FEDERATED EQUITY FUNDS
485APOS, 2000-09-15
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                                                       1933 Act File No. 2-91090
                                                      1940 Act File No. 811-4017

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              Washington, DC 20549

                                    Form N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933             X
                                                                  ------

    Pre-Effective Amendment No.      .......................
                                 ----                             ------

    Post-Effective Amendment No.  46_.......................        X
                                 ---                              ------

                                     and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940     X
                                                                  ------

    Amendment No.  40 ......................................        X
                  ----                                            ------

                             FEDERATED EQUITY FUNDS

                  (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

                            Federated Investors Funds

                              5800 Corporate Drive

                       Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237-7000

                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                                 (412) 288-1900

                         (Registrant's Telephone Number)

                              John W. McGonigle, Esquire,
                            Federated Investors Tower

                       Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3779

                        (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

___ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) on _________________
pursuant to paragraph (b) 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a) (i) on
_________________ pursuant to paragraph (a) (i). X 75 days after filing pursuant
to paragraph (a)(ii) on _________________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of Rule
485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously
filed post-effective amendment.

                                    Copy to:

Matthew G. Maloney, Esquire
Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky, LLP

2101 L Street, NW
Washington, DC  20037




     THE INFORMATION IN THIS  PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED.  WE
MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES  UNTIL THE  REGISTRATION  STATEMENT FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER
TO  SELL  THESE  SECURITIES  AND IT IS NOT  SOLICITING  AN  OFFER  TO BUY  THESE
SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

PROSPECTUS

FEDERATED DEFENSIVE EQUITY FUND

A Portfolio Of Federated Equity Funds

CLASS A SHARES

CLASS B SHARES

CLASS C SHARES

A mutual fund seeking moderate capital appreciation and high current income by
investing primarily in common stocks that provide the opportunity for capital
appreciation and high current income.

As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not
approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this
prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

CONTENTS

Risk/Return Summary
What are the Fund's Fees and Expenses?
What are the Fund's Investment Strategies?
What are the Principal Securities in Which the Fund Invests?
What are the Specific Risks of Investing in the Fund?
What do Shares Cost?
How is the Fund Sold?
How to Purchase Shares
How to Redeem and Exchange Shares
Account and Share Information
Who Manages the Fund?
Financial Information






NOT FDIC INSURED
MAY LOSE VALUE
NO BANK GUARANTEE

November 30, 2000



RISK/RETURN SUMMARY

WHAT IS THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE?

The Fund's investment objective is to achieve moderate capital appreciation and
high current income.

WHAT ARE THE FUND'S MAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES?

The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing, under normal market
conditions, its assets in equity securities (including convertible securities)
of companies that, in the Adviser's opinion, appear to display defensive
characteristics (i.e. securities that appear to have low volatility in share
price relative to the overall equity market.) A description of the various types
of securities in which the Fund invests, and their risks, immediately follows
the strategy discussion.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND?

All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money
by investing in the Fund. . The primary factors that may reduce the Fund's
returns include:

Stock Market Risks

The value of equity securities in the Fund's portfolio will fluctuate and, as a
result, the Fund's share price may decline suddenly or over a sustained period
of time.

Risks Relating to Investing for Value

     The Fund  generally  uses a "value" style of investing,  so that the Fund's
share price may lag that of other funds using a different investment style.

Risks of Investing in American Depositary Receipts

Because the Fund may invest in American Depositary Receipts issued by foreign
companies, the Fund's share price may be more affected by foreign economic and
political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards,
than would otherwise be the case.

The Shares offered by this prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any
bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or
guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
the Federal Reserve Board, or any other government agency.

WHAT ARE THE FUND'S FEES AND EXPENSES?

FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold
Shares of the Federated Defensive Equity Fund's Class A Shares, Class B Shares
and Class C Shares.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

SHAREHOLDER FEES                                                   CLASS A    CLASS B     CLASS C

FEES PAID DIRECTLY FROM YOUR INVESTMENT
<S>                                                                <C>          <C>         <C>
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a             5.50%        None        None
percentage of offering price)
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of
original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)     0.00%        5.50%       1.00%
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends
(and other Distributions)                                          None         None        None
(as a percentage of offering price)
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if             None         None        None
applicable)
Exchange Fee                                                       None         None        None

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (Before Waivers) 1
EXPENSES THAT ARE DEDUCTED FROM FUND ASSETS (AS PERCENTAGE OF
AVERAGE NET ASSETS)
Management Fee2                                                    0.75%        0.75%       0.75%
Distribution (12b-1)  Fee3                                         0.25%3       0.75%       0.75%
Shareholder Services Fee                                           0.25%        0.25%       0.25%
Other Expenses                                                     0.80%        0.80%       0.80%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses                               2.05%        2.55%4      2.55%
1Although not contractually obligated to do so, the adviser
will waive certain amounts.  These are shown below along with
the net expenses the Fund expects to pay for the fiscal year
ending October 31, 2001.
Total Waivers of Fund Expenses                                     0.85%        0.60%       0.60%
Total Actual Annual Fund Operating Expenses (after                 1.20%        1.95%       1.95%
waivers)....................................................
</TABLE>

2    The adviser will  voluntarily  waive a portion of its management  fees. The
     adviser can terminate this voluntary waiver at any time. The management fee
     to be paid by the Fund (after the  voluntary  waiver) will be 0.15% for the
     fiscal year ending October 31, 2001.

3    Class A Shares will not pay or accrue the  distribution  (12b-1) fee during
     the fiscal year  ending  October  31,  2001.  Class A Shares has no present
     intention  of paying or accruing  the  distribution  (12b-1) fee during the
     fiscal year ending October 31, 2001.

4    Class B Shares convert to Class A Shares (which pay lower ongoing expenses)
     approximately eight years after purchase.

EXAMPLE

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund'
Class A, Class B and Class C Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual
funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund's Class A, Class B and
Class C Shares for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares
at the end of those periods. Expenses assuming no redemption are also shown. The
Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the
Fund's Class A, Class B and Class C Shares operating expenses are BEFORE WAIVERS
as shown in the table and remain the same. Although your actual costs and
returns may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                         <C>            <C>           <C>          <C>
SHARES CLASS                                1 YEAR         3 YEARS       5 YEARS      10 YEARS

CLASS A:

Expenses assuming redemption                    $747        $1,157       $1,593       $2,798
Expenses assuming no redemption                 $747        $1,157       $1,593       $2,798
CLASS B:

Expenses assuming redemption                    $808        $1,194       $1,555       $2,763
Expenses assuming no redemption                 $258          $794       $1,355       $2,763
CLASS C:

Expenses assuming redemption                    $358          $794       $1,355       $2,885
Expenses assuming no redemption                 $258          $794       $1,355       $2,885


</TABLE>




WHAT ARE THE FUND'S INVESTMENT STRATEGIES?

The Adviser has devised a proprietary model for assistance in identifying equity
securities with certain defensive characteristics. In selecting securities for
the Fund's portfolio, the Adviser emphasizes the following: undervalued and
overlooked companies that have the potential for positive changes; companies'
financial strength, particularly the generation of "free" cash flow that exceeds
capital spending and dividend requirements; companies' management skill and
shareholder orientation; improving earnings; and equity securities of companies
that demonstrate an ability to maintain their value when the broad equity market
is weak.

Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad
categories called sectors. The Adviser may select securities of issuers in any
sector and having any market capitalization range (i.e. number of shares
multiplied by the share price). The Adviser allocates the Fund's assets among
the various economic sectors based on Standard & Poor's classifications. The
Adviser's allocations are based on a combination of bottom-up security selection
and top down sector emphasis. Primarily using the bottom-up approach, the
Adviser searches for outstanding performance of individual stocks. The Adviser
identifies such companies from research reports, stock screens or personal
knowledge of the products and services. As a secondary matter, using top-down
analysis, the Adviser considers current economic, financial market, and industry
factors and societal trends that may affect the issuing company, in order to
assist in determining sector allocations for the Fund.

In addition, sector allocations are based on the Adviser's opinion as to which
sectors are, as a whole, priced at a low market valuation ("undervalued") when
compared with the other sectors. The Adviser also considers such factors as the
dividend-paying potential and earnings growth potential of the companies in each
sector. In order to diversify the Fund, as a general matter, the Adviser
attempts to limit the Fund's exposure to each sector reflected by the Russell
Mid-Cap Value Index from 0% to 300% of the Index's allocation to that sector.

The Adviser uses the "value" style of investing, selecting securities of
companies that, in the Adviser's opinion, are trading at a lower valuation in
relation to their historic and current market prices, to industry peers, and to
their expected future price based on projected earnings, and that therefore
offer the potential for capital appreciation. Because the Adviser uses a "value"
style of investing, the price of the securities held by the Fund may not, under
certain market conditions, increase as rapidly as stocks selected primarily for
their growth attributes. However, such securities generally have lower
volatility in relation to their share price, and a higher yield, when compared
with other equity securities.

To determine the timing of purchases of portfolio securities, the Adviser
compares the current stock price of an issuer with the Adviser's judgment as to
that stock's current and expected value based on projected future earnings. The
Adviser prefers to purchase a stock when it is relatively depressed, rather than
after a substantial rise in price. The Adviser uses technical analysis as an aid
in timing purchases and sales. The Adviser sells a portfolio security if it
determines that the issuer's prospects have deteriorated, or if it finds an
attractive security which the Adviser deems has superior risk and return
characteristics to a security held by the Fund.

The Adviser generally purchases convertible securities and Real Estate
Investment Trusts (REITs) to provide total return and/or to enhance the Fund's
income. In addition, the Adviser may invest a portion of the Fund's assets in
securities of companies based outside the United States, to diversify the Fund's
holdings and to gain exposure to the foreign market. Foreign holdings primarily
take the form of American Depositary Receipts, which represent interests in
underlying securities issued by a foreign company, but which are traded in the
United States.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund actively trades its portfolio securities in an attempt to achieve its
investment objective. Active trading will cause the Fund to have an increased
portfolio turnover rate, which is likely to generate shorter-term gains (losses)
for its shareholders, which are taxed at a higher rate than longer-term gains
(losses). Actively trading portfolio securities increases the Fund's trading
costs and may have an adverse impact on the Fund's performance.

TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE INVESTMENTS

The Fund may temporarily depart from its principal investment strategies by
investing its assets in cash and shorter-term debt securities and similar
obligations. It may do this to minimize potential losses and maintain liquidity
to meet shareholder redemptions during adverse market conditions. This may cause
the Fund to give up greater investment returns to maintain the safety of
principal, that is, the original amount invested by shareholders.

WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPAL SECURITIES IN WHICH THE FUND INVESTS?


EQUITY SECURITIES

Equity securities represent a share of an issuer's earnings and assets, after
the issuer pays its liabilities. The Fund cannot predict the income it will
receive from equity securities because issuers generally have discretion as to
the payment of any dividends or distributions. However, equity securities offer
greater potential for appreciation than many other types of securities, because
their value increases directly with the value of the issuer's business. The
following describes the types of equity securities in which the Fund invests.

COMMON STOCKS

Common stocks are the most prevalent type of equity security. Common stocks
receive the issuer's earnings after the issuer pays its creditors and any
preferred stockholders. As a result, changes in an issuer's earnings directly
influence the value of its common stock.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS)

REITs are real estate investment trusts that lease, operate and finance
commercial real estate. REITs are exempt from federal corporate income tax if
they limit their operations and distribute most of their income. Such tax
requirements limit a REIT's ability to respond to changes in the commercial real
estate.

 AMERICAN DEPOSITORY RECEIPTS

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) represent interests in underlying securities
issued by a foreign company. Depositary receipts are not traded in the same
market as the underlying security. ADRs provide a way to buy shares of
foreign-based companies in the U.S. rather than in overseas markets. ADRs are
also traded in U.S. dollars, eliminating the need for foreign exchange
transactions.

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES

Convertible securities are fixed income securities that the Fund has the option
to exchange for equity securities at a specified conversion price. The option
allows the Fund to realize additional returns if the market price of the equity
securities exceeds the conversion price. For example, the Fund may hold fixed
income securities that are convertible into shares of common stock at a
conversion price of $10 per share. If the market value of the shares of common
stock reached $12, the Fund could realize an additional $2 per share by
converting its fixed income securities.

Convertible securities have lower yields than comparable fixed income
securities. In addition, at the time a convertible security is issued the
conversion price exceeds the market value of the underlying equity securities.
Thus, convertible securities may provide lower returns than non-convertible
fixed income securities or equity securities depending upon changes in the price
of the underlying equity securities. However, convertible securities permit the
Fund to realize some of the potential appreciation of the underlying equity
securities with less risk of losing its initial investment.

The Fund treats convertible securities as both fixed income and equity
securities for purposes of its investment policies and limitations, because of
their unique characteristics.

INVESTMENT RATINGS FOR INVESTMENT GRADE SECURITIES

The Adviser will determine whether a security is investment grade based upon the
credit ratings given by one or more nationally recognized rating services. For
example, Standard and Poor's, a rating service, assigns ratings to investment
grade securities (AAA, AA, A, and BBB) based on their assessment of the
likelihood of the issuer's inability to pay interest or principal (default) when
due on each security. Lower credit ratings correspond to higher credit risk. If
a security has not received a rating, the Fund must rely entirely upon the
Adviser's credit assessment that the security is comparable to investment grade.
If a security is downgraded below the minimum quality grade discussed above, the
Adviser will reevaluate the security, but will not be required to sell it.

WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND?

STOCK MARKET RISKS

The value of equity securities in the Fund's portfolio will rise and fall. These
fluctuations could be a sustained trend or a drastic movement. The Fund's
portfolio will reflect changes in prices of individual portfolio stocks or
general changes in stock valuations. Consequently, the Fund's share price may
decline. The Adviser attempts to manage market risk by limiting the amount the
Fund invests in each company's equity securities. However, diversification will
not protect the Fund against widespread or prolonged declines in the stock
market.

RISKS RELATED TO INVESTING FOR VALUE

Due to their relatively low valuations, value stocks are typically less volatile
than growth stocks. For instance, the price of a value stock may experience a
smaller increase on a forecast of higher earnings, a positive fundamental
development, or positive market development. Further, value stocks tend to have
higher dividends than growth stocks. This means they depend less on price
changes for returns and may lag behind growth stocks in an up market.

RISKS OF INVESTING IN ADRS

Because the Fund may invest in ADRs issued by foreign companies, the Fund's
share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions,
taxation policies, and accounting and auditing standards, than would otherwise
be the case. Foreign companies may not provide information as frequently or to
as great an extent as companies in the United States. Foreign companies may also
receive less coverage than United States companies by market analysts and the
financial press. In addition, foreign countries may lack uniform accounting,
auditing and financial reporting standards or regulatory requirements comparable
to those applicable to United States companies. These factors may prevent the
Fund and its Adviser from obtaining information concerning foreign companies
that is as frequent, extensive and reliable as the information available
concerning companies in the United States.

WHAT DO SHARES COST?

You can purchase, redeem or exchange Shares any day the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) is open. When the Fund receives your transaction request in proper form
(as described in the prospectus) it is processed at the next calculated net
asset value (NAV) plus any applicable front-end sales charge (public offering
price.) NAV is determined at the end of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m.
Eastern time) each day the NYSE is open. The Fund generally values equity
securities according to the last sale price in the market in which they are
primarily traded (either a national securities exchange or the over-the-counter
market). The Fund's current NAV and public offering price may be found in the
mutual funds section of certain local newspapers under "Federated" [and the
appropriate class designation listing.

The following table summarizes the minimum required investment amount and the
maximum sales charge, if any, that you will pay on an investment in the Fund.
Keep in mind that investment professionals may charge you fees for their
services in connection with your Share transactions.

                              MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE

                         MINIMUM
                         INITIAL/                             CONTINGENT
                         SUBSEQUENT            FRONT-END      DEFERRED

                             INVESTMENT SALES SALES

 SHARES OFFERED          AMOUNTS1              CHARGE2        CHARGE3
 Class A                 $1,500/$100           5.50%          0.00%
 Class B                 $1,500/$100           None           5.50%
 Class C                 $1,500/$100           None           1.00%



1 THE MINIMUM INITIAL AND SUBSEQUENT INVESTMENT AMOUNTS FOR RETIREMENT PLANS ARE
$250 AND $100, RESPECTIVELY. THE MINIMUM SUBSEQUENT INVESTMENT AMOUNTS FOR
SYSTEMATIC INVESTMENT PROGRAMS IS $100. INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS MAY IMPOSE
HIGHER OR LOWER MINIMUM INVESTMENT REQUIREMENTS ON THEIR CUSTOMERS THAN THOSE
IMPOSED BY THE FUND. ORDERS FOR $250.000 OR MORE WILL BE INVESTED IN CLASS A
SHARES INSTEAD OF CLASS B SHARES TO MAXIMIZE YOUR RETURN AND MINIMIZE THE SALES
CHARGES AND MARKETING FEES. ACCOUNTS HELD IN THE NAME OF AN INVESTMENT
PROFESSIONAL MAY BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY. CLASS B SHARES WILL AUTOMATICALLY
CONVERT OF CLASS A SHARES ON OR AROUND THE FIFTEENTH OF THE MONTH EIGHT FULL
YEARS AFTER THE PURCHASE DATE. THIS CONVERSION IS A NON TAXABLE EVENT.

2    FRONT-END  SALES CHARGE IS EXPRESSED  AS A  PERCENTAGE  OF PUBLIC  OFFERING
     PRICE. SEE "SALES CHARGE WHEN YOU PURCHASE."

3    SEE "SALES CHARGE WHEN YOU REDEEM."

SALES CHARGE WHEN YOU PURCHASE

CLASS A SHARES

                                  Sales Charge

                                   as a Percentage       Sales Charge
                                   of Public             as a Percentage

Purchase Amount                    Offering Price        of NAV
Less than $50,000                  5.50%                 5.82%
$50,000 but less than              4.50%                 4.71%
$100,000

$100,000 but less than             3.75%                 3.90%
$250,000

$250,000 but less than             2.50%                 2.56%
$500,000

$500,000 but less than $1          2.00%                 2.04%
million

$1 million or greater1 0.00% 0.00% 1 A contingent deferred sales charge of 0.75%
of the redemption amount applies to Class A Shares redeemed up to 24 months
after purchase under certain investment programs where an investment
professional received an advance payment on the transaction.


