81_FR_30680 81 FR 30585 - TCW Alternative Funds, et al.; Notice of Application

81 FR 30585 - TCW Alternative Funds, et al.; Notice of Application

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 95 (May 17, 2016)

Page Range30585-30589
FR Document2016-11534

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 95 (Tuesday, May 17, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 95 (Tuesday, May 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30585-30589]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11534]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Investment Company Act Release No. 32113; File No. 812-14561]


TCW Alternative Funds, et al.; Notice of Application

May 11, 2016.
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').

ACTION: Notice of an application for an order pursuant to: (a) Section 
6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Act'') granting an 
exemption from sections 18(f) and 21(b) of the Act; (b) section 
12(d)(1)(J) of the Act granting an exemption from section 12(d)(1) of 
the Act; (c) sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act granting an exemption 
from sections 17(a)(1), 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Act; and (d) 
section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d-1 under the Act to permit certain 
joint arrangements and transactions.

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    Summary of the Application: Applicants request an order that would 
permit certain registered open-end management investment companies to 
participate in a joint lending and borrowing facility.
    Applicants: TCW Alternative Funds and Metropolitan West Funds (each 
a ``Trust'' and collectively the ``Trusts''), TCW Funds, Inc. (the 
``Corporation''); TCW Investment Management Company (``TCWIMC'') and 
Metropolitan West Asset Management, LLC (``MWAM'') (each, an 
``Adviser,'' and such entities together, the ``Advisers'').
    Filing Dates: The application was filed on October 5, 2015, and 
amended on January 28, 2016 and May 10, 2016.
    Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An order granting the requested 
relief 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 June 6, 2016, and should be accompanied by proof of service on the 
applicants, in the form of an affidavit, or, for lawyers, a certificate 
of service. Pursuant to Rule 0-5 under the Act, hearing requests should 
state the nature of the writer's interest, any facts bearing upon the 
desirability of a hearing on the matter, 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: 865 S. Figueroa 
Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark N. Zaruba, Senior Counsel, at 
(202) 551-6878 or Mary Kay Frech, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6821 
(Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the 
application. The complete application may be obtained via the 
Commission's Web site by searching for the file number, or an applicant 
using the Company name box, at http://www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or 
by calling (202) 551-8090.

Applicants' Representations

    1. Each Trust is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is 
registered under the Act as an open-end management investment company. 
The Corporation is a Maryland corporation and is registered as an open-
end management investment company. Each Trust and the Corporation has 
issued one or more series, each of which has its own investment 
objective and its own investment policies.\1\ TCWIMC is a California 
corporation and MWAM is a California limited liability company, and 
each of TCWIMC and MWAM is registered as an investment adviser under 
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (``Advisers Act''). Both are 
wholly-owned subsidiaries (direct or indirect) of the TCW Group, Inc., 
which, in turn, is owned indirectly by two investment funds that are 
controlled by The Carlyle Group, L.P. In the future, the Advisers may 
advise Funds that are money market funds that comply with rule 2a-7 
under the Act (collectively, the ``Money Market Funds'').\2\
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    \1\ Applicants request that the order apply to any registered 
open-end management investment company or series thereof for which 
TCWIMC, MWAM or any successor thereto or an investment adviser 
controlling, controlled by, or under common control (within the 
meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act) with TCWIMC or MWAM or any 
successor thereto serves as investment adviser (each a ``Fund'' and 
collectively the ``Funds'' or each such investment adviser an 
``Adviser''). For purposes of the requested order, ``successor'' is 
limited to any entity that results from a reorganization into 
another jurisdiction or a change in the type of a business 
organization.
    \2\ All Funds that currently intend to rely on the requested 
order have been named as applicants. Any other Fund that relies on 
the requested order in the future will comply with the terms and 
conditions of the application.
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    2. The Funds may lend cash to banks or other entities by entering 
into repurchase agreements or purchasing short-term instruments. The 
Funds may also need to borrow money for temporary purposes. In order to 
meet an unexpected volume of redemptions or to cover unanticipated cash 
shortfalls, the Metropolitan West Funds have contracted for a revolving 
credit facility with the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, and other 
lenders that may be added in the future to the lending syndicate 
(``Bank Borrowing''). The TCW Alternative Funds and TCW Funds, Inc. may 
in the future join this credit facility or enter into other 
arrangements with other bank lenders (each also a ``Bank Borrowing''). 
The amount of borrowing under each of these lines of credit is limited 
to the amount specified by fundamental investment restrictions, the 
terms specified in the agreements, and/or other policies of the 
applicable Fund and section 18 of the Act.
    3. If Funds that experience a cash shortfall were to draw down on 
their Bank Borrowing, they would pay interest at a rate that is likely 
to be higher than the rate that could be earned by non-borrowing Funds 
on investments in repurchase agreements and other short-term money 
market instruments of the same maturity as the Bank Borrowing (``Short-
Term Instruments''). Applicants assert the difference between the 
higher rate paid on Bank Borrowing and what the bank pays to borrow 
under repurchase agreements or other arrangements represents the bank's 
profit for serving as the middleperson between a borrower and lender 
and is not attributable to any material difference in the credit 
quality or risk of such transactions.
    4. The Funds seek to enter into master interfund lending agreements 
with each other (the ``InterFund Program'') that would permit each Fund 
whose policies permit it to do so to lend money directly to and borrow 
money directly from other Funds for temporary purposes through the 
InterFund Program (an ``Interfund Loan''). The Money Market Funds will 
not participate as borrowers. Applicants state that the requested will 
relief enable the Funds to access an available source of money and 
reduce costs incurred by the Funds that need to obtain loans for 
temporary purposes and permit those Funds that have cash

[[Page 30586]]

