94-28866. Connecticut Mutual Investment Accounts, Inc., et al.; Notice of Application  

  • [Federal Register Volume 59, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 23, 1994)]
    [Unknown Section]
    [Page 0]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 94-28866]
    
    
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    [Federal Register: November 23, 1994]
    
    
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    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
    [Investment Company Act Rel. No. 20710; 812-9084]
    
     
    
    Connecticut Mutual Investment Accounts, Inc., et al.; Notice of 
    Application
    
    November 17, 1994.
    AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'').
    
    ACTION: Notice of application for exemption under the Investment 
    Company Act of 1940 (``Act'').
    
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    APPLICANTS: Connecticut Mutual Investment Accounts, Inc (including all 
    existing and future series thereof) (the ``Fund''), and G.R. Phelps & 
    Co., Inc. (``Phelps''), on their own behalf and on behalf of any 
    registered open-end investment companies (including any series thereof) 
    for which Phelps or any person controlling, controlled by, or under 
    common control with Phelps serves in the future as investment adviser 
    or distributor (collectively, the ``Fund'').
    
    RELEVANT ACT SECTIONS: Exemption requested under section 6(c) from the 
    provisions of sections 2(a) (32), 2(a)(35), 18(f), 18(g), 18(i), 22(c), 
    and 22(d), and rule 22c-1 thereunder.
    
    SUMMARY OF APPLICATION: Applicants seek an order that would permit the 
    Funds to issue an unlimited number of classes of shares representing 
    interests in the same portfolio of securities, assess a contingent 
    deferred sales load (``CDSL'') on certain redemptions of shares, and 
    waive the CDSL in certain instances.
    
    FILING DATE: The application was filed on July 1, 1994, and amended on 
    September 19, 1994 and November 16, 1994.
    
    HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING: An order granting the application 
    will be issued unless the SEC orders a hearing. Interested persons may 
    request a hearing by writing to the SEC's Secretary and serving 
    applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by mail. Hearing 
    requests should be received by the SEC by 5:30 p.m. on December 12, 
    1994, and should be accompanied by proof of service on applicants, in 
    the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a certificate of service. 
    Hearing requests should state the nature of the writer's interest, the 
    reason for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to 
    be notified of a hearing may request such notification by writing to 
    the SEC's Secretary.
    
    ADDRESSES: Secretary, SEC, 450 Fifth Street NW., Washington, D.C. 
    20549. Applicants, 140 Garden Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06154.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Courtney S. Thornton, Senior Attorney, 
    at (202) 942-0583, or Barry D. Miller, Senior Special Counsel, at (202) 
    942-0564 (Division of Investment Management, Office of Investment 
    Company Regulation).
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the 
    application. The complete application may be obtained for a fee from 
    the SEC's Public Reference Branch.
    