If your investment qualifies for a reduction or elimination of the sales charge
as described below, you or your investment professional should notify the Fund's
Distributor at the time of purchase. If the Distributor is not notified, you
will receive the reduced sales charge only on additional purchases, and not
retroactively on previous purchases.

THE SALES CHARGE AT PURCHASE MAY BE REDUCED OR ELIMINATED BY:

o    purchasing  Shares in greater  quantities  to reduce the  applicable  sales
     charge;

o    combining concurrent purchases of Shares:

     -    by you, your spouse, and your children under age 21; or

     -    of the same share  class of two or more  Federated  Funds  (other than
          money market funds);

o    accumulating  purchases (in  calculating  the sales charge on an additional
     purchase,  include the  current  value of previous  Share  purchases  still
     invested in the Fund); or

o    signing a letter of intent to purchase a specific  dollar  amount of Shares
     within 13 months (call your  investment  professional  or the Fund for more
     information).

THE SALES CHARGE WILL BE ELIMINATED WHEN YOU PURCHASE SHARES:

o    within 120 days of redeeming Shares of an equal or lesser amount;

o    by exchanging  shares from the same share class of another  Federated  Fund
     (other than a money market fund);

o    through  wrap  accounts  or other  investment  programs  where  you pay the
     investment professional directly for services;

o    through  investment  professionals  that  receive  no  portion of the sales
     charge;

o    as a Federated Life Member (Class A Shares only) and their immediate family
     members; or

o    as a Trustee or employee of the Fund,  the  Adviser,  the  Distributor  and
     their affiliates, and the immediate family members of these individuals.

SALES CHARGE WHEN YOU REDEEM

Your redemption proceeds may be reduced by a sales charge, commonly referred to
as a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC).

CLASS A SHARES

A CDSC OF 0.75% OF THE REDEMPTION AMOUNT APPLIES TO CLASS A SHARES REDEEMED UP
TO 24 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE UNDER CERTAIN INVESTMENT PROGRAMS WHERE AN
INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL RECEIVED AN ADVANCE PAYMENT ON THE transaction.

------------------------------------------

CLASS B SHARES

Shares Held Up To:                  CDSC
1 year                              5.50%
2 years                             4.75%
3 years                             4.00%
4 years                             3.00%
5 years                             2.00%
6 years                             1.00%
7 years or more                     0.00%


-----------------------------------------
CLASS C SHARES

You will pay a 1% CDSC if you redeem Shares within one year of the purchase
date.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If your investment qualifies for a reduction or elimination of the CDSC as
described below, you or your investment professional should notify the
Distributor at the time of redemption. If the Distributor is not notified, the
CDSC will apply.

YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED A CDSC WHEN REDEEMING SHARES:

o    as a shareholder who owned Shares on September 30, 1989;

o    purchased with reinvested dividends or capital gains;

o    purchased within 120 days of redeeming Shares of an equal or lesser amount;

o    that you exchanged  into the same share class of another  Federated Fund if
     the shares were held for the  applicable  CDSC holding period (other than a
     money market fund);

o    purchased  through  investment  professionals  who did not receive advanced
     sales payments;

o    if, after you purchase Shares, you become disabled as defined by the IRS;

o    if the Fund redeems your Shares and closes your account for not meeting the
     minimum balance requirement;

o    if your redemption is a required retirement plan distribution; or

o    upon the death of the last surviving shareholder of the account.

TO KEEP THE SALES CHARGE AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, THE FUND REDEEMS YOUR IN THIS
ORDER:

o    Shares that are not subject to a CDSC; and

o    Shares held the longest (to  determine the number of years your Shares have
     been held,  include the time you held shares of other  Federated Funds that
     have been exchanged for Shares of this Fund).

The CDSC is then calculated using the share price at the time of purchase or
redemption, whichever is lower.

HOW IS THE FUND SOLD?

     The Fund offers three share  classes:  Class A Shares,  Class B, Shares and
Class  C  Classes,  each  representing   interests  in  a  single  portfolio  of
securities.

     The Fund's  Distributor,  Federated  Securities  Corp.,  markets the Shares
described in this  prospectus to  institutions  or to  individuals,  directly or
through investment professionals.


RULE 12B-1 PLAN

The Fund has adopted a Rule 12b-1 Plan, which allows it to pay marketing fees to
the Distributor and investment professionals for the sale, distribution and
customer servicing of the Fund's Shares. Because these Shares pay marketing fees
on an ongoing basis, your investment cost may be higher over time than other
shares with different sales charges and marketing fees.

HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

     You may purchase Shares through an investment  professional,  directly from
the Fund, or through an exchange from another  Federated Fund. The Fund reserves
the right to reject any request to purchase or exchange Shares.

     Where the Fund  offers more than one share class and you do not specify the
class choice on your New Account Form or form of payment (e.g.,  Federal Reserve
wire or check) you automatically will receive Class A Shares.

THROUGH AN INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL

o    Establish an account with the investment professional; and

o    Submit your purchase order to the investment professional before the end of
     regular  trading on the NYSE  (normally 4:00 p.m.  Eastern time).  You will
     receive the next calculated NAV if the investment professional forwards the
     order to the Fund on the same  day and the  Fund  receives  payment  within
     three  business  days.  You will  become  the owner of Shares  and  receive
     dividends when the Fund receives your payment.

Investment professionals should send payments according to the instructions in
the sections "By Wire" or "By Check."

DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND

o     Establish your account with the Fund by submitting a completed New Account
  Form; and

o Send your payment to the Fund by Federal Reserve wire or check.

You will become the owner of Shares and your Shares will be priced at the next
calculated NAV after the Fund receives your wire or your check. If your check
does not clear, your purchase will be canceled and you could be liable for any
losses or fees incurred by the Fund or Federated Shareholder Services Company,
the Fund's transfer agent.

An institution may establish an account and place an order by calling the Fund
and the Shares will be priced at the next calculated NAV after the Fund receives
the order.

BY WIRE Send your wire to:

  State Street Bank and Trust Company
  Boston, MA
  Dollar Amount of Wire

  ABA Number 011000028
  Attention: EDGEWIRE
  Wire Order Number, Dealer Number or Group Number
  Nominee/Institution Name
  Fund Name and Number and Account Number

You cannot purchase Shares by wire on holidays when wire transfers are
restricted.

BY CHECK

Make your check payable to THE FEDERATED FUNDS, note your account number on the
check, and mail it to:

  Federated Shareholder Services Company
  P.O. Box 8600
  Boston, MA 02266-8600
If you send your check by a PRIVATE COURIER OR OVERNIGHT DELIVERY SERVICE that
requires a street address, mail it to:

  Federated Shareholder Services Company
  1099 Hingham Street
  Rockland, MA 02370-3317

     Payment  should be made in U.S.  dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank. The Fund
will not accept  third-party  checks (checks originally payable to someone other
than you or The Federated Funds).


BY AUTOMATIC INVESTMENTS

You may establish an account with your financial institution to automatically
purchase Shares on pre-determined dates or when your bank account reaches a
certain level. Under this program, participating financial institutions are
responsible for prompt transmission of orders and may charge you for this
service. You should read this prospectus along with your financial institution's
agreement or materials describing this service.

BY INVEST-BY-PHONE

Once you establish an account, you may use the Fund's Invest-By-Phone privilege
for future Share purchases if you have an account with a bank that is an
Automated Clearinghouse member. To apply, call the Fund for an authorization
form. You may use Invest-By-Phone to purchase Shares approximately two weeks
from the date you file the form with Federated Shareholder Services Company.

BY DIRECT DEPOSIT

You may complete an application with Federated Shareholder Services Company to
have your Social Security, Railroad Retirement, VA Compensation or Pension,
Civil Service Retirement and certain other retirement payments invested directly
into the Fund. The application must be filed with Federated Shareholder Services
Company before direct deposit may begin. Allow 60 to 90 days for the application
to be processed.

THROUGH AN EXCHANGE

You may purchase Shares through an exchange from the same Share class of another
Federated Fund. You must meet the minimum initial investment requirement for
purchasing Shares and both accounts must have identical registrations.

BY SYSTEMATIC INVESTMENT PROGRAM

Once you have opened an account, you may automatically purchase additional
Shares on a regular basis by completing the Systematic Investment Program
section of the New Account Form or by contacting the Fund or your investment
professional.

BY AUTOMATED CLEARING HOUSE (ACH)

Once you have opened an account, you may purchase additional Shares through a
depository institution that is an ACH member. This purchase option can be
established by completing the appropriate sections of the New Account Form.

RETIREMENT INVESTMENTS

You may purchase Shares as retirement investments (such as qualified plans and
IRAs or transfer or rollover of assets). Call your investment professional or
the Fund for information on retirement investments. We suggest that you discuss
retirement investments with your tax adviser. You may be subject to an annual
IRA account fee.

HOW TO REDEEM AND EXCHANGE SHARES

You should redeem or exchange Shares:

o     through an investment professional if you purchased Shares through an
  investment professional; or

o     directly from the Fund if you purchased Shares directly from the Fund.


THROUGH AN INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL

Submit your redemption or exchange request to your investment professional by
the end of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). The
redemption amount you will receive is based upon the next calculated NAV after
the Fund receives the order from your investment professional.

DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND

BY TELEPHONE

You may redeem or exchange Shares by calling the Fund at 1-800-341-7400 once you
have completed the appropriate authorization form for telephone transactions.

If you call before the end of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m.
Eastern time) you will receive a redemption amount based on that day's NAV.

BY MAIL

You may redeem or exchange Shares by mailing a written request to the Fund.

You will receive a redemption amount based on the next calculated NAV after the
Fund receives your written request in proper form.

Send requests by mail to:

  Federated Shareholder Services Company
  P.O. Box 8600
  Boston, MA 02266-8600
Send requests by PRIVATE COURIER OR OVERNIGHT DELIVERY SERVICE to:

  Federated Shareholder Services Company
  1099 Hingham Street
  Rockland, MA 02370-3317

All requests must include:

o    Fund Name and Share Class, account number and account registration;

o    amount to be redeemed or exchanged;

o    signatures of all shareholders exactly as registered and

o    IF  EXCHANGING,  the Fund Name and Share Class,  account number and account
     registration into which you are exchanging.

Call your investment professional or the Fund if you need special instructions.

SIGNATURE GUARANTEES Signatures must be guaranteed if:

o    your  redemption  will be sent to an  address  other  than the  address  of
     record;

o    your  redemption  will be sent to an  address  of record  that was  changed
     within the last 30 days;

o    a redemption is payable to someone other than the shareholder(s) of record;
     or

o    IF EXCHANGING (TRANSFERRING) into another fund with a different shareholder
     registration.

A signature guarantee is designed to protect your account from fraud. Obtain a
signature guarantee from a bank or trust company, savings association, credit
union or broker, dealer, or securities exchange member. A NOTARY PUBLIC CANNOT
PROVIDE A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE.

PAYMENT METHODS FOR REDEMPTIONS

Your redemption proceeds will be mailed by check to your address of record. The
following payment options are available if you complete the appropriate section
of the New Account Form or an Account Service Options Form. These payment
options require a signature guarantee if they were not established when the
account was opened:

o    an electronic  transfer to your account at a financial  institution that is
     an ACH member; or

o    wire  payment  to your  account  at a  domestic  commercial  bank that is a
     Federal Reserve System member.

REDEMPTION IN KIND

Although the Fund intends to pay Share redemptions in cash, it reserves the
right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of the
Fund's portfolio securities.

LIMITATIONS ON REDEMPTION PROCEEDS

Redemption proceeds normally are wired or mailed within one business day after
receiving a request in proper form. Payment may be delayed up to seven days:

o    to allow your purchase to clear;

o    during periods of market volatility; or

o    when a shareholder's  trade activity or amount adversely impacts the Fund's
     ability to manage its assets.

You will not accrue interest or dividends on uncashed checks from the Fund if
those checks are undeliverable and returned to the Fund.

REDEMPTIONS FROM RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS

In the absence of your specific instructions, 10% of the value of your
redemption from a retirement account in the Fund may be withheld for taxes. This
withholding only applies to certain types of retirement accounts.

EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE

You may exchange Shares of the Fund into Shares of the same class of another
Federated Fund. To do this, you must:

o     ensure that the account registrations are identical;

o     meet any minimum initial investment requirements; and

o     receive a prospectus for the fund into which you wish to exchange.

An exchange is treated as a redemption and a subsequent purchase, and is a
taxable transaction.

The Fund may modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. The Fund's
management or investment adviser may determine from the amount, frequency and
pattern of exchanges that a shareholder is engaged in excessive trading that is
detrimental to the Fund and other shareholders. If this occurs, the Fund may
terminate the availability of exchanges to that shareholder and may bar that
shareholder from purchasing other Federated Funds.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL/ EXCHANGE PROGRAM

You may automatically redeem or exchange Shares in a minimum amount of $100 on a
regular basis. Complete the appropriate section of the New Account Form or an
Account Service Options Form or contact your investment professional or the
Fund. Your account value must meet the minimum initial investment amount at the
time the program is established. This program may reduce, and eventually
deplete, your account. Payments should not be considered yield or income.

Generally, it is not advisable to continue to purchase Class A Shares subject to
a sales charge while redeeming Shares using this program.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PROGRAM (SWP) ON CLASS B SHARES You will not be charged a
CDSC on SWP redemptions if:

o     you redeem 12% or less of your account value in a single year;

o     you reinvest all dividends and capital gains distributions; and

o your account has at least a $10,000 balance when you establish the SWP. (You
  cannot aggregate multiple Class B Share accounts to meet this minimum
  balance.)

You will be subject to a CDSC on redemption amounts that exceed the 12% annual
limit. In measuring the redemption percentage, your account is valued when you
establish the SWP and then annually at calendar year-end. You can redeem
monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS

TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS

The Fund will record your telephone instructions. If the Fund does not follow
reasonable procedures, it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or
fraudulent telephone instructions.

SHARE CERTIFICATES

The Fund does not issue share certificates.

ACCOUNT AND SHARE INFORMATION

CONFIRMATIONS AND ACCOUNT STATEMENTS

You will receive confirmation of purchases, redemptions and exchanges (except
for systematic transactions. In addition, you will receive periodic statements
reporting all account activity, including systematic transactions,) dividends
and capital gains paid.

DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS

The Fund declares and pays any dividends quarterly to shareholders. Dividends
are paid to all shareholders invested in the Fund on the record date. The record
date is the date on which a shareholder must officially own Shares in order to
earn a dividend. In addition, the Fund pays any capital gains at least annually.
Your dividends and capital gains distributions will be automatically reinvested
in additional Shares without a sales charge, unless you elect cash payments.

If you purchase Shares just before a Fund declares a dividend or capital gain
distribution, you will pay the full price for the Shares and then receive a
portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution, whether or not
you reinvest the distribution in Shares. Therefore, you should consider the tax
implications of purchasing Shares shortly before the Fund declares a dividend or
capital gain. Contact your investment professional or the Fund for information
concerning when dividends and capital gains will be paid.

ACCOUNTS WITH LOW BALANCES

Due to the high cost of maintaining accounts with low balances, non-retirement
accounts may be closed if redemptions or exchanges cause the account balance to
fall below the minimum initial investment amount. Before an account is closed,
you will be notified and allowed 30 days to purchase additional Shares to meet
the minimum.

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund sends an annual statement of your account activity to assist you in
completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Fund distributions of
dividends and capital gains are taxable to you whether paid in cash or
reinvested in the Fund. Dividends are taxable as ordinary income; capital gains
are taxable at different rates depending upon the length of time the Fund holds
its assets.

Fund distributions are expected to be both dividends and capital gains.
Redemptions and exchanges are taxable sales. Please consult your tax adviser
regarding your federal, state, and local tax liability.

WHO MANAGES THE FUND?

The Board of Trustees governs the Fund. The Board selects and oversees the
Adviser, Federated Investment Management Company. The Adviser manages the Fund's
assets, including buying and selling portfolio securities. The Adviser's address
is Federated Investors Tower, 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779.

The Adviser and other subsidiaries of Federated advise approximately 176 mutual
funds and separate accounts, which totaled approximately $125 billion in assets
as of December 31, 1999. Federated was established in 1955 and is one of the
largest mutual fund investment managers in the United States with approximately
1,900 employees. More than 4,000 investment professionals make Federated Funds
available to their customers.

THE FUND'S PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ARE:

STEVEN J. LEHMAN

     Steven J. Lehman has been the Fund's Portfolio Manager since inception.  He
is Vice President of the Trust. Mr. Lehman joined the Fund's Adviser in May 1997
as a  Portfolio  Manager  and Vice  President.  He has  been a Senior  Portfolio
Manager  since 1998.  From 1986 to May 1997,  Mr.  Lehman  served as a Portfolio
Manager, then Vice President/Senior Portfolio Manager, at First Chicago NBD. Mr.
Lehman  is a  Chartered  Financial  Analyst;  he  received  his  M.A.  from  the
University of Chicago.


J. THOMAS MADDEN

     J. Thomas Madden has been the Fund's Portfolio Manager since inception. Mr.
Madden joined  Federated as a Senior  Portfolio  Manager in 1977 and has been an
Executive  Vice  President of the Fund's Adviser since 1994. In 1999, Mr. Madden
became a Director  of the Fund's  Adviser.  Mr.  Madden  served as a Senior Vice
President  of the  Fund's  Adviser  from  1989  through  1993.  Mr.  Madden is a
Chartered  Financial  Analyst and received his M.B.A.  with a  concentration  in
finance from the University of Virginia.


FINANCIAL INFORMATION

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

     The Fund's fiscal year end is October 31, 2000. As this is the Fund's first
fiscal year, financial information is not yet available.


FEDERATED DEFENSIVE EQUITY FUND

A Portfolio of Federated Equity Funds

CLASS A SHARES

CLASS B SHARES

CLASS C SHARES

A Statement of Additional Information (SAI) dated November 30, 2000, is
incorporated by reference into this prospectus. To obtain the SAI and other
information without charge, and make inquiries, call your investment
professional or the Fund at 1-800-341-7400.

You can obtain information about the Fund (including the SAI) by writing to or
visiting the Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. You may also access fund
information from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at
HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. You can purchase copies of this information by contacting
the SEC by email at [email protected] or by writing to the SEC's Public
Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0102. Call 1-202-942-8090 for
information on the Public Reference Room's operations and copying fees.