available: (i) To earn a return on the money that they might not 
otherwise be able to invest; or (ii) to earn a higher rate of interest 
on investment of their short-term balances. Although the proposed 
InterFund Program would reduce the Funds' need to borrow from banks or 
through custodian drafts, the Funds would be free to establish and/or 
continue committed lines of credit or other borrowing arrangements with 
banks.
    5. Applicants anticipate that the proposed InterFund Program would 
provide a borrowing Fund with significant savings at times when the 
cash position of the Fund is insufficient to meet temporary cash 
requirements. This situation could arise when shareholder redemptions 
exceed anticipated cash volumes and certain Funds have insufficient 
cash on hand to satisfy such redemptions. When the Funds liquidate 
portfolio securities to meet redemption requests, they often do not 
receive payment in settlement for up to three days (or longer for 
certain foreign transactions). However, redemption requests normally 
are effected on the day following the trade date. The proposed 
InterFund Program would provide a source of immediate, short-term 
liquidity pending settlement of the sale of portfolio securities.
    6. Applicants also anticipate that a Fund could use the InterFund 
Program when a sale of securities ``fails'' due to circumstances beyond 
the Fund's control, such as a delay in the delivery of cash to the 
Fund's custodian or improper delivery instructions by the broker 
effecting the transaction. ``Sales fails'' may present a cash shortfall 
if the Fund has undertaken to purchase a security using the proceeds 
from securities sold. Alternatively, the Fund could: (i) ``Fail'' on 
its intended purchase due to lack of funds from the previous sale, 
resulting in additional cost to the Fund; or (ii) sell a security on a 
same-day settlement basis, earning a lower return on the investment. 
Use of the InterFund Program under these circumstances would enable the 
Fund to have access to immediate short-term liquidity.
    7. While Bank Borrowing and/or custodian overdrafts generally could 
supply Funds with needed cash to cover unanticipated redemptions and 
sales fails, under the proposed InterFund Program, a borrowing Fund 
would pay lower interest rates than those that would be payable under 
short-term loans offered by banks or custodian overdrafts. In addition, 
Funds making short-term cash loans directly to other Funds would earn 
interest at a rate higher than they otherwise could obtain from 
investing their cash in Short-Term Instruments. Thus, applicants assert 
that the proposed InterFund Program would benefit both borrowing and 
lending Funds.
    8. The interest rate to be charged to the Funds on any Interfund 
Loan (the ``Interfund Loan Rate'') would be the average of the ``Repo 
Rate'' and the ``Bank Loan Rate,'' both as defined below. The Repo Rate 
would be the highest current overnight repurchase agreement rate 
available to a lending Fund. The Bank Loan Rate for any day would be 
calculated by the InterFund Program Team, as defined below, on each day 
an Interfund Loan is made according to a formula established by each 
Fund's board of trustees (the ``Board'') intended to approximate the 
lowest interest rate at which a bank short-term loan would be available 
to the Fund. The formula would be based upon a publicly available rate 
(e.g., Federal funds rate and/or LIBOR) plus an additional spread of 
basis points and would vary with this rate so as to reflect changing 
bank loan rates. The initial formula and any subsequent modifications 
to the formula would be subject to the approval of each Fund's Board. 
In addition, the Board of each Fund would periodically review the 
continuing appropriateness of reliance on the formula used to determine 
the Bank Loan Rate, as well as the relationship between the Bank Loan 
Rate and current bank loan rates that would be available to the Fund.
    9. Certain members of the Advisers' administration personnel (other 
than investment advisory personnel) (the ``InterFund Program Team'') 
would administer the InterFund Program. No portfolio manager of any 
Fund will serve as a member of the InterFund Program Team. Under the 
proposed InterFund Program, the portfolio managers for each 
participating Fund could provide standing instructions to participate 
daily as a borrower or lender. The InterFund Program Team on each 
business day would collect data on the uninvested cash and borrowing 
requirements of all participating Funds. Once the InterFund Program 
Team has determined the aggregate amount of cash available for loans 
and borrowing demand, the InterFund Program Team will allocate loans 
among borrowing Funds without any further communication from the 
portfolio managers of the Funds. Applicants anticipate that there 
typically will be far more available uninvested cash each day than 
borrowing demand. Therefore, after the InterFund Program Team has 
allocated cash for Interfund Loans, the InterFund Program Team will 
invest any remaining cash in accordance with the standing instructions 
of the relevant portfolio manager or such remaining amounts will be 
invested directly by the portfolio managers of the Funds.
    10. The InterFund Program Team would allocate borrowing demand and 
cash available for lending among the Funds on what the InterFund 
Program Team believes to be an equitable basis, subject to certain 
administrative procedures applicable to all Funds, such as the time of 
filing requests to participate, minimum loan lot sizes, and the need to 
minimize the number of transactions and associated administrative 
costs. To reduce transaction costs, each Interfund Loan normally would 
be allocated in a manner intended to minimize the number of 
participants necessary to complete the loan transaction. The method of 
allocation and related administrative procedures would be approved by 
the Board of each of the Funds, including a majority of the Board 
members who are not ``interested persons,'' as defined in section 
2(a)(19) of the Act (``Independent Board Members''), to ensure that 
both borrowing and lending Funds participate on an equitable basis.
    11. The InterFund Program Team, on behalf of the Advisers. would: 
(a) Monitor the Interfund Loan Rate and the other terms and conditions 
of the Interfund Loans; (b) limit the borrowings and loans entered into 
by each Fund to ensure that they comply with the Fund's investment 
policies and limitations; (c) implement and follow procedures designed 
to ensure equitable treatment of each Fund; and (d) make quarterly 
reports to the Board of each Fund concerning any transactions by the 
applicable Fund under the InterFund Program and the Interfund Loan 
Rate.
    12. The Advisers, through the InterFund Program Team, would 
administer the InterFund Program as disinterested fiduciaries as part 
of their duties under the investment management and administrative 
agreements with each Fund and would receive no additional fee as 
compensation for its services in connection with the administration of 
the InterFund Program.
    13. No Fund may participate in the InterFund Program unless: (a) 
The Fund has obtained shareholder approval for its participation, if 
such approval is required by law; (b) the Fund has fully disclosed all 
material information concerning the InterFund Program in its 
registration statement on Form N-1A; and (c) the Fund's participation 
in the InterFund Program is consistent with its

[[Page 30587]]

investment objectives, limitations and organizational documents.
    14. As part of the Board's review of the continuing appropriateness 
of a Fund's participation in the proposed credit facility as required 
by condition 14, the Board of the Fund, including a majority of the 
Independent Board Members, also will review the process in place to 
appropriately assess: (i) If the Fund participates as a lender, any 
effect its participation may have on the Fund's liquidity risk; and 
(ii) if the Fund participates as a borrower, whether the Fund's 
portfolio liquidity is sufficient to satisfy its obligations under the 
facility along with its other liquidity needs.
    15. In connection with the InterFund Program, applicants request an 
order under section 6(c) of the Act exempting them from the provisions 
of sections 18(f) and 21(b) of the Act; under section 12(d)(1)(J) of 
the Act exempting them from section 12(d)(1) of the Act; under sections 
6(c) and 17(b) of the Act exempting them from sections 17(a)(1), 
17(a)(2), and 17(a)(3) of the Act; and under section 17(d) of the Act 
and rule 17d-1 under the Act to permit certain joint arrangements and 
transactions.

Applicants' Legal Analysis

    1. Section 17(a)(3) of the Act generally prohibits any affiliated 
person of a registered investment company, or affiliated person of an 
affiliated person, from borrowing money or other property from the 
registered investment company. Section 21(b) of the Act generally 
prohibits any registered management company from lending money or other 
property to any person, directly or indirectly, if that person controls 
or is under common control with that company. Section 2(a)(3)(C) of the 
Act defines an ``affiliated person'' of another person, in part, to be 
any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under 
common control with, such other person. Section 2(a)(9) of the Act 
defines ``control'' as the ``power to exercise a controlling influence 
over the management or policies of a company,'' but excludes 
circumstances in which ``such power is solely the result of an official 
position with such company.'' Applicants state that the Funds may be 
under common control by virtue of having common investment advisers 
and/or by having common trustees, directors, managers and/or officers.
    2. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that an exemptive order may be 
granted where an 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. 
Section 17(b) of the Act authorizes the Commission to exempt a proposed 
transaction from section 17(a) provided that the terms of the 
transaction, including the consideration to be paid or received, are 
fair and reasonable and do not involve overreaching on the part of any 
person concerned, and the transaction is consistent with the policy of 
the investment company as recited in its registration statement and 
with the general purposes of the Act. Applicants believe that the 
proposed arrangements satisfy these standards for the reasons discussed 
below.
    3. Applicants assert that sections 17(a)(3) and 21(b) of the Act 
were intended to prevent a party with strong potential adverse 
interests to, and some influence over the investment decisions of, a 
registered investment company from causing or inducing the investment 
company to engage in lending transactions that unfairly inure to the 
benefit of such party and that are detrimental to the best interests of 
the investment company and its shareholders. Applicants assert that the 
proposed transactions do not raise these concerns because: (a) The 
Advisers, through the InterFund Program Team members, would administer 
the InterFund Program as disinterested fiduciaries as part of their 
duties under the investment management and administrative agreements 
with each Fund; (b) all Interfund Loans would consist only of 
uninvested cash reserves that the Fund otherwise would invest in short-
term repurchase agreements or other short-term investments; (c) the 
Interfund Loans would not involve a greater risk than such other 
investments; (d) the lending Fund would receive interest at a rate 
higher than it could otherwise obtain through such other investments; 
and (e) the borrowing Fund would pay interest at a rate lower than 
otherwise available to it under its bank loan agreements or through 
custodian overdrafts and avoid the commitment fees associated with 
lines of credit. Moreover, applicants assert that the other terms and 
conditions that applicants propose also would effectively preclude the 
possibility of any Fund obtaining an undue advantage over any other 
Fund.
    4. Section 17(a)(1) of the Act generally prohibits an affiliated 
person of a registered investment company, or any affiliated person of 
such a person, from selling securities or other property to the 
investment company. Section 17(a)(2) of the Act generally prohibits an 
affiliated person of a registered investment company, or any affiliated 
person of such a person, from purchasing securities or other property 
from the investment company. Section 12(d)(1) of the Act generally 
prohibits a registered investment company from purchasing or otherwise 
acquiring any security issued by any other investment company except in 
accordance with the limitations set forth in that section.
    5. Applicants state that the obligation of a borrowing Fund to 
repay an Interfund Loan could be deemed to constitute a security for 
the purposes of sections 17(a)(1) and 12(d)(1). Applicants also state 
that any pledge of securities to secure an Interfund Loan by the 
borrowing Fund to the lending Fund could constitute a purchase of 
securities for purposes of section 17(a)(2) of the Act. Section 
12(d)(1)(J) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt persons 
or transactions from any provision of section 12(d)(1) if and to the 
extent that such exemption is consistent with the public interest and 
the protection of investors. Applicants contend that the standards 
under sections 6(c), 17(b), and 12(d)(1)(J) are satisfied for all the 
reasons set forth above in support of their request for relief from 
sections 17(a)(3) and 21(b) and for the reasons discussed below. 
Applicants state that the requested relief from section 17(a)(2) of the 
Act meets the standards of section 6(c) and 17(b) because any 
collateral pledged to secure an Interfund Loan would be subject to the 
same conditions imposed by any other lender to a Fund that imposes 
conditions on the quality of or access to collateral for a borrowing 
(if the lender is another Fund) or the same or better conditions (in 
any other circumstance).
    6. Applicants state that section 12(d)(1) was intended to prevent 
the pyramiding of investment companies in order to avoid imposing on 
investors additional and duplicative costs and fees attendant upon 
multiple layers of investment companies. Applicants submit that the 
proposed InterFund Program does not involve these abuses. Applicants 
note that there will be no duplicative costs or fees to the Funds or 
their shareholders, and that each Adviser will receive no additional 
compensation for its services in administering the InterFund Program. 
Applicants also note that the purpose of the proposed InterFund Program 
is to provide economic benefits for all the participating Funds and 
their shareholders. Section 18(f)(1) of the Act prohibits open-end 
investment companies from issuing any senior security except that a 
company is permitted to borrow from any bank, provided, that 
immediately after the borrowing, there is asset coverage of at

