0001752724-18-002920.txt : 20181214 0001752724-18-002920.hdr.sgml : 20181214 20181214142618 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001752724-18-002920 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: N-CEN PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 6 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20180930 FILED AS OF DATE: 20181214 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20181214 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20181214 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000038721 IRS NUMBER: 132573775 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 0930 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: N-CEN SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-00537 FILM NUMBER: 181235333 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY CITY: SAN MATEO STATE: CA ZIP: 94403-1906 BUSINESS PHONE: 650-312-2000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY CITY: SAN MATEO STATE: CA ZIP: 94403-1906 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920703 N-CEN 1 primary_doc.xml X0101 N-CEN LIVE 0000038721 XXXXXXXX 811-00537 true N-1A true FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS 811-00537 0000038721 549300PYEMTLTOE2MK86 ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY SAN MATEO 94403-1906 US-CA US 6503122000 FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY SAN MATEO 94403-1906 6503122000 Accounting records as required to be maintained by the Investment Company Act Y N N-1A 6 Y J. Michael Luttig N/A N Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. N/A Y Harris J. Ashton N/A N Terrence J. Checki N/A N Mary C. Choksi N/A N Edith E. Holiday N/A N John B. Wilson N/A N Larry D. Thompson N/A N Gregory E. Johnson N/A Y Robert C. Rosselot N/A 300 S.E. 2nd Street Fort Lauderdale 33301-1923 XXXXXX N N N N N N Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. 8-5889 000000332 N/A Y N PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP 238 N/A N N N N N N Franklin Growth Fund S000006755 549300HNBBCTK2YQED48 Y 5 0 0 N/A N N Y N N/A N/A N/A Rule 22d-1 (17 CFR 270.22d-1) Rule 32a-4 (17 CFR 270.32a-4) Y Y N N FRANKLIN ADVISERS, INC. 801-26292 000104517 N/A N Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC 84-1036 N/A Y N N Intercontinental Exchange, Inc 13-3668779 TIN N Markit North America, Inc. 13-4153988 TIN N Bloomberg Finance L.P. 5493001KJTIIGC8Y1R12 N/A N Securities Evaluations, Inc. 13-3186551 N Thomson Reuters (Markets) LLC 549300561UZND4C7B569 N/A CA N Y SKANDINAVISKA ENSKILDA BANKEN N/A SE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) DEUTSCHE BANK AG N/A ID N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON N/A NL N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) DBS BANK LTD. N/A SG N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation N/A HK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON N/A N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORP LTD. N/A TH N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) THE STANDARD BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA LTD. N/A ZA N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB N/A DK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) National Australia Bank N/A AU N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon N/A GB N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibanamex N/A MX N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Europe Plc N/A PT N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON SA/NV N/A IT N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HSBC BANK CHINA CO LTD N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd N/A JP N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Europe Plc N/A BE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of NY Mellon SA/NV N/A DE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORP LTD. N/A LK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORP LTD. 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N/A JP N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited N/A HK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited N/A NZ N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV N/A DE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) CIBC Mellon Trust Company N/A CA N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon N/A GB N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV N/A NL N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Euroclear Bank N/A GB N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited N/A HK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon N/A IE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HSBC Bank (China) N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) DBS Bank Ltd. N/A SG N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Deutsche Bank AG N/A ID N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited N/A ZA N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibanamex N/A MX N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) BNP Paribas Securities Services N/A FR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of NY Mellon SA/NV N/A DE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC N/A Y N Self - rule 17f-2 (17 CFR 270.17f-2) Citibank Europe Plc N/A BE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) N FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC 84-1036 Y N N FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC 801-31192 Y N N MIZUHO INTL PLC N/A N/A N/A 145901.00000000 UBS SECURITIES LLC 8-22651 000007654 N/A 45738.00000000 NESBITT BURNS SECURITIES INC. 8-50538 000044057 N/A CA 37319.00000000 DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC. 8-17822 000002525 N/A 61821.00000000 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO 8-129 000000361 N/A 48906.00000000 CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP 8-18333 000000630 N/A 23201.00000000 LIQUID NET 8-52461 000103987 N/A 40444.00000000 INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP INC IS YATIRIM MENKUL DEGERLER AS 8-44218 000029299 N/A 34192.00000000 JP MORGAN SECURITIES LLC 8-35008 000000079 N/A 41223.00000000 MORGAN STANLEY & CO INC 8-15869 000008209 N/A 76354.00000000 755601.00000000 CREDIT SUISSE HOLDINGS (USA), INC. 8-422 000000816 N/A 45966900.00000000 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO 8-129 000000361 N/A 42997850.00000000 88964750.00000000 Y 6031719295.06600000 Committed 2000000000.00000000 N N N Franklin Income Fund S000006756 2I64NSETYA60QJ4H0C97 Y 6 2 1 N/A N N Y N N BNY Mellon HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Revenue sharing split 52992622.00000000 1784265.00000000 Rule 32a-4 (17 CFR 270.32a-4) Rule 22d-1 (17 CFR 270.22d-1) Y Y N N Franklin Advisers, Inc. 801-26292 000104517 N/A N Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC 84-1036 N/A Y N N Markit North America, Inc. 13-4153988 N/A N Securities Evaluations, Inc. 13-3186551 N/A N Bloomberg Finance L.P. 5493001KJTIIGC8Y1R12 N/A N Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. 13-3668779 N/A N Thomson Reuters (Markets) LLC 549300561UZND4C7B569 N/A CA N Y Euroclear Bank N/A GB N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Deutsche Bank AG, Manila Makiti City, Phillippines N/A PH N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank, N.A. Sucursal de Lima San Isidro, Lima N/A PE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV Brussels, Belgium N/A NL N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, New Zealand Branch N/A NZ N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) BNP Paribas Securities Services, Paris N/A FR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Banking Corporation Colombo N/A LK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank, N.A., Brazilian Branch Sao Paulo N/A BR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC N/A N Y Self - rule 17f-2 (17 CFR 270.17f-2) Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, Stockholm N/A SE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Credit Suisse AG Zurich N/A CH N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Bangkok N/A TH N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon London N/A IE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Australia Branch N/A AU N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon London N/A GB N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Argentina Buenos Aires N/A AR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Europe Plc, Sucursal em Portugal N/A PT N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of NY Mellon SA/NV Asset Servicing, Niederlassung Frankfurt am Main N/A DE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon New York N/A N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB Copenhagen Branch N/A DK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Europe Plc, UK branch Belgium N/A BE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibanamex Mexico City N/A MX N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV N/A IT N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited, Shenzhen N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) CIBC Mellon Trust Company Toronto N/A CA N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) DBS Bank Ltd. Singapore N/A SG N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, Helsinki Branch N/A FI N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. Tokyo N/A JP N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Madrid N/A ES N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Standard Bank of South Africa South Africa Limited N/A ZA N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Hong Kong N/A HK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) N Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC 84-1036 Y N N Franklin Templeton Services, LLC 801-31192 Y N N JP MORGAN SECURITIES LLC 8-35008 000000079 N/A 1733304.00000000 WELLS FARGO INVESTMENTS LLC (Formerly WACHOVIA SECURITIES INC) 8-38588 000010582 N/A 945517.00000000 UBS SECURITIES LLC 8-22651 000007654 N/A 1422675.00000000 INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP INC IS YATIRIM MENKUL DEGERLER AS 8-44218 000029299 N/A 1002179.00000000 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH INC (FORMELYBANK OF AMERICA NA) 8-7221 000007691 N/A 1476323.00000000 ROSENBLATT SECS INC 8-24255 000018377 N/A 1169729.00000000 CREDIT SUISSE HOLDINGS (USA), INC. 8-422 000000816 N/A 3582945.00000000 LIQUID NET 8-52461 000103987 N/A 3338132.00000000 MORGAN STANLEY & CO INC 8-15869 000008209 N/A 3425654.00000000 KNIGHT EQUITY MARKETS L P 8-48311 000038599 N/A 1643327.00000000 23557177.00000000 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC 8-8077 000007059 N/A 4185819075.00000000 DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC. 8-17822 000002525 N/A 8244574326.00000000 JP MORGAN SECURITIES LLC 8-35008 000000079 N/A 7018566549.99481390 CREDIT SUISSE HOLDINGS (USA), INC. 8-422 000000816 N/A 2623838722.00000000 WELLS FARGO INVESTMENTS LLC (Formerly WACHOVIA SECURITIES INC) 8-38588 000010582 N/A 2177393350.00000000 BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC. 8-41342 000019714 N/A 4930941917.10802650 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO 8-129 000000361 N/A 4572309572.00000000 NOMURA SECURITIES LTD 8-15255 000004297 N/A 1851601134.00000000 UBS SECURITIES LLC 8-22651 000007654 N/A 2884323365.00000000 MORGAN STANLEY & CO INC 8-15869 000008209 N/A 3049585513.00000000 55294804360.00000000 Y 79779503401.00000000 Committed 2000000000.00000000 N N N Franklin Focused Growth Fund S000053414 549300PRJOZI51M13V96 Y 5 0 0 N/A N N N N N/A N/A N/A Rule 32a-4 (17 CFR 270.32a-4) Rule 22d-1 (17 CFR 270.22d-1) Y Y N N FRANKLIN ADVISERS, INC. 801-26292 000104517 N/A N Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC 84-1036 N/A Y N N Securities Evaluations, Inc. 13-3186551 TIN N Thomson Reuters (Markets) LLC 549300561UZND4C7B569 N/A CA N Markit North America, Inc. 13-4153988 TIN N Bloomberg Finance L.P. 5493001KJTIIGC8Y1R12 N/A N Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. 13-3668779 TIN N Y THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON SA/NV N/A DE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) CIBC Mellon Trust Company N/A CA N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Banco Bilbao Vizcaya N/A ES N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB N/A DK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Credit Suisse AG N/A CH N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Europe Plc N/A BE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) CITIBANK N.A N/A BR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corp Ltd. 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(TORONTO) N/A N/A N/A CA 5.00000000 KNIGHT EQUITY MARKETS L P 8-48311 000038599 N/A 51.00000000 332.00000000 COWEN AND CO LLC 8-22522 000007616 N/A 2600.00000000 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH INC (FORMELYBANK OF AMERICA NA) 8-7221 000007691 N/A 1600.00000000 JEFFERIES & CO INC 8-15074 000002347 N/A 1400.00000000 CREDIT SUISSE HOLDINGS (USA), INC. 8-422 000000816 N/A 10900.00000000 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO 8-129 000000361 N/A 45300.00000000 MORGAN STANLEY & CO INC 8-15869 000008209 N/A 17926.00000000 JP MORGAN SECURITIES LLC 8-35008 000000079 N/A 39418.00000000 U.S. BANCORP PIPER JAFFRAY INC. 8-15204 000000665 N/A 3400.00000000 122544.00000000 Y 3815234.00000000 Committed 2000000000.00000000 N N N Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund S000006757 54930004V2YVWZM45R57 Y 6 2 1 N/A N N Y N N/A N/A N/A Rule 22d-1 (17 CFR 270.22d-1) Rule 32a-4 (17 CFR 270.32a-4) Y Y N N FRANKLIN ADVISERS, INC. 801-26292 000104517 N/A N Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC 84-1036 N/A Y N N Thomson Reuters (Markets) LLC 549300561UZND4C7B569 N/A CA N Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. 13-3668779 TIN N Markit North America, Inc. 13-4153988 TIN N Securities Evaluations, Inc. 13-3186551 TIN N Bloomberg Finance L.P. 5493001KJTIIGC8Y1R12 N/A N Y FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC N/A Y N Self - rule 17f-2 (17 CFR 270.17f-2) THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON N/A N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) N FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC N/A Y N N FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC N/A Y N N 0.00000000 JP MORGAN SECURITIES LLC 8-35008 000000079 N/A 385208677.00000000 RBC DAIN RAUSCHER INC 8-45411 000031194 N/A 301466769.00000000 BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CO 8-32682 000015794 N/A 193846083.00000000 AMHERST SECURITIES 8-68282 000150696 N/A 281548754.00000000 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH INC 8-7221 000007691 N/A 1612391053.00000000 BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC. 8-41342 000019714 N/A 482649708.00000000 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC 8-8177 000007059 N/A 806667778.00000000 WELLS FARGO BANK NA 8-76987 000165024 N/A 154060547.00000000 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO 8-129 000000361 N/A 85302797.00000000 BMO CAPITAL MARKETS CORP 8-34344 000016686 N/A 77896095.00000000 4448599479.00000000 Y 5420057403.00000000 Committed 2000000000.00000000 N N N Franklin DynaTech Fund S000006754 549300ZT4KNXE58HPQ47 Y 5 0 0 N/A N N Y N N/A N/A N/A Rule 22d-1 (17 CFR 270.22d-1) Rule 32a-4 (17 CFR 270.32a-4) Y Y N N FRANKLIN ADVISERS, INC. 801-26292 000104517 N/A N Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC 84-1036 N/A Y N N Markit North America, Inc. 13-4153988 N/A N Securities Evaluations, Inc. 13-3186551 N/A N Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. 13-3668779 N/A N Thomson Reuters (Markets) LLC 549300561UZND4C7B569 N/A CA N Bloomberg Finance L.P. 5493001KJTIIGC8Y1R12 N/A N Y DBS Bank Ltd N/A SG N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon N/A GB N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank, N.A., N/A BR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB N/A NO N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibanamex N/A MX N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon N/A IE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Europe Plc, UK branch N/A BE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) HSBC Bank (China) Co Ltd. N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon N/A N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation N/A LK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Deutsche Bank AG N/A IN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Skandinaviska Enskilda N/A SE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV N/A NL N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Banco Bilbao Vizcaya N/A ES N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Euroclear Bank N/A BE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Deutsche Bank AG N/A ID N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Deutsche Bank AG N/A KR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited N/A AU N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV N/A IT N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Deutsche Bank AG N/A PH N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Europe Plc N/A PT N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. N/A JP N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB N/A DK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Standard Bank of South Africa N/A ZA N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Credit Suisse AG N/A CH N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken N/A FI N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC N/A Y N Self - rule 17f-2 (17 CFR 270.17f-2) HSBC Bank (China) Co Ltd. N/A CN N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) BNP Paribas Securities Services N/A FR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited N/A NZ N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) The Bank of NY Mellon SA/NV N/A DE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) CIBC Mellon Trust Company N/A CA N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation N/A HK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Citibank Argentina N/A AR N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation N/A TH N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) N FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC N/A Y N N Franklin Templeton Services, LLC N/A Y N N JMP SECURITIES LLC 8-39613 000022208 N/A 47520.00000000 INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP INC IS YATIRIM MENKUL DEGERLER AS 8-44218 000029299 N/A 60446.00000000 MORGAN STANLEY & CO INC 8-15869 000008209 N/A 142847.00000000 KNIGHT EQUITY MARKETS L P 8-48311 000038599 N/A 113598.00000000 LIQUID NET 8-52461 000103987 N/A 51250.00000000 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO 8-129 000000361 N/A 178489.00000000 ROBERT W BAIRD & CO INC 8-497 000008158 N/A 43957.00000000 JP MORGAN SECURITIES LLC 8-35008 000000079 N/A 46551.00000000 STIFEL NICKOLAUS & CO., INC. 8-1447 000000793 N/A 74803.00000000 NESBITT BURNS SECURITIES INC. 8-50538 000044057 N/A CA 44265.00000000 1252511.00000000 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH INC (FORMELYBANK OF AMERICA NA) 8-7221 000007691 N/A 4131400.00000000 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO 8-129 000000361 N/A 45522800.00000000 MORGAN STANLEY & CO INC 8-15869 000008209 N/A 17885800.00000000 JP MORGAN SECURITIES LLC 8-35008 000000079 N/A 13414395.00000000 U.S. BANCORP PIPER JAFFRAY INC. 8-15204 000000665 N/A 2733600.00000000 CREDIT SUISSE HOLDINGS (USA), INC. 8-422 000000816 N/A 15549150.00000000 JEFFERIES & CO INC 8-15074 000002347 N/A 1240400.00000000 COWEN AND CO LLC 8-22522 000007616 N/A 3604900.00000000 104082445.00000000 Y 5301667187.00000000 Committed 2000000000.00000000 N N N OTHER REQUIRED INFO 2 C20_a_iv_1_0918.txt INFORMATION PERTAINING TO C.20.A.IV.1 C.20.a.iv.1 Name of fund SEC File numbers Franklin California Tax Free Income Fund 811-02790 Franklin California Tax Free Trust 811-04356 Franklin Custodian Funds 811-00537 Franklin Federal Tax Free Income Fund 811-03395 Franklin Floating Rate Master Trust 811-09869 Franklin Fund Allocator Series 811-07851 Franklin Global Trust 811-10157 Franklin Gold and Precious Metals Fund 811-01700 Franklin High Income Trust 811-01608 Franklin Investors Securities Trust 811-04986 Franklin Managed Trust 811-04894 Franklin Municipal Securities Trust 811-06418 Franklin Mutual Series Funds 811-05387 Franklin New York Tax Free Income Fund 811-03479 Franklin New York Tax Free Trust 811-04787 Franklin Real Estate Securities Trust 811-08034 Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio 811-07288 Franklin Strategic Series 811-06243 Franklin Tax Free Trust 811-04149 Franklin Templeton Global Trust 811-04450 Franklin Templeton International Trust 811-06336 Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust 811-05583 Franklin Value Investors Trust 811-05878 Templeton China World Fund 811-07876 Templeton Developing Markets Trust 811-06378 Templeton Funds 811-02781 Templeton Global Investment Trust 811-08226 Templeton Global Opportunities Trust 811-05914 Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund 811-03143 Templeton Growth Fund Inc 811-04892 Templeton Income Trust 811-04706 Templeton Institutional Funds 811-06134 INTERNAL CONTROL RPT 3 FCF_Audit_Letter.txt REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of Franklin Custodian Funds In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of Franklin US Government Securities Fund, Franklin Growth Fund, Franklin Utilities Fund, Franklin Dynatech Fund, Franklin Income Fund, and Franklin Focused Growth Fund (collectively the "Funds") as of and for the year ended September 30, 2018, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB"), we considered the Funds' internal control over financial reporting, including controls over safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds' internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds' internal control over financial reporting. The management of the Funds is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls. A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of a company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Our consideration of the Funds' internal control over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the PCAOB. However, we noted no deficiencies in the Funds' internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including controls over safeguarding securities, that we consider to be a material weakness as defined above as of September 30, 2018. This report is intended solely for the information and use of the Board of Trustees of Franklin Custodian Funds and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties. /s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP San Francisco, California November 29, 2018 INST DEFINING RIGHTS 4 FCF_G_1_b_ii_0918.txt TERMS OF NEW OR AMENDED SECURITIES NAME OF REGISTRANT: FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS File No. 811-00537 EXHIBIT ITEM: Terms of new or amended securities GOF P10 06/18 SUPPLEMENT DATED JUNE 8, 2018 TO THE CURRENTLY EFFECTIVE PROSPECTUS OF EACH OF THE FUNDS LISTED BELOW Franklin Custodian Funds Franklin Dynatech Fund Franklin Focused Growth Fund Franklin Growth Fund Franklin Income Fund Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund Franklin Utilities Fund Notice of Automatic Conversion of Class C Shares to Class A Shares after 10-Year Holding Period At Board meetings held on February 26 and 27, 2018, the Board of Trustees approved an automatic conversion feature for the Fund's Class C shares (which includes Class C1 shares as applicable) that will automatically convert shareholders' Class C shares into Class A shares of the same Fund after they have been held for 10 years. After conversion, your new shares will be subject to Class A shares' lower Rule 12b-1 fees. The conversion feature will become effective on or about October 5, 2018. Later that month Class C shares of the Fund that have been outstanding for 10 years or more will automatically convert to Class A shares of such Fund on the basis of the relative net asset values of the