 2008 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #2 on Form N-1A | (a)(2) | 4/21/2008 |
(a)(3) | Amendment No. 3 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 8, 2009 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #5 on Form N-1A | (a)(3) | 4/29/2009 |
(a)(4) | Amendment No. 4 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 14, 2010 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #8 on Form N-1A | (a)(4) | 4/14/2010 |
(a)(5) | Amendment No. 5 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 6, 2010 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #9 on Form N-1A | (a)(5) | 4/30/2010 |
(a)(6) | Amendment No. 6 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 11, 2010 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A | (a)(6) | 4/29/2011 |
(a)(7) | Amendment No. 7 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 13, 2011 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A | (a)(7) | 4/29/2011 |
(a)(8) | Amendment No. 8 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 15, 2011 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A | (a)(8) | 3/2/2012 |
(a)(9) | Amendment No. 9 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 12, 2012 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A | (a)(9) | 3/2/2012 |
(a)(10) | Amendment No. 10 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective June 14, 2012 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A | (a)(10) | 4/26/2013 |
(a)(11) | Amendment No. 11 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 13, 2012 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A | (a)(11) | 4/26/2013 |
(a)(12) | Amendment No. 12 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 16, 2013 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A | (a)(12) | 4/26/2013 |
(a)(13) | Amendment No. 13 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 17, 2013 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A | (a)(13) | 4/26/2013 |
(a)(14) | Amendment No. 14 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 11, 2014 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #38 on Form N-1A | (a)(14) | 4/29/2014 |
(a)(15) | Amendment No. 15 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 14, 2015 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #46 on Form N-1A | (a)(15) | 5/15/2015 |
(a)(16) | Amendment No. 16 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 19, 2016 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A | (a)(16) | 4/28/2016 |
Exhibit
Number |
Exhibit Description | Filed
Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
Registrant
that Made the Filing |
File
No. of Such Registrant |
Type
of Filing |
Exhibit
of Document in that Filing |
Filing
Date | |||
(a)(17) | Amendment No. 17 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 14, 2016 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #54 on Form N-1A | (a)(17) | 2/17/2017 |
(a)(18) | Amendment No. 18 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 21, 2017 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #55 on Form N-1A | (a)(18) | 4/27/2017 |
(a)(19) | Amendment No. 19 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 14, 2017 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A | (a)(19) | 12/19/2017 |
(a)(20) | Amendment No. 20 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective December 19, 2017 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #61 on Form N-1A | (a)(20) | 2/21/2018 |
(a)(21) | Amendment No. 21 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective May 1, 2018 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A | (a)(21) | 12/7/2018 |
(a)(22) | Amendment No. 22 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 13, 2018 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A | (a)(22) | 12/7/2018 |
(a)(23) | Amendment No. 23 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 31, 2019 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A | (a)(23) | 4/26/2019 |
(a)(24) | Amendment No. 24 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective June 19, 2019 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A | (a)(24) | 4/28/2020 |
(a)(25) | Amendment No. 25 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective October 9, 2020 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A | (a)(25) | 4/1/2021 |
(a)(26) | Amendment No. 26 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective July 17, 2021 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A | (a)(26) | 10/29/2021 |
(a)(27) | Amendment No. 27 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective June 23, 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #85 on Form N-1A | (a)(27) | 10/31/2022 |
(b) | By-laws, effective September 6, 2007, most recently amended October 2, 2020 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A | (b) | 4/1/2021 |
(c) | Stock
Certificate: Not Applicable. |
||||||
(d)(1) | Management Agreement (amended and restated), dated April 25, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A | (d)(1) | 4/28/2016 |
(d)(1)(i) | Schedule A and Schedule B, effective July 1, 2023, to the Management Agreement (amended and restated), dated April 25, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Series Trust | 333-89661 | Post-Effective Amendment #207 on Form N-1A | (d)(1)(i) | 7/26/2023 |
Exhibit
Number |
Exhibit Description | Filed
Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
Registrant
that Made the Filing |
File
No. of Such Registrant |
Type
of Filing |
Exhibit
of Document in that Filing |
Filing
Date | |||
(h)(2)(ii) | Schedule A, as of August 1, 2023, to the Amended and Restated Fee Waiver and Expense Cap Agreement, effective June 15, 2021, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust I, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Series Trust | 333-89661 | Post-Effective Amendment #208 on Form N-1A | (h)(2)(ii) | 8/24/2023 |
(h)(3) | Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated September 11, 2007, between RiverSource Variable Portfolio Funds, each a series of a Minnesota corporation, and corresponding RiverSource Variable Portfolio Funds, each a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, now known as Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, a Massachusetts business trust, and between RiverSource Variable Portfolio – Core Bond Fund, a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, and RiverSource Variable Portfolio – Diversified Bond Fund, a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, now known as Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #2 on Form N-1A | (h)(5) | 4/21/2008 |
(h)(4) | Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated December 20, 2010 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A | (h)(9) | 4/29/2011 |
(h)(5) | Agreement and Plan of Redomiciling, dated December 20, 2010 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A | (h)(10) | 4/29/2011 |
(h)(6) | Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated October 9, 2012 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Series Trust | 333-89661 | Post-Effective Amendment #117 on Form N-1A | (h)(9) | 5/30/2013 |
(h)(7) | Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated December 17, 2015 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Series Trust | 333-208706 | Registration Statement on Form N-14 | (4) | 12/22/2015 |
(h)(8) | Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, as of October 26, 2023 | Filed Herewith | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #90 on Form N-1A | (h)(8) | 11/8/2023 |
(h)(9) | Master Inter-Fund Lending Agreement, dated May 1, 2018 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Series Trust II | 333-131683 | Registration Statement on Form N-1A | (h)(11) | 5/25/2018 |
(h)(9)(i) | Schedule A and Schedule B, effective July 1, 2023, to the Master Inter-Fund Lending Agreement dated May 1, 2018 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Series Trust I | 2-99356 | Post-Effective Amendment #406 on Form N-1A | (h)(10)(i) | 7/26/2023 |
Exhibit
Number |
Exhibit Description | Filed
Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
Registrant
that Made the Filing |
File
No. of Such Registrant |
Type
of Filing |
Exhibit
of Document in that Filing |
Filing
Date | |||
(l) | Initial Capital Agreement: Not Applicable. | ||||||
(m)(1) | Plan of Distribution and Agreement of Distribution, effective May 1, 2009, amended and restated March 7, 2011, between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #38 on Form N-1A | (m)(1) | 4/29/2014 |
(m)(1)(i) | Schedule A, effective July 1, 2022, to the Plan of Distribution and Agreement of Distribution, effective May 1, 2009, amended and restated March 7, 2011, between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #85 on Form N-1A | (m)(1)(i) | 10/31/2022 |
(n) | Rule 18f – 3(d) Plan, amended and restated July 1, 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #85 on Form N-1A | (n) | 10/31/2022 |
(o) | Reserved. | ||||||
(p)(1) | Code of Ethics adopted under Rule 17j-1 for Registrant, effective March 2019 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A | (p)(1) | 4/26/2019 |
(p)(2) | Columbia Threadneedle Investments Global Personal Account Dealing and Code of Ethics, effective November 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia ETF Trust I | 333-209996 | Post-Effective Amendment #29 on Form N-1A | (p)(2) | 12/16/2022 |
(p)(3) | Allspring Global Investments, LLC Code of Ethics effective October 1, 2022, last updated December 27, 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #86 on Form N-1A | (p)(3) | 3/31/2023 |
(p)(4) | American Century Investment Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, updated June 16, 2023 | Filed Herewith | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #90 on Form N-1A | (p)(4) | 11/8/2023 |
(p)(5) | BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, effective April 30, 2020 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A | (p)(5) | 4/1/2021 |
(p)(6) | BNY Mellon Code of Conduct (for Walter Scott & Partners Limited) effective August 2021 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A | (p)(6) | 4/4/2022 |
(p)(7) | CenterSquare Investment Management LLC Code of Ethics, effective May 15, 2021 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A | (p)(6) | 10/29/2021 |
(p)(8) | J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Code of Ethics effective July 21, 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Series Trust I | 2-99356 | Post-Effective Amendment #400 on Form N-1A | (p)(18) | 11/22/2022 |
(p)(9) | Massachusetts Financial Services Company Code of Ethics, effective December 8, 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #86 on Form N-1A | (p)(9) | 3/31/2023 |
(p)(10) | Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective December 15, 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #86 on Form N-1A | (p)(10) | 3/31/2023 |
(p)(11) | Principal Global Investors, LLC Code of Ethics, effective February 1, 2023 | Filed Herewith | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #90 on Form N-1A | (p)(11) | 11/8/2023 |
Exhibit
Number |
Exhibit Description | Filed
Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
Registrant
that Made the Filing |
File
No. of Such Registrant |
Type
of Filing |
Exhibit
of Document in that Filing |
Filing
Date | |||
(p)(12) | Pzena Investment Management, LLC Code of Ethics, revised March 2023 | Filed Herewith | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #90 on Form N-1A | (p)(12) | 11/8/2023 |
(p)(13) | Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. Code of Ethics, effective May 1, 2017, revised May 2019 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #72 on Form N-1A | (p)(16) | 5/12/2020 |
(p)(14) | Scout Investments, Inc. Code of Ethics, effective March 2023 | Filed Herewith | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #90 on Form N-1A | (p)(14) | 11/8/2023 |
(p)(15) | Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC Code of Ethics, effective March 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #85 on Form N-1A | (p)(15) | 10/31/2022 |
(p)(16) | T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and Its Affiliates Code of Ethics, as of February 1, 2023 | Filed Herewith | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #90 on Form N-1A | (p)(16) | 11/8/2023 |
(p)(17) | Code of Ethics of TCW Investment Management Company LLC, dated June 20, 2023 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Series Trust I | 2-99356 | Post-Effective Amendment #407 on Form N-1A | (p)(20) | 8/24/2023 |
(p)(18) | Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC Code of Ethics, updated March 24, 2023 | Filed Herewith | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #90 on Form N-1A | (p)(18) | 11/8/2023 |
(p)(19) | Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective January 1, 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A | (p)(19) | 4/4/2022 |
(p)(20) | Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Code of Ethics, as of May 13, 2022 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #85 on Form N-1A | (p)(20) | 10/31/2022 |
(p)(21) | William Blair Investment Management, LLC Code of Ethics, as of July 31, 2018 | Incorporated by Reference | Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II | 333-146374 | Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A | (p)(24) | 5/20/2019 |
(1) | Columbia Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., performs investment advisory services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Columbia Management and the directors and principal officers of Columbia Management is also included in the Form ADV filed by Columbia Management with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-25943), which information is incorporated herein by reference. In addition to their position with Columbia Management, certain directors and officers of Columbia Management also hold various positions with, and engage in business for, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. or its other subsidiaries. |
(2) | Allspring Global Investments, LLC (formerly known as Wells Capital Management Incorporated), performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Allspring Global Investments, LLC and certain of its officers is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series subadvised by Allspring Global Investments, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Allspring Global Investments, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Allspring Global Investments, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Allspring Global Investments, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-21122), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(3) | American Century Investment Management, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of American Century Investment Management, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by American Century Investment Management, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of American Century Investment Management, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of |
American Century Investment Management, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by American Century Investment Management, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-8174), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(4) | BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-48433), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(5) | BlackRock International Limited performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of BlackRock International Limited is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by BlackRock International Limited and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of BlackRock International Limited and the directors and principal executive officers of BlackRock International Limited is also included in the Form ADV filed by BlackRock International Limited with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-51087), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(6) | CenterSquare Investment Management LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of CenterSquare Investment Management LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by CenterSquare Investment Management LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of CenterSquare Investment Management LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of CenterSquare Investment Management LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by CenterSquare Investment Management LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-111965), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(7) | J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-21011), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(8) | Massachusetts Financial Services Company performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Massachusetts Financial Services Company is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Massachusetts Financial Services Company and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Massachusetts Financial Services Company and the directors and principal executive officers of Massachusetts Financial Services Company is also included in the Form ADV filed by Massachusetts Financial Services Company with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-17352), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(9) | Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-15757), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(10) | Principal Global Investors, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Principal Global Investors, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Principal Global Investors, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Principal Global Investors, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Principal Global Investors, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Principal Global Investors, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-55959), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(11) | Pzena Investment Management, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Pzena Investment Management, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Pzena Investment Management, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Pzena Investment Management, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Pzena Investment Management, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Pzena Investment Management, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-50838), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(12) | Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-15834), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(13) | Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd and the directors and principal executive officers of Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd is also included in the Form ADV filed by Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-37163), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(14) | Scout Investments, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Scout Investments, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Scout Investments, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Scout Investments, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Scout Investments, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Scout Investments, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-60188), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(15) | Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-47232), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(16) | T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-856), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(17) | TCW Investment Management Company LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of TCW Investment Management Company LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by TCW Investment Management Company LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of TCW Investment Management Company LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of TCW Investment Management Company LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by TCW Investment Management Company LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-29075), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(18) | Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Thompson, |
Siegel & Walmsley LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-6273), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(19) | Threadneedle International Limited performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Threadneedle International Limited is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Threadneedle International Limited and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Threadneedle International Limited and the directors and principal executive officers of Threadneedle International Limited is also included in the Form ADV filed by Threadneedle International Limited with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-63196), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(20) | Victory Capital Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Victory Capital Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Victory Capital Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Victory Capital Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Victory Capital Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Victory Capital Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-46878), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(21) | Walter Scott & Partners Limited performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Walter Scott & Partners Limited is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Walter Scott & Partners Limited and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Walter Scott & Partners Limited and the directors and principal executive officers of Walter Scott & Partners Limited is also included in the Form ADV filed by Walter Scott & Partners Limited with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-19420), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(22) | Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. and the directors and principal executive officers of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-69413), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(23) | William Blair Investment Management, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of William Blair Investment Management, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by William Blair Investment Management, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of William Blair Investment Management, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of William Blair Investment Management, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by William Blair Investment Management, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-80640), which information is incorporated herein by reference. |
(a) | Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies, including the Registrant: |
Columbia Acorn Trust; Columbia Funds Series Trust; Columbia Funds Series Trust I; Columbia Funds Series Trust II; Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II; Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Wanger Advisors Trust. | |
(b) | As to each director, principal officer or partner of Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. |
Name
and Principal Business Address* |
Position
and Offices with Principal Underwriter |
Positions and Offices with Registrant | ||
William F. Truscott | Chief Executive Officer and Director | Senior Vice President | ||
Scott E. Couto | President and Director | None | ||
Jason S. Bartylla | Chief Financial Officer | None |
Name
and Principal Business Address* |
Position
and Offices with Principal Underwriter |
Positions and Offices with Registrant | ||
Michael E. DeFao | Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Secretary | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | ||
Stephen O. Buff | Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer | None | ||
James Bumpus | Vice President and Head of Intermediary Markets | None | ||
Thomas A. Jones | Vice President and Head of Strategic Relations | None | ||
Gary Rawdon | Vice President – Sales Governance and Administration | None | ||
Leslie A. Walstrom | Global Head of Marketing | None | ||
Daniel J. Beckman | Vice President and Head of North America Product and Director | Board
Member, President and Principal Executive Officer | ||
Marc Zeitoun | Chief Operating Officer, North American Distribution | None | ||
Wendy B. Mahling | Secretary | None | ||
Amy L. Hackbarth | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | None | ||
Mark D. Kaplan | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | None | ||
Nancy W. LeDonne | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | None | ||
Ryan C. Larrenaga | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | ||
Joseph L. D’Alessandro | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary | ||
Megan Garcy | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary | ||
Christopher O. Petersen | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary | ||
Shweta J. Jhanji | Vice President and Treasurer | None | ||
Michael Tempesta | Anti-Money Laundering Officer and Identity Theft Prevention Officer | None | ||
Kristin Weisser | Conflicts Officer | None |
* | The principal business address of Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. is 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210. |
(c) | Not Applicable. |
■ | Registrant, 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210; |
■ | Registrant’s investment adviser and administrator, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Allspring Global Investments, LLC (formerly known as Wells Capital Management Incorporated), 1415 Vantage Park Drive, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, NC 28203; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, American Century Investment Management, Inc., 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7709; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., 50 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001; |
■ | Registrant’s sub-subadviser, BlackRock International Limited, Exchange Place One, 1 Semple Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, Scotland; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, CenterSquare Investment Management LLC, 630 W Germantown Pike, Suite 300, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Massachusetts Financial Services Company, 111 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02199; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Principal Global Investors, LLC, 711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Pzena Investment Management, LLC, 320 Park Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Schroder Investment Management North America Inc., 7 Bryant Park, New York, NY 10018-3706; |
■ | Registrant’s sub-subadviser, Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd, 1 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU, UK; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Scout Investments, Inc., 1201 Walnut Street, 21st Floor, Kansas City, MO 64106; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC, 540 West Madison Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60661-2551; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, TCW Investment Management Company LLC, 865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC, 6641 West Broad Street, Suite 600, Richmond, VA 23230; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Threadneedle International Limited, Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6AG, UK; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Victory Capital Management Inc., 15935 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78256; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Walter Scott & Partners Limited, One Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DR, UK; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P., One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111; |
■ | Registrant’s subadviser, William Blair Investment Management, LLC, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL, 60606; |
■ | Former subadviser, AQR Capital Management, LLC, One Greenwich Plaza, 3rd Floor, Greenwich, CT 06830; |
■ | Former subadviser, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One, Austin, TX 78746; |
■ | Former subadviser, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, 71 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606; |
■ | Former subadviser, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC, 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor, Dallas, TX 75201-2761; |
■ | Former subadviser, BMO Asset Management Corp., 115 South LaSalle Street, 11th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60603; |
■ | Former subadviser, Eaton Vance Management, Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110; |
■ | Former subadviser, FIAM LLC (d/b/a Pyramis Global Advisors), 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917; |
■ | Former subadviser, Donald Smith & Co., Inc., 152 West 57th Street, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10019; |
■ | Former subadviser, Invesco Advisers, Inc., 1331 Spring Street N.W., Suite 2500, Atlanta, GA 30309; |
■ | Former sub-subadviser, Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC, 300 East Lombard Street, Suite 810, Baltimore, MD 21202; |
■ | Former subadviser, Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc., 100 Campus Drive, 2nd Floor West, Florham Park, NJ 07932-0650; |
■ | Former subadviser, Jennison Associates LLC, 466 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017; |
■ | Former subadviser, Kennedy Capital Management, Inc., 10829 Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63141; |
■ | Former subadviser, Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621; |
■ | Former subadviser, Los Angeles Capital Management, LLC (formerly Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc.), 11150 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025; |
■ | Former subadviser, The London Company of Virginia, 1800 Bayberry Court, Suite 301, Richmond, VA 23226; |
■ | Former subadviser, Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606; |
■ | Former subadviser, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281; |
■ | Former subadviser, Palisade Capital Management, L.L.C., One Bridge Plaza North, Suite 695, Fort Lee, NJ 07024; |
■ | Former subadviser, River Road Asset Management, LLC, 462 South Fourth Street, Suite 2000, Louisville, KY 40202-3466; |
■ | Former subadviser, Sit Investment Associates, Inc., 3300 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402; |
■ | Former subadviser, Snow Capital Management L.P., 1605 Carmody Court, Suite 300, Sewickley, PA 15143-8992; |
■ | Former subadviser, Winslow Capital Management, LLC, 4400 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402; |
■ | Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC (a successor for former subadviser NFJ Investment Group LLC), 1633 Broadway, 43rd Floor, New York, NY 10019; |
■ | Registrant’s principal underwriter, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210; |
■ | Registrant’s transfer agent, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210; |
■ | Registrant’s sub-transfer agent, SS&C GIDS, Inc., 2000 Crown Colony Dr., Quincy, MA 02169; and |
■ | Registrant’s custodian, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, NY 10005. |
COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II | |
By: | /s/ Daniel J. Beckman |
Daniel
J. Beckman Trustee and President |
Signature | Capacity | Signature | Capacity |
/s/ Daniel J. Beckman | Trustee
and President (Principal Executive Officer) |
/s/ Patricia M. Flynn* | Trustee |
Daniel J. Beckman | Patricia M. Flynn | ||
/s/ Michael G. Clarke* | Chief
Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Senior Vice President |
/s/ Brian J. Gallagher* | Trustee |
Michael G. Clarke | Brian J. Gallagher | ||
/s/ Joseph Beranek* | Treasurer,
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) and Principal Financial Officer |
/s/ Douglas A. Hacker* | Trustee |
Joseph Beranek | Douglas A. Hacker | ||
/s/ Pamela G. Carlton* | Chair of the Board | /s/ Nancy T. Lukitsh* | Trustee |
Pamela G. Carlton | Nancy T. Lukitsh | ||
/s/ George S. Batejan* | Trustee | /s/ David M. Moffett* | Trustee |
George S. Batejan | David M. Moffett | ||
/s/ Kathleen A. Blatz* | Trustee | /s/ Catherine James Paglia* | Trustee |
Kathleen A. Blatz | Catherine James Paglia | ||
/s/ Janet Langford Carrig* | Trustee | /s/ Natalie A. Trunow* | Trustee |
Janet Langford Carrig | Natalie A. Trunow | ||
/s/ J. Kevin Connaughton* | Trustee | /s/ Sandra L. Yeager* | Trustee |
J. Kevin Connaughton | Sandra L. Yeager | ||
/s/ Olive M. Darragh* | Trustee | ||
Olive M. Darragh |
* | By:
Name: |
/s/ Joseph D’Alessandro | |
Joseph
D’Alessandro** Attorney-in-fact |
|||
** | Executed by Joseph D’Alessandro on behalf of Michael G. Clarke pursuant to a Power of Attorney, dated February 1, 2021, on behalf of Joseph Beranek pursuant to a Power of Attorney, dated January 3, 2020, and on behalf of each of the Trustees pursuant to a Trustees Power of Attorney, dated January 1, 2023. |
/s/ George S. Batejan | Trustee | /s/ Brian J. Gallagher | Trustee |
George S. Batejan | Brian J. Gallagher | ||
/s/ Daniel J. Beckman | Trustee | /s/ Douglas Hacker | Trustee |
Daniel J. Beckman | Douglas Hacker | ||
/s/ Kathleen A. Blatz | Trustee | /s/ Nancy T. Lukitsh | Trustee |
Kathleen A. Blatz | Nancy T. Lukitsh | ||
/s/ Pamela G. Carlton | Trustee | /s/ David M. Moffett | Trustee |
Pamela G. Carlton | David M. Moffett | ||
/s/ Janet Langford Carrig | Trustee | /s/ Catherine James Paglia | Trustee |
Janet Langford Carrig | Catherine James Paglia | ||
/s/ J. Kevin Connaughton | Trustee | /s/ Natalie A. Trunow | Trustee |
J. Kevin Connaughton | Natalie A. Trunow | ||
/s/ Olive M. Darragh | Trustee | /s/ Sandra L. Yeager | Trustee |
Olive M. Darragh | Sandra L. Yeager | ||
/s/ Patricia M. Flynn | Trustee | ||
Patricia M. Flynn |
(h)(8) | Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, as of October 26, 2023 |
(h)(10)(i)(a) | Schedule A, as amended October 20, 2023, to the Fund of Fund Investment Management Agreement, dated August 10, 2023, between BlackRock ETF Trust, BlackRock ETF Trust II, iShares Trust, iShares, Inc., iShares U.S. ETF Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust I, Columbia Funds Series Trust II and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II |
(h)(10)(ii)(a) | Schedule A to Fund of Fund Investment Management Agreement, dated January 19, 2022, between Vanguard Funds and Columbia Funds Series Trust I, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II |
(p)(4) | American Century Investment Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, updated June 16, 2023 |
(p)(11) | Principal Global Investors, LLC Code of Ethics, effective October 1, 2023 |
(p)(12) | Pzena Investment Management, LLC Code of Ethics, revised March 2023 |
(p)(14) | Scout Investments, Inc. Code of Ethics, effective March 2023 |
(p)(16) | T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and Its Affiliates Code of Ethics, as of February 1, 2023 |
(p)(18) | Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC Code of Ethics, updated March 24, 2023 |
COLUMBIA FUNDS
$900,000,000
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated as of October 26, 2023
among
THE FUNDS LISTED FROM TIME TO TIME
ON SCHEDULE I HERETO,
VARIOUS BANKS,
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent,
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
CITIBANK, N.A. and
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as
Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners, and
CITIBANK, N.A.,
as Syndication Agent
Table of Contents
Page | ||||||
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS |
1 | |||||
1.1 |
Defined Terms | 1 | ||||
1.2 |
Other Definitional Provisions | 17 | ||||
1.3 |
Assumptions Regarding Structure | 18 | ||||
1.4 |
Interest Rates | 18 | ||||
SECTION 2. AMOUNT AND TERMS OF COMMITMENTS |
18 | |||||
2.1 |
Commitments | 18 | ||||
2.2 |
Procedure for Borrowing | 19 | ||||
2.3 |
Fees | 20 | ||||
2.4 |
Termination and Reduction of Commitments | 20 | ||||
2.5 |
Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt | 21 | ||||
2.6 |
Optional and Mandatory Prepayments | 22 | ||||
2.7 |
Interest Rates and Payment Dates | 22 | ||||
2.8 |
Computation of Interest and Fees | 23 | ||||
2.9 |
Pro Rata Treatment and Payments | 23 | ||||
2.10 |
Requirements of Law | 24 | ||||
2.11 |
Taxes | 26 | ||||
2.12 |
Change of Lending Office; Replacement of Lender | 28 | ||||
2.13 |
Swing Line Commitment | 29 | ||||
2.14 |
Procedure for Swing Line Borrowing | 29 | ||||
2.15 |
Refunding of Swing Line Loans | 30 | ||||
2.16 |
Designation of Additional Borrowers; Amendments to Schedule I | 32 | ||||
2.17 |
Interfund Lending | 33 | ||||
2.18 |
Defaulting Lender | 34 | ||||
SECTION 3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES |
35 | |||||
3.1 |
Financial Condition | 36 | ||||
3.2 |
No Change | 36 | ||||
3.3 |
Existence; Compliance with Law | 36 | ||||
3.4 |
Power; Authorization; Enforceable Obligations | 36 | ||||
3.5 |
No Legal Bar | 37 | ||||
3.6 |
No Material Litigation | 37 | ||||
3.7 |
No Default | 37 | ||||
3.8 |
Ownership of Property; Liens | 37 | ||||
3.9 |
No Burdensome Restrictions | 37 | ||||
3.10 |
Taxes | 37 | ||||
3.11 |
Federal Regulations | 38 | ||||
3.12 |
ERISA | 38 | ||||
3.13 |
Certain Regulations | 38 | ||||
3.14 |
Subsidiaries | 38 | ||||
3.15 |
Registration of the Fund | 38 |
3.16 |
Offering in Compliance with Securities Laws | 38 | ||||
3.17 |
Investment Policies | 38 | ||||
3.18 |
Permission to Borrow | 38 | ||||
3.19 |
Accuracy of Information; Electronic Information | 38 | ||||
3.20 |
Affiliated Persons | 39 | ||||
3.21 |
Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions | 40 | ||||
3.22 |
Affected Financial Institutions | 40 | ||||
SECTION 4. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT |
40 | |||||
4.1 |
Conditions to Closing | 40 | ||||
4.2 |
Conditions to Each Loan | 42 | ||||
4.3 |
Lender Deliverables | 43 | ||||
SECTION 5. AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS |
43 | |||||
5.1 |
Financial Statements | 43 | ||||
5.2 |
Certificates; Other Information | 44 | ||||
5.3 |
Payment of Obligations | 45 | ||||
5.4 |
Conduct of Business and Maintenance of Existence | 45 | ||||
5.5 |
Maintenance of Property; Insurance | 45 | ||||
5.6 |
Inspection of Property; Books and Records; Discussions | 45 | ||||
5.7 |
Notices | 46 | ||||
5.8 |
Purpose of Loans | 47 | ||||
5.9 |
Payment of Taxes | 47 | ||||
SECTION 6. NEGATIVE COVENANTS |
47 | |||||
6.1 |
Financial Condition Covenant | 47 | ||||
6.2 |
Limitation on Indebtedness; Derivatives | 47 | ||||
6.3 |
Limitation on Liens | 48 | ||||
6.4 |
Limitation on Guarantee Obligations | 48 | ||||
6.5 |
Limitation on Fundamental Changes | 48 | ||||
6.6 |
Limitation on Distributions | 49 | ||||
6.7 |
Limitation on Investments, Loans and Advances | 49 | ||||
6.8 |
Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates | 49 | ||||
6.9 |
Limitation on Negative Pledge Clauses | 49 | ||||
6.10 |
Limitation on Changes to Investment Policies | 49 | ||||
6.11 |
Cayman Parent Borrower Activities | 50 | ||||
6.12 |
Cayman Parent Borrower Sale of Assets, Etc. | 50 | ||||
6.13 |
Prohibited Use of Proceeds | 50 | ||||
SECTION 7. EVENTS OF DEFAULT |
50 | |||||
SECTION 8. THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT |
54 | |||||
8.1 |
Authorization and Action | 54 | ||||
8.2 |
Administrative Agents Reliance, Limitation of Liability, Etc. | 56 | ||||
8.3 |
Posting of Communications | 57 | ||||
8.4 |
The Administrative Agent Individually | 59 | ||||
8.5 |
Successor Administrative Agent | 59 |
ii
8.6 |
Acknowledgements of Lenders | 60 | ||||
8.7 |
Duties of Syndication Agents | 62 | ||||
SECTION 9. MISCELLANEOUS |
62 | |||||
9.1 |
Amendments and Waivers | 62 | ||||
9.2 |
Notices | 63 | ||||
9.3 |
No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies | 64 | ||||
9.4 |
Survival of Representations and Warranties | 64 | ||||
9.5 |
Payment of Expenses and Taxes; Indemnification; Etc. | 64 | ||||
9.6 |
Successors and Assigns; Participations and Assignments | 67 | ||||
9.7 |
Adjustments; Set-off | 69 | ||||
9.8 |
Counterparts | 70 | ||||
9.9 |
Severability | 71 | ||||
9.10 |
Waiver of Conflicts; Confidentiality | 71 | ||||
9.11 |
GOVERNING LAW | 73 | ||||
9.12 |
Submission To Jurisdiction; Waivers | 73 | ||||
9.13 |
Acknowledgments | 73 | ||||
9.14 |
WAIVERS OF JURY TRIAL | 74 | ||||
9.15 |
Non-Recourse | 74 | ||||
9.16 |
Integration | 74 | ||||
9.17 |
USA PATRIOT Act | 74 | ||||
9.18 |
Net Asset Value | 75 | ||||
9.19 |
Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions | 75 | ||||
9.20 |
Mauritius Subsidiaries | 75 | ||||
9.21 |
No Fiduciary Duty, etc. | 75 | ||||
9.22 |
Interest Rate Limitation | 76 |
SCHEDULES:
Schedule I | Borrowers & Pro Rata Allocations | |
Schedule II | Commitments, Addresses, Etc. | |
Schedule III | Investment Management Agreements | |
Schedule IV | Custody Agreements | |
Schedule V | Prime Broker Agreements | |
Schedule 5.1 | Web Addresses For Annual, Semi-Annual and Quarterly Reports | |
Schedule 9.20 | Representations, Covenants and Events of Default Applicable to Borrowers with Mauritius Subsidiaries |
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit 2.5(e) Form of Note | ||
Exhibit 2.16(a) Form for Designation of New Borrowers | ||
Exhibit 9.6(c) Form of Assignment and Acceptance |
iii
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of October 26,
2023 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, this Agreement) among (i) the trusts listed on Schedule I (the Registrants), each of which is executing this Agreement on behalf of its respective underlying series set forth beneath such Registrants name on Schedule I (each such series, individually, a Borrower or Fund and, collectively, the Borrowers or Funds), (ii) the several banks and other financial institutions from time to time parties to this Agreement (the Lenders), and (iii) JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., a national banking association, as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder (in such capacity, the Administrative Agent);
W I T N E S E T H :
WHEREAS, each Registrant is an open-end registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 for which Columbia Management (as defined below) acts as an investment manager;
WHEREAS, each Borrower has requested the Lenders to make Loans (as defined below) severally and not jointly to each Borrower and to make available to it a credit facility for the purposes and on the terms and conditions set forth herein;
WHEREAS, each Lender acknowledges that each Borrower shall be liable hereunder only for the Loans made to such Borrower hereunder and interest thereon and for the fees and expenses associated therewith and as otherwise set forth herein, and that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, each Borrowers obligations hereunder are several and not joint;
WHEREAS, certain of the parties hereto entered into the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of October 27, 2022 (as amended, restated, terminated, replaced, supplemented or otherwise modified, the Original Credit Agreement);
WHEREAS, the parties hereto wish to amend and restate the Original Credit Agreement to incorporate terms provided herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained, the parties to this Agreement agree as follows:
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS
1.1 Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Administrative Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., together with its permitted successors and assigns, as the administrative agent for the Lenders under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
Affected Borrowers: with respect to any Bank-Advisor, any Borrower with respect to which (i) such Bank-Advisor or any of its affiliates acts as an advisor or sub-advisor, (ii) such Bank-Advisor is prohibited from lending to by any Applicable Law or (iii) an extension of credit by such Bank-Advisor would subject such Bank-Advisor to lending limits under any Applicable Law (including Regulation W).
Affected Financial Institution: (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial Institution.
Affiliate: as to any Person, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary) which, directly or indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. For purposes of this definition, control of a Person means the power, directly or indirectly, either to (a) vote 10% or more of the securities having ordinary voting power for the election of directors of such Person or (b) direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether by contract or otherwise.
Aggregate Commitment: the total of all Commitments of all Lenders, as may be reduced from time to time in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. On the Closing Date, the Aggregate Commitment shall be equal to $900,000,000.
Agreement: as defined in the Preamble hereto.
Ancillary Document: as defined in Section 9.8(b).
Anti-Corruption Laws: all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to any Borrower or its Subsidiaries from time to time concerning or relating to money laundering, bribery or corruption, or any jurisdiction applicable to any Lender concerning or relating to money laundering.
Applicable Law: any law, treaty, rule or regulation or determination of an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or any of its property is subject.
Applicable Margin: 1.00% per annum.
Arranger: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in its capacity as lead arranger hereunder.
Asset Coverage Ratio: with respect to any Borrower, the ratio which the value of the Total Assets of such Borrower less all liabilities and Indebtedness of such Borrower not represented by Senior Securities, bears to the aggregate amount of all Senior Securities representing Indebtedness of such Borrower. For the purposes of calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio, (i) the amount of any liability or Indebtedness deducted from Total Assets of such Borrower shall be equal to the greater of (x) the outstanding amount of such liability or Indebtedness and (y) the fair market value of all assets securing such liability or Indebtedness; (ii) the indebtedness incurred by any Borrower under any Interfund Lending shall be deemed to be a Senior Security for purposes of calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio as it applies to such Borrower; (iii) in order to ensure that Borrowers that are part of a fund-of-funds or master-feeder structure do not borrow against the same assets, for purposes of calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio, if any Borrower invests in another Borrower, the value of such assets shall, as between
2
both such Borrowers, only be counted once; (iv) in determining the numerator of said ratio and to the extent that the Investment Company Act does not already require the following deduction, the following shall be deducted: If the Borrower is the Cayman Parent Borrower, the value of (1) all assets belonging to the Cayman Designated Subsidiary and (2) such Borrowers direct or indirect debt, equity or other interests or investments in the Cayman Designated Subsidiary; (v) indebtedness incurred by the Cayman Designated Subsidiary shall not be included in either the numerator or the denominator of said ratio in determining the Asset Coverage Ratio of the Cayman Parent Borrower; and (vi) if the Borrower is a Mauritius Parent Borrower, the assets and indebtedness of its Mauritius Designated Subsidiary will be included in calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio of such Mauritius Parent Borrower.
Assignee: as defined in Section 9.6(c).
Available Commitment: as to any Lender at any time, an amount equal to (a) the amount of such Lenders Commitment less (b) the sum of (i) the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Credit Loans to all Borrowers made by such Lender then outstanding and (ii) such Lenders Swing Line Exposure at such time; collectively, as to all the Lenders, the Available Commitments.
Bail-In Action: the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an Affected Financial Institution.
Bail-In Legislation: (a) with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law, regulation, rule or requirement for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act 2009 (as amended from time to time) and any other law, regulation or rule applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (other than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).
Bank-Advisor: each of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A., Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, The Bank of New York Mellon and any other Lender (i) prohibited by any Applicable Law from lending to one or more of the Borrowers or (ii) for whom an extension of credit by it to one or more Borrowers would subject such Bank-Advisor to lending limits under any Applicable Law (including Regulation W).
Bankruptcy Event: with respect to any Person, such Person becomes the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with the reorganization or liquidation of its business appointed for it, or, in the good faith determination of the Administrative Agent, has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of, or acquiescence in, any such proceeding or appointment, provided that a Bankruptcy Event shall not result solely by virtue of any ownership interest, or the acquisition of any ownership interest, in such Person by a Governmental Authority or instrumentality thereof,
3
unless such ownership interest results in or provides such Person with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permits such Person (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made by such Person.
Benchmark Replacement Date: the earliest to occur of the following events:
(1) in the case of clause (1) or (2) of the definition of Benchmark Transition Event, the later of (a) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (b) the date on which the administrator of Daily Simple SOFR (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide Daily Simple SOFR; or
(2) in the case of clause (3) of the definition of Benchmark Transition Event, the first date on which Daily Simple SOFR (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) has been determined and announced by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of Daily Simple SOFR (or such component thereof) to be no longer representative; provided, that such non-representativeness will be determined by reference to the most recent statement or publication referenced in such clause (3) and even if Daily Simple SOFR (or such component thereof) continues to be provided on such date.
For the avoidance of doubt, if the event giving rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such determination.
Benchmark Transition Event: the occurrence of one or more of the following events:
(1) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of Daily Simple SOFR (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide Daily Simple SOFR (or such component thereof), permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide Daily Simple SOFR (or such component thereof);
(2) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of Daily Simple SOFR (or the published component used in the calculation thereof), the Federal Reserve Board, the NYFRB, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for Daily Simple SOFR (or such component), a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for Daily Simple SOFR (or such component) or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for Daily Simple SOFR (or such component), in each case, which states that the administrator of Daily Simple SOFR (or such component) has ceased or will cease to provide Daily Simple SOFR (or such component thereof) permanently or indefinitely; provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide Daily Simple SOFR (or such component thereof); or
4
(3) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of Daily Simple SOFR (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that Daily Simple SOFR (or such component thereof) are no longer, or as of a specified future date will no longer be, representative.
Benchmark Unavailability Period: the period (if any) (A) beginning at the time that a Benchmark Replacement Date pursuant to clauses (1) or (2) of that definition has occurred or (B) during which the Administrative Agent has determined (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining Daily Simple SOFR.
Benefited Lender: as defined in Section 9.7(a).
Borrower and Borrowers: as defined in the Preamble hereto.
Borrowing Date: any Business Day specified in a notice pursuant to Section 2.2 or 2.14 as a date on which a Registrant, on behalf of a series thereof that is a Borrower, requests the Lenders to make Loans hereunder.
Business Day: a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City or Minneapolis, Minnesota are authorized or required by law to close.
Cayman Designated Subsidiaries: CCSF Offshore Fund, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCSF; ASMF Offshore Fund, Ltd. and ASGM Offshore Fund, Ltd., each of which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MASF; CVPCSF Offshore Fund, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVPCSF; CMSAF1 Offshore Fund, Ltd., CMSAF2 Offshore Fund, Ltd. and CMSAF3 Offshore Fund, Ltd., each of which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMSAF.
Cayman Parent Borrowers: Columbia Commodity Strategy Fund (CCSF), Multi-Manager Alternative Strategies Fund (MASF), Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund (CVPCSF) and Columbia Multi Strategy Alternatives Fund (CMSAF).
Closing Date: the date on which the conditions precedent set forth in Section 4.1 shall be satisfied and the Loan Documents are signed by the parties hereto and delivered to the offices of Pryor Cashman LLP at Seven Times Square, New York, New York 10036, which date shall be the date as of which this Agreement is dated.
Code: the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
Columbia Management: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company, or Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as applicable.
5
Commitment: as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender to make Loans to the Borrowers hereunder in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lenders name on Schedule II, as such amount may be reduced pursuant to the terms hereof.
Commitment Fee: as defined in Section 2.3.
Commitment Fee Accrual Date: each of (a) the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and (b) the Termination Date.
Commitment Fee Payment Date: (a) with respect to any Commitment Fee Accrual Date described in clause (a) of the definition thereof, the 15th day after such Commitment Fee Accrual Date (or if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately following Business Day) and (b) with respect to any Commitment Fee Accrual Date described in clause (b) of the definition thereof, the Termination Date.
Commitment Percentage: as to any Lender at any time, the percentage which such Lenders Commitment then constitutes of the aggregate Commitments of all Lenders; provided that when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, Commitment Percentage shall mean the percentage of the total Commitments (disregarding any Defaulting Lenders Commitment) represented by such Lenders Commitment. If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Commitment Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments and to any Lenders status as a Defaulting Lender at the time of determination.
Commitment Period: the period from and including the Closing Date to but not including, the Termination Date.
Commonly Controlled Entity: an entity, whether or not incorporated, which is under common control with any Borrower within the meaning of Section 4001 of ERISA or is part of a group which includes any Borrower and which is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.
Confidential Information: as defined in Section 9.10(b).
Contractual Obligation: as to any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.
Credit Exposure: with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lenders Revolving Credit Loans and its Swing Line Exposure at such time.
Credit Party: the Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender and each other Lender.
Custody Agreement: as to each Fund, the related Custody Agreement(s) set forth in Schedule IV.
6
Daily Simple SOFR: for any day, SOFR for such day. Any change in Daily Simple SOFR due to a change in SOFR shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in SOFR in accordance with Section 2.8.
Default: any of the events specified in Section 7 (or in Section 3(a) of Schedule 9.20), which with notice, or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.
Defaulting Lender: any Lender that: (a) has failed, within three Business Days of the date required to be funded or paid, to (i) fund any portion of its Loans, (ii) fund any portion of its participations in Swing Line Loans or (iii) pay over to any Credit Party any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder, unless, in the case of clause (i) above, such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent in writing that such failure is the result of such Lenders good faith determination that a condition precedent to funding (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) has not been satisfied; (b) has notified the Borrower or any Credit Party in writing, or has made a public statement to the effect, that it does not intend or expect to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement (unless such writing or public statement indicates that such position is based on such Lenders good faith determination that a condition precedent (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) to funding a loan under this Agreement cannot be satisfied) or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit; (c) has failed, within three Business Days after request by a Credit Party, acting in good faith, to provide a certification in writing from an authorized officer of such Lender that it will comply with its obligations to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Swing Line Loans under this Agreement, provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon such Credit Partys receipt of such certification in form and substance satisfactory to it and the Administrative Agent, (d) has become the subject of (A) a Bankruptcy Event or (B) a Bail-In Action, or (e) ceases to be a Bank (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Designated Borrower: each Borrower listed on Schedule Ia as a Designated Borrower.
Designated Borrower Asset Coverage Ratio Percentage: with respect to each Designated Borrower, the Designated Percentage set forth for such Designated Borrower on Schedule Ia, or, as to any additional Designated Borrower designated pursuant to Section 2.16, such other percentage as the Administrative Agent deems appropriate.
Designated Percentage: as defined in the definition of Designated Borrower Asset Coverage Ratio Percentage.
Dollars and $: lawful currency of the United States of America.
EEA Financial Institution means (a) any institution established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.
7
EEA Member Country means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
EEA Resolution Authority means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.
Electronic Signature means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and adopted by a Person with the intent to sign, authenticate or accept such contract or record.
Eligible Lender: an entity that is a Bank (as defined in the 1940 Act) and, except for a Bank-Advisor with respect to its respective Affected Borrowers, is not otherwise prohibited by any Applicable Law from lending to any of the Borrowers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Eligible Lender shall not include any Borrower, any Affiliate of any Borrower (other than a Bank-Advisor), any natural person (or a holding company, investments vehicle, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated by or for the primary benefit of a natural person) or any Defaulting Lender.
ERISA: the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.
EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor Person), as in effect from time to time.
Event of Default: any of the events specified in Section 7 (or in Section 3(a) of Schedule 9.20), provided that any requirement for the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or both, or any other condition, has been satisfied.
FATCA: Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), or any Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder or official administrative interpretations thereof and any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code or any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement entered into in connection with the implementation of such Sections of the Code.
Federal Funds Effective Rate: for any day, the rate calculated by the NYFRB based on federal funds transactions by depository institutions (as determined in such manner as shall be set forth on the NYFRBs Website from time to time) and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as the federal funds effective rate.
Federal Funds Rate: for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the sum of (x) Daily Simple SOFR in effect on such day plus (y) 0.10%, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day and (c) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate in effect on such day; provided, that during the continuance of a Benchmark Unavailability Period, the Federal Funds Rate shall be, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the sum of (1) the greater of (i) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day and (ii) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate in effect on such day plus (2) 0.10%; provided, further that notwithstanding the rate calculated in accordance with the foregoing, at no time shall the Federal Funds Rate be less than 0% per annum.
8
Federal Reserve Board: the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.
Financing Lease: any lease of property, real or personal, the obligations of the lessee in respect of which are required in accordance with GAAP to be capitalized on a balance sheet of such lessee.
Fund: as defined in the Preamble hereto.
GAAP: generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America in effect from time to time.
Governmental Authority: any nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof and any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).
Guarantee Obligation: as to any Person (the guaranteeing person), any obligation of (a) the guaranteeing person or (b) another Person (including, without limitation, any bank under any letter of credit) to induce the creation of which the guaranteeing person has issued a reimbursement, counterindemnity or similar obligation, in either case guaranteeing or in effect guaranteeing any Indebtedness, leases, dividends or other obligations (the primary obligations) of any other third Person (the primary obligor) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, including, without limitation, any obligation of the guaranteeing person, whether or not contingent, (i) to purchase any such primary obligation or any property constituting direct or indirect security therefor, (ii) to advance or supply funds (A) for the purchase or payment of any such primary obligation or (B) to maintain working capital or equity capital of the primary obligor or otherwise to maintain the net worth or solvency of the primary obligor, (iii) to purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of any such primary obligation of the ability of the primary obligor to make payment of such primary obligation or (iv) otherwise to assure or hold harmless the owner of any such primary obligation against loss in respect thereof; provided, however, that the term Guarantee Obligation shall not include endorsements of instruments for deposit or collection in the ordinary course of business. The amount of any Guarantee Obligation of any guaranteeing person shall be deemed to be the lower of (a) an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation in respect of which such Guarantee Obligation is made and (b) the maximum amount for which such guaranteeing person may be liable pursuant to the terms of the instrument embodying such Guarantee Obligation, unless such primary obligation and the maximum amount for which such guaranteeing person may be liable are not stated or determinable, in which case the amount of such Guarantee Obligation shall be such guaranteeing persons maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by such guaranteeing person in good faith.
9
Indebtedness: of any Person at any date, (a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money or for the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than current trade liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business and payable in accordance with customary practices), (b) any other indebtedness of such Person which is evidenced by a note, bond, debenture or similar debt instrument, (c) any obligations of such Person under Financing Leases or Interest Rate Agreements or Swap Obligations as calculated daily on a marked-to-market basis in accordance with GAAP, (d) all obligations of such Person in respect of acceptances (as defined in Section 3-410 of the UCC) issued or created for the account of such Person, (e) all reimbursement obligations (contingent or otherwise) of such person arising out of any letters of credit, and (f) all liabilities secured by any Lien on any property owned by such Person even though such Person has not assumed or otherwise become liable for the payment thereof.
Indemnitee: as defined in Section 9.5(c).
Interest Accrual Date: with respect to each Loan (x) the last day of each calendar month in which such Loan is outstanding, (y) in connection with any prepayment, the date of such prepayment, and (z) the Maturity Date.
Interest Payment Date: with respect to any Loan and any Interest Accrual Date, the earliest of (x) the day five Business Days after such Interest Accrual Date for such Loan, (y) in connection with any prepayment, the date of such prepayment and (z) the Termination Date.
Interest Rate Agreement: any interest rate protection agreement, interest rate future, interest rate option, interest rate swap, interest rate cap or other interest rate hedge or arrangement under which a Borrower or Registrant, on behalf of a series thereof that is a Borrower, is a party or a beneficiary.
Interfund Lending: lending by a series advised by Columbia Management to one or more other series advised by Columbia Management, or borrowing by a series advised by Columbia Management from one or more other series advised by Columbia Management, in either case pursuant to an Interfund Lending Exemptive Order, or otherwise allowed by any Applicable Law.
Interfund Lending Exemptive Order: an exemptive order, including any amended or supplemental order, issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission authorizing Interfund Lending.
Interfund Loan: a loan to a Borrower pursuant to an Interfund Lending arrangement.
Investment Management Agreement: as to each Registrant on behalf of a series thereof that is a Borrower, the Investment Management Services Agreement set forth on Schedule III.
10
Investment Policies: as to each Borrower, the fundamental and non-fundamental policies, and related limits and restrictions, on investing by such Borrower set forth in the statement of additional information for such Borrower, as such statement of additional information may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
JP Morgan: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., a national banking association.
Lender-Related Person: as defined in Section 9.5(b).
Lenders: as defined in the Preamble hereto.
Liabilities means any losses, claims (including intraparty claims), demands, damages or liabilities of any kind.
Lien: any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge or other security interest or any preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, any conditional sale or other title retention agreement and any Financing Lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).
Loan Documents: this Agreement, the Notes and all other agreements, instruments, and other documents entered into in connection with the commercial lending facility made available hereunder, and all amendments and supplements thereto.
Loans: all loans made pursuant to this Agreement; individually, a Loan.
Material Adverse Effect: a material adverse effect on (a) the business, financial condition, operations or ability to timely perform any of its material obligations under the Loan Documents of a Registrant or a Borrower or (b) the legality, validity, binding nature or enforceability of the Loan Documents or the rights or remedies of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders hereunder or thereunder.
Maturity Date: as to each Loan, the date which is the earliest of (a) 60 days after the Borrowing Date for such Loan (or, with respect to a Swing Line Loan, seven days after the Borrowing date therefor), (b) the Termination Date and (c) the payment in full of such Loan.
Mauritius Parent Borrowers: Columbia India Consumer ETF (EMC).
Mauritius Designated Subsidiaries: EG Shares India Mauritius, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EMC. Each such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary is organized under the laws of the Republic of Mauritius.
Moodys: Moodys Investors Service, Inc.
1940 Act: the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, together with all rules and regulations promulgated from time to time thereunder.
Non-Excluded Taxes: as defined in Section 2.11.
Non-Pro Rata Lender: any Lender making a Non-Pro Rata Loan.
11
Non-Pro Rata Loan: (i) any Loan to an Affected Borrower or (ii) in the event any Loans are outstanding to one or more Affected Borrowers and, as a result thereof, not all of the Aggregate Commitment is available to be borrowed by one or more Unaffected Borrowers, any Loan made by the Bank-Advisor to such Unaffected Borrower.
Non-Recourse Person: as defined in Section 9.15.
Notes: the collective reference to the Revolving Credit Notes; individually, a Note.
NYFRB: the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
NYFRBs Website: the website of the NYFRB at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source.
Obligations: all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, the Borrowers arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Borrower or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any debtor relief laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed or allowable claims in such proceeding. Without limiting the foregoing, the Obligations include (a) the obligation to pay principal, interest, charges, expenses, fees, indemnities and other amounts payable by the Borrowers under any Loan Document and (b) the obligation of the Borrowers to reimburse any amount in respect of any of the foregoing that the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in each case in its sole discretion, may elect to pay or advance on behalf of the Borrower.
Other Lender: any Lender other than a Bank-Advisor.
Overnight Bank Funding Rate: for any day, the rate comprised of both overnight federal funds and overnight eurodollar transactions by U.S.-managed banking offices of depository institutions (as such composite rate shall be determined by the NYFRB as set forth on the NYFRBs Website from time to time) and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as an overnight bank funding rate.
Payment: as defined in Section 8.6(c). Payment Notice: as defined in Section 8.6(c).
Participant: as defined in Section 9.6(b).
Person: an individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, Governmental Authority or other entity of whatever nature.
Plan: at a particular time, any employee benefit plan covered by ERISA which any Registrant or any Fund maintains.
12
Prime Broker Agreement: As to the Funds listed on Schedule V, the related agreement set forth on Schedule V.
Proceeding means any claim, litigation, investigation, action, suit, arbitration or administrative, judicial or regulatory action or proceeding in any jurisdiction.
Pro Rata Allocation: as to each Borrower, the percentage amount stated in Schedule Ia; provided that, if no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, Columbia Management, on behalf of the Borrowers and without the consent of the Lenders, by written notice to the Administrative Agent, may change the Pro Rata Allocations from time to time in Columbia Management sole discretion; provided further, that while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to a Borrower, the Pro Rata Allocations may be changed in such manner as long as the Pro Rata Allocation of any such defaulting Borrower is not increased; and provided further, that, after any change in Pro Rata Allocations, the aggregate amount of all Pro Rata Allocations shall equal 100%. The delivery of such written notice shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrowers as of the date thereof that no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to each Borrower whose Pro Rata Allocation has been increased.
Prospectus: at a particular time, and as to a Fund, the currently effective prospectus and statement of additional information of such Fund.
Reference Time: with respect to any setting of Daily Simple SOFR, the time determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion and in consultation with the Borrowers.
Register: as defined in Section 9.6(d).
Registrant: as defined in the Preamble hereto.
Registration Statement: as to a Fund, the applicable portions of the registration statement of the Registrant of which such Fund is a series as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act and the 1940 Act.
Regulation T: Regulation T of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as in effect from time to time.
Regulation U: Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as in effect from time to time.
Regulation X: Regulation X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as in effect from time to time.
Related Parties means, with respect to any specified Person, such Persons Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such Persons Affiliates.
13
Required Lenders: at any time, Lenders having Credit Exposures and Available Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of total Credit Exposures and Available Commitments at such time; provided that the Credit Exposure and Available Commitment of any Defaulting Lender shall be disregarded in the determination of the Required Lenders at any time and provided further that the Credit Exposures and Available Commitments of any Bank- Advisor shall be disregarded in the determination of the Required Lenders with respect to any amendment, modification, waiver or forbearance solely relating to the relevant Affected Borrower of such Bank-Advisor.
Requirement of Law: as to any Person, the certificate of incorporation, by-laws, partnership agreement, operating agreement or other organizational or governing documents of such Person, and any Applicable Law.
Resolution Authority means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.
Responsible Officer: the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, assistant treasurer or assistant secretary of a Registrant, or, with respect to financial matters, the treasurer or assistant treasurer of such Registrant.
Reverse Repurchase Transaction: a transaction whereby a Borrower or Registrant, on behalf of a series thereof that is a Borrower, (i) transfers possession of a security it owns (but not record ownership or the right to receive interest and principal payments thereon) to another party in exchange for a percentage of the value of the security (for purposes of this definition, the payment proceeds), and (ii) repossesses the security at an agreed upon future date by remitting the payment proceeds plus interest.
Revolving Credit Loan: as defined in Section 2.1.
Revolving Credit Note: as defined in Section 2.5(e).
S&P: Standard & Poors Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Sanctions means economic or financial sanctions, trade embargoes or similar restrictions imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by the U.S. government, the government of Canada, the United Nations or the European Union and its member countries, including those administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, His Majestys Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority or other relevant authority.
Sanctioned Country: at any time, a country, region or territory which is itself the subject or target of any Sanctions (at the time of this Agreement, the so - called Donetsk Peoples Republic, the so- called Luhansk Peoples Republic, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).
14
Sanctioned Person means, at any time, any Person subject or target of any Sanctions, including (a) any Person that is the subject of any Sanctions, including without limitation any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce or by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Canada, any European Union member state or His Majestys Treasury, (b) any Person operating, located, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country or (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b) (including, without limitation for purposes of defining a Sanctioned Person, as ownership and control may be defined and/or established in and/or by any applicable laws, rules, regulations, or orders).
Securities Act: the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with all rules and regulations promulgated from time to time thereunder.
Senior Securities Representing Indebtedness: any Senior Security other than stock or other equity securities.
Senior Security: any bond, debenture, note or similar obligation or instrument constituting a security and evidencing indebtedness (including without limitation all Loans), and any share of beneficial interest or common stock, as the case may be, of a Fund, of a class (other than a class established in accordance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act) having priority over any other class of shares of such Fund as to distribution of assets or payment of dividends.
SOFR: for any day, a rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate published by the SOFR Administrator on the SOFR Administrators Website on the immediately succeeding U.S. Government Securities Business Day.
SOFR Administrator: the NYFRB (or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate).
SOFR Administrators Website: the NYFRBs website, currently at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source for the secured overnight financing rate identified as such by the SOFR Administrator from time to time.
Subsidiary: as to any Person, a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which shares of stock or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power (other than stock or such other ownership interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) to elect a majority of the board of directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity are at the time owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person. For the avoidance of doubt, any Fund or series of capital stock of a Registrant shall not constitute a Subsidiary.