[[Page 30588]]

least 300 per centum for all borrowings of the company. Under section 
18(g) of the Act, the term ``senior security'' generally includes any 
bond, debenture, note or similar obligation or instrument constituting 
a security and evidencing indebtedness. Applicants request exemptive 
relief under section 6(c) from section 18(f)(1) to the limited extent 
necessary to implement the InterFund Program (because the lending Funds 
are not banks).
    7. Applicants believe that granting relief under section 6(c) is 
appropriate because the Funds would remain subject to the requirement 
of section 18(f)(1) that all borrowings of a Fund, including combined 
Interfund Loans and bank borrowings, have at least 300% asset coverage. 
Based on the conditions and safeguards described in the application, 
applicants also submit that to allow the Funds to borrow from other 
Funds pursuant to the proposed InterFund Program is consistent with the 
purposes and policies of section 18(f)(1).
    8. Section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d-1 under the Act generally 
prohibit an affiliated person of a registered investment company, or 
any affiliated person of such a person, when acting as principal, from 
effecting any joint transaction in which the investment company 
participates, unless, upon application, the transaction has been 
approved by the Commission. Rule 17d-1(b) under the Act provides that 
in passing upon an application filed under the rule, the Commission 
will consider whether the participation of the registered investment 
company in a joint enterprise, joint arrangement or profit sharing plan 
on the basis proposed is consistent with the provisions, policies and 
purposes of the Act and the extent to which such participation is on a 
basis different from or less advantageous than that of the other 
participants.
    9. Applicants assert that the purpose of section 17(d) is to avoid 
overreaching by and an unfair advantage to insiders. Applicants assert 
that the InterFund Program is consistent with the provisions, policies 
and purposes of the Act in that it offers both reduced borrowing costs 
and enhanced returns on loaned funds to all participating Funds and 
their shareholders. Applicants note that each Fund would have an equal 
opportunity to borrow and lend on equal terms consistent with its 
investment policies and fundamental investment limitations. Applicants 
assert that each Fund's participation in the proposed InterFund Program 
would be on terms that are no different from or less advantageous than 
that of other participating Funds.

Applicants' Conditions

    Applicants agree that any order granting the requested relief will 
be subject to the following conditions:
    1. The Interfund Loan Rate will be the average of the Repo Rate and 
the Bank Loan Rate.
    2. On each business day, when an interfund loan is to be made, the 
InterFund Program Team will compare the Bank Loan Rate with the Repo 
Rate and will make cash available for Interfund Loans only if the 
Interfund Loan Rate is: (a) More favorable to the lending Fund than the 
Repo Rate; and (b) more favorable to the borrowing Fund than the Bank 
Loan Rate.
    3. If a Fund has outstanding Bank Borrowings, any Interfund Loan to 
the Fund will: (a) Be at an interest rate equal to or lower than the 
interest rate of any outstanding bank loan; (b) be secured at least on 
an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of 
collateral to loan value as any outstanding bank loan that requires 
collateral; (c) have a maturity no longer than any outstanding bank 
loan (and in any event not over seven days); and (d) provide that, if 
an event of default occurs under any agreement evidencing an 
outstanding bank loan to the Fund, that event of default by the Fund, 
will automatically (without need for action or notice by the lending 
Fund) constitute an immediate event of default under the interfund 
lending agreement which both (i) entitles the lending Fund to call the 
Interfund Loan immediately and exercise all rights with respect to any 
collateral and (ii) causes the call to be made if the lending bank 
exercises its right to call its loan under its agreement with the 
borrowing Fund.
    4. A Fund may borrow on an unsecured basis through the InterFund 
Program only if the relevant borrowing Fund's outstanding borrowings 
from all sources immediately after the interfund borrowing total 10% or 
less of its total assets, provided that if the borrowing Fund has a 
secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not 
limited to another Fund, the lending Fund's Interfund Loan will be 
secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent 
percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan that 
requires collateral. If a borrowing Fund's total outstanding borrowings 
immediately after an Interfund Loan would be greater than 10% of its 
total assets, the Fund may borrow through the InterFund Program only on 
a secured basis. A Fund may not borrow through the InterFund Program or 
from any other source if its total outstanding borrowings immediately 
after the borrowing would be more than 33\1/3\% of its total assets or 
any lower threshold provided for by a Fund's fundamental restriction or 
non-fundamental policy.
    5. Before any Fund that has outstanding interfund borrowings may, 
through additional borrowings, cause its outstanding borrowings from 
all sources to exceed 10% of its total assets, it must first secure 
each outstanding Interfund Loan to a Fund by the pledge of segregated 
collateral with a market value at least equal to 102% of the 
outstanding principal value of the loan. If the total outstanding 
borrowings of a Fund with outstanding Interfund Loans exceed 10% of its 
total assets for any other reason (such as a decline in net asset value 
or because of shareholder redemptions), the Fund will within one 
business day thereafter either: (a) Repay all its outstanding Interfund 
Loans to other Funds; (b) reduce its outstanding indebtedness to other 
Funds to 10% or less of its total assets; or (c) secure each 
outstanding Interfund Loan to other Funds by the pledge of segregated 
collateral with a market value at least equal to 102% of the 
outstanding principal value of the loan until the Fund's total 
outstanding borrowings cease to exceed 10% of its total assets, at 
which time the collateral called for by this condition 5 shall no 
longer be required. Until each Interfund Loan that is outstanding at 
any time that a Fund's total outstanding borrowings exceed 10% of its 
total assets is repaid or the Fund's total outstanding borrowings cease 
to exceed 10% of its total assets, the Fund will mark the value of the 
collateral to market each day and will pledge such additional 
collateral as is necessary to maintain the market value of the 
collateral that secures each outstanding Interfund Loan to Funds at 
least equal to 102% of the outstanding principal value of the Interfund 
Loans.
    6. No Fund may lend to another Fund through the InterFund Program 
if the loan would cause the lending Fund's aggregate outstanding loans 
through the InterFund Program to exceed 15% of its current net assets 
at the time of the loan.
    7. A Fund's Interfund Loans to any one Fund shall not exceed 5% of 
the lending Fund's net assets.
    8. The duration of Interfund Loans will be limited to the time 
required to receive payment for securities sold, but in no event more 
than seven days. Loans effected within seven days of each other will be 
treated as separate loan transactions for purposes of this condition.