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-4017

CUSIP

CUSIP

CUSIP

000000-00 11//2000

THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND
MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION
STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND
IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE
OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FEDERATED DEFENSIVE EQUITY FUND

A Portfolio of Federated Equity Funds

CLASS A SHARES

CLASS B SHARES

CLASS C SHARES

This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. Read this
SAI in conjunction with the prospectus for the Federated Defensive Equity Fund,
dated November 30, 2000. Obtain the prospectus without charge by calling

 1-800-341-7400.




 November 30, 2000






CONTENTS
How is the Fund Organized?
Securities in Which the Fund Invests
What do Shares Cost?
How is the Fund Sold?
Exchanging Securities for Shares
Subaccounting Services
Redemption in Kind
Massachusetts Partnership Law
Account and Share Information
Tax Information
Who Manages and Provides Services to the Fund?
How Does the Fund Measure Performance?
Who is Federated Investors, Inc.?
Financial Information
Investment Ratings
Addresses





CUSIP

CUSIP

CUSIP

00000000 (11/00)

HOW IS THE FUND ORGANIZED?

The Fund is a diversified open-end, management investment company that was
established under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on April 17,
1984. The Fund's investment adviser is Federated Investment Management Company
(Adviser). The Board of Trustees (the Board) has established three classes of
shares of the Fund, known as Class A Shares, Class B Shares and Class C Shares.
This SAI relates to all classes of Shares.

SECURITIES IN WHICH THE FUND INVESTS

In pursuing its investment strategy, the Fund may invest in the following
securities for any purpose that is consistent with its investment objective.

SECURITIES DESCRIPTIONS AND TECHNIQUES

EQUITY SECURITIES

Equity securities represent a share of an issuer's earnings and assets, after
the issuer pays its liabilities. The Fund cannot predict the income it will
receive from equity securities because issuers generally have discretion as to
the payment of any dividends or distributions. However, equity securities offer
greater potential for appreciation than many other types of securities, because
their value increases directly with the value of the issuer's business. The
following describes the types of equity securities in which the Fund invests.

Common Stocks

Common stocks are the most prevalent type of equity security. Common stocks
receive the issuer's earnings after the issuer pays its creditors and any
preferred stockholders. As a result, changes in an issuer's earnings directly
influence the value of its common stock.

Preferred Stocks

Preferred stocks have the right to receive specified dividends or distributions
before the issuer makes payments on its common stock. Some preferred stocks also
participate in dividends and distributions paid on common stock. Preferred
stocks may also permit the issuer to redeem the stock. The Fund may also treat
such redeemable preferred stock as a fixed income security.

Warrants

Warrants give the Fund the option to buy the issuer's equity securities at a
specified price (the exercise price) at a specified future date (the expiration
date). The Fund may buy the designated securities by paying the exercise price
before the expiration date. Warrants may become worthless if the price of the
stock does not rise above the exercise price by the expiration date. This
increases the market risks of warrants as compared to the underlying security.
Rights are the same as warrants, except companies typically issue rights to
existing stockholders.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
REITs are real estate investment trusts that lease, operate and finance
commercial real estate. REITs are exempt from federal corporate income tax if
they limit their operations and distribute most of their income. Such tax
requirements limit a REIT's ability to respond to changes in the commercial real
estate.

FIXED INCOME SECURITIES

Fixed income securities pay interest, dividends or distributions at a specified
rate. The rate may be a fixed percentage of the principal or adjusted
periodically. In addition, the issuer of a fixed income security must repay the
principal amount of the security, normally within a specified time. Fixed income
securities provide more regular income than equity securities. However, the
returns on fixed income securities are limited and normally do not increase with
the issuer's earnings. This limits the potential appreciation of fixed income
securities as compared to equity securities.

A security's yield measures the annual income earned on a security as a
percentage of its price. A security's yield will increase or decrease depending
upon whether it costs less (a discount) or more (a premium) than the principal
amount. If the issuer may redeem the security before its scheduled maturity, the
price and yield on a discount or premium security may change based upon the
probability of an early redemption. Securities with higher risks generally have
higher yields. The following describes the types of fixed income securities in
which the Fund invests.

Treasury Securities

Treasury securities are direct obligations of the federal government of the
United States. Treasury securities are generally regarded as having the lowest
credit risks.

Agency Securities

Agency securities are issued or guaranteed by a federal agency or other
government sponsored entity acting under federal authority (a GSE). The United
States supports some GSEs with its full faith and credit. Other GSEs receive
support through federal subsidies, loans or other benefits. A few GSEs have no
explicit financial support, but are regarded as having implied support because
the federal government sponsors their activities. Agency securities are
generally regarded as having low credit risks, but not as low as treasury
securities.

The Fund treats mortgage backed securities guaranteed by GSEs as agency
securities. Although a GSE guarantee protects against credit risks, it does not
reduce the market and prepayment risks of these mortgage backed securities.

Corporate Debt Securities

Corporate debt securities are fixed income securities issued by businesses.
Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most prevalent types of
corporate debt securities. The Fund may also purchase interests in bank loans to
companies. The CREDIT RISKS of corporate debt securities vary widely among
issuers. In addition, the credit risk of an issuer's debt security may vary
based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt
securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities.
This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities
while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the
event of bankruptcy, holders of senior securities may receive amounts otherwise
payable to the holders of subordinated securities. Some subordinated securities,
such as trust preferred and capital securities notes, also permit the issuer to
defer payments under certain circumstances. For example, insurance companies
issue securities known as surplus notes that permit the insurance company to
defer any payment that would reduce its capital below regulatory requirements.

COMMERCIAL PAPER

Commercial paper is an issuer's obligation with a maturity of less than nine
months. Companies typically issue commercial paper to pay for current
expenditures. Most issuers constantly reissue their commercial paper and use the
proceeds (or bank loans) to repay maturing paper. If the issuer cannot continue
to obtain liquidity in this fashion, its commercial paper may default. The short
maturity of commercial paper reduces both the market and credit risks as
compared to other debt securities of the same issuer.

DEMAND INSTRUMENTS

Demand instruments are corporate debt securities that the issuer must repay upon
demand. Other demand instruments require a third party, such as a dealer or
bank, to repurchase the security for its face value upon demand. The Fund treats
demand instruments as short-term securities, even though their stated maturity
may extend beyond one year.

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES

Convertible securities are fixed income securities that the Fund has the option
to exchange for equity securities at a specified conversion price. The option
allows the Fund to realize additional returns if the market price of the equity
securities exceeds the conversion price. For example, the Fund may hold fixed
income securities that are convertible into shares of common stock at a
conversion price of $10 per share. If the market value of the shares of common
stock reached $12, the Fund could realize an additional $2 per share by
converting its fixed income securities. Convertible securities have lower yields
than comparable fixed income securities. In addition, at the time a convertible
security is issued the conversion price exceeds the market value of the
underlying equity securities. Thus, convertible securities may provide lower
returns than non-convertible fixed income securities or equity securities
depending upon changes in the price of the underlying equity securities.
However, convertible securities permit the Fund to realize some of the potential
appreciation of the underlying equity securities with less risk of losing its
initial investment.

The Fund treats convertible securities as equity securities for purposes of its
investment policies and limitations, because of their unique characteristics.

FOREIGN SECURITIES

     Foreign  securities  are  securities  of issuers  based  outside the United
States. The Fund considers an issuer to be based outside the United States if:

o    it is organized  under the laws of, or has a principal  office  located in,
     another country;

o    the principal trading market for its securities is in another country; or

o    it (or its  subsidiaries)  derived in its most current fiscal year at least
     50% of its total assets, capitalization, gross revenue or profit from goods
     produced, services performed, or sales made in another country.

     Foreign securities are primarily  denominated in foreign currencies.  Along
with the risks normally  associated  with domestic  securities of the same type,
foreign securities are subject to currency risks and risks of foreign investing.
Trading in certain foreign markets is also subject to liquidity risks.

Depositary Receipts

     Depositary receipts represent interests in underlying  securities issued by
a foreign company.  Depositary receipts are not traded in the same market as the
underlying  security.  The foreign  securities  underlying  American  Depositary
Receipts  (ADRs)  are  traded in the United  States.  ADRs  provide a way to buy
shares of  foreign-based  companies in the United States rather than in overseas
markets. ADRs are also traded in U.S. dollars,  eliminating the need for foreign
exchange  transactions.  The foreign securities  underlying  European Depositary
Receipts (EDRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), and International Depositary
Receipts  (IDRs),  are traded globally or outside the United States.  Depositary
receipts  involve  many of the  same  risks of  investing  directly  in  foreign
securities, including currency risks and risks of foreign investing.

DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS

     Derivative contracts are financial  instruments that require payments based
upon changes in the values of designated (or underlying) securities, currencies,
commodities,  financial indices or other assets. Some derivative contracts (such
as futures,  forwards and options) require  payments  relating to a future trade
involving the  underlying  asset.  Other  derivative  contracts  (such as swaps)
require  payments  relating to the income or returns from the underlying  asset.
The other party to a derivative contract is referred to as a counterparty.

     Many   derivative   contracts  are  traded  on  securities  or  commodities
exchanges.  In this case, the exchange sets all the terms of the contract except
for the price.  Investors  make payments due under their  contracts  through the
exchange.  Most exchanges  require investors to maintain margin accounts through
their brokers to cover their potential  obligations to the exchange.  Parties to
the contract make (or collect) daily payments to the margin  accounts to reflect
losses  (or  gains) in the value of their  contracts.  This  protects  investors
against potential defaults by the counterparty. Trading contracts on an exchange
also allows  investors to close out their  contracts by entering into offsetting
contracts.

     For example, the Fund could close out an open contract to buy an asset at a
future date by entering  into an  offsetting  contract to sell the same asset on
the same date. If the offsetting  sale price is more than the original  purchase
price,  the Fund  realizes  a gain;  if it is less,  the Fund  realizes  a loss.
Exchanges may limit the amount of open contracts permitted at any one time. Such
limits may prevent the Fund from closing out a position.  If this  happens,  the
Fund will be required to keep the  contract  open (even if it is losing money on
the contract),  and to make any payments required under the contract (even if it
has to sell portfolio  securities at unfavorable  prices to do so). Inability to
close out a contract could also harm the Fund by preventing it from disposing of
or trading  any assets it has been  using to secure  its  obligations  under the
contract.

     The Fund may also  trade  derivative  contracts  over-the-counter  (OTC) in
transactions  negotiated  directly  between the Fund and the  counterparty.  OTC
contracts do not  necessarily  have standard  terms,  so they cannot be directly
offset  with  other  OTC  contracts.   In  addition,  OTC  contracts  with  more
specialized terms may be more difficult to price than exchange traded contracts.

Depending upon how the Fund uses derivative contracts and the relationships
between the market value of a derivative contract and the underlying asset,
derivative contracts may increase or decrease the Fund's exposure to market and
currency risks, and may also expose the Fund to liquidity and leverage risks.
OTC contracts also expose the Fund to credit risks in the event that a
counterparty defaults on the contract.

     The Fund may trade in the following types of derivative contracts.

Futures Contracts

     Futures  contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by
another party of a specified amount of an underlying asset at a specified price,
date, and time.  Entering into a contract to buy an underlying asset is commonly
referred  to as buying a  contract  or  holding a long  position  in the  asset.
Entering into a contract to sell an underlying asset is commonly  referred to as
selling a contract or holding a short position in the asset.  Futures  contracts
are  considered  to be commodity  contracts.  Futures  contracts  traded OTC are
frequently referred to as forward contracts.

The Fund may buy or sell financial futures contracts.

OPTIONS

     Options are rights to buy or sell an underlying asset for a specified price
(the exercise price) during, or at the end of, a specified period. A call option
gives the holder (buyer) the right to buy the  underlying  asset from the seller
(writer)  of the  option.  A put  option  gives the holder the right to sell the
underlying asset to the writer of the option.  The writer of the option receives
a payment,  or premium,  from the buyer,  which the writer keeps  regardless  of
whether the buyer uses (or exercises) the option.

The Fund may:

o    Buy call options on portfolio securities,  futures,  futures on indices and
     financial  futures contracts in anticipation of an increase in the value of
     the underlying asset;

o    Buy put options on portfolio  securities,  futures,  futures on indices and
     financial  futures  contracts in anticipation of a decrease in the value of
     the underlying asset; and

   Buy or write options to close out existing options positions.

     The Fund may also write  call  options on  portfolio  securities,  futures,
futures on indices and  financial  futures  contracts  to  generate  income from
premiums,  and in  anticipation  of a decrease or only  limited  increase in the
value of the underlying  asset. If a call written by the Fund is exercised,  the
Fund  foregoes any  possible  profit from an increase in the market price of the
underlying asset over the exercise price plus the premium received.

     The Fund may also  write put  options  on  portfolio  securities,  futures,
futures on indices and  financial  futures  contracts  to  generate  income from
premiums,  and in  anticipation  of an increase or only limited  decrease in the
value of the underlying  asset.  In writing puts,  there is a risk that the Fund
may be required to take delivery of the underlying asset when its current market
price is lower than the exercise price.

     When the Fund writes  options on futures  contracts,  it will be subject to
margin requirements similar to those applied to futures contracts.

SPECIAL TRANSACTIONS
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

     Repurchase  agreements are  transactions  in which the Fund buys a security
from a dealer or bank and agrees to sell the security back at a mutually  agreed
upon time and price. The repurchase price exceeds the sale price, reflecting the
Fund's return on the transaction.  This return is unrelated to the interest rate
on the underlying security.  The Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only
with  banks and other  recognized  financial  institutions,  such as  securities
dealers, deemed creditworthy by the Adviser.

     The Fund's custodian or subcustodian will take possession of the securities
subject to repurchase  agreements.  The Adviser or subcustodian will monitor the
value of the  underlying  security  each  day to  ensure  that the  value of the
security always equals or exceeds the repurchase price.

     Repurchase agreements are subject to credit risks.

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

     Reverse repurchase  agreements are repurchase  agreements in which the Fund
is the  seller  (rather  than  the  buyer)  of the  securities,  and  agrees  to
repurchase them at an agreed upon time and price. A reverse repurchase agreement
may be viewed as a type of borrowing by the Fund. Reverse repurchase  agreements
are subject to credit risks. In addition,  reverse repurchase  agreements create
leverage risks because the Fund must  repurchase  the  underlying  security at a
higher  price,  regardless  of the market  value of the  security at the time of
repurchase.

DELAYED DELIVERY TRANSACTIONS

     Delayed  delivery  transactions,  including when issued  transactions,  are
arrangements in which the Fund buys securities for a set price, with payment and
delivery  of the  securities  scheduled  for a future  time.  During  the period
between  purchase and  settlement,  no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer
and no interest  accrues to the Fund. The Fund records the  transaction  when it
agrees to buy the securities  and reflects their value in determining  the price
of its shares. Settlement dates may be a month or more after entering into these
transactions  so that the market values of the  securities  bought may vary from
the purchase prices.  Therefore,  delayed delivery  transactions create interest
rate risks for the Fund. Delayed delivery transactions also involve credit risks
in the event of a counterparty default.

SECURITIES LENDING

     The Fund may lend portfolio  securities to borrowers that the Adviser deems
creditworthy.  In return,  the Fund receives cash or liquid  securities from the
borrower as collateral.  The borrower must furnish additional  collateral if the
market value of the loaned securities increases. Also, the borrower must pay the
Fund  the  equivalent  of any  dividends  or  interest  received  on the  loaned
securities. The Fund will reinvest cash collateral in securities that qualify as
an acceptable  investment for the Fund.  However,  the Fund must pay interest to
the borrower for the use of cash collateral.

     Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower.
The Fund will not have the right to vote on  securities  while they are on loan,
but it will terminate a loan in anticipation of any important vote. The Fund may
pay  administrative  and custodial fees in connection  with a loan and may pay a
negotiated portion of the interest earned on the cash collateral to a securities
lending agent or broker.

     Securities lending activities are subject to interest rate risks and credit
risks.

INTER-FUND BORROWING AND LENDING ARRANGEMENTS

     The SEC has granted an exemption  that permits the Fund and all other funds
advised by subsidiaries of Federated Investors, Inc. ("Federated funds") to lend
and borrow  money for  certain  temporary  purposes  directly  to and from other
Federated funds.  Participation in this inter-fund  lending program is voluntary
for both borrowing and lending funds,  and an inter-fund loan is only made if it
benefits each participating fund. Federated administers the program according to
procedures approved by the Fund's Board, and the Board monitors the operation of
the program.  Any inter-fund loan must comply with certain conditions set out in
the  exemption,   which  are  designed  to  assure   fairness  and  protect  all
participating funds.

     For example,  inter-fund  lending is permitted only (a) to meet shareholder
redemption  requests,  and (b) to meet commitments arising from "failed" trades.
All  inter-fund  loans  must be  repaid  in  seven  days  or  less.  The  Fund's
participation  in this program must be consistent  with its investment  policies
and limitations, and must meet certain percentage tests. Inter-fund loans may be
made only when the rate of  interest  to be  charged is more  attractive  to the
lending fund than  market-competitive  rates on overnight repurchase  agreements
(the "Repo Rate") AND more  attractive  to the  borrowing  fund than the rate of
interest that would be charged by an unaffiliated bank for short-term borrowings
(the "Bank Loan Rate"), as determined by the Board. The interest rate imposed on
inter-fund loans is the average of the Repo Rate and the Bank Loan Rate.

ASSET COVERAGE

     In order to secure its obligations in connection with derivatives contracts
or special  transactions,  the Fund will either own the underlying assets, enter
into an offsetting transaction or set aside readily marketable securities with a
value that equals or exceeds the Fund's  obligations.  Unless the Fund has other
readily  marketable  assets to set aside,  it cannot trade assets used to secure
such  obligations  without  entering into an offsetting  derivative  contract or
terminating  a special  transaction.  This may cause the Fund to miss  favorable
trading  opportunities  or to realize losses on derivative  contracts or special
transactions.

INVESTING IN SECURITIES OF OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES

     THE FUND MAY INVEST ITS ASSETS IN SECURITIES OF OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES,
INCLUDING THE SECURITIES OF AFFILIATED MONEY MARKET FUNDS, AS AN EFFICIENT MEANS
OF CARRYING OUT ITS INVESTMENT POLICIES AND MANAGING ITS UNINVESTED CASH.

INVESTMENT RATINGS

INVESTMENT RATINGS FOR INVESTMENT GRADE SECURITIES

     The Adviser will  determine  whether a security is  investment  grade based
upon the  credit  ratings  given  by one or more  nationally  recognized  rating
services. For example, Standard and Poor's, a rating service, assigns ratings to
investment  grade  securities (AAA, AA, A, and BBB) based on their assessment of
the likelihood of the issuer's inability to pay interest or principal  (default)
when due on each  security.  Lower credit  ratings  correspond  to higher credit
risk. If a security has not received a rating,  the Fund must rely entirely upon
the Adviser's  credit  assessment  that the security is comparable to investment
grade.

