The GMS Group, LLC, et al., 67659-67663 [E6-19739]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 22, 2006 / Notices
NYSE unilaterally delisted debt
securities eligible for trading under this
exemption order. To address this
concern, we have added a new
condition to the order stating that the
NYSE will delist a class of debt
securities only if the issuer of the class
of debt security does not object to the
delisting. As the potential loss of
covered security status under Section 18
of the Securities Act would be an
unintended consequence of this
exemption, this additional condition
would allow an issuer with listed debt
securities to maintain covered security
status with respect to its securities at its
option.
Another commenter, the NASDAQ
Stock Market LLC, argued that limiting
the bonds eligible to trade pursuant to
this exemption exclusively to
companies with equity listed on the
NYSE, or their wholly-owned
subsidiaries, would potentially be anticompetitive to other national securities
exchanges. We do not believe this
exemption will provide the NYSE with
an unfair competitive advantage over
other exchanges. Although the unlisted
bonds that will trade on the ABS, and
any successor bond trading facility
pursuant to this exemption will not be
eligible to trade on other exchanges
pursuant to the unlisted trading
privileges of Section 12(f) of the
Exchange Act,23 another exchange may
petition the Commission for similar
relief that would permit that exchange’s
members to trade unregistered debt
securities on its facilities subject to the
conditions imposed by the Commission
in this order.
In granting this relief, we expect that
the NYSE will design and implement all
rules related to the relief in a manner
that protects investors and the public
interest and does not unfairly
discriminate between customers,
issuers, brokers or dealers. We view the
exemptive relief requested by the NYSE
as another step to improve the public
markets and believe that granting the
NYSE’s application will minimize
unnecessary regulatory disparity,
promote competition and transparency
in the public debt markets and is
necessary and appropriate in the public
interest and consistent with the
protection of investors.
Accordingly, it is ordered pursuant to
Section 36 of the Exchange Act that,
under the terms and conditions set forth
below, an NYSE member, broker or
dealer may effect a transaction on the
23 15 U.S.C. 78l(f). Section 12(f) of the Exchange
Act permits a national securities exchange to extend
unlisted trading privileges to any security that is
listed and registered on a national securities
exchange.
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ABS, and any successor bond trading
facility, in a debt security that has not
been registered under Section 12(b) of
the Exchange Act without violating
Section 12(a) of the Exchange Act.24
This exemption does not extend to any
other section or provision of the
Exchange Act.
For purposes of this order, a ‘‘debt
security’’ is:
Any security that, if the class of securities
were listed on the NYSE, would be listed
under Sections 102.03 or 103.05 of the
NYSE’s Listed Company Manual. A debt
security does not include any security that,
if the class of securities were listed on the
NYSE, would be listed under Sections 703.19
or 703.21 of the NYSE’s Listed Company
Manual. Provided, however, under no
circumstances does a debt security include
any security that is defined as an ‘‘equity
security’’ under Section 3(a)(11) of the
Exchange Act.
References to Sections 102.03, 103.05,
703.19, and 703.21 of the NYSE’s Listed
Company Manual are to those sections
as in effect on January 31, 2005.
For purposes of this order, the
following conditions must be satisfied:
(1) The issuer of the debt security has
registered the offer and sale of such
security under the Securities Act of
1933;25
(2) The issuer of the debt security, or
the issuer’s parent company if the issuer
is a wholly-owned subsidiary,26 has at
least one class of common or preferred
equity securities registered under
Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and
listed on the NYSE;
(3) The transfer agent of the debt
security is registered under Section 17A
of the Exchange Act;27
(4) The trust indenture for the debt
security is qualified under the Trust
Indenture Act of 1939;28
(5) The NYSE has complied with the
undertakings set forth in its exemptive
application to distinguish between debt
securities registered under Section 12(b)
of the Exchange Act and listed on the
NYSE and debt securities trading
pursuant to this order; and
(6) The NYSE will delist a class of
debt securities that are listed on the
NYSE as of the date of this order only
if the issuer of that class of debt security
does not object to the delisting of those
securities.
24 As noted previously, NYSE members will be
able to effect transactions on the NYSE in
accordance with the terms of this exemption
without violating NYSE rules only after SR–NYSE–
2004–69 becomes effective.
25 15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.
26 The terms ‘‘parent’’ and ‘‘wholly-owned’’ have
the same meanings as defined in Rule 1–02 of
Regulation S–X [17 CFR 210.1–02].
27 15 U.S.C. 78q–1.
28 15 U.S.C. 77aaa—77bbbb.
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67659
By the Commission.
Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–19738 Filed 11–21–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Investment Company Act Release No.
27554; 812–13311]
The GMS Group, LLC, et al.; Notice of
Application
November 16, 2006.
Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’).
ACTION: Notice of an application under:
(i) Section 6(c) of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (‘‘Act’’) for
exemptions from sections 2(a)(32),
2(a)(35), 14(a), 19(b), 22(d), and
26(a)(2)(C) of the Act and from rules
19b–1 and 22c–1 under the Act; (ii)
sections 11(a) and 11(c) of the Act for
approval of certain exchange and
rollover privileges and conversion
offers; and (iii) sections 6(c) and 17(b)
of the Act for an exemption from section
17(a) of the Act.
AGENCY:
Applicants
request an order to permit certain unit
investment trusts (‘‘UITs’’) to: (i) Impose
sales charges on a deferred basis and
waive the deferred sales charge in
certain cases; (ii) offer unitholders
certain exchange and rollover privileges
and conversion offers; (iii) publicly offer
units without requiring the sponsor to
take for its own account or place with
others $100,000 worth of units; (iv)
distribute capital gains resulting from
the sale of portfolio securities within a
reasonable time after receipt; and (v) sell
portfolio securities of a terminating
series of a UIT to a new series of that
UIT.
APPLICANTS: The GMS Group, LLC
(‘‘Sponsor’’ or ‘‘The GMS Group’’), the
Patriot Trust (including the Patriot
Trust, Insured Tax Free Bond Trust),
any future registered UIT sponsored or
co-sponsored by The GMS Group or an
entity controlled by or under common
control with The GMS Group (the future
UITs, together with the above-specified
UITs are ‘‘Trusts’’) and any presently
outstanding or subsequently issued
series of each Trust (each, a ‘‘Series’’).
FILING DATES: The application was filed
on June 30, 2006, and amended on
November 6, 2006. Applicants have
agreed to file an additional amendment
during the notice period, the substance
of which is reflected in this notice.
SUMMARY OF APPLICATION:
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An
order granting the application will be
issued unless the Commission orders a
hearing. Interested persons may request
a hearing by writing to the
Commission’s Secretary and serving
applicants with a copy of the request,
personally or by mail. Hearing requests
should be received by the Commission
by 5:30 p.m. on December 11, 2006, and
should be accompanied by proof of
service on the 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
notification by writing to the
Commission’s Secretary.