[[Page 30589]]

    9. A Fund's borrowings through the InterFund Program, as measured 
on the day when the most recent loan was made, will not exceed the 
greater of 125% of the Fund's total net cash redemptions for the 
preceding seven calendar days or 102% of a Fund's sales fails for the 
preceding seven calendar days.
    10. Each Interfund Loan may be called on one business day's notice 
by a lending Fund and may be repaid on any day by a borrowing Fund.
    11. A Fund's participation in the InterFund Program must be 
consistent with its investment restrictions, policies, limitations and 
organizational documents.
    12. The InterFund Program Team will calculate total Fund borrowing 
and lending demand through the InterFund Program, and allocate 
Interfund Loans on an equitable basis among the Funds, without the 
intervention of any portfolio manager. The InterFund Program Team will 
not solicit cash for the InterFund Program from any Fund or 
prospectively publish or disseminate loan demand data to portfolio 
managers. The InterFund Program Team will invest all amounts remaining 
after satisfaction of borrowing demand in accordance with the standing 
instructions of the relevant portfolio manager or such remaining 
amounts will be invested directly by the portfolio managers of the 
Funds.
    13. The InterFund Program Team will monitor the Interfund Loan Rate 
charged and the other terms and conditions of the Interfund Loans and 
will make a quarterly report to the Boards concerning the participation 
of the Funds in the InterFund Program and the terms and other 
conditions of any extensions of credit under the InterFund Program.
    14. Each Board, including a majority of its Independent Board 
Members, will:
    (a) Review, no less frequently than quarterly, the participation of 
each Fund it oversees in the InterFund Program during the preceding 
quarter for compliance with the conditions of any order permitting such 
participation;
    (b) establish the Bank Loan Rate formula used to determine the 
interest rate on Interfund Loans;
    (c) review, no less frequently than annually, the continuing 
appropriateness of the Bank Loan Rate formula; and
    (d) review, no less frequently than annually, the continuing 
appropriateness of the participation in the InterFund Program by each 
Fund it oversees.
    15. Each Fund will maintain and preserve for a period of not less 
than six years from the end of the fiscal year in which any transaction 
by it under the InterFund Program occurred, the first two years in an 
easily accessible place, written records of all such transactions 
setting forth a description of the terms of the transaction, including 
the amount, the maturity and the Interfund Loan Rate, the rate of 
interest available at the time each Interfund Loan is made on overnight 
repurchase agreements and Bank Borrowings, and such other information 
presented to the Boards of the Funds in connection with the review 
required by conditions 13 and 14.
    16. In the event an Interfund Loan is not paid according to its 
terms and the default is not cured within two business days from its 
maturity or from the time the lending Fund makes a demand for payment 
under the provisions of the interfund lending agreement, the Adviser to 
the lending Fund promptly will refer the loan for arbitration to an 
independent arbitrator selected by the Board of any Fund involved in 
the loan who will serve as arbitrator of disputes concerning Interfund 
Loans.\3\ The arbitrator will resolve any problem promptly, and the 
arbitrator's decision will be binding on both Funds. The arbitrator 
will submit, at least annually, a written report to the Board of each 
Fund setting forth a description of the nature of any dispute and the 
actions taken by the Funds to resolve the dispute.
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    \3\ If the dispute involves Funds that do not have a common 
Board, the Board of each affected Fund will select an independent 
arbitrator that is satisfactory to each Fund.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    17. The Advisers will prepare and submit to the Board for review an 
initial report describing the operations of the InterFund Program and 
the procedures to be implemented to ensure that all Funds are treated 
fairly. After the commencement of the InterFund Program, the Advisers 
will report on the operations of the InterFund Program at each Board's 
quarterly meetings. Each Fund's chief compliance officer, as defined in 
rule 38a-1(a)(4) under the Act, shall prepare an annual report for its 
Board each year that the Fund participates in the InterFund Program, 
that evaluates the Fund's compliance with the terms and conditions of 
the application and the procedures established to achieve such 
compliance. Each Fund's chief compliance officer will also annually 
file a certification pursuant to Item 77Q3 of Form N-SAR as such form 
may be revised, amended or superseded from time to time, for each year 
that the Fund participates in the InterFund Program, that certifies 
that the Fund and its Adviser have implemented procedures reasonably 
designed to achieve compliance with the terms and conditions of the 
order. In particular, such certification will address procedures 
designed to achieve the following objectives:
    (a) That the Interfund Loan Rate will be higher than the Repo Rate 
but lower than the Bank Loan Rate;
    (b) compliance with the collateral requirements as set forth in the 
application;
    (c) compliance with the percentage limitations on interfund 
borrowing and lending;
    (d) allocation of interfund borrowing and lending demand in an 
equitable manner and in accordance with procedures established by the 
Board; and
    (e) that the Interfund Loan Rate does not exceed the interest rate 
on any third party borrowings of a borrowing Fund at the time of the 
Interfund Loan.
    Additionally, each Fund's independent registered public 
accountants, in connection with their audit examination of the Fund, 
will review the operation of the InterFund Program for compliance with 
the conditions of the application and their review will form the basis, 
in part, of the auditor's report on internal accounting controls in 
Form N-SAR.
    18. No Fund will participate in the InterFund Program, upon receipt 
of requisite regulatory approval, unless it has fully disclosed in its 
registration statement on Form N-1A (or any successor form adopted by 
the Commission) all material facts about its intended participation.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, 
under delegated authority.
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-11534 Filed 5-16-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                                                                   Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 95 / Tuesday, May 17, 2016 / Notices                                                      30585

                                                    For the Commission, by the Division of                  should state the nature of the writer’s               7 under the Act (collectively, the
                                                  Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated                interest, any facts bearing upon the                  ‘‘Money Market Funds’’).2
                                                  authority.14                                              desirability of a hearing on the matter,                 2. The Funds may lend cash to banks
                                                  Robert W. Errett,                                         the reason for the request, and the issues            or other entities by entering into
                                                  Deputy Secretary.                                         contested. Persons who wish to be                     repurchase agreements or purchasing
                                                  [FR Doc. 2016–11544 Filed 5–16–16; 8:45 am]               notified of a hearing may request                     short-term instruments. The Funds may
                                                  BILLING CODE 8011–01–P                                    notification by writing to the                        also need to borrow money for
                                                                                                            Commission’s Secretary.                               temporary purposes. In order to meet an
                                                                                                                                                                  unexpected volume of redemptions or to
                                                  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                                   ADDRESSES:  Secretary, U.S. Securities                cover unanticipated cash shortfalls, the
                                                  COMMISSION                                                and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street                 Metropolitan West Funds have
                                                                                                            NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090;                       contracted for a revolving credit facility
                                                  [Investment Company Act Release No.                       Applicants: 865 S. Figueroa Street, Suite             with the Bank of New York Mellon
                                                  32113; File No. 812–14561]                                1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017.                          Corporation, and other lenders that may
                                                  TCW Alternative Funds, et al.; Notice                     FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                      be added in the future to the lending
                                                  of Application                                            Mark N. Zaruba, Senior Counsel, at                    syndicate (‘‘Bank Borrowing’’). The
                                                                                                            (202) 551–6878 or Mary Kay Frech,                     TCW Alternative Funds and TCW
                                                  May 11, 2016.                                             Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6821                       Funds, Inc. may in the future join this
                                                  AGENCY:    Securities and Exchange                        (Division of Investment Management,                   credit facility or enter into other
                                                  Commission (‘‘Commission’’).                              Chief Counsel’s Office).                              arrangements with other bank lenders
                                                  ACTION: Notice of an application for an                                                                         (each also a ‘‘Bank Borrowing’’). The
                                                  order pursuant to: (a) Section 6(c) of the                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:    The                     amount of borrowing under each of
                                                  Investment Company Act of 1940                            following is a summary of the                         these lines of credit is limited to the
                                                  (‘‘Act’’) granting an exemption from                      application. The complete application                 amount specified by fundamental
                                                  sections 18(f) and 21(b) of the Act; (b)                  may be obtained via the Commission’s                  investment restrictions, the terms
                                                  section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act granting an                Web site by searching for the file                    specified in the agreements, and/or
                                                  exemption from section 12(d)(1) of the                    number, or an applicant using the                     other policies of the applicable Fund
                                                  Act; (c) sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the                   Company name box, at http://                          and section 18 of the Act.
                                                  Act granting an exemption from sections                   www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by                      3. If Funds that experience a cash
                                                  17(a)(1), 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Act;               calling (202) 551–8090.                               shortfall were to draw down on their
                                                  and (d) section 17(d) of the Act and rule                 Applicants’ Representations                           Bank Borrowing, they would pay
                                                  17d–1 under the Act to permit certain                                                                           interest at a rate that is likely to be
                                                  joint arrangements and transactions.            1. Each Trust is organized as a                                 higher than the rate that could be earned
                                                                                              Delaware statutory trust and is                                     by non-borrowing Funds on investments
                                                     Summary of the Application:              registered under the Act as an open-end                             in repurchase agreements and other
                                                  Applicants request an order that would      management investment company. The                                  short-term money market instruments of
                                                  permit certain registered open-end          Corporation is a Maryland corporation                               the same maturity as the Bank
                                                  management investment companies to          and is registered as an open-end                                    Borrowing (‘‘Short-Term Instruments’’).
                                                  participate in a joint lending and          management investment company. Each                                 Applicants assert the difference between
                                                  borrowing facility.                         Trust and the Corporation has issued                                the higher rate paid on Bank Borrowing
                                                     Applicants: TCW Alternative Funds        one or more series, each of which has                               and what the bank pays to borrow under
                                                  and Metropolitan West Funds (each a         its own investment objective and its                                repurchase agreements or other
                                                  ‘‘Trust’’ and collectively the ‘‘Trusts’’), own investment policies.1 TCWIMC is a                               arrangements represents the bank’s
                                                  TCW Funds, Inc. (the ‘‘Corporation’’);      California corporation and MWAM is a                                profit for serving as the middleperson
                                                  TCW Investment Management Company California limited liability company,                                         between a borrower and lender and is
                                                  (‘‘TCWIMC’’) and Metropolitan West          and each of TCWIMC and MWAM is                                      not attributable to any material
                                                  Asset Management, LLC (‘‘MWAM’’)            registered as an investment adviser                                 difference in the credit quality or risk of
                                                  (each, an ‘‘Adviser,’’ and such entities    under the Investment Advisers Act of                                such transactions.
                                                  together, the ‘‘Advisers’’).                1940 (‘‘Advisers Act’’). Both are wholly-                              4. The Funds seek to enter into master
                                                     Filing Dates: The application was        owned subsidiaries (direct or indirect)                             interfund lending agreements with each
                                                  filed on October 5, 2015, and amended       of the TCW Group, Inc., which, in turn,                             other (the ‘‘InterFund Program’’) that
                                                  on January 28, 2016 and May 10, 2016.       is owned indirectly by two investment                               would permit each Fund whose policies
                                                     Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An funds that are controlled by The Carlyle                              permit it to do so to lend money directly
                                                  order granting the requested relief will    Group, L.P. In the future, the Advisers                             to and borrow money directly from
                                                  be issued unless the Commission orders may advise Funds that are money                                          other Funds for temporary purposes
                                                  a hearing. Interested persons may                                                                               through the InterFund Program (an
                                                                                              market funds that comply with rule 2a–
                                                  request a hearing by writing to the                                                                             ‘‘Interfund Loan’’). The Money Market
                                                  Commission’s Secretary and serving             1 Applicants request that the order apply to any
                                                                                                                                                                  Funds will not participate as borrowers.
                                                  applicants with a copy of the request,      registered open-end management investment
                                                                                                                                                                  Applicants state that the requested will
                                                  personally or by mail.                      company or series thereof for which TCWIMC,                         relief enable the Funds to access an
                                                     Hearing requests should be received      MWAM or any successor thereto or an investment                      available source of money and reduce
                                                  by the Commission by 5:30 p.m. on June adviser controlling, controlled by, or under                             costs incurred by the Funds that need to
jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                              common control (within the meaning of section
                                                  6, 2016, and should be accompanied by       2(a)(9) of the Act) with TCWIMC or MWAM or any
                                                                                                                                                                  obtain loans for temporary purposes and
                                                  proof of service on the applicants, in the successor thereto serves as investment adviser (each                 permit those Funds that have cash
                                                  form of an affidavit, or, for lawyers, a    a ‘‘Fund’’ and collectively the ‘‘Funds’’ or each such
                                                  certificate of service. Pursuant to Rule    investment adviser an ‘‘Adviser’’). For purposes of                   2 All Funds that currently intend to rely on the
                                                                                              the requested order, ‘‘successor’’ is limited to any                requested order have been named as applicants.
                                                  0–5 under the Act, hearing requests         entity that results from a reorganization into                      Any other Fund that relies on the requested order
                                                                                                            another jurisdiction or a change in the type of a     in the future will comply with the terms and
                                                    14 17   CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).                            business organization.                                conditions of the application.



