PILGRIM MUTUAL FUNDS
485APOS, EX-99.D.1, 2000-12-22
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                                                                  Exhibit (d)(1)

                         INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT


     AGREEMENT made this ____ day of September 2000 between Pilgrim Mutual Funds
(the  "Fund"),  a Delaware  business  trust and Pilgrim  Investments,  Inc. (the
"Manager"), a Delaware corporation (the "Agreement").

     WHEREAS,  the Fund is an open-end management  investment company registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act");

     WHEREAS,  the Fund is authorized to issue shares of beneficial  interest in
separate  series  with each such  series  representing  interests  in a separate
portfolio of securities and other assets;

     WHEREAS,  the Fund may offer shares of additional series in the future, and
currently intends to offer shares of additional series in the future;

     WHEREAS,  the Fund  desires to avail  itself of the services of the Manager
for the provision of advisory and management services for the Fund; and

     WHEREAS, the Manager is willing to render such services to the Fund;

     NOW, THEREFORE,  in consideration of the premises,  the promises and mutual
covenants herein contained, it is agreed between the parties as follows:

     1.  APPOINTMENT.  The Fund  hereby  appoints  the  Manager,  subject to the
direction of the Board of Trustees, for the period and on the terms set forth in
this  Agreement,  to  provide  advisory,  management,  and  other  services,  as
described  herein,  with  respect to each series of the Fund  (individually  and
collectively  referred  to  herein  as  "Series").   The  Manager  accepts  such
appointment  and  agrees  to  render  the  services  herein  set  forth  for the
compensation herein provided.

     In the event the Fund  establishes  and designates  additional  series with
respect to which it desires to retain the  Manager to render  advisory  services
hereunder,  it shall notify the Manager in writing. If the Manager is willing to
render  such  services,  it shall  notify the Fund in  writing,  whereupon  such
additional series shall become a Series hereunder.

     2. SERVICES OF THE MANAGER.  The Manager represents and warrants that it is
registered as an investment  adviser under the  Investment  Advisers Act of 1940
and will maintain such  registration  for so long as required by applicable law.
Subject to the general  supervision  of the Board of  Trustees of the Fund,  the
Manager shall provide the following  advisory,  management,  and other  services
with respect to the Series:

     (a) Provide general, overall advice and guidance with respect to the Series
and  provide  advice  and  guidance  to the Fund's  Trustees,  and  oversee  the
management of the  investments of the Series and the composition of each Series'
portfolio of  securities  and  investments,  including  cash,  and the purchase,
retention and disposition  thereof,  in accordance with each Series'  investment
objective  or  objectives   and  policies  as  stated  in  the  Fund's   current
registration  statement,  which management may be provided by others selected by
the Manager and approved by the Board of Trustees as provided  below or directly
by the Manager as provided in Section 3 of this Agreement;
<PAGE>
     (b) In the  event  that the  Manager  wishes  to  select  others  to render
investment management services, the Manager shall analyze,  select and recommend
for  consideration  and  approval  by the Fund's  Board of  Trustees  investment
advisory firms (however  organized) to provide  investment advice to one or more
of the Series, and, at the expense of the Manager,  engage (which engagement may
also be by the Fund) such investment  advisory firms to render investment advice
and manage the  investments  of such  Series  and the  composition  of each such
Series'  portfolio  of  securities  and  investments,  including  cash,  and the
purchase,  retention and  disposition  thereof,  in accordance  with the Series'
investment  objective or objectives and policies as stated in the Fund's current
registration  statement  (any such firms  approved by the Board of Trustees  and
engaged by the Fund  and/or the Manager  are  referred  to herein as  "Portfolio
Managers");

     (c)  Periodically  monitor and evaluate the  performance  of the  Portfolio
Managers with respect to the investment objectives and policies of the Series;

     (d) Monitor the  Portfolio  Managers  for  compliance  with the  investment
objective or objectives, policies and restrictions of each Series, the 1940 Act,
Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and if applicable,  regulations under
such provisions, and other applicable law;

