t68666_14a.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
(Rule
14a-101)
INFORMATION
REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION
Proxy
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Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment
No. ___ )
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Soliciting
Material under Rule 14a-12
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Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as
Specified in its Charter) |
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Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
220 East
42nd
Street
New York,
New York 10017-5891
NOTICE
OF SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD ON OCTOBER 15, 2010
Notice is
hereby given that a Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of each of
the investment companies set forth above (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the
“Funds”) will be held at the offices of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
LLP, 399 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022 on October 15, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time).
The
Meeting is being called to consider and act upon the following proposals for
each Fund and to transact such other business as may properly come before the
Meeting:
1. To
elect three nominees for Directors, as named in the Proxy Statement, of each
Fund, each of whom will serve until he or she resigns, is removed, dies or
becomes incapacitated.
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2.
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To
approve a new investment advisory agreement between each Fund and EULAV
Asset Management.
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The close
of business on August ●, 2010 has been
fixed as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to
notice of and to vote at the Meeting and any adjournment(s) or postponement(s)
thereof.
PLEASE
EXECUTE AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD PROMPTLY IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED
WHETHER OR NOT YOU INTEND TO BE PRESENT AT THE MEETING. YOU MAY
REVOKE YOUR PROXY AT ANY TIME BEFORE IT IS VOTED. NO POSTAGE IS
REQUIRED IF THE PROXY IS MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE
BOARD (INCLUDING ALL OF THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS) OF EACH FUND RECOMMENDS THAT
YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSALS.
This is a
Joint Notice and Proxy Statement for the Funds. The shares you own in a
particular Fund may only be voted with respect to that Fund. If you
own shares in more than one of the Funds listed, please vote with respect to
each such Fund.
If you
have any questions regarding the proposals or need assistance in completing your
proxy cards or casting your vote by the live operator, the touchtone phone
process or via the Internet, please call [___________], a professional proxy
solicitation firm that has been engaged to assist shareholders in the voting
process, at [____________] (toll-free). Representatives are available
Monday through Friday, [___] a.m.- [___] p.m. (Eastern Time), and Saturday,
[___] a.m. - [___] p.m. (Eastern Time).
Important Notice Regarding
the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Meeting: This
Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders, the Proxy Statement and the forms of
proxy cards are available on the Internet at www.[__________]. On
this website, you will be able to access the Notice of Special Meeting of
Shareholders, the Proxy Statement, the form of proxy cards and any amendments or
supplements to the foregoing material that are required to be furnished to
shareholders.
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By Order of the
Boards of Directors, |
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Howard A.
Brecher
Secretary
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August ,
2010
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
220 East
42nd
Street
New York,
New York 10017-5891
SPECIAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
This
Proxy Statement contains the information that you should know before voting on
the proposals summarized below. If you attend the special meeting of
shareholders (the “Meeting”) of Value Line Mutual Funds listed above (each, a
“Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) to which this Proxy Statement relates, you
may vote your shares in person. This is a Joint Proxy Statement for
the Funds. The shares you own in a particular Fund may only be voted
with respect to that Fund. If you own shares in more than one Fund,
please vote with respect to each such Fund. Even if you do not attend
the Meeting, you may vote by proxy in one of the following three simple
ways:
Internet
– Simply log on to the website address located on your Proxy Card. You will need
the control number and check digit found on the Proxy Card at the time you
execute your vote.
Touchtone
Phone – Simply dial the toll-free number on the enclosed Proxy Card and
follow the automated instructions. Please have the Proxy Card available at the
time of the call.
Mail
– Simply sign, date, and complete the reverse side of the Proxy Card and
return it in the postage-paid envelope provided.
The Board
plans to begin sending this Proxy Statement, the attached notice of the Meeting
and the enclosed Proxy Card on or about August , 2010 to all
shareholders entitled to vote.
Your
vote is very important. If many shareholders choose not to vote, a
Fund may not receive enough votes to reach a quorum in order to conduct the
Meeting for that Fund. Whether or not you plan to attend the Meeting in person,
please mark, sign, date, and return the enclosed Proxy Card in the enclosed
postage-paid envelope or vote by touchtone phone or via the Internet
today.
Photographic
identification will be required for admission to the Meeting.
Each
Fund will furnish, without charge, a copy of its most recent annual report and
most recent semi-annual report to any shareholder upon
request. Shareholders who want to obtain a copy of their Fund’s
report (excluding Value Line Strategic Asset Management Trust and Value Line
Centurion Fund, Inc.) should call 1-800-243-2729 (toll-free), write to the Fund
at the above address or visit the Funds’ website, www.vlfunds.com,
and click on Annual Reports. Copies of annual and semi-annual reports
of each Fund are also available on the EDGAR Database on the Securities and
Exchange Commission’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. For
annual and semi-annual reports for Value Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
and Value Line Centurion Fund, Inc., please call The Guardian Insurance &
Annuity Company, Inc. at 800-221-3253 or visit online at www.guardianinvestor.com/public/products/prospectus.aspx, then
click on Underlying Funds and then click on EULAV.
Please
note that only one annual or semi-annual report or this Proxy Statement may be
delivered to two or more shareholders of a Fund who share an address, unless the
Fund has received instructions to the contrary. To request a separate
copy of an annual report, semi-annual report or this Proxy Statement,
shareholders should contact the applicable Fund at the address and phone number
set forth above.
Introduction
This
Proxy Statement is being furnished to shareholders of each Fund in connection
with the solicitation of proxies by each Fund’s Board of Directors
(collectively, the “Board”) for the Meeting to be held at the offices of Wilmer
Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP located at 399 Park Avenue, New York, New
York 10022 on October 15, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Each Fund
is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as an
open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the “1940 Act”).
PROPOSALS
The
following table summarizes the proposals to be presented at the Meeting and the
Funds to which they apply:
PROPOSAL
|
FUNDS
|
PAGE NUMBER
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(1)
Elect three nominees for Directors of the Funds, as named in this Proxy
Statement, each of whom will serve until he or she resigns, is removed,
dies, retires or becomes incapacitated.
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All
Funds
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[__]
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(2)
Approve a new investment advisory agreement between each Fund and EULAV
Asset Management (“EULAV” or “Adviser”).
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All
Funds
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[__]
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The
proposals are being submitted to a vote of shareholders in light of the
intention by Value Line, Inc. (“VLI”), the parent company of the Adviser and
EULAV Securities, Inc., the Funds’ principal underwriter (the “Distributor” or
“ESI”), to restructure the ownership and control of the Adviser and the
Distributor as more fully described below in this Proxy Statement under
“Description of the Restructuring” (the “Restructuring”) under the heading
“Proposal 2: Approval of New Investment Advisory Agreement Between each Fund and
EULAV Asset Management.”
A new
investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and each Fund (the “New
Investment Advisory Agreement”) is being proposed because each Fund’s current
investment advisory agreement with the Adviser (the “Current Investment Advisory
Agreement”) will terminate upon the closing of the Restructuring (the
“Closing”). The Restructuring will result in a change of control of
the Adviser and, as a result, the Current Investment Advisory Agreements will
automatically terminate. Consequently, each Fund’s new investment
advisory agreement, which must be approved by that Fund’s shareholders, will be
necessary in order for the investment management of each Fund to continue
uninterrupted after the Closing.
Under the
New Investment Advisory Agreements, the services to be provided by the Adviser
after the Closing and the rates at which fees are to be paid by each Fund are
the same as under the Current Investment Advisory Agreements. In
addition, the other terms of the New Investment Advisory Agreement are the same
as the Current Investment Advisory Agreements, except for the date of execution,
the two-year initial term, immaterial updating changes and immaterial changes in
form.
As
described in greater detail under the heading “Proposal 1: Election
of Directors” below in this Proxy Statement, the Board also recommends that each
Fund’s shareholders elect three persons, Ms. Joyce Heinzerling and Messrs.
Mitchell E. Appel and Daniel S. Vandivort, to serve as
directors. Each of Ms. Heinzerling and Mr. Vandivort are currently
serving as directors who are not “interested persons” (within the meaning of the
1940 Act) (“Independent Directors”) of each Fund and were previously appointed
by the Board in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Mr.
Appel is the President of the Adviser and the Funds but is not currently serving
as a director of the Funds.
No
business other than the Investment Advisory Proposal and Director Election
Proposal may properly be presented for consideration at the
Meeting. If any other procedural matter relating to the proposals at
the Meeting is properly presented at the Meeting, it is the intention of the
persons named in the enclosed forms of proxy to vote in accordance with their
discretion.
THE
BOARD (INCLUDING ALL OF THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS) RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE IN
FAVOR OF THE PROPOSALS.
Each
shareholder is entitled to one vote for each share (and a fractional vote for
each fractional share) outstanding in such shareholder’s name on the books of
each Fund on August ●, 2010 (the
“Record Date”). Shareholders who owned shares of any Fund at the
close of business on the Record Date are entitled to vote on all of their Fund’s
business at the Meeting and any adjournment thereof.
The
following table sets forth the number of shares outstanding as of the Record
Date for each Fund:
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SHARES
OUTSTANDING AS OF THE RECORD DATE
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Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
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[_________]
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Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
|
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[_________]
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Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
|
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[_________]
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The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
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[_________]
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It is
important for you to vote on the proposals described in this Proxy
Statement. We recommend that you read this Proxy Statement in its
entirety. The explanation provided in the Proxy Statement will help
you to decide on the issues.
PROPOSAL
1. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS1
The
purpose of this Proposal is to elect three nominees as Directors to the Board:
Ms. Joyce E. Heinzerling and Messrs. Mitchell E. Appel and Daniel S. Vandivort
(the “Nominees”). Ms. Heinzerling and Mr. Vandivort are currently
serving as Independent Directors on the Board by Board appointment in accordance
with the requirements of the 1940 Act, and Mr. Vandivort is currently serving as
the Board’s Chairman. Mr. Appel, President of the Adviser and the
Funds, is not currently serving on the Board.
The Board
currently consists of seven Directors - Mmes. Heinzerling and Nancy-Beth Sheerr,
and Messrs. Thomas T. Sarkany, Francis C. Oakley, David H. Porter, Paul Craig
Roberts and Vandivort. All of the current Directors, except for Mr.
Sarkany, are Independent Directors. Four of the current Directors -
Ms. Sheerr and Messrs. Oakley, Porter, and Roberts - were previously duly
elected by shareholders, while three - Ms. Heinzerling and Messrs. Sarkany and
Vandivort - are serving by Board appointment in accordance with the requirements
of the 1940 Act.
1
Some of
the Funds are organized as Massachusetts business trusts and the other Funds are
organized as Maryland corporations. References in this Proxy
Statement to “directors” include both the trustees of those Funds that are
Massachusetts business trusts and directors of those Funds that are Maryland
corporations.
If the
Nominees are elected, Ms. Heinzerling and Mr. Vandivort will continue as
Directors and Mr. Appel will become a Director. Mr. Sarkany has
stated that he will resign from the Board effective upon the election of Mr.
Appel and completion of the Restructuring. As a result, the Board
will continue to consist of seven Directors - all of whom will have been elected
by shareholders. If the Nominees are elected, the Independent
Directors will continue to constitute more than 75% of the Board and the Funds
will continue to have an Independent Director (Mr. Vandivort) serving as their
Chairperson. A person is referred to as “Independent” if he or she is
not an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund and a person
is referred to as “Interested” if he or she is an “interested person” (as so
defined) of the Fund.
Each
Nominee will be elected by shareholders to hold office until he or she resigns,
is removed, dies, retires or becomes incapacitated. Each Nominee has
consented to being named in this Proxy Statement and has indicated his or her
willingness to serve if elected. In the unanticipated event that any
Nominee should be unable to serve, the persons named as proxies on the enclosed
Proxy Card may vote for such other person as shall be designated by the
Board. The persons named as proxies on the enclosed Proxy Card intend
to vote at the Meeting (unless otherwise directed) for the election of the
Nominees.
The
following table sets forth each Nominee’s name, year of birth, position(s) with
the Funds, principal occupation and employment during the past five years, the
number of portfolios in the same “fund complex” as the Funds that the Nominee
would oversee if elected, and other directorships held by the
Nominee. The address of each Nominee for purposes of Fund business is
c/o Value Line Mutual Funds, 220 East 42nd
Street, New York, NY 10017.
Name
and Year of Birth
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Position(s)
with the Funds, Length of Service
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Principal
Occupation During Past Five Years
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Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen
by Nominee(1)
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Other
Directorships
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Independent Nominees:
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Joyce
E. Heinzerling (1956)
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Director
(since 2008).
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Principal,
Meridian Fund Advisers LLC. (consultants) since April 2009; General
Counsel, Archery Capital LLC (private investment fund), until
April 2009.
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14
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Director,
each of the Value Line Mutual Funds since 2008 (14 Funds);
Trustee, Burnham Investors Trust, since 2004
(4 funds)
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Daniel
S. Vandivort (1954)
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Director
(since 2008); Chair (since 2010).
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President,
Chief Investment Officer, Weiss, Peck and Greer/Robeco Investment
Management 2005–2007; Managing Director, Weiss, Peck and Greer,
1995–2005.
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14
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Director
(since 2008) and Chairperson (since 2010), each of the Value
Line Mutual Funds (14 Funds)
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Interested Nominee:
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Mitchell
E. Appel* (1970)
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President (since 2008)/Nominee
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President
of each of the Funds since June 2008; Chief Financial Officer of VLI
since April 2008 and from September 2005 to November 2007
and Treasurer from June 2005 to September 2005; Chief Financial
Officer of XTF Asset Management from November 2007 to
April 2008; Chief Financial Officer of the Distributor since
April 2008 and President since February 2009; President of the
Adviser since February 2009.
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14
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Director
of VLI since February 2010
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(1)
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In
accordance with SEC rules, the number of portfolios included in this
column assumes that the Nominee has been
elected.
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*
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Mr.
Appel, the President of the Adviser and each Fund, does not currently
serve as a Director of any Funds. If he becomes a Director, he
will resign all of his positions with VLI and will serve as an Interested
Director by virtue of his positions with the Adviser and the
Distributor. Each of Ms. Heinzerling and Mr. Vandivort
currently serves as an Independent Director of each
Fund.
|
The
following table sets forth each Director’s (unless disclosed in the prior table)
name, year of birth, position(s) with the Funds, principal occupation and
employment during the past five years, the number of portfolios in the same
“fund complex” as the Funds that the Director oversees, and other directorships
held by the Director. The address of each Director for purposes of
Fund business is c/o Value Line Mutual Funds, 220 East 42nd
Street, New York, NY 10017.