two classes. Thereafter, Class C shares of the Fund will convert automatically to Class A shares of such Fund on a monthly basis in the month of, or the month following, the 10-year anniversary of the Class C shares' purchase date. Class C shares of the Fund acquired through automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions will convert to Class A shares of the Fund on the conversion date pro rata with the converting Class C shares of the Fund that were not acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions. Shareholders will not pay a sales charge, including a contingent deferred sales charge, upon the conversion of their Class C shares to Class A shares pursuant to this conversion feature. The automatic conversion of the Fund's Class C shares into Class A shares after the 10-year holding period is not expected to be a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisor regarding the state and local tax consequences of such conversions. Class C shares held through a financial intermediary in an omnibus account will be converted into Class A shares only if the intermediary can document that the shareholder has met the required holding period. In certain circumstances, when shares are invested through retirement plans, omnibus accounts, and in certain other instances, the Fund and its agents may not have transparency into how long a shareholder has held Class C shares for purposes of determining whether such Class C shares are eligible for automatic conversion into Class A shares and the financial intermediary may not have the ability to track purchases to credit individual shareholders' holding periods. This primarily occurs when shares are invested through certain record keepers for group retirement plans, where the intermediary cannot track share aging at the participant level. In these circumstances, the Fund will not be able to automatically convert Class C shares into Class A shares as described above. In order to determine eligibility for conversion in these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the shareholder or their financial intermediary to notify the Fund that the shareholder is eligible for the conversion of Class C shares to Class A shares, and the shareholder or their financial intermediary may be required to maintain and provide the Fund with records that substantiate the holding period of Class C shares. It is the financial intermediary's (and not the Fund's) responsibility to keep records and to ensure that the shareholder is credited with the proper holding period. Please consult with your financial intermediary about your shares' eligibility for this conversion feature. Also effective October 5, 2018, new accounts or plans may not be eligible to purchase Class C shares of the Fund if it is determined that the intermediary cannot track shareholder holding periods to determine whether a shareholder's Class C shares are eligible for conversion to Class A shares. Accounts or plans (and their successor, related and affiliated plans) that have Class C shares of the Fund available to participants on or before October 5, 2018, may continue to open accounts for new participants in such share class and purchase additional shares in existing participant accounts. The Fund has no responsibility for overseeing, monitoring or implementing a financial intermediary's process for determining whether a shareholder meets the required holding period for conversion. A financial intermediary may sponsor and/or control accounts, programs or platforms that impose a different conversion schedule or different eligibility requirements for the conversion of Class C shares into Class A shares. In these cases, Class C shareholders may convert to Class A shares under the policies of the financial intermediary and the conversion may be structured as an exchange of Class C shares for Class A shares of the same Fund. Financial intermediaries will be responsible for making such exchanges in those circumstances. Please consult with your financial intermediary if you have any questions regarding your shares' conversion from Class C shares to Class A shares. MATERIAL AMENDMENTS 5 FCF_G_1_b_i_0918.txt MATERIAL AMENDMENTS TO AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST NAME OF REGISTRANT: FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS File No. 811-00537 EXHIBIT ITEM: Copies of any material amendments to the registrant's charter or by-laws AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST of FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS a Delaware Statutory Trust (Original Agreement and Declaration of Trust was adopted October 18, 2006; current Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust adopted May 18, 2018.) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Article I NAME;OFFICES;REGISTERED AGENT;DEFINITIONS 2 Section 1. Name 2 Section 2. Offices of the Trust 2 Section 3. Registered Agent and Registered Office 2 Section 4. Definitions 2 Article II PURPOSE OF TRUST 4 Article III SHARES 8 Section 1. Division of Beneficial Interest 8 Section 2. Ownership of Shares 9 Section 3. Sale of Shares 9 Section 4. Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability 10 Section 5. Power of Board of Trustees to Make Tax Status Election 10 Section 6. Establishment and Designation of Series and Classes 10 Section 7. Indemnification of Shareholders 14 Article IV THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 14 Section 1. Number, Election, Term, Removal and Resignation 14 Section 2. Trustee Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting 15 Section 3. Powers;Other Business Interests;Quorum and Required Vote 16 Section 4. Payment of Expenses by the Trust 18 Section 5. Payment of Expenses by Shareholders 18 Section 6. Ownership of Trust Property 18 Section 7. Service Contracts 19 Article V SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS 20 Section 1. Voting Powers 20 Section 2. Quorum and Required Vote 20 Section 3. Shareholder Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting 21 Section 4. Record Dates 21 Section 5. Additional Provisions 22 Article VI NET ASSET VALUE;DISTRIBUTIONS;REDEMPTIONS;TRANSFERS 23 Section 1. Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions 23 Section 2. Redemptions at the Option of a Shareholder 25 Section 3. Redemptions at the Option of the Trust 26 Section 4. Transfer of Shares 26 Article VII LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OF AGENT 27 Section 1. Limitation of Liability 27 Section 2. Indemnification 28 Section 3. Insurance 29 Section 4. Derivative Actions 30 Section 5. Jurisdiction and Waiver of Jury Trial 30 Article VIII CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS 31 Section 1. Dissolution of Trust or Series 31 Section 2. Merger or Consolidation;Conversion;Reorganization 32 Section 3. Master Feeder Structure 34 Section 4. Absence of Appraisal or Dissenters' Rights 34 Article IX AMENDMENTS 34 Section 1. Amendments Generally 34 Article X MISCELLANEOUS 35 Section 1. References;Headings;Counterparts 35 Section 2. Applicable Law 35 Section 3. Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations 36 Section 4. Statutory Trust Only 36 Section 5. Use of the Names "Franklin," "Templeton," "Fiduciary Trust," and/or "Institutional Fiduciary Trust" 36 AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST OF FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST made as of this 18th day of May, 2018, by the Trustees hereunder. WITNESSETH: WHEREAS Franklin Custodian Funds (the "Trust") was formed on October 18, 2006 under the name "Franklin Custodian Trust" by its Trustees by the filing of the Certificate of Trust with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated as of October 18, 2006 (the "Original Declaration of Trust"), and the name of the Trust was changed to "Franklin Custodian Funds" pursuant to the filing of a Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 4, 2007;and WHEREAS this Trust has been formed to carry on the business of an open-end management investment company as defined in the 1940 Act;and WHEREAS this Trust is authorized to divide its Shares into two or more Classes, to issue its Shares in separate Series, to divide Shares of any Series into two or more Classes and to issue Classes of the Trust or the Series, if any, all in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth;and WHEREAS the Trustees have agreed to manage all property coming into their hands as trustees of a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as amended from time to time, and the provisions hereinafter set forth; NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby declare that: (i) all cash, securities and other assets that the Trust may from time to time acquire in any manner shall be managed and disposed of upon the following terms and conditions as hereinafter set forth;and (ii) this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws shall be binding in accordance with their terms on every Trustee, by virtue of having become a Trustee of the Trust, and on every Shareholder, by virtue of having become a Shareholder of the Trust, pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws. ARTICLE I NAME;OFFICES;REGISTERED AGENT;DEFINITIONS Section 1. Name. This Trust shall be known as "Franklin Custodian Funds" and the Board of Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name, or any other name as it may from time to time designate. The Trustees may, without Shareholder approval, change the name of the Trust or any Series or Class. Any name change of any Series or Class shall become effective upon approval by the Trustees of such change or any document (including any registration statement) reflecting such change, or at such later time as may be approved by the Trustees. Any name change of the Trust shall become effective upon the filing of a certificate of amendment under the DSTA reflecting such change, or at such later time specified in such certificate of amendment. Any such action shall have the status of an amendment to this Declaration of Trust. In the event of any name change, the Trustees shall cause notice to be given to the affected Shareholders within a reasonable time after the implementation of such change, which notice will be deemed given if the changed name is reflected in any registration statement. The Trust shall constitute a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the DSTA. Section 2. Offices of the Trust. The Board may at any time establish offices of the Trust at any place or places where the Trust intends to do business. Section 3. Registered Agent and Registered Office. The name of the registered agent of the Trust and the address of the registered office of the Trust are as set forth in the Trust's Certificate of Trust. Section 4. Definitions. Whenever used herein, unless otherwise required by the context or specifically provided: (a) "1940 Act" shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as adopted or amended from time to time; (b) "Affiliate" shall have the same meaning as "affiliated person" as such term is defined in the 1940 Act when used with reference to a specified Person, as defined below. (c) "Board of Trustees" shall mean the governing body of the Trust, that is comprised of the number of Trustees of the Trust fixed from time to time pursuant to Article IV hereof, having the powers and duties set forth herein; (d) "By-Laws" shall mean By-Laws of the Trust, as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time in accordance with Article VIII therein. Such By-Laws may contain any provision not inconsistent with applicable law or this Declaration of Trust, relating to the governance of the Trust; (e) "Certificate of Trust" shall mean the certificate of trust of the Trust filed with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required under the DSTA to form the Trust, as such certificate shall be amended, restated or supplemented from time to time and filed with such office; (f) "Class" shall mean each class of Shares of the Trust or of a Series of the Trust established and designated under and in accordance with the provisions of Article III hereof; (g) "Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as adopted or amended from time to time; (h) "Commission" shall have the meaning given that term in the 1940 Act; (i) "DSTA" shall mean the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. C. 3801, et seq.), as amended from time to time; (j) "Declaration of Trust" shall mean this Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time; (k) "General Liabilities" shall have the meaning given it in Article III, Section 6(b) of this Declaration of Trust; (l) "Interested Person" shall have the meaning given that term in the 1940 Act; (m) "Investment Adviser" or "Adviser" shall mean a Person, as defined below, furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any investment advisory or investment management contract described in Article IV, Section 7(a) hereof; (n) "National Financial Emergency" shall mean the whole or any part of any period during (i) which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Trust of securities or other assets owned by the Trust is not reasonably practicable; (ii) which it is not reasonably practicable for the Trust fairly to determine the net asset value of its assets;or (iii) such other period as the Commission may by order permit for the protection of investors; (o) "Person" shall mean a natural person, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, trust, estate, association, corporation, organization, custodian, nominee or any other individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity, in each case, whether domestic or foreign, and a statutory trust or a foreign statutory or business trust; (p) "Principal Underwriter" shall have the meaning given that term in the 1940 Act; (q) "Series" shall mean each Series of Shares established and designated under and in accordance with the provisions of Article III hereof; (r) "Shares" shall mean the transferable shares of beneficial interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, and shall include fractional and whole Shares; (s) "Shareholder" shall mean a record owner of Shares pursuant to the By-Laws; (t) "Trust" shall mean Franklin Custodian Funds, the Delaware statutory trust formed under the Original Declaration of Trust, as amended, and by filing of the Certificate of Trust with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and governed by this Declaration of Trust; (u) "Trust Property" shall mean any and all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust, or one or more of any Series thereof, including, without limitation, the rights referenced in Article X, Section 5 hereof;and (v) "Trustee" or "Trustees" shall mean each Person who signs this Declaration of Trust as a trustee and all other Persons who may, from time to time, be duly elected or appointed, qualified and serving on the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provisions hereof and the By-Laws, so long as such signatory or other Person continues in office in accordance with the terms hereof and the By-Laws. Reference herein to a Trustee or the Trustees shall refer to such Person or Persons in such Person's or Persons' capacity as a trustee or trustees hereunder and under the By-Laws. ARTICLE II PURPOSE OF TRUST The purpose of the Trust is to conduct, operate and carry on the business of a registered management investment company registered under the 1940 Act, directly, or if one or more Series is established hereunder, through one or more Series, investing primarily in securities, and to exercise all of the powers, rights and privileges granted to, or conferred upon, a statutory trust formed under the DSTA, including, without limitation, the following powers: (a) To hold, invest and reinvest its funds, and in connection therewith, to make any changes in the investment of the assets of the Trust, to hold part or all of its funds in cash, to hold cash uninvested, to subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign, mortgage, transfer, exchange, distribute, write options on, lend or otherwise deal in or dispose of contracts for the future acquisition or delivery of fixed income or other securities, and securities or property of every nature and kind, including, without limitation, all types of bonds, debentures, stocks, shares, units of beneficial interest, preferred stocks, negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, obligations, evidences of indebtedness, money market instruments, certificates of deposit or indebtedness, bills, notes, mortgages, commercial paper, repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements, bankers' acceptances, finance paper, and any options, certificates, receipts, warrants, futures contracts or other instruments representing rights to receive, purchase or subscribe for the same, or evidencing or representing any other rights or interests therein or in any property or assets, and other securities of any kind, as the foregoing are issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons, including, without limitation, states, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, any foreign government or any political subdivision of the U.S. Government or any foreign government, or any international instrumentality, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any corporation or organization organized under the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or possession thereof, or by any corporation or organization organized under any foreign law, or in "when issued" contracts for any such securities; (b) To exercise any and all rights, powers and privileges with reference to or incident to ownership or interest, use and enjoyment of any of such securities and other instruments or property of every kind and description, including, but without limitation, the right, power and privilege to own, vote, hold, purchase, sell, negotiate, assign, exchange, lend, transfer, mortgage, hypothecate, lease, pledge or write options with respect to or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise or enjoy any rights, title, interest, powers or privileges under or with reference to any of such securities and other instruments or property, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons, to exercise any of said rights, powers, and privileges in respect of any of said instruments, and to do any and all acts and things for the preservation, protection, improvement and enhancement in value of any of such securities and other instruments or property; (c) To sell, exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease or write options with respect to or otherwise deal in any property rights relating to any or all of the assets of the Trust or any Series, subject to any requirements of the 1940 Act; (d) To vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with respect to stock or other securities or property;and to execute and deliver proxies or powers of attorney to such Person or Persons as the Trustees shall deem proper, granting to such Person or Persons such power and discretion with relation to securities or property as the Trustees shall deem proper; (e) To exercise powers and right of subscription or otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities and/or other property; (f) To hold any security or property in a form not indicating that it is trust property, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, or in its own name or in the name of a custodian or subcustodian or a nominee or nominees or otherwise or to authorize the custodian or a subcustodian or a nominee or nominees to deposit the same in a securities depository, subject in each case to proper safeguards according to the usual practice of investment companies or any rules or regulations applicable thereto; (g) To consent to, or participate in, any plan for the reorganization, consolidation or merger of any corporation or issuer of any security which is held in the Trust;to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of property by such corporation or issuer;and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the Trust; (h) To join with other security holders in acting through a committee, depositary, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such committee, depositary or trustee, and to delegate to them such power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper; (i) To compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the Trust or any matter in controversy, including but not limited to claims for taxes; (j) To enter into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships and any other combinations or associations; (k) To endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other obligations of any Person;to make contracts of guaranty or suretyship, or otherwise assume liability for payment thereof; (l) To purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust Property such insurance as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the business, including, without limitation, insurance policies insuring the assets of the Trust or payment of distributions and principal on its portfolio investments, and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriters, or independent contractors of the Trust, individually against all claims and liabilities of every nature arising by reason of holding Shares, holding, being or having held any such office or position, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted by any such Person as Trustee, officer, employee, agent, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, or independent contractor, to the fullest extent permitted by this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws and by applicable law; (m) To adopt, establish and carry out pension, profit-sharing, share bonus, share purchase, savings, thrift and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans, trusts and provisions, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts as a means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or all of the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust; (n) To purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, sell, negotiate, exchange, assign, transfer, mortgage, pledge or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise or enjoy, property of all kinds; (o) To buy, sell, mortgage, encumber, hold, own, exchange, rent or otherwise acquire and dispose of, and to develop, improve, manage, subdivide, and generally to deal and trade in real property, improved and unimproved, and wheresoever situated;and to build, erect, construct, alter and maintain buildings, structures, and other improvements on real property; (p) To borrow or raise moneys for any of the purposes of the Trust, and to mortgage or pledge the whole or any part of the property and franchises of the Trust, real, personal, and mixed, tangible or intangible, and wheresoever situated; (q) To enter into, make and perform contracts and undertakings of every kind for any lawful purpose, without limit as to amount; (r) To issue, purchase, sell and transfer, reacquire, hold, trade and deal in stocks, Shares, bonds, debentures and other securities, instruments or other property of the Trust, from time to time, to such extent as the Board of Trustees shall, consistent with the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, determine;and to re-acquire and redeem, from time to time, its Shares or, if any, its bonds, debentures and other securities; (s) To engage in and to prosecute, defend, compromise, abandon, or adjust, by arbitration, or otherwise, any actions, suits, proceedings, disputes, claims, and demands relating to the Trust, and out of the assets of the Trust to pay or to satisfy any debts, claims or expenses incurred in connection therewith, including those of litigation, and such power shall include without limitation the power of the Trustees or any appropriate committee thereof, in the exercise of their or its good faith business judgment, to dismiss any action, suit, proceeding, dispute, claim, or demand, derivative or otherwise, brought by any Person, including a Shareholder in the Shareholder's