Swap Obligation: as to any Person, any net obligation of such Person arising out of (i) any swap agreement (as defined in Section 101(53B) of the Bankruptcy Code), (ii) any equity swap, floor, collar, cap or option transaction, (iii) any option to enter into any of the foregoing or (iv) any combination of the foregoing.
15
Swing Line Agent: JPMorgan.
Swing Line Commitment: with respect to each Swing Line Lender, the obligation of such Swing Line Lender to make Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.13 in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Swing Line Lenders name on Schedule II under the heading Amount of Swing Line Commitment.
Swing Line Exposure: at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swing Line Loans outstanding at such time to all Borrowers. The Swing Line Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be the amount of such Lenders funded or unfunded obligation to refund the aggregate Swing Line Loans outstanding at such time to all Borrowers (by funding Revolving Credit Loans under Section 2.15(a) or by purchasing a participating interest therein under Section 2.15(c)) based upon such Lenders Commitment Percentage of the total Swing Line Exposure at such time, as such obligation may be adjusted pursuant to the terms of Section 2.2(b).
Swing Line Lender: each of JPMorgan, Citibank, N.A., and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association.
Swing Line Loans: as defined in Section 2.13.
Swing Line Participation Amount: as defined in Section 2.15(c).
Swing Line Pro Rata Share: (i) as to JPMorgan, 33.34%; (ii) as to Citibank, N.A., 33.33%; and (iii) as to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, 33.33%.
Termination Date: October 24, 2024, or such earlier date on which the Commitments shall terminate as provided herein.
Total Assets: at any time, all assets of a Borrower which in accordance with GAAP would be classified as assets on a balance sheet of such Borrower prepared as of such time; provided, however, that the term Total Assets shall not include (a) equipment, (b) securities owned by a Borrower which are in default, (c) deferred organizational and offering expenses or (d) assets subject to any lien pursuant to a Prime Broker Agreement.
Transactions means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrowers of this Agreement, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof.
Transferee: as defined in Section 9.6(f).
UCC: the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New York.
UK Financial Institution: any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person falling within IFPRU 11.6 of the FCA Handbook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which includes certain credit institutions and investment firms, and certain affiliates of such credit institutions or investment firms.
16
UK Resolution Authority: the Bank of England or any other public administrative authority having responsibility for the resolution of any UK Financial Institution.
Unaffected Borrower: any Borrower other than an Affected Borrower.
U.S. Government Securities Business Day: any day except for (i) a Saturday, (ii) a Sunday or (iii) a day on which the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in United States government securities.
Write-Down and Conversion Powers: (a) with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, any powers of the applicable Resolution Authority under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of any UK Financial Institution or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers.
1.2 Other Definitional Provisions. (a) Unless otherwise specified therein, all terms defined in this Agreement shall have such defined meanings when used in any Note or other Loan Document or any certificate or other document made or delivered pursuant hereto.
(b) As used herein and in any Notes or other Loan Document, and any certificate or other document made or delivered pursuant hereto, accounting terms relating to any Registrant or Borrower not defined in Section 1.1 and accounting terms partly defined in Section 1.1, to the extent not defined, shall have the respective meanings given to them under GAAP (as consistently applied).
(c) The words hereof, herein and hereunder and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement, and Section, subsection, Schedule and Exhibit references are to this Agreement unless otherwise specified.
(d) The meanings given to terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms.
(e) For the avoidance of doubt, as used herein and in any Notes or other Loan Document, (a) the terms Fund and Borrower shall have the same meaning and (b) any reference to a Fund taking any action shall include the related Registrant, if any, taking such action on behalf of such Fund.
17
1.3 Assumptions Regarding Structure. For the sake of clarity and construction, the parties hereto hereby set forth their acknowledgment and agreement that each Borrower that is a series of a Registrant is not a separately existing legal entity entitled to enter into contractual agreements or to execute instruments and, for these reasons, each such Registrant is executing this Agreement and shall execute any respective Note on behalf of its series, as Borrowers, and that such series will utilize the Loans thus made on their behalf. Any action to be taken by a Borrower may be taken by the related Registrant on its behalf. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, each Borrower shall be liable hereunder only for the Loans made to such Borrower hereunder and interest thereon and for the fees and expenses associated therewith and as otherwise set forth herein, and in no event shall any Borrower or its assets be held liable for the Loans made to any other Borrower hereunder or interest thereon or for the fees and expenses associated therewith.
1.4 Interest Rates. The interest rate on a Loan may be derived from an interest rate benchmark that may be discontinued or is, or may in the future become, the subject of regulatory reform. During the continuance of a Benchmark Unavailability Period, the interest rate for Loans will be determined in accordance with the definition of Federal Funds Rate. The Administrative Agent does not warrant or accept any responsibility for, and shall not have any liability with respect to, the administration, submission, performance or any other matter related to any interest rate used in this Agreement, or with respect to any alternative or successor rate thereto, or replacement rate thereof, including, without limitation, whether the composition or characteristics of any such alternative, successor or replacement reference rate will be similar to, or produce the same value or economic equivalence of, the existing interest rate being replaced or have the same volume or liquidity as did any existing interest rate prior to its discontinuance or unavailability. The Administrative Agent and its affiliates and/or other related entities may, in the ordinary course of their business, engage in transactions that affect the calculation of any interest rate permitted to be used in this Agreement or any alternative, successor or alternative rate and/or any relevant adjustments thereto, in each case, in a manner adverse to the Borrowers. The Administrative Agent may select information sources or services in its reasonable discretion to ascertain any interest rate used in this Agreement, any component thereof, or rates referenced in the definition thereof, in each case pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall have no liability to the Borrowers, any Lender or any other person or entity for damages of any kind, including direct or indirect, special, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, costs, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise and whether at law or in equity), for any error or calculation of any such rate (or component thereof) provided by any such information source or service.
SECTION 2. AMOUNT AND TERMS OF COMMITMENTS
2.1 Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, each Lender severally agrees to make revolving credit loans in Dollars (Revolving Credit Loans) to each Borrower, from time to time during the Commitment Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount of such Lenders Commitment at such time minus the amount of such Lenders Swing Line Exposure at such time. During the Commitment Period, each Borrower may use Commitments by borrowing, prepaying Loans in whole or in part, and reborrowing, all in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof; provided that (i) at no time may the aggregate principal amount outstanding of Revolving Credit Loans and Swing
18
Line Loans to all Borrowers exceed the Aggregate Commitment and (ii) in no event shall any Lender be obligated to make Revolving Credit Loans or Swing Line Loans if it would cause the sum of the aggregate principal amount of such Lenders Revolving Credit Loans, Swing Line Participation Amounts and Swing Line Loans to exceed such Lenders Commitment.
2.2 Procedure for Borrowing. (a) A Borrower may borrow under the Commitments during the Commitment Period on any Business Day, provided that the Borrower (or a Registrant on its behalf) shall give the Administrative Agent irrevocable notice (which notice must be received by the Administrative Agent prior to 1:00 P.M. New York City time on the requested Borrowing Date in accordance with Section 9.2), specifying (i) the amount to be borrowed, and (ii) the requested Borrowing Date. Subject to Section 2.15, the aggregate amount of each borrowing by a Borrower under the Commitments on any Borrowing Date shall be in an amount equal to $100,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof (or, if the then Available Commitments are less than $100,000, such lesser amount). Upon receipt of any such notice from a Borrower (or a Registrant on its behalf), the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender thereof. Each Lender will make the amount of its pro rata share of each borrowing available to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Borrower at the office of the Administrative Agent specified in Section 9.2 prior to 4:00 P.M., New York City time, on the Borrowing Date requested by such Borrower in funds immediately available to the Administrative Agent. Such borrowing will then be made available to such Borrower on such Borrowing Date by the Administrative Agents transferring by wire to the account of such Borrower the aggregate of the amounts made available to the Administrative Agent by the Lenders and in like funds as received by the Administrative Agent; provided that if, on the Borrowing Date of any Revolving Credit Loans of a Borrower, any Swing Line Loans to such Borrower shall be outstanding, the proceeds of such Revolving Credit Loans to such Borrower shall first be applied to pay in full such Swing Line Loans, with any remaining proceeds to be made available to such Borrower as provided above.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof to the contrary, the Bank-Advisors may not, and shall not have the obligation to, (i) lend to (including, without limitation as a Swing Line Lender), (ii) participate or purchase a participation in, or make a Revolving Credit Loan to refund, repay or refinance, any Loan (including, without limitation, any Swing Line Loan) made by an Other Lender (including, without limitation, the Swing Line Lender) to, or (iii) share in a Benefited Lenders excess payment or benefits of collateral or proceeds received from, in each case, any of their respective Affected Borrowers. With respect to a borrowing to be made by any Affected Borrower(s) (with borrowings made or to be made by and Loans made or to be made to any Affected Borrower or any Unaffected Borrower to include, for purposes of this Section 2.2(b), borrowings and Loans which are or are to be made to refund, refinance or repay Swing Line Loans made to such Affected Borrower or such Unaffected Borrower and participations which are or are to be purchased in Swing Line Loans and other Loans to such Affected Borrower or such Unaffected Borrower), the portion of such borrowing otherwise allocable to the related Bank-Advisor shall be allocated by the Administrative Agent to the Other Lenders (to the extent they have availability under their Commitments, and provided that no Lender shall be required to lend in excess of its Commitment) pro rata according to the amounts of their respective Available Commitments. Whenever borrowings are to be made by one or more Affected Borrowers
19
and one or more Unaffected Borrowers on the same day, then for purposes of calculating the Lenders respective pro rata shares of borrowings by such Unaffected Borrower(s) there shall first be deducted from the Available Commitment of each Other Lender the amount of the Loans to be made by such Other Lender to the Affected Borrower(s) on such day. In the event that Loans are outstanding to one or more Affected Borrowers and as a result thereof, not all of the Aggregate Commitment is available to be borrowed by one or more Unaffected Borrowers, each Bank-Advisor that has previously not lent to such Affected Borrower(s) shall lend any or all such amounts not lent to such Affected Borrower(s) to such Unaffected Borrower(s) to the extent requested by it in conformance with the terms hereof but in no event more than its Available Commitment.
2.3 Fees. (a) Each Borrower severally, and neither jointly nor jointly and severally, agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender such Borrowers Pro Rata Allocation (as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof) of a commitment fee (Commitment Fee) during the period which shall begin on the first day of the Commitment Period and shall extend to the Termination Date, which Commitment Fee shall be a quarterly fee, computed at the rate of 0.15% per annum on, subject to the last sentence of this Section 2.3, the average daily amount of the Available Commitments of all Lenders in the aggregate during each calendar quarter. Such Commitment Fees shall be payable quarterly in arrears for the period ending on each Commitment Fee Accrual Date, payable on the corresponding Commitment Fee Payment Date, commencing on the first Commitment Fee Payment Date to occur after the date hereof. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof to the contrary, solely for the purpose of calculating the Commitment Fee, Swing Line Loans will not be deemed a utilization of the Aggregate Commitments of all Lenders.
(b) Each Borrower severally agrees to pay the Administrative Agent for the account of the Administrative Agent the fees to which it has separately agreed.
2.4 Termination and Reduction of Commitments. (a) Each Borrower shall have the right, upon not less than three Business Days notice to the Administrative Agent, to terminate all Commitments and this Agreement, except with respect to provisions which by their terms are expressly stated to survive termination, with respect to such Borrower. Any termination of all Commitments to a Borrower shall be effective as of the last day of the calendar quarter in which such notice is given (or, if effected in connection with a merger permitted under Section 6.5, on the effective date of such merger), and shall be accompanied by prepayment in full of the Loans to such Borrower then outstanding, and payment of such Borrowers Pro Rata Allocation of (i) any accrued Commitment Fees payable by such Borrower hereunder and (ii) any other accrued fees, expenses or indemnified liabilities payable by such Borrower hereunder. The amount of the Aggregate Commitment shall not be affected by any Borrowers termination. Prior to such termination, Columbia Management shall notify the Administrative Agent in writing as to the Pro Rata Allocations of the remaining Borrowers, effective as of the termination, which notice shall constitute a representation and warranty by each of the remaining Borrowers that no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to each Borrower whose Pro Rata Allocation has been increased.
20
(b) Interest accrued on the amount of any prepayment relating to such termination and any unpaid Commitment Fee accrued hereunder shall be paid on the date of such termination.
(c) Upon the effective date of such termination, the terminating Borrower shall no longer be obligated to pay Commitment Fees hereunder or any share of any other fees, expenses, or indemnified liabilities that may accrue thereafter.
(d) The Borrowers shall have the right, upon not less than three Business Days notice to the Administrative Agent, to reduce the Aggregate Commitment. Any such reduction shall be accompanied by prepayment in full of the Loans to the Borrowers then outstanding that are in excess of the Aggregate Commitment as reduced.
(e) The Administrative Agent shall provide each Lender with prompt notice of any Commitment changes pursuant to this Section 2.4.
2.5 Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt. (a) Each Borrower hereby severally and unconditionally, but not jointly or jointly and severally, promises to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Loan of such Lender to such Borrower on the Maturity Date for such Loan (or such earlier date on which the Loans become due and payable pursuant to Section 2.4(a), 2.4(d), 2.6(b) or 7). Each Borrower hereby further severally, but not jointly or jointly and severally, agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender interest on the unpaid principal amount of the Loans to such Borrower from time to time outstanding from the date hereof until payment in full thereof at the rates per annum, and on the dates, set forth in Section 2.7.
(b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing indebtedness of each Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan of such Lender from time to time, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time under this Agreement.
(c) The Administrative Agent shall maintain the Register pursuant to Section 9.6(d), and a subaccount therein for each Lender, in which shall be recorded (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from each Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any principal or interest and any other payments received by the Administrative Agent hereunder from each Borrower and each Lenders share thereof. The Administrative Agent shall provide a copy of the Register to each Borrower promptly upon request.
(d) The entries made in the Register and the accounts of each Lender maintained pursuant to Section 2.5(b) shall, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations of the Borrowers therein recorded; provided, however, that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain the Register or any such account, or any error therein, shall not in any manner affect the obligation of any Borrower to repay (with applicable interest) the Loans made to such Borrower by such Lender in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the Register and such accounts, the Register shall be rebuttably presumed to be correct.
21
(e) Each Registrant agrees that, upon the request of any Lender to the Administrative Agent, such Registrant will execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note evidencing the Loans of such Lender to its applicable Borrower substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.5(e) with appropriate insertions as to date and principal amount (a Revolving Credit Note).
(f) The obligations of each Borrower under its Notes and this Agreement shall be several and neither joint nor joint and several. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the sole source of payment of the obligations of each Borrower hereunder, including, without limitation, the principal of and interest on each Loan made hereunder to any Borrower, the Commitment Fee payable pursuant to Section 2.3 and any other amounts attributable to the Loans made hereunder to any Borrower shall be the revenues and assets of such Borrower, and not the revenues and assets of any other Borrower (except as provided in Section 9.5(f)) or the revenues and assets of the respective Registrant acting on behalf of a Borrower (except to the extent of the revenues and assets of such Borrower).
2.6 Optional and Mandatory Prepayments. (a) Each Borrower may prepay the Loans made to it, in whole or in part, without premium or penalty, upon at least one Business Days notice to the Administrative Agent, specifying the date and amount of prepayment. Upon receipt of any such notice the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender thereof. If any such notice is given, the amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Partial prepayments shall be in an aggregate principal amount of at least $100,000.
(b) If, at any time and from time to time, either (i) (x) for each Borrower other than Designated Borrowers, the Asset Coverage Ratio for such Borrower shall be less than 300%, or (y) for each Designated Borrower, the Asset Coverage Ratio shall be less than the Designated Borrower Asset Coverage Ratio Percentage for such Designated Borrower, or (ii) the aggregate amount of all borrowings of a Borrower (including without limitation the Loans made to a Borrower) then outstanding exceeds the borrowing limits provided in such Borrowers Prospectus; then in each case within three Business Days thereafter such Borrower shall repay Loans made to such Borrower to the extent necessary to ensure that (x) the Asset Coverage Ratio of all borrowings of such Borrower after such payments is in compliance with applicable covenants concerning minimum Asset Coverage Ratios set forth in this Agreement and (y) the aggregate amount of all borrowings made to such Borrower then outstanding does not after such payments exceed such limits, as the case may be.
2.7 Interest Rates and Payment Dates. (a) Each Loan shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate plus the Applicable Margin.
22
(b) Upon (i) the occurrence and continuance of any Event of Default specified in Section 7(e) with respect to a Borrower or (ii) notice given by the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders to the Borrower of any other Event of Default, all Loans outstanding to such Borrower shall bear interest at a rate per annum which is the rate that would otherwise be applicable thereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.7(a), plus 2%. If all or a portion of (i) the principal amount of any Loan, (ii) any interest payable thereon or (iii) any Commitment Fee or other amount payable hereunder shall not be paid when due (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise), such overdue amount shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate plus the Applicable Margin plus 2% from the date of such non-payment until such amount is paid in full. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties hereby agree that the maximum amount of interest payable on the principal amount of any Loan pursuant to this Section 2.7 shall not exceed the sum of the Federal Funds Rate plus the Applicable Margin plus 2%.
(c) Interest for the period to, but excluding, each Interest Accrual Date shall be payable in arrears on the relevant Interest Payment Date, provided that interest accruing pursuant to the second sentence of paragraph (b) of this Section 2.7 shall be payable from time to time on demand.
2.8 Computation of Interest and Fees. (a) Commitment Fees and interest shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year for the actual days elapsed. Any change in the interest rate on a Loan resulting from a change in the Federal Funds Rate shall become effective as of the opening of business on the day on which such change becomes effective.
(b) Each determination of an interest rate by the Administrative Agent pursuant to any provision of this Agreement shall be conclusive and binding on each Borrower and the Lenders in the absence of manifest error.
2.9 Pro Rata Treatment and Payments. (a) Each borrowing by a Borrower from the Lenders hereunder (except as set forth in Section 2.2(b)) shall be made pro rata according to the respective Commitment Percentages of the Lenders that are obligated to lend to such Borrower and any reduction of the Commitments of the Lenders shall be made pro rata according to the respective Commitment Percentages of the Lenders. Each payment by a Borrower on account of any Commitment Fee hereunder shall be made pro rata according to the respective Available Commitments of the Lenders. Each payment (including each prepayment) by a Borrower on account of principal of and interest on the Loans shall be made pro rata according to the respective outstanding principal amounts of the Loans of such Borrower then held by the Lenders. All payments (including prepayments) to be made by a Borrower hereunder, whether on account of principal, interest, fees or otherwise, shall be made no later than 12:00 Noon New York City time, on the due date thereof to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Lenders, at the Administrative Agents office specified in Section 9.2, in Dollars, in immediately available funds and without set-off, counterclaim or deduction of any kind (other than deductions expressly permitted by this Agreement). The Administrative Agent shall distribute such payments to the Lenders promptly upon receipt in like funds as received. If any payment hereunder becomes due and payable on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, with respect to payments of principal, interest thereon shall be payable at the then applicable rate during such extension.
23
(b) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have been notified in writing by any Lender prior to a borrowing that such Lender will not make the amount that would constitute its Commitment Percentage of such borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender is making such amount available to the Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to a Borrower a corresponding amount. If such amount is not made available by a Lender to the Administrative Agent by the required time on the Borrowing Date therefor, such Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent, on demand, such amount with interest thereon at a rate equal to the daily average Federal Funds Rate for the period commencing with such Borrowing Date until such Lender makes such amount immediately available to the Administrative Agent (it being understood that none of the Borrowers shall be obligated to repay any such interest paid by the non-funding Lender). A certificate of the Administrative Agent submitted to any Lender with respect to any amounts owing under this Section shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error. If such Lenders Commitment Percentage of such borrowing is not made available to the Administrative Agent by such Lender within three Business Days of such Borrowing Date, the Administrative Agent shall also be entitled to recover such amount with interest thereon from the date of borrowing at the rate per annum applicable to Loans hereunder, on or before three Business Days following demand therefor, from the relevant Borrower (and such Borrower may borrow under the Commitments or under the Swing Line Commitment to satisfy such demand; provided that, for purposes of determining the Available Commitment, the Commitment of any non-funding Lender shall be excluded). The Administrative Agent shall request of each Lender other than the non-funding Lender that it fund the non-funding Lenders defaulted Commitment (each such other Lender having no commitment or obligation so to fund in excess of its Commitment), and if such funding does not occur the Administrative Agent shall use its reasonable efforts to obtain funding of such defaulted Commitment from third-party lenders.
2.10 Requirements of Law. (a) If any Lender shall have reasonably determined that any Change in Law regarding capital or liquidity requirements or capital adequacy shall have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lenders or such corporations capital as a consequence of its obligations hereunder to a level below that which such Lender or such corporation could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lenders or such corporations reasonable policies with respect to capital adequacy) by an amount determined by such Lender to be material, then from time to time, each Borrower shall promptly pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will reasonably compensate such Lender for such reduction. Change in Law means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement by any Governmental Authority, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender (or, for purposes of this Section 2.10(a), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lenders holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement. Notwithstanding
24
anything herein to the contrary, (i) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by any relevant Government Authority thereunder or issued in connection therewith shall be deemed to be a Change in Law, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued, and (ii) all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements and directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or any relevant Government Authority, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a Change in Law regardless of the date enacted, adopted, issued or implemented.
(b) If any Lender becomes entitled to claim, and determines that it will collect from the Borrowers, any additional amounts pursuant to this Section, it shall promptly notify the Borrowers (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) of the event by reason of which it has become so entitled by providing a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the basis for the claim for additional amounts, the amounts required to be paid by the Borrowers to such Lender, and the computations made by such Lender to determine the amounts; provided that such Lender shall not be required to disclose any confidential information. Such certificate as to any additional amounts payable pursuant to this Section submitted by such Lender to the Borrowers (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder. No Borrower shall be responsible to compensate such Lender for additional amounts attributable to another Borrowers Loans.
(c) Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lenders right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrowers shall not be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 45 days prior to the date that such Lender notifies the Borrowers of the change in the Requirement of Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lenders intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that, if the change in the Requirement of Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 45-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.
(d) Each Lender agrees that, upon the occurrence of any event giving rise to the operation of Section 2.10(a) with respect to such Lender, it will, if requested by the Borrowers, use reasonable efforts (subject to overall policy considerations of such Lender) to avoid or mitigate any additional amounts payable to the greatest extent practicable (including transferring the Loans affected by such event to another lending office), unless in the opinion of such Lender, such efforts would result in such Lender (or its lending office) suffering an economic, legal or regulatory disadvantage. Nothing in this clause (d) shall affect or postpone any of the obligations of the Borrowers or the right of any Lender provided in this Section 2.10.
25
(e) The agreements in this Section shall survive termination of the Commitments, this Agreement and repayment of the Loans and all amounts payable hereunder.
2.11 Taxes. (a) All payments made by any Borrower under this Agreement and any Notes shall be made free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for or on account of, any present or future income, stamp or other taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees, deductions or withholdings, now or hereafter imposed, levied, collected, withheld or assessed by any Governmental Authority, excluding (i) all present and future income taxes and franchise taxes (imposed in lieu of net income taxes) imposed on the Administrative Agent or any Lender as a result of a present or former connection between the Administrative Agent or such Lender and the jurisdiction of the Governmental Authority imposing such tax or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein (other than any such connection arising solely from the Administrative Agent or such Lender having executed, delivered or performed its obligations or received a payment under, or enforced, this Agreement or any Note), (ii) any tax imposed by reason of any present or former connection between the jurisdiction imposing such tax and a Lender other than a connection arising from such Lender having executed, delivered or performed its obligations under, or received payment under, or enforced this Agreement, (iii) any tax that is imposed otherwise than by withholding by the Borrowers from such payments (other than a tax imposed on a Lender due to the Borrowers failure to deduct or withhold such tax), and any interest, penalties (unless due to a Lenders actions or failure to take actions that (x) were not caused by a Borrower and (y) are legally required to avoid such penalty) or similar liabilities with respect thereto, or (iv) any U.S. federal withholding taxes imposed under FATCA. If any such non-excluded taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees deductions or withholdings (Non-Excluded Taxes) are required to be withheld from any amounts payable to the Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder or under any Note, the amounts so payable to the Administrative Agent or such Lender shall be increased to the extent necessary to yield to the Administrative Agent or such Lender (after payment of all Non- Excluded Taxes) interest or any such other amounts payable hereunder at the rates or in the amounts specified in this Agreement, provided, however, that a Borrower shall not be required to increase any such amounts payable to any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States of America if such Lender fails to comply with the requirements of paragraph (c) of this Section. Whenever any Non-Excluded Taxes are payable by a Borrower, as promptly as possible thereafter such Borrower shall send to the Administrative Agent for its own account or for the account of such Lender, as the case may be, a certified copy of an original official receipt received by such Borrower showing payment thereof. If a Borrower fails to pay any Non-Excluded Taxes when due to the appropriate taxing authority or fails to remit to the Administrative Agent the required receipts or other required documentary evidence, such Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent and the Lenders for any incremental taxes, interest or penalties that may become payable by the Administrative Agent or any Lender as a result of any such failure. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder.
26
(b) If a Borrower pays any additional amount pursuant to this Section 2.11 to a Lender and such Lender determines in good faith, that it has actually received or realized in connection therewith any refund or any reduction of, or credit against, its Non- Excluded Tax liabilities in or with respect to the taxable year in which the additional amount is paid (a Tax Benefit), such Lender shall pay to such Borrower an amount that such Lender shall, in good faith, determine is equal to the net benefit, after tax, which was obtained by such Lender in such year as a consequence of such Tax Benefit, provided, however, that (i) any Lender may determine, in good faith, consistent with the policies of such Lender, whether to seek a Tax Benefit (provided that a Lender shall claim a Tax Benefit if it determines in good faith that claiming such Tax Benefit will not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender); (ii) any Non-Excluded Taxes that are imposed on a Lender as a result of a disallowance or reduction (including through the expiration of any tax credit carryover or carryback of such Lender that otherwise would not have expired) of any Tax Benefit with respect to which such Lender has made a payment to a Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.11(b) shall be treated as a Non- Excluded Tax for which such Borrower is obligated to indemnify such Lender pursuant to this Section 2.11; (iii) nothing in this Section 2.11(b) shall require any Lender to disclose any confidential information to any Borrower (including, without limitation, its tax returns); and (iv) no Lender shall be required to pay any amounts pursuant to this Section 2.11(b) at any time during which a Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing. Any payment (or determination that no payment is due) by a Lender with respect to a Tax Benefit pursuant to this Section 2.11 shall be accompanied by a schedule reasonably detailing the calculations for determining the amount of the Tax Benefit, provided, however, that no Lender shall be required to substantiate the basis of its calculations.
(c) Each Lender shall:
(i) deliver to Columbia Management and the Administrative Agent prior to any payments being made under this Agreement or the Notes (A) if such Lender is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States of America, two duly completed copies of United States Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN-E, Form W-8IMY or Form W-8ECI, or successor applicable forms, appropriate for such Lender, or (B) if such Lender is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction within the United States of America, an Internal Revenue Service Form W-9, or successor form;
(ii) deliver to Columbia Management and the Administrative Agent two further properly completed copies of any such form or certification on or before the date that any such form or certification expires or becomes obsolete and after the occurrence of any event requiring a change in the most recent form previously delivered by it to Columbia Management; and
(iii) obtain such extensions of time for filing and complete such forms or certifications as may reasonably be requested by Columbia Management or the Administrative Agent;
27
unless in any such case an event (including, without limitation, any change in treaty, law or regulation) has occurred prior to the date on which any such delivery would otherwise be required which renders all such forms inapplicable or which would prevent such Lender from lawfully completing and delivering any such form with respect to it and such Lender so advises Columbia Management and the Administrative Agent. Such Lender shall certify (A) in the case of a Form W-8BEN-E, Form W-8IMY or Form W-8ECI, that it is entitled to receive payments under this Agreement without deduction or withholding of any United States federal income taxes and (B) in the case of a Form W-9, that it is entitled to an exemption from United States backup withholding tax. Each Person that shall become a Lender or a Participant pursuant to Section 9.6 shall, upon the effectiveness of the related transfer, be required to provide all of the forms and statements required pursuant to this Section, provided that in the case of a Participant such Participant shall furnish all such required forms and statements to the Lender from which the related participation shall have been purchased. If a payment made to any Lender or the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any Notes would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender or the Administrative Agent were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender or the Administrative Agent shall deliver to the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by Applicable Law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by Applicable Law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA, to determine whether such Lender or the Administrative Agent has or has not complied with such Lenders or the Administrative Agents obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount, if any, to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this Section 2.11(c), FATCA shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
(d) For purposes of determining withholding taxes imposed under FATCA, from and after the Closing Date, the Borrower and the Administrative Agent shall treat (and the Lenders hereby authorize the Administrative Agent to treat) the Agreement as not qualifying as a grandfathered obligation within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.1471-2(b)(2)(i).
(e) The agreements in this Section shall survive termination of the Commitments, this Agreement and repayment of the Loans and all amounts payable hereunder.
2.12 Change of Lending Office; Replacement of Lender. (a) Each Lender agrees that if it makes any demand for payment under Section 2.10, or any additional amounts are payable under Section 2.11, it will use reasonable efforts (consistent with its internal policy and legal and regulatory restrictions and so long as such efforts would not be disadvantageous to it, as determined in its sole discretion) to designate a different lending office if the making of such a designation would reduce or obviate the need for a Borrower to make payments under Section 2.10 or payment of additional amounts under Section 2.11.
28
(b) If any Lender (the Replaced Lender) (i) shall have required compensation pursuant to Section 2.10, or payment of additional amounts under Section 2.11, or (ii) is a Defaulting Lender, the Borrowers shall have the right, with the consent of the Administrative Agent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), to substitute such Replaced Lender with an Eligible Lender whose compensation requirements, if any, in respect of such sections are less than those of the Replaced Lender (such Eligible Lender, a Replacement Lender) satisfactory to the Borrowers (which may be one or more of the other then existing Lenders if they, in their sole discretion, elect to become such Replacement Lender) to assume the Commitment of such Replaced Lender and to purchase the Notes held by such Replaced Lender, if any, for an amount equal to the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, such Notes, together with the fee specified in Section 9.6(e) and any other costs reasonably incurred by such Replaced Lender in connection with its sale of such Notes and the assignment of such Commitment (without recourse to or warranty by such Replaced Lender and subject to all amounts due and owing to such Lender under this Agreement having been paid in full). Upon the exercise of such right by the Borrowers and the satisfaction of such conditions thereto, such Replaced Lender shall convey its interest to the Replacement Lender in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 9.6(c).
2.13 Swing Line Commitment. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, each Swing Line Lender agrees to make available to each Borrower a portion of the credit otherwise available under the Commitments from time to time during the Commitment Period by making swing line loans (Swing Line Loans) to such Borrower in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed at any one time outstanding such Swing Line Lenders Swing Line Commitment; provided, however, that the Swing Line Loans outstanding at any time, when aggregated with such Swing Line Lenders other outstanding Revolving Credit Loans hereunder, may not exceed the Swing Line Lenders Commitment then in effect; and provided further, however, that on the date of the making of any Swing Line Loan and while any Swing Line Loan is outstanding, the sum of the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Revolving Credit Loans and Swing Line Loans shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitment (less the Commitment of any non-funding Lender referred to in Section 2.9(b)). During the Commitment Period applicable to each Borrower, such Borrower may use the Swing Line Commitment by borrowing, repaying and reborrowing, all in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof. Each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate plus the Applicable Margin. In no event shall any Lender be obligated to make Revolving Credit Loans or Swing Line Loans if it would cause the sum of the aggregate principal amount of such Lenders Revolving Credit Loans, Swing Line Participation Amounts and Swing Line Loans to exceed such Lenders Commitment.
2.14 Procedure for Swing Line Borrowing. Whenever a Borrower desires that the Swing Line Lenders make Swing Line Loans under Section 2.13, the Borrower (or the applicable Registrant of which it is a series) shall give the Swing Line Agent irrevocable telephonic notice confirmed promptly in writing, by facsimile or other mutually acceptable electronic transmission medium, to the attention of:
29
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
500 Stanton Christiana Rd.
NCC5 / 1st Floor
Newark, DE 19713
Attention: Loan & Agency Services Group Attention: Joseph Farley/Emily Turk
Tel: 302-634-3385
Tel: 980-634-3028
Email: joseph.farley@chase.com
Email: Emily.turk@jpmorgan.com
or such other person or persons which may be designated by the Swing Line Agent from time to time (which telephonic notice must be received by the Swing Line Agent not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the proposed Borrowing Date, and which written confirmation must be received by the Swing Line Agent on the proposed Borrowing Date in form and substance satisfactory to the Swing Line Agent), specifying the amount of each requested Swing Line Loan. Each borrowing under the Swing Line Commitment shall be in an amount equal to $250,000 or an integral multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Upon receipt of any such notice from a Borrower (or the applicable Registrant), the Swing Line Agent shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent thereof, and the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Swing Line Lenders thereof. Upon receipt of notice of a request for a Swing Line Loan from the Administrative Agent, each Swing Line Lender shall make its Swing Line Pro Rata Share of such borrowing available to such Borrower, on the Borrowing Date requested by such Borrower, by transferring such amount by wire or book entry to the account of such Borrower such Swing Line Loan in immediately available funds.
2.15 Refunding of Swing Line Loans. (a) Either the Swing Line Agent or the Administrative Agent, at any time in its sole and absolute discretion may, and on the seventh day (or if such day is not a Business Day, the next Business Day following the seventh day) after the Borrowing Date with respect to any Swing Line Loans to a Borrower shall, on behalf of such Borrower (and each Borrower hereby irrevocably directs the Swing Line Agent and Administrative Agent to so act on its behalf and with respect to such Borrower), upon notice given by the Swing Line Agent to the Administrative Agent, or by the Administrative Agent, no later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the relevant refunding date, request each Lender to make, and, subject to Section 2.2(b), each Lender hereby agrees to make, a Revolving Credit Loan to such Borrower, at the rate applicable to the Swing Line Loans of such Borrower, in an amount equal to such Lenders Commitment Percentage of the amount of such Swing Line Loans of such Borrower (the Refunded Swing Line Loans) outstanding on the date of such notice, to repay the Swing Line Lenders. Each Lender shall make the amount of such Revolving Credit Loan available to the Administrative Agent at its office set forth in Section 9.2 in immediately available funds, no later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date of such notice. The proceeds of such Revolving Credit Loans shall be distributed by the Administrative Agent to the Swing Line Lenders and immediately applied by the Swing Line Lenders to repay the Refunded Swing Line Loans. Effective on the day such Revolving Credit Loans are made, the portion of the Swing Line Loans so paid shall no longer be outstanding as Swing Line Loans. Notwithstanding any provision hereof to the contrary, if prior to the seventh day (or if such day is not a Business Day, the next Business Day following such seventh day) after the Borrowing Date with respect to any Swing Line Loan, any Swing Line Lender lending such Swing Line Loan requests the refunding of such Swing Line Loan as described in the first sentence above, the Administrative Agent shall effect the refunding of all outstanding Swing Line Loan as described above.
30
(b) The making of any Swing Line Loan hereunder at the request of a Borrower shall be subject to the satisfaction of the applicable conditions precedent thereto set forth in Section 4 (unless otherwise waived in accordance with Section 9.1).
(c) If prior to the making of a Revolving Credit Loan to a Borrower pursuant to Section 2.15(a) one of the events described in paragraph (e) of Section 7 shall have occurred with respect to such Borrower, each Lender severally, unconditionally and irrevocably agrees that it shall purchase a participating interest in the applicable Swing Line Loans (Unrefunded Swing Line Loans) in an amount equal to the amount (if any) of Revolving Credit Loans which would otherwise have been made by such Lender pursuant to Section 2.15(a). Each Lender will immediately transfer to the Administrative Agent, in immediately available funds, the amount of its participation (the Swing Line Participation Amount), and the proceeds of such participation shall be distributed by the Administrative Agent to the Swing Line Lenders in such amount as will reduce the amount of the participating interest retained by the Swing Line Lenders in their Swing Line Loans to the amount of the Revolving Credit Loans which were to have been made by it pursuant to Section 2.15(a).
(d) Whenever, at any time after any Swing Line Lender has received from any Lender such Lenders Swing Line Participation Amount, such Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of the Swing Line Loans, such Swing Line Lender will distribute to such Lender its Swing Line Participation Amount (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such Lenders participating interest was outstanding and funded and, in the case of principal and interest payments, to reflect such Lenders pro rata portion of such payment if such payment is not sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on all Swing Line Loans then due); provided, however, that in the event that such payment received by such Swing Line Lender is required to be returned, such Lender will return to such Swing Line Lender any portion thereof previously distributed to it by such Swing Line Lender.
(e) Each Lenders obligation to make the Revolving Credit Loans referred to in Section 2.15(a) and to purchase participating interests pursuant to Section 2.15(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including, without limitation, (i) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against any Swing Line Lender or any other Person for any reason whatsoever; (ii) the occurrence or continuance of a Default or an Event of Default or the failure to satisfy any of the other conditions specified in Section 4; (iii) any adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise) of any Borrower; (iv) any breach of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by any Borrower or any Lender; or (v) any other circumstance, happening or event whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, other than solely the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Swing Line Lender in making a Swing Line Loan with actual knowledge by the officer responsible for the making of such Swing Line Loan that such Swing Line Loan is made without satisfaction of the applicable conditions precedent thereto set forth in Section 4 and without a waiver in accordance with Section 9.1.
31
(f) Each Borrower agrees to pay upon demand by any Swing Line Lender any Swing Line Loan made to such Borrower, or portion thereof, which is not refunded by the Lenders pursuant to this Section 2.15 (and such Borrower may borrow a Revolving Credit Loan under the Commitments to satisfy such demand; provided that, for purposes of determining the Available Commitment, the Commitment of any non-refunding Lender shall be excluded). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, any Lender that fails to make available a Revolving Credit Loan pursuant to Section 2.15(a) or purchase a participating interest in a Swing Line Loan pursuant to Section 2.15(c) shall be deemed delinquent (a Delinquent Lender) and to the extent a Borrower subsequently repays any outstanding Revolving Credit Loans, the Delinquent Lenders pro rata share of such repayment, if any, shall be paid by the Administrative Agent to the Swing Line Lenders, until the Delinquent Lenders pro rata share of such Swing Line Loan is repaid in full.
2.16 Designation of Additional Borrowers; Amendments to Schedule I. (a) Other series of the Registrants and other series of other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, in either case for which Columbia Management or a Subsidiary of Columbia Management acts as the investment manager, may, with the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Fund, become parties to this Agreement in addition to those Borrowers listed on Schedule I, and be deemed Borrowers for all purposes of this Agreement by executing an instrument substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.16(a) (with such changes therein as may be approved by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders), which instrument shall (x) have attached to it a copy of this Agreement (as the same may have been amended) with a revised Schedule I and, if applicable, Schedule Ia, reflecting the participation of such additional portfolio or investment company, including (if the Administrative Agent deems it appropriate that the additional Borrower be a Designated Borrower) the appropriate Designated Borrower Asset Coverage Ratio Percentage as determined by the Administrative Agent, and any prior revisions to Schedule I and Schedule Ia effected in accordance with the terms hereof and (y) be accompanied by the documents and instruments required to be delivered by the Borrowers pursuant to Section 4.1, including, without limitation, an opinion of general counsel for the Borrowers in a form acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
(b) No Person shall be admitted as a party to this Agreement as a Borrower unless at the time of such admission and after giving effect thereto: (i) the representations and warranties set forth in Section 3 shall be true and correct with respect to such Borrower; (ii) such Borrower shall be in compliance in all material respects with all of the terms and provisions set forth herein on its part to be observed or performed at the time of the admission and after giving effect thereto; and (iii) no Default or Event of Default with respect to such Borrower shall have occurred and be continuing. The addition of any Borrower to this Agreement shall be further conditioned upon the delivery, to the extent requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, to the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as applicable, a Form FR U-1 executed by the applicable Registrant on behalf of such Borrower, together with a current list of assets of such Borrower (including all margin stock (as defined in Regulation U) of such Borrower) in conformity with the requirements of Form FR U-1.
32
2.17 Interfund Lending. (a) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary (including, without limitation, Sections 6.2, 6.3 and 6.8), Interfund Lending shall be expressly permitted hereunder, and the mere making or receipt of an Interfund Loan in and of itself shall not, with respect to any Borrower a party thereto (as a lender or a borrower), constitute a violation of any condition precedent, representation or covenant contained herein or constitute a Default or Event of Default; provided that all other terms and conditions of this Agreement are satisfied, and provided further, that:
(i) such Interfund Lending (1) is not otherwise prohibited by law, (2) has been duly authorized by each party thereto, (3) is consistent with the terms of the applicable Interfund Lending Exemptive Order, (4) is not in contravention of each applicable Borrowers Prospectus, and (5) is deemed to be a Senior Security for purposes of calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio as it applies to each applicable Borrower;
(ii) a Borrower may not be a lender of an Interfund Loan at any time during which such Borrower has any Loan outstanding;
(iii) if, at any time, an Interfund Loan is outstanding to a Borrower that has any Loans outstanding as well, and if at such time the Asset Coverage Ratio for such Borrower shall be less than the required Asset Coverage Ratio for such Borrower pursuant to this Agreement, then such Borrower shall repay such outstanding Interfund Loans and Loans on a pro rata basis and on the same repayment schedule (subject, in any and all events, to such Borrowers obligation to prepay in accordance with Section 2.6(b)) to the extent necessary to ensure that the Asset Coverage Ratio of all borrowings of such Borrower after such payments is in compliance with applicable covenants concerning minimum Asset Coverage Ratios set forth in this Agreement;
(iv) if any payment with respect to an Interfund Loan would cause the Asset Coverage Ratio for a Borrower to be less than the required Asset Coverage Ratio for such Borrower pursuant to this Agreement, then such Borrower shall make any payments with respect to such outstanding Interfund Loans on a pro rata basis with payments with respect to Loans to the extent necessary to ensure that the Asset Coverage Ratio of all borrowings of such Borrower after such payments is in compliance with applicable covenants concerning minimum Asset Coverage Ratios set forth in this Agreement;
(v) a default by a Borrower with respect to an Interfund Loan shall constitute an Event of Default with respect to such Borrower for purposes of this Agreement;
33
(vi) if a Default or Event of Default with respect to a Borrower has occurred and is continuing under this Agreement other than as specified above in Section 2.17(a)(iii), then any payments made with respect to outstanding Interfund Loans shall be made on a pro rata basis with payments with respect to Loans until such Default or Event of Default is cured or waived;
(vii) if at any time a Borrower should secure an Interfund Loan or Interfund Loans with collateral, then such Borrower shall collateralize each Loan to such Borrower under this Agreement (I) in substantially the same manner and to substantially the same extent as is required with respect to each Interfund Loan to such Borrower, as more particularly described in the applicable Interfund Lending Exemptive Order and (II) with collateral having substantially the same liquidity and substantially similar credit characteristics as that of the collateral securing such Interfund Loan or Interfund Loans, provided that the collateral coverage percentage ratio for Loans shall not be less than the greater of (x) 102% or (y) the collateral coverage ratio for Interfund Loans; and
(viii) for purposes of calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio of a Borrower, the amount equal to the aggregate value of the collateral securing an Interfund Loan or Loan minus the amount of such Interfund Loan or Loan, respectively, shall be subtracted from the value of Total Assets in the numerator of such Asset Coverage Ratio.
(b) Without otherwise limiting the purposes for which proceeds of a Loan may be used as specified in Section 5.8, a Borrower shall be expressly permitted to use the proceeds of a Loan to repay an outstanding Interfund Loan of such Borrower, subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (a) of this Section 2.17 and the other conditions of this Agreement (including without limitation Section 5.8).
2.18 Defaulting Lender. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender:
(i) The Commitment Fee shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender;
(ii) The Credit Exposure and Available Commitment of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether the Required Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent to any amendment, waiver or other modification pursuant to Section 9.1); provided, that (i) such Defaulting Lenders Commitment may not be increased or extended without its consent and (ii) the principal amount of, or interest payable on, Loans of such Defaulting Lender may not be reduced or excused or the scheduled date of payment may not be postponed as to such Defaulting Lender without such Defaulting Lenders consent;
34
(iii) If any Swing Line Exposure exists at the time such Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then:
(a) all or any part of the Swing Line Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages, provided that such reallocation does not cause the aggregate Credit Exposure of any non-Defaulting Lender to exceed its Commitment; and
(b) if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the applicable Borrowers shall, within two Business Days following notice by the Administrative Agent, prepay such Swing Line Exposure;
(iv) so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swing Line Lender shall not be required to fund any Swing Line Loan unless it is satisfied that the related exposure will be 100% covered by the Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders, and participating interests in any newly made Swing Line Loan shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with Section 2.18(iii)(a) (and such Defaulting Lender shall not participate therein).
(v) If a Swing Line Lender has a good faith belief that any Lender has defaulted in fulfilling its obligations under one or more other agreements in which such Lender commits to extend credit, such Swing Line Lender shall not be required to fund any Swing Line Loan unless such Swing Line Lender shall have entered into arrangements with the Borrower or such Lender, satisfactory to such Swing Line Lender to defease any risk to it in respect of such Lender hereunder.
(vi) In the event that the Administrative Agent, the Borrowers and the Swing Line Lender all agree that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the Swing Line Exposure of the Lenders shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lenders Commitment and on such date such Lender shall purchase at par such of the Loans of the other Lenders as the Administrative Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Commitment Percentage.
2.19 Limitation on Lenders Obligations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document or in any Exhibit or Schedule hereto or thereto, no Lender shall be obligated to make any Loan or purchase a participating interest in any Swing Line Loan if, immediately after giving effect thereto, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal balance of the Loans made by such Lender plus (b) the aggregate purchase prices of all such participating interests purchased by such Lender (less all payments received and retained by such Lender in reduction of such participating interests), would exceed such Lenders Commitment.
SECTION 3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
To induce the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Agreement and to make the Loans, each Registrant, on behalf of each Borrower that is a series thereof, hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and each Lender that (it being agreed that each Registrant represents and warrants only to matters with respect to itself, if applicable, and each Borrower that is a series thereof):
35
3.1 Financial Condition. For each Borrower, the statement of assets and liabilities as of such Borrowers most recently ended fiscal year for which annual reports have been prepared and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets for the fiscal year ended on such date, copies of which financial statements, certified by the independent public accountants for such Borrower, have heretofore been delivered to each Lender, fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position of such Borrower as of such date and the results of its operations for such period, in conformity with GAAP (as consistently applied).
3.2 No Change. For each Borrower, since the date of the statement of assets and liabilities for the most recently ended fiscal year for which annual reports have been prepared for such Borrower (such date, the Reporting Date), there has been no development or event which has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect with respect to such Borrower.
3.3 Existence; Compliance with Law. Each Registrant (a) is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing, under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, (b) has the corporate power and authority as to those Registrants that are organized as corporations, and the trust power and authority as to those Registrants that are organized as trusts; and in each case the legal right to own its property and to conduct the business in which it is currently engaged, (c) is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or business trust and, if a corporation, is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification and (d) is in compliance with all Requirements of Law (including without limitation the 1940 Act and the Securities Act), except to the extent that the failure to comply therewith could not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The shares of each Fund have been validly authorized.
3.4 Power; Authorization; Enforceable Obligations. Each Registrant, acting on its own behalf and if applicable on behalf of each of its underlying series that is a Borrower, has either (i) the corporate power and authority to the extent that it is organized as a corporation or (ii) the trust power and authority to the extent that it is organized as a trust, and in each case the legal right, to execute, deliver and perform the Loan Documents to which it is a party and to borrow hereunder on behalf of each of its underlying series that is a Borrower, and has taken all necessary action to authorize the borrowings on the terms and conditions of this Agreement and any Notes and to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents to which it is a party including, but not limited to, receiving the approval of the majority of independent members of the board of trustees or board of directors of each of its underlying series as to entering into the transactions contemplated hereby. No consent or authorization of, filing with, notice to or other act by or in respect of, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is required in connection with the borrowings hereunder or with the execution, delivery, performance, validity or enforceability of the Loan Documents to which such Registrant, on behalf of its underlying series which are Borrowers, is a party; provided that any filings made in connection with complying with the Investment Company Act of 1940 or the forms adopted thereunder will not result in a breach of this representation. This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document to which a Registrant is a party will be, duly executed and delivered by
36
such Registrant, on behalf of its underlying series that are Borrowers. This Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document to which a Registrant is a party when executed and delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Registrant (on behalf of each of its underlying series that is a Borrower) enforceable against such Registrant (on behalf of each of its underlying series that is a Borrower) in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors rights generally and by general equitable principles (whether enforcement is sought by proceedings in equity or at law).
3.5 No Legal Bar. The execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents to which each Registrant, on behalf of each of its series that is a Borrower, is a party, the borrowings hereunder and the use of the proceeds thereof (i) will not violate any material Requirement of Law (including, without limitation, the 1940 Act) or material Contractual Obligation of such Registrant or any Borrower and (ii) will not result in, or require, the creation or imposition of any material Lien on any of their respective material properties or revenues pursuant to any such Requirement of Law or Contractual Obligation.
3.6 No Material Litigation. No litigation, investigation or proceeding of or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority is pending or, to the knowledge of each Registrant on behalf of its respective series which are Borrowers, threatened by or against such Borrowers or against any of their respective properties or revenues (a) with respect to any of the Loan Documents or any of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or (b) which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.7 No Default. No Registrant or Borrower is in default under or with respect to any of its Contractual Obligations in any respect that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.
3.8 Ownership of Property; Liens. Each Registrant on behalf of its respective series which are Borrowers, has good title to all its property, and none of such property is subject to any Lien except as permitted by Section 6.3.
3.9 No Burdensome Restrictions. There exists no Requirement of Law or Contractual Obligation of any Registrant or any Borrower which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.10 Taxes. Each Borrower has filed all material tax returns which, to the knowledge of such Borrower, are required to be filed and has paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on said returns or on any assessments made against it or any of its property and all other taxes, fees or other charges imposed on it or any of its property by any Governmental Authority (other than any the amount or validity of which are currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which reserves in conformity with GAAP have been provided on the books of such Borrower); no material tax Lien has been filed, and, to the knowledge of such Borrower, no claim is being asserted, with respect to any such tax, fee or other charge.
37
3.11 Federal Regulations. Other than the furnishing of the statement and list referred to in the last sentence of Section 5.8, no filing or other action is required under the provisions of Regulations T, U or X in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and the making of the Loans hereunder. No part of the proceeds of any Loans made hereunder will be used in a manner that violates Regulation U.
3.12 ERISA. Neither any Registrant, any Borrower nor any Commonly Controlled Entity has currently or has had at any time any liability or obligation under ERISA or the Code with respect to any Plan maintained by any of them that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.13 Certain Regulations. Neither any Registrant nor any Borrower is subject to regulation under any Federal or State statute or regulation (other than Regulations U and X) which limits its ability to incur Indebtedness, or if so subject is in compliance with such statutes and regulations.
3.14 Subsidiaries. No Borrower that is not a Cayman Parent Borrower or a Mauritius Parent Borrower has any Subsidiaries or any equity investment or interest in any other Person (other than portfolio securities that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business). Each Cayman Parent Borrower has no Subsidiaries or any equity investment or interest in any other Person other than (i) portfolio securities that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business, and (ii) its Cayman Designated Subsidiary(ies). Each Cayman Parent Borrower holds all of the issued and outstanding shares of stock of its Cayman Designated Subsidiary(ies) and such shares are not subject to any Lien, pledge or other encumbrance except as may be permitted by Section 6.3.
3.15 Registration of the Fund. Each Registrant is a registered open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act.
3.16 Offering in Compliance with Securities Laws. Each Registrant has issued all of its securities pursuant to an effective Registration Statement on Form N-1A or as may otherwise be required by Federal and State securities laws applicable thereto in all material respects.
3.17 Investment Policies. Each Borrower is in compliance in all material respects with all of its fundamental Investment Policies.
3.18 Permission to Borrow. Each Borrower is permitted to borrow hereunder pursuant to the limits and restrictions set forth in its Prospectus.
3.19 Accuracy of Information; Electronic Information. (a) All factual information heretofore or contemporaneously furnished by or on behalf of each Fund or Registrant on behalf of its respective series which are Borrowers, in writing to the Administrative Agent or any Lender for purposes of or in connection with this Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby (in each case, as amended, superseded, supplemented or otherwise modified with the knowledge of the Administrative Agent or such Lender) is, and all other such factual information hereafter furnished by or on behalf of such Registrant and such Borrowers to the Administrative Agent or any Lender (in each case, as amended, superseded,
38
supplemented or otherwise modified with the knowledge of the Administrative Agent or such Lender) will be, true and accurate in every material respect on the date as of which such information is dated or certified, and to the extent such information was furnished to the Administrative Agent or such Lender heretofore or contemporaneously, as of the date of execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Administrative Agent or such Lender, and such information is not, or shall not be, as the case may be, incomplete by omitting to state any material fact necessary to make such information not misleading.
(b) Neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall be liable to any Registrant or Borrower for any damages arising from its respective use of information or other materials obtained through electronic, telecommunications or other information transmission systems, which is incorrect or incomplete solely because of an electronic transmission error, provided that the Administrative Agent and the Lenders use reasonable industry standard-safeguards to prevent the unauthorized dissemination of such information or other materials through such electronic, telecommunications or other information transmission systems.
3.20 Affiliated Persons. (a) To the best knowledge of each Registrant, such Registrant, and if applicable each series thereof that is a Borrower, is not an affiliated person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, except with respect to (i) the Affected Borrowers relationship with each respective Bank-Advisor and (ii) the Referenced Borrowers (as defined below) relationship with certain BANA Entities (as defined below); provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 3.20, (A) the record ownership, without the power to vote, of five percent or more of the outstanding voting securities of any Person shall be deemed not to constitute the direct or indirect ownership of, control of, or holding with the power to vote of, such securities, and (B) securities of such Borrower held of record by the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall be deemed conclusively, absent written notice to the contrary, to be held without the power to vote such securities.
(b) Certain divisions or affiliates of Bank of America, N.A. (BANA), including U.S. Trust, the trust department of BANA (collectively, the BANA Entities) may hold record ownership of five percent or more of the outstanding voting securities of certain Borrowers (the Referenced Borrowers) in non-proprietary, trust or other fiduciary accounts (the Fiduciary Accounts) in the relevant BANA Entitys capacity as a fiduciary for the respective principals or beneficiaries of the Fiduciary Accounts. Each Registrant acting on behalf of a Referenced Borrower that is a series thereof, on behalf of such Referenced Borrower hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and each Lender that (it being agreed that such Registrant represents and warrants only to matters with respect to itself, if applicable, and each Referenced Borrower that is a series thereof) neither the 1940 Act, including without limitation Section 17(a)(4) thereof, nor any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, prohibits the making of any Loan by Bank of America, N.A. to such Referenced Borrower.
39
3.21 Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions. Each Borrower has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by such Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions, and each Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective officers, directors and employees and to the knowledge of such Borrower, its affiliates and agents, are in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions. None of (a) such Borrower, any Subsidiary of such Borrower or any of their respective directors, officers or employees, or (b) to the knowledge of such Borrower, any affiliate or agent of the Borrower or any Subsidiary of such Borrower that will act in any capacity in connection with or benefit from the credit facility established hereby, is a Sanctioned Person or is located, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country. No Loan, use of proceeds of any Loan or other transaction contemplated by this Agreement will violate Anti-Corruption Laws or applicable Sanctions.
3.22 Affected Financial Institutions. No Registrant or Borrower is an Affected Financial Institution.
SECTION 4. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
4.1 Conditions to Closing. The agreement of each Lender to enter into this Agreement is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions precedent (it being agreed that each Registrant need only satisfy the following conditions precedent with respect to itself and if applicable each Borrower that is a series thereof):
(a) Executed Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall have received this Agreement, executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer of each Registrant on behalf of its respective Funds which are Borrowers, with a counterpart for each Lender (which, subject to Section 9.9(b), may include any Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page).
(b) Related Agreements. The Administrative Agent shall have received, with a copy for each Lender, true and correct copies, certified as to authenticity by a Responsible Officer of each Registrant, on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, of (i) designation of the location where the most recent Prospectus is publicly available for each Borrower, and upon the request of any Lender, a copy of any such Prospectus, (ii) the Custody Agreement of each Registrant, with respect to each Borrower, (iii) the Investment Management Agreement of each Registrant, with respect to each Borrower, (iv) the current Statement of Additional Information for each Borrower and (v) if requested by the Lenders, designations of the locations of the most recent annual and semi-annual financial reports for each Borrower and such other documents or instruments as may be reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent, including, without limitation, a copy of any debt instrument, security agreement or other material contract to which any Borrower may be a party.