ADDRESSES: Secretary, U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission, 100 F
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549–
1090. Applicants, Peter J. DeMarco, c/o
The GMS Group, LLC, 5N Regent Street,
Suite 513, Livingston, New Jersey
07039.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christine Y. Greenlees, Senior Counsel,
at (202) 551–6879, or Julia Kim Gilmer,
Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6821
(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 at the
Commission’s Public Reference Desk,
100 F Street, NE., Washington DC
20549–0102 (tel. 202–551–5850).
HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING:
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Applicants’ Representations
1. The GMS Group, a broker-dealer
registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, is the sponsor of
the Trusts. Each Trust is or will be a UIT
registered under the Act.1 Each Series is
or will be created by a trust indenture
(‘‘Indenture’’) among the Sponsor, a
banking institution or trust company as
trustee (‘‘Trustee’’), and, for those Series
that the Trustee does not also serve as
evaluator, an evaluator.
2. The Sponsor acquires a portfolio of
securities, which it deposits with the
Trustee in exchange for certificates
representing units of fractional
undivided interest in the deposited
portfolio (‘‘Units’’). The Units are then
offered to the public through the
Sponsor, underwriters and dealers at a
1 All presently existing Trusts that currently
intend to rely on the requested order have been
named as applicants. Any other existing Trust and
any Trust organized in the future that rely on the
requested order will do so only in accordance with
the terms and conditions of the application.
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public offering price which, during the
initial offering period, is based upon the
aggregate market value (the aggregate
offering side evaluation for fixed income
securities) of the underlying securities
plus a front-end sales charge. The sales
charge is expected to range from 1.25%
to 5.5% of the public offering price,
generally depending upon the terms of
the underlying securities. The Sponsor
may reduce the sales charge in
compliance with rule 22d-1 under the
Act in certain circumstances, which are
disclosed in the prospectus.
3. The Sponsor maintains a secondary
market for Units and continually offers
to purchase Units at prices based upon
the market value (the bid side
evaluation for fixed income securities)
of the underlying securities. Investors
may purchase Units on the secondary
market at the current public offering
price plus a front-end sales charge. If the
Sponsor discontinues maintaining such
a market at any time for any Series,
holders of the Units (‘‘Unitholders’’) of
that Series may redeem their Units
through the Trustee.
A. Deferred Sales Charge and Waiver of
Deferred Sales Charge Under Certain
Circumstances
1. Applicants request an order to the
extent necessary to permit them to
impose a sales charge on a deferred
basis (‘‘deferred sales charge’’ or
‘‘DSC’’). For each Series, the Sponsor
will set a maximum sales charge per
Unit as a dollar amount and/or as a
percentage of the initial offering price,
a portion of which may be collected ‘‘up
front’’ (i.e., at the time an investor
purchases the Units). The DSC would be
collected subsequently in installments
(‘‘Installment Payments’’) as described
in the application. The Sponsor would
not add any amount for interest or any
similar or related charge to adjust for
such deferral.
2. When a Unitholder redeems or sells
Units, the Sponsor intends to deduct
any unpaid DSC from the redemption or
sale proceeds. When calculating the
amount due, the Sponsor will assume
that Units on which the DSC has been
paid in full are redeemed or sold first.
With respect to Units on which the DSC
has not been paid in full, the Sponsor
will assume that the Units held for the
longest time are redeemed or sold first.
Applicants represent that the DSC
collected at the time of redemption or
sale, together with the Installment
Payments and any amount collected up
front, will not exceed the maximum
sales charge per Unit. Under certain
circumstances, the Sponsor may waive
the collection of any unpaid DSC in
connection with redemptions or sales of
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Units. These circumstances will be
disclosed in the prospectus for the
relevant Series and implemented in
accordance with rule 22d-1 under the
Act.
3. Each Series offering Units subject to
a DSC will state the maximum charge
per Unit in its prospectus. In addition,
the prospectus for such Series will
include the table required by item 3 of
Form N–1A (modified as appropriate to
reflect the difference between UITs and
open-end management investment
companies) and a schedule setting forth
the number and date of each Installment
Payment, along with the duration of the
collection period. The prospectus for
that Series also will disclose that
portfolio securities may be sold to pay
an Installment Payment if distribution
income is insufficient, and that
securities will be sold pro rata or a
specific security will be designated for
sale.
B. Exchange Privilege, Rollover
Privilege, and Conversion Offer
1. Applicants propose to offer an
exchange privilege to Unitholders of the
Trusts at a reduced sales charge
(‘‘Exchange Privilege’’). Unitholders
would be able to exchange any or all of
their Units in a Series of a Trust for
Units in one or more available Series of
the Trusts (‘‘Exchange Series’’).
Applicants also propose a conversion
offer at a reduced sales charge
(‘‘Conversion Offer’’) pursuant to which
Unitholders may elect to redeem Units
of any Series in which there is no active
secondary market (‘‘Redemption
Series’’) and apply the proceeds to the
purchase of available Units of one or
more Series of the Trusts (‘‘Conversion
Series’’). In addition, applicants propose
to offer a rollover privilege to
Unitholders of the Trusts at a reduced
sales charge (‘‘Rollover Privilege’’).
Unitholders would be able to ‘‘roll over’’
their Units in a Series which is
terminating (‘‘Terminating Series’’) for
Units in one or more new Series of the
Trusts (‘‘Rollover Series’’).
2. To exercise the Exchange Privilege
or Rollover Privilege, a Unitholder must
notify the Sponsor. In order to exercise
the Conversion Offer, a Unitholder must
notify his or her retail broker. The
Conversion Offer will be handled
entirely through the Unitholder’s retail
broker and the retail broker must tender
the Units to the Trustee of the
Redemption Series for redemption and
then apply the proceeds toward the
purchase of Units of a Conversion
Series. Exercise of the Exchange
Privilege or Rollover Privilege is subject
to the following conditions: (i) The
Sponsor must be maintaining a
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secondary market in Units of the
available Exchange Series or Rollover
Series; (ii) at the time of the
Unitholder’s election to participate,
there must be Units of the Exchange
Series or Rollover Series to be acquired
available for sale, either under the
initial primary distribution or in the
Sponsor’s secondary market; (iii)
exchanges will be in whole Units only;
and (iv) for certain Series, Units may be
obtained in blocks of certain sizes only.
3. Unitholders who wish to exchange
Units under the Exchange Privilege, the
Rollover Privilege or the Conversion
Offer within the first five months of
purchase will not be eligible for the
reduced sales charge. Such Unitholders
will be charged a sales load equal to the
greater of: (i) The reduced sales charge;
or (ii) an amount which, when added to
the sales charge paid by the Unitholder
upon his or her original purchase of
Units of the applicable Series, would
equal the sales charge applicable to the
direct purchase of the newly acquired
Units, determined as of the date of
purchase.