Name
and Year of Birth
|
Position(s)
with the Funds, Length of Service
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Principal
Occupation During Past Five Years
|
Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by
Director
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Other Directorships
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Independent Director:
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Francis
C. Oakley
(1931)
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Director
(since 2000)
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Professor
Emeritus of History, Williams College since 2002, President Emeritus
since 1994 and President, 1985–1994; Trustee since 1997 and
Chairman of the Board since 2005, National Humanities
Center.
|
14
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**
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David
H. Porter
(1935)
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Director
(since 1997).
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Professor,
Skidmore College since 2008; Visiting Professor of Classics, Williams
College, 1999–2008; President Emeritus, Skidmore College since 1999
and President, 1987–1998.
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14
|
**
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Name
and Year of Birth
|
Position(s)
with the Funds, Length of Service
|
Principal
Occupation During Past Five Years
|
Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by
Director
|
Other Directorships
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Paul
Craig Roberts
(1939)
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Director
(since 1983).
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Chairman,
Institute for Political Economy.
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14
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**
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Nancy-Beth
Sheerr
(1949)
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Director
(since 1996).
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Senior
Financial Advisor, Veritable, L.P. (investment advisor).
|
14
|
**
|
**
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Each
Director currently serves as an Independent Director of each
Fund. Mr. Thomas T. Sarkany currently serves as an Interested
Director of each Fund by virtue of his positions with VLI, the Adviser and
the Distributor. Since he will not continue as a Director after
closing of the Restructuring, which is anticipated to occur shortly after
the Meeting, his information is omitted from this Proxy
Statement.
|
Board
of Directors Structure.
The Board
is comprised of seven Directors, six of whom (85%) are Independent
Directors. The Board has appointed Mr. Vandivort (an Independent
Director) as its Chairperson. The Board has established three
standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Nominating/Governance Committee
and the Valuation Committee. The Audit Committee and the
Nominating/Governance Committee are chaired by, and composed entirely of,
Independent Directors. The Valuation Committee is composed of an
Independent Director and an Interested Director. See “Committees and
Board Meetings” below for a further description of the composition, duties and
responsibilities of these committees.
The
Directors and the members of the Board’s committees annually evaluate the
performance of the Board and the committees, which evaluation includes
considering the effectiveness of the Board’s committee structure. The
Board believes that its leadership structure, including an Independent Director
as the Board’s Chairperson, is appropriate in light of the asset size of the
Funds, the number of Funds, and the nature of the Funds’ business, and is
consistent with industry best practices. In particular, the Board
believes that having a super-majority of Independent Directors and an
Independent Chairperson are appropriate and in the best interests of the Funds’
shareholders.
Risk
Oversight by the Board.
As part
of its responsibilities for oversight of the Funds, the Board oversees risk
management of the Funds’ investment programs and business
affairs. The Board performs its oversight responsibilities as part of
its Board and Committee activities. The Independent Directors also
regularly meet outside the presence of management and have engaged independent
legal counsel to assist them in performing their oversight
responsibilities. The Board has delegated to the Audit Committee
oversight responsibility of the integrity of the Funds’ financial statements,
the Funds’ compliance with legal and regulatory requirements as they relate to
the financial statements, the independent auditor’s qualifications and
independence, the Funds’ internal controls over financial reporting, the Funds’
disclosure controls and procedures and the Funds’ code of business conduct and
ethics pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Audit
Committee reports areas of concern, if any, to the Board for discussion and
action.
The
Board, including the Independent Directors, has approved the Funds’ compliance
program and appointed the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer, who is responsible
for testing the compliance procedures of the Funds and certain of their service
providers. Senior management and the Chief Compliance Officer report
at least quarterly to the Board regarding compliance matters relating to the
Funds, and the Chief Compliance Officer annually assesses (and reports to the
Board regarding) the operation of the Funds’ compliance program. The Independent
Directors generally meet at least quarterly with the Chief Compliance Officer
outside the presence of management.
Qualifications
and Experience of the Board and Nominees.
The Board
believes that each Director’s and Nominee’s experience, qualifications,
attributes and skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of
the other Directors and Nominees lead to the conclusion that each Director and
Nominee should serve in such capacity. Among other attributes common
to all Directors are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and
discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Adviser,
other service providers, counsel and the independent registered public
accounting firm, to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of
their duties, and to represent the interests of all the
shareholders. The ability of a Director and Nominee to perform his
duties effectively may have been attained through his educational background or
professional training; business, consulting or academic leadership positions;
experience from service as a Director or officer (in the case of Mr. Appel) of
the Funds, or in various roles at public companies, private entities or other
organizations; and/or other life experiences. In addition to these
shared characteristics, set forth below is a brief discussion of the specific
qualifications, attributes or skills of each Director and Nominee that support
the conclusion that each person is qualified to serve as a
Director. The charter of the Nominating/Governance Committee
specifically requires the value of diversity on the Board to be considered and
precludes discrimination against nominees on the basis of age, race, religion,
national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or any other basis
proscribed by law.
Ms.
Heinzerling has served as an Independent Director on the Board since
2008. Her relevant experience includes being a principal of a
regulatory consulting company, former general counsel to an investment adviser
and a director of an unaffiliated mutual fund family.
Dr.
Oakley has served as an Independent Director on the Board since
2000. His relevant experience includes being the former president of
a college with endowment fund oversight responsibility and serving in other
leadership positions and serving on other boards.
Dr.
Porter has served as an Independent Director on the Board since
1997. His relevant experience includes being the former president of
a college with endowment fund oversight responsibility and serving in other
leadership positions and serving on other boards.
Dr.
Roberts has served as an Independent Director on the Board since
1983. His relevant experience includes being an economist and a
former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury and a nationally syndicated
columnist.
Ms.
Sheerr has served as an Independent Director on the Board since
1996. Her relevant experience includes being a senior financial
adviser of an investment adviser and serving on other boards, including as
chairman, with endowment fund oversight responsibility.
Mr.
Vandivort has served as an Independent Director on the Board since
2008. His relevant experience includes being the former president and
chief investment officer of an investment adviser and former chairman of a
mutual fund group.
Mr. Appel
has served as President of each Fund since 2008 and Chief Financial Officer of
VLI since September 2005 (excluding November 2007 – April 2008). His
relevant experience also includes being a Director of VLI, and serving in senior
officer positions with other asset management companies.
Material
Relationships of the Independent Director Nominees.
As
of July 31, 2010, none of the Independent Directors (including the
Nominees that are Independent Directors), nor any of their “immediate family
members” (as defined below), had any direct or indirect interest whether by
contract, arrangement or otherwise, in any of (i) EULAV, the Funds’ current
investment adviser, (ii) VLI, the Funds’ investment adviser prior to June 30,
2008, (iii) the Distributor, the Funds’ principal underwriter and distributor or
(iv) any other “entity in a control relationship” (as defined below) to EULAV,
VLI or the Distributor.
During
the calendar years 2008 and 2009, none of the Independent Directors (including
the Nominees that are Independent Directors), nor any of their immediate family
members, had an interest in a transaction or a series of similar transactions,
or in any currently proposed transaction, or series of similar transactions, in
which the aggregate amount involved exceeded $120,000 and to which any of the
following were a party (each, a “Fund Related Party”):
●
|
a
“related fund” (as defined below)
|
●
|
an
officer of any related fund
|
●
|
EULAV,
VLI or the Distributor
|
●
|
an
officer of EULAV, VLI or the
Distributor
|
●
|
an
entity in a control relationship with EULAV, VLI, or the
Distributor
|
●
|
an
officer of an entity in a control relationship with EULAV, VLI or the
Distributor
|
During
the calendar years 2008 and 2009, none of the Independent Directors (including
the Nominees that are Independent Directors), nor any of their immediate family
members, had any relationship (the value of which exceeded $120,000) with any
Fund Related Party, including, but not limited to, relationships arising out of
(i) the payment for property and services, (ii) the provision of legal services,
(iii) the provision of investment banking services (other than as a member of
the underwriting syndicate) or (iv) the provision of consulting
services.
The
“immediate family members” of any person are his or her spouse, children in the
person’s household (including step and adoptive children) and any dependent of
the person. An “entity in a control relationship” means any person who controls,
is controlled by or is under common control with the named person. A
“related fund” is a registered investment company or an entity exempt from the
definition of an investment company pursuant to Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of
the 1940 Act for which EULAV or any of its affiliates act as investment
adviser.
Since the
beginning of the most recently completed fiscal year of each Fund, no Nominee
has purchased or sold any securities of EULAV, its parents, or their respective
subsidiaries.
Committees
and Board Meetings.
The Board
has three standing committees – the Nominating/Governance Committee, Valuation
Committee and the Audit Committee.
Nominating
and Governance Committee. The current members of the
Nominating/Governance Committee are Mrs. Nancy-Beth Sheerr (Chairman), and
Messrs. David H. Porter and Paul Craig Roberts, all of whom are Independent
Directors. The Nominating/Governance Committee of each Fund met three
times during 2009.
The
Nominating/Governance Committee operates pursuant to a written charter, a copy
of which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix
A. The Nominating/Governance Committee is responsible for
recommending to the Board persons to be nominated for election as
Directors. Pursuant to the rules under the 1940 Act, only Independent
Directors may select and nominate other Independent Directors for the
Funds. The Nominating/Governance Committee generally does not
consider nominees recommended by shareholders, but may do so if the
Nominating/Governance Committee deems it appropriate. Shareholders
who want to recommend nominees can contact the Nominating/Governance Committee
by sending a signed letter that provides relevant information regarding the
nominee and includes: (i) the shareholder’s name and address; (ii) the number of
shares owned by the shareholder; (iii) the Fund(s) of which the shareholder owns
shares; and (iv) if such shares are owned indirectly through a broker, financial
intermediary or other record owner, the name of the broker, financial
intermediary or other record owner. The letter should be addressed to
Value Line Mutual Funds Board of Directors – Nominating/Governance Committee,
c/o Value Line Mutual Funds, 220 East 42nd
Street, New York, New York 10017-5891.
The
Nominating/Governance Committee’s charter provides for certain criteria to be
used in evaluating candidates for Independent Directors. The
Nominating/Governance Committee expects that all candidates should generally
have the following characteristics:
1.
|
The
candidate may not be an “interested person” (within the meaning of the
1940 Act) of the Funds, any adviser to the Funds, or the Funds’ principal
underwriter.
|
2.
|
The
candidate should have a reputation for integrity, honesty and adherence to
high ethical standards. The Nominating/Governance Committee’s
consideration of this criterion may be accomplished through personal
knowledge of the candidate or through inquiries of other persons that know
the candidate or by receipt of
references.
|
3.
|
The
candidate should have demonstrated business acumen, experience and ability
to exercise sound judgment in matters that relate to the current and
long-term objectives of the Funds and should be willing and able to
contribute positively to the decision-making process of the
Funds.
|
4.
|
The
candidate should be committed to understanding the Funds and the
responsibilities of an Independent Director of an investment company and
to regularly attending and participating in meetings of the Board and the
committees on which the candidate would be a
member.
|
5.
|
The
candidate should have the ability to understand the sometimes conflicting
interests of the various constituencies of the Funds and to act in the
interests of all shareholders.
|
6.
|
The
candidate should not have a conflict of interest that would impair the
candidate’s ability to represent the interests of all the shareholders and
to fulfill the responsibilities of an Independent
Director.
|
7.
|
The
candidate should have the ability to serve a sufficient number of years
before reaching any mandatory retirement age for Directors that may be
adopted by the Board.
|
Nominees
will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, national
origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or any other basis proscribed by
law. For each candidate, the Nominating/Governance Committee will
evaluate specific experience in light of the makeup of the then-current
Board. The Nominating/Governance Committee may determine that a
candidate who does not have the type of previous experience or knowledge
referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a nominee if the
Nominating/Governance Committee finds that the candidate has additional
qualifications such that his/her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate
the same level of fitness to serve as an Independent Director.
In
evaluating candidates, the Nominating/Governance Committee will seek to have at
least one Independent Director qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,”
as such term is defined by rules under the 1940 Act, and will give preference to
candidates that the Nominating/Governance Committee believes would so
qualify.
Any
re-nomination of an existing Independent Director is not viewed as automatic,
but is based on continuing qualification under the criteria set forth
above. In addition, the Nominating/Governance Committee will consider
the existing Independent Director’s performance on the Board and any Board
committees.
The
Nominating/Governance Committee has the authority to retain and terminate any
search firm or other consultant to be used to identify Independent Director
candidates, including the authority to approve such firm’s or consultant’s fees
and other retention terms. The Nominating/Governance Committee is
empowered to cause the Funds to pay the compensation of any search firm or other
consultant engaged by the Nominating/Governance Committee.
In
addition to members of the Nominating/Governance Committee, the President and
other officers of the Funds, even if not members of the Nominating/Governance
Committee, may be solicited for their input on candidates and to recruit
candidates for the Board. The Nominating/Governance Committee will
give candidates recommended by the President and other officers of the Funds the
same consideration given any other candidate.
The
Nominating/Governance Committee makes nominations for the appointment or
election of Independent Directors in accordance with its charter and by applying
the criteria and principles set forth above.
Each
Independent Director Nominee has been selected by the Nominating/Governance
Committee on this basis. Each Independent Director Nominee was
selected as a candidate to be a Director by the current Independent
Directors.
Valuation
Committee. The current members of the Valuation Committee are
Ms. Joyce E. Heinzerling and Mr. Thomas T. Sarkany. The Valuation
Committee reviews any action taken by the Pricing Committee, which consists of
certain officers and employees of the Fund and EULAV, in accordance with the
valuation procedures adopted by the Board. The Valuation Committee of
each Fund met three times during 2009.
Audit
Committee. The current members of the Audit Committee are Mmes. Joyce E.
Heinzerling and Nancy-Beth Sheerr, and Messrs. Francis C. Oakley, David H.
Porter, Paul Craig Roberts and Daniel S. Vandivort (Chairman), all of whom are
Independent Directors. The Audit Committee has determined that Mr.
Vandivort is an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined by
the rules of the 1940 Act. The Audit Committee of each Fund met five times
during 2009.
The Audit
Committee operates pursuant to a written charter and is responsible for, among
other things, overseeing the Funds’ accounting and financial reporting
practices, reviewing the results of the annual audit of the Funds’ financial
statements and interacting with the Funds’ independent registered public
accountants on behalf of the full Board.
Board
Meetings. The Board held four regularly scheduled meetings and one
telephonic meeting during 2009. All of the current Directors and
committee members then serving attended at least 75% of the meetings of the
Board or applicable committee held during 2009. The Funds do not have
a policy regarding the attendance of Directors at annual shareholder
meetings. The Directors are not expected to attend the
Meeting. In accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and
applicable state law, the Funds did not hold an annual shareholder meeting
during 2009.