(c) Proceedings of the Registrant and the Borrowers. The Administrative Agent shall have received, with a counterpart for each Lender, a copy of the resolutions, in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, of the board of trustees or directors, as the case may be, of each Registrant, on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, authorizing (i) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which each Registrant,
40
on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, is a party and (ii) the borrowings contemplated hereunder, or such other resolutions as the Administrative Agent may approve, certified by a Responsible Officer of such Registrant as of the Closing Date, which certificate shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and shall state that the resolutions thereby certified have not been amended, modified, revoked or rescinded and are in full force and effect.
(d) Incumbency Certificate. The Administrative Agent shall have received, with a counterpart for each Lender, a Certificate of each Registrant, on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, dated the Closing Date, as to the incumbency and signature of the officers of such Registrant executing any Loan Document executed by a Responsible Officer of such Registrant, satisfactory in form and substance to the Administrative Agent.
(e) Organizational Documents. The Administrative Agent shall have received copies of each Registrants articles of incorporation or declaration of trust, as applicable, and Bylaws, certified as of the Closing Date as complete and correct copies thereof by a Responsible Officer of such Registrant, including without limitation those organizational documents establishing the series thereof which are Borrowers, as applicable.
(f) Legal Opinions. The Administrative Agent shall have received, with a counterpart for each Lender, the executed legal opinion of general counsel to each Registrant and each of its underlying series which is a Borrower, in a form acceptable to the Administrative Agent. Such legal opinion shall include a New York law enforceability opinion and shall cover such other matters incident to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably require.
(g) Financial Information. The Administrative Agent shall have received, with a copy for each Lender, the most recent publicly available financial information of the kind described in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of this Agreement (which includes a list of portfolio securities) for each Borrower.
(h) Termination of other Credit Facilities. All credit facilities between the Lenders and any Borrower, other than the credit facility evidenced by this Agreement, shall have been terminated.
(i) KYC. Following its request therefor, each Lender shall have received the documentation and other information that is required by regulatory authorities under applicable know your customer and anti-money-laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107- 56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)).
(j) Additional Information. The Administrative Agent shall have received all information reasonably requested by any Lender related to compliance by the Borrowers with applicable rules and regulations related to the Borrowers use of derivatives or leverage, including without limitation, Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act.
41
4.2 Conditions to Each Loan. The agreement of each Lender to make any Loan requested by a particular Registrant on behalf of any of its respective Funds, to be made by it on any date (including, without limitation, its initial Loan) is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:
(a) Representations and Warranties. Each of the representations and warranties (other than the representations and warranties contained in Section 3.2) made by a Registrant, on its own behalf and on behalf of each series thereof which is a Borrower, in or pursuant to the Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, in the case of such representations and warranties that are already qualified by materiality, in all respects) on and as of such date as if made on and as of such date.
(b) No Default. No Default or Event of Default shall have occurred with respect to the requesting Registrant, on its own behalf or on behalf of the series thereof which is a Borrower, and be continuing on such date or after giving effect to the Loans requested to be made on such date.
(c) Maximum Borrowing Limitation. After giving effect to the proposed Loans to be made, the Asset Coverage Ratio for all borrowings of such Borrower (x) if not a Designated Borrower shall not be less than 300% and (y) if a Designated Borrower shall not be less than its applicable Designated Borrower Asset Coverage Ratio Percentage; and the requesting Borrower shall not have violated any Requirements of Law (except such violations as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect) or exceeded the borrowing limits set forth in its Prospectus and/or Registration Statement or the 1940 Act.
(d) Regulation U; Form U-1. The Lenders shall be satisfied that the Loans and the use of proceeds thereof comply in all respects with Regulation U. To the extent required by Regulation U, the Administrative Agent shall have received a copy of either (i) FR Form U-1, duly executed and delivered by each Registrant on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers and completed for delivery to each Lender, in form acceptable to the Administrative Agent, or (ii) a current list of the assets of each Borrower (including all margin stock (as defined in Regulation U) from each Borrower), in form acceptable to the Administrative Agent and in compliance with Section 221.3(c)(2) of Regulation U.
(e) Additional Matters. All corporate and other proceedings, and all documents, instruments and other legal matters in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents and legal opinions in respect of any aspect or consequence of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby as it shall reasonably request.
42
Each borrowing by a Borrower hereunder shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Registrant of which such Borrower is a series, on its own behalf and on behalf of such Borrower, as of the date thereof that the conditions contained in this Section have been satisfied with respect to such Borrower, and the Registrant of which it is a series if applicable.
4.3 Lender Deliverables. Each Lender shall prior to the Closing Date deliver to Columbia Management and the Administrative Agent (A) if such Lender is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States of America, two duly completed copies of United States Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN-E, Form W-8IMY or Form W-8ECI, or successor applicable forms, appropriate for such Lender, or (B) if such Lender is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction within the United States of America, an Internal Revenue Service Form W-9, or successor form.
SECTION 5. AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
Each Registrant, on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, hereby agrees that, so long as (i) the Commitments remain in effect with respect to it or any Borrower or (ii) any amount is owing by it on behalf of any Borrower to any Lender or the Administrative Agent hereunder or under any other Loan Document, it on behalf of any Borrower that is a series of such Registrant shall (it being agreed that such Registrant covenants only to matters with respect to each Borrower that is a series thereof):
5.1 Financial Statements. Furnish to the Administrative Agent (with copies for each Lender):
(a) as soon as available and in any event within 75 days after the end of each fiscal year of such Borrower, a statement of assets and liabilities of such Borrower as at the end of such fiscal year, a statement of operations for such fiscal year, a statement of changes in net assets for such fiscal year and the preceding fiscal year, a portfolio of investments as at the end of such fiscal year and the per share and other data for such fiscal year prepared in accordance with GAAP (as consistently applied) and all regulatory requirements, and all presented in a manner acceptable to the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor or analogous Governmental Authority and acceptable to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or any other independent certified public accountants of recognized standing (with respect to any Borrower, the foregoing obligation may be satisfied by such Borrowers making publicly available its annual report (in printable format) on the website indicated for such Borrower on Schedule 5.1 (Borrowers for whom no website is indicated shall deliver such documents as aforesaid));
(b) as soon as available and in any event within 75 days after the close of the first six-month period of each fiscal year of such Borrower, a statement of assets and liabilities as at the end of such six-month period, a statement of operations for such six-month period, a statement of changes in net assets for such six-month period and a portfolio of investments as at the end of such six-month period, all prepared in accordance with regulatory requirements and all certified pursuant to such Borrowers quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form N-CSR (subject to normal year-end adjustments) as to fairness of presentation and GAAP (as consistently applied) by a Responsible Officer (with respect to any Borrower, the foregoing obligation may be satisfied by such Borrowers making publicly available its semi-annual report (in printable format) on the website indicated for such Borrower on Schedule 5.1 (Borrowers for whom no website is indicated shall deliver such documents as aforesaid)); and
43
(c) On the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, (each a Quarterly Date), unless previously delivered, the net asset value sheet of such Borrower as of the end of such Borrowers most recently ended annual and semi-annual accounting periods (unless such accounting period shall have ended less than sixty days prior to such Quarterly Date, in which case such statements shall be delivered on the next Quarterly Date), certified by a Responsible Officer as being fairly stated in all material respects (with respect to any Borrower, the foregoing obligation may be satisfied by such Borrowers making publicly available its quarterly report (in printable format) on the website indicated for such Borrower on Schedule 5.1 (Borrowers for whom no website is indicated shall deliver such documents as aforesaid)); provided, however, that if any Borrower has Loans outstanding, such Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent for each Lender (i) such net asset value sheet described above in this Section and (ii) a certificate of a Responsible Officer showing in reasonable detail the calculations supporting such Borrowers compliance with Section 6.1, within two Business Days after the end of each calendar week so long as any Loans to such Borrower remain outstanding;
all such financial statements to be complete and correct in all material respects and to be prepared in reasonable detail and in accordance with GAAP applied consistently throughout the periods reflected therein and with prior periods (except as approved by such accountants or officer, as the case may be, and disclosed therein).
5.2 Certificates; Other Information. Furnish to the Administrative Agent (with copies for each Lender):
(a) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Sections 5.1(a), (b) and (c), a certificate of a Responsible Officer stating that (i) to the best of such Responsible Officers knowledge, such Borrower during such period has observed or performed all of its covenants and other agreements, and satisfied every condition, contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to be observed, performed or satisfied by it, and (ii) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing except as specified in such certificate;
(b) within five days after they are sent, copies of all financial statements and reports which each Borrower sends to its investors other those documents described in Section 5.1(a) or (b), and within five Business Days after they are filed, copies of all financial statements and reports which each Borrower may make to, or file with, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor or analogous Governmental Authority other than those described in Section 5.1(a) or 5.1(b) or any report or filing that is publicly available on the Securities and Exchange Commissions website, unless reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent; and
44
(c) promptly, such additional financial and other information as any Lender may from time to time reasonably request, including, but not limited to, the current Registration Statement for each Borrower and copies of all changes to each Borrowers Prospectus and Registration Statement.
5.3 Payment of Obligations. Pay, discharge or otherwise satisfy at or before maturity or before they become delinquent (beyond any allowable grace periods therefor), as the case may be, all such Borrowers Contractual Obligations, except where (i) the amount or validity thereof is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and reserves in conformity with GAAP with respect thereto have been provided on the books of such Borrower, as the case may be, or (ii) the failure to timely make payment thereof could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.4 Conduct of Business and Maintenance of Existence. Except as otherwise permitted herein, continue to engage in (i) such Borrowers investment business in accordance with its Investment Policies, Prospectus and Registration Statement and preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its existence and (ii) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business except to the extent that failure to take such actions could not, in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; comply with all Contractual Obligations and Requirements of Law except to the extent that failure to comply therewith could not, in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; maintain at all times its status as an investment company registered under the 1940 Act; maintain at all times its (a) current custodian, or (b) a replacement custodian which (x) is JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or (y) is a bank or trust company organized under the laws of the United States or a political subdivision thereof having assets of at least $10,000,000,000 and a long-term debt or deposit rating of at least A from S&P or A2 from Moodys; maintain in effect and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by such Borrower, such Borrowers Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions.
5.5 Maintenance of Property; Insurance. Keep all property useful and necessary in such Borrowers business, if any, in good working order and condition; maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance on all its property in at least such amounts and against at least such risks as are customarily insured against in the same general area by entities engaged in the same or similar business or as may otherwise be required by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor or analogous Governmental Authority (including, without limitation, (a) fidelity bond coverage as shall be required by Rule 17g-1 promulgated under the 1940 Act or any successor provision and (b) errors and omissions insurance); and furnish to each Lender, upon written request, full information as to the insurance carried.
5.6 Inspection of Property; Books and Records; Discussions. Keep proper books of records and account in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP and all material Requirements of Law shall be made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities; and permit representatives of (i) the Administrative Agent, upon its own discretion or at the reasonable request of any Lender, and (ii) upon the occurrence and
45
during the continuance of an Event of Default, any Lender, to visit and inspect any of such Borrowers properties and examine any of its books and records during normal business hours and to discuss the business, operations, properties and financial and other condition of such Borrower with officers and employees of such Borrower and with its independent certified public accountants; provided that, unless a Default or an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Administrative Agent shall provide the Borrowers with five Business Days prior notice of such visit and shall conduct such visit not more than once a year.
5.7 Notices. Promptly give notice to the Administrative Agent and each Lender of:
(a) the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default with respect to such Borrower;
(b) any (i) default or event of default under any Contractual Obligation of such Borrower or (ii) litigation, investigation or proceeding which may exist at any time between such Registrant, on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers and any Governmental Authority, which in either case, if not cured or if adversely determined, as the case may be, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(c) any litigation or proceeding affecting such Borrower, or the Registrant of which it is a series, in which (i) the amount reasonably determined to be at risk is more than 5% of such Borrowers net assets and not covered by insurance or in which injunctive or similar relief affecting more than 5% of such Borrowers net assets is sought or (ii) relates to this Agreement or the credit facility contemplated hereby;
(d) any change in such Borrowers Prospectus or Registration Statement involving Investment Policies which could materially increase the risks to the shareholders of the Borrower or which would increase the borrowing limits provided for in such Borrowers Prospectus;
(e) any development or event which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on such Borrower;
(f) any change in such Borrowers custodian, unless such custodian is JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in which case no notice is required to be sent; and
(g) any name change affecting any Borrower after the effectiveness of such name change, together with updated tax forms and other know your customer information requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender.
Each notice pursuant to this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and if appropriate stating what action such Registrant or such Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto.
46
5.8 Purpose of Loans. Use the proceeds of the Loans for temporary or emergency purposes, including, without limitation, funding of shareholder redemptions or the payment of dividends (i) which are required by law or in connection with the maintenance of such Borrowers tax status or (ii) for the purpose of avoiding imposition of federal excise tax. Without limiting the foregoing, no Borrower will, directly or indirectly, use any part of such proceeds for any purpose which would violate any provision of its Registration Statement or any applicable statute, regulation, order or restriction, including but not limited to Regulation U; provided, however, that neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall have any responsibility as to the use of any of such proceeds. If requested by any Lender or the Administrative Agent from time to time, each Registrant, on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender a statement and current list of the assets of each Borrower in conformity with the requirements of FR Form U-1 referred to in Regulation U.
5.9 Payment of Taxes. File all material tax returns which, to the knowledge of such Registrant and such Borrowers, are required to be filed and pay all taxes shown to be due and payable on said returns or on any assessments made against it or any of its property and all other taxes, levies, fees or other charges imposed on it or any of its property by any Governmental Authority; provided, however, that no such tax, assessment, charge or levy need be paid and discharged so long as the validity thereof shall be contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and there shall have been set aside on the books of such Person adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP applied with respect thereto.
SECTION 6. NEGATIVE COVENANTS
Each Registrant, on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, hereby agrees that, so long as (i) the Commitments remain in effect with respect to any such Borrower or (ii) any amount is owing by any such Borrower to any Lender or the Administrative Agent hereunder or under any other Loan Document, it and any such Borrower shall not, without the prior written consent of the Lenders except as otherwise specified in this Section 6, directly or indirectly (it being agreed that each Registrant agrees only to matters with respect to each Borrower that is a series thereof):
6.1 Financial Condition Covenant. Permit the Asset Coverage Ratio of such Borrower to be less than (x) for all Borrowers other than Designated Borrowers, 300%, or (y) for each Designated Borrower, the Designated Borrower Asset Coverage Ratio Percentage for such Borrower; or in either case allow borrowings and/or Indebtedness of such Borrower to exceed the limits set forth in such Borrowers Prospectus or allow borrowings and/or Indebtedness to exceed the requirements of the 1940 Act.
6.2 Limitation on Indebtedness; Derivatives. (a) Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness of such Borrower or any Subsidiary, except Indebtedness of such Borrower or Subsidiary incurred (i) under this Agreement and the Notes, (ii) in the ordinary course of business of such Borrower or such Subsidiary, (iii) pursuant to an Interfund Lending arrangement, (iv) with respect to Indebtedness of a Cayman Designated Subsidiary or a Mauritius Designated Subsidiary, in accordance with its articles of association and other related organizational documents, or (v) in the form of Reverse Repurchase Transactions, dollar rolls or other transactions entered into primarily for investment purposes which have the effect of borrowing and, in each case, which is not otherwise prohibited by law, is in the ordinary course of business, is not in contravention of such Borrowers Prospectus and is reflected properly in the calculation of the Asset Coverage Ratio.
47
(b) Invest in, or incur Indebtedness or other liability to any Person with respect to, any Swap Obligation or derivative instrument (including without limitation any swap, collar, cap, puts, calls, equity derivative or mortgage-backed or debt-backed derivative) unless each of the following is true: (i) the net mark-to-market value of such Swap Obligation or derivative instrument is appropriately reflected in the calculation of Asset Coverage Ratio, and (ii) the purpose of the investment in such Swap Obligation or derivative instrument is to augment the capital appreciation or current income of or by such Borrower, or to hedge or manage the risk of various current or future exposures of such Borrower.
6.3 Limitation on Liens. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of the property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired of such Borrower, except for (i) Liens for taxes not yet due or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, provided that adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of such Borrower in conformity with GAAP, (ii) Liens arising in connection with claims for advances made by or payments due to any custodian under the Custody Agreements set forth in Schedule IV, (iii) Liens arising from any Prime Broker Agreement set forth in Schedule V, (iv) Liens created, incurred, assumed or suffered to exist in compliance with the Registration Statement or organizational documents of such Borrower, (v) Liens arising under an Interfund Lending arrangement, and (vi) any other Liens created, incurred, assumed or suffered to exist in the ordinary course of such Borrowers business, and which, in each case, are not otherwise prohibited by any Requirement of Law.
6.4 Limitation on Guarantee Obligations. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any material Guarantee Obligation of such Borrower, except as may occur in the ordinary course of such Borrowers business and which is not otherwise prohibited by any Requirement of Law. In no event may a Mauritius Parent Borrower or Cayman Parent Borrower create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any material Guarantee Obligation in respect of the Indebtedness of any of their respective Subsidiaries.
6.5 Limitation on Fundamental Changes. Enter into, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to enter into, any merger, consolidation or amalgamation, or liquidate, wind up or dissolve itself or such Borrower (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution), or convey, sell, lease, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of substantially all of the property, business or assets of itself, such Borrower, or such Subsidiary in a single transaction or in related transactions, or make any material change in its present method of conducting business; except that, so long as no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, a Borrower will be permitted to (i) without the consent of the Lenders, enter into any merger, consolidation or amalgamation with one or more Borrowers or, with the consent of the Lenders, enter into any merger, consolidation or amalgamation with one or more other Persons if, in each case, Columbia Management or one of its affiliates is the investment advisor to the entity surviving such merger, consolidation or amalgamation and such entity assumes the obligations of such Borrower under the Loan Documents and complies with Applicable Law and with the provisions hereof or (ii) terminate all Commitments with respect to such Borrower and liquidate, wind up or convey, sell, lease, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the property, business or assets of such Borrower if it repays all Loans made to it prior to liquidation, together with all other amounts due and owing hereunder. Any Borrower undertaking any action described in clause (ii) above shall comply with the termination provisions described in Section 2.4.
48
6.6 Limitation on Distributions. At any time, make any distribution to the shareholders (including, without limitation, any dividends or any repurchase of capital interests) of such Borrower, whether now or hereafter existing, either directly or indirectly, whether in cash or property or in obligations of the Borrower if such distribution results in a Default or Event of Default. During the occurrence and continuation of an Event of Default specified in paragraphs (a) or (e) of Section 7 or an Event of Default arising in connection with a Borrowers having failed to comply with Section 6.1, make any distribution to the shareholders (including, without limitation, any dividends or any repurchase of capital interests) of such Borrower, whether now or hereafter existing, either directly or indirectly, whether in cash or property or in obligations of such Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent a Borrower from making (i) distributions that are required to enable such Borrower to qualify as a regulated investment company under Sections 851-855 of the Code or otherwise to minimize or eliminate federal or state income or excise taxes payable by such Borrower, or (ii) distributions that are required by any other Requirement of Law.
6.7 Limitation on Investments, Loans and Advances. Make any advance, loan, extension of credit or capital contribution to, or purchase any stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities of or any assets constituting a business unit of or make any other investment in, any Person, except those consistent with such Borrowers Investment Policies.
6.8 Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates. Enter into any transaction, including, without limitation, any purchase, sale, lease or exchange of property or the rendering of any service, with any Affiliate unless such transaction is (a) not otherwise prohibited under this Agreement and not in violation of the 1940 Act, (b) in the ordinary course of such Borrowers business, and (c) upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to such Borrower than it would obtain in a comparable arms length transaction with a Person which is not an Affiliate.
6.9 Limitation on Negative Pledge Clauses. Enter into with any Person any agreement, other than this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, which prohibits or limits the ability of such Borrower to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other than (i) this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or (ii) except as may occur under agreements entered into in the ordinary course of such Borrowers business and which are not otherwise prohibited by any Requirement of Law.
6.10 Limitation on Changes to Investment Policies. Except as may be required by law, make any amendment to the Prospectus or Registration Statement of such Borrower (i) relating to changes in the fundamental Investment Policies of such Borrower, or (ii) increasing the borrowing limits specified therein, in each case without the consent of the Required Lenders, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
49
6.11 Cayman Parent Borrower Activities. If it is a Cayman Parent Borrower, such Borrower will not (a) permit its Cayman Designated Subsidiary to engage in any business or activity other than that permitted under the Cayman Parent Borrowers Prospectus or (b) itself engage in any business or activity other than (i) acting as a holding company for its Cayman Designated Subsidiary and (ii) acting as a registered open-end investment company under the 1940 Act.
6.12 Cayman Parent Borrower Sale of Assets, Etc. If it is a Cayman Parent Borrower, such Borrower will not permit its Cayman Designated Subsidiary to (a) merge into or consolidate with any Person other than such Cayman Parent Borrower or another Borrower hereunder, or (b) sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired), except for assets sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business and except for any such transfers to such Cayman Parent Borrower or another Borrower hereunder.
6.13 Prohibited Use of Proceeds. Each Borrower shall not request any Loan, and each Borrower shall not, directly or indirectly, use, and shall procure that its Subsidiaries and its or their respective directors, officers, employees and agents shall not use, the proceeds of any Loan, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Person (A) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws, (B) for the purpose of funding, financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any Sanctioned Country, or (C) in any manner that would result in the violation of any Sanctions by any Person, including Sanctions applicable to any party hereto.
SECTION 7. EVENTS OF DEFAULT
Subject to the final paragraph of this Section 7, if any of the following events shall occur and be continuing with respect to any Registrant, on its own behalf or on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, as the case may be (each an Event of Default):
(a) A Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan when due in accordance with the terms thereof or hereof, including without limitation any failure to make a mandatory prepayment due pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.6(b); or a Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan, or any other amount payable hereunder, within five days after any such interest or other amount becomes due in accordance with the terms thereof or hereof; or
(b) Any representation or warranty made or deemed made by any Registrant, on its own behalf or on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, or made or deemed made at such Registrants or Borrowers request, herein or in any other Loan Document or which is contained in any certificate, document or financial or other statement furnished by it at any time under or in connection with this Agreement or any such other Loan Document shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect on or as of the date made or deemed made; or
50
(c) A Registrant, on its own behalf or on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, shall default in the observance or performance of (i) Section 6.13 or (ii) any other agreement contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document (other than as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section), and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days; or solely in the case of such default arising under Sections 5.4, 5.7 or 6.5, 5 Business Days; or solely in the case of such default arising under Section 5.2(b), 10 days from the delivery of notice thereof by the Administrative Agent to such Registrant (unless the Administrative Agent shall have reasonably determined that the non-delivery of information giving rise to such default under Section 5.2(b) shall have materially impaired the rights of the Lenders hereunder, in which case such default shall ripen into an Event of Default if unremedied after the earlier of 10 days from delivery of notice or 30 days after the occurrence thereof); or
(d) A Registrant, or on behalf of any series thereof which is a Borrower, shall (i) default in any payment of principal of or interest on any Indebtedness (other than the Loans), Interest Rate Agreement or Swap Obligation or in the payment of any Guarantee Obligation, beyond the grace period (not to exceed 30 days), if any, provided in the instrument or agreement under which such Indebtedness, Interest Rate Agreement, Swap Obligation or Guarantee Obligation was created, if the aggregate amount of the Indebtedness or amount owing under an Interest Rate Agreement, Swap Obligation and/or Guarantee Obligations in respect of which such default or defaults shall have occurred is at least 5% of such Borrowers net assets, calculated on a net mark-to-market basis for Interest Rate Agreements and Swap Obligations; or (ii) default in the observance or performance of any other agreement or condition relating to any such Indebtedness, Interest Rate Agreement, Swap Obligation or Guarantee Obligation or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of which default or other event or condition is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness or beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Guarantee Obligation, Interest Rate Agreement, or Swap Obligation (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness, Interest Rate Agreement or Swap Obligation to become due prior to its stated maturity or such Guarantee Obligation to become payable if the aggregate amount of the Indebtedness or amount owing under an Interest Rate Agreement, Swap Obligations and/or Guarantee Obligations subject to becoming so due or so payable is at least 5% of such Borrowers or Registrants net assets, calculated on a net mark-to-market basis for Interest Rate Agreements and Swap Obligations; or
(e) (i) A Registrant, on its own behalf or on behalf of any series thereof which is a Borrower, shall commence any case, proceeding or other action with respect to itself or any such Borrower (A) under any then Applicable Law of any jurisdiction, domestic or foreign, relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or relief of debtors, seeking to have an order for relief entered with respect to it, or seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, winding-up, liquidation, dissolution, composition or other relief with respect to it or its debts, or (B) seeking appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator or other similar official for it or for all or any substantial part of its assets, or a Registrant,
51
on its own behalf or on behalf of any series thereof which is a Borrower, shall make a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or (ii) there shall be commenced against such a Registrant or Borrower, any case, proceeding or other action of a nature referred to in clause (i) above which (A) results in the entry of an order for relief or any such adjudication or appointment and (B) remains undismissed, undischarged, unstayed, unvacated or unbonded pending appeal within 60 days from the entry thereof; or (iii) there shall be commenced against a Registrant, on its own behalf or on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, any case, proceeding or other action seeking issuance of a warrant of attachment, execution, distraint or similar process against all or any substantial part of its assets which results in the entry of an order for any such relief which shall not have been vacated, discharged, or stayed or bonded pending appeal within 60 days from the entry thereof; or (iv) such a Registrant or Borrower shall take any action in material furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of, or acquiescence in, any of the acts set forth in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) above; or (v) a Registrant, on its own behalf or on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, shall not, or shall be unable to, pay its debts as they become due for ten (10) days after written notice thereof to such Registrant or actual knowledge thereof by such Registrant, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts as they become due; or
(f) Either a Borrower or any Commonly Controlled Entity of such Borrower incurs any liability to any Plan maintained by any of them which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or
(g) One or more final judgments or decrees shall be entered against a Borrower, involving in the aggregate a liability (not fully covered by insurance or otherwise paid or discharged) of 5% or more of such Borrowers net assets, and all such judgments or decrees shall not have been vacated, discharged, stayed or bonded pending appeal within 30 days from the entry thereof; or
(h) Unless consented to by all of the Lenders, Columbia Management or a Person directly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with Columbia Management shall no longer act as investment advisor for a Borrower; or
(i) A Registrants registration under the 1940 Act shall lapse or be suspended (or proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted); or
(j) A Registrant, on its own behalf or on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, shall fail to materially comply with its Investment Policies in a manner which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and such default (or the Material Adverse Effect arising therefrom if any) shall continue unremedied for a period of 3 days; or
(k) A Borrower shall (i) fail to materially comply with the 1940 Act or (ii) default in the observance or performance of Section 6.13.
52
then, and in any such event, (A) if such event is an Event of Default specified in paragraph (e) of this Section with respect to such Borrower (or the Registrant acting on behalf of one or more Borrowers), automatically the Commitments available to such Borrower (or all of the Borrowers which are series of such Registrant) shall immediately terminate and the Loans hereunder made to any such Borrower, or Borrowers as the case may be, (with accrued interest thereon) and all other amounts owing under this Agreement by such Borrower, or Borrowers, as the case may be, shall immediately become due and payable, and (B) if such event is any other Event of Default with respect to such Borrower, any or all of the following actions may be taken: (i) with the consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent may, or upon the request of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent shall, by notice to such Borrower declare the Commitments available to such Borrower (or all of the Borrowers which are series of such Registrant if such Event of Default is a Registrant Event of Default (as defined below)) to be terminated forthwith, whereupon such Commitments shall immediately terminate; and (ii) with the consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent may, or upon the request of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent shall, by notice to such Borrower, declare the Loans to such Borrower (with accrued interest thereon) and all other amounts owing under this Agreement by such Borrower (or all of the Borrowers which are series of such Registrant if such Event of Default is a Registrant Event of Default) to be due and payable forthwith, whereupon the same shall immediately become due and payable. Except as expressly provided above in this Section, presentment, demand, protest and all other notices of any kind are hereby expressly waived.
Notwithstanding any other provision herein to the contrary, Defaults and Events of Default shall have the following results:
(i) a Default or Event of Default with respect to one Borrower shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to any other Borrower;
(ii) except as set forth in clause (iii) below, a Default or Event of Default with respect to a Registrant acting on behalf of one or more Borrowers that is a series of such Registrant shall constitute a Default or Event of Default, as the case may be, only with respect to the Borrower(s) implicated in, or affected by, the act or omission causing such Default or Event of Default;
(iii) a Registrant Default or a Registrant Event of Default (each as defined below) with respect to a Registrant acting on behalf of one or more Borrowers that is a series thereof shall constitute a Default or Event of Default, as the case may be, with respect to any Borrower that is a series thereof to the extent that such Registrant Default or Registrant Event of Default is, in the reasonable discretion of the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders, expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on such Borrowers ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents; and
(iv) an Event of Default of the type described in paragraph (h) of this Section 7 shall constitute an Event of Default with respect to all Borrowers for which Columbia Management no longer acts as investment manager.
53
Registrant Event of Default shall mean an Event of Default with respect to a Registrant (A) of any of the types described in paragraphs (e) or (i) of this Section 7, or (B) arising from such Registrants failure to comply with the covenants set forth in Section 5.3, 5.4, 5.5 or 6.5. Registrant Default shall mean any of the events giving rise to a Registrant Event of Default, whether or not any requirement for the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or both, or any other condition, has been satisfied.
SECTION 8. THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
8.1 Authorization and Action.(a) Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints the entity named as Administrative Agent in the heading of this Agreement and its successors and assigns to serve as the administrative agent under the Loan Documents, and each Lender authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to the Administrative Agent under such agreements and to exercise such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, each of the Loan Documents to which the Administrative Agent is a party, to exercise all rights, powers and remedies that the Administrative Agent may have under such Loan Documents.
(b) As to any matters not expressly provided for herein and in the other Loan Documents (including enforcement or collection), the Administrative Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written instructions of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, pursuant to the terms in the Loan Documents), and, unless and until revoked in writing, such instructions shall be binding upon each Lender; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that (i) the Administrative Agent in good faith believes exposes it to liability unless the Administrative Agent receives written indemnification and is exculpated in a manner satisfactory to it from the Lenders with respect to such action or (ii) is contrary to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or applicable law, including any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors; provided, further, that the Administrative Agent may seek clarification or direction from the Required Lenders prior to the exercise of any such instructed action and may refrain from acting until such clarification or direction has been provided. Except as expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to any Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Administrative Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
54
(c) In performing its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent is acting solely on behalf of the Lenders (except in limited circumstances expressly provided for herein relating to the maintenance of the Register), and its duties are entirely mechanical and administrative in nature. The motivations of the Administrative Agent are commercial in nature and not to invest in the general performance or operations of the Borrower. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:
(i) the Administrative Agent does not assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation or duty or any other relationship as the agent, fiduciary or trustee of or for any Lender or holder of any other obligation other than as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, regardless of whether a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (and it is understood and agreed that the use of the term agent (or any similar term) herein or in any other Loan Document with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary duty or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law, and that such term is used as a matter of market custom and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties); additionally, each Lender agrees that it will not assert any claim against the Administrative Agent based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby; and
(ii) nothing in this Agreement or any Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent to account to any Lender for any sum or the profit element of any sum received by the Administrative Agent for its own account.
(d) The Administrative Agent may perform any of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any of their respective duties and exercise their respective rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Section 8 shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent and shall apply to their respective activities pursuant to this Agreement.
(e) No Arranger shall have obligations or duties whatsoever in such capacity under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall incur no liability hereunder or thereunder in such capacity, but all such persons shall have the benefit of the indemnities provided for hereunder.
(f) In case of the pendency of any proceeding with respect to any Borrower under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on such Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered (but not obligated) by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:
55
(i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including any claim under Sections 2.3, 2.7 and 2.10) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
(ii) to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same; and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due to it, in its capacity as the Administrative Agent, under the Loan Documents (including under Section 9.5). Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.
(g) The provisions of this Section 8 are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and, except solely to the extent of any Borrowers rights to consent pursuant to and subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 8, none of the Borrowers or any Subsidiary, or any of their respective Affiliates, shall have any rights as a third party beneficiary under any such provisions.
8.2 Administrative Agents Reliance, Limitation of Liability, Etc. Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be (i) liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by such party, the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties under or in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (x) with the consent of or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith to be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in the Loan Documents) or (y) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct (such absence to be presumed unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and non-appealable judgment) or (ii) responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders for any recitals, statements, representations or warranties made by any Registrant or Borrower or any officer thereof contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document or for the value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in connection with the Administrative Agents reliance on any Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page) or for any failure of any Registrant or Borrower to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder.
56
(b) The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof (stating that it is a notice of default) is given to the Administrative Agent by a Borrower or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered thereunder or in connection therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth in any Loan Document or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the sufficiency, validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Section 4 or elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items (which on their face purport to be such items) expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent or satisfaction of any condition that expressly refers to the matters described therein being acceptable or satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(c) Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrative Agent (i) may treat the payee of any promissory note as its holder until such promissory note has been assigned in accordance with Section 9.6, (ii) may rely on the Register to the extent set forth in Section 9.6(d), (iii) may consult with legal counsel (including counsel to a Registrant or a Borrower), independent public accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith by it in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts, (iv) makes no warranty or representation to any Lender and shall not be responsible to any Lender for any statements, warranties or representations made by or on behalf of any Borrower in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (v) in determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender, may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender sufficiently in advance of the making of such Loan and (vi) shall be entitled to rely on, and shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by acting upon, any notice, consent, certificate or other instrument or writing (which writing may be a fax, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) or any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper party or parties (whether or not such Person in fact meets the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents for being the maker thereof).
8.3 Posting of Communications. Each Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make any Communications available to the Lenders by posting the Communications on IntraLinks, DebtDomain, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any other electronic platform chosen by the Administrative Agent to be its electronic transmission system (the Approved Electronic Platform).
(b) Although the Approved Electronic Platform and its primary web portal are secured with generally-applicable security procedures and policies implemented or modified by the Administrative Agent from time to time (including, as of the Effective Date, a user ID/password authorization system) and the Approved Electronic Platform is secured through a per-deal authorization method whereby each user may access the Approved Electronic Platform only on a deal-by-deal basis, each of the Lenders and each Borrower acknowledges and agrees that the distribution of material through an electronic medium is not necessarily secure, that the
57
Administrative Agent is not responsible for approving or vetting the representatives or contacts of any Lender that are added to the Approved Electronic Platform, and that there may be confidentiality and other risks associated with such distribution. Each of the Lenders and each Borrower hereby approves distribution of the Communications through the Approved Electronic Platform and understands and assumes the risks of such distribution.
(c) THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS ARE PROVIDED AS IS AND AS AVAILABLE. THE APPLICABLE PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY THE APPLICABLE PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY ARRANGER OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RELATED PARTIES (COLLECTIVELY, APPLICABLE PARTIES) HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO ANY BORROWER, ANY LENDER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES (WHETHER IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF ANY BORROWERS, ANY LENDERS OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENTS TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE INTERNET OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT OF DIRECT OR ACTUAL DAMAGES AS ARE DETERMINED BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION BY FINAL AND NONAPPEALABLE JUDGMENT TO HAVE RESULTED FROM THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF SUCH APPLICABLE PARTY OR RELATED PARTY THEREOF.
(d) Communications means, collectively, any notice, demand, communication, information, document or other material provided by or on behalf of any Borrower pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated therein which is distributed by the Administrative Agent or any Lender by means of electronic communications pursuant to this Section, including through an Approved Electronic Platform.
(e) Each Lender agrees that notice to it (as provided in the next sentence) specifying that Communications have been posted to the Approved Electronic Platform shall constitute effective delivery of the Communications to such Lender for purposes of the Loan Documents. Each Lender agrees (i) to notify the Administrative Agent in writing (which could be in the form of electronic communication) from time to time of such Lenders email address to which the foregoing notice may be sent by electronic transmission and (ii) that the foregoing notice may be sent to such email address.
(f) Each of the Lenders and each Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but (except as may be required by applicable law) shall not be obligated to, store the Communications on the Approved Electronic Platform in accordance with the Administrative Agents generally applicable document retention procedures and policies.
58
(g) Nothing herein shall prejudice the right of the Administrative Agent or any Lender to give any notice or other communication pursuant to any Loan Document in any other manner specified in such Loan Document.
8.4 The Administrative Agent Individually. With respect to its Commitment and Loans (including Swing Line Loans), the Person serving as the Administrative Agent shall have and may exercise the same rights and powers hereunder and is subject to the same obligations and liabilities as and to the extent set forth herein for any other Lender. The terms Lenders, Required Lenders and any similar terms shall, unless the context clearly otherwise indicates, include the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity as a Lender, Required Lenders or other member of a defined group, as applicable. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, own securities of, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust or other business with, any Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing as if such Person was not acting as the Administrative Agent and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.
8.5 Successor Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent may resign at any time by giving thirty (30) days prior written notice thereof to the Lenders and the Borrowers, whether or not a successor Administrative Agent has been appointed. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right (subject to the prior written approval of the Borrowers, which approval may not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed and shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing) to appoint one of the Lenders to be successor Administrative Agent. If no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders, and shall have accepted such appointment, within thirty (30) days after the retiring Administrative Agents giving of notice of resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders, appoint one of the Lenders to be successor Administrative Agent. In either case, such appointment shall be subject to the prior written approval of the Borrowers (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld and shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing). Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, such successor Administrative Agent shall succeed to, and become vested with, all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent. Upon the acceptance of appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Prior to any retiring Administrative Agents resignation hereunder as Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall take such action as may be reasonably necessary to assign to the successor Administrative Agent its rights as Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents.
59
(a) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Section, in the event no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty (30) days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its intent to resign, the retiring Administrative Agent may give notice of the effectiveness of its resignation to the Lenders and the Borrowers, whereupon, on the date of effectiveness of such resignation stated in such notice, (i) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents; provided that, solely for purposes of maintaining any security interest granted to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Lenders, the retiring Administrative Agent shall continue to be vested with such security interest as collateral agent for the benefit of the Lenders, and continue to be entitled to the rights set forth in any related security documents, and, in the case of any collateral in the possession of the Administrative Agent, shall continue to hold such collateral, in each case until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed and accepts such appointment in accordance with this Section (it being understood and agreed that the retiring Administrative Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any further action under any security document, including any action required to maintain the perfection of any such security interest), and (ii) the Required Lenders shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent; provided that (A) all payments required to be made hereunder or under any other Loan Document to the Administrative Agent for the account of any Person other than the Administrative Agent shall be made directly to such Person and (B) all notices and other communications required or contemplated to be given or made to the Administrative Agent shall directly be given or made to each Lender. Following the effectiveness of the Administrative Agents resignation from its capacity as such, the provisions of this Section 8 and Section 9.5, as well as any exculpatory, reimbursement and indemnification provisions set forth in any other Loan Document, shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent and in respect of the matters referred to in the proviso under clause (i) above.
8.6 Acknowledgements of Lenders. Each Lender represents and warrants that (i) the Loan Documents set forth the terms of a commercial lending facility, (ii) in participating as a Lender, it is engaged in making, acquiring or holding commercial loans in the ordinary course of business, and is making the Loans hereunder as commercial loans in the ordinary course of its business and not for the purpose of investing in the general performance or operations of the Borrower, or for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring or holding any other type of financial instrument such as a security (and each Lender agrees not to assert a claim in contravention of the foregoing, such as a claim under the federal or state securities laws), (iii) it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement as a Lender, and to make, acquire or hold Loans hereunder and (iv) it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to make, acquire and/or hold commercial loans and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to make, acquire and/or hold such commercial loans is experienced in making, acquiring or holding such commercial loans. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information (which may contain material, non-public information within the meaning of the United States securities laws concerning the Borrowers and their Affiliates) as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.
60
(b) Each Lender, by delivering its signature page to this Agreement on the Effective Date, or delivering its signature page to an Assignment and Acceptance or any other Loan Document pursuant to which it shall become a Lender hereunder, shall be deemed to have acknowledged receipt of, and consented to and approved, each Loan Document and each other document required to be delivered to, or be approved by or satisfactory to, the Administrative Agent or the Lenders on the Effective Date.
(c) (i) Each Lender hereby agrees that (x) if the Administrative Agent notifies such Lender that the Administrative Agent has determined in its sole discretion that any funds received by such Lender from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (whether as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees or otherwise; individually and collectively, a Payment) were erroneously transmitted to such Lender (whether or not known to such Lender), and demands the return of such Payment (or a portion thereof), such Lender shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter (or such later date as the Administrative Agent, may, in its sole discretion, specify in writing), return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon (except to the extent waived in writing by the Administrative Agent) in respect of each day from and including the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect, and (y) to the extent permitted by applicable law, such Lender shall not assert, and hereby waives, as to the Administrative Agent, any claim, counterclaim, defense or right of set-off or recoupment with respect to any demand, claim or counterclaim by the Administrative Agent for the return of any Payments received, including without limitation any defense based on discharge for value or any similar doctrine. A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender under this Section 8.6(c) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(ii) Each Lender hereby further agrees that if it receives a Payment from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (x) that is in a different amount than, or on a different date from, that specified in a notice of payment sent by the Administrative Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such Payment (a Payment Notice) or (y) that was not preceded or accompanied by a Payment Notice, it shall be on notice, in each such case, that an error has been made with respect to such Payment. Each Lender agrees that, in each such case, or if it otherwise becomes aware a Payment (or portion thereof) may have been sent in error, such Lender shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent of such occurrence and, upon demand from the Administrative Agent, it shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter (or such later date as the Administrative Agent, may, in its sole discretion, specify in writing), return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon (except to the extent waived in writing by the Administrative Agent) in respect of each day from and including the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect.
61
(iii) Each Borrower hereby agrees that (x) in the event an erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) are not recovered from any Lender that has received such Payment (or portion thereof) for any reason, the Administrative Agent shall be subrogated to all the rights of such Lender with respect to such amount and (y) an erroneous Payment shall not pay, prepay, repay, discharge or otherwise satisfy any Obligations owed by such Borrower, except, in each case, to the extent such erroneous Payment is, and solely with respect to the amount of such erroneous Payment that is, comprised of funds received by the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates from such Borrower for the purpose of making such erroneous Payment.
(iv) Each partys obligations under this Section 8.6(c) shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any transfer of rights or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all obligations under any Loan Document.
(d) Each Lender hereby represents and warrants that it is a Bank (as defined in the 1940 Act). Each Lender will promptly notify the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent if it is no longer a Bank (as defined in the 1940 Act).
8.7 Duties of Syndication Agents. No Syndication Agent, in its capacity as such, shall have any duty, obligation or responsibility hereunder.
SECTION 9. MISCELLANEOUS
9.1 Amendments and Waivers. Neither this Agreement nor any other Loan Document, nor any terms hereof or thereof, may be amended, supplemented or modified except in accordance with the provisions of this Section. This Agreement shall not effect a novation or termination of the obligations of the parties under the Original Credit Agreement, but instead shall be merely a restatement and, where applicable, an amendment of the terms governing such obligations. The Required Lenders may, or, with the written consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent may, from time to time, (a) enter into with each Registrant, on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, written amendments, supplements or modifications hereto and to the other Loan Documents for the purpose of adding any provisions to this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or changing in any manner the rights of the Lenders or of such Borrowers hereunder or thereunder or (b) waive, on such terms and conditions as the Required Lenders or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, may specify in such instrument, any of the requirements of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or any Default or Event of Default and its consequences; provided, however, that no such waiver and no such amendment, supplement or modification shall (i) reduce the amount or extend the scheduled date of maturity of any Loan or of any installment thereof, or reduce the stated rate of any interest or fee payable hereunder or extend the scheduled date of any payment thereof or increase the amount or extend the expiration date of any Lenders Commitment, in each case without the consent of each Lender affected thereby, or (ii) amend, modify or waive any provision of this Section 9.1 (or any other provision of this Agreement which expressly provides that the consent
62
of all the Lenders is required to take any action) or reduce the percentage specified in the definition of Required Lenders, or consent to the assignment or transfer by any Borrower or any Registrant of any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, in each case without the written consent of all the Lenders or (iii) amend, waive or modify the first three sentences of Section 2.9(a) or any other provision affecting the ratable treatment of the Lenders, in each case without the written consent of all the Lenders, or (iv) amend, waive or modify the requirement contained in the first sentence of Section 2.16(a) that consent of all the Lenders is required to approve the addition of Borrowers to this Agreement, in each case without the written consent of all the Lenders, or (v) amend, waive or modify Section 2.6(b) without the written consent of all the Lenders (other than any Defaulting Lenders), or (vi) amend, waive or modify Section 6.1 without the written consent of all the Lenders (other than any Defaulting Lenders), (vii) amend, modify or waive any provision of Section 8 without the written consent of the then Administrative Agent, or (viii) amend, waive or modify Section 4 without the written consent of all the Lenders (other than any Defaulting Lenders), or (ix) amend, waive or modify Section 2.10 without the written consent of all the Lenders (other than any Defaulting Lenders) or (x) amend, waive or modify Section 9.7(a) without the written consent of all the Lenders (other than any Defaulting Lenders). Any such waiver and any such amendment, supplement or modification shall be effective (A) only for such Borrower(s) on whose behalf a Registrant executed such document(s) and (B) in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given.
9.2 Notices. All notices, requests and demands to or upon the respective parties hereto to be effective shall be in writing (which writing may be in the form of a facsimile transmission), and, unless otherwise expressly provided herein, shall be deemed to have been duly given or made when delivered, or five days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, or, in the case of facsimile notice, when received, addressed as follows in the case of any Registrant, any Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and as set forth in Schedule II in the case of the other parties hereto, or to such other address as may be hereafter notified by the respective parties hereto:
The Borrowers and Registrants: | COLUMBIA MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT ADVISERS, LLC 225 Franklin Street Boston, MA 02110 Attention: Mr. Michael G. Clarke
COLUMBIA WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC 227 West Monroe, Suite 3000 Chicago, IL 60606, USA Attention: Mr. Michael G. Clarke | |
with a copy to: | COLUMBIA FUNDS 5228 Ameriprise Financial Center Minneapolis, MN 55474 Attention: GCO Asset Management Legal |
63
The Administrative Agent or Swingline Lender: | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. 500 Stanton Christiana Rd. NCC5 / 1st Floor Newark, DE 19713 Attention: Loan & Agency Services Group Attention: Joseph Farley / Emily Turk Tel: 302-634-3385 Tel: 980-634-3028 Email: joseph.farley@chase.com Email: Emily.turk@jpmorgan.com Agency Withholding Tax Inquiries: Email: agency.tax.reporting@jpmorgan.com Agency Compliance/Financials/Intralinks: Email: covenant.compliance@jpmchase.com | |
With a copy to: | Pryor Cashman LLP 7 Times Square New York, NY 10036 Attn: Larry Remmel, Esq. Facsimile: (212) 326-0806 |
provided that any notice, request or demand to or upon the Administrative Agent or the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, or 2.8 shall not be effective until received.
9.3 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising, on the part of any party hereto, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under the other Loan Documents shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.
9.4 Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made hereunder, in the other Loan Documents and in any document, certificate or statement delivered pursuant hereto or in connection herewith shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of the Loans hereunder.
9.5 Payment of Expenses and Taxes; Indemnification; Etc.
(a) Expenses. Each Borrower agrees severally (ratably, in accordance with its respective Pro Rata Allocation) to pay (i) all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any
64
amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), and (ii) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, including the reasonable and documented fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made hereunder, including all such reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans.
(b) Limitation of Liability. To the extent permitted by applicable law (i) no Registrant or Borrower (each a Loan Party) shall assert, and each Loan Party hereby waives, any claim against the Administrative Agent and any Lender, and any Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person a Lender-Related Person) for any Liabilities arising from the use by others of information or other materials (including, without limitation, any personal data) obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems (including the Internet); provided that such waiver shall not apply to the extent such claim arises from, with respect to any Lender-Related Person, the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Lender-Related Person as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and non-appealable judgment, and (ii) no party hereto shall assert, and each such party hereby waives, any Liabilities against any other party hereto, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof; provided that, nothing in this Section 9.5(b) shall relieve any Loan Party of any obligation it may have to indemnify an Indemnitee, as provided in Section 9.5(c), against any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages asserted against such Indemnitee by a third party.
(c) Indemnity. Each Borrower agrees severally (ratably, in accordance with its respective Pro Rata Allocation) to indemnify the Administrative Agent and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an Indemnitee) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all Liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or the use of the proceeds therefrom, or (iii) any actual or prospective Proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether or not such Proceeding is brought by any Borrower or any other Loan Party or its or their respective equity holders, Affiliates, creditors or any other third Person and whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such Liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted primarily from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee. This Section 9.5(c) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.
65
(d) Lender Reimbursement. Each Lender severally agrees to pay any amount required to be paid by any Borrower under paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 9.5 to the Administrative Agent and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each, an Agent-Related Person) (to the extent not reimbursed by such Borrower and without limiting the obligation of the Borrowers to do so), ratably according to their respective Commitment Percentage in effect on the date on which such payment is sought under this Section (or, if such payment is sought after the date upon which the Commitments shall have terminated and the Loans shall have been paid in full, ratably in accordance with such Commitment Percentage immediately prior to such date), from and against any and all Liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any kind whatsoever that may at any time (whether before or after the payment of the Loans) be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against such Agent- Related Person in any way relating to or arising out of the Commitments, this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or therein or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by such Agent-Related Person under or in connection with any of the foregoing; provided that the unreimbursed expense or Liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against such Agent-Related Person in its capacity as such; provided further that no Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such Liabilities, costs, expenses or disbursements that are found by a final and nonappealable decision of a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted primarily from such Agent- Related Partys gross negligence or willful misconduct. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder.
(e) Payments. All amounts due under this Section 9.5(d) shall be payable not later than 10 days after written demand therefor (which demand shall include a statement describing in reasonable detail the basis for making such demand).
(f) Allocation of Liability. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent any obligation to reimburse or indemnify any Indemnitee that arises pursuant to Section 9.5(b) is not attributable to any particular Borrower or Borrowers, then such reimbursement or indemnification shall be made by each Borrower (ratably, in accordance with its respective Pro Rata Allocation). To the extent any such obligation to reimburse or indemnify any Indemnified Party is attributable to one or more Borrowers, then such reimbursement or indemnification shall be made by such Borrower or, if more than one Borrower, ratably by such Borrowers based on their respective Pro Rata Allocations.
66
9.6 Successors and Assigns; Participations and Assignments.
(a) This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Registrants, the Borrowers, the Lenders, the Administrative Agent and their respective successors and assigns, except that, except as may otherwise be provided herein, neither any Registrant nor any Borrower may assign or transfer any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of each Lender.
(b) Any Lender may, in the ordinary course of its commercial banking business and in accordance with Applicable Laws, at any time sell to one or more Eligible Lenders (Participants) participating interests in any Loan owing to such Lender, any Commitment of such Lender or any other interest of such Lender hereunder and under the other Loan Documents. In the event of any such sale by a Lender of a participating interest to a Participant, such Lenders obligations under this Agreement to the other parties to this Agreement shall remain unchanged, such Lender shall remain solely responsible for the performance thereof, such Lender shall remain the holder of any such Loan for all purposes under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lenders rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Any agreement pursuant to which any Lender may grant such a participating interest shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right and responsibility to enforce the obligations of the Borrowers hereunder, including the right to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such participation agreement may provide that (i) such Lender will not agree to any modification, amendment or waiver of this Agreement described in clauses (i) through (ix) of the proviso in Section 9.1 without the consent of the Participant and (ii) the Participant may obtain voting rights limited to changes in respect of the principal amount, interest rates, fees and term of the Loans. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrowers, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participants interest in the Notes or other obligations under the Agreement (the Participant Register); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participants interest in any Commitments, Loans or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such Commitment, Loan or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register shall be treated as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.
67
(c) Any Lender may, in the ordinary course of its commercial banking business and in accordance with Applicable Law, at any time and from time to time assign to any Lender or any Affiliate thereof that is an Eligible Lender or, with the consent of the Administrative Agent (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and (so long as no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing) the Registrants (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed, and provided that the Registrants shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment unless they shall object thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within three (3) Business Days), to an additional Eligible Lender (an Assignee) all or any part of its rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents pursuant to an Assignment and Acceptance, substantially in the form of Exhibit 9.6(c), executed by such Assignee, such assigning Lender and the Administrative Agent (and, provided (i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (ii) the Assignee is not a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender that is an Eligible Lender, the Registrants) and delivered to the Administrative Agent for its acceptance and recording in the Register; provided, however, that assignments to entities other than Lenders or Affiliates thereof must be in amounts of at least $5,000,000 (or, in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining portion of an assigning Lenders rights and obligations under this Agreement, all of such lesser amount). Upon such execution, delivery, acceptance and recording, from and after the effective date determined pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, (x) the Assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent provided in such Assignment and Acceptance, have the rights and obligations of a Lender hereunder with a Commitment as set forth therein, and (y) the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent provided in such Assignment and Acceptance, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining portion of an assigning Lenders rights and obligations under this Agreement, such assigning Lender shall cease to be a party hereto (except as to Sections 2.10, 2.11 and 9.5 in respect of the period prior to the effective date of such Assignment and Acceptance) and the Commitment of the Assignee shall be in an amount equal to that of such assigning Lender prior to the execution of such Assignment and Acceptance).
(d) The Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Borrowers, shall maintain at the address of the Administrative Agent referred to in Section 9.2 a copy of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to it and a register (the Register) for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders and the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans owing to, each Lender from time to time. The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, in the absence of manifest error, and each Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may (and, in the case of any Loan or other obligation hereunder not evidenced by a Note, shall) treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register as the owner of a Loan or other obligation hereunder as the owner thereof for all purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. Any assignment of any Loan or other obligation hereunder not evidenced by a Note shall be effective only upon appropriate entries with respect thereto being made in the Register. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrowers or any Lender at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(e) Upon its receipt of an Assignment and Acceptance executed by an assigning Lender and an Assignee (and the Administrative Agent) together with payment by the assigning Lender or Assignee to the Administrative Agent of a registration and processing fee of $3,000 (for which no Borrower shall have an obligation to reimburse), the Administrative Agent shall (i) promptly accept such Assignment and Acceptance and (ii) on the effective date determined pursuant thereto record the information contained therein in the Register and give notice of such acceptance and recordation to the Lenders and to each Borrower.
68
(f) Each Borrower authorizes each Lender to disclose to any Participant or Assignee (each, a Transferee) and any prospective Transferee any and all financial information in such Lenders possession concerning such Borrower and its Affiliates which has been delivered to such Lender by or on behalf of such Borrower pursuant to this Agreement or which has been delivered to such Lender by or on behalf of such Borrower in connection with such Lenders credit evaluation of the Registrants, the Borrowers and their Affiliates prior to becoming a party to this Agreement subject to the obligations in Section 9.10(b).
(g) For avoidance of doubt, the parties to this Agreement acknowledge that the provisions of this Section concerning assignments of Loans and Notes relate only to absolute assignments and that such provisions do not prohibit assignments creating security interests, including, without limitation, any pledge or assignment by a Lender of any Loan or Note to any Federal Reserve Bank, or any other central bank having jurisdiction over such Lender, in accordance with Applicable Law.
9.7 Adjustments; Set-off. (a) Subject to Section 2.2(b), if any Lender (a Benefited Lender) shall at any time receive any payment of all or part of its Loans, or interest thereon, or receive any collateral in respect thereof (whether voluntarily or involuntarily, by set-off, pursuant to events or proceedings of the nature referred to in Section 7(e), or otherwise), in a greater proportion than any such payment to or collateral received by any other Lender, if any, in respect of such other Lenders Loans, or interest thereon, such Benefited Lender shall purchase for cash from the other Lenders a participating interest in such portion of each such other Lenders Loans, or shall provide such other Lenders with the benefits of any such collateral, or the proceeds thereof, as shall be necessary to cause such Benefited Lender to share the excess payment or benefits of such collateral or proceeds ratably with each of the Lenders; provided, however, that if all or any portion of such excess payment or benefits is thereafter recovered from such Benefited Lender, such purchase shall be rescinded, and the purchase price and benefits returned, to the extent of such recovery, but without interest; provided further that the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans to any assignee or participant.
(b) In addition to any rights and remedies of the Lenders provided by law, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default each Lender is hereby authorized at any time or from time to time, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind to the defaulting Borrower, Registrant, Columbia Management or any other Person, any such notice being hereby expressly waived, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, upon any amount becoming due and payable by a Borrower hereunder (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) to set off and appropriate and apply against such amount any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final), in any currency, and any other credits, indebtedness or claims, in any currency,
69
in each case whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, at any time held or owing by such Lender or any branch or agency thereof to or for the credit or the account of such Borrower. Each Lender agrees promptly to notify such Borrower and the Administrative Agent after any such set-off and application made by such Lender, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and application.
