<PAGE>
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JULY 21, 1997
REGISTRATION NO.: 2-66269
811-2978
===============================================================================
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
------------------
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [X]
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. [ ]
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 21 [X]
AND/OR
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY
ACT OF 1940 [X]
AMENDMENT NO. 22 [X]
------------------
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
(A MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESS TRUST)
(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN CHARTER)
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE)
REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (212) 392-1600
BARRY FINK, ESQ.
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048
(NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)
COPIES TO:
DAVID M. BUTOWSKY, ESQ.
GORDON, ALTMAN, BUTOWSKY
WEITZEN, SHALOV & WEIN
114 WEST 47TH STREET
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036
------------------
APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING:
As soon as practicable after this Post-Effective Amendment becomes effective.
IT IS PROPOSED THAT THIS FILING WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE (CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX)
[ ] immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
[X] on July 28, 1997 pursuant to paragraph (b)
[ ] 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)
[ ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) of rule 485.
THE REGISTRANT HAS REGISTERED AN INDEFINITE NUMBER OF ITS SHARES UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 PURSUANT TO SECTION (A)(1) OF RULE 24F-2 UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940. THE REGISTRANT FILED THE RULE 24F-2 NOTICE,
FOR ITS FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996, WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 3, 1997.
AMENDING THE PROSPECTUS
===============================================================================
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
CROSS-REFERENCE SHEET
FORM N-1A
ITEM CAPTION
- ---- -------
Part A Prospectus
1. ..... Cover Page
2. ..... Prospectus Summary; Summary of Fund Expenses
3. ..... Financial Highlights; Performance Information
Investment Objective and Policies; The Fund and its Management;
4. ..... Cover Page; Investment Restrictions; Prospectus Summary
The Fund and Its Management; Back Cover; Investment Objective and
5. ..... Policies
6. ..... Dividends, Distributions and Taxes; Additional Information
7. ..... Purchase of Fund Shares; Shareholder Services
Purchase of Fund Shares; Redemptions and Repurchases; Shareholder
8. ..... Services
9. ..... Not applicable
Part B Statement of Additional Information
10. ..... Cover Page
11. ..... Table of Contents
12. ..... The Fund and Its Management
Investment Practices and Policies; Investment Restrictions;
13. ..... Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage
14. ..... The Fund and Its Management; Trustees and Officers
15. ..... The Fund and Its Management; Trustees and Officers
The Fund and Its Management; The Distributor; Shareholder
16. ..... Services; Custodian and Transfer Agent; Independent Accountants
17. ..... Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage
18. ..... Shares of the Fund
The Distributor; Purchase of Fund Shares; Redemptions and
Repurchases; Financial Statements; Determination of Net Asset
19. ..... Value; Shareholder Services
20. ..... Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
21. ..... The Distributor
22. ..... Performance Information
23. ..... Experts; Financial Statements
PART C
Information required to be included in Part C is set forth under the
appropriate item, so numbered, in Part C of this Registration Statement.
<PAGE>
PROSPECTUS
JULY 28, 1997
Dean Witter American Value Fund (the "Fund") is an open-end diversified
management investment company whose investment objective is long-term capital
growth consistent with an effort to reduce volatility. The Fund invests
principally in common stock of companies in industries which, at the time of
the investment, are believed to be attractively valued given their above
average relative earnings growth potential at that time. (See "Investment
Objective and Policies.")
The Fund offers four classes of shares (each, a "Class"), each with a
different combination of sales charges, ongoing fees and other features. The
different distribution arrangements permit an investor to choose the method
of purchasing shares that the investor believes is most beneficial given the
amount of the purchase, the length of time the investor expects to hold the
shares and other relevant circumstances. Except as discussed herein, shares
of the Fund held prior to July 28, 1997 have been designated Class B shares.
(See "Purchase of Fund Shares -- Alternative Purchase Arrangements.")
This Prospectus sets forth concisely the information you should know before
investing in the Fund. It should be read and retained for future reference.
Additional information about the Fund is contained in the Statement of
Additional Information, dated July 28, 1997, which has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, and which is available at no charge upon
request of the Fund at the address or telephone numbers listed on this page.
The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated herein by reference.
DEAN WITTER
AMERICAN VALUE FUND
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048
(212) 392-2550 OR
(800) 869-NEWS (TOLL-FREE)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prospectus Summary/ 2
Summary of Fund Expenses/ 4
Financial Highlights/ 6
The Fund and its Management/ 7
Investment Objective and Policies/ 7
Risk Considerations/ 12
Investment Restrictions/ 14
Purchase of Fund Shares/ 15
Shareholder Services/ 26
Redemptions and Repurchases/ 29
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes/ 30
Performance Information/ 31
Additional Information/ 31
SHARES OF THE FUND ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED OR
ENDORSED BY, ANY BANK, AND THE SHARES ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY
OTHER AGENCY.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURI TIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED
UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPEC TUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE
CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Dean Witter Distributors Inc.
Distributor
<PAGE>
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE The Fund, a Massachusetts business trust, is an open-end
FUND diversified management investment company investing
principally in industries which, at the time of investment,
are believed to be attractively valued given their above
average relative earnings growth potential at that time (see
page 7).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHARES OFFERED Shares of beneficial interest with $0.01 par value (see page
31). The Fund offers four Classes of shares, each with a
different combination of sales charges, ongoing fees and
other features (see pages 15-25).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MINIMUM The minimum initial investment for each Class is $1,000
PURCHASE ($100 if the account is opened through EasyInvest (Service
Mark) ). Class D shares are only available to persons
investing $5 million or more and to certain other limited
categories of investors. For the purpose of meeting the
minimum $5 million investment for Class D shares, and
subject to the $1,000 minimum initial investment for each
Class of the Fund, an investor's existing holdings of Class
A shares and shares of funds for which Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. serves as investment manager ("Dean Witter
Funds") that are sold with a front-end sales charge, and
concurrent investments in Class D shares of the Fund and
other Dean Witter Funds that are multiple class funds, will
be aggregated. The minimum subsequent investment is $100
(see page 15).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT The investment objective of the Fund is capital growth
OBJECTIVE consistent with an effort to reduce volatility.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT Dean Witter InterCapital Inc., the Investment Manager of the
MANAGER Fund, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Dean Witter Services
Company Inc., serve in various investment management,
advisory, management and administrative capacities to 100
investment companies and other portfolios with assets of
approximately $96.6 billion at June 30, 1997 (see page 7).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANAGEMENT The Investment Manager receives a monthly fee at an annual
FEE rate of 0.625 of 1% of daily net assets up to $250 million
in net assets; 0.50 of 1% of daily net assets over $250
million but not exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.475 of 1% of daily
net assets exceeding $2.5 billion but not exceeding $3.5
billion; and 0.45 of 1% of daily net assets exceeding $3.5
billion (see page 7).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISTRIBUTOR AND Dean Witter Distributors Inc. (the "Distributor"). The Fund
DISTRIBUTION has adopted a distribution plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under
FEE the Investment Company Act (the "12b-1 Plan") with respect
to the distribution fees paid by the Class A, Class B and
Class C shares of the Fund to the Distributor. The entire
12b-1 fee payable by Class A and a portion of the 12b-1 fee
payable by each of Class B and Class C equal to 0.25% of the
average daily net assets of the Class are currently each
characterized as a service fee within the meaning of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. guidelines.
The remaining portion of the 12b-1 fee, if any, is
characterized as an asset-based sales charge (see pages 15
and 24).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALTERNATIVE Four classes of shares are offered:
PURCHASE
ARRANGEMENTS o Class A shares are offered with a front-end sales charge,
starting at 5.25% and reduced for larger purchases.
Investments of $1 million or more (and investments by
certain other limited categories of investors) are not
subject to any sales charge at the time of purchase but a
contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") of 1.0% may be
imposed on redemptions within one year of purchase. The Fund
is authorized to reimburse the Distributor for specific
expenses incurred in promoting the distribution of the
Fund's Class A shares and servicing shareholder accounts
pursuant to the Fund's 12b-1 Plan. Reimbursement may in no
event exceed an amount equal to payments at an annual rate
of 0.25% of average daily net assets of the Class (see pages
15, 18 and 24).
2
<PAGE>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
o Class B shares are offered without a front-end sales
charge, but will in most cases be subject to a CDSC (scaled
down from 5.0% to 1.0%) if redeemed within six years after
purchase. The CDSC will be imposed on any redemption of
shares if after such redemption the aggregate current value
of a Class B account with the Fund falls below the aggregate
amount of the investor's purchase payments made during the
six years preceding the redemption. A different CDSC
schedule applies to investments by certain qualified plans.
Class B shares are also subject to a 12b-1 fee assessed at
the annual rate of 1.0% of the lesser of: (a) the average
daily net sales of the Fund's Class B shares since
implementation of the 12b-1 Plan on April 30, 1984 or (b)
the average daily net assets of Class B attributable to
shares issued since implementation of the 12b-1 Plan. All
shares of the Fund held prior to July 28, 1997, other than
shares which were purchased prior to April 30, 1984 (and,
with respect to such shares, certain shares acquired through
reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions),
have been designated Class B shares. Shares which were
purchased prior to April 30, 1984 (and, with respect to such
shares, certain shares acquired through reinvestment of
dividends and capital gains distributions) have been
designated Class D shares. Shares held before May 1, 1997
that have been designated Class B shares will convert to
Class A shares in May, 2007. In all other instances, Class B
shares convert to Class A shares approximately ten years
after the date of the original purchase (see pages 15, 21
and 24).
o Class C shares are offered without a front-end sales
charge, but will in most cases be subject to a CDSC of 1.0%
if redeemed within one year after purchase. The Fund is
authorized to reimburse the Distributor for specific
expenses incurred in promoting the distribution of the
Fund's Class C shares and servicing shareholder accounts
pursuant to the Fund's 12b-1 Plan. Reimbursement may in no
event exceed an amount equal to payments at an annual rate
of 1.0% of average daily net assets of the Class (see pages
15, 23 and 24).
o Class D shares are offered only to investors meeting an
initial investment minimum of $5 million and to certain
other limited categories of investors. Class D shares are
offered without a front-end sales charge or CDSC and are not
subject to any 12b-1 fee (see pages 15, 23 and 24).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIVIDENDS AND It is anticipated that distributions of income and net
CAPITAL GAINS short-term capital gains, if any, will be made
DISTRIBUTIONS semi-annually. Net long-term capital gains, if any, are
distributed at least annually. The Fund may, however,
determine to retain all or part of any net long-term capital
gains in any year for reinvestment. Dividends and capital
gains distributions paid on shares of a Class are
automatically reinvested in additional shares of the same
Class at net asset value unless the shareholder elects to
receive cash. Shares acquired by dividend and distribution
reinvestment will not be subject to any sales charge or CDSC
(see pages 26 and 30).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REDEMPTION Shares are redeemable by the shareholder at net asset value
less any applicable CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C
shares. An account may be involuntarily redeemed if the
total value of the account is less than $100 or, if the
account was opened through EasyInvest (Service Mark), if
after twelve months the shareholder has invested less than
$1,000 in the account (see page 29).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RISKS The net asset value of the Fund's shares will fluctuate with
changes in the market value of its portfolio securities.
Emphasis on attractive industries may run contrary to
general market assessments and may involve risks associated
with departure from typical S&P 500 industry weightings. It
should be recognized that the Fund's investments in small
and medium-capitalization companies involve greater risk
than is customarily associated with investing in larger,
more established companies. The Fund may invest in the
securities of foreign issuers which entails additional
risks.The Fund may also invest in futures and options which
may be considered speculative in nature and may involve
greater risks than those customarily assumed by other
investment companies which do not invest in such instruments
(see pages 7-14).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The above is qualified in its entirety by the detailed information appearing
elsewhere in the Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information.
3
<PAGE>
SUMMARY OF FUND EXPENSES
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following table illustrates all expenses and fees that a shareholder
of the Fund will incur. The expenses and fees set forth in the table are
based on the expenses and fees for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CLASS A CLASS B CLASS C CLASS D
------- ------- ------- -------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Shareholder Transaction Expenses
- --------------------------------
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (as a
percentage of offering price) .................... 5.25%(1) None None None
Sales Charge Imposed on Dividend Reinvestments ... None None None None
Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
(as a percentage of original purchase price or
redemption proceeds).............................. None(2) 5.00%(3) 1.00%(4) None
Redemption Fees.................................... None None None None
Exchange Fee....................................... None None None None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (as a
percentage of average net assets)
- ---------------------------------
Management Fees ................................... 0.51% 0.51% 0.51% 0.51%
12b-1 Fees (5)(6).................................. 0.25% 0.88% 1.00% None
Other Expenses .................................... 0.14% 0.14% 0.14% 0.14%
Total Fund Operating Expenses (7).................. 0.90% 1.53% 1.65% 0.65%
</TABLE>
- --------------
(1) Reduced for purchases of $25,000 and over (see "Purchase of Fund
Shares--Initial Sales Charge Alternative--Class A Shares").
(2) Investments that are not subject to any sales charge at the time of
purchase are subject to a CDSC of 1.00% that will be imposed on
redemptions made within one year after purchase, except for certain
specific circumstances (see "Purchase of Fund Shares--Initial Sales
Charge Alternative--Class A Shares").
(3) The CDSC is scaled down to 1.00% during the sixth year, reaching zero
thereafter.
(4) Only applicable to redemptions made within one year after purchase (see
"Purchase of Fund Shares--Level Load Alternative--Class C Shares").
(5) The 12b-1 fee is accrued daily and payable monthly. The entire 12b-1
fee payable by Class A and a portion of the 12b-1 fee payable by each
of Class B and Class C equal to 0.25% of the average daily net assets
of the Class are currently each characterized as a service fee within
the meaning of National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
("NASD") guidelines and are payments made for personal service and/or
maintenance of shareholder accounts. The remainder of the 12b-1 fee, if
any, is an asset-based sales charge, and is a distribution fee paid to
the Distributor to compensate it for the services provided and the
expenses borne by the Distributor and others in the distribution of the
Fund's shares (see "Purchase of Fund Shares--Plan of Distribution").
(6) Upon conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares, such shares will
be subject to the lower 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A shares. No
sales charge is imposed at the time of conversion of Class B shares to
Class A shares. Class C shares do not have a conversion feature and,
therefore, are subject to an ongoing 1.00% distribution fee (see
"Purchase of Fund Shares--Alternative Purchase Arrangements").
(7) There were no outstanding shares of Class A, Class C or Class D prior
to the date of this Prospectus. Accordingly, "Total Fund Operating
Expenses," as shown above with respect to those Classes, are based upon
the sum of 12b-1 Fees, Management Fees and estimated "Other Expenses."
4
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXAMPLES 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment
assuming (1) a 5% annual return and (2) redemption at the end
of each time period:
Class A ...................................................... $61 $80 $100 $157
Class B ...................................................... $66 $78 $103 $182
Class C....................................................... $27 $52 $ 90 $195
Class D ...................................................... $ 7 $21 $ 36 $ 81
You would pay the following expenses on the same $1,000
investment assuming no redemption at the end of the period:
Class A ...................................................... $61 $80 $100 $157
Class B ...................................................... $16 $48 $ 83 $182
Class C ...................................................... $17 $52 $ 90 $195
Class D ...................................................... $ 7 $21 $ 36 $ 81
</TABLE>
THE ABOVE EXAMPLES SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A REPRESENTATION OF PAST OR
FUTURE EXPENSES OR PERFORMANCE. ACTUAL EXPENSES OF EACH CLASS MAY BE GREATER
OR LESS THAN THOSE SHOWN.
The purpose of this table is to assist the investor in understanding the
various costs and expenses that an investor in the Fund will bear directly or
indirectly. For a more complete description of these costs and expenses, see
"The Fund and its Management," "Purchase of Fund Shares--Plan of
Distribution" and "Redemptions and Repurchases."
Long-term shareholders of Class B and Class C may pay more in sales
charges, including distribution fees, than the economic equivalent of the
maximum front-end sales charges permitted by the NASD.
5
<PAGE>
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following per share data and ratios for a share of beneficial interest
outstanding throughout each period have been audited by Price Waterhouse LLP,
independent accountants. The financial highlights should be read in
conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto and the
unqualified report of the independent accountants which are contained in the
Statement of Additional Information. Further information about the
performance of the Fund is contained in the Fund's Annual Report to
Shareholders, which may be obtained without charge upon request to the Fund.
All shares of the Fund held prior to July 28, 1997, other than shares which
were purchased prior to April 30, 1984 (and, with respect to such shares,
certain shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains
distributions), have been designated Class B shares. Shares which were
purchased prior to April 30, 1984 (and, with respect to such shares, certain
shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains
distributions) have been designated Class D shares.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
--------------------------------------
1996 1995 1994 1993
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE
OPERATING PERFORMANCE:
Net asset value,
beginning of period....... $27.16 $21.21 $23.10 $20.93
------ ------ ------ ------
Net investment income
(loss) ................... (0.08) 0.01 -- (0.09)
Net realized and
unrealized gain (loss) ... 2.86 8.87 (1.57) 3.94
------ ------ ------ ------
Total from investment
operations ............... 2.78 8.88 (1.57) 3.85
------ ------ ------ ------
Less dividends and
distributions from:
Net investment income ... (0.01) -- -- (0.01)
Net realized gain........ (2.92) (2.93) (0.32) (1.67)
Paid-in-capital.......... -- -- -- --
------ ------ ------ ------
Total dividends and
distributions............. (2.93) (2.93) (0.32) (1.68)
------ ------ ------ ------
Net asset value,
end of period............. $27.01 $27.16 $21.21 $23.10
====== ====== ====== ======
TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN+ 10.53% 42.20% (6.75)% 18.70%
RATIOS TO
AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses................... 1.53% 1.61% 1.71% 1.61%
Net investment income
(loss).................... (0.33)% 0.06% 0.01% (0.59)%
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets, end of period,
(in millions)............. $3,099 $2,389 $1,490 $1,218
Portfolio turnover rate ... 279% 256% 295% 276%
Average commission rate --
paid ..................... $0.0590 -- --
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE
OPERATING PERFORMANCE:
Net asset value,
beginning of period....... $20.66 $14.39 $14.81 $13.19 $12.21 $12.64
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Net investment income
(loss) ................... 0.03 0.05 0.24 0.34 0.29 0.19
Net realized and
unrealized gain (loss) ... 0.71 7.90 (0.38) 2.99 1.03 0.20
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Total from investment
operations ............... 0.74 7.95 (0.14) 3.33 1.32 0.39
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Less dividends and
distributions from:
Net investment income ... (0.03) (0.03) (0.28) (0.32) (0.33) (0.23)
Net realized gain........ (0.44) (1.65) -- (1.39) -- (0.59)
Paid-in-capital.......... -- -- -- -- (0.01) --
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Total dividends and
distributions............. (0.47) (1.68) (0.28) (1.71) (0.34) (0.82)
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Net asset value,
end of period............. $20.93 $20.66 $14.39 $14.81 $13.19 $12.21
====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ======
TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN+ 3.84 % 56.26 % (0.90)% 25.39 % 10.84% 2.84 %
RATIOS TO
AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses................... 1.72 % 1.58 % 1.70% 1.66 % 1.78% 1.62 %
Net investment income
(loss).................... 0.18 % 0.29 % 1.67% 2.23 % 2.15% 1.42 %
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets, end of period,
(in millions)............. $ 459 $ 227 $ 89 $ 100 $ 90 $ 109
Portfolio turnover rate ... 305 % 264 % 234% 196 % 133% 203 %
Average commission rate
paid ..................... -- -- -- -- -- --
</TABLE>
- --------------
+ Does not reflect the deduction of sales charge. Calculated based on the net
asset value as of the last business day of the period.
6
<PAGE>
THE FUND AND ITS MANAGEMENT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dean Witter American Value Fund (the "Fund") is an open-end diversified
management investment company incorporated in Maryland on December 13, 1979.
The Fund was reorganized as a trust of the type commonly known as a
"Massachusetts business trust" on April 30, 1987, at which time its name was
changed from Dean Witter Industry-Valued Securities Inc. to Dean Witter
American Value Fund.
Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. ("InterCapital" or the "Investment
Manager"), whose address is Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048,
is the Fund's Investment Manager. The Investment Manager, which was
incorporated in July, 1992, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley,
Dean Witter, Discover & Co. a preeminent global financial services firm that
maintains leading market positions in each of its three primary businesses --
securities, asset management and credit services.
InterCapital and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Dean Witter Services
Company, Inc. ("DWSC"), serve in various investment management, advisory,
management and administrative capacities to a total of 100 investment
companies, thirty of which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with
combined total assets of approximately $93.1 billion as of June 30, 1997. The
Investment Manager also manages portfolios of pension plans, other
institutions and individuals which aggregated approximately $3.5 billion at
such date.
The Fund has retained the Investment Manager to provide administrative
services, manage its business affairs and manage the investment of the Fund's
assets, including the placing of orders for the purchase and sale of
portfolio securities. InterCapital has retained DWSC to perform the
aforementioned administrative services for the Fund.
The Fund's Board of Trustees reviews the various services provided by or
under the direction of the Investment Manager to ensure that the Fund's
general investment policies and programs are being properly carried out and
that administrative services are being provided in a satisfactory manner.
As full compensation for the services and facilities furnished to the Fund
and for expenses of the Fund assumed by the Investment Manager, the Fund pays
the Investment Manager monthly compensation calculated daily by applying the
following annual rates to the net assets of the Fund determined as of the
close of each business day: 0.625% of the portion of daily net assets not
exceeding $250 million; 0.50% of the portion of daily net assets exceeding
$250 million but not exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.475% of the portion of daily
net assets exceeding $2.5 billion but not exceeding $3.5 billion; and 0.45%
of the portion of daily net assets exceeding $3.5 billion. For the fiscal
year ended December 31, 1996, the Fund accrued total compensation to the
Investment Manager amounting to 0.51% of the Fund's average daily net assets
and the Fund's total expenses amounted to 1.53% of the Fund's average daily
net assets.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The investment objective of the Fund is long-term capital growth
consistent with an effort to reduce volatility. There is no assurance that
the Fund's objective will be achieved. The investment objective may not be
changed without the approval of the shareholders of the Fund. The investment
policies discussed below may be changed without shareholder approval.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a
diversified portfolio of securities consisting principally of common stocks.
The Fund utilizes an investment process that places primary emphasis on
seeking to identify industries, rather than individual companies, as
prospects for capital appreciation. The Investment Manager seeks to invest
the assets of the Fund in those industries
7
<PAGE>
that, at the time of investment, are attractively valued given their above
average relative earnings growth potential at that time. Therefore, the Fund
is typically over-weighted in those sectors deemed to be attractive given
their potential for above average earnings growth.
After selection of the Fund's target industries, specific company
investments are selected. In this process, the Investment Manager seeks to
identify companies whose prospects are deemed attractive on the basis of an
evaluation of valuation screens and prospective company fundamentals.
The Investment Manager seeks to identify what stage of the business cycle
the economy is in and which industry groups have historically outperformed
the overall market during that stage of the cycle, i.e., typically, groups
that tend to have the highest relative earnings growth at that point in the
cycle. The Investment Manager also analyzes secular trends such as
demographics, international trade, etc., that could cause the current cycle
to differ from prior cycles and attempts to weight the portfolio
appropriately, given those factors.
Following selection of the Fund's specific investments, the Investment
Manager will attempt to allocate the assets of the Fund so as to reduce the
volatility of its portfolio. In doing so, the Fund may hold a portion of its
portfolio in fixed-income securities (including zero coupon securities) in an
effort to moderate extremes of price fluctuations. The Fund may invest up to
35% of its portfolio in common stocks of non-U.S. companies, including
American Depository Receipts (which are custody receipts with respect to
foreign securities), in companies in industries which have not been
determined to be attractively valued or moderately attractively valued by the
Investment Manager, and in convertible debt securities and warrants,
convertible preferred securities, U.S. Government securities (securities
issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States or its
agencies and instrumentalities) and investment grade corporate debt
securities when, in the opinion of the Investment Manager, the projected
total return on such securities is equal to or greater than the expected
total return on common stocks, or when such holdings might be expected to
reduce the volatility of the portfolio, and in money market instruments under
any one or more of the following circumstances: (i) pending investment of
proceeds of the sale of Fund shares or of portfolio securities; (ii) pending
settlement of purchases of portfolio securities; or (iii) to maintain
liquidity for the purpose of meeting anticipated redemptions. Greater than
35% of the Fund's total assets may be invested in money market instruments to
maintain, temporarily, a "defensive" posture when, in the opinion of the
Investment Manager, it is advisable to do so because of economic or market
conditions.
Because prices of stocks fluctuate from day to day, the value of an
investment in the Fund will vary based upon the Fund's investment
performance. The Fund is intended for long-term investors who can accept the
risks involved in seeking long-term growth of capital through investment in
the securities of large, medium and small-capitalization companies. Emphasis
on attractive industries may run contrary to general market assessments and
may involve risks associated with departure from typical S&P 500 industry
weightings. It should be recognized that investing in small and
medium-capitalization companies involves greater risk than is customarily
associated with investing in more established companies.
Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note,
preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for
a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within
a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. Convertible
securities rank senior to common stocks in a corporation's capital structure
and, therefore, entail less risk than the corporation's common stock. The
value of a convertible security is a function of its "investment value" (its
value as if it did not have a conversion privilege), and its "conversion
value" (the security's worth if it were to be exchanged for the underlying
security, at market value, pursuant to its conversion privilege). For a
discussion of the risks of investing in convertible securities, see "Risk
Considerations" below.
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The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery
basis, may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis and may
purchase securities on a "when, as and if issued" basis as discussed under
"Risk Considerations" below.
OPTIONS AND FUTURES TRANSACTIONS
The Fund may purchase and sell (write) call and put options on debt and
equity securities which are listed on Exchanges or are written in
over-the-counter transactions ("OTC Options"). Listed options, which are
currently listed on several different Exchanges, are issued by the Options
Clearing Corporation ("OCC"). Ownership of a listed call option gives the
Fund the right to buy from the OCC the underlying security covered by the
option at the stated exercise price (the price per unit of the underlying
security) by filing an exercise notice prior to the expiration date of the
option. The writer (seller) of the option would then have the obligation to
sell to the OCC the underlying security at that exercise price prior to the
expiration date of the option, regardless of its then current market price.
Ownership of a listed put option would give the Fund the right to sell the
underlying security to the OCC at the stated exercise price. The Fund will
not write covered options on portfolio securities exceeding in the aggregate
25% of the value of its total assets.
OTC Options. OTC options are purchased from or sold (written) to dealers
or financial institutions which have entered into direct agreements with the
Fund. With OTC options, such variables as expiration date, exercise price and
premium will be agreed upon between the Fund and the transacting dealer,
without the intermediation of a third party such as the OCC. The Fund will
engage in OTC option transactions only with primary U.S. Government
securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Covered Call Writing. The Fund is permitted to write covered call options
on portfolio securities in order to aid it in achieving its investment
objective. As a writer of a call option, the Fund has the obligation, upon
notice of exercise of the option, to deliver the security underlying the
option (certain listed and OTC call options written by the Fund will be
exercisable by the purchaser only on a specific date).
Covered Put Writing. As a writer of covered put options, the Fund incurs
an obligation to buy the security underlying the option from the purchaser of
the put at the option's exercise price at any time during the option period.
The Fund will write put options for two purposes: (1) to receive the premiums
paid by purchasers; and (2) when the Investment Manager wishes to purchase
the security underlying the option at a price lower than its current market
price, in which case it will write the covered put at an exercise price
reflecting the lower purchase price sought.
Purchasing Call and Put Options. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its
total assets in the purchase of put and call options on securities and stock
indexes, with a maximum of 5% of the Fund's total assets invested in stock
index options. The Fund may purchase put options on securities which it holds
(or has the right to acquire) in its portfolio only to protect itself against
a decline in the value of the security. The Fund may also purchase put
options to close out written put positions in a manner similar to call option
closing purchase transactions. There are no other limits on the Fund's
ability to purchase call and put options.
Stock Index Options. The Fund may purchase and write options on stock
indexes for hedging purposes. Options on stock indexes are similar to options
on stock except that, rather than the right to take or make delivery of stock
at a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the right
to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing
level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in
the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of
the option. See "Risks of Options on Indexes" in the Statement of Additional
Information.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may purchase and sell interest rate and stock
index futures con-
9
<PAGE>
tracts ("futures contracts") that are traded on U.S. commodity exchanges on
such underlying securities as U.S. Treasury bonds, notes, and bills and GNMA
Certificates ("interest rate" futures) and such indexes as the S&P 500 Index
and the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index ("stock index" futures) and
the Moody's Investment-Grade Corporate Bond Index ("bond index" futures). As
a futures contract purchaser, the Fund incurs an obligation to take delivery
of a specified amount of the obligation underlying the contract at a
specified time in the future for a specified price. As a seller of a futures
contract, the Fund incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of
the underlying obligation at a specified time in return for an agreed upon
price. The Fund will purchase or sell interest rate futures contracts and
bond index futures contracts for the purpose of hedging its fixed-income
portfolio securities (or anticipated portfolio securities) against changes in
prevailing interest rates. The Fund will purchase or sell stock index futures
contracts for the purpose of hedging its equity portfolio securities (or
anticipated portfolio securities) against changes in their prices.
The Fund also may purchase and write call and put options on futures
contracts and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to
terminate an existing position.
Risks of Options and Futures Transactions. The Fund may close out its
position as writer of an option, or as a buyer or seller of a futures
contract only if a liquid secondary market exists for options or futures
contracts of that series. There is no assurance that such a market will
exist. Also, exchanges may limit the amount by which the price of many
futures contracts may move on any day. If the price moves equal the daily
limit on successive days, then it may prove impossible to liquidate a futures
position until the daily limit moves have ceased.
The extent to which the Fund may enter into transactions involving options
and futures contracts may be limited by the Internal Revenue Code's
requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company and the
Fund's intention to qualify as such. See "Dividends, Distributions and
Taxes."
While the futures contracts and options transactions to be engaged in by
the Fund for the purpose of hedging the Fund's portfolio securities are not
speculative in nature, there are risks inherent in the use of such
instruments. One such risk is that the Investment Manager could be incorrect
in its expectations as to the direction or extent of various interest rate or
price movements or the time span within which the movements take place. For
example, if the Fund sold futures contracts for the sale of securities in
anticipation of an increase in interest rates, and then interest rates went
down, causing bond prices to rise, the Fund would incur a loss on the sale.
Another risk which may arise in employing futures contracts to protect
against the price volatility of portfolio securities is that the prices of
securities and indexes subject to futures contracts (and thereby the futures
contract prices) may correlate imperfectly with the behavior of the cash
prices of the Fund's portfolio securities. See the Statement of Additional
Information for a further discussion of risks.
New futures contracts, options and other financial products and various
combinations thereof continue to be developed. The Fund may invest in any
such futures, options or products as may be developed, to the extent
consistent with its investment objective and applicable regulatory
requirements.
Investment in Real Estate Investment Trusts. The Fund may invest in real
estate investment trusts, which pool investors' funds for investments
primarily in commercial real estate properties. Investment in real estate
investment trusts may be the most practical available means for the Fund to
invest in the real estate industry (the Fund is prohibited from investing in
real estate directly). As a shareholder in a real estate investment trust,
the Fund would bear its ratable share of the real estate investment trust's
expenses, including its advisory and administration fees. At the same time
the Fund would continue to pay its own investment management fees and other
expenses, as a result of which the Fund and its shareholders in effect will
be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in real
estate investment trusts.
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<PAGE>
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements,
which may be viewed as a type of secured lending by the Fund, and which
typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of debt securities from a
selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or
broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Fund will sell back to the
institution, and that the institution will repurchase the underlying security
at a specified price and at a fixed time in the future, usually not more than
seven days from the date of purchase. While repurchase agreements involve
certain risks not associated with direct investments in debt securities,
including the risks of default or bankruptcy of the selling financial
institution, the Fund follows procedures designed to minimize those risks.
These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with large,
well-capitalized and well-established financial institutions whose financial
condition will be continually monitored by the Investment Manager subject to
procedures established by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.
Private Placements. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its total assets in
securities which are subject to restrictions on resale because they have not
been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), or which are otherwise not readily marketable. (Securities eligible
for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and determined to
be liquid pursuant to the procedures discussed in the following paragraph,
are not subject to the foregoing restriction.) These securities are generally
referred to as private placements or restricted securities. Limitations on
the resale of such securities may have an adverse effect on their
marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at
reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering such
securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting such
registration.
Rule 144A under the Securities Act permits the Fund to sell restricted
securities to qualified institutional buyers without limitation. The
Investment Manager, pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trustees of the
Fund, will make a determination as to the liquidity of each restricted
security purchased by the Fund. If a restricted security is determined to be
"liquid," such security will not be included within the category "illiquid
securities," which under current policy may not exceed 15% of the Fund's net
assets. However, investing in Rule 144A securities could have the effect of
increasing the level of Fund illiquidity to the extent the Fund, at a
particular point in time, may be unable to find qualified institutional
buyers interested in purchasing such securities.
Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest up to 35% of the value of its
total assets, at the time of purchase, in securities issued by foreign
issuers. Foreign securities investments may be affected by changes in
currency rates or exchange control regulations, changes in governmental
administration or economic or monetary policy (in the United States and
abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. Costs may be
incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies held by
the Fund. For a discussion of the risks of investing in foreign securities,
see "Risk Considerations" below.
SPECIFIC INVESTMENT POLICIES
The Fund has adopted the following specific policies which are not
fundamental investment policies and may be changed by the Board of Trustees.
1. At least 65% of the Fund's total assets will be invested in common
stocks of U.S. companies which, at the time of purchase, were in undervalued
or moderately valued industries as determined by the Investment Manager,
except as stated in Paragraph (3) below.
2. Up to 35% of the value of the Fund's total assets may be invested in:
(a) common stocks of non-U.S. companies, or companies in non-classified
industries, including American Depository Receipts (which are custody
receipts with respect to foreign securities) (the Fund's investments in
unlisted foreign securities are deemed to be illiquid securities, which under
the Fund's current investment policies may not in the aggregate amount to
more than 15% of the Fund's net assets); (b) convertible debt secu-
11
<PAGE>
rities (bonds, debentures, corporate notes, preferred stock and other
securities) which are convertible into common stock; (c) U.S. Government
securities and investment grade corporate debt securities when, in the
opinion of the Investment Manager, the projected total return on such
securities is equal to or greater than the expected total return on equity
securities, or when such holdings might be expected to reduce the volatility
of the portfolio; and (d) money market instruments under any one or more of
the following circumstances: (i) pending investment of proceeds of sale of
shares of the Fund or of portfolio securities; (ii) pending settlement of
purchases of portfolio securities; or (iii) to maintain liquidity for the
purpose of meeting anticipated redemptions.
3. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing limitations, the Fund may invest
more than 35% of the Fund's total assets in money market instruments to
maintain, temporarily, a "defensive" posture when, in the opinion of the
Investment Manager, it is advisable to do so because of economic or market
conditions, including, for example, times during which the Investment Manager
believes the risk, or volatility, relative to expected returns of the
securities it monitors, is excessive.
The foregoing limitations apply at the time of acquisition based on the
last determined market value of the Fund's assets, and any subsequent change
in any applicable percentage resulting from market fluctuations or other
changes in total assets will not require elimination of any security from the
portfolio.
RISK CONSIDERATIONS
The net asset value of the Fund's shares will fluctuate with changes in
the market value of its portfolio securities. The market value of the Fund's
portfolio securities will increase or decrease due to a variety of economic,
market or political factors which cannot be predicted. The Fund is intended
for long-term investors who can accept the risks involved in seeking
long-term growth of capital through investment primarily in the securities of
small and medium-sized growth companies. It should be recognized that
investing in such companies involves greater risk than is customarily
associated with investing in more established companies.
Foreign Securities. Foreign securities investments may be affected by
changes in currency rates or exchange control regulations, changes in
governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in the United
States and abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations.
Fluctuations in the relative rates of exchange between the currencies of
different nations will affect the value of the Fund's investments denominated
in foreign currency. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates relative to
the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets
denominated in that currency and thereby impact upon the Fund's total return
on such assets.
Foreign currency exchange rates are determined by forces of supply and
demand on the foreign exchange markets. These forces are themselves affected
by the international balance of payments and other economic and financial
conditions, government intervention, speculation and other factors. Moreover,
foreign currency exchange rates may be affected by the regulatory control of
the exchanges on which the currencies trade. The Fund will incur costs in
connection with conversions between various currencies.
Investments in foreign securities will also occasion risks relating to
political and economic developments abroad, including the possibility of
expropriations or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the use or transfer
of Fund assets and any effects of foreign social, economic or political
instability. Foreign companies are not subject to the regulatory requirements
of U.S. companies and, as such, there may be less publicly available
information about such companies. Moreover, foreign companies are not subject
to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and
requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. Finally, in
the event of a default of any foreign debt obligations, it may be more
difficult for the Fund to obtain or enforce a judgment against the issuers of
such securities.
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<PAGE>
Securities of foreign issuers may be less liquid than comparable
securities of U.S. issuers and, as such, their price changes may be more
volatile. Furthermore, foreign exchanges and broker-dealers are generally
subject to less government and exchange scrutiny and regulation than their
American counterparts. Brokerage commissions, dealer concessions and other
transaction costs may be higher on foreign markets than in the U.S. In
addition, differences in clearance and settlement procedures on foreign
markets may occasion delays in settlements of the Fund's trades effected in
such markets. As such, the inability to dispose of portfolio securities due
to settlement delays could result in losses to the Fund due to subsequent
declines in value of such securities and the inability of the Fund to make
intended security purchases due to settlement problems could result in a
failure of the Fund to make potentially advantageous investments. Investments
in certain issuers may be speculative due to certain political risks and may
be subject to substantial price fluctuations.
Convertible Securities. To the extent that a convertible security's
investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be
primarily a reflection of such investment value and its price will be likely
to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise,
as with a fixed-income security (the credit standing of the issuer and other
factors may also have an effect on the convertible security's value). If the
conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible
security will rise above its investment value and, in addition, the
convertible security will sell at some premium over its conversion value.
(This premium represents the price investors are willing to pay for the
privilege of purchasing a fixed-income security with a possibility of capital
appreciation due to the conversion privilege.) At such times the price of the
convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the
underlying equity security.
Zero Coupon Securities. A portion of the fixed-income securities purchased
by the Fund may be zero coupon securities. Such securities are purchased at a
discount from their face amount, giving the purchaser the right to receive
their full value at maturity. The interest earned on such securities is,
implicitly, automatically compounded and paid out at maturity. While such
compounding at a constant rate eliminates the risk of receiving lower yields
upon reinvestment of interest if prevailing interest rates decline, the owner
of a zero coupon security will be unable to participate in higher yields upon
reinvestment of interest received on interest-paying securities if prevailing
interest rates rise.
A zero coupon security pays no interest to its holder during its life.
Therefore, to the extent the Fund invests in zero coupon securities, it will
not receive current cash available for distribution to shareholders. In
addition, zero coupon securities are subject to substantially greater price
fluctuations during periods of changing prevailing interest rates than are
comparable securities which pay interest on a current basis. Current federal
tax law requires that a holder (such as the Fund) of a zero coupon security
accrue a portion of the discount at which the security was purchased as
income each year even though the Fund receives no interest payments in cash
on the security during the year.
When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments. From
time to time, in the ordinary course of business, the Fund may purchase
securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell
securities on a forward commitment basis. When such transactions are
negotiated, the price is fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery
and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the commitment.
There is no overall limit on the percentage of the Fund's assets which may be
committed to the purchase of securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or
forward commitment basis. An increase in the percentage of the Fund's assets
committed to the purchase of securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or
forward commitment basis may increase the volatility of the Fund's net asset
value.
When, As and If Issued Securities. The Fund may purchase securities on a
"when, as and if
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<PAGE>
issued" basis under which the issuance of the security depends upon the
occurrence of a subsequent event, such as approval of a merger, corporate
reorganization, leveraged buyout or debt restructuring. If the anticipated
event does not occur and the securities are not issued, the Fund will have
lost an investment opportunity. There is no overall limit on the percentage
of the Fund's assets which may be committed to the purchase of securities on
a "when, as and if issued" basis. An increase in the percentage of the Fund's
assets committed to the purchase of securities on a "when, as and if issued"
basis may increase the volatility of the Fund's net asset value.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
The Fund's portfolio is actively managed by its Investment Manager with a
view to achieving the Fund's investment objective. In determining which
securities to purchase for the Fund or hold in the Fund's portfolio, the
Investment Manager will rely on information from various sources, including
research, analysis and appraisals of brokers and dealers, including Dean
Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR") and other broker-dealer affiliates of
InterCapital, and others regarding economic developments and interest rate
trends, and the Investment Manager's own analysis of factors it deems
relevant. No particular emphasis is given to investments in securities for
the purpose of earning current income. The Fund's portfolio is managed within
InterCapital's Growth and Income Group, which manages 22 equity funds and
fund portfolios with approximately $27.4 billion in assets as of June 30,
1997. Anita H. Kolleeny, Senior Vice President of InterCapital and a member
of InterCapital's Growth and Income Group, has been the primary portfolio
manager of the Fund and a portfolio manager at InterCapital for over five
years.
Although the Fund does not engage in substantial short-term trading as a
means of achieving its investment objective, it may sell portfolio securities
without regard to the length of time they have been held, in accordance with
the investment policies described earlier. It is anticipated that, under
normal circumstances, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate will not exceed 400%
in any one year. The Fund will incur brokerage costs commensurate with its
portfolio turnover rate. Short term gains and losses may result from such
portfolio transactions. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes" for a
discussion of the tax implications of the Fund's trading policy. A more
extensive discussion of the Fund's portfolio brokerage policies is set forth
in the Statement of Additional Information.
Orders for transactions in portfolio securities and commodities are placed
for the Fund with a number of brokers and dealers, including DWR and other
brokers and dealers that are affiliates of the Investment Manager. The Fund
may incur brokerage commissions on transactions conducted through such
affiliates. Pursuant to an order of the Securities and Exchange Commission
the Fund may effect principal transactions in certain money market
instruments with DWR.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The investment restrictions listed below are among the restrictions which
have been adopted by the Fund as fundamental policies. Under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"), a fundamental policy may not be
changed without the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the Fund, as defined in the Act. For purposes of the following
limitations: (i) all percentage limitations apply immediately after a
purchase or initial investment; and (ii) any subsequent change in any
applicable percentage resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in
total or net assets does not require elimination of any security from the
portfolio.
The Fund may not:
1. Invest more than 5% of the value of its total assets in the securities
of any one issuer (other than obligations issued, or guaranteed by, the
United States Government, its agencies or instrumentalities).
14
<PAGE>
2. Purchase more than 10% of all outstanding voting securities or any
class of securities of any one issuer.
3. Invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in securities of
issuers in any one industry. This restriction does not apply to obligations
issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or its agencies or
instrumentalities or to cash equivalents.
4. Invest more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of
issuers having a record, together with predecessors, of less than three years
of continuous operation. This restriction shall not apply to any obligation
of the United States Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.
Notwithstanding any other investment policy or restriction, the Fund may
seek to achieve its investment objective by investing all or substantially
all of its assets in another investment company having substantially the same
investment objective and policies as the Fund.
PURCHASE OF FUND SHARES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL
The Fund offers each class of its shares for sale to the public on a
continuous basis. Pursuant to a Distribution Agreement between the Fund and
Dean Witter Distributors Inc. (the "Distributor"), an affiliate of the
Investment Manager, shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor and
offered by DWR and other brokers and dealers which have entered into
agreements with the Distributor ("Selected Broker-Dealers"). The principal
executive office of the Distributor is located at Two World Trade Center, New
York, New York 10048.
The Fund offers four classes of shares (each, a "Class"). Class A shares
are sold to investors with an initial sales charge that declines to zero for
larger purchases; however, Class A shares sold without an initial sales
charge are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") of 1.0% if
redeemed within one year of purchase, except for certain specific
circumstances. Class B shares are sold without an initial sales charge but
are subject to a CDSC (scaled down from 5.0% to 1.0%) payable upon most
redemptions within six years after purchase. (Class B shares purchased by
certain qualified employer-sponsored benefit plans are subject to a CDSC
scaled down from 2.0% to 1.0% if redeemed within three years after purchase.)
Class C shares are sold without an initial sales charge but are subject to a
CDSC of 1.0% on most redemptions made within one year after purchase. Class D
shares are sold without an initial sales charge or CDSC and are available
only to investors meeting an initial investment minimum of $5 million, and to
certain other limited categories of investors. At the discretion of the Board
of Trustees of the Fund, Class A shares may be sold to categories of
investors in addition to those set forth in this prospectus at net asset
value without a front-end sales charge, and Class D shares may be sold to
certain other categories of investors, in each case as may be described in
the then current prospectus of the Fund. See "Alternative Purchase
Arrangements -- Selecting a Particular Class" for a discussion of factors to
consider in selecting which Class of shares to purchase.
The minimum initial purchase is $1,000 for each Class of shares, although
Class D shares are only available to persons investing $5 million or more and
to certain other limited categories of investors. For the purpose of meeting
the minimum $5 million initial investment for Class D shares, and subject to
the $1,000 minimum initial investment for each Class of the Fund, an
investor's existing holdings of Class A shares of the Fund and other Dean
Witter Funds that are multiple class funds ("Dean Witter Multi-Class Funds")
and shares of Dean Witter Funds sold with a front-end sales charge ("FSC
Funds") and concurrent investments in Class D shares of the Fund and other
Dean Witter
15
<PAGE>
Multi-Class Funds will be aggregated. Subsequent purchases of $100 or more
may be made by sending a check, payable to Dean Witter American Value Fund,
directly to Dean Witter Trust Company (the "Transfer Agent") at P.O. Box
1040, Jersey City, NJ 07303 or by contacting an account executive of DWR or
other Selected Broker-Dealer. When purchasing shares of the Fund, investors
must specify whether the purchase is for Class A, Class B, Class C or Class D
shares. If no Class is specified, the Transfer Agent will not process the
transaction until the proper Class is identified. The minimum initial
purchase in the case of investments through EasyInvest (Service Mark), an
automatic purchase plan (see "Shareholder Services"), is $100, provided that
the schedule of automatic investments will result in investments totalling
$1,000 within the first twelve months. In the case of investments pursuant to
Systematic Payroll Deduction Plans (including Individual Retirement Plans),
the Fund, in its discretion, may accept investments without regard to any
minimum amounts which would otherwise be required, if the Fund has reason to
believe that additional investments will increase the investment in all
accounts under such Plans to at least $1,000. Certificates for shares
purchased will not be issued unless requested by the shareholder in writing
to the Transfer Agent.
Shares of the Fund are sold through the Distributor on a normal three
business day settlement basis; that is, payment is due on the third business
day (settlement date) after the order is placed with the Distributor. Since
DWR and other Selected Broker-Dealers forward investors' funds on settlement
date, they will benefit from the temporary use of the funds if payment is
made prior thereto. As noted above, orders placed directly with the Transfer
Agent must be accompanied by payment. Investors will be entitled to receive
income dividends and capital gains distributions if their order is received
by the close of business on the day prior to the record date for such
distributions. Sales personnel of a Selected Broker-Dealer are compensated
for selling shares of the Fund at the time of their sale by the Distributor
or any of its affiliates and/or the Selected Broker-Dealer. In addition, some
sales personnel of the Selected Broker-Dealer will receive various types of
non-cash compensation as special sales incentives, including trips,
educational and/or business seminars and merchandise. The Fund and the
Distributor reserve the right to reject any purchase orders.
ALTERNATIVE PURCHASE ARRANGEMENTS
The Fund offers several Classes of shares to investors designed to provide
them with the flexibility of selecting an investment best suited to their
needs. The general public is offered three Classes of shares: Class A shares,
Class B shares and Class C shares, which differ principally in terms of sales
charges and rate of expenses to which they are subject. A fourth Class of
shares, Class D shares, is offered only to limited categories of investors
(see "No Load Alternative--Class D Shares" below).
Each Class A, Class B, Class C or Class D share of the Fund represents an
identical interest in the investment portfolio of the Fund except that Class
A, Class B and Class C shares bear the expenses of the ongoing shareholder
service fees, Class B and Class C shares bear the expenses of the ongoing
distribution fees and Class A, Class B and Class C shares which are redeemed
subject to a CDSC bear the expense of the additional incremental distribution
costs resulting from the CDSC applicable to shares of those Classes. The
ongoing distribution fees that are imposed on Class A, Class B and Class C
shares will be imposed directly against those Classes and not against all
assets of the Fund and, accordingly, such charges against one Class will not
affect the net asset value of any other Class or have any impact on investors
choosing another sales charge option. See "Plan of Distribution" and
"Redemptions and Repurchases."
Set forth below is a summary of the differences between the Classes and
the factors an investor should consider when selecting a particular Class.
This summary is qualified in its entirety by detailed discussion of each
Class that follows this summary.
16
<PAGE>
Class A Shares. Class A shares are sold at net asset value plus an initial
sales charge of up to 5.25%. The initial sales charge is reduced for certain
purchases. Investments of $1 million or more (and investments by certain
other limited categories of investors) are not subject to any sales charges
at the time of purchase but are subject to a CDSC of 1.0% on redemptions made
within one year after purchase, except for certain specific circumstances.
Class A shares are also subject to a 12b-1 fee of up to 0.25% of the average
daily net assets of the Class. See "Initial Sales Charge Alternative--Class A
Shares."
Class B Shares. Class B shares are offered at net asset value with no
initial sales charge but are subject to a CDSC (scaled down from 5.0% to
1.0%) if redeemed within six years of purchase. (Class B shares purchased by
certain qualified employer-sponsored benefit plans are subject to a CDSC
scaled down from 2.0% to 1.0% if redeemed within three years after purchase.)
This CDSC may be waived for certain redemptions. Class B shares are also
subject to an annual 12b-1 fee of 1.0% of the lesser of: (a) the average
daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's Class B shares since the inception
of the 12b-1 Plan on April 30, 1984 (not including reinvestments of dividends
or capital gains distributions), less the average daily aggregate net asset
value of the Fund's Class B shares redeemed since the inception of the 12b-1
Plan upon which a CDSC has been imposed or waived, or (b) the average daily
net assets of Class B attributable to shares issued, net of related shares
redeemed, since inception of the 12b-1 Plan. The Class B shares' distribution
fee will cause that Class to have higher expenses and pay lower dividends
than Class A or Class D shares.
After approximately ten (10) years, Class B shares will convert
automatically to Class A shares of the Fund, based on the relative net asset
values of the shares of the two Classes on the conversion date. In addition,
a certain portion of Class B shares that have been acquired through the
reinvestment of dividends and distributions will be converted at that time.
See "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Alternative--Class B Shares."
Class C Shares. Class C shares are sold at net asset value with no initial
sales charge but are subject to a CDSC of 1.0% on redemptions made within one
year after purchase. This CDSC may be waived for certain redemptions. They
are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee of up to 1.0% of the average daily net
assets of the Class C shares. The Class C shares' distribution fee may cause
that Class to have higher expenses and pay lower dividends than Class A or
Class D shares. See "Level Load Alternative--Class C Shares."
Class D Shares. Class D shares are available only to limited categories of
investors (see "No Load Alternative--Class D Shares" below). Class D shares
are sold at net asset value with no initial sales charge or CDSC. They are
not subject to any 12b-1 fees. See "No Load Alternative--Class D Shares."