     If a security is  downgraded  below the  minimum  quality  grade  discussed
above,  the Adviser will  reevaluate  the security,  but will not be required to
sell it.

INVESTMENT RISKS

     There are many  factors  which may affect an  investment  in the Fund.  The
Fund's principal risks are described in its prospectus.  Additional risk factors
are outlined below.

EQUITY SECURITIES INVESTMENT RISKS

STOCK MARKET RISKS

o    The value of equity  securities in the Fund's portfolio will rise and fall.
     These  fluctuations  could be a sustained trend or a drastic movement.  The
     Fund's  portfolio  will reflect  changes in prices of individual  portfolio
     stocks or general  changes in stock  valuations.  Consequently,  the Fund's
     share price may decline.

o    The Adviser  attempts to manage market risk by limiting the amount the Fund
     invests in each company's equity securities. However,  diversification will
     not protect the Fund against  widespread or prolonged declines in the stock
     market.

RISKS RELATED TO INVESTING FOR VALUE

o    Due to their  relatively  low  valuations,  value stocks are typically less
     volatile than growth stocks.  For instance,  the price of a value stock may
     experience a smaller increase on a forecast of higher earnings,  a positive
     fundamental  development,  or positive market development.  Further,  value
     stocks tend to have higher  dividends than growth  stocks.  This means they
     depend less on price  changes for returns and may lag behind  growth stocks
     in an up market.

RISKS OF INVESTING IN ADRS

     Because the Fund may invest in ADRs issued by foreign companies, the Fund's
share price may be more affected by foreign  economic and political  conditions,
taxation policies,  and accounting and auditing standards,  than would otherwise
be the case.  Foreign companies may not provide  information as frequently or to
as great an extent as companies in the United States. Foreign companies may also
receive less coverage than United  States  companies by market  analysts and the
financial  press. In addition,  foreign  countries may lack uniform  accounting,
auditing and financial reporting standards or regulatory requirements comparable
to those  applicable to United States  companies.  These factors may prevent the
Fund and its Adviser from obtaining  information  concerning  foreign  companies
that  is as  frequent,  extensive  and  reliable  as the  information  available
concerning   companies  in  the  United  States.

LIQUIDITY RISKS

o    Trading  opportunities  are more limited for equity securities that are not
     widely held. This may make it more difficult to sell or buy a security at a
     favorable price or time. Consequently,  the Fund may have to accept a lower
     price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash or give up an
     investment  opportunity,  any of which could have a negative  effect on the
     Fund's  performance.  Infrequent  trading of securities may also lead to an
     increase in their price volatility.

o    Liquidity risk also refers to the possibility that the Fund may not be able
     to sell a  security  when it wants  to. If this  happens,  the Fund will be
     required to continue to hold the security and the Fund could incur losses.

RISKS RELATED TO COMPANY SIZE

o    Generally,  the smaller the market  capitalization of a company,  the fewer
     the number of shares traded  daily,  the less liquid its stock and the more
     volatile its price. Market  capitalization is determined by multiplying the
     number of its outstanding shares by the current market price per share.

o    Companies  with smaller market  capitalizations  also tend to have unproven
     track  records,  a limited  product or service  base and limited  access to
     capital.  These factors also increase  risks and make these  companies more
     likely to fail than companies with larger market capitalizations.

RISKS OF FOREIGN INVESTING

o    Foreign  securities  pose  additional  risks  because  foreign  economic or
     political conditions may be less favorable than those of the United States.
     Securities in foreign markets may also be subject to taxation policies that
     reduce returns for U.S. investors.

o    Foreign  companies  may  not  provide  information   (including   financial
     statements)  as  frequently  or to as great an extent as  companies  in the
     United States. Foreign companies may also receive less coverage than United
     States  companies by market analysts and the financial  press. In addition,
     foreign  countries  may lack uniform  accounting,  auditing  and  financial
     reporting  standards  or  regulatory   requirements   comparable  to  those
     applicable  to U.S.  companies.  These factors may prevent the Fund and its
     Adviser from obtaining information  concerning foreign companies that is as
     frequent,  extensive and reliable as the information  available  concerning
     companies in the United States.

o    Foreign  countries may have restrictions on foreign ownership of securities
     or may impose exchange controls,  capital flow restrictions or repatriation
     restrictions  which  could  adversely  affect the  liquidity  of the Fund's
     investments.

CURRENCY RISKS

o    Exchange rates for currencies  fluctuate daily. The combination of currency
     risk and market  risk tends to make  securities  traded in foreign  markets
     more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the U.S.

o    The Adviser  attempts to manage  currency  risk by limiting  the amount the
     Fund invests in securities  denominated in a particular currency.  However,
     diversification will not protect the Fund against a general increase in the
     value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies.

EURO RISKS

o    The Fund may make significant  investments in securities denominated in the
     Euro,  the new  single  currency  of the  European  Monetary  Union  (EMU).
     Therefore, the exchange rate between the Euro and the U.S. dollar will have
     a significant impact on the value of the Fund's investments.

o    With the advent of the Euro, the participating  countries in the EMU can no
     longer  follow  independent   monetary  policies.   This  may  limit  these
     countries' ability to respond to economic downturns or political upheavals,
     and consequently reduce the value of their foreign government securities.

LEVERAGE RISKS

     Leverage risk is created when an investment  exposes the Fund to a level of
risk  that  exceeds  the  amount  invested.  Changes  in the  value  of  such an
investment magnify the Fund's risk of loss and potential for gain.

CREDIT RISKS

o    Credit  risk  includes  the  possibility  that  a  party  to a  transaction
     involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations.  This could cause the
     Fund to lose the  benefit  of the  transaction  or  prevent  the Fund  from
     selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.

FIXED INCOME SECURITIES INVESTMENT RISKS
INTEREST RATE RISKS

o    Prices of fixed income  securities  rise and fall in response to changes in
     the interest  rate paid by similar  securities.  Generally,  when  interest
     rates  rise,  prices  of fixed  income  securities  fall.  However,  market
     factors,  such as the demand for particular  fixed income  securities,  may
     cause the price of certain fixed income securities to fall while the prices
     of other securities rise or remain unchanged.

o    Interest  rate changes  have a greater  effect on the price of fixed income
     securities with longer  durations.  Duration measures the price sensitivity
     of a fixed income security to changes in interest rates.

CREDIT RISKS

o    Credit risk is the possibility that an issuer will default on a security by
     failing to pay interest or principal when due. If an issuer  defaults,  the
     Fund will lose money.

o    Many fixed income  securities  receive credit ratings from services such as
     Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investor Services, Inc. These services assign
     ratings to securities by assessing the likelihood of issuer default.  Lower
     credit  ratings  correspond  to higher  credit risk.  If a security has not
     received a rating,  the Fund must rely entirely  upon the Adviser's  credit
     assessment.

o    Fixed income  securities  generally  compensate  for greater credit risk by
     paying  interest at a higher rate.  The  difference  between the yield of a
     security  and the  yield  of a U.S.  Treasury  security  with a  comparable
     maturity  (the spread)  measures  the  additional  interest  paid for risk.
     Spreads may increase  generally  in response to adverse  economic or market
     conditions.  A security's spread may also increase if the security's rating
     is lowered,  or the security is perceived to have an increased credit risk.
     An increase in the spread will cause the price of the security to decline.

o    Credit  risk  includes  the  possibility  that  a  party  to a  transaction
     involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations.  This could cause the
     Fund to lose the  benefit  of the  transaction  or  prevent  the Fund  from
     selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.

CALL RISKS

o    Call risk is the  possibility  that an  issuer  may  redeem a fixed  income
     security  before  maturity  (a call) at a price  below its  current  market
     price.  An increase in the  likelihood of a call may reduce the  security's
     price.

o    If a fixed  income  security is called,  the Fund may have to reinvest  the
     proceeds in other fixed income securities with lower interest rates, higher
     credit risks, or other less favorable characteristics.

LIQUIDITY RISKS

o    Trading  opportunities  are more limited for fixed income  securities  that
     have  not  received  any  credit  ratings,   have  received  ratings  below
     investment grade or are not widely held.

o    Liquidity risk also refers to the possibility that the Fund may not be able
     to sell a  security  when it wants  to. If this  happens,  the Fund will be
     required to continue to hold the security and the Fund could incur losses.

SECTOR RISKS

o    A substantial  part of the Fund's  portfolio may be comprised of securities
     issued or credit enhanced by companies in similar businesses, or with other
     similar characteristics.  As a result, the Fund will be more susceptible to
     any economic,  business,  political,  or other developments which generally
     affect these issuers.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NONINVESTMENT GRADE SECURITIES

     Securities  rated  below  investment  grade,  also  known  as  junk  bonds,
generally  entail greater  market,  credit and liquidity  risks than  investment
grade  securities.  For  example,  their  prices  are  more  volatile,  economic
downturns and financial  setbacks may affect their prices more  negatively,  and
their trading market may be more limited.

FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

     The Fund's investment objective is to provide moderate capital appreciation
and high  income.  The  investment  objective  may not be  changed by the Fund's
Trustee without shareholder approval.

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

DIVERSIFICATION

     With respect to securities comprising 75% of the value of its total assets,
the Fund will not purchase  securities of any one issuer (other than cash;  cash
items; securities issued or guaranteed by the government of the United States or
its agencies or instrumentalities  and repurchase  agreements  collateralized by
such U.S. government  securities;  and securities of other investment companies)
if, as a result, more than 5% of the value of its total assets would be invested
in the  securities  of that  issuer,  or the Fund would own more than 10% of the
outstanding voting securities of that issuer.

CONCENTRATION

     The Fund will not make investments that will result in the concentration of
its  investments  in the  securities  of issuers  primarily  engaged in the same
industry.  For  purposes of this  restriction,  the term  concentration  has the
meaning set forth in the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act (1940 Act), any rule
or  order  thereunder,  or any  SEC  staff  interpretation  thereof.  Government
securities  and  municipal  securities  will  not be  deemed  to  constitute  an
industry.

UNDERWRITING

     The Fund may not underwrite  the  securities of other issuers,  except that
the Fund may engage in transactions  involving the  acquisition,  disposition or
resale  of  its  portfolio  securities,  under  circumstances  where  it  may be
considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933.

INVESTING IN COMMODITIES

     The Fund may not purchase or sell physical  commodities,  provided that the
Fund may purchase securities of companies that deal in commodities. For purposes
of this restriction, investments in transactions involving futures contracts and
options,  forward  currency  contracts,  swap  transactions  and other financial
contracts  that  settle by payment of cash are not deemed to be  investments  in
commodities.

INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE

     The  Fund  may not  purchase  or  sell  real  estate,  provided  that  this
restriction  does not prevent the Fund from  investing in issuers  which invest,
deal, or otherwise  engage in transactions in real estate or interests  therein,
or investing in securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein.
The Fund may exercise its rights under  agreements  relating to such securities,
including  the right to  enforce  security  interests  and to hold  real  estate
acquired by reason of such enforcement  until that real estate can be liquidated
in an orderly manner.

BORROWING MONEY AND ISSUING SENIOR SECURITIES

     The Fund may  borrow  money,  directly  or  indirectly,  and  issue  senior
securities to the maximum extent permitted under the 1940 Act, any rule or order
thereunder, or any SEC staff interpretation thereof.

LENDING

     The  Fund may not make  loans,  provided  that  this  restriction  does not
prevent the Fund from  purchasing  debt  obligations,  entering into  repurchase
agreements,  lending its assets to broker/dealers or institutional investors and
investing in loans, including assignments and participation interests.

     THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS  CANNOT BE CHANGED UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD AND
BY THE "VOTE OF A MAJORITY OF ITS OUTSTANDING VOTING  SECURITIES," AS DEFINED BY
THE 1940 ACT. THE FOLLOWING  LIMITATIONS,  HOWEVER,  MAY BE CHANGED BY THE BOARD
WITHOUT SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL.  SHAREHOLDERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BEFORE ANY MATERIAL
CHANGE IN THESE LIMITATIONS BECOMES EFFECTIVE.

ILLIQUID SECURITIES

     The  Fund  will not  purchase  securities  for  which  there is no  readily
available market, or enter into repurchase  agreements or purchase time deposits
maturing  in more than seven days,  if  immediately  after and as a result,  the
value of such securities would exceed,  in the aggregate,  15% of the Fund's net
assets.

INVESTING IN OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES

     The Fund may invest its assets in securities of other investment  companies
as an efficient  means of carrying  out its  investment  policies.  It should be
noted that investment companies incur certain expenses, such as management fees,
and,  therefore,  any  investment  by the Fund in  shares  of  other  investment
companies may be subject to such  duplicate  expenses.  At the present time, the
Fund expects that its  investments  in other  investment  companies  may include
shares  of money  market  funds,  including  funds  affiliated  with the  Fund's
investment adviser.

     The Fund may invest in the  securities of affiliated  money market funds as
an efficient means of managing the Fund's uninvested cash.

PURCHASES ON MARGIN

     The Fund will not purchase securities on margin, provided that the Fund may
obtain short-term  credits necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of
securities,  and  further  provided  that the Fund may make  margin  deposits in
connection  with its use of  financial  options  and  futures,  forward and spot
currency   contracts,   swap  transactions  and  other  financial  contracts  or
derivative instruments.

PLEDGING ASSETS

     The Fund will not  mortgage,  pledge,  or  hypothecate  any of its  assets,
provided  that this shall not apply to the transfer of  securities in connection
with any permissible borrowing or to collateral  arrangements in connection with
permissible activities.

     For purposes of the above limitations,  the Fund considers  certificates of
deposit and demand and time deposits  issued by a U.S. branch of a domestic bank
or savings  association having capital,  surplus and undivided profits in excess
of  $100,000,000  at the time of  investment  to be "cash  items."  Except  with
respect to borrowing money, if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time
of  investment,  a later  increase or decrease in percentage  resulting from any
change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such limitation.

DETERMINING MARKET VALUE OF SECURITIES

Market values of the Fund's portfolio securities are determined as follows:

o    for equity  securities,  according  to the last sale price in the market in
     which they are primarily traded (either a national  securities  exchange or
     the over-the-counter market), if available;

o    in the absence of recorded  sales for equity  securities,  according to the
     mean between the last closing bid and asked prices;

o    futures  contracts  and  options  are  generally  valued at  market  values
     established  by the  exchanges  on which  they are  traded  at the close of
     trading on such exchanges.  Options traded in the  over-the-counter  market
     are  generally  valued  according  to the mean between the last bid and the
     last asked  price for the option as  provided  by an  investment  dealer or
     other  financial  institution  that  deals in the  option.  The  Board  may
     determine in good faith that another method of valuing such  investments is
     necessary to appraise their fair market value;

o    for fixed  income  securities,  according to the mean between bid and asked
     prices as furnished by an independent  pricing  service,  except that fixed
     income  securities  with  remaining  maturities of less than 60 days at the
     time of purchase may be valued at amortized cost; and

o    for all other  securities  at fair value as determined in good faith by the
     Board.

     Prices provided by independent  pricing services may be determined  without
relying exclusively on quoted prices and may consider  institutional  trading in
similar groups of securities,  yield,  quality,  stability,  risk,  coupon rate,
maturity,  type of issue,  trading  characteristics,  and other  market  data or
factors.  From time to time,  when prices cannot be obtained from an independent
pricing service, securities may be valued based on quotes from broker-dealers or
other financial institutions that trade the securities.

WHAT DO SHARES COST?

     The Fund's net asset value (NAV) per Share  fluctuates  and is based on the
market value of all securities and other assets of the Fund.

     The NAV for each class of Shares may  differ due to the  variance  in daily
net income  realized by each class.  Such variance will reflect only accrued net
income to which the shareholders of a particular class are entitled.

REDUCING OR ELIMINATING THE FRONT-END SALES CHARGE

     You can reduce or eliminate  the  applicable  front-end  sales  charge,  as
follows:

QUANTITY DISCOUNTS

     Larger  purchases  of the same Share class  reduce or  eliminate  the sales
charge you pay. You can combine purchases of Shares made on the same day by you,
your spouse and your children  under age 21. In addition,  purchases made at one
time by a trustee or fiduciary  for a single trust estate or a single  fiduciary
account can be combined.

ACCUMULATED PURCHASES

     If you make an additional  purchase of Shares, you can count previous Share
purchases still invested in the Fund in calculating the applicable  sales charge
on the additional purchase.

CONCURRENT PURCHASES

     You can combine concurrent purchases of the same share class of two or more
Federated Funds in calculating the applicable sales charge.

LETTER OF INTENT- CLASS A SHARES

     You can sign a Letter of Intent  committing to purchase a certain amount of
the same class of Shares within a 13-month  period to combine such  purchases in
calculating  the sales charge.  The Fund's  custodian will hold Shares in escrow
equal to the maximum  applicable  sales  charge.  If you  complete the Letter of
Intent, the Custodian will release the Shares in escrow to your account.  If you
do not fulfill the Letter of Intent,  the Custodian will redeem the  appropriate
amount  from the Shares  held in escrow to pay the sales  charges  that were not
applied to your purchases.

REINVESTMENT PRIVILEGE

     You may reinvest,  within 120 days, your Share  redemption  proceeds at the
next determined NAV without any sales charge.

PURCHASES BY AFFILIATES OF THE FUND

The following individuals and their immediate family members may buy Shares at
     NAV without  any sales  charge  because  there are  nominal  sales  efforts
associated
with their purchases:

o    the Trustees, employees and sales representatives of the Fund, the Adviser,
     the Distributor and their affiliates;

o    any  associated  person of an investment  dealer who has a sales  agreement
     with the Distributor; and

o    trusts, pension or profit-sharing plans for these individuals.


FEDERATED LIFE MEMBERS

     Shareholders  of the Fund known as "Federated Life Members" are exempt from
paying  any  front-end  sales  charge.   These  shareholders   joined  the  Fund
originally:

o    through the  "Liberty  Account,"  an account  for  Liberty  Family of Funds
     shareholders  on February 28, 1987 (the Liberty  Account and Liberty Family
     of Funds are no longer marketed); or

o    as Liberty  Account  shareholders  by investing  through an affinity  group
     prior to August 1, 1987.