    Applicants' Representations
    
        1. The Fund, a Maryland corporation, is a registered open-end 
    management investment company, which currently consists of ten series. 
    Each of the series has a separate investment objective and policies, 
    and separate assets.
        2. Phelps, a registered investment adviser and a registered broker/
    dealer, is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Connecticut Mutual 
    Life Insurance Company (``Connecticut Mutual''). Phelps is the 
    investment adviser to five series of the Fund, and the distributor of 
    the Fund's shares.\1\
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        \1\Five new series of the Fund (the ``New Accounts''), which 
    commenced operations on October 3, 1994, are distributed, but not 
    advised, by Phelps. Each New Account invests substantially all of 
    its assets in another registered investment company advised by an 
    unaffiliated investment adviser (in what is commonly referred to as 
    a ``master/feeder'' structure).
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        3. Shares of the single existing class of the Fund (the ``Non-Money 
    Market Series''), except shares of the money market series (the ``Money 
    Market Series''), are sold at net asset value plus a front-end sales 
    load. In accordance with the terms of a prior exemptive order,\2\ 
    purchases of shares of the Non-Money Market Series in amounts of 
    $500,000 or more are not subject to a front-end sales load, but instead 
    are subject to a CDSL of 1% on redemptions of such shares within twelve 
    months after purchase. Shares of the Money Market Series are sold at 
    net asset value with no sales load. In addition, the Fund has adopted 
    distribution plans pursuant to rule 12b-1 under the Act (the 
    ``Distribution Plans''); to date, only the shareholders of the Money 
    Market Series and the initial shareholder of each New Account have 
    approved the Distribution Plans.
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        \2\Connecticut Mutual Investment Accounts, Inc., et al., 
    Investment Company Act Release Nos. 19374 (Mar. 31, 1993) (notice) 
    and 19435 (Apr. 27, 1993) (order). Any order issued on this 
    application will supersede the prior order.
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        4. Applicants propose to establish a multiple class distribution 
    system (the ``Multiple Class System''), which would permit the Funds to 
    issue an unlimited number of classes of shares. These classes would 
    differ in the following respects: (a) the impact of certain class 
    expenses (as set forth in condition 1 below) (``Class Expenses''); (b) 
    expenses payable under a Distribution Plan, a service fee paid to 
    institutions for the provision of certain account administration and 
    shareholder liaison services to their customers pursuant to a non-rule 
    12b-1 shareholder services plan (``Shareholder Services Plan''), and/or 
    an administration fee paid to institutions for the provision of certain 
    account administration services to their customers pursuant to a non-
    rule 12b-1 administration plan (an ``Administration Plan'') 
    (collectively, the ``Plans'' and ``Plan Payments''); (c) voting rights 
    related to any Plan; (d) exchange privileges; (e) the conversion 
    feature; (f) class designations; and (g) any other additional 
    incremental expenses subsequently identified that could be properly 
    allocated to one class, as permitted by the SEC pursuant to an amended 
    order. Under the Multiple Class System, the Funds will be authorized to 
    sell shares of different classes under different sales arrangements, 
    including sales with a front-end sales charge, subject to a CDSL, a 
    combination of a front-end sales load and a CDSL, or at net asset 
    value.
        5. Under a Distribution Plan, shares of an affected class would 
    bear the cost of selling and servicing such shares. The distribution 
    fees under such a Plan would be payable to reimburse or compensate the 
    Fund's distributor for expenses that primarily are intended to result 
    in the sale of the class shares. The service fees under a Distribution 
    Plan would be payable to reimburse or compensate the Fund's 
    distributor, securities dealers, and other institutions for personal 
    services and maintenance of shareholder accounts, and any additional 
    service-related expenses.
        6. Under a Shareholder Services Plan, a Fund (or the distributor) 
    enters into service agreements with affiliated and unaffiliated 
    financial institutions, broker-dealers, and securities professionals 
    (``Service Organizations'') concerning the provision of account 
    administration services (``Account Administration Services''), and 
    certain other services\3\ to customers of the Service Organizations who 
    beneficially own class shares offered pursuant to such Plan. Under its 
    Shareholder Services Plan, the Fund would pay a Service Organization 
    for its services and assistance in accordance with the terms of the 
    Plan and its particular service agreement.
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        \3\These additional services would include, but not be limited 
    to, receiving and answering investor correspondence, including 
    requests for prospectuses, statements of additional information and 
    shareholder reports; assisting customers in completing application 
    forms, selecting dividend and other account options, and opening 
    custody accounts with the Service Organization; and acting as a 
    liaison between customers and the Fund, including obtaining 
    information from the Fund, working with the Fund to correct errors 
    and resolve problems, and providing statistical and other 
    information to the Fund.
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        7. Under an Administration Plan, the Fund (or its distributor) 
    enters into service agreements with Service Organizations for the 
    provision of Account Administration Services to the customers of such 
    Service Organizations who beneficially own class shares offered 
    pursuant to such Plan. Under its Administration Plan, the Fund would 
    pay a Service Organization a fee for its services and assistance in 
    accordance with the terms of the Administration Plan and its particular 
    service agreement. The expense of such payments would be borne entirely 
    by the beneficial owners of class shares.