     (e) If appropriate,  analyze and recommend for  consideration by the Fund's
Board of Trustees termination of a contract with a Portfolio Manager under which
the Portfolio  Manager provides  investment  advisory services to one or more of
the Series;

     (f)  Supervise  Portfolio  Managers  with respect to the services that such
Portfolio  Managers provide under  respective  portfolio  management  agreements
("Portfolio Management Agreements");

     (g) Render to the Board of Trustees of the Fund such  periodic  and special
reports as the Board may reasonably request; and

     (h) Make  available its officers and employees to the Board of Trustees and
officers  of  the  Fund  for   consultation   and   discussions   regarding  the
administration  and  management of the Series and services  provided to the Fund
under this Agreement.

     3.  INVESTMENT  MANAGEMENT  AUTHORITY.  In the event the Manager  wishes to
render investment management services directly to a Series, then with respect to
any such Series, the Manager,  subject to the supervision of the Fund's Board of
Trustees, will provide a continuous investment program for the Series' portfolio
and determine the composition of the assets of the Series' portfolio,  including
determination of the purchase,  retention, or sale of the securities,  cash, and
other  investments  contained  in  the  portfolio.   The  Manager  will  provide
investment research and conduct a continuous program of evaluation,  investment,
sales,  and reinvestment of the Series' assets by determining the securities and
other  investments  that shall be purchased,  entered  into,  sold,  closed,  or

                                       2
<PAGE>
exchanged for the Series, when these transactions  should be executed,  and what
portion of the assets of the Series should be held in the various securities and
other  investments in which it may invest,  and the Manager is hereby authorized
to execute and  perform  such  services  on behalf of the Series.  To the extent
permitted  by the  investment  policies  of the Series,  the Manager  shall make
decisions for the Series as to foreign currency matters and make  determinations
as to, and execute and perform, foreign currency exchange contracts on behalf of
the Series.  The Manager  will  provide the  services  under this  Agreement  in
accordance with the Series' investment  objective or objectives,  policies,  and
restrictions  as stated in the  Fund's  Registration  Statement  filed  with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), as amended. Furthermore:

     (a) The  Manager  will  manage  the  Series so that each will  qualify as a
regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. In
managing the Series in accordance with these requirements,  the Manager shall be
entitled to receive and act upon advice of counsel to the Fund or counsel to the
Manager.

     (b)  The  Manager  will  conform  with  the  1940  Act and  all  rules  and
regulations  thereunder,  all  other  applicable  federal  and  state  laws  and
regulations,  with any  applicable  procedures  adopted by the  Fund's  Board of
Trustees, and the provisions of the Registration Statement of the Fund under the
Securities Act of 1933 and the 1940 Act, as supplemented or amended.

     (c) On occasions  when the Manager deems the purchase or sale of a security
to be in the  best  interest  of the  Series  as  well as any  other  investment
advisory  clients,  the Manager may, to the extent  permitted by applicable laws
and  regulations,  but shall not be obligated to, aggregate the securities to be
so sold or purchased  with those of its other clients where such  aggregation is
not inconsistent with the policies set forth in the Registration  Statement.  In
such event,  allocation  of the  securities so purchased or sold, as well as the
expenses  incurred in the  transaction,  will be made by the Manager in a manner
that is fair and equitable in the judgment of the Manager in the exercise of its
fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients.

     (d) In  connection  with the purchase and sale of securities of the Series,
the Manager will arrange for the transmission to the custodian for the Fund on a
daily basis,  of such  confirmation,  trade  tickets,  and other  documents  and
information,  including, but not limited to, Cusip, Cedel, or other numbers that
identify  securities to be purchased or sold on behalf of the Series,  as may be
reasonably  necessary to enable the custodian to perform its  administrative and
recordkeeping  responsibilities  with  respect to the  Series.  With  respect to
portfolio  securities  to be  purchased  or sold  through the  Depository  Trust
Company,   the  Manager  will  arrange  for  the  prompt   transmission  of  the
confirmation of such trades to the Fund's custodian.