Selecting a Particular Class. In deciding which Class of Fund shares to
purchase, investors should consider the following factors, as well as any
other relevant facts and circumstances:
The decision as to which Class of shares is more beneficial to an investor
depends on the amount and intended length of his or her investment. Investors
who prefer an initial sales charge alternative may elect to purchase Class A
shares. Investors qualifying for significantly reduced or, in the case of
purchases of $1 million or more, no initial sales charges may find Class A
shares particularly attractive because similar sales charge reductions are
not available with respect to Class B or Class C shares. Moreover, Class A
shares are subject to lower ongoing expenses than are Class B or Class C
shares over the term of the investment. As an alternative, Class B and Class
C shares are sold without any initial sales charge so the entire purchase
price is immediately invested in the Fund. Any investment return on these
additional investment amounts may partially or wholly offset the higher
annual expenses of these Classes. Because the Fund's future return cannot be
predicted, however, there can be no assurance that this would be the case.
17
<PAGE>
Finally, investors should consider the effect of the CDSC period and any
conversion rights of the Classes in the context of their own investment time
frame. For example, although Class C shares are subject to a significantly
lower CDSC upon redemptions, they do not, unlike Class B shares, convert into
Class A shares after approximately ten years, and, therefore, are subject to
an ongoing 12b-1 fee of 1.0% (rather than the 0.25% fee applicable to Class A
shares) for an indefinite period of time. Thus, Class B shares may be more
attractive than Class C shares to investors with longer term investment
outlooks. Other investors, however, may elect to purchase Class C shares if,
for example, they determine that they do not wish to be subject to a
front-end sales charge and they are uncertain as to the length of time they
intend to hold their shares.
For the purpose of meeting the $5 million minimum investment amount for
Class D shares, holdings of Class A shares in all Dean Witter Multi-Class
Funds, shares of FSC Funds and shares of Dean Witter Funds for which such
shares have been exchanged will be included together with the current
investment amount.
Sales personnel may receive different compensation for selling each Class
of shares. Investors should understand that the purpose of a CDSC is the same
as that of the initial sales charge in that the sales charges applicable to
each Class provide for the financing of the distribution of shares of that
Class.
Set forth below is a chart comparing the sales charge, 12b-1 fees and
conversion options applicable to each Class of shares:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CONVERSION
CLASS SALES CHARGE 12B-1 FEE FEATURE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
A Maximum 5.25% 0.25% No
initial sales charge
reduced for
purchases of
$25,000 and over;
shares sold without
an initial sales
charge generally
subject to a 1.0%
CDSC during first
year.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B Maximum 5.0% 1.0% B shares convert
CDSC during the first to A shares
year decreasing automatically
to 0 after six years after
approximately
ten years
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 1.0% CDSC during 1.0% No
first year
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D None None No
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
See "Purchase of Fund Shares" and "The Fund and its Management" for a
complete description of the sales charges and service and distribution fees
for each Class of shares and "Determination of Net Asset Value," "Dividends,
Distributions and Taxes" and "Shareholder Services--Exchange Privilege" for
other differences between the Classes of shares.
INITIAL SALES CHARGE ALTERNATIVE--CLASS A SHARES
Class A shares are sold at net asset value plus an initial sales charge.
In some cases, reduced sales charges may be available, as described below.
Investments of $1 million or more (and investments by certain other limited
categories of investors) are not subject to any sales charges at the time of
purchase but are subject to a CDSC of 1.0% on redemptions made within one
year after purchase (calculated from the last day of the month in which the
shares were purchased), except for certain specific circumstances. The CDSC
will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the current market value
or the cost of the shares being redeemed. The CDSC will not be imposed (i) in
the circumstances set forth below in the section "Contingent Deferred Sales
Charge Alternative--Class B
18
<PAGE>
Shares--CDSC Waivers," except that the references to six years in the first
paragraph of that section shall mean one year in the case of Class A shares,
and (ii) in the circumstances identified in the section "Additional Net Asset
Value Purchase Options" below. Class A shares are also subject to an annual
12b-1 fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class.
The offering price of Class A shares will be the net asset value per share
next determined following receipt of an order (see "Determination of Net
Asset Value" below), plus a sales charge (expressed as a percentage of the
offering price) on a single transaction as shown in the following table:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SALES CHARGE
-------------------------------
PERCENTAGE OF APPROXIMATE
AMOUNT OF SINGLE PUBLIC OFFERING PERCENTAGE OF
TRANSACTION PRICE AMOUNT INVESTED
- -------------------- --------------- ---------------
<S> <C> <C>
Less than $25,000 .. 5.25% 5.54%
$25,000 but less
than $50,000 ...... 4.75% 4.99%
$50,000 but less
than $100,000 ..... 4.00% 4.17%
$100,000 but less
than $250,000 ..... 3.00% 3.09%
$250,000 but less
than $1 million .. 2.00% 2.04%
$1 million and over 0 0
</TABLE>
Upon notice to all Selected Broker-Dealers, the Distributor may reallow up
to the full applicable sales charge as shown in the above schedule during
periods specified in such notice. During periods when 90% or more of the
sales charge is reallowed, such Selected Broker-Dealers may be deemed to be
underwriters as that term is defined in the Securities Act of 1933.
The above schedule of sales charges is applicable to purchases in a single
transaction by, among others: (a) an individual; (b) an individual, his or
her spouse and their children under the age of 21 purchasing shares for his,
her or their own accounts; (c) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing shares
for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account; (d) a pension,
profit-sharing or other employee benefit plan qualified or non-qualified
under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code; (e) tax-exempt organizations
enumerated in Section 501(c)(3) or (13) of the Internal Revenue Code; (f)
employee benefit plans qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue
Code of a single employer or of employers who are "affiliated persons" of
each other within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3)(c) of the Act; and for
investments in Individual Retirement Accounts of employees of a single
employer through Systematic Payroll Deduction plans; or (g) any other
organized group of persons, whether incorporated or not, provided the
organization has been in existence for at least six months and has some
purpose other than the purchase of redeemable securities of a registered
investment company at a discount.
Combined Purchase Privilege. Investors may have the benefit of reduced
sales charges in accordance with the above schedule by combining purchases of
Class A shares of the Fund in single transactions with the purchase of Class
A shares of other Dean Witter Multi-Class Funds and shares of FSC Funds. The
sales charge payable on the purchase of the Class A shares of the Fund, the
Class A shares of the other Dean Witter Multi-Class Funds and the shares of
the FSC Funds will be at their respective rates applicable to the total
amount of the combined concurrent purchases of such shares.
Right of Accumulation. The above persons and entities may benefit from a
reduction of the sales charges in accordance with the above schedule if the
cumulative net asset value of Class A shares purchased in a single
transaction, together with shares of the Fund and other Dean Witter Funds
previously purchased at a price including a front-end sales charge (including
shares of the Fund and other Dean Witter Funds acquired in exchange for those
shares, and including in each case shares acquired through reinvestment of
dividends and distributions), which are held at the time of such transaction,
amounts to $25,000 or more. If such investor has a cumulative net asset value
of shares of FSC Funds and Class A and Class D shares equal to at least $5
million, such investor is eligible
19
<PAGE>
to purchase Class D shares subject to the $1,000 minimum initial investment
requirement of that Class of the Fund. See "No Load Alternative--Class D
Shares" below.
The Distributor must be notified by DWR or a Selected Broker-Dealer or the
shareholder at the time a purchase order is placed that the purchase
qualifies for the reduced charge under the Right of Accumulation. Similar
notification must be made in writing by the dealer or shareholder when such
an order is placed by mail. The reduced sales charge will not be granted if:
(a) such notification is not furnished at the time of the order; or (b) a
review of the records of the Selected Broker-Dealer or the Transfer Agent
fails to confirm the investor's represented holdings.
Letter of Intent. The foregoing schedule of reduced sales charges will
also be available to investors who enter into a written Letter of Intent
providing for the purchase, within a thirteen-month period, of Class A shares
of the Fund from DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealers. The cost of Class A
shares of the Fund or shares of other Dean Witter Funds which were previously
purchased at a price including a front-end sales charge during the 90-day
period prior to the date of receipt by the Distributor of the Letter of
Intent, or of Class A shares of the Fund or shares of other Dean Witter Funds
acquired in exchange for shares of such funds purchased during such period at
a price including a front-end sales charge, which are still owned by the
shareholder, may also be included in determining the applicable reduction.
Additional Net Asset Value Purchase Options. In addition to investments of
$1 million or more, Class A shares also may be purchased at net asset value
by the following:
(1) trusts for which Dean Witter Trust Company ("DWTC") or Dean Witter
Trust FSB ("DWTFSB") (each of which is an affiliate of the Investment
Manager) provides discretionary trustee services;
(2) persons participating in a fee-based program approved by the
Distributor, pursuant to which such persons pay an asset based fee for
services in the nature of investment advisory or administrative services
(such investments are subject to all of the terms and conditions of such
programs, which may include termination fees and restrictions on
transferability of Fund shares);
(3) retirement plans qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal
Revenue Code ("401(k) plans") and other employer-sponsored plans qualified
under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code with at least 200 eligible
employees and for which DWTC or DWTFSB serves as Trustee or the 401(k)
Support Services Group of DWR serves as recordkeeper;
(4) 401(k) plans and other employer-sponsored plans qualified under
Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code for which DWTC or DWTFSB serves
as Trustee or the 401(k) Support Services Group of DWR serves as recordkeeper
whose Class B shares have converted to Class A shares, regardless of the
plan's asset size or number of eligible employees;
(5) investors who are clients of a Dean Witter account executive who
joined Dean Witter from another investment firm within six months prior to
the date of purchase of Fund shares by such investors, if the shares are
being purchased with the proceeds from a redemption of shares of an open-end
proprietary mutual fund of the account executive's previous firm which
imposed either a front-end or deferred sales charge, provided such purchase
was made within sixty days after the redemption and the proceeds of the
redemption had been maintained in the interim in cash or a money market fund;
and
(6) other categories of investors, at the discretion of the Board, as
disclosed in the then current prospectus of the Fund.
No CDSC will be imposed on redemptions of shares purchased pursuant to
paragraphs (1), (2) or (5), above.
For further information concerning purchases of the Fund's shares, contact
DWR or another Se-lected Broker-Dealer or consult the Statement of Additional
Information.
20
<PAGE>
CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE ALTERNATIVE--CLASS B SHARES
Class B shares are sold at net asset value next determined without an
initial sales charge so that the full amount of an investor's purchase
payment may be immediately invested in the Fund. A CDSC, however, will be
imposed on most Class B shares redeemed within six years after purchase. The
CDSC will be imposed on any redemption of shares if after such redemption the
aggregate current value of a Class B account with the Fund falls below the
aggregate amount of the investor's purchase payments for Class B shares made
during the six years (or, in the case of shares held by certain
employer-sponsored benefit plans, three years) preceding the redemption. In
addition, Class B shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee of 1.0% of the
lesser of: (a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's Class B
shares since the implementation of the 12b-1 Plan on April 30, 1984 (not
including reinvestments of dividends or capital gains distributions), less
the average daily aggregate net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares
redeemed since the implementation of the 12b-1 Plan upon which a CDSC has
been imposed or waived, or (b) the average daily net assets of Class B
attributable to shares issued, net of related shares redeemed, since
implementation of the 12b-1 Plan.
Except as noted below, Class B shares of the Fund which are held for six
years or more after purchase (calculated from the last day of the month in
which the shares were purchased) will not be subject to any CDSC upon
redemption. Shares redeemed earlier than six years after purchase may,
however, be subject to a CDSC which will be a percentage of the dollar amount
of shares redeemed and will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of
the current market value or the cost of the shares being redeemed. The size
of this percentage will depend upon how long the shares have been held, as
set forth in the following table:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR SINCE
PURCHASE CDSC AS A PERCENTAGE
PAYMENT MADE OF AMOUNT REDEEMED
------------ ------------------
<S> <C>
First...................... 5.0%
Second..................... 4.0%
Third...................... 3.0%
Fourth..................... 2.0%
Fifth...................... 2.0%
Sixth...................... 1.0%
Seventh and thereafter .... None
</TABLE>
In the case of Class B shares of the Fund held by 401 (k) plans or other
employer-sponsored plans qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal
Revenue Code for which DWTC or DWTFSB serves as Trustee or the 401(k) Support
Services Group of DWR serves as recordkeeper and whose accounts are opened on
or after July 28, 1997, shares held for three years or more after purchase
(calculated as described in the paragraph above) will not be subject to any
CDSC upon redemption. However, shares redeemed earlier than three years after
purchase may be subject to a CDSC (calculated as described in the paragraph
above), the percentage of which will depend on how long the shares have been
held, as set forth in the following table:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR SINCE
PURCHASE CDSC AS A PERCENTAGE
PAYMENT MADE OF AMOUNT REDEEMED
------------ ------------------
<S> <C>
First ..................... 2.0%
Second .................... 2.0%
Third ..................... 1.0%
Fourth and thereafter .... None
</TABLE>
CDSC Waivers. A CDSC will not be imposed on: (i) any amount which
represents an increase in value of shares purchased within the six years (or,
in the case of shares held by certain employer-sponsored benefit plans, three
years) preceding the redemption; (ii) the current net asset value of shares
purchased more than six years (or, in the case of shares held by certain
employer-sponsored benefit plans, three years) prior to the redemption; and
(iii)
21
<PAGE>
the current net asset value of shares purchased through reinvestment of
dividends or distributions and/or shares acquired in exchange for shares of
FSC Funds or of other Dean Witter Funds acquired in exchange for such shares.
Moreover, in determining whether a CDSC is applicable it will be assumed that
amounts described in (i), (ii) and (iii) above (in that order) are redeemed
first.
In addition, the CDSC, if otherwise applicable, will be waived in the case
of:
(1) redemptions of shares held at the time a shareholder dies or becomes
disabled, only if the shares are: (A) registered either in the name of an
individual shareholder (not a trust), or in the names of such shareholder and
his or her spouse as joint tenants with right of survivorship; or (B) held
in a qualified corporate or self-employed retirement plan, Individual
Retirement Account ("IRA") or Custodial Account under Section 403(b)(7) of
the Internal Revenue Code ("403(b) Custodial Account"), provided in either
case that the redemption is requested within one year of the death or initial
determination of disability;
(2) redemptions in connection with the following retirement plan
distributions: (A) lump-sum or other distributions from a qualified
corporate or self-employed retirement plan following retirement (or, in the
case of a "key employee" of a "top heavy" plan, following attainment of age
59 1/2); (B) distributions from an IRA or 403(b) Custodial Account following
attainment of age 59 1/2; or (C) a tax-free return of an excess contribution
to an IRA; and
(3) all redemptions of shares held for the benefit of a participant in a
401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored plan qualified under Section 401(a)
of the Internal Revenue Code which offers investment companies managed by the
Investment Manager or its subsidiary, Dean Witter Services Company Inc., as
self-directed investment alternatives and for which DWTC or DWTFSB serves as
Trustee or the 401(k) Support Services Group of DWR serves as recordkeeper
("Eligible Plan"), provided that either: (A) the plan continues to be an
Eligible Plan after the redemption; or (B) the redemption is in connection
with the complete termination of the plan involving the distribution of all
plan assets to participants.
With reference to (1) above, for the purpose of determining disability,
the Distributor utilizes the definition of disability contained in Section
72(m)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code, which relates to the inability to
engage in gainful employment. With reference to (2) above, the term
"distribution" does not encompass a direct transfer of IRA, 403(b) Custodial
Account or retirement plan assets to a successor custodian or trustee. All
waivers will be granted only following receipt by the Distributor of
confirmation of the shareholder's entitlement.
Conversion to Class A Shares. All shares of the Fund held prior to July
28, 1997, other than shares which were purchased prior to April 30, 1984
(and, with respect to such shares, including such proportion of shares
acquired through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions as
the total number of shares acquired prior to such date bears to the total
number of Fund shares purchased and owned by the shareholder (collectively,
the "Old Shares"), have been designated Class B shares. Shares held before
May 1, 1997 that have been designated Class B shares will convert to Class A
shares in May, 2007. In all other instances Class B shares will convert
automatically to Class A shares, based on the relative net asset values of
the shares of the two Classes on the conversion date, which will be
approximately ten (10) years after the date of the original purchase. The ten
year period is calculated from the last day of the month in which the shares
were purchased or, in the case of Class B shares acquired through an exchange
or a series of exchanges, from the last day of the month in which the
original Class B shares were purchased, provided that shares originally
purchased before May 1, 1997 will convert to Class A shares in May, 2007. The
conversion of shares purchased on or after May 1, 1997 will take place in the
month following the tenth anniversary of the purchase. There will also be
converted at that time such proportion of Class B shares acquired through
automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions owned by the share-
22
<PAGE>
holder as the total number of his or her Class B shares converting at the
time bears to the total number of outstanding Class B shares purchased and
owned by the shareholder. In the case of Class B shares held by a 401(k) plan
or other employer-sponsored plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code and for which DWTC or DWTFSB serves as Trustee or the
401(k) Support Services Group of DWR serves as recordkeeper, the plan is
treated as a single investor and all Class B shares will convert to Class A
shares on the conversion date of the first shares of a Dean Witter
Multi-Class Fund purchased by that plan. In the case of Class B shares
previously exchanged for shares of an "Exchange Fund" (see "Shareholder
Services--Exchange Privilege"), the period of time the shares were held in
the Exchange Fund (calculated from the last day of the month in which the
Exchange Fund shares were acquired) is excluded from the holding period for
conversion. If those shares are subsequently re-exchanged for Class B shares
of a Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund, the holding period resumes on the last day
of the month in which Class B shares are reacquired.
If a shareholder has received share certificates for Class B shares, such
certificates must be delivered to the Transfer Agent at least one week prior
to the date for conversion. Class B shares evidenced by share certificates
that are not received by the Transfer Agent at least one week prior to any
conversion date will be converted into Class A shares on the next scheduled
conversion date after such certificates are received.
Effectiveness of the conversion feature is subject to the continuing
availability of a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of
counsel that (i) the conversion of shares does not constitute a taxable event
under the Internal Revenue Code, (ii) Class A shares received on conversion
will have a basis equal to the shareholder's basis in the converted Class B
shares immediately prior to the conversion, and (iii) Class A shares received
on conversion will have a holding period that includes the holding period of
the converted Class B shares. The conversion feature may be suspended if the
ruling or opinion is no longer available. In such event, Class B shares would
continue to be subject to Class B 12b-1 fees.
Class B shares purchased before July 28, 1997 by trusts for which DWTC or
DWTFSB provides discretionary trustee services will convert to Class A shares
on or about August 29, 1997. The CDSC will not be applicable to such shares.
LEVEL LOAD ALTERNATIVE--CLASS C SHARES
Class C shares are sold at net asset value next determined without an
initial sales charge but are subject to a CDSC of 1.0% on most redemptions
made within one year after purchase (calculated from the last day of the
month in which the shares were purchased). The CDSC will be assessed on an
amount equal to the lesser of the current market value or the cost of the
shares being redeemed. The CDSC will not be imposed in the circumstances set
forth above in the section "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
Alternative--Class B Shares--CDSC Waivers," except that the references to six
years in the first paragraph of that section shall mean one year in the case
of Class C shares. Class C shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee of up to
1.0% of the average daily net assets of the Class. Unlike Class B shares,
Class C shares have no conversion feature and, accordingly, an investor that
purchases Class C shares will be subject to 12b-1 fees applicable to Class C
shares for an indefinite period subject to annual approval by the Fund's
Board of Trustees and regulatory limitations.
NO LOAD ALTERNATIVE--CLASS D SHARES
Class D shares are offered without any sales charge on purchase or
redemption and without any 12b-1 fee. Class D shares are offered only to
investors meeting an initial investment minimum of $5 million and the
following categories of investors: (i) investors participating in the
InterCapital mutual fund asset allocation program pursuant to which such
persons pay an asset based fee; (ii) persons participating in a fee-based
program approved by the Distributor, pursuant to which such persons pay an
asset based fee for services in the nature of investment advisory or
administrative services (sub-
23
<PAGE>
ject to all of the terms and conditions of such programs, which may include
termination fees and restrictions on transferability of Fund shares); (iii)
401(k) plans established by DWR and SPS Transaction Services, Inc. (an
affiliate of DWR) for their employees; (iv) certain Unit Investment Trusts
sponsored by DWR; (v) certain other open-end investment companies whose
shares are distributed by the Distributor; and (vi) other categories of
investors, at the discretion of the Board, as disclosed in the then current
prospectus of the Fund. The Old Shares have been designated Class D shares.
Investors who require a $5 million minimum initial investment to qualify to
purchase Class D shares may satisfy that requirement by investing that amount
in a single transaction in Class D shares of the Fund and other Dean Witter
Multi-Class Funds, subject to the $1,000 minimum initial investment required
for that Class of the Fund. In addition, for the purpose of meeting the $5
million minimum investment amount, holdings of Class A shares in all Dean
Witter Multi-Class Funds, shares of FSC Funds and shares of Dean Witter Funds
for which such shares have been exchanged will be included together with the
current investment amount. If a shareholder redeems Class A shares and
purchases Class D shares, such redemption may be a taxable event.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The Fund has adopted a Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under
the Act with respect to the distribution of Class A, Class B and Class C
shares of the Fund. In the case of Class A and Class C shares, the Plan
provides that the Fund will reimburse the Distributor and others for the
expenses of certain activities and services incurred by them specifically on
behalf of those shares. Reimbursements for these expenses will be made in
monthly payments by the Fund to the Distributor, which will in no event
exceed amounts equal to payments at the annual rates of 0.25% and 1.0% of the
average daily net assets of Class A and Class C, respectively. In the case of
Class B shares, the Plan provides that the Fund will pay the Distributor a
fee, which is accrued daily and paid monthly, at the annual rate of 1.0% of
the lesser of: (a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's
Class B shares since the implementation of the 12b-1 Plan on April 30, 1984
(not including reinvestments of dividends or capital gains distributions),
less the average daily aggregate net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares
redeemed since that Plan's implementation upon which a CDSC has been imposed
or waived, or (b) the average daily net assets of Class B attributable to
shares issued, net of related shares redeemed, since implementation of the
Fund's 12b-1 Plan. The fee is treated by the Fund as an expense in the year
it is accrued. In the case of Class A shares, the entire amount of the fee
currently represents a service fee within the meaning of the NASD guidelines.
In the case of Class B and Class C shares, a portion of the fee payable
pursuant to the Plan, equal to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each
of these Classes, is currently characterized as a service fee. A service fee
is a payment made for personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder
accounts.
Additional amounts paid under the Plan in the case of Class B and Class C
shares are paid to the Distributor for services provided and the expenses
borne by the Distributor and others in the distribution of the shares of
those Classes, including the payment of commissions for sales of the shares
of those Classes and incentive compensation to and expenses of DWR's account
executives and others who engage in or support distribution of shares or who
service shareholder accounts, including overhead and telephone expenses;
printing and distribution of prospectuses and reports used in connection with
the offering of the Fund's shares to other than current shareholders; and
preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature and advertising
materials. In addition, the Distributor may utilize fees paid pursuant to the
Plan in the case of Class B shares to compensate DWR and other Selected
Broker-Dealers for their opportunity costs in advancing such amounts, which
compensation would be in the form of a carrying charge on any unreimbursed
expenses.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996, Class B shares of the Fund
accrued payments
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<PAGE>
under the Plan amounting to $24,339,469, which amount is equal to 0.88% of
the Fund's average daily net assets for the fiscal year. The payments accrued
under the Plan were calculated pursuant to clause (a) of the compensation
formula under the Plan. All shares held prior to July 28, 1997 (other than
the Old Shares) have been designated Class B shares.
In the case of Class B shares, at any given time, the expenses in
distributing Class B shares of the Fund may be in excess of the total of (i)
the payments made by the Fund pursuant to the Plan, and (ii) the proceeds of
CDSCs paid by investors upon the redemption of Class B shares. For example,
if $1 million in expenses in distributing Class B shares of the Fund had been
incurred and $750,000 had been received as described in (i) and (ii) above,
the excess expense would amount to $250,000. The Distributor has advised the
Fund that such excess amounts, including the carrying charge described above,
totalled $71,290,842 at December 31, 1996, which was equal to 2.30% of the
net assets of the Fund on such date. Because there is no requirement under
the Plan that the Distributor be reimbursed for all distribution expenses or
any requirement that the Plan be continued from year to year, such excess
amount does not constitute a liability of the Fund. Although there is no
legal obligation for the Fund to pay expenses incurred in excess of payments
made to the Distributor under the Plan, and the proceeds of CDSCs paid by
investors upon redemption of shares, if for any reason the Plan is terminated
the Trustees will consider at that time the manner in which to treat such
expenses. Any cumulative expenses incurred, but not yet recovered through
distribution fees or CDSCs, may or may not be recovered through future
distribution fees or CDSCs.
In the case of Class A and Class C shares, expenses incurred pursuant to
the Plan in any calendar year in excess of 0.25% or 1.0% of the average daily
net assets of Class A or Class C, respectively, will not be reimbursed by the
Fund through payments in any subsequent year, except that expenses
representing a gross sales commission credited to account executives at the
time of sale may be reimbursed in the subsequent calendar year. No interest
or other financing charges will be incurred on any Class A or Class C
distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor under the Plan or on any
unreimbursed expenses due to the Distributor pursuant to the Plan.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value per share is determined once daily at 4:00 p.m., New
York time (or, on days when the New York Stock Exchange closes prior to 4:00
p.m., at such earlier time), by taking the net assets of the Fund, dividing
by the number of shares outstanding and adjusting to the nearest cent. The
assets belonging to the Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D shares will be
invested together in a single portfolio. The net asset value of each Class,
however, will be determined separately by subtracting each Class's accrued
expenses and liabilities. The net asset value per share will not be
determined on Good Friday and on such other federal and non-federal holidays
as are observed by the New York Stock Exchange.
In the calculation of the Fund's net asset value: (1) an equity portfolio
security listed or traded on the New York or American Stock Exchange or other
stock exchange is valued at its latest sale price on that exchange, prior to
the time when assets are valued; if there were no sales that day, the
security is valued at the latest bid price (in cases where a security is
traded on more than one exchange, the security is valued on the exchange
designated as the primary market pursuant to procedures adopted by the
Trustees); and (2) all other portfolio securities for which over-the-counter
market quotations are readily available are valued at the latest bid price.
When market quotations are not readily available, including circumstances
under which it is determined by the Investment Manager that sale or bid
prices are not reflective of a security's market value, portfolio securities
are valued at their fair value as determined in good faith under procedures
established by and under the general supervision of the Fund's Trustees. For
valuation purposes, quotations
25
<PAGE>
of foreign portfolio securities, other assets and liabilities and forward
contracts stated in foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollar
equivalents at the prevailing market rates prior to the close of the New York
Stock Exchange. Dividends receivable are accrued as of the ex-dividend date
or as of the time that the relevant ex-dividend date and amounts become
known.
Short-term debt securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less
at the time of purchase are valued at amortized cost, unless the Trustees
determine such does not reflect the securities' market value, in which case
these securities will be valued at their fair value as determined by the
Trustees.
Certain securities in the Fund's portfolio may be valued by an outside
pricing service approved by the Fund's Trustees. The pricing service may
utilize a matrix system incorporating security quality, maturity and coupon
as the evaluation model parameters, and/or research evaluations by its staff,
including review of broker-dealer market price quotations, in determining
what it believes is the fair valuation of the portfolio securities valued by
such pricing service.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automatic Investment of Dividends and Distributions. All income dividends
and capital gains distributions are automatically paid in full and fractional
shares of the applicable Class of the Fund (or, if specified by the
shareholder, in shares of any other open-end Dean Witter Fund), unless the
shareholder requests that they be paid in cash. Shares so acquired are
acquired at net asset value and are not subject to the imposition of a
front-end sales charge or CDSC (see "Redemptions and Repurchases").
EasyInvest. (Service Mark) Shareholders may subscribe to EasyInvest, an
automatic purchase plan which provides for any amount from $100 to $5,000 to
be transferred automatically from a checking or savings account, or following
redemption of shares of a Dean Witter money market fund, on a semi-monthly,
monthly or quarterly basis, to the Transfer Agent for investment in shares of
the Fund (see "Purchase of Fund Shares" and "Redemptions and Repurchases
- --Involuntary Redemption").
Investment of Dividends or Distributions Received in Cash. Any shareholder
who receives a cash payment representing a dividend or capital gains
distribution may invest such dividend or distribution in shares of the
applicable Class at the net asset value next determined after receipt by the
Transfer Agent, by returning the check or the proceeds to the Transfer Agent
within thirty days after the payment date. Shares so acquired are acquired at
net asset value and are not subject to the imposition of a front-end sales
charge or a CDSC (see "Redemptions and Repurchases").
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. A systematic withdrawal plan (the "Withdrawal
Plan") is available for shareholders who own or purchase shares of the Fund
having a minimum value of $10,000 based upon the then current net asset
value. The Withdrawal Plan provides for monthly or quarterly (March, June,
September and December) checks in any amount, not less than $25, or in any
whole percentage of the account balance, on an annualized basis. Any
applicable CDSC will be imposed on shares redeemed under the Withdrawal Plan
(see "Purchase of Fund Shares"). Therefore, any shareholder participating in
the Withdrawal Plan will have sufficient shares redeemed from his or her
account so that the proceeds (net of any applicable CDSC) to the shareholder
will be the designated monthly or quarterly amount. Withdrawal plan payments
should not be considered as dividends, yields or income. If periodic
withdrawal plan payments continuously exceed net investment income and net
capital gains, the shareholder's original investment will be correspondingly
reduced and ultimately exhausted. Each withdrawal constitutes a redemption of
shares and any gain or loss realized must be recognized for federal income
tax purposes.
26
<PAGE>
Shareholders should contact their DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer
account executive or the Transfer Agent for further information about any of
the above services.
Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans. Retirement plans are available for use by
corporations, the self-employed, Individual Retirement Accounts and Custodial
Accounts under Section 403(b)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code. Adoption of
such plans should be on advice of legal counsel or tax adviser.
For further information regarding plan administration, custodial fees and
other details, investors should contact their account executive or the
Transfer Agent.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
Shares of each Class may be exchanged for shares of the same Class of any
other Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund without the imposition of any exchange
fee. Shares may also be exchanged for shares of the following funds: Dean
Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust, Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal
Trust, Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund, Dean Witter Intermediate Term U.S.
Treasury Trust and five Dean Witter funds which are money market funds (the
"Exchange Funds"). Class A shares may also be exchanged for shares of Dean
Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust and Dean Witter Hawaii Municipal
Trust, which are Dean Witter Funds sold with a front-end sales charge ("FSC
Funds"). Class B shares may also be exchanged for shares of Dean Witter
Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc., Dean Witter High Income Securities and
Dean Witter National Municipal Trust, which are Dean Witter Funds offered
with a CDSC ("CDSC Funds"). Exchanges may be made after the shares of the
Fund acquired by purchase (not by exchange or dividend reinvestment) have
been held for thirty days. There is no waiting period for exchanges of shares
acquired by exchange or dividend reinvestment.
An exchange to another Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund, any FSC Fund, any
CDSC Fund or any Exchange Fund that is not a money market fund is on the
basis of the next calculated net asset value per share of each fund after the
exchange order is received. When exchanging into a money market fund from the
Fund, shares of the Fund are redeemed out of the Fund at their next
calculated net asset value and the proceeds of the redemption are used to
purchase shares of the money market fund at their net asset value determined
the following business day. Subsequent exchanges between any of the money
market funds and any of the Dean Witter Multi-Class Funds, FSC Funds or CDSC
Funds or any Exchange Fund that is not a money market fund can be effected on
the same basis.
No CDSC is imposed at the time of any exchange of shares, although any
applicable CDSC will be imposed upon ultimate redemption. During the period
of time the shareholder remains in an Exchange Fund (calculated from the last
day of the month in which the Exchange Fund shares were acquired), the
holding period (for the purpose of determining the rate of the CDSC) is
frozen. If those shares are subsequently re-exchanged for shares of a Dean
Witter Multi-Class Fund or shares of a CDSC Fund, the holding period
previously frozen when the first exchange was made resumes on the last day of
the month in which shares of a Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund or shares of a
CDSC Fund are reacquired. Thus, the CDSC is based upon the time (calculated
as described above) the shareholder was invested in shares of a Dean Witter
Multi-Class Fund or in shares of a CDSC Fund (see "Purchase of Fund Shares").
In the case of exchanges of Class A shares which are subject to a CDSC, the
holding period also includes the time (calculated as described above) the
shareholder was invested in shares of a FSC Fund. However, in the case of
shares exchanged into an Exchange Fund on or after April 23, 1990, upon a
redemption of shares which results in a CDSC being imposed, a credit (not to
exceed the amount of the CDSC) will be given in an amount equal to the
Exchange Fund 12b-1 distribution fees incurred on or after that date which
are attributable to those shares. (Exchange Fund 12b-1 distribution fees are
described in the prospectuses for those funds.) Class B shares of the Fund
acquired in exchange for Class B shares of
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<PAGE>
another Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund or shares of a CDSC Fund having a
different CDSC schedule than that of this Fund will be subject to the higher
CDSC schedule, even if such shares are subsequently re-exchanged for shares
of the fund with the lower CDSC schedule.
Additional Information Regarding Exchanges. Purchases and exchanges should
be made for investment purposes only. A pattern of frequent exchanges may be
deemed by the Investment Manager to be abusive and contrary to the best
interests of the Fund's other shareholders and, at the Investment Manager's
discretion, may be limited by the Fund's refusal to accept additional
purchases and/or exchanges from the investor. Although the Fund does not have
any specific definition of what constitutes a pattern of frequent exchanges,
and will consider all relevant factors in determining whether a particular
situation is abusive and contrary to the best interests of the Fund and its
other shareholders, investors should be aware that the Fund and each of the
other Dean Witter Funds may in their discretion limit or otherwise restrict
the number of times this Exchange Privilege may be exercised by any investor.
Any such restriction will be made by the Fund on a prospective basis only,
upon notice to the shareholder not later than ten days following such
shareholder's most recent exchange. Also, the Exchange Privilege may be
terminated or revised at any time by the Fund and/or any of such Dean Witter
Funds for which shares of the Fund have been exchanged, upon such notice as
may be required by applicable regulatory agencies. Shareholders maintaining
margin accounts with DWR or another Selected Dealer are referred to their
account executive regarding restrictions on exchange of shares of the Fund
pledged in the margin account.
The current prospectus for each fund describes its investment objective(s)
and policies, and shareholders should obtain a copy and examine it carefully
before investing. Exchanges are subject to the minimum investment requirement
of each Class of shares and any other conditions imposed by each fund. In the
case of a shareholder holding a share certificate or certificates, no
exchanges may be made until all applicable share certificates have been
received by the Transfer Agent and deposited in the shareholder's account. An
exchange will be treated for federal income tax purposes the same as a
repurchase or redemption of shares, on which the shareholder may realize a
capital gain or loss. However, the ability to deduct capital losses on an
exchange may be limited in situations where there is an exchange of shares
within ninety days after the shares are purchased. The Exchange Privilege is
only available in states where an exchange may legally be made.
If DWR or another Selected Broker-Dealer is the current dealer of record
and its account numbers are part of the account information, shareholders may
initiate an exchange of shares of the Fund for shares of any of the Dean
Witter Funds (for which the Exchange Privilege is available) pursuant to this
Exchange Privilege by contacting their DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer
account executive (no Exchange Privilege Authorization Form is required).
Other shareholders (and those shareholders who are clients of DWR or another
Selected Broker-Dealer but who wish to make exchanges directly by telephoning
the Transfer Agent) must complete and forward to the Transfer Agent an
Exchange Privilege Authorization Form, copies of which may be obtained from
the Transfer Agent, to initiate an exchange. If the Authorization Form is
used, exchanges may be made in writing or by contacting the Transfer Agent at
(800) 869-NEWS (toll-free).
The Fund will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that exchange
instructions communicated over the telephone are genuine. Such procedures may
include requiring various forms of personal identification such as name,
mailing address, social security or other tax identification number and DWR
or other Selected Broker-Dealer account number (if any). Telephone
instructions may also be recorded. If such procedures are not employed, the
Fund may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent
instructions.
Telephone exchange instructions will be accepted if received by the
Transfer Agent between
28
<PAGE>
9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. New York time, on any day the New York Stock Exchange
is open. Any shareholder wishing to make an exchange who has previously filed
an Exchange Privilege Authorization Form and who is unable to reach the Fund
by telephone should contact his or her DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer
account executive, if appropriate, or make a written exchange request.
Shareholders are advised that during periods of drastic economic or market
changes, it is possible that the telephone exchange procedures may be
difficult to implement, although this has not been the case with the Dean
Witter Funds in the past.
For further information regarding the Exchange Privilege, shareholders
should contact their DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer account executive or
the Transfer Agent.
REDEMPTIONS AND REPURCHASES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redemption. Shares of each Class of the Fund can be redeemed for cash at
any time at the net asset value per share next determined less the amount of
any applicable CDSC in the case of Class A, Class B or Class C shares (see
"Purchase of Fund Shares"). If shares are held in a shareholder's account
without a share certificate, a written request for redemption sent to the
Fund's Transfer Agent at P.O. Box 983, Jersey City, NJ 07303 is required. If
certificates are held by the shareholder, the shares may be redeemed by
surrendering the certificates with a written request for redemption, along
with any additional documentation required by the Transfer Agent.
Repurchase. DWR and other Selected Broker-Dealers are authorized to
repurchase shares represented by a share certificate which is delivered to
any of their offices. Shares held in a shareholder's account without a share
certificate may also be repurchased by DWR and other Selected Broker-Dealers
upon the telephonic request of the shareholder. The repurchase price is the
net asset value per share next determined (see "Purchase of Fund Shares")
after such purchase order is received by DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer,
reduced by any applicable CDSC.
The CDSC, if any, will be the only fee imposed upon repurchase by the Fund
or the Distributor. The offer by DWR and other Selected Broker-Dealers to
repurchase shares may be suspended without notice by them at any time. In
that event, shareholders may redeem their shares through the Fund's Transfer
Agent as set forth above under "Redemption."
Payment for Shares Redeemed or Repurchased. Payment for shares presented
for repurchase or redemption will be made by check within seven days after
receipt by the Transfer Agent of the certificate and/or written request in
good order. Such payment may be postponed or the right of redemption
suspended under unusual circumstances. If the shares to be redeemed have
recently been purchased by check, payment of the redemption proceeds may be
delayed for the minimum time needed to verify that the check used for
investment has been honored (not more than fifteen days from the time of
receipt of the check by the Transfer Agent.) Shareholders maintaining margin
accounts with DWR or another Selected Dealer are referred to their account
executive regarding restrictions on redemption of shares of the Fund pledged
in the margin account.
Reinstatement Privilege. A shareholder who has had his or her shares
redeemed or repurchased and has not previously exercised this reinstatement
privilege may, within 35 days after the date of the redemption or repurchase,
reinstate any portion or all of the proceeds of such redemption or repurchase
in shares of the Fund in the same Class from which such shares were redeemed
or repurchased, at their net asset value next determined after a
reinstatement request, together with the proceeds, is received by the
Transfer Agent and receive a pro rata credit for any CDSC paid in connection
with such redemption or repurchase.
Involuntary Redemption. The Fund reserves the right, on sixty days'
notice, to redeem, at net
29
<PAGE>
asset value, the shares of any shareholder (other than shares held in an
Individual Retirement Account or Custodial Account under Section 403(b)(7) of
the Internal Revenue Code) whose shares due to redemptions by the shareholder
have a value of less than $100, or such lesser amount as may be fixed by the
Trustees or, in the case of an account opened through EasyInvest (Service
Mark) , if after twelve months the shareholder has invested less than $1,000
in the account. However, before the Fund redeems such shares and sends the
proceeds to the shareholder, it will notify the shareholder that the value of
the shares is less than the applicable amount and allow him or her sixty days
to make an additional investment in an amount which will increase the value
of his or her account to at least the applicable amount before the redemption
is processed. No CDSC will be imposed on any involuntary redemption.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and Distributions. The Fund declares dividends separately for
each Class of shares and intends to pay semi-annual dividends and to
distribute substantially all of the Fund's net investment income and net
short-term capital gains, if there are any. The Fund intends to distribute
dividends from net long-term capital gains, if any, at least once each year.
The Fund may, however, determine either to distribute or to retain all or
part of any long-term capital gains in any year for reinvestment.
All dividends and any capital gains distributions will be paid in
additional shares of the same Class and automatically credited to the
shareholder's account without issuance of a share certificate unless the
shareholder requests in writing that all dividends be paid in cash. Shares
acquired by dividend and distribution reinvestments will not be subject to
any front-end sales charge or CDSC. Class B shares acquired through dividend
and distribution reinvestments will become eligible for conversion to Class A
shares on a pro rata basis. Distributions paid on Class A and Class D shares
will be higher than for Class B and Class C shares because distribution fees
paid by Class B and Class C shares are higher. (See "Shareholder
Services--Automatic Investment of Dividends and Distributions.")
Taxes. Because the Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment
income and net short-term capital gains to shareholders and otherwise remain
qualified as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the
Internal Revenue Code, it is not expected that the Fund will be required to
pay any federal income tax. Shareholders who are required to pay taxes on
their income will normally have to pay federal income taxes, and any state
income taxes, on the dividends and distributions they receive from the Fund.
Such dividends and distributions, to the extent that they are derived from
net investment income or short-term capital gains, are taxable to the
shareholder as ordinary dividend income regardless of whether the shareholder
receives such distributions in additional shares or in cash. Any dividends
declared in the last quarter of any calendar year which are paid in the
following year prior to February 1 will be deemed, for tax purposes, to have
been received by the shareholder in the prior year.
One of the requirements for the Fund to remain qualified as a regulated
investment company is that less than 30% of the Fund's gross income be
derived from gains from the sale or other disposition of securities held for
less than three months. Accordingly, the Fund may be restricted in the
writing of options on securities held for less than three months, in the
writing of options which expire in less than three months, and in effecting
closing transactions with respect to call or put options which have been
written or purchased less than three months prior to such transactions. The
Fund may also be restricted in its ability to engage in transactions
involving futures contracts.
Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to
shareholders as long-term capital gains regardless of how long a shareholder
has held the Fund's shares and regardless of whether the
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<PAGE>
distribution is received in additional shares or in cash. Capital gains
distributions are not eligible for the dividends received deduction.
The Fund may at times make payments from sources other than income or net
capital gains. Payments from such sources would, in effect, represent a
return of a portion of each shareholder's investment. All, or a portion, of
such payments will not be taxable to shareholders.
After the end of the calendar year, shareholders will be sent full
information on their dividends and capital gains distributions for tax
purposes, including information as to the portion taxable as ordinary income,
the portion taxable as long-term capital gains, and the amount of dividends
eligible for the Federal dividends received deduction available to
corporations. To avoid being subject to a 31% federal backup withholding tax
on taxable dividends, capital gains distributions and the proceeds of
redemptions and repurchases, shareholders' taxpayer identification numbers
must be furnished and certified as to their accuracy.
Shareholders should consult their tax advisers as to the applicability of
the foregoing to their current situation.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From time to time the Fund may quote its "total return" in advertisements
and sales literature. These figures are computed separately for Class A,
Class B, Class C and Class D shares. The total return of the Fund is based on
historical earnings and is not intended to indicate future performance. The
"average annual total return" of the Fund refers to a figure reflecting the
average annualized percentage increase (or decrease) in the value of an
initial investment in a Class of the Fund of $1,000 over periods of one, five
and ten years. Average annual total return reflects all income earned by the
Fund, any appreciation or depreciation of the Fund's assets, all expenses
incurred by the applicable Class and all sales charges which will be incurred
by shareholders, for the stated periods. It also assumes reinvestment of all
dividends and distributions paid by the Fund.
In addition to the foregoing, the Fund may advertise its total return for
each Class over different periods of time by means of aggregate, average,
year-by-year or other types of total return figures. Such calculations may or
may not reflect the deduction of any sales charge which, if reflected, would
reduce the performance quoted. The Fund may also advertise the growth of
hypothetical investments of $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000 in each Class of
shares of the Fund. The Fund from time to time may also advertise its
performance relative to certain performance rankings and indexes compiled by
independent organizations (such as mutual fund performance rankings of Lipper
Analytical Services, Inc., the S&P 500 Stock Index and the Dow Jones
Industrial Average).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Voting Rights. All shares of beneficial interest of the Fund are of $0.01
par value and are equal as to earnings, assets and voting privileges except
that each Class will have exclusive voting privileges with respect to matters
relating to distribution expenses borne solely by such Class or any other
matter in which the interests of one Class differ from the interests of any
other Class. In addition, Class B shareholders will have the right to vote on
any proposed material increase in Class A's expenses, if such proposal is
submitted separately to Class A shareholders. Also, as discussed herein,
Class A, Class B and Class C bear the expenses related to the distribution of
their respective shares.
The Fund is not required to hold Annual Meetings of Shareholders and in
ordinary circumstances the Fund does not intend to hold such meetings. The
Trustees may call Special Meetings of Shareholders for action by shareholder
vote as may be required
31
<PAGE>
by the Act or the Declaration of Trust. Under certain circumstances, the
Trustees may be removed by action of the Trustees or by the Shareholders.
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a business trust may, under
certain limited circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for the
obligations of the Fund. However, the Declaration of Trust contains an
express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the
Fund, requires that notice of such Fund obligations include such disclaimer,
and provides for indemnification out of the Fund's property for any
shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. Thus, the
risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder
liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund itself would be
unable to meet its obligations. Given the above limitations on shareholder
personal liability, and the nature of the Fund's assets and operations, the
possibility of the Fund being unable to meet its obligations is remote and
thus, in the opinion of Massachusetts counsel to the Fund, the risk to Fund
shareholders of personal liability is remote.
Code of Ethics. Directors, officers and employees of InterCapital, Dean
Witter Services Company Inc. and the Distributor are subject to a strict Code
of Ethics adopted by those companies. The Code of Ethics is intended to
ensure that the interests of shareholders and other clients are placed ahead
of any personal interest, that no undue personal benefit is obtained from a
person's employment activities and that actual and potential conflicts of
interest are avoided. To achieve these goals and comply with regulatory
requirements, the Code of Ethics requires, among other things, that personal
securities transactions by employees of the companies be subject to an
advance clearance process to monitor that no Dean Witter Fund is engaged at
the same time in a purchase or sale of the same security. The Code of Ethics
bans the purchase of securities in an initial public offering, and also
prohibits engaging in futures and options transactions and profiting on
short-term trading (that is, a purchase within sixty days of a sale or a sale
within sixty days of a purchase) of a security. In addition, investment
personnel may not purchase or sell a security for their personal account
within thirty days before or after any transaction in any Dean Witter Fund
managed by them. Any violations of the Code of Ethics are subject to
sanctions, including reprimand, demotion or suspension or termination of
employment. The Code of Ethics comports with regulatory requirements and the
recommendations in the 1994 report by the Investment Company Institute
Advisory Group on Personal Investing.
Master/Feeder Conversion. The Fund reserves the right to seek to achieve
its investment objective by investing all of its investable assets in a
diversified, open-end management investment company having the same
investment objective and policies and substantially the same investment
restrictions as those applicable to the Fund.
Shareholder Inquiries. All inquiries regarding the Fund should be directed
to the Fund at the telephone numbers or address set forth on the front cover
of this Prospectus.
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THE DEAN WITTER FAMILY OF FUNDS
MONEY MARKET FUNDS
Dean Witter Liquid Asset Fund Inc.
Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
Dean Witter U.S. Government Money Market Trust
Dean Witter California Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust
EQUITY FUNDS
Dean Witter American Value Fund
Dean Witter Natural Resource Development
Securities Inc.
Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series
Dean Witter Utilities Fund
Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
Dean Witter Information Fund
Dean Witter Japan Fund
Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
Dean Witter Special Value Fund
Dean Witter Financial Services Trust
Dean Witter Market Leader Trust
ASSET ALLOCATION FUNDS
Dean Witter Strategist Fund
Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
ACTIVE ASSETS ACCOUNT PROGRAM
Active Assets Money Trust
Active Assets Tax-Free Trust
Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust
Active Assets Government Securities Trust
FIXED-INCOME FUNDS
Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
Dean Witter Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc.
Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust
Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust
Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal Trust
Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund
Dean Witter National Municipal Trust
Dean Witter High Income Securities
Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
Dean Witter Hawaii Municipal Trust
Dean Witter Intermediate Term U.S. Treasury Trust
DEAN WITTER RETIREMENT SERIES
Liquid Asset Series
U.S. Government Money Market Series
U.S. Government Securities Series
Intermediate Income Securities Series
American Value Series
Capital Growth Series
Dividend Growth Series
Stategist Series
Utilities Series
Value-Added Market Series
Global Equity Series
<PAGE>
Dean Witter
American Value Fund
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048
TRUSTEES
Michael Bozic
Charles A. Fiumefreddo
Edwin J. Garn
John R. Haire
Dr. Manuel H. Johnson
Michael E. Nugent
Philip J. Purcell
John L. Schroeder
OFFICERS
Charles A. Fiumefreddo
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Barry Fink
Vice President, Secretary and
General Counsel
Anita H. Kolleeny
Vice President
Thomas F. Caloia
Treasurer
CUSTODIAN
The Bank of New York
90 Washington Street
New York, New York 10286
TRANSFER AGENT AND
DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT
Dean Witter Trust Company
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza Two
Jersey City, New Jersey 07311
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
Price Waterhouse LLP
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
INVESTMENT MANAGER
Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.
DEAN WITTER
AMERICAN
VALUE FUND
PROSPECTUS--JULY 28, 1997
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Dean Witter
JULY 28, 1997 American
Value Fund
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dean Witter American Value Fund (the "Fund") is an open-end, diversified
management investment company whose investment objective is long-term capital
growth consistent with an effort to reduce volatility. The Fund invests
principally in common stock of companies in industries which, at the time of
investment, are believed to be attractively valued given their above average
relative earnings growth potential at that time. (See "Investment Practices
and Policies.")
A Prospectus for the Fund dated July 28, 1997, which provides the basic
information you should know before investing in the Fund, may be obtained
without charge from the Fund at its address or telephone numbers listed below
or from the Fund's Distributor, Dean Witter Distributors Inc., or from Dean
Witter Reynolds, Inc., at any of its branch offices. This Statement of
Additional Information is not a Prospectus. It contains information in
addition to and more detailed than that set forth in the Prospectus. It is
intended to provide you additional information regarding the activities and
operations of the Fund, and should be read in conjunction with the
Prospectus.
Dean Witter American Value Fund
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048
(212) 392-2550 or
(800) 869-NEWS (toll-free)
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund and its Management............................................ 3
Trustees and Officers.................................................. 6
Investment Practices and Policies ..................................... 12
Investment Restrictions................................................ 26
Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage .................................. 27
The Distributor........................................................ 28
Determination of Net Asset Value ...................................... 33
Purchase of Fund Shares ............................................... 33
Shareholder Services................................................... 36
Redemptions and Repurchases............................................ 40
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes .................................... 41
Performance Information................................................ 43
Shares of the Fund..................................................... 44
Custodian and Transfer Agent........................................... 44
Independent Accountants................................................ 45
Reports to Shareholders................................................ 45
Legal Counsel.......................................................... 45
Experts................................................................ 45
Registration Statement................................................. 45
Financial Statements--December 31, 1996................................ 46
Report of Independent Accountants ..................................... 57
2
<PAGE>
THE FUND AND ITS MANAGEMENT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE FUND
The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on December 13, 1979
under the name InterCapital Industry-Valued Securities Inc. On March 16, 1983
the Fund's shareholders approved a change in the Fund's name, effective March
21, 1983, to Dean Witter Industry-Valued Securities Inc. On April 30, 1987,
the Fund reorganized as a Massachusetts business trust with the name Dean
Witter American Value Fund.