        8. The provision of services under the Plans will augment (and not 
    be duplicative of) the services to be provided to the Fund by its 
    investment adviser, transfer agent, and custodian.
        9. The Funds may establish classes of shares that will be available 
    only for investment by one or more of the following categories of 
    investors: (a) unaffiliated benefit plans; (b) tax-exempt retirement 
    plans of Connecticut Mutual and its affiliates; (c) unit investment 
    trusts sponsored by Phelps or entities controlling, controlled by, or 
    under common control with Phelps; (d) banks and insurance companies 
    that are not affiliated with a Fund's adviser, subadviser, manager, 
    administrator or principal underwriter purchasing for their own 
    accounts; (e) investment companies not affiliated with a Fund's 
    adviser, subadviser, manager, administrator, or principal underwriter; 
    and (f) endowment funds of non-profit organizations that are not 
    affiliated with a Fund's adviser, subadviser, manager, administrator or 
    principal underwriter (each class, a ``Limited Institutional Class''). 
    Shares of a Limited Institutional Class will be available only to the 
    above categories of institutional investors. A series may elect not to 
    offer shares of a Limited Institutional Class to one or more of these 
    categories of institutional investors. However, if a series elects to 
    offer shares of any Limited Institutional Class to any category of 
    investors, such investors will not be permitted to invest in shares of 
    any other class of such series.
        10. The unaffiliated benefit plans in category (a) will include 
    qualified retirement plans, with respect to which a trustee is vested 
    with investment discretion as to plan assets, other than individual 
    retirement accounts and self-employed retirement plans, and will have 
    limitations on the ability of plan beneficiaries to access their plan 
    investments without incurring adverse tax consequences. Applicants will 
    exclude self-directed plans from this category.
        11. Appropriate exemptive relief will be sought from the SEC prior 
    to any investment by UITs in category (c) in shares of a Limited 
    Institutional Class of the Fund.
        12. All exchanges will comply with the provisions of rule 11a-3 
    under the Act.
        13. Certain expenses may be attributable to the Fund, but not to a 
    particular series thereof (``Fund Expenses''). All such Fund Expenses 
    may be allocated among the series of the Fund based on the relative 
    aggregate net assets of such series or on such other basis as the board 
    of directors may from time to time approve. Expenses that are 
    attributable to a particular series or to an investment company with 
    only one series, but not a particular class thereof, will be allocated 
    daily to each class based on the percentage that the net asset value of 
    such class represents of the total of all classes of shares of such 
    series. Payments under the Plans and Class Expenses will be allocated 
    to the shares of the class to which they are attributable.
        14. A conversion feature, after the expiration of a specified 
    period, will automatically convert shares of one class at their net 
    asset value to shares of another class with different features, as set 
    forth in condition 15 below. For purposes of the conversion, all shares 
    in a shareholder's account that were acquired through the reinvestment 
    of dividends and other distributions paid in respect of such shares 
    (and which had not yet converted) will be considered to be held in a 
    separate subaccount. Each time any shares in the shareholder's account 
    convert, an equal pro rata portion of shares in the subaccount also 
    will convert and no longer will be considered held in the subaccount. 
    The portion will be determined by the ratio that the shareholder's 
    converting shares bears to the shareholder's total shares subject to 
    the conversion feature, but excluding shares held in the subaccount.
        15. Any conversion of shares will be subject to the continuing 
    availability of an opinion of counsel or a private letter ruling from 
    the Internal Revenue Service to the effect that the conversion of 
    shares does not constitute a taxable event under federal income tax 
    law. Conversion of shares might be suspended if such an opinion or 
    ruling were no longer available.
        16. Applicants propose that the Funds be permitted to assess CDSLs 
    on certain redemptions and repurchases of shares comprising a distinct 
    class or particular shares within a class. Under the proposed CDSL 
    arrangement, the amount of a CDSL charged to a shareholder would depend 
    on the time that had elapsed since the shareholder purchased the CDSL 
    shares. Any CDSL would be imposed on the lesser of (a) the net asset 
    value of the redeemed shares at the time of purchase, or (b) the net 
    asset value of the redeemed shares at the time of redemption. No CDSL 
    would be imposed with respect to: (a) the portion of redemption 
    proceeds attributable to increases in the value of an account above the 
    net cost of the investment due to increases in the net asset value per 
    share; (b) shares acquired through reinvestment of income dividends or 
    capital gain distributions; or (c) CDSL shares held for more than a 
    specified term after the end of the calendar period used to determine 
    the period in which the purchase order for such shares was accepted. In 
    determining whether a CDSL were payable, it would be assumed that 
    shares, or amounts representing shares, that were not subject to a CDSL 
    were redeemed first, and that other shares or amounts were then 
    redeemed in the order purchased.
        17. The aggregate of any front-end sales load, an asset-based sales 
    charge, and any CDSL would be subject to the limitation imposed by 
    section 26(d) of Article III of the Rules of Fair Practice of the 
    National Association of Securities Dealers (``NASD'').
        18. Applicants intend to waive or reduce the CDSL in certain 
    circumstances described in the prospectus or prospectuses of the Funds. 
    If a Fund waives or reduces the CDSL, such waiver or reduction will be 
    uniformly applied to all shares in the specified category. In waiving 
    or reducing a CDSL, the Fund will comply with the requirements of rule 
    22d-1 under the Act.
    