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                                                  30586                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 95 / Tuesday, May 17, 2016 / Notices

                                                  available: (i) To earn a return on the                  from investing their cash in Short-Term               remaining cash in accordance with the
                                                  money that they might not otherwise be                  Instruments. Thus, applicants assert that             standing instructions of the relevant
                                                  able to invest; or (ii) to earn a higher rate           the proposed InterFund Program would                  portfolio manager or such remaining
                                                  of interest on investment of their short-               benefit both borrowing and lending                    amounts will be invested directly by the
                                                  term balances. Although the proposed                    Funds.                                                portfolio managers of the Funds.
                                                  InterFund Program would reduce the                         8. The interest rate to be charged to                 10. The InterFund Program Team
                                                  Funds’ need to borrow from banks or                     the Funds on any Interfund Loan (the                  would allocate borrowing demand and
                                                  through custodian drafts, the Funds                     ‘‘Interfund Loan Rate’’) would be the                 cash available for lending among the
                                                  would be free to establish and/or                       average of the ‘‘Repo Rate’’ and the                  Funds on what the InterFund Program
                                                  continue committed lines of credit or                   ‘‘Bank Loan Rate,’’ both as defined                   Team believes to be an equitable basis,
                                                  other borrowing arrangements with                       below. The Repo Rate would be the                     subject to certain administrative
                                                  banks.                                                  highest current overnight repurchase                  procedures applicable to all Funds, such
                                                     5. Applicants anticipate that the                    agreement rate available to a lending                 as the time of filing requests to
                                                  proposed InterFund Program would                        Fund. The Bank Loan Rate for any day                  participate, minimum loan lot sizes, and
                                                  provide a borrowing Fund with                           would be calculated by the InterFund                  the need to minimize the number of
                                                  significant savings at times when the                   Program Team, as defined below, on                    transactions and associated
                                                  cash position of the Fund is insufficient               each day an Interfund Loan is made                    administrative costs. To reduce
                                                  to meet temporary cash requirements.                    according to a formula established by                 transaction costs, each Interfund Loan
                                                  This situation could arise when                         each Fund’s board of trustees (the                    normally would be allocated in a
                                                  shareholder redemptions exceed                          ‘‘Board’’) intended to approximate the                manner intended to minimize the
                                                  anticipated cash volumes and certain                    lowest interest rate at which a bank                  number of participants necessary to
                                                  Funds have insufficient cash on hand to                 short-term loan would be available to                 complete the loan transaction. The
                                                  satisfy such redemptions. When the                      the Fund. The formula would be based                  method of allocation and related
                                                  Funds liquidate portfolio securities to                 upon a publicly available rate (e.g.,                 administrative procedures would be
                                                  meet redemption requests, they often do                 Federal funds rate and/or LIBOR) plus                 approved by the Board of each of the
                                                  not receive payment in settlement for up                an additional spread of basis points and              Funds, including a majority of the Board
                                                  to three days (or longer for certain                    would vary with this rate so as to reflect            members who are not ‘‘interested
                                                  foreign transactions). However,                         changing bank loan rates. The initial                 persons,’’ as defined in section 2(a)(19)
                                                  redemption requests normally are                        formula and any subsequent                            of the Act (‘‘Independent Board
                                                  effected on the day following the trade                 modifications to the formula would be                 Members’’), to ensure that both
                                                  date. The proposed InterFund Program                    subject to the approval of each Fund’s                borrowing and lending Funds
                                                  would provide a source of immediate,                    Board. In addition, the Board of each                 participate on an equitable basis.
                                                  short-term liquidity pending settlement                 Fund would periodically review the                       11. The InterFund Program Team, on
                                                  of the sale of portfolio securities.                    continuing appropriateness of reliance                behalf of the Advisers. would: (a)
                                                     6. Applicants also anticipate that a                 on the formula used to determine the                  Monitor the Interfund Loan Rate and the
                                                  Fund could use the InterFund Program                    Bank Loan Rate, as well as the                        other terms and conditions of the
                                                  when a sale of securities ‘‘fails’’ due to              relationship between the Bank Loan                    Interfund Loans; (b) limit the
                                                  circumstances beyond the Fund’s                         Rate and current bank loan rates that                 borrowings and loans entered into by
                                                  control, such as a delay in the delivery                would be available to the Fund.                       each Fund to ensure that they comply
                                                  of cash to the Fund’s custodian or                         9. Certain members of the Advisers’                with the Fund’s investment policies and
                                                  improper delivery instructions by the                   administration personnel (other than                  limitations; (c) implement and follow
                                                  broker effecting the transaction. ‘‘Sales               investment advisory personnel) (the                   procedures designed to ensure equitable
                                                  fails’’ may present a cash shortfall if the             ‘‘InterFund Program Team’’) would                     treatment of each Fund; and (d) make
                                                  Fund has undertaken to purchase a                       administer the InterFund Program. No                  quarterly reports to the Board of each
                                                  security using the proceeds from                        portfolio manager of any Fund will                    Fund concerning any transactions by
                                                  securities sold. Alternatively, the Fund                serve as a member of the InterFund                    the applicable Fund under the
                                                  could: (i) ‘‘Fail’’ on its intended                     Program Team. Under the proposed                      InterFund Program and the Interfund
                                                  purchase due to lack of funds from the                  InterFund Program, the portfolio                      Loan Rate.
                                                  previous sale, resulting in additional                  managers for each participating Fund                     12. The Advisers, through the
                                                  cost to the Fund; or (ii) sell a security               could provide standing instructions to                InterFund Program Team, would
                                                  on a same-day settlement basis, earning                 participate daily as a borrower or                    administer the InterFund Program as
                                                  a lower return on the investment. Use of                lender. The InterFund Program Team on                 disinterested fiduciaries as part of their
                                                  the InterFund Program under these                       each business day would collect data on               duties under the investment
                                                  circumstances would enable the Fund to                  the uninvested cash and borrowing                     management and administrative
                                                  have access to immediate short-term                     requirements of all participating Funds.              agreements with each Fund and would
                                                  liquidity.                                              Once the InterFund Program Team has                   receive no additional fee as
                                                     7. While Bank Borrowing and/or                       determined the aggregate amount of                    compensation for its services in
                                                  custodian overdrafts generally could                    cash available for loans and borrowing                connection with the administration of
                                                  supply Funds with needed cash to cover                  demand, the InterFund Program Team                    the InterFund Program.
                                                  unanticipated redemptions and sales                     will allocate loans among borrowing                      13. No Fund may participate in the
                                                  fails, under the proposed InterFund                     Funds without any further                             InterFund Program unless: (a) The Fund
                                                  Program, a borrowing Fund would pay                     communication from the portfolio                      has obtained shareholder approval for
jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                  lower interest rates than those that                    managers of the Funds. Applicants                     its participation, if such approval is
                                                  would be payable under short-term                       anticipate that there typically will be far           required by law; (b) the Fund has fully
                                                  loans offered by banks or custodian                     more available uninvested cash each                   disclosed all material information
                                                  overdrafts. In addition, Funds making                   day than borrowing demand. Therefore,                 concerning the InterFund Program in its
                                                  short-term cash loans directly to other                 after the InterFund Program Team has                  registration statement on Form N–1A;
                                                  Funds would earn interest at a rate                     allocated cash for Interfund Loans, the               and (c) the Fund’s participation in the
                                                  higher than they otherwise could obtain                 InterFund Program Team will invest any                InterFund Program is consistent with its