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C. Purchase and Sale Transactions
Between a Terminating Series and a
New Series
1. Certain Terminating Series will
have a date (‘‘Rollover Date’’) by which
Unitholders of that Series may, at their
option, redeem their Units and receive
in return Units of a subsequent Series of
the same type (‘‘New Series’’). The New
Series will be created on or about the
Rollover Date and will have a portfolio
that contains securities, many, if not all,
of which are actively traded i.e., have
had an average daily trading volume in
the preceding six months of at least 500
shares equal in value to at least U.S.
$25,000) on an exchange (a ‘‘Qualified
Exchange’’) that is either (i) a national
securities exchange that meets the
qualifications of section 6 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or (ii)
a foreign securities exchange meeting
the qualifications set forth in the
proposed amendments to rule 12d3–
1(d)(6) under the Act 2 and releasing
daily closing prices (securities meeting
2 Investment Company Act Rel. No. 17096 (Aug.
3, 1989) (proposing amendments to rule 12d3–1).
The proposed amended rule defined a ‘‘Qualified
Foreign Exchange’’ as a stock exchange in a country
other than the United States where: (i) Trading
generally occurred at least four days per week; (ii)
there were limited restrictions on the ability of
acquiring companies to trade their holdings on the
exchange; (iii) the exchange had a trading volume
in stocks for the previous year of at least U.S. $7.5
billion; and (iv) the exchange had a turnover ratio
for the preceding year of at least 20% of its market
capitalization. The version of the amended rule that
was adopted did not include the part of the
proposed amendment defining the term ‘‘Qualified
Foreign Exchange.’’
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the preceding tests are referred to as
‘‘Qualified Securities’’).
2. Applicants anticipate that there
will be some overlap in the Qualified
Securities selected for the portfolios of
a Terminating Series and the related
New Series. Absent the requested relief,
a Terminating Series would, upon
termination, sell its Qualified Securities
on the applicable Qualified Exchange.
Likewise, a New Series would acquire
its Qualified Securities on the
applicable Qualified Exchange. This
procedure would result in Unitholders
of both the Terminating Series and the
New Series incurring brokerage
commissions on the same Qualified
Securities. Applicants accordingly
request an order to the extent necessary
to permit a Terminating Series to sell its
Qualified Securities to a New Series and
to permit the New Series to purchases
those securities.
Applicants’ Legal Analysis
A. DSC and Waiver of DSC under
Certain Circumstances
1. Section 4(2) of the Act defines a
‘‘unit investment trust’’ as an
investment company that issues only
redeemable securities. Section 2(a)(32)
of the Act defines a ‘‘redeemable
security’’ as a security that, upon its
presentation to the issuer, enables the
holder to receive approximately his or
her proportionate share of the issuer’s
current net assets or the cash equivalent
of those assets. Rule 22c–1 under the
Act requires that the price of a
redeemable security issued by a
registered investment company for
purposes of sale, redemption or
repurchase be based on the security’s
current net asset value (‘‘NAV’’).
Because the collection of any unpaid
DSC may cause a redeeming Unitholder
to receive an amount less than the NAV
of the redeemed Units, applicants
request relief from section 2(a)(32) and
rule 22c–1.
2. Section 22(d) of the Act and rule
22d–1 under the Act require a registered
investment company and its principal
underwriter and dealers to sell
securities only at the current public
offering price described in the
investment company’s prospectus, with
the exception of sales of redeemable
securities at prices that reflect
scheduled variations in the sales load.
Section 2(a)(35) of the Act defines the
term ‘‘sales load’’ as the difference
between the sales price and the portion
of the proceeds invested by the
depositor or trustee. Applicants request
relief from sections 2(a)(35) and 22(d) to
permit waivers, deferrals or other
scheduled variations of the sales load.
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67661
3. Under section 6(c) of the Act, the
Commission may exempt classes of
transactions, if and to the extent that
such exemption is necessary or
appropriate in the public interest and
consistent with the protection of
investors and the purposes fairly
intended by the policy and provisions of
the Act. Applicants state that their
proposal meets the standards of section
6(c). Applicants state that the provisions
of section 22(d) are intended to prevent
(i) riskless trading in investment
company securities due to backward
pricing, (ii) disruption of orderly
distribution by dealers selling shares at
a discount, and (iii) discrimination
among investors resulting from different
prices charged to different investors.
Applicants assert that the proposed DSC
program will present none of these
abuses. Applicants further state that all
scheduled variations in the sales load
will be disclosed in the prospectus of
each Series and applied uniformly to all
investors, and that applicants will
comply with all the conditions set forth
in rule 22d–1.
4. Section 26(a)(2)(C) of the Act, in
relevant part, prohibits a trustee or
custodian of a UIT from collecting from
the trust as an expense any payment to
the trust’s depositor or principal
underwriter. Because the Trustee’s
payment of the DSC to the Sponsor may
be deemed to be an expense under
section 26(a)(2)(C), applicants request
relief under section 6(c) from section
26(a)(2)(C) to the extent necessary to
permit the Trustee to collect Installment
Payments and disburse them to the
Sponsor. Applicants submit that the
relief is appropriate because the DSC is
more properly characterized as a sales
charge.
B. Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer
and Rollover Privilege
1. Sections 11(a) and (c) of the Act
prohibit any offer of exchange by a UIT
for the securities of another investment
company unless the terms of the offer
have been approved in advance by the
Commission. Applicants request an
order under sections 11(a) and 11(c) for
Commission approval of the Exchange
Privilege, the Conversion Offer and the
Rollover Privilege.
2. Applicants state that the Exchange
Privilege and Rollover Privilege provide
investors with a convenient means of
transferring their interests at a reduced
sales charge into Exchange Series and
Rollover Series which suit their current
investment objectives. Further,
applicants state that the Conversion
Offer provides Unitholders of a Series in
which there is no active secondary
market to redeem those Units and invest
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the proceeds at a reduced sales charge
into Units of the Conversion Series in
which there is an active secondary
market. Applicants state that absent the
Exchange Privilege, Rollover Privilege
and Conversion Offer, Unitholders
would be required to dispose of their
Units, either in the secondary market (in
the case of the Exchange Privilege and
Rollover Privilege) or through
redemption, and to reinvest, at the then
fully applicable sales charge, into the
chosen Series.
3. Applicants represent that
Unitholders will not be induced or
encouraged to participate in the
Exchange Privilege, Rollover Privilege,
or Conversion Offer through an active
advertising or sale campaign. The
Sponsor recognizes its responsibility to
its investors against generating
excessive commissions through
churning and asserts that the sales
charge collected will not be a significant
economic incentive to salesmen to
promote inappropriately the Exchange
Privilege, Rollover Privilege or the
Conversion Offer. Applicants state that
the reduced sales charge will fairly and
adequately compensate the Sponsor and
the participating underwriters and
brokers for their services and expenses
in connection with the administration of
the programs. Applicants further believe
that the Exchange Privilege, Rollover
Privilege, and Conversion Offer are
appropriate in the public interest and
consistent with the protection of
investors and the purposes fairly
intended by the policy and provisions of
the Act.