9.8 Counterparts; effectiveness; Electronic Execution. (a) This Agreement may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Agreement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Agreement signed by all the parties shall be lodged with Columbia Management and the Administrative Agent.
(b) Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of (x) this Agreement, (y) any other Loan Document and/or (z) any document, amendment, approval, consent, information, notice (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any notice delivered pursuant to Section 9.2), certificate, request, statement, disclosure or authorization related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or the transactions contemplated hereby and/or thereby (each an Ancillary Document) that is an Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement, such other Loan Document or such Ancillary Document, as applicable. The words execution, signed, signature, delivery, and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in any electronic form (including deliveries by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page), each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be; provided that nothing herein shall require the Administrative Agent to accept Electronic Signatures in any form or format without its prior written consent and pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, (i) to the extent the Administrative Agent has agreed to accept any Electronic Signature, the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders shall be entitled to rely on such Electronic Signature purportedly given by or on behalf of each Borrower without further verification thereof and without any obligation to review the appearance or form of any such Electronic signature and (ii) upon the request of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, any Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by a manually executed counterpart. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Borrower hereby (i) agrees that, for all purposes, including without limitation, in connection with any workout, restructuring, enforcement of remedies, bankruptcy proceedings or litigation among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, and any Borrower, Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page and/or any electronic images of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as any paper original, (ii) agrees that the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders may, at its option, create one or more copies of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document in the form of an
70
imaged electronic record in any format, which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of such Persons business, and destroy the original paper document (and all such electronic records shall be considered an original for all purposes and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record), (iii) waives any argument, defense or right to contest the legal effect, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document based solely on the lack of paper original copies of this Agreement, such other Loan Document and/or such Ancillary Document, respectively, including with respect to any signature pages thereto and (iv) waives any claim against any Lender-Related Person for any Liabilities arising solely from the Administrative Agents and/or any Lenders reliance on or use of Electronic Signatures and/or transmissions by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page, including any Liabilities arising as a result of the failure of such Borrower to use any available security measures in connection with the execution, delivery or transmission of any Electronic Signature.
9.9 Severability. Any provision of this Agreement which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
9.10 Waiver of Conflicts; Confidentiality. (a) Each Borrower acknowledges that each of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and their respective affiliates (collectively, the Bank Parties) may be providing debt financing, equity capital or other services (including financial advisory services) to other companies in respect of which such Borrowers may have conflicting interests regarding the transactions described herein and otherwise. Except as may otherwise be permitted herein, the Bank Parties will not disclose Confidential Information obtained from such Borrowers and their related Registrants by virtue of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or their other relationships with such Borrowers and their related Registrants in connection with the performance by each of the Bank Parties of services for other companies, and each of the Bank Parties will not disclose any such Confidential Information to such other companies. Such Borrowers also acknowledge that no Bank Party has any obligation to use in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or to furnish to any Borrower, confidential information obtained from other companies.
(b) For purposes of this Section, Confidential Information shall mean all information received from any of the Registrants, the Borrowers or Columbia Management relating to any of them or their business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis other than as a result of a breach of this Agreement. Each of the Administrative Agent and each Lender agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Confidential Information, and shall use such Confidential Information only for the purpose of determining the creditworthiness of a Borrower, in connection with the enforcement of the rights of each Lender under this Agreement and in the administration of the credit facility contemplated by this Agreement, except that Confidential Information may be disclosed (i) to its and its Affiliates directors, officers, employees and agents, including without limitation accountants, legal counsel and other advisors for purposes relating to the transactions
71
contemplated by this Agreement or for conducting legitimate audits (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Confidential Information and will be subject to the provisions of this Section 9.10 to the same extent as any Lender), (ii) to the extent requested by any legal or regulatory or self-regulatory authority having or claiming jurisdiction over such Person, (iii) to the extent required by Applicable Laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (iv) to any other party to this Agreement for purposes relating to the transactions contemplated hereby, (v) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder, (vi) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this subsection, to any Assignee or Participant or any prospective Assignee or Participant which executes such agreement, or to any actual or prospective party (and its advisor and agents) to any swap, derivative, securitization, credit insurance or other transaction under which payments are to be made by reference to a Borrower and its obligations, the Credit Agreement or payment hereunder, or (vii) with the written consent of the Borrowers. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Confidential Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information. In addition, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may disclose the existence of this Agreement and information about this Agreement to market data collectors, similar service providers to the lending industry and service providers to the Agents or any Lender in connection with the administration of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the Commitments.
(c) Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section, in the event that (I) any party to this Agreement (the Providing Party) provides to another party to this Agreement (the Recipient Party) non-public personal information concerning individual investors in any Fund that such Providing Party is required to keep confidential under applicable provisions of the Customer Confidentiality Laws and (II) such Providing Party properly identifies such information as such to the Recipient Party at the time such information is provided by, among other means of identification, prominently marking such information with the words NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION SUBJECT TO CUSTOMER CONFIDENTIALITY LAWS AND SECTIONS 9.10(b) and (c) OF THE AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT, the Recipient Party shall treat such information as required by the applicable provisions of the Customer Confidentiality Laws, it being understood that this sentence does not, and is not intended to, create independent rights, or rights of action or obligations, for any Person not a party to this Agreement and any such action shall constitute an indemnified liability under Section 9.5. Customer Confidentiality Laws means Title V of Public Law 106-102, known as the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 USC 6801 to 6809, and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder. Nothing in this Section shall require any Borrower, any Registrant or Columbia Management to provide any such non-public personal information concerning individual investors in any Fund to any Person.
72
9.11 GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD FOR ITS CHOICE OF LAW RULES.
9.12 Submission To Jurisdiction; Waivers. Each Registrant, on its own behalf and on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereby irrevocably and unconditionally:
(a) submit for themselves and their respective property in any legal action or proceeding relating to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which they are a party, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect thereof, to the exclusive general jurisdiction of the Courts of the State of New York located in New York County (the borough of Manhattan), the courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York (the borough of Manhattan), and appellate courts from any thereof;
(b) consents that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts and waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same;
(c) agrees that service of process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to such Registrant or such Borrower at its address set forth in Section 9.2 or at such other address of which the Administrative Agent shall have been notified pursuant thereto;
(d) agrees that nothing herein shall affect the right of any party hereto to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of any party hereto to sue in any other jurisdiction;
(e) waives, to the maximum extent not prohibited by law, any right it may have to claim or recover in any legal action or proceeding referred to in this Section any special, exemplary, indirect, punitive or consequential damages; and
(f) agrees that nothing in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document shall waive any statutory, regulatory, common law, or other rule, doctrine, legal restriction, provision or the like providing for the treatment of bank branches, bank agencies, or other bank offices as if they were separate juridical entities for certain purposes, including Uniform Commercial Code Sections 4-106, 4-A-105(1)(b), and 5- 116(b), UCP 600 Article 3 and ISP98 Rule 2.02, and URDG 758 Article 3(a).
9.13 Acknowledgments. Each Registrant, on its own behalf and on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, hereby acknowledges that:
(a) it has been advised by general counsel in the negotiation, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents;
73
(b) neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender has any fiduciary relationship with or duty to such Registrant or any such Borrower arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, and the relationship between the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, on the one hand, and such Registrant and each Borrower, on the other hand, in connection herewith or therewith is solely that of creditor and debtor; and
(c) no joint venture is created hereby or by the other Loan Documents or otherwise exists by virtue of the transactions contemplated hereby among the Lenders or among such Registrant, such Borrowers and the Lenders.
9.14 WAIVERS OF JURY TRIAL. EACH REGISTRANT, ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF THE SERIES THEREOF WHICH ARE BORROWERS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND THE LENDERS HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN.
9.15 Non-Recourse. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereby agree for the benefit of Columbia Management and its Affiliates, and each and every shareholder, trustee, director and officer of the Registrants and the Borrowers and any successor, assignee, heir, estate, executor, administrator or personal representative of any such shareholder, trustee, director and officer (a Non-Recourse Person) that: (a) no Non-Recourse Person shall have any personal liability for any obligation of any Registrant or Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any other instrument or document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto (except, in the case of any shareholder, to the extent of his, her or its investment in a Borrower); (b) no claim against any Non-Recourse Person may be made for any obligation of any Registrant or any Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any other instrument or document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto, whether for payment of principal of, or interest on, the Loans or for any fees, expense, or other amounts payable by any Registrant or any Borrower hereunder or thereunder, or otherwise; and (c) the obligations of each Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any other instrument or document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto are enforceable solely against such Borrower and its properties and assets.
9.16 Integration. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents represent the entire agreement of each Registrant, on its own behalf and on behalf of the series thereof which are Borrowers, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders with respect to the subject matter hereof, and there are no promises, undertakings, representations or warranties by the Administrative Agent or any Lender relative to the subject matter hereof not expressly set forth or referred to herein or in the other Loan Documents.
9.17 USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender hereby notifies the Borrowers that pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the Act), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrowers, which information includes the name and address of the Borrowers and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrowers in accordance with the Act. The Borrowers will provide such information promptly upon the request of such Lender.
74
9.18 Net Asset Value. This Facility is not designed or intended to maintain a stable net asset value or share price of any Registrant or Borrower, and may not be relied upon or utilized by any Registrant or Borrower for such purpose.
9.19 Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document may be subject to the write-down and conversion powers of the applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:
(a) the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an Affected Financial Institution; and
(b) the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:
(i) a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;
(ii) a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent entity, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or
(iii) the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the write-down and conversion powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.
9.20 Mauritius Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, each Mauritius Parent Borrower makes the additional representations and warranties, agrees to the additional covenants and is subject to the additional events of default, in each case, as set forth in Schedule 9.20 hereto.
9.21 No Fiduciary Duty, etc. Each Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries (if any) understanding, that no Credit Party will have any obligations except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents and each Credit Party is acting solely in the capacity of an arms length contractual counterparty to such Borrower with respect to the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated herein and therein and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, such Borrower or any other person. Each Borrower agrees that it will not assert any claim against any Credit Party based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by such Credit Party in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Additionally, each Borrower
75
acknowledges and agrees that no Credit Party is advising such Borrower as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting, regulatory or any other matters in any jurisdiction. Each Borrower shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated herein or in the other Loan Documents, and the Credit Parties shall have no responsibility or liability to such Borrower with respect thereto.
(b) Each Borrower further acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries understanding, that each Credit Party, together with its Affiliates, is a full service securities or banking firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities as well as providing investment banking and other financial services. In the ordinary course of business, any Credit Party may provide investment banking and other financial services to, and/or acquire, hold or sell, for its own accounts and the accounts of customers, equity, debt and other securities and financial instruments (including bank loans and other obligations) of, such Borrower and other companies with which such Borrower may have commercial or other relationships. With respect to any securities and/or financial instruments so held by any Credit Party or any of its customers, all rights in respect of such securities and financial instruments, including any voting rights, will be exercised by the holder of the rights, in its sole discretion.
9.22 Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the Charges), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the Maximum Rate) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Effective Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender. [The remainder of this page intentionally left blank; signature pages follow.]
76
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered by their proper and duly authorized officers as of the day and year first written above.
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., | ||||
as Administrative Agent and as a Lender | ||||
By: | /s/ Kenise Henry Larmond | |||
Name: | Kenise Henry Larmond | |||
Tilte: | Executive Director |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written:
Each of the Registrants listed on Schedule I for which Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC acts as investment manager and each of the Registrants listed on Schedule I for which Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC acts as investment manager, on behalf of itself and each of its underlying series set forth beneath its name on Schedule I
By: | /s/ Michael G. Clarke | |
Name: Michael G. Clarke | ||
Title: *Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Senior Vice President / ** Treasurer and Principal Accounting and Financial Officer |
* | (The above-signed officer holds this office with each of the Registrants for which Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC acts as investment manager) |
** | (The above-signed officer holds this office with each of the Registrants for which Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC acts as investment manager) |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
CITIBANK, N.A. | ||||
By: | /s/ Maureen Maroney | |||
Name: Maureen Maroney | ||||
Title: Vice President |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | ||
By: | /s/ Nik Broschofsky | |
Name: Nik Broschofsky | ||
Title: Director |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. | ||||
By: | /s/ Matthew C. White | |||
Name: Matthew C. White | ||||
Title: Director |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
BANK OF MONTREAL, CHICAGO BRANCH | ||||
By: | /s/ Michael Orphanides | |||
Name: Michael Orphanides | ||||
Title: Managing Director |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
BNP PARIBAS | ||||
By: | /s/ Hampton Smith | |||
Name: Hampton Smith | ||||
Title: Managing Director |
By: | /s/ Patrick Cunnane | |||
Name: Patrick Cunnane | ||||
Title: Vice President |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
HSBC BANK USA, N.A. | ||||
By: | /s/ Nicholas R. White | |||
Name: Nicholas R. White | ||||
Title: Managing Director |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON | ||||
By: | /s/ Matthew Morris | |||
Name: Matthew Morris | ||||
Title: Vice President |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | ||||
By: | /s/ Glenn Schuermann | |||
Name: Glenn Schuermann | ||||
Title: Vice President |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA | ||||
By: | /s/ Ananda DeRoche | |||
Name: Ananda DeRoche | ||||
Title: Authorized Signatory |
COLUMBIA FUNDS 2023
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
SIGNATURE PAGE
MORGAN STANLEY BANK, N.A. | ||||
By: | /s/ Michael King | |||
Name: Michael King | ||||
Title: Authorized Signatory |
SCHEDULE I
REGISTRANTS & BORROWERS1
Columbia Funds Series Trust II
Columbia Capital Allocation Aggressive Portfolio
Columbia Capital Allocation Conservative Portfolio
Columbia Capital Allocation Moderate Portfolio
Columbia Commodity Strategy Fund
Columbia Disciplined Core Fund
Columbia Disciplined Growth Fund
Columbia Disciplined Value Fund
Columbia Dividend Opportunity Fund
Columbia Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Columbia Flexible Capital Income Fund
Columbia Floating Rate Fund
Columbia Global Value Fund
Columbia Global Opportunities Fund
Columbia Government Money Market Fund
Columbia High Yield Bond Fund
Columbia Income Builder Fund
Columbia Income Opportunities Fund
Columbia Integrated Large Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Integrated Large Cap Value Fund
Columbia Integrated Small Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Large Cap Value Fund
Columbia Limited Duration Credit Fund
Columbia Minnesota Tax-Exempt Fund
Columbia Mortgage Opportunities Fund
Columbia Overseas Core Fund
Columbia Pyrford International Stock Fund
Columbia Quality Income Fund
Columbia Select Global Equity Fund
Columbia Select Large Cap Value Fund
Columbia Select Small Cap Value Fund
Columbia Seligman Technology and Information Fund
Columbia Seligman Global Technology Fund
Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund
Columbia Strategic Municipal Income Fund
Columbia Ultra Short Duration Municipal Bond Fund
Multi-Manager Value Strategies Fund
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II
Columbia Variable Portfolio Balanced Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Commodity Strategy Fund
1 | Registrants, including Registrants that are also Borrowers, are designated in bold type face; each Borrower that is a series is listed below the name of the Registrant that acts on such Borrowers behalf. |
Columbia Variable Portfolio Core Equity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Disciplined Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Dividend Opportunity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Emerging Markets Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Global Strategic Income Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Government Money Market Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio High Yield Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Income Opportunities Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Intermediate Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Large Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Large Cap Index Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Limited Duration Credit Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Select Mid Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Overseas Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Select Large Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Select Mid Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Select Small Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Seligman Global Technology Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio U.S. Government Mortgage Fund
CTIVP American Century Diversified Bond Fund
CTIVP BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
CTIVP CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
CTIVP Principal Blue Chip Growth Fund
CTIVP MFS Value Fund
CTIVP Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
CTIVP T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
CTIVP TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
CTIVP Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
CTIVP Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio Aggressive Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Conservative Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio Moderate Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Moderately Aggressive Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Moderately Conservative Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Partners Core Bond Fund
Variable Portfolio Partners Core Equity Fund
Variable Portfolio Partners International Core Equity Fund
Variable Portfolio Partners International Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio Partners International Value Fund
Variable Portfolio Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio Partners Small Cap Value Fund
Columbia Funds Series Trust
Columbia California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Columbia Capital Allocation Moderate Aggressive Portfolio
Columbia Capital Allocation Moderate Conservative Portfolio
Columbia Convertible Securities Fund
Columbia Large Cap Enhanced Core Fund
Columbia Large Cap Growth Opportunity Fund
Columbia Large Cap Index Fund
Columbia Mid Cap Index Fund
Columbia Overseas Value Fund
Columbia Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Columbia Select Mid Cap Value Fund
Columbia Short Term Bond Fund
Columbia Short Duration Municipal Bond Fund
Columbia Small Cap Index Fund
Columbia Small Cap Value Fund II
Columbia Funds Series Trust I
Columbia Adaptive Risk Allocation Fund
Columbia Balanced Fund
Columbia Bond Fund
Columbia Contrarian Core Fund
Columbia Corporate Income Fund
Columbia Dividend Income Fund
Columbia Emerging Markets Fund
Columbia Global Technology Growth Fund
Columbia Greater China Fund
Columbia High Yield Municipal Fund
Columbia Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond Fund
Columbia International Dividend Income Fund
Columbia Large Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Columbia Select Mid Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Multi Strategy Alternatives Fund
Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Columbia Oregon Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Columbia Real Estate Equity Fund
Columbia Select Large Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Small Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Small Cap Value Fund I
Columbia Strategic California Municipal Income Fund
Columbia Strategic Income Fund
Columbia Strategic New York Municipal Income Fund
Columbia Tax-Exempt Fund
Columbia Total Return Bond Fund
Columbia U.S. Treasury Index Fund
Columbia Ultra Short Term Bond Fund
Multi-Manager Alternative Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager Directional Alternative Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager Growth Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager International Equity Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager Small Cap Equity Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager Total Return Bond Strategies Fund
Multisector Bond SMA Completion Portfolio
Overseas SMA Completion Portfolio
Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust
Columbia Variable Portfolio Contrarian Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Long Government/Credit Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Small Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Small Company Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Strategic Income Fund
Variable Portfolio Managed Risk Fund
Variable Portfolio Managed Risk U.S. Fund
Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Conservative Fund
Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund
Columbia ETF Trust I
Columbia Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF
Columbia Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF
Columbia Research Enhanced Core ETF
Columbia Research Enhanced Value ETF
Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF
Columbia Short Duration Bond ETF
Columbia International ESG Equity Income ETF
Columbia U.S. ESG Equity Income ETF
Columbia Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF
Columbia ETF Trust II
Columbia EM Core ex-China ETF
Columbia Emerging Markets Consumer ETF
Columbia India Consumer ETF
Columbia Acorn Trust
Columbia Acorn European Fund
Columbia Acorn Fund Columbia Acorn International
Columbia Acorn International Select
Columbia Thermostat Fund
Wanger Advisors Trust
Wanger International
Wanger Acorn
SCHEDULE Ia
DESIGNATED BORROWERS,
DESIGNATED PERCENTAGES
AND PRO RATA ALLOCATIONS
OMITTED
SCHEDULE II
COMMITMENTS
OMITTED
SCHEDULE III
LIST OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS
Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated as of June 1, 2023, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Columbia Funds Series Trust I and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust on behalf of their underlying series listed in Schedule A thereto, Schedules A and B last amended on June 1, 2023
Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated as of April 25, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Columbia Funds Series Trust I and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust on behalf of their underlying series listed in Schedule A thereto, Schedules A and B last amended July 1, 2023
Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated as of April 25, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Columbia Funds Series Trust II, Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, and Columbia Funds Series Trust on behalf of their underlying series listed in Schedule A thereto, Schedules A and B last amended July 1, 2023
Investment Management Services Agreement as of April 19, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Columbia ETF Trust I on behalf of their underlying series listed in Schedule A thereto, Schedule A last amended December 15, 2022
Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated as of November 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Columbia Funds Series Trust II, Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, and Columbia Funds Series Trust on behalf of their underlying series listed in Schedule A thereto, Schedules A and B last amended December 7, 2021
Investment Management Services Agreement as of September 1, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Columbia ETF Trust II on behalf of their underlying series listed in Schedule A thereto, Schedule A last amended June 21, 2019
Investment Advisory Agreement between Columbia Acorn Trust and Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, dated May 27, 2010, Schedules A and B last amended June 14, 2023
Investment Advisory Agreement between Wanger Advisors Trust and Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, dated May 27, 2010, Schedules A and B last amended June 14, 2023
SCHEDULE IV
LIST OF CUSTODY AGREEMENTS
Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement, dated as of March 7, 2011, between JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and the Columbia Funds, with Appendix A last amended October 1, 2021.
Custody Agreement among JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Columbia Acorn Trust and Wanger Advisors Trust dated December 15, 2010, effective July 22, 2011, with Addendums dated July 14, 2011.
Custody Agreement, dated January 21,2022, between State Street Bank & Trust Company and Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust I
Custody Agreement, dated as of January 18, 2019, between The Bank of New York Mellon and the underlying funds of Columbia ETF Trust I and Columbia ETF Trust II, with Schedule I last amended March 15, 2023.
Foreign Custody Master Agreement, dated as of January 18, 2019, between The Bank of New York Mellon and the underlying funds of Columbia ETF Trust I and Columbia ETF Trust I, with Schedule I last amended March 15, 2023.
SCHEDULE V
LIST OF PRIME BROKER AGREEMENTS
Institutional Account Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2016, between Active Portfolios Multi-Manager Directional Alternatives Fund (now known as Multi-Manager Directional Alternative Strategies Fund), a series of Columbia Funds Series Trust I and J.P. Morgan Clearing Corp., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and certain of their affiliates.
Customer Prime Broker Account Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2016, between Active Portfolios Multi-Manager Directional Alternative Fund (now known as Multi-Manager Directional Alternatives Strategies Fund), a series of Columbia Funds Series Trust I and Morgan Stanley and Co. LLC.
Institutional Account Agreement, dated as of September 15, 2017, between Columbia Global Opportunities Fund, a series of Columbia Funds Series Trust II and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and certain of its affiliates.
SCHEDULE 5.1
Web Addresses For Annual, Semi-Annual and Quarterly Reports
https://www.columbiathreadneedleus.com/investor/resources/literature/
http://www.columbiathreadneedleetf.com/
http://www.sec.gov
SCHEDULE 9.20
REPRESENTATIONS, COVENANTS AND EVENTS OF DEFAULT
APPLICABLE TO BORROWERS WITH MAURITIUS SUBSIDIARIES
1. In order to induce the Lenders and the Administrative Agent to enter into this Agreement and to make Loans hereunder, in addition to the representations and warranties set forth in Section 3, each Mauritius Parent Borrower represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and each Lender as follows:
(a) Existence. Such Mauritius Parent Borrowers Mauritius Designated Subsidiary is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Republic of Mauritius. Such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business and in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by applicable law, except to the extent the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not have a Material Adverse Effect on such Mauritius Parent Borrower.
(b) Ownership. Such Mauritius Parent Borrower has no Subsidiaries or any equity investment or interest in any other Person other than (i) portfolio securities that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business, and (ii) its Mauritius Designated Subsidiary(ies). Such Mauritius Parent Borrower holds all of the issued and outstanding shares of stock of its Mauritius Designated Subsidiary(ies) and such shares are not subject to any Lien, pledge or other encumbrance except as may be permitted by Section 6.3.
2. Until the expiration or termination of the Commitments and until all obligations of the Borrowers under the Loan Documents have been paid or performed in full, in addition to the covenants set forth in Sections 5 and 6, each Mauritius Parent Borrower shall perform the following obligations:
(a) [Reserved].
(b) Existence. Such Mauritius Parent Borrower shall (i) maintain and preserve its Mauritius Designated Subsidiarys existence and good standing in the Republic of Mauritius and, except to the extent the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not have a Material Adverse Effect on such Mauritius Parent Borrower, its qualification to do business and good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by applicable law, and (ii) maintain and preserve all rights, privileges, licenses, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, franchises and other authority of such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary to the extent material and necessary for the conduct of such Mauritius Designated Subsidiarys business in the ordinary course, unless the failure to so maintain and preserve could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on such Mauritius Parent Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Schedule 9.20 and Section 6.5 of the Agreement, a Mauritius Designated Subsidiary shall, without the consent of the Lenders, be permitted to liquidate, wind up or dissolve; provided that (i) the net asset value of such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary does not exceed 1% of the total net asset value of the relevant Mauritius Parent Borrower, and (ii) the Mauritius Parent Borrower parent to such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary shall deliver to the Administrative Agent notice of such dissolution promptly following the effectiveness thereof.
(c) Asset Coverage Ratio. Such Borrower shall at all times maintain an Asset Coverage Ratio of its Designated Borrower Asset Coverage Ratio Percentage or such other more restrictive ratio as may be set forth in the most recent Prospectus or most recent SAI (if applicable) to such Mauritius Parent Borrower.
(d) Compliance With Laws. Such Mauritius Parent Borrower will cause its Mauritius Designated Subsidiary to comply in all respects with all applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and requirements of governmental authorities and the exchange on which its shares are traded, if any, except where (a) the necessity of compliance therewith is contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) exemptive relief has been obtained therefrom and remains in effect or (c) the violation thereof could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary or such Mauritius Parent Borrower. Such Mauritius Parent Borrower will cause its Mauritius Designated Subsidiary to file or cause to be filed all federal and other tax returns, reports and declarations required by all relevant jurisdictions on or before the due dates for such returns, reports and declarations and will pay all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges as and when they become due (except those that are being contested in good faith by such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary and as to which such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary has established appropriate reserves on its books and records or where the failure to file any such return or report or the nonpayment of any such taxes or charges could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on such Mauritius Parent Borrower).
(e) Ownership. Such Mauritius Parent Borrower will own one hundred percent (100%) of the Equity Interests of its Mauritius Designated Subsidiary. For purposes of this clause (e), Equity Interests shall mean all shares, rights to purchase, options, warrants, general, limited or limited liability partnership interests, member interests, participation or other equivalents of or interest in (regardless of how designated) equity of such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary, whether voting or nonvoting, including, without limitation, common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities or any other equity security in such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary.
(f) Distributions from Subsidiary. Such Mauritius Parent Borrower will not cause or permit its Mauritius Designated Subsidiarys organizational documents or any instrument, agreement or document executed by or on behalf of its Mauritius Designated Subsidiary or such Mauritius Parent Borrower, or by which such Mauritius Designated Subsidiary or such Mauritius Parent Borrower is bound, to contain any restriction on such Mauritius Designated Subsidiarys right or ability to make dividends, distributions or loans of any kind, or otherwise to transfer any assets or funds from such Subsidiary, to such Mauritius Parent Borrower, other than, in the case of any organizational documents, restrictions required by applicable law.
(g) Limitation on Indebtedness. At any time during which such Mauritius Parent Borrower has any Loan outstanding, such Mauritius Parent Borrower will not cause or permit its Mauritius Designated Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness constituting Senior Securities in an amount exceeding 10% of such Mauritius Designated Subsidiarys net asset value.
3. In addition to the Events of Default set forth in Section 7 each of the following shall constitute an Event of Default with respect to each Mauritius Parent Borrower:
(a) Such Mauritius Parent Borrower shall default in the performance of its agreements under (i) Section 2(e) or 2(g) of this Schedule 9.20, (ii) Section 2(c) of this Schedule 9.20, and, in the case of Section 2(c), such default is not cured within three (3) Business Days or (iii) Section 2(b)(i) of this Schedule 9.20, and, in the case of Section 2(b)(i), such default is not cured within five (5) Business Days.
EXHIBIT 2.5(e)
FORM OF NOTE
$ |
New York, New York , 20 |
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, [Registrant], on behalf of [Borrower] (the Borrower), hereby unconditionally promises to pay to the order of , at the office of JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. as administrative agent for the Lenders (the Lenders) under the Credit Agreement, as hereinafter defined (in such capacity, the Administrative Agent), in lawful money of the United States of America and in immediately available funds, on each Maturity Date the principal amount of (a) DOLLARS ($ ), or, if less (b) the aggregate unpaid principal amount of all Loans made by the holder of this Note to the Borrower pursuant to Sections 2.1, 2.14 and 2.15 of the Credit Agreement, as hereinafter defined.
The undersigned further agrees to pay interest in like money at such office on the unpaid principal amount hereof from time to time from the Closing Date at the applicable rates per annum set forth in Section 2.7 of the Credit Agreement referred to below until any such amount shall become due and payable (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise), and thereafter on such overdue amount at the rate per annum set forth in Section 2.7(b) of the Credit Agreement until paid in full (both before and after judgment). Interest shall be payable in arrears on each applicable Interest Payment Date, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof and terminating upon payment (including prepayment) in full of the unpaid principal amount hereof; provided that interest accruing on any overdue amount shall be payable on demand.
The holder of this Note is authorized to endorse on the schedule annexed hereto and made a part hereof the date and amount of each Loan made to the Borrower pursuant to the Credit Agreement and the date and amount of each payment or prepayment of principal thereof. Each such endorsement shall constitute prima facie evidence of the accuracy of the information endorsed. The failure to make any such endorsement shall not affect the obligations of the Borrower in respect of such Loan.
This Note (a) is one of the Notes referred to in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of [ ] (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the Credit Agreement), among the Registrants identified therein on behalf of the Borrowers, the Lenders, the syndication agents party thereto and the Administrative Agent, (b) is subject to the provisions of the Credit Agreement and (c) is subject to optional and mandatory prepayment in whole or in part as provided in the Credit Agreement.
Upon the occurrence of one or more Events of Default, all amounts then remaining unpaid on this Note shall become, or may be declared to be, immediately due and payable, all as provided in the Credit Agreement.
All parties now and hereafter liable with respect to this Note, whether maker, principal, surety, guarantor, endorser or otherwise, hereby waive presentment, demand, protest and all other notices of any kind.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
THIS NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
[NAME OF REGISTRANT] | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
Schedule A to Note
LOANS AND REPAYMENTS OF LOANS
DATE |
AMOUNT OF LOANS |
AMOUNT OF PRINCIPAL OF LOANS REPAID |
UNPAID |
NOTATION |
EXHIBIT 2.16(a)
FORM OF DESIGNATION OF NEW BORROWERS
, [ ]
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent
Each of the Lenders under the Credit Agreement identified below
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Reference is made to that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of [ ] (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the Agreement) among (i) certain registered investment companies (each, a Registrant, and collectively, the Registrants), each of which on behalf of certain of its respective series set forth beneath such Registrants name on Schedule [_] thereto (each of which series is, individually, a Borrower and, collectively, the Borrowers), (ii) the several banks and other financial institutions from time to time parties thereto (the Lenders), and (iii) JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., a national banking association, as administrative agent and as documentation agent for the Lenders thereunder (in such capacity, the Administrative Agent). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement.
The undersigned Registrant or new registered investment company (each, a Requesting Registrant), on behalf of the series set forth beneath its name (each such series a New Borrower), hereby requests that each New Borrower be admitted as an additional Borrower under the Agreement.
The Requesting Registrant and each New Borrower hereby represent and warrant to the Administrative Agent and each Lender that as of [ ] and after giving effect to the admission of each New Borrower as an additional Borrower under the Agreement: (i) the representations and warranties set forth in Section 3 of the Agreement are true and correct with respect to it; (ii) it is in compliance in all material respects with all the terms and provisions set forth in the Agreement; (iii) no Default or Event of Default with respect to it has occurred and is continuing.
Each New Borrower agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Agreement in all respects as a Borrower thereunder and hereby assumes all of the obligations of a Borrower thereunder.
Please indicate your assent to the admission of each New Borrower as an additional Borrower under the Agreement by executing the [ ] dated as of the date hereof.
[SIGNATORIES]
EXHIBIT 9.6 (c)
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT AND ACCEPTANCE
Reference is made to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of [ ] (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the Credit Agreement) among (i) certain registered investment companies (each, a Registrant, and collectively, the Registrants), each of which on behalf of certain of its respective series set forth beneath such Registrants name on Schedule [_] thereto (each of which series, is, individually, a Borrower and, collectively, the Borrowers), (ii) the several banks and other financial institutions from time to time parties thereto (the Lenders), and (iii) JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., a national banking association, as administrative agent and as documentation agent for the Lenders thereunder (in such capacity, the Administrative Agent). Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
(the Assignor) and (the Assignee) agree as follows:
1. The Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the Assignee without recourse to the Assignor, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the Assignor without recourse to the Assignor, as of the Effective Date (as defined below) the interest described in Schedule 1 hereto (the Assigned Interest) in and to the Assignors rights and obligations under the Credit Agreement.
2. The Assignor (a) makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to or in any connection with the Credit Agreement or with respect to the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Credit Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant thereto, other than that the Assignor has not created any adverse claim upon the interest being assigned by it hereunder and that such interest is free and clear of any such adverse claim; (b) makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to the financial condition of any Borrower or any other obligor or the performance or observance by any Borrower or any other obligor of any of their respective obligations under the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto; and (c) attaches any Notes held by it evidencing the Assigned Interest and (i) requests that the Administrative Agent, upon request by the Assignee, exchange the attached Notes for a new Note or Notes payable to the Assignee and (ii) if the Assignor has retained any interest in the Assigned Interest, requests that the Administrative Agent exchange the attached Notes for a new Note or Notes payable to the Assignor, in each case in amounts which reflect the assignment being made hereby (and after giving effect to any other assignments which have become effective on the Effective Date).
3. The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that it is legally authorized to enter into this Assignment and Acceptance; (b) confirms that it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and
Acceptance; (c) agrees that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Assignor, the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Credit Agreement, the other Loan Documents or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto; (d) appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers and discretion under the Credit Agreement, the other Loan Documents or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms thereof, together with such powers as are incidental thereto; and (e) agrees that it will perform in accordance with its terms all the obligations which by the terms of the Credit Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender including, if it is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States, its obligation pursuant to Section 2.11(b) of the Credit Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, the Assignee represents and warrants, and agrees to, each of the matters set forth in Section 8.6 of the Credit Agreement, including that the Loan Documents set out the terms of a commercial lending facility.
4. The effective date of this Assignment and Acceptance shall be (the Effective Date). Following the execution of this Assignment and Acceptance, it will be delivered to the Administrative Agent for acceptance by it and recording by the Administrative Agent pursuant to the Credit Agreement, effective as of the Effective Date (which shall not, unless otherwise agreed to by the Administrative Agent, be earlier than five Business Days after the date of such acceptance and recording by the Administrative Agent).
5. Upon such acceptance and recording, from and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignee whether such amounts have accrued prior to the Effective Date or accrue subsequent to the Effective Date. The Assignor and the Assignee shall make all appropriate adjustments in payments by the Administrative Agent for periods prior to the Effective Date or with respect to the making of this assignment directly between themselves.
6. From and after the Effective Date, (a) the Assignee shall be a party to the Credit Agreement and, to the extent provided in this Assignment and Acceptance, have the rights and obligations of a Lender thereunder and under the other Loan Documents and shall be bound by the provisions thereof and (b) the Assignor shall, to the extent provided in this Assignment and Acceptance, relinquish its rights (except under Sections 2.10, 2.11 and 9.5 of the Credit Agreement in respect of the period prior to the Effective Date) be released from its obligations under the Credit Agreement.
7. This Assignment and Acceptance shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Assignment and Acceptance to be executed as of the date first above written by their respective duly authorized officers.
SCHEDULE 1 TO ASSIGNMENT AND ACCEPTANCE
RELATING TO THE AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF [ ]
Name of Assignor:
Name of Assignee:
Effective Date of Assignment:
Principal Amount Assigned |
Commitment Percentage Assigned1 | |
$ | $ |
1 | Calculate the Commitment Percentage that is assigned to at least 15 decimal places and show as a percentage of the aggregate commitments of all Lenders. |
Schedule A: Acquiring Funds
Each severally and not jointly
Amended October 20, 2023
Registrant: Columbia Funds Series Trust
Series: Columbia Overseas Value Fund
Columbia Small Cap Index Fund
Registrant: Columbia Funds Series Trust I
Series: Columbia Balanced Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2020 Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2025 Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2030 Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2035 Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2040 Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2045 Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2050 Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2055 Fund
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2060 Fund
Columbia Pyrford International Stock Fund
Multi-Manager Alternative Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager Directional Alternative Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager Growth Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager International Equity Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager Small Cap Equity Strategies Fund
Multi-Manager Total Return Bond Strategies Fund
Registrant: Columbia Funds Series Trust II
Series: Columbia Strategic Municipal Income Fund
Columbia High Yield Bond Fund
Columbia Global Opportunities Fund
Columbia Overseas Core Fund
Columbia Global Value Fund
Multi-Manager Value Strategies Fund
Registrant: Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II
Series: Columbia Variable Portfolio Overseas Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Balanced Fund
Variable Portfolio Conservative Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Moderately Conservative Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Moderate Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Moderately Aggressive Portfolio
Variable Portfolio Aggressive Portfolio
Registrant: Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust
Series: Columbia Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Conservative Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Managed Risk Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio Managed Risk U.S. Fund
SCHEDULE A
List of Funds to Which the Agreement Applies
Investing Funds |
Vanguard Funds | |
Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund1 | Vanguard Bond Index Funds Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | |
Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund2 | Vanguard Scottsdale Funds Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF | |
Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Growth Fund2 | Vanguard Tax-Managed Funds Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | |
Variable Portfolio Managed Volatility Conservative Fund2 | Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares | |
Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Growth Fund2 | ||
Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund2 | ||
Variable Portfolio U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund2 | ||
Variable Portfolio Managed Risk Fund2 | ||
Variable Portfolio Managed Risk U.S. Fund2 | ||
Variable Portfolio Aggressive Portfolio1 | ||
Variable Portfolio Conservative Portfolio1 | ||
Variable Portfolio Moderate Portfolio1 | ||
Variable Portfolio Moderately Aggressive Portfolio1 | ||
Variable Portfolio Moderately Conservative Portfolio1 | ||
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2020 Fund3 | ||
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2025 Fund3 |
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2030 Fund3 |
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2035 Fund3 |
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2040 Fund3 |
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2045 Fund3 |
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2050 Fund3 |
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2055 Fund3 |
Columbia Adaptive Retirement 2060 Fund3 |
1 | A series of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II |
2 | A series of Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust |
3 | A series of Columbia Funds Series Trust I |
Applicable Entities / Rules
Applicable Entities: | Enterprise wide policy, including American Century Investment Management, Inc., Registered Investment Companies, Schedule A, American Century Investment Services, Inc., American Century Services, LLC | |
Statutory/Regulatory: | Investment Company Act § 17(j), Rule 17j-1; Investment Advisers Act § 204A, 206, Rule 204A-1 and 204-2(12) | |
Effective Date(s): | October 29, 1999, Last Revised June 16, 2023 | |
Policy or Summary: | Policy | |
Related Summary: | Code of Ethics Policies and Procedures | |
Related Documents: | Business Code of Conduct; Insider Trading Policy |
Table of Contents
Snapshot of the Policy |
2 | |||||
Requirements for All Employees |
2 | |||||
Requirements for Access, Investment and Portfolio Persons |
2 | |||||
Trading Prohibitions for Investment and Portfolio Persons |
2 | |||||
I. |
Purpose of Code |
3 | ||||
II. |
Why Do We Have a Code of Ethics? |
4 | ||||
III. |
Does the Code of Ethics Apply to You? |
5 | ||||
IV. |
Restrictions on Personal Investing Activities |
6 | ||||
V. |
Reporting Requirements |
11 | ||||
VI. |
Can there be any exceptions to the restrictions? |
14 | ||||
VII. |
Confidential Information |
16 | ||||
VIII. |
Conflicts of Interest |
16 | ||||
IX. |
What happens if you violate the rules in the Code of Ethics? |
16 | ||||
X. |
ACIs Quarterly Report to Fund Directors/Trustees |
18 | ||||
APPENDIX 1: DEFINITIONS |
19 | |||||
APPENDIX 2: WHAT IS BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP? |
23 | |||||
APPENDIX 3: CODE-EXEMPT AND PROHIBITED SECURITIES |
26 | |||||
APPENDIX 4: HOW THE PRECLEARANCE PROCESS WORKS |
28 | |||||
APPENDIX 5: ACCOUNT REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS |
31 | |||||
SCHEDULE A: BOARD APPROVAL DATES |
35 | |||||
SCHEDULE B: SUBADVISED FUNDS |
36 | |||||
SCHEDULE C: BROKERS |
38 | |||||
PROHIBITED BROKERS |
38 | |||||
APPROVED ELECTRONIC BROKERS |
38 |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
1 |
Snapshot of the Policy
The Code of Ethics is a comprehensive policy which provides the standards for personal investing by American Century Investments (ACI) employees. Each employee has a Code of Ethics classification based on their job responsibilities and the ability to access nonpublic information about ACI client portfolios security holdings and trading activities. The restrictions on personal investing contained in the Code vary by classification. The Code of Ethics also applies to accounts and securities that ACI employees beneficially own (i.e., owned by immediate family sharing your household, your domestic partner, or accounts for which you have trading authority or power of attorney, etc.).
It is important that you understand the Code and the restrictions on personal investing. These restrictions may include preclearance of trades and reporting of transactions and holdings, including for exchange traded funds (ETFs) and reportable mutual funds. This page contains a summary of the Code requirements. Please review the full text of the Code to fully understand your responsibilities. Contact Compliance if you have questions about the policy and how it applies to your situation. ComplianceAlpha is the primary tool for performing your duties under the Code. All reporting and preclearance activities are performed in ComplianceAlpha.
Requirements for All Employees
Non-Access Persons, Access Persons, Investment Persons, and Portfolio Persons must
| Place our clients interest first |
| Comply with federal securities laws |
| Report violations to Compliance |
| Acknowledge that you have read and understand the Code of Ethics |
| Link reportable brokerage accounts and reportable mutual fund accounts in ComplianceAlpha |
| Comply with short-term trading restrictions for ACI client portfolios |
| Obtain written approval to enter into an arrangement or agreement that could create a conflict of interest with ACI activities (i.e. serving on the board of directors of a publicly traded company) |
Requirements for Access, Investment and Portfolio Persons
Access Persons, Investment Persons, Portfolio Persons must
| Disclose holdings within 10 days of designation and annually, thereafter |
| Disclose personal security transactions on a quarterly basis |
| Disclose conflicts of interest annually |
| Obtain approval (preclearance) to trade in reportable securities |
| Obtain approval to transact in an affiliated, self-indexed ETF if you are a member of the Global Analytics team or the Index Governance Committee (including non-voting members) |
Trading Prohibitions for Investment and Portfolio Persons
| Investment Persons and Portfolio Persons cannot participate in an Initial Public Offering. |
| Investment Persons and Portfolio Persons cannot profit on short-term reportable security trades within 60 calendar days. |
| Portfolio Persons cannot trade in a security within seven days before and after transactions of a client portfolio you manage. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
2 |
| Portfolio Persons cannot sell a security which is held by your assigned client portfolio or buy a security held as a short position in your assigned funds. |
| Portfolio Persons that manage a Semi-Transparent Active Exchange Traded Fund (STA ETF) are required to obtain pre-approval prior to trading in shares of the STA ETF. They are restricted from selling shares of a STA ETF that they manage within 30 days after purchase. |
I. Purpose of Code
The Code of Ethics guides the personal investment activities of American Century Investments (ACI) employees (including full and part-time employees, contract and temporary employees, officers and directors), and members of their immediate family.1 The Code of Ethics aids in the elimination and detection of personal securities transactions by employees that might be viewed as fraudulent or might conflict with the interests of our client portfolios. Such transactions may include, without limitation:
| the misuse of client trading information for personal benefit (including so-called front-running), |
| the misappropriation of investment opportunities that may be appropriate for client portfolios, and |
| excessive personal trading that may affect our ability to provide services to our clients. |
Violations of this Code must be promptly reported to the Chief Compliance Officer.
1 | The directors or trustees of Fund Clients who are not interested persons (the Independent Directors) are covered under a separate Code applicable only to them. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
3 |
II. | Why Do We Have a Code of Ethics? |
A. | Investors have placed their trust in ACI |
As an investment adviser, ACI is entrusted with the assets of our clients for investment purposes. Our employees personal trading activities and the administration of the Code are governed by these general fiduciary principles:
| The interests of our clients must be placed before our own. |
| Any personal securities transactions must be conducted consistent with this Code and in a manner as to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. |
Complying with these principles is how we earn and keep our clients trust. To protect this trust, we will hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards.
B. | ACI wants to give you flexible investing options |
Management believes that ACIs own mutual funds, ETFs and other pooled investment vehicles provide a broad range of investment alternatives in virtually every segment of the securities market. We encourage ACI employees to use these vehicles for their personal investments. We do not encourage active trading by our employees. We recognize, however, that individual needs differ and that there are other attractive investment opportunities. As a result, this Code is intended to give you and your family flexibility to invest, without jeopardizing relationships with our clients.
Our employees are able to undertake personal transactions in stocks and other individual securities subject to the terms of this Code. All employees are required to report their personal transactions in securities owned by them and in beneficially owned securities under this Code. Additionally, Portfolio, Investment and Access Persons are required to receive preclearance of transactions and further limitations are placed on the transactions of Portfolio and Investment Persons.
C. | Federal law requires that we have a Code of Ethics |
The Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 require that we have safeguards in place to prevent personal investment activities that might take inappropriate advantage of our fiduciary position. These safeguards are embodied in this Code of Ethics.2
2 | Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 serve as a basis for much of what is contained in this Code of Ethics. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
4 |
III. | Does the Code of Ethics Apply to You? |
Yes! All ACI employees and contract personnel must observe the principles contained in this Code of Ethics. This Code applies to your personal investments, as well as those for which you are a beneficial owner. However, there are different requirements for different categories of employees. The category in which you have been placed generally depends on your job function, although circumstances may prompt us to place you in a different category. The range of categories is as follows:
Fewest Restrictions |
Most Restrictions | |||||
Non-Access Person | Access Person | Investment Person | Portfolio Person |
The standard profile for each of the categories is described below:
A. | Portfolio Persons |
Portfolio Persons include portfolio managers and equity investment analysts and any other Investment Persons (as defined below) with authority to enter purchase/sale orders on behalf of client portfolios.
B. | Investment Persons |
Investment Persons include:
| any persons that are involved in or have access to client portfolio securities trading, securities recommendations, or portfolio holdings or are involved in making securities recommendations that are nonpublic, and |
| any officers and directors of an investment adviser. |
C. | Access Persons |
Access Persons are persons who, in connection with their regular function and duties, consistently obtain information regarding current purchase and sale recommendations and daily transaction and holdings information concerning client portfolios. Examples of persons that may be considered Access Persons include
| persons who are directly involved in the execution, clearance, and settlement of purchases and sales of securities (e.g. certain investment operations personnel), |
| persons whose function requires them to evaluate trading activity on a real-time basis (e.g. attorneys, accountants, portfolio compliance personnel), |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
5 |
| persons who assist in the design, implementation, and maintenance of investment management technology systems (e.g. certain I/T personnel, including contractors), |
| support staff and supervisors of the above if they are required to obtain such information as a part of their regular function and duties, |
| officers or interested director of our Fund Clients, and |
| members of the Index Governance Committee for affiliated ETFs (including non-voting members). |
Single, infrequent, or inadvertent instances of access to current recommendations or real-time trading information or the opportunity to obtain such information through casual observance or bundled data security access may not be sufficient to qualify you as an Access Person.
D. | Non-Access Persons |
If you are an ACI officer, director, or employee and you do not fit into any of the above categories, you are a Non-Access Person. Contractors and temporary employees may be considered Non-Access Persons depending on their role. While your trading is not subject to preclearance and other restrictions applicable to Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons, you are still subject to the remaining provisions of the Code.
IV. | Restrictions on Personal Investing Activities |
A. | Principles of Personal Investing |
All ACI employees, officers, and directors, and members of their immediate family, must comply with the federal securities laws and other governmental rules and regulations, and maintain ACIs high ethical standards when making personal securities transactions. You must not misuse nonpublic information about client security holdings or contemplated, pending, or completed portfolio transactions for your personal benefit or the benefit of others. Likewise, you may not cause a client portfolio to take action, or fail to take action, for your personal benefit.
In addition, investment opportunities appropriate for client portfolios should not be retained for the personal benefit of yourself or others. Investment opportunities arising as a result of ACI investment management activities must first be considered for inclusion in our client portfolios.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
6 |
B. | Trading on Inside Information |
Federal law prohibits you from trading based on material nonpublic information received from any source or communicating this information to others. This could include confidential information received by employees regarding securities that are, or maybe considered as potential portfolio investments. You are expected to abide by the highest ethical and legal standards in conducting your personal investment activities. For more information regarding what to do when you believe you are in possession of material nonpublic information, please consult ACIs Insider Trading Policy.
C. | Trading in ACI Open-End Mutual Funds |
Excessive, short-term trading of ACI open-end mutual funds and other abusive trading practices (such as time zone arbitrage) may disrupt portfolio management strategies and harm fund performance. These practices can cause funds to maintain higher-than-normal cash balances and incur increased trading costs. Short-term and other abusive trading strategies can also cause unjust dilution of shareholder value if such trading is based on information not accurately reflected in the price of the fund.
You may not engage in short-term trading or other abusive trading strategies with respect to any ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolio. For purposes of this Code, ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolios include any open-end mutual fund or variable annuity, advised or subadvised by ACI.3
Seven-Day Holding Period. You will be deemed to have engaged in short-term trading if you have purchased shares or otherwise invested in a variable-priced (non-money market) ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolio and redeem shares or otherwise withdraw assets from that portfolio within seven days. In other words, if you make an investment in an ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolio, you may not redeem shares from that fund before the completion of the seventh day following the purchase date.
Limited Trading Within 30 Days. We realize that abusive trading is not limited to a seven-day window. As a result, we may deem the sale of all or a substantial portion of an employees purchase in an ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolio to be abusive if the sale is made within 30 days, and it happens more than once every rolling twelve months.
These trading restrictions are applicable to any account for which you have the authority to direct trades or of which you are a beneficial owner, including brokerage accounts, ACI Personal Financial Solutions (PFS) accounts, retirement plans, subadvised accounts, or accounts held through an intermediary.
Transactions NOT Subject to Limitations. Automatic investments such as AMIs, dividend reinvestments, employer plan contributions, and payroll deductions are not considered transactions for purposes of the holding requirements. Redemptions in variable-priced funds that allow check writing privileges or trusts used as cash instruments in the retirement plan will not be considered redemptions for purposes of the holding requirements.
3 | See Schedule A for a list of Fund Clients. See Schedule B for a list of subadvised funds. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
7 |
Information to be Provided. You may be required to provide certain information regarding mutual fund accounts beneficially owned by you and transactions in reportable mutual funds. See the Reporting Requirements for your applicable Code of Ethics classification.
D. | Preclearance of Personal Securities Transactions |
[Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons]
Preclearance of personal securities transactions allows ACI to prevent certain trades that may conflict with client trading activities. The nature of securities markets makes it impossible to predict all conflicts. As a consequence, even trades that are precleared can result in potential conflicts between your trades and those affected for client portfolios. You are responsible for avoiding such conflicts with any client portfolios for which you make investment recommendations. You have an obligation to ACI and its clients to avoid even a perception of a conflict of interest with respect to personal trading activities.
All Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons must comply with the following preclearance procedures prior to entering into (i) the purchase or sale of a security for your own account or (ii) the purchase or sale of a security for an account for which you are a beneficial owner.4
All preclearance request should be submitted in ComplianceAlpha. Refer to Appendix 4: How the preclearance process works. for more information.
1. | Is the security a Code-Exempt Security or a Prohibited Security listed in Appendix 3? |
If the security is listed on the Code-Exempt Security list, you may execute the transaction without preclearance.
If the security is listed on the Prohibited Security list, you may not execute the transaction.
If the security is not on either list, then you must obtain preclearance (Proceed to Step 2).
2. | Submit a Preclearance Request in ComplianceAlpha. You will be required to provide the following: |
| Security identifier (Ticker symbol, CUSIP, etc.) |
4 | See Appendix 2 for an explanation of beneficial ownership. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
8 |
| Broker and account number used for the transaction; |
| Transaction type |
| Quantity (number of shares or par value) |
| Price |
| Dollar value |
3. | The request will be reviewed through our preclearance process. You will receive an e-mail informing you of your approval or denial. |
4. | If you receive preclearance for the transaction,5 you may execute the approved transaction the day your preclearance is granted and the following business day (the Preclearance Period). For example, if preclearance is granted at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, you have until the close of the market on Thursday to execute the trade. If you do not execute the approved transaction within the Preclearance Period, you must repeat the preclearance procedure prior to executing the transaction. |
ACI reserves the right to restrict the purchase or sale by Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons of any security at any time. Such restrictions are imposed through the use of a Restricted List that will cause ComplianceAlpha to deny the approval of preclearance to transact in the security. Securities may be restricted for a variety of reasons including without limitation the possession of material nonpublic information by ACI or its employees.
E. | Additional Trading Restrictions |
[Portfolio and Investment Persons]
Participation in the investment management of a client portfolio or participation on a Committee that reviews certain types of information potentially increases the risk of a conflict of interest between an employees personal trading and the use of client information. The following additional trading restrictions mitigate this risk. Preclearance should be submitted in ComplianceAlpha following the instructions in Appendix 4.
1. | Initial Public Offerings. You may not acquire securities issued in an initial public offering. |
2. | Private Placements. Before you acquire any securities in a private placement, you must obtain approval from the Chief Investment Officer. Request preclearance by entering your request in ComplianceAlpha. While your preclearance request is pending or if you own or beneficially own the privately-placed security, you may not participate in any consideration of an investment in securities of the private placement issuer for any client portfolios. |
5 | See Appendix 4 for a description of the preclearance process. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
9 |
3. | 60-Day Rule (Short-Term Trading Profits). You may not profit from any purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same (or equivalent) securities other than code-exempt securities within sixty (60) calendar days. |
F. | Seven-Day Blackout Period [Portfolio Persons] |
If you are a Portfolio Person, you may not purchase or sell a security other than a code exempt security during the seven (7) calendar days before and after the day it has been traded in a client portfolio that you manage (i.e., if a client portfolio transacts in a security on Monday, the Portfolio Persons managing the client portfolio must not personally trade in the security from the Monday before until the Monday after the client portfolio transaction.
G. | Securities Held in Your Funds [Portfolio Persons] |
Personally investing in the same securities held by the client portfolios you manage may result in a conflict of interest. To mitigate this risk, you may not sell a security in which your client portfolio has a long position or purchase a security in which your client portfolio has a short position without an exemption from this Code.
H. | Trading in Semi-Transparent Active ETFs (STA ETF) that You Manage [Portfolio Persons] |
Trading shares of an ACI STA ETF while in possession of information regarding STA ETF security transactions not fully disseminated in the market is prohibited. As a result, you are required to obtain preclearance to transact in the STA ETFs for which you have portfolio manager or trade order authority assigned through the order-trade system. You will only be allowed to execute the trade on the day following your approved preclearance. In addition, you are limited from selling shares of the STA ETF for 30 calendar days after your last purchase.
I. | Trading in Affiliated Self-Indexed ETFs |
[Certain Members of the Global Analytics Team and the Index Governance Committee]
Trading shares of an ACI Self-Indexed ETF while in possession of nonpublic information about the index is prohibited. If you are member of the Global Analytics Team responsible for creating indexes or the Index Governance Committee (including non-voting members), you are required to preclear your transactions in an affiliated Self- Indexed ETF. You will only be allowed to execute the trade on the sixth business day after your preclearance request.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
10 |
V. | Reporting Requirements |
You are required to file complete, accurate, and timely reports of all required information under this Code. All reported information is subject to review for indications of abusive trading, misappropriation of information, or failure to adhere to the requirements of this Code.
A. | Reporting Requirements Applicable to All Employees |
1. | Code Acknowledgement |
Upon employment, any amendment of the Code, and not less than annually thereafter, you will be required to acknowledge that you have received, read, and will comply with this Code. Compliance will notify you when you must provide this information.
2. | Brokerage Accounts and Duplicate Confirmations |
You are required to report ALL reportable brokerage accounts in ComplianceAlpha. Reportable brokerage accounts include both brokerage accounts maintained by you and brokerage accounts maintained by a person whose trades you must report because you are a beneficial owner. (Refer to Appendix 5 Account Reporting Instructions). Compliance will use your account information to obtain trade confirmations for the activity in your account.
To aid with required recordkeeping requirements and streamline operations, employees may be required to hold all reportable brokerage accounts at a firm that provides electronic trade confirmations to ComplianceAlpha. Through reporting your account information, you are consenting to receipt by Compliance of electronic trade confirmations.
3. | Reporting of American Century Managed Mutual Fund Accounts |
a) | Employee-owned ACI Personal Financial Solutions (PFS) and ACI Retirement Plans |
You are not required to report ACI PFS and ACI Retirement Plan accounts held under your own Social Security number. Trading in these accounts will be monitored based on information contained on our transfer agency and retirement plan systems.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
11 |
b) | Beneficially-Owned ACI PFS Accounts (Portfolio and Investment Persons Only) |
You must report all ACI PFS open-end mutual fund accounts that are owned by your immediate family members and other accounts you beneficially-own.