THE INVESTMENT MANAGER
Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. (the "Investment Manager" or
"InterCapital"), a Delaware corporation, whose address is Two World Trade
Center, New York, New York 10048, is the Fund's Investment Manager.
InterCapital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter,
Discover & Co. ("MSDWD"), a Delaware corporation. In an internal
reorganization which took place in January, 1993, InterCapital assumed the
investment advisory, administrative and management activities previously
performed by the InterCapital Division of Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"),
a broker-dealer affiliate of InterCapital. (As hereinafter used in this
Statement of Additional Information, the terms "InterCapital" and "Investment
Manager" refer to DWR's InterCapital Division prior to the internal
reorganization and Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. thereafter.) The daily
management of the Fund and research relating to the Fund's portfolio is
conducted by or under the direction of officers of the Fund and of the
Investment Manager, subject to review by the Fund's Board of Trustees.
Information as to these Trustees and officers is contained under the caption
"Trustees and Officers."
InterCapital is the investment manager or investment adviser of the
following investment companies:
OPEN-END FUNDS
1 Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust
2 Active Assets Government Securities Trust
3 Active Assets Money Trust
4 Active Assets Tax-Free Trust
5 Dean Witter American Value Fund
6 Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
7 Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
8 Dean Witter California Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
9 Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
10 Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
11 Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
12 Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
13 Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
14 Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
15 Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
16 Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
17 Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
18 Dean Witter Financial Services Trust
19 Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
20 Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
21 Dean Witter Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc.
22 Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
23 Dean Witter Hawaii Municipal Trust
24 Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
25 Dean Witter High Income Securities
26 Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
27 Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
28 Dean Witter Information Fund
29 Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
30 Dean Witter Intermediate Term U.S. Treasury Trust
31 Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
32 Dean Witter Japan Fund
33 Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal Trust
34 Dean Witter Liquid Asset Fund Inc.
35 Dean Witter Market Leader Trust
36 Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
37 Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust
38 Dean Witter National Municipal Trust
39 Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
40 Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust
41 Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
42 Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
43 Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
3
<PAGE>
44 Dean Witter Retirement Series
45 Dean Witter Select Dimensions Investment Series
46 Dean Witter Select Municipal Reinvestment Fund
47 Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund
48 Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust
49 Dean Witter Special Value Fund
50 Dean Witter Strategist Fund
51 Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
52 Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
53 Dean Witter U.S. Government Money Market Trust
54 Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
55 Dean Witter Utilities Fund
56 Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series
57 Dean Witter Variable Investment Series
58 Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
59 Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
CLOSED-END FUNDS
1 High Income Advantage Trust
2 High Income Advantage Trust II
3 High Income Advantage Trust III
4 InterCapital Income Securities Inc.
5 Dean Witter Government Income Trust
6 InterCapital Insured Municipal Bond Trust
7 InterCapital Insured Municipal Trust
8 InterCapital Insured Municipal Income Trust
9 InterCapital California Insured Municipal Income Trust
10 InterCapital Insured Municipal Securities
11 InterCapital Insured California Municipal Securities
12 InterCapital Quality Municipal Investment Trust
13 InterCapital Quality Municipal Income Trust
14 InterCapital Quality Municipal Securities
15 InterCapital California Quality Municipal Securities
16 InterCapital New York Quality Municipal Securities
17 Municipal Income Trust
18 Municipal Income Trust II
19 Municipal Income Trust III
20 Municipal Income Opportunities Trust
21 Municipal Income Opportunities II
22 Municipal Income Opportunities III
23 Prime Income Trust
24 Municipal Premium Income Trust
The foregoing investment companies, together with the Fund, are
collectively referred to as the Dean Witter Funds.
In addition, Dean Witter Services Company Inc. ("DWSC"), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of InterCapital, serves as manager for the following investment
companies for which TCW Funds Management, Inc. is the investment adviser (the
"TCW/DW Funds"):
1 TCW/DW Core Equity Trust
2 TCW/DW North American Government Income Trust
3 TCW/DW Latin American Growth Fund
4 TCW/DW Income and Growth Fund
5 TCW/DW Small Cap Growth Fund
6 TCW/DW Balanced Fund
7 TCW/DW Mid-Cap Equity Trust
8 TCW/DW Global Telecom Trust
9 TCW/DW Strategic Income Trust
CLOSED-END FUNDS
10 TCW/DW Term Trust 2000
11 TCW/DW Term Trust 2002
12 TCW/DW Term Trust 2003
13 TCW/DW Total Return Trust
14 TCW/DW Emerging Markets Opportunities Trust
InterCapital also serves as: (i) administrator of The BlackRock Strategic
Term Trust Inc., a closed-end investment company; and (ii) sub-administrator
of MassMutual Participation Investors and Templeton Global Governments Income
Trust, closed-end investment companies.
Pursuant to an Investment Management Agreement (the "Agreement") with the
Investment Manager, the Fund has retained the Investment Manager to manage
the investment of the Fund's assets, including the placing of orders for the
purchase and sale of portfolio securities. The Investment Manager obtains and
evaluates such information and advice relating to the economy, securities
markets, and specific securities as it considers necessary or useful to
continuously manage the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with its
investment objective.
Under the terms of the Agreement, in addition to managing the Fund's
investments, the Investment Manager maintains certain of the Fund's books and
records and furnishes, at its own expense, such
4
<PAGE>
office space, facilities, equipment, clerical help, bookkeeping and certain
legal services as the Fund may reasonably require in the conduct of its
business, including the preparation of prospectuses, proxy statements and
reports required to be filed with federal and state securities commissions
(except insofar as the participation or assistance of independent accountants
and attorneys is, in the opinion of the Investment Manager, necessary or
desirable). In addition, the Investment Manager pays the salaries of all
personnel, including officers of the Fund, who are employees of the
Investment Manager. The Investment Manager also bears the cost of telephone
service, heat, light, power and other utilities provided to the Fund.
Effective December 31, 1993, pursuant to a Services Agreement between
InterCapital and DWSC, DWSC began to provide the administrative services to
the Fund which were previously performed directly by InterCapital. On April
17, 1995, DWSC was reorganized in the State of Delaware, necessitating the
entry into a new Services Agreement by InterCapital on that date. The
foregoing internal reorganizations did not result in any change in the nature
or scope of the administrative services being provided to the Fund or any of
the fees being paid by the Fund for the overall services being performed
under the terms of the existing Management Agreement.
Expenses not expressly assumed by the Investment Manager under the
Agreement or by the Distributor of the Fund's shares, Dean Witter
Distributors Inc. ("Distributors" or the "Distributor") (see "The
Distributor") will be paid by the Fund. These expenses will be allocated
among the four classes of shares of the Fund (each, a "Class") pro rata based
on the net assets of the Fund attributable to each Class, except as described
below. The expenses borne by the Fund include, but are not limited to:
expenses of the Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (the "12b-1 fee")
(see "The Distributor"); charges and expenses of any registrar, custodian,
stock transfer and dividend disbursing agent; brokerage commissions; taxes;
engraving and printing share certificates; registration costs of the Fund and
its shares under federal and state securities laws; the cost and expense of
printing, including typesetting, and distributing prospectuses of the Fund
and supplements thereto to the Fund's shareholders; all expenses of
shareholders' and Trustees' meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing
of proxy statements and reports to shareholders; fees and travel expenses of
Trustees or members of any advisory board or committee who are not employees
of the Investment Manager or any corporate affiliate of the Investment
Manager; all expenses incident to any dividend, withdrawal or redemption
options; charges and expenses of any outside service used for pricing of the
Fund's shares; fees and expenses of legal counsel, including counsel to the
Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund or of the Investment
Manager (not including compensation or expenses of attorneys who are
employees of the Investment Manager); fees and expenses of the Fund's
independent accountants; membership dues of industry associations; interest
on Fund borrowings; postage; insurance premiums on property or personnel
(including officers and Trustees) of the Fund which inure to its benefit;
extraordinary expenses (including, but not limited to, legal claims and
liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification relating thereto);
and all other costs of the Fund's operation. The 12b-1 fees relating to a
particular Class will be allocated directly to that Class. In addition, other
expenses associated with a particular Class (except advisory or custodial
fees) may be allocated directly to that Class, provided that such expenses
are reasonably identified as specifically attributable to that Class and the
direct allocation to that Class is approved by the Trustees.
As full compensation for the services and facilities furnished to the Fund
and expenses of the Fund assumed by the Investment Manager, the Fund pays the
Investment Manager monthly compensation calculated daily by applying the
following annual rates to the net assets of the Fund determined as of the
close of each business day: 0.625% of the portion of daily net assets not
exceeding $250 million; 0.50% of the portion of daily net assets exceeding
$250 million but not exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.475% of the portion of daily
net assets exceeding $2.5 billion but not exceeding $3.5 billion; and 0.45%
of the portion of daily net assets exceeding $3.5 billion. For the fiscal
years ended December 31, 1994, 1995 and 1996, the Fund accrued to the
Investment Manager total compensation under the Agreement in the amounts of
$7,401,318, $9,736,912 and $14,111,045, respectively.
The Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder,
the Investment Manager is not liable to the Fund or any of its investors for
any act or omission by the Investment Manager or for any losses sustained by
the Fund or its investors. The Agreement in no way restricts the Investment
Manager from acting as investment manager or adviser to others.
5
<PAGE>
The Agreement was initially approved by the Board of Trustees on February
21, 1997 and by the shareholders of the Fund at a Special Meeting of
Shareholders held on May 21, 1997. The Agreement is substantially identical
to a prior investment management agreement which was initially approved by
the Board of Trustees on October 30, 1992 and by the shareholders of the Fund
at a Special Meeting of Shareholders held on January 12, 1993, as such
agreement had been amended by the Board of Trustees at their meeting held on
April 24, 1997 to provide a breakpoint in the management fee that reduced the
compensation received by the Investment Manager under the agreement on assets
exceeding $3.5 billion. The Agreement took effect on May 31, 1997 upon the
consummation of the merger of Dean Witter, Discover & Co. with Morgan Stanley
Group Inc. The Agreement may be terminated at any time, without penalty, on
thirty days notice by the Board of Trustees of the Fund, by the holders of a
majority, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "Act"), of
the outstanding shares of the Fund, or by the Investment Manager. The
Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as
defined in the Act).
Under its terms, the Agreement has an initial term ending April 30, 1999
and will remain in effect from year to year thereafter, provided continuance
of the Agreement is approved at least annually by the vote of the holders of
a majority, as defined in the Act, of the outstanding shares of the Fund, or
by the Board of Trustees of the Fund; provided that in either event such
continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of
the Fund who are not parties to the Agreement or "interested persons" (as
defined in the Act) of any such party (the "Independent Trustees"), which
vote must be cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on
such approval.
The Fund has acknowledged that the name "Dean Witter" is a property right
of DWR. The Fund has agreed that DWR or its parent company may use or, at any
time, permit others to use, the name "Dean Witter." The Fund has also agreed
that, in the event the Agreement is terminated, or if the affiliation between
InterCapital and its parent is terminated, the Fund will eliminate the name
"Dean Witter" from its name if DWR or its parent company shall so request.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Trustees and Executive Officers of the Fund, their principal business
occupations during the last five years and their affiliations, if any, with
InterCapital, and with the 83 Dean Witter Funds and the 14 TCW/DW Funds, are
shown below.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME, AGE, POSITION WITH FUND AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS DURING LAST FIVE YEARS
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C>
Michael Bozic (56) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Levitz Furniture
Trustee Corporation (since November, 1995); Director or Trustee
c/o Levitz Furniture Corporation of the Dean Witter Funds; formerly President and Chief
6111 Broken Sound Parkway, N.W. Executive Officer of Hills Department Stores (May,
Boca Raton, Florida 1991-July, 1995); formerly variously Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer
(1987-1991) of the Sears Merchandise Group of Sears,
Roebuck and Co.; Director of Eaglemark Financial
Services, Inc., the United Negro College Fund and Weirton
Steel Corporation.
6
<PAGE>
NAME, AGE, POSITION WITH FUND AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS DURING LAST FIVE YEARS
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Charles A. Fiumefreddo* (64) Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director of
Chairman, President, Chief Executive InterCapital, Dean Witter Distributors Inc.
Officer and Trustee ("Distributors") and Dean Witter Trust Company ("DWSC");
Two World Trade Center Director and Executive Vice President of DWR; Chairman,
New York, New York Director or Trustee, President and Chief Executive
Officer of the Dean Witter Funds; Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds;
Chairman and Director of Dean Witter Trust Company
("DWTC"); Director and/or officer of various MSDWD
subsidiaries; formerly executive Vice President and
Director of Dean Witter, Discover & Co. (until February,
1993).
Edwin J. Garn (64) Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; formerly
Trustee United States Senator (R-Utah)(1974-1992) and Chairman,
c/o Huntsman Corporation Senate Banking Committee (1980-1986); formerly Mayor of
500 Huntsman Way Salt Lake City, Utah (1971-1974); formerly Astronaut,
Salt Lake City, Utah Space Shuttle Discovery (April 12-19, 1985); Vice
Chairman, Huntsman Corporation (since January, 1993);
Director of Franklin Quest (time management systems) and
John Alden Financial Corp. (health insurance); member of
the board of various civic and charitable organizations.
John R. Haire (72) Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the
Trustee Committee of the Independent Directors or Trustees and
Two World Trade Center Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; Chairman of
New York, New York the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Committee of the
Independent Trustees and Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds;
formerly President, Council for Aid to Education
(1978-1989) and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Anchor Corporation, an Investment Adviser (1964-1978);
Director of Washington National Corporation (insurance).
Wayne E. Hedien** (63) Retired; Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds
Trustee (commencing on September 1, 1997); Director of The PMI
c/o Gordon Altman Butowsky Group, Inc. (private mortgage insurance); Trustee and
Weitzen Shalov & Wein Vice Chairman of The Field Museum of Natural History;
Counsel to the Independent Trustees formerly associated with the Allstate Companies
114 West 47th Street (1966-1994), most recently as Chairman of The Allstate
New York, New York Corporation (March, 1993-December, 1994) and Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of its wholly-owned subsidiary,
Allstate Insurance Company (July, 1989-December, 1994);
director of various other business and charitable
organizations.
7
<PAGE>
NAME, AGE, POSITION WITH FUND AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS DURING LAST FIVE YEARS
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Manuel H. Johnson (48) Senior Partner, Johnson Smick International, Inc., a
Trustee consulting firm; Co-Chairman and a founder of the Group
c/o Johnson Smick International, Inc. of Seven Council (G7C), an international economic
1133 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. commission; Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds;
Washington, D.C. Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; Director of NASDAQ (since
June, 1995); Director of Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc.
(broker-dealer); Trustee of the Financial Accounting
Foundation (oversight organization of the Financial
Accounting Standards Board); formerly Vice Chairman of
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
(1986-1990) and Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury.
Michael E. Nugent (61) General Partner, Triumph Capital, L.P., a private
Trustee investment partnership (since April, 1988); Director or
c/o Triumph Capital, L.P. Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; Trustee of the TCW/DW
237 Park Avenue Funds; formerly Vice President, Bankers Trust Company and
New York, New York BT Capital Corporation (1984-1988); director of various
business organizations.
Philip J. Purcell* (53) Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive
Trustee Officer of MSDWD, DWR and Novus Credit Services Inc.;
1585 Broadway Director of InterCapital, DWSC and Distributors; Director
New York, New York or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; Director and/or
officer of various MSDWD subsidiaries.
John L. Schroeder (66) Retired; Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds;
Trustee Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; Director of Citizens
c/o Gordon Altman Butowsky Utilities Company; formerly Executive Vice President and
Weitzen Shalov & Wein Chief Investment Officer of the Home Insurance Company
Counsel to the Independent Trustees (August, 1991-September, 1995).
114 West 47th Street
New York, New York
Barry Fink (42) Senior Vice President (since March, 1997) and Secretary
Vice President, and General Counsel (since February, 1997) of
Secretary and General Counsel InterCapital and DWSC; Senior Vice Pres ident (since
Two World Trade Center March, 1997) and Assistant Secretary and Assistant
New York, New York General Counsel (since February, 1997) of Distributors;
Assistant Secretary of DWR (since August, 1996); Vice
President, Secretary and General Counsel of the Dean
Witter Funds and the TCW/DW Funds (since February, 1997);
previously First Vice President (June, 1993-February,
1997), Vice President (until June, 1993) and Assistant
Secretary and Assistant General Counsel of InterCapital
and DWSC and Assistant Secretary of the Dean Witter Funds
and the TCW/DW Funds.
8
<PAGE>
NAME, AGE, POSITION WITH FUND AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS DURING LAST FIVE YEARS
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Anita H. Kolleeny (41) Senior Vice President of InterCapital; Vice President of
Vice President various Dean Witter Funds.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York
Thomas F. Caloia (51) First Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of
Treasurer InterCapital and DWSC; Treasurer of the Dean Witter Funds
Two World Trade Center and TCW/DW Funds.
New York, New York
</TABLE>
- --------------
* Denotes Trustees who are "interested persons" of the Fund, as defined in
the Act.
** Mr. Hedien's term as Trustee will commence on September 1, 1997.
In addition, Robert M. Scanlan, President of InterCapital and Chief
Operating Officer of InterCapital and DWSC, Executive Vice President of
Distributors and DWTC and Director of DWTC, Mitchell M. Merin, President and
Chief Strategic Officer of InterCapital and DWSC, Executive Vice President of
Distributors and DWTC and Director of DWTC, Executive Vice President and
Director of DWR, and Director of SPS Transaction Services, Inc. and various
other MSDWD subsidiaries, Joseph J. McAlinden, Executive Vice President and
Chief Investment Officer of InterCapital and Director of DWTC, Robert S.
Giambrone, Senior Vice President of InterCapital, DWSC, Distributors and DWTC
and Director of DWTC, and Kenton J. Hinchliffe, Ira N. Ross and Paul D.
Vance, Senior Vice Presidents of InterCapital, are Vice Presidents of the
Fund. In addition, Marilyn K. Cranney, First Vice President and Assistant
General Counsel of InterCapital and DWSC, Lou Anne D. McInnis, Ruth Rossi and
Carsten Otto, Vice Presidents and Assistant General Counsels of InterCapital
and DWSC, and Frank Bruttomesso, a staff attorney with InterCapital, are
Assistant Secretaries of the Fund.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES, AND THE COMMITTEES
The Board of Trustees currently consists of eight (8) trustees; as noted
above, Mr. Hedien's term will commence on September 1, 1997. These same
individuals also serve as directors or trustees for all of the Dean Witter
Funds, and are referred to in this section as Trustees. As of the date of
this Statement of Additional Information, there are a total of 83 Dean Witter
Funds, comprised of 126 portfolios. As of June 30, 1997, the Dean Witter
Funds had total net assets of approximately $87.9 billion and more than six
million shareholders.
Six Trustees and Mr. Hedien (77% of the total number) have no affiliation
or business connection with InterCapital or any of its affiliated persons and
do not own any stock or other securities issued by InterCapital's parent
company, MSDWD. These are the "disinterested" or "independent" Trustees. The
other two Trustees (the "management Trustees") are affiliated with
InterCapital. Four of the six independent Trustees are also Independent
Trustees of the TCW/DW Funds.
Law and regulation establish both general guidelines and specific duties
for the Independent Trustees. The Dean Witter Funds seek as Independent
Trustees individuals of distinction and experience in business and finance,
government service or academia; these are people whose advice and counsel are
in demand by others and for whom there is often competition. To accept a
position on the Funds' Boards, such individuals may reject other attractive
assignments because the Funds make substantial demands on their time. Indeed,
by serving on the Funds' Boards, certain Trustees who would otherwise be
qualified and in demand to serve on bank boards would be prohibited by law
from doing so.
All of the current Independent Trustees serve as members of the Audit
Committee and the Committee of the Independent Trustees. Three of them also
serve as members of the Derivatives Committee. During the calendar year ended
December 31, 1996, the three Committees held a combined total of sixteen
meetings. The Committees hold some meetings at InterCapital's offices and
some outside InterCapital. Management Trustees or officers do not attend
these meetings unless they are invited for purposes of furnishing information
or making a report.
9
<PAGE>
The Committee of the Independent Trustees is charged with recommending to
the full Board approval of management, advisory and administration contracts,
Rule 12b-1 plans and distribution and underwriting agreements; continually
reviewing Fund performance; checking on the pricing of portfolio securities,
brokerage commissions, transfer agent costs and performance, and trading
among Funds in the same complex; and approving fidelity bond and related
insurance coverage and allocations, as well as other matters that arise from
time to time. The Independent Trustees are required to select and nominate
individuals to fill any Independent Trustee vacancy on the Board of any Fund
that has a Rule 12b-1 plan of distribution. Most of the Dean Witter Funds
have such a plan.
The Audit Committee is charged with recommending to the full Board the
engagement or discharge of the Fund's independent accountants; directing
investigations into matters within the scope of the independent accountants'
duties, including the power to retain outside specialists; reviewing with the
independent accountants the audit plan and results of the auditing
engagement; approving professional services provided by the independent
accountants and other accounting firms prior to the performance of such
services; reviewing the independence of the independent accountants;
considering the range of audit and non-audit fees; reviewing the adequacy of
the Fund's system of internal controls; and preparing and submitting
Committee meeting minutes to the full Board.
Finally, the Board of each Fund has formed a Derivatives Committee to
establish parameters for and oversee the activities of the Fund with respect
to derivative investments, if any, made by the Fund.
DUTIES OF CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE OF THE INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES AND AUDIT
COMMITTEE
The Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees and the Audit
Committee maintains an office at the Funds' headquarters in New York. He is
responsible for keeping abreast of regulatory and industry developments and
the Funds' operations and management. He screens and/or prepares written
materials and identifies critical issues for the Independent Trustees to
consider, develops agendas for Committee meetings, determines the type and
amount of information that the Committees will need to form a judgment on
various issues, and arranges to have that information furnished to Committee
members. He also arranges for the services of independent experts and
consults with them in advance of meetings to help refine reports and to focus
on critical issues. Members of the Committees believe that the person who
serves as Chairman of both Committees and guides their efforts is pivotal to
the effective functioning of the Committees.
The Chairman of the Committees also maintains continuous contact with the
Funds' management, with independent counsel to the Independent Trustees and
with the Funds' independent auditors. He arranges for a series of special
meetings involving the annual review of investment advisory, management and
other operating contracts of the Funds and, on behalf of the Committees,
conducts negotiations with the Investment Manager and other service
providers. In effect, the Chairman of the Committees serves as a combination
of chief executive and support staff of the Independent Trustees.
The Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees and the Audit
Committee is not employed by any other organization and devotes his time
primarily to the services he performs as Committee Chairman and Independent
Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds and as an Independent Trustee and, since
July 1, 1996, as Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees and
the Audit Committee of the TCW/DW Funds. The current Committee Chairman has
had more than 35 years experience as a senior executive in the investment
company industry.
ADVANTAGES OF HAVING SAME INDIVIDUALS AS INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES FOR ALL DEAN
WITTER FUNDS
The Independent Trustees and the Funds' management believe that having the
same Independent Trustees for each of the Dean Witter Funds avoids the
duplication of effort that would arise from having different groups of
individuals serving as Independent Trustees for each of the Funds or even of
sub-groups of Funds. They believe that having the same individuals serve as
Independent Trustees of all the Funds tends to increase their knowledge and
expertise regarding matters which affect the Fund complex generally and
enhances their ability to negotiate on behalf of each Fund with the Fund's
service providers. This arrangement also precludes the possibility of
separate groups of Independent Trustees
10
<PAGE>
arriving at conflicting decisions regarding operations and management of the
Funds and avoids the cost and confusion that would likely ensue. Finally,
having the same Independent Trustees serve on all Fund Boards enhances the
ability of each Fund to obtain, at modest cost to each separate Fund, the
services of Independent Trustees, and a Chairman of their Committees, of the
caliber, experience and business acumen of the individuals who serve as
Independent Trustees of the Dean Witter Funds.
COMPENSATION OF INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
The Fund pays each Independent Trustee an annual fee of $1,000 plus a per
meeting fee of $50 for meetings of the Board of Trustees or committees of the
Board of Trustees attended by the Trustee (the Fund pays the Chairman of the
Audit Committee an annual fee of $750 and pays the Chairman of the Committee
of the Independent Trustees an additional annual fee of $1,200). The Fund
also reimburses such Trustees for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses
incurred by them in connection with attending such meetings. Trustees and
officers of the Fund who are or have been employed by the Investment Manager
or an affiliated company receive no compensation or expense reimbursement
from the Fund.
The following table illustrates the compensation paid to the Fund's
Independent Trustees by the Fund for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996.
FUND COMPENSATION
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
AGGREGATE
COMPENSATION
NAME OF INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE FROM THE FUND
- --------------------------- -------------
<S> <C>
Michael Bozic .............. $1,800
Edwin J. Garn .............. 1,850
John R. Haire .............. 3,950
Dr. Manuel H. Johnson ..... 1,800
Michael E. Nugent........... 1,800
John L. Schroeder........... 1,800
</TABLE>
The following table illustrates the compensation paid to the Fund's
Independent Trustees for the calendar year ended December 31, 1996 for
services to the 82 Dean Witter Funds and, in the case of Messrs. Haire,
Johnson, Nugent and Schroeder, the 14 TCW/DW Funds that were in operation at
December 31, 1996. With respect to Messrs. Haire, Johnson, Nugent and
Schroeder, the TCW/DW Funds are included solely because of a limited exchange
privilege between those Funds and five Dean Witter Money Market Funds.
CASH COMPENSATION FROM DEAN WITTER FUNDS AND TCW/DW FUNDS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FOR SERVICE AS
CHAIRMAN OF
COMMITTEES OF FOR SERVICE AS
INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN OF
FOR SERVICE DIRECTORS/ COMMITTEES OF TOTAL CASH
AS DIRECTOR OR FOR SERVICE AS TRUSTEES AND INDEPENDENT COMPENSATION
TRUSTEE AND TRUSTEE AND AUDIT TRUSTEES FOR SERVICES TO
COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMITTEES OF 82 AND AUDIT 82 DEAN WITTER
NAME OF OF 82 DEAN WITTER OF 14 TCW/DW DEAN WITTER COMMITTEES OF 14 FUNDS AND 14
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE FUNDS FUNDS FUNDS TCW/DW FUNDS TCW/DW FUNDS
- ------------------- ----- ----- ----- ------------ ------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Michael Bozic ........ $138,850 -- -- -- $138,850
Edwin J. Garn ........ 140,900 -- -- -- 140,900
John R. Haire ........ 106,400 $64,283 $195,450 $12,187 378,320
Dr. Manuel H.
Johnson.............. 137,100 66,483 -- -- 203,583
Michael E. Nugent ... 138,850 64,283 -- -- 203,133
John L. Schroeder .... 137,150 69,083 -- -- 206,233
</TABLE>
As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, 57 of the Dean
Witter Funds, including the Fund, have adopted a retirement program under
which an Independent Trustee who retires after serving for at least five
years (or such lesser period as may be determined by the Board) as an
Independent Director or Trustee of any Dean Witter Fund that has adopted the
retirement program (each such Fund
11
<PAGE>
referred to as an "Adopting Fund" and each such Trustee referred to as an
"Eligible Trustee") is entitled to retirement payments upon reaching the
eligible retirement age (normally, after attaining age 72). Annual payments
are based upon length of service. Currently, upon retirement, each Eligible
Trustee is entitled to receive from the Adopting Fund, commencing as of his
or her retirement date and continuing for the remainder of his or her life,
an annual retirement benefit (the "Regular Benefit") equal to 25.0% of his or
her Eligible Compensation plus 0.4166666% of such Eligible Compensation for
each full month of service as an Independent Director or Trustee of any
Adopting Fund in excess of five years up to a maximum of 50.0% after ten
years of service. The foregoing percentages may be changed by the Board.(1)
"Eligible Compensation" is one-fifth of the total compensation earned by such
Eligible Trustee for service to the Adopting Fund in the five year period
prior to the date of the Eligible Trustee's retirement. Benefits under the
retirement program are not secured or funded by the Adopting Funds.
The following table illustrates the retirement benefits accrued to the
Fund's Independent Trustees by the Fund for the fiscal year ended December
31, 1996 and by the 57 Dean Witter Funds (including the Fund) for the year
ended December 31, 1996, and the estimated retirement benefits for the Fund's
Independent Trustees, to commence upon their retirement, from the Fund as of
December 31, 1996 and from the 57 Dean Witter Funds as of December 31, 1996.
RETIREMENT BENEFITS FROM THE FUND AND ALL DEAN WITTER FUNDS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FOR ALL ADOPTING FUNDS
------------------------------- ESTIMATED ANNUAL
ESTIMATED RETIREMENT BENEFITS BENEFITS
CREDITED ACCRUED AS EXPENSES UPON RETIREMENT(2)
YEARS ESTIMATED ------------------- ------------------
OF SERVICE AT PERCENTAGE OF BY ALL FROM FROM ALL
RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE BY THE ADOPTING THE ADOPTING
NAME OF INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE (MAXIMUM 10) COMPENSATION FUND FUNDS FUND FUNDS
- --------------------------- ------------ ------------ ---- ----- ---- -----
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Michael Bozic .............. 10 50.0% $ 381 $20,147 $ 950 $ 51,325
Edwin J. Garn .............. 10 50.0 639 27,772 950 51,325
John R. Haire .............. 10 50.0 3,595 46,952 2,343 129,550
Dr. Manuel H. Johnson ..... 10 50.0 256 10,926 950 51,325
Michael E. Nugent .......... 10 50.0 481 19,217 950 51,325
John L. Schroeder........... 8 41.7 736 38,700 792 42,771
</TABLE>
- --------------
(1) An Eligible Trustee may elect alternate payments of his or her
retirement benefits based upon the combined life expectancy of such
Eligible Trustee and his or her spouse on the date of such Eligible
Trustee's retirement. The amount estimated to be payable under this
method, through the remainder of the later of the lives of such
Eligible Trustee and spouse, will be the actuarial equivalent of the
Regular Benefit. In addition, the Eligible Trustee may elect that the
surviving spouse's periodic payment of benefits will be equal to either
50% or 100% of the previous periodic amount, an election that,
respectively, increases or decreases the previous periodic amount so
that the resulting payments will be the actuarial equivalent of the
Regular Benefit.
(2) Based on current levels of compensation. Amount of annual benefits also
varies depending on the Trustee's elections described in Footnote (1)
above.
As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the aggregate
number of shares of beneficial interest of the Fund owned by the Fund's
officers and Trustees as a group was less than 1 percent of the Fund's shares
of beneficial interest outstanding.
INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND POLICIES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund offers investors an opportunity
to participate in a diversified portfolio of securities, consisting
principally of common stocks. The portfolio reflects an investment
decision-making process developed by the Fund's Investment Manager.
INDUSTRY VALUATION APPROACH
As stated in the Prospectus, in managing the Fund's portfolio the
Investment Manager generally seeks to identify industries, rather than
individual companies, as prospects for capital appreciation. This
12
<PAGE>
approach is designed to capitalize on the basic assumptions that industry
trends are a primary force governing company earnings; conventional forecasts
may not fully reflect underlying industry conditions or changing economic
cycles; the market's perception of industry trends is often transitory or
exaggerated; and distortions in relative valuations beyond their normal
ranges may provide significant buying or selling opportunities.
The Investment Manager generally seeks to invest assets of the Fund in
industries it considers to exhibit underappreciated earnings potential at the
time of purchase and to sell those it considers to have peaked in relative
earnings potential.
The Investment Manager also uses models which employ economic indicators
or other financial variables to evaluate the relative attractiveness of
industries. Economic analysis includes traditional business cycle analysis
and such signposts as current Federal Reserve monetary posture, direction of
commodity prices, and global currency and economic trends. Economic
indicators most relevant to particular industries are reviewed. Some
industries analyzed, such as aerospace and energy, do not correlate with
economic indicators and must be analyzed relative to their respective
specific industry cycles. Financial variables under consideration may include
corporate earnings growth and cashflow, corporate and industry asset
valuation, absolute and relative price/earnings ratios and dividend discount
valuations.
Once attractive industries have been identified, stocks to represent those
industries are selected utilizing a multivariate process that includes size
and quality of the company, earnings visibility of the company and various
valuation parameters. Valuation screens may include dividend discount model
values, price-to-book ratios, price to cashflow values, relative and absolute
price-to-earnings ratios and ratios of price to earnings multiples to
earnings growth. Price and earnings momentum ratings derived from external
sources are also factored into the stock selection decision. The Investment
Manager also evaluates fundamental company criteria such as product cycle
analysis, revenue growth, margin analysis, consistency of earnings
profitability, proprietary nature of the product and quality of management.
Stocks may be selected from the three capitalization tiers of the market:
large capitalization, medium capitalization, and small capitalization.
Based on the sum total of this analysis, approximately 40-60 industries
are studied and classified as attractive, moderately attractive or
unattractive. Attractive groups are purchased, moderately attractive groups
are bought or held, and unattractive groups are sold. The Investment Manager
may utilize services that examine historical industry relative
price-to-earnings ranges for input on the Investment Manager's valuation
analysis.
A basic tenet of the industry valuation approach is that there is no
certainty of superior performance in any specific industry selection, but
rather that approximately equal weighting of investments in a group of
industries, each of which has been identified as underappreciated, can
benefit from the performance probabilities of the total group.
The foregoing represents the main outlines of the industry valuation
approach. The following describes its key features, all of which are subject
to modification as described below or as result of applying the asset
allocation disciplines described later.
1. Equal Industry Weightings.
After determining the industries that it considers to be attractive, the
Investment Manager generally attempts to invest approximately equal amounts
of the equity portion of the portfolio in securities of companies in each of
such industries, subject to adjustment for company weightings as set forth in
the next paragraph.
2. Equal Company Weightings.
From the total of all companies included in the industry valuation
process, the Investment Manager selects a limited number from each industry
as representative of that industry. Such selections are made on the basis of
various criteria, including size and quality of a company, the visibility of
earnings, product cycle analysis, historic track record and various valuation
parameters. Valuation screens may include
13
<PAGE>
dividend discount model values, price-to-book ratios, price-to-cashflow
values, relative and absolute price-to-earnings ratios and ratios of
price-earnings multiples to earnings growth. Price and earnings momentum
ratings derived from external sources are also factored into the stock
selection decision. Those companies which are in attractive industries and
which the Investment Manager believes to be attractive investments are
finally selected for inclusion in the portfolio. When final selections are
made, approximately equal amounts of the equity portion of the portfolio are
invested in each of such companies. This may vary depending on whether the
Investment Manager is in the process of building or reducing a stock
position. Consideration will also be given to valuation; capitalization and
liquidity profile. Stocks in industries not characterized as attractive may
be underweighted. Also, smaller capitalization issues may not be equally
weighted due to liquidity considerations.
3. Relative Industry Values.
Industry selection only attempts to identify industries whose securities
might be expected to perform relatively better than the market as represented
by the S&P Index. It does not seek to identify securities which will
experience an absolute increase in value notwithstanding market conditions.
However, the process assumes that, despite interim fluctuations in stock
market prices, the long-term trend in equity security values will be up.
4. Practical Applications.
In applying the industry valuation approach to management of the portfolio
of the Fund, the Investment Manager will make adjustments in the portfolio
which reflect modifications of the underlying concepts whenever, in its
opinion, such adjustments are necessary or desirable to achieve the Fund's
objectives. Such adjustments may include, for example, weighting some
industries or companies more or less than others, based upon the Investment
Manager's judgment as to the investment merits of specific companies. In
addition, without specific action by the Investment Manager, adjustments may
result from fluctuations in market prices which distort previously
established industry and company weightings. The portfolio may, at times,
include securities of industries which are considered unattractive due to
consideration of stage-of-cycle analysis or may not include representation in
industries considered attractive due to considerations such as valuation
criteria, stage-of-cycle analysis or lack of earnings visibility, balance
sheet viability or management quality. Also, independent of the application
of the industry valuation process, the Fund continuously sells and redeems
its own shares, and, as a result, securities may have to be sold at times
from the Fund's portfolio to meet redemptions and monies received upon sale
of the Fund's shares must be used to purchase portfolio securities. Such
sales and purchases of portfolio securities will result in a portfolio that
does not completely reflect equal weighting of investment in industries or
companies.
Asset Allocation. Common stocks, particularly those sought for possible
capital appreciation, have historically experienced a great amount of price
fluctuation. The Investment Manager believes it is desirable to attempt to
reduce the risks of extreme price fluctuations even if such an attempt
results, as it likely will at times, in reducing the probabilities of
obtaining greater capital appreciation. Accordingly, the Investment Manager's
investment process incorporates elements which may reduce, although certainly
not eliminate, the volatility of a portfolio. The Fund may hold a portion of
its portfolio in fixed-income securities in an effort to moderate extremes of
price fluctuation. The determination of the appropriate asset allocation as
between equity and fixed-income investments will be made by the Investment
Manager in its discretion, based upon its evaluation of economic and market
conditions.
SECURITY LOANS
Consistent with applicable regulatory requirements, the Fund may lend its
portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions,
provided that such loans are callable at any time by the Fund, and are at all
times secured by cash or cash equivalents, which are maintained in a
segregated account pursuant to applicable regulations and that are equal to
at least 100% of the market value, determined daily, of the loaned
securities. The advantage of such loans is that the Fund continues to receive
the income on the loaned securities while at the same time earning interest
on the cash amounts deposited as collateral, which will be invested in
short-term obligations.
14
<PAGE>
A loan may be terminated by the borrower on one business day's notice, or
by the Fund on four business days' notice. If the borrower fails to deliver
the loaned securities within four days after receipt of notice, the Fund
could use the collateral to replace the securities while holding the borrower
liable for any excess of replacement cost over collateral. As with any
extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery and, in some
cases, even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the
securities fail financially. However, these loans of portfolio securities
will only be made to firms deemed by the Fund's management to be creditworthy
and when the income which can be earned from such loans justifies the
attendant risks. Upon termination of the loan, the borrower is required to
return the securities to the Fund. Any gain or loss in the market price
during the loan period would inure to the Fund.
When voting or consent rights which accompany loaned securities pass to
the borrower, the Fund will follow the policy of calling the loaned
securities, to be delivered within one day after notice, to permit the
exercise of such rights if the matters involved would have a material effect
on the Fund's investment in such loaned securities. The Fund will pay
reasonable finder's, administrative and custodial fees in connection with a
loan of its securities. During the year ended December 31, 1996, the Fund did
not loan any of its portfolio securities.
OPTIONS AND FUTURES TRANSACTIONS
The Fund may write covered call options against securities held in its
portfolio and covered put options on eligible portfolio securities and stock
indexes and purchase options of the same series to effect closing
transactions, and may hedge against potential changes in the market value of
investments (or anticipated investments) by purchasing put and call options
on portfolio (or eligible portfolio) securities and engaging in transactions
involving futures contracts and options on such contracts. Call and put
options on U.S. Treasury notes, bonds and bills and equity securities are
listed on Exchanges and are written in over-the-counter transactions ("OTC
options"). Listed options are issued by the Options Clearing Corporation
("OCC"). Ownership of a listed call option gives the Fund the right to buy
from the OCC the underlying security covered by the option at the stated
exercise price (the price per unit of the underlying security) by filing an
exercise notice prior to the expiration date of the option. The writer
(seller) of the option would then have the obligation to sell to the OCC the
underlying security at that exercise price prior to the expiration date of
the option, regardless of its then current market price. Ownership of a
listed put option would give the Fund the right to sell the underlying
security to the OCC at the stated exercise price. Upon notice of exercise of
the put option, the writer of the put would have the obligation to purchase
the underlying security from the OCC at the exercise price.
Options on Treasury Bonds and Notes. Because trading in options written on
Treasury bonds and notes tends to center on the most recently auctioned
issues, the exchanges on which such securities trade will not continue
indefinitely to introduce options with new expirations to replace expiring
options on particular issues. Instead, the expirations introduced at the
commencement of options trading on a particular issue will be allowed to run
their course, with the possible addition of a limited number of new
expirations as the original ones expire. Options trading on each issue of
bonds or notes will thus be phased out as new options are listed on more
recent issues, and options representing a full range of expirations will not
ordinarily be available for every issue on which options are traded.
Options on Treasury Bills. Because a deliverable Treasury bill changes
from week to week, writers of Treasury bill calls cannot provide in advance
for their potential exercise settlement obligations by acquiring and holding
the underlying security. However, if the Fund holds a long position in
Treasury bills with a principal amount of the securities deliverable upon
exercise of the option, the position may be hedged from a risk standpoint by
the writing of a call option. For so long as the call option is outstanding,
the Fund will hold the Treasury bills in a segregated account with its
Custodian, so that they will be treated as being covered.
OTC Options. Exchange-listed options are issued by the OCC which assures
that all transactions in such options are properly executed. OTC options are
purchased from or sold (written) to dealers or financial institutions which
have entered into direct agreements with the Fund. With OTC options, such
variables as expiration date, exercise price and premium will be agreed upon
between the Fund and the transacting dealer, without the intermediation of a
third party such as the OCC. If the transacting dealer
15
<PAGE>
fails to make or take delivery of the securities underlying an option it has
written, in accordance with the terms of that option, the Fund would lose the
premium paid for the option as well as any anticipated benefit of the
transaction. The Fund will engage in OTC option transactions only with
primary U.S. Government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York.
Covered Call Writing. The Fund is permitted to write covered call options
on portfolio securities in order to aid in achieving its investment
objective. Generally, a call option is "covered" if the Fund owns, or has the
right to acquire, without additional cash consideration (or for additional
cash consideration held for the Fund by its Custodian in a segregated
account) the underlying security subject to the option except that in the
case of call options on U.S. Treasury Bills, the Fund might own U.S. Treasury
Bills of a different series from those underlying the call option, but with a
principal amount and value corresponding to the exercise price and a maturity
date not later than that of the securities deliverable under the call option.
A call option is also covered if the Fund holds a call on the same security
as the underlying security of the written option, where the exercise price of
the call used for coverage is equal to or less than the exercise price of the
call written or greater than the exercise price of the call written if the
mark to market difference is maintained by the Fund in cash, U.S. Government
securities or other liquid portfolio securities which the Fund holds in a
segregated account maintained with its Custodian.
The Fund will receive from the purchaser, in return for a call it has
written, a "premium"; i.e., the price of the option. Receipt of these
premiums may better enable the Fund to achieve a greater total return than
would be realized from holding the underlying securities alone. Moreover, the
premium received will offset a portion of the potential loss incurred by the
Fund if the securities underlying the option are ultimately sold by the Fund
at a loss. The premium received will fluctuate with varying economic market
conditions. If the market value of the portfolio securities upon which call
options have been written increases, the Fund may receive less total return
from the portion of its portfolio upon which calls have been written than it
would have had such call not been written.
During the option period, the Fund may be required, at any time, to
deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price on any
calls it has written (exercise of certain listed options may be limited to
specific expiration dates). This obligation is terminated upon the expiration
of the option period or at such earlier time when the writer effects a
closing purchase transaction. A closing purchase transaction is accomplished
by purchasing an option of the same series as the option previously written.
However, once the Fund has been assigned an exercise notice, the Fund will be
unable to effect a closing purchase transaction.
Closing purchase transactions are ordinarily effected to realize a profit
on an outstanding call option to prevent an underlying security from being
called, to permit the sale of an underlying security or to enable the Fund to
write another call option on the underlying security with either a different
exercise price or expiration date or both. Also, effecting a closing purchase
transaction will permit the cash or proceeds from the concurrent sale of any
securities subject to the option to be used for other investments by the
Fund. The Fund may realize a net gain or loss from a closing purchase
transaction depending upon whether the amount of the premium received on the
call option is more or less than the cost of effecting the closing purchase
transaction. Any loss incurred in a closing purchase transaction may be
wholly or partially offset by unrealized appreciation in the market value of
the underlying security. Conversely, a gain resulting from a closing purchase
transaction could be offset in whole or in part or exceeded by a decline in
the market value of the underlying security.
If a call option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a gain in the
amount of the premium on the option less the commission paid. Such a gain,
however, may be offset by depreciation in the market value of the underlying
security during the option period. If a call option is exercised, the Fund
realizes a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security equal to the
difference between the purchase price of the underlying security and the
proceeds of the sale of the security plus the premium received on the option
less the commission paid.
Options written by the Fund normally have expiration dates of from up to
nine months (equity securities) to eighteen months (fixed-income securities)
from the date written. The exercise price of a call option may be below,
equal to or above the current market value of the underlying security at the
time the option is written. See "Risks of Options Transactions," below.
16
<PAGE>
Covered Put Writing. As a writer of a covered put option, the Fund incurs
an obligation to buy the security underlying the option from the purchaser of
the put, at the option's exercise price at any time during the option period,
at the purchaser's election (certain listed put options written by the Fund
will be exercisable by the purchaser only on a specific date). A put is
"covered" if, at all times, the Fund maintains, at all times, in a segregated
account maintained on its behalf at the Fund's Custodian, cash, U.S.
Government securities or other liquid portfolio securities in an amount equal
to at least the exercise price of the option, at all times, during the option
period. Similary, a short put position could be covered by the Fund by its
purchase of a put option on the same security as the underlying security of
the written option, where the exercise price of the purchased option is equal
to or more than the exercise price of the put written or less than the
exercise price of the put written if the mark to market difference is
maintained by the Fund in cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid
portfolio securities which the Fund holds in a segregated account maintained
at its Custodian. In writing puts, the Fund assumes the risk of loss should
the market value of the underlying security decline below the exercise price
of the option (any loss being decreased by the receipt of the premium on the
option written). During the option period, the Fund may be required, at any
time, to make payment of the exercise price against delivery of the
underlying security. The operation of and limitations on covered put options
in other respects are substantially identical to those of call options.
The Fund will write put options for two purposes: (1) to receive the
income derived from the premiums paid by purchasers; and (2) when the
Investment Manager wishes to purchase the security underlying the option at a
price lower than its current market price, in which case it will write the
covered put at an exercise price reflecting the lower purchase price sought.
The potential gain on a covered put option is limited to the premium received
on the option (less the commissions paid on the transaction) while the
potential loss equals the difference between the exercise price of the option
and the current market price of the underlying securities when the put is
exercised, offset by the premium received (less the commissions paid on the
transaction).
Purchasing Call and Put Options. As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund may
purchase listed and OTC call and put options on securities and stock indexes
in amounts equalling up to 10% of its total assets, with a maximum of 5% of
the Fund's assets invested in stock index options. The Fund may purchase call
options only in order to close out a covered call position (see "Covered Call
Writing" above). The purchase of a call option to effect a closing
transaction on a call written over-the-counter may be a listed or OTC option.
In either case, the call purchased is likely to be on the same securities and
have the same terms as the written option. If purchased over-the-counter, the
option would generally be acquired from the dealer or financial institution
which purchased the call written by the Fund.
The Fund may purchase put options on securities which it holds (or has the
right to acquire) in its portfolio only to protect itself against a decline
in the value of the security. If the value of the underlying security were to
fall below the exercise price of the put purchased in an amount greater than
the premium paid for the option, the Fund would incur no additional loss. The
Fund may also purchase put options to close out written put positions in a
manner similar to call options closing purchase transactions. In addition,
the Fund may sell a put option which it has previously purchased prior to the
sale of the securities underlying such option. Such a sale would result in a
net gain or loss depending on whether the amount received on the sale is more
or less than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put option
which is sold. And such gain or loss could be offset in whole or in part by a
change in the market value of the underlying security. If a put option
purchased by the Fund expired without being sold or exercised, the premium
would be lost.
Risks of Options Transactions. During the option period, the covered call
writer has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity
for capital appreciation above the exercise price should the market price of
the underlying security increase, but has retained the risk of loss should
the price of the underlying security decline. The secured put writer also
retains the risk of loss should the market value of the underlying security
decline below the exercise price of the option less the premium received on
the sale of the option. In both cases, the writer has no control over the
time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the
option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot
effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation
under the option and must deliver or receive the underlying securities at the
exercise price.
17
<PAGE>
Prior to exercise or expiration, an option position can only be terminated
by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. If a covered call
option writer is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction, it cannot
sell the underlying security until the option expires or the option is
exercised. Accordingly, a covered call option writer may not be able to sell
an underlying security at a time when it might otherwise be advantageous to
do so. A secured put option writer who is unable to effect a closing purchase
transaction would continue to bear the risk of decline in the market price of
the underlying security until the option expires or is exercised. In
addition, a secured put writer would be unable to utilize the amount held in
cash or U.S. government or other liquid portfolio securities as security for
the put option for other investment purposes until the exercise or expiration
of the option.
The Fund's ability to close out its position as a writer of an option is
dependent upon the existence of a liquid secondary market on Option
Exchanges. There is no assurance that such a market will exist, particularly
in the case of OTC options. However, the Fund may be able to purchase an
offsetting option which does not close out its position as a writer but
constitutes an asset of equal value to the obligation under the option
written. If the Fund is not able to either enter into a closing purchase
transaction or purchase an offsetting position, it will be required to
maintain the securities subject to the call, or the collateral underlying the
put, even though it might not be advantageous to do so, until a closing
transaction can be entered into (or the option is exercised or expires).
Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on
an Exchange are: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii)
restrictions on transactions imposed by an Exchange; (iii) trading halts,
suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes
or series of options or underlying securities; (iv) interruption of the
normal operations on an Exchange; (v) inadequacy of the facilities of an
Exchange or the OCC to handle current trading volume; or (vi) a decision by
one or more Exchanges to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular
class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that
Exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist,
although outstanding options on that Exchange that had been issued by the OCC
as a result of trades on that Exchange would generally continue to be
excerisable in accordance with their terms.
In the event of the bankruptcy of a broker through which the Fund engages
in transactions in options, the Fund could experience delays and/or losses in
liquidating open positions purchased or sold through the broker and/or incur
a loss of all or part of its margin deposits with the broker. Similarly, in
the event of the bankruptcy of the writer of an OTC option purchased by the
Fund, the Fund could experience a loss of all or part of the value of the
option. Transactions are entered into by the Fund only with brokers or
financial institutions deemed creditworthy by the Investment Manager.
Each of the Exchanges has established limitations governing the maximum
number of call or put options on the same underlying security or futures
contract (whether or not covered) which may be written by a single investor,
whether acting alone or in concert with others (regardless of whether such
options are written on the same or different Exchanges or are held or written
on one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). An Exchange may
order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits
and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions. These position limits may
restrict the number of listed options which the Fund may write.
The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which
the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the option markets
close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and
rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be
reflected in the option markets.
Stock Index Options. Options on stock indexes are similar to options on
stock except that, rather than the right to take or make delivery of stock at
a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the right to
receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level
of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the
case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the
option. This amount of cash is equal to such difference between the closing
price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars
times a specified multiple (the "multiplier"). The multiplier for an index
option performs a function similar to the unit of
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trading for a stock option. It determines the total dollar value per contract
of each point in the difference between the exercise price of an option and
the current level of the underlying index. A multiplier of 100 means that a
one-point difference will yield $100. Options on different indexes may have
different multipliers. The writer of the option is obligated, in return for
the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. Unlike stock options,
all settlements are in cash and a gain or loss depends on price movements in
the stock market generally (or in a particular segment of the market) rather
than the price movements in individual stocks. Currently, options are traded
on the S&P 100 Index and the S&P 500 Index on the Chicago Board Options
Exchange, the Major Market Index and the Computer Technology Index, Oil Index
and Institutional Index on the American Stock Exchange and the NYSE Index and
NYSE Beta Index on the New York Stock Exchange, The Financial News Composite
Index on the Pacific Stock Exchange and the Value Line Index, National O-T-C
Index and Utilities Index on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, each of which
and any similar index on which options are traded in the future which include
stocks that are not limited to any particular industry or segment of the
market is referred to as a "broadly based stock market index." The Fund will
invest only in broadly based indexes. Options on broad-based stock indexes
provide the Fund with a means of protecting the Fund against the risk of
market wide price movements. If the Investment Manager anticipates a market
decline, the Fund could purchase a stock index put option. If the expected
market decline materialized, the resulting decrease in the value of the
Fund's portfolio would be offset to the extent of the increase in the value
of the put option. If the Investment Manager anticipates a market rise, the
Fund may purchase a stock index call option to enable the Fund to participate
in such rise until completion of anticipated common stock purchases by the
Fund. Purchases and sales of stock index options also enable the Investment
Manager to more speedily achieve changes in the Fund's equity positions.