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                                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 95 / Tuesday, May 17, 2016 / Notices                                              30587

                                                  investment objectives, limitations and                  the Act. Section 17(b) of the Act                     purchasing securities or other property
                                                  organizational documents.                               authorizes the Commission to exempt a                 from the investment company. Section
                                                     14. As part of the Board’s review of                 proposed transaction from section 17(a)               12(d)(1) of the Act generally prohibits a
                                                  the continuing appropriateness of a                     provided that the terms of the                        registered investment company from
                                                  Fund’s participation in the proposed                    transaction, including the consideration              purchasing or otherwise acquiring any
                                                  credit facility as required by condition                to be paid or received, are fair and                  security issued by any other investment
                                                  14, the Board of the Fund, including a                  reasonable and do not involve                         company except in accordance with the
                                                  majority of the Independent Board                       overreaching on the part of any person                limitations set forth in that section.
                                                  Members, also will review the process                   concerned, and the transaction is                        5. Applicants state that the obligation
                                                  in place to appropriately assess: (i) If the            consistent with the policy of the                     of a borrowing Fund to repay an
                                                  Fund participates as a lender, any effect               investment company as recited in its                  Interfund Loan could be deemed to
                                                  its participation may have on the Fund’s                registration statement and with the                   constitute a security for the purposes of
                                                  liquidity risk; and (ii) if the Fund                    general purposes of the Act. Applicants               sections 17(a)(1) and 12(d)(1).
                                                  participates as a borrower, whether the                 believe that the proposed arrangements                Applicants also state that any pledge of
                                                  Fund’s portfolio liquidity is sufficient to             satisfy these standards for the reasons               securities to secure an Interfund Loan
                                                  satisfy its obligations under the facility              discussed below.                                      by the borrowing Fund to the lending
                                                  along with its other liquidity needs.                      3. Applicants assert that sections                 Fund could constitute a purchase of
                                                     15. In connection with the InterFund                 17(a)(3) and 21(b) of the Act were                    securities for purposes of section
                                                  Program, applicants request an order                    intended to prevent a party with strong               17(a)(2) of the Act. Section 12(d)(1)(J) of
                                                  under section 6(c) of the Act exempting                 potential adverse interests to, and some              the Act provides that the Commission
                                                  them from the provisions of sections                    influence over the investment decisions               may exempt persons or transactions
                                                  18(f) and 21(b) of the Act; under section               of, a registered investment company                   from any provision of section 12(d)(1) if
                                                  12(d)(1)(J) of the Act exempting them                   from causing or inducing the investment               and to the extent that such exemption
                                                  from section 12(d)(1) of the Act; under                 company to engage in lending                          is consistent with the public interest
                                                  sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act                      transactions that unfairly inure to the               and the protection of investors.
                                                  exempting them from sections 17(a)(1),                  benefit of such party and that are                    Applicants contend that the standards
                                                  17(a)(2), and 17(a)(3) of the Act; and                  detrimental to the best interests of the              under sections 6(c), 17(b), and
                                                  under section 17(d) of the Act and rule                 investment company and its                            12(d)(1)(J) are satisfied for all the
                                                  17d–1 under the Act to permit certain                   shareholders. Applicants assert that the              reasons set forth above in support of
                                                  joint arrangements and transactions.                    proposed transactions do not raise these              their request for relief from sections
                                                  Applicants’ Legal Analysis                              concerns because: (a) The Advisers,                   17(a)(3) and 21(b) and for the reasons
                                                                                                          through the InterFund Program Team                    discussed below. Applicants state that
                                                     1. Section 17(a)(3) of the Act generally             members, would administer the                         the requested relief from section 17(a)(2)
                                                  prohibits any affiliated person of a                    InterFund Program as disinterested                    of the Act meets the standards of section
                                                  registered investment company, or                       fiduciaries as part of their duties under             6(c) and 17(b) because any collateral
                                                  affiliated person of an affiliated person,              the investment management and                         pledged to secure an Interfund Loan
                                                  from borrowing money or other property                  administrative agreements with each                   would be subject to the same conditions
                                                  from the registered investment                          Fund; (b) all Interfund Loans would                   imposed by any other lender to a Fund
                                                  company. Section 21(b) of the Act                       consist only of uninvested cash reserves              that imposes conditions on the quality
                                                  generally prohibits any registered                      that the Fund otherwise would invest in               of or access to collateral for a borrowing
                                                  management company from lending                         short-term repurchase agreements or                   (if the lender is another Fund) or the
                                                  money or other property to any person,                  other short-term investments; (c) the                 same or better conditions (in any other
                                                  directly or indirectly, if that person                  Interfund Loans would not involve a                   circumstance).
                                                  controls or is under common control                     greater risk than such other investments;                6. Applicants state that section
                                                  with that company. Section 2(a)(3)(C) of                (d) the lending Fund would receive                    12(d)(1) was intended to prevent the
                                                  the Act defines an ‘‘affiliated person’’ of             interest at a rate higher than it could               pyramiding of investment companies in
                                                  another person, in part, to be any person               otherwise obtain through such other                   order to avoid imposing on investors
                                                  directly or indirectly controlling,                     investments; and (e) the borrowing                    additional and duplicative costs and
                                                  controlled by, or under common control                  Fund would pay interest at a rate lower               fees attendant upon multiple layers of
                                                  with, such other person. Section 2(a)(9)                than otherwise available to it under its              investment companies. Applicants
                                                  of the Act defines ‘‘control’’ as the                   bank loan agreements or through                       submit that the proposed InterFund
                                                  ‘‘power to exercise a controlling                       custodian overdrafts and avoid the                    Program does not involve these abuses.
                                                  influence over the management or                        commitment fees associated with lines                 Applicants note that there will be no
                                                  policies of a company,’’ but excludes                   of credit. Moreover, applicants assert                duplicative costs or fees to the Funds or
                                                  circumstances in which ‘‘such power is                  that the other terms and conditions that              their shareholders, and that each
                                                  solely the result of an official position               applicants propose also would                         Adviser will receive no additional
                                                  with such company.’’ Applicants state                   effectively preclude the possibility of               compensation for its services in
                                                  that the Funds may be under common                      any Fund obtaining an undue advantage                 administering the InterFund Program.
                                                  control by virtue of having common                      over any other Fund.                                  Applicants also note that the purpose of
                                                  investment advisers and/or by having                       4. Section 17(a)(1) of the Act generally           the proposed InterFund Program is to
                                                  common trustees, directors, managers                    prohibits an affiliated person of a                   provide economic benefits for all the
                                                                                                          registered investment company, or any                 participating Funds and their
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                                                  and/or officers.
                                                     2. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that             affiliated person of such a person, from              shareholders. Section 18(f)(1) of the Act
                                                  an exemptive order may be granted                       selling securities or other property to               prohibits open-end investment
                                                  where an exemption is necessary or                      the investment company. Section                       companies from issuing any senior
                                                  appropriate in the public interest and                  17(a)(2) of the Act generally prohibits an            security except that a company is
                                                  consistent with the protection of                       affiliated person of a registered                     permitted to borrow from any bank,
                                                  investors and the purposes fairly                       investment company, or any affiliated                 provided, that immediately after the
                                                  intended by the policy and provisions of                person of such a person, from                         borrowing, there is asset coverage of at