own name or the name of the Trust, whether or not the Trust or any of the Trustees may be named individually therein or the subject matter arises by reason of business for or on behalf of the Trust; (t) To exercise and enjoy, in Delaware and in any other states, territories, districts and United States dependencies and in foreign countries, all of the foregoing powers, rights and privileges, and the enumeration of the foregoing powers shall not be deemed to exclude any powers, rights or privileges so granted or conferred; and (u) In general, to carry on any other business in connection with or incidental to its trust purposes, to do everything necessary, suitable or proper for the accomplishment of such purposes or for the attainment of any object or the furtherance of any power hereinbefore set forth, either alone or in association with others, and to do every other act or thing incidental or appurtenant to, or growing out of, or connected with, its business or purposes, objects or powers. The Trust shall not be limited to investing in obligations maturing before the possible dissolution of the Trust or one or more of its Series. Neither the Trust nor the Board of Trustees shall be required to obtain any court order to deal with any assets of the Trust or take any other action hereunder. The foregoing clauses shall each be construed as purposes, objects and powers, and it is hereby expressly provided that the foregoing enumeration of specific purposes, objects and powers shall not be held to limit or restrict in any manner the powers of the Trust, and that they are in furtherance of, and in addition to, and not in limitation of, the general powers conferred upon the Trust by the DSTA and the other laws of the State of Delaware or otherwise;nor shall the enumeration of one thing be deemed to exclude another, although it be of like nature, not expressed. ARTICLE III SHARES Section 1. Division of Beneficial Interest. (a) The beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided into Shares, each Share without a par value. The number of Shares in the Trust authorized hereunder, and of each Series and Class as may be established from time to time, is unlimited. The Board of Trustees may authorize the division of Shares into separate Classes of Shares and into separate and distinct Series of Shares and the division of any Series into separate Classes of Shares in accordance with the 1940 Act. The different Series and Classes shall be established and designated pursuant to Article III, Section 6 hereof. If no separate Series or Classes of Series shall be established, the Shares shall have the rights, powers and duties provided for herein and in Article III, Section 6 hereof to the extent relevant and not otherwise provided for herein, and all references to Series and Classes shall be construed (as the context may require) to refer to the Trust. The fact that the Trust shall have one or more established and designated Classes of the Trust, shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate additional Classes of the Trust. The fact that one or more Classes of the Trust shall have initially been established and designated without any specific establishment or designation of a Series (i.e., that all Shares of the Trust are initially Shares of one or more Classes) shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to later establish and designate a Series and establish and designate the Class or Classes of the Trust as Class or Classes, respectively, of such Series. The fact that a Series shall have initially been established and designated without any specific establishment or designation of Classes (i.e., that all Shares of such Series are initially of a single Class) shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate separate Classes of said Series. The fact that a Series shall have more than one established and designated Class, shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate additional Classes of said Series. (b) The Board of Trustees shall have the power to issue authorized, but unissued Shares of the Trust, or any Series and Class thereof, from time to time for such consideration paid wholly or partly in cash, securities or other property, as may be determined from time to time by the Board of Trustees, subject to any requirements or limitations of the 1940 Act. The Board of Trustees, on behalf of the Trust, may acquire and hold as treasury shares, reissue for such consideration and on such terms as it may determine, or cancel, at its discretion from time to time, any Shares reacquired by the Trust. The Board of Trustees may classify, reclassify or convert any unissued Shares or any Shares of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof, that were previously issued and are reacquired, into one or more Series or Classes that may be established and designated from time to time and, in connection therewith, cause some or all of the Shareholders of the Trust, such Series or Class to become Shareholders of such other Series or Class. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust and any Series thereof may acquire, hold, sell and otherwise deal in, for purposes of investment or otherwise, the Shares of any other Series of the Trust or Shares of the Trust, and such Shares shall not be deemed treasury shares or cancelled. (c) Subject to the provisions of Section 6 of this Article III, each Share shall entitle the holder to voting rights as provided in Article V hereof. Shareholders shall have no preemptive or other right to subscribe for new or additional authorized, but unissued Shares or other securities issued by the Trust or any Series thereof. The Board of Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of the Trust or any particular Series thereof into a greater or lesser number of Shares of the Trust or that Series, respectively. Such division or combination shall not materially change the proportionate beneficial interests of the holders of Shares of the Trust or that Series, as the case may be, in the Trust Property at the time of such division or combination that is held with respect to the Trust or that Series, as the case may be. (d) Any Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust, and any organization in which any such Person has an economic or other interest, may acquire, own, hold and dispose of Shares in the Trust or any Series and Class thereof, whether such Shares are authorized but unissued, or already outstanding, to the same extent as if such Person were not a Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust;and the Trust or any Series may issue and sell and may purchase such Shares from any such Person or any such organization, subject to the limitations, restrictions or other provisions applicable to the sale or purchase of such Shares herein and the 1940 Act. Section 2. Ownership of Shares. The ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust kept by the Trust or by a transfer or similar agent for the Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of the Trust and each Series and each Class thereof that has been established and designated. No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The Board of Trustees may make such rules not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act as it considers appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the transfer of Shares of the Trust and each Series and Class thereof, if any, and similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to who are the Shareholders of the Trust and each Series and Class thereof and as to the number of Shares of the Trust and each Series and Class thereof held from time to time by each such Shareholder. Section 3. Sale of Shares. Subject to the 1940 Act and applicable law, the Trust may sell its authorized but unissued Shares to such Persons, at such times, on such terms, and for such consideration as the Board of Trustees may from time to time authorize. Each sale shall be credited to the individual purchaser's account in the form of full or fractional Shares of the Trust or such Series thereof (and Class thereof, if any), as the purchaser may select, at the net asset value per Share, subject to Section 22 of the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder; provided, however, that the Board of Trustees may, in its sole discretion, permit the Principal Underwriter to impose a sales charge upon any such sale. Every Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be bound by the terms of this Declaration of Trust. Ownership of Shares shall not make any Shareholder a third-party beneficiary of any contract entered into by the Trust or any Series. Section 4. Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability. Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving to Shareholders only the rights provided in this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, and under applicable law. Ownership of Shares shall not entitle the Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any part of the Trust Property or right to call for a partition or division of the same or for an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the Shareholders as partners. Subject to Article VIII, Section 1 hereof, the death, incapacity, dissolution, termination, or bankruptcy of a Shareholder during the existence of the Trust and any Series thereof shall not operate to dissolve the Trust or any such Series, nor entitle the representative of any deceased, incapacitated, dissolved, terminated or bankrupt Shareholder to an accounting or to take any action in court or elsewhere against the Trust, the Trustees or any such Series, but entitles such representative only to the rights of said deceased, incapacitated, dissolved, terminated or bankrupt Shareholder under this Declaration of Trust. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust, shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholder, nor, except as specifically provided herein, to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money other than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay. Each Share, when issued on the terms determined by the Board of Trustees, shall be fully paid and nonassessable. As provided in the DSTA, Shareholders shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability as that extended to stockholders of a private corporation organized for profit under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Section 5. Power of Board of Trustees to Make Tax Status Election. The Board of Trustees shall have the power, in its discretion, to make such elections as to the tax status of the Trust and any Series as may be permitted or required under the Code, without the vote of any Shareholder. Section 6. Establishment and Designation of Series and Classes. The establishment and designation of any Series or Class shall be effective, without the requirement of Shareholder approval, upon the adoption of a resolution by not less than a majority of the then Board of Trustees, which resolution shall set forth such establishment and designation whether directly in such resolutions or by reference to, or approval of, another document that sets forth the designation or otherwise identifies such Series or Class, including any registration statement of the Trust and any amendment of this Declaration of Trust, and may provide, to the extent permitted by the DSTA, for rights, powers and duties of such Series or Class (including variations in the relative rights and preferences as between the different Series and Classes) otherwise than as provided herein. Any action that may be taken by the Board of Trustees with respect to any Series or Class, including any addition, modification, division, combination, classification, reclassification, change of name or termination, may be made in the same manner as the establishment of such Series or Class. Each Series shall be separate and distinct from any other Series, separate and distinct records on the books of the Trust shall be maintained for each Series, and the assets and liabilities belonging to any such Series shall be held and accounted for separately from the assets and liabilities of the Trust or any other Series. Each Class of the Trust shall be separate and distinct from any other Class of the Trust. Each Class of a Series shall be separate and distinct from any other Class of the Series. As appropriate, in a manner determined by the Board of Trustees, the liabilities belonging to any such Class shall be held and accounted for separately from the liabilities of the Trust, the Series or any other Class and separate and distinct records on the books of the Trust for the Class shall be maintained for this purpose. Subject to Article II hereof, each such Series shall operate as a separate and distinct investment medium, with separately defined investment objectives and policies. Shares of each Series (and Class where applicable) established and designated pursuant to this Section 6, unless otherwise provided to the extent permitted by the DSTA, in the resolution establishing and designating such Series or Class, shall have the following rights, powers and duties: (a) Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series. All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably be held with respect to that Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors with respect to that Series, and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust. Such consideration, assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, in whatever form the same may be, are herein referred to as "assets held with respect to" that Series. In the event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, funds or payments which are not readily identifiable as assets held with respect to any particular Series (collectively "General Assets"), the Board of Trustees, or an appropriate officer as determined by the Board of Trustees, shall allocate such General Assets to, between or among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, deems fair and equitable, and any General Asset so allocated to a particular Series shall be held with respect to that Series. Each such allocation by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes. (b) Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series or Class. The assets of the Trust held with respect to a particular Series shall be charged with the liabilities, debts, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses of the Trust incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to such Series. Such liabilities, debts, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Series are herein referred to as "liabilities held with respect to" that Series. Any liabilities, debts, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as being liabilities held with respect to any particular Series (collectively "General Liabilities") shall be allocated by the Board of Trustees, or an appropriate officer as determined by the Board of Trustees, to and among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees in its sole discretion deems fair and equitable. Each allocation of liabilities, debts, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes. All Persons who have extended credit that has been allocated to a particular Series, or who have a claim or contract that has been allocated to any particular Series, shall look exclusively to the assets of that particular Series for payment of such credit, claim, or contract. In the absence of an express contractual agreement so limiting the claims of such creditors, claimants and contract providers, each creditor, claimant and contract provider shall be deemed nevertheless to have impliedly agreed to such limitation. Subject to the right of the Board of Trustees in its discretion to allocate General Liabilities as provided herein, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Series, whether such Series is now authorized and existing pursuant to this Declaration of Trust or is hereafter authorized and existing pursuant to this Declaration of Trust, shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to that Series only, and not against the assets of any other Series or the Trust generally and none of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the Trust generally or any other Series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to such Series. Notice of this limitation on liabilities between and among Series shall be set forth in the Certificate of Trust pursuant to the DSTA, and upon the giving of such notice in the Certificate of Trust, the statutory provisions of Section 3804 of the DSTA relating to limitations on liabilities between and among Series (and the statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting forth such notice in the Certificate of Trust) shall become applicable to the Trust and each Series. Liabilities, debts, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses related to the distribution of, and other identified expenses that should or may properly be allocated to, the Shares of a particular Class may be charged to and borne solely by such Class. The bearing of expenses solely by a particular Class of Shares may be appropriately reflected (in a manner determined by the Board of Trustees) and may affect the net asset value attributable to, and the dividend, redemption and liquidation rights of, such Class. Each allocation of liabilities, debts, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Classes for all purposes. All Persons who have extended credit that has been allocated to a particular Class, or who have a claim or contract that has been allocated to any particular Class, shall look, and may be required by contract to look, exclusively to that particular Class for payment of such credit, claim, or contract. (c) Dividends, Distributions and Redemptions. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust, including, without limitation, Article VI hereof, no dividend or distribution including, without limitation, any distribution paid upon dissolution of the Trust or of any Series with respect to, nor any redemption of, the Shares of any Series or Class of such Series shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with respect to such Series, nor, except as specifically provided in Section 7 of this Article III, shall any Shareholder of any particular Series otherwise have any right or claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series or the Trust generally except, in the case of a right or claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series, to the extent that such Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a Shareholder of such other Series. The Board of Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital;and each such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders. (d) Voting. All Shares of the Trust entitled to vote on a matter shall vote in the aggregate without differentiation between the Shares of the separate Series, if any, or separate Classes, if any;provided that (i) with respect to any matter that affects only the interests of some but not all Series, then only the Shares of such affected Series, voting separately, shall be entitled to vote on the matter, (ii) with respect to any matter that affects only the interests of some but not all Classes, then only the Shares of such affected Classes, voting separately, shall be entitled to vote on the matter;and (iii) notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any matter as to which the 1940 Act or other applicable law or regulation requires voting, by Series or by Class, then the Shares of the Trust shall vote as prescribed in such law or regulation. (e) Equality. Each Share of any particular Series shall be equal to each other Share of such Series (subject to the rights and preferences with respect to separate Classes of such Series). (f) Fractions. A fractional Share of the Trust or a Series shall carry proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole Share of the Trust or such Series, including rights with respect to voting, receipt of dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares and dissolution of the Trust or that Series. (g) Exchange Privilege. The Board of Trustees shall have the authority to provide that the holders of Shares of any Series shall have the right to exchange said Shares for Shares of one or more other Series in accordance with such requirements and procedures as may be established by the Board of Trustees, and in accordance with the 1940 Act. (h) Combination of Series or Classes. The Board of Trustees shall have the authority, without the approval, vote or consent of the Shareholders of any Series, unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine the assets and liabilities held with respect to any two or more Series into assets and liabilities held with respect to a single Series; provided that upon completion of such combination of Series, the interest of each Shareholder, in the combined assets and liabilities held with respect to the combined Series shall equal the interest of each such Shareholder in the aggregate of the assets and liabilities held with respect to the Series that were combined. The Board of Trustees shall have the authority, without the approval, vote or consent of the Shareholders of any Series or Class, unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine , merge or otherwise consolidate the Shares of two or more Classes of Shares of a Series with and/or into a single Class of Shares of such Series, with such designation, preference, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, terms and conditions of redemption and other characteristics as the Trustees may determine;provided, however, that the Trustees shall provide written notice to the affected Shareholders of any such transaction. The transactions in (i) and (ii) above may be effected through share-for-share exchanges, transfers or sales of assets, Shareholder in-kind redemptions and purchases, exchange offers, or any other method approved by the Trustees. (i) Dissolution or Termination. Any particular Series shall be dissolved and terminated upon the occurrence of the applicable dissolution events set forth in Article VIII, Section 1 hereof. Upon dissolution of a particular Series, the Trustees shall wind up the affairs of such Series in accordance with Article VIII, Section 1 hereof. The Board of Trustees shall terminate any particular Class: (i) upon approval by a majority of votes cast at a meeting of the Shareholders of such Class, provided a quorum of Shareholders of such Class are present, or by action of the Shareholders of such Class by written consent without a meeting pursuant to Article V, Section 3;or (ii) at the discretion of the Board of Trustees either (A) at any time there are no Shares outstanding of such Class, or (B) upon prior written notice to the Shareholders of such Class;provided, however, that upon the termination of any particular Series, every Class of such Series shall thereby be terminated. Section 7. Indemnification of Shareholders. No Shareholder as such shall be subject to any personal liability whatsoever to any Person in connection with Trust Property or the acts, obligations or affairs of the Trust. If any Shareholder or former Shareholder shall be exposed to liability, charged with liability, or held personally liable, for any obligations or liability of the Trust, by reason of a claim or demand relating exclusively to his or her being or having been a Shareholder of the Trust or a Shareholder of a particular Series thereof, and not because of such Shareholder's actions or omissions, such Shareholder or former Shareholder (or, in the case of a natural person, his or her heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled to be held harmless from and indemnified out of the assets of the Trust or out of the assets of such Series thereof, as the case may be, against all loss and expense, including without limitation, attorneys' fees, arising from such claim or demand;provided, however, such indemnity shall not cover (i) any taxes due or paid by reason of such Shareholder's ownership of any Shares and (ii) expenses charged to a Shareholder