     (e) The Manager will assist the custodian or portfolio accounting agent for
the Fund in  determining,  consistent with the procedures and policies stated in
the Registration  Statement for the Fund, the value of any portfolio  securities
or other assets of the Series for which the  custodian  or portfolio  accounting
agent seeks assistance or review from the Manager.

                                       3
<PAGE>
     (f) The Manager will make available to the Fund, promptly upon request, any
of the Series'  investment  records and ledgers as are  necessary  to assist the
Fund to comply with  requirements  of the 1940 Act, as well as other  applicable
laws.  The Manager will furnish to regulatory  authorities  having the requisite
authority any  information or reports in connection  with its services which may
be requested in order to ascertain  whether the operations of the Fund are being
conducted in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

     (g) The Manager  will  regularly  report to the Fund's Board of Trustees on
the investment program for the Series and the issuers and securities represented
in the Series'  portfolio,  and will furnish the Fund's  Board of Trustees  with
respect to the Series such  periodic  and special  reports as the  Trustees  may
reasonably request.

     (h) In  connection  with its  responsibilities  under  this  Section 3, the
Manager  is  responsible  for  decisions  to buy and sell  securities  and other
investments for the Series' portfolio,  broker-dealer selection, and negotiation
of brokerage commission rates. The Manager's primary  consideration in effecting
a security  transaction  will be to obtain the best  execution  for the  Series,
taking into account the factors  specified in the Prospectus and/or Statement of
Additional  Information  for  the  Fund,  which  include  price  (including  the
applicable  brokerage  commission or dollar spread),  the size of the order, the
nature of the  market  for the  security,  the  timing of the  transaction,  the
reputation,  experience and financial  stability of the broker-dealer  involved,
the quality of the service, the difficulty of execution,  execution capabilities
and  operational  facilities  of the  firms  involved,  and the  firm's  risk in
positioning a block of securities.  Accordingly,  the price to the Series in any
transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer
if the difference is reasonably justified, in the judgment of the Manager in the
exercise  of its  fiduciary  obligations  to the Fund,  by other  aspects of the
portfolio  execution services offered.  Subject to such policies as the Board of
Trustees may  determine  and  consistent  with Section  28(e) of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  the Manager shall not be deemed to have acted
unlawfully or to have  breached any duty created by this  Agreement or otherwise
solely by reason of its  having  caused the  Series to pay a  broker-dealer  for
effecting  a  portfolio  investment  transaction  in  excess  of the  amount  of
commission  another   broker-dealer   would  have  charged  for  effecting  that
transaction,  if the  Manager  determines  in good  faith  that  such  amount of
commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research
services  provided  by such  broker-dealer,  viewed  in  terms  of  either  that
particular transaction or the Manager's overall responsibilities with respect to
the  Series  and to its  other  clients  as to  which  it  exercises  investment
discretion. To the extent consistent with these standards and in accordance with
Section  11(a)  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934  and  Rule  11a2-2(T)
thereunder,  the Manager is further  authorized to allocate the orders placed by
it on behalf of the Series to the Manager if it is registered as a broker-dealer
with the SEC, to an affiliated broker-dealer, or to such brokers and dealers who
also provide  research or statistical  material or other services to the Series,
the Manager or an  affiliate of the Manager.  Such  allocation  shall be in such
amounts and proportions as the Manager shall determine consistent with the above
standards, and the Manager will report on said allocation regularly to the Board
of Trustees of the Fund indicating the  broker-dealers to which such allocations
have been made and the basis therefor.

                                       4
<PAGE>
     4. CONFORMITY  WITH APPLICABLE LAW. The Manager,  in the performance of its
duties and obligations  under this  Agreement,  shall act in conformity with the
Registration  Statement of the Fund and with the  instructions and directions of
the Board of Trustees  of the Fund and will  conform  to, and comply  with,  the
requirements of the 1940 Act and all other applicable federal and state laws and
regulations.

     5.  EXCLUSIVITY.  The  services  of the  Manager  to the  Fund  under  this
Agreement  are not to be deemed  exclusive,  and the Manager,  or any  affiliate
thereof,  shall be free to render similar services to other investment companies
and other clients (whether or not their  investment  objectives and policies are
similar to those of any of the  Series)  and to engage in other  activities,  so
long as its services hereunder are not impaired thereby.