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                                                  30588                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 95 / Tuesday, May 17, 2016 / Notices

                                                  least 300 per centum for all borrowings                 or less advantageous than that of other               Program or from any other source if its
                                                  of the company. Under section 18(g) of                  participating Funds.                                  total outstanding borrowings
                                                  the Act, the term ‘‘senior security’’                                                                         immediately after the borrowing would
                                                                                                          Applicants’ Conditions
                                                  generally includes any bond, debenture,                                                                       be more than 331⁄3% of its total assets
                                                  note or similar obligation or instrument                   Applicants agree that any order                    or any lower threshold provided for by
                                                  constituting a security and evidencing                  granting the requested relief will be                 a Fund’s fundamental restriction or non-
                                                  indebtedness. Applicants request                        subject to the following conditions:                  fundamental policy.
                                                  exemptive relief under section 6(c) from                   1. The Interfund Loan Rate will be the                5. Before any Fund that has
                                                  section 18(f)(1) to the limited extent                  average of the Repo Rate and the Bank                 outstanding interfund borrowings may,
                                                  necessary to implement the InterFund                    Loan Rate.                                            through additional borrowings, cause its
                                                  Program (because the lending Funds are                     2. On each business day, when an
                                                                                                                                                                outstanding borrowings from all sources
                                                  not banks).                                             interfund loan is to be made, the
                                                                                                                                                                to exceed 10% of its total assets, it must
                                                                                                          InterFund Program Team will compare
                                                     7. Applicants believe that granting                                                                        first secure each outstanding Interfund
                                                                                                          the Bank Loan Rate with the Repo Rate
                                                  relief under section 6(c) is appropriate                                                                      Loan to a Fund by the pledge of
                                                                                                          and will make cash available for
                                                  because the Funds would remain                                                                                segregated collateral with a market
                                                                                                          Interfund Loans only if the Interfund
                                                  subject to the requirement of section                                                                         value at least equal to 102% of the
                                                                                                          Loan Rate is: (a) More favorable to the
                                                  18(f)(1) that all borrowings of a Fund,                                                                       outstanding principal value of the loan.
                                                                                                          lending Fund than the Repo Rate; and
                                                  including combined Interfund Loans                                                                            If the total outstanding borrowings of a
                                                                                                          (b) more favorable to the borrowing
                                                  and bank borrowings, have at least                      Fund than the Bank Loan Rate.                         Fund with outstanding Interfund Loans
                                                  300% asset coverage. Based on the                          3. If a Fund has outstanding Bank                  exceed 10% of its total assets for any
                                                  conditions and safeguards described in                  Borrowings, any Interfund Loan to the                 other reason (such as a decline in net
                                                  the application, applicants also submit                 Fund will: (a) Be at an interest rate                 asset value or because of shareholder
                                                  that to allow the Funds to borrow from                  equal to or lower than the interest rate              redemptions), the Fund will within one
                                                  other Funds pursuant to the proposed                    of any outstanding bank loan; (b) be                  business day thereafter either: (a) Repay
                                                  InterFund Program is consistent with                    secured at least on an equal priority                 all its outstanding Interfund Loans to
                                                  the purposes and policies of section                    basis with at least an equivalent                     other Funds; (b) reduce its outstanding
                                                  18(f)(1).                                               percentage of collateral to loan value as             indebtedness to other Funds to 10% or
                                                     8. Section 17(d) of the Act and rule                 any outstanding bank loan that requires               less of its total assets; or (c) secure each
                                                  17d–1 under the Act generally prohibit                  collateral; (c) have a maturity no longer             outstanding Interfund Loan to other
                                                  an affiliated person of a registered                    than any outstanding bank loan (and in                Funds by the pledge of segregated
                                                  investment company, or any affiliated                   any event not over seven days); and (d)               collateral with a market value at least
                                                  person of such a person, when acting as                 provide that, if an event of default                  equal to 102% of the outstanding
                                                  principal, from effecting any joint                     occurs under any agreement evidencing                 principal value of the loan until the
                                                  transaction in which the investment                     an outstanding bank loan to the Fund,                 Fund’s total outstanding borrowings
                                                  company participates, unless, upon                      that event of default by the Fund, will               cease to exceed 10% of its total assets,
                                                  application, the transaction has been                   automatically (without need for action                at which time the collateral called for by
                                                  approved by the Commission. Rule 17d–                   or notice by the lending Fund)                        this condition 5 shall no longer be
                                                  1(b) under the Act provides that in                     constitute an immediate event of default              required. Until each Interfund Loan that
                                                  passing upon an application filed under                 under the interfund lending agreement                 is outstanding at any time that a Fund’s
                                                  the rule, the Commission will consider                  which both (i) entitles the lending Fund              total outstanding borrowings exceed
                                                  whether the participation of the                        to call the Interfund Loan immediately                10% of its total assets is repaid or the
                                                  registered investment company in a                      and exercise all rights with respect to               Fund’s total outstanding borrowings
                                                  joint enterprise, joint arrangement or                  any collateral and (ii) causes the call to            cease to exceed 10% of its total assets,
                                                  profit sharing plan on the basis                        be made if the lending bank exercises its             the Fund will mark the value of the
                                                  proposed is consistent with the                         right to call its loan under its agreement            collateral to market each day and will
                                                  provisions, policies and purposes of the                with the borrowing Fund.                              pledge such additional collateral as is
                                                  Act and the extent to which such                           4. A Fund may borrow on an                         necessary to maintain the market value
                                                  participation is on a basis different from              unsecured basis through the InterFund                 of the collateral that secures each
                                                  or less advantageous than that of the                   Program only if the relevant borrowing                outstanding Interfund Loan to Funds at
                                                  other participants.                                     Fund’s outstanding borrowings from all                least equal to 102% of the outstanding
                                                     9. Applicants assert that the purpose                sources immediately after the interfund               principal value of the Interfund Loans.
                                                  of section 17(d) is to avoid overreaching               borrowing total 10% or less of its total                 6. No Fund may lend to another Fund
                                                  by and an unfair advantage to insiders.                 assets, provided that if the borrowing                through the InterFund Program if the
                                                  Applicants assert that the InterFund                    Fund has a secured loan outstanding                   loan would cause the lending Fund’s
                                                  Program is consistent with the                          from any other lender, including but not              aggregate outstanding loans through the
                                                  provisions, policies and purposes of the                limited to another Fund, the lending                  InterFund Program to exceed 15% of its
                                                  Act in that it offers both reduced                      Fund’s Interfund Loan will be secured                 current net assets at the time of the loan.
                                                  borrowing costs and enhanced returns                    on at least an equal priority basis with                 7. A Fund’s Interfund Loans to any
                                                  on loaned funds to all participating                    at least an equivalent percentage of                  one Fund shall not exceed 5% of the
                                                  Funds and their shareholders.                           collateral to loan value as any                       lending Fund’s net assets.
                                                  Applicants note that each Fund would                    outstanding loan that requires collateral.               8. The duration of Interfund Loans
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                                                  have an equal opportunity to borrow                     If a borrowing Fund’s total outstanding               will be limited to the time required to
                                                  and lend on equal terms consistent with                 borrowings immediately after an                       receive payment for securities sold, but
                                                  its investment policies and fundamental                 Interfund Loan would be greater than                  in no event more than seven days. Loans
                                                  investment limitations. Applicants                      10% of its total assets, the Fund may                 effected within seven days of each other
                                                  assert that each Fund’s participation in                borrow through the InterFund Program                  will be treated as separate loan
                                                  the proposed InterFund Program would                    only on a secured basis. A Fund may                   transactions for purposes of this
                                                  be on terms that are no different from                  not borrow through the InterFund                      condition.


