E5-1585. Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission; Office of Filings and Information Services; Washington, DC 20549.

Extension:

Rule 12d3-1; SEC File No. 270-504; OMB Control No. 3235-0561.

Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) is soliciting comments on the collections of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit these existing collections of information to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) for extension and approval.

Section 12(d)(3) of the Act generally prohibits registered investment companies (“funds”), and companies controlled by funds, from purchasing securities issued by a registered investment adviser, broker, dealer, or underwriter (“securities-related businesses”). Rule 12d3-1 (“Exemption of acquisitions of securities issued by persons engaged in securities related businesses” [17 CFR 270.12d3-1]) permits a fund to invest up to five percent of its assets in securities of an issuer deriving more than fifteen percent of its gross revenues from securities-related businesses, but a fund may not rely on rule 12d3-1 to acquire securities of its own investment adviser or any affiliated person of its own investment adviser.

A fund may, however, rely on an exemption in rule 12d3-1 to acquire securities issued by its subadvisers in circumstances in which the subadviser would have little ability to take advantage of the fund, because it is not in a position to direct the fund's securities purchases. The exemption in rule 12d3-1(c)(3) is available if (i) the subadviser is not, and is not an affiliated person of, an investment adviser that provides advice with respect to the portion of the fund that is acquiring the securities, and (ii) the advisory contracts of the subadviser, and any subadviser that is advising the purchasing portion of the fund, prohibit them from consulting with each other concerning securities transactions of the fund, and limit their responsibility in providing advice to providing advice with respect to discrete portions of the fund's portfolio.

The Commission staff estimates that 3,028 portfolios of approximately 2,126 funds use the services of one or more subadvisers. Based on an analysis of investment company filings, the staff estimates that approximately 200 funds are registered annually. Assuming that the number of these funds that will use the services of subadvisers is proportionate to the number of funds that currently use the services of subadvisers, then we estimate that 46 new funds will enter into subadvisory agreements each year.^[1] The Commission staff further estimates, based on analysis of investment company filings, that 10 extant funds will employ the services of subadvisers for the first time each year. Thus, the staff estimates that a total of 56 funds, with a total of 78 portfolios (respondents),^[2] will enter into subadvisory agreements each year. Assuming that each of these funds enters into a subadvisory contract that permits it to rely on the exemptions in rule 12d3-1(c)(3),^[3] we estimate that the rule's contract modification requirement will result in 117 burden hours annually.^[4]

Written comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted in writing within 60 days of this publication.

Please direct your written comments to R. Corey Booth, Director/Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 5th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549.

Dated: March 28, 2005.

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  The Commission staff estimates that approximately 23 percent of funds are advised by subadvisers.

2.  Based on existing statistics, we assume that each fund has 1.4 portfolios advised by a subadviser.

3.  Rules 12d3-1, 10f-3, 17a-10, and 17e-1 require virtually identical modifications to fund advisory contracts. The Commission staff assumes that funds would rely equally on the exemptions in these rules, and therefore the Commission has apportioned the burden hours associated with the required contract modifications equally among the four rules.

4.  This estimate is based on the following calculations: (78 portfolios × 6 hours = 468 burden hours for rules 12d3-1, 10f-3, 17a-10, and 17e-1; 468 total burden hours for all of the rules/four rules = 117 annual burden hours per rule.)