Compliance will obtain trading activity in these accounts which will be monitored for short-term and abusive trading.
c) | Certain third-party accounts invested in funds managed by ACI |
You are required to report other accounts invested in funds managed by ACI such as those invested in (i) any subadvised fund (see Schedule B of this Code for a list of subadvised funds); and (ii) non-ACI retirement plan, unit investment trust, variable annuity, or similar accounts in which you own or beneficially own reportable mutual funds.
In addition, you must provide either account statements or confirmations of all trading activity in reportable third-party accounts to Compliance within 30 calendar days of the end of each calendar quarter.
Refer to Appendix 5: Account Reporting Instructions for the process to report your accounts in the ComplianceAlpha.
B. | Additional Reporting Requirements [Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons] |
1. | Holdings Report |
Within ten (10) calendar days of becoming a Portfolio, Investment, or Access Person, and annually, thereafter, you must submit a Holdings Report. You will be sent an email from ComplianceAlpha with a link to the compliance system where you will complete your report. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than 45 calendar days before the report is filed and include the following:
| A list of all securities, other than certain code-exempt securities 6, that you own or in which you have a beneficial ownership interest. This listing must include the financial institution, account number, security identifier and description, number of shares, currency, and principal amount of each covered security. If you are using an Approved Electronic Broker (AEB) through the Direct or Aggregation Feed on ComplianceAlpha, your holdings will be imported into ComplianceAlpha for you. For securities held in accounts listed as Manual in ComplianceAlpha, you will be required to import or manually add your holdings prior to the reporting deadline. |
6 | See Appendix 3 for a listing of code-exempt securities that must be reported. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
12 |
| Portfolio and Investment Persons must also provide a list of all reportable mutual fund holdings owned or in which they have a beneficial ownership interest. This list must include investments held through ACI PFS in accounts that are beneficially-owned, investments in any subadvised fund, holdings in a reportable brokerage account, and holdings in non-ACI retirement plans, unit investment trusts, variable annuity, or similar accounts. ACI PFS reportable mutual fund holdings held under an employees tax payer identification number are not required to be listed in ComplianceAlpha. Compliance will obtain the information from ACI PFS. |
| A summary of your relationships that may conflict with the interests of ACI, such as outside employment, relationships with competitors, suppliers, vendors, independent contractors or consultants of ACI, or relationships with directors or trustees in outside organizations other than community charitable activities, education activities, or dissimilar family business. |
2. | Quarterly Transactions Report |
Within 30 calendar days of the end of each calendar quarter, all Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons must submit a Quarterly Transactions Report. Compliance will notify you of the dates and requirements for filing the report. A report of the transactions for which we have received your trade confirmations during the quarter will be provided for your review in ComplianceAlpha. It is your responsibility to review the completeness and accuracy of this report, provide any necessary changes, and certify its contents when submitted.
a) | The Quarterly Transactions Report must contain the following information about each personal securities transaction undertaken during the quarter other than those in certain code exempt securities: |
| The financial institutions name and account number in which the transaction was executed; |
| The date of the transaction, the security identifier and description and number of shares or the principal amount of each security involved; |
| The nature of the transaction, that is, purchase, sale, or any other type of acquisition or disposition; and |
| The transaction price, currency, and amount. |
In addition, information regarding accuracy and completeness of your reportable brokerage and other accounts should be verified at this time.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
13 |
b) | Portfolio and Investment Persons are also required to report transactions in reportable mutual funds held through a brokerage account. The Quarterly Transactions Report for such persons must contain the following information about each transaction during the quarter: |
| The date of the transaction, the fund identifier and description and number of shares or units of each trade involved; |
| The nature of the transaction, that is, purchase, sale, or any other type of acquisition or disposition; |
| The transaction price, and amount; and |
| The financial institutions name and account number in which the trade was executed. |
Transactions of reportable mutual funds that do not need to be reported by Portfolio and Investment Persons on the Quarterly Transaction Report include:
| Reinvested dividends; |
| Transactions in ACI open-end mutual funds through the ACI retirement plan accounts; |
| Transactions in ACI open-end mutual funds held through ACI PFS accounts under your Social Security number; |
| Transactions in ACI open-end mutual funds in beneficially-owned ACI PFS accounts if the account has been linked to ComplianceAlpha through the Aggregation Feed; and |
| Transactions in reportable third-party accounts for which the account statements or confirmations are provided to Compliance within 30 days of the end of the calendar quarter in which the transactions took place. |
VI. | Can there be any exceptions to the restrictions? |
Yes. The Chief Compliance Officer or their designee may grant limited exemptions to specific provisions of the Code on a case-by-case basis. Exemptions are requested in ComplianceAlpha (see Appendix 6: Requesting an Exemption).
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
14 |
A. | Factors Considered |
In considering your request, the Chief Compliance Officer or their designee may grant your exemption request if they are satisfied of the following:
| Your request addresses an undue personal hardship imposed on you by the Code of Ethics; |
| Your situation is not in conflict with the Code; and |
| Your exemption, if granted, would be consistent with the achievement of the objectives of the Code of Ethics. |
B. | Exemption Reporting |
All exemptions must be reported to the Boards of Directors/Trustees of our Fund Clients at the next regular meeting following the initial grant of the exemption. Subsequent grants of an exemption of a type previously reported to the Boards may be affected without reporting. The Boards of Directors/Trustees may choose to delegate the task of receiving and reviewing reports to a committee comprised of Independent Directors/Trustees.
C. | Thirty-Day Denial Exemption on Sales |
An exemption may be requested when a request to sell a security has been denied once a week over a 30-day timeframe. The covered person must be able to verify that they have periodically entered a preclearance request to sell a security in ComplianceAlpha at least four times throughout a period of time that is at least 30 days. The Chief Compliance Officer or their designee will review the request and determine if the exemption is warranted. If approval is granted, compliance will designate a short trading window during which the sale can take place.
D. | Non-volitional Transaction Exemption |
Certain non-volitional purchase and sale transactions are exempt from the preclearance requirements of the Code. These transactions include stock splits, stock dividends, exchanges and conversions, mandatory tenders, pro rata distributions to all holders of a class of securities, receipt of securities as gifts, the giving of securities, inheritances, margin/ maintenance calls (where the securities to be sold are not directed by the covered person), dividend reinvestment plans, and employer sponsored payroll deduction plans.
E. | Blind Trust/Managed Account Exemption |
An exemption from the preclearance and reporting requirements of the Code may be requested for securities that are held in a blind or quasi-blind trust arrangement or a managed (discretionary) account. For the exemption to be available, you or a member of your immediate family must not have authority to advise or direct securities transactions of the trust or managed account. You must provide a copy of the trust document or management agreement when requesting the exemption. The request will only be
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
15 |
granted once the covered person and/or the investment adviser for the trust or managed account certify that the covered person or members of their immediate family will not advise or direct transactions. ACI may require that statements or trade confirmations be received for the trust or managed account. The employee and/or adviser may be requested by Compliance to re-certify the trust arrangement.
VII. | Confidential Information |
All information about clients securities transactions and portfolio holdings is confidential. You must not disclose, except as required by the duties of your employment, actual or contemplated securities transactions, portfolio holdings, portfolio characteristics or other nonpublic information about Clients, or the contents of any written or oral communication, study, report or opinion concerning any security. Employees should consult the Portfolio Holdings and Characteristics Disclosure and the Confidential Information Asset Security policies before disseminating information to individuals that otherwise do not have access to the information. Employees should not disseminate information about clients securities transactions and portfolio holdings to employees or contract personnel that are Non-Access Persons or elicit material nonpublic information from any independent directors/trustee of a managed fund who also serves as a director trustee, officer, consultant, or employee of, or has similar affiliation with, another business entity that issues publicly traded securities. This does not apply to information which has already been publicly disclosed.
VIII. | Conflicts of Interest |
You must receive prior written approval from ACIs General Counsel or their designee, as appropriate, to do any of the following:
| Negotiate or enter into any agreement on a clients behalf with any business concern doing or seeking to do business with the client if you, or a person related to you, has a substantial interest in the business concern; |
| Enter into an agreement, negotiate or otherwise do business on the clients behalf with a personal friend or a person related to you; or |
| Serve on the board of directors of, or act as consultant to, any publicly traded corporation. Please note that ACIs Business Code of Conduct also contains limitations on outside employment and directorships. |
IX. | What happens if you violate the rules in the Code of Ethics? |
If you violate the requirements of the Code of Ethics, you may be subject to serious penalties. Violations of the Code and proposed sanctions are documented by Compliance and submitted to the Code of Ethics Review Committee. The Committee consists of representatives of the investment adviser and the Compliance and Legal departments of ACI. The Committee is responsible for determining the materiality of Code violations and appropriate sanctions.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
16 |
A. | Materiality of Violation |
In determining the materiality of a violation, the Committee considers:
| Evidence of violation of law; |
| Indicia of fraud, neglect, or indifference to Code provisions; |
| Frequency of violations; |
| Monetary value of the violation in question; and |
| Level of influence of the violator. |
B. | Penalty Factors |
In assessing the appropriate penalties, the Committee will consider the foregoing in addition to any other factors they deem applicable, such as:
| Extent of harm to client interests; |
| Extent of unjust enrichment; |
| Tenure and prior record of the violator; |
| The degree to which there is a personal benefit from unique knowledge obtained through employment with ACI; |
| The level of accurate, honest and timely cooperation from the covered person; and |
| Any mitigating circumstances. |
C. | The penalties which may be imposed include, but are not limited to: |
1. | Non-material violation |
a) | Warning (notice sent to manager) and/or |
b) | Attendance at a Code of Ethics training session and/or |
c) | Suspension of trading privileges. |
2. | Penalties for material or more frequent non-material violations will be based on the circumstances of the violation. These penalties could include, but are not limited to |
a) | Suspension of trading privileges and/or |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
17 |
b) | Suspension or termination of employment. |
In addition, you may be required to surrender to ACI any profit realized from any transaction(s) in violation of this Code of Ethics.
X. | ACIs Quarterly Report to Fund Directors/Trustees |
ACI will prepare a quarterly report to the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund Client of any material violation of this Code of Ethics.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
18 |
APPENDIX 1: DEFINITIONS
1. | Automatic Investment Plan |
Automatic investment plan means a program in which regular periodic purchases, exchanges or redemptions are made automatically in or from investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation including dividend reinvestment plans.
2. | Beneficial Ownership or Beneficially Owned |
See Appendix 2: What is Beneficial Ownership?
3. | Code-Exempt Security |
A code-exempt security is a security in which you may invest without preclearing the transaction with ACI. The list of code-exempt securities appears in Appendix 3. Code-exempt securities may require reporting of transactions and holdings.
4. | Federal Securities Law |
Federal securities law means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Commission under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted by the Commission or the Department of Treasury.
5. | Fund Clients |
Fund clients includes each Fund Client listed on Schedule A.
6. | Initial Public Offering |
Initial public offering means an offering of securities for which a registration statement has not previously been filed with the SEC and for which there is no active public market.
7. | Investment Adviser |
Investment adviser includes each investment adviser listed on Schedule A
8. | Member of Your Immediate Family |
A member of your immediate family means any of the following:
| Your spouse or domestic partner; |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
19 |
| Your minor children; or |
| A relative who shares your home. |
For the purpose of determining whether any of the foregoing relationships exist, a legally adopted child of a person is considered a child of such person.
9. | Private Placement |
Private placement means an offering of securities in which the issuer relies on an exemption from the registration provisions of the Federal Securities Laws, and usually involves a limited number of sophisticated investors and a restriction on resale of the securities.
10. | Prohibited Security |
Prohibited Security is a security for which trading has been prohibited for Portfolio, Investment and Access Persons.
11. | Reportable Brokerage Accounts |
A reportable brokerage account includes any account in which securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of any person subject to this Code of Ethics.
12. | Reportable Mutual Fund |
A reportable mutual fund includes any mutual fund issued by a Fund Client (as listed on Schedule A) and any subadvised funds (as listed on Schedule B).
13. | Security |
A security includes a large number of investment vehicles. However, for purposes of this Code of Ethics, security (or securities) includes but is not limited to any of the following:
| Note; |
| Stock, (including stock acquired in private placements and restricted stock in nonpublic companies received through an employee stock ownership program); |
| Treasury stock; |
| Bond; |
| Debenture; |
| Derivative; |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
20 |
| Exchange traded fund (ETFs) or similar vehicles; |
| Unit Investment Trusts (UIT); |
| Shares of open-end mutual funds; |
| Shares of closed-end mutual funds; |
| Evidence of indebtedness; |
| Certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement; |
| Collateral-trust certificate; |
| Preorganization certificate or subscription; |
| Transferable share; |
| Investment contract; |
| Voting-trust certificate; |
| Certificate of deposit for a security; |
| Interests in private investment companies, hedge funds, or other unregistered collective investment vehicles; |
| Fractional undivided interest in oil, gas or other mineral rights; |
| Any put, call, straddle, option, future, or privilege on any security or other financial instrument (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), including stock options received from an employer or through a retirement plan; |
| Any put, call, straddle, option, future, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency; |
| In general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security; or |
| Any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, future on or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
21 |
14. | Subadvised Fund |
A subadvised fund means any mutual fund or portfolio listed on Schedule B.
15. Supervised Person
A supervised person means any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employee of an investment adviser, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of an investment adviser and is subject to the supervision and control of the investment adviser.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
22 |
APPENDIX 2: WHAT IS BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP?
A beneficial owner of a security is any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, has or shares in the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a purchase or sale of the security.
1. | Are securities held by immediate family members or domestic partners beneficially owned by me? |
Yes. As a general rule, you are regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in the name of
| A member of your immediate family OR |
| Any other person IF you obtain from such securities benefits substantially similar to those of ownership. For example, if you receive or benefit from some of the income from the securities held by your spouse, or domestic partner, you are the beneficial owner; OR |
| You hold an option or other contractual rights to obtain title to the securities now or in the future. |
2. | Must I report accounts for which I am listed as a joint owner or have power of attorney? |
Yes. As a general rule, you are regarded as an owner of any accounts for which you are listed as a joint owner or have power of attorney.
3. | Am I deemed to beneficially own securities in accounts owned by a relative not living in my household for whom I am listed as beneficiary upon death? |
Probably not. Unless you have power of attorney to transact in such accounts or are listed as a joint owner, you likely do not beneficially own the account or securities contained in the account until ownership has been passed to you.
4. Are securities held by a company I own an interest in also beneficially owned by me?
Probably not. Owning the securities of a company does not mean you beneficially own the securities that the company itself owns. However, you will be deemed to beneficially own the securities owned by the company if:
| You directly or beneficially own a controlling interest in or otherwise control the company; OR |
| The company is merely a medium through which you, members of your immediate family, or others in a small group invest or trade in securities and the company has no other substantial business. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
23 |
5. | Are securities held in trust beneficially owned by me? |
Maybe. You are deemed to beneficially own securities held in trust if you or a member of your immediate family are:
| A trustee; or |
| Have a vested interest in the income or corpus of the trust; or |
| A settlor or grantor of the trust and have the power to revoke the trust without obtaining the consent of all the beneficiaries. |
A blind trust exemption from the preclearance and reporting requirements of the Code may be requested if you or members or your immediate family do not have authority to advise or direct securities transactions of the trust.
6. | Are securities in pension or retirement plans beneficially owned by me? |
Maybe. Beneficial ownership does not include indirect interest by any person in portfolio securities held by a pension or retirement plan of a company whose employees generally are the beneficiaries of the plan.
However, your participation in a pension or retirement plan is considered beneficial ownership of the portfolio securities if you can withdraw and trade the securities without withdrawing from the plan or you can direct the trading of the securities within the plan (IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.).
7. | Examples of Beneficial Ownership |
a) | Securities Held by Family Members or Domestic Partners |
Example 1: Tom and Mary are married. Although Mary has an independent source of income from a family inheritance and segregates her funds from those of her husband, Mary contributes to the maintenance of the family home. Tom and Mary have engaged in joint estate planning and have the same financial adviser. Since Tom and Marys resources are clearly significantly directed towards their common property, they shall be deemed to be the beneficial owners of each others securities.
Example 2: Mikes adult son David lives in Mikes home. David is self-supporting and contributes to household expenses. Mike is a beneficial owner of Davids securities.
Example 3: Joes mother Margaret lives alone and is financially independent. Joe has power of attorney over his mothers estate, pays all her bills and manages her investment affairs. Joe borrows freely from Margaret without being required to pay back funds with interest, if at all. Joe takes out personal loans from Margarets bank in Margarets name, the interest from such loans being paid from Margarets account. Joe is a beneficial owner of Margarets estate.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
24 |
Example 4: Bob and Nancy are in a relationship. The house they share is still in Nancys name only. They have separate checking accounts with an informal understanding that both individuals contribute to the mortgage payments and other common expenses. Nancy is the beneficial owner of Bobs securities.
b) | Securities Held by a Company |
Example 5: ABC Company is a holding company with five shareholders owning equal shares in the company. Although ABC Company has no business of its own, it has several wholly-owned subsidiaries that invest in securities. Stan is a shareholder of ABC Company. Stan has a beneficial interest in the securities owned by ABC Companys subsidiaries.
Example 6: XYZ Company is a large manufacturing company with many shareholders. Stan is a shareholder of XYZ Company. As a part of its cash management function, XYZ Company invests in securities. Neither Stan nor any members of his immediate family are employed by XYZ Company. Stan does not beneficially own the securities held by XYZ Company.
c) | Securities Held in Trust |
Example 7: John is trustee of a trust created for his two minor children. When both of Johns children reach 21, each shall receive an equal share of the corpus of the trust. John is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.
Example 8: Jane placed securities held by her in a trust for the benefit of her church. Jane can revoke the trust during her lifetime. Jane is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.
Example 9: Jim is trustee of an irrevocable trust for his 21-year-old daughter (who does not share his home). The daughter is entitled to the income of the trust until she is 25 years old and is then entitled to the corpus. If the daughter dies before reaching 25, Jim is entitled to the corpus. Jim is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.
Example 10: Joans father (who does not share her home) placed securities in an irrevocable trust for Joans minor children. Neither Joan nor any member of her immediate family is the trustee of the trust. Joan is a beneficial owner of the securities owned by the trust. She may, however, be eligible for the blind trust exemption to the preclearance and reporting of the trust securities.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
25 |
APPENDIX 3: CODE-EXEMPT AND PROHIBITED SECURITIES
Because they do not pose a likelihood for abuse, code-exempt securities are exempt from the Codes preclearance requirements. However, confirmations of transactions in reportable brokerage accounts are required in all cases and some code-exempt securities must also be disclosed on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial, and Annual Holdings Reports. Certain securities have been prohibited. Portfolio, Investment and Access Persons are not allowed to trade in a Prohibited Security.
1. | Code-Exempt Securities Not Subject to Disclosure on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial and Annual Holdings Reports: |
| American Century Investments stock and stock options |
| Open-end mutual funds that are not considered a reportable mutual fund; |
| Reportable mutual funds (Access Persons only); |
| Reportable mutual fund shares purchased through an automatic investment plan (including reinvested dividends); |
| Money market mutual funds; |
| Bank Certificates of Deposit; |
| U.S. government Treasury and Government National Mortgage Association securities; |
| Commercial paper; |
| Bankers acceptances; |
| High quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements. A high quality short-term debt instrument means any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and that is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by a nationally recognized rating organization. |
2. | Code-Exempt Securities Subject to Disclosure on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial and Annual Holdings Reports: |
| Reportable mutual fund shares purchased other than through an automatic investment plan (Portfolio and Investment Persons only) |
| Exchange Traded Products*, Closed-End Funds and Unit Investment Trusts |
| Securities which are acquired through an employer-sponsored automatic payroll deduction plan (only the acquisition of the security is exempt, NOT the sale) |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
26 |
| Securities other than open-end mutual funds purchased through dividend reinvestment programs (only the re-investment of dividends in the security is exempt, NOT the sale or other purchases) |
| Futures contracts on the following: |
| Large Cap Indices including, but not limited to Standard & Poors 500 or 100 Index, NASDAQ 100 Index, DOW 30 Industrials, FTSE All World Index, MSCI Indices (ACWI, EAFE, World), Russell 2000 and 3000, Wilshire 5000 . Futures contracts on non-Large Cap Indices and for other financial instruments are not code-exempt. Please contact Compliance to confirm that an index not listed is exempt from preclearance. |
| Commodity futures contracts for agricultural products (corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.) only. Futures contracts on precious metals or energy resources are not Code-exempt. |
* | ACI STA ETF transactions require preclearance by the Portfolio Persons who have been granted portfolio manager or trade order access in the order-trade system (See Restrictions on Personal Investing Section H). [Portfolio Persons only] |
3. | Prohibited Securities (Portfolio, Investment, Access Persons) |
| Options Contract (Calls, Covered Calls, Puts, Naked Calls or Puts) |
| Single Stock ETFs |
| Contracts for Difference (CFDs) |
We may modify this list of securities at any time. Please contact Compliance to request the most current list.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
27 |
APPENDIX 4: HOW THE PRECLEARANCE PROCESS WORKS
Preclearance Requests are submitted in ComplianceAlpha (https://www.compliancealpha.com/auth/login). To submit a request:
1. | From the ComplianceAlpha Dashboard, click on the Submit Trade Request link under Quick Links. |
2. | Click Trade, the select the appropriate template: |
a. | Preclearance Request |
b. | Municipal Bond Preclearance Request |
c. | Corporate Bond Preclearance Request |
d. | Convertible Corporate Bond Preclearance Request |
e. | Private Placement Preclearance Request |
f. | ACI STA ETF (Portfolio Persons assigned to an ACI STA ETF only) |
g. | Self-Indexed ETF (members of the Index Governance Committee and certain members of Global Analytics Team who are responsible for creating indexes only) |
3. | Once the preclearance process is complete, you will receive an email indicating if the request is approved or denied. |
After youve entered a Preclearance Request on ComplianceAlpha, your equity transaction is subject to the following tests.
Step 1: Restricted Security List
| Is the security on any Restricted Security list? |
If YES, the system will send a message to you DENYING the personal trade request.
If NO, then your request is subject to Step 2.
Step 2: De Minimis Transaction Test (per security per day)
| Is the security issuers market capitalization less than $1 billion and the value of the employees requests in the security equal to or less than $5,000 per day? |
| Is the security issuers market capitalization between $1billion and $7.5 billion and the value of the employees requests in the security equal to or less than $10,000 per day? |
| Is the security issuers market capitalization greater than $7.5 billion and the value of the employees requests in the security equal to or less than $25,000 per day? |
If the answer to any of these questions is NO, then your request is subject to Step 3.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
28 |
Step 3: Client Trades Test
| Have there been any transactions in the past 24 hours or is there an open order for that security for any Client? |
If YES, the system will send a message to you DENYING the personal trade request.
If NO, then your request is Approved. You will receive an email with the approval and trading window.
The preclearance request process can be changed at any time to ensure that the goals of this Code of Ethics are met.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
29 |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
30 |
APPENDIX 5: ACCOUNT REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
Reportable brokerage accounts
All employees are required to link their reportable accounts in ComplianceAlpha. ACI has contracted with frequently used brokers to obtain secure electronic trade confirmations and position files for your trading activity and holdings information, listed on Schedule C Approved Electronic Brokers (AEB). Using an AEB is the preferred method for linking your accounts to ComplianceAlpha. However, if you choose to use a broker that is not an AEB, you will be required to link your accounts through ComplianceAlphas Aggregation Feed. This process requires you to securely provide your log-in credentials so that ComplianceAlpha can obtain your trading and position information. Your log-in information will not be available to Compliance or ComplianceAlpha support staff. By linking your accounts to ComplianceAlpha, you are consenting for Compliance to obtain electronic trade confirmations and position information for your account.
Certain brokers may not be used due to their inability to consistently provide electronic transactions and holdings information. Please review Schedule C for a list of Prohibited Brokers.
Finally, account information, trading history, and position information may be provided manually. This option is not available for most brokerage accounts and is only available for special circumstances, such as a spouses stock purchase plan, a trust account, or international brokers for which an Account Exemption must be requested (see Appendix 6: Requesting an exemption).
Follow these steps to link your accounts to ComplianceAlpha:
1. | Log-in to ComplianceAlpha at https://www.compliancealpha.com/auth/login. |
2. | From the Employee Dashboard, click on Create Brokerage Account. |
3. | Use the Direct Feed tile to link Approved Electronic Brokers (listed on Schedule C of this policy). |
a. | Select your broker. |
b. | Provide your account details (Account Name, Account #s); Click Next |
c. | Provide Date Opened, Account Owner Type, and Investment Discretion. |
4. | Use the Aggregation Feed tile to link accounts for brokers that are not an AEB. Before using the Aggregation Feed, ensure that your account cannot be linked through the Direct Feed (step 3). The Aggregation Feed requires that you and your family members account log-in credentials are provided to link your account to ComplianceAlpha. |
a. | Click on your broker or click Search Here to find your broker. |
b. | Provide your broker accounts Username and Password. Your information is immediately encrypted and passed along to the broker feed provider to connect your account and pull back your holdings and transactions. |
5. | Use the Manual tile for accounts that cannot be linked through the Direct Feed or Aggregation Feed. Note, you may be required to move these accounts to a firm that can be accessed through a Direct Feed or Aggregation Feed unless you have a special circumstance to maintain the account through a manual feed. If you are required to move the account, it must be completed within 90 days of your hire date. See Appendix 6: Requesting an exemption to request an Account Exemption. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
31 |
Beneficially-owned ACI PFS Accounts (Portfolio and Investment Persons only)
You are required to report your beneficially-owned accounts in ACI open-end mutual funds held at ACI PFS. Use the Aggregation Feed tile to link ACI PFS accounts that are beneficially-owned. The Aggregation Feed requires that you and your family members account log-in credentials are provided to link your account to ComplianceAlpha.
1. | Click on your broker or click Search Here to find your American Century Investments. |
2. | Provide your broker accounts Username and Password. Your information is immediately encrypted and passed along to the broker feed provider to connect your account and pull back your holdings and transactions. Compliance and ComplianceAlpha do not have access to the log-in credentials. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
32 |
APPENDIX 6: REQUESTING AN EXEMPTION
The Code of Ethics policy allows for limited exemptions. Exemption requests are submitted in ComplianceAlpha using the following process:
Trading Exemptions:
1. | Log-in to ComplianceAlpha at https://www.compliancealpha.com/auth/login. |
2. | From the Employee Dashboard, click on the Submit Trade Request link under Quick Links or click on the Green Action Button and click Create Request or Disclosure. |
3. | Select Trade at What type of request or disclosure would you like to set up? |
4. | Select the type of exemption you are requesting (contact Compliance if you are uncertain of the correct form to use): |
a. | 30-Day Denial Exemption for Sells (used when you have been denied on a sell request at least four times over a 30-day period) |
b. | PM Sell Exemption (used by Portfolio Persons when they have a special circumstance that requires selling a security, owned personally, which is also held in their assigned funds). Portfolio Persons may be required to go through a 30-day denial exemption before requesting a PM Sell Exemption. |
c. | Inheritance Exemption (used when trying to sell a portfolio of securities that were recently inherited). |
d. | Employee Stock Plan (used to sell a security that is held in a previous employee or beneficially owned stock purchase plan which has trading restrictions or to exercise employee stock options). |
e. | Financial Hardship Exemption (used when selling securities due to a financial hardship). |
5. | Complete the required fields on the request form and submit the form. |
6. | Compliance will review your request. If your request is approved, Compliance will assign a one-day trading window for you to complete your transaction. The trading window will typically be the day following the approval of the exemption. You will be notified by email. |
Account Exemptions:
A Managed Account or Blind Trust account exemption may be requested for accounts for which you or your immediate family members do not have discretionary trading authority.
An Account Exemption Request may be requested to continue to hold an account which cannot be linked to ComplianceAlpha through the Direct Feed or Aggregation Link (i.e. Manual Accounts). A special circumstance must be in place for the Account Exemption to be approved.
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
33 |
Exemption requests are submitted in ComplianceAlpha using the following process:
1. | Log-in to ComplianceAlpha at https://www.compliancealpha.com/auth/login. |
2. | From the Employee Dashboard, click on the green action button. |
3. | Click Create Request or Disclosure. |
4. | Click on Other |
5. | Select the appropriate template (Managed/Trust Account or Account Exemption) and click continue. |
6. | Complete the requested information. |
7. | Attaching supporting documentation as required (i.e. Management Agreement or Discretionary Account Agreement). |
8. | Click Submit. |
9. | Compliance will review the request and determine if the exemption can be approved. You will be notified of the completion of the review through an email. |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
34 |
SCHEDULE A: BOARD APPROVAL DATES
This Code of Ethics was most recently approved by the Board of Directors/Trustees of the following Companies as of the dates indicated:
Investment Adviser |
Most Recent Approval Date | |
American Century Investment Management, Inc. |
January 1, 2018 | |
Principal Underwriter |
Most Recent Approval Date | |
American Century Investment Services, Inc. |
January 1, 2018 | |
Fund Clients |
Most Recent Approval Date | |
American Century Asset Allocation Portfolios, Inc. |
December 1, 2017 | |
American Century California Tax-Free and Municipal Funds |
December 14, 2017 | |
American Century Capital Portfolios, Inc. |
December 1, 2017 | |
American Century ETF Trust |
December 20, 2017 | |
American Century Government Income Trust |
December 14, 2017 | |
American Century Growth Funds, Inc. |
December 1, 2017 | |
American Century International Bond Funds |
December 14, 2017 | |
American Century Investment Trust |
December 14, 2017 | |
American Century Municipal Trust |
December 14, 2017 | |
American Century Mutual Funds, Inc. |
December 1, 2017 | |
American Century Quantitative Equity Funds, Inc. |
December 14, 2017 | |
American Century Strategic Asset Allocations, Inc. |
December 1, 2017 | |
American Century Target Maturities Trust |
December 14, 2017 | |
American Century Variable Portfolios, Inc. |
December 1, 2017 | |
American Century Variable Portfolios II, Inc. |
December 14, 2017 | |
American Century World Mutual Funds, Inc. |
December 1, 2017 |
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
35 |
SCHEDULE B: SUBADVISED FUNDS
(Last updated June 16, 2023)
The following funds are subject to the Code of Ethics, as well as any other funds for which American Century Investment Management, Inc. serves as an investment adviser. This list of affiliated funds will be updated on a regular basis.
American Beacon Funds American Beacon International Equity Fund
Bridge Builder Trust Bridge Builder Small /Mid Cap Value Fund
CIBC Global Equity Growth Pool
CIBC International Small Companies Fund
CIBC U.S. Equity Value Pool
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II: CTIVP-American Century Diversified Bond Fund
EQ Advisors Trust: EQ/American Century Mid Cap Value Portfolio
EQ Advisors Trust / American Century Moderate Growth Allocation Fund
Fiera Focused International Growth Fund
FP Brunel Pension Partnership - FP Brunel Smaller Companies Equities Fund
GuideStone Funds: Defensive Market Strategies Fund
GuideStone Funds: Small Cap Equity Fund
GuideStone Funds: Value Equity Fund
KB Asset Management, Co., LTD: KB Global ESG Securities Master Fund Equity
KB Asset Management, Co., Ltd.: KB Yellow Umbrella Global Professional Private Securities Master 36-2 (USD)(FoF)
Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program
LGT Select Funds LGT Select Equity Global
Lincoln Variable Insurance Products Trust LVIP American Century Select Mid Cap Managed Volatility Fund
MainStay VP Funds Trust: MainStay VP American Century Sustainable Equity Portfolio
MassMutual Select Funds: MassMutual Mid-Cap Value Fund
MassMutual Select Funds: MassMutual Small Company Value Fund
Mercer Funds: Mercer Non-U.S. Core Equity Fund
Mercer Global Investments Canada Limited: Mercer International Equity Fund
MML Series Investment Fund: MML Mid Cap Value Fund
MML Series Investment Fund: MML Small Company Value Fund
MML Series Investment Fund: MML Sustainable Equity Fund
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust: NVIT Multi-Manager Mid-Cap Value Fund
NN Hoog Dividend Aandelen Fonds
Nomura ACI Advanced Medical Impact Investment Mother Fund
Nomura ACI ESG Global REIT Mother Fund
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
36 |
Nomura ACI ESG Global Small Cap Equity Mother Fund
Nomura ACI Global REIT Mother Fund
Nomura Asset Management Europe KVG mhB A-USA-La-ACI
Nomura Asset Management Europe KVG mhB Aktien USA 1
Nomura Asset Management Europe KVG mhB VZWL INKA
Nomura Funds Ireland plc - American Century Global Small Cap Equity Fund
Nomura Funds Ireland plc - American Century Global Growth Equity Fund
Nomura Funds Ireland plc - American Century Global Concentrated Global Growth Equity Fund
Nomura Funds Ireland plc - American Century Emerging Market Equity Fund
Nomura Funds Ireland plc - American Century Emerging Market Debt Total Return
Nomura Funds Ireland plc - American Century Emerging Markets Sustainable Impact Equity Fund
Nomura Funds Ireland plc - American Century Advanced Medical Impact Equity Fund
Nomura Funds Ireland plc - American Century Advanced US Focused Innovation Equity Fund
Nomura Institutional Fund Select American Century Global Growth Fund
Nomura U.S. Municipal General Obligation Bond Mother Fund
Nomura U.S. Value Strategy Mother Fund
Nomura Currency Fund U.S. Growth Equity Fund
Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Inflation Protection Portfolio
Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Large Company Value Portfolio
Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Mid Cap Value Portfolio
Optimum Fund Trust: Optimum Large Cap Growth Fund
Pacific SelectFund: Value Portfolio
Penn Series Funds, Inc.: Mid Core Value Fund
PrivilEdge: American Century Emerging Markets Equity
Renaissance U.S. Equity Income Fund
Schwab Capital Trust: Schwab International Opportunities Fund
SHBNPP Global Professional Investment Type Private Security Master Trust No. 2 (Bond Derivatives)
Voya Partners, Inc.: VY American Century Small-Mid Cap Value Portfolio
Zurich Investments Concentrated Global Growth Scheme
Zurich Investments Unhedged Global Growth Share Scheme
Zurich Investments ACI Healthcare Impact Scheme
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
37 |
SCHEDULE C: BROKERS
(Last updated June 16, 2023)
Compliance has contracted with Approved Electronic Brokers to obtain a secure electronic transfer of transactions and holdings information for the brokers listed on the Approved Electronic Broker list. Additionally, employees can link their accounts using ComplianceAlphas aggregation feed if the broker is not listed on our Prohibited Broker list.
Due to the inability to obtain electronic trade confirmations and holdings from some brokers, maintaining a broker account is prohibited with the firms listed under Prohibited Brokers.
PROHIBITED BROKERS
The use of the following brokers is prohibited due to the brokers inability to provide electronic trade confirmations and holdings.
WeBull
APPROVED ELECTRONIC BROKERS
The following brokers have entered into an agreement with ACI to provide trade confirmations electronically.
Alliance Bernstein
American Century Brokerage (through Pershing)
American Century Private Client Group (through Pershing)
Ameriprise Financial
Charles Schwab - Investments
Chase Investments
Citi Private Wealth
Citibank - Investments
Deutsche Bank
DriveWealth (Health Savings Account through WealthCare Savers)
Edward Jones
E*TRADE
Fidelity Investments
Fidelity International (UK)
First Republic
Goldman Sachs Wealth Management
GW & Wade Asset Management (through National Financial Services)
Interactive Brokers
JP Morgan Private Client
LPL Financial
MML Investors (through National Financial Services)
Merrill Lynch MyMerrill Investments
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
38 |
Morgan Stanley - ClientServ
Northern Trust Securities
Northwestern Mutual
Oppenheimer
Raymond James
Robinhood
Royal Bank of Canada Wealth Management (RBC)
Roundtable (through National Financial Services)
Stifel Nicholas
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
UBS
US Trust
Vanguard Investments
Wells Fargo Advisors
Policy updated: June 16, 2023 | ||||
39 |
I. | REGULATORY REQUIREMENT |
The investment advisers, investment companies, distributor companies and service companies listed in Addendum A (collectively, the Firm) have adopted this Code of Ethics, establishing a standard of conduct for Firm Employees.
This Code of Ethics (the Code) establishes a standard of conduct for Firm employees by:
| Providing clear guidance to all employees that the Firms Clients interests come first ahead of all personal interests; |
| Providing policies and procedures consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and Rule 17j-1 under the 40 Act; and |
| Seeking to avoid conflicts of interests, or the appearance of such conflicts, when officers, directors, supervised persons, employees and other persons of the Firm own or engage in transactions involving securities. |
The Code applies to persons deemed to be Access Persons of the Firm, as defined below under Definitions. Access Persons include any officer, director, employee or other person of the Firm. Unless otherwise determined by PGI Compliance, Access Persons also includes positions held by consultants, contractors, temporary employees, interns, co-op students, and Principal Financial Group (Principal) Human Resources and Legal staff supporting the Firm.
Please see the Addenda for a custom Principal Funds Access Person definition applicable to the Funds, as well as other custom provisions applicable to certain entities of the Firm.
The Code is supplemental to the Principal Corporate Global Code of Conduct which can be found on Principal Passport.
II. | STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT |
The following standards of business conduct shall govern personal investment activities of Access Persons and interpretation and administration of this Code:
| The interests of the Firms Clients must be placed first at all times; |
| Access Persons must act honestly and fairly and with due skill, care and diligence in the best interest of Firm clients and the integrity of the market; |
| Access Persons have an obligation to observe just and equitable principals of trading; |
| All personal securities transactions must be conducted consistent with this Code and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individuals position of trust and responsibility; |
| Access Persons should not take advantage of their positions; and |
| Access Persons must comply with applicable Federal Securities Laws. |
The Code does not attempt to identify all possible conflicts of interests, and literal compliance with each of its specific provisions will not shield Access Persons from liability for personal trading or other conduct that violates a fiduciary duty to the Firms Clients.
III. | PROTECTION OF MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION |
Access Persons must review and comply with the Insider Trading Policy.
It is unlawful to trade in any security based on material nonpublic (or inside) information or to disclose such information to others who may profit from it. This applies to all types of securities, including equities, options, debt, and mutual funds. All Access Persons will keep information pertaining to Clients portfolio transactions and holdings confidential. No person with access to securities recommendations or pending securities transactions and Client portfolio holdings should disclose this information to any person unless such disclosure is made in connection with the persons regular functions or duties. Additionally, Access Persons with knowledge about the composition of a creation basket are prohibited from disclosing such information to any other person (except as authorized in the course of their employment) until such information is made public. All possible care should be taken to avoid discussing confidential information with anyone who would not normally have access to such information.
IV. | PERSONAL ACCOUNT REPORTING |
Access Persons must report all Covered Accounts (Accounts) in which they have Beneficial Ownership of any Reportable Security (Security) or Reportable Fund or are capable of holding such Securities at the start of their employment, upon opening of a new account and annually thereafter.
Beneficial Ownership shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) when determining whether a person is a beneficial owner of a Security.
For example, the term Beneficial Ownership shall encompass:
| Securities in the persons own Accounts; |
| Securities owned by members of the persons immediate family sharing the same household; |
| A persons proportionate interest in the portfolio of Securities held by a partnership, trust, corporation or other arrangements; and |
| Securities a person might acquire or dispose of through the exercise or conversion of any derivative Security (e.g. an option, whether presently exercisable or not). |
Security shall have the meaning set forth in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act and Section 2(a)(36) of the 40 Act including, but not limited to fixed income securities such as bonds and notes, equity securities such as stocks and exchange traded funds (ETF), derivatives such as options and futures, unit investment trusts (UIT), and private investments.
2
I. | New Accounts |
New Accounts must be opened with brokerage firms that provide electronic data feeds unless otherwise pre-approved by PGI Compliance. This does not apply to ex-U.S. Accounts or Discretionary Accounts. Please refer to Addendum F for a current list of brokers that provide electronic feeds. Associated Persons of Principal Funds Distributor have an additional requirement to pre-clear the opening of new accounts.
II. | Discretionary Accounts |
Discretionary Accounts are reportable and require Access Persons to provide a copy of the managed account agreement to PGI Compliance. The discretionary managed account agreement outlines trading discretion authority granted to another party (individual, entity or money manager), which allows them to buy/sell Securities without the Account owners consent for each trade. A Discretionary Account is sometimes referred to as a managed or blind-managed account. Discretionary Accounts are exempt from the pre-clearance requirement, 30 day holding period, quarterly transaction reports and initial public offerings prohibition provisions of the Code if the Access Person does not have Direct or Indirect Influence or Control over the account.
III. | Crypto-Asset Accounts |
Crypto-Asset Accounts and their digital asset holdings are reportable. This would include investments in cryptocurrency (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Shiba INU), initial coin offering (ICO), distributed ledger technology, blockchain and/or any related products and pooled investment vehicles. Crypto-Asset Accounts that are not capable of holding Reportable Securities are exempt from the trade pre-clearance requirement, 30 day holding period, and quarterly transaction reports provisions of the Code. An Account summary must be provided upon request from PGI Compliance.
IV. | Principal Fund Accounts |
Principal Fund Accounts are reportable and include Principal Funds that are open-end mutual funds (including underlying sub-accounts within Principal Variable Life and Variable Annuity contracts) and closed-end investment companies operated as interval funds.
Principal Funds are subject to the initial and annual reporting requirements; however, they are exempt from pre-clearance and the 30-calendar day holding period. Notwithstanding the exemption from the 30 calendar day holding period, trustees, beneficial owners of more than 10%, and certain designated Executive Officers of Principal Diversified Select Real Asset Fund and any other closed end interval fund managed by PGI or its affiliates, generally must disgorge, under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any profit realized by such person from any purchase and sale, or any sale and purchase, of any equity security of such fund (or a security based swap agreement involving such equity security) within any period of less than six (6) months.
V. | Individual Retirement Accounts |
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) that are capable of holding Reportable Securities or Reportable Funds are reportable and subject to all provisions of the Code.
VI. | TreasuryDirect Accounts |
TreasuryDirect Accounts are exempt from reporting, pre-clearance and holding period requirements.
3
VII. | Private Investments |
Private Investment are reportable and may only be acquired or sold with prior approval of the Access Persons supervisor and PGI Compliance. Pre-approval requests for private investments can be submitted within the FIS Protegent Personal Trading Assistant (PTA) system under the Available Forms section.
VIII. | Former Employer Human Resources (HR) Benefit Plans |
HR Benefit Plans held with former employers are reportable and subject to all provisions of the Code if they are capable of holding Reportable Securities (i.e. self-directed brokerage account windows).
IX. | Principal HR Benefit Plans |
The Principal Select Savings Plan is exempt from reporting, pre-clearance and holding period requirements.
The Principal Select Savings Plans self-directed brokerage account option, Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account® (PCRA), is reportable and subject to all provisions of the Code.
Holdings in a Morgan Stanley StockPlan Connect Account that have not vested or exercised are exempt from reporting, pre-clearance or holding period requirements. This includes the Principal Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), Excess Plan, Restricted Stock Units (RSU), Stock Option Awards, Stock Options, Broad-based Options, and Performance Share Awards.
Access Persons have the option to link an E*Trade Securities brokerage account to the Morgan Stanley StockPlan Connect Account. Once shares have vested or exercised in the Morgan Stanley StockPlan Connect Account, the shares will be swept to the E*Trade Securities brokerage account.
E*Trade Securities brokerage accounts are reportable, and all provisions of the Code will apply to the account and its holdings, including Principal Financial Group, Inc. stock (PFG stock).
Some Access Persons may be ineligible to open an account at E*Trade for the purpose of linking to Morgan Stanley or simply elect not to open an E*Trade account.
4
Access Persons with the High Deductible Health Insurance Plan may be eligible to open a Health Savings Account (HSA) through Optum Bank. Once the HSA reaches a certain designated balance, Access Persons may choose to invest a portion of their HSA dollars.
The digitally managed HSA through Betterment is reportable and subject to all provisions of the Code. Additionally, a copy of the discretionary managed account agreement must be on file with Compliance.
The self-managed mutual fund HSA through Optum Bank is exempt from reporting, pre-clearance and holding period requirements.
Health Savings Account via Optum Bank | ||||||
Account |
Accessible Via |
Reportable |
Trade Preclearance | |||
HSA ETF portfolio managed by Betterment | MyUHC.com or Betterment.com | Yes | No | |||
HSA self managed mutual fund portfolio | MyUHC.com | No | No |
V. | PERSONAL SECURITY TRANSACTIONS |
All personal security transactions must be conducted in a manner consistent with the Standards of Business Conduct outlined in this Code.
I. | PFG Stock |
All reporting, pre-clearance, and holding period requirements apply to transactions in PFG stock. For exceptions related to employee benefit plans, refer to Personal Account Reporting Principal HR Benefit Plans.
II. | Pre-Clearance Approval |
Pre-clearance approval from PGI Compliance is required for personal Security transactions prior to executing or entering into any buy or sell transaction. Transactions for which pre-clearance has been denied may not be executed.
Pre-clearance approval:
| Is valid for 2 business days (meaning the current day and next business day). If the trade is not executed within 2 business days, the Access Person must submit a new pre-clearance request. |
| Applies to all market and limit orders, good-till-cancel orders, and stop loss orders. |
5
| Is not required for Exempted Securities or Exempted Transactions. Please refer to those listed below. |
Access Persons can submit a pre-clearance request online within the PTA system, which is available on a secure internet browser with user login credentials at https://principal.ptaconnect.com/. Should an Access Person not have access to the PTA system, the person may call or email pre-clearance requests to PGI Compliance either directly or through use of a pre-approved delegate or proxy.
III. | Restricted and Prohibited Transactions |
The following personal Securities transaction are restricted and prohibited transactions; accordingly, you may not:
| Execute a Security transaction without pre-clearance approval, if required. |
| Acquire any Security in an initial public offering (IPO). |
| Sell short any Security. |
| Participate in Investment Clubs. |
| Sell a Security in less than 30 calendar days after purchase date for a profit (T+30). |
| The 30-calendar day holding period does not apply to sales at a loss. |
| Any sales at a loss cannot be re-established (buy back) in the next 30 calendar days. |
| If sold at a profit prior to the expiration of the 30-calendar day period, the transaction will be a Code violation, and any profits realized may be disgorged to a charitable organization designated by the Firm. |
| Buy a Security at a lower price in less than 30 calendar days after sale date (buy back). |
| Purchase or write derivatives (such as stock options, futures on indices and options and futures on commodity, credit, currency, equity, interest rate and volatility) if the expiration date is less than 30 calendar days from the purchase date. |
| No derivative position may be closed less than 30 calendar days from the date it is established. |
| This does not apply to stock options that are part of a hedged position where the underlying stock is held long. |
| Engage in financial spread betting and contracts of difference. These types of derivative contracts involve taking or placing a bet on the price movement of a security, index, currency, commodity or other financial product. |
| Loan money to individuals or entities as an investment or business transaction. Note: this does not apply to personal loans to family. |
| Purchase PFG stock on margin, short sell PFG stock, or trade PFG put or call options, or other instruments noted in the Principal Insider Trading Policy. |
| Purchase or sell a Security at all, when so determined by the Chief Compliance Officer, in the CCOs discretion. |
IV. | Exempt Securities |
Securities listed below are exempt from the reporting, pre-clearance, and holding period requirements:
| Direct Obligations of the Government of the United States such as Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds |
| Bankers acceptances |
| Bank certificates of deposit |
| Commercial paper |
| High quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements |
6
| Money market funds |
| Open-end mutual funds with outside fund companies that are not advised or sub-advised by the Firm or its affiliates. Open-end mutual funds always have a five-letter symbol ending in an X. |
| This exemption applies to funds used in 529 Plans that are registered as municipal securities and only offer open-end mutual funds or securities designed to mirror the structure of open-end mutual funds as underlying investment options. |
| This exemption does not apply to ETFs, I-Shares (i.e. BlackRock) and closed-end funds. All ETF transactions must be pre-cleared and are subject to the Personal Securities Transactions requirements listed above. |
| Shares issued by unit investment trusts (UIT) that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end mutual funds, none of which are advised or sub-advised by the Firm or its affiliates. |
V. | Exempt Transactions |
The transactions listed below are exempt from the pre-clearance requirement only. All other reporting and holding period requirements apply.
| De minimis transactions of 50 shares or less and under $500 in value of a Security in aggregate within a 30-calendar day period. |
| Transactions in Reportable Funds.* |
| Transactions in Principal Funds that are open-ended mutual funds (including underlying subaccounts of Principal Variable Life and Variable Annuity Contracts).* |
| Securities acquired through an employer-sponsored automatic payroll deduction plan. However, any sale transaction must be pre-cleared and reported. |
| Reinvestment of dividends under a dividend reinvestment plan or in an automatic investment plan for purchase of Securities already owned and pre-cleared. Note, any sale transaction must be pre-cleared as those are not part of a plan. |
| Transactions effected by an issuer pro rata of a class of Securities already owned, such as stock splits, stock dividends or the exercise of rights, warrants or tender offers (e.g. corporate actions). |
| Transactions which are non-volitional on the part of the Access Person. Transactions in an account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control (e.g. assignment of management discretion in writing to another party). |
* | Reportable Funds and Principal Funds are not subject to the 30-calendar day holding period. Notwithstanding this exemption from the 30 calendar day holding period, trustees, beneficial owners of more than 10%, and certain designated Executive Officers of Principal Diversified Select Real Asset Fund and any other closed end interval fund managed by PGI or its affiliates, generally must disgorge, under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any profit realized by such person from any purchase and sale, or any sale and purchase, of any equity security of such fund (or a security based swap agreement involving such equity security) within any period of less than six (6) months. |
VI. | Special Rules for Portfolio Managers and Investment Personnel |
A Portfolio Managers personal Security trading shall have no effect on Client portfolio decisions or ability to trade.
| No Portfolio Manager may personally transact Securities that are held or traded in actively managed portfolios for which they are responsible. |
| Portfolio Managers must obtain pre-clearance approval to trade Reportable Funds and Principal Funds (including open-end mutual funds, closed-end investment companies operated as interval funds, and ETFs) they manage. |
7
| Certain individuals with roles that have real-time trading data of portfolios may not personally purchase or sell a Security or its underlying securities within 7 calendar days before and after a portfolio has transacted in the same security. This blackout period is a total of 15 calendar days, which includes the full 7 calendar days before, after, and including the Client portfolio trade date. |
VI. | REPORTING AND CERTIFCATION REQUIREMENTS |
I. | Initial and Annual Certification |
Within 10 calendar days of hire or identification, all Access Persons must initially certify and acknowledge they have read and understand the Code and the Insider Trading Policy and its applicability to them, and that they will comply with the requirements. Thereafter, annual certification will be required no later than 30 calendar days after each calendar year-end. PGI Compliance will ensure each Access Person receives a copy of the Code and any material amendments thereto, which are available on Principal Passport.
II. | Holdings and Accounts Reports |
The Initial Holdings and Accounts report must be submitted within 10 calendar days after becoming an Access Person, with the Reportable Securities information being current as of a date no more than 45 calendar days prior to the date of becoming an Access Person. Thereafter, Annual Holdings and Accounts reports are required no later than 30 calendar days after each calendar year-end with information being no more than 45 calendar days prior to the report being submitted.
The Security holdings report must contain the following information:
| Security name, number of shares, exchange ticker symbol/ CUSIP/ISIN and principal amount; |
| Name of the firm at which Securities are held; and |
| Date which the Access Person submits the report. |
The Quarterly Transactions report must be submitted no later than 30 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter. This report will list all Security transactions during the previous calendar quarter in Reportable Securities, which excludes exempted transactions and exempted securities set forth above.
The Quarterly Transactions report must contain the following information:
| Date of the transaction; |
| Security name, number of shares, exchange ticker symbol/CUSIP/ISIN and principal amount of each Security executed; |
| Nature of the transaction (e.g., buy or sell); |
| Price at which the transaction was effected; |
| Name of the firm through which the transaction was effected; and |
| Date which the Access Person submits the report. |
Upon reporting of Securities and Accounts, Compliance will request duplicate copies of Account statements and transaction confirmations from the investment firm (commonly referred to as broker) either electronically or paper. Ex-U.S. and other Account statements and transaction reporting may need to be obtained from the Access Person if the investment firm will not provide.
8
VII. | FAILURE TO REPORT OR COMPLY |
Upon discovering a violation of the Code, PGI Compliance will work with the Access Persons leader to recommend a sanction as determined appropriate, and the leader will then work with appropriate persons to impose such sanction. Sanctions may include a verbal warning, retraining session, written warning, disgorgement of profits, suspension from personal trading, or other sanctions, up to and including suspension or termination of employment.
Access Persons must report any violations of the Code or applicable laws promptly to the Chief Compliance Officer (or designee). This includes self-reporting if you commit a violation. Anyone who, in good faith, raises an issue regarding a possible violation of law, regulation, or company policy, or any suspected illegal or unethical behavior, will be protected from retaliation. Access Persons can also report violations or suspected violations to the Ethics Hotline at 1-888-858-4433, through the Principal Unethical or Fraudulent Activity Reporting Form, or through the Principal Whistleblower policy, which is available on Principal Passport.
The Chief Compliance Officer has the authority to interpret the Code and grant exceptions when appropriate. PGI Compliance will maintain a system for the regular review of all reports of personal Reportable Securities transactions and holdings under this Code.
Annually, individuals charged with the responsibility for monitoring compliance with this Code will prepare a written report to the Board of Directors that, at a minimum, will include:
| Certification that the Firm has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code; |
| Identification of material violations and sanctions imposed in response to those violations during the past year; |
| Description of issues that arose during the previous year under the Code; and |
| Recommendations, if any, as to changes in existing restrictions or procedures based upon experience with this Code, evolving industry practices, and changes and developments in applicable laws or regulations. |
VIII. | CONTACTS |
NAME |
CONTACT | |||
Joelle Best | (515) 878-6414 | Best.Joelle@Principal.com | ||
Monica Mencia | (515) 878-0724 | Mencia.Monica@Principal.com | ||
Michelle Stockman | (515) 878-9599 | Stockman.Michelle@Principal.com | ||
Justin Lange Chief Compliance Officer |
(515) 878-6206 | Lange.Justin@Principal.com |
IX. | DEFINITIONS |
Access Person means any officer, director, employee or other person of the Firm, as well other any other person, who (i) has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients purchase or sale of Securities; (ii) has access to nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any client or affiliated mutual funds; or (iii) is involved in making Security recommendations to clients or has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic. This includes positions held by consultants, contractors, temporary employees, interns, co-op students and Principal HR and legal staff supporting the Firm. All Firm employees are deemed to be Access Persons unless otherwise determined by Compliance to be specifically exempted as an Exempt Access Person.
9
Beneficial Ownership is interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act when determining whether a person is a beneficial owner of a Security. For example, the term Beneficial Ownership shall encompass: (1) Securities in the persons own Accounts; (2) Securities owned by members of the persons immediate family sharing the same household; (3) A persons proportionate interest in the portfolio of Securities held by a partnership, trust, corporation or other arrangements; and (4) Securities a person might acquire or dispose of through the exercise or conversion of any derivative Security (e.g. an option, whether presently exercisable or not).
Covered Account (Account) means any investment account or any other type of account that holds or is capable of holding Securities. The Accounts tax status has no impact on whether an account qualifies as an Account.
Crypto-Asset means an investment in cryptocurrency (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Shiba INU), initial coin offering (ICO), distributed ledger technology, blockchain and/or any related products and pooled investment vehicles.
Direct or Indirect Influence or Control means the ability to influence or control, directly or indirectly, specific investment decisions within an investment account, including (i) suggesting purchases or sales of specific investments to a trustee or third-party discretionary manager of an account, (ii) directing purchases or sales of specific investments in an account, and (iii) consulting with the trustee or third-party discretionary manager of an account as to the purchase, sale or status of specific investments to be made in the account. Account statements must be provided up on request from PGI Compliance.
Exempt Access Person refers to specific personnel deemed to be exempt from the personal trading provisions of the Code and Compliance Manual, specifically, if a Board Director does not have (i) access to nonpublic information regarding any clients purchase or sale of Securities; (ii) access to nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any client or affiliated mutual funds; and/or (iii) involvement in making Security recommendations to clients or have access to such recommendations that are nonpublic; the CCO may deem such person to be an Exempt Access Person. The CCO (or designee) will notify any Exempt Access Person of such designation. Exempt Access Person are relieved from personal trading provisions of the Code and Compliance Manual. PGI Compliance will maintain a list of any Exempt Access Persons and will review such list on an annual (or otherwise more frequent basis).
Federal Securities Laws refers to any one or more of the laws that govern the securities industry, such as the: Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act), Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (Indenture Act), Investment Company Act of 1940 (40 Act), Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act), Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB), the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank), Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (JOBS Act), and any rules and regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under any of these statutes, as well as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA, as it applies to funds and investment advisers), and any rules and regulations adopted thereunder by the SEC or the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Investment Club means a group of individuals who combine their funds for the purpose of making investments and/or advancing their investment education. Participation in Investment Clubs is prohibited under this Code.