REDUCING OR ELIMINATING THE CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE

     These reductions or eliminations are offered because:  no sales commissions
have  been  advanced  to  the  investment   professional   selling  Shares;  the
shareholder  has already paid a Contingent  Deferred  Sales  Charge  (CDSC);  or
nominal sales efforts are associated with the original purchase of Shares.  Upon
notification  to the  Distributor or the Fund's  transfer agent, no CDSC will be
imposed on redemptions:

o    following  the death or  post-purchase  disability,  as  defined in Section
     72(m)(7)  of the  Internal  Revenue  Code of 1986,  of the  last  surviving
     shareholder;

o    representing minimum required  distributions from an Individual  Retirement
     Account or other  retirement plan to a shareholder who has attained the age
     of 70 1/2;

o    of Shares  that  represent  a  reinvestment  within  120 days of a previous
     redemption;

o    of Shares held by the Directors,  employees,  and sales  representatives of
     the Fund, the Adviser,  the Distributor and their affiliates;  employees of
     any  investment  professional  that  sells  Shares  according  to  a  sales
     agreement  with the  Distributor;  and the immediate  family members of the
     above persons;

o    of  Shares  originally  purchased  through  a  bank  trust  department,   a
     registered  investment  adviser or  retirement  plans where the third party
     administrator has entered into certain arrangements with the Distributor or
     its affiliates, or any other investment professional, to the extent that no
     payments were advanced for purchases made through these entities; and

o    which  are  involuntary  redemptions  processed  by the  Fund  because  the
     accounts do not meet the minimum balance requirements.

     TO KEEP THE SALES CHARGE AS LOW AS  POSSIBLE,  THE FUND REDEEMS YOUR SHARES
IN THIS ORDER:

o    Shares that are not subject to a CDSC; and

o    Shares held the longest (to  determine the number of years your Shares have
     been held,  include the time you held shares of other  Federated Funds that
     have been exchanged for Shares of this Fund).

     The CDSC is then  calculated  using the share price at the time of purchase
or redemption, whichever is lower.

CLASS B SHARES ONLY

o    which  are  qualifying  redemptions  of Class B Shares  under a  Systematic
     Withdrawal Program.


HOW IS THE FUND SOLD?

     Under the Distributor's  Contract with the Fund, the Distributor (Federated
Securities Corp.) offers Shares on a continuous, best-efforts basis.


FRONT-END SALES CHARGE REALLOWANCES

     The  Distributor  receives a front-end sales charge on certain Share sales.
The Distributor generally pays up to 90% (and as much as 100%) of this charge to
investment  professionals for sales and/or administrative services. Any payments
to investment  professionals  in excess of 90% of the front-end sales charge are
considered  supplemental  payments. The Distributor retains any portion not paid
to an investment professional.

RULE 12B-1 PLAN

     As a compensation/reimbursement-type  plan, the Rule 12b-1 Plan is designed
to pay the Distributor (who may then pay investment professionals such as banks,
broker/dealers,  trust departments of banks, and registered investment advisers)
for  marketing  activities  (such  as  advertising,  printing  and  distributing
prospectuses,  and providing incentives to investment  professionals) to promote
sales of Shares so that overall Fund assets are  maintained or  increased.  This
helps the Fund  achieve  economies  of scale,  reduce  per share  expenses,  and
provide  cash  for  orderly  portfolio  management  and  Share  redemptions.  In
addition,  the Fund's  service  providers  that  receive  asset-based  fees also
benefit from stable or increasing Fund assets.

     The  Fund may  compensate  the  Distributor  more or less  than its  actual
marketing  expenses.  In no event  will the  Fund  pay for any  expenses  of the
Distributor that exceed the maximum Rule 12b-1 Plan fee.

     For some  classes of Shares,  the  maximum  Rule 12b-1 Plan fee that can be
paid in any one  year  may not be  sufficient  to  cover  the  marketing-related
expenses the Distributor has incurred.  Therefore, it may take the Distributor a
number of years to recoup these expenses.

     Federated and its subsidiaries may benefit from arrangements where the Rule
12b-1 Plan fees related to Class B Shares may be paid to third  parties who have
advanced commissions to investment professionals.

SHAREHOLDER SERVICES

     The Fund may pay Federated  Shareholder  Services Company,  a subsidiary of
Federated,  for  providing  shareholder  services  and  maintaining  shareholder
accounts.  Federated  Shareholder  Services Company may select others to perform
these services for their customers and may pay them fees.

SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS

o    Investment  professionals  (such as  broker-dealers  or banks)  may be paid
     fees,  in  significant  amounts,  out of  the  assets  of  the  Distributor
     Federated  Shareholder Services Company (these fees do not come out of Fund
     assets). The Distributor and/or Federated  Shareholder Services Company may
     be reimbursed by the Adviser or its affiliates.

o    Investment     professionals    receive    such    fees    for    providing
     distribution-related  and/or  shareholder  services,  such as  advertising,
     providing incentives to their sales personnel,  sponsoring other activities
     intended to promote  sales,  and  maintaining  shareholder  accounts  These
     payments  may be based  upon such  factors as the number or value of Shares
     the investment  professional  sells or may sell; the value of client assets
     invested;  and/or  the  type and  nature  of  sales  or  marketing  support
     furnished by the investment professional.

     When an investment professional's customer purchases shares, the investment
professional may receive:

o    an amount up to 5.50% and 1.00%, respectively,  of the NAV of Class B and C
     Shares.

     In addition, the Distributor may pay investment  professionals 0.25% of the
purchase price of $1 million or more of Class A Shares that its customer has not
redeemed over the first year.

CLASS A SHARES

     Investment  professionals purchasing Class A Shares for their customers are
eligible  to  receive  an  advance  payment  from the  Distributor  based on the
following breakpoints:

                    ADVANCE
                    PAYMENTS

AMOUNT              AS A PERCENTAGE
                    OF
                    PUBLIC OFFERING
                    PRICE

First $1 - $5       0.75%
million
Next $5 - $20       0.50%
million
Over $20 million    0.25%


     For accounts with assets over $1 million, the dealer advance payments reset
annually to the first breakpoint on the anniversary of the first purchase.

     Class A Share  purchases under this program may be made by Letter of Intent
or by combining  concurrent  purchases.  The above advance payments will be paid
only on those  purchases that were not previously  subject to a front-end  sales
charge and dealer  advance  payments.  Certain  retirement  accounts  may not be
eligible for this program.

     A  contingent  deferred  sales  charge  of 0.75% of the  redemption  amount
applies to Class A Shares redeemed up to 24 months after purchase. The CDSC does
not apply under certain  investment  programs where the investment  professional
does not  receive  an  advance  payment on the  transaction  including,  but not
limited to, trust  accounts and wrap programs where the investor pays an account
level fee for investment management.

EXCHANGING SECURITIES FOR SHARES

     You may contact the Distributor to request a purchase of Shares in exchange
for  securities  you own. The Fund  reserves  the right to determine  whether to
accept your  securities  and the minimum  market value to accept.  The Fund will
value your securities in the same manner as it values its assets.  This exchange
is treated as a sale of your securities for federal tax purposes.

SUBACCOUNTING SERVICES

     Certain  investment  professionals  may  wish to use the  transfer  agent's
subaccounting system to minimize their internal recordkeeping requirements.  The
transfer  agent may  charge a fee based on the level of  subaccounting  services
rendered.  Investment  professionals  holding  Shares  in a  fiduciary,  agency,
custodial or similar capacity may charge or pass through  subaccounting  fees as
part of or in addition to normal  trust or agency  account  fees.  They may also
charge fees for other  services  that may be related to the ownership of Shares.
This information should,  therefore, be read together with any agreement between
the customer and the investment  professional about the services  provided,  the
fees charged for those services, and any restrictions and limitations imposed.

REDEMPTION IN KIND

     Although the Fund intends to pay Share redemptions in cash, it reserves the
right, as described  below, to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a
distribution of the Fund's portfolio securities.

     Because  the Fund has  elected to be  governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940
Act, the Fund is obligated to pay Share  redemptions  to any one  shareholder in
cash only up to the lesser of  $250,000 or 1% of the net assets  represented  by
such Share class during any 90-day period.

     Any Share redemption  payment greater than this amount will also be in cash
unless the Fund's Board  determines  that payment  should be in kind.  In such a
case,  the Fund will pay all or a portion of the remainder of the  redemption in
portfolio securities, valued in the same way as the Fund determines its NAV. The
portfolio  securities  will be selected in a manner that the Fund's  Board deems
fair and equitable and, to the extent available, such securities will be readily
marketable.

     Redemption in kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption.  If redemption is
made in kind,  shareholders  receiving the portfolio securities and selling them
before  their  maturity  could  receive  less than the  redemption  value of the
securities and could incur certain transaction costs.

MASSACHUSETTS PARTNERSHIP LAW

     Under certain circumstances,  shareholders may be held personally liable as
partners  under  Massachusetts  law for  obligations of the Fund. To protect its
shareholders,  the  Fund has  filed  legal  documents  with  Massachusetts  that
expressly  disclaim the liability of its shareholders for acts or obligations of
the Fund.

     In the  unlikely  event a  shareholder  is held  personally  liable for the
Fund's obligations,  the Fund is required by the Declaration of Trust to use its
property to protect or compensate  the  shareholder.  On request,  the Fund will
defend any claim made and pay any judgment  against a shareholder for any act or
obligation of the Fund. Therefore,  financial loss resulting from liability as a
shareholder  will occur only if the Fund itself cannot meet its  obligations  to
indemnify shareholders and pay judgments against them.

ACCOUNT AND SHARE INFORMATION

VOTING RIGHTS

     Each share of the Fund gives the shareholder one vote in Trustees elections
and other matters submitted to shareholders for vote.

     All Shares of the Fund have equal  voting  rights,  except  that in matters
affecting  only a  particular  class,  only Shares of that class are entitled to
vote.

     Trustees  may be  removed  by the  Board or by  shareholders  at a  special
meeting.  A special meeting of shareholders will be called by the Board upon the
written request of shareholders  who own at least 10% of the Fund's  outstanding
shares of all series entitled to vote.

TAX INFORMATION

FEDERAL INCOME TAX

     The Fund  intends to meet  requirements  of  Subchapter  M of the  Internal
Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies. If these requirements
are not met, it will not  receive  special  tax  treatment  and will pay federal
income tax.  The Fund will be treated as a single,  separate  entity for federal
income tax purposes so that income earned and capital gains and losses  realized
by the Trust's  other  portfolios  will be separate  from those  realized by the
Fund.

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS

     If the Fund purchases  foreign  securities,  their investment income may be
subject to foreign  withholding  or other taxes that could  reduce the return on
these securities.  Tax treaties between the United States and foreign countries,
however,  may reduce or eliminate  the amount of foreign taxes to which the Fund
would be subject.  The effective  rate of foreign tax cannot be predicted  since
the amount of Fund assets to be invested within various  countries is uncertain.
However,  the Fund  intends to operate so as to qualify for  treaty-reduced  tax
rates when applicable.

     Distributions  from a Fund may be based on estimates of book income for the
year. Book income  generally  consists solely of the coupon income  generated by
the portfolio, whereas tax-basis income includes gains or losses attributable to
currency  fluctuation.  Due to  differences  in the  book and tax  treatment  of
fixed-income  securities  denominated in foreign currencies,  it is difficult to
project  currency  effects on an interim  basis.  Therefore,  to the extent that
currency  fluctuations  cannot be  anticipated,  a portion of  distributions  to
shareholders  could  later be  designated  as a return of  capital,  rather than
income,  for income tax purposes,  which may be of particular  concern to simple
trusts.

     If the Fund invests in the stock of certain foreign corporations,  they may
constitute  Passive Foreign  Investment  Companies  (PFIC),  and the Fund may be
subject to Federal income taxes upon disposition of PFIC investments.

     If more  than 50% of the value of the  Fund's  assets at the end of the tax
year is  represented  by stock or securities of foreign  corporations,  the Fund
intends to qualify for certain Code stipulations  that would allow  shareholders
to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their U.S. income tax returns. The
Code  may  limit  a  shareholder's  ability  to  claim  a  foreign  tax  credit.
Shareholders  who elect to deduct  their  portion  of the Fund's  foreign  taxes
rather than take the foreign tax credit must itemize  deductions on their income
tax returns.

WHO MANAGES AND PROVIDES SERVICES TO THE FUND?

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

     The Board is responsible for managing the Fund's  business  affairs and for
exercising  all the Fund's  powers except those  reserved for the  shareholders.
Information  about  each  Board  member  is  provided  below and  includes  each
person's:  name,  address,  birth date, present  position(s) held with the Fund,
principal  occupations  for the past five years and positions  held prior to the
past five years, total compensation  received as a Trustee from the Fund for its
most recent fiscal year, and the total compensation  received from the Federated
Fund Complex for the most recent  calendar year. The Trust is comprised of seven
funds and the Federated  Fund Complex is comprised of 43  investment  companies,
whose investment advisers are affiliated with the Fund's Adviser.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


NAME                                                                         TOTAL
BIRTH DATE                                                      AGGREGATE    COMPENSATION
ADDRESS                                                         COMPENSATION FROM FUND
POSITION WITH TRUST   PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS                     FROM FUND    AND FUND COMPLEX
                      FOR PAST FIVE YEARS

<S>                   <C>                                       <C>          <C>

JOHN F. DONAHUE*+     Chief Executive Officer and Director               $0  $0 for the
                      or Trustee of the Federated Fund                       Trust and 43
Birth Date: July      Complex; Chairman and Director,                        other
28, 1924              Federated Investors, Inc.; Chairman,                   investment
Federated Investors   Federated Investment Management                        companies in
Tower                 Company, Federated Global Investment                   the
1001 Liberty Avenue   Management Corp. and Passport                          Fund Complex
Pittsburgh, PA        Research, Ltd. ; formerly: Trustee,
CHAIRMAN              and TRUSTEE Federated Investment Management Company and
                      Chairman and Director, Federated Investment Counseling.

J. CHRISTOPHER        President or Executive Vice President              $0  $0 for the Trust
DONAHUE+*             of the Federated Fund Complex;                         and 30 other
Birth Date: April     Director or Trustee of some of the                     investment
11, 1949              Funds in the Federated Fund Complex;                   companies in
Federated Investors   President, Chief Executive Officer and                 the
Tower                 Director, Federated Investors, Inc.;                   Fund Complex
1001 Liberty Avenue   President, Chief Executive Officer and
Pittsburgh, PA        Trustee, Federated Investment
                     Management Company; Trustee, Federated

 PRESIDENT and        Investment Counseling; President,
TRUSTEE               Chief Executive Officer  and Director,
                      Federated Global Investment Management
                      Corp.; President and Chief Executive
                      Officer, Passport Research, Ltd.;
                      Trustee, Federated Shareholder
                      Services Company; Director, Federated
                      Services Company; formerly: President,
                      Federated Investment Counseling.

THOMAS G. BIGLEY      Director or Trustee of the Federated               $0  $116,760.63 for
Birth Date:           Fund Complex; Director, Member of                      the Trust
February 3, 1934      Executive Committee, Children's                        and 43 other
15 Old Timber Trail   Hospital of Pittsburgh; Director,                      investment
Pittsburgh, PA        Robroy Industries, Inc. (coated steel                  companies in
                      conduits/computer storage equipment);                  the
TRUSTEE               formerly: Senior Partner, Ernst &                      Fund Complex
                      Young LLP; Director, MED 3000 Group,
                      Inc. (physician practice management);
                      Director, Member of Executive
                      Committee, University of Pittsburgh.

JOHN T. CONROY, JR.   Director or Trustee of the Federated                   $128,455.37 for
Birth Date: June      Fund Complex; President, Investment            $0      the Fund
23, 1937              Properties Corporation; Senior Vice                    and 43 other
Grubb &               President, John R. Wood and                            investment
Ellis/Investment      Associates, Inc., Realtors; Partner or                 companies in
Properties            Trustee in private real estate                         the
Corporation           ventures in Southwest Florida;                         Fund Complex
3201 Tamiami Trail    formerly: President, Naples Property
North                 Management, Inc. and Northgate Village
Naples, FL            Development Corporation.
TRUSTEE

NICHOLAS P.           Director or Trustee of the Federated                $0 $73,191.21 for
CONSTANTAKIS          Fund Complex; Director, Michael Baker                  the Trust
Birth Date:           Corporation (engineering,                              and 37 other
September 3, 1939     construction, operations and technical                 investment
175 Woodshire Drive   services); formerly: Partner, Andersen                 companies in
Pittsburgh, PA        Worldwide SC.                                          the
TRUSTEE                                                                      Fund Complex

JOHN F. CUNNINGHAM    Director or Trustee of some of the                  $0 $93,190.48 for
Birth Date: March     Federated Fund Complex; Chairman,                      the Trust
5, 1943               President and Chief Executive Officer,                 and 37 other
353 El Brillo Way     Cunningham & Co., Inc. (strategic                      investment
Palm Beach, FL        business consulting); Trustee                          companies in
TRUSTEE               Associate, Boston College; Director,                   the
                      Iperia Corp.                                           Fund Complex
                      (communications/software); formerly:
                      Director, Redgate Communications and
                      EMC Corporation (computer storage
                      systems).

                      Previous Positions: Chairman of the
                      Board and Chief Executive Officer,
                      Computer Consoles, Inc.; President and
                      Chief Operating Officer, Wang
                      Laboratories; Director, First National
                      Bank of Boston; Director, Apollo
                      Computer, Inc.

LAWRENCE D. ELLIS,    Director or Trustee of the Federated                $0 $116,760.63 for
M.D.*                 Fund Complex; Professor of Medicine,                   the Trust
Birth Date: October   University of Pittsburgh; Medical                      and 43 other
11, 1932              Director, University of Pittsburgh                     investment
3471 Fifth Avenue     Medical Center - Downtown;                             companies in
Suite 1111            Hematologist, Oncologist and                           the
Pittsburgh, PA        Internist, University of Pittsburgh                    Fund Complex
 TRUSTEE              Medical Center; Member, National Board
                      of Trustees, Leukemia Society of
                      America.

PETER E. MADDEN       Director or Trustee of the Federated                $0 $109,153.60 for
Birth Date: March     Fund Complex; formerly:                                the Fund
16, 1942              Representative, Commonwealth of                        and 43 other
One Royal Palm Way    Massachusetts General Court;                           investment
100 Royal Palm Way    President, State Street Bank and Trust                 companies in
Palm Beach, FL        Company and State Street Corporation.                  the
 TRUSTEE                                                                     Fund Complex
                      Previous Positions: Director, VISA USA
                      and VISA International; Chairman and
                      Director, Massachusetts Bankers
                      Association; Director, Depository
                      Trust Corporation; Director, The
                      Boston Stock Exchange.