C. Purchase and Sale Transactions
Between a Terminating Series and a
New Series
1. Section 17(a) of the Act prohibits
an affiliated person of a registered
investment company from selling
securities to, or purchasing securities
from, the company. Section 2(a)(3) of
the Act defines an ‘‘affiliated person’’ of
another person to include any person
directly or indirectly controlling,
controlled by, or under common control
with the other person. The GMS Group
will be the Sponsor of each Series. Since
the Sponsor of a Series may be deemed
to control the Series, all of the Series
may be deemed to be affiliated persons
of each other.
2. Rule 17a–7 under the Act was
designed to permit registered
investment companies which might be
deemed affiliated persons by reason of
common investment advisers, directors
and/or officers, to purchase securities
from or sell securities to one another at
an independently determined price,
provided that certain conditions are
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met. Paragraph (e) of the rule requires
an investment company’s board of
directors (‘‘Board’’) to adopt and
monitor procedures to assure
compliance with the rule. Paragraph (f)
of the rule requires that the Board
satisfy certain fund governance
standards. Because UITs do not have
Boards, the Series would be unable to
comply with these requirements.
Applicants represent that they will
comply with all of the provisions of rule
17a–7, other than paragraphs (e) and (f).
3. Section 17(b) of the Act provides
that the Commission will exempt a
proposed transaction from section 17(a)
if evidence establishes that: (i) the terms
of the transaction are reasonable and fair
and do not involve overreaching; (ii) the
transaction is consistent with the
policies of each registered investment
company involved; and (iii) the
transaction is consistent with the
general purposes of the Act. Applicants
request relief under sections 6(c) and
17(b) to permit a Terminating Series to
sell Qualified Securities to a New Series
and permit the New Series to purchase
the Qualified Securities.
4. Applicants believe that the
proposed transactions satisfy the
requirements of sections 6(c) and 17(b).
Applicants represent that purchases and
sales between the Terminating and New
Series will be consistent with the
policies of each Series. Applicants
further state that permitting the
proposed transactions would result in
savings on brokerage fees for the
Terminating and New Series.
5. Applicants state that the condition
that the Qualified Securities must be
actively traded on a Qualified Exchange
protects against overreaching. In
addition, applicants state that the
Sponsor will certify to the Trustee,
within five days of each sale of
Qualified Securities from a Terminating
Series to a New Series: (i) that the
transaction is consistent with the policy
of both the Terminating Series and the
New Series, as recited in their
respective registration statements and
reports filed under the Act; (ii) the date
of the transaction; and (iii) the closing
sales price on the Qualified Exchange
for the sale date of the Qualified
Securities. The Trustee will then
countersign the certificate, unless, in the
unlikely event that the Trustee disagrees
with the closing sales price listed on the
certificate, the Trustee immediately
informs the Sponsor orally of such
disagreement and returns the certificate
within five days to the Sponsor with
corrections duly noted. Upon the
Sponsor’s receipt of a corrected
certificate, if the Sponsor can verify the
corrected price by reference to an
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independently published list of closing
sales prices for the date of the
transactions, the Sponsor will ensure
that the price of the Units of the New
Series, and the distributions to
Unitholders of the Terminating Series,
accurately reflect the corrected price. To
the extent that the Sponsor disagrees
with the Trustee’s corrected price, the
Sponsor and the Trustee will jointly
determine the correct sales price by
reference to a mutually agreeable,
independently published list of closing
sales prices for the date of the
transaction.
D. Net Worth Requirement
1. Section 14(a) of the Act requires
that registered investment companies
have $100,000 of net worth prior to
making a public offering. Applicants
believe that each Series will comply
with this requirement because the
Sponsor will deposit substantially more
than $100,000 of debt and/or equity
securities, depending on the objective of
the particular Series. Applicants assert,
however, that the Commission has
interpreted section 14(a) as requiring
that the initial capital investment in an
investment company be made without
any intention to dispose of the
investment. Applicants state that, under
this interpretation, a Series would not
satisfy section 14(a) because of the
Sponsor’s intention to sell all of the
Units of the Series.
2. Rule 14a–3 under the Act exempts
UITs from section 14(a) if certain
conditions are met, including that the
UIT invest only in ‘‘eligible trust
securities,’’ as defined in the rule.
Applicants state that they may not rely
on rule 14a–3 because the Series may
invest in equity securities which do not
satisfy the definition of eligible trust
securities.
3. Consequently, applicants seek an
exemption under section 6(c) of the Act
to exempt the Series from the net worth
requirement of section 14(a) of the Act.
Applicants state that the Series and the
Sponsor will comply in all respects with
the requirements of rule 14a-3, except
that the Series will not restrict their
portfolio investments to ‘‘eligible trust
securities.’’
E. Capital Gains Distribution
1. Section 19(b) of the Act and rule
19b–1 under the Act provide that,
except under limited circumstances, no
registered investment company may
distribute long-term gains more than
once every twelve months. Rule 19b–
1(c), under certain circumstances,
exempts a UIT investing in ‘‘eligible
trust securities’’ (as defined in rule 14a–
3(b)) from the requirements of rule 19b–
E:\FR\FM\22NON1.SGM
22NON1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 22, 2006 / Notices
1. Because the Trusts do not limit their
investments to ‘‘eligible trust
securities,’’ the Trusts do not qualify for
the exemption in paragraph (c) of rule
19b–1. Therefore, applicants request an
exemption under section 6(c) from
section 19(b) and rule 19b–1 to the
extent necessary to permit capital gains
earned in connection with the sale of
portfolio securities to be distributed to
Unitholders along with the Series’
regular distributions. In all other
respects, applicants will comply with
section 19(b) and rule 19b–1.
2. Applicants state that their proposal
meets the standards of section 6(c).
Applicants assert that any sale of
portfolio securities would be triggered
by the need to meet Series’ expenses,
Installment Payments or by requests to
redeem Units, events over which the
Sponsor and the Series have no control.
Applicants further state that, because
principal distributions must be clearly
indicated in accompanying reports to
Unitholders as a return of principal and
will be relatively small in comparison to
normal dividend distributions, there is
little danger of confusion from failure to
differentiate among distributions.
given prominent notice of the
impending termination or amendment
at least 60 days prior to the date of
termination or the effective date of the
amendment, provided that: (a) No such
notice need be given if the only material
effect of an amendment is to reduce or
eliminate the sales charge payable at the
time of an exchange, to make one or
more New Series eligible for the
Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer or
Rollover Privilege, or to delete a Series
which has terminated; and (b) no notice
need be given if, under extraordinary
circumstances, either (i) there is a
suspension of the redemption of Units
of the Series under section 22(e) of the
Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated under that section, or (ii) a
Series temporarily delays or ceases the
sale of its Units because it is unable to
invest amounts effectively in
accordance with applicable investment
objectives, policies, and restrictions.