The Fund will write put options on stock indexes only if such positions
are covered by cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid portfolio
securities equal to the aggregate exercise price of the puts, or by a put
option on the same stock index with a strike price no lower than the strike
price of the put option sold by the Fund, which cover is held for the Fund in
a segregated account maintained for it by the Fund's Custodian. All call
options on stock indexes written by the Fund will be covered either by a
portfolio of stocks substantially replicating the movement of the index
underlying the call option or by holding a separate call option on the same
stock index with a strike price no higher than the strike price of the call
option sold by the Fund.
Risks of Options on Indexes. Because exercises of stock index options are
settled in cash, call writers such as the Fund cannot provide in advance for
their potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the
underlying securities. A call writer can offset some of the risk of its
writing position by holding a diversified portfolio of stocks similar to
those on which the underlying index is based. However, most investors cannot,
as a practical matter, acquire and hold a portfolio containing exactly the
same stocks as the underlying index, and, as a result, bear a risk that the
value of the securities held will vary from the value of the index. Even if
an index call writer could assemble a stock portfolio that exactly reproduced
the composition of the underlying index, the writer still would not be fully
covered from a risk standpoint because of the "timing risk" inherent in
writing index options. When an index option is exercised, the amount of cash
that the holder is entitled to receive is determined by the difference
between the exercise price and the closing index level on the date when the
option is exercised. As with other kinds of options, the writer will not
learn that it had been assigned until the next business day, at the earliest.
The time lag between exercise and notice of assignment poses no risk for the
writer of a covered call on a specific underlying security, such as a common
stock, because there the writer's obligation is to deliver the underlying
security, not to pay its value as of a fixed time in the past. So long as the
writer already owns the underlying security, it can satisfy its settlement
obligations by simply delivering it, and the risk that its value may have
declined since the exercise date is borne by the exercising holder. In
contrast, even if the writer of an index call holds stocks that exactly match
the composition of the underlying index, it will not be able to satisfy its
assignment obligations by delivering those stocks against payment of the
exercise price. Instead, it will be required to pay cash in an amount based
on the closing index value on the exercise date; and by the time it learns
that it has been assigned, the index may have declined, with a corresponding
decrease in the value of its stock portfolio. This "timing risk" is an
inherent limitation on the ability of index call writers to cover their risk
exposure by holding stock positions.
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A holder of an index option who exercises it before the closing index
value for that day is available runs the risk that the level of the
underlying index may subsequently change. If such a change causes the
exercised option to fall out-of-the-money, the exercising holder will be
required to pay the difference between the closing index value and the
exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the
assigned writer.
If dissemination of the current level of an underlying index is
interrupted, or if trading is interrupted in stocks accounting for a
substantial portion of the value of an index, the trading of options on that
index will ordinarily be halted. If the trading of options on an underlying
index is halted, an exchange may impose restrictions prohibiting the exercise
of such options.
Futures Contracts. As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund may purchase and
sell interest rate and stock index futures contracts ("futures contracts")
that are traded on U.S. commodity exchanges on such underlying securities as
U.S. Treasury bonds, notes, bills and GNMA Certificates ("interest rate"
futures) and such indexes as the S&P 500 Index, the Moody's Investment-Grade
Corporate Bond Index and the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index ("index"
futures).
As a futures contract purchaser, the Fund incurs an obligation to take
delivery of a specified amount of the obligation underlying the contract at a
specified time in the future for a specified price. As a seller of a futures
contract, the Fund incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of
the underlying obligation at a specified time in return for an agreed upon
price.
The Fund will purchase or sell interest rate futures contracts and bond
index futures contracts for the purpose of hedging its fixed-income portfolio
(or anticipated portfolio) securities against changes in prevailing interest
rates. If the Investment Manager anticipates that interest rates may rise
and, concomitantly, the price of fixed-income securities falls, the Fund may
sell an interest rate futures contract or a bond index futures contract. If
declining interest rates are anticipated, the Fund may purchase an interest
rate futures contract to protect against a potential increase in the price of
U.S. Government securities the Fund intends to purchase. Subsequently,
appropriate fixed-income securities may be purchased by the Fund in an
orderly fashion; as securities are purchased, corresponding futures positions
would be terminated by offsetting sales of contracts.
The Fund will purchase or sell stock index futures contracts for the
purpose of hedging its equity portfolio (or anticipated portfolio) securities
against changes in their prices. If the Investment Manager anticipates that
the prices of stock held by the Fund may fall, the Fund may sell a stock
index futures contract. Conversely, if the Investment Manager wishes to hedge
against anticipated price rises in those stocks which the Fund intends to
purchase, the Fund may purchase stock index futures contracts. In addition,
interest rate and stock index futures contracts will be bought or sold in
order to close out a short or long position in a corresponding futures
contract.
Although most interest rate futures contracts call for actual delivery or
acceptance of securities, the contracts usually are closed out before the
settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. Stock index futures
contracts provide for the delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified
dollar amount times the difference between the stock index value at the open
or close of the last trading day of the contract and the futures contract
price. A futures contract sale is closed out by effecting a futures contract
purchase for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of equity
security and the same delivery date. If the sales price exceeds the
offsetting purchase price, the seller would be paid the difference and would
realize a gain. If the offsetting purchase price exceeds the sale price, the
seller would pay the difference and would realize a loss. Similarly, a
futures contract purchase is closed out by effecting a futures contract sale
for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of security and the same
delivery date. If the offsetting sale price exceeds the purchase price, the
purchaser would realize a gain, whereas if the purchase price exceeds the
offsetting sale price, the purchaser would realize a loss. There is no
assurance that the Fund will be able to enter into a closing transaction.
Interest Rate Futures Contracts. When the Fund enters into an interest
rate futures contract, it is initially required to deposit with the Fund's
Custodian, in a segregated account in the name of the broker performing the
transaction, an "initial margin" of cash or U.S. Government securities or
other liquid
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portfolio securities equal to approximately 2% of the contract amount.
Initial margin requirements are established by the Exchanges on which futures
contracts trade and may, from time to time, change. In addition, brokers may
establish margin deposit requirements in excess of those required by the
Exchanges.
Initial margin in futures transactions is different from margin in
securities transactions in that initial margin does not involve the borrowing
of funds by a broker's client but is, rather, a good faith deposit on the
futures contract which will be returned to the Fund upon the proper
termination of the futures contract. The margin deposits made are
marked-to-market daily and the Fund may be required to make subsequent
deposits of cash or U.S. Government securities called "variation margin,"
with the Fund's futures contract clearing broker, which are reflective of
price fluctuations in the futures contract. Currently, interest rate futures
contracts can be purchased on debt securities such as U.S. Treasury Bills and
Bonds, U.S. Treasury Notes with Maturities between 6 1/2 and 10 years, GNMA
Certificates and Bank Certificates of Deposit.
Index Futures Contracts. As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund may
invest in index futures contracts. An index futures contract sale creates an
obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver cash at a specified future
time. An index futures contract purchase would create an obligation by the
Fund, as purchaser, to take delivery of cash at a specified future time.
Futures contracts on indexes do not require the physical delivery of
securities, but provide for a final cash settlement on the expiration date
which reflects accumulated profits and losses credited or debited to each
party's account.
The Fund is required to maintain margin deposits with brokerage firms
through which it effects index futures contracts in a manner similar to that
described above for interest rate futures contracts. Currently, the initial
margin requirements range from 3% to 10% of the contract amount for index
futures. In addition, due to current industry practice, daily variations in
gains and losses on open contracts are required to be reflected in cash in
the form of variation margin payments. The Fund may be required to make
additional margin payments during the term of the contract.
At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Fund may
elect to close the position by taking an opposite position which will operate
to terminate the Fund's position in the futures contract. A final
determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required
to be paid by or released to the Fund and the Fund realizes a loss or a gain.
Currently, index futures contracts can be purchased or sold with respect
to, among others, the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Price Index and the
Standard & Poor's 100 Stock Price Index on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange,
the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index on the New York Futures Exchange,
the Major Market Index on the American Stock Exchange, the Value Line Stock
Index on the Kansas City Board of Trade and the Moody's Investment-Grade
Corporate Bond Index on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may purchase and write call and put
options on futures contracts and enter into closing transactions with respect
to such options to terminate an existing position. An option on a futures
contract gives the purchaser the right (in return for the premium paid), and
the writer the obligation, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long
position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put)
at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. Upon
exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of
the option to the holder of the option is accompanied by delivery of the
accumulated balance in the writer's futures margin account, which represents
the amount by which the market price of the futures contract at the time of
exercise exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a
put, the exercise price of the option on the futures contract.
The Fund will purchase and write options on futures contracts for
identical purposes to those set forth above for the purchase of a futures
contract (purchase of a call option or sale of a put option) and the sale of
a futures contract (purchase of a put option or sale of a call option), or to
close out a long or short position in futures contracts. If, for example, the
Investment Manager wished to protect against an increase in interest rates
and the resulting negative impact on the value of a portion of its
fixed-income
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portfolio, it might write a call option on an interest rate futures contract,
the underlying security of which correlates with the portion of the portfolio
the Investment Manager seeks to hedge. Any premiums received in the writing
of options on futures contracts may, of course, augment the total return of
the Fund and thereby provide a further hedge against losses resulting from
price declines in portions of the Fund's portfolio.
The writer of an option on a futures contract is required to deposit
initial and variation margin pursuant to requirements similar to those
applicable to futures contracts. Premiums received from the writing of an
option on a futures contract are included in initial margin deposits.
Limitations on Futures Contracts and Options on Futures. The Fund may not
enter into futures contracts or purchase related options thereon if,
immediately thereafter, the amount committed to margin plus the amount paid
for premiums for unexpired options on futures contracts exceeds 5% of the
value of the Fund's total assets, after taking into account unrealized gains
and unrealized losses on such contracts it has entered into, provided,
however, that in the case of an option that is in-the-money (the exercise
price of the call (put) option is less (more) than the market price of the
underlying security) at the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be
excluded in calculating the 5%. However, there is no overall limitation on
the percentage of the Fund's assets which may be subject to a hedge position.
In addition, in accordance with the regulations of the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission ("CFTC") under which the Fund is exempted from
registration as a commodity pool operator, the Fund may only enter into
futures contracts and options on futures contracts transactions for purposes
of hedging a part or all of its portfolio. If the CFTC changes its
regulations so that the Fund would be permitted to write options on futures
contracts for purposes other than hedging the Fund's investments without CFTC
registration, the Fund may engage in such transactions for those purposes.
Except as described above, there are no other limitations on the use of
futures and options thereon by the Fund.
Risks of Transactions in Futures Contracts and Related Options. The Fund
may sell a futures contract to protect against the decline in the value of
securities held by the Fund. However, it is possible that the futures market
may advance and the value of securities held in the portfolio of the Fund may
decline. If this occurred, the Fund would lose money on the futures contract
and also experience a decline in value of its portfolio securities. However,
while this could occur for a very brief period or to a very small degree,
over time the value of a diversified portfolio will tend to move in the same
direction as the futures contracts.
If the Fund purchases a futures contract to hedge against the increase in
value of securities it intends to buy, and the value of such securities
decreases, then the Investment Manager may determine not to invest in the
securities as planned and will realize a loss on the futures contract that is
not offset by a reduction in the price of the securities.
If the Fund maintains a short position in a futures contract or has sold a
call option in a futures contract, it will cover this position by holding, in
a segregated account maintained at its Custodian, cash, U.S. Government
securities or other liquid portfolio securities equal in value (when added to
any initial or variation margin on deposit) to the market value of the
securities underlying the futures contract or the exercise price of the
option. Such a position may also be covered by owning the securities
underlying the futures contract (in the case of a stock index futures
contract a portfolio of securities substantially replicating the relevant
index), or by holding a call option permitting the Fund to purchase the same
contract at a price no higher than the price at which the short position was
established.
In addition, if the Fund holds a long position in a futures contract or
has sold a put option on a futures contract, it will hold cash, U.S.
Government securities or other liquid portfolio securities equal to the
purchase price of the contract or the exercise price of the put option (less
the amount of initial or variation margin on deposit) in a segregated account
maintained for the Fund by its Custodian. Alternatively, the Fund could cover
its long position by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract
with an exercise price as high or higher than the price of the contract held
by the Fund.
Exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a futures contract may
move on any day. If the price moves equal the daily limit on successive days,
then it may prove impossible to liquidate a futures
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position until the daily limit moves have ceased. In the event of adverse
price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash
payments of variation margin on open futures positions. In such situations,
if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities
to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be
disadvantageous to do so. In addition, the Fund may be required to take or
make delivery of the instruments underlying interest rate futures contracts
it holds at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so. The inability to
close out options and futures positions could also have an adverse impact on
the Fund's ability to effectively hedge its portfolio.
In the event of the bankruptcy of a broker through which the Fund engages
in transactions in futures or options thereon, the Fund could experience
delays and/or losses in liquidating open positions purchased or sold through
the broker and/or incur a loss of all or part of its margin deposits with the
broker. Transactions are entered into by the Fund only with brokers or
financial institutions deemed creditworthy by the Investment Manager.
There may exist an imperfect correlation between the price movements of
futures contracts purchased by the Fund and the movements in the prices of
the securities which are the subject of the hedge. If participants in the
futures market elect to close out their contracts through offsetting
transactions rather than meet margin deposit requirements, distortions in the
normal relationship between the securities and futures markets could result.
Price distortions could also result if investors in futures contracts opt to
make or take delivery of underlying securities rather than engage in closing
transactions due to the resultant reduction in the liquidity of the futures
market. In addition, due to the fact that, from the point of view of
speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures markets are less onerous
than margin requirements in the cash market, increased participation by
speculators in the futures market could cause temporary price distortions.
Due to the possibility of price distortions in the futures market and because
of the imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of securities
and movements in the prices of futures contracts, a correct forecast of stock
price or interest rate trends by the Investment Manager may still not result
in a successful hedging transaction.
There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for
futures contracts and related options in which the Fund may invest. In the
event a liquid market does not exist, it may not be possible to close out a
futures position and, in the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would
continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin. In
addition, limitations imposed by an exchange or board of trade on which
futures contracts are traded may compel or prevent the Fund from closing out
a contract which may result in reduced gain or increased loss to the Fund.
The absence of a liquid market in futures contracts might cause the Fund to
make or take delivery of the underlying securities at a time when it may be
disadvantageous to do so.
Compared to the purchase or sale of futures contracts, the purchase of
call or put options on futures contracts involves less potential risk to the
Fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the options
(plus transaction costs). However, there may be circumstances when the
purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract would result in a loss
to the Fund notwithstanding that the purchase or sale of a futures contract
would not result in a loss, as in the instance where there is no movement in
the prices of the futures contract or underlying securities.
FOREIGN SECURITIES
As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in securities issued by
foreign issuers. Investors should carefully consider the risks of investing
in securities of foreign issuers and securities denominated in non-U.S.
currencies. Fluctuations in the relative rates of exchange between the
currencies of different nations will affect the value of the Fund's
investments. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S.
dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets denominated in
that currency and thereby impact upon the Fund's total return on such assets.
Foreign currency exchange rates are determined by forces of supply and
demand on the foreign exchange markets. These forces are themselves affected
by the international balance of payments and other economic and financial
conditions, government intervention, speculation and other factors. Moreover,
foreign currency exchange rates may be affected by the regulatory control of
the exchanges on which the currencies trade.
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Investments in foreign securities will also occasion risks relating to
political and economic developments abroad, including the possibility of
expropriations or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the use or transfer
of Fund assets and any effects of foreign social, economic or political
instability. Foreign companies are not subject to the regulatory requirements
of U.S. companies and, as such, there may be less publicly available
information about such companies. Moreover, foreign companies are not subject
to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and
requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies.
Securities of foreign issuers may be less liquid than comparable
securities of U.S. issuers and, as such, their price changes may be more
volatile. Furthermore, foreign exchanges and broker-dealers are generally
subject to less government and exchange scrutiny and regulation than their
American counterparts. Brokerage commissions, dealer concessions and other
transaction costs may be higher on foreign markets than in the U.S. In
addition, differences in clearance and settlement procedures on foreign
markets may occasion delays in settlements of Fund trades effected in such
markets. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement
delays could result in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value
of such securities and the inability of the Fund to make intended security
purchases due to settlement problems could result in a failure of the Fund to
make potentially advantageous investments.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
When cash may be available for only a few days, it may be invested by the
Fund in repurchase agreements until such time as it may otherwise be invested
or used for payments of obligations of the Fund. These agreements, which may
be viewed as a type of secured lending by the Fund, typically involve the
acquisition by the Fund of debt securities from a selling financial
institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer.
The agreement provides that the Fund will sell back to the institution, and
that the institution will repurchase, the underlying security ("collateral")
at a specified price and at a fixed time in the future, usually not more than
seven days from the date of purchase. The collateral will be maintained in a
segregated account and will be marked-to-market daily to determine that the
value of the collateral, as specified in the agreement, does not decrease
below the purchase price plus accrued interest. If such decrease occurs,
additional collateral will be requested and, when received, added to the
account to maintain full collateralization. The Fund will accrue interest
from the institution until the time when the repurchase is to occur. Although
such date is deemed by the Fund to be the maturity date of a repurchase
agreement, the maturities of securities subject to repurchase agreements are
not subject to any limits.
While repurchase agreements involve certain risks not associated with
direct investments in debt securities, the Fund follows procedures designed
to minimize such risks. These procedures include effecting repurchase
transactions only with large, well-capitalized and well-established financial
institutions whose financial condition will be continually monitored by the
Investment Manager subject to procedures established by the Board of Trustees
of the Fund. In addition, as described above, the value of the collateral
underlying the repurchase agreement will be at least equal to the repurchase
price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement. In
the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the
Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercising of the
Fund's right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or
delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the
obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could
suffer a loss. It is the current policy of the Fund not to invest in
repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any such
investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by the Fund, amounts
to more than 15% of its total assets.
WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES AND FORWARD COMMITMENTS
From time to time the Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or
delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell securities on a forward
commitment basis. When such transactions are negotiated, the price is fixed
at the time of the commitment, but delivery and payment can take place a
month or more
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after the date of commitment. While the Fund will only purchase securities on
a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis with the
intention of acquiring the securities, the Fund may sell the securities
before the settlement date, if it is deemed advisable. The securities so
purchased or sold are subject to market fluctuation and no interest or
dividends accrue to the purchaser prior to the settlement date. At the time
the Fund makes the commitment to purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis, it will record the
transaction and thereafter reflect the value, each day, of such security
purchased, or if a sale, the proceeds to be received, in determining its net
asset value. At the time of delivery of the securities, their value may be
more or less than the purchase or sale price. The Fund will also establish a
segregated account with its custodian bank in which it will continually
maintain cash or cash equivalents or other liquid portfolio securities equal
in value to commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed
delivery or forward commitment basis. During the fiscal year ended December
31, 1996, the Fund did not purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed
delivery or forward commitment basis.
WHEN, AS AND IF ISSUED SECURITIES
The Fund may purchase securities on a "when, as and if issued" basis under
which the issuance of the security depends upon the occurrence of a
subsequent event, such as approval of a merger, corporate reorganization or
debt restructuring. The commitment for the purchase of any such security will
not be recognized in the portfolio of the Fund until the Investment Manager
determines that issuance of the security is probable. At such time, the Fund
will record the transaction and, in determining its net asset value, will
reflect the value of the security daily. At such time, the Fund will also
establish a segregated account with its custodian bank in which it will
maintain cash or cash equivalents or other liquid portfolio securities equal
in value to recognized commitments for such securities. The value of the
Fund's commitments to purchase the securities of any one issuer, together
with the value of all securities of such issuer owned by the Fund, may not
exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the time the initial
commitment to purchase such securities is made (see "Investment
Restrictions"). An increase in the percentage of the Fund's assets committed
to the purchase of securities on a "when, as and if issued" basis may
increase the volatility of its net asset value. The Investment Manager and
the Trustees do not believe that the net asset value of the Fund will be
adversely affected by its purchase of securities on such basis. During the
fiscal year ended December 31, 1996, the Fund did not purchase securities on
a "when, as and if issued" basis. The Fund may also sell securities on a
"when, as and if issued" basis provided that the issuance of the security
will result automatically from the exchange or conversion of a security owned
by the Fund at the time of sale.
PRIVATE PLACEMENTS
The Fund may invest up to 5% of its total assets in securities which are
subject to restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or which are
otherwise not readily marketable. (Securities eligible for resale pursuant to
Rule 144A of the Securities Act, and determined to be liquid pursuant to the
procedures discussed in the following paragraph, are not subject to the
foregoing restriction.) These securities are generally referred to as private
placements or restricted securities. Limitations on the resale of such
securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent
the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may
have to bear the expense of registering such securities for resale and the
risk of substantial delays in effecting such registration.
Rule 144A under the Securities Act permits the Fund to sell restricted
securities to qualified institutional buyers without limitation. The
Investment Manager, pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trustees of the
Fund, will make a determination as to the liquidity of each restricted
security purchased by the Fund. If a restricted security is determined to be
"liquid," such security will not be included within the category "illiquid
securities," which under current policy may not exceed 15% of the Fund's net
assets.
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<PAGE>
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to the investment restrictions enumerated in the Prospectus,
the investment restrictions listed below have been adopted by the Fund as
fundamental policies, except as otherwise indicated. Under the Act, a
fundamental policy may not be changed without the vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund, as defined in the Act. Such a
majority is defined as the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares present at
a meeting of Shareholders, if the holders of 50% of the outstanding shares of
the Fund are present or represented by proxy or (b) more than 50% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund. For purposes of the following restrictions:
(i) all percentage limitations apply immediately after a purchase or initial
investment; and (ii) any subsequent change in any applicable percentage
resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in total or net assets
does not require elimination of any security from the portfolio.
The Fund may not:
1. Invest in securities of any issuer if, to the knowledge of the Fund,
any officer or trustee/director of the Fund or of the Investment Manager
owns more than 1/2 of 1% of the outstanding securities of such issuer, and
such officers and trustees/directors who own more than 1/2 of 1% own in
the aggregate more than 5% of the outstanding securities of such issuer.
2. Purchase or sell real estate or interests therein (including limited
partnership interests), although the Fund may purchase securities of
issuers which engage in real estate operations and securities secured by
real estate or interests therein.
3. Purchase or sell commodities except that the Fund may purchase or
sell (write) futures contracts and related options.
4. Purchase oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty
contracts or exploration or development programs, except that the Fund may
invest in the securities of companies which operate, invest in, or sponsor
such programs.
5. Purchase securities of other investment companies, except in
connection with a merger, consolidation, reorganization or acquisition of
assets.
6. Borrow money, except that the Fund may borrow from a bank for
temporary or emergency purposes in amounts not exceeding 5% (taken at the
lower of cost or current value) of its total assets (not including the
amount borrowed).
7. Pledge its assets or assign or otherwise encumber them except to
secure borrowings effected within the limitations set forth in restriction
(6). For the purpose of this restriction, collateral arrangements with
respect to the writing of options and collateral arrangements with respect
to initial or variation margin for futures are not deemed to be pledges of
assets.
8. Issue senior securities as defined in the Act except insofar as the
Fund may be deemed to have issued a senior security by reason of: (a)
entering into any repurchase agreement; (b) borrowing money in accordance
with restrictions described above; or (c) lending portfolio securities.
9. Make loans of money or securities, except: (a) by the purchase of
debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its
investment objective and policies; (b) by investment in repurchase
agreements; or (c) by lending its portfolio securities.
10. Make short sales of securities.
11. Purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term loans as
are necessary for the clearance of portfolio securities. The deposit or
payment by the Fund of initial or variation margin in connection with
futures contracts or related options thereon is not considered the
purchase of a security on margin.
12. Engage in the underwriting of securities, except insofar as the Fund
may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in disposing
of a portfolio security.
26
<PAGE>
13. Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management of any
other issuer.
Notwithstanding any other investment policy or restriction, the Fund may
seek to achieve its investment objective by investing all or substantially
all of its assets in another investment company having substantially the same
investment objective and policies as the Fund.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject to the general supervision of the Board of Trustees, the
Investment Manager is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities
for the Fund, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the
transactions, and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. Purchases
and sales of securities on a stock exchange are effected through brokers who
charge a commission for their services. In the over-the-counter market,
securities are generally traded on a "net" basis with dealers acting as
principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the
price of the security usually includes a profit to the dealer. The Fund also
expects that securities will be purchased at times in underwritten offerings
where the price includes a fixed amount of compensation, generally referred
to as the underwriter's concession or discount. Options and futures
transactions will usually be effected through a broker and a commission will
be charged. On occasion, the Fund may also purchase certain money market
instruments directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or
discounts are paid. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 1994, 1995 and
1996 the Fund paid brokerage commissions in the amounts of $7,627,704,
$6,911,661 and $11,278,417, respectively.
The Investment Manager currently serves as investment manager to a number
of clients, including other investment companies, and may in the future act
as investment manager or adviser to others. It is the practice of the
Investment Manager to cause purchase and sale transactions to be allocated
among the Fund and others whose assets it manages in such manner as it deems
equitable. In making such allocations among the Fund and other client
accounts, various factors may be considered, including the respective
investment objectives, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or
comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment, the size of
investment commitments generally held and the opinions of the persons
responsible for managing the portfolios of the Fund and other client
accounts. In the case of certain initial and secondary public offerings, the
Investment Manager may utilize a pro rata allocation process based on the
size of the Dean Witter Funds involved and the number of shares available
from the public offering.
The policy of the Fund regarding purchases and sales of securities for its
portfolio is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most
favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with
this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange,
the Fund's policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and
reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible
commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Fund believes that a
requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede
effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Investment
Manager from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In
seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any
transaction, the Investment Manager relies upon its experience and knowledge
regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its
judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research services received from the
broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily
subjective and imprecise, as in most cases an exact dollar value for those
services is not ascertainable.
In seeking to implement the Fund's policies, the Investment Manager
effects transactions with those brokers and dealers who the Investment
Manager believes provide the most favorable prices and are capable of
providing efficient executions. If the Investment Manager believes such
prices and executions are obtainable from more than one broker or dealer, it
may give consideration to placing portfolio transactions with those brokers
and dealers who also furnish research and other services to the Fund or the
Investment Manager. Such services may include, but are not limited to, any
one or more of the following: information as to the availability of
securities for purchase or sale; statistical or factual information or
opinions pertaining to investment; wire services; and appraisals or
evaluations of portfolio
27
<PAGE>
securities. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996, the Fund directed
the payment of $9,885,772 in brokerage commissions in connection with
transactions in the aggregate amount of $8,291,477,856 to brokers because of
research services provided.
The information and services received by the Investment Manager from
brokers and dealers may be of benefit to the Investment Manager in the
management of accounts of some of its other clients and may not in all cases
benefit the Fund directly. While the receipt of such information and services
is useful in varying degrees and would generally reduce the amount of
research or services otherwise performed by the Investment Manager and
thereby reduce its expenses, it is of indeterminable value and the management
fee paid to the Investment Manager is not reduced by any amount that may be
attributable to the value of such services.
Pursuant to an order of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund
may effect principal transactions in certain money market instruments with
DWR. The Fund will limit its transactions with DWR to U.S. Government and
Government Agency Securities, Bank Money Instruments (i.e., Certificates of
Deposit and Bankers' Acceptances) and Commercial Paper. Such transactions
will be effected with DWR only when the price available from DWR is better
than that available from other dealers. During the fiscal years ended
December 31, 1994, 1995 and 1996, the Fund did not effect any principal
transactions with DWR.
Consistent with the policy described above, brokerage transactions in
securities listed on exchanges or admitted to unlisted trading privileges may
be effected through DWR and other affiliated brokers and dealers. In order
for an affiliated broker or dealer to effect any portfolio transactions for
the Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by the
affiliated broker or dealer must be reasonable and fair compared to the
commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to other brokers in connection
with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or
sold on an exchange during a comparable period of time. This standard would
allow the affiliated broker or dealer to receive no more than the
remuneration which would be expected to be received by an unaffiliated broker
in a commensurate arm's-length transaction. Furthermore, the Board of
Trustees of the Fund, including a majority of the Trustees who are not
"interested" persons of the Fund, as defined in the Act, have adopted
procedures which are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions,
fees or other remuneration paid to an affiliated broker or dealer are
consistent with the foregoing standard. The Fund does not reduce the
management fee it pays to the Investment Manager by any amount of the
brokerage commissions it may pay to an affiliated broker or dealer. During
the fiscal years ended December 31, 1994, 1995 and 1996, the Fund paid a
total of $1,210,464, $989,462 and $902,407, respectively, in brokerage
commissions to DWR. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996, the
brokerage commissions paid to DWR represented approximately 8.00% of the
total brokerage commissions paid by the Fund during the year and were paid on
account of transactions having an aggregate dollar value equal to
approximately 9.56% of the aggregate dollar value of all portfolio
transactions of the Fund during the year for which commissions were paid.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 1995, the Fund purchased common
stock issued by Morgan Stanley Group, Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
Smith Inc. and Lehman Brothers Inc. which issuers were among the ten brokers
or the ten dealers which executed transactions for or with the Fund in the
largest dollar amounts during the year. At December 31, 1996, the Fund held
common stock issued by Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce,
Fenner & Smith Inc. and Lehman Brothers Inc. with market values of
$35,703,125, $54,197,500 and $27,296,250, respectively.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
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As discussed in the Prospectus, shares of the Fund are distributed by Dean
Witter Distributors Inc. (the "Distributor"). The Distributor has entered
into a selected dealer agreement with DWR, which through its own sales
organization sells shares of the Fund. In addition, the Distributor may enter
into similar agreements with other selected broker-dealers. The Distributor,
a Delaware corporation, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MSDWD. The Board of
Trustees of the Fund including a majority of the Trustees who are not, and
were not at the time they voted, interested persons of the Fund, as defined
in the Act ( the "Independent Trustees"), approved, at their meeting held on
June 30, 1997, the current
28
<PAGE>
Distribution Agreement appointing the Distributor as exclusive distributor of
the Fund's shares and providing for the Distributor to bear distribution
expenses not borne by the Fund. By its terms, the Distribution Agreement has
an initial term ending April 30, 1998 and will remain in effect from year to
year thereafter if approved by the Board.
The Distributor bears all expenses it may incur in providing services
under the Distribution Agreement. Such expenses include the payment of
commissions for sales of the Fund's shares and incentive compensation to
account executives. The Distributor also pays certain expenses in connection
with the distribution of the Fund's shares, including the costs of preparing,
printing and distributing advertising or promotional materials, and the costs
of printing and distributing prospectuses and supplements thereto used in
connection with the offering and sale of the Fund's shares. The Fund bears
the costs of initial typesetting, printing and distribution of prospectuses
and supplements thereto to shareholders. The Fund also bears the costs of
registering the Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws
and pays filing fees in accordance with state securities laws. The Fund and
the Distributor have agreed to indemnify each other against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended. Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor uses its best
efforts in rendering services to the Fund, but in the absence of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its
obligations, the Distributor is not liable to the Fund or any of its
shareholders for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any act or
omission or for any losses sustained by the Fund or its shareholders.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The Fund has adopted a Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under
the Act (the "Plan") pursuant to which each Class, other than Class D, pays
the Distributor compensation accrued daily and payable monthly at the
following annual rates: 0.25% and 1.0% of the average daily net assets of
Class A and Class C, respectively, and, with respect to Class B, 1.0% of the
lesser of: (a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's Class B
shares since the inception of the plan of distribution adopted by the Fund
(the "Prior Plan") on April 30, 1984 (not including reinvestments of
dividends or capital gains distributions), less the average daily aggregate
net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares redeemed since the Prior Plan's
inception upon which a contingent deferred sales charge has been imposed or
upon which such charge has been waived, or (b) the average daily net assets
of Class B shares attributable to shares issued, net of shares redeemed,
since the inception of the Prior Plan. The Distributor also receives the
proceeds of front-end sales charges and of contingent deferred sales charges
imposed on certain redemptions of shares, which are separate and apart from
payments made pursuant to the Plan (see "Purchase of Fund Shares" in the
Prospectus). The Distributor has informed the Fund that it and/or DWR
received approximately $2,508,000, $3,588,974 and $3,792,237 in contingent
deferred sales charges for the fiscal years ended December 31, 1994, 1995,
and 1996, respectively.
The Distributor has informed the Fund that the entire fee payable by Class
A and a portion of the fees payable by each of Class B and Class C each year
pursuant to the Plan equal to 0.25% of such Class's average daily net assets
are currently each characterized as a "service fee" under the Rules of the
Association of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (of which
the Distributor is a member). The "service fee" is a payment made for
personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. The
remaining portion of the Plan fees payable by a Class, if any, is
characterized as an "asset-based sales charge" as such is defined by the
aforementioned Rules of the Association.
The Plan is substantially identical to the Prior Plan and was adopted by
the Fund solely in connection with its reorganization as a Massachusetts
business trust in April, 1987. The Plan was adopted by a majority vote of the
Board of Trustees, including all of the Trustees of the Fund who are not
"interested persons" of the Fund (as defined in the Act) and who have no
direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan (the
"Independent 12b-1 Trustees"), cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on the Plan, on April 15, 1987 and by the shareholders
holding a majority, as defined in the Act, of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund at an Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund held
on April 21, 1987.
29
<PAGE>
At their meeting held on October 30, 1992, the Trustees of the Fund,
including all of the Independent 12b-1 Trustees, approved certain amendments
to the Plan which took effect in January, 1993 and were designed to reflect
the fact that upon an internal reorganization the share distribution
activities theretofore performed for the Fund by DWR were assumed by the
Distributor and DWR's sales activities are now being performed pursuant to
the terms of a selected dealer agreement between the Distributor and DWR. The
amendments provide that payments under the Plan will be made to the
Distributor rather than to DWR as before the amendment, and that the
Distributor in turn is authorized to make payments to DWR, its affiliates or
other selected broker-dealers (or direct that the Fund pay such entities
directly). The Distributor is also authorized to retain part of such fee as
compensation for its own distribution-related expenses. At their meeting held
on April 28, 1993, the Trustees, including a majority of the Independent
12b-1 Trustees, approved certain technical amendments to the Plan in
connection with amendments adopted by the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. to its Rules of the Association. At their meeting held on
October 26, 1995, the Trustees of the Fund, including all of the Independent
12b-1 Trustees, approved an amendment to the Plan to permit payments to be
made under the Plan with respect to certain distribution expenses incurred in
connection with the distribution of shares, including personal services to
shareholders with respect to holdings of such shares, of an investment
company whose assets are acquired by the Fund in a tax-free reorganization.
At their meeting held on June 30, 1997, the Trustees, including a majority of
the Independent 12b-1 Trustees, approved amendments to the Plan to reflect
the multiple-class structure for the Fund, which took effect on July 28,
1997.
Under the Plan and as required by Rule 12b-1, the Trustees receive and
review promptly after the end of each calendar quarter a written report
provided by the Distributor of the amounts expended under the Plan and the
purpose for which such expenditures were made. The Fund accrued amounts
payable to the Distributor under the Plan, during the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1996, of $24,339,469. This amount is equal to 0.88% of the
average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's Class B shares since the
inception of the Prior Plan on April 30, 1984 (not including reinvestment of
dividends or capital gains distributions), less the average daily aggregate
net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares redeemed since the Prior Plan's
inception upon which a CDSC has been imposed or upon which such charge has
been waived. This amount is treated by the Fund as an expense in the year it
is accrued. This amount represents amounts paid by Class B only; there were
no Class A or Class C shares outstanding on such date.
The Plan was adopted in order to permit the implementation of the Fund's
method of distribution. Under this distribution method the Fund offers four
Classes of shares, each with a different distribution arrangement as set
forth in the Prospectus.
With respect to Class A shares, DWR compensates its account executives by
paying them, from proceeds of the front-end sales charge, commissions for the
sale of Class A shares, currently a gross sales credit of up to 5.0% of the
amount sold (except as provided in the following sentence) and an annual
residual commission, currently a residual of up to 0.25% of the current value
of the respective accounts for which they are the account executives or
dealers of record in all cases. On orders of $1 million or more (for which no
sales charge was paid) or net asset value purchases by 401(k) plans or other
employer-sponsored plans qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal
Revenue Code for which Dean Witter Trust Company ("DWTC") or Dean Witter
Trust FSB ("DWTFSB") serves as Trustee or the 401(k) Support Services Group
of DWR serves as recordkeeper, the Investment Manager compensates DWR's
account executives by paying them, from its own funds, a gross sales credit
of 1.0% of the amount sold.
With respect to Class B shares, DWR compensates its account executives by
paying them, from its own funds, commissions for the sale of Class B shares,
currently a gross sales credit of up to 5.0% of the amount sold (except as
provided in the following sentence) and an annual residual commission,
currently a residual of up to 0.25% of the current value (not including
reinvested dividends or distributions) of the amount sold in all cases. In
the case of retirement plans qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal
Revenue Code and other employer-sponsored plans qualified under Section
401(a)
30
<PAGE>
of the Internal Revenue Code for which DWTC or DWTFSB serves as Trustee or
the 401(k) Support Services Group of DWR serves as recordkeeper, and which
plans are opened on or after July 28, 1997, DWR compensates its account
executives by paying them, from its own funds, a gross sales credit of 3.0%
of the amount sold.
With respect to Class C shares, DWR compensates its account executives by
paying them, from its own funds, commissions for the sale of Class C shares,
currently a gross sales credit of up to 1.0% of the amount sold and an annual
residual commission, currently a residual of up to 1.0% of the current value
of the respective accounts for which they are the account executives of
record.
With respect to Class D shares other than shares held by participants in
the InterCapital mutual fund asset allocation program, the Investment Manager
compensates DWR's account executives by paying them, from its own funds,
commissions for the sale of Class D shares, currently a gross sales credit of
up to 1.0% of the amount sold. There is a chargeback of 100% of the amount
paid if the Class D shares are redeemed in the first year and a chargeback of
50% of the amount paid if the Class D shares are redeemed in the second year
after purchase. The Investment Manager also compensates DWR's account
executives by paying them, from its own funds, an annual residual commission,
currently a residual of up to 0.10% of the current value of the respective
accounts for which they are the account executives of record (not including
accounts of participants in the InterCapital mutual fund asset allocation
program).
The gross sales credit is a charge which reflects commissions paid by DWR
to its account executives and DWR's Fund-associated distribution-related
expenses, including sales compensation, and overhead and other branch office
distribution-related expenses including (a) the expenses of operating DWR's
branch offices in connection with the sale of Fund shares, including lease
costs, the salaries and employee benefits of operations and sales support
personnel, utility costs, communications costs and the costs of stationery
and supplies, (b) the costs of client sales seminars, (c) travel expenses of
mutual fund sales coordinators to promote the sale of Fund shares and (d)
other expenses relating to branch promotion of Fund sales. The distribution
fee that the Distributor receives from the Fund under the Plan, in effect,
offsets distribution expenses incurred under the Plan on behalf of the Fund
and, in the case of Class B shares, opportunity costs, such as the gross
sales credit and an assumed interest charge thereon ("carrying charge"). In
the Distributor's reporting of the distribution expenses to the Fund, in the
case of Class B shares, such assumed interest (computed at the "broker's call
rate") has been calculated on the gross credit as it is reduced by amounts
received by the Distributor under the Plan and any contingent deferred sales
charges received by the Distributor upon redemption of shares of the Fund. No
other interest charge is included as a distribution expense in the
Distributor's calculation of its distribution costs for this purpose. The
broker's call rate is the interest rate charged to securities brokers on
loans secured by exchange-listed securities.
The Fund paid 100% of the $24,339,469 accrued under the Plan for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 1996 to the Distributor. The Distributor and
DWR estimate that they have spent, pursuant to the Plan, $154,267,713 on
behalf of the Fund since the inception of the Prior Plan. It is estimated
that this amount was spent in approximately the following ways: (i) 3.90%
($6,014,066)--advertising and promotional expenses; (ii) 0.40%
($617,270)--printing of prospectuses for distribution to other than current
shareholders; and (iii) 95.70% ($147,636,377)--other expenses, including the
gross sales credit and the carrying charge, of which 6.47% ($9,556,107)
represents carrying charges, 37.57% ($55,466,844) represents commission
credits to DWR branch offices for payments of commissions to account
executives and 55.96% ($82,613,426) represents overhead and other branch
office distribution-related expenses. These amounts represent amounts paid by
Class B only; there were no Class A or Class C shares outstanding on such
date.
The Fund is authorized to reimburse expenses incurred or to be incurred in
promoting the distribution of the Fund's Class A and Class C shares and in
servicing shareholder accounts. Reimbursement will be made through payments
at the end of each month. The amount of each monthly payment may in no event
exceed an amount equal to a payment at the annual rate of 0.25%, in the case
of Class A, and 1.0%, in the case of Class C, of the average net assets of
the respective Class during
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<PAGE>
the month. No interest or other financing charges, if any, incurred on any
distribution expenses on behalf of Class A and Class C will be reimbursable
under the Plan. With respect to Class A, in the case of all expenses other
than expenses representing the service fee, and, with respect to Class C, in
the case of all expenses other than expenses representing a gross sales
credit or a residual to account executives, such amounts shall be determined
at the beginning of each calendar quarter by the Trustees, including, a
majority of the Independent 12b-1 Trustees. Expenses representing the service
fee (for Class A) or a gross sales credit or a residual to account executives
(for Class C) may be reimbursed without prior determination. In the event
that the Distributor proposes that monies shall be reimbursed for other than
such expenses, then in making quarterly determinations of the amounts that
may be reimbursed by the Fund, the Distributor will provide and the Trustees
will review a quarterly budget of projected distribution expenses to be
incurred on behalf of the Fund, together with a report explaining the
purposes and anticipated benefits of incurring such expenses. The Trustees
will determine which particular expenses, and the portions thereof, that may
be borne by the Fund, and in making such a determination shall consider the
scope of the Distributor's commitment to promoting the distribution of the
Fund's Class A and Class C shares.
At any given time, the expenses of distributing shares of the Fund may be
more or less than the total of (i) the payments made by the Fund pursuant to
the Plan and (ii) the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by
investors upon redemption of shares. The Distributor has advised the Fund
that in the case of Class B shares the excess distribution expenses,
including the carrying charge designed to approximate the opportunity costs
incurred by DWR which arise from it having advanced monies without having
received the amount of any sales charges imposed at the time of sale of the
Fund's Class B shares, totalled $71,290,842 as of December 31, 1996. Because
there is no requirement under the Plan that the Distributor be reimbursed for
all distribution expenses with respect to Class B shares or any requirement
that the Plan be continued from year to year, this excess amount does not
constitute a liability of the Fund. Although there is no legal obligation for
the Fund to pay expenses incurred in excess of payments made to the
Distributor under the Plan and the proceeds of contingent deferred sales
charges paid by investors upon redemption of shares, if for any reason the
Plan is terminated, the Trustees will consider at that time the manner in
which to treat such expenses. Any cumulative expenses incurred, but not yet
recovered through distribution fees or contingent deferred sales charges, may
or may not be recovered through future distribution fees or contingent
deferred sales charges.
No interested person of the Fund nor any Trustee of the Fund who is not an
interested person of the Fund, as defined in the Act, has any direct
financial interest in the operation of the Plan except to the extent that the
Distributor, InterCapital, DWR, DWSC or certain of their employees may be
deemed to have such an interest as a result of benefits derived from the
successful operation of the Plan or as a result of receiving a portion of the
amounts expended thereunder by the Fund.
Under its terms, the Plan had an initial term ending December 31, 1996 and
will continue from year to year thereafter, provided such continuance is
approved annually by a vote of the Trustees in the manner described above.
Prior to the Board's approval of amendments to the Plan to reflect the
multiple-class structure for the Fund, the most recent continuance of the
Plan for one year, until April 30, 1998, was approved by the Board of
Trustees of the Fund, including a majority of the Independent 12b-1 Trustees,
at a Board meeting held on April 24, 1997. Prior to approving the
continuation of the Plan, the Trustees requested and received from the
Distributor and reviewed all the information which they deemed necessary to
arrive at an informed determination. In making their determination to
continue the Plan, the Trustees considered: (1) the Fund's experience under
the Plan and whether such experience indicates that the Plan is operating as
anticipated; (2) the benefits the Fund had obtained, was obtaining and would
be likely to obtain under the Plan; and (3) what services had been provided
and were continuing to be provided under the Plan to the Fund and its
shareholders. Based upon their review, the Trustees of the Fund, including
each of the Independent 12b-1 Trustees, determined that continuation of the
Plan would be in the best interest of the Fund and would have a reasonable
likelihood of continuing to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. In the
Trustees' quarterly review of the Plan, they will consider its continued
appropriateness and the level of compensation provided therein.
32
<PAGE>
The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount to be spent
for the services described therein without approval by the shareholders of
the affected Class or Classes of the Fund, and all material amendments to the
Plan must also be approved by the Trustees in the manner described above. The
Plan may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by vote
of a majority of the Independent 12b-1 Trustees or by a vote of a majority of
the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the Act) on not
more than thirty days' written notice to any other party to the Plan. So long
as the Plan is in effect, the election and nomination of Independent 12b-1
Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of the Independent 12b-1
Trustees.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The net asset value per share for each Class of shares of the Fund is
determined once daily as of 4:00 p.m. New York time (or, on days when the New
York Stock Exchange closes prior to 4:00 p.m., at such earlier time) on each
day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. The New York Stock Exchange
currently observes the following holidays: New Year's Day; Reverend Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Presidents Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day;
Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day; and Christmas Day.
As stated in the Prospectus, short-term securities with remaining
maturities of sixty days or less at the time of purchase are valued at
amortized cost, unless the Trustees determine such does not reflect the
securities' market value, in which case these securities will be valued at
their fair value as determined by the Trustees. Other short-term debt
securities will be valued on a mark-to-market basis until such time as they
reach a remaining maturity of sixty days, whereupon they will be valued at
amortized cost using their value on the 61st day unless the Trustees
determine such does not reflect the securities' market value, in which case
these securities will be valued at their fair value as determined by the
Trustees. Listed options on debt securities are valued at the latest sale
price on the exchange on which they are listed unless no sales of such
options have taken place that day, in which case they will be valued at the
mean between their latest bid and asked prices. Unlisted options on debt
securities and all options on equity securities are valued at the mean
between their latest bid and asked prices. Futures are valued at the latest
sale price on the commodities exchange on which they trade unless the
Trustees determine such price does not reflect their market value, in which
case they will be valued at their fair value as determined by the Trustees.
All other securities and other assets are valued at their fair value as
determined in good faith under procedures established by and under the
supervision of the Trustees.
Generally, trading in foreign securities, as well as corporate bonds,
United States government securities and money market instruments, is
substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the
New York Stock Exchange. The values of such securities used in computing the
net asset value of the Fund's shares are determined as of such times. Foreign
currency exchange rates are also generally determined prior to the close of
the New York Stock Exchange. Occasionally, events which affect the values of
such securities and such exchange rates may occur between the times at which
they are determined and the close of the New York Stock Exchange and will
therefore not be reflected in the computation of the Fund's net asset value.
If events materially affecting the value of such securities occur during such
period, then these securities will be valued at their fair value as
determined in good faith under procedures established by and under the
supervision of the Trustees.
PURCHASE OF FUND SHARES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund offers four Classes of shares as
follows:
INITIAL SALES CHARGE ALTERNATIVE--CLASS A SHARES
Class A shares are sold to investors with an initial sales charge that
declines to zero for larger purchases; however, Class A shares sold without
an initial sales charge are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge
("CDSC") of 1.0% if redeemed within one year of purchase, except in the
circumstances discussed in the Prospectus.
Right of Accumulation. As discussed in the Prospectus, investors may
combine the current value of shares purchased in separate transactions for
purposes of benefitting from the reduced sales charges
33
<PAGE>
available for purchases of shares of the Fund totalling at least $25,000 in
net asset value. For example, if any person or entity who qualifies for this
privilege holds Class A shares of the Fund and/or other Dean Witter Funds
that are multiple class funds ("Dean Witter Multi-Class Funds") or shares of
other Dean Witter Funds sold with a front-end sales charge purchased at a
price including a front-end sales charge having a current value of $5,000,
and purchases $20,000 of additional shares of the Fund, the sales charge
applicable to the $20,000 purchase would be 4.75% of the offering price.
The Distributor must be notified by the selected broker-dealer or the
shareholder at the time a purchase order is placed that the purchase
qualifies for the reduced charge under the Right of Accumulation. Similar
notification must be made in writing by the selected broker-dealer or
shareholder when such an order is placed by mail. The reduced sales charge
will not be granted if: (a) such notification is not furnished at the time of
the order; or (b) a review of the records of the Distributor or Dean Witter
Trust Company (the "Transfer Agent") fails to confirm the investor's
represented holdings.
Letter of Intent. As discussed in the Prospectus, reduced sales charges
are available to investors who enter into a written Letter of Intent
providing for the purchase, within a thirteen-month period, of Class A shares
of the Fund from the Distributor or from a single Selected Broker-Dealer.
A Letter of Intent permits an investor to establish a total investment
goal to be achieved by any number of purchases over a thirteen-month period.
Each purchase of Class A shares made during the period will receive the
reduced sales commission applicable to the amount represented by the goal, as
if it were a single purchase. A number of shares equal in value to 5% of the
dollar amount of the Letter of Intent will be held in escrow by the Transfer
Agent, in the name of the shareholder. The initial purchase under a Letter of
Intent must be equal to at least 5% of the stated investment goal.
The Letter of Intent does not obligate the investor to purchase, nor the
Fund to sell, the indicated amount. In the event the Letter of Intent goal is
not achieved within the thirteen-month period, the investor is required to
pay the difference between the sales charge otherwise applicable to the
purchases made during this period and sales charges actually paid. Such
payment may be made directly to the Distributor or, if not paid, the
Distributor is authorized by the shareholder to liquidate a sufficient number
of his or her escrowed shares to obtain such difference.
If the goal is exceeded and purchases pass the next sales charge level,
the sales charge on the entire amount of the purchase that results in passing
that level and on subsequent purchases will be subject to further reduced
sales charges in the same manner as set forth above under "Right of
Accumulation," but there will be no retroactive reduction of sales charges on
previous purchases. For the purpose of determining whether the investor is
entitled to a further reduced sales charge applicable to purchases at or
above a sales charge level which exceeds the stated goal of a Letter of
Intent, the cumulative current net asset value of any shares owned by the
investor in any other Dean Witter Funds held by the shareholder which were
previously purchased at a price including a front-end sales charge (including
shares of the Fund and other Dean Witter Funds acquired in exchange for those
shares, and including in each case shares acquired through reinvestment of
dividends and distributions) will be added to the cost or net asset value of
shares of the Fund owned by the investor. However, shares of "Exchange Funds"
(see "Shareholder Services--Exchange Privilege") and the purchase of shares
of other Dean Witter Funds will not be included in determining whether the
stated goal of a Letter of Intent has been reached.
At any time while a Letter of Intent is in effect, a shareholder may, by
written notice to the Distributor, increase the amount of the stated goal. In
that event, only shares purchased during the previous 90-day period and still
owned by the shareholder will be included in the new sales charge reduction.