Investment Personnel means the Portfolio Managers, Traders, Charles River Trade Support staff, Compliance Department staff, any individual with authorization to send/direct a trade on client portfolios, or any individual at the discretion of the Chief Compliance Officer.
10
Loans mean either secured or unsecured arrangements (documented or undocumented) where an individual or entity finances a sum of money that must be repaid (with or without interest) at some point in the future. For purposed of the Code, loans to family members are excluded from this definition.
Portfolio Manager means an individual entrusted with the direct responsibility and authority to make investment decisions for or affecting the portfolios of clients.
Private Investments generally, private investments involve the sale of Securities to a relatively small number of qualified investors in a private transaction, rather than through an exchange or over-the-counter market. Private investments may not have to be registered with the SEC and, in many cases, detailed financial information is not disclosed. Examples include, but are not limited to, limited partnerships, hedge funds and private equity transactions.
Reportable Fund means (i) any fund for which the Firm serves as an investment advisor, as defined by the 40 Act; or (ii) any fund whose investment advisor or principal underwriter controls the Firm, is controlled by the Firm, or is in common control with the Firm.
Reportable Security, or Security shall have the meaning of Security as set forth in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act and Section 2(a)(36) of the 40 Act. Security means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guaranty of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing. General types (although not all inclusive) include fixed income securities, such as bonds and notes; equity securities, such as stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs); derivatives, such as options and futures; unit investment trusts (UITs); and private investments.
11
Addendum A
CODE OF ETHICS
FIRM ENTITIES
Together, the Firm | ||
Together, the Advisers | Principal Global Investors, LLC (PGI) | |
Principal Global Investors (Australia) Limited (PGIA) | ||
Principal Global Investors (Dubai) | ||
Principal Global Investors (Europe) Limited (PGIE) | ||
Principal Global Investors (Hong Kong) Limited (PGIHK) | ||
Principal Global Investors (Japan) Limited (PGIJ) | ||
Principal Global Investors (Singapore) Limited (PGIS) | ||
Principal Global Investors (Ireland) and PGI (EU) | ||
Principal Real Estate Investors, LLC (PrinREI) | ||
Principal Real Estate Europe Limited (PrinRE EU) | ||
Principal Enterprise Capital, LLC (PEC) | ||
Principal Asset Management Company (Asia) Limited (PAM Asia) |
12
Together, the Principal Funds | Principal Funds, Inc. | |
Principal Variable Contracts Funds, Inc. | ||
Principal Exchange Traded Funds | ||
Principal Diversified Select Real Asset Fund | ||
(and any other continuously offered registered closed-end management investment company that may be organized in the future for which PGI or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with PGI, or any successor in interest to any such entity, acts as investment adviser and which operates as an interval fund pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 40 Act or provides periodic liquidity with respect to its Shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 under the Exchange Act. | ||
PFD | Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. (PFD) |
Addendum B
CODE OF ETHICS
PRINCIPAL FUNDS ACCESS PERSON PROVISIONS
The following provisions shall be substituted into the Code, where applicable, for the Principal Funds.
Principal Funds Access Person
Any individual identified as an officer or director of the Principal Funds or PGI; an officer or director of PFD; or an officer or director of any company controlling PGI who makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of Principal Funds Securities in such individuals regular functions or duties or whose functions relate to the recommendations of such purchases or sales; any employee, temporary employee and contract employee of the Principal Funds or the Principal Funds Adviser who, in connection with such individuals regular functions or duties, has access to certain nonpublic information concerning the Principal Funds purchase or sale of Securities or portfolio holdings or who is involved in making Securities recommendations to a Fund.
Principal Funds Special Rules Applicable to Independent Directors/Trustees
Under Rule 17j-1 of the 40 Act, an Access Person who is an Independent Director/Trustee of the Principal Funds and who would be required to make a report solely by reason of being a Principal Funds Director/Trustee need not make an initial holdings or an annual holdings report. In addition, an Independent Director/Trustee need not provide a quarterly transaction report unless the Independent Director/Trustee knew, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling such individuals official duties as a Principal Funds Director/Trustee, should have known, that during the 15-day period immediately before or after the Independent Directors/Trustees transaction in a Security, a Principal Fund purchased or sold the Security, or the Principal Funds Adviser or sub-adviser considered purchasing or selling the Security.
13
With respect to the Interval Fund(s), the trustees, beneficial owners of more than 10%, and certain designated Executive Officers of the Interval Fund(s), have certain reporting obligations regarding ownership of Interval Fund(s) shares under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Such reporting will occur outside of the administration of this Code.
Principal Funds Administration
The Principal Funds rely upon PGI Compliance to administer the Code. It is the requirement of Principal Funds that PGI Compliance report material violations of the Code by Principal Funds Access Persons to the Principal Funds Chief Compliance Officer (or his or her designee).
No less than annually, Principal Funds Compliance will prepare a written report to the Principal Funds Board of Directors that, at a minimum, will include:
| A certification that the Principal Funds have adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code; and |
| A description of issues that arose under the Code since the last report to the Board, including information about material violations and sanctions imposed in response to those violations. |
Addendum C
CODE OF ETHICS
PrinREI ACCESS PERSON PROVISIONS
The following provision shall be added to the Personal Account Reporting section of the Code for PrinREI and shall apply to all PrinREI personnel who are not associated persons of a broker-dealer. For associated persons, real estate investment property must be reported under the outside business activities guidelines.
Real Estate Investment Property
Real Estate Investment Property is reportable and may only be acquired or sold with prior approval of the PrinREI Access Persons supervisor and Compliance. Pre-approval request for real estate investment property can be submitted within the PTA system under the Available Forms section.
The following property types are exempt from reporting and pre-approval:
| Single-family residential property; |
| Vacation residential property; |
| Multi-family residential complex property with less than 20 units (examples include apartments and condos); and |
| Farmland property zoned and operated as agricultural. |
14
Addendum D
CODE OF ETHICS
PrinREI EU ACCESS PERSON PROVISIONS
The following provision shall be added to the Personal Account Reporting section of the Code for PrinRE EU.
PrinRE EU has adopted this Advisers Code in its entirety. Although this Code is U.S. centric, PrinRE EU staff must adhere to its provisions. References to U.S. federal and state law and regulations will apply in PrinRE EU where relevant but, where not relevant, PrinRE EU staff should apply European, local U.K./German/French law and regulations such as MiFID II and AIFMD.
Real Estate Investment Property
Real Estate Investment Property is reportable and may only be acquired or sold with prior approval of the PrinRE EU Access Persons supervisor and Compliance. Pre-approval request for real estate investment property can be submitted within the PTA system under the Available Forms section.
The following property types are exempt from reporting and pre-approval:
| Single-family residential property; |
| Vacation residential property; |
| Multi-family residential complex property with less than 20 units (examples include apartments); and |
| Farmland property zoned and operated as agricultural. |
15
Addendum E
CODE OF ETHICS
PGIS ACCESS PERSON PROVISIONS
The following provision shall be added to the Personal Security Transactions section of the Code for PGIS.
Exempted Securities listed below are exempt from the reporting, pre-clearance and holding period requirements:
| Singapore Savings Bond |
16
Addendum F
CODE OF ETHICS
ELECTRONIC FEED BROKERS
ELECTRONIC FEED BROKERS as of October 2022 |
Ameriprise Charles Schwab Citi Personal Wealth Management E*Trade Securities Edward Jones Fidelity Investments InteractiveBrokers Janney Montgomery J.P. Morgan Securities LPL Financial Merrill Lynch Morgan Stanley Northwestern Mutual Principal Securities Raymond James RBC Wealth Management |
17
Stifel T.Rowe Price TD Ameritrade UBS USAA Investments Vanguard Group Voya Financial Wells Fargo Advisors |
18
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Revised March 2023
Pzena Investment Management, LLC
Compliance Manual | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Dear Colleagues/Associates:
The good name and reputation of Pzena Investment Management, LLC and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company) are a result of the dedication and hard work of all of us. Together, we are responsible for preserving and enhancing this reputation, a task that is fundamental to our continued well-being. Our goal is not just to comply with the laws and regulations that apply to our business; we also strive to abide by the highest standards of business conduct.
Set forth in the succeeding pages is the Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the Code). The purpose of the Code is to reinforce and enhance the Companys ethical way of doing business and, in particular, to provide regulations and procedures consistent with the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The contents of the Code are not new, however. The policies set forth here are part of the Companys long-standing tradition of ethical business standards.
All employees, officers and directors are expected to comply with the policies set forth in the Code. Read the Code carefully and make sure that you understand it, the consequences of non-compliance, and the Codes importance to the success of the Company. If you have any questions, speak to the Chief Compliance Officer or any of the alternate Compliance Officers identified in the Code.
The Code should be viewed as the minimum requirements for conduct. The Code cannot and is not intended to cover every applicable law or provide answers to all questions that might arise; for that we must ultimately rely on each persons good sense of what is right, including a sense of when it is proper to seek guidance from others on the appropriate course of conduct. When in doubt about the advisability or propriety of a particular practice or matter, please confer with the Legal and Compliance group.
We at the Company are committed to providing the best and most competitive services to our clients. Adherence to the policies set forth in the Code will help us achieve that goal.
Sincerely,
Richard S. Pzena
Compliance Manual | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Table of Contents
Page | ||||
PUTTING THIS CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS TO WORK |
1 | |||
About this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics |
1 | |||
Purpose |
2 | |||
Employee Provisions |
2 | |||
Implementation |
2 | |||
Definitions |
4 | |||
RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR ORGANIZATION |
5 | |||
Conflicts of Interest |
5 | |||
Prohibited Transactions with Respect to Non-Company Securities |
6 | |||
Employee Trading Exceptions with Respect to Non-Company Securities |
7 | |||
Exempt Transactions |
7 | |||
Pre-Clearance Requirement |
8 | |||
Reporting Requirements |
9 | |||
Other Prohibitions |
11 | |||
Company Disclosures |
12 | |||
Review |
13 | |||
Reporting Violations |
13 | |||
Background Checks |
14 | |||
Sanctions |
14 | |||
Required Records |
14 | |||
Record Retention |
15 | |||
Waivers of this Code |
15 | |||
Corporate Opportunities |
15 | |||
Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets |
16 | |||
Client Information |
16 | |||
Portfolio Company Information |
16 | |||
Company Information |
16 | |||
INSIDER TRADING |
17 | |||
FAIR DEALING |
17 | |||
Antitrust Laws |
17 | |||
Conspiracies and Collaborations Among Competitors |
17 | |||
Distribution Issues |
18 | |||
Penalties |
19 | |||
Gathering Information About the Companys Competitors |
19 | |||
RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR PEOPLE |
20 | |||
Equal Employment Opportunity |
20 | |||
Non-Discrimination Policy |
20 | |||
Anti-Harassment Policy |
20 | |||
Individuals and Conduct Covered |
20 | |||
Retaliation |
21 | |||
Reporting an Incident of Harassment, Discrimination or Retaliation |
21 |
Compliance Manual | i | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Leave Policies |
21 | |||
Safety in the Workplace |
21 | |||
Weapons and Workplace Violence |
21 | |||
Drugs and Alcohol |
22 | |||
INTERACTING WITH GOVERNMENT |
22 | |||
Prohibition on Gifts to Government Officials and Employees |
22 | |||
Political Contributions and Activities |
22 | |||
Lobbying Activities |
22 | |||
Bribery of Foreign Officials |
23 | |||
Amendments and Modifications |
23 | |||
Form ADV Disclosure |
23 | |||
Employee Certification |
23 |
Compliance Manual | ii | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
PUTTING THIS CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS TO WORK
About this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We at the Company are committed to the highest standards of business conduct in our relationships with each other and with our clients, suppliers, and others. This requires that we conduct our business in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations and in accordance with the highest standards of business conduct. The Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (this Code) helps each of us in this endeavor by providing a statement of the fundamental principles and key policies and procedures that govern the conduct of our business. Furthermore, this Code sets out procedures for compliance by the Company, a registered investment adviser to separately managed advisory accounts including registered investment companies (the Funds) as well as unregistered funds and other private accounts, with Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Rule 204A-1 and Rule 204-2 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (hereinafter, the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 shall collectively be referred to as the 1940 Acts and Rule 17j-1, Rule 204A-1 and Rule 204-2 shall be collectively referred to as the Rules). This Code is designed to establish standards and procedures for the detection and prevention of activities by which persons having knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of the Companys advisory accounts may breach their fiduciary duties, and to avoid and regulate situations that may give rise to conflicts of interest that the Rules address.
This Code is based on the principle that the Company owes a fiduciary duty to clients, to ensure that its employees conduct their Personal Security Transactions (as defined below) in a manner that does not interfere with clients transactions or otherwise take unfair advantage of the Companys relationship to its clients. The fiduciary principles that govern personal investment activities reflect, at a minimum, the following: (1) the duty at all times to place the interests of the client first; (2) the requirement that all Personal Security Transactions be conducted consistent with this Code and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individuals position of trust and responsibility; (3) the fundamental standard that investment personnel should not take inappropriate advantage of their positions; and (4) the requirement that investment personnel comply with applicable federal securities laws. Our business depends on the reputation of all of us for integrity and principled business conduct. Thus, in many instances, the policies referenced in this Code go beyond the requirements of the law.
Honesty and integrity are required of the Company and its employees, officers and directors at all times. The standards herein should be viewed as the minimum requirements for conduct. All employees, officers and directors of the Company are encouraged and expected to go above and beyond the standards outlined in this Code in order to provide clients with top level service while adhering to the highest ethical standards.
This Code is a statement of policies for individual and business conduct and does not, in any way, constitute an employment contract or an assurance of continued employment. Employees of the Company are employed at-will, except when covered by an express, written employment agreement. This means that employees may choose to resign their employment at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all. Similarly, the Company may choose to terminate employees employment at any time, for any legal reason or for no reason at all, but not for an unlawful reason.
Compliance Manual | 1 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Purpose
The purpose of this Code is to reinforce and enhance the Companys ethical way of doing business and, in particular, to provide regulations and procedures consistent with the 1940 Acts and the Rules. As required by Rule 204A-1, this Code sets forth standards of conduct, requires compliance with the federal securities laws and addresses personal trading. In addition, this Code is designed to give effect to the general prohibitions set forth in Rule 17j-1(b), to wit:
It is 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:
(i) | To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Fund; |
(ii) | 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; |
(iii) | To engage in any act, practice, or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on the Fund; or |
(iv) | To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Fund. |
Employee Provisions
All Access Persons are required to file reports of their Personal Security Transactions (as defined below), excluding exempted securities, as provided in the Pre-Clearance Requirement and Reporting Requirements sections below and, if they wish to trade in the same securities as any of the Companys advisory accounts, must comply with the specific procedures in effect for such transactions.
The reports of employees will be reviewed and compared with the activities of the Companys advisory accounts and, if a pattern emerges that indicates abusive trading or noncompliance with applicable procedures, the matter will be referred to the Companys Chief Compliance Officer (the CCO), who will make appropriate inquiries and decide what action, if any, is then appropriate, including escalation to the Companys management as needed.
Implementation
In order to implement this Code, a CCO and one or more alternate Compliance Officers (each, an Alternate) shall be designated from time to time for the Company. The current CCO is Steven M. Coffey and the current Alternates are Jacques Pompy, and Bill Zois.
The duties of the CCO and each Alternate shall include:
(i) | Continuous maintenance of a current list of Access Persons as defined herein; |
(ii) | Furnishing all employees with a copy of this Code, and initially and periodically informing them of their duties and obligations thereunder; |
(iii) | Training and educating employees regarding this Code and their responsibilities hereunder; |
Compliance Manual | 2 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
(iv) | Maintaining, or supervising the maintenance of, all records required by this Code; |
(v) | Maintaining a list of the Funds that the Company advises or subadvises; |
(vi) | Determining with the assistance of an Approving Officer (as defined below) whether any particular Personal Security Transaction should be exempted pursuant to the provisions of the sections titled Conflicts of Interest or Prohibited Transactions of this Code; |
(vii) | Determining with the assistance of an Approving Officer whether special circumstances warrant that any particular security or Personal Security Transaction be temporarily or permanently restricted or prohibited; |
(viii) | Maintaining, from time to time as appropriate, a current list of the securities that are restricted or prohibited pursuant to (vii) above; |
(ix) | Issuing any interpretation of this Code that may appear consistent with the objectives of the Rules and this Code; |
(x) | Conducting such inspections or investigations as shall reasonably be required to detect and report violations of this Code, as described in paragraphs (xi) and (xii) below, to the Companys management; |
(xi) | Submitting periodic reports to the Companys management containing: (A) a description of any material violation by any non-executive employee of the Company and the sanction imposed; (B) a description of any violation by any director or executive officer of the Company and the sanction imposed; (C) interpretations issued by and any material exemptions or waivers found appropriate by the CCO; and (D) any other significant information concerning the appropriateness of this Code; and |
(xii) | Submitting a report at least annually to the Executive Committee of Pzena Investment Management, LLC (the Executive Committee) that: (A) summarizes existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the past year; (B) identifies the violations described in clauses (A) and (B) of the preceding paragraph (xi); (C) identifies any recommended changes in existing restrictions or procedures based upon experience under this Code, evolving industry practices or developments in applicable laws or regulations; and (D) reports of efforts made with respect to the implementation of this Code through orientation and training programs and ongoing reminders. |
Each of us is responsible for knowing and understanding the policies and guidelines contained in the following pages. If persons have questions, please ask them; if they have ethical concerns, please raise them. The CCO, who is responsible for overseeing and monitoring compliance with this Code, and the other resources set forth in this Code are available to answer questions and provide guidance and for persons to report suspected misconduct. Our conduct should reflect the Companys values, demonstrate ethical leadership, and promote a work environment that upholds the Companys reputation for integrity, ethical conduct and trust.
Copies of this Code are available from the CCO and on the Companys website. A statement of compliance with this Code must be completed by all officers, directors and employees on an annual basis.
Compliance Manual | 3 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
This Code cannot provide definitive answers to all questions. If employees have questions regarding any of the policies discussed in this Code or if employees are in doubt about the best course of action in a particular situation, employees should seek guidance from a supervisor, the CCO or the other resources identified in this Code.
This Code is a statement of the fundamental principles and key policies and procedures that govern the conduct of the Companys business. It is not intended to and does not create any obligations to or rights in any employee, director, client, supplier, competitor, or any other person or entity.
Definitions
For purposes of this Code:
(i) | Access Person(s) means any employee, officer, or director (provided that directors may rebut the presumption of access established under Rule 17j-1(a)(1) by way of certification) of the Company. Contractors, interns, and other temporary staff are not generally included; however, we seek separate confidentiality representations from such persons. |
(ii) | Approving Officer means Richard S. Pzena, John P. Goetz, Ben Silver, Allison Fisch, or designee. |
(iii) | A security is being considered for purchase or sale when, subject to the Companys systematic buy/sell discipline as described in its Form ADV and client and prospect presentations, (i) a recommendation to purchase or sell that security has been made by the Company to an advisory account (e.g., the Portfolio Manager has instructed Portfolio Administration to begin preparing orders) or (ii) the Portfolio Manager is seriously considering making such a recommendation. |
(iv) | Beneficial Ownership means any interest by which an employee or officer or any member of such persons immediate family (which, for purposes of this Code includes a spouse or civil partner (wherever they may live), dependent child or stepchild (wherever they may live), or parent, sibling or other relative by blood or marriage living in the same household as the employee) can directly or indirectly derive a monetary benefit from the purchase, sale or ownership of a security. Thus, a person may be deemed to have Beneficial Ownership of Securities held in accounts in such persons own name, such persons spouses name, and in all other accounts over which such person does or could be presumed to exercise investment decision-making powers, or other influence or control1, including trust accounts, partnership accounts, corporate accounts or other joint ownership or pooling arrangements; provided however, that with respect to spouses, a person shall no longer be deemed to have Beneficial Ownership of any accounts not held jointly with his or her spouse if the person and the spouse are legally separated or divorced and are not living in the same household. |
1 | In accordance with foreign regulations, this would include, without limitation, any security with which the Access Person is linked as a result of: (i) directly or indirectly controlling the security (in particular, but without limitation, by way of (i) having a majority of the voting rights in that security; or (ii) by being a shareholder in that security and having rights to appoint or remove a majority of the relevant Board, or to exercise a dominant influence over it under a shareholders agreement); or (ii) having a participating interest in the security, by holding, directly or indirectly, at least 20% or more of the voting rights or capital. |
Compliance Manual | 4 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
(v) | Exempt Transactions means the transactions described in the section hereof titled Exempt Transactions. |
(vi) | Personal Security Transaction means, for any employee or officer, a purchase, sale, gifting or donation of a security in which such person has, had, or will acquire a Beneficial Ownership. |
(vii) | Purchase and Sale of a Security includes, inter alia, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a security or participation in a tender offer. In addition, the sale of a security also includes the disposition by a person of that security by donation or gift. On the other hand, the acquisition by a person of a security by inheritance or gift is not treated as a purchase of that security under this Code as it is an involuntary purchase that is an Exempt Transaction under clause (iii) of the section titled Exempt Transactions below. |
(viii) | Security shall mean any common stock, preferred stock, treasury stock, single stock future, exchange traded fund or note, hedge fund, mutual fund, private placement, limited partnership interest, note, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, transferable share, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. |
RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR ORGANIZATION
Company employees, officers and directors are expected to dedicate their best efforts to advancing the Companys interests and to make decisions that affect the Company based on the Companys best interests, independent of outside influences.
Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest occurs when employees private interests interfere, or even appear to interfere, with the interests of the Company. A conflict situation may arise when employees take actions or have interests that make it difficult for employees to perform Company work objectively and effectively. Each employees obligation to conduct the Companys business in an honest and ethical manner includes the ethical handling of actual, apparent and potential conflicts of interest between personal and business relationships. This includes full disclosure of any actual, apparent or potential conflicts of interest as set forth below.
Compliance Manual | 5 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
As a fiduciary, the Company has an affirmative duty of care, loyalty, honesty, and good faith to act in the best interest of its clients. Compliance with this duty can be achieved by avoiding conflicts of interest or, when impracticable to do so, by fully disclosing all material facts concerning any conflict that does arise with respect to any client and following appropriate procedures designed to minimize any such conflict. Employees must try to avoid situations that have even the appearance of conflict or impropriety. Potential conflicts of interest should be brought to the attention of the CCO, who will determine whether further action is warranted (e.g., escalating such issues to the Risk Management Committee and/or Executive Committee, and/or recommending policy changes or additional disclosure).
(i) | Conflicts of interest may arise where the Company or its employees have reason to favor the interests of one client over another client. Favoritism of one client over another client constitutes a breach of fiduciary duty. |
(ii) | Employees are prohibited from using knowledge about pending or currently considered securities transactions for clients to profit personally, directly or indirectly, as a result of such transactions, including by purchasing or selling such securities. Conflicts raised by Personal Security Transactions also are addressed more specifically below. |
(iii) | If the Company determines that an employees Beneficial Ownership of a Security presents a material conflict, the employee may be restricted from participating in any decision-making process regarding the security. This may be particularly true in the case of proxy voting, and employees are expected to refer to and strictly adhere to the Companys proxy voting policies and procedures in this regard. |
(iv) | Employees are required to act in the best interests of the Companys clients regarding execution and other costs paid by clients for brokerage services. Employees are expected to refer to and strictly adhere to the Companys Best Execution policies and procedures. |
(v) | Access Persons are not permitted to knowingly sell to or purchase from a client any security or other property, except securities issued by the client. |
Employees, officers and directors are prohibited from trading, either personally or on behalf of others, while in possession of material, nonpublic information. The Companys Insider Trading Policy is hereby incorporated by reference and employees, officers and directors are required to comply with the provisions therein.
Prohibited Transactions with Respect to Non-Company Securities*
(i) | No Access Person or any member of such Access Persons immediate family may enter into a Personal Security Transaction for any security, or related security (e.g., derivatives, convertible instruments, corporate bonds), with actual knowledge that, at the same time, such security is being considered for purchase or sale by advisory accounts of the Company, or that such security is the subject of an outstanding purchase or sale order by advisory accounts of the Company except as provided below in the section titled Employee Trading Exceptions; |
(ii) | Except under the circumstances described in the section below titled Employee Trading Exceptions, no Access Person or any member of such Access Persons immediate family shall purchase or sell any security, or related security, within one business day before or after the purchase or sale of that security by advisory accounts of the Company; |
Compliance Manual | 6 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
(iii) | No Access Person or any member of such Access Persons immediate family shall be permitted to effect a short-term trade (i.e., to purchase and subsequently sell within 60 calendar days, or to sell and subsequently purchase within 60 calendar days) involving the same or equivalent securities; |
(iv) | No Access Person or any member of such Access Persons immediate family is permitted to enter into a Personal Security Transaction for any security that is named on a Prohibited List; |
(v) | No Access Person or any member of such Access Persons immediate family shall purchase any security in an Initial Public Offering (other than a security issued by the Company); |
(vi) | No Access Person or any member of such Access Persons immediate family shall, without the express prior approval of the CCO, acquire any security in a private placement, and if a private placement security is acquired, such employee must disclose that investment when he/she becomes aware of the Companys subsequent consideration of any investment in that issuer, and in such circumstances, an independent review shall be conducted by the CCO; |
Employee Trading Exceptions*
Notwithstanding the prohibitions of the above section titled Conflicts of Interest, an employee will be permitted to purchase or sell any security, or related security, once the Companys advisory accounts have each received their full allocation of the security purchased or sold. In addition, client activity in a security may occur within one day after an employee transaction is executed where the client transaction is unforeseen at the time of preclearance. This situation may arise when (i) new events trigger changes in the investment strategy regarding a security, and/or (ii) unanticipated client cash flows occur. There are no consequences to an employee if any of these situations occur after the employee has received the proper trading approval.
Exempt Transactions
The following transactions are exempt from the pre-clearance, holding period, and reporting provisions of this Code:
(i) | Purchases or sales of securities of an open-end mutual fund, index fund, collective investment trusts (CITs), money market fund or other registered investment company that is not advised or subadvised by the Company; |
(ii) | Purchases or sales of securities for an account over which an employee has no direct control and does not exercise indirect control (e.g., an account managed on a fully discretionary basis by a third party); |
(iii) | Involuntary purchases or sales made by an employee; |
Compliance Manual | 7 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
(iv) | Purchases that are part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan; |
(v) | Purchases that are part of an automatic investment plan, except that any transactions that override the preset schedule of allocations of the automatic investment plan must be reported in a quarterly transaction report; |
(vi) | Purchases or sales of U.S. Treasury securities (including purchases directly from the Treasury or a Federal Reserve Bank) and other direct obligations of the U.S. Government, as well as unsecured obligations of U.S. Government sponsored enterprises; |
(vii) | Purchases or sales of money market instruments, such as bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, repurchase agreements and other high-quality short-term debt instruments; |
(viii) | Purchases or sales of units in a unit investment trust if the unit investment trust is invested exclusively in unaffiliated mutual funds; |
(ix) | Purchases resulting from the exercise of rights acquired from an issuer as part of a pro rata distribution to all holders of a class of securities of such issuer and the sale of such rights; and |
(x) | Purchases or sales of futures (except individual stock futures contracts) and commodity contracts. |
The following transactions are exempt from the pre-clearance and holding period provisions of this Code;
however, the reporting requirements of this Code shall apply to:
(i) | Purchases or sales of open-end mutual funds or CITs advised or subadvised by the Company (affiliated funds); |
(ii) | Purchases or sales of closed-end mutual funds, exchange traded funds or notes (ETF/ETN), and derivatives of such securities, except in the case of single-stock ETFs which are not exempt from the pre-clearance and holding period provisions; |
(iii) | Purchases or sales of municipal securities. |
Pre-Clearance Requirement
(i) | Unless an exception is granted by the CCO, each Access Person and each member of their immediate family must pre-clear all Personal Security Transactions by submitting a request through the MyComplianceOffice Technologies (MCT) system and awaiting approval. A pre-clearance request to trade in a security, or related security, that is held in a client account or that is being considered for client purchase or sale, must also be accompanied by a fully completed Securities Transaction Pre-Clearance Form, as approved by the CCO (or Alternate). The Securities Transaction Pre-Clearance Forms generally include the signatures of an Approving Officer, the relevant Portfolio Manager, the Portfolio Implementation Desk and the Trading Desk. The MCT system will include a list of all such securities within a Restricted List. The Securities Transaction Pre-Clearance Form can be found in the Employee Area of the Companys intranet site. |
Compliance Manual | 8 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
(ii) | All pre-cleared Personal Security Transactions, with the exception of private placements, must take place on the same day that the clearance is obtained. Personal Security Transactions in foreign markets will be approved for the next trading session in that local market. If the transaction is not completed on the date of clearance, a new clearance must be obtained, including one for any uncompleted portion. Post-approval is not permitted under this Code. If it is determined that a trade was completed before approval was obtained, it will be considered a violation of this Code; and |
(iii) | In addition to the restrictions contained in the Conflicts of Interest section hereof, an Approving Officer or the CCO may refuse to grant clearance of a Personal Security Transaction in his or her sole discretion without being required to specify any reason for the refusal. Generally, an Approving Officer or the CCO will consider the following factors in determining whether or not to clear a proposed transaction: |
(1) | whether the amount or the nature of the transaction or person making it is likely to affect the price or market of the security; and |
(2) | whether the individual making the proposed purchase or sale is likely to receive a disproportionate benefit from purchases or sales being made or considered on behalf of any of the advisory clients of the Company. |
The pre-clearance requirement does not apply to Exempt Transactions. In case of doubt, the employee may present a Securities Transaction Pre-clearance Request Form to the CCO for consideration.
Reporting Requirements
(i) | No later than 10 days after becoming an employee, each individual shall provide a listing of all securities Beneficially Owned by the employee (an Initial Holdings Report). The information in the Initial Holdings Report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person became an employee. The Initial Holdings Report should be furnished to the CCO, Alternate or any other person whom the Company designates, and contain the following information: |
(1) | The title and type of security, and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the number of shares or the principal amount of each reportable security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership when the person became an Access Person; |
(2) | The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintains an account in which any reportable securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person, the account number; and |
(3) | The date the report is submitted by the Access Person. |
Compliance Manual | 9 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
(ii) | All employees must disclose any outside investment accounts in which they have Beneficial Ownership (as defined above) where reportable securities may be bought or sold. This disclosure should be done using MCT. Accounts where the only investment options are mutual funds, index funds, and other exempt securities (e.g., 529 Plans, Health Savings Accounts, certain 401(k) plans) do not need to be disclosed unless affiliated funds (reportable securities) are bought and sold. |
For all U.S.-based employees, unless otherwise approved by the CCO, securities accounts may only be maintained at the brokerage firms that provide the Company with a direct electronic feed through the MCT system. The list of approved brokerage firms is available on the Companys intranet site. For accounts held at brokerage firms that do not provide the Company with a direct electronic feed, employees must direct their brokers and/or affiliated mutual fund custodians to supply the CCO on a timely basis with duplicate copies of monthly or quarterly statements for all personal securities accounts as are customarily provided by the firms maintaining such accounts. Accounts that are managed on a fully discretionary basis by an outside adviser (i.e., the employee has no direct control and does not exercise indirect control) must also be disclosed and may be held at a brokerage firm of the employees choosing.
(iii) | Such duplicate statements must contain the following information (as applicable): |
(1) | The date and nature of each transaction (purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition), if any; |
(2) | Title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number (if any), interest rate and maturity date, number of shares and, principal amount of each security and the price at which the transaction was effected; |
(3) | The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and |
(4) | The date of issuance of the duplicate statements. |
(iv) | No later than 30 days after each calendar quarter, all employees covered by this Code shall provide quarterly transaction reports confirming that they have disclosed or reported all Personal Security Transactions and holdings required to be disclosed or reported pursuant hereto for the previous quarter. |
(v) | Within forty-five days of the end of each calendar year, all employees shall provide annual holdings reports listing all securities Beneficially Owned by the employee (the Annual Holdings Report). The information contained in the Annual Holdings Report shall be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the report is submitted, and shall include: |
(1) | The title and type of security, and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the number of shares or the principal amount of each security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership; |
Compliance Manual | 10 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
(2) | The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person, the account number; and |
(3) | The date the report is submitted by the Access Person. |
(vi) | Any statement or report submitted in accordance with this section may, at the request of the employee submitting the report, contain a statement that it is not to be construed as an admission that the person making it has or had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in any Security to which the report relates. |
(vii) | All employees shall certify in writing, annually, that they have read and understand this Code and have complied with the requirements hereof and that they have disclosed or reported all Personal Security Transactions and holdings required to be disclosed or reported pursuant hereto. |
(viii) | The CCO shall retain records for each employee that shall contain the monthly/quarterly account statements, quarterly and annual reports listed above and all Securities Transaction Pre-clearance Forms. |
(ix) | With respect to the receipt of gifts and entertainment, all employees shall promptly report on a form designated by the CCO the nature of such gift or entertainment, the date received, its approximate value, the giver and the givers relationship to the Company. Please refer to the Companys Business Gifts and Entertainment Policy. |
(x) | With respect to reports regarding accounting matters, the Company is committed to compliance with applicable securities laws, rules, and regulations, accounting standards and internal accounting controls. Employees are expected to report any complaints or concerns regarding accounting, internal accounting controls and auditing matters (Accounting Matters) promptly. Reports may be made to the CCO in person, or by calling the Helpline at 1-888-475-8376. Reports may be made anonymously to the Helpline; or in writing to the CCO at their offices by inter-office or regular mail. All reports will be treated confidentially to the extent reasonably possible. No one will be subject to retaliation because of a good faith report of a complaint or concern regarding Accounting Matters. |
Other Prohibitions
Gifts
No Access Person shall accept any gifts or anything else of more than a de minimis value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of the Company or any of the advisory accounts of the Company. For purposes hereof, de minimis value shall mean a value of less than $100 per calendar year, or such higher amount as may be set forth in FINRA Conduct Rule 3220 from time to time. Furthermore, all gifts to consultants and other decision-makers for client accounts must be reasonable in value and must be pre-approved by the Managing Principal, Marketing and Client Services and the CCO before distribution. The Company has adopted a Business Gifts and Entertainment Policy, which is located in the Companys Compliance Manual.
Compliance Manual | 11 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Political Contributions
No Access Person may make political or charitable contributions for the purpose of obtaining or retaining advisory contracts with government entities. In addition, no Access Person may consider the Companys current or anticipated business relationships as a factor in soliciting political or charitable contributions. The Company has adopted a Political Contributions Policy which is located in the Companys Compliance Manual.
Outside Business Activities
No executive officer of the Company may serve on the board of directors (or similar governing body) of any corporation or business entity without the prior written approval of the Companys management. Non-executive employees of the Company may only serve on the board of directors (or similar governing body) of a corporation or business entity with the prior written approval of the CCO in consultation with the Companys management. Prior written approval of the CCO is also required in the following two (2) additional scenarios:
(1) | Advisory Committee positions of any business, government or charitable entity where the members of the committee have the ability or authority to affect or influence the selection of investment managers or the selection of the investment of the entitys operating, endowment, pension or other funds. |
(2) | Positions on the board of directors, trustees or any advisory committee of a Company client or any potential client who is actively considering engaging the Companys investment advisory services. |
Prior to engaging in any outside employment or other business activity (Outside Business Activity) Access Persons must receive written approval from their department supervisor and the CCO (or Alternate). Outside Business Activity shall be permitted if it is free of any actions that could be considered a conflict of interest. Outside Business Activity must not adversely affect an Access Persons job performance at the Company, and must not result in absenteeism, tardiness or an Access Persons inability to work overtime when requested or required. Access Persons may not engage in Outside Business Activity that requires or involves using Company time, materials or resources.
Upon hire, all Access Persons shall disclose any Outside Business Activity in which they are engaged. Furthermore, on an annual basis, Access Persons shall complete a certification for all Outside Business Activity in which they are engaged.
Company Disclosures
It is Company policy to make full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in all reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the SEC and in all other public communications made by the Company.
Compliance Manual | 12 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Employees must complete all Company documents accurately, truthfully, and in a timely manner, including all travel and expense reports. When applicable, documents must be properly authorized. Employees must record the Companys financial activities in compliance with all applicable laws and accounting practices. The making of false or misleading entries, records or documentation is strictly prohibited. Employees must never create a false or misleading report or make a payment or establish an account on behalf of the Company with the understanding that any part of the payment or account is to be used for a purpose other than as described by the supporting documents.
Review
All pre-clearance requests, statements and reports of Personal Security Transactions and completed portfolio transactions of each of the Companys advisory clients shall be compared by or under the supervision of the CCO to determine whether a possible violation of this Code and/or other applicable trading procedures may have occurred. Before making any final determination that a violation has been committed by any person, the CCO shall give such person an opportunity to supply additional explanatory information.
If the CCO or Alternate determines that a material violation of this Code has or may have occurred, he or she shall, following consultation with counsel to the Company if needed, submit a written determination and any additional explanatory material provided by the individual to the Companys management and/or the Executive Committee, as necessary.
No person shall review his or her own report. If a Personal Security Transaction of the CCO or the CCOs spouse is under consideration, an Alternate shall act in all respects in the manner prescribed herein for the CCO.
Reporting Violations
Any violations of this Code including violations of applicable federal securities laws, whether actual, known, apparent or suspected, should be reported promptly to the CCO or to any other person the Company may designate (as long as the CCO periodically receives reports of all violations). It is imperative that reporting persons not conduct their own preliminary investigations. Investigations of alleged violations may involve complex legal issues, and an employee acting on his own may compromise the integrity of an investigation and adversely affect both employees and the Company.
Any reports of violations will be treated confidentially to the extent permitted by law and reasonably possible and investigated promptly and appropriately. Any such reports may also be submitted anonymously. Employees are encouraged to consult the CCO with respect to any transaction that may violate this Code and to refrain from any action or transaction that might lead to the appearance of a violation. Any retaliation against an individual who reports a violation is prohibited and constitutes a further violation of this Code.
The Company has a 24-hour Helpline, 1-888-475-8376, which employees can use to report violations of the Companys policies or to seek guidance on those policies. Employees may report suspected violations to or ask questions of the Helpline anonymously; however, providing such employees name may expedite the time it takes the Company to respond to such employees call, and it also allows the Company to contact an employee if necessary during any investigation. Either way, the Company should treat the information that employees provide as confidential.
Compliance Manual | 13 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Background Checks
Employees are required to promptly report any criminal, regulatory or governmental investigations or convictions to which they become subject. Each employee is required to promptly complete and return any background questionnaires that the Companys Legal and Compliance group may circulate.
Sanctions
The Company intends to use every reasonable effort to prevent the occurrence of conduct not in compliance with this Code and to halt any such conduct that may occur as soon as reasonably possible after its discovery. Any violation of this Code shall be subject to the imposition of such sanctions by the CCO as may be deemed appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the purposes of the Rules and this Code, and may include suspension or termination of employment or of trading privileges, the rescission of trades, a written censure, imposition of fines or of restrictions on the number or type of providers of personal accounts; and/or requiring equitable restitution.
Required Records
Required Records (as listed in this section) must be kept in an easily accessible place. In addition, no records should be selectively destroyed, and all records must be retained if they are connected with any litigation/government investigation. The CCO shall maintain and cause to be maintained in an easily accessible place, the following records:
(a) | A copy of any Code that has been in effect at any time during the past five years; |
(b) | A record of any violation of this Code and any action taken as a result of such violation for five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred; |
(c) | A copy of each report made by the CCO within two years from the end of the fiscal year of the Company in which such report or interpretation is made or issued (and for an additional three years in a place that need not be easily accessible); |
(d) | A list of the names of persons who are currently, or within the past five years were, employees; |
(e) | A record of all written acknowledgements of receipt of this Code for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, subject to this Code; |
(f) | Holdings and transactions reports made pursuant to this Code, including any brokerage account statements made in lieu of these reports; |
(g) | All pre-clearance forms shall be maintained for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval was granted; |
(h) | A record of any decision approving the acquisition of securities by employees in limited offerings for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which approval was granted; |
(i) | Any exceptions reports prepared by Approving Officers or the Compliance Officer; |
Compliance Manual | 14 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
(j) | A record of persons responsible for reviewing employees reports currently or during the last five years; and |
(k) | A copy of reports provided to a Funds board of directors regarding this Code. |
For the first two years, the required records shall be maintained in the Companys New York offices.
Record Retention
In the course of its business, the Company produces and receives large numbers of records. Numerous laws require the retention of certain Company records for various periods of time. The Company is committed to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the preservation of records. The Companys policy is to identify, maintain, safeguard and destroy or retain all records in the Companys possession on a systematic and regular basis. Under no circumstances are Company records to be destroyed selectively or to be maintained outside Company premises or designated storage facilities, except in those instances where Company records may be temporarily brought home by employees working from home in accordance with approvals from their supervisors or applicable policies about working from home or other remote locations.
If employees learn of a subpoena or a pending or contemplated litigation or government investigation, employees should immediately contact the General Counsel. Employees must retain and preserve ALL records that may be responsive to the subpoena or relevant to the litigation or that may pertain to the investigation until employees are advised by the Legal and Compliance group as to how to proceed. Employees must also affirmatively preserve from destruction all relevant records that without intervention would automatically be destroyed or erased (such as e-mails and voicemail messages). Destruction of such records, even if inadvertent, could seriously prejudice the Company. If employees have any questions regarding whether a particular record pertains to a pending or contemplated investigation or litigation or may be responsive to a subpoena or regarding how to preserve particular types of records, employees should preserve the records in question and ask the Legal and Compliance group for advice.
Waivers of this Code
Waivers of the Code may be made by the CCO, in consultation with Company management, and/or the Executive Committee, as deemed necessary.
Corporate Opportunities
Employees owe a duty to the Company to advance its legitimate interests when the opportunity to do so arises. If employees learn of a business or investment opportunity through the use of corporate property or information or an employees position at the Company, such as from a competitor or actual or potential client, supplier or business associate of the Company, employees may not participate in the opportunity or make the investment without the prior written approval of the CCO. Such an opportunity should be considered an investment opportunity for the Company in the first instance. Employees may not use corporate property or information or an employees position at the Company for improper personal gain, and employees may not compete with the Company.
Compliance Manual | 15 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets
We each have a duty to protect the Companys assets and ensure their efficient use. Theft, carelessness and waste have a direct impact on the Companys profitability. We should take measures to prevent damage to and theft or misuse of Company property. When employees leave the Company, all Company property must be returned to the Company. Except as specifically authorized, Company assets, including Company time, equipment, materials, resources and proprietary information, must be used for business purposes only.
Client Information
Current federal regulations are designed to protect the privacy of customers of financial institutions and financial services providers. In this regard, the Company has adopted privacy policies (the Privacy Policies) by which each employee of the Company must agree to abide. The CCO will ensure that each employee of the Company acknowledges their adherence to the Privacy Policies. A copy of the Privacy Policies is found in the Companys Compliance Manual. The Company will keep a copy of the Privacy Policies and will make them available upon request.
Portfolio Company Information
Certain limitations on trading and other activities may result from employees of the Company receiving access to material, nonpublic information regarding the plans, earnings, operations or financial condition of issuers (Portfolio Companies). If, in employee conversations, meetings or written communications with Portfolio Company management, employees are told (or have reason to believe) that the information employees have received is not public, employees should notify the CCO immediately. If employees are forewarned that the information employees are about to receive is confidential/not public, employees should ask the person not to disclose the information to employees until employees have a chance to check with the Legal and Compliance group. The Companys Insider Trading Policy more fully discusses material, nonpublic information.
Company Information
Unless employees are doing so in connection with Company duties and responsibilities, employees should not discuss specific details about the Companys business with unauthorized persons, including family members. Even when representing the Company, employees need to be careful about disclosing certain information. Engaging in discussions with outside parties (who are not custodians and brokers or dealers implementing such strategies and transactions for us) about specific strategies or transactions in Portfolio Companies that the Company is or is considering implementing for clients may present a conflict of interest for the Company and may even subject the recipient of such information to this Code (including its personal trading policies). It is very important to remember this when having discussions with personal friends, social acquaintances and former business associates or colleagues who are active investment management professionals (e.g., hedge fund managers, other investment advisers). It is equally important to remember this when employees are discussing the Companys business or clients with colleagues in public places (e.g., elevators, lunch lines). Employees should be particularly careful not to use actual company or client names in any public settings.
Information that is proprietary to the Company should not be shared with others. With regard to what might constitute material that is proprietary and/or should not be shared, employees may use a simple guideline that if we paid for it or if we created it, it is likely proprietary and should not be shared. For example, the Companys proprietary stock analysis software should not be shared with others.
Compliance Manual | 16 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
INSIDER TRADING
Various federal and state securities laws and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Section 204A) require every investment adviser to establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed, taking into consideration the nature of such advisers business, to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information in violation of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or other securities laws by the investment adviser or any person associated with the investment adviser.
The CCO has the primary responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of the Companys Insider Trading Policy, practices, disclosures and recordkeeping. The Companys Insider Trading Policy is designed to detect and prevent illegal insider trading. The Insider Trading Policy covers: (i) the Company, (ii) all persons controlled by, controlling or under common control with the Company (iii) consultants, subtenants, office occupants or other persons who are deemed to be Access Persons under this Code; and (iv) each and every employee, officer, director, general partner and member of the Company and any person described in clause (ii) (all persons described in this paragraph are referred to collectively as the Covered Persons). The Insider Trading Policy extends to activities both within and outside each Covered Persons relationship with the Company. The CCO will ensure that each employee of the Company acknowledges their adherence to the Insider Trading Policy. The Company will keep a copy of the Insider Trading Policy and will make it available upon request.
FAIR DEALING
The Company depends on its reputation for quality, service and integrity. The way we deal with our clients, competitors and suppliers molds our reputation, builds long-term trust and ultimately determines our success. Employees should endeavor to deal fairly with the Companys clients, suppliers, competitors and other employees. We must never take unfair advantage of others through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other unfair dealing practice.
Antitrust Laws
While the Company competes vigorously in all of its business activities, its efforts in the marketplace must be conducted in accordance with all applicable antitrust and competition laws. While it is impossible to describe antitrust and competition laws fully in any code of business conduct, this Code gives an overview of the types of conduct that are particularly likely to raise antitrust concerns. If employees are or become engaged in activities similar to those identified in this Code, employees should consult the Legal and Compliance group for further guidance.
Conspiracies and Collaborations Among Competitors
One of the primary goals of the antitrust laws is to promote and preserve each competitors independence when making decisions on price, output, and other competitively sensitive factors. Some of the most serious antitrust offenses are agreements between competitors that limit independent judgment and restrain trade, such as agreements to fix prices, restrict output or control the quality of products, or to divide a market for clients, territories, products or purchases. Employees should not agree with any competitor on any of these topics, as these agreements are virtually always unlawful. (In other words, no excuse will absolve employees or the Company of liability.)
Compliance Manual | 17 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Unlawful agreements need not take the form of a written contract or even express commitments or mutual assurances. Courts can and do infer agreements based on loose talk, informal discussions, or the mere exchange between competitors of information from which pricing or other collusion could result. Any communication with a competitors representative, no matter how innocuous it may seem at the time, may later be subject to legal scrutiny and form the basis for accusations of improper or illegal conduct. Employees should take care to avoid involving themselves in situations from which an unlawful agreement could be inferred.
By bringing competitors together, trade associations and standard-setting organizations may raise antitrust concerns, even though such groups serve many legitimate goals. The exchange of sensitive information with competitors regarding topics such as prices, profit margins, output levels, or billing or advertising practices may potentially violate antitrust and competition laws, as may creating a standard with the purpose and effect of harming competition. Employees must notify the Legal and Compliance group before joining any trade associations or standard-setting organizations. Further, if employees are attending a meeting at which potentially competitively sensitive topics are discussed without oversight by an antitrust lawyer, employees should object, leave the meeting, and notify the Legal and Compliance group immediately.
Joint ventures with competitors are not illegal under applicable antitrust and competition laws. However, like trade associations, joint ventures present potential antitrust concerns. The Legal and Compliance group should therefore be consulted before negotiating or entering into such a venture.
Distribution Issues
Relationships with clients and suppliers may also be subject to a number of antitrust prohibitions if these relationships harm competition. For example, it may be illegal for a company to affect competition by agreeing with a supplier to limit that suppliers sales to any of the Companys competitors. Collective refusals to deal with a competitor, supplier or client may be unlawful as well. While the Company generally is allowed to decide independently that it does not wish to buy from or sell to a particular person, when such a decision is reached jointly with others, it may be unlawful, regardless of whether it seems commercially reasonable.
Other activities that may raise antitrust concerns are:
(i) | discriminating in terms and services offered to clients, where the Company treats one client or group of clients differently than another; |
(ii) | exclusive dealing agreements, where the Company requires a client to buy only from a particular supplier, or the supplier to sell only to the Company or the client; |
(iii) | tying arrangements, where a client or supplier is required, as a condition of purchasing or selling one product or service, also to purchase or sell a second, distinct product or service; |
(iv) | bundled discounts, in which discount or rebate programs link the level of discounts available on one product or service to purchases of separate but related products or services; and |
(v) | predatory pricing, where the Company offers a discount that results in the sales price of a product or service being below the products or services cost (the definition of cost varies depending on the court), with the intention of sustaining that price long enough to drive competitors out of the market. |
Compliance Manual | 18 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Because these activities are prohibited under many circumstances, employees should consult the Legal and Compliance group before implementing any of them.
Penalties
Failure to comply with the antitrust laws could result in jail terms for individuals and large criminal fines and other monetary penalties for both the Company and individuals. In addition, private parties may bring civil suits to recover three times their actual damages, plus attorneys fees and court costs.
The antitrust laws are extremely complex. Because antitrust lawsuits can be very costly (even when a company has not violated the antitrust laws and is cleared in the end), it is important to consult with the Legal and Compliance group before engaging in any conduct that even appears to create the basis for an allegation of wrongdoing. It is far easier to structure employee conduct to avoid erroneous impressions than to explain their conduct in the future when an antitrust investigation or action is in progress. For that reason, when in doubt, consult the Legal and Compliance group with any concerns.
Gathering Information About the Companys Competitors
It is entirely proper for us to gather information about our marketplace, including information about our competitors and their products and services. However, there are limits to the ways that information should be acquired and used, especially information about competitors. In gathering competitive information, employees should abide by the following guidelines:
1. | We may gather information about our competitors from sources such as published articles, advertisements, brochures, other non-proprietary materials, surveys by consultants and conversations with our clients, as long as those conversations are not likely to suggest that we are attempting to (a) conspire with our competitors, using the client as a messenger, or (b) gather information in breach of a clients nondisclosure agreement with a competitor or through other wrongful means. Employees should be able to identify the source of any information about competitors. |
2. | We must never attempt to acquire a competitors trade secrets or other proprietary information through unlawful means, such as theft, spying, bribery or breach of a competitors nondisclosure agreement. |
3. | If there is any indication that information that employees obtain was not lawfully received by the party in possession, employees should refuse to accept it. If employees receive any competitive information anonymously or that is marked confidential, employees should not review it and should contact the Legal and Compliance group immediately. |
The improper gathering or use of competitive information could subject employees and the Company to criminal and civil liability. When in doubt as to whether a source of information is proper, employees should contact the Legal and Compliance group.
Compliance Manual | 19 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR PEOPLE
Equal Employment Opportunity
It is the policy of the Company to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our employment practices and decisions adhere to the principles of non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity. All personnel involved in hiring, promotion, transfers, compensation, benefits, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment are made aware of their responsibilities in support of these corporate goals.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Company is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each employee has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, the Company expects that all relationships among persons in the office will be free of bias, prejudice and harassment.
Anti-Harassment Policy
The Company is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free of discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, we will not tolerate unlawful harassment of our employees by anyone, including any supervisor, co-worker or third party. Harassment consists of unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based on a persons race, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, disability or other protected characteristic, that (1) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment; (2) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individuals work performance; or (3) otherwise adversely affects an individuals employment opportunities. Harassment will not be tolerated.
Harassment may include derogatory remarks, epithets, offensive jokes, intimidating or hostile acts, the display of offensive printed, visual or electronic material, or offensive physical actions. Sexual harassment deserves special mention. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other physical, verbal or visual conduct based on sex constitutes harassment when (1) submission to the conduct is required as a term or condition of employment or is the basis for employment action, or (2) the conduct unreasonably interferes with an individuals work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive workplace. Sexual harassment may include propositions, innuendo, suggestive comments or unwelcome physical contact.
Individuals and Conduct Covered
These policies apply to all applicants and employees, and prohibit harassment, discrimination and retaliation whether engaged in by fellow employees, by a supervisor or manager or by someone not directly connected to the Company (e.g., an outside vendor, consultant or client).
Conduct prohibited by these policies is unacceptable in the workplace and in any work-related setting outside the workplace, such as during business trips, business meetings and business-related social events.
Compliance Manual | 20 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Retaliation
The Company prohibits retaliation against any individual who reports discrimination or harassment or participates in an investigation of such reports. Retaliation against an employee for reporting discrimination or harassment or for participating in an investigation of a claim of harassment or discrimination is a serious violation of this policy and, like harassment or discrimination itself, will be subject to disciplinary action.
Reporting an Incident of Harassment, Discrimination or Retaliation
The Company strongly urges the timely reporting of all incidents of harassment, discrimination or retaliation regardless of the offenders identity or position. Individuals should file their complaints with their immediate supervisor, the General Counsel, the Chief Human Resources Officer, or any member of senior management before the conduct becomes severe or pervasive. Individuals should not feel obligated to file their complaints with their immediate supervisor first before bringing the matter to the attention of one of the other designated representatives identified above. To the fullest extent practicable, the Company will maintain the confidentiality of those involved, consistent with the need to investigate alleged harassment and take appropriate action. Misconduct constituting harassment, discrimination or retaliation will be dealt with promptly and appropriately.
Each supervisor and manager is responsible for enforcing these policies against unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation, and maintaining a work environment free from sexual and other unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. This includes understanding these policies; reporting any complaint of unlawful discrimination, harassment or retaliation received from an employee to the appropriate Company representative; cooperating with investigations into reported allegations, and taking the necessary and appropriate action where such allegations are substantiated.
Employees who have experienced conduct they believe is contrary to this policy have an obligation to take advantage of this complaint procedure.
Leave Policies
The Company provides leaves of absences in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law. The Companys leave policies are outlined in the US Employee Handbook.
Safety in the Workplace
The safety and security of employees is of primary importance. Employees are responsible for maintaining our facilities free from recognized hazards and obeying all Company safety rules. Working conditions should be maintained in a clean and orderly state to encourage efficient operations and promote good safety practices.
Weapons and Workplace Violence
No employee may bring firearms, explosives, incendiary devices or any other weapons into the workplace or any work-related setting, regardless of whether or not employees are licensed to carry such weapons. Similarly, the Company will not tolerate any level of violence in the workplace or in any work-related setting. Violations of this policy must be referred to an employees supervisor, the Chief Human Resources Officer and the CCO immediately. Threats or assaults that require immediate attention should be reported to the police by calling 911.
Compliance Manual | 21 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Drugs and Alcohol
The Company intends to maintain a drug-free work environment. Except at approved Company functions, employees may not use, possess or be under the influence of alcohol on Company premises.
Employees cannot use, sell, attempt to use or sell, purchase, possess or be under the influence of any illegal drug on Company premises or while performing Company business on or off the premises.
INTERACTING WITH GOVERNMENT
Prohibition on Gifts to Government Officials and Employees
The various branches and levels of government have different laws restricting gifts, including meals, entertainment, transportation and lodging, which may be provided to government officials and government employees. Employees are prohibited from providing gifts, meals or anything of value to government officials or employees or members of their families without prior written approval from the CCO.
Political Contributions and Activities
Laws of certain jurisdictions prohibit the use of Company funds, assets, services, or facilities on behalf of a political party or candidate. Payments of corporate funds to any political party, candidate or campaign may be made only if permitted under applicable law and approved in writing and in advance by the CCO.
This policy does not prohibit the Company from establishing and maintaining political action committees (PACs), such as the Companys PAC, which are permitted under applicable law, nor does this policy prohibit the Companys eligible employees from giving to such PACs. Employee participation in any of these activities is strictly voluntary and employees have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal.
Employees work time may be considered the equivalent of a contribution by the Company. Therefore, employees will not be paid by the Company for any time spent running for public office, serving as an elected official, or campaigning for a political candidate. The Company will not compensate or reimburse employees, in any form, for a political contribution that employees intend to make or have made.
Lobbying Activities
Laws of some jurisdictions require registration and reporting by anyone who engages in a lobbying activity. Generally, lobbying includes: (1) communicating with any member or employee of a legislative branch of government for the purpose of influencing legislation; (2) communicating with certain government officials for the purpose of influencing government action; or (3) engaging in research or other activities to support or prepare for such communication.
