Seasons Series Trust, et al.; Notice of Application

Federal Register, Volume 76 Issue 240 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)

Federal Register Volume 76, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)

Notices

Pages 77857-77859

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2011-32003

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Investment Company Act Release No. 29879; File No. 812-13952

Seasons Series Trust, et al.; Notice of Application

December 8, 2011.

AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').

ACTION: Notice of an application under section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Act'') for an exemption from rule 12d1-2(a) under the Act.

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SUMMARY: Summary of Application: Applicants request an order to permit open-end management investment companies relying on rule 12d1-2 under the Act to invest in certain financial instruments.

Applicants: Seasons Series Trust (``Seasons''), SunAmerica Series Trust (``Series Trust''), VALIC Company II (``VALIC II''), SunAmerica Series, Inc. (``SunAmerica Series'' and collectively with Seasons, Series Trust and VALIC II, the ``Companies''), SunAmerica Asset Management Corp. (``SAAMCo''), The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (``VALIC''), SunAmerica Capital Services, Inc. (``SACS'') and American General Distributors, Inc. (``AGDI'' and collectively with the Companies, SAAMCo, VALIC and SACS, the ``Applicants'').

DATES: Filing Date: The application was filed on August 31, 2011.

Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An order granting the application will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission's Secretary and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 5:30 p.m. on January 3, 2012 and should be accompanied by proof of service on applicants, in the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a certificate of service. Hearing requests should state the nature of the writer's interest, the reason for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to be notified of a hearing may request notification by writing to the Commission's Secretary.

ADDRESSES: Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090; Applicants: Seasons and Series Trust, One SunAmerica Center, Los Angeles, CA 90067; VALIC II, VALIC, and AGDI, 2929 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019; SunAmerica Series, SAAMCo, and SACS, Harborside Financial Center, 3200 Plaza 5, Jersey City, NJ 07311.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Ehrlich, Senior Counsel, at (202) 551-6819, or Mary Kay Frech, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6821 (Division of Investment Management, Office of Investment Company Regulation).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the application. The complete application may be obtained via the Commission's Web site by searching for the file number, or an applicant using the

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Company name box, at http://www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by calling (202) 551-8090.

Applicants' Representations

1. Each of Seasons and Series Trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust, VALIC II is organized as a Delaware statutory trust, and SunAmerica Series is organized as a Maryland corporation. Each of the Companies is registered under the Act as an open-end management investment company. SAAMCo, a Delaware corporation, is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. (``AIG''). VALIC, a Texas corporation, is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of AIG. Each of SAAMCo and VALIC is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (``Advisers Act''). Either SAAMCo or VALIC currently serves as investment adviser to each existing Fund of Funds (as defined below). SACS, a Delaware corporation, is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of AIG. AGDI, a Delaware corporation, is also an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of AIG. Each of SACS and AGDI is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act''), and SACS, and in certain cases AGDI, serve as the distributors for certain of the Funds of Funds.

2. Applicants request the exemption to the extent necessary to permit any existing or future series of the Companies or any other existing or future registered open-end management investment company or series thereof that: (i) Is advised by SAAMCo or VALIC or an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with SAAMCo or VALIC (any such adviser, SAAMCo or VALIC, an ``Adviser''); \1\ (ii) invests in other registered open-end management investment companies (``Underlying Funds'') in reliance on section 12(d)(1)(G) of the Act; and (iii) is also eligible to invest in securities (as defined in section 2(a)(36) of the Act) in reliance on rule 12d1-2 under the Act (each, a ``Fund of Funds''), to also invest, to the extent consistent with its investment objectives, policies, strategies and limitations, in financial instruments which may not be securities within the meaning of section 2(a)(36) of the Act (``Other Investments'').\2\ Applicants also request that the order exempt any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with SACS or AGDI that now or in the future acts as principal underwriter with respect to the transactions described in the application.

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   \1\ Any other Adviser also will be registered under the Advisers Act.

   \2\ Every existing entity that currently intends to rely on the requested order is named as an Applicant. Any entity that relies on the order in the future will do so only in accordance with the terms and condition in the Application.

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3. Consistent with its fiduciary obligations under the Act, each Fund of Funds' board of trustees/directors will review the advisory fees charged by the Fund of Funds' Adviser to ensure that they are based on services provided that are in addition to, rather than duplicative of, services provided pursuant to the advisory agreement of any investment company in which the Fund of Funds may invest.

   Applicants' Legal Analysis

1. Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act provides that no registered investment company (``acquiring company'') may acquire securities of another investment company (``acquired company'') if such securities represent more than 3% of the acquired company's outstanding voting stock or more than 5% of the acquiring company's total assets, or if such securities, together with the securities of other investment companies, represent more than 10% of the acquiring company's total assets. Section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act provides that no registered open-end investment company may sell its securities to another investment company if the sale will cause the acquiring company to own more than 3% of the acquired company's voting stock, or cause more than 10% of the acquired company's voting stock to be owned by investment companies and companies controlled by them.

2. Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the Act provides, in part, that section 12(d)(1) will not apply to securities of an acquired company purchased by an acquiring company if: (i) The acquired company and acquiring company are part of the same group of investment companies; (ii) the acquiring company holds only securities of acquired companies that are part of the same group of investment companies, government securities, and short-term paper; (iii) the aggregate sales loads and distribution-

   related fees of the acquiring company and the acquired company are not excessive under rules adopted pursuant to section 22(b) or section 22(c) of the Act by a securities association registered under section 15A of the Exchange Act or by the Commission; and (iv) the acquired company has a policy that prohibits it from acquiring securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on section 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the Act.

3. Rule 12d1-2 under the Act permits a registered open-end investment company or a registered unit investment trust that relies on section 12(d)(1)(G) of the Act to acquire, in addition to securities issued by another registered investment company in the same group of investment companies, government securities, and short-term paper: (i) Securities issued by an investment company that is not in the same group of investment companies, when the acquisition is in reliance on section 12(d)(1)(A) or 12(d)(1)(F) of the Act; (ii) securities (other than securities issued by an investment company); and (iii) securities issued by a money market fund, when the investment is in reliance on rule 12d1-1 under the Act. For the purposes of rule 12d1-2, ``securities'' means any security as defined in section 2(a)(36) of the Act.

4. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt any person, security, or transaction from any provision of the Act, or from any rule under the Act, if such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policies and provisions of the Act.

5. Applicants state that the Funds of Funds will comply with rule 12d1-2 under the Act, but for the fact that the Funds of Funds may invest a portion of their assets in Other Investments. Applicants request an order under section 6(c) of the Act for an exemption from rule 12d1-2(a) to allow the Funds of Funds to invest in Other Investments while investing in Underlying Funds. Applicants assert that permitting the Funds of Funds to invest in Other Investments as described in the application would not raise any of the concerns that the requirements of section 12(d)(1) were designed to address.

   Applicants' Condition

   Applicants agree that any order granting the requested relief will be subject to the following condition:

   Applicants will comply with all provisions of rule 12d1-2 under the Act, except for paragraph (a)(2) to the extent that it restricts any Fund of Funds from investing in Other Investments as described in the application.

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   For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, under delegated authority.

   Kevin M. O'Neill,

   Deputy Secretary.

   FR Doc. 2011-32003 Filed 12-13-11; 8:45 am

   BILLING CODE 8011-01-P