The 5% escrow and minimum purchase requirements will be applicable to the new
stated goal. Investors electing to purchase shares of the Fund pursuant to a
Letter of Intent should carefully read such Letter of Intent.
CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE ALTERNATIVE--CLASS B SHARES
Class B shares are sold without an initial sales charge but are subject to
a CDSC payable upon most redemptions within six years after purchase. As
stated in the Prospectus, a CDSC will be imposed on any redemption by an
investor if after such redemption the current value of the investor's Class B
shares of
34
<PAGE>
the Fund is less than the dollar amount of all payments by the shareholder
for the purchase of Class B shares during the preceding six years (or, in the
case of shares held by certain employer-sponsored benefit plans, three
years). However, no CDSC will be imposed to the extent that the net asset
value of the shares redeemed does not exceed: (a) the current net asset value
of shares purchased more than six years (or, in the case of shares held by
certain employer-sponsored benefit plans, three years) prior to the
redemption, plus (b) the current net asset value of shares purchased through
reinvestment of dividends or distributions of the Fund or another Dean Witter
Fund (see "Shareholder Services--Targeted Dividends"), plus (c) the current
net asset value of shares acquired in exchange for (i) shares of Dean Witter
front-end sales charge funds, or (ii) shares of other Dean Witter Funds for
which shares of front-end sales charge funds have been exchanged (see
"Shareholder Services--Exchange Privilege"), plus (d) increases in the net
asset value of the investor's shares above the total amount of payments for
the purchase of Fund shares made during the preceding six (three) years. The
CDSC will be paid to the Distributor.
In determining the applicability of the CDSC to each redemption, the
amount which represents an increase in the net asset value of the investor's
shares above the amount of the total payments for the purchase of shares
within the last six years (or, in the case of shares held by certain
employer-sponsored benefit plans, three years) will be redeemed first. In the
event the redemption amount exceeds such increase in value, the next portion
of the amount redeemed will be the amount which represents the net asset
value of the investor's shares purchased more than six (three) years prior to
the redemption and/or shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends or
distributions and/or shares acquired in exchange for shares of Dean Witter
front-end sales charge funds, or for shares of other Dean Witter funds for
which shares of front-end sales charge funds have been exchanged. A portion
of the amount redeemed which exceeds an amount which represents both such
increase in value and the value of shares purchased more than six years (or,
in the case of shares held by certain employer-sponsored benefit plans, three
years) prior to the redemption and/or shares purchased through reinvestment
of dividends or distributions and/or shares acquired in the above-described
exchanges will be subject to a CDSC.
The amount of the CDSC, if any, will vary depending on the number of years
from the time of payment for the purchase of Class B shares of the Fund until
the time of redemption of such shares. For purposes of determining the number
of years from the time of any payment for the purchase of shares, all
payments made during a month will be aggregated and deemed to have been made
on the last day of the month. The following table sets forth the rates of the
CDSC applicable to most Class B shares of the Fund:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR SINCE
PURCHASE CDSC AS A PERCENTAGE
PAYMENT MADE OF AMOUNT REDEEMED
------------ ------------------
<S> <C>
First ...................... 5.0%
Second ..................... 4.0%
Third ...................... 3.0%
Fourth ..................... 2.0%
Fifth ...................... 2.0%
Sixth ...................... 1.0%
Seventh and thereafter .... None
</TABLE>
The following table sets forth the rates of the CDSC applicable to Class B
shares of the Fund held by 401(k) plans or other employer-sponsored plans
qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code for which DWTC or
DWTFSB serves as Trustee or the 401(k) Support Services Group of DWR serves
as recordkeeper and whose accounts are opened on or after July 28, 1997:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR SINCE
PURCHASE CDSC AS A PERCENTAGE
PAYMENT MADE OF AMOUNT REDEEMED
------------ ------------------
<S> <C>
First .................... 2.0%
Second ................... 2.0%
Third .................... 1.0%
Fourth and thereafter .... None
</TABLE>
35
<PAGE>
In determining the rate of the CDSC, it will be assumed that a redemption
is made of shares held by the investor for the longest period of time within
the applicable six-year or three-year period. This will result in any such
CDSC being imposed at the lowest possible rate. The CDSC will be imposed, in
accordance with the table shown above, on any redemptions within six years
(or, in the case of shares held by certain employer-sponsored benefit plans,
three years) of purchase which are in excess of these amounts and which
redemptions do not qualify for waiver of the CDSC, as described in the
Prospectus.
LEVEL LOAD ALTERNATIVE--CLASS C SHARES
Class C shares are sold without a sales charge but are subject to a CDSC
of 1.0% on most redemptions made within one year after purchase, except in
the circumstances discussed in the Prospectus.
NO LOAD ALTERNATIVE--CLASS D SHARES
Class D shares are offered without any sales charge on purchase or
redemption. Class D shares are offered only to those persons meeting the
qualifications set forth in the Prospectus.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon the purchase of shares of the Fund, a Shareholder Investment Account
is opened for the investor on the books of the Fund and maintained by the
Transfer Agent. This is an open account in which shares owned by the investor
are credited by the Transfer Agent in lieu of issuance of a share
certificate. If a share certificate is desired, it must be requested in
writing for each transaction. Certificates are issued only for full shares
and may be redeposited in the account at any time. There is no charge to the
investor for issuance of a certificate. Whenever a shareholder-instituted
transaction takes place in the Shareholder Investment Account, the
shareholder will be mailed a confirmation of the transaction from the Fund or
from DWR or other selected broker-dealer.
Automatic Investment of Dividends and Distributions. As stated in the
Prospectus, all income dividends and capital gains distributions are
automatically paid in full and fractional shares of the applicable Class of
the Fund, unless the shareholder requests that they be paid in cash. Each
purchase of shares of the Fund is made upon the condition that the Transfer
Agent is thereby automatically appointed as agent of the investor to receive
all dividends and capital gains distributions on shares owned by the
investor. Such dividends and distributions will be paid, at the net asset
value per share, in shares of the applicable Class of the Fund (or in cash if
the shareholder so requests) as of the close of business on the record date.
At any time an investor may request the Transfer Agent, in writing, to have
subsequent dividends and/or capital gains distributions paid to him or her in
cash rather than shares. To assure sufficient time to process the change,
such request should be received by the Transfer Agent at least five business
days prior to the record date of the dividend or distribution. In the case of
recently purchased shares for which registration instructions have not been
received on the record date, cash payments will be made to DWR or other
selected broker-dealer, and will be forwarded to the shareholder, upon the
receipt of proper instructions.
Targeted Dividends. (Service Mark) In states where it is legally
permissible, shareholders may also have all income dividends and capital
gains distributions automatically invested in shares of any Class of an
open-end Dean Witter Fund other than Dean Witter American Value Fund or in
another Class of Dean Witter American Value Fund. Such investment will be
made as described above for automatic investment in shares of the applicable
Class of the Fund, at the net asset value per share of the selected Dean
Witter Fund as of the close of business on the payment date of the dividend
or distribution and will begin to earn dividends, if any, in the selected
Dean Witter Fund the next business day. To participate in the Targeted
Dividends program, shareholders should contact their DWR or other selected
broker-dealer account executive or the Transfer Agent. Shareholders of the
Fund must be shareholders of the selected Class of the Dean Witter Fund
targeted to receive investments from dividends at the time they enter the
Targeted Dividends program. Investors should review the prospectus of the
targeted Dean Witter Fund before entering the program.
36
<PAGE>
EasyInvest.(Service Mark) Shareholders may subscribe to EasyInvest, an
automatic purchase plan which provides for any amount from $100 to $5,000 to
be transferred automatically from a checking or savings account or following
redemption of shares of a Dean Witter money market fund, on a semi-monthly,
monthly or quarterly basis, to the Transfer Agent for investment in shares of
the Fund. Shares purchased through EasyInvest will be added to the
shareholder's existing account at the net asset value calculated the same
business day the transfer of funds is effected. For further information or to
subscribe to EasyInvest, shareholders should contact their DWR or other
selected broker-dealer account executive or the Transfer Agent.
Investment of Dividends or Distributions Received in Cash. As discussed in
the Prospectus, any shareholder who receives a cash payment representing a
dividend or distribution may invest such dividend or distribution in shares
of the applicable Class at net asset value, without the imposition of a CDSC
upon redemption, by returning the check or the proceeds to the Transfer Agent
within 30 days after the payment date. If the shareholder returns the
proceeds of a dividend or distribution, such funds must be accompanied by a
signed statement indicating that the proceeds constitute a dividend or
distribution to be invested. Such investment will be made at the net asset
value per share next determined after receipt of the check or proceeds by the
Transfer Agent.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. As discussed in the Prospectus, a systematic
withdrawal plan (the "Withdrawal Plan") is available for shareholders who own
or purchase shares of the Fund having a minimum value of $10,000 based upon
the then current net asset value. The Withdrawal Plan provides for monthly or
quarterly (March, June, September and December) checks in any dollar amount,
not less than $25, or in any whole percentage of the account balance, on an
annualized basis. Any applicable CDSC will be imposed on shares redeemed
under the Withdrawal Plan (see "Purchase of Fund Shares"). Therefore, any
shareholder participating in the Withdrawal Plan will have sufficient shares
redeemed from his or her account so that the proceeds (net of any applicable
CDSC) to the shareholder will be the designated monthly or quarterly amount.
The Transfer Agent acts as agent for the shareholder in tendering to the
Fund for redemption sufficient full and fractional shares to provide the
amount of the periodic withdrawal payment designated in the application. The
shares will be redeemed at their net asset value determined, at the
shareholder's option, on the tenth or twenty-fifth day (or next following
business day) of the relevant month or quarter and normally a check for the
proceeds will be mailed by the Transfer Agent, or amounts credited to a
shareholder's DWR brokerage account, within five business days after the date
of redemption. The Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the Fund.
Withdrawal Plan payments should not be considered as dividends, yields or
income. If periodic withdrawal plan payments continuously exceed net
investment income and net capital gains, the share holder's original
investment will be correspondingly reduced and ultimately exhausted.
Each withdrawal constitutes a redemption of shares and any gain or loss
realized must be recognized for federal income tax purposes. Although the
shareholder may make additional investments of $2,500 or more under the
Withdrawal Plan, withdrawals made concurrently with purchases of additional
shares may be inadvisable because of the sales charges which may be
applicable to purchases or redemptions of shares (see "Purchase of Fund
Shares").
Any shareholder who wishes to have payments under the Withdrawal Plan made
to a third party or sent to an address other than the one listed on the
account must send complete written instructions to the Transfer Agent to
enroll in the Withdrawal Plan. The shareholder's signature on such
instructions must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor acceptable to the
Transfer Agent (shareholders should contact the Transfer Agent for a
determination as to whether a particular institution is such an eligible
guarantor). A shareholder may, at any time, change the amount and interval of
withdrawal payments through his or her Account Executive or by written
notification to the Transfer Agent. In addition, the party and/or the address
to which checks are mailed may be changed by written notification to the
Transfer Agent, with signature guarantees required in the manner described
above. The shareholder may also terminate the Withdrawal Plan at any time by
written notice to the Transfer Agent. In the event of such termination, the
account will be continued as a regular shareholder investment account. The
shareholder may also redeem all or part of the shares held in the Withdrawal
Plan account (see "Redemptions and Repurchases" in the Prospectus) at any
time.
37
<PAGE>
Direct Investments through Transfer Agent. As discussed in the Prospectus,
shareholders may make additional investments in any Class of shares of the
Fund for which they qualify at any time by sending a check in any amount, not
less than $100, payable to Dean Witter American Value Fund, and indicating
the selected Class, directly to the Fund's Transfer Agent. In the case of
Class A shares, after deduction of any applicable sales charge, the balance
will be applied to the purchase of Fund shares, and, in the case of shares of
the other Classes, the entire amount will be applied to the purchase of Fund
shares, at the net asset value per share next computed after receipt of the
check or purchase payment by the Transfer Agent. The shares so purchased will
be credited to the investor's account.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund makes available to its
shareholders an Exchange Privilege whereby shareholders of each Class of
shares of the Fund may exchange their shares for shares of the same Class of
shares of any other Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund without the imposition of
any exchange fee. Shares may also be exchanged for shares of any of the
following funds: Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust, Dean Witter
Limited Term Municipal Trust, Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund, Dean Witter
Intermediate Term U.S. Treasury Trust and five Dean Witter Funds which are
money market funds (the foregoing nine funds are hereinafter referred to as
the "Exchange Funds"). Class A shares may also be exchanged for shares of
Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust and Dean Witter Hawaii
Municipal Trust, which are Dean Witter Funds sold with a front-end sales
charge ("FSC Funds"). Class B shares may also be exchanged for shares of Dean
Witter Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc., Dean Witter High Income Securities
and Dean Witter National Municipal Trust, which are Dean Witter Funds offered
with a CDSC ("CDSC Funds"). Exchanges may be made after the shares of the
Fund acquired by purchase (not by exchange or dividend reinvestment) have
been held for thirty days. There is no waiting period for exchanges of shares
acquired by exchange or dividend reinvestment. An exchange will be treated
for federal income tax purposes the same as a repurchase or redemption of
shares, on which the shareholder may realize a capital gain or loss.
Any new account established through the Exchange Privilege will have the
same registration and cash dividend or dividend reinvestment plan as the
present account, unless the Transfer Agent receives written notification to
the contrary. For telephone exchanges, the exact registration of the existing
account and the account number must be provided.
Any shares held in certificate form cannot be exchanged but must be
forwarded to the Transfer Agent and deposited into the shareholder's account
before being eligible for exchange. (Certificates mailed in for deposit
should not be endorsed.)
As described below, and in the Prospectus under the caption "Purchase of
Fund Shares," a CDSC may be imposed upon a redemption, depending on a number
of factors, including the number of years from the time of purchase until the
time of redemption or exchange ("holding period"). When shares of a Dean
Witter Multi-Class Fund or any CDSC Fund are exchanged for shares of an
Exchange Fund, the exchange is executed at no charge to the shareholder,
without the imposition of the CDSC at the time of the exchange. During the
period of time the shareholder remains in the Exchange Fund (calculated from
the last day of the month in which the Exchange Fund shares were acquired),
the holding period or "year since purchase payment made" is frozen. When
shares are redeemed out of the Exchange Fund, they will be subject to a CDSC
which would be based upon the period of time the shareholder held shares in a
Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund or in a CDSC Fund. However, in the case of
shares exchanged into an Exchange Fund on or after April 23, 1990, upon a
redemption of shares which results in a CDSC being imposed, a credit (not to
exceed the amount of the CDSC) will be given in an amount equal to the
Exchange Fund 12b-1 distribution fees incurred on or after that date which
are attributable to those shares. Shareholders acquiring shares of an
Exchange Fund pursuant to this exchange privilege may exchange those shares
back into a Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund or a CDSC Fund from the Exchange
Fund, with no CDSC being imposed on such exchange. The holding period
previously frozen when shares were first exchanged for shares of the Exchange
Fund resumes on the last day of the month in which shares of a Dean Witter
Multi-Class Fund or of a CDSC Fund are reacquired. A CDSC is imposed only
upon an ultimate redemption, based upon the time (calculated as described
above) the shareholder
38
<PAGE>
was invested in a Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund or in a CDSC Fund. In the case
of exchanges of Class A shares which are subject to a CDSC, the holding
period also includes the time (calculated as described above) the shareholder
was invested in a FSC Fund.
When shares initially purchased in a Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund or in a
CDSC Fund are exchanged for shares of a Dean Witter Multi-Class Fund, shares
of a CDSC Fund, shares of a FSC Fund or shares of an Exchange Fund, the date
of purchase of the shares of the fund exchanged into, for purposes of the
CDSC upon redemption, will be the last day of the month in which the shares
being exchanged were originally purchased. In allocating the purchase
payments between funds for purposes of the CDSC, the amount which represents
the current net asset value of shares at the time of the exchange which were
(i) purchased more than one, three or six years (depending on the CDSC
schedule applicable to the shares) prior to the exchange, (ii) originally
acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions and (iii)
acquired in exchange for shares of FSC Funds, or for shares of other Dean
Witter Funds for which shares of FSC Funds have been exchanged (all such
shares called "Free Shares"), will be exchanged first. After an exchange, all
dividends earned on shares in an Exchange Fund will be considered Free
Shares. If the exchanged amount exceeds the value of such Free Shares, an
exchange is made, on a block-by-block basis, of non-Free Shares held for the
longest period of time (except that, with respect to Class B shares, if
shares held for identical periods of time but subject to different CDSC
schedules are held in the same Exchange Privilege account, the shares of that
block that are subject to a lower CDSC rate will be exchanged prior to the
shares of that block that are subject to a higher CDSC rate). Shares equal to
any appreciation in the value of non-Free Shares exchanged will be treated as
Free Shares, and the amount of the purchase payments for the non-Free Shares
of the fund exchanged into will be equal to the lesser of (a) the purchase
payments for, or (b) the current net asset value of, the exchanged non-Free
Shares. If an exchange between funds would result in exchange of only part of
a particular block of non-Free Shares, then shares equal to any appreciation
in the value of the block (up to the amount of the exchange) will be treated
as Free Shares and exchanged first, and the purchase payment for that block
will be allocated on a pro rata basis between the non-Free Shares of that
block to be retained and the non-Free Shares to be exchanged. The prorated
amount of such purchase payment attributable to the retained non-Free Shares
will remain as the purchase payment for such shares, and the amount of
purchase payment for the exchanged non-Free Shares will be equal to the
lesser of (a) the prorated amount of the purchase payment for, or (b) the
current net asset value of, those exchanged non-Free Shares. Based upon the
procedures described in the Prospectus under the caption "Purchase of Fund
Shares," any applicable CDSC will be imposed upon the ultimate redemption of
shares of any fund, regardless of the number of exchanges since those shares
were originally purchased.
With respect to the redemption or repurchase of shares of the Fund, the
application of proceeds to the purchase of new shares in the Fund or any
other of the funds and the general administration of the Exchange Privilege,
the Transfer Agent acts as agent for the Distributor and for the
shareholder's selected broker-dealer, if any, in the performance of such
functions. With respect to exchanges, redemptions or repurchases, the
Transfer Agent shall be liable for its own negligence and not for the default
or negligence of its correspondents or for losses in transit. The Fund shall
not be liable for any default or negligence of the Transfer Agent, the
Distributor or any selected broker-dealer.
The Distributor and any selected broker-dealer have authorized and
appointed the Transfer Agent to act as their agent in connection with the
application of proceeds of any redemption of Fund shares to the purchase of
shares of any other fund and the general administration of the Exchange
Privilege. No commission or discounts will be paid to the Distributor or any
selected broker-dealer for any transactions pursuant to this Exchange
Privilege.
Exchanges are subject to the minimum investment requirement and any other
conditions imposed by each fund. (The minimum initial investment for the
Exchange Privilege account of each Class is $5,000 for Dean Witter Liquid
Asset Fund Inc., Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust, Dean Witter
California Tax-Free Daily Income Trust and Dean Witter New York Municipal
Money Market Trust, although those funds may, in their discretion, accept
initial investments of as low as $1,000. The
39
<PAGE>
minimum initial investment for the Exchange Privilege account of each Class
is $10,000 for Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust, although that
fund, in its discretion, may accept initial purchases of as low as $5,000.
The minimum initial investment for the Exchange Privilege account of each
Class is $5,000 for Dean Witter Special Value Fund. The minimum initial
investment for the Exchange Privilege account of each Class of all other Dean
Witter Funds for which the Exchange Privilege is available is $1,000.) Upon
exchange into an Exchange Fund, the shares of that fund will be held in a
special Exchange Privilege Account separately from accounts of those
shareholders who have acquired their shares directly from that fund. As a
result, certain services normally available to shareholders of those funds,
including the check writing feature, will not be available for funds held in
that account.
The Fund and each of the other Dean Witter Funds may limit the number of
times this Exchange Privilege may be exercised by any investor within a
specified period of time. Also, the Exchange Privilege may be terminated or
revised at any time by the Fund and/or any of the Dean Witter funds for
whichshares of the Fund have been exchanged, upon such notice as may be
required by applicable regulatory agencies (presently sixty days' prior
written notice for termination or material revision), provided that six
months' prior written notice of termination will be given to the shareholders
who hold shares of Exchange Funds pursuant to the Exchange Privilege, and
provided further that the Exchange Privilege may be terminated or materially
revised without notice at times (a) when the New York Stock Exchange is
closed for other than customary weekends and holidays, (b) when trading on
that Exchange is restricted, (c) when an emergency exists as a result of
which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably
practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to
determine the value of its net assets, (d) during any other period when the
Securities and Exchange Commission by order so permits (provided that
applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (b) or (c) exist) or
(e) if the Fund would be unable to invest amounts effectively in accordance
with its investment objective, policies and restrictions.
For further information regarding the Exchange Privilege, shareholders
should contact their DWR or other selected broker-dealer account executive or
the Transfer Agent.
REDEMPTIONS AND REPURCHASES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redemption. As stated in the Prospectus, shares of each Class of the Fund
can be redeemed for cash at any time at the net asset value per share next
determined; however, such redemption proceeds will be reduced by the amount
of any applicable CDSC. If shares are held in a shareholder's account without
a share certificate, a written request for redemption to the Fund's Transfer
Agent at P.O. Box 983, Jersey City, NJ 07303 is required. If certificates are
held by the shareholder, the shares may be redeemed by surrendering the
certificates with a written request for redemption. The share certificate, or
an accompanying stock power, and the request for redemption, must be signed
by the shareholder or shareholders exactly as the shares are registered. Each
request for redemption, whether or not accompanied by a share certificate,
must be sent to the Fund's Transfer Agent, which will redeem the shares at
their net asset value next computed (see "Purchase of Fund Shares") after it
receives the request, and certificate, if any, in good order. Any redemption
request received after such computation will be redeemed at the next
determined net asset value. The term "good order" means that the share
certificate, if any, and request for redemption are properly signed,
accompanied by any documentation required by the Transfer Agent, and bear
signature guarantees when required by the Fund or the Transfer Agent. If
redemption is requested by a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary,
the Transfer Agent may require that written evidence of authority acceptable
to the Transfer Agent be submitted before such request is accepted.
Whether certificates are held by the shareholder or shares are held in a
shareholder's account, if the proceeds are to be paid to any person other
than the record owner, or if the proceeds are to be paid to a corporation
(other than the Distributor or a selected broker-dealer for the account of
the shareholder), partnership, trust or fiduciary, or sent to the shareholder
at an address other than the registered address, signatures must be
guaranteed by an eligible guarantor acceptable to the Transfer Agent
(shareholders
40
<PAGE>
should contact the Transfer Agent for a determination as to whether a
particular institution is such an eligible guarantor). A stock power may be
obtained from any dealer or commercial bank. The Fund may change the
signature guarantee requirements from time to time upon notice to
shareholders, which may be by means of a supplement to the prospectus or a
new prospectus.
Repurchase. As stated in the Prospectus, DWR and other selected
broker-dealers are authorized to repurchase shares represented by a share
certificate which is delivered to any of their offices. Shares held in a
shareholder's account without a share certificate may also be repurchased by
DWR and other selected broker-dealers upon the telephonic request of the
shareholder. The repurchase price is the net asset value next computed after
such purchase order is received by DWR or other selected broker-dealer
reduced by any applicable CDSC.
Payment for Shares Redeemed or Repurchased. As discussed in the
Prospectus, payment for shares of any Class presented for repurchase or
redemption will be made by check within seven days after receipt by the
Transfer Agent of the certificate and/or written request in good order. The
term good order means that the share certificate, if any, and request for
redemption are properly signed, accompanied by any documentation required by
the Transfer Agent, and bear signature guarantees when required by the Fund
or Transfer Agent. Such payment may be postponed or the right of redemption
suspended at times (a) when the New York Stock Exchange is closed for other
than customary weekends and holidays, (b) when trading on that Exchange is
restricted, (c) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the
Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not
reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net
assets, or (d) during any other period when the Securities and Exchange
Commission by order so permits; provided that applicable rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission shall govern as to
whether the conditions prescribed in (b) or (c) exist. If the shares to be
redeemed have recently been purchased by check, payment of the redemption
proceeds may be delayed for the minimum time needed to verify that the check
used for investment has been honored (not more than fifteen days from the
time of receipt of the check by the Transfer Agent). Shareholders maintaining
margin accounts with DWR or another selected broker-dealer are referred to
their account executive regarding restrictions on redemption of shares of the
Fund pledged in the margin account.
Transfers of Shares. In the event a shareholder requests a transfer of any
shares to a new registration, such shares will be transferred without sales
charge at the time of transfer. With regard to the status of shares which are
either subject to the CDSC or free of such charge (and with regard to the
length of time shares subject to the charge have been held), any transfer
involving less than all of the shares in an account will be made on a pro
rata basis (that is, by transferring shares in the same proportion that the
transferred shares bear to the total shares in the account immediately prior
to the transfer). The transferred shares will continue to be subject to any
applicable CDSC as if they had not been so transferred.
Reinstatement Privilege. As discussed in the Prospectus, a shareholder who
has had his or her shares redeemed or repurchased and has not previously
exercised this reinstatement privilege may, within 35 days after the date of
redemption or repurchase, reinstate any portion or all of the proceeds of
such redemption or repurchase in shares of the Fund in the same Class at the
net asset value next determined after a reinstatement request, together with
the proceeds, is received by the Transfer Agent.
Exercise of the reinstatement privilege will not affect the federal income
tax treatment of any gain or loss realized upon the redemption or repurchase,
except that if the redemption or repurchase resulted in a loss and
reinstatement is made in shares of the Fund, some or all of the loss,
depending on the amount reinstated, will not be allowed as a deduction for
federal income tax purposes but will be applied to adjust the cost basis of
the shares acquired upon reinstatement.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As discussed in the Prospectus under "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes,"
the Fund will determine either to distribute or to retain all or part of any
net long-term capital gains in any year for reinvestment.
41
<PAGE>
If any such gains are retained, the Fund will pay federal income tax thereon,
and shareholders at year-end will be able to claim their share of the tax
paid by the Fund as a credit against their individual federal income tax.
Because the Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income
and capital gains to shareholders and otherwise continue to qualify as a
regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code,
it is not expected that the Fund will be required to pay any federal income
tax. Shareholders will normally have to pay federal income taxes, and any
state income taxes, on the dividends and distributions they receive from the
Fund. Such dividends and distributions, to the extent that they are derived
from the net investment income or short-term capital gains, are taxable to
the shareholder as ordinary income regardless of whether the shareholder
receives such payments in additional shares or in cash. Any dividends
declared in the last quarter of any calendar year which are paid in the
following calendar year prior to February 1 will be deemed received by the
shareholder in the prior calendar year. Dividend payments will be eligible
for the federal dividends received deduction available to the Fund's
corporate shareholders only to the extent the aggregate dividends received by
the Fund would be eligible for the deduction if the Fund were the shareholder
claiming the dividends received deduction. In this regard, a 46-day holding
period generally must be met.
Gains or losses on the Fund's transactions in listed non-equity options,
futures and options on futures generally are treated as 60% long-term and 40%
short-term. When the Fund engages in options and futures transactions,
various tax regulations applicable to the Fund may have the effect of causing
the Fund to recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes before the gain or loss
is realized, or to defer recognition of a realized loss for tax purposes.
Recognition, for taxes purposes, of an unrealized loss may result in a lesser
amount of the Fund's realized gains being available for annual distribution.
Gains or losses on sales of securities by the Fund will be long-term
capital gains or losses if the securities have a tax holding period of more
than twelve months. Gains or losses on the sale of securities with a tax
holding period of twelve months or less will be short-term gains or losses.
One of the requirements for the Fund to remain qualified as a regulated
investment company is that less than 30% of its gross income be derived from
gains from the sale or other disposition of securities held for less than
three months. Accordingly, the Fund may be restricted in the writing of
options on securities held for less than three months, in the writing of
options which expire in less than three months, and in effecting closing
transactions with respect to call or put options which have been written or
purchased less than three months prior to such transactions. The Fund may
also be restricted in its ability to engage in transactions involving futures
contracts.
As stated under "Investment Practices and Policies," the Fund may invest
up to 35% of its portfolio in securities other than common stocks, including
U.S. Government securities. Under current federal tax law, the Fund will
receive net investment income in the form of interest by virtue of holding
Treasury bills, notes and bonds, and will recognize income attributable to it
from holding zero coupon Treasury securities. Current federal tax law
requires that a holder (such as the Fund) of a zero coupon security accrue a
portion of the discount at which the security was purchased as income each
year even though the Fund receives no interest payment in cash on the
security during the year. As an investment company, the Fund must pay out
substantially all of its net investment income each year. Accordingly, the
Fund, to the extent it invests in zero coupon Treasury securities, may be
required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount which is
greater than the total amount of cash receipts of interest the Fund actually
received. Such distributions will be made from the available cash of the Fund
or by liquidation of portfolio securities if necessary. If a distribution of
cash necessitates the liquidation of portfolio securities, the Investment
Manager will select which securities to sell. The Fund may realize a gain or
loss from such sales. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from
such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain
distribution, if any, than they would in the absence of such transactions.
Any dividend or capital gains distribution received by a shareholder from
any investment company will have the effect of reducing the net asset value
of the shareholder's stock in that company by the exact amount of the
dividend or capital gains distribution. Furthermore, capital gains
distributions and
42
<PAGE>
some portion of the dividends are subject to federal income taxes. If the net
asset value of the shares should be reduced below a shareholder's cost as a
result of the payment of dividends or the distribution of realized long-term
capital gains, such payment or distribution would be in part a return of
capital but nonetheless would be taxable to the shareholder. Therefore, an
investor should consider the tax implications of purchasing Fund shares
immediately prior to a distribution record date.
Shareholders are urged to consult their attorneys or tax advisers
regarding specific questions as to federal, state or local taxes.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As discussed in the Prospectus, from time to time the Fund may quote its
"total return" in advertisements and sales literature. These figures are
computed separately for Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D shares. The
Fund's "average annual total return" represents an annualization of the
Fund's total return over a particular period and is computed by finding the
annual percentage rate which will result in the ending redeemable value of a
hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of a one, five or ten
year period, or for the period from the date of commencement of operations,
if shorter than any of the foregoing. The ending redeemable value is reduced
by any CDSC at the end of the one, five or ten year or other period. For the
purpose of this calculation, it is assumed that all dividends and
distributions are reinvested. The formula for computing the average annual
total return involves a percentage obtained by dividing the ending redeemable
value by the amount of the initial investment, taking a root of the quotient
(where the root is equivalent to the number of years in the period) and
subtracting 1 from the result.
The average annual total returns of the Fund for the one, five and ten
year periods ended December 31, 1996, were 5.56%, 12.31% and 14.87%,
respectively. These returns are for Class B only; there were no other Classes
of shares outstanding on such date.
In addition to the foregoing, the Fund may advertise its total return for
each Class over different periods of time by means of aggregate, average,
year-by-year or other types to total return figures. Such calculations may or
may not reflect the imposition of the maximum front-end sales charge for
Class A or the deduction of the CDSC for each of Class B and Class C which,
if reflected, would reduce the performance quoted. For example, the average
annual total return of the Fund may be calculated in the manner described
above, but without deduction for any applicable sales charge. Based on this
calculation, the average annual total returns of the Fund for the one, five
and ten year periods ended December 31, 1996, were 10.53%, 12.56% and 14.87%,
respectively. These returns are for Class B only; there were no other Classes
of shares outstanding on such date.
In addition, the Fund may compute its aggregate total return for each
Class for specified periods by determining the aggregate percentage rate
which will result in the ending value of a hypothetical $1,000 investment
made at the beginning of the period. For the purpose of this calculation, it
is assumed that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The formula
for computing aggregate total return involves a percentage obtained by
dividing the ending value (without reduction for any sales charge) by the
initial $1,000 investment and subtracting 1 from the result. Based on the
foregoing calculation, the Fund's total return for the one, five and ten year
period ended December 31, 1996, were 10.53%, 80.66% and 299.86%. These
returns are for Class B only; there were no other Classes of shares
outstanding on such date.
The Fund may also advertise the growth of hypothetical investments of
$10,000, $50,000 and $100,000 in each Class of shares of the Fund by adding 1
to the Fund's aggregate total return to date (expressed as a decimal and
without taking into account the effect of any applicable CDSC) and
multiplying by $9,475, $48,000 and $97,000 in the case of Class A
(investments of $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000 adjusted for the initial sales
charge) or by $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000 in the case of each of Class B,
Class C and Class D, as the case may be. Investments of $10,000, $50,000 and
$100,000 in the Fund at inception would have grown to $94,664 $473,320 and
$946,640, respectively, at December 31, 1996. This information is for Class B
only; there were no other Classes of shares outstanding on such date.
43
<PAGE>
The Fund from time to time may also advertise its performance relative to
certain performance rankings and indexes compiled by independent
organizations.
SHARES OF THE FUND
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The shareholders of the Fund are entitled to a full vote for each full
share of beneficial interest held. The Fund is authorized to issue an
unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. All of the Trustees have
been elected by the shareholders of the Fund, most recently at a Special
Meeting of Shareholders held on May 21, 1997. On that date, Wayne E. Hedien
was also elected as a Trustee of the Fund, with his term to commence on
September 1, 1997. The Trustees themselves have the power to alter the number
and the terms of office of the Trustees (as provided for in the Declaration
of Trust), and they may at any time lengthen or shorten their own terms or
make their terms of unlimited duration and appoint their own successors,
provided that always at least a majority of the Trustees has been elected by
the shareholders of the Fund. Under certain circumstances the Trustees may be
removed by action of the Trustees. The shareholders also have the right under
certain circumstances to remove the Trustees. The voting rights of
shareholders are not cumulative, so that holders of more than 50 percent of
the shares voting can, if they choose, elect all Trustees being selected,
while the holders of the remaining shares would be unable to elect any
Trustees.
The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to authorize the creation of
additional series of shares (the proceeds of which would be invested in
separate, independently managed portfolios) and additional classes of shares
within any series. The Trustees have not currently authorized any such
additional series or classes of shares other than as set forth in the
Prospectus.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that no Trustee, officer,
employee or agent of the Fund is liable to the Fund or to a shareholder, nor
is any Trustee, officer, employee or agent liable to any third persons in
connection with the affairs of the Fund, except as such liability may arise
from his/her or its own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of his/her or its duties. It also provides that all third
persons shall look solely to the Fund property for satisfaction of claims
arising in connection with the affairs of the Fund. With the exceptions
stated, the Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee, officer, employee
or agent is entitled to be indemnified against all liability in connection
with the affairs of the Fund.
The Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of
beneficial interest.
The Fund shall be of unlimited duration subject to the provisions in the
Declaration of Trust concerning termination by action of the shareholders or
the Trustees.
CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bank of New York, 90 Washington Street, New York, New York 10286 is
the Custodian of the Fund's assets. Any of the Fund's cash balances with the
Custodian in excess of $100,000 are unprotected by federal deposit insurance.
Such balances may, at times, be substantial.
Dean Witter Trust Company, Harborside Financial Center, Plaza Two, Jersey
City, New Jersey 07311 is the Transfer Agent of the Fund's shares and
Dividend Disbursing Agent for payment of dividends and distributions on Fund
shares and Agent for shareholders under various investment plans described
herein. Dean Witter Trust Company is an affiliate of Dean Witter InterCapital
Inc., the Fund's Investment Manager, and of Dean Witter Distributors Inc.,
the Fund's Distributor. As Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent, Dean
Witter Trust Company's responsibilities include maintaining shareholder
accounts, disbursing cash dividends and reinvesting dividends, processing
account registration changes, handling purchase and redemption transactions,
mailing prospectuses and reports, mailing and tabulating proxies, processing
share certificate transactions, and maintaining shareholder records and
lists. For these services Dean Witter Trust Company receives a per
shareholder account fee from the Fund.
44
<PAGE>
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Price Waterhouse LLP serves as the independent accountants of the Fund.
The independent accountants are responsible for auditing the annual financial
statements of the Fund.
REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund will send to shareholders, at least semi-annually, reports
showing the Fund's portfolio and other information. An annual report,
containing financial statements audited by independent accountants, will be
sent to shareholders each year.
The Fund's fiscal year is the calendar year. The financial statements of
the Fund must be audited at least once a year by independent accountants
whose selection is made annually by the Fund's Board of Trustees.
LEGAL COUNSEL
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry Fink, Esq., who is an officer and the General Counsel of the
Investment Manager, is an officer and the General Counsel of the Fund.
EXPERTS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal year ended December
31, 1996 included in the Statement of Additional Information and incorporated
by reference in the Prospectus have been so included and incorporated in
reliance on the report of Price Waterhouse LLP, independent accountants,
given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Statement of Additional Information and the Prospectus do not contain
all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement the Fund has
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The complete Registration
Statement may be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission upon
payment of the fee prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Commission.
45
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS December 31, 1996
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NUMBER OF
SHARES VALUE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
COMMON STOCKS (92.8%)
Agriculture Related (4.7%)
685,000 Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. ...................................... $ 15,070,000
Dekalb Genetics Corp.
196,400 (Class B) ...................................................... 9,967,300
315,000 Delta & Pine Land Co. ........................................... 10,080,000
270,000 IMC Global, Inc. ............................................... 10,563,750
1,230,000 Monsanto Co. .................................................... 47,816,250
85,000 Mycogen Corp.* .................................................. 1,785,000
Pioneer Hi-Bred
437,000 International, Inc. ............................................ 30,590,000
150,000 Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc. (Canada) ................... 12,750,000
200,000 Tyson Foods, Inc. (Class A) ..................................... 6,825,000
--------------
145,447,300
--------------
Apparel & Footwear (0.9%)
274,300 Jones Apparel Group, Inc.* ...................................... 10,251,962
400,000 Reebok International Ltd. (United Kingdom) ..................... 16,800,000
--------------
27,051,962
--------------
Auto Related (0.8%)
450,000 General Motors Corp. ............................................ 25,087,500
--------------
Banks (7.8%)
445,000 Bank of Boston Corp. ............................................ 28,591,250
340,000 BankAmerica Corp. ............................................... 33,915,000
370,000 Chase Manhattan Corp. .......................................... 33,022,500
378,000 Citicorp ........................................................ 38,934,000
450,000 First Chicago NBD Corp. ........................................ 24,187,500
482,700 Mellon Bank Corp. .............................................. 34,271,700
350,000 NationsBank Corp. .............................................. 34,212,500
400,000 PNC Bank Corp. ................................................. 15,050,000
--------------
242,184,450
--------------
Basic Cyclicals (1.9%)
250,000 Aluminum Co. of America ......................................... 15,937,500
200,000 Crown Cork & Seal Co., Inc. ..................................... 10,875,000
185,000 Du Pont (E.I.) de Nemours & Co. ................................ 17,459,375
200,000 RMI Titanium Co.* ............................................... 5,625,000
300,000 Titanium Metals Corp.* .......................................... 9,787,500
--------------
59,684,375
--------------
Biotechnology (3.5%)
513,000 Biochem Pharma, Inc.* ........................................... $ 25,585,875
875,000 Biogen, Inc.* ................................................... 33,687,500
1,251,000 Centocor, Inc.* ................................................. 44,723,250
124,500 IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp.* 2,941,312
--------------
106,937,937
--------------
Capital Goods (3.2%)
417,000 Boeing Co. ...................................................... 44,358,375
450,000 Honeywell, Inc. ................................................. 29,587,500
405,000 United Technologies Corp. ...................................... 26,730,000
--------------
100,675,875
--------------
Communications Equipment (7.4%)
400,000 3Com Corp.* ..................................................... 29,300,000
158,000 ADC Telecommunications, Inc.* .................................. 4,898,000
246,500 Adtran, Inc.* ................................................... 10,229,750
14,800 Advanced Fibre Communications, Inc.* ........................... 823,250
395,000 Andrew Corp.* ................................................... 20,935,000
150,000 Ascend Communications, Inc.* ................................... 9,300,000
585,000 Cisco Systems, Inc.* ............................................ 37,220,625
700,000 Ericsson (L.M.) Telephone Co. (Class B)(ADR) (Sweden) ......... 21,087,500
545,000 Lucent Technologies, Inc. ...................................... 25,206,250
465,000 Newbridge Networks Corp.* (Canada) ............................. 13,136,250
720,000 Pairgain Technologies, Inc.* .................................... 21,870,000
330,000 Tellabs, Inc.* .................................................. 12,416,250
235,000 U.S. Robotics Corp.* ............................................ 16,920,000
100,000 Uniphase Corp.* ................................................. 5,250,000
--------------
228,592,875
--------------
<PAGE>
Computer Equipment (5.9%)
435,000 COMPAQ Computer Corp.* .......................................... 32,298,750
942,000 Dell Computer Corp.* ............................................ 50,043,750
1,200,000 EMC Corp.* ...................................................... 39,750,000
200,000 Gateway 2000, Inc.* ............................................. 10,700,000
170,000 Quantum Corp.* .................................................. 4,823,750
900,000 Seagate Technology, Inc.* ....................................... 35,550,000
150,000 Western Digital Corp.* .......................................... 8,531,250
--------------
181,697,500
--------------
SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
46
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS December 31, 1996, continued
NUMBER OF
SHARES VALUE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Services (1.3%)
Gartner Group, Inc.
350,000 (Class A)* ..................................................... $ 13,606,250
200,000 Keane, Inc.* .................................................... 6,350,000
111,000 Reuters Holdings PLC (ADR) (United Kingdom) .................... 8,491,500
215,000 Transaction Systems Architects, Inc. (Class A)* ................ 7,041,250
200,000 Vanstar Corp.* .................................................. 4,900,000
--------------
40,389,000
--------------
Computer Software (5.0%)
350,000 BMC Software, Inc.* ............................................. 14,481,250
255,000 Computer Associates International, Inc. ....................... 12,686,250
75,000 Learning Tree International, Inc.* ............................. 2,193,750
890,000 Microsoft Corp.* ................................................ 73,536,250
50,000 Parametric Technology Corp.* ................................... 2,568,750
600,000 Peoplesoft, Inc.* ............................................... 28,725,000
284,900 Rational Software Corp.* ........................................ 11,182,325
160,000 Veritas Software Co.* ........................................... 7,880,000
--------------
153,253,575
--------------
Consumer - Noncyclical (1.4%)
344,600 Avon Products, Inc. ............................................. 19,685,275
150,000 Colgate-Palmolive Co. ........................................... 13,837,500
Nu Skin Asia Pacific Inc.
10,200 (Class A)* ..................................................... 314,925
100,000 Procter & Gamble Co. ........................................... 10,750,000
--------------
44,587,700
--------------
Consumer Business Services (1.6%)
BA Merchant Services, Inc.
44,200 (Class A)* ..................................................... 790,075
120,000 Computer Sciences Corp.* ........................................ 9,855,000
300,000 Diebold, Inc. ................................................... 18,862,500
290,400 National Education Corp.* ....................................... 4,428,600
580,000 Service Corp. International ..................................... 16,240,000
--------------
50,176,175
--------------
Consumer Products (1.1%)
261,000 Callaway Golf Company ........................................... 7,503,750
340,000 Kroger Co.* ..................................................... 15,810,000
280,000 Safeway, Inc.* .................................................. 11,970,000
--------------
35,283,750
--------------
Drugs (4.2%)
380,000 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. ....................................... $ 41,325,000
373,300 Dura Pharmaceuticals, Inc.* ..................................... 17,778,412
530,000 Lilly (Eli) & Co. .............................................. 38,690,000
415,000 Warner-Lambert Co. .............................................. 31,125,000
--------------
128,918,412
--------------
Energy (8.7%)
345,000 Apache Corp. .................................................... 12,204,375
600,000 Baker Hughes, Inc. .............................................. 20,700,000
150,800 BJ Services Co.* ................................................ 7,690,800
240,000 British Petroleum Co. PLC (ADR)(United Kingdom) ................ 33,930,000
290,000 Chesapeake Energy Corp.* ........................................ 16,131,250
60,000 Cooper Cameron Corp.* ........................................... 4,590,000
303,400 Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.* ............................... 17,293,800
100,000 ENSCO International, Inc.* ...................................... 4,850,000
440,000 Global Marine, Inc.* ............................................ 9,075,000
294,000 Louisiana Land & Exploration Co. .............................. 15,765,750
69,000 Marine Drilling Company, Inc.* ................................. 1,354,125
400,000 Noble Drilling Corp.* ........................................... 7,950,000
530,000 Reading & Bates Corp.* .......................................... 14,045,000
150,000 Rowan Companies, Inc.* .......................................... 3,393,750
370,000 Schlumberger, Ltd. .............................................. 36,953,750
242,000 Smith International, Inc.* ...................................... 10,859,750
155,000 Texaco, Inc. ................................................... 15,209,375
250,000 Transocean Offshore, Inc. ...................................... 15,656,250
350,000 Unocal Corp. .................................................... 14,218,750
120,000 Western Atlas, Inc.* ............................................ 8,505,000
--------------
270,376,725
--------------
<PAGE>
Entertainment/Gaming & Lodging (2.8%)
240,000 HFS, Inc.* ...................................................... 14,340,000
950,000 Hilton Hotels Corp. ............................................ 24,818,750
482,000 International Game Technology .................................. 8,796,500
534,700 MGM Grand, Inc.* ................................................ 18,647,663
800,000 Mirage Resorts, Inc.* ........................................... 17,300,000
280,000 Sodak Gaming, Inc.* ............................................. 4,200,000
--------------
88,102,913
--------------
SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
47
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS December 31, 1996, continued
NUMBER OF
SHARES VALUE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial - Miscellaneous (8.3%)
300,000 American Express Co. ............................................ $ 16,950,000
246,000 Countrywide Credit Industries, Inc. ........................... 7,041,750
137,700 Crescent Real Estate Equities, Inc. ........................... 7,263,675
355,000 Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. ............................... 39,094,375
1,100,000 Federal National Mortgage Assoc. .............................. 40,975,000
870,000 Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. ................................. 27,296,250
665,000 Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. ....................................... 54,197,500
150,000 MGIC Investment Corp. ........................................... 11,400,000
625,000 Morgan Stanley Group, Inc. ...................................... 35,703,125
570,000 Paine Webber Group Inc. ......................................... 16,031,250
41,000 PMI Group, Inc. ................................................. 2,270,375
--------------
258,223,300
--------------
Healthcare Products & Services (0.7%)
Health Management Associates, Inc.
720,000 (Class A)* ..................................................... 16,200,000
26,500 PhyCor, Inc.* ................................................... 745,313
73,700 Shared Medical Systems Corp. ................................... 3,620,513
--------------
20,565,826
--------------
Insurance (3.4%)
100,000 Ace, Ltd. (Bermuda) ............................................. 6,012,500
400,000 Allstate Corp. .................................................. 23,150,000
555,000 Conseco Inc. .................................................... 35,381,250
190,200 Exel Ltd. (Bermuda) ............................................. 7,203,825
360,000 SunAmerica Inc. ................................................. 15,975,000
400,000 Travelers Group, Inc. ........................................... 18,150,000
--------------
105,872,575
--------------
Internet (1.0%)
670,000 America Online, Inc.* ........................................... 22,277,500
107,000 Netscape Communications Corp.* ................................. 6,072,250
96,000 Security Dynamics Technologies, Inc.* .......................... 3,012,000
--------------
31,361,750
--------------
Media Group (2.4%)
38,000 Chancellor Broadcasting Co. (Class A)* ......................... 893,000
401,400 Clear Channel Communications, Inc.* ............................ 14,500,575
425,000 Evergreen Media Corp. (Class A)* ............................... $ 10,518,750
509,000 Infinity Broadcasting Corp. (Class A)* ......................... 17,115,125
469,000 Lin Television Corp.* ........................................... 19,698,000
5,000 Telemundo Group, Inc. (Class A)* ............................... 143,125
325,600 Univision Communications, Inc. (Class A)* ...................... 12,047,200
--------------
74,915,775
--------------
Medical Supplies (1.9%)
395,000 Boston Scientific Corp.* ........................................ 23,700,000
305,000 Guidant Corp. .................................................. 17,385,000
257,200 Medtronic, Inc. ................................................. 17,489,600
--------------
58,574,600
--------------
Restaurants (0.9%)
400,000 Boston Chicken, Inc.* ........................................... 14,300,000
440,000 Starbucks Corp.* ................................................ 12,540,000
--------------
26,840,000
--------------
Retail (3.2%)
700,000 Dayton-Hudson Corp. ............................................. 27,475,000
51,600 Eagle Hardware & Garden, Inc.* ................................. 1,064,250
325,000 Federated Department Stores, Inc.* ............................. 11,090,625
100,000 Gucci Group NV (Italy) .......................................... 6,387,500
450,000 Home Depot, Inc. ............................................... 22,556,250
710,000 Price/Costco, Inc.* ............................................. 17,838,750
340,000 Tiffany & Co. .................................................. 12,452,500
--------------
98,864,875
--------------
<PAGE>
Semiconductors (8.5%)
460,000 Altera Corp.* ................................................... 33,407,500
500,000 Analog Devices, Inc.* ........................................... 16,937,500
700,000 Applied Materials, Inc.* ........................................ 25,112,500
300,000 Atmel Corp.* .................................................... 9,937,500
385,000 Intel Corp. ..................................................... 50,386,875
700,000 KLA Instruments Corp.* .......................................... 24,762,500
657,000 Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.* ............................... 28,415,250
445,000 Microchip Technology, Inc.* ..................................... 22,583,750
865,000 Micron Technology, Inc. ......................................... 25,193,125
200,000 Novellus Systems, Inc.* ......................................... 10,825,000
150,000 Tencor Instruments* ............................................. 3,956,250
250,000 Vitesse Semiconductor Corp.* ................................... 11,375,000
--------------
262,892,750
--------------
SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
48
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS December 31, 1996, continued
NUMBER OF
SHARES VALUE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telecommunications (0.2%)
200,000 Teleport Communications Group Inc. (Class A)* ..................$ 6,075,536
--------------
Transportation (0.1%)
243,600 OMI Corp.* ...................................................... 2,131,500
46,000 Teekay Shipping Corp. ........................................... 1,506,500
--------------
3,638,000
--------------
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS
(Identified Cost $2,607,849,373) 2,876,273,011
--------------
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS (2.9%)
$277,000 U.S. Treasury Strip
0.00% due 05/15/19 ............................................. 59,926,180
140,000 U.S. Treasury Strip
0.00% due 08/15/19 ............................................. 29,772,400
--------------
TOTAL U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS
(Identified Cost $88,481,454) ................................... 89,698,580
--------------
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (3.6%)
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY (a)(3.2%)
100,000 Federal Home Loan Bank
6.50% due 01/02/97 (Amortized cost $99,981,945) .............. 99,981,945
--------------
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS VALUE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
REPURCHASE AGREEMENT (0.4%)
$10,736 The Bank of New York
5.375% due 01/02/97
(dated 12/31/96; proceeds
$10,739,434; collateralized
by $10,959,010 U.S. Treasury
Note 5.375% due 05/31/98
valued at $10,950,953)
(Identified Cost $10,736,228) ................................... $ 10,736,228
--------------
TOTAL SHORT-TERM
INVESTMENTS
(Identified Cost $110,718,173) 110,718,173
--------------
TOTAL INVESTMENTS
(Identified Cost $2,807,049,000) (b) 99.3% 3,076,689,764
OTHER ASSETS IN EXCESS OF
LIABILITIES......................... 0.7 22,160,719
----- --------------
NET ASSETS ......................... 100.0% $3,098,850,483
===== ==============
</TABLE>
- ------------
ADR American Depository Receipt.
* Non-income producing security.
(a) Security was purchased on a discount basis. The interest rate shown
has been adjusted to reflect a money market equivalent yield.
(b) The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes approximates
identified cost. The aggregate gross unrealized appreciation is
$332,910,220 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation is
$63,269,456, resulting in net unrealized appreciation of
$269,640,764.
SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
49
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
December 31, 1996
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
ASSETS:
Investments in securities, at value
(identified cost $2,807,049,000).......... $3,076,689,764
Receivable for:
Investments sold ......................... 34,934,696
Shares of beneficial interest sold ...... 4,923,729
Dividends................................. 1,113,675
Foreign withholding taxes reclaimed ...... 7,459
Interest.................................. 1,611
Prepaid expenses and other assets.......... 49,231
--------------
TOTAL ASSETS............................. 3,117,720,165
--------------
LIABILITIES:
Payable for:
Investments purchased..................... 11,000,900
Shares of beneficial interest
repurchased............................... 2,541,048
Plan of distribution fee.................. 2,394,402
Investment management fee................. 1,378,857
Distributions to shareholders............. 883,534
Accrued expenses........................... 670,941
--------------
TOTAL LIABILITIES........................ 18,869,682
--------------
NET ASSETS:
Paid-in-capital ........................... 2,712,418,934
Net unrealized appreciation................ 269,640,764
Accumulated net investment loss............ (43,257)
Accumulated undistributed net realized
gain...................................... 116,834,042
--------------
NET ASSETS .............................. $3,098,850,483
==============
NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE,
114,750,518 shares outstanding (unlimited
shares authorized of $.01 par value) ..... $ 27.01
==============
</TABLE>
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
For the year ended December 31, 1996
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
NET INVESTMENT INCOME:
INCOME
Dividends (net of $154,587 foreign
withholding tax)...................... $ 21,737,318
Interest............................... 11,658,199
-------------
TOTAL INCOME......................... 33,395,517
-------------
EXPENSES
Plan of distribution fee............... 24,339,469
Investment management fee.............. 14,111,045
Transfer agent fees and expenses ...... 3,046,573
Registration fees ..................... 328,344
Custodian fees......................... 321,785
Shareholder reports and notices ....... 166,570
Professional fees ..................... 54,714
Trustees' fees and expenses............ 37,971
Other.................................. 30,422
-------------
TOTAL EXPENSES ...................... 42,436,893
-------------
NET INVESTMENT LOSS.................. (9,041,376)
-------------
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN:
Net realized gain...................... 275,397,900
Net change in unrealized appreciation 13,163,448
-------------
NET GAIN............................. 288,561,348
-------------
NET INCREASE........................... $279,519,972
=============
</TABLE>
SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
50
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, continued
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FOR THE YEAR FOR THE YEAR
ENDED ENDED
DECEMBER 31, 1996 DECEMBER 31, 1995
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS:
OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)........................... $ (9,041,376) $ 1,115,260
Net realized gain...................................... 275,397,900 449,119,481
Net change in unrealized appreciation ................. 13,163,448 204,343,705
-------------- --------------
NET INCREASE......................................... 279,519,972 654,578,446
-------------- --------------
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:
Net investment income ................................. (1,126,313) (193,886)
Net realized gain...................................... (299,891,577) (231,910,868)
-------------- --------------
TOTAL................................................ (301,017,890) (232,104,754)
-------------- --------------
Net increase from transactions in shares of beneficial
interest.............................................. 731,461,022 476,459,623
-------------- --------------
NET INCREASE......................................... 709,963,104 898,933,315
NET ASSETS:
Beginning of period.................................... 2,388,887,379 1,489,954,064
-------------- --------------
END OF PERIOD
(Including a net investment loss of $43,257 and
undistributed net investment income of $1,103,834,
respectively)........................................ $3,098,850,483 $2,388,887,379
============== ==============
</TABLE>
SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
51
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 1996
1. ORGANIZATION AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Dean Witter American Value Fund (the "Fund") is registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"), as a diversified,
open-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is
capital growth consistent with an effort to reduce volatility. The Fund seeks
to achieve its objective by investing in a diversified portfolio of
securities consisting principally of common stocks. The Fund was incorporated
in Maryland in 1979, commenced operations on March 27, 1980 and was
reorganized as a Massachusetts business trust on April 30, 1987.
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions
that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ
from those estimates.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies:
A. VALUATION OF INVESTMENTS -- (1) an equity security listed or traded on the
New York or American Stock Exchange or other stock exchange is valued at its
latest sale price on that exchange prior to the time when assets are valued;
if there were no sales that day, the security is valued at the latest bid
price (in cases where a security is traded on more than one exchange, the
security is valued on the exchange designated as the primary market pursuant
to procedures adopted by the Trustees); (2) all other portfolio securities
for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available are valued
at the latest available bid price prior to the time of valuation; (3) when
market quotations are not readily available, including circumstances under
which it is determined by Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. (the "Investment
Manager") that sale or bid prices are not reflective of a security's market
value, portfolio securities are valued at their fair value as determined in
good faith under procedures established by and under the general supervision
of the Trustees (valuation of debt securities for which market quotations are
not readily available may be based upon current market prices of securities
which are comparable in coupon, rating and maturity or an appropriate matrix
utilizing similar factors); and (4) short-term debt securities having a
maturity date of more than sixty days at time of purchase are valued on a
mark-to-market basis until sixty days prior to maturity and thereafter at
amortized cost based on their value on the 61st day. Short-term debt
securities having a maturity date of sixty days or less at the time of
purchase are valued at amortized cost.
B. ACCOUNTING FOR INVESTMENTS -- Security transactions are accounted for on
the trade date (date the order to buy or sell is executed). Realized gains
and losses on security transactions are determined by the identified cost
method. Dividend income and other distributions are recorded on the
ex-dividend date. Discounts are accreted over the life of the respective
securities. Interest income is accrued daily.
52
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 1996, continued
C. FEDERAL INCOME TAX STATUS -- It is the Fund's policy to comply with the
requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment
companies and to distribute all of its taxable income to its shareholders.
Accordingly, no federal income tax provision is required.
D. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS -- The Fund records dividends
and distributions to its shareholders on the record date. The amount of
dividends and distributions from net investment income and net realized
capital gains are determined in accordance with federal income tax
regulations which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles.
These "book/tax" differences are either considered temporary or permanent in
nature. To the extent these differences are permanent in nature, such amounts
are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax-basis
treatment; temporary differences do not require reclassification. Dividends
and distributions which exceed net investment income and net realized capital
gains for financial reporting purposes but not for tax purposes are reported
as dividends in excess of net investment income or distributions in excess of
net realized capital gains. To the extent they exceed net investment income
and net realized capital gains for tax purposes, they are reported as
distributions of paid-in-capital.
2. INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
Pursuant to an Investment Management Agreement with the Investment Manager,
the Fund pays the Investment Manager a management fee, accrued daily and
payable monthly, by applying the following annual rates to the net assets of
the Fund determined at the close of each business day: 0.625% to the portion
of daily net assets not exceeding $250 million and 0.50% to the portion of
daily net assets exceeding $250 million. Effective May 1, 1996, the annual
rate was reduced to 0.475% of net assets in excess of $2.5 billion.
Under the terms of the Agreement, in addition to managing the Fund's
investments, the Investment Manager maintains certain of the Fund's books and
records and furnishes, at its own expense, office space, facilities,
equipment, clerical, bookkeeping and certain legal services and pays the
salaries of all personnel, including officers of the Fund who are employees
of the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager also bears the cost of
telephone services, heat, light, power and other utilities provided to the
Fund.
3. PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Dean Witter Distributors Inc. (the
"Distributor"), an affiliate of the Investment Manager. The Fund has adopted
a Plan of Distribution (the "Plan") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act
pursuant to which the Fund pays the Distributor compensation, accrued daily
and payable
53
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 1996, continued
monthly, at an annual rate of 1.0% of the lesser of: (a) the average daily
aggregate gross sales of the Fund's shares since the implementation of the
Plan on April 30, 1984 (not including reinvestment of dividend or capital
gain distributions) less the average daily aggregate net asset value of the
Fund's shares redeemed since the Fund's implementation of the Plan upon which
a contingent deferred sales charge has been imposed or upon which such charge
has been waived; or (b) the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to
shares issued, net of related shares redeemed since implementation of the
Plan. Amounts paid under the Plan are paid to the Distributor to compensate
it for the services provided and the expenses borne by it and others in the
distribution of the Fund's shares, including the payment of commissions for
sales of the Fund's shares and incentive compensation to, and expenses of,
the account executives of Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"), an affiliate of
the Investment Manager and Distributor, and other employees or selected
broker-dealers who engage in or support distribution of the Fund's shares or
who service shareholder accounts, including, overhead and telephone expenses,
printing and distribution of prospectuses and reports used in connection with
the offering of the Fund's shares to other than current shareholders and
preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature and advertising
materials. In addition, the Distributor may be compensated under the Plan for
its opportunity costs in advancing such amounts which compensation would be
in the form of a carrying charge on any unreimbursed expenses incurred by the
Distributor.
Provided that the Plan continues in effect, any cumulative expenses incurred
but not yet recovered, may be recovered through future distribution fees from
the Fund and contingent deferred sales charges from the Fund's shareholders.
Although there is no legal obligation for the Fund to pay expenses incurred
in excess of payments made to the Distributor under the Plan and the proceeds
of contingent deferred sales charges paid by investors upon redemption of
shares, if for any reason the Plan is terminated, the Trustees will consider
at that time the manner in which to treat such expenses. The Distributor has
advised the Fund that such excess amounts, including carrying charges, total
$71,290,842 at December 31, 1996.
The Distributor has informed the Fund that for the year ended December 31,
1996, it received approximately $3,792,000 in contingent deferred sales
charges from certain redemptions of the Fund's shares.
4. SECURITY TRANSACTIONS AND TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of portfolio securities,
excluding short-term investments, for the year ended December 31, 1996
aggregated $7,759,136,387 and $7,369,697,616, respectively. Included in the
aforementioned are purchases and sales of U.S. Government securities of
$374,755,316 and $654,246,740, respectively.
54
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 1996, continued
For the year ended December 31, 1996, the Fund incurred $902,407 in brokerage
commissions with DWR for portfolio transactions executed on behalf of the
Fund. At December 31, 1996, the Fund's receivable for investments sold
included unsettled trades with DWR of $10,424,494.
Dean Witter Trust Company, an affiliate of the Investment Manager and
Distributor, is the Fund's transfer agent. At December 31, 1996, the Fund had
transfer agent fees and expenses payable of approximately $295,000.
The Fund has an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan
covering all independent Trustees of the Fund who will have served as
independent Trustees for at least five years at the time of retirement.
Benefits under this plan are based on years of service and compensation
during the last five years of service. Aggregate pension costs for the year
ended December 31, 1996 included in Trustees' fees and expenses in the
Statement of Operations amounted to $21,704. At December 31, 1996, the Fund
had an accrued pension liability of $40,889 which is included in accrued
expenses in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
5. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
Transactions in shares of beneficial interest were as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FOR THE YEAR FOR THE YEAR
ENDED ENDED
DECEMBER 31, 1996 DECEMBER 31, 1995
----------------------------- ------------------------------
SHARES AMOUNT SHARES AMOUNT
-------------- -------------- -------------- ---------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Sold 36,925,212 $1,016,961,498 27,784,767 $ 726,405,402
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions 10,599,054 286,147,878 8,258,700 219,428,179
---------- -------------- ---------- -------------
47,524,266 1,303,109,376 36,043,467 945,833,581
Repurchased (20,736,856) (571,648,354) (18,333,417) (469,373,958)
---------- -------------- ---------- -------------
Net increase 26,787,410 $ 731,461,022 17,710,050 $ 476,459,623
========== ============== ========== =============
</TABLE>
6. FEDERAL INCOME TAX STATUS
As of December 31, 1996, the Fund had temporary book/tax differences primarily
attributable to capital loss deferrals on wash sales and permanent book/tax
differences primarily attributable to a net operating loss. To reflect
reclassifications arising from permanent book/tax differences for the year
ended December 31, 1996, paid-in-capital was charged $76,526, accumulated net
realized gain was charged $8,944,072 and accumulated net investment loss was
credited $9,020,598.
55
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected ratios and per share data for a share of beneficial interest
outstanding throughout each period:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
--------------------------------------
1996 1995 1994 1993
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE
OPERATING PERFORMANCE:
Net asset value,
beginning of period......... $27.16 $21.21 $23.10 $20.93
------ ------ ------ ------
Net investment income
(loss) ..................... (0.08) 0.01 -- (0.09)
Net realized and
unrealized gain (loss)...... 2.86 8.87 (1.57) 3.94
------ ------ ------ ------
Total from investment
operations ................. 2.78 8.88 (1.57) 3.85
------ ------ ------ ------
Less dividends and
distributions from:
Net investment income ..... (0.01) -- -- (0.01)
Net realized gain.......... (2.92) (2.93) (0.32) (1.67)
Paid-in-capital............ -- -- -- --
------ ------ ------ ------
Total dividends and
distributions............... (2.93) (2.93) (0.32) (1.68)
------ ------ ------ ------
Net asset value,
end of period............... $27.01 $27.16 $21.21 $23.10
====== ====== ====== ======
TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN+ 10.53% 42.20% (6.75)% 18.70%
RATIOS TO
AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses..................... 1.53% 1.61% 1.71% 1.61%
Net investment income
(loss)...................... (0.33)% 0.06% 0.01% (0.59)%
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets, end of period,
(in millions)............... $3,099 $2,389 $1,490 $1,218
Portfolio turnover rate ..... 279% 256% 295% 276%
--
Average commission rate paid $0.0590 -- --
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE
OPERATING PERFORMANCE:
Net asset value,
beginning of period......... $20.66 $14.39 $14.81 $13.19 $12.21 $12.64
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Net investment income
(loss) ..................... 0.03 0.05 0.24 0.34 0.29 0.19
Net realized and
unrealized gain (loss)...... 0.71 7.90 (0.38) 2.99 1.03 0.20
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Total from investment
operations ................. 0.74 7.95 (0.14) 3.33 1.32 0.39
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Less dividends and
distributions from:
Net investment income ..... (0.03) (0.03) (0.28) (0.32) (0.33) (0.23)
Net realized gain.......... (0.44) (1.65) -- (1.39) -- (0.59)
Paid-in-capital............ -- -- -- -- (0.01) --
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Total dividends and
distributions............... (0.47) (1.68) (0.28) (1.71) (0.34) (0.82)
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Net asset value,
end of period............... $20.93 $20.66 $14.39 $14.81 $13.19 $12.21
====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ======
TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN+ 3.84 % 56.26 % (0.90)% 25.39 % 10.84% 2.84 %
RATIOS TO
AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses..................... 1.72 % 1.58 % 1.70% 1.66 % 1.78% 1.62 %
Net investment income
(loss)...................... 0.18 % 0.29 % 1.67% 2.23 % 2.15% 1.42 %
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets, end of period,
(in millions)............... $ 459 $ 227 $ 89 $ 100 $ 90 $ 109
Portfolio turnover rate ..... 305 % 264 % 234% 196 % 133% 203 %
Average commission rate paid -- -- -- -- -- --
</TABLE>
- ------------
+ Does not reflect the deduction of sales charge. Calculated based on the net
asset value as of the last business day of the period.
SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
56
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
TO THE SHAREHOLDERS AND TRUSTEES
OF DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities,
including the portfolio of investments, and the related statements of
operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Dean Witter
American Value Fund (the "Fund") at December 31, 1996, the results of its
operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of
the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each
of the ten years in the period then ended, in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles. These financial statements and financial
highlights (hereafter referred to as "financial statements") are the
responsibility of the Fund's management; our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our
audits of these financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards which require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of
material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence
supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing
the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management,
and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that
our audits, which included confirmation of securities at December 31, 1996 by
correspondence with the custodian and brokers and the application of
alternative auditing procedures where confirmations from brokers were not
received, provide a reasonable basis for the opinion expressed above.
PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
February 6, 1997
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996 FEDERAL TAX NOTICE (unaudited)
During the year ended December 31, 1996, the Fund paid to its
shareholders $0.75 per share from long-term capital gains. For such
period, 6.97% of the income paid qualified for the dividends received
deduction available to corporations.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
57
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
PART C OTHER INFORMATION
Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(a) Financial Statements
(1) Financial statements and schedules, included
in Prospectus (Part A): Page in
Prospectus
----------
Financial highlights for the years ended
December 31, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992,
1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 ......................... 6
(2) Financial statements included in the Statement of
Additional Information (Part B): Page in
SAI
---
Portfolio of Investments at December 31, 1996...... 46
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at
December 31, 1996.................................. 50
Statement of Operations for the year ended
December 31, 1996.................................. 50
Statement of Changes in Net Assets for the years
ended December 31, 1995 and December 31, 1996 ..... 51
Notes to Financial Statements...................... 52
Financial highlights for the years ended
December 31, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992,
1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996.......................... 56
(3) Financial statements included in Part C:
None
(b) Exhibits:
1. Form of Instrument Establishing and Designating
Additional Classes.
5. Form of Investment Management Agreement between the
Registrant and Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.
6.(a) Form of Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and
Dean Witter Distributors Inc.
6.(b) Form of Multiple-Class Distribution Agreement between the
Registrant and Dean Witter Distributors Inc.
<PAGE>
9. Form of Services Agreement between Dean Witter InterCapital
Inc. and Dean Witter Services Company Inc.
11. Consent of Independent Accountants.
15. Form of Amended and Restated Plan of Distribution
pursuant to Rule 12b-1.
Other Form of Multiple-Class Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3.
- -------------------
All other exhibits were previously filed and are hereby incorporated by
reference.
Item 25. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control With
Registrant.
None
Item 26. Number of Holders of Securities.
(1) (2)
Number of Record Holders
Title of Class at June 30, 1997
-------------- ----------------
284,422
Shares of Beneficial Interest
Item 27. Indemnification.
Pursuant to Section 5.3 of the Registrant's Declaration of Trust and
under Section 4.8 of the Registrant's By-Laws, the indemnification of the
Registrant's trustees, officers, employees and agents is permitted if it is
determined that they acted under the belief that their actions were in or not
opposed to the best interest of the Registrant, and, with respect to any
criminal proceeding, they had reasonable cause to believe their conduct was not
unlawful. In addition, indemnification is permitted only if it is determined
that the actions in question did not render them liable by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties
or by reason of reckless disregard of their obligations and duties to the
Registrant. Trustees, officers, employees and agents will be indemnified for
the expense of litigation if it is determined that they are entitled to
indemnification against any liability established in such litigation. The
Registrant may also advance money for these expenses provided that they give
their undertakings to repay the Registrant unless their conduct is later
determined to permit indemnification.
Pursuant to Section 5.2 of the Registrant's Declaration of Trust and
paragraph 8 of the Registrant's Investment Management Agreement, neither the
Investment Manager nor any trustee, officer, employee or agent of the
Registrant shall be liable for any action
2
<PAGE>
or failure to act, except in the case of bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of duties to the Registrant.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") may be permitted to trustees, officers and
controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event
that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the
payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer,
or controlling person of the Registrant in connection with the successful
defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted against the Registrant
by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the shares
being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act, and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will apply the
indemnification provision of its by-laws in a manner consistent with Release
11330 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, so long as the interpretation of Sections 17(h) and 17(i) of such
Act remains in effect.
Registrant, in conjunction with the Investment Manager, Registrant's
Trustees, and other registered investment management companies managed by the
Investment Manager, maintains insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a
Trustee, officer, employee, or agent of Registrant, or who is or was serving at
the request of Registrant as a trustee, director, officer, employee or agent of
another trust or corporation, against any liability asserted against him and
incurred by him or arising out of his position. However, in no event will
Registrant maintain insurance to indemnify any such person for any act for
which Registrant itself is not permitted to indemnify him.
Item 28. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser.
See "The Fund and Its Management" in the Prospectus regarding the
business of the investment adviser. The following information is given
regarding officers of Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. InterCapital is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter, Discover & Co. The
principal address of the Dean Witter Funds is Two World Trade Center, New York,
New York 10048.
3
<PAGE>
The term "Dean Witter Funds" used below refers to the following
registered investment companies:
Closed-End Investment Companies
- -------------------------------
(1) InterCapital Income Securities Inc.
(2) High Income Advantage Trust
(3) High Income Advantage Trust II
(4) High Income Advantage Trust III
(5) Municipal Income Trust
(6) Municipal Income Trust II
(7) Municipal Income Trust III
(8) Dean Witter Government Income Trust
(9) Municipal Premium Income Trust
(10) Municipal Income Opportunities Trust
(11) Municipal Income Opportunities Trust II
(12) Municipal Income Opportunities Trust III
(13) Prime Income Trust
(14) InterCapital Insured Municipal Bond Trust
(15) InterCapital Quality Municipal Income Trust
(16) InterCapital Quality Municipal Investment Trust
(17) InterCapital Insured Municipal Income Trust
(18) InterCapital California Insured Municipal Income Trust
(19) InterCapital Insured Municipal Trust
(20) InterCapital Quality Municipal Securities
(21) InterCapital New York Quality Municipal Securities
(22) InterCapital California Quality Municipal Securities
(23) InterCapital Insured California Municipal Securities
(24) InterCapital Insured Municipal Securities
Open-end Investment Companies:
- ------------------------------
(1) Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund
(2) Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
(3) Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
(4) Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
(5) Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
(6) Dean Witter Liquid Asset Fund Inc.
(7) Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
(8) Dean Witter Retirement Series
(9) Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
(10) Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
(11) Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
(12) Dean Witter Select Municipal Reinvestment Fund
(13) Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
(14) Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
(15) Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
(16) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
(17) Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
(18) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
(19) Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
(20) Dean Witter American Value Fund
(21) Dean Witter Strategist Fund
(22) Dean Witter Utilities Fund
4
<PAGE>
(23) Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
(24) Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust
(25) Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
(26) Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
(27) Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
(28) Dean Witter Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc.
(29) Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
(30) Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust
(31) Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust
(32) Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
(33) Dean Witter U.S. Government Money Market Trust
(34) Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
(35) Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust
(36) Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
(37) Active Assets Government Securities Trust
(38) Active Assets Money Trust
(39) Active Assets Tax-Free Trust
(40) Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal Trust
(41) Dean Witter Variable Investment Series
(42) Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series
(43) Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
(44) Dean Witter High Income Securities
(45) Dean Witter National Municipal Trust
(46) Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
(47) Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
(48) Dean Witter Select Dimensions Investment Series
(49) Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
(50) Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
(51) Dean Witter Hawaii Municipal Trust
(52) Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
(53) Dean Witter Intermediate Term U.S. Treasury Trust
(54) Dean Witter Information Fund
(55) Dean Witter Japan Fund
(56) Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
(57) Dean Witter Special Value Fund
(58) Dean Witter Financial Services Trust
(59) Dean Witter Market Leader Trust
The term "TCW/DW Funds" refers to the following registered investment
companies:
Open-End Investment Companies
- -----------------------------
(1) TCW/DW Core Equity Trust
(2) TCW/DW North American Government Income Trust
(3) TCW/DW Latin American Growth Fund
(4) TCW/DW Income and Growth Fund
(5) TCW/DW Small Cap Growth Fund
(6) TCW/DW Balanced Fund
(7) TCW/DW Total Return Trust
(8) TCW/DW Mid-Cap Equity Trust
(9) TCW/DW Global Telecom Trust
(10) TCW/DW Strategic Income Trust
5
<PAGE>
Closed-End Investment Companies
- -------------------------------
(1) TCW/DW Term Trust 2000
(2) TCW/DW Term Trust 2002
(3) TCW/DW Term Trust 2003
(4) TCW/DW Emerging Markets Opportunities Trust
NAME AND POSITION OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS, PROFESSION, VOCATION
WITH DEAN WITTER OR EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING NAME, PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
INTERCAPITAL INC. AND NATURE OF CONNECTION
- ----------------- ------------------------------------------------
Charles A. Fiumefreddo Executive Vice President and Director of Dean
Chairman, Chief Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"); Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and Executive Officer and Director of Dean Witter
Director Distributors Inc. ("Distributors") and Dean
Witter Services Company Inc. ("DWSC"); Chairman
and Director of Dean Witter Trust Company
("DWTC"); Chairman, Director or Trustee, President
and Chief Executive Officer of the Dean Witter
Funds and Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and
Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; Director and/or
officer of various Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter,
Discover & Co. ("MSDWD") subsidiaries; Formerly
Executive Vice President and Director of Dean
Witter, Discover & Co.
Philip J. Purcell Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director of
Director of MSDWD and DWR; Director of DWSC and
Distributors; Director or Trustee of the Dean
Witter Funds; Director and/or officer of various
MSDWD subsidiaries.
Richard M. DeMartini President and Chief Operating Officer
Director of Dean Witter Capital, a division
of DWR; Director of DWR, DWSC, Distributors and
DWTC; Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds.
James F. Higgins President and Chief Operating Officer of
Director Dean Witter Financial; Director of DWR,
DWSC, Distributors and DWTC.
Thomas C. Schneider Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic
Executive Vice and Administrative Officer of MSDWD; Executive
President, Chief Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
Financial Officer and DWSC and Distributors; Director of DWR,
Director DWSC and Distributors.
Christine A. Edwards Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer
Director and Secretary of MSDWD; Executive Vice
President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer
of Distributors; Director of DWR, DWSC and
Distributors.
6
<PAGE>
NAME AND POSITION OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS, PROFESSION, VOCATION
WITH DEAN WITTER OR EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING NAME, PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
INTERCAPITAL INC. AND NATURE OF CONNECTION
- ----------------- ------------------------------------------------
Robert M. Scanlan President and Chief Operating Officer of DWSC,
President and Chief Executive Vice President of Distributors;
Operating Officer Executive Vice President and Director of DWTC;
Vice President of the Dean Witter Funds and the
TCW/DW Funds.
Mitchell M. Merin President and Chief Strategic Officer of DWSC,
President and Chief Executive Vice President of Distributors;
Strategic Officer Executive Vice President and Director of DWTC;
Executive Vice President and Director of DWR;
Director of SPS Transaction Services, Inc. and
various other MSDWD subsidiaries.
John B. Van Heuvelen President, Chief Operating Officer and Director
Executive Vice of DWTC.
President
Joseph J. McAlinden
Executive Vice President
and Chief Investment Vice President of the Dean Witter Funds and
Officer Director of DWTC.
Barry Fink Assistant Secretary of DWR; Senior Vice President,
Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of DWSC; Senior Vice
Secretary and General President, Assistant Secretary and Assistant
Counsel General Counsel of Distributors; Vice President,
Secretary and General Counsel of the Dean Witter
Funds and the TCW/DW Funds.
Peter M. Avelar
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Mark Bavoso
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Richard Felegy
Senior Vice President
Edward F. Gaylor
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Robert S. Giambrone Senior Vice President of DWSC, Distributors
Senior Vice President and DWTC and Director of DWTC; Vice President
of the Dean Witter Funds and the TCW/DW Funds.
Rajesh K. Gupta
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Kenton J. Hinchcliffe
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
7
<PAGE>
NAME AND POSITION OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS, PROFESSION, VOCATION
WITH DEAN WITTER OR EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING NAME, PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
INTERCAPITAL INC. AND NATURE OF CONNECTION
- ----------------- ------------------------------------------------
Kevin Hurley
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Jenny Beth Jones Vice President of Dean Witter Special Value Fund.
Senior Vice President
John B. Kemp, III Director of the Provident Savings Bank, Jersey
Senior Vice President City, New Jersey.
Anita H. Kolleeny
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Jonathan R. Page
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Ira N. Ross
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Guy G. Rutherfurd, Jr. Vice President of Dean Witter Market Leader
Senior Vice President Trust.
Rafael Scolari Vice President of Prime Income Trust.
Senior Vice President
Rochelle G. Siegel
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Jayne M. Stevlingston Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Senior Vice President
Paul D. Vance
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Elizabeth A. Vetell
Senior Vice President
James F. Willison
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Ronald J. Worobel
Senior Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Douglas Brown
First Vice President
Thomas F. Caloia First Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of
First Vice President DWSC, Assistant Treasurer of Distributors;
and Assistant Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the
Treasurer Dean Witter Funds and the TCW/DW Funds.
8
<PAGE>
NAME AND POSITION OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS, PROFESSION, VOCATION
WITH DEAN WITTER OR EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING NAME, PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
INTERCAPITAL INC. AND NATURE OF CONNECTION
- ----------------- ------------------------------------------------
Thomas Chronert
First Vice President
Rosalie Clough
First Vice President
Marilyn K. Cranney Assistant Secretary of DWR; First Vice President
First Vice President and Assistant Secretary of DWSC; Assistant
and Assistant Secretary Secretary of the Dean Witter Funds and the TCW/DW
Funds.
Michael Interrante First Vice President and Controller of DWSC;
First Vice President Assistant Treasurer of Distributors;First Vice
and Controller President and Treasurer of DWTC.
David Johnson
First Vice President
Stanley Kapica
First Vice President
Robert Zimmerman
First Vice President
Dale Albright
Vice President
Joan G. Allman
Vice President
Andrew Arbenz
Vice President
Joseph Arcieri
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Kirk Balzer
Vice President Vice President of Various Dean Witter Funds.
Nancy Belza
Vice President
Dale Boettcher
Vice President
Joseph Cardwell
Vice President
Philip Casparius
Vice President
9
<PAGE>
NAME AND POSITION OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS, PROFESSION, VOCATION
WITH DEAN WITTER OR EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING NAME, PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
INTERCAPITAL INC. AND NATURE OF CONNECTION
- ----------------- ------------------------------------------------
B. Catherine Connelly
Vice President
Salvatore DeSteno
Vice President Vice President of DWSC.
Frank J. DeVito
Vice President Vice President of DWSC.
Bruce Dunn
Vice President
Jeffrey D. Geffen
Vice President
Deborah Genovese
Vice President
Michael Geringer
Vice President
Stephen Greenhut
Vice President
Peter W. Gurman
Vice President
Matthew Haynes Vice President of Dean Witter Variable
Vice President Investment Series.
Peter Hermann
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Elizabeth Hinchman
Vice President
David Hoffman
Vice President
Christopher Jones
Vice President
James P. Kastberg
Vice President
Michelle Kaufman
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Michael Knox
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
10
<PAGE>
NAME AND POSITION OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS, PROFESSION, VOCATION
WITH DEAN WITTER OR EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING NAME, PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
INTERCAPITAL INC. AND NATURE OF CONNECTION
- ----------------- ------------------------------------------------
Paula LaCosta
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Thomas Lawlor
Vice President
Gerard J. Lian
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Catherine Maniscalco Vice President of Dean Witter Natural
Vice President Resource Development Securities Inc.
Albert McGarity
Vice President
LouAnne D. McInnis Vice President and Assistant Secretary of DWSC;
Vice President and Assistant Secretary of the Dean Witter Funds and
Assistant Secretary the TCW/DW Funds.
Sharon K. Milligan
Vice President
Julie Morrone
Vice President
Mary Beth Mueller
Vice President
David Myers Vice President of Dean Witter Natural
Vice President Resource Development Securities Inc.
James Nash
Vice President
Richard Norris
Vice President
Carsten Otto Vice President and Assistant Secretary of DWSC;
Vice President and Assistant Secretary of the Dean Witter Funds and
Assistant Secretary the TCW/DW Funds.
George Paoletti
Vice President
Anne Pickrell Vice President of Dean Witter Global Short-
Vice President Term Income Fund Inc.
Michael Roan
Vice President
11
<PAGE>
NAME AND POSITION OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS, PROFESSION, VOCATION
WITH DEAN WITTER OR EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING NAME, PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
INTERCAPITAL INC. AND NATURE OF CONNECTION
- ----------------- ------------------------------------------------
Hugh Rose
Vice President
Robert Rossetti Vice President of Dean Witter Precious Metal and
Vice President Minerals Trust.
Ruth Rossi Vice President and Assistant Secretary of DWSC;
Vice President and Assistant Secretary of the Dean Witter Funds and
Assistant Secretary the TCW/DW Funds.
Carl F. Sadler
Vice President
Peter Seeley Vice President of Dean Witter World
Vice President Wide Income Trust.
Naomi Stein
Vice President
Kathleen H. Stromberg
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Marybeth Swisher
Vice President
Vinh Q. Tran
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Robert Vanden Assem
Vice President
Alice Weiss
Vice President Vice President of various Dean Witter Funds.
Katherine Wickham
Vice President
Item 29. Principal Underwriters
(a) Dean Witter Distributors Inc. ("Distributors"), a Delaware
corporation, is the principal underwriter of the Registrant.
Distributors is also the principal underwriter of the following
investment companies:
(1) Dean Witter Liquid Asset Fund Inc.
(2) Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
(3) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
(4) Dean Witter Retirement Series
(5) Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
(6) Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation
12
<PAGE>
(7) Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
(8) Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
(9) Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
(10) Active Assets Tax-Free Trust
(11) Active Assets Money Trust
(12) Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust
(13) Active Assets Government Securities Trust
(14) Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund
(15) Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
(16) Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
(17) Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
(18) Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
(19) Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
(20) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
(21) Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal Trust
(22) Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
(23) Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
(24) Dean Witter Utilities Fund
(25) Dean Witter Strategist Fund
(26) Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust
(27) Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
(28) Prime Income Trust
(29) Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
(30) Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
(31) Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
(32) Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
(33) Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust
(34) Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
(35) Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust
(36) Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
(37) Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
(38) Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
(39) Dean Witter American Value Fund
(40) Dean Witter U.S. Government Money Market Trust
(41) Dean Witter Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc.
(42) Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series
(43) Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
(44) Dean Witter High Income Securities
(45) Dean Witter National Municipal Trust
(46) Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
(47) Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
(48) Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
(49) Dean Witter Hawaii Municipal Trust
(50) Dean Witter Variable Investment Series
(51) Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
(52) Dean Witter Intermediate Term U.S. Treasury Trust
(53) Dean Witter Information Fund
(54) Dean Witter Japan Fund
(55) Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
(56) Dean Witter Special Value Fund
(57) Dean Witter Financial Services Trust
(58) Dean Witter Market Leader Trust
(1) TCW/DW Core Equity Trust
(2) TCW/DW North American Government Income Trust
13
<PAGE>
(3) TCW/DW Latin American Growth Fund
(4) TCW/DW Income and Growth Fund
(5) TCW/DW Small Cap Growth Fund
(6) TCW/DW Balanced Fund
(7) TCW/DW Total Return Trust
(8) TCW/DW Mid-Cap Equity Trust
(9) TCW/DW Global Telecom Trust
(10) TCW/DW Strategic Income Trust
(b) The following information is given regarding directors and officers of
Distributors not listed in Item 28 above. The principal address of Distributors
is Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048. None of the following
persons has any position or office with the Registrant.
Positions and
Office with
Name Distributors
- ---- ------------
Fredrick K. Kubler Senior Vice President, Assistant
Secretary and Chief Compliance
Officer.
Michael T. Gregg Vice President and Assistant
Secretary.
Item 30. Location of Accounts and Records
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by
Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules thereunder
are maintained by the Investment Manager at its offices, except records
relating to holders of shares issued by the Registrant, which are maintained by
the Registrant's Transfer Agent, at its place of business as shown in the
prospectus.
Item 31. Management Services
Registrant is not a party to any such management-related service
contract.
Item 32. Undertakings
Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish each person to whom a
prospectus is delivered with a copy of the Registrant's latest annual report to
shareholders, upon request and without charge.
14
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of
the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to
Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Post-
Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York and
State of New York on the 21st day of July, 1997.
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
By /s/ Barry Fink
------------------------------
Barry Fink
Vice President and Secretary
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Post- Effective Amendment No. 21 has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signatures Title Date
---------- ----- ----
(1) Principal Executive Officer Chairman, President
Chief Executive
Officer and Trustee
By /s/ Charles A. Fiumefreddo 07/21/97
-------------------------------
Charles A. Fiumefreddo
(2) Principal Financial Officer Treasurer and Principal
Accounting Officer
By /s/ Thomas F. Caloia 07/21/97
-------------------------------
Thomas F. Caloia
(3) Majority of the Trustees
Charles A. Fiumefreddo (Chairman)
Philip J. Purcell
By /s/ Barry Fink 07/21/97
-------------------------------
Barry Fink
Attorney-in-Fact
Michael Bozic
Edwin J. Garn
John R. Haire
Manuel H. Johnson
Michael E. Nugent
John L. Schroeder
By /s/ David M. Butowsky 07/21/97
-------------------------------
David M. Butowsky
Attorney-in-Fact
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
EXHIBIT INDEX
1. -- Form of Instrument Establishing and Designating
Additional Classes.
5. -- Form of Investment Management Agreement between
the Registrant and Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.
6.(a) -- Form of Distribution Agreement between the
Registrant and Dean Witter Distributors Inc.
6.(b) -- Form of Multiple-Class Distribution Agreement
between the Registrant and Dean Witter
Distributors Inc.
9. -- Form of Services Agreement between Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. and Dean Witter Services
Company Inc.
11. -- Consent of Independent Accountants.
15. -- Form of Amended and Restated Plan of Distribution
pursuant to Rule 12b-1.
Other -- Form of Multiple-Class Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3.
<PAGE>
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies that he is the Secretary of Dean Witter
American Value Fund (the "Trust"), an unincorporated business trust organized
under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, that annexed hereto is an
Instrument Establishing and Designating Additional Classes of Shares of the
Trust unanimously adopted by the Trustees of the Trust on June 30, 1997, as
provided in Section 6.9(h) of the said Declaration, said Instrument to take
effect on July 28, 1997, and I do hereby further certify that such Instrument
has not been amended and is on the date hereof in full force and effect.
Dated this 28th day of July, 1997.
-----------------------------
Barry Fink
Secretary
(SEAL)
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
INSTRUMENT ESTABLISHING AND DESIGNATING
ADDITIONAL CLASSES OF SHARES
WHEREAS, Dean Witter American Value Fund (the "Trust") was established by the
Declaration of Trust dated April 6, 1987, as amended from time to time (the
"Declaration"), under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
WHEREAS, Section 6.9(h) of the Declaration provides that the establishment and
designation of any additional class of shares shall be effective upon the
execution by a majority of the then Trustees of an instrument setting forth
such establishment and designation and the relative rights, preferences,
voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and
terms and conditions of such class, or as otherwise provided in such
instrument, which instrument shall have the status of an amendment to the
Declaration; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust have deemed it advisable to establish and
designate three additional classes of shares and to designate classes for the
existing shares held prior to July 28, 1997 ("Existing Class") as provided
herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, pursuant to Section 6.9(h) of the Declaration,
there are hereby established and designated three additional classes of
shares, to be known as: Class A, Class C and Class D (the "Additional
Classes"), each of which shall be subject to the relative rights, preferences,
voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and
terms and conditions of redemption set forth in the Declaration with respect
to the Existing Class, except to the extent the Dean Witter Funds Multiple
Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 attached hereto as Exhibit A sets forth
differences (i) between each of the Additional Classes, or (ii) among each of
the Existing Class and the Additional Classes; and be it further
RESOLVED, pursuant to Section 6.9(h) of the Declaration, all shares of the
Trust held prior to July 28, 1997 are hereby designated as Class B shares of
the Trust, except that (i) shares purchased prior to April 30, 1994 (including
such proportion of shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and
capital gains distributions as the total number of shares acquired prior to
April 30, 1994 bears to the total number of shares of the Trust purchased and
owned by the shareholder) and (ii) shares held by certain employee benefit
plans established by Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. and its affiliate, SPS
Transaction Services, Inc., are hereby designated as Class D shares. This
instrument may be executed in more than one counterpart, each of which shall
be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the
same document.
<PAGE>
IN WITNESS THEREOF, the undersigned, the Trustees of the Trust, have executed
this instrument this 30th day of June, 1997.
/s/ Michael Bozic /s/ Manuel H. Johnson
- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Michael Bozic, as Trustee Manuel H. Johnson, as Trustee
and not individually and not individually
c/o Levitz Furniture Corp. c/o Johnson Smick International Inc.
6111 Broken Sound Parkway, N.W. 1133 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Boca Raton, FL 33487 Washington, D.C. 20036
/s/ Charles A. Fiumefreddo /s/ Michael E. Nugent
- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Charles A. Fiumefreddo, as Trustee Michael E. Nugent, as Trustee
and not individually and not individually
Two World Trade Center c/o Triumph Capital, L.P.
New York, NY 10048 237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
/s/ Edwin J. Garn /s/ Philip J. Purcell
- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Edwin J. Garn, as Trustee Philip J. Purcell, as Trustee
and not individually and not individually
c/o Huntsman Chemical Corporation Two World Trade Center
500 Huntsman Way New York, NY 10048
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
/s/ John R. Haire /s/ John L. Schroeder
- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------------
John R. Haire, as Trustee John L. Schroeder, as Trustee
and not individually and not individually
Two World Trade Center c/o Gordon Altman Butowsky Weitzen
New York, NY 10048 Shalov & Wein
Counsel to the Independent Trustees
114 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
<PAGE>
STATE OF NEW YORK )
)ss:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK )
On this 30th day of June, 1997, MICHAEL BOZIC, CHARLES A. FIUMEFREDDO,
EDWIN J. GARN, JOHN R. HAIRE, MANUEL H. JOHNSON, MICHAEL E. NUGENT, PHILIP J.
PURCELL and JOHN L. SCHROEDER, known to me to be the individuals described in
and who executed the foregoing instrument, personally appeared before me and
they severally acknowledged the foregoing instrument to be their free act and
deed.
/s/ Marilyn K. Cranney
----------------------------
Notary Public
My Commission expires:
MARILYN K. CRANNEY
NOTARY PUBLIC, STATE OF NEW YORK
NO. 24-4795538
QUALIFIED IN KINGS COUNTY
COMMISSION EXPIRES MAY 31,1999
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
DEAN WITTER
FUNDS
MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN
PURSUANT TO RULE 18F-3
INTRODUCTION
This plan (the "Plan") is adopted pursuant to Rule 18f-3(d) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and will be
effective as of July 28, 1997. The Plan relates to shares of the open-end
investment companies to which Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. acts as
investment manager, that are listed on Schedule A, as may be amended from
time to time (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"). The Funds are
distributed pursuant to a system (the "Multiple Class System") in which each
class of shares (each, a "Class" and collectively, the "Classes") of a Fund
represents a pro rata interest in the same portfolio of investments of the
Fund and differs only to the extent outlined below.
I. DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS
One or more Classes of shares of the Funds are offered for purchase by
investors with the sales load structures described below. In addition,
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Funds have each adopted a Plan
of Distribution (the "12b-1 Plan") under which shares of certain Classes are
subject to the service and/or distribution fees ("12b-1 fees") described
below.
1. Class A Shares
Class A shares are offered with a front-end sales load ("FESL"). The
schedule of sales charges applicable to a Fund and the circumstances under
which the sales charges are subject to reduction are set forth in each Fund's
current prospectus. As stated in each Fund's current prospectus, Class A
shares may be purchased at net asset value (without a FESL): (i) in the case
of certain large purchases of such shares; and (ii) by certain limited
categories of investors, in each case, under the circumstances and conditions
set forth in each Fund's current prospectus. Class A shares purchased at net
asset value may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on
redemptions made within one year of purchase. Further information relating to
the CDSC, including the manner in which it is calculated, is set forth in
paragraph 6 below. Class A shares are also subject to payments under each
Fund's 12b-1 Plan to reimburse Dean Witter Distributors Inc., Dean Witter
Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"), its affiliates and other broker-dealers for
distribution expenses incurred by them specifically on behalf of the Class,
assessed at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets. The
entire amount of the 12b-1 fee represents a service fee within the meaning of
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") guidelines.
2. Class B Shares
Class B shares are offered without a FESL, but will in most cases be
subject to a six-year declining CDSC which is calculated in the manner set
forth in paragraph 6 below. Class B shares purchased by certain qualified
employer-sponsored benefit plans are subject to a three-year declining CDSC
which is calculated in the manner set forth in paragraph 6 below. The
schedule of CDSC charges applicable to each Fund is set forth in each Fund's
current prospectus. With the exception of certain of the Funds which have a
different formula described below (Dean Witter American Value Fund, Dean
Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc., Dean Witter Strategist
Fund and Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities
1
<PAGE>
Inc.) (1), Class B shares are also subject to a fee under each Fund's
respective 12b-1 Plan, assessed at the annual rate of up to 1.0% of either:
(a) the lesser of (i) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's
Class B shares since the inception of the Fund (not including reinvestment of
dividends or capital gains distributions), less the average daily aggregate
net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares redeemed since the Fund's
inception upon which a CDSC has been imposed or waived, or (ii) the average
daily net assets of Class B; or (b) the average daily net assets of Class B.
A portion of the 12b-1 fee equal to up to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily
net assets is characterized as a service fee within the meaning of the NASD
guidelines and the remaining portion of the 12b-1 fee, if any, is
characterized as an asset-based sales charge. Also, Class B shares have a
conversion feature ("Conversion Feature") under which such shares convert to
Class A shares after a certain holding period. Details of the Conversion
Feature are set forth in Section IV below.
3. Class C Shares
Class C shares are offered without imposition of a FESL, but will in most
cases be subject to a CDSC of 1.0% on redemptions made within one year after
purchase. Further information relating to the CDSC is set forth in paragraph
6 below. In addition, Class C shares, under each Fund's 12b-1 Plan, are
subject to 12b-1 payments to reimburse Dean Witter Distributors Inc., DWR,
its affiliates and other broker-dealers for distribution expenses incurred by
them specifically on behalf of the Class, assessed at the annual rate of up
to 1.0% of the average daily net assets of the Class. A portion of the 12b-1
fee equal to up to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is
characterized as a service fee within the meaning of NASD guidelines. Unlike
Class B shares, Class C shares do not have the Conversion Feature.
4. Class D Shares
Class D shares are offered without imposition of a FESL, CDSC or a 12b-1
fee for purchases of Fund shares by (i) investors meeting an initial minimum
investment requirement and (ii) certain other limited categories of
investors, in each case, as may be approved by the Boards of
Directors/Trustees of the Funds and as disclosed in each Fund's current
prospectus.
5. Additional Classes of Shares
The Boards of Directors/Trustees of the Funds have the authority to create
additional Classes, or change existing Classes, from time to time, in
accordance with Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act.
6. Calculation of the CDSC
Any applicable CDSC is calculated based upon the lesser of net asset value
of the shares at the time of purchase or at the time of redemption. The CDSC
does not apply to amounts representing an increase in share value due to
capital appreciation and shares acquired through the reinvestment of
dividends or
- ------------
(1)The payments under the 12b-1 Plan for each of Dean Witter American Value
Fund, Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc. and Dean
Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc. are assessed at the annual rate of
1.0% of the lesser of: (a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the
Fund's Class B shares since the inception of the Fund's Plan (not including
reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions), less the average
daily aggregate net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares redeemed since
the Plan's inception upon which a contingent deferred sales charge has been
imposed or waived, or (b) the average daily net assets of Class B
attributable to shares issued, net of related shares redeemed, since
inception of the Plan. The payments under the 12b-1 Plan for the Dean Witter
Strategist Fund are assessed at the annual rate of: (i) 1% of the lesser of
(a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's Class B shares
since the effectiveness of the first amendment of the Plan on November 8,
1989 (not including reinvestment of dividends or capital gains
distributions), less the average daily aggregate net asset value of the
Fund's Class B shares redeemed since the effectiveness of the first amended
Plan, upon which a contingent deferred sales charge has been imposed or
waived, or (b) the average daily net assets of Class B attributable to shares
issued, net of related shares redeemed, since the effectiveness of the first
amended Plan; plus (ii) 0.25% of the average daily net assets of Class B
attributable to shares issued, net of related shares redeemed, prior to
effectiveness of the first amended Plan.
2
<PAGE>
capital gains distributions. The CDSC schedule applicable to a Fund and the
circumstances in which the CDSC is subject to waiver are set forth in each
Fund's prospectus.
II. EXPENSE ALLOCATIONS
Expenses incurred by a Fund are allocated among the various Classes of
shares pro rata based on the net assets of the Fund attributable to each
Class, except that 12b-1 fees relating to a particular Class are allocated
directly to that Class. In addition, other expenses associated with a
particular Class (except advisory or custodial fees), may be allocated
directly to that Class, provided that such expenses are reasonably identified
as specifically attributable to that Class and the direct allocation to that
Class is approved by the Fund's Board of Directors/Trustees.
III. CLASS DESIGNATION
All shares of the Funds held prior to July 28, 1997 (other than the shares
held by certain employee benefit plans established by DWR and its affiliate,
SPS Transaction Services, Inc., shares of Funds offered with a FESL, and
shares of Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund and Dean Witter Balanced Income
Fund) have been designated Class B shares. Shares held prior to July 28, 1997
by such employee benefit plans have been designated Class D shares. Shares
held prior to July 28, 1997 of Funds offered with a FESL have been designated
Class D shares. In addition, shares of Dean Witter American Value Fund
purchased prior to April 30, 1984, shares of Dean Witter Strategist Fund
purchased prior to November 8, 1989 and shares of Dean Witter Natural
Resource Development Securities Inc. and Dean Witter Dividend Growth
Securities Inc. purchased prior to July 2, 1984 (with respect to such shares
of each Fund, including such proportion of shares acquired through
reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions as the total number
of shares acquired prior to each of the preceding dates in this sentence
bears to the total number of shares purchased and owned by the shareholder of
that Fund) have been designated Class D shares. Shares of Dean Witter
Balanced Growth Fund and Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund held prior to July
28, 1997 have been designated Class C shares except that shares of Dean
Witter Balanced Growth Fund and Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund held prior
to July 28, 1997 that were acquired in exchange for shares of an investment
company offered with a CDSC have been designated Class B shares and those
that were acquired in exchange for shares of an investment company offered
with a FESL have been designated Class A shares.
IV. THE CONVERSION FEATURE
Class B shares held before May 1, 1997 will convert to Class A shares in
May, 2007, except that Class B shares which are purchased before July 28,
1997 by trusts for which Dean Witter Trust Company ("DWTC") or Dean Witter
Trust FSB ("DWTFSB") provides discretionary trustee services will convert to
Class A shares on or about August 29, 1997 (the CDSC will not be applicable
to such shares upon the conversion). In all other instances, Class B shares
of each Fund will automatically convert to Class A shares, based on the
relative net asset values of the shares of the two Classes on the conversion
date, which will be approximately ten (10) years after the date of the
original purchase. Conversions will be effected once a month. The 10 year
period will be calculated from the last day of the month in which the shares
were purchased or, in the case of Class B shares acquired through an exchange
or a series of exchanges, from the last day of the month in which the
original Class B shares were purchased, provided that shares originally
purchased before May 1, 1997 will convert to Class A shares in May, 2007.
Except as set forth below, the conversion of shares purchased on or after May
1, 1997 will take place in the month following the tenth anniversary of the
purchase. There will also be converted at that time such proportion of Class
B shares acquired through automatic reinvestment of dividends owned by the
shareholder as the total number of his or her Class B shares converting at
the time bears to the total number of outstanding Class B shares purchased
and owned by the shareholder. In the case of Class B shares held by a 401(k)
plan or other employer-sponsored plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") and for which DWTC or DWTFSB serves as
Trustee or the 401(k) Support Services Group of DWR serves as recordkeeper,
all Class B shares will convert to Class A shares on the conversion date of
the first shares of a Fund purchased by that plan. In the case of Class B
shares previously exchanged
3
<PAGE>
for shares of an "Exchange Fund" (as such term is defined in the prospectus
of each Fund), the period of time the shares were held in the Exchange Fund
(calculated from the last day of the month in which the Exchange Fund shares
were acquired) is excluded from the holding period for conversion. If those
shares are subsequently re-exchanged for Class B shares of a Fund, the
holding period resumes on the last day of the month in which Class B shares
are reacquired.
Effectiveness of the Conversion Feature is subject to the continuing
availability of a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of
counsel to the effect that (i) the conversion of shares does not constitute a
taxable event under the Code; (ii) Class A shares received on conversion will
have a basis equal to the shareholder's basis in the converted Class B shares
immediately prior to the conversion; and (iii) Class A shares received on
conversion will have a holding period that includes the holding period of the
converted Class B shares. The Conversion Feature may be suspended if the
Ruling or opinion is no longer available. In such event, Class B shares would
continue to be subject to Class B fees under the applicable Fund's 12b-1
Plan.