Shareholder
Communications with the Board.
The Board
has established a process for shareholders to communicate with the
Board. Shareholders may contact the Board by
mail. Correspondence should be addressed to Value Line Mutual Funds
Board of Directors, c/o Value Line Mutual Funds, 220 East 42nd
Street, New York, New York 10017-5891. A shareholder communication to
the Board should include the following information: (i) the name and address of
the shareholder; (ii) the number of shares owned by the shareholder; (iii) the
Fund(s) of which the shareholder owns shares; and (iv) if the shares are owned
indirectly through a broker, financial intermediary or other record owner, the
name of the broker, financial intermediary or other record owner. All
correspondence received as set forth above shall be reviewed by the Secretary of
the Funds and reported to the Board.
Director
and Nominee Ownership of Fund Shares.
Appendix
B sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by
each Director and Nominee individually and in the aggregate, as of July 31,
2010. Securities that are beneficially owned, as defined under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) include direct and indirect
ownership of securities where the economic interest of the Director or Nominee
is tied to the securities, employment ownership and securities when the Director
or Nominee can exert voting power and when the Director or Nominee has authority
to sell the securities. The dollar ranges in Appendix
B are in accordance with SEC requirements.
Compensation
of Directors and Officers.
Appendix
C sets forth the compensation received from the Funds by the Directors
during 2009. No officers receive any compensation from the Funds for
their services to the Fund and the fund complex. None of the
Independent Directors, Interested Director or any Officers receive any
retirement benefits or deferred compensation from any Fund or the fund
complex.
Additional
Executive Officers.
The
following table provides information about the executive officers of the
Funds. Each executive officer is appointed by the Board and serves
until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her
resignation or removal by the Board. The business address of all of
the executive officers of the Funds is Value Line Mutual Funds, 220 East 42nd
Street, New York, New York 10017-5891.
Name
and Year of Birth
|
Position(s),
Length of Service
|
Principal
Occupation During Past Five Years
|
Mitchell
E. Appel
(1970)
|
President
(since 2008).
|
President
of each of the 14 Value Line Funds since June 2008; Chief
Financial Officer of VLI since April 2008 and from September 2005 to
November 2007 and Treasurer from June 2005 to
September 2005; Director of VLI since February 2010; Chief
Financial Officer of XTF Asset Management from November 2007 to
April 2008; Chief Financial Officer of the Distributor since
April 2008 and President since February 2009; President of the
Adviser since February 2009.
|
Howard
A. Brecher
(1953)
|
Vice
President and Secretary
(since 2008).
|
Vice
President and Secretary of each of the 14 Value Line Funds
since 2008; Secretary of VLI until January 2010; Chief Legal
Officer and Director of VLI; Acting Chairman and Acting CEO of VLI since
November 2009; Secretary and Treasurer of the Adviser since
February 2009; Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, General Counsel
and a Director of Arnold Bernhard & Co., Inc., the parent company of
VLI.
|
Michael
Wagner
(1950)
|
Chief
Compliance Officer
(since 2009).
|
Chief
Compliance Officer of each of the 14 Value Line Funds since
June 2009; President of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC
(formerly Fund Compliance Services, LLC (2006-present); Director of
Constellation Trust Company until 2008.
|
Emily
D. Washington
(1979)
|
Treasurer
and Chief Financial Officer
(since 2008).
|
Treasurer
and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
of each of the 14 Value Line Funds since 2008; Associate
Director of Mutual Fund Accounting at VLI until 2008.
|
Vote
Necessary to Approve this Proposal 1.
If a
quorum is present at the Meeting, the following votes are required for the
election of the Nominees. Quorum requirements for each Fund are set out in Appendix
D.
Each Fund
(other than Value Line Aggressive Income Trust, Value Line Asset Allocation
Fund, Inc., Value Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc., Value Line New York
Tax Exempt Trust and Value Line Strategic Asset Management Trust) requires a
majority of the votes cast to elect the Nominees.
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust, Value Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc., Value Line
Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc., Value Line New York Tax Exempt Trust and
Value Line Strategic Asset Management require a plurality of votes cast to elect
the Nominees, which means that the three Nominees that receive the greatest
number of votes will be elected to fill the three Directors seats being voted
upon.
There is
no cumulative voting in the election of Directors. If elected, Mr.
Appel will join the Board upon the resignation of Mr. Sarkany in connection with
completion of the Restructuring. Because Ms. Heinzerling and Mr.
Vandivort currently are serving as Independent Directors, they will continue to
so serve regardless of whether they are elected by shareholders.
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS
A
VOTE “FOR” ALL NOMINEES.
PROPOSAL
2.
|
APPROVAL
OF NEW INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT BETWEEN EACH FUND AND EULAV ASSET
MANAGEMENT
|
At the
Meeting, you will be asked to vote in favor of a new investment advisory
agreement between each Fund and EULAV Asset Management, the Funds’ investment
adviser (“EULAV” or “EAM”). The services to be provided by EULAV and
the rates at which fees are to be paid by each Fund under its new investment
advisory agreement (“New Investment Advisory Agreements”) are the same as under
that Fund’s current investment advisory agreement (the “Current Investment
Advisory Agreements”). In addition, the other terms of each New
Investment Advisory Agreement are identical to its corresponding Current
Investment Advisory Agreement, except for the date of execution, the two-year
initial term, immaterial updating changes and immaterial changes in
form. For a further description of the New Investment Advisory
Agreements and a comparison of the New Investment Advisory Agreements and the
Current Investment Advisory Agreements, see
“The New Investment Advisory Agreements” and “Comparison of the New Investment
Advisory Agreements to the Current Investment Advisory Agreements”
below. The forms of the New Investment Advisory Agreement are also
attached as Appendix
E to this Proxy Statement.
VLI has
told the Board that it intends to restructure its ownership and operations of
EULAV and the Distributor (the “Restructuring”), as more fully described under
“Description of the Restructuring” below. Because the Restructuring
involves a change of control of EULAV, it will result in the automatic
termination of the Current Investment Advisory Agreements in accordance with
their terms, as required by the 1940 Act. Therefore, the shareholders
of each Fund are being asked to approve the New Investment Advisory
Agreements. If so approved, the New Investment Advisory Agreements
would become effective upon the consummation of the Restructuring.
Description
of the Restructuring
Currently,
EULAV and the Distributor are both separate wholly-owned subsidiaries of VLI,
together with its publishing and licensing business. EAM is organized
as a Delaware limited liability company and ESI is organized as a New York
corporation. Structurally, this can be depicted as
follows:
Under the
Restructuring, VLI would contribute all the securities representing its
ownership of the Distributor to EULAV, and EULAV would then be converted to a
Delaware statutory trust. EULAV’s capital structure would be revised
so that VLI would own only nonvoting revenue and profits interests and five
individuals would each own 20% of the voting profits interests. The
holders of the EULAV’s voting securities would have the right to elect five
trustees of EULAV, who would manage the combined company consisting of EULAV and
the Distributor much like a board of directors. Day-to-day management
of EULAV and the Distributor would be delegated to its senior executive, Mr.
Appel. This revised structure can be depicted as
follows:
VLI’s
independent directors have approved the five initial holders of EAM’s voting
profit interests. Those persons are: Mr. Appel, Ari T.
Aronowitz, Richard Berenger, David Etkind and R. Alastair Short. It
is expected that these persons will elect themselves as the five initial
trustees of EULAV although there is no requirement that they do so and there is
no agreement among them to do so.
Each of
these shareholders will be granted voting profits interest having 20% of the
voting power for trustees and other matters to put to
shareholders. Collectively, these interests will represent 50% of the
residual profit of the business, in which the share of Mr. Appel will be
45% and the others each 1.25%. VLI will retain nonvoting profits
interest representing the remaining 50% of residual profits and will have no
power to vote for the election, removal or replacement of
trustees. VLI will also have an interest in nondistribution revenues
of the business ranging from 41% at business levels lower than approximately 75%
of current levels to as high as 55% at business levels higher than approximately
300% of current levels. In the event the business is sold or
liquidated, the first $56.1 million of net proceeds (the current value of the
business as determined by the independent directors of VLI after reviewing a
valuation report by the directors’ financial advisors) will be distributed in
accordance with capital accounts, 20% of the next $56.1 million will be
distributed to the holders of the voting profits interests and 80% to the
holders of the nonvoting profits interests (initially VLI) and the excess will
be distributed 45% to the holders of the voting profits interests and 55% to the
holders of the nonvoting profits interests.
In
connection with completion of the Restructuring, VLI will (1) grant the Adviser,
the Distributor and each existing Fund a permanent right to use of the name
“Value Line” so long as EULAV remains the Fund’s adviser, (2) provide the
Adviser its ranking information without charge on as favorable a basis as to its
best institutional customers and (3) capitalize the business with $7
million of cash and cash equivalents.
VLI will
have with respect to EULAV the benefit of certain consent rights, such as
selling all or a significant part of EULAV, performing material acquisitions,
entering into businesses other than asset management and fund distribution,
paying compensation in excess of 25%-30% of nondistribution revenues (depending
on the level of such revenues and certain trustee determinations), declaring
bankruptcy, making material changes in tax or accounting policies or material
borrowings, and entering into related party transactions.
VLI
expects that each Fund’s portfolio manager will remain as such and all or
substantially all of the current employees of EULAV will remain employees after
the Restructuring.
VLI’s
independent directors have unanimously determined to pursue the Restructuring as
the most favorable way to VLI and its shareholders for ensuring compliance with
the terms of a settlement with the SEC stemming from VLI’s brokerage practices
with the Funds prior to November 2004. The VLI independent directors
had the benefit of advice from independent counsel and financial advisors and
reviewed several possible structures and types of transactions before
unanimously approving the Restructuring. VLI’s independent directors
believe that the Restructuring will end a period of uncertainty for the Funds
relating to the SEC investigation and settlement and provides favorable
incentives for the management of EULAV to enhance the performance of the Funds
and its business for the benefit of the Funds and their shareholders, EULAV and
its management team and VLI as a passive investor in EULAV.
VLI has
stated that, as a result of the Restructuring, it will no longer “control” (as
that term is defined in the 1940 Act) EULAV or the Distributor.
The
New Investment Advisory Agreements
Under the
New Investment Advisory Agreements, EULAV will be required to provide the same
advisory services to each Fund as under the Current Investment Advisory
Agreements. The rate at which the fees are to be paid by each Fund
under its New Investment Advisory Agreement is identical to the rate at which
the fees are currently paid by that Fund under its Current Investment Advisory
Agreement.
All the
terms of each Fund’s New Investment Advisory Agreement are identical to the
terms of its Current Investment Advisory Agreement except for the date of
execution, the two-year initial term, immaterial updating changes and immaterial
changes in form (see “Comparison of Current Investment Advisory Agreements to
the New Investment Advisory Agreement”).
Board
Approvals and Considerations
The
Board, including the Independent Directors, held an in-person meeting on July
20, 2010 for the purposes of considering whether it would be in the best
interests of each Fund and its shareholders, to approve the New Investment
Advisory Agreement between EULAV and each Fund. At that meeting,
after consideration of the factors discussed below, the Board, including a
majority of the Independent Directors, approved the New Investment Advisory
Agreement for each Fund as being in the best interests of the Fund and its
shareholders and recommended its approval by shareholders.
In
preparation for their consideration of the New Investment Advisory Agreements,
the Directors received, in response to a written due diligence request prepared
by the Board and its independent legal counsel and provided to EULAV and the
Distributor, written information covering a range of issues and received, in
response to their additional requests, further information in advance of and at
the in-person Board meeting. To assist the Board in its consideration
of the New Investment Advisory Agreements, VLI provided materials and
information about EULAV and the Distributor, including their history,
management, investment, risk management and compliance capabilities and
processes, compensation levels and financial condition and provided materials
and information about the Restructuring. In addition, the Independent
Directors consulted with their independent legal counsel on numerous occasions,
discussing, among other things, the legal standards and certain other
considerations relevant to the Board’s deliberations.
In
considering the New Investment Advisory Agreements, the Board, including the
Independent Directors, took into account, as it deemed relevant, the fact that
on March 10-11, 2010, it had performed a full annual review of the Current
Investment Advisory Agreements. At that time, the Board approved the
selection of EULAV and the continuance of the Current Investment Advisory
Agreements based on its review of qualitative and quantitative information
provided by EULAV. In selecting EULAV and approving the Current
Investment Advisory Agreements, the Board, including the Independent Directors,
advised by their independent legal counsel, considered the nature, extent and
quality of services provided by EULAV, the Funds’ expenses and performance,
costs of services provided to the Funds and profits realized by EULAV, economies
of scale, fees and services provided for other comparable accounts by EULAV and
other benefits to EULAV and/or its affiliates, all as described in the Factors
Considered by the Board in Approving the Current Investment Advisory Agreements
attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix
F. The Board reconsidered these matters at its July 20, 2010
meeting.
In
connection with the Board’s review of the New Investment Advisory Agreements,
EULAV provided the Board with information about a variety of
matters. The Board considered, among other things, the following
information:
●
|
that
EULAV has no present intention to alter the advisory fee rates and expense
arrangements currently in effect for the Funds for a period of two years
from the date of the closing of the
Restructuring;
|
●
|
that
neither VLI nor EULAV expects that there will be any diminution in the
nature, quality and extent of services provided to the Funds and their
shareholders by EULAV, including portfolio management and compliance
services, as a result of the
Restructuring;
|
●
|
that
it is expected that each Fund’s portfolio manager will remain unchanged as
a result of the Restructuring and that all or substantially all of the
current employees of EULAV will remain employees of EULAV and will
continue to provide services to the Funds after the Restructuring and will
no longer be employees of VLI after the
Restructuring;
|
●
|
VLI’s
representation to the Board regarding its belief that EULAV will have
adequate resources after giving effect to the Restructuring to perform its
services at a reasonable level under the New Investment Advisory
Agreements, and in any event such resources will not be less than those
the Adviser currently has; and
|
●
|
VLI
has agreed to pay: (i) all costs of the Funds in connection with the
consideration by the Board of the Restructuring; and (ii) all costs
associated with the Meeting, including delivering proxy materials to
shareholders and soliciting
proxies.
|
In
re-approving EULAV as adviser and approving the New Investment Advisory
Agreements for the Funds, the Board, including the Independent Directors,
advised by their independent legal counsel, considered the information provided
and the factors described below and reached the conclusions described
herein. The Board did not identify any particular information that
was all-important or controlling, and each Director who voted may have
attributed different weights to the various factors discussed
below.