3. An investor who purchases Units
under the Exchange Privilege,
Conversion Offer or Rollover Privilege
will pay a lower sales charge than that
which would be paid for the Units by
a new investor.
Applicants’ Conditions
Applicants agree that any order
granting the requested relief will be
subject to the following conditions:
C. Net Worth Requirement
pwalker on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
A. DSC and Waiver of DSC Under
Certain Circumstances
1. Each Series offering Units subject to
a DSC will include in its prospectus the
disclosure required in Form N–1A
relating to deferred sales charges,
modified as appropriate to reflect the
differences between UITs and open-end
management investment companies,
and a schedule setting forth the number
and date of each installment payment.
2. Any DSC imposed on Units issued
by a Series will comply with the
requirements of subparagraphs (1), (2)
and (3) of rule 6c–10(a) under the Act.
B. Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer
and Rollover Privilege
1. The prospectus of each Series
offering exchanges, rollovers, or
conversions and any sales literature or
advertising that mentions the existence
of the Exchange Privilege, Conversion
Offer or Rollover Privilege will disclose
that the Exchange Privilege, Conversion
Offer or Rollover Privilege is subject to
modification, termination or suspension
without notice, except in limited cases.
2. Whenever the Exchange Privilege,
Conversion Offer or Rollover Privilege is
to be terminated or its terms are to be
amended materially, any holder of a
security subject to that privilege will be
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:25 Nov 21, 2006
Jkt 211001
Applicants will comply in all respects
with the requirements of rule 14a–3,
except that the Series will not restrict
their portfolio investments to ‘‘eligible
trust securities.’’
D. Purchase and Sale Transactions
Between a Terminating Series and a
New Series
1. Each sale of Qualified Securities by
a Terminating Series to a New Series
will be effected at the closing price of
the securities sold on a Qualified
Exchange on the sale date, without any
brokerage charges or other remuneration
except customary transfer fees, if any.
2. The nature and conditions of such
transactions will be fully disclosed to
investors in the appropriate prospectus
of each Terminating Series and New
Series.
3. The Trustee of each Terminating
Series and New Series will review the
procedures discussed in the application
relating to the sale of securities from a
Terminating Series and the purchase of
those securities for deposit in a New
Series, and make such changes to the
procedures as the Trustee deems
necessary to ensure compliance with
paragraphs (a) through (d) of rule 17a–
7.
4. A written copy of these procedures
and a written record of each transaction
pursuant to this order will be
maintained as provided in rule 17a–7(g).
PO 00000
Frm 00123
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
67663
For the Commission, by the Division of
Investment Management, under delegated
authority.
Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–19739 Filed 11–21–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[File No. 500–1]
In the Matter of Digital Gas, Inc.; Order
of Suspension of Trading
November 17, 2006.
It appears to the Securities and
Exchange Commission that there is a
lack of current and accurate information
concerning the securities of Digital Gas,
Inc. (‘‘Digital’’), because of questions
raised regarding the accuracy and
adequacy of publicly disseminated
information concerning, among other
things, Digital’s announced agreement
with Techno Rubber, Inc. and Digital’s
assets.
The Commission is of the opinion that
the public interest and the protection of
investors require a suspension of trading
in the securities of the above-listed
company.
Therefore, it is ordered, pursuant to
Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, that trading in the abovelisted company is suspended for the
period from 9:30 a.m. EST, November
17, 2006, through 11:59 p.m. EST, on
December 4, 2006.
By the Commission.
Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 06–9332 Filed 11–17–06; 11:31 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–54762; File No. SR–CBOE–
2006–93]
Self-Regulatory Organizations;
Chicago Board Options Exchange,
Incorporated; Notice of Filing and
Order Granting Accelerated Approval
to a Proposed Rule Change Regarding
Quarterly Options Series
November 16, 2006.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on November
8, 2006, the Chicago Board Options
1 15
2 17
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
E:\FR\FM\22NON1.SGM
22NON1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67659-67663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19739]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Investment Company Act Release No. 27554; 812-13311]
The GMS Group, LLC, et al.; Notice of Application
November 16, 2006.
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').
ACTION: Notice of an application under: (i) Section 6(c) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Act'') for exemptions from sections
2(a)(32), 2(a)(35), 14(a), 19(b), 22(d), and 26(a)(2)(C) of the Act and
from rules 19b-1 and 22c-1 under the Act; (ii) sections 11(a) and 11(c)
of the Act for approval of certain exchange and rollover privileges and
conversion offers; and (iii) sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an
exemption from section 17(a) of the Act.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY OF APPLICATION: Applicants request an order to permit certain
unit investment trusts (``UITs'') to: (i) Impose sales charges on a
deferred basis and waive the deferred sales charge in certain cases;
(ii) offer unitholders certain exchange and rollover privileges and
conversion offers; (iii) publicly offer units without requiring the
sponsor to take for its own account or place with others $100,000 worth
of units; (iv) distribute capital gains resulting from the sale of
portfolio securities within a reasonable time after receipt; and (v)
sell portfolio securities of a terminating series of a UIT to a new
series of that UIT.
APPLICANTS: The GMS Group, LLC (``Sponsor'' or ``The GMS Group''), the
Patriot Trust (including the Patriot Trust, Insured Tax Free Bond
Trust), any future registered UIT sponsored or co-sponsored by The GMS
Group or an entity controlled by or under common control with The GMS
Group (the future UITs, together with the above-specified UITs are
``Trusts'') and any presently outstanding or subsequently issued series
of each Trust (each, a ``Series'').
Filing Dates: The application was filed on June 30, 2006, and amended
on November 6, 2006. Applicants have agreed to file an additional
amendment during the notice period, the substance of which is reflected
in this notice.
[[Page 67660]]
Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An order granting the application
will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested
persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission's Secretary
and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by
mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 5:30
p.m. on December 11, 2006, and should be accompanied by proof of
service on the 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
notification by writing to the Commission's Secretary.
ADDRESSES: Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090. Applicants, Peter J. DeMarco,
c/o The GMS Group, LLC, 5N Regent Street, Suite 513, Livingston, New
Jersey 07039.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Y. Greenlees, Senior
Counsel, at (202) 551-6879, or Julia Kim Gilmer, Branch Chief, at (202)
551-6821 (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 at the
Commission's Public Reference Desk, 100 F Street, NE., Washington DC
20549-0102 (tel. 202-551-5850).
Applicants' Representations
1. The GMS Group, a broker-dealer registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, is the sponsor of the Trusts. Each Trust is or
will be a UIT registered under the Act.\1\ Each Series is or will be
created by a trust indenture (``Indenture'') among the Sponsor, a
banking institution or trust company as trustee (``Trustee''), and, for
those Series that the Trustee does not also serve as evaluator, an
evaluator.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ All presently existing Trusts that currently intend to rely
on the requested order have been named as applicants. Any other
existing Trust and any Trust organized in the future that rely on
the requested order will do so only in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the application.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. The Sponsor acquires a portfolio of securities, which it
deposits with the Trustee in exchange for certificates representing
units of fractional undivided interest in the deposited portfolio
(``Units''). The Units are then offered to the public through the
Sponsor, underwriters and dealers at a public offering price which,
during the initial offering period, is based upon the aggregate market
value (the aggregate offering side evaluation for fixed income
securities) of the underlying securities plus a front-end sales charge.