V. EXCHANGE PRIVILEGES
Shares of each Class may be exchanged for shares of the same Class of the
other Funds and for shares of certain other investment companies without the
imposition of an exchange fee as described in the prospectuses and statements
of additional information of the Funds. The exchange privilege of each Fund
may be terminated or revised at any time by the Fund upon such notice as may
be required by applicable regulatory agencies as described in each Fund's
prospectus.
VI. VOTING
Each Class shall have exclusive voting rights on any matter that relates
solely to its 12b-1 Plan, except that Class B shareholders will have the
right to vote on any proposed material increase in Class A's expenses,
including payments under the Class A 12b-1 Plan, if such proposal is
submitted separately to Class A shareholders. If the amount of expenses,
including payments under the Class A 12b-1 Plan, is increased materially
without the approval of Class B shareholders, the Fund will establish a new
Class A for Class B shareholders whose shares automatically convert on the
same terms as applied to Class A before the increase. In addition, each Class
shall have separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in
which the interests of one Class differ from the interests of any other
Class.
4
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER FUNDS
MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN PURSUANT TO RULE 18F-3
SCHEDULE A
AT JULY 28, 1997
1) Dean Witter American Value Fund
2) Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
3) Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
4) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
5) Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
6) Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
7) Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
8) Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
9) Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
10) Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
11) Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
12) Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
13) Dean Witter Financial Services Trust
14) Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
15) Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
16) Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
17) Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
18) Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
19) Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
20) Dean Witter Information Fund
21) Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
22) Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
23) Dean Witter Japan Fund
24) Dean Witter Managers' Select Fund
25) Dean Witter Market Leader Trust
26) Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
27) Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
28) Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
29) Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
30) Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
31) Dean Witter Special Value Fund
32) Dean Witter Strategist Fund
33) Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
34) Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
35) Dean Witter Utilities Fund
36) Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series/Equity Portfolio
37) Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
38) Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
5
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 5
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of the 31st day of May, 1997 by and between Dean Witter
American Value Fund, an unincorporated business trust organized under the
laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (hereinafter called the "Fund"),
and Dean Witter InterCapital Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter called
the "Investment Manager"):
WHEREAS, The Fund is engaged in business as an open-end management
investment company and is registered as such under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the "Act"); and
WHEREAS, The Investment Manager is registered as an investment adviser
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and engages in the business of
acting as investment adviser; and
WHEREAS, The Fund desires to retain the Investment Manager to render
management and investment advisory services in the manner and on the terms
and conditions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, The Investment Manager desires to be retained to perform services
on said terms and conditions:
Now, Therefore, this Agreement
W I T N E S S E T H:
that in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter
contained, the Fund and the Investment Manager agree as follows:
1. The Fund hereby retains the Investment Manager to act as investment
manager of the Fund and, subject to the supervision of the Trustees, to
supervise the investment activities of the Fund as hereinafter set forth.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Investment Manager
shall obtain and evaluate such information and advice relating to the
economy, securities and commodities markets and securities and commodities as
it deems necessary or useful to discharge its duties hereunder; shall
continuously manage the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with the
investment objectives and policies of the Fund; shall determine the
securities and commodities to be purchased, sold or otherwise disposed of by
the Fund and the timing of such purchases, sales and dispositions; and shall
take such further action, including the placing of purchase and sale orders
on behalf of the Fund, as the Investment Manager shall deem necessary or
appropriate. The Investment Manager shall also furnish to or place at the
disposal of the Fund such of the information, evaluations, analyses and
opinions formulated or obtained by the Investment Manager in the discharge of
its duties as the Fund may, from time to time, reasonably request.
2. The Investment Manager shall, at its own expense, maintain such staff
and employ or retain such personnel and consult with such other persons as it
shall from time to time determine to be necessary or useful to the
performance of its obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the staff and personnel of the Investment
Manager shall be deemed to include persons employed or otherwise retained by
the Investment Manager to furnish statistical and other factual data, advice
regarding economic factors and trends, information with respect to technical
and scientific developments, and such other information, advice and
assistance as the Investment Manager may desire. The Investment Manager
shall, as agent for the Fund, maintain the Fund's records and books of
account (other than those maintained by the Fund's transfer agent, registrar,
custodian and other agencies). All such books and records so maintained shall
be the property of the Fund and, upon request therefor, the Investment
Manager shall surrender to the Fund such of the books and records so
requested.
3. The Fund will, from time to time, furnish or otherwise make available
to the Investment Manager such financial reports, proxy statements and other
information relating to the business and affairs of the Fund as the
Investment Manager may reasonably require in order to discharge its duties
and obligations hereunder.
4. The Investment Manager shall bear the cost of rendering the investment
management and supervisory services to be performed by it under this
Agreement, and shall, at its own expense, pay the compensation of the
officers and employees, if any, of the Fund, and provide such office space,
facilities
<PAGE>
and equipment and such clerical help and bookkeeping services as the Fund
shall reasonably require in the conduct of its business, including the
preparation of prospectuses, proxy statements and reports required to be
filed with federal and state securities commissions (except insofar as the
participation or assistance of independent accountants and attorneys is, in
the opinion of the Investment Manager, necessary or desirable). The
Investment Manager shall also bear the cost of telephone service, heat,
light, power and other utilities provided to the Fund.
5. The Fund assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid all other expenses
of the Fund, including without limitation: the charges and expenses of any
registrar, any custodian or depository appointed by the Fund for the
safekeeping of its cash, portfolio securities or commodities and other
property, and any stock transfer or dividend agent or agents appointed by the
Fund; brokers' commissions chargeable to the Fund in connection with
portfolio transactions to which the Fund is a party; all taxes, including
securities or commodities issuance and transfer taxes, and fees payable by
the Fund to federal, state or other governmental agencies; the cost and
expense of engraving or printing certificates representing shares of the
Fund; all costs and expenses in connection with the registration and
maintenance of registration of the Fund and its shares with the Securities
and Exchange Commission and various states and other jurisdictions (including
filing fees and legal fees and disbursements of counsel); the cost and
expense of printing, including typesetting, and distributing prospectuses and
statements of additional information of the Fund and supplements thereto to
the Fund's shareholders; all expenses of shareholders' and Trustees' meetings
and of preparing, printing and mailing proxy statements and reports to
shareholders; fees and travel expenses of Trustees or members of any advisory
board or committee who are not employees of the Investment Manager or any
corporate affiliate of the Investment Manager; all expenses incident to the
payment of any dividend, distribution, withdrawal or redemption, whether in
shares or in cash; charges and expenses of any outside service used for
pricing of the Fund's shares; charges and expenses of legal counsel,
including counsel to the Trustees of the Fund who are not interested persons
(as defined in the Act) of the Fund or the Investment Manager, and of
independent accountants, in connection with any matter relating to the Fund;
membership dues of industry associations; interest payable on Fund
borrowings; postage; insurance premiums on property or personnel (including
officers and Trustees) of the Fund which inure to its benefit; extraordinary
expenses (including but not limited to legal claims and liabilities and
litigation costs and any indemnification related thereto); and all other
charges and costs of the Fund's operation unless otherwise explicitly
provided herein.
6. For the services to be rendered, the facilities furnished, and the
expenses assumed by the Investment Manager, the Fund shall pay to the
Investment Manager monthly compensation determined by applying the following
annual rates to the Fund's daily net assets: 0.625% of daily net assets up to
$250 million; 0.50% of the next $2.25 billion; 0.475% of the next $1.0
billion; and 0.45% of daily net assets over $3.5 billion. Except as
hereinafter set forth, compensation under this Agreement shall be calculated
and accrued daily and the amounts of the daily accruals shall be paid
monthly. Such calculations shall be made by applying 1/365ths of the annual
rates to the Fund's net assets each day determined as of the close of
business on that day or the last previous business day. If this Agreement
becomes effective subsequent to the first day of a month or shall terminate
before the last day of a month, compensation for that part of the month this
Agreement is in effect shall be prorated in a manner consistent with the
calculation of the fees as set forth above.
Subject to the provisions of paragraph 7 hereof, payment of the Investment
Manager's compensation for the preceding month shall be made as promptly as
possible after completion of the computations contemplated by paragraph 7
hereof.
7. In the event the operating expenses of the Fund, including amounts
payable to the Investment Manager pursuant to paragraph 6 hereof, for any
fiscal year ending on a date on which this Agreement is in effect, exceed the
expense limitations applicable to the Fund imposed by state securities laws
or regulations thereunder, as such limitations may be raised or lowered from
time to time, the Investment Manager shall reduce its management fee to the
extent of such excess and, if required, pursuant to any such laws or
regulations, will reimburse the Fund for annual operating expenses in excess
of any expense limitation that may be applicable; provided, however, there
shall be excluded from such expenses the amount of any interest, taxes,
brokerage commissions, distribution fees and extraordinary expenses
2
<PAGE>
(including but not limited to legal claims and liabilities and litigation
costs and any indemnification related thereto) paid or payable by the Fund.
Such reduction, if any, shall be computed and accrued daily, shall be settled
on a monthly basis, and shall be based upon the expense limitation applicable
to the Fund as at the end of the last business day of the month. Should two
or more such expense limitations be applicable as at the end of the last
business day of the month, that expense limitation which results in the
largest reduction in the Investment Manager's fee shall be applicable.
For purposes of this provision, should any applicable expense limitation
be based upon the gross income of the Fund, such gross income shall include,
but not be limited to, interest on debt securities in the Fund's portfolio
accrued to and including the last day of the Fund's fiscal year, and
dividends declared on equity securities in the Fund's portfolio, the record
dates for which fall on or prior to the last day of such fiscal year, but
shall not include gains from the sale of securities.
8. The Investment Manager will use its best efforts in the supervision
and management of the investment activities of the Fund, but in the absence
of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
its obligations hereunder, the Investment Manager shall not be liable to the
Fund or any of its investors for any error of judgment or mistake of law or
for any act or omission by the Investment Manager or for any losses sustained
by the Fund or its investors.
9. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall prevent the Investment
Manager or any affiliated person of the Investment Manager from acting as
investment adviser or manager for any other person, firm or corporation and
shall not in any way bind or restrict the Investment Manager or any such
affiliated person from buying, selling or trading any securities or
commodities for their own accounts or for the account of others for whom they
may be acting. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of
any Trustee, officer or employee of the Investment Manager to engage in any
other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the
management or other aspects of any other business whether of a similar or
dissimilar nature.
10. This Agreement shall remain in effect until April 30, 1999 and from
year to year thereafter provided such continuance is approved at least
annually by the vote of holders of a majority, as defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"), of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund or by the Trustees of the Fund; provided that in
either event such continuance is also approved annually by the vote of a
majority of the Trustees of the Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or
"interested persons" (as defined in the Act) of any such party, which vote
must be cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
approval; provided, however, that (a) the Fund may, at any time and without
the payment of any penalty, terminate this Agreement upon thirty days'
written notice to the Investment Manager, either by majority vote of the
Trustees of the Fund or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund; (b) this Agreement shall immediately terminate in the
event of its assignment (to the extent required by the Act and the rules
thereunder) unless such automatic terminations shall be prevented by an
exemptive order of the Securities and Exchange Commission; and (c) the
Investment Manager may terminate this Agreement without payment of penalty on
thirty days' written notice to the Fund. Any notice under this Agreement
shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered, or mailed post-paid, to
the other party at the principal office of such party.
11. This Agreement may be amended by the parties without the vote or
consent of the shareholders of the Fund to supply any omission, to cure,
correct or supplement any ambiguous, defective or inconsistent provision
hereof, or if they deem it necessary to conform this Agreement to the
requirements of applicable federal laws or regulations, but neither the Fund
nor the Investment Manager shall be liable for failing to do so.
12. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Act. To the extent the
applicable law of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein,
conflicts with the applicable provisions of the Act, the latter shall
control.
13. The Investment Manager and the Fund each agree that the name "Dean
Witter," which comprises a component of the Fund's name, is a property right
of Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. The Fund
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agrees and consents that (i) it will only use the name "Dean Witter" as a
component of its name and for no other purpose, (ii) it will not purport to
grant to any third party the right to use the name "Dean Witter" for any
purpose, (iii) the Investment Manager or its parent, Morgan Stanley, Dean
Witter, Discover & Co., or any corporate affiliate of the Investment
Manager's parent, may use or grant to others the right to use the name "Dean
Witter," or any combination or abbreviation thereof, as all or a portion of a
corporate or business name or for any commercial purpose, including a grant
of such right to any other investment company, (iv) at the request of the
Investment Manager or its parent, the Fund will take such action as may be
required to provide its consent to the use of the name "Dean Witter," or any
combination or abbreviation thereof, by the Investment Manager or its parent
or any corporate affiliate of the Investment Manager's parent, or by any
person to whom the Investment Manager or its parent or any corporate
affiliate of the Investment Manager's parent shall have granted the right to
such use, and (v) upon the termination of any investment advisory agreement
into which the Investment Manager and the Fund may enter, or upon termination
of affiliation of the Investment Manager with its parent, the Fund shall,
upon request by the Investment Manager or its parent, cease to use the name
"Dean Witter" as a component of its name, and shall not use the name, or any
combination or abbreviation thereof, as a part of its name or for any other
commercial purpose, and shall cause its officers, Trustees and shareholders
to take any and all actions which the Investment Manager or its parent may
request to effect the foregoing and to reconvey to the Investment Manager or
its parent any and all rights to such name.
14. The Declaration of Trust establishing Dean Witter American Value
Fund, dated April 6, 1987, a copy of which, together with all amendments
thereto (the "Declaration"), is on file in the office of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, provides that the name Dean Witter American
Value Fund refers to the Trustees under the Declaration collectively as
Trustees, but not as individuals or personally; and no Trustee, shareholder,
officer, employee or agent of Dean Witter American Value Fund shall be held
to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their private property
for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim or otherwise, in connection
with the affairs of said Dean Witter American Value Fund, but the Trust
Estate only shall be liable.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement on the day and year first above written in New York, New York.
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
By:
.................................
Attest:
...................................
DEAN WITTER INTERCAPITAL INC.
By:
.................................
Attest:
...................................
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EXHIBIT 6 (A)
DEAN WITTER FUNDS
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of this 31st day of May, 1997 between each of the
open-end investment companies to which Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. acts as
investment manager, that are listed on Schedule A, as may be amended from
time to time (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"), and Dean Witter
Distributors Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Distributor").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, each Fund is registered as an open-end investment company under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and it is in
the interest of each Fund to offer its shares for sale continuously, and
WHEREAS, each Fund and the Distributor wish to enter into an agreement
with each other with respect to the continuous offering of each Fund's
transferable shares, of $0.01 par value (the "Shares"), to commence on the
date listed above, in order to promote the growth of each Fund and facilitate
the distribution of its shares.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
SECTION 1. Appointment of the Distributor.
(a) Each Fund hereby appoints the Distributor as the principal underwriter
and distributor of the Fund to sell Shares to the public on the terms set
forth in this Agreement and that Fund's prospectus and the Distributor hereby
accepts such appointment and agrees to act hereunder. Each Fund, during the
term of this Agreement, shall sell Shares to the Distributor upon the terms
and conditions set forth herein.
(b) The Distributor agrees to purchase Shares, as principal for its own
account, from each Fund and to sell Shares as principal to investors, and
securities dealers, including Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"), an affiliate
of the Distributor, upon the terms described herein and in that Fund's
prospectus (the "Prospectus") and statement of additional information
included in the Fund's registration statement (the "Registration Statement")
most recently filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") and effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "1933 Act"), and the 1940 Act or as the Prospectus may be
otherwise amended or supplemented and filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 497
under the 1933 Act.
SECTION 2 Exclusive Nature of Duties. The Distributor shall be the
exclusive principal underwriter and distributor of each Fund, except that the
exclusive rights granted to the Distributor to sell the Shares shall not
apply to Shares issued by each Fund: (i) in connection with the merger or
consolidation of any other investment company or personal holding company
with the Fund or the acquisition by purchase or otherwise of all (or
substantially all) the assets or the outstanding shares of any such company
by the Fund; (ii) pursuant to reinvestment of dividends or capital gains
distributions; or (iii) pursuant to the reinstatement privilege afforded
redeeming shareholders.
SECTION 3. Purchase of Shares from each Fund.
(a) The Distributor shall have the right to buy from each Fund the Shares
needed, but not more than the Shares needed (except for clerical errors in
transmission), to fill unconditional orders for Shares placed with the
Distributor by investors or securities dealers. The price which the
Distributor shall pay for the Shares so purchased from the Fund shall be the
net asset value, determined as set forth in the Prospectus, used in
determining the public offering price on which such orders were based.
(b) The Shares are to be resold by the Distributor at the public offering
price of Shares as set forth in the Prospectus, to investors or to securities
dealers, including DWR, who have entered into selected dealer agreements with
the Distributor upon the terms and conditions set forth in Section 7 hereof
("Selected Dealers").
(c) Each Fund shall have the right to suspend the sale of the Shares at
times when redemption is suspended pursuant to the conditions set forth in
Section 4(f) hereof. Each Fund shall also have the right
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to suspend the sale of the Shares if trading on the New York Stock Exchange
shall have been suspended, if a banking moratorium shall have been declared
by federal or New York authorities, or if there shall have been some other
extraordinary event which, in the judgment of a Fund, makes it impracticable
to sell its Shares.
(d) Each Fund, or any agent of a Fund designated in writing by the Fund,
shall be promptly advised of all purchase orders for Shares received by the
Distributor. Any order may be rejected by a Fund; provided, however, that a
Fund will not arbitrarily or without reasonable cause refuse to accept orders
for the purchase of Shares. The Distributor will confirm orders upon their
receipt, and each Fund (or its agent) upon receipt of payment therefor and
instructions will deliver share certificates for such Shares or a statement
confirming the issuance of Shares. Payment shall be made to the Fund in New
York Clearing House funds. The Distributor agrees to cause such payment and
such instructions to be delivered promptly to the Fund (or its agent).
(e) With respect to Shares sold by any Selected Dealer, the Distributor is
authorized to direct each Fund's transfer agent to receive instructions
directly from the Selected Dealer on behalf of the Distributor as to
registration of Shares in the names of investors and to confirm issuance of
the Shares to such investors. The Distributor is also authorized to instruct
the transfer agent to receive payment directly from the Selected Dealer on
behalf of the Distributor, for prompt transmittal to each Fund's custodian,
of the purchase price of the Shares. In such event the Distributor shall
obtain from the Selected Dealer and maintain a record of such registration
instructions and payments.
SECTION 4. Repurchase or Redemption of Shares.
(a) Any of the outstanding Shares of a Fund may be tendered for redemption
at any time, and each Fund agrees to redeem its Shares so tendered in
accordance with the applicable provisions set forth in its Prospectus. The
price to be paid to redeem the Shares shall be equal to the net asset value
determined as set forth in the Prospectus less, in the case of a Fund whose
Shares are offered with a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC"), any
applicable CDSC. Upon any redemption of Shares the Fund shall pay the total
amount of the redemption price in New York Clearing House funds in accordance
with applicable provisions of the Prospectus.
(b) In the case of a Fund whose Shares are offered with a front-end sales
charge, the redemption by a Fund of any of its Shares purchased by or through
the Distributor will not affect the applicable front-end sales charge secured
by the Distributor or any Selected Dealer in the course of the original sale,
except that if any Shares are tendered for redemption within seven business
days after the date of the confirmation of the original purchase, the right
to the applicable front-end sales charge shall be forfeited by the
Distributor and the Selected Dealer which sold such Shares.
(c) In the case of a Fund whose Shares are offered with a CDSC, the
proceeds of any redemption of Shares shall be paid by each Fund as follows:
(i) any applicable CDSC shall be paid to the Distributor or to the Selected
Dealer, or, when applicable, pursuant to the Rules of the Association of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"), retained by the
Fund and (ii) the balance shall be paid to the redeeming shareholders, in
each case in accordance with applicable provisions of its Prospectus in New
York Clearing House funds. The Distributor is authorized to direct a Fund to
pay directly to the Selected Dealer any CDSC payable by a Fund to the
Distributor in respect of Shares sold by the Selected Dealer to the redeeming
shareholders.
(d) The Distributor is authorized, as agent for the Fund, to repurchase
Shares, represented by a share certificate which is delivered to any office
of the Distributor in accordance with applicable provisions set forth in each
Fund's Prospectus. The Distributor shall promptly transmit to the transfer
agent of the Fund for redemption all Shares so delivered. The Distributor
shall be responsible for the accuracy of instructions transmitted to the
Fund's transfer agent in connection with all such repurchases.
(e) The Distributor is authorized, as agent for each Fund, to repurchase
Shares held in a shareholder's account with a Fund for which no share
certificate has been issued, upon the telephonic request of the shareholders,
or at the discretion of the Distributor. The Distributor shall promptly
transmit to the
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transfer agent of the Fund, for redemption, all such orders for repurchase of
Shares. Payment for Shares repurchased may be made by a Fund to the
Distributor for the account of the shareholder. The Distributor shall be
responsible for the accuracy of instructions transmitted to the Fund's
transfer agent in connection with all such repurchases.
(f) Redemption of its Shares or payment by a Fund may be suspended at
times when the New York Stock Exchange is closed, when trading on said
Exchange is restricted, when an emergency exists as a result of which
disposal by a Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or
it is not reasonably practicable for a Fund fairly to determine the value of
its net assets, or during any other period when the SEC, by order, so
permits.
(g) With respect to its Shares tendered for redemption or repurchase by
any Selected Dealer on behalf of its customers, the Distributor is authorized
to instruct the transfer agent of a Fund to accept orders for redemption or
repurchase directly from the Selected Dealer on behalf of the Distributor and
to instruct the Fund to transmit payments for such redemptions and
repurchases directly to the Selected Dealer on behalf of the Distributor for
the account of the shareholder. The Distributor shall obtain from the
Selected Dealer, and shall maintain, a record of such orders. The Distributor
is further authorized to obtain from the Fund, and shall maintain, a record
of payment made directly to the Selected Dealer on behalf of the Distributor.
SECTION 5. Duties of the Fund.
(a) Each Fund shall furnish to the Distributor copies of all information,
financial statements and other papers which the Distributor may reasonably
request for use in connection with the distribution of its Shares, including
one certified copy, upon request by the Distributor, of all financial
statements prepared by the Fund and examined by independent accountants. Each
Fund shall, at the expense of the Distributor, make available to the
Distributor such number of copies of its Prospectus as the Distributor shall
reasonably request.
(b) Each Fund shall take, from time to time, but subject to the necessary
approval of its shareholders, all necessary action to fix the number of its
authorized Shares and to register Shares under the 1933 Act, to the end that
there will be available for sale such number of Shares as investors may
reasonably be expected to purchase.
(c) Each Fund shall use its best efforts to pay the filing fees for an
appropriate number of its Shares to be sold under the securities laws of such
states as the Distributor and the Fund may approve. Any qualification to sell
its Shares in a state may be withheld, terminated or withdrawn by a Fund at
any time in its discretion. As provided in Section 8(c) hereof, such filing
fees shall be paid by the Fund. The Distributor shall furnish any information
and other material relating to its affairs and activities as may be required
by a Fund in connection with the sale of its Shares in any state.
(d) Each Fund shall, at the expense of the Distributor, furnish, in
reasonable quantities upon request by the Distributor, copies of its annual
and interim reports.
SECTION 6. Duties of the Distributor.
(a) The Distributor shall sell shares of each Fund through DWR and may
sell shares through other securities dealers and its own Account Executives,
and shall devote reasonable time and effort to promote sales of the Shares,
but shall not be obligated to sell any specific number of Shares. The
services of the Distributor hereunder are not exclusive and it is understood
that the Distributor may act as principal underwriter for other registered
investment companies, so long as the performance of its obligations hereunder
is not impaired thereby. It is also understood that Selected Dealers,
including DWR, may also sell shares for other registered investment
companies.
(b) Neither the Distributor nor any Selected Dealer shall give any
information or make any representations, other than those contained in the
Registration Statement or related Prospectus and any sales literature
specifically approved by the appropriate Fund.
(c) The Distributor agrees that it will at all times comply with the
applicable terms and limitations of the Rules of the Association of the NASD.
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<PAGE>
SECTION 7. Selected Dealers Agreements.
(a) The Distributor shall have the right to enter into selected dealer
agreements with Selected Dealers for the sale of Shares. In making agreements
with Selected Dealers, the Distributor shall act only as principal and not as
agent for a Fund. Shares sold to Selected Dealers shall be for resale by such
dealers only at the public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. With
respect to Funds whose Shares are offered with a front-end sales charge, in
such agreement the Distributor shall have the right to fix the portion of the
applicable front-end sales charge which may be allocated to the Selected
Dealers.
(b) Within the United States, the Distributor shall offer and sell Shares
only to Selected Dealers that are members in good standing of the NASD.
(c) The Distributor shall adopt and follow procedures, as approved by each
Fund, for the confirmation of sales of its Shares to investors and Selected
Dealers, the collection of amounts payable by investors and Selected Dealers
on such sales, and the cancellation of unsettled transactions, as may be
necessary to comply with the requirements of the NASD, as such requirements
may from time to time exist.
SECTION 8. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Each Fund shall bear all costs and expenses of the Fund, including
fees and disbursements of legal counsel including counsel to the
Directors/Trustees of each Fund who are not interested persons (as defined in
the 1940 Act) of the Fund or the Distributor, and independent accountants, in
connection with the preparation and filing of any required Registration
Statements and Prospectuses and all amendments and supplements thereto, and
the expense of preparing, printing, mailing and otherwise distributing
prospectuses and statements of additional information, annual or interim
reports or proxy materials to shareholders.
(b) The Distributor shall bear all expenses incurred by it in connection
with its duties and activities under this Agreement including the payment to
Selected Dealers of any sales commissions, service fees and other expenses
for sales of a Fund's Shares (except such expenses as are specifically
undertaken herein by a Fund) incurred or paid by Selected Dealers, including
DWR. The Distributor shall bear the costs and expenses of preparing, printing
and distributing any supplementary sales literature used by the Distributor
or furnished by it for use by Selected Dealers in connection with the
offering of the Shares for sale. Any expenses of advertising incurred in
connection with such offering will also be the obligation of the Distributor.
It is understood and agreed that, so long as a Fund's Plan of Distribution
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act ("Rule 12b-1 Plan") continues in
effect, any expenses incurred by the Distributor hereunder may be paid in
accordance with the terms of such Rule 12b-1 Plan.
(c) Each Fund shall pay the filing fees, and, if necessary or advisable in
connection therewith, bear the cost and expense of qualifying each Fund as a
broker or dealer, in such states of the United States or other jurisdictions
as shall be selected by the Fund and the Distributor pursuant to Section 5(c)
hereof and the cost and expenses payable to each such state for continuing to
offer Shares therein until the Fund decides to discontinue selling Shares
pursuant to Section 5(c) hereof.
SECTION 9. Indemnification.
(a) Each Fund shall indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor and each
person, if any, who controls the Distributor against any loss, liability,
claim, damage or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or
defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damage or expense and
reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising by reason
of any person acquiring any Shares, which may be based upon the 1933 Act, or
on any other statute or at common law, on the ground that the Registration
Statement or related Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as
from time to time amended and supplemented, or the annual or interim reports
to shareholders of a Fund, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or
omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information
furnished to the Fund in connection therewith by or on behalf of the
Distributor; provided, however, that in no case (i) is the indemnity of a
Fund in
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favor of the Distributor and any such controlling persons to be deemed to
protect the Distributor or any such controlling persons thereof against any
liability to a Fund or its security holders to which the Distributor or any
such controlling persons would otherwise be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties
or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this
Agreement; or (ii) is a Fund to be liable under its indemnity agreement
contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against the
Distributor or any such controlling persons, unless the Distributor or any
such controlling persons, as the case may be, shall have notified the Fund in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal
process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served
upon the Distributor or such controlling persons (or after the Distributor or
such controlling persons shall have received notice of such service on any
designated agent), but failure to notify the Fund of any such claim shall not
relieve it from any liability which it may have to the person against whom
such action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement
contained in this paragraph. Each Fund will be entitled to participate at its
own expense in the defense, or, if it so elects, to assume the defense, of
any such suit brought to enforce any such liability, but if a Fund elects to
assume the defense, such defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it
and satisfactory to the Distributor or such controlling person or persons,
defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event the Fund elects to assume
the defense of any such suit and retain such counsel, the Distributor or such
controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall
bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them, but,
in case the Fund does not elect to assume the defense of any such suit, it
will reimburse the Distributor or such controlling person or persons,
defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of
any counsel retained by them. Each Fund shall promptly notify the Distributor
of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its
officers or Directors/Trustees in connection with the issuance or sale of the
Shares.
(b) (i) The Distributor shall indemnify and hold harmless each Fund and
each of its Directors/ Trustees and officers and each person, if any, who
controls the Fund against any loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense
described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, but
only with respect to statements or omissions made in reliance upon, and in
conformity with, information furnished to a Fund in writing by or on behalf
of the Distributor for use in connection with the Registration Statement or
related Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as from time to
time amended, or the annual or interim reports to shareholders.
(ii) The Distributor shall indemnify and hold harmless each Fund and
each Fund's transfer agent, individually and in its capacity as the Fund's
transfer agent, from and against any claims, damages and liabilities which
arise as a result of actions taken pursuant to instructions from, or on
behalf of, the Distributor to: (1) redeem all or a part of shareholder
accounts in the Fund pursuant to Section 4(g) hereof and pay the proceeds to,
or as directed by, the Distributor for the account of each shareholder whose
Shares are so redeemed; and (2) register Shares in the names of investors,
confirm the issuance thereof and receive payment therefor pursuant to Section
3(e) hereof.
(iii) In case any action shall be brought against a Fund or any person
so indemnified by this Section 9(b) in respect of which indemnity may be
sought against the Distributor, the Distributor shall have the rights and
duties given to a Fund, and the Fund and each person so indemnified shall
have the rights and duties given to the Distributor, by the provisions of
subsection (a) of this Section 9.
(c) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable
or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses
(or actions in respect thereof) referred to herein, then each indemnifiying
party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified
party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses
(or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect the relative benefits received by a Fund on the one hand and the
Distributor on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the
allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by
applicable law, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount
paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative
fault of a Fund on the one hand and the Distributor on the other in
connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions
5
<PAGE>
in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by a Fund on the one hand and the Distributor
on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net
proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Fund
bear to the total compensation received by the Distributor, in each case as
set forth in the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a
material fact relates to information supplied by a Fund or the Distributor
and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. Each Fund and
the Distributor agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution
were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation
which does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to
above. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect
thereof) referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of
this subsection (c), the Distributor shall not be required to contribute any
amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares
distributed by it to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount
of any damages which it has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person
guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f)
of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was
not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
SECTION 10. Duration and Termination of this Agreement. This Agreement
shall become effective with respect to a Fund as of the date first above
written and shall remain in force until April 30, 1998, and thereafter, but
only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually
by (i) the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund, or by the vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, cast in person or
by proxy, and (ii) a majority of those Directors/Trustees who are not parties
to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party and who have no
direct or indirect financial interest in this Agreement or in the operation
of the Fund's Rule 12b-1 Plan or in any agreement related thereto, cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting upon such approval.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any
penalty, by the Directors/Trustees of a Fund, by a majority of the
Directors/Trustees of a Fund who are not interested persons of the Fund and
who have no direct or indirect financial interest in this Agreement, or by
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, or by the
Distributor, on sixty days' written notice to the other party. This Agreement
shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.
The terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,"
"assignment" and "interested person," when used in this Agreement, shall have
the respective meanings specified in the 1940 Act.
SECTION 11. Amendments of this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended by
the parties only if such amendment is specifically approved by (i) the
Directors/Trustees of a Fund, or by the vote of a majority of outstanding
voting securities of a Fund, and (ii) a majority of those Directors/Trustees
of a Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any
such party and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in this
Agreement or in any Agreement related to the Fund's Rule 12b-1 Plan, cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
SECTION 12. Additional Funds. If at any time another Fund desires to
appoint the Distributor as its principal underwriter and distributor under
this Agreement, it shall notify the Distributor in writing. If the
Distributor is willing to serve as the Fund's principal underwriter and
distributor under this Agreement, it shall notify the Fund in writing,
whereupon such other Fund shall become a Fund hereunder.
SECTION 13. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance
with the law of the State of New York and the applicable provisions of the
1940 Act. To the extent the applicable law of the State of New York, or any
of the provisions herein, conflicts with the applicable provisions of the
1940 Act, the latter shall control.
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SECTION 14. Personal Liability. With respect to any Fund that is organized
as an unincorporated business trust under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, its Declaration of the Trust (each, a "Declaration") is on
file in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Each Declaration provides that the name of the Fund refers to the Trustees
under the Declaration collectively as Trustees, but not as individuals or
personally; and no Trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or agent of any
Fund shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to
their private property for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim or
otherwise, in connection with the affairs of any Fund, but the Trust Estate
only shall be liable.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first written in New York, New York.
ON BEHALF OF THE FUNDS SET FORTH ON
SCHEDULE A, ATTACHED HERETO
By: .................................
DEAN WITTER DISTRIBUTORS INC.
By: .................................
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DEAN WITTER FUNDS
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
SCHEDULE A
AT MAY 31, 1997
1) Dean Witter American Value Fund
2) Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
3) Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
4) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
5) Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
6) Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
7) Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
8) Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
9) Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
10) Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
11) Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
12) Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
13) Dean Witter Financial Services Trust
14) Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
15) Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
16) Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
17) Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
18) Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
19) Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
20) Dean Witter Information Fund
21) Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
22) Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
23) Dean Witter Japan Fund
24) Dean Witter Managers' Select Fund
25) Dean Witter Market Leader Trust
26) Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
27) Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
28) Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
29) Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
30) Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
31) Dean Witter Special Value Fund
32) Dean Witter Strategist Fund
33) Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
34) Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
35) Dean Witter Utilities Fund
36) Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series/Equity Portfolio
37) Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
38) Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
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EXHIBIT 6 (B)
DEAN WITTER FUNDS
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of this 28th day of July, 1997 between each of the
open-end investment companies to which Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. acts as
investment manager, that are listed on Schedule A, as may be amended from
time to time (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"), and Dean Witter
Distributors Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Distributor").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, each Fund is registered as an open-end investment company under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and it is in
the interest of each Fund to offer its shares for sale continuously, and
WHEREAS, each Fund and the Distributor wish to enter into an agreement
with each other with respect to the continuous offering of each Fund's
transferable shares, of $0.01 par value (the "Shares"), to commence on the
date listed above, in order to promote the growth of each Fund and facilitate
the distribution of its shares.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
SECTION 1. Appointment of the Distributor.
(a) Each Fund hereby appoints the Distributor as the principal underwriter
and distributor of the Fund to sell Shares to the public on the terms set
forth in this Agreement and that Fund's prospectus and the Distributor hereby
accepts such appointment and agrees to act hereunder. Each Fund, during the
term of this Agreement, shall sell Shares to the Distributor upon the terms
and conditions set forth herein.
(b) The Distributor agrees to purchase Shares, as principal for its own
account, from each Fund and to sell Shares as principal to investors, and
securities dealers, including Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"), an affiliate
of the Distributor, upon the terms described herein and in that Fund's
prospectus (the "Prospectus") and statement of additional information
included in the Fund's registration statement (the "Registration Statement")
most recently filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") and effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "1933 Act"), and the 1940 Act or as the Prospectus may be
otherwise amended or supplemented and filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 497
under the 1933 Act.
SECTION 2 Exclusive Nature of Duties. The Distributor shall be the
exclusive principal underwriter and distributor of each Fund, except that the
exclusive rights granted to the Distributor to sell the Shares shall not
apply to Shares issued by each Fund: (i) in connection with the merger or
consolidation of any other investment company or personal holding company
with the Fund or the acquisition by purchase or otherwise of all (or
substantially all) the assets or the outstanding shares of any such company
by the Fund; (ii) pursuant to reinvestment of dividends or capital gains
distributions; or (iii) pursuant to the reinstatement privilege afforded
redeeming shareholders.
SECTION 3. Purchase of Shares from each Fund. The Shares are offered in
four classes (each, a "Class"), as described in the Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented from time to time.
(a) The Distributor shall have the right to buy from each Fund the Shares
of the particular class needed, but not more than the Shares needed (except
for clerical errors in transmission), to fill unconditional orders for Shares
of the applicable class placed with the Distributor by investors or
securities dealers. The price which the Distributor shall pay for the Shares
so purchased from the Fund shall be the net asset value, determined as set
forth in the Prospectus, used in determining the public offering price on
which such orders were based.
(b) The Shares are to be resold by the Distributor at the public offering
price of Shares of the applicable class as set forth in the Prospectus, to
investors or to securities dealers, including DWR, who have entered into
selected dealer agreements with the Distributor upon the terms and conditions
set forth in Section 7 hereof ("Selected Dealers").
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(c) Each Fund shall have the right to suspend the sale of the Shares at
times when redemption is suspended pursuant to the conditions set forth in
Section 4(f) hereof. Each Fund shall also have the right to suspend the sale
of the Shares if trading on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been
suspended, if a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New
York authorities, or if there shall have been some other extraordinary event
which, in the judgment of a Fund, makes it impracticable to sell its Shares.
(d) Each Fund, or any agent of a Fund designated in writing by the Fund,
shall be promptly advised of all purchase orders for Shares received by the
Distributor. Any order may be rejected by a Fund; provided, however, that a
Fund will not arbitrarily or without reasonable cause refuse to accept orders
for the purchase of Shares. The Distributor will confirm orders upon their
receipt, and each Fund (or its agent) upon receipt of payment therefor and
instructions will deliver share certificates for such Shares or a statement
confirming the issuance of Shares. Payment shall be made to the Fund in New
York Clearing House funds. The Distributor agrees to cause such payment and
such instructions to be delivered promptly to the Fund (or its agent).
(e) With respect to Shares sold by any Selected Dealer, the Distributor is
authorized to direct each Fund's transfer agent to receive instructions
directly from the Selected Dealer on behalf of the Distributor as to
registration of Shares in the names of investors and to confirm issuance of
the Shares to such investors. The Distributor is also authorized to instruct
the transfer agent to receive payment directly from the Selected Dealer on
behalf of the Distributor, for prompt transmittal to each Fund's custodian,
of the purchase price of the Shares. In such event the Distributor shall
obtain from the Selected Dealer and maintain a record of such registration
instructions and payments.
SECTION 4. Repurchase or Redemption of Shares.
(a) Any of the outstanding Shares of a Fund may be tendered for redemption
at any time, and each Fund agrees to redeem its Shares so tendered in
accordance with the applicable provisions set forth in its Prospectus. The
price to be paid to redeem the Shares shall be equal to the net asset value
determined as set forth in the Prospectus less any applicable contingent
deferred sales charge ("CDSC"). Upon any redemption of Shares the Fund shall
pay the total amount of the redemption price in New York Clearing House funds
in accordance with applicable provisions of the Prospectus.
(b) The redemption by a Fund of any of its Class A Shares purchased by or
through the Distributor will not affect the applicable front-end sales charge
secured by the Distributor or any Selected Dealer in the course of the
original sale, except that if any Class A Shares are tendered for redemption
within seven business days after the date of the confirmation of the original
purchase, the right to the applicable front-end sales charge shall be
forfeited by the Distributor and the Selected Dealer which sold such Shares.
(c) The proceeds of any redemption of Class A, Class B or Class C Shares
shall be paid by each Fund as follows: (i) any applicable CDSC shall be paid
to the Distributor or to the Selected Dealer, or, when applicable, pursuant
to the Rules of the Association of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"), retained by the Fund and (ii) the balance shall be
paid to the redeeming shareholders, in each case in accordance with
applicable provisions of its Prospectus in New York Clearing House funds. The
Distributor is authorized to direct a Fund to pay directly to the Selected
Dealer any CDSC payable by a Fund to the Distributor in respect of Class A,
Class B, or Class C Shares sold by the Selected Dealer to the redeeming
shareholders.
(d) The Distributor is authorized, as agent for the Fund, to repurchase
Shares, represented by a share certificate which is delivered to any office
of the Distributor in accordance with applicable provisions set forth in each
Fund's Prospectus. The Distributor shall promptly transmit to the transfer
agent of the Fund for redemption all Shares so delivered. The Distributor
shall be responsible for the accuracy of instructions transmitted to the
Fund's transfer agent in connection with all such repurchases.
(e) The Distributor is authorized, as agent for each Fund, to repurchase
Shares held in a shareholder's account with a Fund for which no share
certificate has been issued, upon the telephonic request of the shareholders,
or at the discretion of the Distributor. The Distributor shall promptly
transmit to the
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transfer agent of the Fund, for redemption, all such orders for repurchase of
Shares. Payment for Shares repurchased may be made by a Fund to the
Distributor for the account of the shareholder. The Distributor shall be
responsible for the accuracy of instructions transmitted to the Fund's
transfer agent in connection with all such repurchases.
(f) Redemption of its Shares or payment by a Fund may be suspended at
times when the New York Stock Exchange is closed, when trading on said
Exchange is restricted, when an emergency exists as a result of which
disposal by a Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or
it is not reasonably practicable for a Fund fairly to determine the value of
its net assets, or during any other period when the SEC, by order, so
permits.
(g) With respect to its Shares tendered for redemption or repurchase by
any Selected Dealer on behalf of its customers, the Distributor is authorized
to instruct the transfer agent of a Fund to accept orders for redemption or
repurchase directly from the Selected Dealer on behalf of the Distributor and
to instruct the Fund to transmit payments for such redemptions and
repurchases directly to the Selected Dealer on behalf of the Distributor for
the account of the shareholder. The Distributor shall obtain from the
Selected Dealer, and shall maintain, a record of such orders. The Distributor
is further authorized to obtain from the Fund, and shall maintain, a record
of payment made directly to the Selected Dealer on behalf of the Distributor.
SECTION 5. Duties of the Fund.
(a) Each Fund shall furnish to the Distributor copies of all information,
financial statements and other papers which the Distributor may reasonably
request for use in connection with the distribution of its Shares, including
one certified copy, upon request by the Distributor, of all financial
statements prepared by the Fund and examined by independent accountants. Each
Fund shall, at the expense of the Distributor, make available to the
Distributor such number of copies of its Prospectus as the Distributor shall
reasonably request.
(b) Each Fund shall take, from time to time, but subject to the necessary
approval of its shareholders, all necessary action to fix the number of its
authorized Shares and to register Shares under the 1933 Act, to the end that
there will be available for sale such number of Shares as investors may
reasonably be expected to purchase.
(c) Each Fund shall use its best efforts to pay the filing fees for an
appropriate number of its Shares to be sold under the securities laws of such
states as the Distributor and the Fund may approve. Any qualification to sell
its Shares in a state may be withheld, terminated or withdrawn by a Fund at
any time in its discretion. As provided in Section 8(c) hereof, such filing
fees shall be paid by the Fund. The Distributor shall furnish any information
and other material relating to its affairs and activities as may be required
by a Fund in connection with the sale of its Shares in any state.
(d) Each Fund shall, at the expense of the Distributor, furnish, in
reasonable quantities upon request by the Distributor, copies of its annual
and interim reports.
SECTION 6. Duties of the Distributor.
(a) The Distributor shall sell shares of each Fund through DWR and may
sell shares through other securities dealers and its own Account Executives,
and shall devote reasonable time and effort to promote sales of the Shares,
but shall not be obligated to sell any specific number of Shares. The
services of the Distributor hereunder are not exclusive and it is understood
that the Distributor may act as principal underwriter for other registered
investment companies, so long as the performance of its obligations hereunder
is not impaired thereby. It is also understood that Selected Dealers,
including DWR, may also sell shares for other registered investment
companies.
(b) Neither the Distributor nor any Selected Dealer shall give any
information or make any representations, other than those contained in the
Registration Statement or related Prospectus and any sales literature
specifically approved by the appropriate Fund.
(c) The Distributor agrees that it will at all times comply with the
applicable terms and limitations of the Rules of the Association of the NASD.
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SECTION 7. Selected Dealers Agreements.
(a) The Distributor shall have the right to enter into selected dealer
agreements with Selected Dealers for the sale of Shares. In making agreements
with Selected Dealers, the Distributor shall act only as principal and not as
agent for a Fund. Shares sold to Selected Dealers shall be for resale by such
dealers only at the public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. With
respect to Class A Shares, in such agreement the Distributor shall have the
right to fix the portion of the applicable front-end sales charge which may
be allocated to the Selected Dealers.
(b) Within the United States, the Distributor shall offer and sell Shares
only to Selected Dealers that are members in good standing of the NASD.
(c) The Distributor shall adopt and follow procedures, as approved by each
Fund, for the confirmation of sales of its Shares to investors and Selected
Dealers, the collection of amounts payable by investors and Selected Dealers
on such sales, and the cancellation of unsettled transactions, as may be
necessary to comply with the requirements of the NASD, as such requirements
may from time to time exist.
SECTION 8. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Each Fund shall bear all costs and expenses of the Fund, including
fees and disbursements of legal counsel including counsel to the
Directors/Trustees of each Fund who are not interested persons (as defined in
the 1940 Act) of the Fund or the Distributor, and independent accountants, in
connection with the preparation and filing of any required Registration
Statements and Prospectuses and all amendments and supplements thereto, and
the expense of preparing, printing, mailing and otherwise distributing
prospectuses and statements of additional information, annual or interim
reports or proxy materials to shareholders.
(b) The Distributor shall bear all expenses incurred by it in connection
with its duties and activities under this Agreement including the payment to
Selected Dealers of any sales commissions, service fees and other expenses
for sales of a Fund's Shares (except such expenses as are specifically
undertaken herein by a Fund) incurred or paid by Selected Dealers, including
DWR. The Distributor shall bear the costs and expenses of preparing, printing
and distributing any supplementary sales literature used by the Distributor
or furnished by it for use by Selected Dealers in connection with the
offering of the Shares for sale. Any expenses of advertising incurred in
connection with such offering will also be the obligation of the Distributor.
It is understood and agreed that, so long as a Fund's Plan of Distribution
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act ("Rule 12b-1 Plan") continues in
effect, any expenses incurred by the Distributor hereunder may be paid in
accordance with the terms of such Rule 12b-1 Plan.
(c) Each Fund shall pay the filing fees, and, if necessary or advisable in
connection therewith, bear the cost and expense of qualifying each Fund as a
broker or dealer, in such states of the United States or other jurisdictions
as shall be selected by the Fund and the Distributor pursuant to Section 5(c)
hereof and the cost and expenses payable to each such state for continuing to
offer Shares therein until the Fund decides to discontinue selling Shares
pursuant to Section 5(c) hereof.
SECTION 9. Indemnification.
(a) Each Fund shall indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor and each
person, if any, who controls the Distributor against any loss, liability,
claim, damage or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or
defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damage or expense and
reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising by reason
of any person acquiring any Shares, which may be based upon the 1933 Act, or
on any other statute or at common law, on the ground that the Registration
Statement or related Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as
from time to time amended and supplemented, or the annual or interim reports
to shareholders of a Fund, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or
omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information
furnished to the Fund in connection therewith by or on behalf of the
Distributor; provided, however, that in no case (i) is the indemnity of a
Fund in
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favor of the Distributor and any such controlling persons to be deemed to
protect the Distributor or any such controlling persons thereof against any
liability to a Fund or its security holders to which the Distributor or any
such controlling persons would otherwise be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties
or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this
Agreement; or (ii) is a Fund to be liable under its indemnity agreement
contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against the
Distributor or any such controlling persons, unless the Distributor or any
such controlling persons, as the case may be, shall have notified the Fund in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal
process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served
upon the Distributor or such controlling persons (or after the Distributor or
such controlling persons shall have received notice of such service on any
designated agent), but failure to notify the Fund of any such claim shall not
relieve it from any liability which it may have to the person against whom
such action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement
contained in this paragraph. Each Fund will be entitled to participate at its
own expense in the defense, or, if it so elects, to assume the defense, of
any such suit brought to enforce any such liability, but if a Fund elects to
assume the defense, such defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it
and satisfactory to the Distributor or such controlling person or persons,
defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event the Fund elects to assume
the defense of any such suit and retain such counsel, the Distributor or such
controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall
bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them, but,
in case the Fund does not elect to assume the defense of any such suit, it
will reimburse the Distributor or such controlling person or persons,
defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of
any counsel retained by them. Each Fund shall promptly notify the Distributor
of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its
officers or Directors/Trustees in connection with the issuance or sale of the
Shares.
(b) (i) The Distributor shall indemnify and hold harmless each Fund and
each of its Directors/ Trustees and officers and each person, if any, who
controls the Fund against any loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense
described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, but
only with respect to statements or omissions made in reliance upon, and in
conformity with, information furnished to a Fund in writing by or on behalf
of the Distributor for use in connection with the Registration Statement or
related Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as from time to
time amended, or the annual or interim reports to shareholders.
(ii) The Distributor shall indemnify and hold harmless each Fund and
each Fund's transfer agent, individually and in its capacity as the Fund's
transfer agent, from and against any claims, damages and liabilities which
arise as a result of actions taken pursuant to instructions from, or on
behalf of, the Distributor to: (1) redeem all or a part of shareholder
accounts in the Fund pursuant to Section 4(g) hereof and pay the proceeds to,
or as directed by, the Distributor for the account of each shareholder whose
Shares are so redeemed; and (2) register Shares in the names of investors,
confirm the issuance thereof and receive payment therefor pursuant to Section
3(e) hereof.
(iii) In case any action shall be brought against a Fund or any person
so indemnified by this Section 9(b) in respect of which indemnity may be
sought against the Distributor, the Distributor shall have the rights and
duties given to a Fund, and the Fund and each person so indemnified shall
have the rights and duties given to the Distributor, by the provisions of
subsection (a) of this Section 9.
(c) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable
or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses
(or actions in respect thereof) referred to herein, then each indemnifiying
party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified
party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses
(or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect the relative benefits received by a Fund on the one hand and the
Distributor on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the
allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by
applicable law, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount
paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative
fault of a Fund on the one hand and the Distributor on the other in
connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions
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in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by a Fund on the one hand and the Distributor
on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net
proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Fund
bear to the total compensation received by the Distributor, in each case as
set forth in the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a
material fact relates to information supplied by a Fund or the Distributor
and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. Each Fund and
the Distributor agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution
were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation
which does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to
above. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect
thereof) referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of
this subsection (c), the Distributor shall not be required to contribute any
amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares
distributed by it to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount
of any damages which it has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person
guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f)
of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was
not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
SECTION 10. Duration and Termination of this Agreement. This Agreement
shall become effective with respect to a Fund as of the date first above
written and shall remain in force until April 30, 1998, and thereafter, but
only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually
by (i) the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund, or by the vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, cast in person or
by proxy, and (ii) a majority of those Directors/Trustees who are not parties
to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party and who have no
direct or indirect financial interest in this Agreement or in the operation
of the Fund's Rule 12b-1 Plan or in any agreement related thereto, cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting upon such approval.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any
penalty, by the Directors/Trustees of a Fund, by a majority of the
Directors/Trustees of a Fund who are not interested persons of the Fund and
who have no direct or indirect financial interest in this Agreement, or by
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, or by the
Distributor, on sixty days' written notice to the other party. This Agreement
shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.
The terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,"
"assignment" and "interested person," when used in this Agreement, shall have
the respective meanings specified in the 1940 Act.