Nature,
Extent and Quality of Services Provided. The Board noted that
the terms of the New Investment Advisory Agreements are identical in all
material respects to the Current Investment Advisory Agreements and considered
representations by VLI and EULAV that there would be no diminution in the scope
of services provided by EULAV under the New Investment Advisory Agreements as
compared to the scope of services provided by EULAV under the Current Investment
Advisory Agreements. The Board also relied upon the representations
by VLI regarding its belief that EULAV and the Distributor will have adequate
resources after giving effect to the Restructuring to perform their respective
services at a reasonable level under the New Investment Advisory Agreements and
the new principal underwriting agreement between the Distributor and each Fund
and in any event such resources will not be less than those currently available
to the Adviser and the Distributor. The Board also considered and
viewed favorably that Mr. Appel, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of
EULAV, would continue in that position after the Restructuring and would be
responsible for the day-to-day management of EULAV. The Board also
considered EULAV’s compliance programs and their compliance
resources. The Board viewed favorably the increased emphasis being
placed by EULAV on its overall compliance program as well as steps being
undertaken to enhance the shareholders’ experience with the Funds, such as a
more robust website. The Board also reviewed the services provided by
EULAV and its affiliates in supervising third party service
providers.
The Board
discussed EULAV’s current financial condition and its anticipated financial
condition after the completion of the Restructuring. The Board
discussed EULAV’s current ownership and management structure and expected
ownership and management structure after the completion of the
Restructuring.
Based on
the discussions held and the materials presented at the July 20, 2010 Board
meeting, and in significant reliance on VLI’s and EULAV’s representations, the
Board determined that the Restructuring would not likely cause an adverse change
in the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided by EULAV under
the New Investment Advisory Agreements compared with the services provided by
EULAV under the Current Investment Advisory Agreements and that the Board
believes that the quality of such services will continue to be
appropriate.
The
Funds’ Expenses and Performance. The Board took into account
that the fee rate for each Fund under its New Investment Advisory Agreement is
identical to the fee rate under its Current Investment Advisory
Agreement. Further, the Board noted that representatives of VLI and
EULAV had confirmed that there is no present intention to alter the advisory fee
rates, expense waivers or expense reimbursement arrangements currently in effect
for the Funds for a period of two years. EULAV advised that, in
connection with the Restructuring, it will enter into contractual advisory fee
waivers for each Fund currently subject to such a waiver on the same terms as
the current contractual advisory fee waivers, all of which would otherwise
terminate at the consummation of the Restructuring. In addition,
there will not be any increase in the Funds’ expense structures as a result of
the Restructuring.
Costs
of Services Provided to the Funds and Profits Realized by
EULAV. In evaluating the costs of the services to be provided
by EULAV under the New Investment Advisory Agreements, the Board considered,
among other things, whether advisory fee rates or other expenses would change as
a result of the Restructuring. The Board noted that the New
Investment Advisory Agreements are substantially identical to the Current
Investment Advisory Agreements, including the fact that the fee rates under the
agreements are identical and that representatives of VLI and EULAV represented
that there is no present intention due to the Restructuring to alter the
advisory fee rates, expense waivers or expense reimbursement arrangements
currently in effect as described above. The Board considered the
level of profitability of EULAV and its affiliates with respect to each Fund
individually and in the aggregate for all the Funds, including the impact of
certain actions taken during prior years. These actions included
EULAV’s reduction (voluntary in some instances and contractual in other
instances) of management and/or Rule 12b-1 fees for certain funds, EULAV’s
termination of the use of soft dollar research, and the cessation of trading
through the Distributor. The Board concluded that the profitability
of the Adviser and its affiliates with respect to each Fund, including the
financial results derived from the Fund’s Agreement, were within a range the
Board considered reasonable.
Economies
of Scale. The Board noted that for certain Funds, EULAV
contractually agreed to waive a portion of its advisory fee. The
Board noted that, given the current and anticipated size of many of the Funds,
any perceived and potential economies of scale were not yet a significant
consideration for the Funds and the addition of break points was determined not
to be necessary at this time.
The Board
determined that changes to the fee structure were not currently
necessary. For more information about the fees paid by the Funds,
please see Appendices
G and H,
which list the rate of compensation described in each Fund’s Current
Investment Advisory Agreement and New Investment Advisory Agreement, and the
amount of advisory fees paid to EULAV for each Fund’s most recent fiscal
year. It was noted that it was not possible to evaluate how the
Restructuring would create opportunities for additional economies of scale, but
the Board did not expect economies of scale to be significant given the size of
the Funds.
Fees
and Services Provided for Other Comparable Funds/Accounts Managed by
EULAV. EULAV informed the Board that it manages non-mutual
fund asset management accounts that have similar objectives and policies to
certain of the Funds, but are not generally comparable for a number of reasons
(including different services provided). The Board determined that
the investment advisory fee rates charged to the Funds do not constitute fees
that are so disproportionately large as to bear no reasonable relationship to
the services rendered and that could not have been the product of arm’s-length
bargaining, and concluded that the advisory fee rates are fair and
reasonable.
Other
Benefits to EULAV. The Board also considered the character and
amount of other direct and incidental benefits received by EULAV and its
affiliates from their association with the Funds. The Board concluded
that potential “fall-out” benefits that EULAV and its affiliates may receive,
such as greater name recognition, appear to be reasonable, and may in some cases
benefit the Funds.
Conclusions. The
Board examined the totality of the information it was provided at the July 20,
2010 Board meeting, and information it received at other meetings held during
the past year, and did not identify any single factor discussed previously as
controlling. Based on this analysis, the Board determined that the
New Investment Advisory Agreements, including the investment advisory fee rates
thereunder, are fair and reasonable in light of all relevant circumstances and
concluded that it is in the best interest of the Funds and their shareholders to
approve the New Investment Advisory Agreements.
The Board
also approved an interim investment advisory agreement for each Fund with EULAV
(each, an “Interim Investment Advisory Agreement”) pursuant to Rule 15a-4 under
the 1940 Act to take effect upon closing of the Restructuring in the event that
shareholder approval of that Fund’s New Investment Advisory Agreement has not
yet been obtained. In reliance on Rule 15a-4, the Interim Investment
Advisory Agreement will allow EULAV to continue performing advisory services
with respect to a Fund for a maximum of 150 days after the Closing of the
Restructuring, while such Fund continues to seek shareholder approval of its New
Investment Advisory Agreement. Compensation earned by EULAV under
each Interim Investment Advisory Agreement will be held in an interest-bearing
escrow account pending shareholder approval of the New Investment Advisory
Agreement. If shareholders of a Fund approve the New Investment
Advisory Agreement within the 150 day-period, the amount held in the escrow
account, including interest, will be paid to EULAV. If shareholders
of a Fund do not approve that Fund’s New Investment Advisory Agreement, EULAV
will be paid the lesser of the costs incurred in performing services under the
Interim Investment Advisory Agreement or the total amount in the escrow account,
including interest earned. Shareholder approval of the Interim
Investment Advisory Agreements is not required by the 1940 Act and is not being
sought. The terms of each Fund’s Interim Investment Advisory
Agreement, and the fee rates paid thereunder, are identical in all material
respects to the Current Investment Advisory Agreements and the New Investment
Advisory Agreement, except for the fee escrow, termination provisions and the
time periods covered by the agreements. In its approval of the
Interim Investment Advisory Agreement, the Board considered substantially the
same factors and drew substantially the same conclusions as those described in
connection with the approval of the New Investment Advisory Agreements (see
“Board Approvals and Considerations” above).
If, 150
days after the closing of the Restructuring, a Fund’s shareholders still have
not approved its New Investment Advisory Agreement, the Board would be required
to take such actions as it deems to be in the best interests of such Fund and
its shareholders. Such actions may include negotiating a new
investment advisory agreement with an advisory organization selected by such
Board, the re-solicitation of shareholders, or making other
arrangements.
Comparison
of Current Investment Advisory Agreements to the New Investment Advisory
Agreements
Set forth
below is a more detailed description of the terms of the New Investment Advisory
Agreements and a comparison to the terms of the Current Investment Advisory
Agreements. Copies of the forms of the New Investment Advisory
Agreements are attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix
E and you should refer to Appendix
E for the complete terms of the New Investment Advisory
Agreement. Two of the Funds, Value Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
and Value Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc., utilize investment advisory
agreements that are slightly different as compared to the other 12
Funds. The investment advisory agreements for Value Line Asset
Allocation Fund, Inc. and Value Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc. require
those funds to pay their own fund accounting expenses, while EULAV is required
to bear such expenses for the other 12 Funds. Each New Investment
Advisory Agreement is substantially identical to the Current Investment Advisory
Agreement it is replacing.
Investment
Advisory Services. The investment advisory services required
to be provided by EULAV to each Fund under the New Investment Advisory
Agreements are the same as the services provided by EULAV to the Funds under the
Current Investment Advisory Agreements. Both the Current Investment
Advisory Agreements and the New Investment Advisory Agreements require that
EULAV (1) provide the Funds with such investment research, data advice and,
supervision as EULAV from time to time considers necessary for proper
supervision of the Funds; (2) act as manager and investment adviser of the Funds
and, as such, furnish continuously an investment program and determine from time
to time what securities shall be purchased or sold by the Funds, and what
portion of the assets of the Funds shall be held uninvested.
Advisory
Fee Rates. Under the Current Investment Advisory Agreements
and the New Investment Advisory Agreements, the Funds have agreed to pay EULAV a
fee on a monthly basis at an annual rate based on the average daily value of the
applicable Fund’s net assets during the preceding month. The proposed
fee rates under the New Investment Advisory Agreements are identical to the fee
rates payable to EULAV under the Current Investment Advisory Agreements with
respect to all Funds, and the same contractual fee waivers will apply to the New
Investment Advisory Agreements. The fee rate for each Fund under its
Current Investment Advisory Agreement and its New Investment Advisory Agreement
is set forth in Appendix
G.
In
connection with the Current Investment Advisory Agreements, EULAV has
contractually agreed to waive a portion of its advisory fees for certain Funds,
as indicated in Appendix
G, and these contractual waivers will terminate upon the closing of the
Restructuring. EULAV has agreed to enter into new contractual waivers
with the same effectiveness and otherwise identical terms at the same time the
New Investment Advisory Agreements are entered into.
Payment
of Expenses. The New Investment Advisory Agreements require
EULAV to pay the costs of all administrative services, office space, equipment
and administrative, bookkeeping and clerical personnel necessary for managing
the affairs of the Funds. As noted above, Value Line Asset Allocation
Fund, Inc. and Value Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc. have entered into
investment advisory agreements that require those Funds to pay their own fund
accounting expenses; EULAV is required to pay fund accounting costs for all of
the other Funds. Each New Investment Advisory Agreement provides for
the same payment of expenses by EULAV as under the Current Investment Advisory
Agreement it is replacing.
Limitation
on Liability. Under the New Investment Advisory Agreements,
EULAV will not be liable for any error of judgment, or mistake of law, or any
loss suffered by the Funds, in connection with the matters to which the New
Investment Advisory Agreements relate, except for loss resulting from willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence of EULAV in the performance of its
duties or from reckless disregard by EULAV of its obligations and duties under
the New Investment Advisory Agreements. Each New Investment Advisory
Agreement provides for the same liability provisions as the Current Investment
Advisory Agreement it is replacing.
Term,
Continuance, and Termination. The New Investment Advisory
Agreements provide that they may be terminated at any time with respect to any
Fund, on sixty days written notice by either party. They also provide
that they shall terminate automatically in the event of assignment as defined in
the 1940 Act. The Current Investment Advisory Agreements have the
same termination terms. Each New Investment Advisory Agreement
includes an initial two year term as permitted by the 1940
Act.
Form
of Agreement. The New Investment Advisory Agreements will be
separate agreements for each Fund. The Current Investment Advisory
Agreements are separate agreements for each Fund.
In
connection with the Restructuring, VLI and EULAV have agreed that for a period
of at least three years after the Restructuring at least 75% of the Board will
be independent of VLI and EULAV and that neither of them will impose any unfair
burden on any of the Funds as a result of any of the terms of the
Restructuring.
Shareholder
Approval
As
required by the 1940 Act, to become effective with respect to a particular Fund,
the New Investment Advisory Agreement for that Fund must be approved by (a) the
vote of 67% of the Fund’s Shares present at the Meeting if more than 50% of the
outstanding shares of that Fund are present, or (b) the vote of more than 50% of
the outstanding shares of that Fund, whichever is less. Approval of
the Investment Advisory Proposal is contingent upon the consummation of the
Restructuring.
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” PROPOSAL 2.
OTHER
INFORMATION
Share
Ownership of Directors and Management.
As of
July 31, 2010, the percentage of shares of each Fund beneficially owned by all
Directors and Nominees, each executive officer of the Funds, and by the
Directors and officers of the Funds (as a group) was not more than 1% of the
Funds.
Other
Matters.
There
have been no material legal proceeding, pending or otherwise, against any
Director or Nominee during the past ten years.
There is
no arrangement or understanding in connection with the New Investment Advisory
Agreements with respect to the composition of the Board or EULAV or with respect
to the selection or appointment of any person to any office with either the
Funds or EULAV.
There are
no material pending legal proceedings to which any Director or Nominee or
affiliated person of such Director or Nominee is a party adverse to the Funds or
any of their affiliated persons or has a material interest adverse to the Fund
or any of its affiliated persons. Legal proceedings are material only
to the extent that they are likely to have a material adverse effect on the
Funds or the ability of EULAV to perform its contracts with the
Funds.
EULAV
provides investment advisory services to certain other clients that may have
investment objectives and policies similar to those of the
Funds. EULAV does not provide investment advisory services to any
other investment funds.
As of
July 31, 2010, the shareholders identified in Appendix
I were
known by the Funds to own, beneficially or of record, more than 5% of any class
of outstanding shares of a Fund
Investment
Adviser.
EULAV
serves as the investment adviser to each Fund. The principal business
address of EULAV is 220 East 42nd
Street, New York, NY 10017. EULAV is currently a wholly-owned
subsidiary of VLI, a New York company also located at 220 East 42nd
Street, New York, NY 10017, which in turn is a subsidiary of Arnold Bernhard
& Co., Inc., a New York corporation controlled by Jean Bernhard
Buttner. VLI has stated that, after giving effect to the
Restructuring, Mrs. Buttner will no longer directly or indirectly control EULAV
or ESI or own any of their voting securities. As of July 31, 2010,
EULAV provided investment advisory services for approximately $2.1 billion of
assets. The name and principal occupation of directors and principal
executive officers of EULAV are provided in Appendix
J attached
to this Proxy Statement.