    Applicants' Legal Analysis
    
        1. Applicants request an exemptive order to the extent that the 
    proposed issuance and sale of an unlimited number of classes of shares 
    representing interests in the Fund might be deemed: (a) to result in a 
    ``senior security'' within the meaning of section 18(g) of the Act and 
    to be prohibited by section 18(f)(1); and (b) to violate the equal 
    voting provisions of section 18(i).
        2. Section 18 is intended to prevent investment companies from 
    borrowing excessively and issuing excessive amounts of senior 
    securities, which increase the speculative character of their junior 
    securities, or from operating without adequate assets or reserves. The 
    Multiple Class System does not involve borrowings and does not affect 
    the Funds' existing assets or reserves. In addition, the proposed 
    arrangement will not increase the speculative character of the shares 
    of the Funds, since each class of shares will participate in all of the 
    Funds' appreciation (if any), income, and all of the Funds' expenses 
    (with the exception of the Plan Payments and Class Expenses).
        3. Applicants believe that the proposed allocation of Class 
    Expenses in the manner described above and the voting rights relating 
    to the Plans is equitable and would not discriminate unfairly against 
    any group of shareholders. Because, with respect to any Fund, the 
    rights and privileges of each class of shares are substantially 
    identical, the possibility that their interests would ever conflict 
    would be remote. In any event, the interests of the affected 
    shareholders with respect to Plan Payments would be adequately 
    protected since Plans for each of those classes will conform to the 
    requirements of rule 12b-1 (except that a Shareholder Services Plan or 
    an Administration Plan may not confer certain voting rights), including 
    the requirement that their implementation and continuance be approved 
    on an annual basis by both the full board and the non-interested 
    directors of a Fund.
        4. Applicants also request an exemption from sections 2(a)(32), 
    2(a)(35), 22(c), and 22(d) of the Act, and rule 22d-1 thereunder, to 
    the extent necessary to permit the Funds to assess a CDSL on certain 
    redemptions. Applicants believe that the implementation of the CDSL as 
    described above would be fair and would be in the public interest and 
    the interests of the shareholders of the Funds, and would be consistent 
    with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by 
    the provisions of the Act.
    