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                                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 95 / Tuesday, May 17, 2016 / Notices                                                      30589

                                                     9. A Fund’s borrowings through the                   which any transaction by it under the                    implemented procedures reasonably
                                                  InterFund Program, as measured on the                   InterFund Program occurred, the first                    designed to achieve compliance with
                                                  day when the most recent loan was                       two years in an easily accessible place,                 the terms and conditions of the order. In
                                                  made, will not exceed the greater of                    written records of all such transactions                 particular, such certification will
                                                  125% of the Fund’s total net cash                       setting forth a description of the terms                 address procedures designed to achieve
                                                  redemptions for the preceding seven                     of the transaction, including the                        the following objectives:
                                                  calendar days or 102% of a Fund’s sales                 amount, the maturity and the Interfund                     (a) That the Interfund Loan Rate will
                                                  fails for the preceding seven calendar                  Loan Rate, the rate of interest available                be higher than the Repo Rate but lower
                                                  days.                                                   at the time each Interfund Loan is made                  than the Bank Loan Rate;
                                                     10. Each Interfund Loan may be called                on overnight repurchase agreements and                     (b) compliance with the collateral
                                                  on one business day’s notice by a                       Bank Borrowings, and such other                          requirements as set forth in the
                                                  lending Fund and may be repaid on any                   information presented to the Boards of                   application;
                                                  day by a borrowing Fund.                                the Funds in connection with the                           (c) compliance with the percentage
                                                     11. A Fund’s participation in the                    review required by conditions 13 and                     limitations on interfund borrowing and
                                                  InterFund Program must be consistent                    14.                                                      lending;
                                                  with its investment restrictions,                          16. In the event an Interfund Loan is                   (d) allocation of interfund borrowing
                                                  policies, limitations and organizational                not paid according to its terms and the                  and lending demand in an equitable
                                                  documents.                                              default is not cured within two business                 manner and in accordance with
                                                     12. The InterFund Program Team will                  days from its maturity or from the time                  procedures established by the Board;
                                                  calculate total Fund borrowing and                      the lending Fund makes a demand for                      and
                                                  lending demand through the InterFund                    payment under the provisions of the                        (e) that the Interfund Loan Rate does
                                                  Program, and allocate Interfund Loans                   interfund lending agreement, the                         not exceed the interest rate on any third
                                                  on an equitable basis among the Funds,                  Adviser to the lending Fund promptly                     party borrowings of a borrowing Fund at
                                                  without the intervention of any portfolio               will refer the loan for arbitration to an                the time of the Interfund Loan.
                                                  manager. The InterFund Program Team                     independent arbitrator selected by the                     Additionally, each Fund’s
                                                  will not solicit cash for the InterFund                 Board of any Fund involved in the loan                   independent registered public
                                                  Program from any Fund or prospectively                  who will serve as arbitrator of disputes                 accountants, in connection with their
                                                  publish or disseminate loan demand                      concerning Interfund Loans.3 The                         audit examination of the Fund, will
                                                  data to portfolio managers. The                         arbitrator will resolve any problem                      review the operation of the InterFund
                                                  InterFund Program Team will invest all                  promptly, and the arbitrator’s decision                  Program for compliance with the
                                                  amounts remaining after satisfaction of                 will be binding on both Funds. The                       conditions of the application and their
                                                  borrowing demand in accordance with                     arbitrator will submit, at least annually,               review will form the basis, in part, of
                                                  the standing instructions of the relevant               a written report to the Board of each                    the auditor’s report on internal
                                                  portfolio manager or such remaining                     Fund setting forth a description of the                  accounting controls in Form N–SAR.
                                                  amounts will be invested directly by the                nature of any dispute and the actions                      18. No Fund will participate in the
                                                  portfolio managers of the Funds.                        taken by the Funds to resolve the                        InterFund Program, upon receipt of
                                                     13. The InterFund Program Team will                  dispute.                                                 requisite regulatory approval, unless it
                                                  monitor the Interfund Loan Rate                            17. The Advisers will prepare and                     has fully disclosed in its registration
                                                  charged and the other terms and                         submit to the Board for review an initial                statement on Form N–1A (or any
                                                  conditions of the Interfund Loans and                   report describing the operations of the                  successor form adopted by the
                                                  will make a quarterly report to the                     InterFund Program and the procedures                     Commission) all material facts about its
                                                  Boards concerning the participation of                  to be implemented to ensure that all                     intended participation.
                                                  the Funds in the InterFund Program and                  Funds are treated fairly. After the
                                                  the terms and other conditions of any                                                                              For the Commission, by the Division of
                                                                                                          commencement of the InterFund
                                                  extensions of credit under the InterFund                                                                         Investment Management, under delegated
                                                                                                          Program, the Advisers will report on the                 authority.
                                                  Program.                                                operations of the InterFund Program at
                                                     14. Each Board, including a majority                                                                          Robert W. Errett,
                                                                                                          each Board’s quarterly meetings. Each
                                                  of its Independent Board Members, will:                                                                          Deputy Secretary.
                                                                                                          Fund’s chief compliance officer, as
                                                     (a) Review, no less frequently than                  defined in rule 38a–1(a)(4) under the                    [FR Doc. 2016–11534 Filed 5–16–16; 8:45 am]
                                                  quarterly, the participation of each Fund               Act, shall prepare an annual report for                  BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                                  it oversees in the InterFund Program                    its Board each year that the Fund
                                                  during the preceding quarter for                        participates in the InterFund Program,
                                                  compliance with the conditions of any                   that evaluates the Fund’s compliance                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                                  order permitting such participation;                    with the terms and conditions of the                     COMMISSION
                                                     (b) establish the Bank Loan Rate                     application and the procedures
                                                  formula used to determine the interest                  established to achieve such compliance.                  [Release No. 34–77808; File No. SR–
                                                  rate on Interfund Loans;                                Each Fund’s chief compliance officer                     NYSEMKT–2016–51]
                                                     (c) review, no less frequently than
                                                                                                          will also annually file a certification
                                                  annually, the continuing                                                                                         Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE
                                                                                                          pursuant to Item 77Q3 of Form N–SAR
                                                  appropriateness of the Bank Loan Rate                                                                            MKT LLC; Notice of Filing and
                                                                                                          as such form may be revised, amended
                                                  formula; and                                                                                                     Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed
                                                                                                          or superseded from time to time, for
jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                     (d) review, no less frequently than                                                                           Rule Change To Amend Rule 98—
                                                  annually, the continuing                                each year that the Fund participates in
                                                                                                                                                                   Equities
                                                  appropriateness of the participation in                 the InterFund Program, that certifies
                                                  the InterFund Program by each Fund it                   that the Fund and its Adviser have                       May 11, 2016.
                                                  oversees.                                                                                                          Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) 1 of the
                                                                                                            3 Ifthe dispute involves Funds that do not have
                                                     15. Each Fund will maintain and                                                                               Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
                                                                                                          a common Board, the Board of each affected Fund
                                                  preserve for a period of not less than six              will select an independent arbitrator that is
                                                  years from the end of the fiscal year in                satisfactory to each Fund.                                 1 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).



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Document Created: 2018-02-07 15:06:03
Document Modified: 2018-02-07 15:06:03
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice of an application for an order pursuant to: (a) Section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Act'') granting an exemption from sections 18(f) and 21(b) of the Act; (b) section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act granting an exemption from section 12(d)(1) of the Act; (c) sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act granting an exemption from sections 17(a)(1), 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Act; and (d) section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d-1 under the Act to permit certain joint arrangements and transactions.
DatesThe application was filed on October 5, 2015, and amended on January 28, 2016 and May 10, 2016.
ContactMark N. Zaruba, Senior Counsel, at (202) 551-6878 or Mary Kay Frech, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6821 (Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).
FR Citation81 FR 30585 

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