Other
Service Providers.
Principal
Underwriter. EULAV Securities, Inc. is the principal underwriter of the
Funds. EULAV Securities, Inc.’s principal business address is 220
East 42nd
Street, New York, NY 10017.
Administrator. State
Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) provides certain bookkeeping,
accounting and administrative services for the Funds. State Street,
whose address is 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, also acts as the Funds’
custodian, transfer agent and dividend-paying agent. As custodian,
State Street is responsible for safeguarding the Funds’ cash and securities,
handling the receipt and delivery of securities and collecting interest and
dividends on the Funds’ investments. As transfer agent and
dividend-paying agent, State Street effects transfers of Fund shares by the
registered owners and transmits payments for dividends and distributions
declared by the Fund. Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., a State
Street affiliate, whose address is 330 West 9th
Street, Kansas City, MO 64105, provides certain transfer agency functions to the
Funds as an agent for State Street.
Independent
Registered Public Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PWC”), 300
Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, serves as the independent registered public
accounting firm for each Fund. Representatives of PWC will not be present at the
Meeting.
The
Funds’ Audit Committee has established certain pre-approval policies and
procedures relating to the engagement of the Funds’ independent registered
public accountants to provide non-audit services to the Funds or to the Funds’
investment adviser, or the Funds’ investment adviser’s affiliates, that provides
ongoing services to the Funds if the engagement relates directly to the
operations and financial reporting of the Funds (the “Non-Audit Services
Pre-Approval Policies”).
Independence
of PwC. The Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of
non-audit services rendered to the Funds’ investment adviser and any Adviser
Affiliate that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule
2-01 of Regulation S-X, if any, are compatible with maintaining PwC’s
independence, and has determined that the provision of these services does not
compromise PwC’s independence.
Disclosure
of Fees. Appendix
K sets forth for each Fund’s two most recent fiscal years, the fees
billed by PwC for all audit and non-audit services provided directly to the Fund
and adviser affiliates. The fee information in Appendix
K is presented under the following captions:
(a)
Audit
Fees—fees related to the audit and review of the financial statements included
in annual reports and registration statements, and other services that are
normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or
engagements, including out-of-pocket expenses.
(b)
Audit-Related
Fees—fees related to assurance and related services that are reasonably related
to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements, but not
reported under “Audit Fees,” including accounting consultations, agreed-upon
procedure reports, attestation reports, comfort letters, out-of-pocket expenses
and internal control reviews not required by regulators.
(c)
Tax
Fees—fees associated with tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning, including
services relating to the filing or amendment of federal, state or local income
tax returns, regulated investment company qualification reviews, tax
distribution and analysis reviews and miscellaneous tax
advice.
(d)
All Other
Fees—fees for products and services provided to the Fund and adviser affiliates
other than those reported under “Audit Fees,” “Audit-Related Fees” and “Tax
Fees.”
Other
Business at the Meeting.
No other
matter may come before the Meeting other than as stated in this Proxy
Statement. In connection with any proposal to adjourn the Meeting to
permit the continued solicitation of proxies in favor of the Proposals, proxies
that do not contain specific restrictions to the contrary will be voted on such
matters in accordance with the judgment of the persons named as proxies in the
enclosed Proxy Cards.
If you do
not plan to attend the Meeting in person, please complete, sign, date, and
return the enclosed Proxy Cards or cast your vote by touchtone phone or via the
Internet promptly. Even if you do plan to attend the Meeting, please
so note where provided and return the Proxy Cards promptly.
Future
Shareholder Proposals.
Pursuant
to rules adopted by the SEC under the 1934 Act, shareholders may request for
inclusion in the Board’s proxy statement for future shareholder meetings certain
proposals for actions which they intend to introduce at such meeting. Any
shareholder proposals must be presented a reasonable time before the proxy
materials for the next meeting are sent to shareholders. The
submission of a proposal does not guarantee its inclusion in the Funds’ proxy
statement and is subject to limitations under the 1934 Act. Because
the Funds do not hold regular meetings of shareholders, no anticipated date of
the next meeting can be provided.
Voting
of Proxies.
Shares
represented by properly given proxies and received by the Secretary of the Funds
prior to the Meeting, unless revoked before or at the Meeting, will be voted
according to the shareholder’s instructions. If you sign a proxy but
do not fill in a vote, your shares will be voted in favor of each of the
Nominees for Director and in favor of each of the other Proposals. If
any other business properly comes before the Meeting, your shares will be voted
at the discretion of the persons named as proxies on the enclosed Proxy
Card.
A proxy
with respect to shares held in the name of two or more persons will be valid if
executed by one of them, unless at or prior to the exercise of such proxy, the
Funds receive specific written notice to the contrary from one of such
persons.
A proxy
purporting to be exercised by or on behalf of a shareholder will be valid unless
challenged at or prior to its exercise. The burden of proving the
invalidity of the proxy will rest with the person seeking to challenge
it.
Revocation
of Proxies; Counting of Votes.
Any
shareholder giving a proxy may revoke it at any time before it is exercised by:
(i) submitting to the Funds a written notice of revocation; (ii) submitting to
the Funds a subsequently dated and executed proxy; (iii) attending the Meeting
and voting in person; or (iv) notifying the Funds of the revocation by calling
the toll-free number on the Proxy Cards. Proxies voted by telephone
or through the Internet may be revoked at any time before they are voted in the
same manner that proxies voted by mail may be revoked.
Abstentions
and “broker non-votes” (i.e.,
proxies from brokers or nominees indicating that such persons have not received
instructions from the beneficial owners or other persons entitled to vote shares
as to a particular matter with respect to which the brokers or nominees do not
have discretionary power to vote) will not be counted for or against any proxy
to which they relate, but will be counted as votes present at the Meeting for
purposes of determining whether a quorum is present. Abstentions and
broker non-votes will have the effect of a vote against Proposal 2 and will not
affect the vote on Proposal 1.
Quorum
Requirements.
A quorum
of shareholders of a Fund is necessary to hold a valid meeting for that
Fund. The quorum requirement for each Fund is set forth in Appendix
D.
A quorum
will exist at a Fund’s Meeting if the percentage of shareholders, as listed
above, who are entitled to vote on the Record Date with respect to each Fund are
present in person or by proxy. In the event that a quorum is not
present, or if a quorum is present but sufficient votes to approve a Proposal
are not received, the duly appointed proxies may propose one or more
adjournments of the Meeting to permit further solicitation of proxies with
respect to the Proposal. In case any such adjournment is proposed,
the proxies will vote for those proxies which they are entitled to vote for the
Proposal in favor of adjournment, and will vote those proxies required to be
voted against the Proposal against adjournment. At any such adjourned
meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which
might have been transacted at the meeting originally called. A
shareholder vote may be taken on one or more of the Proposals prior to such
adjournment if sufficient votes for its approval have been received and it is
otherwise appropriate. Any such vote will be final regardless of
whether the Meeting is adjourned with respect to any other
Proposal. The Meeting may be held for any Fund for which a quorum is
present irrespective that a quorum may not be achieved for the Meeting of any
other Fund.
Solicitation
of Proxies and Payment of Expenses.
This
solicitation of proxies for the Meeting is being made by the
Funds. All costs associated with the Meeting, including delivering
proxy materials to shareholders, soliciting proxies and conducting the Meeting
will be borne by VLI. The solicitation of proxies may include
telephonic, Internet, mail or oral communication by officers and service
providers of the Funds, who will not be paid for these services, and/or by [_______]
(the “Proxy Solicitation Firm”), which has been retained by VLI for an estimated
fee of $[_________]
plus out-of-pocket expenses.
Shareholders
may authorize the Proxy Solicitation Firm to execute proxies on their behalf by
telephonic instruction. Proxies that are submitted telephonically
will be recorded in accordance with the procedures set forth
below. The Directors believe that these procedures are reasonably
designed to ensure that the identity of the shareholder casting the vote is
accurately determined and that the voting instructions of the shareholder are
accurately determined. In all cases where a telephonic proxy is
submitted, representatives of the Proxy Solicitation Firm are required to ask
for each shareholder’s full name, address, social security or employer
identification number, title (if the shareholder is authorized to act on behalf
of an entity, such as a corporation), and the number of shares owned, and to
confirm that the shareholder has received the proxy materials in the
mail. If the information solicited matches the information provided
to the Proxy Solicitation Firm by the Funds, then the representative of the
Proxy Solicitation Firm will explain the process for voting, read the proposal
on the Proxy Card, and ask for the shareholder’s instructions on the
Proposal.
The
representative of the Proxy Solicitation Firm, although he or she is permitted
to answer questions about the process, is not permitted to recommend to any
shareholder how to vote, other than to read any recommendation set forth in the
Proxy Statement or in any additional soliciting materials. The Proxy
Solicitation Firm will record the shareholder’s instructions on the Proxy
Cards. Within [72]
hours, but in any event before the Meeting, the shareholder will be sent a
letter to confirm his or her vote and asking the shareholder to call the Proxy
Solicitation Firm immediately if his or her instructions are not correctly
reflected in the confirmation. If a shareholder wishes to participate
in the Meeting, but does not wish to give a proxy by telephone, the shareholder
may still submit the Proxy Cards originally sent with the Proxy Statement or
attend the Meeting in person. Should shareholders require additional
information regarding the proxy or replacement Proxy Cards, they may contact the
Proxy Solicitation Firm [(toll-free)
at [_______]. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 9:00
a.m.-10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)]. Any proxy given by a shareholder,
whether in writing or by telephone or the Internet, is revocable until voted at
the Meeting.
Persons
holding shares as nominees will be reimbursed by VLI, upon request, for the
reasonable expenses of mailing soliciting materials to the principals of the
accounts.
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By Order of the
Boards of Directors, |
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/s/ Howard A.
Brecher |
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Howard A.
Brecher |
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Secretary |
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August ,
2010 |
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APPENDIX
A
VALUE
LINE FAMILY OF FUNDS
NOMINATING/GOVERNANCE
COMMITTEE CHARTER
I.
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Purposes
of the Nominating/Governance Committee. The
Nominating/Governance Committees (the “Committee”) of the Boards of
Directors (the “Boards,” and each member of a Board, a “Trustee”) of the
Value Line family of funds (the “Funds”) have two primary
roles: (a) nomination of the Independent Trustees (as defined
in Section IV below); and (b) supervision of fund governance
matters.
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II.
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Nomination
Role. With regard to the nomination of Independent
Trustees, the Committee is authorized
to:
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●
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Identify
individuals qualified to serve as Independent Trustees on the
Boards;
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Review
the qualifications of any person properly identified or nominated to serve
as an Independent Trustee on the
Boards;
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Recommend
to the Boards and the then-current Independent Trustees: (i) the
nominee(s) for appointment as Independent Trustee(s) by the Boards and the
then-current Independent Trustees, and (ii) the nominee(s) for election as
Independent Trustee(s) by shareholders to fill any vacancy for a position
of Independent Trustee on the
Boards;
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Recommend
to the Boards and the then-current Independent Trustees, the size and
composition of the Boards and Board committees and determine the
composition of the Boards and Board committees is as prescribed by the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and other
applicable laws and regulations and industry best practices as applicable
to the Funds; and
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Recommend
to the Boards and the then-current Independent Trustees, an Independent
Trustee to either serve as a “lead” Independent Trustee or as the
Chairperson of the Boards, in accordance with the rules and regulations
under the 1940 Act as in effect from time to time and industry best
practices as applicable to the
Funds.
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The
Committee performs these functions to assist the Boards and the Independent
Trustees in carrying out their fiduciary responsibilities and the requirements
of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder with respect to the selection and
nomination of members of the Boards. Nomination of any person to
serve on the Boards as an Independent Trustee shall initially be acted upon by
the Independent Trustees and then by the entire Boards. Nomination of
any persons to serve on the Boards other than as Independent Trustees shall be
made by the Boards.
The
Committee shall have the authority to retain and terminate any search firm or
other consultant to be used to identify Independent Trustee candidates,
including the authority to approve its fees and other retention
terms. The Committee is empowered to cause the Funds to pay the
compensation of any search firm or other consultant engaged by the
Committee.
The Committee shall make
nominations for the appointment or election of Independent Trustees in
accordance with this Charter and shall apply the criteria and principles set
forth in the “General Guidelines for Selecting Independent Trustees” attached
hereto as Annex
A.
The Boards believe that
shareholders as a group are best served, considering the efficient allocation of
Fund and Board resources, by maintaining a policy not to consider Trustee
nominations recommended by individual shareholders. Thus, it is the Boards’
policy not to consider Trustee nominations recommended by shareholders (although
such persons may be considered if recommended by other persons, such as an
Independent Trustee, or if the Committee deems it appropriate after considering
all circumstances its members deem relevant).
In addition to members of
the Committee, the President and other officers of the Funds, even if not
members of the Committee, may be solicited for their input on candidates and to
recruit candidates for the relevant Board. The Committee shall give
candidates recommended by the President and other officers of the Funds the same
consideration given to any other candidate.
III.
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Fund
Governance Role. With regard to fund governance, the
Committee is authorized to:
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Monitor
and evaluate industry and legal developments with respect to fund
governance matters, and seek to comply with all applicable requirements,
with a view to identifying and recommending to the Boards “best practices”
that may be applicable to the
Funds;
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Consider
and make appropriate recommendations to the Boards regarding the adoption
of a retirement policy for the Trustees, and periodically review any such
retirement policy and make any recommendations to the Boards with respect
thereto;
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Periodically
review the role and responsibilities of any lead Independent Trustee (or,
if required by Rule 0-1 under the 1940 Act, or otherwise implemented,
review the role and responsibilities of the Independent Chairperson of the
Boards);
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Periodically
consider and make appropriate recommendations to the Boards on the
appropriate level of compensation to be paid to the Independent Trustees,
members or chairpersons of committees of the Boards, any lead Independent
Trustee or Chairperson of the Boards, and such other positions as the
Committee considers appropriate;
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Recommend
to the Boards any new or revised policies and guidelines or revisions to
this Charter regarding fund governance matters, as the Committee deems
necessary;
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Recommend
to the Boards procedures for evaluating the performance of the Trustees
and Board committees, including the chairpersons thereof, and, at least
once annually, evaluate the performance of the Boards and the committees
of the Boards, pursuant to the requirements of Rule 0-1 under the 1940 Act
or other applicable requirements;
|
|
Consider,
with the assistance of counsel to the Funds and counsel to the Independent
Trustees, any issues or controversies arising as to whether or not any
Trustees designated as an Independent Trustee in fact satisfies all of the
criteria for such status (whether imposed by law or any such more
stringent policies as may be adopted by the Boards). This
assessment may occur upon: (i) the consideration of a new Trustee, (ii) a
Trustee’s joining the board of another entity, or (iii) at such other time
as the Committee in its discretion may deem appropriate. The
Committee shall make recommendations to the Boards regarding the
same;
|
|
At
least once annually, evaluate the independence (pursuant to the
requirements of Rule 0-1 of the 1940 Act) of counsel to the Independent
Trustees; and
|
|
Consider
other fund governance related issues or conflicts that are brought before
the Committee and make recommendations to the Board, as
appropriate.
|
IV.
|
Committee
Operations. The Committee shall be composed of all the
members of the Boards that are not “interested persons,” as defined in
Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act, of the Funds (each, an “Independent
Trustee”).
|
The
Committee shall elect a Chairperson by majority vote. When a
Chairperson is appointed, he or she shall preside at all Committee meetings at
which he or she is present and have such other duties and powers as may be
determined by the Committee members. The Chairperson shall serve
until he or she resigns, is removed by the Committee, or is replaced by a duly
appointed successor.