    Applicants' Conditions
    
        Applicants agree that any order of the SEC granting the requested 
    relief will be subject to the following conditions:
        1. Each class of shares will represent interests in the same 
    portfolio of investments of a Fund or a series, and be identical in all 
    respects except as set forth below. The only differences among the 
    classes of shares of a Fund will relate solely to: (a) the impact of 
    certain Class Expenses, which shall be limited to: (i) transfer agency 
    fees (including the incremental cost of monitoring any CDSL) 
    attributable to a specific class of shares; (ii) expenses related to 
    preparing, printing, mailing and distributing materials such as 
    shareholder reports, newsletters, prospectuses and proxy statements to 
    current shareholders of a specific class; (iii) SEC, state, and foreign 
    jurisdiction registration fees incurred by a specific class of shares; 
    (iv) the expenses of administrative personnel and services required to 
    support the shareholders of a specific class (including, but not 
    limited to, maintaining telephone lines and personnel to answer 
    shareholders' inquiries about their accounts or about the Fund); (v) 
    litigation or other legal expenses relating to a class of shares; (vi) 
    directors' fees or expenses incurred as a result of issues relating to 
    a specific class of shares; and (vii) accounting, audit and tax 
    expenses relating to a specific class of shares; (b) expenses payable 
    by a class pursuant to a Plan with respect to such class; (c) the 
    voting rights related to any Plan affecting a specific class of shares, 
    except as provided in condition 16 below; (d) exchange privileges; (e) 
    the conversion feature; (f) class designations; and (g) any other 
    additional incremental expenses subsequently identified that could be 
    properly allocated to one class, which shall be approved or permitted 
    by the SEC pursuant to an amended order.
        2. The directors of a Fund, including a majority of the non-
    interested directors, will approve the Multiple Class System. The 
    minutes of the meetings of the directors of a Fund regarding the 
    deliberations of the directors concerning, and their approval of, the 
    Multiple Class System will reflect in detail the reasons for the 
    directors' determination that the proposed Multiple Class System is in 
    the best interests of both the Fund and its shareholders.
        3. The initial determination of Class Expenses that will be 
    allocated to a class, and any subsequent changes thereto, will be 
    reviewed and approved by a vote of the directors, including a majority 
    of the non-interested directors. Any persons authorized to direct the 
    allocation and disposition of monies paid or payable by a Fund to meet 
    Class Expenses shall provide to the directors, and the directors shall 
    review at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts so expended 
    and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.
        4. Any distributor will adopt compliance standards as to when each 
    class of shares may appropriately be sold to particular investors. 
    Applicants will require all persons selling shares of a Fund to agree 
    to conform to such standards. Such compliance standards will require 
    that all investors eligible to purchase shares of a Limited 
    Institutional Class be sold only shares of the Limited Institutional 
    Class, rather than any other class of shares offered by the Fund.
        5. The Shareholder Services Plans and Administration Plans will be 
    adopted and operated in accordance with the procedures set forth in 
    rule 12b-1(b) through (f) as if the expenditures made thereunder were 
    subject to rule 12b-1, except that shareholders need not enjoy the 
    voting rights specified in rule 12b-1.
        6. On an ongoing basis, the directors of a Fund, pursuant to their 
    fiduciary responsibilities under the Act and otherwise, will monitor 
    the Fund for the existence of any material conflicts among the 
    interests of the classes of shares. The directors, including a majority 
    of the non-interested directors, will take such action as is reasonably 
    necessary to eliminate any such conflicts that may develop. The 
    investment adviser and distributor will be responsible for reporting 
    any potential or existing conflicts to the directors. If a conflict 
    arises, the investment adviser and the distributor, each at its own 
    cost, will remedy such conflict up to and including establishing a new 
    registered management investment company.
        7. The directors will receive quarterly and annual statements 
    concerning the amounts expended under each Shareholder Services, 
    Administration and Distribution Plan and the related Service Agreement 
    complying with paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of rule 12b-1, as it may be amended 
    from time to time, for the Fund. In the statements, only expenditures 
    properly attributable to the sale or servicing of a particular class of 