     6. DOCUMENTS.  The Fund has delivered  properly  certified or authenticated
copies of each of the following  documents to the Manager and will deliver to it
all future amendments and supplements thereto, if any:

     (a) certified  resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Fund  authorizing
the appointment of the Manager and approving the form of this Agreement;

     (b) the  Registration  Statement  as filed with the SEC and any  amendments
thereto; and

     (c)  exhibits,  powers  of  attorney,  certificates  and any and all  other
documents  relating to or filed in connection  with the  Registration  Statement
described above.

     7. RECORDS.  The Manager agrees to maintain and to preserve for the periods
prescribed  under the 1940 Act any such records as are required to be maintained
by the Manager with  respect to the Series by the 1940 Act. The Manager  further
agrees that all records  which it maintains  for each Series are the property of
the Fund and it will promptly surrender any of such records upon request.

     8. EXPENSES.  During the term of this  Agreement,  the Manager will pay all
expenses  incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement,
except such  expenses as are assumed by the Fund under this  Agreement  and such
expenses as are assumed by a Portfolio  Manager under its  Portfolio  Management
Agreement.  The Manager  further agrees to pay all fees payable to the Portfolio
Managers,  executive  salaries  and expenses of the Trustees of the Fund who are
employees  of the Manager or its  affiliates,  and office rent of the Fund.  The
Fund  shall be  responsible  for all of the other  expenses  of its  operations,
including,  without limitation, the management fee payable hereunder;  brokerage
commissions;  interest; legal fees and expenses of attorneys;  fees of auditors,
transfer  agents and dividend  disbursing  agents,  custodians  and  shareholder
servicing  agents;  the expense of obtaining  quotations  for  calculating  each
Fund's net asset value;  taxes,  if any, and the  preparation  of the Fund's tax
returns;  cost of stock certificates and any other expenses  (including clerical
expenses)  of issue,  sale,  repurchase  or  redemption  of shares;  expenses of
registering  and qualifying  shares of the Fund under federal and state laws and
regulations  (including  the salary of employees  of the Manager  engaged in the
registering  and  qualifying  of shares of the Fund under federal and state laws
and  regulations or a pro-rata  portion of the salary of employees to the extent
so engaged);  salaries of personnel involved in placing orders for the execution

                                       5
<PAGE>
of the Fund's  portfolio  transactions;  expenses of printing  and  distributing
reports,  notices  and proxy  materials  to existing  shareholders;  expenses of
printing  and  filing  reports  and  other  documents  filed  with  governmental
agencies; expenses in connection with shareholder and trustee meetings; expenses
of  printing  and   distributing   prospectuses  and  statements  of  additional
information to existing shareholders;  fees and expenses of Trustees of the Fund
who  are not  employees  of the  Manager  or any  Portfolio  Manager,  or  their
affiliates;  trade association dues; insurance premiums;  extraordinary expenses
such as  litigation  expenses.  To the  extent the  Manager  incurs any costs or
performs any services  which are an obligation of the Fund, as set forth herein,
the Fund shall  promptly  reimburse the Manager for such costs and expenses.  To
the extent the services for which the Fund is obligated to pay are  performed by
the Manager,  the Manager shall be entitled to recover from the Fund only to the
extent of its costs for such services.

     9.  COMPENSATION.  For the services  provided by the Manager to each Series
pursuant to this Agreement, the Fund will pay to the Manager an annual fee equal
to the amount specified for such Series in Schedule A hereto, payable monthly in
arrears.  Payment of the above fees shall be in  addition  to any amount paid to
the Manager for the salary of its employees for performing services which are an
obligation  of the Fund as provided in Section 8. The fee will be  appropriately
pro-rated to reflect any portion of a calendar  month that this Agreement is not
in effect between us.