The
compensation, if any, of Committee members and its Chairperson shall be as
determined from time to time by the Boards.
The
Committee shall meet with such frequency as the members of the Committee shall
from time to time determine to be appropriate. Meetings of the
Committee shall be open to all Board members; however, no member of any Board
other than a member of the Committee shall have the right to vote on any matter
brought before the Committee and the Committee may hold executive sessions
during which only members of the Committee are present. An
affirmative vote or consent of a majority of all the members of the Committee is
required for the Committee to take action. Any action permitted to be
taken by the Committee may be taken by written action signed by at least a
majority of the members of the Committee. The Committee shall cause
to be kept such records of its meetings as it shall deem
appropriate.
As it
deems necessary and at the Funds’ expense, the Committee is authorized to confer
with, and to seek the help of, outside advisors, including without limitation,
counsel to the Funds and counsel to the Independent Trustees, and officers or
other employees of the Funds, as well as officers and employees of Value Line,
Inc. and its affiliates.
The
Committee shall, from time to time as it deems appropriate, review and reassess
the adequacy of this Charter, including Annex
A, and recommend any proposed changes to the Board for
consideration.
IV.
|
Approval
of Charter. This Charter and any amendments are subject
to approval by the Boards.
|
ANNEX
A to APPENDIX A
General
Guidelines for Selecting Independent Trustees
I.
|
Application
of Criteria to Prospective Independent Trustees. The
Committee expects that all candidates should generally have the following
characteristics:
|
1.
|
The
candidate may not be an “interested person” (within the meaning of the
1940 Act) of the Funds, any adviser to the Funds or the Funds’ principal
underwriter.
|
2.
|
The
candidate should have a reputation for integrity, honesty and adherence to
high ethical standards. As fiduciaries, mutual fund trustees
must affirmatively consider a candidate’s reputation prior to recommending
the candidate to serve as a trustee. The Committee’s
consideration of this criterion may be accomplished through personal
knowledge of the candidate or through inquiries of other persons that know
the candidate or by receipt of
references.
|
3.
|
The
candidate should have demonstrated business acumen, experience and ability
to exercise sound judgment in matters that relate to the current and
long-term objectives of the Funds and should be willing and able to
contribute positively to the decision-making process of the
Funds.
|
4.
|
The
candidate should be committed to understanding the Funds and the
responsibilities of an Independent Trustee of an investment company and to
regularly attending and participating in meetings of the Boards and the
committees on which the candidate would be a
member.
|
5.
|
The
candidate should have the ability to understand the sometimes conflicting
interests of the various constituencies of the Funds and to act in the
interests of all shareholders.
|
6.
|
The
candidate should not have a conflict of interest that would impair the
candidate’s ability to represent the interests of all the shareholders and
to fulfill the responsibilities of an Independent
Trustee.
|
7.
|
The
candidate should have the ability to serve a sufficient number of years
before reaching any mandatory retirement age for Trustees that may be
adopted by the Boards.
|
Nominees
shall not be discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, national
origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or any other basis proscribed by
law.
For each
candidate, the Committee shall evaluate specific experience in light of the
makeup of the then-current Boards.
The
Committee may determine that a candidate who does not have the type of previous
experience or knowledge referred to above should nevertheless be considered as a
nominee if the Committee finds that the candidate has additional qualifications
such that his/her qualifications, taken as a whole, demonstrate the same level
of fitness to serve as an Independent Trustee.
In
evaluating candidates, the Committee shall seek to have at least one Independent
Trustee qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is
defined by rules under the 1940 Act, and the Committee shall give preference to
candidates that the Committee believes would qualify as audit committee
financial experts.
II.
|
Application
of Criteria to Existing Independent Trustees. Each
existing Independent Trustee shall continue to serve in such capacity in
accordance with, and subject to, the Funds’ charter documents and any
policies adopted by the Boards relating thereto, including, without
limitation, the Funds’ retirement policy (if any) for
Trustees. Any re-nomination of an existing Independent Trustee
should not be viewed as automatic, but should be based on continuing
qualification under the criteria set forth above. In addition,
the Committee shall consider the existing Independent Trustee’s
performance on the Boards and any committees
thereof.
|
APPENDIX
B
This
Appendix sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by
each Director and Nominee, individually and in the aggregate, as of July 31,
2010.
|
|
|
Joyce
E. Heinzerling
|
|
|
Daniel
S. Vandivort
|
|
|
Francis
C. Oakley
|
|
|
David
H.
Porter
|
|
|
Paul
Craig Roberts
|
|
|
Nancy-Beth
Sheerr
|
|
|
Mitchell
E. Appel
|
|
Value
Line Aggressive
Income
Trust
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
Value
Line Asset
Allocation
Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
Value
Line U.S.
Government
Money
Market
Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
Value
Line Centurion
Fund,
Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
Value
Line Convertible
Fund,
Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
Value
Line Emerging
Opportunities
Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
|
|
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
|
|
Value
Line Income and
Growth
Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
|
|
Value
Line Larger
Companies
Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
|
|
Value
Line New York
Tax
Exempt Trust
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
Value
Line Premier
Growth
Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
|
|
Value
Line Strategic
Asset
Management Trust
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
The
Value Line Tax
Exempt
Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
Value
Line U.S.
Government
Securities
Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
|
none
|
|
Aggregate
Dollar Range
of Fund Shares
in all Funds Overseen
or to be
Overseen
by the Nominee in Family of Investment Companies
|
|
|
none
|
|
|
$10,001-
$50,000
|
|
|
$10,001-
$50,000
|
|
|
$10,001-
$50,000
|
|
|
$10,001-
$50,000
|
|
|
$10,001-
$50,000
|
|
|
|
|
APPENDIX
C
This
Appendix sets forth the compensation received from the Funds by the Directors
and total compensation each received from the Fund Complex during
2009.
|
|
Joyce
E. Heinzerling
|
|
|
Daniel
S. Vandivort
|
|
|
Francis
C. Oakley
|
|
|
David
H. Porter
|
|
|
Paul
Craig Roberts
|
|
|
Nancy-Beth Sheerr
|
|
|
Mitchell
E. Appel
|
|
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
|
|
$ |
654.22 |
|
|
$ |
712.38 |
|
|
$ |
828.69 |
|
|
$ |
654.22 |
|
|
$ |
654.22 |
|
|
$ |
654.22 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
1,247.84 |
|
|
$ |
1,358.77 |
|
|
$ |
1,580.60 |
|
|
$ |
1,247.84 |
|
|
$ |
1,247.84 |
|
|
$ |
1,247.84 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
3,577.16 |
|
|
$ |
3,895.13 |
|
|
$ |
4,531.07 |
|
|
$ |
3,577.16 |
|
|
$ |
3,577.16 |
|
|
$ |
3,577.16 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
2,208.27 |
|
|
$ |
2,404.55 |
|
|
$ |
2,797.15 |
|
|
$ |
2,208.27 |
|
|
$ |
2,208.27 |
|
|
$ |
2,208.27 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
439.39 |
|
|
$ |
478.45 |
|
|
$ |
556.53 |
|
|
$ |
439.39 |
|
|
$ |
439.39 |
|
|
$ |
439.39 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
9,616.36 |
|
|
$ |
10,471.14 |
|
|
$ |
12,180.72 |
|
|
$ |
9,616.36 |
|
|
$ |
9,616.36 |
|
|
$ |
9,616.36 |
|
|
None
|
|
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
1,628.46 |
|
|
$ |
1,773.22 |
|
|
$ |
2,062.70 |
|
|
$ |
1,628.46 |
|
|
$ |
1,628.46 |
|
|
$ |
1,628.46 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
6,023.10 |
|
|
$ |
6,558.50 |
|
|
$ |
7,629.26 |
|
|
$ |
6,023.10 |
|
|
$ |
6,023.10 |
|
|
$ |
6,023.10 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
3,572.11 |
|
|
$ |
3,889.64 |
|
|
$ |
4,524.68 |
|
|
$ |
3,572.11 |
|
|
$ |
3,572.11 |
|
|
$ |
3,572.11 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
|
|
$ |
339.63 |
|
|
$ |
369.79 |
|
|
$ |
430.18 |
|
|
$ |
339.63 |
|
|
$ |
339.63 |
|
|
$ |
339.63 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
5,840.32 |
|
|
$ |
6,359.46 |
|
|
$ |
7,397.75 |
|
|
$ |
5,840.32 |
|
|
$ |
5,840.32 |
|
|
$ |
5,840.32 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
|
|
$ |
6,498.89 |
|
|
$ |
7,076.57 |
|
|
$ |
8,231.93 |
|
|
$ |
6,498.89 |
|
|
$ |
6,498.89 |
|
|
$ |
6,498.89 |
|
|
None
|
|
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
1,620.77 |
|
|
$ |
1,764.84 |
|
|
$ |
2,052.99 |
|
|
$ |
1,620.77 |
|
|
$ |
1,620.77 |
|
|
$ |
1,620.77 |
|
|
None
|
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
1,733.48 |
|
|
$ |
1,887.56 |
|
|
$ |
2,195.75 |
|
|
$ |
1,733.48 |
|
|
$ |
1,733.48 |
|
|
$ |
1,733.48 |
|
|
None
|
|
Total
Compensation from Fund Complex
|
|
$ |
45,000.00 |
|
|
$ |
49,000.00 |
|
|
$ |
57,000.00 |
|
|
$ |
45,000.00 |
|
|
$ |
45,000.00 |
|
|
$ |
45,000.00 |
|
|
None
|
|
APPENDIX
D
Quorum
Requirements
FUND
|
QUORUM
REQUIREMENT
|
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
|
One-third
|
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
|
One-third
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
|
Majority
|
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
|
One-third
|
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
|
One-third
|
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
One-third
|
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
Majority
|
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
|
Majority
|
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
Majority
|
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
|
One-third
|
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
Majority
|
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
|
One-third
|
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
|
One-third
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
|
Majority
|
APPENDIX
E
FORM
OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT
made as of the [__] day of [_______] 2010, between
[_______________________]1, a
Massachusetts trust (hereinafter called “the Fund”), and EULAV ASSET MANAGEMENT,
a Delaware statutory trust (hereinafter called “the Company”);
W
I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS,
the Fund desires to have the Company act as its investment adviser and provide
it with investment research, advice, supervision and management;
and
WHEREAS,
the Company is willing to undertake the same upon the terms and conditions set
forth.
NOW,
THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed by and between the parties hereto as
follows:
1.
Duties. The
Company shall provide the Fund with such investment research, data, advice and
supervision as the latter may from time to time consider necessary for proper
supervision of its funds. The company shall act as manager and
investment adviser of the Fund and, as such, shall furnish continuously an
investment program and shall determine from time to time what securities shall
be purchased or sold by the Fund, and what portion of the assets of the Fund
shall be held uninvested, subject always to the provisions of the Fund’s
Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, to the Fund’s fundamental investment policies
as in effect from time to time, and to the control and review by the Fund’s
Board of Trustees. The Company shall take, on behalf of the Fund, all
actions which it deems necessary to carry into effect the investment policies
determined as provided above, and to that end the Company may designate a person
or persons who are to be authorized by the Fund as the representative or
representatives of the Fund, to give instructions to the Custodian of the assets
of the Fund as to deliveries of securities and payments of cash for the account
of the Fund.
2.
Allocation
of Charges and Expenses; Brokerage. The Company shall furnish
at its own expense all administrative services, office space, equipment and
administrative, bookkeeping and clerical personnel necessary for managing the
affairs of the Fund. The Company shall also provide persons
satisfactory to the Fund’s Board of Trustees to act as officers and employees of
the Fund and shall pay the salaries and wages of all officers and employees of
the Fund who are also officers and employees of the Company or of an affiliated
person (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) other than the
Fund. All other costs and expenses not expressly assumed by the
Company under this Agreement, or to be paid by the Distributor or Distributors
of the shares of the Fund, shall be paid by the Fund, including
(i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commission and other costs in
connection with the purchase or sale of securities; (iii) insurance premiums for
fidelity and other coverage requisite to its operations; (iv) compensation and
expenses of its directors other than those affiliated with the Company; (v)
legal and audit expenses; (vi) custodian and shareholder servicing agent fees
and expenses; (vii) expenses incident to the redemption of its shares; (viii)
expenses incident to the issuance of its shares against payment therefor by or
on behalf of the subscribers thereto, including printing of stock certificates;
(ix) fees and expenses incident to the registration under the Securities Act of
1933 or under any state securities laws of shares of the Fund for public sale
and fees imposed on the Fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940; (x)
expenses of printing and mailing prospectuses, reports and notices and proxy
material to shareholders of the Fund; (xi) all other expenses incidental to
holding meetings of the Fund’s shareholders; (xii) a pro rata shared, based on
relative net asset value of the fund and other investment companies for which
the Company also act as manager and investment adviser, of 50% of the fees or
dues of the Investment Company Institute; (xiii) fees and expenses in connection
with registration of the Fund or qualification of its shares under the
securities laws of states and foreign jurisdictions and (xiv) such
non-recurring expenses as may arise, including actions, suits or proceedings to
which the Fund is a party and the legal obligation which the Fund may have to
indemnify its officers and trustees with respect thereto.