    shares will be used to justify any distribution or servicing fee 
    charged to that class. Expenditures not related to the sale or 
    servicing of a particular class will not be presented to the directors 
    to justify any fee attributable to that class. The statements, 
    including the allocations upon which they are based, will be subject to 
    the review and approval of the non-interested directors in the exercise 
    of their fiduciary duties.
        8. Dividends paid by a Fund with respect to each class of its 
    shares, to the extent any dividends are paid, will be calculated in the 
    same manner, at the same time, on the same day, and will be paid in the 
    same amount, except that Plan Payments and any Class Expenses will be 
    borne exclusively by the affected class.
        9. The methodology and procedures for calculating the net asset 
    value and dividends and distributions of the classes of shares and the 
    proper allocation of expenses among the classes have been reviewed by 
    an expert (the ``Expert''). The Expert has rendered a report to 
    applicants that such methodology and procedures are adequate to ensure 
    that such calculations and allocations will be made in an appropriate 
    manner. On an ongoing basis, the Expert, or an appropriate substitute 
    Expert, will monitor the manner in which the calculations and 
    allocations are being made and, based upon such review, will render at 
    least annually a report to the Fund that the calculations and 
    allocations are being made properly. The reports of the Expert will be 
    filed as part of the periodic reports filed with the SEC pursuant to 
    sections 30(a) and 30(b)(1) of the Act. The work papers of the Expert 
    with respect to such reports, following a request by a Fund (which the 
    Fund agrees to provide), will be available for inspection by the SEC 
    staff upon the written request for such work papers by a senior member 
    of the Division of Investment Management or of a regional office of the 
    SEC limited to the Director, an Associate Director, the Chief 
    Accountant, the Chief Financial Analyst, an Assistant Director, and any 
    Regional Administrators or Associate and Assistant Administrators. The 
    initial report of the Expert is a ``report on the policies and 
    procedures placed in operation,'' and the ongoing reports will be 
    ``reports on policies and procedures placed in operation and tests of 
    operating effectiveness'' as defined and described in SAS No. 70 of the 
    American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (``AICPA''), as it 
    may be amended from time to time, or in similar auditing standards as 
    may be adopted by the AICPA from time to time.
        10. Applicants have adequate facilities in place to ensure 
    implementation of the methodology and procedures for calculating the 
    net asset value and dividends and distributions of the classes of 
    shares and the proper allocation of expenses among the classes of 
    shares, and this representation has been concurred with by the Expert 
    in the initial report referred to in the immediately preceding 
    condition and will be concurred with by the Expert, or an appropriate 
    substitute Expert, on an ongoing basis at least annually in the ongoing 
    reports referred to in the immediately preceding condition. Applicants 
    agree to take immediate corrective action if this representation is not 
    concurred in by the Expert or appropriate substitute Expert.
        11. The prospectus of the Fund, or if applicable, the prospectus of 
    each class of shares of the Fund, will include a statement to the 
    effect that any person entitled to receive compensation for selling or 
    servicing Fund Shares may receive different compensation with respect 
    to one particular class of shares over another in the Fund.
        12. The conditions pursuant to which the exemptive order is granted 
    and the duties and responsibilities of the directors of the Fund with 
    respect to the Multiple Class System will be set forth in guidelines, 
    which will be furnished to the directors.
        13. The Fund will disclose the respective expenses, performance 
    data, distribution arrangements, services, fees, sales loads, deferred 
    sales loads, and exchange privileges applicable to each class of 
    shares, other than the Limited Institutional Class, in every 
    prospectus, regardless of whether all classes of shares are offered 
    through each prospectus. The Limited Institutional Class will be 
    offered solely pursuant to a separate prospectus. The prospectus for 
    the Limited Institutional class will disclose the existence of the 
    Fund's other classes, and the prospectus for the Fund's other classes 
    will disclose the existence of the Limited Institutional Class, and 
    will identify the persons eligible to purchase shares of such class. 
    The Fund will disclose the respective expenses and performance data 
    applicable to all classes of shares in every shareholder report. The 
    shareholder reports will contain, in the statement of assets and 