The sales charge is expected to range from 1.25% to 5.5% of the public
offering price, generally depending upon the terms of the underlying
securities. The Sponsor may reduce the sales charge in compliance with
rule 22d-1 under the Act in certain circumstances, which are disclosed
in the prospectus.
3. The Sponsor maintains a secondary market for Units and
continually offers to purchase Units at prices based upon the market
value (the bid side evaluation for fixed income securities) of the
underlying securities. Investors may purchase Units on the secondary
market at the current public offering price plus a front-end sales
charge. If the Sponsor discontinues maintaining such a market at any
time for any Series, holders of the Units (``Unitholders'') of that
Series may redeem their Units through the Trustee.
A. Deferred Sales Charge and Waiver of Deferred Sales Charge Under
Certain Circumstances
1. Applicants request an order to the extent necessary to permit
them to impose a sales charge on a deferred basis (``deferred sales
charge'' or ``DSC''). For each Series, the Sponsor will set a maximum
sales charge per Unit as a dollar amount and/or as a percentage of the
initial offering price, a portion of which may be collected ``up
front'' (i.e., at the time an investor purchases the Units). The DSC
would be collected subsequently in installments (``Installment
Payments'') as described in the application. The Sponsor would not add
any amount for interest or any similar or related charge to adjust for
such deferral.
2. When a Unitholder redeems or sells Units, the Sponsor intends to
deduct any unpaid DSC from the redemption or sale proceeds. When
calculating the amount due, the Sponsor will assume that Units on which
the DSC has been paid in full are redeemed or sold first. With respect
to Units on which the DSC has not been paid in full, the Sponsor will
assume that the Units held for the longest time are redeemed or sold
first. Applicants represent that the DSC collected at the time of
redemption or sale, together with the Installment Payments and any
amount collected up front, will not exceed the maximum sales charge per
Unit. Under certain circumstances, the Sponsor may waive the collection
of any unpaid DSC in connection with redemptions or sales of Units.
These circumstances will be disclosed in the prospectus for the
relevant Series and implemented in accordance with rule 22d-1 under the
Act.
3. Each Series offering Units subject to a DSC will state the
maximum charge per Unit in its prospectus. In addition, the prospectus
for such Series will include the table required by item 3 of Form N-1A
(modified as appropriate to reflect the difference between UITs and
open-end management investment companies) and a schedule setting forth
the number and date of each Installment Payment, along with the
duration of the collection period. The prospectus for that Series also
will disclose that portfolio securities may be sold to pay an
Installment Payment if distribution income is insufficient, and that
securities will be sold pro rata or a specific security will be
designated for sale.
B. Exchange Privilege, Rollover Privilege, and Conversion Offer
1. Applicants propose to offer an exchange privilege to Unitholders
of the Trusts at a reduced sales charge (``Exchange Privilege'').
Unitholders would be able to exchange any or all of their Units in a
Series of a Trust for Units in one or more available Series of the
Trusts (``Exchange Series''). Applicants also propose a conversion
offer at a reduced sales charge (``Conversion Offer'') pursuant to
which Unitholders may elect to redeem Units of any Series in which
there is no active secondary market (``Redemption Series'') and apply
the proceeds to the purchase of available Units of one or more Series
of the Trusts (``Conversion Series''). In addition, applicants propose
to offer a rollover privilege to Unitholders of the Trusts at a reduced
sales charge (``Rollover Privilege''). Unitholders would be able to
``roll over'' their Units in a Series which is terminating
(``Terminating Series'') for Units in one or more new Series of the
Trusts (``Rollover Series'').
2. To exercise the Exchange Privilege or Rollover Privilege, a
Unitholder must notify the Sponsor. In order to exercise the Conversion
Offer, a Unitholder must notify his or her retail broker. The
Conversion Offer will be handled entirely through the Unitholder's
retail broker and the retail broker must tender the Units to the
Trustee of the Redemption Series for redemption and then apply the
proceeds toward the purchase of Units of a Conversion Series. Exercise
of the Exchange Privilege or Rollover Privilege is subject to the
following conditions: (i) The Sponsor must be maintaining a
[[Page 67661]]
secondary market in Units of the available Exchange Series or Rollover
Series; (ii) at the time of the Unitholder's election to participate,
there must be Units of the Exchange Series or Rollover Series to be
acquired available for sale, either under the initial primary
distribution or in the Sponsor's secondary market; (iii) exchanges will
be in whole Units only; and (iv) for certain Series, Units may be
obtained in blocks of certain sizes only.
3. Unitholders who wish to exchange Units under the Exchange
Privilege, the Rollover Privilege or the Conversion Offer within the
first five months of purchase will not be eligible for the reduced
sales charge. Such Unitholders will be charged a sales load equal to
the greater of: (i) The reduced sales charge; or (ii) an amount which,
when added to the sales charge paid by the Unitholder upon his or her
original purchase of Units of the applicable Series, would equal the
sales charge applicable to the direct purchase of the newly acquired
Units, determined as of the date of purchase.
C. Purchase and Sale Transactions Between a Terminating Series and a
New Series
1. Certain Terminating Series will have a date (``Rollover Date'')
by which Unitholders of that Series may, at their option, redeem their
Units and receive in return Units of a subsequent Series of the same
type (``New Series''). The New Series will be created on or about the
Rollover Date and will have a portfolio that contains securities, many,
if not all, of which are actively traded i.e., have had an average
daily trading volume in the preceding six months of at least 500 shares
equal in value to at least U.S. $25,000) on an exchange (a ``Qualified
Exchange'') that is either (i) a national securities exchange that
meets the qualifications of section 6 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, or (ii) a foreign securities exchange meeting the qualifications
set forth in the proposed amendments to rule 12d3-1(d)(6) under the Act
\2\ and releasing daily closing prices (securities meeting the
preceding tests are referred to as ``Qualified Securities'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Investment Company Act Rel. No. 17096 (Aug. 3, 1989)
(proposing amendments to rule 12d3-1). The proposed amended rule
defined a ``Qualified Foreign Exchange'' as a stock exchange in a
country other than the United States where: (i) Trading generally
occurred at least four days per week; (ii) there were limited
restrictions on the ability of acquiring companies to trade their
holdings on the exchange; (iii) the exchange had a trading volume in
stocks for the previous year of at least U.S. $7.5 billion; and (iv)
the exchange had a turnover ratio for the preceding year of at least
20% of its market capitalization. The version of the amended rule
that was adopted did not include the part of the proposed amendment
defining the term ``Qualified Foreign Exchange.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Applicants anticipate that there will be some overlap in the
Qualified Securities selected for the portfolios of a Terminating
Series and the related New Series. Absent the requested relief, a
Terminating Series would, upon termination, sell its Qualified
Securities on the applicable Qualified Exchange. Likewise, a New Series
would acquire its Qualified Securities on the applicable Qualified
Exchange. This procedure would result in Unitholders of both the
Terminating Series and the New Series incurring brokerage commissions
on the same Qualified Securities. Applicants accordingly request an
order to the extent necessary to permit a Terminating Series to sell
its Qualified Securities to a New Series and to permit the New Series
to purchases those securities.