1 This Form
of Agreement is applicable to the Value Line Aggressive Income Trust, Value Line
U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc., Value Line Centurion Fund, Inc., Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc., The Value Line Fund, Inc., Value Line Income and
Growth Fund, Inc., Value Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc., Value Line New York
Tax Exempt Trust, Value Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc., Value Line Strategic
Asset Management Trust, The Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc. (National Bond
Portfolio), and Value Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
The Company shall place
purchase and sale orders for portfolio transactions of the Fund with brokers
and/or dealers including, where permitted by law, the Fund’s Distributor or
affiliates thereof or of the Company, which, in the judgment of the Company, are
able to execute such orders as expeditiously as possible and at the best
obtainable price. Purchases and sales of securities which are not
listed or traded on a securities exchange shall ordinarily be executed with
primary market makers acting as principal except when it is determined that
better prices and executions may otherwise be obtained, provided, that the
Company may cause the Fund to pay a member of a securities exchange, broker or
dealer an amount of commission for effecting a purchase or sale order for a
portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another member of an
exchange, broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if
the Company 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 member, broker, dealer, viewed in terms of that particular
transaction or the Company’s overall responsibilities. As used
herein, “brokerage and research services” shall have the same meaning as in
Section 28(e)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as such Section may be
amended from time to time, and any rules or regulations promulgated by the
Securities and Exchange Commission. It is understood that, consistent
with the Company’s fiduciary duty to the Fund, it is the intent of this
Agreement to allow the Company the widest discretion permitted by law in
determining the manner and means by which portfolio securities transactions can
be effected in the best interests of the Fund.
3. Compensation. a. For
its services and for the facilities to be furnished as provided herein, the Fund
shall pay to the Company an advisory fee payable monthly, computed at the annual
rate of [______] %, of the Fund’s average daily net assets during the year, pro
rated for any portion of a year during which this Agreement is in
effect. For this purpose, the value of the Fund’s net assets shall be
determined in the same manner as for the purchase and redemption of Fund shares
as described in the Fund’s current Prospectus.
b.
|
If
the Fund’s Distributor receives fees in connection with the tender of
portfolio securities of the Fund, the gross amount of the advisory fee
computed in accordance with the preceding paragraph 3(a) shall be reduced
by the amount of tender fees received; if the amount of such tender fees
exceeds the amount of advisory fees computed in accordance with paragraph
3(a), the excess shall be paid by the Company to the
Fund.
|
c.
|
In
the event that the total expenses of the Fund, excluding interest, taxes,
brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses, exceeds in any fiscal
year the lowest applicable percentage limitation prescribed by any state
in which shares of the Fund are sold, the compensation of the Company,
computed in accordance with the preceding two paragraphs 3(a) and 3(b),
shall be reduced by the amount of such
excess.
|
4. Duration
and Termination of Agreement. This Agreement shall become
effective on the date set forth above and will continue in effect for an initial
period of two years from the date hereof. Thereafter this Agreement
shall continue in effect for successive periods of one year each only so long as
such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in accordance with
the Investment Company Act of 1940. This Agreement may be terminated
on sixty days written notice by either party. This Agreement shall
terminate automatically in the event of its assignment as defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940.
5. Name
of Fund. The Company consents to the use by the Fund of the
name “Value Line [______]” so long, and only so long, as this Agreement (or any
agreement with any organization which has succeeded to the business of the
Company) or any extension, renewal or amendment thereof, remains in
effect. The Fund agrees that if and when no such agreement is in
effect, (a) it will cease to use said name or any name indicating or suggesting
that the Fund is advised by or otherwise connected with the Company and (b) it
will not thereafter refer to the former association between the Company and the
Fund.
6. Company
May Act for Others. Nothing herein contained shall limit the
freedom of the Company or any affiliated person of the Company to render
investment supervisory or corporate administrative services to other investment
companies, to act as investment adviser or investment counselor to other
persons, firms or corporations, and to engage in other business
activities.
7. Amendment
of Agreement. This Agreement may not be amended except
pursuant to a direction given by the vote of the holders of a majority (as
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the outstanding shares of the
Fund.
8. Liability. The
Company shall not be liable for any error of judgment, or mistake of law, or any
loss suffered by the Fund, in connection with the matters to which this
Agreement relates, except for loss resulting in the performance of its duties or
from reckless disregard by the Company of its obligations and duties
hereunder.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by
their duly authorized officers as of the date and year first above
written.
|
[________________________________________________] |
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By |
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EULAV
ASSET MANAGEMENT
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By |
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FORM
OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT
made as of the [__] day of [_______] 2010, between
[____________________________]2 a Maryland
corporation (hereinafter called “the Fund”), and EULAV ASSET MANAGEMENT, a
Delaware statutory trust (hereinafter called “the Company”);
W I T N E
S S E T H:
WHEREAS,
the Fund desires to have the Company act as its investment adviser and provide
it with investment research, advice, supervision and management;
and
WHEREAS,
the Company is willing to undertake the same upon the terms and conditions set
forth herein.
NOW,
THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed by and between the parties hereto as
follows:
1. Duties. The
Company shall provide the Fund with such investment research, data advice and
supervision as the latter may from time to time
consider necessary for proper supervision of its funds. The Company
shall act as manager and investment adviser of the Fund and, as such, shall
furnish continuously an investment program and shall determine from time to time
what securities shall be purchased or sold by the Fund, and what portion of the
assets of the Fund shall be held uninvested, subject always to the provisions of
the Fund’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, to the Fund’s fundamental
investment policies as in effect from time to time, and to the control and
review by the Fund’s Board of Directors. The Company shall take, on
behalf of the Fund, all actions which it deems necessary to carry into effect
the investment, policies determined as provided above, and to that end the
Company may designate a person or persons who are to be authorized by the Fund
as the representative or representatives of the Fund, to give instructions to
the Custodian of the assets of the Fund as to deliveries of securities and
payments of cash for the account of the Fund.
2. Allocation
of Charges and Expenses; Brokerage. The Company shall furnish
at its own expense all administrative services, office space, equipment and
administrative and clerical personnel necessary for managing the affairs of the
Fund. The Company shall also provide persons satisfactory to the
Fund’s Board of Directors to act as officers and employees of the Fund and shall
pay the salaries and wages of all officers and employees of the Fund who are
also officers and employees of the Company or of an affiliated person (as
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) other than the
Fund. All other costs and expenses not expressly assumed by the
Company under this Agreement, or to be paid by the Distributor or Distributors
of the shares of the Fund, shall be paid by the Fund, including
(i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other costs in
connection with the purchase or sale of securities; (iii) insurance
premiums for fidelity and other coverage requisite to its operations;
(iv) compensation and expenses of its directors other than those affiliated
with the Company; (v) legal, audit and fund
accounting expenses; (vi) custodian and shareholder servicing agent fees
and expenses; (viii) expenses incident to the issuance of its shares
against payment therefor by or on behalf of the subscribers thereto, including
printing of stock certificates; (ix) fees and expenses incident to the
registration under the Securities Act of 1933 or under any state securities laws
of shares of the Fund for public sale and fees imposed on the Fund under the
Investment Company Act of 1940; (x) expenses of printing and mailing
prospectuses, reports and notices and proxy material to shareholders of the
Fund; (xi) all other expenses incidental to holding meetings of the Fund’s
shareholders; (xii) a pro rata share, based on relative net asset value of the
Fund and other investment companies for which the Company also acts as manager
and investment adviser, of 50% of the fees or dues of the Investment Company
Institute; (xiii) fees and expenses in connection with registration of the Fund
or qualification of its shares under the securities laws of states and foreign
jurisdictions and (xiv) such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including
actions, suits or proceedings to which the Fund is a party and the legal
obligation which the Fund may have to indemnify its officers and directors with
respect thereto.
2 This Form
of Agreement is applicable to the Value Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc. and the
Value Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
The Company shall place
purchase and sale orders for portfolio transactions of the Fund with brokers
and/or dealers including, where permitted by law, the Fund’s Distributor or
affiliates thereof
or of the Company, which, in the judgment of the Company, are able to execute
such orders as expeditiously as possible and at the best obtainable
price. Purchases and sales of securities which are not listed or
traded on a securities exchange shall ordinarily be executed with primary market
makers acting as principal except when it is determined that better prices and
executions may otherwise be obtained, provided, that the Company may cause the
Fund to pay a member of a securities exchange, broker or dealer an amount of
commission another member of an exchange, broker or dealer would have charged
for effecting that transaction if the Company 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 member, broker or dealer, viewed in terms
of that particular transaction or the Company’s overall
responsibilities. As used herein, “brokerage and research services”
shall have the same meaning as in Section 28 (e) (3) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as such Section may be amended from time to time, and any rules or
regulations promulgated thereunder by the Securities and Exchange
Commission. It is understood that, consistent with the Company’s
fiduciary duty to the Fund, it is the intent of this Agreement to allow the
Company the widest discretion permitted by law in determining the manner and
means by which portfolio securities’ transactions can be affected in the best
interests of the Fund.
3. Compensation. (a) For
its services and for the facilities to be furnished as provided herein, the Fund
shall pay to the Company an advisory fee payable monthly, computed at the annual
rate of [_____]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets during the year, pro
rated for any portion of a year during which the Agreement is in
effect. For this purpose, the value of the Fund’s net assets shall be
determined in the same manner as for the purchase and redemption of Fund shares
as described in the Fund’s current Prospectus.
a.
|
If
the Fund’s Distributor receives fees in connection with the tender of
portfolio securities of the Fund, the gross amount of the advisory fee
computed in accordance with the preceding paragraph 3(a) shall be reduced
by the amount of tender fees received; if the amount of such tender fees
exceeds the amount’ of advisory fees computed in accordance with paragraph
3(a), the excess shall be paid by the Company to the
Fund.
|
b.
|
In
the event that the total expenses of the Fund, excluding interest, taxes,
brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses, exceeds in any fiscal
year the lowest applicable percentage limitation prescribed by any state
in which shares of the Fund are sold, the compensation of the Company,
computed in accordance with the preceding two paragraphs 3(a) and 3(b) ,
shall be reduced by the amount of such
excess.
|
4. Duration
and Termination of Agreement. This Agreement shall become
effective on the date set forth above and will continue in effect for an initial
period of two years from the date hereof. Thereafter this Agreement
shall continue in effect for successive periods of one year each only so long as
such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in accordance with
the Investment Company Act of 1940. This Agreement may be terminated
on sixty days written notice by either party. This Agreement shall
terminate automatically in the event of its assignment as defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940.
5. Name
of Fund. The Company consents to the use by the Fund of the
name “Value Line [_____________]” so long, and only so long, as this Agreement
(or any agreement with any/organization which has succeeded to the business of
the Company) or any extension, renewal or amendment thereof, remains in
effect. The Fund agrees that if and when no such agreement is in
effect, (a) it will cease to use said name or any name indicating or suggesting
that the Fund is advised by or otherwise connected with the Company and (b) it
will not thereafter refer to the former association between the Company and the
Fund.
6. Company
May Act for Others. Nothing herein contained shall limit the
freedom of the Company or any affiliated person of the Company to render
investment supervisory or corporate administrative services to other investment
companies, to act as investment adviser or investment counselor to other
persons, firms or corporations, and to engage in other business
activities.
7. Amendment
of Agreement. This Agreement may not be amended except
pursuant to a direction given by the vote of the holders of a majority (as
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the outstanding shares of the
Fund.
8. Liability. The
Company shall not be liable for any error of judgment, or mistake of law, or any
loss suffered by the Fund, in connection with the matters to which this
Agreement relates, except for loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith
or gross negligence of the Company in the performance of its duties or from
reckless
disregard by the Company of its obligations and duties
hereunder.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by
their duly authorized officers as of the date and year first above
written.
|
VALUE LINE
[________________________________________] |
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By: |
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EULAV
ASSET MANAGEMENT
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By: |
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APPENDIX
F
FACTORS
CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD IN APPROVING CURRENT INVESTMENT
ADVISORY AGREEMENTS [These
are the Factors for the Convertible Fund. The Factors for
the
remaining
Funds will be added prior to mailing.]
FACTORS
CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD IN APPROVING
THE
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
FOR
VALUE LINE CONVERTIBLE FUND
The
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) requires the Board of Directors,
including a majority of Directors who are not interested persons of Value Line
Convertible Fund (the “Fund”), as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the
“Independent Directors”), annually to consider the investment advisory agreement
(the “Agreement”) between the Fund and its investment adviser, EULAV Asset
Management, LLC (the “Adviser”). As required by the 1940 Act, the
Board requested and the Adviser provided such information as the Board deemed to
be reasonably necessary to evaluate the terms of the Agreement. At
meetings held throughout the year, including the meeting specifically focused
upon the review of the Agreement, the Independent Directors met in executive
sessions separately from the non-Independent Director of the Fund and any
officers of the Adviser. In selecting the Adviser and approving the
continuance of the Agreement, the Independent Directors relied upon the
assistance of counsel to the Independent Directors.
Both in
the meetings which specifically addressed the approval of the Agreement and at
other meetings held during the course of the year, the Board, including the
Independent Directors, received materials relating to the Adviser’s investment
and management services under the Agreement. These materials included
information on: (i) the investment performance of the Fund, compared
to a peer group of funds consisting of the Fund and all retail and institutional
convertible securities funds regardless of asset size or primary channel of
distribution (the “Performance Universe”), and its benchmark index, each as
classified by Lipper Inc., an independent evaluation service (“Lipper”); (ii)
the investment process, portfolio holdings, investment restrictions, valuation
procedures, and financial statements for the Fund; (iii) sales and redemption
data with respect to the Fund; (iv) the general investment outlook in the
markets in which the Fund invests; (v) arrangements with respect to the
distribution of the Fund’s shares; (vi) the allocation and cost of the Fund’s
brokerage (none of which was effected through any affiliate of the Adviser); and
(vii) the overall nature, quality and extent of services provided by the
Adviser.