SECTION 11. Amendments of this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended by
the parties only if such amendment is specifically approved by (i) the
Directors/Trustees of a Fund, or by the vote of a majority of outstanding
voting securities of a Fund, and (ii) a majority of those Directors/Trustees
of a Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any
such party and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in this
Agreement or in any Agreement related to the Fund's Rule 12b-1 Plan, cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
SECTION 12. Additional Funds. If at any time another Fund desires to
appoint the Distributor as its principal underwriter and distributor under
this Agreement, it shall notify the Distributor in writing. If the
Distributor is willing to serve as the Fund's principal underwriter and
distributor under this Agreement, it shall notify the Fund in writing,
whereupon such other Fund shall become a Fund hereunder.
SECTION 13. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance
with the law of the State of New York and the applicable provisions of the
1940 Act. To the extent the applicable law of the State of New York, or any
of the provisions herein, conflicts with the applicable provisions of the
1940 Act, the latter shall control.
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SECTION 14. Personal Liability. With respect to any Fund that is organized
as an unincorporated business trust under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, its Declaration of the Trust (each, a "Declaration") is on
file in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Each Declaration provides that the name of the Fund refers to the Trustees
under the Declaration collectively as Trustees, but not as individuals or
personally; and no Trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or agent of any
Fund shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to
their private property for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim or
otherwise, in connection with the affairs of any Fund, but the Trust Estate
only shall be liable.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first written in New York, New York.
ON BEHALF OF THE FUNDS SET FORTH ON
SCHEDULE A, ATTACHED HERETO
By: .................................
DEAN WITTER DISTRIBUTORS INC.
By: .................................
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DEAN WITTER FUNDS
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
SCHEDULE A
AT JULY 28, 1997
1) Dean Witter American Value Fund
2) Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
3) Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
4) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
5) Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
6) Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
7) Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
8) Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
9) Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
10) Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
11) Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
12) Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
13) Dean Witter Financial Services Trust
14) Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
15) Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
16) Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
17) Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
18) Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
19) Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
20) Dean Witter Information Fund
21) Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
22) Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
23) Dean Witter Japan Fund
24) Dean Witter Managers' Select Fund
25) Dean Witter Market Leader Trust
26) Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
27) Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
28) Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
29) Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
30) Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
31) Dean Witter Special Value Fund
32) Dean Witter Strategist Fund
33) Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
34) Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
35) Dean Witter Utilities Fund
36) Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series/Equity Portfolio
37) Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
38) Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
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EXHIBIT 9
SERVICES AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of the 17th day of April, 1995 by and between Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc., a Delaware corporation (herein referred to as
"InterCapital"), and Dean Witter Services Company Inc., a Delaware corporation
(herein referred to as "DWS").
WHEREAS, InterCapital has entered into separate agreements (each such
agreement being herein referred to as an "Investment Management Agreement")
with certain investment companies as set forth on Schedule A (each such
investment company being herein referred to as a "Fund" and, collectively, as
the "Funds") pursuant to which InterCapital is to perform, or supervise the
performance of, among other services, administrative services for the Funds
(and, in the case of Funds with multiple portfolios, the Series or Portfolios
of the Funds (such Series and Portfolio being herein individually referred to
as "a Series" and, collectively, as "the Series"));
WHEREAS, InterCapital desires to retain DWS to perform the administrative
services as described below; and
WHEREAS, DWS desires to be retained by InterCapital to perform such
administrative services:
Now, therefore, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements of
the parties hereto as herein set forth, the parties covenant and agree as
follows:
1. DWS agrees to provide administrative services to each Fund as hereinafter
set forth. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, DWS shall (i)
administer the Fund's business affairs and supervise the overall day-to-day
operations of the Fund (other than rendering investment advice); (ii) provide
the Fund with full administrative services, including the maintenance of
certain books and records, such as journals, ledger accounts and other records
required under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"), the
notification to the Fund and InterCapital of available funds for investment,
the reconciliation of account information and balances among the Fund's
custodian, transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent and InterCapital, and
the calculation of the net asset value of the Fund's shares; (iii) provide the
Fund with the services of persons competent to perform such supervisory,
administrative and clerical functions as are necessary to provide effective
operation of the Fund; (iv) oversee the performance of administrative and
professional services rendered to the Fund by others, including its custodian,
transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent, as well as accounting, auditing
and other services; (v) provide the Fund with adequate general office space and
facilities; (vi) assist in the preparation and the printing of the periodic
updating of the Fund's registration statement and prospectus (and, in the case
of an open-end Fund, the statement of additional information), tax returns,
proxy statements, and reports to its shareholders and the Securities and
Exchange Commission; and (vii) monitor the compliance of the Fund's investment
policies and restrictions.
In the event that InterCapital enters into an Investment Management
Agreement with another investment company, and wishes to retain DWS to perform
administrative services hereunder, it shall notify DWS in writing. If DWS is
willing to render such services, it shall notify InterCapital in writing,
whereupon such other Fund shall become a Fund as defined herein.
2. DWS shall, at its own expense, maintain such staff and employ or retain
such personnel and consult with such other persons as it shall from time to
time determine to be necessary or useful to the performance of its obligations
under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
staff and personnel of DWS shall be deemed to include officers of DWS and
persons employed or otherwise retained by DWS (including officers and employees
of InterCapital, with the consent of InterCapital) to furnish services,
statistical and other factual data, information with respect to technical and
scientific developments, and such other information, advice and assistance as
DWS may desire. DWS shall maintain each Fund's records and books of account
(other than those maintained by the Fund's transfer agent, registrar, custodian
and other agencies). All such books and records so maintained shall be the
property of the Fund and, upon request therefor, DWS shall surrender to
InterCapital or to the Fund such of the books and records so requested.
3. InterCapital will, from time to time, furnish or otherwise make available
to DWS such financial reports, proxy statements and other information relating
to the business and affairs of the Fund as DWS may reasonably require in order
to discharge its duties and obligations to the Fund under this Agreement or to
comply with any applicable law and regulation or request of the Board of
Directors/Trustees of the Fund.
1
<PAGE>
4. For the services to be rendered, the facilities furnished, and the
expenses assumed by DWS, InterCapital shall pay to DWS monthly compensation
calculated daily (in the case of an open-end Fund) or weekly (in the case of a
closed-end Fund) by applying the annual rate or rates set forth on Schedule B
to the net assets of each Fund. Except as hereinafter set forth, (i) in the
case of an open-end Fund, compensation under this Agreement shall be calculated
by applying 1/365th of the annual rate or rates to the Fund's or the Series'
daily net assets determined as of the close of business on that day or the last
previous business day and (ii) in the case of a closed-end Fund, compensation
under this Agreement shall be calculated by applying the annual rate or rates
to the Fund's average weekly net assets determined as of the close of the last
business day of each week. If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent to
the first day of a month or shall terminate before the last day of a month,
compensation for that part of the month this Agreement is in effect shall be
prorated in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set forth
on Schedule B. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 5 hereof, payment of DWS'
compensation for the preceding month shall be made as promptly as possible
after completion of the computations contemplated by paragraph 5 hereof.
5. In the event the operating expenses of any open-end Fund and/or any
Series thereof, or of InterCapital Income Securities Inc., including amounts
payable to InterCapital pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, for
any fiscal year ending on a date on which this Agreement is in effect, exceed
the expense limitations applicable to the Fund and/or any Series thereof
imposed by state securities laws or regulations thereunder, as such limitations
may be raised or lowered from time to time, or, in the case of InterCapital
Income Securities Inc. or Dean Witter Variable Investment Series or any Series
thereof, the expense limitation specified in the Fund's Investment Management
Agreement, the fee payable hereunder shall be reduced on a pro rata basis in
the same proportion as the fee payable by the Fund under the Investment
Management Agreement is reduced.
6. DWS shall bear the cost of rendering the administrative services to be
performed by it under this Agreement, and shall, at its own expense, pay the
compensation of the officers and employees, if any, of the Fund employed by
DWS, and such clerical help and bookkeeping services as DWS shall reasonably
require in performing its duties hereunder.
7. DWS will use its best efforts in the performance of administrative
activitives on behalf of each Fund, but in the absence of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations hereunder,
DWS shall not be liable to the Fund or any of its investors for any error of
judgment or mistake of law or for any act or omission by DWS or for any losses
sustained by the Fund or its investors. It is understood that, subject to the
terms and conditions of the Investment Management Agreement between each Fund
and InterCapital, InterCapital shall retain ultimate responsibility for all
services to be performed hereunder by DWS. DWS shall indemnify InterCapital and
hold it harmless from any liability that InterCapital may incur arising out of
any act or failure to act by DWS in carrying out its responsibilities
hereunder.
8. It is understood that any of the shareholders, Directors/Trustees,
officers and employees of the Fund may be a shareholder, director, officer or
employee of, or be otherwise interested in, DWS, and in any person controlling,
controlled by or under common control with DWS, and that DWS and any person
controlling, controlled by or under common control with DWS may have an
interest in the Fund. It is also understood that DWS and any affiliated persons
thereof or any persons controlling, controlled by or under common control with
DWS have and may have advisory, management, administration service or other
contracts with other organizations and persons, and may have other interests
and businesses, and further may purchase, sell or trade any securities or
commodities for their own accounts or for the account of others for whom they
may be acting.
9. This Agreement shall continue until April 30, 1995, and thereafter shall
continue automatically for successive periods of one year unless terminated by
either party by written notice delivered to the other party within 30 days of
the expiration of the then-existing period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this
Agreement may be terminated at any time, by either party on 30 days' written
notice delivered to the other party. In the event that the Investment
Management Agreement between any Fund and InterCapital is terminated, this
Agreement will automatically terminate with respect to such Fund.
10. This Agreement may be amended or modified by the parties in any manner
by written agreement executed by each of the parties hereto.
2
<PAGE>
11. This Agreement may be assigned by either party with the written
consent of the other party.
12. This Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with
the laws of the State of New York.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written in New York, New York.
DEAN WITTER INTERCAPITAL INC.
By:
...............................
Attest:
.......................................
DEAN WITTER SERVICES COMPANY INC.
By:
...............................
Attest:
.......................................
3
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE A
DEAN WITTER FUNDS
AS AMENDED AS OF OCTOBER 25, 1996
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
OPEN-END FUNDS
1. Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust
2. Active Assets Government Securities Trust
3. Active Assets Money Trust
4. Active Assets Tax-Free Trust
5. Dean Witter American Value Fund
6. Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
7. Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
8. Dean Witter California Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
9. Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
10. Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
11. Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
12. Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
13. Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
14. Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
15. Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
16. Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
17. Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
18. Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
19. Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
20. Dean Witter Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc.
21. Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
22. Dean Witter Hawaii Municipal Trust
23. Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
24. Dean Witter High Income Securities
25. Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
26. Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
27. Dean Witter Information Fund
28. Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
29. Dean Witter Intermediate Term U.S. Treasury Trust
30. Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
31. Dean Witter Japan Fund
32. Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal Trust
33. Dean Witter Liquid Asset Fund Inc.
34. Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
35. Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust
36. Dean Witter National Municipal Trust
37. Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
38. Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust
39. Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
40. Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
41. Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
42. Dean Witter Premier Income Trust
43. Dean Witter Retirement Series
44. Dean Witter Select Dimensions Investment Series
(i) American Value Portfolio
(ii) Balanced Portfolio
(iii) Core Equity Portfolio
(iv) Developing Growth Portfolio
(v) Diversified Income Portfolio
(vi) Dividend Growth Portfolio
(vii) Emerging Markets Portfolio
(viii) Global Equity Portfolio
(ix) Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio
(x) Money Market Portfolio
(xi) North American Government Securities Portfolio
(xii) Utilities Portfolio
(xiii) Value-Added Market Portfolio
45. Dean Witter Select Municipal Reinvestment Fund
46. Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund
47. Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust
48. Dean Witter Special Value Fund
49. Dean Witter Strategist Fund
50. Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
51. Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
52. Dean Witter U.S. Government Money Market Trust
A-1
<PAGE>
53. Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
54. Dean Witter Utilities Fund
55. Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series
56. Dean Witter Variable Investment Series
(i) Capital Appreciation Portfolio
(ii) Capital Growth Portfolio
(iii) Dividend Growth Portfolio
(iv) Equity Portfolio
(v) European Growth Portfolio
(vi) Global Dividend Growth Portfolio
(vii) High Yield Portfolio
(viii) Income Builder Portfolio
(ix) Money Market Portfolio
(x) Quality Income Plus Portfolio
(xi) Pacific Growth Portfolio
(xii) Strategist Portfolio
(xiii) Utilities Portfolio
57. Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
58. Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
CLOSED-END FUNDS
59. High Income Advantage Trust
60. High Income Advantage Trust II
61. High Income Advantage Trust III
62. InterCapital Income Securities Inc.
63. Dean Witter Government Income Trust
64. InterCapital Insured Municipal Bond Trust
65. InterCapital Insured Municipal Trust
66. InterCapital Insured Municipal Income Trust
67. InterCapital California Insured Municipal Income Trust
68. InterCapital Insured Municipal Securities
69. InterCapital Insured California Municipal Securities
70. InterCapital Quality Municipal Investment Trust
71. InterCapital Quality Municipal Income Trust
72. InterCapital Quality Municipal Securities
73. InterCapital California Quality Municipal Securities
74. InterCapital New York Quality Municipal Securities
</TABLE>
A-2
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE B
DEAN WITTER SERVICES COMPANY INC.
SCHEDULE OF ADMINISTRATIVE FEES
AS AMENDED AS OF MAY 1, 1997
Monthly compensation calculated daily by applying the following annual rates
to a fund's net assets:
FIXED INCOME FUNDS
- ------------------
Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund 0.060% to the net assets.
Dean Witter California Tax-Free 0.055% of the portion of the daily
Income Fund net assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0525% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $750 million; 0.050% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.0475% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.25 billion; and 0.045%
of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $1.25 billion.
Dean Witter Convertible Securities 0.060% of the portion of the daily net
Securities Trust assets not exceeding $750 million;
.055% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.050% of the
portion of the daily net assets of
the exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.0475% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.045% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not
exceeding $3 billion; and 0.0425% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $3 billion.
Dean Witter Diversified 0.040% of the net assets.
Income Trust
Dean Witter Federal Securities 0.055% of the portion of the daily net
Trust assets not exceeding $1 billion;
0.0525% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $1 billion but
not exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.050% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.0475% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.045% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding $5 billion; 0.0425% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $5 billion but not
exceeding $7.5 billion; 0.040% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $7.5 billion but not
exceeding $10 billion; 0.0375% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $10 billion but not
exceeding $12.5 billion; and 0.035%
of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $12.5 billion.
Dean Witter Global Short-Term 0.055% of the portion of the daily net
Income Fund Inc. assets not exceeding $500 million; and
0.050% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $500 million.
Dean Witter Hawaii Municipal 0.035% to the net assets.
Trust
Dean Witter High Income 0.050% of the portion of the daily
Securities net assets not exceeding $500
million; and 0.0425% of the portion
of the daily net assets exceeding
$500 million.
B-1
<PAGE>
Dean Witter High Yield 0.050% of the portion of the daily net
Securities Inc. assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0425% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $750 million; 0.0375% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.035% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not exceeding
$2 billion; 0.0325% of the portion of
the daily net assets exceeding $2
billion but not exceeding $3 billion;
and 0.030% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $3 billion.
Dean Witter Intermediate 0.060% of the portion of the daily net
Income Securities assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.050% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $500 million but not
exceeding $750 million; 0.040% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; and 0.030% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion.
Dean Witter Intermediate Term 0.035% to the net assets.
U.S. Treasury Trust
Dean Witter Limited Term 0.050% to the net assets.
Municipal Trust
Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal 0.035% to the net assets.
Series Trust (10 Series)
Dean Witter National 0.035% to the net assets.
Municipal Trust
Dean Witter New York Tax-Free 0.055% of the portion of the
Income Fund daily net assets not exceeding
$500 million; and 0.0525% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $500 million.
Dean Witter Premier 0.050% to the net assets.
Income Trust
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.065% to the net assets.
Intermediate Income Securities
Series
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.065% to the net assets.
U.S. Government Securities
Series
Dean Witter Select Dimensions 0.039% to the net assets.
Investment Series-North American
Government Securities Portfolio
Dean Witter Short-Term 0.070% to the net assets.
Bond Fund
Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. 0.035% to the net assets.
Treasury Trust
Dean Witter Tax-Exempt 0.050% of the portion of the daily net
Securities Trust assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0425% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $750 million; 0.0375% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; and 0.035% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.25 billion; .0325% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.25 billion.
B-2
<PAGE>
Dean Witter U.S. Government 0.050% of the portion of the daily
Securities Trust net assets not exceeding $1 billion;
0.0475% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $1 billion but
not exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.045% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.0425% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.040% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding $5 billion; 0.0375% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $5 billion but not
exceeding $7.5 billion; 0.035% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $7.5 billion but not
exceeding $10 billion; 0.0325% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $10 billion but not
exceeding $12.5 billion; and 0.030%
of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $12.5 billion.
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.050% to the net assets.
Series-High Yield Portfolio
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.050% to the net assets.
Series-Quality Income Plus
Portfolio
Dean Witter World Wide Income 0.075% of the daily net assets up to
Trust $250 million; 0.060% of the portion of
the daily net assets exceeding $250
million but not exceeding $500
million; 0.050% of the portion of the
daily net assets of the exceeding
$500 million but not exceeding $750
milliion; 0.040% of the portion of
the daily net assets exceeding $750
million but not exceeding $1 billion;
and 0.030% of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion.
Dean Witter Select Municipal 0.050% to the net assets.
Reinvestment Fund
EQUITY FUNDS
- ------------
Dean Witter American Value 0.0625% of the portion of the daily
Fund net assets not exceeding $250 million;
0.050% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $250 million but not
exceeding $2.25 billion; 0.0475% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.25 billion but not
exceeding $3.5 billion; and 0.0450%
of the portion of daily net assets
exceeding $3.5 billion; and 0.0450% of
the portion of daily net assets
exceeding $3.5 billion.
Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund 0.060% to the net assets.
Dean Witter Capital Appreciation 0.075% of the portion of the daily net
Fund assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0725% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million.
Dean Witter Capital Growth 0.065% to the portion of the daily
Securities net assets not exceeding $500
million; 0.055% of the portion
exceeding $500 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.050% of the
portion exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; and 0.0475%
of the daily net assets exceeding
$1.5 billion.
Dean Witter Developing Growth 0.050% of the portion of the daily
Securities Trust net assets not exceeding $500
million; and 0.0475% of the portion
of the daily net assets exceeding
$500 million.
B-3
<PAGE>
Dean Witter Dividend Growth 0.0625% of the portion of the daily
Securities Inc. net assets not exceeding $250 million;
0.050% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $250 million
but not exceeding $1 billion; 0.0475%
of the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.045% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not exceeding
$3 billion; 0.0425% of the portion of
the daily net assets exceeding $3
billion but not exceeding $4 billion;
0.040% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $4 billion but not
exceeding $5 billion; 0.0375% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $5 billion but not
exceeding $6 billion; 0.035% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $6 billion but not
exceeding $8 billion; 0.0325% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $8 billion but not
exceeding $10 billion; 0.030% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $10 billion but not
exceeding $15 billion; and 0.0275%
of the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $15 billion.
Dean Witter European Growth 0.10% of the portion of the daily net
Fund Inc. assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.095% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $500 million but not
exceeding $2 billion; and 0.090%
of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $2 billion.
Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation 0.040% to the net assets.
Fund
Dean Witter Global Dividend 0.075% of the portion of the daily net
Growth Securities assets not exceeding $1 billion;
0.0725% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $1 billion but
not exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.070% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; and 0.0675%
of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding $3.5 billion; and 0.065% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $3.5 billion.
Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund 0.065% of the portion of the daily net
assets not exceeding $500 million; and
0.0625% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million.
Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust 0.10% of the portion of daily net
assets not exceeding $500 million; and
0.095% of the portion of daily net
assets exceeding $500 million.
Dean Witter Income 0.075% of the portion of daily net
Builder Fund assets not exceeding $500 million;
and 0.0725% of the portion of daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $1 billion.
Dean Witter Information Fund 0.075% of the portion of daily net
assets not exceeding $500 million; and
0.0725% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million.
Dean Witter International 0.075% to the net assets.
SmallCap Fund
Dean Witter Japan Fund 0.060% to the net assets.
Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund 0.075% of the portion of the daily net
assets not exceeding $500 million; and
0.0725% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million.
B-4
<PAGE>
Dean Witter Natural Resource 0.0625% of the portion of the daily
Development Securities Inc. net assets not exceeding $250 million
and 0.050% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $250 million.
Dean Witter Pacific Growth 0.10% of the portion of the daily net
Fund Inc. assets not exceeding $1 billion;
0.095% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.090% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion.
Dean Witter Precious Metals 0.080% to the net assets.
and Minerals Trust
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.085% to the net assets.
American Value Series
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.085% to the net assets.
Capital Growth Series
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.075% to the net assets.
Dividend Growth Series
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.10% to the net assets.
Global Equity Series
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.085% to the net assets.
Strategist Series
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.075% to the net assets.
Utilities Series
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.050% to the net assets.
Value Added Market Series
Dean Witter Select Dimensions
Investment Series-
American Value Portfolio 0.0625% to the net assets.
Balanced Portfolio 0.045% to the net assets.
Core Equity Portfolio 0.051% to the net assets.
Developing Growth Portfolio 0.050% to the net assets.
Diversified Income Portfolio 0.040% to the net assets.
Dividend Growth Portfolio 0.0625% to the net assets.
Emerging Markets Portfolio 0.075% to the net assets.
Global Equity Portfolio 0.10% to the net assets.
Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 0.075% to the net assets
Utilities Portfolio 0.065% to the net assets.
Value-Added Market Portfolio 0.050% to the net assets.
Dean Witter Special Value Fund 0.075% to the net assets.
Dean Witter Strategist Fund 0.060% of the portion of the daily net
assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.055% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $500 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.050% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; and 0.0475%
of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $1.5 billion.
Dean Witter Utilities Fund 0.065% of the portion of the daily net
assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.055% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $500 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.0525% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.050% of the
portion of the daily net
B-5
<PAGE>
assets exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion;
0.0475% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $2.5 billion but
not exceeding $3.5 billion; 0.045% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $3.5 but not exceeding $5
billion; and 0.0425% of the portion
of the daily net assets exceeding $5
billion.
Dean Witter Value-Added Market 0.050% of the portion of daily net
Series assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.45% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $500 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; and 0.0425% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion.
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.075% to the net assets.
Series-Capital Appreciation Portfolio
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.065% to the net assets.
Series-Capital Growth Portfolio
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.0625% of the portion of the daily
Series-Dividend Growth Portfolio net assets not exceeding $500 million;
and 0.050% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $1 billion; and 0.0475%
of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $1 billion.
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.050% of the portion of the daily
Series-Equity Portfolio net assets not exceeding $1 billion;
and 0.0475% of the portion of the
daily net assets exceeding $1 billion.
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.060% to the net assets.
Series-European Growth Portfolio
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.075% to the net assets.
Series-Income Builder Portfolio
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.050% to the net assets.
Series-Strategist Portfolio
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.065% of the portion of the daily net
Series-Utilities Portfolio assets exceeding $500 million; and
0.055% of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $500 million.
Dean Witter World Wide 0.055% of the portion of the daily net
Investment Trust assets not exceeding $500 million; and
0.05225% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million.
MONEY MARKET FUNDS
- ------------------
Active Assets Trusts: 0.050% of the portion of the daily net
(1) Active Assets Money Trust assets not exceeding $500 million;
(2) Active Assets Tax-Free Trust 0.0425% of the portion of the daily
(3) Active Assets California Tax-Free net assets exceeding $500 million but
Trust not exceeding $750 million; 0.0375% of
(4) Active Assets Government the portion of the daily net assets
Securities Trust exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.035% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.0325% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.030% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.0275% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding
B-6
<PAGE>
$3 billion; and 0.025% of the portion
of the daily net assets exceeding
$3 billion.
Dean Witter California Tax-Free 0.050% of the portion of the daily net
Daily Income Trust assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0425% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $750 million; 0.0375% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.035% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.0325% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.030% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.0275% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding $3 billion; and 0.025% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $3 billion.
Dean Witter Liquid Asset 0.050% of the portion of the daily net
Fund Inc. assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0425% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $750 million; 0.0375% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.035% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.35 billion; 0.0325% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.35 billion but not
exceeding $1.75 billion; 0.030% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.75 billion but not
exceeding $2.15 billion; 0.0275% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.15 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.025% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding $15 billion; 0.0249% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $15 billion but not
exceeding $17.5 billion; and 0.0248%
of the portion of the daily net
assets exceeding $17.5 billion.
Dean Witter New York Municipal 0.050% of the portion of the daily net
Money Market Trust assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0425% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $750 million; 0.0375% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.035% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.0325% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.030% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.0275% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding $3 billion; and 0.025% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $3 billion.
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.050% of the net assets.
Liquid Asset Series
Dean Witter Retirement Series- 0.050% of the net assets.
U.S. Government Money
Market Series
Dean Witter Select Dimensions 0.050% to the net assets.
Investment Series-
Money Market Portfolio
B-7
<PAGE>
Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily 0.050% of the portion of the daily net
Income Trust assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0425% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $750 million; 0.0375% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.035% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.0325% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.030% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.0275% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding $3 billion; and 0.025% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $3 billion.
Dean Witter U.S. Government 0.050% of the portion of the daily net
Money Market Trust assets not exceeding $500 million;
0.0425% of the portion of the daily
net assets exceeding $500 million but
not exceeding $750 million; 0.0375% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $750 million but not
exceeding $1 billion; 0.035% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1 billion but not
exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.0325% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $1.5 billion but not
exceeding $2 billion; 0.030% of the
portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2 billion but not
exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.0275% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $2.5 billion but not
exceeding $3 billion; and 0.025% of
the portion of the daily net assets
exceeding $3 billion.
Dean Witter Variable Investment 0.050% to the net assets.
Series-Money Market Portfolio
Monthly compensation calculated weekly by applying the following annual rates
to the weekly net assets.
CLOSED-END FUNDS
- ----------------
Dean Witter Government Income 0.060% to the average weekly net
Trust assets.
High Income Advantage Trust 0.075% of the portion of the average
weekly net assets not exceeding $250
million; 0.060% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$250 million and not exceeding $500
million; 0.050% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$500 million and not exceeding $750
million; 0.040% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$750 million and not exceeding $1
billion; and 0.030% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$1 billion.
High Income Advantage Trust II 0.075% of the portion of the average
weekly net assets not exceeding $250
million; 0.060% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$250 million and not exceeding $500
million; 0.050% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$500 million and not exceeding $750
million; 0.040% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$750 million and not exceeding $1
billion; and 0.030% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$1 billion.
B-8
<PAGE>
High Income Advantage Trust III 0.075% of the portion of the average
weekly net assets not exceeding $250
million; 0.060% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$250 million and not exceeding $500
million; 0.050% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$500 million and not exceeding $750
million; 0.040% of the portion of the
average weekly net assets exceeding
$750 million and not exceeding $1
billion; and 0.030% of the portion of
average weekly net assets exceeding
$1 billion.
InterCapital Income Securities 0.050% to the average weekly net
Inc. assets.
InterCapital Insured Municipal 0.035% to the average weekly net
Bond Trust assets.
InterCapital Insured Municipal 0.035% to the average weekly net
Trust assets.
InterCapital Insured Municipal 0.035% to the average weekly net
Income Trust assets.
InterCapital California Insured 0.035% to the average weekly net
Municipal Income Trust assets.
InterCapital Quality Municipal 0.035% to the average weekly net
Investment Trust assets.
InterCapital New York Quality 0.035% to the average weekly net
Municipal Securities assets.
InterCapital Quality Municipal 0.035% to the average weekly net
Income Trust assets.
InterCapital Quality Municipal 0.035% to the average weekly net
Securities assets.
InterCapital California Quality 0.035% to the average weekly net
Municipal Securities assets.
InterCapital Insured Municipal 0.035% to the average weekly net
Securities assets.
InterCapital Insured California 0.035% to the average weekly net
Municipal Securities assets.
B-9
<PAGE>
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
We hereby consent to the use in the Statement of Additional Information
constituting part of this Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the registration
statement on Form N-1A (the "Registration Statement") of our report dated
February 6, 1997, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights
of Dean Witter American Value Fund, which appears in such Statement of
Additional Information, and to the incorporation by reference of our report
into the Prospectus which constitutes part of this Registration Statement.
We also consent to the references to us under the headings "Independent
Accountants" and "Experts" in such Statement of Additional Information and to
the reference to us under the heading "Financial Highlights" in such Prospectus.
/s/ Price Waterhouse LLP
- ---------------------------
PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
July 18, 1997
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 15
AMENDED AND RESTATED PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION PURSUANT TO RULE 12B-1
OF
DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
WHEREAS, Dean Witter American Value Fund (the "Fund") is engaged in
business as an open-end management investment company and is registered as
such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"); and
WHEREAS, on October 26, 1995, the Fund most recently amended and restated
a Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act which had
initially been adopted on April 30, 1984, and the Trustees then determined
that there was a reasonable likelihood that adoption of the Plan of
Distribution, as then amended and restated, would benefit the Fund and its
shareholders; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees believe that continuation of said Plan of
Distribution, as amended and restated herein, is reasonably likely to
continue to benefit the Fund and its shareholders; and
WHEREAS, on April 30, 1987, the Fund and Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR")
entered into a Distribution Agreement pursuant to which the Fund employed DWR
as distributor of the Fund's shares; and
WHEREAS, on January 4, 1993, the Fund and DWR substituted Dean Witter
Distributors Inc. (the "Distributor") in the place of DWR as distributor of
the Fund's shares; and
WHEREAS, the Fund, DWR and the Distributor intend that DWR will continue
to promote the sale of Fund shares and provide personal services to Fund
shareholders with respect to their holdings of Fund shares; and
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Distributor entered into a separate Distribution
Agreement dated as of July 28, 1997 (which superseded a Distribution
Agreement dated May 31, 1997, which Agreement in turn superseded an Agreement
dated June 30, 1993), pursuant to which the Fund has employed the Distributor
in such capacity during the continuous offering of shares of the Fund.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Fund hereby amends the Plan of Distribution previously
adopted and amended and restated, and the Distributor hereby agrees to the
terms of said Plan of Distribution (the "Plan"), as amended herein, in
accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the Act on the following terms and
conditions with respect to the Class A, Class B and Class C shares of the
Fund:
1(a)(i). With respect to Class A and Class C shares of the Fund, the
Distributor hereby undertakes to directly bear all costs of rendering the
services to be performed by it under this Plan and under the Distribution
Agreement, except for those specific expenses that the Trustees determine to
reimburse as hereinafter set forth.
1(a)(ii). The Fund is hereby authorized to reimburse the Distributor, DWR,
its affiliates and other broker-dealers for distribution expenses incurred by
them specifically on behalf of Class A and Class C shares of the Fund.
Reimbursement will be made through payments at the end of each month. The
amount of each monthly payment may in no event exceed an amount equal to a
payment at the annual rate of 0.25%, in the case of Class A, and 1.0%, in the
case of Class C, of the average net assets of the respective Class during the
month. With respect to Class A, in the case of all expenses other than
expenses representing the service fee and, with respect to Class C, in the
case of all expenses other than expenses representing a gross sales credit or
a residual to account executives, such amounts shall be determined at the
beginning of each calendar quarter by the Trustees, including a majority of
the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Fund, as defined in the
Act. Expenses representing the service fee (for Class A) or a gross sales
credit or a residual to account executives (for Class C) may be reimbursed
without prior determination. In the event that the Distributor proposes that
monies shall be reimbursed for other than such expenses, then in making the
quarterly determinations of the amounts that may be expended by the Fund, the
Distributor shall provide, and the Trustees shall review, a quarterly budget
of projected distribution expenses to be incurred by the Distributor, DWR,
its affiliates or other broker-dealers on behalf of the Fund together with a
report explaining the purposes and anticipated benefits of incurring
<PAGE>
such expenses. The Trustees shall determine the particular expenses, and the
portion thereof that may be borne by the Fund, and in making such
determination shall consider the scope of the Distributor's commitment to
promoting the distribution of the Fund's Class A and Class C shares directly
or through DWR, its affiliates or other broker-dealers.
1(a)(iii). If, as of the end of any calendar year, the actual expenses
incurred by the Distributor, DWR, its affiliates and other broker-dealers on
behalf of Class A or Class C shares of the Fund (including accrued expenses
and amounts reserved for incentive compensation and bonuses) are less than
the amount of payments made by such Class pursuant to this Plan, the
Distributor shall promptly make appropriate reimbursement to the appropriate
Class. If, however, as of the end of any calendar year, the actual expenses
(other than expenses representing a gross sales credit) of the Distributor,
DWR, its affiliates and other broker-dealers are greater than the amount of
payments made by Class A or Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to this Plan,
such Class will not reimburse the Distributor, DWR, its affiliates or other
broker-dealers for such expenses through payments accrued pursuant to this
Plan in the subsequent fiscal year. Expenses representing a gross sales
credit may be reimbursed in the subsequent calendar year.
1(b). With respect to Class B shares of the Fund, the Fund shall pay to
the Distributor, as the distributor of securities of which the Fund is the
issuer, compensation for distribution of its Class B shares at the rate of
the lesser of (i) 1.0% per annum of the average daily aggregate sales of the
Fund's Class B shares since the inception of the Plan (not including
reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the Fund) less
the average daily aggregate net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares
redeemed since the inception of the Plan upon which a contingent deferred
sales charge has been imposed or upon which such charge has been waived, or
(ii) 1.0% per annum of the average daily net assets of Class B attributable
to shares issued since the inception of the Plan. Such compensation shall be
calculated and accrued daily and paid monthly or at such other intervals as
the Trustees shall determine.
The Distributor may direct that all or any part of the amounts receivable
by it under this Plan be paid directly to DWR, its affiliates or other
broker-dealers who provide distribution and shareholder services. All
payments made hereunder pursuant to the Plan shall be in accordance with the
terms and limitations of the Rules of the Association of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
2. With respect to expenses incurred by each Class, the amount set forth
in paragraph 1 of this Plan shall be paid for services of the Distributor,
DWR its affiliates and other broker-dealers it may select in connection with
the distribution of the Fund's shares, including personal services to
shareholders with respect to their holdings of Fund shares, and may be spend
by the Distributor, DWR, its affiliates and such broker-dealers on any
activities or expenses related to the distribution of the Fund's shares or
services to shareholders, including, but not limited to: compensation to, and
expenses of, account executives or other employees of the Distributor, DWR,
its affiliates or other broker-dealers; overhead and other branch office
distribution-related expenses and telephone expenses of persons who engage in
or support distribution of shares or who provide personal services to
shareholders; printing of prospectuses and reports for other than existing
shareholders; preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature and
advertising materials and, with respect to Class B, opportunity costs in
incurring the foregoing expenses (which may be calculated as a carrying
charge on the excess of the distribution expenses incurred by the
Distributor, DWR, its affiliates or other broker-dealers over distribution
revenues received by them, such excess being hereinafter referred to as
"carryover expenses"). The overhead and other branch office
distribution-related expenses referred to in this paragraph 2 may include:
(a) the expenses operating the branch offices of the Distributor or other
broker-dealers, including DWR, in connection with the sale of the Fund
shares, including lease costs, the salaries and employee benefits of
operations and sales support personnel, utility costs, communications costs
and the costs of stationery and supplies; (b) the costs of client sales
seminars; (c) travel expenses of mutual fund sales coordinators to promote
the sale of Fund shares; and (d) other expenses relating to branch promotion
of Fund sales. Payments may also be made with respect to distribution
expenses incurred in connection with the distribution of shares, including
personal services to shareholders with respect to holdings of such shares, of
an investment company whose assets are acquired by the Fund in a tax-free
reorganization, provided that, with respect to Class B, carryover expenses as
a percentage of Fund assets will not be materially increased thereby. It is
2
<PAGE>
contemplated that, with respect to Class A shares, the entire fee set forth
in paragraph 1(a) will be characterized as a service fee within the meaning
of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. guidelines and that,
with respect to Class B and Class C shares, payments at the annual rate of
0.25% will be so characterized.
3. This Plan, as amended and restated, shall not take effect with respect
to any particular Class until it has been approved, together with any related
agreements, by votes of a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Fund and
of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Fund (as defined in
the Act) and have no direct financial interest in the operation of this Plan
or any agreements related to it (the "Rule 12b-1 Trustees"), cast in person
at a meeting (or meetings) called for the purpose of voting on this Plan and
such related agreements.
4. This Plan shall continue in effect with respect to each Class until
April 30, 1998, and from year to year thereafter, provided such continuance
is specifically approved at least annually in the manner provided for
approval of this Plan in paragraph 3 hereof.
5. The Distributor shall provide to the Trustees of the Fund and the
Trustees shall review, at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts so
expended and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. In this
regard, the Trustees shall request the Distributor to specify such items of
expenses as the Trustees deem appropriate. The Trustees shall consider such
items as they deem relevant in making the determinations required by
paragraph 4 hereof.
6. This Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to a Class by vote
of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Plan may remain in effect with
the respect to a particular Class even if the Plan has been terminated in
accordance with this paragraph 6 with respect to any other Class. In the
event of any such termination or in the event of nonrenewal, the Fund shall
have no obligation to pay expenses which have been incurred by the
Distributor, DWR, its affiliates or other broker-dealers in excess of
payments made by the Fund pursuant to this Plan. However, with respect to
Class B, this shall not preclude consideration by the Trustees of the manner
in which such excess expenses shall be treated.
7. This Plan may not be amended with respect to any Class to increase
materially the amount each Class may spend for distribution provided in
paragraph 1 hereof unless such amendment is approved by a vote of at least a
majority (as defined in the Act) of the outstanding voting securities of that
Class, and no material amendment to the Plan shall be made unless approved in
the manner provided for approval in paragraph 3 hereof. Class B shares will
have the right to vote on any material increase in the fee set forth in
paragraph 1(a) above affecting Class A shares.
8. While this Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of Trustees
who are not interested persons (as defined in the Act) of the Fund shall be
committed to the discretion of the Trustees who are not interested persons.
9. The Fund shall preserve copies of this Plan and any related agreements
and all reports made pursuant to paragraph 5 hereof, for a period of not less
than six years from the date of this Plan, any such agreement or any such
report, as the case may be, the first two years in an easily accessible
place.
10. The Declaration of Trust establishing Dean Witter American Value Fund,
dated April 6, 1987, a copy of which, together with all amendments thereto
(the "Declaration"), is on file in the office of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, provides that the name Dean Witter American
Value Fund refers to the Trustees under the Declaration collectively as
Trustees but not as individuals or personally; and no Trustee, shareholder,
officer, employee or agent of Dean Witter American Value Fund shall be held
to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their private property
for this satisfaction of any obligation or claim or otherwise, in connection
with the affairs of said Dean Witter American Value Fund, but the Trust
Estate only shall be liable.
3
<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund, the Distributor and DWR have executed this
amended and restated Plan of Distribution as of the day and year set forth
below in New York, New York.
Date: April 30, 1984
As Amended on April 30, 1987
January 4, 1993, April 28, 1993,
October 26, 1995 and July 28, 1997
Attest: DEAN WITTER AMERICAN VALUE FUND
...................................... By: ...............................
Attest: Dean Witter Distributors Inc.
...................................... By: .................................
Attest: Dean Witter Reynolds Inc.
...................................... By: .................................
4
<PAGE>
OTHER
DEAN WITTER
FUNDS
MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN
PURSUANT TO RULE 18F-3
INTRODUCTION
This plan (the "Plan") is adopted pursuant to Rule 18f-3(d) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and will be
effective as of July 28, 1997. The Plan relates to shares of the open-end
investment companies to which Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. acts as
investment manager, that are listed on Schedule A, as may be amended from
time to time (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"). The Funds are
distributed pursuant to a system (the "Multiple Class System") in which each
class of shares (each, a "Class" and collectively, the "Classes") of a Fund
represents a pro rata interest in the same portfolio of investments of the
Fund and differs only to the extent outlined below.
I. DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS
One or more Classes of shares of the Funds are offered for purchase by
investors with the sales load structures described below. In addition,
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Funds have each adopted a Plan
of Distribution (the "12b-1 Plan") under which shares of certain Classes are
subject to the service and/or distribution fees ("12b-1 fees") described
below.
1. Class A Shares
Class A shares are offered with a front-end sales load ("FESL"). The
schedule of sales charges applicable to a Fund and the circumstances under
which the sales charges are subject to reduction are set forth in each Fund's
current prospectus. As stated in each Fund's current prospectus, Class A
shares may be purchased at net asset value (without a FESL): (i) in the case
of certain large purchases of such shares; and (ii) by certain limited
categories of investors, in each case, under the circumstances and conditions
set forth in each Fund's current prospectus. Class A shares purchased at net
asset value may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on
redemptions made within one year of purchase. Further information relating to
the CDSC, including the manner in which it is calculated, is set forth in
paragraph 6 below. Class A shares are also subject to payments under each
Fund's 12b-1 Plan to reimburse Dean Witter Distributors Inc., Dean Witter
Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"), its affiliates and other broker-dealers for
distribution expenses incurred by them specifically on behalf of the Class,
assessed at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets. The
entire amount of the 12b-1 fee represents a service fee within the meaning of
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") guidelines.
2. Class B Shares
Class B shares are offered without a FESL, but will in most cases be
subject to a six-year declining CDSC which is calculated in the manner set
forth in paragraph 6 below. Class B shares purchased by certain qualified
employer-sponsored benefit plans are subject to a three-year declining CDSC
which is calculated in the manner set forth in paragraph 6 below. The
schedule of CDSC charges applicable to each Fund is set forth in each Fund's
current prospectus. With the exception of certain of the Funds which have a
different formula described below (Dean Witter American Value Fund, Dean
Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc., Dean Witter Strategist
Fund and Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities
1
<PAGE>
Inc.) (1), Class B shares are also subject to a fee under each Fund's
respective 12b-1 Plan, assessed at the annual rate of up to 1.0% of either:
(a) the lesser of (i) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's
Class B shares since the inception of the Fund (not including reinvestment of
dividends or capital gains distributions), less the average daily aggregate
net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares redeemed since the Fund's
inception upon which a CDSC has been imposed or waived, or (ii) the average
daily net assets of Class B; or (b) the average daily net assets of Class B.
A portion of the 12b-1 fee equal to up to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily
net assets is characterized as a service fee within the meaning of the NASD
guidelines and the remaining portion of the 12b-1 fee, if any, is
characterized as an asset-based sales charge. Also, Class B shares have a
conversion feature ("Conversion Feature") under which such shares convert to
Class A shares after a certain holding period. Details of the Conversion
Feature are set forth in Section IV below.
3. Class C Shares
Class C shares are offered without imposition of a FESL, but will in most
cases be subject to a CDSC of 1.0% on redemptions made within one year after
purchase. Further information relating to the CDSC is set forth in paragraph
6 below. In addition, Class C shares, under each Fund's 12b-1 Plan, are
subject to 12b-1 payments to reimburse Dean Witter Distributors Inc., DWR,
its affiliates and other broker-dealers for distribution expenses incurred by
them specifically on behalf of the Class, assessed at the annual rate of up
to 1.0% of the average daily net assets of the Class. A portion of the 12b-1
fee equal to up to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is
characterized as a service fee within the meaning of NASD guidelines. Unlike
Class B shares, Class C shares do not have the Conversion Feature.
4. Class D Shares
Class D shares are offered without imposition of a FESL, CDSC or a 12b-1
fee for purchases of Fund shares by (i) investors meeting an initial minimum
investment requirement and (ii) certain other limited categories of
investors, in each case, as may be approved by the Boards of
Directors/Trustees of the Funds and as disclosed in each Fund's current
prospectus.
5. Additional Classes of Shares
The Boards of Directors/Trustees of the Funds have the authority to create
additional Classes, or change existing Classes, from time to time, in
accordance with Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act.
6. Calculation of the CDSC
Any applicable CDSC is calculated based upon the lesser of net asset value
of the shares at the time of purchase or at the time of redemption. The CDSC
does not apply to amounts representing an increase in share value due to
capital appreciation and shares acquired through the reinvestment of
dividends or
- ------------
(1)The payments under the 12b-1 Plan for each of Dean Witter American Value
Fund, Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc. and Dean
Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc. are assessed at the annual rate of
1.0% of the lesser of: (a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the
Fund's Class B shares since the inception of the Fund's Plan (not including
reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions), less the average
daily aggregate net asset value of the Fund's Class B shares redeemed since
the Plan's inception upon which a contingent deferred sales charge has been
imposed or waived, or (b) the average daily net assets of Class B
attributable to shares issued, net of related shares redeemed, since
inception of the Plan. The payments under the 12b-1 Plan for the Dean Witter
Strategist Fund are assessed at the annual rate of: (i) 1% of the lesser of
(a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's Class B shares
since the effectiveness of the first amendment of the Plan on November 8,
1989 (not including reinvestment of dividends or capital gains
distributions), less the average daily aggregate net asset value of the
Fund's Class B shares redeemed since the effectiveness of the first amended
Plan, upon which a contingent deferred sales charge has been imposed or
waived, or (b) the average daily net assets of Class B attributable to shares
issued, net of related shares redeemed, since the effectiveness of the first
amended Plan; plus (ii) 0.25% of the average daily net assets of Class B
attributable to shares issued, net of related shares redeemed, prior to
effectiveness of the first amended Plan.
2
<PAGE>
capital gains distributions. The CDSC schedule applicable to a Fund and the
circumstances in which the CDSC is subject to waiver are set forth in each
Fund's prospectus.
II. EXPENSE ALLOCATIONS
Expenses incurred by a Fund are allocated among the various Classes of
shares pro rata based on the net assets of the Fund attributable to each
Class, except that 12b-1 fees relating to a particular Class are allocated
directly to that Class. In addition, other expenses associated with a
particular Class (except advisory or custodial fees), may be allocated
directly to that Class, provided that such expenses are reasonably identified
as specifically attributable to that Class and the direct allocation to that
Class is approved by the Fund's Board of Directors/Trustees.
III. CLASS DESIGNATION
All shares of the Funds held prior to July 28, 1997 (other than the shares
held by certain employee benefit plans established by DWR and its affiliate,
SPS Transaction Services, Inc., shares of Funds offered with a FESL, and
shares of Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund and Dean Witter Balanced Income
Fund) have been designated Class B shares. Shares held prior to July 28, 1997
by such employee benefit plans have been designated Class D shares. Shares
held prior to July 28, 1997 of Funds offered with a FESL have been designated
Class D shares. In addition, shares of Dean Witter American Value Fund
purchased prior to April 30, 1984, shares of Dean Witter Strategist Fund
purchased prior to November 8, 1989 and shares of Dean Witter Natural
Resource Development Securities Inc. and Dean Witter Dividend Growth
Securities Inc. purchased prior to July 2, 1984 (with respect to such shares
of each Fund, including such proportion of shares acquired through
reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions as the total number
of shares acquired prior to each of the preceding dates in this sentence
bears to the total number of shares purchased and owned by the shareholder of
that Fund) have been designated Class D shares. Shares of Dean Witter
Balanced Growth Fund and Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund held prior to July
28, 1997 have been designated Class C shares except that shares of Dean
Witter Balanced Growth Fund and Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund held prior
to July 28, 1997 that were acquired in exchange for shares of an investment
company offered with a CDSC have been designated Class B shares and those
that were acquired in exchange for shares of an investment company offered
with a FESL have been designated Class A shares.
IV. THE CONVERSION FEATURE
Class B shares held before May 1, 1997 will convert to Class A shares in
May, 2007, except that Class B shares which are purchased before July 28,
1997 by trusts for which Dean Witter Trust Company ("DWTC") or Dean Witter
Trust FSB ("DWTFSB") provides discretionary trustee services will convert to
Class A shares on or about August 29, 1997 (the CDSC will not be applicable
to such shares upon the conversion). In all other instances, Class B shares
of each Fund will automatically convert to Class A shares, based on the
relative net asset values of the shares of the two Classes on the conversion
date, which will be approximately ten (10) years after the date of the
original purchase. Conversions will be effected once a month. The 10 year
period will be calculated from the last day of the month in which the shares
were purchased or, in the case of Class B shares acquired through an exchange
or a series of exchanges, from the last day of the month in which the
original Class B shares were purchased, provided that shares originally
purchased before May 1, 1997 will convert to Class A shares in May, 2007.
Except as set forth below, the conversion of shares purchased on or after May
1, 1997 will take place in the month following the tenth anniversary of the
purchase. There will also be converted at that time such proportion of Class
B shares acquired through automatic reinvestment of dividends owned by the
shareholder as the total number of his or her Class B shares converting at
the time bears to the total number of outstanding Class B shares purchased
and owned by the shareholder. In the case of Class B shares held by a 401(k)
plan or other employer-sponsored plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") and for which DWTC or DWTFSB serves as
Trustee or the 401(k) Support Services Group of DWR serves as recordkeeper,
all Class B shares will convert to Class A shares on the conversion date of
the first shares of a Fund purchased by that plan. In the case of Class B
shares previously exchanged
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for shares of an "Exchange Fund" (as such term is defined in the prospectus
of each Fund), the period of time the shares were held in the Exchange Fund
(calculated from the last day of the month in which the Exchange Fund shares
were acquired) is excluded from the holding period for conversion. If those
shares are subsequently re-exchanged for Class B shares of a Fund, the
holding period resumes on the last day of the month in which Class B shares
are reacquired.
Effectiveness of the Conversion Feature is subject to the continuing
availability of a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of
counsel to the effect that (i) the conversion of shares does not constitute a
taxable event under the Code; (ii) Class A shares received on conversion will
have a basis equal to the shareholder's basis in the converted Class B shares
immediately prior to the conversion; and (iii) Class A shares received on
conversion will have a holding period that includes the holding period of the
converted Class B shares. The Conversion Feature may be suspended if the
Ruling or opinion is no longer available. In such event, Class B shares would
continue to be subject to Class B fees under the applicable Fund's 12b-1
Plan.
V. EXCHANGE PRIVILEGES
Shares of each Class may be exchanged for shares of the same Class of the
other Funds and for shares of certain other investment companies without the
imposition of an exchange fee as described in the prospectuses and statements
of additional information of the Funds. The exchange privilege of each Fund
may be terminated or revised at any time by the Fund upon such notice as may
be required by applicable regulatory agencies as described in each Fund's
prospectus.
VI. VOTING
Each Class shall have exclusive voting rights on any matter that relates
solely to its 12b-1 Plan, except that Class B shareholders will have the
right to vote on any proposed material increase in Class A's expenses,
including payments under the Class A 12b-1 Plan, if such proposal is
submitted separately to Class A shareholders. If the amount of expenses,
including payments under the Class A 12b-1 Plan, is increased materially
without the approval of Class B shareholders, the Fund will establish a new
Class A for Class B shareholders whose shares automatically convert on the
same terms as applied to Class A before the increase. In addition, each Class
shall have separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in
which the interests of one Class differ from the interests of any other
Class.
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DEAN WITTER FUNDS
MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN PURSUANT TO RULE 18F-3
SCHEDULE A
AT JULY 28, 1997
1) Dean Witter American Value Fund
2) Dean Witter Balanced Growth Fund
3) Dean Witter Balanced Income Fund
4) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
5) Dean Witter Capital Appreciation Fund
6) Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
7) Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
8) Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
9) Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
10) Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
11) Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
12) Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
13) Dean Witter Financial Services Trust
14) Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
15) Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
16) Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
17) Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
18) Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
19) Dean Witter Income Builder Fund
20) Dean Witter Information Fund
21) Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
22) Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
23) Dean Witter Japan Fund
24) Dean Witter Managers' Select Fund
25) Dean Witter Market Leader Trust
26) Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
27) Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
28) Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
29) Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
30) Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
31) Dean Witter Special Value Fund
32) Dean Witter Strategist Fund
33) Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
34) Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
35) Dean Witter Utilities Fund
36) Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series/Equity Portfolio
37) Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
38) Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
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