CHARLES F.            Director or Trustee of some of the                  $0 $102,573.91 for
MANSFIELD, JR.        Federated Fund Complex; Executive Vice                 the Trust
Birth Date: April     President, Legal and External Affairs,                 and 40 other
10, 1945              Dugan Valva Contess, Inc. (marketing,                  investment
80 South Road         communications, technology and                         companies in
Westhampton Beach,    consulting); formerly: Management                      the
NY TRUSTEE            Consultant.                                            Fund Complex

                      Previous Positions: Chief Executive Officer, PBTC
                      International Bank; Partner, Arthur Young & Company (now
                      Ernst & Young LLP); Chief Financial Officer of Retail
                      Banking Sector, Chase Manhattan Bank; Senior Vice
                      President, Marine Midland Bank; Vice President, Citibank;
                      Assistant Professor of Banking and Finance, Frank G. Zarb
                      School of Business, Hofstra University.

JOHN E. MURRAY,       Director or Trustee of the Federated                $0 $128,455.37 for
JR., J.D., S.J.D.     Fund Complex; President, Law                           the Trust
Birth Date:           Professor, Duquesne University;                        and 43 other
December 20, 1932     Consulting Partner, Mollica & Murray;                  investment
President, Duquesne   Director, Michael Baker Corp.                          companies in
University            (engineering, construction, operations                 the
Pittsburgh, PA        and technical services).                               Fund Complex
 TRUSTEE

                     Previous Positions: Dean and Professor

                      of Law, University of Pittsburgh
                      School of Law; Dean and Professor of
                      Law, Villanova University School of
                      Law.

MARJORIE P. SMUTS     Director or Trustee of the Federated                $0 $116,760.63 for
Birth Date: June      Fund Complex; Public                                   the Trust
21, 1935              Relations/Marketing/Conference                         and 43 other
4905 Bayard Street    Planning.                                              investment
Pittsburgh, PA                                                               companies in
TRUSTEE               Previous Positions: National                           the
                      Spokesperson, Aluminum Company of                      Fund Complex

                      America; television producer; business owner.

JOHN S. WALSH         Director or Trustee of some of the                  $0 $94,536.85 for
Birth Date:           Federated Fund Complex; President and                  the Trust
November 28, 1957     Director, Heat Wagon, Inc.                             and 39 other
2007 Sherwood Drive   (manufacturer of construction                          investment
Valparaiso, IN        temporary heaters); President and                      companies in
TRUSTEE               Director, Manufacturers Products, Inc.                 the
                      (distributor of portable construction                  Fund Complex
                      heaters); President, Portable Heater
                      Parts, a division of Manufacturers
                      Products, Inc.; Director, Walsh &
                      Kelly, Inc. (heavy highway
                      contractor); formerly: Vice President,
                      Walsh & Kelly, Inc.

EDWARD C. GONZALES    President, Executive Vice President                $0  $0 for the Trust
Birth Date: October   and Treasurer of some of the Funds in                  and 42 other
22, 1930              the Federated Fund Complex; Vice                       investment
Federated Investors   Chairman, Federated Investors, Inc.;                   companies in
Tower                 Trustee, Federated Administrative                      the
1001 Liberty Avenue   Services;     formerly: Trustee or                     Fund Complex
Pittsburgh, PA        Director of some of the Funds in the
EXECUTIVE VICE        Federated Fund Complex; CEO and
PRESIDENT             Chairman, Federated Administrative
                      Services; Vice President, Federated
                      Investment Management Company,
                      Federated Investment Counseling,
                      Federated Global Investment Management
                      Corp. and Passport Research, Ltd.;
                      Director and Executive Vice President,
                      Federated Securities Corp.; Director,
                      Federated Services Company; Trustee,
                      Federated Shareholder Services Company.

JOHN W. MCGONIGLE     Executive Vice President and Secretary             $0  $0 for the Fund
Birth Date: October   of the Federated Fund Complex;                         and 43 other
26, 1938              Executive Vice President, Secretary                    investment
Federated Investors   and Director, Federated Investors,                     companies in
Tower                 Inc.; formerly: Trustee, Federated                     the
1001 Liberty Avenue   Investment Management Company and                      Fund Complex
Pittsburgh, PA        Federated Investment Counseling;
EXECUTIVE VICE        Director, Federated Global Investment
PRESIDENT AND         Management Corp., Federated Services
SECRETARY             Company and  Federated Securities Corp.

RICHARD J. THOMAS     Treasurer of the Federated Fund                    $0  $0 for the Fund
Birth Date: June      Complex; Senior Vice President,                        and 43 other
17, 1954              Federated Administrative Services;                     investment
Federated Investors   formerly: Vice President, Federated                    companies in
Tower                 Administrative Services; held various                  the
1001 Liberty Avenue   management positions within Funds                      Fund Complex
Pittsburgh, PA        Financial Services Division of
TREASURER             Federated Investors, Inc.

RICHARD B. FISHER     President or Vice President of some of             $0  $0 for the Fund
Birth Date: May 17,   the Funds in the Federated Fund                        and 41 other
1923                  Complex; Vice Chairman, Federated                      investment
Federated Investors   Investors, Inc.; Chairman, Federated                   companies in
Tower                 Securities Corp.; formerly: Director                   the
1001 Liberty Avenue   or Trustee of some of the Funds in the                 Fund Complex
Pittsburgh, PA        Federated Fund Complex,; Executive
VICE PRESIDENT        Vice President, Federated Investors,
                      Inc. and Director and Chief Executive
                      Officer, Federated Securities Corp.

J. THOMAS MADDEN      Chief Investment Officer of this Fund              $0  $0 for the Fund
Birth Date: October   and various other Funds in the                         and 11 other
22, 1945              Federated Fund Complex; Executive Vice                 investment
Federated Investors   President, Federated Investment                        companies in
Tower                 Counseling, Federated Global                           the
1001 Liberty Avenue   Investment Management Corp., Federated                 Fund Complex
Pittsburgh, PA        Investment Management Company and
CHIEF INVESTMENT      Passport Research, Ltd.; Director,
OFFICER               Federated Global Investment Management
                      Corp. and Federated Investment
                      Management Company; Vice President,
                      Federated Investors, Inc.; formerly:
                      Executive Vice President and Senior
                      Vice President, Federated Investment
                      Counseling Institutional Portfolio
                      Management Services Division; Senior
                      Vice President, Federated Investment
                      Management Company and Passport
                      Research, Ltd.

JAMES E.              James E. Grefenstette has been the                 $0  $0 for the Trust
GREFENSTETTE          Fund's Portfolio Manager since the                     and no other
Birth Date:           Fund's inception.  James E.                            investment
November 7, 1962      Grefenstette is Vice President of the                  companies in
Federated Investors   Trust.  Mr. Grefenstette joined                        the
Tower                 Federated in 1992 and has been a                       Fund Complex
1001 Liberty Avenue   Portfolio Manager since 1994.  Mr.
Pittsburgh, PA        Grefenstette became a Senior Vice
VICE PRESIDENT        President of the Fund's Adviser in
                      January 2000.  He served as a Vice
                      President of the Fund's Adviser from
                      1996 through 1999 and was an Assistant
                      Vice President of the Fund's Adviser
                      from 1994 until 1996. Mr. Grefenstette
                      is a Chartered Financial Analyst; he
                      received his M.S. in Industrial
                      Administration from Carnegie Mellon
                      University.

AASH M. SHAH          Aash M. Shah has been the Fund's                   $0  $0 for the Trust
Birth Date:           Portfolio Manager since the Fund's                     and no other
December 16, 1964     inception.  Aash M. Shah is Vice                       investment
Federated Investors   President of the Trust.  Mr. Shah                      companies in
Tower                 joined Federated in 1993 and has been                  the
1001 Liberty Avenue   a Portfolio Manager and a Vice                         Fund Complex
Pittsburgh, PA        President of the Fund's Adviser since
VICE PRESIDENT        January 1997. Mr. Shah was a Portfolio
                      Manager and served as an Assistant
                      Vice President of the Adviser from
                      1995 through 1996, and as an
                      Investment Analyst from 1993 to 1995.
                      Mr. Shah received his Masters in
                      Industrial Administration from
                      Carnegie Mellon University with a
                      concentration in finance and
                      accounting. Mr. Shah is a Chartered
                      Financial Analyst.

</TABLE>

     * AN ASTERISK DENOTES A TRUSTEE WHO IS DEEMED TO BE AN INTERESTED PERSON AS
DEFINED IN THE1940 ACT. # A POUND SIGN DENOTES A MEMBER OF THE BOARD'S EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE, WHICH HANDLES THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN ITS MEETINGS.

     + MR.  DONAHUE  IS THE  FATHER OF J.  CHRISTOPHER  DONAHUE,  PRESIDENT  AND
TRUSTEE OF THE TRUST.

INVESTMENT ADVISER

     The Adviser conducts investment research and makes investment decisions for
the Fund.  The Adviser is a wholly owned  subsidiary of  Federated.  The Adviser
shall not be liable to the Fund or any Fund  shareholder for any losses that may
be sustained in the purchase,  holding,  or sale of any security or for anything
done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions  involving willful  misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it
by its contract with the Trust.

OTHER RELATED SERVICES

     Affiliates  of  the  Adviser  may,  from  time  to  time,  provide  certain
electronic  equipment  and  software  to  institutional  customers  in  order to
facilitate the purchase of Fund Shares offered by the Distributor.

CODE OF ETHICS RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL TRADING

     As required by SEC rules,  the Fund, its Adviser,  and its Distributor have
adopted codes of ethics.  These codes govern  securities  trading  activities of
investment personnel,  Fund Trustees and certain other employees.  Although they
do permit these  people to trade in  securities,  including  those that the Fund
could buy, they also contain significant safeguards designed to protect the Fund
and its  shareholders  from abuses in this area,  such as requirements to obtain
prior approval for, and to report, particular transactions.

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

     When  selecting  brokers  and  dealers to handle the  purchase  and sale of
portfolio instruments,  the Adviser looks for prompt execution of the order at a
favorable price. The Adviser will generally use those who are recognized dealers
in specific portfolio  instruments,  except when a better price and execution of
the order can be obtained elsewhere.  The Adviser may select brokers and dealers
based on whether they also offer  research  services (as  described  below).  In
selecting  among  firms  believed to meet these  criteria,  the Adviser may give
consideration  to those firms which have sold or are selling  Shares of the Fund
and other funds  distributed by the Distributor and its affiliates.  The Adviser
makes  decisions  on  portfolio  transactions  and  selects  brokers and dealers
subject to review by the Fund's Board.

RESEARCH SERVICES

     Research services may include advice as to the advisability of investing in
securities;  security analysis and reports;  economic studies; industry studies;
receipt of quotations for portfolio evaluations;  and similar services. Research
services  may be used by the Adviser or by  affiliates  of Federated in advising
other  accounts.  To the extent  that  receipt  of these  services  may  replace
services for which the Adviser or its affiliates  might  otherwise have paid, it
would tend to reduce their  expenses.  The Adviser and its  affiliates  exercise
reasonable  business judgment in selecting those brokers who offer brokerage and
research  services to execute  securities  transactions.  They determine in good
faith that commissions charged by such persons are reasonable in relationship to
the value of the brokerage and research services provided.

     Investment  decisions  for the Fund are made  independently  from  those of
other  accounts  managed by the Adviser.  When the Fund and one or more of those
accounts invests in, or disposes of, the same security, available investments or
opportunities for sales will be allocated among the Fund and the account(s) in a
manner  believed  by the Adviser to be  equitable.  While the  coordination  and
ability to  participate  in volume  transactions  may  benefit  the Fund,  it is
possible that this procedure could  adversely  impact the price paid or received
and/or the position obtained or disposed of by the Fund

ADMINISTRATOR

     Federated   Services   Company,   a  subsidiary  of   Federated,   provides
administrative  personnel  and services  (including  certain legal and financial
reporting  services)  necessary to operate the Fund.  Federated Services Company
provides these at the following  annual rate of the average  aggregate daily net
assets of all Federated Funds as specified below:

                          AVERAGE AGGREGATE DAILY
MAXIMUM                   NET ASSETS OF THE
ADMINISTRATIVE FEE        FEDERATED FUNDS
0.150 of 1%               on the first $250 million
0.125 of 1%               on the next $250 million
0.100 of 1%               on the next $250 million
0.075 of 1%               on assets in excess of
                          $750 million

     The  administrative  fee received  during any fiscal year shall be at least
$125,000  per  portfolio  and  $30,000  per each  additional  class  of  Shares.
Federated  Services  Company may voluntarily  waive a portion of its fee and may
reimburse the Fund for expenses.

     Federated   Services   Company  also  provides   certain   accounting   and
recordkeeping  services with respect to the Fund's  portfolio  investments for a
fee based on Fund assets plus out-of-pocket expenses.

CUSTODIAN

     State Street Bank and Trust Company,  Boston,  Massachusetts,  is custodian
for the securities and cash of the Fund.  Foreign  instruments  purchased by the
Fund are held by foreign banks  participating in a network  coordinated by State
Street Bank.

TRANSFER AGENT AND DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT

     Federated   Services  Company,   through  its  registered   transfer  agent
subsidiary,  Federated  Shareholder  Services  Company,  maintains all necessary
shareholder  records.  The Fund pays the transfer agent a fee based on the size,
type and number of accounts and transactions made by shareholders.

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

     The  independent  auditor for the Fund,  Deloitte & Touche  LLP,  plans and
performs  its audit so that it may  provide an opinion as to whether  the Fund's
financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement.

HOW DOES THE FUND MEASURE PERFORMANCE?

     The Fund may  advertise  Share  performance  by using  the  Securities  and
Exchange   Commission's  (SEC)  standard  method  for  calculating   performance
applicable to all mutual funds.  The SEC also permits this standard  performance
information to be accompanied by non-standard performance information.

     Share  performance  reflects the effect of non-recurring  charges,  such as
maximum sales charges,  which, if excluded,  would increase the total return and
yield.  The  performance  of Shares  depends upon such  variables as:  portfolio
quality;  average portfolio  maturity;  type and value of portfolio  securities;
changes in interest rates;  changes or differences in the Fund's or any class of
Shares' expenses; and various other factors.

     Share performance  fluctuates on a daily basis largely because net earnings
fluctuate  daily.  Both net earnings and offering price per Share are factors in
the computation of yield and total return.

TOTAL RETURN

     Total return represents the change (expressed as a percentage) in the value
of Shares over a specific  period of time, and includes the investment of income
and capital gains distributions.

     The average annual total return for Shares is the average  compounded  rate
of return for a given period that would equate a $1,000  initial  investment  to
the ending  redeemable value of that investment.  The ending redeemable value is
computed by  multiplying  the number of Shares owned at the end of the period by
the NAV per Share at the end of the  period.  The number of Shares  owned at the
end of the period is based on the number of Shares purchased at the beginning of
the period with $1,000,  less any  applicable  sales  charge,  adjusted over the
period  by any  additional  Shares,  assuming  the  annual  reinvestment  of all
dividends and distributions.

YIELD AND TAX-EQUIVALENT YIELD

     The yield of Shares  is  calculated  by  dividing:  (i) the net  investment
income per Share earned by the Shares over a 30-day period;  by (ii) the maximum
offering  price per  Share on the last day of the  period.  This  number is then
annualized using semi-annual  compounding.  This means that the amount of income
generated  during the 30-day period is assumed to be generated each month over a
12-month  period  and is  reinvested  every  six  months.  The  yield  does  not
necessarily  reflect  income  actually  earned  by  Shares  because  of  certain
adjustments  required  by the  SEC  and,  therefore,  may not  correlate  to the
dividends or other distributions paid to shareholders.

     To the extent investment  professionals and  broker/dealers  charge fees in
connection with services  provided in conjunction  with an investment in Shares,
the Share performance is lower for shareholders paying those fees.

PERFORMANCE COMPARISONS

Advertising and sales literature may include:

o    references  to  ratings,   rankings,   and  financial  publications  and/or
     performance comparisons of Shares to certain indices;

o    charts,  graphs and illustrations  using the Fund's returns,  or returns in
     general,   that  demonstrate   investment  concepts  such  as  tax-deferred
     compounding, dollar-cost averaging and systematic investment;

o    discussions  of economic,  financial and political  developments  and their
     impact on the securities market, including the portfolio manager's views on
     how such developments could impact the Fund; and

o    information  about  the  mutual  fund  industry  from  sources  such as the
     Investment Company Institute.

The Fund may compare its performance, or performance for the types of securities
in which it invests, to a variety of other investments, including federally
insured bank products such as bank savings accounts, certificates of deposit,
and Treasury bills.

     The Fund may quote information from reliable sources  regarding  individual
countries  and regions,  world stock  exchanges,  and  economic and  demographic
statistics.

     You may use financial publications and/or indices to obtain a more complete
view of Share performance.  When comparing performance,  you should consider all
relevant  factors such as the composition of the index used,  prevailing  market
conditions,  portfolio  compositions  of other funds,  and methods used to value
portfolio  securities and compute  offering  price.  The financial  publications
and/or  indices  which the Fund uses in  advertising  may  include:  The Russell
Midcap Value Index

     Measures the  performance  of those  Russell  Midcap  companies  with lower
price-to-book  ratios and lower  forecasted  growth values.  The stocks are also
members of the Russell 1000 Value Index.

WHO IS FEDERATED INVESTORS, INC.?

     Federated  is  dedicated to meeting  investor  needs by making  structured,
straightforward  and  consistent  investment  decisions.   Federated  investment
products  have  a  history  of  competitive  performance  and  have  gained  the
confidence of thousands of financial institutions and individual investors.

     Federated's  disciplined  investment  selection  process is rooted in sound
methodologies  backed by  fundamental  and  technical  research.  At  Federated,
success in investment management does not depend solely on the skill of a single
portfolio  manager.  It is a fusion of individual  talents and  state-of-the-art
industry tools and resources.  Federated's  investment process involves teams of
portfolio  managers  and  analysts,  and  investment  decisions  are executed by
traders who are dedicated to specific market sectors and who handle trillions of
dollars in annual trading volume.