    liabilities and statement of operations, information related to the 
    Fund as a whole generally and not on a per class basis. The Fund's per 
    share data, however, will be prepared on a per class basis with respect 
    to all classes of shares of the Fund. To the extent any advertisement 
    or sales literature describes the expenses or performance data 
    applicable to any class of shares, it will also disclose the respective 
    expenses and/or performance data applicable to all classes of shares, 
    except the Limited Institutional Class. Advertising materials 
    reflecting the expenses or performance data for the Limited 
    Institutional Class will be available only to those persons eligible to 
    purchase the Limited Institutional Class. The information provided by 
    applicants for publication in any newspaper or similar listing of the 
    Fund's net asset value and public offering price will present each 
    class of shares, except the Limited Institutional Class, separately.
        14. Applicants acknowledge that the grant of the relief requested 
    by this application will not imply SEC approval, authorization or 
    acquiescence in any particular level of payments that a Fund may make 
    pursuant to the Distribution, Administration, or Shareholder Services 
    Plans in reliance on the exemptive order.
        15. Any class of shares (``Purchase Class'') with a conversion 
    feature will convert into another class of shares (``Target Class'') on 
    the basis of the relative net asset values of the two classes, without 
    the imposition of any sales load, fee, or other charge. After 
    conversion, the converted shares will be subject to an asset-based 
    sales load and/or service fee (as those terms are defined in Article 
    III, Section 26 of the NASD's Rules of Fair Practice), if any, that in 
    the aggregate are lower than the asset-based sales load and service fee 
    to which they were subject prior to the conversion.
        16. If a Fund implements any amendment to its Distribution Plan 
    (or, if presented to shareholders, adopts or implements any amendment 
    of the non-rule 12b-1 Shareholder Services Plan or Administration Plan) 
    that would increase materially the amount that may be borne by the 
    Target Class shares under the plan, existing Purchase Class shares will 
    stop converting into Target Class unless the Purchase Class 
    shareholders, voting separately as a class, approve the proposal. If 
    such approval is not granted, the directors shall take such action as 
    is necessary to ensure that existing Purchase Class shares are 
    exchanged or converted into a new class of shares (``New Target 
    Class''), identical in all material respects to the Target Class as it 
    existed prior to implementation of the proposal, no later than the date 
    such Purchase Class shares previously were scheduled to convert into 
    Target Class shares. If deemed advisable by the directors to implement 
    the foregoing, such action may include the exchange of all existing 
    Purchase Class shares for a new class (``New Purchase Class''), 
    identical to existing Purchase Class shares in all material respects 
    except that New Purchase Class will convert into Target Class. A New 
    Target Class or New Purchase Class may be formed without further 
    exemptive relief. Exchanges or conversions described in this condition 
    shall be effected in a manner that the directors reasonable believe 
    will not be subject to federal taxation. In accordance with condition 
    6, any additional cost associated with the creation, exchange or 
    conversion of New Target Class or New Purchase Class shall be borne 
    solely by the adviser and the distributor. Purchase Class shares sold 
    after the implementation of the proposal may convert into Target Class 
    shares subject to the higher maximum payment, provided that the 
    material features of the Plan and the relationship of such Plan to the 
    Purchase Class shares are disclosed in an effective registration 
    statement.
        17. Applicants will comply with the provisions of proposed rule 6c-
    10 under the Act (Investment Company Act Release No. 16619 (Nov. 2, 
    1988)), as such rule is currently proposed, and as it may be 
    reproposed, adopted, or amended.
    
        For the SEC, by the Division of Investment Management, under 
    delegated authority.
    Jonathan G. Katz,
    Secretary.
    [FR Doc. 94-28866 Filed 11-22-94; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 8010-01-M
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
11/23/1994
Department:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Entry Type:
Uncategorized Document
Action:
Notice of application for exemption under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Act'').
Document Number:
94-28866
Dates:
The application was filed on July 1, 1994, and amended on September 19, 1994 and November 16, 1994.
Pages:
0-0 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Federal Register: November 23, 1994, Investment Company Act Rel. No. 20710, 812-9084