So that the Company may comply with lobbying laws, employees must notify the Legal and Compliance group before engaging in any activity on behalf of the Company that might be considered lobbying as described above.
Compliance Manual | 22 | Version 2.0 |
![]() |
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS | |
Bribery of Foreign Officials
Company policy, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the FCPA), and the laws of many other countries prohibit the Company and its officers, employees and agents from giving or offering to give money or anything of value to a foreign official, a foreign political party, a party official or a candidate for political office in order to influence official acts or decisions of that person or entity, to obtain or retain business, or to secure any improper advantage. A foreign official is an officer or employee of a government or any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, or of certain international agencies, such as the World Bank or the United Nations, or any person acting in an official capacity on behalf of one of those entities. Officials of government-owned corporations are considered to be foreign officials.
Payments need not be in cash to be illegal. The FCPA prohibits giving or offering to give anything of value. Over the years, many non-cash items have been the basis of bribery prosecutions, including travel expenses, golf outings, automobiles, and loans with favorable interest rates or repayment terms. Indirect payments made through agents, contractors, or other third parties are also prohibited. Employees may not avoid liability by turning a blind eye when circumstances indicate a potential violation of the FCPA.
The FCPA does allow for certain permissible payments to foreign officials. Specifically, the law permits facilitating payments, which are payments of small value to effect routine government actions such as obtaining permits, licenses, visas, mail, utilities hook-ups and the like. However, determining what is a permissible facilitating payment involves difficult legal judgments. Therefore, employees must obtain permission from the Legal and Compliance group before making any payment or gift thought to be exempt from the FCPA.
Amendments and Modifications
The CCO will periodically review the adequacy of this Code and the effectiveness of its implementation and shall make amendments or modifications as necessary. All material amendments and modifications shall be subject to the final approval of the Companys management and/or the Executive Committee, as necessary.
Form ADV Disclosure
In connection with making amendments to this Code, the CCO will review and update disclosure relating to this Code set forth in the Companys Form ADV, Part 2A.
Employee Certification
Ultimate responsibility to ensure that we as a Company comply with the many laws, regulations and ethical standards affecting our business rests with each of us. Employees must become familiar with and conduct themselves strictly in compliance with those laws, regulations and standards and the Companys policies and guidelines pertaining to them. By completing the annual acknowledgment form, employees acknowledge that they have received and read the terms of this Code. Employees also certify that they recognize and understand the responsibilities and obligations incurred by them as a result of being subject to this Code and they hereby agree to abide by the terms hereof.
Compliance Manual | 23 | Version 2.0 |
Code of Ethics
Scout Investments
Reams Asset Management Division
March 2023
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
This Code of Ethics has been adopted by Scout Investments (SI), including its Reams Asset Management Division (Reams), with the objectives of deterring wrongdoing and (1) providing standards of honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships, (2) promoting full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents which the Firm files with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other public communications made by Scout, (3) promoting compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, (4) facilitating prompt internal reporting of violations of this Code of Ethics, and (5) providing accountability for adherence to this Code of Ethics.
This Code of Ethics applies to all Supervised Persons. A Supervised Person means any Scout employee who provides advice on behalf of Scout and who are subject to Scouts supervision and control.
All Supervised Persons have a duty and requirement to:
| Place the clients interests first; |
| Conduct all personal transactions in accordance with this Code of Ethics and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
| Avoid actual or potential conflicts of interest (or when this is not possible, fully disclose them to the client) or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility and not take inappropriate advantage of their position; |
| Maintain the confidentiality of the identity of security holdings and financial circumstances of clients; |
| Maintain their independence in the investment decision-making process applicable to the degree they participate in the investment decision-making process; |
| Comply with applicable federal securities laws; and |
| Report any violations of this code to the Chief Compliance Officer. |
Implementation and interpretation of this Code are the primary responsibilities of the Chief Compliance Officer. In administering these responsibilities, the Chief Compliance Officer may consult with Scout management as appropriate regarding violations of the Code and in applying penalties as identified on Appendix A Schedule of Sanctions. Any alleged violations of this Code must be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer. Scout may take disciplinary action and/or impose sanctions including, but not limited to, termination of employment, suspension, revocation of personal trading privileges and/or disgorgement of profits resulting from the violation. Financial penalties for noncompliance will be contributed to a charitable foundation or to a charity. Additional consequences for noncompliance and actions are not limited to the penalties listed depending upon the circumstances of noncompliance. Furthermore, violations of the Code of Ethics may also be violations of the law and may result in civil and/or criminal penalties.
The Chief Compliance Officer will take reasonable means to protect the privacy of personal information collected in implementing the Code of Ethics. If a violation occurs or a matter is in need of resolution, only the minimum information as determined by the Chief Compliance Officer will be disclosed as needed to communicate or facilitate consideration with appropriate individuals of any matter under this Code of Ethics. Information may also be disclosed to the extent necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of this Code of Ethics or to respond to appropriate requests.
II. STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
Conflicts of Interest
All Supervised Persons have an affirmative duty of care, loyalty, honesty, and good faith, and to act in the best interests of their clients. Compliance with this duty is best served by avoiding conflicts of interest and by fully disclosing all material facts concerning any conflict that does arise with respect to any client. A conflict of interest occurs when an individuals personal interests interfere or appear to interfere with client interests. A conflict may arise when a person takes actions or has interests that make it difficult to perform his or her duties with respect to the client objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise when a person receives improper benefits, or members of his or her family receive improper personal benefits resulting from his or her position.
Supervised Persons must avoid conduct or activities that may appear to be a conflict or impropriety. Any Supervised Person that feels a need to disclose a potential conflict should first discuss the potential conflict with his/her supervisor and/or the Chief Compliance Officer.
Conflicts Among Client Interests
Supervised Persons should not favor the interests of one client over another client. Inappropriate favoritism of one client over another client constitutes a breach of fiduciary duty.
Competing with Client Trades
Supervised Persons are prohibited from competing with client securities transactions by profiting personally, directly or indirectly, from personal securities trades by using knowledge about pending or potential securities transactions of clients.
Disclosure of Personal Interest
Supervised Persons are prohibited from recommending, implementing or considering any securities transaction for a client without having disclosed any material beneficial ownership, business or personal relationship, or other material interest in an issuer or its affiliates, to the Chief Compliance Officer. For purposes of this paragraph, material beneficial ownership is an investment in an amount that could potentially alter judgment regarding the security and, at a minimum, is defined as the Supervised Person having beneficial ownership of 1% or more of any class of common equity securities of the subject company. If the beneficial ownership is concluded to present a material conflict, the Supervised Person may not participate in any decision-making process regarding the securities of that issuer. Research analysts with a material personal interest in an issuer are precluded from covering that issuer. If the Supervised Person has any doubts as to whether a material interest, beneficial ownership or relationship could potentially impair their judgment, then the Supervised Person should contact the Chief Compliance Officer to discuss details of the holding, relationship or activity. The Chief Compliance Officer will consult with the appropriate portfolio manager as necessary or legal counsel in rendering a decision and notify appropriate parties of the material personal interests identified.
Vendors and Suppliers
Supervised Persons must disclose personal investments or other interests in vendors or suppliers with respect to which the Supervised Person negotiates or makes decisions regarding the selection of that vendor or supplier for services provided to clients. The Supervised Person must disclose this interest to the Chief Compliance Officer. If the Chief Compliance Officer determines the beneficial ownership presents a material conflict, the Supervised Person may not participate in any decision-making process regarding procurement of the services of that vendor or supplier for clients.
Transactions with Clients
Supervised Persons are prohibited from knowingly purchasing from or selling to a client any security or other property, except securities issued by the client.
III. INSIDER TRADING
Insider trading involves the purchase or sale of securities of a company or other entity while in possession of material, nonpublic information (also called inside information) about the company or entity. Any Supervised Person who purchases or sells securities while in possession of material inside information or who communicates or tips such inside information to anyone else who trades securities on such information, violates this Code of Ethics and may violate United States securities laws. Federal law imposes obligations on employers to ensure that their employees do not improperly trade securities using inside information. Any Supervised Person who becomes aware of material nonpublic information should not, without first discussing the information with the Chief Compliance Officer:
| Trade in the securities of such company for a personal or clients account; |
| Recommend transactions in the security; or |
| Disclose (tip) the information to others. |
Scouts Insider Trading Policies and Procedures (Insider Trading Policy) is included for detailed policies and procedures governing insider trading. The Insider Trading Policy is incorporated as part of this Code of Ethics and for purposes of applying this Codes provisions.
IV. GIFTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Giving or Receiving Gifts or Entertainment
Supervised Persons should exercise good judgment in providing or accepting anything of value. Supervised Persons shall not offer, provide or solicit for themselves, or any third party, anything of value from anyone in return for any business, service, or confidential or proprietary information. Furthermore, Supervised Persons are prohibited from providing or accepting anything of value from anyone as a condition of obtaining the business of Scout or any of their subsidiary or affiliated companies, either before or after the transaction is discussed or consummated. Gifts or entertainment should never be provided or accepted in circumstances in
which it appears to others that business judgment has been compromised. This does not prohibit associates and officers from providing or accepting something of nominal value from a customer or supplier doing or seeking to do business with Scout without the risk of corruption or breach of trust. Cash and checks, however, should not be accepted regardless of amount. The following examples help explain what is permissible under the policy:
| Receipt of gifts from any one Investment Related Entity not to exceed $100 per year (on an individual employee basis); |
| Receipt of entertainment from any one Investment Related Entity not to exceed $500 per event and $500 per year (on an individual employee basis); |
| The provision or acceptance of gifts, gratuities, amenities, or favors based on obvious family or personal relationships where the circumstances make it clear that those relationships are the motivating factor; |
| The provision or acceptance of meals, refreshments, entertainment or transportation to local events, all of reasonable value and in the course of business at which the giver is present. (Acceptance of accommodations or non-local travel arrangements should not be accepted). Examples include an occasional meal, a ticket to a sporting event or the theater, or comparable entertainment which is neither so frequent nor so extensive as to raise any question of propriety. The acceptance of advertising or promotional material of reasonable value such as pens, pencils, notepads, key chains, calendars and similar items; |
| The acceptance of discounts or rebates on merchandise or services that do not exceed those available to other customers; or |
| The provision or acceptance of gifts of reasonable value (a real or perceived value of $100 or less) where the gift is neither so frequent nor so extensive as to raise any question of propriety. Entertainment where the giver is not present is considered a gift. |
Reporting Gifts or Entertainment
Employees are required to report gifts or entertainment that are given in the course of soliciting existing or potential clients and any investment related gifts or entertainment received as described above. This reporting obligation will not apply to gifts or entertainment of insubstantial value (such as promotional items or meals, provided it does not exceed $10 in value.) Gifts must be values at the higher of cost or market value exclusive of tax and delivery charges. Each employee will be required to certify every quarter that he or she has reported all gifts or entertainment given and/or received in accordance with this Code of Ethics. Employees who are registered representatives of Carillon Fund Distributors will be required to maintain and report gifts and/or entertainment provided in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by Carillon Fund Distributors.
V. OTHER PROVISIONS
Initial Public Offerings
All Supervised Persons shall not purchase any equity securities in an initial public offering.1
Market Timing
Supervised Persons are prohibited from engaging in any trading activities potentially injurious to any mutual funds sub-advised by SI as such activity is defined by the funds. This includes patterns of frequent trading or market timing when discouraged or prohibited by SIs fund clients.
Service as a Director
Supervised Persons are prohibited from serving on the boards of directors of publicly traded companies, absent prior authorization from the President of SI.
Disclosure of Holdings or Transaction Information
Supervised Persons are prohibited from disclosing holdings or transaction information of the Carillon Funds, fiduciary accounts or advisory clients other than to the client or others legally entitled to the information. Disclosures related to the holdings or transactions in the Carillon Funds are subject to the funds policy on Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. Any questions regarding the disclosure of holdings or transaction information should be posed to the Chief Compliance Officer.
Participation in Investment Clubs
Access Persons (as defined in the Personal Trading Annex below) are prohibited from participating in or contributing to Investment Clubs without notifying the Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer may prohibit your participation in or contribution to an Investment Club. Transactions in Covered Securities are subject to the same preclearance, blackout, and reporting requirements as the Access Persons other accounts.
Disciplinary Disclosures
All Supervised Persons are required to certify annually that they are not subject to any of the disciplinary events listed in Item 11 in the current Form ADV, Part 1 or disclose matters for which need to be reflected in the Form ADV.
VI. CERTIFICATION
Each newly hired Supervised Person will be provided a copy of the Code of Ethics and must certify in writing initially and annually thereafter that they have received a copy of the Code of Ethics, read and understand all provisions of the Code of Ethics, and agree to comply with the applicable terms of the Code of Ethics. Scout will provide its Supervised Persons with any
1 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 Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
amendments to the Code of Ethics and will require all Supervised Persons to certify in writing that they have received, read and understand the amendments.
Code of Ethics-Personal Trading Annex
Scout Investments
Reams Asset Management Division
December 2022
This Scout Personal Trading Annex (Policy) is meant to supplement the Scout Code of Ethics. Scout Investments (SI), including its Reams Asset Management Division (Reams) has adopted this Policy with the objective of supplementing Scouts Code of Ethics and addressing potential conflicts of interest with regard to employee trading consistent with Scouts fiduciary standard of ethics as well as applicable law and regulation. Together, Scouts Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Annex are hereby referred to as the Code of Ethics and are intended to constitute Scouts written code of ethics as required by Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Scouts written code of ethics required Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Scope of Policy
This Policy applies to all Supervised Persons. A Supervised Person means any Scout employee who provides advice on behalf of Scout and who are subject to Scouts supervision and control.
Scout considers all Supervised Persons as Access Persons. An Access Person includes any:
(i) | Supervised Person that has access to nonpublic information regarding any Clients purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Carillon Fund (or other Reportable Fund); |
(ii) | Supervised Person that is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic; or |
(iii) | officer, director or partner of Scout. |
Non-employee directors of Scout are not subject to the restrictions and preclearance requirements of the Code, provided they have no knowledge of Scouts pending or current program trading activity in the securities they are trading. Such directors must provide an annual certification that with respect to all security transactions during the preceding year, the director was not aware of any Scout program activity relating to the security in question when the transaction was effected.
Limits on Trading
All Access Persons are subject to certain pre-clearance requirements and/or designated restrictions relating to transactions in Covered Securities (as defined under the Section Definitions.) Except for those transactions listed below, all Access Persons must obtain pre- clearance for all purchase or sales in Covered Securities. Scout may authorize or deny any pre- clearance request based upon the obligations contained in this Policy and the overall Code of Ethics.
Pre-clearance requests must be submitted via an electronic system (MyComplianceOffice) or, in limited circumstances (e.g. Limited Offerings or in the event of a system malfunction) through a form as directed by the Chief Compliance Officer. If the request is approved, the authorization is valid until the end of the next business day following the approval or in the case of a Limited Offering as directed by SIs Chief Compliance Officer. Any personal trade subject to these pre-clearance requirements that is placed as a limit order must also be placed as a day order. The following purchases or sales in Covered Securities are exempt from the above pre-clearance requirements:
| Purchases or sales by Access Persons that do not involve a Limited Offering; |
| Purchases or sales in an account which an Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control; |
| Purchase or sales of securities which are non-voluntary on the part of the Access Person, including mergers, recapitalizations or similar transactions; |
| Purchases or sales pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan; |
| Purchases that are part of an issuers automatic dividend reinvestment plan; |
| 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 the issuer, and sales of such rights are so acquired; |
| Purchases or sales in exchange traded funds and notes; or |
| Purchases or sales in open-end investment company shares. |
Access Persons desiring to invest in a Limited Offering must receive prior authorization from SIs Chief Compliance Officer, or their designee. The Chief Compliance Officer, or their designee, will consider certain factors, including without limitation, applicable federal securities laws, the likelihood of a Client buying the Limited Offering, whether the Limited Offering is appropriate for a Client or any circumstances surrounding the Access Persons opportunity to acquire the Limited Offering.
Restricted Trades
Scout prohibits the following transactions of a Covered Security in which a Scout Access Person has Beneficial Ownership:
| The purchase or sale of a Covered Security on the Restricted List, unless: |
(i) the issuer of the Security has a market capitalization greater than $5 billion; and
(ii) the proposed transaction involves less than $100,000 of the issuers Securities. Trades on sequential business days are aggregated in calculating the $100,000 limit.
A Covered Security will be placed on the Restricted List if the Covered Security is held in an SI Client discretionary account, provided that the Restricted List will not include shares of an Investment Company.
| The purchase or sale of a Covered Security if the Access Person is aware that a Client account has either executed a trade within seven (7) days or intends to execute a trade within seven (7) days, unless the Access Person: |
(i) | places the same transaction type as the Clients transaction, (e.g., buy or sell); |
(ii) | places the order after the execution of the Clients transaction; and |
(iii) | receives a price that is not better than the price received by the Client; |
| The purchase or sale of a Covered Security on the same day in which any Access Person knows that a Client Account has a pending buy or sell order in that same Covered Security; |
| The sale of a Covered Security on the Restricted List within sixty (60) days of purchase at a price greater than any purchase within the sixty (60) day period, provided the Access Person may still sell the Security and disgorge any difference in the sale and purchase price; |
| The writing of an option to purchase or sell a Covered Security on the Restricted List. |
The Chief Compliance Officer may waive any of the above limitations for any Access Person provided the Access Person did not foresee the circumstances relating to the sale at the time of the purchase or the limitations on the transaction would otherwise cause great hardship to the Access Person. The Chief Compliance Officer must maintain a record of any exemptions made pursuant to this paragraph.
Prohibited Trades
All Supervised Persons are prohibited from trading based upon material non-public information, in accordance with Scouts Policy on Insider Trading. All Supervised Persons are subject to blackout restrictions pertaining to transactions in a Covered Security that he or she has Beneficial Ownership. A Blackout List will be maintained by a designated Compliance Officer and a Covered Security will be placed on the Blackout List if the Compliance Officer, in consultation with the Chief Compliance Officer and/or other appropriate personnel, determines that a Supervised Person has Material Non-Public Information (as defined in Scouts Policy on Insider Trading.) Access Persons are prohibited from purchasing or selling a Covered Security on the Blackout List.
Reporting Requirements for Access Persons
Access Persons
Except as described below, all Access Persons are required to:
| File a Brokerage Accounts Report no later than 10 days after being designated as an Access Person. |
| File an Initial Holdings Report no later than 10 days after being designated as an Access Person. |
| File an Annual Holdings Report by January 30th each year for the previous twelve months beginning January 1st and ending December 31st. |
| File a Quarterly Transactions Report no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. |
| Notify each firm that maintains a brokerage account for them, or a Family Member, of their association with Scout and the requirement to receive duplicate copies of confirmations and periodic statements. |
Brokerage Accounts Report
Every Access Person must submit a Brokerage Accounts Report no later than 10 days after the individual is designated as an Access Person. Each Access Person must disclose in this record each brokerage account in which they have any Beneficial Ownership (including the broker firms name and the account number.) The statement also must include the brokerage account(s) for any Family Member of the Access Person. It is the responsibility of each Access Person to notify each firm through which they or a Family Member maintains an account of their affiliation with Scout. This record must be updated if new outside brokerage accounts are opened or closed at any time after the initial record is submitted and confirmed.
Upon submission of this statement a designated Compliance Officer will send a request to receive duplicate confirmation and periodic statements. It is the Access Persons responsibility to ensure that the Compliance Departments request is honored.
Initial Holdings Report
Every Access Person must submit an Initial Holdings Report no later 10 days after the individual is designated as an Access Person. Information contained in the report must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date the individual becomes an Access Person. The Initial Holdings Report must contain the following information for each Covered Security in which the Access Person or Family Member has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:
| The title and type of each Covered Security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount; |
| The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Scout Access Person maintained an account in which any Securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Scout Access Person; |
| The date the report is submitted by the Scout Access Person. |
Quarterly Transaction Reports
Every Access Person must submit a Quarterly Transaction Report, no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter with the following information for transactions in any Covered Security in which the Access Person or Family Member has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:
| The date of each transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, the number of shares, and the principal amount; |
| The nature of the transaction that is, a purchase, sale or other type of acquisition or disposition; |
| The price at which the transaction was effected; |
| The name of each broker, dealer, bank, or other financial institution maintaining a brokerage or other account for the Scout Access Person or Family Member and the account number assigned to it; and |
| The date the report is submitted. |
The Access Person will not have to submit a Quarterly Transaction Report if duplicate trade confirmations or accounts statements are received by Scout within 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter and contain the necessary information listed above. The Access Person will be responsible for confirming that the duplicate confirmations or account statements meets these requirements within 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter.
Annual Holdings Report
Every Access Person must submit an Annual Holdings Report by January 30th of each year. Information contained in the report must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date the Access Person submits the report.
The Initial Holdings Report and Annual Holdings Report must contain the following information for each Covered Security in which the Access Person or Family Member has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:
| The title and type of each Covered Security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount; |
| The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Scout Access Person maintained an account in which any Securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Scout Access Person; and |
| The date the report is submitted by the Access Person. |
Reporting Exemptions
Access Persons are not required to report:
| Transactions in accounts or Securities held in accounts over which the Access Person has no direct influence or control (e.g., third-party fully discretionary managed account); and |
| Transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan. |
Review of Access Person Reports
A designated Compliance Officer within the Compliance Group will assess Access Person trading activities and compare these activities to trading activity with certain accounts managed by SI, Reams, or other affiliates of Scout as appropriate. Any violations of the Code of Ethics shall be reported promptly to the Scout Chief Compliance Officer. Factors that will be considered in assessing personal trading activity include one or more of the following, but may not necessarily be limited to:
| The nature of the Access Persons role relative to Client accounts; |
| The Access Persons access to nonpublic information regarding Client holdings; |
| The timing of the Access Persons receipt of information that contributes to that person being an Access Person (e.g., knowledge of trade activity before or shortly after trade placed by a Client account reflects different risk profile than receipt of a recommended list once a quarter); |
| Impact of SI, or affiliates of Scout trading volume in a particular security in comparison to market trading volume; |
| Proximity of the Access Person trade in relation to a Client trade and whether the trade took place before or after the trade within the Client account; |
| Potential that an Access Persons trading activity represents conduct prohibited by a Reportable Fund; |
| Patterns of trading activity within the Access Persons account, and within a Client account if the Access Person has a vital role supporting the investment decisions in the Clients account. |
Certifications
Each Supervised Person will be provided a copy of the Code of Ethics and must certify in writing no later than 30 days after receipt that they have received the Code of Ethics, read and understand the Code of Ethics and agree to comply with the applicable terms of the Code of Ethics. Scout will provide any amendments to the Code of Ethics and will require all Supervised Persons to certify in writing that they have received, read and understand the amendments. Each year the Chief Compliance Officer or compliance officer designated by the Chief Compliance Officer will conduct an annual meeting with all Supervised Persons to review the Code of Ethics and will require all Supervised Persons to annually certify that they have read, understood and complied with the Code of Ethics, that they have made all of the reports required by the Code of Ethics and have not engaged in any prohibited conduct.
Reporting Violations
All Supervised Persons are required to promptly report any actual, apparent or suspected violations of the Policy to the Chief Compliance Officer. If the Chief Compliance Officer or another compliance officer is not available the individual should report the violation to their immediate supervisor who is then responsible for reporting it to the Chief Compliance Officer. All reports will be treated confidentially to the extent permitted by law and investigated promptly.
Reporting to SI Board of Directors
At least annually, the Chief Compliance Officer of SI shall provide to the Scout Investments Board, a written report to: (i) describe any issues arising under the Code of Ethics or procedures since the last report to the board of trustees, including but not limited to, information about material violations of the Code of Ethics and sanctions imposed in response to the material violation; (ii) identify any recommended change to existing restrictions or procedures based upon the experience under the Code of Ethics, evolving industry practices and developments in applicable laws and regulations; and (iii) certify that SI has adopted policies and procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics.
Amendments to the Code of Ethics
The board of directors of SI must approve any material amendment to the Code of Ethics no later than six months following the amendment.
Sanctions
Upon discovering a violation of this Policy, Scout and or Raymond James Financial may impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, a letter of censure, discouragement of profits, suspension or termination of the violators employment. For more information, please see the attached Exhibit A.
Records
Scout will be responsible for maintaining the following records:
1. | A copy of the Code of Ethics; |
2. | A record of each Access Person; |
3. | A record of any violation of the Code of Ethics and of any actions taken as a result of the violation; |
4. | A copy of each written acknowledgement as described in the Section entitled Certifications; |
5. | A copy of each report made by an Access Person as required under the Code of Ethics, including any information provided in lieu of reports in the form of duplicate trade confirmations or account statements; |
6. | A record of any decisions, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of securities in a Limited Offering by an Access Person; and |
A complete description of Scouts recordkeeping responsibility under this Code of Ethics is contained in the Books and Records Policy.
Definitions
Automatic Investment Plan means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.
Beneficial Ownership shall be interpreted in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Client means an investment client of SI.
Control or Controlled shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Covered Security means a security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act, except that it does not include: (i) direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) bankers acceptances, bank certificate of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; and (iii) shares issued by money-market funds; (iv) shares issued by open-end registered investment companies other than a Reportable Fund; (v) shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end investment companies other than a Reportable Fund.
Family Member means any individual who is a member of a Supervised Persons immediate family who lives in the Supervised Persons household.
Fixed Income Client means any Client of SI that is managed by a portfolio manager within the Reams Asset Management division.
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.
Investment Company means a company registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, including but not limited to, open-end mutual funds, close-end mutual funds, and unit investment trusts, but does not include a money market mutual fund.
Limited Offering means an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) thereof, or pursuant to Rule 504, Rule 505 or Rule 506 adopted thereunder.
Purchase or sale of a Covered Security means the purchase or sale of a Covered Security, including the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Covered Security, in which the Access Person or their Family Member has Beneficial Ownership.
Reportable Fund means any Investment Company for which SI acts as sub-adviser or investment adviser as defined in Section 2(a)(20) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any Investment Company whose investment adviser or principal underwriter Controls Scout, is Controlled by Scout or is under common Control with Scout.
Security or Securities means a security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
APPENDIX A SCHEDULE OF SANCTIONS
This Schedule is intended to provide guidance in response to specific violations of the Code of Ethics, including the Personal Trading Policy. Any other violations of the Code of Ethics or Personal Trading Policy (e.g., improper frequent trading, use of material non-public information) will be handled on a case-by-case basis and can result in any of the penalties listed below.
Depending on the nature of a violation, the penalty (e.g., suspension of trading privileges) may be imposed regardless of the timing or number of occurrences. Nothing in this Appendix should be viewed as limiting the ability of Scout or Raymond James to impose additional employment sanctions up to and including suspension or termination of employment for failing to abide by the Code of Ethics or Personal Trading Policy.
Failure to file a Quarterly Transaction Report | Defined as not filed within 30 days: Written warning | Defined as not filed within 30 days on more than one occasion or not filed within 60 days: Written reprimand and/or monetary penalty | Defined as not filed within 30 days on more than two occasions or not filed within 90 days: Monetary penalty, freeze trading accounts for 30- 90 days and/or suspension or termination | |||
Failure to file an Annual Code Acknowledgement and Certification Form | Defined as not filed within 30 days: Written warning | Defined as not filed within 30 days on more than one occasion or not filed within 60 days: Written reprimand and/or monetary penalty | Defined as not filed within 30 days on more than two occasions or not filed within 90 days: Monetary penalty, freeze trading accounts for 30- 90 days and/or suspension or termination | |||
Commission of a Prohibited Act not otherwise specifically addressed in this Code section | Written reprimand, Monetary penalty, freeze trading accounts for 30-90 days and/or suspension or termination |
See 1st Offense | See 1st Offense | |||
Purchasing a Security within 60 days of a sale of the same Security or selling a Security within 60 days of the purchase of the same Security | Written Reprimand and/or Monetary Penalty | Monetary Penalty, Freeze Trading accounts for 30-90 days and/or Suspension / Termination | See 2nd Offense | |||
Serving on the Board of a publicly-traded company without prior written consent |
Written reprimand, Monetary Penalty, and/or Suspension / Termination | See 1st Offense | See 1st Offense |
T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES
T. ROWE PRICE MUTUAL FUNDS
T. ROWE PRICE EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS
CODE OF ETHICS AND PERSONAL TRANSACTIONS POLICY
February 1, 2023
Table of Contents
I. |
INTRODUCTION |
2 | ||||
II. |
STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT |
3 | ||||
III. |
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS |
5 | ||||
A. |
Initial Disclosure of Existing Accounts |
5 | ||||
B. |
New Accounts |
5 | ||||
C. |
Transaction Reporting |
5 | ||||
D. |
Exceptions to the Reporting Requirements |
6 | ||||
IV. |
PRE-CLEARANCE AND HOLDING PERIOD REQUIREMENTS |
6 | ||||
A. |
Pre-clearance Requirements for all Associates |
6 | ||||
B. |
Pre-clearance Requirements for Access Persons |
7 | ||||
C. |
Holding Period Requirements |
7 | ||||
D. |
Exceptions to the Pre-Clearance Requirement |
7 | ||||
V. |
OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO PERSONAL TRANSACTIONS |
8 | ||||
A. |
Limit Orders |
8 | ||||
B. |
Transacting in TRPG Securities |
8 | ||||
C. |
Transacting in ETFs |
8 | ||||
D. |
Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) |
9 | ||||
E. |
Options and Futures |
9 | ||||
F. |
Participation in Investment Clubs |
9 | ||||
VI. |
PERSONAL TRANSACTIONS RESTRICTIONS |
10 | ||||
VII. |
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS |
10 | ||||
A. |
Initial Holdings |
10 | ||||
B. |
Annual Compliance Certification |
11 | ||||
C. |
Reporting of One Half of One Percent Ownership |
11 | ||||
VIII. |
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES |
12 | ||||
IX. |
VIOLATIONS AND SANCTIONS |
12 | ||||
X. |
EXCEPTIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS |
13 | ||||
XI. |
DEFINED TERMS |
14 | ||||
Exhibit A: Provisions Applicable to Independent Directors |
17 | |||||
Exhibit B: Pre-clearance and Reporting Matrix |
22 |
T. ROWE RICE GROUP, INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES
T. ROWE PRICE MUTUAL FUNDS
T. ROWE PRICE EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS
CODE OF ETHICS AND PERSONAL TRANSACTIONS POLICY
I. | INTRODUCTION |
This Code of Ethics and Personal Transactions Policy (the Policy) sets forth the standards of business conduct expected of all:
| officers, directors and employees of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TRPG) and certain of its subsidiaries1 (collectively, T. Rowe Price) and their Family Members; |
| officers, directors and employees of the Price Funds, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds (each as defined below); and |
| contingent workers, agency temporary workers, contractors, consultants, and any other personnel who have been notified that they are subject to this Policy (collectively referred to as Associates) in connection with their personal securities transactions. |
The Policy is designed to:
| Reflect the fiduciary duty of the firm to its clients; |
| Address compliance with laws, rules, and regulations applicable to T. Rowe Prices business, including, but not limited to Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act (Rule 204A-1) and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (Rule 17j- 1); |
| Prevent regulatory, business and ethical conflicts as they relate to personal transactions; |
| Minimize the potential of a transaction or circumstance occurring that a regulatory agency would view as inconsistent with T. Rowe Prices role as a fiduciary; |
| Avoid situations in which it might appear that any officer, director, employee or other personnel of T. Rowe Price or the Price Funds had benefited personally at the expense of a client or fund shareholder or taken inappropriate advantage of their fiduciary position; and |
| Detect and prevent the misuse of material, non-public information. |
All Associates must comply with the Policy. Certain Associates will be notified by Code Compliance that they have been designated as Access Persons and are subject to more restrictive pre-clearance and reporting requirements.
Access Persons are defined as:
| Any officer or director of any of the Price Advisers and the Price Funds (except the Independent Directors of the Price Funds); |
| Any person associated with T. Rowe Price who, in connection with their regular functions or duties: (i) makes, participates in, obtains or has access to non-public information regarding the purchase or sale of securities by any Price Adviser client; (ii) has access to non-public information regarding the securities holdings of any Price Adviser client; or (iii) makes recommendations with respect to the purchases or sales of securities for a Price Adviser client; or |
1 | For the avoidance of doubt, this Policy does not apply to Oak Hill Advisors, L.P and its subsidiaries. |
2
| Any other person classified as such by Code Compliance. |
The Policy has been adopted by T. Rowe Price and its subsidiaries2, the Price Funds, T. Rowe Price UK Limited (TRP UK), the SICAVs, and the Cayman Funds.
The independent directors of TRPG, TRP UK , T. Rowe Price Funds SICAV (SICAVI), T. Rowe Price Funds Series II SICAV (SICAVII), Select Investments Series III SICAV (SICAVIII), T. Rowe Price Funds B SICAV (SICAVB and together with the SICAVI, SICAVII, SICAVIII and SICAVB, the SICAVs), T. Rowe Price Macro and Absolute Return Strategies Master Fund Ltd and T. Rowe Price Macro and Absolute Return Strategies Offshore Fund Ltd (together the Cayman Funds) and Price Funds are not subject to all the requirements of the Policy. The requirements of the Policy applicable to independent directors are set forth in Exhibit A.
This Policy and each Associates adherence to it is meant to satisfy T. Rowe Prices requirements under Rule 204A-1 and Rule 17j-1.
Certain defined terms used in the Policy are set forth in Defined Terms.
II. | STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT |
T. Rowe Price has established a Code of Conduct that sets standards expected of all Associates and provides the framework for conducting business in a fair and ethical manner. Consistent with the Code of Conduct, T. Rowe Price and each Associate have a fiduciary duty to put client interests first and to always act in the clients best interests. Associates must comply with applicable legal requirements, securities laws, the Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
Conflicts of Interest
The Code of Conduct states that conflicts of interest may arise between clients, between clients and T. Rowe Price, between clients and Associates, and among T. Rowe Prices own entities or business divisions. T. Rowe Price takes all reasonable steps to identify and manage conflicts. It is the responsibility of each Associate to disclose all material conflicts and to act in a manner consistent with this Policy. Conflicts or potential conflicts of interest involving an Associates behavior may arise through, among other activities, an Associates personal securities transactions, outside business activities, political contributions and activities and the exchange of gifts and business entertainment.
Personal securities transactions. An Associates personal securities transactions may present an actual, potential or apparent conflict or other risk that could harm T. Rowe Price, its shareholders or its clients. For T. Rowe Price to identify and manage these conflicts and risks, Associates must disclose their personal brokerage accounts and holdings, disclose and receive approval for any trading accounts subject to this Policy and conduct approved securities transactions in accordance with the requirements of this Policy.
2 | For the avoidance of doubt, this Policy does not apply to Oak Hill Advisors, L.P and its subsidiaries. |
3
Associates must not:
| Improperly benefit personally by causing a client to act, or fail to act, in making investment decisions. |
| Profit, or cause others to profit, based on their knowledge of completed or contemplated client transactions. |
| Transact on the basis on material, non-public (inside) information. |
| Engage in personal securities transactions that are in conflict with the interests of clients, the parameters set by the Policy, or the restrictions imposed by T. Rowe Price restricted lists. |
T. Rowe Price maintains lists of issuers for which a Price Adviser or an Associate may be in possession of material, non-public information (the Restricted Lists). When an issuer is listed on a Restricted List, personal trading by Access Persons is prohibited.
Outside business activities. Associates are expected to put their responsibilities at T. Rowe Price ahead of any other personal business opportunities or second jobs and must avoid any activities, relationships or situations that might conflict with, or appear to conflict with, their duties on behalf of T. Rowe Price. When an Associate is engaged in an approved outside business activity, they must be vigilant about any changes in the arrangement that may present a real or perceived conflict of interest with T. Rowe Price. Refer to the Global Outside Business Activities Policy for more information.
Political contributions and activities. Associates must obtain prior clearance for their political contributions and activities in support of candidates for political office in the U.S. Political contributions and activities undertaken by Associates must always be lawful and consistent with T. Rowe Price and business unit policies. Associates may not coordinate or solicit third parties to make a contribution or payment to any candidate, officeholder, political party, political action committee, political organization or bond ballot campaign in the U.S. Furthermore, Associates may not do anything indirectly that, if done directly, would violate T. Rowe Price policies or applicable regulation. Refer to the Global Political Contributions and Activities Policy for more information.
Gifts and business entertainment. Associates may not offer, give, provide, or accept any gift or business entertainment unless such gift or entertainment:
| Is reasonable and customary under the circumstances; |
| Is not lavish in value, unique in nature, or excessive in frequency; |
| Cannot be construed as a bribe, payoff, or kickback to obtain or retain business; |
| Is an appropriate reimbursable business expense; and |
| Does not violate any applicable law or regulation. |
Refer to the Global Gifts and Business Entertainment Policy for more information.
Associates must contact Code Compliance for guidance if they believe that a perceived or actual conflict arises under any of the activities described above or otherwise.
4
III. | REPORTING REQUIREMENTS |
Securities accounts are generally defined as accounts that satisfy one of the following conditions:
| The Associate is a direct or Beneficial Owner of the account; OR |
| The Associate Controls or directs securities trading for another person or entity, even if they are not the Beneficial Owner of the account; |
AND invest in, or have the ability to invest in, any of the following securities:
| Individual equity securities, including ETFs, and derivatives of these securities; |
| Fixed income securities and derivatives of these securities; and |
| Reportable Funds. |
A. Initial Disclosure of Existing Accounts
All Associates must disclose their securities accounts and the securities accounts of their Family Members (including Fully Discretionary Accounts and any securities accounts holding TRPG securities) maintained with any broker, dealer, investment adviser, bank or other financial institution via myTRPcompliance. Such disclosure must take place within ten calendar days of becoming subject to the Policy, opening or discovering a reportable account.
B. New Accounts
All Associates must obtain prior approval via myTRPcompliance for all new non-T. Rowe Price securities accounts opened while they are associated with the firm. Associates in the U.S. and the U.K. may only open new securities accounts with financial institutions that agree to provide Code Compliance with an automated data feed of the transactions effected in the account (the Approved Broker List). All Associates opening a new securities account with a broker-dealer must inform such firm of their association with a T. Rowe Price-affiliated broker-dealer.
Securities held in securities accounts are generally subject to reporting and may require pre- clearance. Refer to Reporting Requirements and Pre-clearance and Holding Period Requirements for details. Code Compliance may, in certain circumstances, grant an exception to the requirements described above. Refer to Exceptions and Interpretations for more information.
C. Transaction Reporting
All Associates must request broker-dealers, investment advisers, banks, or other financial institutions executing transactions in securities in the Associates securities accounts to provide: (i) a duplicate trade confirmation with respect to each transaction in a security; and (ii) a copy of all periodic account statements.
If the executing firm provides a trade confirmation directly to Code Compliance via an established automated data feed, no further reporting is needed.
5
If the broker is unable to satisfy transaction reporting through an automated data feed or by delivery of a paper copy of trade confirmations and statements, Associates are required to enter transaction details in myTRPcompliance (as prescribed in Rule 17j-1(d)(1)(ii)) within 10 calendar days after the transaction occurred.
A transaction in a Reportable Fund, a spousal payroll deduction plan or a stock split or similar acquisition or disposition must be reported within 30 calendar days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction occurred
D. Exceptions to the Reporting Requirements
Robo Adviser Accounts. Accounts held through a robo-adviser platform that invest solely in third party collective investment vehicles that are not advised by T. Rowe Price (such as non-Price ETFs) do not require approval or reporting to Code Compliance. Transactions effected in such accounts do not need to be reported. Questions on whether an account is classified as a robo- adviser should be directed to Code Compliance
Fully Discretionary Accounts. A Fully Discretionary Account is a securities account for which an Associate has completely relinquished decision-making authority to a professional money manager (who is not a Family Member or not otherwise subject to this Policy) and over which the Associate has no direct or indirect influence or Control. When disclosing Fully Discretionary Accounts, Associates must provide Code Compliance with a copy of the investment management agreement (or equivalent).
IV. | PRE-CLEARANCE AND HOLDING PERIOD REQUIREMENTS |
All Associates must obtain pre-clearance via myTRPcompliance when transacting in TRPG securities. Associates who have been designated as Access Persons must also obtain pre-clearance for other securities transactions, as described in further detail below.
Associates will receive a response via myTRPcompliance indicating whether the request was approved or denied and must refrain from executing the transaction until such response is obtained.
Pre-clearance approval is valid for three business days from and including the date the clearance is granted (measured from the first business day in the requesting Associates time zone). Pre- clearance approval for Private Placements is valid for 90 calendar days.
A. Pre-clearance Requirements for all Associates
| All Associates must request pre-clearance via myTRPcompliance before executing a transaction to sell or transfer TRPG securities (TRPG stock ticker: TROW) from their ESPP. |
| All Associates must request pre-clearance via myTRPcompliance before executing a transaction to purchase, sell, or gift TRPG securities outside of the ESPP. |
6
B. Pre-clearance Requirements for Access Persons
Access Persons must request pre-clearance via myTRPcompliance before executing a transaction in any individual stocks, bonds, Private Placements and derivatives of these securities, and Price ETFs for which the Access Person is a Beneficial Owner. Refer to Exhibit B for additional pre- clearance requirements.
Pre-clearance for Private Placements: Access Persons must obtain pre-clearance when investing in a Private Placement, including the purchase of limited partnership interests. Along with the Private Placement offering document, the Access Person must provide:
| The name, location and a brief description of the private issuer/company; |
| The amount of investment; |
| The desired date of investment; |
| If applicable, the percentage of the Access Persons ownership in the private issuer/company after investment; and |
| The source (name and relationship to Access Person) that introduced the investment opportunity to the Access Person. |
An Access Person who has invested in a Private Placement and who later anticipates participating in a Price Advisers investment decision regarding the purchase or sale of securities of the issuer of that Private Placement on behalf of any Price Adviser client, must immediately disclose their investment to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, or their designee and to the Chairperson of the appropriate Investments steering committee.
C. Holding Period Requirements
A 60-day holding period applies to securities and transactions requiring pre-clearance. Access Persons are not permitted to: (i) sell shares of an issuer if they have purchased shares of the same issuer for a lesser price during the previous 60 calendar days; or (ii) buy shares to cover a short position when the short position was entered in the previous 60 calendar days, if covering the position for a lesser price. Access Persons must check their compliance with the holding period requirement before entering into a transaction.
Holding Period for Associates in Japan. Securities acquired by employees of T. Rowe Price Japan, Inc. are subject to a holding period of six months. Refer to TRP Japan Compliance Manual for more information.
Holding Period for the Price Funds. Associates must comply with the provisions of the holding restrictions set forth in the prospectus for the applicable Price Fund.
D. Exceptions to the Pre-Clearance Requirement
Fully Discretionary Accounts. Transactions in securities held in Fully Discretionary Accounts are not subject to the pre- clearance requirement, except transactions involving TRPG securities, short sales and Private Placements.
Refer to Exhibit B for other exceptions to the pre-clearance requirement.
7
V. | OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO PERSONAL TRANSACTIONS |
A. Limit Orders
While limit orders are permitted, Access Persons must be careful using good until cancelled orders, keeping in mind that pre-clearance is valid for three business days. Use of day limit orders are encouraged.
B. Transacting in TRPG Securities
The following chart is a summary of requirements applicable when Associates transact in TRPG securities:
Description of Activity |
Requirement Under the Policy | |
Executing a transaction to sell or transfer TRPG securities from an Associates ESPP | Pre-clearance via myTRPcompliance Reporting | |
Executing a transaction to purchase, sell, or gift TRPG securities outside of an Associates ESPP* | Pre-clearance via myTRPcompliance Reporting | |
Giving TRPG securities as a gift (including a gift to a donor advised fund) after holding the stock for at least 60 days | Pre-clearance via myTRPcompliance Reporting | |
Applicability of a holding period [not applicable to options or vested shares] | Yes, 60 calendar days | |
Transacting in TRPG during a Blackout Period | Prohibited | |
Transacting in options related to TRPG securities (other than stock options granted to Associates) | Prohibited | |
Selling TRPG securities short | Prohibited | |
Entering into any contract or purchasing any instrument designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of TRPG securities | Prohibited | |
Reporting of transactions in TRPG securities to the SEC (applies to Associates subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) | Transactions must be reported immediately | |
* Associates should contact Payroll & Stock Transactions in the event of uncertainty regarding applicability of the pre-clearance requirement. |
C. Transacting in ETFs
Following is a summary of requirements applicable when Associates transact in ETFs:
Access Persons |
All Other Associates | |||
Pre-clearance (Price ETFs) | Yes | No | ||
Pre-clearance (Third-party ETFs) | No | No | ||
Post-trade reporting (Price ETFs) | Yes | Yes | ||
Post-trade reporting (Third-party ETFs) | Yes | Yes | ||
Subject to the 60-Day Rule (Price ETFs) | Yes | No | ||
Subject to the 60-Day Rule (Third-party ETFs) | No | No | ||
Able to buy/sell in the primary market (Price ETFs) | No | No |
8
Able to buy/sell in the primary market (Third-party ETFs) | Yes | Yes | ||
Able to sell short (Price ETFs) | No | No | ||
Able to sell short (Third-party ETFs) | Yes | Yes | ||
Able to transact in options (Price ETFs) | No | No | ||
Able to transact in options (Third-party ETFs) | Yes | Yes | ||
Able to transact in inverse/short and narrow Price ETFs* | No | Yes | ||
Able to transact in inverse/short and narrow (Third-party ETFs*) | No | Yes | ||
Able to transact in single-stock ETFs | No | No |
* | Narrow ETFs include, but are not limited to, those focused on specific industries (e.g., energy, healthcare, financial services, etc.), commodities, currencies, and specific geographical markets (e.g., countries or regions). |
D. Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)
| Investment Personnel and FINRA-registered representatives are prohibited from purchasing securities in an IPO. |
| Access Persons other than Investment Personnel and FINRA-registered representatives may purchase securities in an IPO only after receiving pre-clearance via Code Compliance or myTRPcompliance. The 60-day holding period requirement applies to transactions in securities purchased in an IPO. |
E. Options and Futures
The purchase, sale and exercise of options are generally subject to the same restrictions as applicable to securities (i.e., an option should be treated as if it were the common stock). If a transaction in the underlying instrument does not require pre-clearance (e.g., ETFs, national government obligations, unit investment trusts), then an options or futures transaction on the underlying instrument does not require pre-clearance.
Closing (selling to close or buying to close) or exercising an option (for which the underlying instrument is subject to pre-clearance, e.g., stock options) requires pre-clearance. Pre-clearance is not required when an Access Person writes (sells) an option and the option is exercised against such Access Person, without any action on their part. Access Persons should be cautious when transacting in options since a client transaction in the underlying security or a restriction associated with the underlying security may prevent an option transaction from being closed or exercised.
F. Participation in Investment Clubs
Associates may form or participate in an investment club. Investment club transactions in TRPG securities are subject to pre-clearance and must be reported along with the Associates personal transactions activity.
Access Persons or their Family Members must not form or participate in an investment club without prior written approval from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, or their designee. Transactions effected by an investment club in which an Access Person is a member, Beneficial Owner or Controller are subject to the same pre-clearance and reporting requirements as apply to the Access Persons personal trades.
9
VI. | PERSONAL TRANSACTIONS RESTRICTIONS |
Associates must not:
| Engage in personal transactions that are excessive or that compromise the firms fiduciary duty to clients. At the discretion of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, or their designee, Code Compliance will send a written notification of excessive personal securities transactions to an Associate and/or their supervisor and will report such activity to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee and the Ethics Committee. |
| Wager, bet or gamble in connection with individual securities, securities indices, currency spreads, or other similar financial indices or instruments including contracts for difference. |
| Participate in initial coin offerings. |
Access Persons must not:
| Transact in securities for which orders have been placed by any Price Adviser to purchase or sell the security, unless certain size or volume parameters3 as set forth by the Ethics Committee are met. |
| Transact in any security that has been purchased or sold by any Price Adviser client seven calendar days immediately prior to the date of the Access Persons proposed transaction, unless certain size or volume parameters3 as established by the Ethics Committee are met. |
| Transact in securities issued by broker-dealers, underwriters or SEC-registered investment advisers, unless the entity is traded on an exchange. |
| Transact in securities of issuers on any of the firms Restricted Lists. |
| Transact in securities for which a change in the rating of an issuer has occurred within seven calendar days immediately prior to the date of the proposed transaction. |
VII. | CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS |
In addition to disclosure of their securities accounts (as described in Types of Accounts/Account Opening Requirements), Associates are required to, among other things, disclose the holdings in such accounts upon becoming subject to the Policy and periodically thereafter.
A. Initial Holdings
All Associates must disclose and certify, via myTRPcompliance, any shares of TRPG securities that they Beneficially Own no later than ten calendar days after they become subject to this Policy.
Access Persons must disclose and certify, via myTRPcompliance, all holdings in the following securities in which they have a Beneficial Interest or Control (the Initial Holdings Report) no later than ten calendar days after the become subject to the Policy as an Access Person:
3 | Transactions involving no more than US $50,000 or the nearest round lot (even if the amount of the transaction marginally exceeds US $50,000) per security per seven calendar day period in securities of (i) issuers with market capitalizations of US $7.5 billion or more, or (ii) U.S. issuers with an average daily trading volume in excess of 750,000 shares over the preceding 90 trading days in the U.S., unless the rating on the security has been changed within the seven calendar days immediately prior to the date of the proposed transaction. |
10
| Individual equity securities, including any derivatives (e.g., options, futures, etc.) of these securities; |
| Bonds, including any derivatives of these securities; |
| ETFs, including any derivatives of these securities; |
| Unit investment trusts and listed closed end funds; |
| Private Placements; |
| Products (AUTs, ITMs, ETFs, mutual funds, OEICs, 529 portfolios, SICAVs, trusts) advised by a Price Adviser; and |
| Products sub-advised by a Price Adviser. |
The Initial Holdings Report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the individual becomes an Access Person, and include, among other things:
| The title, number of shares and principal amount of each security; |
| The name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintains a securities account in which any securities are for the Access Persons direct or indirect benefit; and |
| The date the Access Person submits the Initial Holdings Report. |
Securities that are not subject to reporting include, but are not limited to:
| Bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit and commercial paper; |
| Currency; |
| Cryptocurrency; |
| Direct obligations of the U.S. Government; |
| Investment grade, short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements (which for these purposes are repurchase agreements and any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of fewer than 366 days that is rated in one of the two highest categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization); |
| Open end mutual funds, including money market funds, advised by a third party; |
| UCITS advised by a third-party; and |
| Variable insurance products that invest in third-party funds. |
Refer to Exhibit B for applicable exemptions from the reporting requirement.
B. Annual Compliance Certification
All Associates must certify annually via myTRPcompliance to, among other things, their securities accounts and transactions and compliance with various firm policies (including the Policy).
Access Persons must certify annually via myTRPcompliance to, among other things, their personal securities holdings, their securities accounts and transactions and compliance with various firm policies (including the Policy).
C. Reporting of One Half of One Percent Ownership
An Associate owning more than one half of one percent of the total outstanding shares of a public or private company must immediately disclose such information in writing to Code Compliance via Code_of_Ethics@troweprice.com, providing the name of the company and the total number of such companys shares they Beneficially Own.
11
Refer to Exhibit B for applicable exceptions from the reporting requirement.
VIII. | ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES |
All Associates must attest to receipt and understanding of the Policy: (i) upon becoming subject to it; (ii) on an annual basis; and (iii) whenever material amendments to the Policy are made. In attesting to the Policy, Associates agree to their understanding of the Policy and agree to comply with the requirements of the Policy. See Annual Compliance Certification.
Associates should contact LegalCompliance_EmployeeTrading@TRowePrice.com regarding the applicability, meaning or administration of the Policy, including requests for an exception, in advance of any contemplated transaction.
Code Compliance:
| Administers and monitors adherence to the Policy, including reviewing disclosures, providing training and identifying violations; and |
| Maintains and oversees the maintenance of certain records in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. |
The Payroll & Stock Transaction Group provides guidance to Associates when they are transacting in TRPG securities.
The Ethics Committee provides oversight of the Policy, including reviewing exceptions and violations. The Ethics Committee also provides a point of escalation for Code Compliance and the Payroll & Stock Transactions Group.
Material changes to the Policy shall be approved by the Board of TRPG, the board of directors of TRP UK and by the board of directors of each Price Fund, including a majority of the Independent Directors of the Price Funds. Approval of any material change to the Policy by the board of directors of the Price Funds shall be obtained within six months after the change is implemented.
IX. | VIOLATIONS AND SANCTIONS |
Violations and potential violations of the Policy are typically investigated by Code Compliance or, if necessary, the Ethics Committee. Violations are taken seriously and may result in sanctions or other consequences, including one or more of the following:
| A letter of censure or suspension; |
| Disgorgement of profit; |
| A fine; |
| A suspension of trading privileges; |
| Termination of employment; or |
| Any other sanction as may be determined by the Ethics Committee. |
12
When tracking violations, Code Compliance generally utilizes a rolling two-year look-back period in the administration of the sanctions guidelines set forth below. All violations of the Policy shall be reported to the Board of Directors of TRPG, the Board of Directors of any Price Fund and any other applicable board. As noted above, however, these sanctions are not the exclusive remedy for violations of this Policy.
First Violation
| Associate and manager notification; and |
| Associate required to complete online remedial training course. |
Second Violation
| Associate and escalated manager notifications, up to and including, applicable Management Committee member; |
| Associate required to complete online remedial training course; |
| Associate required to meet with applicable Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Compliance Manager; and |
| Associate fined according to officer or role guidelines. |
Associate |
VP, TRPG | Investment Personnel |
Portfolio Manager, Management Committee Member, Direct Report of Management Committee Member | |||
US $250 | US $750 | US $750 | US $1500 |
Three or More Violations
| Associate and escalated manager notifications, up to and including applicable Management Committee member; |
| Chief Executive Officer notification; |
| Associate required to complete online remedial training course; |
| Associate subject to a personal trading prohibition of at least three months; and |
| Associate fined according to officer or role guidelines. |
Associate |
VP, TRPG | Investment Personnel |
Portfolio Manager, Management Committee Member, Direct Report of Management Committee Member | |||
At least US $500 | At least US $2000 | At least US $2000 | At least US $5000 |
X. | EXCEPTIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS |
Code Compliance, in conjunction with the Ethics Committee, may grant an exception from any provision of the Policy, including pre-clearance, other trading restrictions, and certain reporting requirements. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis if it is determined that the proposed conduct involves no opportunity for abuse and does not conflict with client interests. Exceptions are expected to be rare.
From time to time, situations may arise with respect to certain provisions of this Policy that require interpretation. Associates may submit a written request for clarification or interpretation to Code Compliance (Code_of_Ethics@TRowePrice.com). Any such request for clarification or
13
interpretation should name the account, the Associates interest in the account, the persons or firms responsible for its management, and the specific facts of the situation. Associates may not assume that the Policy (or a specific provision of the Policy) is not applicable to their situation. Code Compliance will provide a response to each properly submitted request for clarification or interpretation. When in doubt, Associates must not proceed with a transaction or course of action until they receive a response from Code Compliance.
XI. | DEFINED TERMS |
AUT means Australian unit trusts.
Beneficial Owner means an individual with the opportunity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to share at any time in any economic interest or profit derived from ownership of or a transaction in a security. An Associate may be deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of securities belonging to others and not registered in their name.
The SEC will presume that a person Beneficially Owns securities held by a Family Member who shares their household or securities held by a trust of which the individual is a beneficiary or a trustee with investment Control.
An individual is not considered to be the Beneficial Owner of a 401(k) account, individual retirement account or a transfer upon death account for which they are solely a named beneficiary, assuming the individual does not reside with the Family Member and does not have the ability to Control and/or direct transactions in such account.
Blackout Period means the period from the second trading day after quarter end (or such other date as management shall determine) through the end of the first trading day following when TRPGs earnings release is filed with the SEC. Quarterly notifications with respect to the Blackout Period are published on the firms intranet site.
Control means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company. Ownership of more than 25% of a companys outstanding voting securities is presumed to give the holder thereof Control over the company.
ESPP means the T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
ETF means exchange traded fund.
Exchange traded fund or ETF means an investment fund that is traded on a stock exchange.
Family Member means the Associates spouse, domestic partner, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, sibling, grandparent, or in-law (including mother, father, sister, brother, daughter or son) sharing the same household as the Associate.
14
Independent Director of TRPG, TRP UK, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds means those directors who are neither officers nor employees of TRPG or any of its subsidiaries.
Investment Personnel means an Access Person who, in connection with their regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making, or is closely associated with personnel who make recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities by a Price Adviser client.
The term Investment Personnel includes, but is not limited to:
| Individuals who are authorized to make investment decisions or to recommend securities transactions on behalf of the firms clients (investment counselors and members of the mutual fund advisory committees); |
| Research and credit analysts; |
| Traders who assist in the investment process; and |
| Support staff who assist in the investment process. |
Investment Advisers Act means the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
Investment Company Act means the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
ITM means an investment trust management company.