pursuant to Article IV, Section 5 hereof. ARTICLE IV THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Section 1. Number, Election, Term, Removal and Resignation. (a) The Board of Trustees shall be comprised of the Trustees entering into this Declaration of Trust on the date first written above, who shall hold office in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section 1 and as otherwise provided herein. In accordance with Section 3801 of the DSTA, each Trustee shall become a Trustee and be bound by this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws when such Person signs this Declaration of Trust as a trustee and/or is duly elected or appointed, qualified and serving on the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provision s hereof and the By-Laws, so long as such signatory or other Person continues in office in accordance with the terms hereof. (b) The number of Trustees constituting the entire Board of Trustees may be fixed from time to time by the vote of a majority of the then Board of Trustees;provided, however, that the number of Trustees shall in no event be less than one (1) nor more than fifteen (15). The number of Trustees shall not be reduced so as to shorten the term of any Trustee then in office. (c) Each Trustee shall hold office for the lifetime of the Trust or until such Trustee's earlier death, resignation, removal, retirement or inability otherwise to serve, or, if sooner than any of such events, until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of electing Trustees or consent of Shareholders in lieu thereof for the election of Trustees, and until the election and qualification of his or her successor. Shareholders shall not be entitled to elect Trustees except as required by the 1940 Act. To the extent required by the 1940 Act, the Shareholders shall elect the Trustees on such dates as the Trustees may fix from time to time. The Shareholders may elect Trustees at any meeting of Shareholders called for that purpose pursuant to the By-Laws. In the event that after the proxy material approved by the Trustees has been printed for a meeting of Shareholders at which Trustees are to be elected any one or more nominees approved by the Trustees named in such proxy material dies or become incapacitated or is otherwise unable or unwilling to serve, the authorized number of Trustees shall be automatically reduced by the number of such nominees, unless the Board of Trustees prior to the meeting shall otherwise determine. A meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of electing or removing one or more Trustees shall be called as provided in the By-Laws. (d) Any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Trustees, by action of a majority of the Trustees then in office, or by vote of the Shareholders at any meeting called for that purpose. (e) Any Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice to the secretary of the Trust or to a meeting of the Board of Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt, unless specified to be effective at some later time. (f) The declination to serve, death, resignation, retirement, removal, incapacity, or inability of the Trustees, or any one of them, shall not operate to dissolve or terminate the Trust or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust. Section 2. Trustee Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting. To the extent not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act, any action that may be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting and without prior written notice if a consent or consents in writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by the Trustees having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all Trustees on the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof, as the case may be, were present and voted. Written consents of the Trustees may be executed in one or more counterparts. A consent transmitted by electronic transmission (as defined in Section 3806 of the DSTA) by a Trustee shall be deemed to be written and signed for purposes of this Section. All such consents shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust and shall be maintained in the Trust's records. Section 3. Powers;Other Business Interests;Quorum and Required Vote. (a) Powers. Subject to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the business of the Trust (including every Series thereof) shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees, and such Board of Trustees shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility. The Board of Trustees shall have full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any and all contracts and instruments that it may consider necessary or appropriate in connection with the operation and administration of the Trust (including every Series thereof). The Board of Trustees shall not be bound or limited by present or future laws or customs with regard to investments by trustees or fiduciaries, but, subject to the other provisions of this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws, shall have full authority and absolute power and control over the assets and the business of the Trust (including every Series thereof) to the same extent as if the Board of Trustees was the sole owner of such assets and business in its own right, including such authority, power and control to do all acts and things as it, in its sole discretion, shall deem proper to accomplish the purposes of this Trust. Without limiting the foregoing, the Board of Trustees may, subject to the requisite vote for such actions as set forth in this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws: (1) adopt By-Laws not inconsistent with applicable law or this Declaration of Trust;(2) amend, restate and repeal such By-Laws, subject to and in accordance with the provisions of such By-Laws;(3) fill vacancies on the Board of Trustees in accordance with this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws; (4) elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents as it considers appropriate, in accordance with this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws;(5) establish and terminate one or more committees of the Board of Trustees pursuant to the By-Laws;(6) place Trust Property in custody as required by the 1940 Act, employ one or more custodians of the Trust Property and authorize such custodians to employ sub-custodians and to place all or any part of such Trust Property with a custodian or a custodial system meeting the requirements of the 1940 Act;(7) retain a transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, a shareholder servicing agent or administrative services agent, or any number thereof or any other service provider as deemed appropriate;(8) provide for the issuance and distribution of Shares in the Trust or other securities or financial instruments directly or through one or more Principal Underwriters or otherwise ;(9) retain one or more Investment Adviser(s);(10) re-acquire and redeem Shares on behalf of the Trust and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable law;(11) set record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to various matters, in the manner provided in Article V, Section 4 of this Declaration of Trust;(12) declare and pay dividends and distributions to Shareholders from the Trust Property, in accordance with this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws;(13) establish, designate and redesignate from time to time, in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof, any Series or Class of the Trust or of a Series;(14) hire personnel as staff for the Board of Trustees or, for those Trustees who are not Interested Persons of the Trust, the Investment Adviser, or the Principal Underwriter, set the compensation to be paid by the Trust to such personnel, exercise exclusive supervision of such personnel, and remove one or more of such personnel, at the discretion of the Board of Trustees;(15) retain special counsel, other experts and/or consultants for the Board of Trustees, for those Trustees who are not Interested Persons of the Trust, the Investment Adviser, or the Principal Underwriter, and/or for one or more of the committees of the Board of Trustees, set the compensation to be paid by the Trust to such special counsel, other experts and/or consultants, and remove one or more of such special counsel, other experts and/or consultants, at the discretion of the Board of Trustees;(16) engage in and prosecute, defend, compromise, abandon, or adjust, by arbitration, or otherwise, any actions, suits, proceedings, disputes, claims, and demands relating to the Trust, and out of the assets of the Trust to pay or to satisfy any debts, claims or expenses incurred in connection therewith, including those of litigation, and s uch power shall include, without limitation, the power of the Trustees, or any appropriate committee thereof, in the exercise of their or its good faith business judgment, to dismiss any action, suit, proceeding, dispute, claim or demand, derivative or otherwise, brought by any person, including a shareholder in its own name or in the name of the Trust, whether or not the Trust or any of the Trustees may be named individually therein or the subject matter arises by reason of business for or on behalf of the Trust;and (17) in general delegate such authority as it considers desirable to any Trustee or officer of the Trust, to any committee of the Trust, to any agent or employee of the Trust or to any custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing agent, Principal Underwriter, Investment Adviser, or other service provider. The powers of the Board of Trustees set forth in this Section 3(a) are without prejudice to any other powers of the Board of Trustees set forth in this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws. Any determination as to what is in the best interests of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof and its Shareholders made by the Board of Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive. In construing the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Board of Trustees. The Trustees shall be subject to the same fiduciary duties to which the directors of a Delaware corporation would be subject if the Trust were a Delaware corporation, the Shareholders were shareholders of such Delaware corporation and the Trustees were directors of such Delaware corporation, and such modified duties shall replace any fiduciary duties to which the Trustees would otherwise be subject. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all actions and omissions of the Trustees shall be evaluated under the doctrine commonly referred to as the "business judgment rule," as defined and developed under Delaware law, to the same extent that the same actions or omissions of directors of a Delaware corporation in a substantially similar circumstance would be evaluated under such doctrine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws, to the extent that they restrict or eliminate the duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto of a Trustee otherwise applicable under the foregoing standard or otherwise existing at law or in equity, are agreed by each Shareholder and the Trust to replace such other duties and liabilities of such Trustee. (b) Other Business Interests. The Trustees shall devote to the affairs of the Trust (including every Series thereof) such time as may be necessary for the proper performance of their duties hereunder, but neither the Trustees nor the officers, directors, shareholders, partners or employees of the Trustees, if any, shall be expected to devote their full time to the performance of such duties. The Trustees, or any Affiliate, shareholder, officer, director, partner or employee thereof, or any Person owning a legal or beneficial interest therein, may engage in, or possess an interest in, any business or venture other than the Trust or any Series thereof, of any nature and description, independently or with or for the account of others. None of the Trust, any Series thereof or any Shareholder shall have the right to participate or share in such other business or venture or any profit or compensation derived therefrom. (c) Quorum and Required Vote. At all meetings of the Board of Trustees, a majority of the Board of Trustees then in office shall be present in person in order to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. A meeting at which a quorum is initially present may continue to transact business notwithstanding the departure of Trustees from the meeting, if any action taken is approved by at least a majority of the required quorum for that meeting. Subject to Article III, Sections 1 and 6 of the By-Laws and except as otherwise provided herein or required by applicable law, the vote of not less than a majority of the Trustees present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Trustees. Section 4. Payment of Expenses by the Trust. Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Trustees or an authorized officer of the Trust shall pay or cause to be paid out of the principal or income of the Trust or any particular Series or Class thereof, or partly out of the principal and partly out of the income of the Trust or any particular Series or Class thereof, and charge or allocate the same to, between or among such one or more of the Series or Classes that may be established or designated pursuant to Article III, Section 6 hereof, as the Trustees or such officer deems fair, all expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities incurred by or arising in connection with the maintenance or operation of the Trust or a particular Series or Class thereof, or in connection with the management thereof, including, but not limited to, the Trustees' compensation and such expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities associated with the services of the Trust's officers, employees, Investment Adviser(s), Principal Underwriter, auditors, counsel, custodian, sub-custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent, and such other agents or independent contractors and such other expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary or proper to incur. Section 5. Payment of Expenses by Shareholders. The Board of Trustees shall have the power, as frequently as it may determine, to cause any Shareholder to pay directly, in advance or arrears, an amount fixed from time to time by the Board of Trustees or an officer of the Trust for charges of the Trust's custodian or transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or similar agent-which are not customarily charged generally to the Trust, a Series or a Class, where such services are provided to such Shareholder individually, rather than to all Shareholders collectively, by setting off such amount due from such Shareholder from the amount of (i) declared but unpaid dividends or distributions owed such Shareholder, or (ii) proceeds from the redemption by the Trust of Shares from such Shareholder pursuant to Article VI hereof. Section 6. Ownership of Trust Property. Legal title to all of the Trust Property shall at all times be vested in the Trust, except that the Board of Trustees shall have the power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name of any Person as nominee, on such terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, in accordance with applicable law. No creditor of any Trustee shall have any right to obtain possession, or otherwise exercise legal or equitable remedies with respect to, any Trust Property with respect to any claim against, or obligation of, such Trustee in its individual capacity and not related to the Trust or any Series or Class of the Trust. No Shareholder shall be deemed to have a severable ownership in any individual asset of the Trust, or belonging to any Series, or allocable to any Class thereof, or any right of partition or possession thereof, but each Shareholder shall have, except as otherwise provided for herein, a proportionate undivided beneficial interest in the Trust or in assets belonging to the Series (or allocable to the Class) in which the Shareholder holds Shares. The Shares shall be personal property giving only the rights specifically set forth in this Declaration of Trust or the DSTA. Section 7. Service Contracts. (a) Subject to this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws and the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may, at any time and from time to time, contract for exclusive or nonexclusive investment advisory or investment management services for the Trust or for any Series thereof with any corporation, trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate;and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, including without limitation, delegation of authority to the Investment Adviser to determine from time to time without prior consultation with the Board of Trustees what securities and other instruments or property shall be purchased or otherwise acquired, owned, held, invested or reinvested in, sold, exchanged, transferred, mortgaged, pledged, assigned, negotiated, or otherwise dealt with or disposed of, and what portion, if any, of the Trust Property shall be held uninvested and to make changes in the Trust's or a particular Series' investments, or to engage in such other activities, including administrative services, as may specifically be delegated to such party. (b) The Board of Trustees may also, at any time and from time to time, contract with any Person, including any Affiliate, appointing it or them as the exclusive or nonexclusive placement agent, distributor or Principal Underwriter for the Shares of the Trust or one or more of the Series or Classes thereof, or for other securities or financial instruments to be issued by the Trust, or appointing it or them to act as the administrator, fund accountant or accounting agent, custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and/or shareholder servicing agent for the Trust or one or more of the Series or Classes thereof. (c) The Board of Trustees is further empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract with any Persons, including any Affiliates, to provide such other services to the Trust or one or more of its Series, as the Board of Trustees determines to be in the best interests of the Trust, such Series and its Shareholders. (d) None of the following facts or circumstances shall affect the validity of any of the contracts provided for in this Article IV, Section 7, or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee, employee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or executing the same, or create any liability or accountability to the Trust, any Series thereof or the Shareholders, provided that the establishment of and performance of each such contract is permissible under the 1940 Act, and provided further that such Person is authorized to vote upon such contract under the 1940 Act: the fact that any of the Shareholders, Trustees, employees or officers of the Trust is a shareholder, director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager, Adviser, placement agent, Principal Underwriter, distributor, or Affiliate or agent of or for any Person, or for any parent or Affiliate of any Person, with which any type of service contract provided for in this Article IV, Section 7 may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such Person, or any parent or Affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust, or the fact that any Person with which any type of service contract provided for in this Article IV, Section 7 may have been or may hereafter be made also has such a service contract with one or more other Persons, or has other business or interests. (e) Every contract referred to in this Section 7 is required to comply with this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, the 1940 Act, other applicable law and any stipulation by resolution of the Board of Trustees. ARTICLE V SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS Section 1. Voting Powers. Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Shareholders shall have the power to vote only (i) on such matters required by this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, the 1940 Act, other applicable law and any registration statement of the Trust filed with the Commission, the registration of which is effective;and (ii) on such other matters as the Board of Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. Subject to Article III hereof, the Shareholder of record (as of the record date established pursuant to Section 4 of this Article V) of each Share shall be entitled to one vote for each full Share, and a fractional vote for each fractional Share. Shareholders shall not be entitled to cumulative voting in the election of Trustees or on any other matter. Section 2. Quorum and Required Vote. (a) Forty percent (40%) of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote at a Shareholders' meeting, which are present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at the Shareholders' meeting, except when a larger quorum is required by this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, applicable law or the requirements of any securities exchange on which Shares are listed for trading, in which case such quorum shall comply with such requirements. When a separate vote by one or more Series or Classes is required, forty percent (40%) of the outstanding Shares of each such Series or Class entitled to vote at a Shareholders' meeting of such Series or Class, which are present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at the Shareholders' meeting of such Series or Class, except when a larger quorum is required by this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, applicable law or the requirements of any securities exchange on which Shares of such Series or Class are listed for trading, in which case such quorum shall comply with such requirements. (b) Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), when a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of the votes cast shall decide any questions and a plurality shall elect a Trustee, except when a larger vote is required by any provision of this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws or by applicable law. Pursuant to Article III, Section 6(d) hereof, where a separate vote by Series and, if applicable, by Class is required, the preceding sentence shall apply to such separate votes by Series and Classes. (c) Abstentions and broker non-votes will be treated as votes present at a Shareholders' meeting;abstentions and broker non-votes will not be treated as votes cast at such meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes, therefore (i) will be included for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present;and (ii) will have no effect on proposals that require a plurality for approval, or on proposals requiring an affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast for approval. Section 3. Shareholder Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting. Any action which may be taken at any meeting of Shareholders may be taken without a meeting if a consent or consents in writing setting forth the action so taken is or are signed by the holders of a majority of the Shares entitled to vote on such action (or such different proportion thereof as shall be required by law, the Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws for approval of such action) and is or are received by the secretary of the Trust either: (i) by the date set by resolution of the Board of Trustees for the shareholder vote on such action;or (ii) if no date is set by resolution of the Board, within 30 days after the record date for such action as determined by reference to Article V, Section 4(b) hereof. The written consent for any such action may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which when taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. A consent transmitted by electronic transmission (as defined in the DSTA) by a Shareholder or by a Person or Persons authorized to act for a Shareholder shall be deemed to be written and signed for purposes of this Section. All such consents shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust and shall be maintained in the Trust's records. Any Shareholder that has given a written consent or the Shareholder's proxyholder or a personal representative of the Shareholder or its respective proxyholder may revoke the consent by a writing received by the secretary of the Trust either: (i) before the date set by resolution of the Board of Trustees for the shareholder vote on such action;or (ii) if no date is set by resolution of the Board, within 30 days after the record date for such action as determined by reference to Article V, Section 4(b) hereof. Section 4. Record Dates. (a) For purposes of determining the Shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, any meeting of Shareholders, the Board of Trustees may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Trustees, and which record date shall not be more than one hundred and twenty (120) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of any such meeting. A determination of Shareholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting;provided, however, that the Board of Trustees may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting and shall fix a new record date for any meeting that is adjourned for more than one hundred and eighty (180) days from the record date set for the original meeting. For purposes of determining the Shareholders entitled to vote on any action without a meeting, the Board of Trustees may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Trustees, and which record date shall not be more than thirty (30) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Trustees. (b) If the Board of Trustees does not so fix a record date: the record date for determining Shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, a meeting of Shareholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. the record date for determining Shareholders entitled to vote on any action by consent in writing without a meeting of Shareholders, (1) when no prior action by the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be the day on which the first signed written consent setting forth the action taken is delivered to the Trust, or (2) when prior action of the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Trustees adopts the resolution taking such prior action. (c) For the purpose of determining the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof who are entitled to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution of assets of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof (other than in connection with a dissolution of the Trust or a Series, a merger, consolidation, conversion, reorganization, or any other transactions, in each case that is governed by Article VIII of the Declaration of Trust), the Board of Trustees may: from time to time fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) days before the date for the payment of such dividend and/or such other distribution; adopt standing resolutions fixing record dates and related payment dates at periodic intervals of any duration for the payment of such dividend and/or such other distribution; and/or delegate to an appropriate officer or officers of the Trust the determination of such periodic record and/or payments dates with respect to such dividend and/or such other distribution. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as precluding the Board of Trustees from setting different record dates for different Series or Classes. Section 5. Additional Provisions. The By-Laws may include further provisions for Shareholders' votes, meetings and related matters. ARTICLE VI NET ASSET VALUE;DISTRIBUTIONS; REDEMPTIONS;TRANSFERS Section 1. Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions. (a) Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to determine from time to time the offering price for authorized, but unissued, Shares of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof, respectively, that shall yield to the Trust or such Series or Class not less than the net asset value thereof, in addition to any amount of applicable sales charge to be paid to the Principal Underwriter or the selling broker or dealer in connection with the sale of such Shares, at which price the Shares of the Trust or such Series or Class, respectively, shall be offered for sale, subject to any other requirements or limitations of the 1940 Act. (b) Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees may, subject to the 1940 Act, prescribe (or delegate to any officer of the Trust or any other Person the right to prescribe) such bases and time (including any methodology or plan) for determining the net asset value per Share of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof, or net income attributable to the Shares of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof or the declaration and payment of dividends and distributions on the Shares of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof, and the method of determining the Shareholders to whom dividends and distributions are payable, as it may deem necessary or desirable, and such dividends and distributions may vary between the Classes to reflect differing allocations of the expenses of the Trust between such Classes to such extent and for such purposes as the Trustees may deem appropriate. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, but subject to applicable federal law, including the 1940 Act, any dividend or distribution may be paid in cash and/or securities or other property, and the composition of any such distribution shall be determined by the Trustees (or by any officer of the Trust or any other Person to whom such authority has been delegated by the Trustees) and may be different among Shareholders including differences among Shareholders of the same Series or Class. (c) The Shareholders of the Trust or any Series or Class, if any, shall be entitled to receive dividends and distributions , when, if and as declared by the Board of Trustees with respect thereto, provided that with respect to Classes, such dividends and distributions shall comply with the 1940 Act. The right of Shareholders to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares of any Class may be set forth in a plan adopted by the Board of Trustees and amended from time to time pursuant to the 1940 Act. No Share shall have any priority or preference over any other Share of the Trust with respect to dividends or distributions paid in the ordinary course of business or distributions upon dissolution of the Trust made pursuant to Article VIII, Section 1 hereof; provided however, that if the Shares of the Trust are divided into Series thereof, no Share of a particular Series shall have any priority or preference over any other Share of the same Series with respect to dividends or distributions paid in the ordinary course of business or distributions upon dissolution of the Trust or of such Series made pursuant to Article VIII, Section 1 hereof; if the Shares of the Trust are divided into Classes thereof, no Share of a particular Class shall have any priority or preference over any other Share of the same Class with respect to dividends or distributions paid in the ordinary course of business or distributions upon dissolution of the Trust made pursuant to Article VIII, Section 1 hereof;and if the Shares of a Series are divided into Classes thereof, no Share of a particular Class of such Series shall have any priority or preference over any other Share of the same Class of such Series with respect to dividends or distributions paid in the ordinary course of business or distributions upon dissolution of such Series made pursuant to Article VIII, Section 1 hereof. All dividends and distributions shall be made ratably among all Shareholders of the Trust, a particular Class of the Trust, a particular Series, or a particular Class of a Series from the Trust Property held with respect to the Trust, such Series or such Class, respectively, according to the number of Shares of the Trust, such Series or such Class held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or distribution; provided however, that if the Shares of the Trust are divided into Series thereof, all dividends and distributions from the Trust Property and, if applicable, held with respect to such Series, shall be distributed to each Series thereof according to the net asset value computed for such Series and within such particular Series, shall be distributed ratably to the Shareholders of such Series according to the number of Shares of such Series held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or distribution;and if the Shares of the Trust or of a Series are divided into Classes thereof, all dividends and distributions from the Trust Property and, if applicable, held with respect to the Trust or such Series, shall be distributed to each Class thereof according to the net asset value computed for such Class and within such particular Class, shall be distributed ratably to the Shareholders of such Class according to the number of Shares of such Class held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or distribution. Dividends and distributions may be paid in cash, in kind or in Shares. (d) Before payment of any dividend there may be set aside out of any funds of the Trust, or the applicable Series thereof, available for dividends such sum or sums as the Board of Trustees may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the Trust, or any Series thereof, or for such other lawful purpose as the Board of Trustees shall deem to be in the best interests of the Trust, or the applicable Series, as the case may be, and the Board of Trustees may abolish any such reserve in the manner in which the reserve was created. Section 2. Redemptions at the Option of a Shareholder. Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus of the Trust relating to the Shares, as such prospectus may be amended from time to time: (a) The Trust shall purchase such Shares as are offered by any Shareholder for redemption upon the presentation of a proper instrument of transfer together with a request directed to the Trust or a Person designated by the Trust that the Trust purchase such Shares and/or in accordance with such other procedures for redemption as the Board of Trustees may from time to time authorize. If certificates have been issued to a Shareholder, any request for redemption by such Shareholder must be accompanied by surrender of any outstanding certificate or certificates for such Shares in form for transfer, together with such proof of the authenticity of signatures as may reasonably be required on such Shares and accompanied by proper stock transfer stamps, if applicable. (b) The Trust shall pay for such Shares the net asset value thereof as determined by the Trustees (or by such Person to whom such determination has been delegated) (excluding any applicable redemption fee or sales load), in accordance with this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, the 1940 Act and other applicable law. Payments for Shares so redeemed by the Trust shall be made in cash, except payment for such Shares may, at the option of the Board of Trustees, or such officer or officers as it may duly authorize in its complete discretion, be made in kind or partially in cash and partially in kind. In case of any payment in kind, the Board of Trustees, or its authorized officers, shall have absolute discretion as to what security or securities of the Trust or the applicable Series shall be distributed in kind and the amount of the same;and the securities shall be valued for purposes of distribution at the value at which they were appraised in computing the then current net asset value of the Shares, provided that any Shareholder who cannot legally acquire securities so distributed in kind shall receive cash to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Shareholders shall bear the expenses of in-kind transactions, including, but not limited to, transfer agency fees, custodian fees and costs of disposition of such securities. (c) Payment by the Trust for such redemption of Shares shall be made by the Trust to the Shareholder within seven days after the date on which the redemption request is received in proper form and/or such other procedures authorized by the Board of Trustees are complied with;provided, however, that if payment shall be made other than exclusively in cash, any securities to be delivered as part of such payment shall be delivered as promptly as any necessary transfers of such securities on the books of the several corporations or other Person whose securities are to be delivered practicably can be made, which may not necessarily occur within such seven-day period. In no case shall the Trust be liable for any delay of any corporation or other Person in transferring securities selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in kind. (d) The obligations of the Trust set forth in this Section 2 are subject to the provision that such obligations may be suspended or postponed by the Board of Trustees (1) during any time the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") is closed for other than weekends or holidays;(2) if permitted by the rules of the Commission, during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted;or (3) during any National Financial Emergency. The Board of Trustees may, in its discretion, declare that the suspension relating to a National Financial Emergency shall terminate, as the case may be, on the first business day on which the Exchange shall have reopened or the period specified above shall have expired (as to which, in the absence of an official ruling by the Commission, the determination of the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive). In the case of a suspension of the right of redemption as provided herein, a Shareholder may either withdraw the request for redemption or receive payment based on the net asset value per Share next determined after the termination of such suspension, less any fees imposed on such redemption. (e) The right of any Shareholder of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares redeemed and all other rights of such Shareholder with respect to the Shares so redeemed, except the right of such Shareholder to receive payment for such Shares, shall cease at the time the purchase price of such Shares shall have been fixed, as provided above. Section 3. Redemptions at the Option of the Trust. At the option of the Board of Trustees the Trust may, from time to time, without the vote of the Shareholders, but subject to the 1940 Act, redeem Shares or authorize the closing of any Shareholder account, subject to such conditions and for such reasons as may be established from time to time by the Board of Trustees, including, without limitation, (i) the determination of the Trustees that direct or indirect ownership of Shares of the Trust or any Series has or may become concentrated in such Shareholder to an extent that would disqualify any Series as a regulated investment company under the Code (or any successor statute thereto), (ii) the failure of a Shareholder to supply a tax identification number if required to do so, or to have the minimum investment required (which may vary by Series or Class), (iii) if the Share activity of the account or ownership of Shares by a particular Shareholder is deemed by the Trustees either to affect adversely the management of the Trust or any Series or Class or not to be in the best interests of the remaining Shareholders of the Trust or any Series or Class or (iv) the failure of a Shareholder to pay when due for the purchase of Shares issued to him. Any such redemption shall be effected at the redemption price and in the manner provided in this Article VI. Section 4. Transfer of Shares. Shares shall be transferable in accordance with the provisions of the By-Laws. ARTICLE VII LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OF AGENT Section 1. Limitation of Liability. (a) For the purpose of this Article, "Agent" means any Person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee or other agent of the Trust or is or was serving at the request of the Trust as a trustee, director, officer, employee or other agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise;"Proceeding" means any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative;and "Expenses" include without limitation attorneys' fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under this Article. (b) An Agent shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder for any act or omission that constitutes a bad faith violation of the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing, for such Agent's own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Agent (such conduct referred to herein as "Disqualifying Conduct"), and for nothing else. (c) Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 1 and to the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Agents are permitted by the DSTA, the Agents shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any act or omission of any other Agent of the Trust or any Investment Adviser or Principal Underwriter of the Trust. (d) No Agent, when acting in its respective capacity as such, shall be personally liable to any Person, other than the Trust or a Shareholder to the extent provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this Section 1, for any act, omission or obligation of the Trust or any Trustee thereof. (e) Each Trustee, officer and employee of the Trust shall, in the performance of his or her duties, be fully and completely justified and protected with regard to any act or any failure to act resulting from reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Trust, upon an opinion of counsel, or upon reports made to the Trust by any of its officers or employees or by the Investment Adviser, the Principal Underwriter, any other Agent, selected dealers, accountants, appraisers or other experts or consultants, regardless of whether such counsel or expert may also be a Trustee, as to matters the Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust reasonably believes are within such Person's professional or expert competence. The officers and Trustees may obtain the advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, applicable law and their respective duties as officers or Trustees. No such officer or Trustee shall be liable for any act or omission in accordance with such advice, records and/or reports and no inference concerning liability shall arise from a failure to follow such advice, records and/or reports. The officers and Trustees shall not be required to give any bond hereunder, nor any surety if a bond is required by applicable law. (f) The failure to make timely collection of dividends or interest, or to take timely action with respect to entitlements, on the Trust's securities issued in emerging countries, shall not be deemed to be negligence or other fault on the part of any Agent, and no Agent shall have any liability for such failure or for any loss or damage resulting from the imposition by any government of exchange control restrictions which might affect the liquidity of the Trust's assets or from any war or political act of any foreign government to which such assets might be exposed, except, in the case of a Trustee or officer, for liability resulting from such Trustee's or officer's Disqualifying Conduct. (g) The limitation on liability contained in this Article applies to events occurring at the time a Person serves as an Agent whether or not such Person is an Agent at the time of any Proceeding in which liability is asserted. (h) No amendment or repeal of this Article shall adversely affect any right or protection of an Agent that exists at the time of such amendment or repeal. Section 2. Indemnification. (a) Indemnification by Trust. The Trust shall indemnify, out of Trust Property, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, any Person who was or is a party, potential party or non-party witness or is threatened to be made a party, potential party or non-party witness to any Proceeding by reason of the fact that such Person is or was an Agent of the Trust, against Expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such Proceeding if such Person acted in good faith or in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of such Person was unlawful. The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not of itself create a presumption that the Person did not act in good faith or that the Person had reasonable cause to believe that the Person's conduct was unlawful. (b) Exclusion of Indemnification. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein, there shall be no right to indemnification for any liability arising by reason of the Agent's Disqualifying Conduct. In respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which that Person shall have been adjudged to be liable in the performance of that Person's duty to the Trust or the Shareholders, indemnification shall be made only to the extent that the court in which that action was brought shall determine, upon application or otherwise, that in view of all the circumstances of the case, that Person was not liable by reason of that Person's Disqualifying Conduct. (c) Required Approval. Any indemnification under this Article shall be made by the Trust if authorized in the specific case on a determination that indemnification of the Agent is proper in the circumstances by (i) a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the Agent was not liable by reason of Disqualifying Conduct (including, but not limited to, dismissal of either a court action or an administrative proceeding against the Agent for insufficiency of evidence of any Disqualifying Conduct) or, (ii) in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the Agent was not liable by reason of Disqualifying Conduct, by (1) the vote of a majority of a quorum of the Trustees who are not (x) "interested persons" of the Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act, (y) parties to the proceeding, or (z) parties who have any economic or other interest in connection with such specific case (the "disinterested, non-party Trustees");or (2) by independent legal counsel in a written opinion. (d) Advancement of Expenses. Expenses incurred by an Agent in defending any Proceeding may be advanced by the Trust before the final disposition of the Proceeding on receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Agent to repay the amount of the advance if it shall be determined ultimately that the Agent is not entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this Article; provided, that at least one of the following conditions for the advancement of expenses is met: (i) the Agent shall provide a security for his undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of a quorum of the disinterested, non-party Trustees of the Trust, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Agent ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification. (e) Other Contractual Rights. Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any right to indemnification to which Persons other than Trustees and officers of the Trust or any subsidiary thereof may be entitled by contract or otherwise. (f) Fiduciaries of Employee Benefit Plan. This Article does not apply to any Proceeding against any trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan in that Person's capacity as such, even though that Person may also be an Agent of the Trust as defined in Section 1 of this Article. Nothing contained in this Article shall limit any right to indemnification to which such a trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary may be entitled by contract or otherwise which shall be enforceable to the extent permitted by applicable law other than this Article. (g) Joint and Several Obligations. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Declaration of Trust to the contrary, any amount of indemnification and any advancement of expenses that any Agent is entitled to be paid under Section 2 shall be deemed to be joint and several obligations of the Trust and each Series, and the assets of the Trust and each Series shall be subject to the claims of any Agent therefor under this Article VII;provided that any such liability, expense or obligation may be allocated and charged by the Board of Trustees between or among the Trust and/or any one or more Series (and Classes) in such manner as the Board of Trustees in its sole discretion deem fair and equitable. Section 3. Insurance. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Board of Trustees shall have the authority to purchase with Trust Property, insurance for liability and for all Expenses reasonably incurred or paid or expected to be paid by an Agent in connection with any Proceeding in which such Agent becomes involved by virtue of such Agent's actions, or omissions to act, in its capacity or former capacity with the Trust, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Agent against such liability. Section 4. Derivative Actions. In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the DSTA, a Shareholder or Shareholders may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust only if the following conditions are met: (a) The Shareholder or Shareholders must make a pre-suit demand upon the Board of Trustees to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Board of Trustees to bring such an action is not likely to succeed. For purposes of this Section 4, a demand on the Board of Trustees shall only be deemed not likely to succeed and therefore excused if a majority of the Board of Trustees, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, is composed of Trustees who are not "independent trustees" (as such term is defined in the DSTA). (b) Unless a demand is not required under paragraph (a) of this Section 4, Shareholders eligible to bring such derivative action under the DSTA who hold at least 10% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust, or 10% of the outstanding Shares of the Series or Class to which such action relates, shall join in the request for the Board of Trustees to commence such action;and (c) Unless a demand is not required under paragraph (a) of this Section 4, the Board of Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such Shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim. The Board of Trustees shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisors in considering the merits of the request and shall require an undertaking by the Shareholders making such request to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any such advisors in the event that the Board of Trustees determine not to bring such action. For purposes of this Section 4, the Board of Trustees may designate a committee of one Trustee to consider a Shareholder demand if necessary to create a committee with a majority of Trustees who are "independent trustees" (as such term is defined in the DSTA). In addition to all suits, claims or other actions (collectively, "claims") that under applicable law must be brought as derivative claims, each Shareholder of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof agrees that any claim that affects all Shareholders of a Series or Class equally, that is, proportionately based on their number of Shares in such Series or Class, must be brought as a derivative claim subject to this Section 4 irrespective of whether such claim involves a violation of the Shareholders' rights under this Declaration of Trust or any other alleged violation of contractual or individual rights that might otherwise give rise to a direct claim. Section 5. Jurisdiction and Waiver of Jury Trial. In accordance with Section 3804(e) of the DSTA any suit, action or proceeding brought by or in the right of any Shareholder or any person claiming any interest in any Shares seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of, or in connection with, this Declaration of Trust or the Trust, any Series or Class or any Shares, including any claim of any nature against the Trust, any Series or Class, the Trustees or officers of the Trust, shall be brought exclusively in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware to the extent there is subject matter jurisdiction in such court for the claims asserted or, if not, then in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, and all Shareholders and other such Persons hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of such courts (and the appropriate appellate courts therefrom) in any such suit, action or proceeding and irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection they may make now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in such court or that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum and further, in connection with any such suit, action, or proceeding brought in the Superior Court in the State of Delaware, all Shareholders and all other such Persons irrevocably waive the right to a trial by jury to the fullest extent permitted by law. All Shareholders and other such Persons agree that service of summons, complaint or other process in connection with any proceedings may be made by registered or certified mail or by overnight courier addressed to such Person at the address shown on the books and records of the Trust for such Person or at the address of the Person shown on the books and records of the Trust with respect to the Shares that such Person claims an interest in. Service of process in any such suit, action or proceeding against the Trust or any Trustee or officer of the Trust may be made at the address of the Trust's registered agent in the State of Delaware. Any service so made shall be effective as if personally made in the State of Delaware. ARTICLE VIII CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS Section 1. Dissolution of Trust or Series. The Trust and each Series shall have perpetual existence, except that the Trust (or a particular Series) shall be dissolved: (a) With respect to the Trust, (i) upon the vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the Shares of the Trust cast, or (ii) at the discretion of the Board of Trustees either (A) at any time there are no Shares outstanding of the Trust, or (B) upon prior written notice to the Shareholders of the Trust; or (b) With respect to a particular Series, (i) upon the vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the Shares of such Series cast, or (ii) at the discretion of the Board of Trustees either (A) at any time there are no Shares outstanding of such Series, or (B) upon prior written notice to the Shareholders of such Series;or (c) With respect to the Trust (or a particular Series), upon the occurrence of a dissolution or termination event pursuant to any other provision of this Declaration of Trust (including Article VIII, Section 2) or the DSTA;or (d) With respect to any Series, upon any event that causes the dissolution of the Trust. Upon dissolution of the Trust (or a particular Series, as the case may be), the Board of Trustees shall (in accordance with Section 3808 of the DSTA) pay or make reasonable provision to pay all claims and obligations of the Trust and/or each Series (or the particular Series, as the case may be), including, without limitation, all contingent, conditional or unmatured claims and obligations known to the Trust, and all claims and obligations which are known to the Trust, but for which the identity of the claimant is unknown. If there are sufficient assets held with respect to the Trust and/or each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid in full and any such provisions for payment shall be made in full. If there are insufficient assets held with respect to the Trust and/or each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid or provided for according to their priority and, among claims and obligations of equal priority, ratably to the extent of assets available therefor. Any remaining assets (including, without limitation, cash, securities or any combination thereof) held with respect to the Trust and/or each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be) shall be distributed to the Shareholders of the Trust and/or each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be) ratably according to the number of Shares of the Trust and/or such Series thereof (or the particular Series, as the case may be) held of record by the several Shareholders on the date for such dissolution distribution;provided, however, that if the Shares of the Trust or a Series are divided into Classes thereof, any remaining assets (including, without limitation, cash, securities or any combination thereof) held with respect to the Trust or such Series, as applicable, shall be distributed to each Class of the Trust or such Series according to the net asset value computed for such Class and within such particular Class, shall be distributed ratably to the Shareholders of such Class according to the number of Shares of such Class held of record by the several Shareholders on the date for such dissolution distribution. Upon the winding up of the Trust in accordance with Section 3808 of the DSTA and its termination, any one (1) Trustee shall execute, and cause to be filed, a certificate of cancellation, with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with the provisions of Section 3810 of the DSTA. In connection with the dissolution and liquidation of the Trust or the termination of any Series or any Class, the Trustees may provide for the establishment and utilization of a liquidating trust or similar vehicle. Section 2. Merger or Consolidation;Conversion;Reorganization. (a) Merger or Consolidation. Pursuant to an agreement of merger or consolidation, the Board of Trustees, by vote of a majority of the Trustees, may cause the Trust to merge or consolidate with or into one or more statutory trusts or "other business entities" (as defined in Section 3801 of the DSTA) formed or organized or existing under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state of the United States or any foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction. Any such merger or consolidation shall not require the vote of the Shareholders unless such vote is required by the 1940 Act;provided however, that the Board of Trustees shall provide at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the Shareholders of such merger or consolidation. By reference to Section 3815(f) of the DSTA, any agreement of merger or consolidation approved in accordance with this Section 2(a) may, without a Shareholder vote unless required by the 1940 Act or the requirements of any securities exchange on which Shares are listed for trading, effect any amendment to this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws or effect the adoption of a new governing instrument if the Trust is the surviving or resulting statutory trust in the merger or consolidation, which amendment or new governing instrument shall be effective at the effective time or date of the merger or consolidation. In all respects not governed by the DSTA, the 1940 Act, other applicable law or the requirements of any securities exchange on which Shares are listed for trading, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to prescribe additional procedures necessary or appropriate to accomplish a merger or consolidation, including the power to create one or more separate statutory trusts to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the Trust may be transferred and to provide for the conversion of Shares into beneficial interests in such separate statutory trust or trusts. In connection with any merger or consolidation, if the Trust is the surviving or resulting statutory trust, any one (1) Trustee shall execute, and cause to be filed, a certificate of merger or consolidation in accordance with Section 3815 of the DSTA. (b) Conversion. The Board of Trustees, by vote of a majority of the Trustees, may cause (i) the Trust to convert to an "other business entity" (as defined in Section 3801 of the DSTA) formed or organized under the laws of the State of Delaware as permitted pursuant to Section 3821 of the DSTA;(ii) the Shares of the Trust or any Series or Class to be converted into beneficial interests in another statutory trust (or series or class thereof) created pursuant to this Section 2 of this Article VIII, or (iii) the Shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to any state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law. Any such statutory conversion, Share conversion or Share exchange shall not require the vote of the Shareholders unless such vote is required by the 1940 Act;provided however, that the Board of Trustees shall provide at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the Shareholders of the Trust of any conversion of Shares of the Trust pursuant to Subsections (b)(i) or (b)(ii) of this Section 2 or exchange of Shares of the Trust pursuant to Subsection (b)(iii) of this Section 2, and at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the Shareholders of a particular Series or Class of any conversion of Shares of such Series or Class pursuant to Subsection (b)(ii) of this Section 2 or exchange of Shares of such Series or Class pursuant to Subsection (b)(iii) of this Section 2. In all respects not governed by the DSTA, the 1940 Act, other applicable law or the requirements of any securities exchange on which Shares are listed for trading, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to prescribe additional procedures necessary or appropriate to accomplish a statutory conversion, Share conversion or Share exchange, including the power to create one or more separate statutory trusts to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the Trust may be transferred and to provide for the conversion of Shares of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof into beneficial interests in such separate statutory trust or trusts (or series or class thereof). (c) Reorganization. The Board of Trustees, by vote of a majority of the Trustees, may cause the Trust to sell, convey and transfer all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust ("sale of Trust assets") or all or substantially all of the assets associated with any one or more Series ("sale of such Series' assets") or any one or more Classes ("sale of such Class's assets"), to another trust, statutory trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation or other association organized under the laws of any state, or to one or more separate series or class thereof, or to the Trust to be held as assets associated with one or more other Series or Classes of the Trust, in exchange for cash, shares or other securities (including, without limitation, in the case of a transfer to another Series or Class of the Trust, Shares of such other Series or Class) with such sale, conveyance and transfer either (a) being made subject to, or with the assumption by the transferee of, the liabilities associated with the Trust or the liabilities associated with the Series or Class the assets of which are so transferred, as applicable, or (b) not being made subject to, or not with the assumption of, such liabilities. Any such sale, conveyance and transfer shall not require the vote of the Shareholders unless such vote is required by the 1940 Act;provided however, that the Board of Trustees shall provide at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the Shareholders of the Trust of any such sale of Trust assets, at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the Shareholders of a particular Series of any sale of such Series' assets, and at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the Shareholders of a particular Class of any sale of such Class's assets. Following such sale of Trust assets, the Board of Trustees shall distribute such cash, shares or other securities ratably among the Shareholders of the Trust (giving due effect to the assets and liabilities associated with and any other differences among the various Series the assets associated with which have been so sold, conveyed and transferred, and due effect to the differences among the various Classes within each such Series). Following a sale of such Series' assets, the Board of Trustees shall distribute such cash, shares or other securities ratably among the Shareholders of such Series (giving due effect to the differences among the various Classes within each such Series). Following a sale of such Class's assets, the Board of Trustees shall distribute such cash, shares or other securities ratably among the Shareholders of such Class. If all of the assets of the Trust have been so sold, conveyed and transferred, the Trust shall be dissolved; and if all of the assets of a Series or Class have been so sold, conveyed and transferred, such Series and the Classes thereof, or such Class, shall be dissolved. In all respects not governed by the DSTA, the 1940 Act or other applicable law, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to prescribe additional procedures necessary or appropriate to accomplish such sale, conveyance and transfer, including the power to create one or more separate statutory trusts to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the Trust may be transferred and to provide for the conversion of Shares into beneficial interests in such separate statutory trust or trusts. Section 3. Master Feeder Structure. If permitted by the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees, by vote of a majority of the Trustees, and without a Shareholder vote, may cause the Trust or any one or more Series to convert to a master feeder structure (a structure in which a feeder fund invests all of its assets in a master fund, rather than making investments in securities directly) and thereby cause existing Series of the Trust to either become feeders in a master fund, or to become master funds in which other funds are feeders. Section 4. Absence of Appraisal or Dissenters' Rights. No Shareholder shall be entitled, as a matter of right, to relief as a dissenting Shareholder in respect of any proposal or action involving the Trust or any Series or any Class thereof. ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS Section 1. Amendments Generally. This Declaration of Trust may be restated and/or amended at any time by an instrument in writing signed by not less than a majority of the Board of Trustees and, to the extent required by the 1940 Act or the requirements of any securities exchange on which Shares are listed for trading, by approval of such amendment by the Shareholders in accordance with Article III, Section 6 hereof and Article V hereof. Any such restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be effective immediately upon execution and approval or upon such future date and time as may be stated therein. The Certificate of Trust shall be restated and/or amended at any time by the Board of Trustees, without Shareholder approval, to correct any inaccuracy contained therein. Any such restatement and/or amendment of the Certificate of Trust shall be executed by at least one (1) Trustee and shall be effective immediately upon its filing with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or upon such future date as may be stated therein. ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS Section 1. References;Headings;Counterparts. In this Declaration of Trust and in any restatement hereof and/or amendment hereto, references to this instrument, and all expressions of similar effect to "herein," "hereof" and "hereunder," shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as so restated and/or amended. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument. Whenever the singular number is used herein, the same shall include the plural;and the neuter, masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as applicable. Any references herein to specific sections of the DSTA, the Code or the 1940 Act shall refer to such sections as amended from time to time or any successor sections thereof. This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original. Section 2. Applicable Law. This Declaration of Trust is created under and is to be governed by and construed and administered according to the laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Code; provided, that, all matters relating to or in connection with the conduct of Shareholders' and Trustees' meetings (excluding, however, the Shareholders' right to vote), including, without limitation, matters relating to or in connection with record dates, notices to Shareholders or Trustees, nominations and elections of Trustees, voting by, and the validity of, Shareholder proxies, quorum requirements, meeting adjournments, meeting postponements and inspectors, which are not specifically addressed in this Declaration of Trust, in the By-Laws or in the DSTA (other than DSTA Section 3809), or as to which an ambiguity exists, shall be governed by the Delaware General Corporation Law, and judicial interpretations thereunder, as if the Trust were a Delaware corporation, the Shareholders were shareholders of such Delaware corporation and the Trustees were directors of such Delaware corporation;provided, further, however, that there shall not be applicable to the Trust, the Trustees, the Shareholders or any other Person or to this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws (a) the provisions of Sections 3533, 3540 and 3583(a) of Title 12 of the Delaware Code or (b) any provisions of the laws (statutory or common) of the State of Delaware (other than the DSTA) pertaining to trusts which relate to or regulate (i) the filing with any court or governmental body or agency of trustee accounts or schedules of trustee fees and charges, (ii) affirmative requirements to post bonds for trustees, officers, agents or employees of a trust, (iii) the necessity for obtaining court or other governmental approval concerning the acquisition, holding or disposition of real or personal property, (iv) fees or other sums payable to trustees, officers, agents or employees of a trust, (v) the allocation of receipts and expenditures to income or principal, (vi) restrictions or limitations on the permissible nature, amount or concentration of trust investments or requirements relating to the titling, storage or other manner of holding trust assets, or (vii) the establishment of fiduciary or other standards or responsibilities or limitations on the indemnification, acts or powers of trustees or other Persons, which are inconsistent with the limitations of liabilities or authorities and powers of the Trustees or officers of the Trust set forth or referenced in this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws. The Trust shall be a Delaware statutory trust pursuant to the DSTA, and without limiting the provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily exercised by such a statutory trust. Section 3. Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations. (a) The provisions of this Declaration of Trust are severable, and if the Board of Trustees shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with the 1940 Act, the Code, the DSTA, or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed not to have constituted a part of this Declaration of Trust from the time when such provisions became inconsistent with such laws or regulations;provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of this Declaration of Trust or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination. (b) If any provision of this Declaration of Trust shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration of Trust in any jurisdiction. Section 4. Statutory Trust Only. It is the intention of the Trustees to create hereby a statutory trust pursuant to the DSTA, and thereby to create the relationship of trustee and beneficial owners within the meaning of the DSTA between, respectively, the Trustees and each Shareholder. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general or limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock association, corporation, bailment, or any form of legal relationship other than a statutory trust pursuant to the DSTA. Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association. Section 5. Use of the Names "Franklin," "Templeton," "Fiduciary Trust," and/or "Institutional Fiduciary Trust". The Board of Trustees expressly agrees and acknowledges that the names "Franklin, " "Templeton," "Fiduciary Trust," and "Institutional Fiduciary Trust" are the sole property of Franklin Resources, Inc. ("FRI"). FRI has granted to the Trust a non-exclusive license to use such names as part of the name of the Trust now and in the future. The Board of Trustees further expressly agrees and acknowledges that the non-exclusive license granted herein may be terminated by FRI if the Trust ceases to use FRI or one of its Affiliates as Investment Adviser or to use other Affiliates or successors of FRI for such purposes. In such event, the non-exclusive license may be revoked by FRI and the Trust shall cease using the names "Franklin," "Templeton," "Fiduciary Trust," "Institutional Fiduciary Trust" or any name misleadingly implying a continuing relationship between the Trust and FRI or any of its Affiliates, as part of its name unless otherwise consented to by FRI or any successor to its interests in such names. The Board of Trustees further understands and agrees that so long as FRI and/or any future advisory Affiliate of FRI shall continue to serve as the Trust's Investment Adviser, other registered open- or closed-end investment companies ("funds") as may be sponsored or advised by FRI or its Affiliates shall have the right permanently to adopt and to use the names "Franklin", "Templeton," "Fiduciary Trust" and/or "Institutional Fiduciary Trust" in their names and in the names of any series or Class of shares of such funds. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trustees of Franklin Custodian Funds named below do hereby make and enter into this Declaration of Trust as of the date first written above. /s/ Harris J. Ashton Harris J. Ashton, Trustee /s/ Mary C. Choksi Mary C. Choksi, Trustee /s/ Gregory E. Johnson Gregory E. Johnson, Trustee /s/ J. Michael Luttig J. Michael Luttig, Trustee /s/ Terrence J. Checki Terrence J. Checki, Trustee /s/ Edith E. Holiday Edith E. Holiday, Trustee /s/ Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. Rupert H. Johnson, Jr., Trustee /s/ Larry D. Thompson Larry D. Thompson, Trustee /s/ John B. Wilson John B. Wilson, Trustee MATERIAL AMENDMENTS 6 FCF_G_1_b_i_2_0918.txt MATERIAL AMENDMENTS NAME OF REGISTRANT: FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS File No. 811-00537 EXHIBIT ITEM: Copies of any material amendments to the registrant's charter or by-laws AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWS OF FRANKLIN CUSTODIAN FUNDS A DELAWARE STATUTORY TRUST (Effective as of May 18, 2018) These Amended and Restated By-Laws may contain any provision not inconsistent with applicable law or the Declaration of Trust, relating to the governance of the Trust. Unless otherwise specified in these By-Laws, capitalized terms used in these By-Laws shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Declaration of Trust. Every Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be bound by these By-Laws. ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS Section 1. Whenever used herein the following terms shall have the following meanings: (a) "1940 ACT" shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as adopted or amended from time to time; (b) "BOARD OF TRUSTEES" OR "BOARD" shall mean the governing body of the Trust, that is comprised of the number of Trustees of the Trust fixed from time to time pursuant to Article IV of the Declaration of Trust, having the powers and duties set forth therein; (c) "BY-LAWS" shall mean these Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Trust, as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time in accordance with Article VIII hereof. These By-Laws may contain any provision not inconsistent with applicable law or the Declaration of Trust, relating to the governance of the Trust; (d) "CERTIFICATE OF TRUST" shall mean the certificate of trust of the Trust filed with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required under the DSTA to form the Trust, as such certificate shall be amended, restated or supplemented from time to time and filed with such office; (e) "CLASS" shall mean each class of Shares of the Trust or of a Series of the Trust established and designated under and in accordance with the provisions of Article III of the Declaration of Trust; (f) "CODE" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as adopted or amended from time to time; (g) "COMMISSION" shall have the meaning given that term in the 1940 Act; (h) "DSTA" shall mean the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. C. 3801, et seq.), as amended from time to time; (i) "DECLARATION OF TRUST" shall mean the Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time; (j) "INVESTMENT ADVISER" or "ADVISER" shall mean a Person, as defined below, furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any investment advisory or investment management contract described in Article IV, Section 7(a) of the Declaration of Trust; (k) "PERSON" shall mean a natural person, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, trust, estate, association, corporation, organization, custodian, nominee or any other individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity, in each case, whether domestic or foreign, and a statutory trust or a foreign statutory or business trust; (l) "SERIES" shall mean each Series of Shares established and designated under and in accordance with the provisions of Article III of the Declaration of Trust; (m) "SHARES" shall mean the transferable shares of beneficial interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, and shall include fractional and whole Shares; (n) "SHAREHOLDER" shall mean a record owner of Shares pursuant to these By-Laws; (o) "TRUST" shall mean Franklin Custodian Funds, the Delaware statutory trust formed under the Original Declaration of Trust, as amended, and by filing of the Certificate of Trust with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and governed by the Declaration of Trust; (p) "TRUSTEE" or "TRUSTEES" shall mean each Person who signs the Declaration of Trust as a trustee and all other Persons who may, from time to time, be duly elected or appointed, qualified and serving on the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provisions hereof and the Declaration of Trust, so long as such signatory or other Person continues in office in accordance with the terms hereof and the Declaration of Trust. Reference herein to a Trustee or the Trustees shall refer to such Person or Persons in such Person's or Persons' capacity as a trustee or trustees hereunder and under the Declaration of Trust. ARTICLE II MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS Section 1. PLACE OF MEETINGS. Meetings of Shareholders shall be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware designated by the Board. In the absence of any such designation by the Board, Shareholders' meetings shall be held at the offices of the Trust. Section 2. MEETINGS. Any meeting of Shareholders may be called at any time by the Board, by the chairperson of the Board or by the president of the Trust for the purpose of taking action upon any matter deemed by the Board to be necessary or desirable. To the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, a meeting of the Shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees may also be called by the chairperson of the Board. There shall be no annual meetings of the Shareholders for the election of Trustees or the transaction of any other business except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable federal law. In the event any annual meeting of the Shareholders is to be held, it shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust or as otherwise determined by the Board of Trustees. Special meetings of the Shareholders shall be held as provided herein or in the Declaration of Trust or as otherwise required by the 1940 Act or other applicable federal law. Except as required by federal law, including the 1940 Act, the Shareholders shall not be entitled to call, or to have the Secretary call, meetings of the Shareholders. To the extent required by federal law, including the 1940 Act, special meetings of the Shareholders shall be called by the Secretary upon the request of the Shareholders owning Shares representing at least the percentage of the total combined votes of all Shares of the Trust issued and outstanding required by federal law, including the 1940 Act, provided that (a) such request shall state the purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on, and (b) the Shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid to the Trust the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice thereof, which an authorized officer of the Trust shall determine and specify to such Shareholders. No meeting shall be called upon the request of Shareholders to consider any matter which is substantially the same as a matter voted upon at any meeting of the Shareholders held during the preceding twelve (12) months, unless requested by the holders of a majority of all Shares entitled to be voted at such meeting. Section 3. NOTICE OF SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING. Notice of any meeting of Shareholders shall be given to each Shareholder entitled to vote at such meeting in accordance with Section 4 of this Article II not less than ten (10) nor more than one hundred and twenty (120) days before the date of the meeting. The notice shall specify (i) the place, date and hour of the meeting, and (ii) the general nature of the business to be transacted and to the extent required by the 1940 Act, the purpose or purposes thereof. Section 4. MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE. Notice of any meeting of Shareholders shall be given either personally or by United States mail, courier, cablegram, telegram, facsimile or electronic mail, or other form of communication permitted by then current law, charges prepaid, addressed to the Shareholder or to the group of Shareholders at the same address as may be permitted pursuant to applicable laws, or as Shareholders may otherwise consent, at the address of that Shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust or its transfer or other duly authorized agent or provided in writing by the Shareholder to the Trust for the purpose of notice. Notice shall be deemed to be given when delivered personally, deposited in the United States mail or with a courier, or sent by cablegram, telegram, facsimile or electronic mail. If no address of a Shareholder appears on the Trust's books or has been provided in writing by a Shareholder, notice shall be deemed to have been duly given without a mailing, or substantial equivalent thereof, if such notice shall be available to the Shareholder on written demand of the Shareholder at the offices of the Trust. If any notice addressed to a Shareholder at the address of that Shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust or that has been provided in writing by that Shareholder to the Trust for the purpose of notice, is returned to the Trust marked to indicate that the notice to the Shareholder cannot be delivered at that address, all future notices or reports shall be deemed to have been duly given without further mailing, or substantial equivalent thereof, if such notices shall be available to the Shareholder on written demand of the Shareholder at the offices of the Trust. In the absence of fraud, any irregularities in the notice of any meeting or the nonreceipt of any such notice by any of the Shareholders shall not invalidate any action otherwise properly taken at any such meeting. Section 5. POSTPONED AND ADJOURNED MEETING; NOTICE. Prior to the date upon which any meeting of Shareholders is to be held, the Board of Trustees may postpone such meeting one or more times for any reason by giving notice to each Shareholder entitled to vote at the meeting so postponed of the place, date and hour at which such meeting will be held. Such notice shall be given not fewer than two (2) days before the date of such meeting and otherwise in accordance with this Article II. Any Shareholders' meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, may be adjourned from time to time for any reason whatsoever by vote of the holders of Shares entitled to vote holding not less than a majority of the Shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting, or by the chairperson of the Board, the president of the Trust, in the absence of the chairperson of the Board, or any vice president or other authorized officer of the Trust, in the absence of the president. Any adjournment may be made with respect to any business which might have been transacted at such meeting and any adjournment will not delay or otherwise affect the effectiveness and validity of any business transacted at the Shareholders' meeting prior to adjournment. When any Shareholders' meeting is adjourned to another time or place, written notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless after the adjournment, a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, or unless the adjournment is for more than one hundred and eighty (180) days from the record date set for the original meeting, in which case, the Board of Trustees shall set a new record date as provided in Article V of the Declaration of Trust and give written notice to each Shareholder of record entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting in accordance with the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of this Article II. At any postponed or adjourned meeting, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the original meeting. Section 6. VOTING. (a) The Shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of Shareholders and the Shareholder vote required to take action shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust. Unless determined by the inspector of the meeting to be advisable, the vote on any question need not be by written ballot. (b) Unless otherwise determined by the Board at the time it approves an action to be submitted to the Shareholders for approval, Shareholder approval of an action shall remain in effect until such time as the approved action is implemented or the Shareholders vote to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an agreement of merger, consolidation, conversion or reorganization may be terminated or amended notwithstanding prior approval if so authorized by such agreement of merger, consolidation, conversion or reorganization pursuant to Section 3815 of the DSTA and/or pursuant to the Declaration of Trust, these By-Laws and Section 3806 of the DSTA. Section 7. WAIVER OF NOTICE BY CONSENT OF ABSENT SHAREHOLDERS .. Attendance by a Shareholder, in person or by proxy, at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of that meeting with respect to that Shareholder, except when the Shareholder attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Whenever notice of a Shareholders' meeting is required to be given to a Shareholder under the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws, a written waiver thereof, executed before or after the time notice is required to be given, by such Shareholder or his or her attorney thereunto authorized, shall be deemed equivalent to such notice. The waiver of notice need not specify the purpose of, or the business to be transacted at, the meeting. Section 8. PROXIES. Every Shareholder entitled to vote for Trustees or on any other matter that may properly come before the meeting shall have the right to do so either in person or by one or more agents authorized by a written proxy executed by the Shareholder and filed with the secretary of the Trust before being voted; provided, that an alternative to the execution of a written proxy may be permitted as described in the next paragraph of this Section 8. A proxy shall be deemed executed if the Shareholder's name is placed on the proxy (whether by manual signature, typewriting, telegraphic or electronic transmission (as defined in Section 3806 of the DSTA) or otherwise) by the Shareholder or the Shareholder's attorney-in-fact. A valid proxy that does not state that it is irrevocable shall continue in full force and effect unless (i) revoked by the person executing it before the vote pursuant to that proxy is taken (a) by a writing delivered to the Trust stating that the proxy is revoked, (b) by a subsequent proxy executed by such person, (c) attendance at the meeting and voting in person by the person executing that proxy, or (d) revocation by such person using any electronic, telephonic, computerized or other alternative means authorized by the Trustees for authorizing the proxy to act; or (ii) written notice of the death or incapacity of the maker of that proxy is received by the Trust before the vote pursuant to that proxy is counted; provided, however, that no proxy shall be valid after the expiration of eleven (11) months from the date of the proxy unless otherwise expressly provided in the proxy. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Unless revoked, any proxy given in connection with a postponed or adjourned meeting for which a new record date is fixed shall continue to be valid so long as the Shareholder giving such proxy is a Shareholder of record on such new such record date. With respect to any Shareholders' meeting, the Board, or, in case the Board does not act, the president, any vice president or the secretary, may permit proxies by electronic transmission (as defined in Section 3806 of the DSTA), telephonic, computerized, telecommunications or other reasonable alternative to the execution of a written instrument authorizing the holder of the proxy to act. A proxy with respect to Shares held in the name of two or more Persons shall be valid if executed, or a permitted alternative to execution is used, by any one of them unless, at or prior to the exercise of the proxy, the secretary of the Trust receives a specific written notice to the contrary from any one of them. A proxy purporting to be by or on behalf of a Shareholder shall be deemed valid unless challenged at or prior to its exercise and the burden of proving invalidity shall rest with the challenger. Unless otherwise specifically limited by their terms, proxies shall entitle the Shareholder to vote at any adjournmen t or postponement of a Shareholder meeting. Subject to the provisions of the DSTA, the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware relating to proxies, and judicial interpretations thereunder, shall govern all matters concerning the giving, voting or validity of proxies, as if the Trust were a Delaware corporation and the Shareholders were stockholders of a Delaware corporation. Section 9. INSPECTORS. Before any meeting of Shareholders, the chairperson of the Board, or in the absence of the chairperson of the Board, the president of the Trust, or in the absence of the president, any vice president or other authorized officer of the Trust, may appoint any person other than nominees for office to act as inspector at the meeting or any adjournment. If any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, the chairperson of the Board, or in the absence of the chairperson of the Board, the president of the Trust, or in the absence of the president, any vice president or other authorized officer of the Trust, shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy. Such appointments may be made by such officers in person or by telephone. The inspector shall: (a) determine the number of Shares and the voting power of each, the Shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum and the authenticity, validity and effect of proxies; (b) receive votes or ballots; (c) hear and determine all challenges and questions in any way arising in connection with the right to vote; (d) count and tabulate all votes; (e) determine when the polls shall close; (f) determine the result of voting; and (g) do any other acts that may be proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all Shareholders. ARTICLE III TRUSTEES Section 1. VACANCIES. (a) Whenever a vacancy in the Board shall occur (by reason of death, resignation, removal, retirement, an increase in the authorized number of Trustees or other cause), until such vacancy is filled as provided herein or the number of authorized Trustees constituting the Board of Trustees is decreased pursuant to Article IV, Section 1 of the Declaration of Trust, the Trustee(s) then in office, regardless of the number and even if less than a quorum, shall have all the powers granted to the Board and shall discharge all the duties imposed upon the Board by the Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws as though such number constitutes the entire Board. (b) Vacancies in the Board of Trustees may be filled by not less than a majority vote of the Trustee(s) then in office, regardless of the number and even if less than a quorum and a meeting of Shareholders shall be called for the purpose of electing Trustees if required by the 1940 Act. Notwithstanding the above, whenever and for so long as the Trust is a participant in or otherwise has in effect a plan under which the Trust may be deemed to bear expenses of distributing its Shares as that practice is described in Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, then the selection and nomination of each of the Trustees who is not an "interested person" (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act ) of the Trust, any Adviser or the principal underwriter of the Trust (such Trustees are referred to herein as "disinterested Trustees"), shall be, and is, committed to the discretion of the disinterested Trustees remaining in office. In the event that all Trustee offices become vacant, an authorized officer of the Investment Adviser shall serve as the sole remaining Trustee effective upon the vacancy in the office of the last Trustee. In such case, an authorized officer of the Investment Adviser, as the sole remaining Trustee, shall, as soon as practicable, fill all of the vacancies on the Board; provided, however, that the percentage of Trustees who are disinterested Trustees shall be no less than that permitted by the 1940 Act. Upon the qualification of such Trustees, the authorized officer of the Investment Adviser shall resign as Trustee and a meeting of the Shareholders shall be called, as required by the 1940 Act, for the election of Trustees. An appointment of a Trustee may be made by the Trustees then in office in anticipation of a vacancy to occur by reason of retirement, resignation, or removal of a Trustee, or an increase in number of Trustees effective at a later date, provided that said appointment shall become effective only at the time or after the expected vacancy occurs. Section 2. PLACE OF MEETINGS AND MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE; PROXIES. All meetings of the Board may be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware that is designated from time to time by the Board, the chairperson of the Board, or in the absence of the chairperson of the Board, the president of the Trust, or in the absence of the president, any vice president or other authorized officer of the Trust. In the absence of such a designation, regular meetings shall be held at the offices of the Trust. Any meeting, regular or special, may be held, with respect to one or more participating Trustees, by conference telephone or similar communication equipment, so long as all Trustees participating in the meeting can hear one another, and all such Trustees shall be deemed to be present in person at such meeting. At all meetings of the Trustees, every Trustee shall be entitled to vote by proxy, provided that such proxy shall, before or after such meeting, be delivered to the secretary or other person responsible for recording the proceedings of such meeting. To the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, a Trustee may provide any proxy through written, electronic, telephonic, computerized, facsimile, telecommunications, telex or by any other form of communication. Section 3. REGULAR MEETINGS. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held at such time and place as shall from time to time be fixed by the Board, the chairperson of the Board, or in the absence of the chairperson of the Board, the president of the Trust, or in the absence of the president, any vice president or other authorized officer of the Trust. Regular meetings may be held without notice. Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by any Trustee, the chairperson of the Board, or in the absence of the chairperson of the Board, the president of the Trust, or in the absence of the president, any vice president or other authorized officer of the Trust. Notice of the purpose, time and place of special meetings (or of the time and place for each regular meeting for which notice is given) shall be given personally, sent by first-class mail, courier, cablegram or telegram, charges prepaid, or by facsimile or electronic mail, addressed to each Trustee at that Trustee's address as has been provided to the Trust for purposes of notice; PROVIDED, that, in case of a national, regional or local emergency or disaster, which prevents such notice, such notice may be given by any means available or need not be given if no means are available. In case the notice is mailed, it shall be deemed to be duly given if deposited in the United States mail at least seven (7) days before the time the meeting is to be held. In case the notice is given personally or is given by courier, cablegram, telegram, facsimile or electronic mail, it shall be deemed to be duly given if delivered at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting if the meeting is to be held at the offices of the Trust. Section 5. WAIVER OF NOTICE. Whenever notice is required to be given to a Trustee under this Article, a written waiver of notice signed by the Trustee, whether before or after the time notice is required to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. The waiver of notice need not specify the purpose of, or the business to be transacted at, the meeting. All such waivers shall be filed with the records of the Trust or made a part of the minutes of the meeting. Attendance of a Trustee at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the Trustee attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Section 6. ADJOURNMENT. A majority of the Trustees present at a meeting of the Board, whether or not a quorum is present, may adjourn such meeting to another time and place. Any adjournment will not delay or otherwise affect the effectiveness and validity of any business transacted at the meeting prior to adjournment. At any adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called. Section 7. NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT. Notice of the time and place of an adjourned meeting need not be given if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days after the date of the original meeting, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each Trustee. Section 8. COMPENSATION OF TRUSTEES. Trustees may receive from the Trust reasonable compensation for their services and reimbursement of reasonable expenses as may be determined by the Board. This Section 8 shall not be construed to preclude any Trustee from serving the Trust in any other capacity as an officer, agent, employee, or otherwise and receiving compensation and reimbursement of expenses for those services. Section 9. CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD. The Board of Trustees may elect a Chairperson for the purpose of presiding at meetings of the Board of Trustees (the "Chairperson"). The Chairperson shall exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be from time to time assigned to the Chairperson by the Board of Trustees or prescribed by these By-Laws. The Chairperson may delegate their powers and duties to the trustees or officers of the Trust that the Chairperson deems appropriate, provided that such delegation is consistent with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. ARTICLE IV COMMITTEES Section 1. COMMITTEES OF TRUSTEES. The Board may, by majority vote, designate one or more committees of the Board, each consisting of two (2) or more Trustees (or one (1) Trustee in the case of a committee formed to consider a Shareholder demand pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 of the Declaration of Trust), to serve at the pleasure of the Board. The Board may, by majority vote, designate one or more Trustees as alternate members of any such committee who may replace any absent member at any meeting of the committee. Any such committee, to the extent provided by the Board, shall have such authority as delegated to it by the Board from time to time, except with respect to: (a) the approval of any action which under the Declaration of Trust, these By-Laws or applicable law also requires Shareholder approval or requires approval by a majority of the entire Board or certain members of the Board; (b) the filling of vacancies on the Board or on any committee thereof; provided however, that such committee may nominate Trustees to fill such vacancies, subject to the Trust's compliance with the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder; (c) the amendment, restatement or repeal of the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws or the adoption of a new Declaration of Trust or new By-Laws; (d) the amendment or repeal of any resolution of the Board; or (e) the designation of any other committee of the Board or the members of such committee. Section 2. MEETINGS AND ACTION OF BOARD COMMITTEES. Meetings and actions of any committee of the Board shall, to the extent applicable, be held and taken in the manner provided in Article IV of the Declaration of Trust and Article III of these By-Laws, with such changes in the context thereof as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board and its members, except that the time of regular meetings of any committee may be determined either by the Board or by the committee. Special meetings of any committee may also be called by resolution of the Board or such committee, and notice of special meetings of any committee shall also be given to all alternate members who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee. The Board may from time to time adopt other rules for the governance of any committee. Section 3. ADVISORY COMMITTEES. The Board may appoint one or more advisory committees comprised of such number of individuals appointed by the Board who may meet at such time, place and upon such notice, if any, as determined by the Board. Such advisory committees shall have no power to require the Trust to take any specific action. ARTICLE V OFFICERS Section 1. OFFICERS. The officers of the Trust shall be a Chief Executive Officer - Investment Management, a Chief Executive Officer - Finance and Administration, a President, a Secretary, a Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, and a Treasurer. The Trust may also have, at the discretion of the Board, one or more vice presidents, one or more assistant vice presidents, one or more assistant secretaries, one or more assistant treasurers, and such other officers, who shall have such authority and perform such duties as are provided in the Declaration of Trust, these By-Laws or as the Board, or to the extent permitted by the Board, as the president, may from time to time determine. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, except the offices of president and vice president. Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS. The officers of the Trust sha ll be appointed by the Board, or to the extent permitted by the Board, by the president, and each shall serve at the pleasure of the Board, or to the extent permitted by the Board, at the pleasure of the president, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment. Section 3. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS. Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board or, to the extent permitted by the Board, by the president. Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Trust. Such resignation shall take effect upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some later time and unless otherwise specified in such notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Trust under any contract to which the officer is a party. Section 4. VACANCIES IN OFFICES. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, incapacity or other cause shall be filled in the manner prescribed in these By-Laws for regular appointment to that office. Section 5. PRESIDENT. Subject to such supervisory powers, if any, as may be given by the Board of Trustees to the chairperson of the board, if there be such an officer, the president shall, subject to the control of the Board of Trustees, have general supervision, direction and control of the business and the officers of the Trust. Section 6. VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence, resignation, removal, incapacity or death of the president, the vice presidents, if any, in order of their rank as fixed by the Board or if not ranked, a vice president designated by the Board, shall exercise all the powers and perform all the duties of, and be subject to all the restrictions upon, the president until the president's return, his incapacity ceases or a new president is appointed. Each vice president shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as from time to time may be prescribed by the Board or the president, or as provided in the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws. Section 7. SECRETARY. The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept at the offices of the Trust or such other place as the Board may direct a book of minutes of all meetings and actions (including consents) of the Board, committees of the Board and Shareholders. The secretary shall keep a record of the time and place of such meetings, whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized, the notice given , the names of those present at Board meetings or committee meetings, the number of Shares present or represented by proxy at Shareholders' meetings, and the proceedings. The secretary shall cause to be kept at the offices of the Trust or at the office of the Trust's transfer or other duly authorized agent, a share register or a duplicate share register showing the names of all Shareholders and their addresses, the number, Series and Classes (if applicable) of Shares held by each, the number and date of certificates, if any, issued for such Shares and the number and date of cancellation of every certificate surrendered for cancellation. The secretary shall give or cause to be given notice of all meetings of the Shareholders and of the Board required by the Declaration of Trust, these By-Laws or by applicable law to be given and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board or the president of the Trust, or as provided in the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws. Section 8. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the general supervision over the care and custody of the funds, securities, and other valuable effects of the Trust and shall deposit the same or cause the same to be deposited in the name of the Trust in such depositories as the Board of Trustees may designate; shall disburse the funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the Board of Trustees; shall have supervision over the accounts of all receipts and disbursements of the Trust ; disburse the funds of the Trust; shall have the power and authority to perform the duties usually incident of his office and those duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board or by the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer; and shall render to the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer and the Board, whenever they request it, an account of all of his transactions as Treasurer. Section 9. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT. The Chief Executive Officer - Investment Management shall be the principal executive officer with respect to the portfolio investments of the Trust, and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or these By-Laws. Section 10. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION. The Chief Executive Officer - Finance and Administration shall be the principal executive officer with respect to the financial accounting and administration of the Trust, and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or these By-Laws. Section 11. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER. The Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer shall, whenever required by the Board of Trustees, render or cause to be rendered financial statements of the Trust; supervise the investment of its funds as ordered or authorized by the Board, taking proper vouchers therefor; provide assistance to the Audit Committee of the Board and report to such Committee as necessary; be designated as principal accounting officer/principal financial officer for purposes of ss. 32 of the 1940 Act, ss. 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and ss. 6 of the Securities Act of 1933; shall keep and maintain or cause to be kept and maintained adequate and correct books and records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the Trust (and every series and class thereof), including accounts of assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital retained earnings and shares; shall have the power and authority to perform the duties usually incident of his office and those duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board; and shall render to the Chief Executive Officer -Finance and Administration and the Board, whenever they request it, an account of all of his transactions as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer and of the financial condition of the Trust. ARTICLE VI RECORDS AND REPORTS Section 1. MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF SHARE REGISTER. The Trust shall keep at its offices or at the office of its transfer or other duly authorized agent, records of its Shareholders, that provide the names and addresses of all Shareholders and the number, Series and Classes, if any, of Shares held by each Shareholder. Such records may be inspected during the Trust's regular business hours by any Shareholder, or its duly authorized representative, upon reasonable written demand to the Trust, for any purpose reasonably related to such Shareholder's interest as a Shareholder. Section 2. MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF DECLARATION OF TRUST AND BY-LAWS. The Trust shall keep at its offices the original or a copy of the Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws, as amended or restated from time to time, where they may be inspected during the Trust's regular business hours by any Shareholder, or its duly authorized representative, upon reasonable written demand to the Trust, for any purpose reasonably related to such Shareholder's interest as a Shareholder. Section 3. MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF OTHER RECORDS. The accounting books and records and minutes of proceedings of the Shareholders, the Board, any committee of the Board or any advisory committee shall be kept at such place or places designated by the Board or, in the absence of such designation, at the offices of the Trust. The minutes shall be kept in written form and the accounting books and records shall be kept either in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form. If information is requested by a Shareholder, the Board, or, in case the Board does not act, the president, any vice president or the secretary, shall establish reasonable standards governing, without limitation, the information and documents to be furnished and the time and the location, if appropriate, of furnishing such information and documents. Costs of providing such information and documents shall be borne by the requesting Shareholder. The Trust shall be entitled to reimbursement for its direct, out-of-pocket expenses incurred in declining unreasonable requests (in whole or in part) for information or documents. The Board, or, in case the Board does not act, the president, any vice president or the secretary, may keep confidential from Shareholders for such period of time as the Board or such officer, as applicable, deems reasonable any information that the Board or such officer, as applicable, reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or other information that the Board or such officer, as the case may be, in good faith believes would not be in the best interests of the Trust to disclose or that could damage the Trust or its business or that the Trust is required by law or by agreement with a third party to keep confidential. Section 4. INSPECTION BY TRUSTEES. Every Trustee shall have the absolute right during the Trust's regular business hours to inspect all books, records, and documents of every kind and the physical properties of the Trust. This inspection by a Trustee may be made in person or by an agent or attorney and the right of inspection includes the right to copy and make extracts of documents. ARTICLE VII GENERAL MATTERS Section 1. CHECKS, DRAFTS, EVIDENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS. All checks, drafts, or other orders for payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of or payable to the Trust shall be signed or endorsed by such person or persons and in such manner as the Board from time to time shall determine. Section 2. CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS; HOW EXECUTED. The Board, except as otherwise provided in the Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws, may authorize any officer or officers or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Trust or any Series thereof and this authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Section 3. CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES. No certificate or certificates for Shares shall be issued to Shareholders and no Shareholder shall have the right to demand or require that a certificate for Shares be issued to it. The Trust shall adopt and use a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of its shares by electronic or other means. Section 4. LOST CERTIFICATES. No new certificate for Shares shall be issued to replace an old certificate that is surrendered to the Trust for cancellation. In case any Share certificate or certificate for any other security is lost, stolen, or destroyed, such certificate shall be cancelled and the ownership of an uncertificated Share shall be recorded upon the books of the Trust, on such terms and conditions as the Board may require, including a provision for indemnification of the Board and the Trust secured by a bond or other adequate security sufficient to protect the Trust and the Board against any claim that may be made against either, including any expense or liability on account of the alleged loss, theft, or destruction of the certificate. Section 5. REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER ENTITIES HELD BY TRUST. The Trust's president or any vice president or any other person authorized by the Board or by any of the foregoing designated officers, is authorized to vote or represent on behalf of the Trust, or any Series thereof, any and all shares of any corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity, foreign or domestic, standing in the name of the Trust or such Series thereof. The authority granted may be exercised in person or by a proxy duly executed by such authorized person. Section 6. TRANSFERS OF SHARES. Shares are transferable, if authorized by the Declaration of Trust, only on the record books of the Trust by the Person in whose name such Shares are registered, or by his or her duly authorized attorney-in-fact or representative. Upon receipt of proper transfer instructions from the registered owner of certificated Shares, and upon the surrender for cancellation of such certificates representing the number of Shares to be transferred with an assignment and power of transfer endorsed thereon or attached thereto, duly executed, with such proof of the authenticity of the signature as the Trust or its agents may reasonably require, the Trust shall cancel the old certificate and record the transaction and ownership of uncertificated Shares upon the books of the Trust. Upon receipt of proper transfer instructions from the registered owner of uncertificated Shares, such uncertificated Shares shall be transferred on the record books to the Person entitled thereto. The Trust, its transfer agent or other duly authorized agents may refuse any requested transfer of Shares, or request additional evidence of authority to safeguard the assets or interests of the Trust or of its Shareholders, in their sole discretion. In all cases of transfer by an attorney-in-fact, the original power of attorney, or an official copy thereof duly certified, shall be deposited and remain with the Trust, its transfer agent or other duly authorized agent. In case of transfers by executors, administrators, guardians or other legal representatives, duly authenticated evidence of their authority shall be presented to the Trust, its transfer agent or other duly authorized agent, and may be required to be deposited and remain with the Trust, its transfer agent or other duly authorized agent. Section 7. HOLDERS OF RECORD. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust, its transfer agent or other duly authorized agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to the identity of the Shareholders of the Trust and as to the number, Series and Classes, if any, of Shares held from time to time by each such Shareholder. The Trust shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any Share as the owner thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such Share on the part of any other Person, whether or not the Trust shall have express or other notice thereof. Section 8. FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of the Trust, and each Series thereof, shall be determined by the Board. Section 9. HEADINGS; REFERENCES. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument. Whenever the singular number is used herein, the same shall include the plural; and the neuter, masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as applicable. Any references herein to specific sections of the DSTA, the Code or the 1940 Act shall refer to such sections as amended from time to time or any successor sections thereof. Section 10. PROVISIONS IN CONFLICT WITH LAW OR REGULATIONS. (a) The provisions of these By-Laws are severable, and if the Board of Trustees shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with the Declaration of Trust, the 1940 Act, the Code, the DSTA, or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed not to have constituted a part of these By-Laws from the time when such provisions became inconsistent with such laws or regulations; provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of these By-Laws or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination. (b) If any provision of these By-Laws shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of these By-Laws in any jurisdiction. ARTICLE VIII AMENDMENTS Section 1. AMENDMENT BY SHAREHOLDERS. These By-Laws may be amended, restated or repealed or new By-Laws may be adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast at a Shareholders' meeting called for that purpose and where a quorum of Shareholders of the Trust is present. Section 2. AMENDMENT BY TRUSTEES. These By-Laws may also be amended, restated or repealed or new By-Laws may be adopted by the Board, by a vote of the Board as set forth in Article IV, Section 3(c) of the Declaration of Trust. Section 3. OTHER AMENDMENT. Subject to the 1940 Act, these By-Laws may also be amended pursuant to Article VIII, Section 2(a) of the Declaration of Trust and Section 3815(f) of the DSTA. Original By-Laws adopted: as of October 18, 2006 Amended and Restated By-Laws adopted: as of May 18, 2018