Applicants' Legal Analysis
A. DSC and Waiver of DSC under Certain Circumstances
1. Section 4(2) of the Act defines a ``unit investment trust'' as
an investment company that issues only redeemable securities. Section
2(a)(32) of the Act defines a ``redeemable security'' as a security
that, upon its presentation to the issuer, enables the holder to
receive approximately his or her proportionate share of the issuer's
current net assets or the cash equivalent of those assets. Rule 22c-1
under the Act requires that the price of a redeemable security issued
by a registered investment company for purposes of sale, redemption or
repurchase be based on the security's current net asset value
(``NAV''). Because the collection of any unpaid DSC may cause a
redeeming Unitholder to receive an amount less than the NAV of the
redeemed Units, applicants request relief from section 2(a)(32) and
rule 22c-1.
2. Section 22(d) of the Act and rule 22d-1 under the Act require a
registered investment company and its principal underwriter and dealers
to sell securities only at the current public offering price described
in the investment company's prospectus, with the exception of sales of
redeemable securities at prices that reflect scheduled variations in
the sales load. Section 2(a)(35) of the Act defines the term ``sales
load'' as the difference between the sales price and the portion of the
proceeds invested by the depositor or trustee. Applicants request
relief from sections 2(a)(35) and 22(d) to permit waivers, deferrals or
other scheduled variations of the sales load.
3. Under section 6(c) of the Act, the Commission may exempt classes
of transactions, if and to the extent that such exemption is necessary
or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the
protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy
and provisions of the Act. Applicants state that their proposal meets
the standards of section 6(c). Applicants state that the provisions of
section 22(d) are intended to prevent (i) riskless trading in
investment company securities due to backward pricing, (ii) disruption
of orderly distribution by dealers selling shares at a discount, and
(iii) discrimination among investors resulting from different prices
charged to different investors. Applicants assert that the proposed DSC
program will present none of these abuses. Applicants further state
that all scheduled variations in the sales load will be disclosed in
the prospectus of each Series and applied uniformly to all investors,
and that applicants will comply with all the conditions set forth in
rule 22d-1.
4. Section 26(a)(2)(C) of the Act, in relevant part, prohibits a
trustee or custodian of a UIT from collecting from the trust as an
expense any payment to the trust's depositor or principal underwriter.
Because the Trustee's payment of the DSC to the Sponsor may be deemed
to be an expense under section 26(a)(2)(C), applicants request relief
under section 6(c) from section 26(a)(2)(C) to the extent necessary to
permit the Trustee to collect Installment Payments and disburse them to
the Sponsor. Applicants submit that the relief is appropriate because
the DSC is more properly characterized as a sales charge.
B. Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer and Rollover Privilege
1. Sections 11(a) and (c) of the Act prohibit any offer of exchange
by a UIT for the securities of another investment company unless the
terms of the offer have been approved in advance by the Commission.
Applicants request an order under sections 11(a) and 11(c) for
Commission approval of the Exchange Privilege, the Conversion Offer and
the Rollover Privilege.
2. Applicants state that the Exchange Privilege and Rollover
Privilege provide investors with a convenient means of transferring
their interests at a reduced sales charge into Exchange Series and
Rollover Series which suit their current investment objectives.
Further, applicants state that the Conversion Offer provides
Unitholders of a Series in which there is no active secondary market to
redeem those Units and invest
[[Page 67662]]
the proceeds at a reduced sales charge into Units of the Conversion
Series in which there is an active secondary market. Applicants state
that absent the Exchange Privilege, Rollover Privilege and Conversion
Offer, Unitholders would be required to dispose of their Units, either
in the secondary market (in the case of the Exchange Privilege and
Rollover Privilege) or through redemption, and to reinvest, at the then
fully applicable sales charge, into the chosen Series.
3. Applicants represent that Unitholders will not be induced or
encouraged to participate in the Exchange Privilege, Rollover
Privilege, or Conversion Offer through an active advertising or sale
campaign. The Sponsor recognizes its responsibility to its investors
against generating excessive commissions through churning and asserts
that the sales charge collected will not be a significant economic
incentive to salesmen to promote inappropriately the Exchange
Privilege, Rollover Privilege or the Conversion Offer. Applicants state
that the reduced sales charge will fairly and adequately compensate the
Sponsor and the participating underwriters and brokers for their
services and expenses in connection with the administration of the
programs. Applicants further believe that the Exchange Privilege,
Rollover Privilege, and Conversion Offer are appropriate in the public
interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the
purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the Act.
C. Purchase and Sale Transactions Between a Terminating Series and a
New Series
1. Section 17(a) of the Act prohibits an affiliated person of a
registered investment company from selling securities to, or purchasing
securities from, the company. Section 2(a)(3) of the Act defines an
``affiliated person'' of another person to include any person directly
or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with
the other person. The GMS Group will be the Sponsor of each Series.
Since the Sponsor of a Series may be deemed to control the Series, all
of the Series may be deemed to be affiliated persons of each other.
2. Rule 17a-7 under the Act was designed to permit registered
investment companies which might be deemed affiliated persons by reason
of common investment advisers, directors and/or officers, to purchase
securities from or sell securities to one another at an independently
determined price, provided that certain conditions are met. Paragraph
(e) of the rule requires an investment company's board of directors
(``Board'') to adopt and monitor procedures to assure compliance with
the rule. Paragraph (f) of the rule requires that the Board satisfy
certain fund governance standards. Because UITs do not have Boards, the
Series would be unable to comply with these requirements. Applicants
represent that they will comply with all of the provisions of rule 17a-
7, other than paragraphs (e) and (f).
3. Section 17(b) of the Act provides that the Commission will
exempt a proposed transaction from section 17(a) if evidence
establishes that: (i) the terms of the transaction are reasonable and
fair and do not involve overreaching; (ii) the transaction is
consistent with the policies of each registered investment company
involved; and (iii) the transaction is consistent with the general
purposes of the Act. Applicants request relief under sections 6(c) and
17(b) to permit a Terminating Series to sell Qualified Securities to a
New Series and permit the New Series to purchase the Qualified
Securities.
4. Applicants believe that the proposed transactions satisfy the
requirements of sections 6(c) and 17(b). Applicants represent that
purchases and sales between the Terminating and New Series will be
consistent with the policies of each Series. Applicants further state
that permitting the proposed transactions would result in savings on
brokerage fees for the Terminating and New Series.