OEIC means open-ended investment company.
Price Adviser means a subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. that is an investment adviser entity registered with the SEC. For the avoidance of doubt, Price Adviser does not include Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. and its subsidiaries.
Price ETFs means the T. Rowe Price Exchange-Traded Funds, the family of ETFs advised by a Price Adviser.
Price Funds means any T. Rowe Price-sponsored fund registered under the Investment Company Act, including but not limited to, the T. Rowe Price Mutual Funds and the Price ETFs, and advised by a Price Adviser.
Price Funds Independent Directors means those directors of the Price Funds who are not deemed to be interested persons (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. or the Price Funds.
Private Placement means an offering that is exempt from registration by a regulatory authority and sold through a private offering. For purposes of the Policy, investments made: (i) in a small business sourced through family, friends or any other referral source; and (ii) through a crowdfunding site that matches entrepreneurs with investors, through which investors receive an equity stake in the business, are considered Private Placements (e.g., Seedrs, OurCrowd, Crowdcube).
15
Reportable Fund means any open-end investment company for which any of the Price Advisers serves as an investment adviser. The term Reportable Fund includes:
| Price Funds, including money market funds and the Price ETFs; |
| UCITs advised by a Price Adviser; |
| SICAVs advised by a Price Adviser; |
| OEICs advised by a Price Adviser; |
| ITMs advised by a Price Adviser; |
| AUTs advised by a Price Adviser; |
| Any fund managed by a Price Adviser through a sub-advised relationship, including an ETF; |
| Any fund offered through retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans) other than the T. Rowe Price U.S. Retirement Plan; and |
| Any fund managed by a Price Adviser that is an investment option offered as part of a variable annuity. Code Compliance maintains a list of sub-advised Reportable Funds on the firms intranet site. |
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
SICAV means société dinvestissement à capital variable.
T. Rowe Price means T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. and its subsidiaries.
TRPG Independent Director means those directors of TRPG who are neither officers nor employees of TRPG or any of its subsidiaries.
TRPG means T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
TRPG securities means any security issued by T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
UCITs means Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferrable Securities.
16
EXHIBIT A
CODE OF ETHICS AND PERSONAL TRANSACTION POLICY
Provisions Applicable to Independent Directors
I. | INTRODUCTION |
This Exhibit A sets forth the responsibilities of the Independent Directors of TRPG, TRP UK, SICAVs, Cayman Funds and Price Funds under this Code of Ethics and Personal Transactions Policy. Defined terms used herein are the same as those used in the Policy.
The Independent Directors are subject to the requirements set forth below.
II. | REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF TRPG OR ITS SUBSIDIARIES, OTHER THAN TRP UK |
Pre-clearance. The personal securities trades of TRPG Independent Directors are not subject to pre-clearance requirements, except for transactions in TRPG securities for which they are the Beneficial Owner. Pre-clearance is also required when:
| Transferring TRPG securities to another person, entity, or trust account; and |
| Giving or receiving TRPG securities, including donation transactions into donor-advised funds such as T. Rowe Price Charitable Foundation. |
Pre-clearance is not required when moving shares of TRPG securities between securities firms or to/from individual or joint brokerage accounts.
Requests for pre-clearance must be submitted to the Payroll & Stock Transactions Group. Pre- clearance is effective for three business days from and including the date the approval is granted (taking into consideration the time zone), unless the Independent Director: (i) is advised to the contrary by the Payroll & Stock Transaction Group prior to the proposed transaction; or (ii) comes into possession of material, non-public information concerning T. Rowe Price. Any trades not executed within the prescribed timeframe must be re-submitted.
TRPG Independent Directors may not initiate transactions in TRPG securities during the Blackout Period.
Reporting. TRPG Independent Directors are not required to report their personal securities transactions (other than transactions in TRPG securities). If, however, the Independent Director has obtained information about a Price Advisers investment research, recommendations, or transactions, they must not transact in the securities of the issuers about which they have information.
Independent Directors are reminded that changes to information reported in the Annual Questionnaire for Independent Directors must be reported to Corporate Funds and Administration (e.g., changes in holdings of stock of financial institutions or financial institution holding companies).
17
Reporting of Officership, Directorship, General Partnership or Other Managerial Positions Apart from TRPG. An Independent Director shall report to Code Compliance any officership, directorship, general partnership or other managerial position which they hold with any public, private, or governmental issuer other than TRPG or any of its subsidiaries.
Reporting of Significant Ownership.
| Issuers (other than a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund). If a TRPG Independent Director owns more than 1⁄2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private issuer, they must report such ownership in writing to Code Compliance, providing the name of the issuer and the total number of the issuers shares Beneficially Owned. |
| Non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds. If a TRPG Independent Director owns more than 1⁄2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares or units of a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund over which the Independent Director exercises Control or influence, they must report such ownership in writing to Code Compliance. For non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds where the Independent Director does not exercise Control or influence, they need not report such ownership to Code Compliance unless and until such ownership exceeds 4% of the total outstanding shares or units of the entity. |
III. | REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF TRP UK, THE SICAVS AND THE CAYMAN FUNDS |
TRPG securities. The Independent Directors of TRP UK, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds may not own TRPG securities in any account of which they are the Beneficial Owner.
Pre-clearance. The personal securities trades of the Independent Directors of TRP UK, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds are not subject to pre-clearance requirements, as long as the Independent Director had no knowledge of trading involving the Price Funds or the funds overseen by TRP UK, SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds.
Reporting of Officership, Directorship, General Partnership or Other Managerial Positions Apart from TRPG. An Independent Director of TRP UK, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds shall report to Corporate and Funds Administration any officership, directorship, general partnership or other managerial position which they hold with any public, private, or governmental issuer.
Reporting of Significant Ownership.
| Issuers (other than a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund). If an Independent Director of TRP UK, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds owns more than 1⁄2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private issuer, they must report such ownership in writing to Corporate and Funds Administration, providing the name of the issuer and the total number of the issuers shares Beneficially Owned. |
18
| Non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds. If an Independent Director of TRP UK, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds owns more than 1⁄2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares or units of a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund over which the Independent Director exercises Control or influence, they must report such ownership in writing to Corporate and Funds Administration. For non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds where the Independent Director does not exercise Control or influence, they need not report such ownership to Corporate and Funds Administration unless and until such ownership exceeds 4% of the total outstanding shares or units of the entity. |
IV. | REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF PRICE FUNDS |
TRPG securities. The Independent Directors of the Price Funds may not own TRPG securities in any account of which they are the Beneficial Owner.
Pre-clearance. The personal securities trades of the Independent Directors of the Price Funds are not subject to pre-clearance requirements, as long as the Independent Director had no knowledge of trading involving the Price Funds.
Reporting.
| Transactions in Publicly Traded Securities. A Price Funds Independent Director must report transactions in publicly-traded securities in which they have Beneficial Ownership. |
An Independent Director is not required to report securities transactions in accounts over which they have no direct or indirect influence, such as an account over which they have granted full investment discretion to a financial adviser. The Independent Director should contact Code Compliance to request approval to exempt any such accounts from this reporting requirement.
| Transactions in Non-Publicly-Traded Securities. A Price Funds Independent Director is not required to report transactions in securities which are not traded on an exchange, unless the Independent Director knew, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling their official duties as an Independent Director, should have known that during the 15-day period immediately before or after the Independent Directors transaction in such non-publicly-traded security, a Price Adviser purchased, sold or considered purchasing or selling such security for a Price Fund or Price Adviser client. |
| Methods of Reporting. |
Duplicate Trade Confirmations. A Price Funds Independent Director may satisfy their obligation to report transactions in securities by arranging for the executing brokers to provide duplicate trade confirmations directly to Code Compliance.
Quarterly Report Requirements. If a Price Funds Independent Director elects to report their transactions by submitting a quarterly report: (i) the report must be filed with Code Compliance no later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction was effected; and (ii) the report must be filed for each quarter, regardless of whether there were any reportable transactions.
19
Among the types of transactions that are commonly not reported through a broker confirmation and may therefore have to be reported directly to T. Rowe Price on a quarterly basis are:
| Retirement plan account activity that occurs in a Reportable Fund; |
| T. Rowe Price-advised products; |
| Incentive plan account activity; |
| Exercise of stock options of a corporate employer; |
| An inheritance of a security; |
| A gift of a security; and |
| Transactions in certain commodity futures contracts (e.g., financial indices). |
A Price Funds Independent Director must include any transactions listed above, if applicable, in their quarterly reports if they are not included in a duplicate broker confirmation.
| Reporting of Officership, Directorship, General Partnership or Other Managerial Positions Apart from the Price Funds. A Price Funds Independent Director must report to Corporate Funds and Administration any officership, directorship, general partnership or other managerial position which they hold with any public, private or governmental issuer other than the Price Funds. |
Reporting of Significant Ownership.
| Issuers (other than non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds). If a Price Funds Independent Director owns more than 1⁄2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private issuer (other than a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund), they must report such ownership immediately in writing to Code Compliance, providing the name of the issuer and the total number of the issuers shares Beneficially Owned. |
| Non-Public Investment Partnerships, Pools or Funds. If a Price Funds Independent Director owns more than 1⁄2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares or units of a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund over which they exercise Control or influence, the Independent Director must report such ownership in writing to Code Compliance. For non- public investment partnerships, pools or funds where the Independent Director does not exercise Control or influence, they need not report such ownership to Code Compliance unless and until such ownership exceeds 4% of the total outstanding shares or units of the entity. |
Prohibitions. A Price Funds Independent Director may not:
| Purchase or sell the shares of a broker-dealer, underwriter or SEC-registered investment adviser unless that entity is traded on an exchange, or the purchase or sale has otherwise been approved by the Price Funds board; and |
20
| Knowingly transact with a Price Fund, other than in connection with market transactions effected through securities exchanges. This prohibition does not preclude the purchase or redemption of shares of any open-end mutual fund or purchase or sale of any shares of a Price ETF that is a client of any Price Adviser. |
Transactions in Price ETFs. Following is a summary of requirements applicable when Price Funds Independent Directors transact in Price ETFs:
Independent Directors of Price Funds | ||
Obtain pre-clearance for trades in Price ETFs |
No | |
Post-report trades in Price ETFs |
Yes | |
Subject to the holding period |
No | |
Subject to ad hoc trading restrictions |
Yes | |
Ability to buy/sell Price ETFs in the primary market |
No | |
Ability to sell short Price ETFs |
No | |
Ability to transact in options of the Price ETFs |
No |
V. | VIOLATIONS |
Violations by Independent Directors of TRPG, the Price Funds, TRP UK, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds. Upon discovering a material violation of the Policy by an Independent Director of TRPG, the Price Funds, TRP UK, the SICAVs, or the Cayman Funds, the applicable board of directors will impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate.
21
EXHIBIT B
CODE OF ETHICS AND PERSONAL TRANSACTIONS POLICY
Pre-clearance and Reporting Matrix
Access Person Pre-clearance |
Access Person Reporting |
Associate |
Associate | |||||
Stocks/Bonds/Derivatives (Refer to Transacting in TRPG Securities for specific information relating to trading in TRPG securities) | ||||||||
Equity securities | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Fixed income securities | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Corporate and Municipal Bonds | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Derivative instruments | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Writing an option to purchase or sell a security | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Subsequent sale of stock obtained by means of the exercise of stock options | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Exercise of stock option of corporate employer by Access Persons spouse. | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Restricted stock plan automatic sales for tax purposes by Access Persons spouse | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Collective Investment Products (Refer to Transacting in ETFs for specific information relating to trading in ETFs) | ||||||||
T. Rowe Price products (including the AUTs, ITMs, mutual funds, OEICs, 529 portfolios, SICAVs, and trusts | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Exchange listed collective investment vehicles (including closed-end funds) | No |
No | No | No | ||||
Third-party mutual funds, 529 portfolios, OEICs, SICAVs and variable insurance products | No |
No | No | No | ||||
Unit investment trusts | No |
No | No | No | ||||
Donor-advised funds | No |
No | No | No | ||||
Private Placements | ||||||||
Private Placements | Yes (see Section IV.B) |
Yes | No | No | ||||
Capital calls for Private Placement investments | No |
Yes | No | No | ||||
Distributions received from a Private Placement investment | N/A |
No | N/A | No | ||||
Other Securities | ||||||||
Commercial paper and similar instruments (bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality, short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements) | No | No | No | No | ||||
U.S. Government obligations | No | No | No | No | ||||
National (other than U.S.) government obligations | No | Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Currency | No | No | No | No | ||||
Securitized or financial instruments used for currency exposure | No | Yes | No | No | ||||
Cryptocurrency (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) | No | No | No | No | ||||
Publicly traded cryptocurrency tracker instruments (ETFs) | No | Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Variable rate demand notes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
22
Access Person Pre-clearance |
Access Person Reporting |
Associate |
Associate | |||||
Transactions | ||||||||
Securities acquired through an Automatic Investment Plan4 (initial investment) | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Securities acquired through an Automatic Investment Plan (subsequent investments) | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Non-systemic investment5 through an Automatic Investment Plan | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Acquisition of securities through inheritance | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Giving stock (non-TRPG) as a gift | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Pro-rata distributions | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Tender offers | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Merger election (voluntary) | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Mandatory acquisition of additional shares or the disposition of existing corporate holdings through stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, exercise of rights, exchange or conversion | No |
Yes (within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which the transaction occurred) |
No | Yes (within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which the transaction occurred) | ||||
Purchases, but not sales, by an Access Persons spouse pursuant to an employee-sponsored payroll deduction plan (as long as Code Compliance has been notified that the spouse will be participating in such plan) | No |
Yes (within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which the transaction occurred) |
No | Yes (within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which the transaction occurred) | ||||
Sale or exchange of stock held in an Access Persons spouses payroll deduction plan | Yes |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Sale of partial shares held in an account when the account is transferred to another broker-dealer or to new owner or partial shares sold automatically by the broker-dealer. | No |
Yes | No | Yes | ||||
Transactions effected in a robo-adviser account (investing solely in third party collective investment vehicles) | No |
No | No | No |
4 | A program in which regular, periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan. |
5 | A transaction that overrides the preset schedule or allocations of an Automatic Investment Plan. |
23
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
I. | PREAMBLE |
This Code of Ethics (COE) is adopted in compliance with requirements adopted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Company Act), and Section 204A and Rules 204-2 and 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Advisers Act), to effectuate the purposes and objectives of the provisions contained therein. Rule 17j-1 of the Company Act requires that investment advisers to mutual funds adopt written codes of ethics; Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material non-public information by investment advisers; Rule 204-2 of the Advisers Act imposes recordkeeping requirements with respect to Personal Securities Transactions of Advisory Representatives (Capitalized terms are generally defined in Section IX); and Rule 204A-1 requires SEC registered investment advisers to adopt codes of ethics prescribing ethical standards under which they operate and also imposes recording and recordkeeping requirements with respect to Personal Securities Transactions of Access Persons. This COE of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (the Firm or TSW) is designed to:
1. | Protect the Firms clients by deterring misconduct; |
2. | Educate Supervised Persons regarding the Firms expectations and the laws governing their conduct; |
3. | Remind Supervised Persons that they are in a position of trust and must always act with complete propriety; |
4. | Protect the reputation of the Firm; |
5. | Guard against violation of the Federal Securities laws; and |
6. | Establish procedures for Supervised Persons to follow so that the Firm may determine whether Supervised Persons are complying with its ethical principles. |
II. | STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT |
TSW adopted the COE which sets forth standards of business conduct and fiduciary obligations that the Firm requires of its Supervised Persons. Supervised Persons are required to maintain the highest ethical standards in carrying out the Firms business activities. The Firms reputation is one of its most important assets and maintaining the trust and confidence of clients is a vital responsibility. This section sets forth the Firms business conduct standards.
Compliance Review: January 17, 2023
Last Update: March 24, 2023
1 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
General Principles
Our principles and philosophy regarding ethics stress the Firms fiduciary duty to its clients and the obligation of Firm personnel to uphold that fundamental duty. In recognition of the trust and confidence placed in the Firm by its clients and to give effect to the belief that the Firms operations should be directed to benefit its clients, the Firm has adopted the following general principles to guide the actions of its Supervised Persons:
1. | The interests of clients are paramount. All Supervised Persons must conduct themselves and their operations to always give maximum effect to this belief by placing the interests of clients before their own. |
2. | All personal transactions in Securities by Supervised Persons must be accomplished to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest on the part of such Supervised Persons with the interests of any client. |
3. | All Supervised Persons must avoid actions or activities that allow (or appear to allow) a Person to profit or benefit from his or her position with respect to a client, or that otherwise bring into question the Supervised Persons independence or judgment. |
4. | All information concerning the specific Security holdings and financial circumstances of any client is strictly confidential. Supervised Persons are expected to maintain such confidentiality, secure such information and disclose it only to other Supervised Persons with a need to know that information. |
5. | All Supervised Persons will conduct themselves honestly, with integrity and in a professional manner to preserve and protect the Firms reputation. |
Supervised Persons must comply with applicable Federal Securities laws and are prohibited from engaging in any of the following actions:
1. | To employ a device, scheme or artifice to defraud a client or prospective client; |
2. | To make to a client or prospective client any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading; |
3. | To engage in any act, practice or course of conduct which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a client or prospective client; |
2 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
4. | To act as principal for his/her own account, knowingly to sell any Security to or purchase any Security from a client, or acting as a broker for a Person other than such client, knowingly to effect any sale or purchase of any Security for the account of such client, without disclosing to such client in writing before the completion of such transaction the capacity in which he/she is acting and obtaining the consent of the client to such transaction. The prohibitions of this paragraph shall not apply to any transaction with a customer of a bank, broker or dealer if such broker or dealer is not acting as an investment adviser in relation to such transaction; |
5. | To engage in any act, practice or course of business which is fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative, including with respect to Securities (i.e., price manipulation); or |
6. | To originate or circulate, except as permitted below, in any manner a false or misleading rumor about a security or its issuer for the purpose of influencing the market price of the security. Where a legitimate business reason exists for discussing a rumor, for example, where a client is seeking an explanation for an irregular share price movement which could be explained by the rumor, care should be taken to ensure that the rumor is communicated in a manner that: |
◾ | Sources the origin of the information (where possible); |
◾ | Gives it no additional credibility or embellishment; |
◾ | Makes clear that the information is a rumor; and |
◾ | Makes clear that the information has not been verified. |
This formulation has the benefit of allowing discussions of a rumor for legitimate purposes while including some safeguards against building to the rumors credibility and effect on the market. These guidelines would permit, for example, a money manager to call an analyst or trader at another firm to report a rumor that the manager thinks are untrue and to ask if the analyst or trader has heard the rumor and has any relevant information. These conversations should be conducted with care, in a professional manner and without exaggeration.
This COE contains provisions reasonably necessary to prevent Supervised Persons of the Firm from engaging in acts in violation of the above standards and procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of the COE.
Federal law requires that this COE not only be adopted but that it will also be enforced with reasonable diligence. Failure to comply with the COE may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment. Noncompliance with the COE has severe ramifications, including enforcement actions by regulatory authorities, criminal fines, civil injunctions and penalties, disgorgement of profits and sanctions on your ability to be employed in an investment advisory business or in a related capacity. This COE is based upon the principle that the Supervised Persons of the Firm, and certain Affiliated Persons of the Firm, owe a fiduciary duty to, among others, the clients of the Firm to conduct their affairs, including their Personal Securities Transactions, in such a manner as to avoid: (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients; (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with
3 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
the Firm; and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility. This fiduciary duty includes the duty of the Review Officer of the Firm to report material violations of this COE to the TSW Executive Committee and to the Board of Directors of any U.S. registered investment company client advised or sub-advised by the Firm and of the actions taken as a result of such violations.
III. | INSIDER TRADING |
The Firm forbids any Supervised Person from trading, either personally or on behalf of others, including accounts managed by the Firm, on material non-public information or communicating material non-public information to others in violation of the law. This conduct is frequently referred to as insider trading. The Firms policy applies to every Supervised Person and extends to activities within and outside their duties at the Firm. Any questions regarding the Firms policy and procedures should be referred to the Review Officer. Trading Securities while in possession of material non-public information or improperly communicating that information to others may expose you to severe penalties. Any person who engages in insider trading or tipping can face a substantial jail term (up to 20 years), civil penalties of up to three times the profit gained (or loss avoided) by that person and/or his or her tippee, and criminal fines of up to $5,000,000. In addition, if it is found that TSW failed to take appropriate steps to prevent insider trading, TSW or Perpetual Limited (Perpetual) may be subject to significant criminal fines and civil penalties not to exceed the greater of $1,000,000 or three times the profit gained (or loss avoided) from the insider trading. Regardless of whether a government inquiry occurs, the Firm views seriously any violation of its insider trading policies, and such violations constitute grounds for disciplinary sanctions, including immediate dismissal.
The term material non-public information relates not only to issuers but also to the Firms Securities recommendations and client Securities holdings and transactions. The term insider trading is not defined in the Federal Securities laws, but generally is used to refer to the use of material non-public information to trade in Securities (whether or not one is an insider) or to communications of material non-public information to others. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell Securities may, in some contexts, be deemed material. Similarly, prepublication information regarding reports in the financial press also may be deemed material.
While the law concerning insider trading is not static, it is generally understood that the law prohibits:
1. | Trading by an insider while in possession of material non-public information; |
2. | Trading by a non-insider, while in possession of material non-public information, where the information either was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insiders duty to keep it confidential or was misappropriated; or |
3. | Communicating material non-public information to others. |
4 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
The concept of insider is broad. It includes officers, directors and associated persons of a company. In addition, a Person can be a temporary insider if they enter a special confidential relationship in the conduct of a companys affairs and as a result is given access to information solely for the companys purposes. A temporary insider can include, among others, a companys attorneys, accountants, consultants, bank lending officers and the associated persons of such entities. The Firms Review Officer will make the determination if a Person is to be deemed a temporary insider. In addition, the Firm may become a temporary insider of a company it advises or for which it performs other services. For that to occur the company must expect the Firm to keep the disclosed non-public information confidential and the relationship must at least imply such a duty before the Firm will be considered an insider.
Trading on inside information is not a basis for liability unless the information is material. Material information generally is defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a companys Securities. Information that officers, directors and associated persons should consider material includes, but is not limited to: dividend changes, earnings estimates, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.
Information is non-public until it has been effectively communicated to the marketplace. Tangible evidence of such dissemination is the best indication that the information is public. One must be able to point to some publicly available fact to show that the information is generally public. For example, information found in a report filed with the SEC or some other governmental agency, The Wall Street Journal and other publications of general circulation, media broadcasts, over public internet websites and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely would be considered public.
Before trading for yourself or others in the Securities of a company about which you may have potential inside information, ask yourself the following questions:
1. | Is the information material? Is this information that an investor would consider important in making his or her investment decisions? Is this information that would substantially affect the market price of the Securities if generally disclosed? |
2. | Is the information non-public? To whom has this information been provided? Has the information been effectively communicated to the marketplace? |
If, after consideration of the above, you believe that the information is material and non-public, or if you have questions as to whether the information is material and non-public, you should take the following steps:
5 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
1. | Report the matter immediately to a member of the Compliance Department. |
2. | Do not purchase or sell the Securities on behalf of yourself or others, including clients. |
3. | Do not communicate the information inside or outside the Firm, other than to the Firms Review Officer. |
4. | After the Firms Review Officer has reviewed the issue, you will be instructed to continue the prohibitions against trading and communication, or you will be allowed to trade and communicate the information. |
Information in your possession that you identify as material and non-public may not be communicated to anyone, including Supervised Persons within the Firm, except as provided above. In addition, care should be taken so that such information is secure. For example, files containing material non-public information should be sealed, access to computer files containing material non-public information should be restricted and conversations containing or related to such information, if appropriate at all, should be conducted in private to avoid potential interception.
The role of the Firms Review Officer is critical to the implementation and maintenance of the Firms policy and procedures against insider trading. The Firm enforces prevention of insider trading and detection of insider trading.
To prevent insider trading, the Firm will:
1. | Provide, an educational program to familiarize Supervised Persons with the Firms policy and procedures, and |
2. | When it has been determined that a Supervised Person of the Firm has material non-public information, the Firm will: |
a) | implement measures to prevent dissemination of such information, and |
b) | if necessary, restrict Supervised Persons from trading the Securities. |
To detect insider trading, the Compliance Department will:
1. | Review the trading activity reports filed by each Supervised Persons; and |
2. | Review the trading activity of accounts managed by the Firm. |
IV. | PAY-TO-PLAY RULE |
TSW requires pre-approval by Compliance of all Political Contributions, political fundraising activities, and political volunteer activities by all Firm employees.
6 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
However, many such activities may be approved if they are allowable or represent exemptions under the Pay-to-Play Rule as described below, and in the related policy in the Firms Policies & Procedures Manual or PPM under the policies for Solicitor Arrangements (in the Marketing policy) and Pay-to-Play Rule. This policy is necessary to prevent the result of the Firm not being compensated for certain investment advisory services for two years if such rules are violated. See Appendix for definitions and further clarifications under the Pay-to-Play Rule.
Notwithstanding this policy, it is never permitted for TSW and its employees to make, or direct or solicit any other person to make, any Political Contribution or provide anything else of value for the purpose of influencing or inducing the obtaining or retaining of investment advisory services business.
TSW has adopted various procedures and internal controls to review, monitor and ensure the Firms Third-Party Promotor Arrangements (in the Marketing policy) and Pay-to-Play policy are observed, implemented properly and amended or updated, as appropriate, which include the following:
1. | Political Contributions: All associates are required to obtain approval from Compliance prior to making any Political Contribution of any value. Associates may obtain such pre-approval from Compliance by completing and submitting a Political Contribution Request Form or Political Volunteering/Solicitation/Fundraising Form via MyCompliance Office Technologies (MCT), the Firms automated personal trading and compliance system. Compliance will review and evaluate each completed and submitted form to determine whether the Contribution is permissible based upon the requirements of Rule 206(4)-5 and Firm policy. Associates will be notified in writing and/or via the MCT system of Compliances final determination.. |
2. | Coordinating or Soliciting Political Contributions, and Political Fundraising: In addition, all associates need to obtain approval from Compliance prior to engaging in Coordinating or Soliciting Political Contributions or engaging in any other political fundraising efforts. Employees should use the Political Volunteering/Solicitation/Fundraising Form via MCT to request pre-approval for such activities. Coordinating or Soliciting Political Contributions, or political fundraising, may even include, for example, merely having ones name appear in the letterhead or any other portion of a political fundraising letter. |
3. | Indirect Political Contributions: Employees are forbidden from performing any act which would result in a violation of Rule 206(4)-5 and/or the provisions of the Code, whether directly or indirectly, or through or by any other person or means. Employees may not use other persons or entities, including family members or friends or any other conduits to circumvent Rule 206(4)-5 and/or the Code. Activities conducted at the direction or suggestion of a Firm employee are considered to be made by the employee in the context of political contributions. |
7 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
4. | Annual Political Contributions Certification Form: At the end of each year, Compliance will distribute to all Firm associates an Annual Political Contributions Certification Form also via MCT. This Form is intended to capture information regarding any Political Contribution made by each such associate, both directly and indirectly, during that calendar year. |
Employees return the forms either (1) acknowledging that no Political Contributions were made, or (2) disclosing all Political Contributions made, including Contributions for which the employee received pre-clearance. To protect the privacy of employees, the records shall be treated as confidential and may only be accessed and/or reviewed by person(s) with a need to know or for purposes of making necessary disclosures to the SEC, if required.
In addition, a question is included on the quarterly reporting forms via MCT to be certain all such contributions and fundraising efforts are properly pre-cleared and reported.
Please consult TSWs PPM for definitions or more details on this issue.
V. | PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES |
The following prohibitions apply to all Access Persons, unless indicated otherwise and unless exempted under Section VI. In addition to these prohibitions, the Review Officer may prohibit transactions other than those specifically indicated below if they determine that a proposed transaction presents a potential conflict of interest.
1. | Access Persons are prohibited from directly or indirectly using any act, device, scheme, artifice, practice or course of conduct to defraud, mislead or manipulate a client in connection with the Purchase or Sale of a Security held or to be acquired by the client. Access Persons are also prohibited from making any untrue statement of material fact to a client and from omitting to state a material fact necessary to make the statement made to the client, under the circumstances, not misleading. |
2. | Access Persons are generally prohibited from purchasing or selling, directly or indirectly, any Security (excluding ETFs and other Securities excluded from pre-clearance under the Firms COE) in which he/she has, or by reason of time of such purchase or sale: |
a) | is on the Restricted List; |
b) | is being purchased or sold by any Portfolio (Firm managed accounts, including WPS strategies, but excluding any WPS limit orders); |
8 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
c) | was purchased or sold by any Portfolio during the previous trading day or the day following (thus violating the 3-day black-out period); or |
d) | is less than $3.0 billion in market capitalization and held in a TSW Primary Product (or Primary Strategy which includes any long-only equity strategy and fixed income strategies (and thus excludes long/short strategies) offered to outside clients and described in TSWs Form ADV). |
Exemptions from the black-out period may be permitted in certain circumstances where the Chief Compliance Officer or their designee has determined there is no conflict of interest or appearance of impropriety. In such cases, this will not be considered a violation of the Firms COE.
3. | Unless exempted under Section VI or otherwise above, Access Persons are prohibited from purchasing or selling a Reportable Security without prior approval through the MCT automated system. However, even if exempted for prior approval/pre-clearance, all Securities will be reported on transactions statements or otherwise as dictated under Section VIII Reporting Requirements. |
4. | Access Persons are prohibited from acquiring a beneficial interest in any Securities in a Limited Offering commonly referred to as a private placement, without prior approval of the CCO. The CCO (or designee) will maintain a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision to approve the Access Persons acquisition of a private placement. |
Before granting such approval, the CCO (or designee) should carefully evaluate such investment to determine that the investment could create no material conflict between the Access Person and any Portfolio. The Review Officer may make such determination by looking at, among other things, the nature of the offering and the particular facts surrounding the purchase. For example, the CCO may consider approving the transaction if he or she can determine that: (i) the investment did not result from directing Portfolio or Firm business to the underwriter or issuer of the Security; (ii) the Access Person is not misappropriating an opportunity that should have been offered to any Portfolio; and (iii) the Access Persons investment decisions for a Portfolio would not be unduly influenced by his or her personal holdings, and investment decisions are based solely on the best interests of that Portfolio.
5. | Access Persons are prohibited from acquiring Beneficial Ownership of a Security, excluding new issues of tax-exempt Securities or corporate bonds, as part of an Initial Public Offering. However, such new issues of tax-exempt Securities or corporate bonds, if purchased, should be pre-cleared and reported. |
9 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
6. | Access Persons and their family members are discouraged from accepting or giving any gift, favor, service, special accommodation or other thing of more than de minimis material value from or to any Person or entity that does business with or seeks to do business with or on behalf of the Firm. Such gifts may be prohibited where they could be viewed as overly generous or reasonably could be expected to compromise an Access Persons or anothers independence and objectivity. For Gifts and Entertainment purposes under this COE, de minimis shall be the annual receipt/provision of gifts from or to the same source valued at $100 or less per individual recipient/source, when the gifts are in relation to the Firms business. Gifts do not include business entertainment; however, entertainment, and the pre-clearance process for gifts and business entertainment, is addressed in more detail below in the next section. Any exceptions to this policy need to be approved by the Firms Review Officer or CEO. Access Persons will acknowledge, quarterly, the receipt or gift of any business-related gifts, services or other things of material value via the MCT system. In addition, a gift log for all gifts, even those of de minimis value, will be maintained by the Review Officer or their designee via MCT. Finally, Political Contributions, discussed separately, are not considered gifts. |
Exception: Promotional gifts of little intrinsic value such as coffee mugs, calendars, plaques, trophies or similar items solely for the purpose of presentation and display of a companys logo, where the estimated value of the item is under $10, are not required to be logged or reported quarterly, as such items are not included in the calculation of the aggregate value of gifts required to be reported by the DOL. That said, this exception does not cover a gift that clearly has a value in excess of $10for example, a $400 golf club embossed with a company logo would likely be prohibited but should be pre-cleared and reported; a pen valued at $75 and embossed with a company logo would likely not be prohibited, but should be reported.
For accounts related to ERISA plans (involving increased fiduciary responsibility) or Taft-Hartley plans (involving union officials or labor unions) or for gifts to elected officials, any gifts considered at all value levels need to be pre-approved, logged and reported. Access persons should bear in mind that for Taft-Hartley plans, the DOL has established a $250 per person annual aggregate limit which should not be exceeded. This limit will be applied to ERISA plans as well due to the increased fiduciary responsibility.
7. | Access Persons may host or attend a business entertainment event of reasonable value, such as a dinner or sporting event that serves a legitimate and appropriate business purpose. Such business entertainment may be prohibited where it could be viewed as overly generous or reasonably could be expected to compromise an Access Persons or anothers independence and objectivity. Access Persons should seek prior approval or pre-clearance from the Firms Review Officer or a member of the TSW Executive Committee in cases where they are unsure of whether the entertainment (or a gift as described above) may be viewed as overly generous, or in any case where a proposed gift is over $100 or business entertainment is over $250 in estimated value. What may constitute overly generous gifts or entertainment may be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Review Officer or CEO. In cases where pre-approval is necessary, it will occur automatically via the MCT system. |
10 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
It is acknowledged that such pre-clearances (as described above) will only be submitted and reviewed in cases where the entertainment event or gift is prospective in nature, quantifiable, and can be properly analyzed. In other cases, an approval may be obtained and reported after the gift is received or the event has taken place. Exceptions: Where an entertainment event or gift is included as part of an educational conference, seminar, research conference or similar event which may entail multiple meals and entertainment events. In such cases, the associate will log the event and it must always be approved, but it is not necessary to include the value or estimated costjust a description of the event and other details.
Business entertainment of little intrinsic value, such as group lunches where the estimated value of the expense is under $10 per person does not need to be reported. However, this exception does not apply in cases involving ERISA plans or Taft-Hartley plans where any gifts or entertainment provided at all value levels need to be pre-approved, logged and reported.
Except for the exemptions described above, all business entertainment events (either hosted or attended by Access Persons) will be acknowledged and reported quarterly via the MCT system. Finally, an entertainment log for all business entertainment events (either hosted or attended) will also be maintained by the Review Officer or their designee via MCT.
For accounts related to ERISA plans (involving increased fiduciary responsibility) or Taft-Hartley plans (involving union officials or labor unions) or for business entertainment provided to elected officials, any entertainment considered at all value levels must be pre-approved, logged and reported. Access persons should bear in mind that for Taft-Hartley plans, the DOL has established a $250 per person annual aggregate limit which should not be exceeded. This limit will be applied to ERISA plans as well due to the increased fiduciary responsibility.
8. | Access Persons are prohibited from profiting in the purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same (or equivalent) Reportable Securities, including Firm Managed Funds, within 30 calendar days. Trades made in violation of this prohibition should be unwound, if possible. |
11 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
Exception: The Review Officer may allow exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis when the abusive practices that the policy is designed to prevent, such as front running or conflicts of interest, are not present and the equity of the situation strongly supports an exemption. An example is the involuntary sale of Securities due to unforeseen corporate activity such as a merger. The ban on short-term trading profits is specifically designed to deter potential conflicts of interest and front running transactions, which typically involve a quick trading pattern to capitalize on a short-lived market impact of a trade by one of the Portfolios. The Review Officer shall consider the policy reasons for the ban on short-term trades, as stated herein, in determining when an exception to the prohibition is permissible. The Review Officer may consider granting an exception to this prohibition if the Securities involved in the transaction are not being considered for purchase or sale by a Portfolio. The Review Officer shall retain a record in MCT of any exceptions granted and the reasons supporting the decision.
9. | Access Persons are prohibited from serving on the Board of Directors of any publicly traded company without prior authorization of the Review Officer of the Firm. Any such authorization shall be based upon a determination that the board service would be consistent with the interests of the Firm and any Portfolios. Authorization of board service shall be subject to the implementation by the Firm of Chinese Wall or other procedures to isolate such Access Persons from making decisions about trading in that companys Securities. |
VI. | EXEMPTED TRANSACTIONS |
Prohibited transactions described in Section V above, which appear upon reasonable inquiry and investigation to present no reasonable likelihood of harm to a Portfolio may be permitted within the discretion of the Review Officer on a case-by-case basis. Such exempted transactions may include the following, and even if not required to be pre-cleared, should be reported as dictated under Section VIII Reporting Requirements:
1. | Purchases or sales of securities which are not held by a Portfolio and which are not related economically to Reportable Securities held by a Portfolio. |
2. | Other exemptions: |
a) | purchase or sale that is non-volitional on the part of the Access Person, including (i) a purchase or sale upon the exercise of puts or calls written by the Access Person, (ii) sales from a margin account, pursuant to a bona fide margin call and (iii) a purchase or sale performed by an independent financial professional acting with sole discretion and performed pursuant to an arrangement previously approved by the Review Officer; |
b) | purchase that is part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan or other similar program, including any sale through a systematic withdrawal plan; |
12 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
c) | purchase effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of the Security, to the extent such rights were acquired from the issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired; |
d) | an acquisition of a Security through a gift or bequest; |
e) | a disposition of Security through gift. |
The CCO may, on a case-by-case basis, exempt Reportable Accounts which appear upon reasonable inquiry and investigation to present no reasonable likelihood of harm to a Portfolio from pre-clearance requirements.
VII. | COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES |
A. | Pre-Clearance Procedures for Personal Trading |
Unless exempted under Section VI above or otherwise, all Access Persons need to receive prior approval from the Firms Review Officer via MCT before purchasing or selling Reportable Securities in an account for which such Access Person has Beneficial Ownership. The Access Person should request pre-clearance by completing and submitting a personal trading Pre-Clearance Form via the MCT system to the Review Officer.
Pre-clearance approval will expire at the close of business on the trading date on which authorization is received. If the trade is not completed before such pre-clearance expires, the Access Person is required to again obtain pre- clearance for the trade. No Review Officer may pre-clear their own trades. In addition, if an Access Person becomes aware of any additional information with respect to a transaction that was pre-cleared, such Person is obligated to disclose such information to the Review Officer prior to executing the pre-cleared transaction.
Access Persons are excluded from pre-clearing Reportable Securities purchased, sold, acquired or disposed in the following transactions:
1. | purchase or sale that is non-volitional on the part of the Access Person, including (i) a purchase or sale upon the exercise of puts or calls written by the Access Person, (ii) sales from a margin account, pursuant to a bona fide margin call and (iii) a purchase or sale performed by an independent financial professional acting with sole discretion and performed pursuant to an arrangement previously approved by the Review Officer; |
2. | purchase that is part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan or other similar program, including any sale through a systematic withdrawal plan; |
13 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
3. | purchase effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of the Reportable Security, to the extent such rights were acquired from the issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired; |
4. | an acquisition of a Reportable Security through a gift or bequest; |
5. | a disposition of Reportable Security through a gift; |
6. | purchase or sale of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), options on ETFs, indexes, commodities and currencies; |
7. | entry into futures contracts on ETFs, indexes, commodities and currencies; |
8. | purchase or sale of tax-exempt and corporate bonds (unless they are new issues); |
9. | purchase or sale of shares of foreign unit trusts and foreign mutual funds; and |
10. | purchase or sale of shares of open- and/or closed-end funds except Firm Managed Funds. |
B. | Pre-Clearance Procedures for Political Contributions, Fundraising Efforts, and Other Similar Actions |
Political Contributions or Fundraising Efforts: All associates are required to obtain approval from Compliance prior to making any Political Contribution of any value or prior to participating in any fundraising efforts or similar actions.
Associates may obtain such pre-approval from Compliance by completing and submitting a Political Contribution Request Form or Political Volunteering/Solicitation/Fundraising Form via the MCT system. Compliance will review and evaluate each completed and submitted form to determine whether the Contribution is permissible based upon the requirements of Rule 206(4)-5 and Firm policy. Associates will be notified in writing and/or via the MCT system of Compliances final determination.
C. | Logging and Pre-Clearance Procedures for Gifts and Entertainment |
All associates are required to obtain approval from the Firms CCO prior to giving/receiving a gift valued at more than $100 or business entertainment valued at more than $250 per person (unless it is exempted from approval or reporting as described above). Associates may obtain pre-approval by completing and submitting a Gift Request or Entertainment Request via MCT. Associates will be notified of the final determination. Please note that for virtual events, consumable items provided or received in advance for use/consumption during the virtual event may, if used/consumed during the virtual event, be considered as part of a virtual entertainment event. Non-consumable items provided or received in connection with a virtual event are deemed gifts. TSW Associates are encouraged to reach out to members of the Compliance Department with questions concerning virtual events.
14 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
All associates are required to log all gifts (except those described as promotional gifts under $10 as described above) and all business entertainment (except that which is exempted as described above), either given or received.
D. | Excessive Trading/Market Timing |
The Firm understands that it is appropriate for Access Persons to participate in the public Securities markets as part of their overall personal investment programs. As in other areas, however, this should be done in a way that minimizes potential conflicts with the interests of any Portfolio. Further, it is important to recognize that otherwise appropriate trading, if excessive (measured in terms of frequency, complexity of trading programs, numbers of trades or other measures, as deemed appropriate by the Review Officer or senior management at the Firm, may compromise the best interests of any Portfolios if such excessive trading is conducted during business hours or using Firm resources. Accordingly, if personal trading rises to such a level as to create an environment that is not consistent with the COE, such personal transactions may not be approved or may be limited by the Review Officer of the Firm.
Each Firm Managed Fund is intended for long-term investment purposes only and does not permit market timing or other types of excessive short-term trading by Access Persons and other shareholders. Excessive short-term trading into and out of the Firm Managed Funds can disrupt Portfolio investment strategies and may increase fund expenses for all shareholders, including long-term shareholders who do not generate these costs. Each Firm Managed Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request (including purchases by exchange) by any investor or group of investors for any reason without prior notice, including if the fund reasonably believes that the trading activity would be disruptive to the fund. Access Persons shall not be permitted to make a round trip trade in any Firm Managed Fund within 30 calendar days without the direct approval of the Review Officer of the Firm.
E. | Conflicts of Interest |
Every Supervised Person shall notify the Review Officer of the Firm of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve a Portfolio, such as the existence of any economic relationship between their transactions and Securities held or to be acquired by any Portfolio. Such notification shall occur in the pre-clearance process.
15 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
VIII. | REPORTING REQUIREMENTS |
A. | Disclosure of Personal Holdings & Outside Business Activities |
All Access Persons shall submit to the Review Officer:
A holdings report that includes: (1) information regarding all holdings in Securities in which Access Persons have Beneficial Ownership; and (2) the name of any broker, dealer, bank or other entity for any Reportable Account. All Securities accounts which hold or could hold Securities should be reportedthose are all considered Reportable Accounts. New associates should submit these reports within 10 days of employment with the Firm. Information contained in the initial reports should be current as of a date not more than 45 days before the associate became an Access Person or prior to the date the report is submitted for annual reports.
In addition to reporting Securities holdings, every Access Person shall certify in their initial report that:
1. | They have received, read, and understand the COE and recognize that they are subject thereto; |
2. | They have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve a Portfolio, such as any economic relationship between their transactions and Securities held or to be acquired by a Portfolio; and |
3. | They do not serve on the Board of Directors of any publicly traded company. |
The initial report shall be made through affirmations via the MCT system and shall be delivered to the Review Officer/Compliance via MCT.
Outside Business Activities
In accordance with Firm policy, associates must disclose and provide prior written notice of reportable Outside Business Activities (OBAs). An outside business activity is defined as any business activity outside the scope of the relationship with TSW. These include any activities that a Supervised Person may be engaged in outside of their employment with the Firm, including, but not limited to, service as an officer, director, partner, employee, consultant or independent contractor with any for profit or non-profit organization. A person may be engaged in an OBA if they are a) employed by any other person or entity; b) receiving compensation from any other person or entity; c) serving as an officer, director, or partner of another entity; or d) serving in a fiduciary capacity (e.g. trustee, executor or power of attorney) for someone other than a family member.
16 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
Prior approval from the CCO or designee is required prior to engaging in the activity. Associates are not permitted to participate in an OBA that would interfere with or otherwise compromise their responsibilities to TSW. No OBA will be allowed unless approved by the CCO. The Firm expects associates to devote their business day to the work of the Firm, and associates are expected to avoid any outside activity, employment, position, or association that might interfere or appear to interfere with the independent exercise of the associates judgment regarding the best interests of the Firm and its clients. Violations of OBA protocols will result in disciplinary action which may include termination.
The initial and subsequent disclosure(s) shall be made through MCT and shall be delivered to the Review Officer/Compliance via MCT for review and pre-approval. In the event an existing activity changes or ceases, an updated disclosure is required in MCT.
B. | Quarterly Reporting Requirements |
All Access Person shall disclose to the Review Officer/Compliance all transactions in Reportable Securities conducted during the period as of the calendar quarter ended within 30 calendar days after quarter-end. Access Persons do not need to pre-clear Personal Securities Transactions effected in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or Control; however, custodian statements in any such accounts must be sent to the Review Officer via MCT not less than quarterly.
In addition, on a quarterly basis via MCT, with respect to all Reportable Accounts, the Access Person must provide:
1. | not less than quarterly, a custodian statement disclosing the transactions for any Reportable Securities; |
2. | the name of the broker, dealer, bank or other entity that acts as custodian; |
3. | if a new Reportable Account, the date the account was established; and |
4. | the date the report is submitted by the Access Person. |
This quarterly report shall be made through affirmations via the MCT system and shall be delivered to the Review Officer/Compliance via MCT. This quarterly affirmation also includes a section for Pay-to-Play Rule reporting and Gifts and Entertainment.
17 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
C. | Annual Report Certification of Compliance with Code of Ethics |
All Access Persons shall disclose to the Review Officer via the MCT system all holdings in Reportable Securities as of the calendar year ended within 30 calendar days after year end. In addition to reporting Reportable Securities holdings, every Access Person shall certify annually via MCT that:
1. | they have read and understand the COE and recognize that they are subject thereto; |
2. | they have complied with the requirements of the COE and that they have reported all Personal Securities Transactions required to be reported pursuant to the requirements of the COE; |
3. | they do not serve on the Board of Directors of any publicly traded company; |
4. | they have not disclosed pending buy or sell orders for a Portfolio to any associate of any other Management Company, except where the disclosure occurred subsequent to the execution or withdrawal of an order; |
5. | they have disclosed all Reportable Accounts-all Securities accounts which hold or could hold Securities should be reportedthose are all considered Reportable Accounts; |
6. | they have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve any Portfolio, such as any economic relationship between their transactions and Securities held or to be acquired by a Portfolio; |
7. | they have not received any gift or other thing valued at more than $100 or $250 for business entertainment (de minimis amount) in relation to the Firms business and have disclosed all gifts and entertainment both given and received via the Firms Gift and Entertainment Log; and |
8. | they have or have not made or previously pre-cleared any political contributions or fundraising activities. |
These annual reports shall be made via affirmations on the MCT system and shall be delivered to the Review Officer/Compliance via MCT.
D. | Confidentiality of Reports |
Reports submitted pursuant to this COE shall be confidential and shall be provided only to those Supervised Persons of the Firm with a need to know and, upon appropriate request, Compliance Departments of Perpetual Limited (Perpetual, TSWs parent company) and any registered investment company the Firm advises or sub-advises, counsel, and/or regulatory authorities.
18 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
E. | Acknowledgement of Receipt of Code of Ethics |
Each Supervised Person shall be provided with a copy of this COE or access to it, and any amendments, and Supervised Persons shall submit a written acknowledgment of their receipt of this Code and any amendments to this COE. Written acknowledgement of the Code will be made via affirmations on the MCT system, both initially and annually.
F. | Review of Reports |
The Review Officer shall review reports submitted under this COE. The Review Officer shall not review his/her own reports.
G. | Duplicate Confirmation and Statements |
The Review Officer of the Firm may require Access Persons to provide duplicate copies of confirmation of each disclosable transaction in their accounts and will require duplicate copies of account statements, all provided via the MCT system where possible.
H. | Reporting of Violations to the TSW Executive Committee and Sanctions |
Supervised Persons are required to report any violations of this COE promptly to the Review Officer. The Review Officer of the Firm shall report all violations (including non-material, technical violations) to the Compliance Committee and shall report material violations of this COE to the TSW Executive Committee. The TSW Executive Committee, and outside counsel, if deemed appropriate, shall consider reports made to it and shall determine whether there has been a violation of the Firms COE and what sanctions, if any, should be imposed, including, among other things, a letter of censure or suspension, fines, or termination of the employment of the violator.
I. | Annual Reporting |
The Review Officer of the Firm shall prepare an annual report relating to this COE to TSW Executive Committee and of any U.S. registered investment company client advised or sub-advised by the Firm that request such reporting. Such annual report shall:
1. | summarize existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the past year; |
2. | identify any violations during the past year; |
3. | identify any recommended changes in the existing restrictions or procedures based upon the Firms experience under its COE, evolving industry practices or developments in applicable laws or regulations; and |
19 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
4. | state that the Firm had adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics. |
J. | Retention of Records |
The Firm shall maintain the following records via the MCT system as required under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act:
1. | a copy of any Code of Ethics in effect within the most recent five years; |
2. | a list of all Supervised Persons required to make reports hereunder within the most recent five years and a list of all Supervised Persons who were responsible for reviewing the reports, as shall be updated by the Review Officer of the Firm; |
3. | a copy of each report made by an Access Person hereunder and submitted to the Firms Review Officer for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which it was made; |
4. | each memorandum made by the Review Officer of the Firm hereunder for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which it was made; |
5. | a record of any violation under the Code of Ethics and any action taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred; |
6. | a record of all written acknowledgements as required by Rule 204A-1(a)(5) for each Person who is currently, or in the past five years was, a Supervised Person of the Firm; |
7. | a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of securities by Access Persons under Rule 204A-1(c), for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted; and |
8. | a copy of any reports which describe any issues arising under the Code of Ethics and certifies that the Firm has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics. |
20 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
IX. | DEFINITIONS |
1. | Access Person means any Manager, officer, general partner or Advisory Representative of the Firm. As the nature and philosophy of the Firm tends to expose a large range of Supervised Persons to client information, all Supervised Persons are treated as Access Persons. Supervised Persons that are subject to another code of ethics that has been reviewed and approved by the Review Officer are not subject to the Access Person requirements of this Code. |
2. | Advisory Representative means any Supervised Person, who in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, normally makes, participates in, or otherwise obtains current information regarding the Purchase or Sale of a Security by the Firm, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales, and any natural Person in a Control relationship to the Firm who obtains information concerning recommendations made concerning a Purchase or Sale of a Security. This definition includes but is not limited to the following: partner, officer, Manager, investment person, Portfolio Manager and any other Supervised Person of the Firm designated as an Advisory Representative from time to time by the Review Officer. |
3. | Affiliated Person of another Person means (a) any Person directly or indirectly owning, Controlling, or holding with power to vote, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding voting securities of such other person; (b) any Person five percent (5%) or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, Controlled, or held with power to vote, by such other person; (c) any Person directly or indirectly Controlling, Controlled by, or under common Control with, such other person; (d) any officer, director, partner, copartner, or associate of such other person; (e) if such other Person is an investment company, any investment adviser thereof or any member of an advisory board thereof; and (f) if such other Person is an unincorporated investment company not having a board of directors, the depositor thereof. |
4. | Affiliated Fund means any investment vehicle registered under the Investment Company Act which the Firm or an Affiliated Person acts as manager, adviser or sub-adviser. |
5. | Beneficial Ownership shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), in determining whether a Person is the beneficial owner of a Security for purposes of Section 16 of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, that, generally speaking, encompasses those situations where the beneficial owner has the right to enjoy a direct or indirect economic benefit from the ownership of the Security. A Person is normally regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in (i) the name of his or her spouse, domestic partner, minor children, or other relatives living in |
21 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
his or her household; (ii) a trust, estate or other account in which he/she has a present or future interest in the income, principal or right to obtain title to the securities; or (iii) the name of another Person or entity by reason of any contract, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement whereby he or she obtains benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership. |
6. | Control means the power to exercise a Controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company. Any Person who owns beneficially, either directly or through one or more Controlled companies, more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting securities of a company shall be presumed to Control such company. Any Person who does not so own more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting securities of any company shall be presumed not to Control such company. A natural Person shall be presumed not to be a Control person. |
7. | Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) means a portfolio of securities that trades throughout the day on an exchange. A closed-end fund is not an ETF. |
8. | Firm means TSW, an investment adviser registered with the SEC under the Advisers Act. |
9. | Firm Managed Fund means any investment company registered under the Investment Company Act or pooled investment vehicle for which the Firm acts as investment adviser or sub-adviser. |
10. | Initial Public Offering means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act. |
11. | Investment Personnel means (a) any Portfolio Manager of the Firm; (b) any associate of the Firm (or of any company in a Control relationship to a fund or the Firm) who, in connection with his regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Firm, including securities analysts, traders and marketing Supervised Persons; or (c) any Person who Controls a fund or the Firm and who obtains information concerning recommendations made to any Portfolio regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Portfolio. |
12. | Limited Offering means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) or Rules 504, 505 or 506 under the Securities Act. Limited offerings are commonly referred to as private placements. |
13. | Maintenance Trades (also called Non-Rotational Trades) refer to any trades effected by Portfolio Managers for specific accounts including those in |
22 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
SMA accounts. Maintenance trades typically occur to get Portfolios in line with guidelines, raise cash for specific purposes, etc. These are not to be confused with Firm-wide block trades (also called Rotational Trades which affect large numbers of accounts at one time. |
14. | Management Company refers to investment advisers that are subsidiaries of, or organizations otherwise affiliated with, Perpetual. |
15. | Manager refers to individual member of the TSW Executive Committee. |
16. | Person means a natural Person or a company. |
17. | Personal Securities Transactions means any transaction in a Security pursuant to which an Access Person would have a Beneficial Ownership interest with the exception of obligations of the U.S. Government, bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, money market fund shares, commercial paper, high quality short-term debt instruments and registered open-end investment companies, none of which are funds advised or sub-advised by the Firm. |
18. | Portfolio means any account, trust or other investment vehicle over which the Firm has investment management discretion. |
19. | Portfolio Manager means an associate of the Firm entrusted with the direct responsibility and authority to make investment decisions affecting the Portfolios or Firm Managed Funds. |
20. | Primary Product or Primary Strategy means any long-only equity strategy and fixed income strategy (and thus excludes long/short strategies) offered to outside clients and described in TSWs Form ADV. |
21. | Purchase or Sale of a Security includes, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Security. |
22. | Reportable Account means any account held at a broker, dealer or bank with which an Access Person maintains Beneficial Ownership in any Security and for any account held at a broker, dealer, bank or other entity for which an Access Person has the ability to obtain Beneficial Ownership of any Security. All Securities accounts which hold or could hold Securities should be reportedthose are all considered Reportable Accounts. |
23. | Reportable Security shall include any Firm Managed Fund and commodities contracts as defined in Section 2(a)(1)(A) of the Commodity Exchange Act. This definition includes but is not limited to futures contracts on equity indices. |
Reportable Security means any stock, bond, future, investment contract or any other instrument that is considered a Reportable Security or Covered
23 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
Security under the Investment Company Act. The term Reportable Security is very broad and includes items you might not ordinarily think of as Reportable Securities, including:
| Options on securities, on indexes and on currencies (options on securities defined as one option contract covering 100 shares of stock); |
| All kinds of limited partnerships; |
| Foreign unit trusts and foreign mutual funds; |
| Private investment funds, hedge funds, and investment clubs; |
| ETFs, iShares and unit investment trusts; and |
| Closed-end Funds. |
Reportable Security specifically does not include:
| Direct obligations of the U.S. Government; |
| Bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high-quality short-term debt obligations (including repurchase agreements); |
| Shares issued by money market funds; and |
| Shares of open-end funds, none of which are Affiliated Funds or Firm Managed Funds. |
Any question as to whether a particular investment constitutes a Reportable Security should be referred to the Review Officer.
24. | Restricted List is an actively monitored list of Securities being considered for purchase or sale by any equity and/or international Portfolios or funds. |
25. | Review Officer refers to the personnel, appointed and approved by the TSW Executive Committee to oversee its COE, or a designee appointed by the Chief Compliance Officer. In most cases, the Review Officer will be the CCO or a designee but will vary based on the circumstances. |
26. | Security(ies) means a security as defined in Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act and includes any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any |
24 | Page
CODE OF ETHICS
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. |
27. | Supervised Person means: |
| Any Manager or officer of the Firm (or other Person occupying a similar status or performing a similar function); |
| Any other associate of the Firm; |
| Any other Person who provides advice on behalf of the Firm and is subject to the Firms supervision and Control; and |
| Any temporary worker, consultant, independent contractor, certain Supervised Persons of affiliates of the Firm or any particular Person designated by the Review Officer. |
25 | Page