     10.  LIABILITY  OF  THE  MANAGER.  The  Manager  may  rely  on  information
reasonably  believed by it to be accurate and reliable.  Except as may otherwise
be required by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder, neither the Manager nor its
stockholders, officers, directors, employees, or agents shall be subject to, and
the Fund will indemnify such persons from and against, any liability for, or any
damages,  expenses,  or losses incurred in connection  with, any act or omission
connected  with or arising out of any services  rendered  under this  Agreement,
except by reason of willful  misfeasance,  bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of the Manager's duties,  or by reason of reckless  disregard of the
Manager's  obligations and duties under this Agreement.  Except as may otherwise
be required by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder, neither the Manager nor its
stockholders, officers, directors, employees, or agents shall be subject to, and
the Fund will indemnify such persons from and against, any liability for, or any
damages, expenses, or losses incurred in connection with, any act or omission by
a Portfolio Manager or any of the Portfolio Manager's  stockholders or partners,
officers,  directors,  employees, or agents connected with or arising out of any
services rendered under a Portfolio  Management  Agreement,  except by reason of
willful  misfeasance,  bad faith, or gross  negligence in the performance of the
Manager's duties under this Agreement, or by reason of reckless disregard of the
Manager's  obligations  and duties under this  Agreement.  No trustee,  officer,
employee  or agent  of the  Fund  shall be  subject  to any  personal  liability
whatsoever,  in his or her  official  capacity,  to any  person,  including  the
Portfolio  Manager,  other than to the Fund or its  shareholders,  in connection
with Fund  property or the affairs of the Fund,  save only that arising from his
or her bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
his or her duty to such person;  and all such  persons  shall look solely to the
Fund  property  for  satisfaction  of claims of any  nature  against a  trustee,
officer, employee or agent of the Fund arising in connection with the affairs of
the Fund. Moreover, the debts,  liabilities,  obligations and expenses incurred,
contracted  for  or  otherwise  existing  with  respect  to a  Series  shall  be
enforceable against the assets and property of that Series only, and not against
the assets or property of any other series of the Fund.

                                       6
<PAGE>
     11. CONTINUATION AND TERMINATION.  This Agreement shall become effective on
the date first written above,  subject to the condition that the Fund's Board of
Trustees,  including a majority of those Trustees who are not interested persons
(as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Manager,  and the  shareholders
of each  Series,  shall have  approved  this  Agreement.  Unless  terminated  as
provided  herein,  the Agreement shall continue in full force and effect for two
(2) years from the effective  date of this  Agreement,  and shall  continue from
year to year thereafter with respect to each Series so long as such  continuance
is specifically  approved at least annually (i) by the vote of a majority of the
Board of Trustees of the Fund, or (ii) by vote of a majority of the  outstanding
voting  shares  of the  Series  (as  defined  in the  1940  Act),  and  provided
continuance  is also approved by the vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees
of the Fund who are not parties to this  Agreement or  "interested  persons" (as
defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or the Manager, cast in person at a meeting
called for the purpose of voting on such  approval.  This  Agreement  may not be
amended  in any  material  respect  without a majority  vote of the  outstanding
voting shares (as defined in the 1940 Act).

     However, any approval of this Agreement by the holders of a majority of the
outstanding  shares (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Series  shall be effective
to continue this Agreement with respect to such Series  notwithstanding (i) that
this  Agreement  has not been  approved  by the  holders  of a  majority  of the
outstanding  shares of any other Series or (ii) that this Agreement has not been
approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, unless
such approval shall be required by any other  applicable law or otherwise.  This
Agreement may be terminated by the Fund at any time,  without the payment of any
penalty, by vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Fund or by a vote
of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund, or with respect to a
Series,  by vote of a majority of the outstanding  voting shares of such Series,
on sixty (60) days'  written  notice to the  Manager,  or by the  Manager at any
time, without the payment of any penalty,  on sixty (60) days' written notice to
the Fund. This Agreement will  automatically  and  immediately  terminate in the
event of its "assignment" (as described in the 1940 Act).