FEDERATED FUNDS OVERVIEW

MUNICIPAL FUNDS

     In the municipal sector, as of December 31, 1999, Federated managed 12 bond
funds with  approximately  $2.0 billion in assets and 24 money market funds with
approximately $13.1 billion in total assets. In 1976,  Federated  introduced one
of the first  municipal  bond mutual funds in the industry and is now one of the
largest  institutional  buyers  of  municipal  securities.  The  Funds may quote
statistics  from  organizations  including The Tax  Foundation  and the National
Taxpayers Union regarding the tax obligations of Americans.

EQUITY FUNDS

     In the equity sector,  Federated has more than 29 years' experience.  As of
December 31, 1999,  Federated  managed 53 equity  funds  totaling  approximately
$18.3 billion in assets across  growth,  value,  equity  income,  international,
index and sector (i.e. utility) styles.  Federated's  value-oriented  management
style combines  quantitative and qualitative analysis and features a structured,
computer-assisted composite modeling system that was developed in the 1970s.

CORPORATE BOND FUNDS

     In the corporate bond sector, as of December 31, 1999, Federated managed 13
money market funds and 29 bond funds with assets approximating $35.7 billion and
$7.7 billion, respectively. Federated's corporate bond decision making--based on
intensive, diligent credit analysis--is backed by over 27 years of experience in
the  corporate  bond  sector.  In 1972,  Federated  introduced  one of the first
high-yield bond funds in the industry.  In 1983,  Federated was one of the first
fund managers to participate  in the asset backed  securities  market,  a market
totaling more than $209 billion.

GOVERNMENT FUNDS

     In the  government  sector,  as of December 31, 1999,  Federated  managed 9
mortgage  backed,  11  government/agency  and 16 government  money market mutual
funds, with assets  approximating $4.7 billion,  $1.6 billion and $34.1 billion,
respectively. Federated trades approximately $450 million in U.S. government and
mortgage  backed  securities  daily and  places  approximately  $25  billion  in
repurchase  agreements each day. Federated  introduced the first U.S. government
fund to invest in U.S. government bond securities in 1969.  Federated has been a
major force in the short- and  intermediate-term  government  markets since 1982
and currently  manages  approximately  $43.8 billion in government  funds within
these maturity ranges.

MONEY MARKET FUNDS

     In the money market sector,  Federated gained prominence in the mutual fund
industry in 1974 with the creation of the first institutional money market fund.
Simultaneously,  the company  pioneered the use of the amortized  cost method of
accounting for valuing  shares of money market funds, a principal  means used by
money  managers  today to value money  market  fund  shares.  Other  innovations
include the first  institutional  tax-free money market fund. As of December 31,
1999, Federated managed more than $83.0 billion in assets across 54 money market
funds,  including 16 government,  13 prime, 24 municipal and 1  euro-denominated
with assets approximating $34.1 billion,  $35.7 billion,  $13.1 billion and $115
million, respectively.

     The Chief  Investment  Officers  responsible  for  oversight of the various
investment  sectors within Federated are: U.S. equity and high yield - J. Thomas
Madden; U.S. fixed income -William D. Dawson, III; and global equities and fixed
income - Henry A.  Frantzen.  The Chief  Investment  Officers are Executive Vice
Presidents of the Federated advisory companies.


MUTUAL FUND MARKET

     Thirty-seven  percent of American  households are pursuing their  financial
goals  through  mutual  funds.  These  investors,  as  well  as  businesses  and
institutions,  have  entrusted  over $5  trillion  to the more than 7,300  funds
available, according to the Investment Company Institute.

FEDERATED CLIENTS OVERVIEW

     Federated  distributes  mutual funds through its subsidiaries for a variety
of investment purposes. Specific markets include:

INSTITUTIONAL CLIENTS

     Federated  meets the needs of  approximately  1,160  institutional  clients
nationwide  by managing and servicing  separate  accounts and mutual funds for a
variety  of  purposes,   including  defined  benefit  and  defined  contribution
programs, cash management, and asset/liability management. Institutional clients
include     corporations,     pension     funds,     tax    exempt     entities,
foundations/endowments,   insurance  companies,  and  investment  and  financial
advisers.  The marketing effort to these institutional clients is headed by John
B. Fisher, President, Institutional Sales Division, Federated Securities Corp.

BANK MARKETING

     Other  institutional  clients  include  more  than  1,600  banks  and trust
organizations.  Virtually all of the trust divisions of the top 100 bank holding
companies use Federated Funds in their clients' portfolios. The marketing effort
to trust clients is headed by Timothy C. Pillion,  Senior Vice  President,  Bank
Marketing & Sales.

BROKER/DEALERS AND BANK BROKER/DEALER SUBSIDIARIES

     Federated  Funds are available to consumers  through major  brokerage firms
nationwide--we   have   over   2,200   broker/dealer   and  bank   broker/dealer
relationships across the  country--supported  by more wholesalers than any other
mutual fund  distributor.  Federated's  service to financial  professionals  and
institutions has earned it high ratings in several surveys  performed by DALBAR,
Inc.  DALBAR  is  recognized  as the  industry  benchmark  for  service  quality
measurement.  The  marketing  effort to these  firms is headed by James F. Getz,
President, Broker/Dealer Sales Division, Federated Securities Corp.

INVESTMENT RATINGS

STANDARD & POOR'S LONG-TERM DEBT RATING DEFINITIONS

     AAA--Debt  rated AAA has the highest rating  assigned by Standard & Poor's.
Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.

     AA--Debt  rated AA has a very  strong  capacity to pay  interest  and repay
principal and differs from the higher-rated issues only in small degree.

     A--Debt rated A has a strong  capacity to pay interest and repay  principal
although it is somewhat more  susceptible  to the adverse  effects of changes in
circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher-rated categories.

     BBB--Debt  rated BBB is  regarded  as having an  adequate  capacity  to pay
interest and repay principal.  Whereas it normally exhibits adequate  protection
parameters,  adverse  economic  conditions  or changing  circumstances  are more
likely to lead to a weakened  capacity to pay interest and repay  principal  for
debt in this category than in higher-rated categories.

     BB--Debt  rated BB has less near-term  vulnerability  to default than other
speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to
adverse  business,  financial,  or  economic  conditions  which  could  lead  to
inadequate  capacity to meet timely  interest  and  principal  payments.  The BB
rating  category  is also  used for debt  subordinated  to  senior  debt that is
assigned an actual or implied BBB rating.

     B--Debt  rated B has a greater  vulnerability  to default but currently has
the  capacity  to meet  interest  payments  and  principal  repayments.  Adverse
business,  financial,  or economic  conditions  will likely  impair  capacity or
willingness to pay interest and repay  principal.  The B rating category is also
used for debt  subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied
BB or BB- rating.

     CCC--Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable  vulnerability to default,
and is dependent upon favorable business,  financial, and economic conditions to
meet timely  payment of interest  and  repayment of  principal.  In the event of
adverse business,  financial,  or economic conditions,  it is not likely to have
the  capacity to pay interest and repay  principal.  The CCC rating  category is
also used for debt  subordinated  to senior  debt that is  assigned an actual or
implied B or B- rating.

     CC--The rating CC typically is applied to debt  subordinated to senior debt
that is assigned an actual or implied CCC debt rating.

     C--The  rating C typically is applied to debt  subordinated  to senior debt
which is assigned an actual or implied CCC debt rating. The C rating may be used
to cover a  situation  where a  bankruptcy  petition  has been  filed,  but debt
service payments are continued.

     MOODY'S  INVESTORS   SERVICE,   INC.   LONG-TERM  BOND  RATING  DEFINITIONS
AAA--Bonds which are rated AAA are judged to be of the best quality.  They carry
the smallest  degree of investment  risk and are  generally  referred to as gilt
edged.  Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable
margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely
to change,  such changes as can be  visualized  are most  unlikely to impair the
fundamentally strong position of such issues.

     AA--Bonds  which  are  rated AA are  judged  to be of high  quality  by all
standards.  Together with the AAA group,  they comprise what are generally known
as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of
protection may not be as large as in AAA securities or fluctuation of protective
elements  may be of greater  amplitude  or there may be other  elements  present
which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in AAA securities.

     A--Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and
are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations.  Factors giving security
to principal  and interest are  considered  adequate but elements may be present
which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

     BAA--Bonds which are rated BAA are considered as medium-grade  obligations,
(i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured).  Interest payments
and principal  security appear  adequate for the present but certain  protective
elements may be lacking or may be  characteristically  unreliable over any great
length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding  investment  characteristics  and in
fact have speculative characteristics as well.

     BA--Bonds  which are BA are  judged  to have  speculative  elements;  their
future cannot be considered  as well assured.  Often the  protection of interest
and  principal  payments may be very  moderate and thereby not well  safeguarded
during  both  good  and bad  times  over the  future.  Uncertainty  of  position
characterizes bonds in this class.

     B--Bonds which are rated B generally lack  characteristics of the desirable
investment.  Assurance of interest and principal  payments or of  maintenance of
other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.

     CAA--Bonds which are rated CAA are of poor standing.  Such issues may be in
default or there may be present  elements of danger with respect to principal or
interest.

     CA--Bonds which are rated CA represent obligations which are speculative in
a  high  degree.  Such  issues  are  often  in  default  or  have  other  marked
shortcomings.

     C--Bonds which are rated C are the lowest-rated  class of bonds, and issues
so rated can be regarded as having  extremely  poor  prospects of ever attaining
any real investment standing.

FITCH IBCA, INC. LONG-TERM DEBT RATING DEFINITIONS

     AAA--Bonds  considered  to be  investment  grade and of the highest  credit
quality.  The obligor has an  exceptionally  strong  ability to pay interest and
repay  principal,  which is unlikely to be  affected by  reasonably  foreseeable
events.

     AA--Bonds  considered  to be  investment  grade  and of  very  high  credit
quality.  The  obligor's  ability to pay  interest  and repay  principal is very
strong,  although not quite as strong as bonds rated AAA. Because bonds rated in
the AAA and AA categories are not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable future
developments, short-term debt of these issuers is generally rated F-1+.

     A--Bonds considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality.  The
obligor's  ability to pay  interest  and repay  principal  is  considered  to be
strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic conditions and
circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.

     BBB--Bonds  considered to be investment  grade and of  satisfactory  credit
quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered
to be  adequate.  Adverse  changes in  economic  conditions  and  circumstances,
however,  are more likely to have adverse  impact on these bonds,  and therefore
impair timely payment.  The likelihood that the ratings of these bonds will fall
below investment grade is higher than for bonds with higher ratings.

     BB--Bonds are considered speculative. The obligor's ability to pay interest
and repay  principal  may be  affected  over time by adverse  economic  changes.
However,  business and  financial  alternatives  can be  identified  which could
assist the obligor in satisfying its debt service requirements.

     B--Bonds are considered highly  speculative.  While bonds in this class are
currently meeting debt service requirements, the probability of continued timely
payment of principal  and  interest  reflects the  obligor's  limited  margin of
safety and the need for reasonable business and economic activity throughout the
life of the issue.

     CCC--Bonds  have  certain  identifiable   characteristics   which,  if  not
remedied,  may lead to  default.  The  ability to meet  obligations  requires an
advantageous business and economic environment.

     CC--Bonds are minimally  protected.  Default in payment of interest  and/or
principal seems probable over time.

     C--Bonds are imminent default in payment of interest or principal.

MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS

     PRIME-1--Issuers rated Prime-1 (or related supporting  institutions) have a
superior capacity for repayment of short-term  promissory  obligations.  Prime-1
repayment capacity will normally be evidenced by the following characteristics:

o    Leading market positions in well-established industries;

o    High rates of return on funds employed;

o    Conservative  capitalization  structure with moderate  reliance on debt and
     ample asset protection;

o    Broad  margins in earning  coverage  of fixed  financial  charges  and high
     internal cash generation; and

o    Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources
     of alternate liquidity.

     PRIME-2--Issuers rated Prime-2 (or related supporting  institutions) have a
strong capacity for repayment of short-term  promissory  obligations.  This will
normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser
degree.  Earnings trends and coverage ratios,  while sound, will be more subject
to variation.  Capitalization  characteristics,  while still appropriate, may be
more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

STANDARD & POOR'S COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS

     A-1--This  designation indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely
payment is strong.  Those issues  determined to possess  extremely strong safety
characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.

     A-2--Capacity  for  timely  payment  on  issues  with this  designation  is
satisfactory.  However,  the  relative  degree  of  safety is not as high as for
issues designated A-1.

FITCH IBCA, INC. COMMERCIAL PAPER RATING DEFINITIONS

     FITCH-1--(Highest  Grade) Commercial paper assigned this rating is regarded
as having the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment.

     FITCH-2--(Very Good Grade) Issues assigned this rating reflect an assurance
of timely payment only slightly less in degree than the strongest issues.





ADDRESSES

FEDERATED DEFENSIVE EQUITY FUND

Class A Shares

Class B Shares

Class C Shares

Federated Investors Funds
5800 Corporate Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15237-7000

DISTRIBUTOR
Federated Securities Corp.
Federated Investors Tower
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

INVESTMENT ADVISER

Federated Investment Management Company
Federated Investors Tower
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779


CUSTODIAN

State Street Bank and Trust Company
P.O. Box 8600
Boston, MA 02266-8600


TRANSFER AGENT AND DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT

Federated Shareholder Services Company
P.O. Box 8600
Boston, MA 02266-8600


INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

Deloitte & Touche LLP
200 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116

PART C.    OTHER INFORMATION.

Item 23.    EXHIBITS

(a)   Conformed copy of Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust; (12)

          (i)  Conformed  copy of  Amendment  No. 8 of the Amended and  Restated
               Declaration of Trust; (19)

(b)   Copy of Amended and Restated By-Laws, effective August 15, 1995; (12)

          (i)  Copy of Amendment No. 5 to By-Laws,  effective February 23, 1998;
               (18)

          (ii) Copy of Amendment No. 6 to By-Laws,  effective February 27, 1998;
               (18)

          (iii) Copy of Amendment No. 7 to By-Laws, effective May 12, 1998; (18)

(c)  (i) Copy of Specimen  Certificate for Shares of Beneficial  Interest of the
     Registrant (Federated Small Cap Strategies Fund); (7)

          (ii) Copy of Specimen Certificate for Shares of Beneficial Interest of
               the Registrant (Federated Growth Strategies Fund); (8)

          (iii)Copy of Specimen Certificate for Shares of Beneficial Interest of
               the Registrant (Federated Capital Appreciation Fund); (9)

          (iv) Copy of Specimen Certificate for Shares of Beneficial Interest of
               the Registrant (Federated Aggressive Growth Fund); (13)

(d)  (i) Conformed copy of Investment  Advisory  Contract on behalf of Federated
     Growth Strategies Fund; (5)

          (ii) Conformed copy of Investment  Advisory  Contract on behalf of the
               Registrant,  which includes  Exhibits A and B for Federated Small
               Cap  Strategies  Fund and Federated  Capital  Appreciation  Fund,
               respectively; (10)


+ All exhibits have been filed electronically.

5.   Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment  No. 11 on Form N-1A filed October 23, 1989.  (File Nos.  2-91090
     and 811-4017)

7.   Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 21 on Form N-1A filed June 30, 1995.  (File Nos.  2-91090 and
     811-4017)

8.   Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed July 17, 1995.  (File Nos.  2-91090 and
     811-4017)

9.   Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 25 on Form N-1A filed August 31, 1995. (File Nos. 2-91090 and
     811-4017)

10.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed September 12, 1995.  (File Nos. 2-91090
     and 811-4017)

12.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 31 on Form N-1A filed June 11, 1996.  (File Nos.  2-91090 and
     811-4017)

13.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 34 on Form N-1A filed December 30, 1996.  (File Nos.  2-91090
     and 811-4017)

18.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 41 on Form N-1A filed  November 2, 1998.  (File Nos. 2- 91090
     and 811-4017)

19.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 44 on Form N-1A filed December 28, 1999.  (File Nos. 2- 91090
     and 811-4017)

     (iii)Conformed  copy of Exhibit C to the Investment  Advisory  Contract for
          Federated Aggressive Growth Fund; (14)

     (iv) Conformed copies of Exhibits D & E for Federated Large Cap Growth Fund
          and Federated Communications Technology Fund, respectively; (19)

     (v)  Confirmed  copy of Exhibit F to the Investment  Advisory  Contract for
          Federated New Economy Fund; +

(e)  Conformed copy of Distributor's Contract of the Registrant; (10)

     (i)  Conformed copies of Exhibits A and C to the Distributor's Contract for
          Federated Small Cap Strategies Fund, (Class A and C Shares); (10)

     (ii) Conformed copies of Exhibits D and F to the Distributor's Contract for
          Federated Growth Strategies Fund, (Class A and C Shares); (10)

     (iii)Conformed  copies of  Exhibits G and I to the  Distributor's  Contract
          for Federated Capital Appreciation Fund, (Class A and C Shares); (10)

     (iv) Conformed copies of Exhibits J and L to the Distributor's Contract for
          Federated Aggressive Growth Fund, (Class A and C Shares); (14)

     (v)  Conformed copy of Distributor's Contract (Class B Shares); (16)

     (vi) Conformed copies of Exhibits M and N to the Distributor's Contract for
          Federated Large Cap Growth Fund, (Class A and C Shares); (19)

     (vii)Conformed  copies of  Exhibits O and P to the  Distributor's  Contract
          for Federated Communications  Technology Fund, (Class A and C Shares);
          (19)

     (viii) Conformed copies of Exhibits Q and R to the  Distributor's  Contract
          for Federated New Economy Fund, (Class A and C Shares); +

     (ix) The Registrant hereby  incorporates the conformed copy of the specimen
          Mutual  Funds  Sales  and  Service  Agreement;  Mutual  Funds  Service
          Agreement;  and Plan Trustee/Mutual  Funds Service Agreement from Item
          24(b)(6) of the Cash Trust  Series II  Registration  Statement on Form
          N-1A,  filed with the Commission on July 24, 1995.  (File No. 33-38550
          and 811-6269)

             (f)  Not applicable;




+ All exhibits have been filed electronically.