5. Applicants state that the condition that the Qualified
Securities must be actively traded on a Qualified Exchange protects
against overreaching. In addition, applicants state that the Sponsor
will certify to the Trustee, within five days of each sale of Qualified
Securities from a Terminating Series to a New Series: (i) that the
transaction is consistent with the policy of both the Terminating
Series and the New Series, as recited in their respective registration
statements and reports filed under the Act; (ii) the date of the
transaction; and (iii) the closing sales price on the Qualified
Exchange for the sale date of the Qualified Securities. The Trustee
will then countersign the certificate, unless, in the unlikely event
that the Trustee disagrees with the closing sales price listed on the
certificate, the Trustee immediately informs the Sponsor orally of such
disagreement and returns the certificate within five days to the
Sponsor with corrections duly noted. Upon the Sponsor's receipt of a
corrected certificate, if the Sponsor can verify the corrected price by
reference to an independently published list of closing sales prices
for the date of the transactions, the Sponsor will ensure that the
price of the Units of the New Series, and the distributions to
Unitholders of the Terminating Series, accurately reflect the corrected
price. To the extent that the Sponsor disagrees with the Trustee's
corrected price, the Sponsor and the Trustee will jointly determine the
correct sales price by reference to a mutually agreeable, independently
published list of closing sales prices for the date of the transaction.
D. Net Worth Requirement
1. Section 14(a) of the Act requires that registered investment
companies have $100,000 of net worth prior to making a public offering.
Applicants believe that each Series will comply with this requirement
because the Sponsor will deposit substantially more than $100,000 of
debt and/or equity securities, depending on the objective of the
particular Series. Applicants assert, however, that the Commission has
interpreted section 14(a) as requiring that the initial capital
investment in an investment company be made without any intention to
dispose of the investment. Applicants state that, under this
interpretation, a Series would not satisfy section 14(a) because of the
Sponsor's intention to sell all of the Units of the Series.
2. Rule 14a-3 under the Act exempts UITs from section 14(a) if
certain conditions are met, including that the UIT invest only in
``eligible trust securities,'' as defined in the rule. Applicants state
that they may not rely on rule 14a-3 because the Series may invest in
equity securities which do not satisfy the definition of eligible trust
securities.
3. Consequently, applicants seek an exemption under section 6(c) of
the Act to exempt the Series from the net worth requirement of section
14(a) of the Act. Applicants state that the Series and the Sponsor will
comply in all respects with the requirements of rule 14a-3, except that
the Series will not restrict their portfolio investments to ``eligible
trust securities.''
E. Capital Gains Distribution
1. Section 19(b) of the Act and rule 19b-1 under the Act provide
that, except under limited circumstances, no registered investment
company may distribute long-term gains more than once every twelve
months. Rule 19b-1(c), under certain circumstances, exempts a UIT
investing in ``eligible trust securities'' (as defined in rule 14a-
3(b)) from the requirements of rule 19b-
[[Page 67663]]
1. Because the Trusts do not limit their investments to ``eligible
trust securities,'' the Trusts do not qualify for the exemption in
paragraph (c) of rule 19b-1. Therefore, applicants request an exemption
under section 6(c) from section 19(b) and rule 19b-1 to the extent
necessary to permit capital gains earned in connection with the sale of
portfolio securities to be distributed to Unitholders along with the
Series' regular distributions. In all other respects, applicants will
comply with section 19(b) and rule 19b-1.
2. Applicants state that their proposal meets the standards of
section 6(c). Applicants assert that any sale of portfolio securities
would be triggered by the need to meet Series' expenses, Installment
Payments or by requests to redeem Units, events over which the Sponsor
and the Series have no control. Applicants further state that, because
principal distributions must be clearly indicated in accompanying
reports to Unitholders as a return of principal and will be relatively
small in comparison to normal dividend distributions, there is little
danger of confusion from failure to differentiate among distributions.
Applicants' Conditions
Applicants agree that any order granting the requested relief will
be subject to the following conditions:
A. DSC and Waiver of DSC Under Certain Circumstances
1. Each Series offering Units subject to a DSC will include in its
prospectus the disclosure required in Form N-1A relating to deferred
sales charges, modified as appropriate to reflect the differences
between UITs and open-end management investment companies, and a
schedule setting forth the number and date of each installment payment.
2. Any DSC imposed on Units issued by a Series will comply with the
requirements of subparagraphs (1), (2) and (3) of rule 6c-10(a) under
the Act.
B. Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer and Rollover Privilege
1. The prospectus of each Series offering exchanges, rollovers, or
conversions and any sales literature or advertising that mentions the
existence of the Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer or Rollover
Privilege will disclose that the Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer
or Rollover Privilege is subject to modification, termination or
suspension without notice, except in limited cases.
2. Whenever the Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer or Rollover
Privilege is to be terminated or its terms are to be amended
materially, any holder of a security subject to that privilege will be
given prominent notice of the impending termination or amendment at
least 60 days prior to the date of termination or the effective date of
the amendment, provided that: (a) No such notice need be given if the
only material effect of an amendment is to reduce or eliminate the
sales charge payable at the time of an exchange, to make one or more
New Series eligible for the Exchange Privilege, Conversion Offer or
Rollover Privilege, or to delete a Series which has terminated; and (b)
no notice need be given if, under extraordinary circumstances, either
(i) there is a suspension of the redemption of Units of the Series
under section 22(e) of the Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated under that section, or (ii) a Series temporarily delays or
ceases the sale of its Units because it is unable to invest amounts
effectively in accordance with applicable investment objectives,
policies, and restrictions.
3. An investor who purchases Units under the Exchange Privilege,
Conversion Offer or Rollover Privilege will pay a lower sales charge
than that which would be paid for the Units by a new investor.
C. Net Worth Requirement
Applicants will comply in all respects with the requirements of
rule 14a-3, except that the Series will not restrict their portfolio
investments to ``eligible trust securities.''
D. Purchase and Sale Transactions Between a Terminating Series and a
New Series
1. Each sale of Qualified Securities by a Terminating Series to a
New Series will be effected at the closing price of the securities sold
on a Qualified Exchange on the sale date, without any brokerage charges
or other remuneration except customary transfer fees, if any.
2. The nature and conditions of such transactions will be fully
disclosed to investors in the appropriate prospectus of each
Terminating Series and New Series.
3. The Trustee of each Terminating Series and New Series will
review the procedures discussed in the application relating to the sale
of securities from a Terminating Series and the purchase of those
securities for deposit in a New Series, and make such changes to the
procedures as the Trustee deems necessary to ensure compliance with
paragraphs (a) through (d) of rule 17a-7.
4. A written copy of these procedures and a written record of each
transaction pursuant to this order will be maintained as provided in
rule 17a-7(g).
For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management,
under delegated authority.
Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-19739 Filed 11-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P