     12. USE OF NAME. It is understood that the name "Pilgrim Investments, Inc."
or any derivative thereof (including the name "Pilgrim") or logo associated with
that name is the valuable  property of the Manager and its affiliates,  and that
the Fund  and/or the Series  have the right to use such name (or  derivative  or
logo) only so long as this  Agreement  shall  continue with respect to such Fund
and/or Series.  Upon  termination of this Agreement,  the Fund (or Series) shall
forthwith cease to use such name (or derivative or logo) and, in the case of the
Fund,  shall promptly amend its Declaration of Trust to change its name (if such
name is included therein).

     13.   COUNTERPARTS.   This  Agreement  may  be  executed  in  one  or  more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original.

                                       7
<PAGE>
     14. APPLICABLE LAW.

     (a) This  Agreement  shall be governed by the laws of the State of Arizona,
provided that nothing  herein shall be construed in a manner  inconsistent  with
the 1940 Act, the Investment  Advisers Act of 1940, or any rules or order of the
SEC thereunder.

     (b) If any provision of this  Agreement  shall be held or made invalid by a
court  decision,  statute,  rule or otherwise,  the remainder of this  Agreement
shall not be  affected  thereby  and, to this  extent,  the  provisions  of this
Agreement shall be deemed to be severable.

     (c) The captions of this Agreement are included for convenience only and in
no way define or limit any of the  provisions  hereof or otherwise  affect their
construction or effect.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have caused this  instrument to be
executed by their officers  designated  below as of the day and year first above
written.


                              PILGRIM MUTUAL FUNDS

                              By:________________________________

                                 ________________________________
                                 Title


                              PILGRIM INVESTMENTS, INC.


                              By:________________________________

                                 ________________________________
                                 Title

                                       8
<PAGE>
                                   Schedule A
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

SERIES                                       ANNUAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEE
------                                       --------------------------------
<S>                                           <C>
Pilgrim SmallCap Growth Fund                  1.00% of the Series' average net assets

Pilgrim MidCap Growth Fund                    0.75% of the first $500 million of the Series'  average
                                              net assets,  0.675% of the next $500 million of average
                                              net  assets,  and 0.65% of the  average  net  assets in
                                              excess of $1 billion

Pilgrim LargeCap Growth Fund                  0.75% of the first $500 million of the Series'  average
                                              net assets,  0.675% of the next $500 million of average
                                              net  assets,  and 0.65% of the  average  net  assets in
                                              excess of $1 billion

Pilgrim Convertible Fund                      0.75% of the first $500 million of the Series'  average
                                              net assets,  0.675% of the next $500 million of average
                                              net  assets,  and 0.65% of the  average  net  assets in
                                              excess of $1 billion

Pilgrim Balanced Fund                         0.75% of the first $500 million of the Series'  average
                                              net assets,  0.675% of the next $500 million of average
                                              net  assets,  and 0.65% of the  average  net  assets in
                                              excess of $1 billion

Pilgrim Strategic Income Fund                 0.45% of the first $500 million of the Series'  average
                                              net assets,  0.40% of the next $250  million of average
                                              net  assets,  and 0.35% of the  average  net  assets in
                                              excess of $750 million

Pilgrim Emerging  Countries Fund              1.25% of the Series' average net assets

Pilgrim Worldwide Growth Fund                 1.00% of the first $500 million of the Series'  average
                                              net assets,  0.90% of the next $500  million of average
                                              net  assets,  and 0.85% of the  average  net  assets in
                                              excess of $1 billion

Pilgrim International SmallCap Growth Fund    1.00% of the first $500 million of the Series'  average
                                              net assets,  0.90% of the next $500  million of average
                                              net  assets,  and 0.85% of the  average  net  assets in
                                              excess of $1 billion

Pilgrim International Core Growth Fund        1.00% of the first $500 million of the Series'  average
                                              net assets,  0.90% of the next $500  million of average
                                              net  assets,  and 0.85% of the  average  net  assets in
                                              excess of $1 billion

Pilgrim High Yield Fund II                    0.60% of the Series' average net assets

Pilgrim Money Market Fund                     0.50% if the Fund has not invested substantially all of
                                              its  assets in  another  investment  company,  0.15% if
                                              substantially all of its assets are invested in another
                                              investment company
</TABLE>

                                        9


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