10.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed September 12, 1995. (File Nos. 2- 91090
     and 811-4017)

14.  Response is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post  Effective
     Amendment No. 29 on Form N-1A filed May 29, 1997.  (File Nos. 2- 910090 and
     811-4017)

16.  Response is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post  Effective
     Amendment No. 35 of Form N-1A filed  December 30, 1997 (File Nos.  2-910090
     and 811-4017)

19.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 44 on Form N-1A filed December 28, 1999.  (File Nos. 2- 91090
     and 811-4017)

(g)  (i) Conformed Copy of the Custodian Agreement of the Registrant; (6)

     (ii) Conformed copy of Custodian Fee Schedule; (15)

(h)  (i) Conformed copy of Amended and Restated  Shareholder Services Agreement;
     (15)

          (ii) Conformed  copy  of  Amended  and  Restated  Agreement  for  Fund
               Accounting   Services,   Administrative   Services,   Shareholder
               Transfer Agency Services and Custody Services Procurement; (17)

          (iii)Conformed  copy of  Principal  Shareholder  Servicer's  Agreement
               (Class B Shares); (16)

          (iv) Conformed  copy  of  Shareholder   Services  Agreement  (Class  B
               Shares); (16)

          (v)  The  Registrant  hereby  incorporates  by reference the conformed
               copy of the Shareholder  Services  Sub-Contract  between Fidelity
               and Federated Shareholder Services from Item 24(b)(9)(iii) of the
               Federated GNMA Trust  Registration  Statement on Form N-1A, filed
               with the  Commission  on March 25,  1996 (File Nos.  2-75670  and
               811-3375).


(i) Conformed copy of the Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding legality
    of shares being registered; (6)

(j)   Not Applicable;

(k)   Not Applicable;

(l)   Conformed copy of Initial Capital Understanding; (2)


+ All exhibits have been filed electronically.

2.   Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 1 on Form N-1A filed  February 28, 1985.  (File Nos.  2-91090
     and 811-4017)

6.   Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 20 on Form N-1A filed December 29, 1994.  (File Nos.  2-91090
     and 811-4017)

15.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 31 on Form N-1A filed  October 30, 1997.  (File Nos. 2- 91090
     and 811-4017)

16.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 35 on Form N-1A filed December 30, 1997.  (File Nos.  2-91090
     and 811-4017)

17.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 40 on Form N-1A filed October 9, 1998. (File Nos. 2-91090 and
     811-4017)

(m)   Conformed Copy of Distribution Plan of the Registrant; (10)

     (i)  Conformed  copies of  Exhibits  A and C to the  Distribution  Plan for
          Federated Small Cap Strategies Fund, (Class A and C Shares); (10)

     (ii) Conformed  copy of Exhibit E to the  Distribution  Plan for  Federated
          Growth Strategies Fund, (Class C Shares); (10)

     (iii)Conformed  copies  of  Exhibit  F and H to the  Distribution  Plan for
          Federated Capital Appreciation Fund, (Class A and C Shares); (10)

     (iv) Conformed  copies of  Exhibits  I and K to the  Distribution  Plan for
          Federated Aggressive Growth Fund (Class A and C Shares); (14)

     (v)  The responses  described in Item 23(e)(v) are hereby  incorporated  by
          reference;  (vi) Conformed copy of Amendment to the Distribution  Plan
          (Class B Shares); (16)

     (vii)Conformed  copies of  Exhibits L, M, N & O to the  Distribution  Plan;
          (19) (viii)  Conformed  copies of Exhibits P and Q to the Distribution
          Plan for Federated New Economy Fund, (Class A and C Shares); +

     (ix) Copy of Schedule A to the Distribution Plan; (19)

(n)  (i) The Registrant  hereby  incorporates the conformed copy of the specimen
     Multiple  Class Plan from Item  24(b)(18) of the World  Investment  Series,
     Inc.  Registration  Statement on Form N-1A,  filed with the  Commission  on
     January 26, 1996. (File Nos. 33-52149 and 811-07141);

          (ii) Multiple Class Plan (18f-3) Exhibits; (19)

(o) Conformed copy of Power of Attorney; (19)

          (i)  Conformed copy of Power of Attorney of Chief  Investment  Officer
               of the Registrant; (19)

          (ii)Conformed copy of Power of Attorney of Trustee John F. Cunningham;
               (19)

          (iii)Conformed  copy of  Power  of  Attorney  of  Trustee  Charles  F.
               Mansfield; (19)

          (iv)Conformed copy of Power of Attorney of Trustee John S.Walsh; (19)

          (v)  Conformed  copy  of  Limited  Power  of  Attorney;  (19)  (p) The
               Registrant hereby  incorporates the conformed copy of the Code of
               Ethics for  Access  Persons  from Item 23(p) of the Money  Market
               Obligations Trust Registration  Statement on Form N-1A filed with
               the  Commission  on February  25, 2000.  (File Nos.  33-31602 and
               811-5950).

+ All exhibits have been filed electronically.

1.   Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's   Pre-Effective
     Amendment  No. 1 on Form N-1A filed July 9, 1984.  (File Nos.  2-91090  and
     811-4017)

10.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed September 12, 1995.  (File Nos. 2-91090
     and 811-4017)

14.  Response is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post  Effective
     Amendment No. 29 on Form N-1A filed May 29, 1997.  (File Nos. 2- 910090 and
     811-4017)

16.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 35 on Form N-1A filed December 30, 1997.  (File Nos.  2-91090
     and 811-4017)

19.  Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Post-Effective
     Amendment No. 44 on Form N-1A filed December 28, 1999.  (File Nos. 2- 91090
     and 811-4017)


Item 24.    PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE FUNDS
            ------------------------------------------------------------

            None.

Item 25.    INDEMNIFICATION:  (1)
            ---------------

Item 26.  Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser:

         For a description of the other business of the investment adviser, see
         the section entitled "Who Manages the Fund?" in Part A. The
         affiliations with the Registrant of four of the Trustees and one of the
         Officers of the investment adviser are included in Part B of this
         Registration Statement under "Who Manages and Provides Services to the
         Fund?" The remaining Trustees of the investment adviser and, in
         parentheses, their principal occupations are: Thomas R. Donahue, (Chief
         Financial Officer, Federated Investors, Inc.), 1001 Liberty Avenue,
         Pittsburgh, PA, 15222-3779 and Mark D. Olson (a principal of the firm
         Mark D. Olson & Company, L.L.C. and Partner, Wilson, Halbrook &
         Bayard), Suite 301 Little Falls Center Two, 2751 Centerville Road,
         Wilmington, DE 19808.

         The remaining Officers of the investment adviser are:

         Executive Vice Presidents:          William D. Dawson, III
                                             Henry A. Frantzen
                                             J. Thomas Madden

         Senior Vice Presidents:             Stephen F. Auth
                                             Joseph M. Balestrino
                                             David A. Briggs
                                             Jonathan C. Conley
                                             Deborah A. Cunningham
                                             Michael P. Donnelly
                                             Linda A. Duessel
                                             Mark E. Durbiano
                                             James E. Grefenstette
                                             Jeffrey A. Kozemchak
                                             Sandra L. McInerney
                                             Susan M. Nason
                                             Mary Jo Ochson
                                             Robert J. Ostrowski
                                             Bernard A. Picchi
                                             Peter Vutz

         Vice Presidents:                    Todd A. Abraham
                                             J. Scott Albrecht
                                             Arthur J. Barry
                                             Randall S. Bauer
                                             G. Andrew Bonnewell
                                             Micheal W. Casey


1.   Response  is  incorporated  by  reference  to  Registrant's  Pre  Effective
     Amendment  No. 1 on Form N-1A filed July 9, 1984.  (File Nos.  2-91091  and
     811-4017)

Item 26.  Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser (continued):

                                             Robert E. Cauley
                                             Lee R. Cunningham, II
                                             Alexandre de Bethmann
B.    Anthony Delserone, Jr.
                                             Donald T. Ellenberger
                                             Eamonn G. Folan
                                             Kathleen M. Foody-Malus
                                             Thomas M. Franks
                                             Marc Halperin
                                             John W. Harris
                                             Patricia L. Heagy
                                             Susan R. Hill
                                             William R. Jamison
                                             Constantine J. Kartsonas
                                             Robert M. Kowit
                                             Richard J. Lazarchic
                                             Steven J. Lehman
                                             Marian R. Marinack
                                             Christopher Matyszewski
                                             Joseph M. Natoli


         Vice Presidents                     Jeffrey A. Petro
                                             John Quartarolo
                                             Keith J. Sabol
                                             Ihab Salib
                                             Frank Semack
                                             Aash M. Shah
                                             Michael W. Sirianni, Jr.
                                             Christopher Smith
                                             Edward J. Tiedge
                                             Timothy G. Trebilcock
                                             Leonardo A. Vila
                                             Paige M. Wilhelm
                                             Richard Winkowski
                                             Lori A. Wolff
                                             George B. Wright

         Assistant Vice Presidents:          Catherine A. Arendas
                                             Angela Auchey
                                             Nancy J. Belz
                                             Regina Chi
                                             James R. Crea, Jr.
                                             Karol M. Krummie
                                             Fred B. Crutchfield
                                             James H. Davis, II
                                             Joseph DelVecchio
                                             Paul S. Drotch
                                             Salvatore A. Esposito
                                             John T. Gentry
                                             David Gilmore
                                             Nikola A. Ivanov
                                             Carol Kayworth
                                             Nathan H. Kehm
                                             John C. Kerber
                                             J. Andrew Kirschler
                                             Ted T. Lietz, Sr.
                                             Monica Lugani


Item 26.  Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser (continued):

                                             Natalie F. Metz
                                             Theresa Miller
                                             Thomas Mitchell
                                             Bob Nolte
                                             Mary Kay Pavuk
                                             Rae Ann Rice
                                             Roberto Sanchez-Dahl, Sr.
                                             Sarath Sathkumara
                                             James W. Schaub
                                             John Sidawi
                                             Diane R. Startari
                                             Diane Tolby
                                             Michael R. Tucker
                                             Steven J. Wagner

         Secretary:                          G. Andrew Bonnewell

         Treasurer:                          Thomas R. Donahue

         Assistant Secretaries:              C. Grant Anderson
                                             Leslie K. Ross

         Assistant Treasurer:                Denis McAuley, III

         The business address of each of the Officers of the investment adviser
         is Federated Investors Tower, 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh,
         Pennsylvania 15222-3779. These individuals are also officers of a
         majority of the investment advisers to the investment companies in the
         Federated Fund Complex described in Part B of this Registration
         Statement.

ITEM 27.  PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS:

(a)  Federated  Securities  Corp. the Distributor for shares of the Registrant,
     acts  as  principal  underwriter  for  the  following  open-end  investment
     companies, including the Registrant:

     Cash Trust Series II; Cash Trust Series, Inc.; CCB Funds; Edward D. Jones &
Co. Daily Passport Cash Trust;  Federated  Adjustable Rate U.S. Government Fund,
Inc.; Federated American Leaders Fund, Inc.; Federated ARMs Fund; Federated Core
Trust;  Federated Equity Funds;  Federated  Equity Income Fund, Inc.;  Federated
Fixed Income Securities,  Inc.;  Federated Fund for U.S. Government  Securities,
Inc.;  Federated  GNMA Trust;  Federated  Government  Income  Securities,  Inc.;
Federated High Income Bond Fund,  Inc.;  Federated  High Yield Trust;  Federated
Income  Securities  Trust;   Federated  Income  Trust;  Federated  Index  Trust;
Federated   Institutional   Trust;   Federated   Insurance   Series;   Federated
International  Series,  Inc.; Federated Investment Series Funds, Inc.; Federated
Managed Allocation  Portfolios;  Federated  Municipal  Opportunities Fund, Inc.;
Federated Municipal Securities Fund, Inc.; Federated Municipal Securities Income
Trust;  Federated  Short-Term  Municipal  Trust;  Federated Stock and Bond Fund,
Inc.; Federated Stock Trust; Federated Total Return Series, Inc.; Federated U.S.
Government  Bond Fund;  Federated U.S.  Government  Securities  Fund: 1-3 Years;
Federated U.S. Government Securities Fund: 2-5 Years;  Federated U.S. Government
Securities  Fund:  5-10 Years;  Federated  Utility Fund,  Inc.;  Federated World
Investment  Series,  Inc.;  FirstMerit Funds;  Hibernia Funds;  Independence One
Mutual Funds;  Intermediate  Municipal Trust; Marshall Funds, Inc.; Money Market
Obligations  Trust;  Regions  Funds;  RIGGS Funds;  SouthTrust  Funds;  Tax-Free
Instruments  Trust; The Wachovia Funds; The Wachovia Municipal Funds; and Vision
Group of Funds, Inc.



            (b)

         (1)                           (2)                        (3)
Name and Principal            Positions and Offices        Positions and Offices
 BUSINESS ADDRESS                WITH DISTRIBUTOR             WITH REGISTRANT
------------------            ------------------------       -----------------

Richard B. Fisher             Chairman,                       Vice President
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Arthur L. Cherry              Director,                           --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

John B. Fisher                President-Institutional Sales       --
Federated Investors Tower     and Director,
1001 Liberty Avenue           Federated Securities Corp.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Thomas R. Donahue             Director, Executive Vice            --
Federated Investors Tower     Vice President and Assistant
1001 Liberty Avenue           Secretary,
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779     Federated Securities Corp.

James F. Getz                 President-Broker/Dealer and          --
Federated Investors Tower     Director,
1001 Liberty Avenue           Federated Securities Corp.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

David M. Taylor               Executive Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Mark W. Bloss                 Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Richard W. Boyd               Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Laura M. Deger                Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Theodore Fadool, Jr.          Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Bryant R. Fisher              Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Christopher T. Fives          Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

James S. Hamilton             Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

James M. Heaton               Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Keith Nixon                   Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Solon A. Person, IV           Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Ronald M. Petnuch             Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15222-3779

Timothy C. Pillion            Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Thomas E. Territ              Senior Vice President,               --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

John M. Albert                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Ernest G. Anderson            Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Teresa M. Antoszyk            Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

John B. Bohnet                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Jane E. Broeren-Lambesis      Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Matthew W. Brown              Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

David J. Callahan             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Mark Carroll                  Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Steven R. Cohen               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Mary J. Combs                 Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

R. Edmond Connell, Jr.        Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Kevin J. Crenny               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Daniel T. Culbertson          Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779


G. Michael Cullen             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Marc C. Danile                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Robert J. Deuberry            Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

William C. Doyle              Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Mark D. Fisher                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Timothy Franklin              Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15222-3779

Mark A. Gessner               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Joseph D. Gibbons             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

John K. Goettlicher           Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

G. Tad Gullickson             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Scott Gundersen               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Dayna C. Haferkamp            Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Anthony J. Harper             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Bruce E. Hastings             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Charlene H. Jennings          Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

H. Joseph Kennedy             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Michael W. Koenig             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Ed Koontz                     Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Dennis M. Laffey              Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Christopher A. Layton         Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Michael H. Liss               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Michael R. Manning            Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Amy Michalisyn                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Mark J. Miehl                 Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Richard C. Mihm               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Alec H. Neilly                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Thomas A. Peter III           Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Raleigh Peters                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Robert F. Phillips            Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Richard A. Recker             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Eugene B. Reed                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Paul V. Riordan               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

John Rogers                   Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Brian S. Ronayne              Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779


Thomas S. Schinabeck          Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Edward J. Segura              Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Edward L. Smith               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

David W. Spears               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

John A. Staley                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Colin B. Starks               Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Jeffrey A. Stewart            Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

William C. Tustin             Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Paul A. Uhlman                Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Richard B. Watts              Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Terence Wiles                 Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Edward J. Wojnarowski         Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Michael P. Wolff              Vice President,                      --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Robert W. Bauman              Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Edward R. Bozek               Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Charles L. Davis, Jr.         Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Beth C. Dell                  Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Donald C. Edwards             Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

John T. Glickson              Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Ernest L. Linane              Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Renee L. Martin               Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Lynn Sherwood-Long            Assistant Vice President,            --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Kirk A. Montgomery            Secretary,                           --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779


Denis McAuley, III            Treasurer,                           --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Timothy S. Johnson            Assistant Secretary,                 --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15222-3779

Victor R. Siclari             Assistant Secretary,                 --
Federated Investors Tower     Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15222-3779

          (c)  Not applicable

Item 28.    LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS:
            --------------------------------

All accounts and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 promulgated
thereunder are maintained at one of the following locations:

Registrant                                Federated Investors Tower
                                          1001 Liberty Avenue
                                          Pittsburgh, PA  15222-3779


     (Notices should be sent to the Agent for Service at above address)

                                          Federated Investors Funds
                                          5800 Corporate Drive
                                          Pittsburgh, PA 15237-7000

Federated Services Company                Federated Investors Tower
("Administrator")                         1001 Liberty Avenue

                                          Pittsburgh, PA  15222-3779

Federated Investment Management Company   Federated Investors Tower
("Adviser")                               1001 Liberty Avenue
                                          Pittsburgh, PA  15222-3779

Federated Shareholder Services Company    Federated Investors Tower
("Transfer Agent and Dividend             1001 Liberty Avenue
Disbursing Agent")                        Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

State Street Bank and Trust Company       P.O. Box 8600
("Custodian")                             Boston, MA 02266-8600


Item 29.    MANAGEMENT SERVICES:  Not applicable.
            -------------------


Item 30.    UNDERTAKINGS:
            ------------

            Registrant hereby undertakes to comply with the provisions of
            Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act with respect to the removal of
            Trustees and the calling of special shareholder meetings by
            shareholders.

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  and  the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, FEDERATED EQUITY FUNDS, has duly
caused this Amendment to its  Registration  Statement to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned,  duly authorized, in the City of Pittsburgh and Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, on the 15th day of September 2000.

                             FEDERATED EQUITY FUNDS

                  BY: /s/ Amanda J. Reed
                  Amanda J. Reed, Assistant Secretary
                  Attorney in Fact for John F. Donahue
                  September 15, 2000

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment
to its  Registration  Statement has been signed below by the following person in
the capacity and on the date indicated:

    NAME                            TITLE                   DATE

By: /s/ Amanda J. Reed             Attorney In Fact     September 15, 2000
    Amanda J. Reed                 For the Persons
    ASSISTANT SECRETARY            Listed Below

John F. Donahue*                   Chairman and Trustee
                                   (Chief Executive Officer)

Glen R. Johnson*                   President

J.    Christopher Donahue*         Executive Vice President
                                   and Trustee

Richard J. Thomas*                  Treasurer
                                   (Principal Financial and
                                    Accounting Officer)

J. Thomas Madden*                   Chief Investment Officer

Thomas G. Bigley*                   Trustee

John T. Conroy, Jr.*                Trustee

Nicholas P. Constantakis*           Trustee

John F. Cunningham*                 Trustee

Lawrence D. Ellis, M.D.*            Trustee

Peter E. Madden*                    Trustee

Charles F. Mansfield, Jr.*          Trustee

John E. Murray, Jr., J.D., S.J.D.*  Trustee

Marjorie P. Smuts*                  Trustee

John S. Walsh*                      Trustee



* By Power of Attorney





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