As part
of the review of the continuance of the Agreement, the Board requested, and the
Adviser provided, additional information in order to evaluate the quality of the
Adviser’s services and the reasonableness of its fees under the
Agreement. In a separate executive session, the Independent Directors
reviewed information, which included data comparing: (i) the Fund’s
management fee rate, transfer agent and custodian fee rates, service fee
(including 12b-1 fees) rates, and the rate of the Fund’s other non-management
fees, to those incurred by a peer group of funds consisting of the Fund and 11
other retail front-end load and no-load convertible securities funds, as
selected objectively by Lipper (“Expense Group”), and a peer group of funds
consisting of the Fund, the Expense Group and all other retail front-end load
and no-load convertible securities funds (excluding outliers), as selected
objectively by Lipper (“Expense Universe”); (ii) the Fund’s expense ratio to
those of its Expense Group and Expense Universe; and (iii) the Fund’s investment
performance over various time periods to the average performance of the
Performance Universe as well as the appropriate Lipper Index, as selected
objectively by Lipper (the “Lipper Index”). In the separate executive
session, the Independent Directors also reviewed information regarding: (a) the
financial results and condition of the Adviser’s parent company, the Adviser’s
and certain of its affiliates’ profitability from the services that have been
performed for the Fund as well as the Value Line family of funds; (b) the Fund’s
current investment management staffing; and (c) the Fund’s potential for
achieving economies of scale. In support of its review of the
statistical information, the Board was provided with a detailed description of
the methodology used by Lipper to determine the Expense Group, the Expense
Universe and the Performance Universe to prepare its information. The
Independent Directors also requested and reviewed information provided by the
Adviser relating to the settlement of a matter brought by the Securities and
Exchange Commission regarding Value Line Securities, Inc.1, the Fund’s
principal underwriter and affiliate of the Adviser (the “Distributor”), Value
Line, Inc., and two former directors and officers of Value Line,
Inc. Value Line, Inc. informed the Board that it and the Adviser
continue to have adequate liquid assets, and that the resolution of this matter
did not have a materially adverse effect on the ability of the Adviser or the
Distributor to perform their respective contracts with the Fund.
1 On May 6, 2009,
Value Line Securities, Inc. changed its name to EULAV Securities,
Inc. No other change was made to the Distributor’s organization,
including its operations and personnel.
The
following summarizes matters considered by the Board in connection with its
renewal of the Agreement. However, the Board did not identify any
single factor as all-important or controlling, and the summary does not detail
all the matters that were considered.
Investment
Performance.
The Board reviewed the Fund’s overall investment performance and compared
it to its Performance Universe and the Lipper Index. The Board noted
that the Fund’s performance was below the performance of both the Performance
Universe average and the Lipper Index for the one-year, three-year, five-year
and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2009.
The
Adviser’s Personnel and Methods. The
Board reviewed the background of the portfolio manager responsible for the daily
management of the Fund’s portfolio, seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment
objective and adhering to the Fund’s investment strategies. The
Independent Directors also engaged in discussions with the Adviser’s senior
management responsible for the overall functioning of the Fund’s investment
operations. The Board concluded that the Fund’s management team and
the Adviser’s overall resources were adequate and that the Adviser had
investment management capabilities and personnel essential to performing its
duties under the Agreement.
Management
Fee and Expenses. The
Board considered the Adviser’s fee under the Agreement relative to the
management fees charged by its Expense Group and Expense Universe
averages. The Board noted that the Adviser and the Board previously
agreed that the Adviser would contractually waive a portion of the Fund’s
management fee, thereby reducing the management fee rate from 0.75% to 0.625% of
the Fund’s average daily net assets for the one-year period ending August 31,
2010. The Adviser and the Board have currently agreed to extend this
contractual fee waiver through August 31, 2011. Such waiver can not
be changed without the Board’s approval during the contractual waiver
period. The Board noted that, for the most recent fiscal year, the
Fund’s management fee rate after giving effect to the contractual management fee
waiver was higher than that of both the Expense Group average and the Expense
Universe average. The Board viewed favorably the Adviser’s decision
to invest its assets in a portfolio analytical system which would further
support the Fund’s management team as well as the Adviser’s increased emphasis
on seeking to improve the Fund’s performance while noting the Fund’s small asset
size. The Board determined that the Fund’s management fee rate
payable to the Adviser under the Agreement does not constitute fees that are so
disproportionately large as to bear no reasonable relationship to the services
rendered and that could not have been the product of arm’s-length bargaining,
and concluded that the management fee rate under the Agreement is fair and
reasonable.
The Board
also considered the Fund’s total expense ratio relative to its Expense Group and
Expense Universe averages. The Board noted that the Distributor and
the Board previously agreed that the Distributor would contractually waive a
portion of the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 fee, effectively reducing the Fund’s Rule 12b-1
fee rate from 0.25% to 0.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the
one-year period ending August 31, 2010. The Distributor and the Board
have currently agreed to extend this contractual 12b-1 fee waiver through August
31, 2011. Such waiver can not be changed without the Board’s approval
during the contractual waiver period. While noting that the Fund’s
total expense ratio after giving effect to these waivers was higher than that of
the Expense Group average and the Expense Universe average, the Board viewed
favorably other steps recently undertaken by the Adviser to reduce the Fund’s
expense ratio, including a renegotiation of the fees charged by the Fund’s
transfer agent (which expense reductions were not reflected in the comparative
materials). The Board concluded that the average expense ratio was
satisfactory for the purpose of approving the continuance of the Agreement for
the coming year.
Nature
and Quality of Other Services. The
Board considered the nature, quality, cost and extent of other services provided
by the Adviser and the Distributor. At meetings held throughout the
year, the Board reviewed the effectiveness of the Adviser’s overall compliance
program, as well as the services provided by the Distributor. The
Board viewed favorably the increased emphasis being placed by the Adviser on its
overall compliance program as well as steps being undertaken to enhance the
shareholders’ experience with the Fund, such as a more robust
website. The Board also reviewed the services provided by the Adviser
and its affiliates in supervising third party service
providers. Based on this review, the Board concluded that the nature,
quality, cost and extent of such other services provided by the Adviser and its
affiliates were satisfactory, reliable and beneficial to the Fund’s
shareholders.
Profitability. The
Board considered the level of profitability of the Adviser and its affiliates
with respect to the Fund individually and in the aggregate for all the funds
within the Value Line group of funds, including the impact of certain actions
taken during prior years. These actions included the Adviser’s
reduction (voluntary in some instances and contractual in other instances) of
management and/or Rule 12b-1 fees for certain funds, the Adviser’s termination
of the use of soft dollar research, and the cessation of trading through the
Distributor. The Board concluded that the profitability of the
Adviser and its affiliates with respect to the Fund, including the financial
results derived from the Fund’s Agreement, were within a range the Board
considered reasonable.
Other
Benefits. The
Board also considered the character and amount of other direct and incidental
benefits received by the Adviser and its affiliates from their association with
the Fund. The Board concluded that potential “fall-out” benefits that
the Adviser and its affiliates may receive, such as greater name recognition,
appear to be reasonable, and may in some cases benefit the
Fund.
Economies
of Scale. The
Board noted that, given the current and anticipated size of the Fund, any
perceived and potential economies of scale were not yet a significant
consideration for the Fund and the addition of break points was determined not
to be necessary at this time.
Fees
and Services Provided for Other Comparable Funds/Accounts Managed by the Adviser
and its Affiliates. In
addition to comparing the Fund’s management fee rate to unaffiliated mutual
funds included in the Fund’s Expense Group and Expense Universe, the Board was
informed by the Adviser that the Adviser and its affiliates do not manage any
investment companies or other institutional accounts comparable to the
Fund.
Conclusion. The
Board, in light of the Adviser’s overall performance, considered it appropriate
to continue to retain the Adviser as the Fund’s investment
adviser. Based on their evaluation of all material factors deemed
relevant, and with the advice of independent counsel, the Board concluded that
the Fund’s Agreement is fair and reasonable and voted to approve the
continuation of the Agreement for another year.
APPENDIX
G
INVESTMENT
ADVISORY AGREEMENTS – DATES, APPROVALS, AND FEES
Fund
|
|
Current
and Proposed Advisory Fee Rate
|
|
|
Current
and Proposed Fee Rate After Waiver
|
|
Date
of Current Advisory Agreement
|
Date
Last Approved by Directors
|
Date
Last Approved by Shareholders
|
|
Purpose
of Last Shareholder Approval
|
|
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
|
|
0.75%
of first $100 million; 0.50% of amounts over $100
million
|
|
|
0.55%
of first $100 million
|
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.65% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
July
8, 1993
|
March
10, 2010
|
July
1993
|
|
Initial
Approval
|
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.40% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.50% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.75% |
|
|
|
0.625% |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.75% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
June
1, 1993
|
March
10, 2010
|
March
24, 1993
|
|
Initial
Approval
|
|
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
|
0.70%
of first $100 million; 0.65% of amounts over $100
million
|
|
|
0.60%
of first $100 million; 0.50% of amounts over $100
million
|
|
September
26, 1991
|
March
10, 2010
|
September
26, 1991
|
|
New
Agreement
|
|
Value
Line Income and
Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
0.70%
of first $100 million; 0.65% of amounts over $100
million
|
|
|
|
N/A |
|
February
25, 1992
|
March
10, 2010
|
February
25, 1992
|
|
New
Agreement
|
|
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.75% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
|
|
|
0.60% |
|
|
|
0.375% |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
Fund
|
|
|
Current
and Proposed Advisory Fee Rate
|
|
|
|
Current
and Proposed Fee Rate After Waiver
|
|
Date
of Current Advisory Agreement
|
Date
Last Approved by Directors
|
Date
Last Approved by Shareholders
|
|
|
Purpose
of Last Shareholder Approval
|
|
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.75% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
|
|
|
0.50% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.50% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
0.50% |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
August
10, 1988
|
March
10, 2010
|
April
27, 1988
|
|
|
* |
|
*Approval
of new advisory agreement as a result of a change of control of the Fund’s
adviser.
APPENDIX
H
Advisory
and Other Fees Paid by the Funds to EULAV and Affiliates
The table
below sets forth the aggregate amount of the investment advisory fees paid by
each Fund to EULAV, the aggregate amount of any other material payments by such
Fund to EULAV, the Distributor and/or their affiliates and the purpose of any
such payments for 2009.
Fund
|
|
Investment
Advisory Fee (net of waivers and/or offsetting
credits)
|
|
|
Other
Material Payments
|
|
|
Purpose
of Other Material Payments
|
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
|
|
$ |
136,922 |
|
|
$ |
51,012 |
|
|
Sales
Agent 12b-1 fees
|
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
433,080 |
|
|
$ |
111,196 |
|
|
Sales
Agent 12b-1 fees
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
274,441 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
|
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
587,579 |
|
|
$ |
294,734 |
|
|
Sales
Agent 12b-1 fees
|
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
144,401 |
|
|
$ |
23,105 |
|
|
Sales
Agent 12b-1 fees
|
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
3,892,220 |
|
|
$ |
1.297,406 |
|
|
Sales
Agent 12b-1 fees
|
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
550,811 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
|
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
2,113,618 |
|
|
$ |
659,463 |
|
|
Sales
Agent 12b-1 fees
|
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
1,423,453 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
|
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
|
|
$ |
66,611 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
|
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
2,323,094 |
|
|
$ |
774,365 |
|
|
Sales
Agent 12b-1 fees
|
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
|
|
$ |
1,728,120 |
|
|
$ |
864,059 |
|
|
Sales
Agent 12b-1 fees
|
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
424,098 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
|
|
$ |
453,518 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
|
APPENDIX
I
Share
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
As of
July 31, 2010 the shareholders identified below were known by the Fund to own,
beneficially or of record, more than 5% of any class of outstanding shares of a
Fund.
Fund
Name
|
Name
and Address of Owner
|
Shares
|
Percent
of Ownership
|
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
|
Charles
Schwab & Co, Inc.
101
Montgomery Street
San
Francisco, CA 94104
National
Financial Services
200
Liberty Street 4th
Floor
New
York, NY 10281
TD
Ameritrade
PO
Box 2226
Omaha,
NE 68103
|
957,296
715,888
490,032
|
13.01%
9.73%
6.66%
|
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
|
National
Financial Services
200
Liberty Street 4th
Floor
New
York, NY 10281
Charles
Schwab & Co, Inc.
101
Montgomery Street
San
Francisco, CA 94104
|
582,868
422,054
|
18.59%
13.46%
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
|
Reliance
Trust Co., Trustee
1100
Abernathy Road
500
North Park Building Ste 400
Atlanta,
GA 30328
Value
Line Publishing
220
East 42nd
Street
New
York, NY 10017
|
13,016,000
6,893,370
|
10.85%
5.75%
|
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
|
Guardian
Insurance
|
Beneficial
for Contract Holders
|
100%
|
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
|
Charles
Schwab & Co, Inc.
101
Montgomery Street
San
Francisco, CA 94104
National
Financial Services
200
Liberty Street 4th
Floor
New
York, NY 10281
|
271,641
149,578
|
12.84%
7.07%
|
Fund
Name |
Name
and Address of Owner
|
Nature
of Ownership / Shares
|
Percent
of Ownership
|
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
Charles
Schwab & Co, Inc.
101
Montgomery Street
San
Francisco, CA 94104
National
Financial Services
200
Liberty Street 4th
Floor
New
York, NY 10281
|
6,826,669
1,652,571
|
55.44%
13.42%
|
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
|
Charles
Schwab & Co, Inc.
101
Montgomery Street
San
Francisco, CA 94104
National
Financial Services
200
Liberty Street 4th
Floor
New
York, NY 10281
|
7,872,061
5,711,413
|
18.41%
13.36%
|
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
Charles
Schwab & Co, Inc.
101
Montgomery Street
San
Francisco, CA 94104
|
1,102,641
|
9.21%
|
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
Charles
Schwab & Co, Inc.
101
Montgomery Street
San
Francisco, CA 94104
National
Financial Services
200
Liberty Street 4th
Floor
New
York, NY 10281
|
3,702,418
2,021,069
|
28.98%
15.82%
|
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
|
Guardian
Insurance
|
Beneficial
for Contract Holders
|
100%
|
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
|
National
Financial Services
200
Liberty Street 4th
Floor
New
York, NY 10281
|
560,291
|
6.49%
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
|
Charles
Schwab & Co, Inc.
101
Montgomery Street
San
Francisco, CA 94104
|
513,393
|
7.18%
|
APPENDIX
J
NAME
AND PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION OF DIRECTORS AND
PRINCIPAL
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF EULAV
The
following table provides the names of the Directors and Principal Officers of
EULAV and their principal occupation and position(s) with the Funds. The address
of each Director and Principal Officer listed below is c/o EULAV Asset
Management, LLC, 220 East 42nd
Street, New York, NY 10017.
Name
|
|
|
Principal
Occupation
|
|
|
Position(s)
with the
Funds,
if any
|
Mitchell
E. Appel
|
|
|
President
of each of the Funds since June 2008; Chief Financial Officer of VLI since
April 2008 and from September 2005 to November 2007 and Treasurer from
June 2005 to September 2005; Chief Financial Officer of XTF Asset
Management from November 2007 to April 2008; Chief Financial Officer of
the Distributor since April 2008 and President since February 2009;
President of the Adviser since February 2009.
|
|
|
President
|
Howard
A. Brecher
|
|
|
Vice
President and Secretary of each of the 14 Value Line Funds since 2008;
Secretary of VLI until January 2010; Chief Legal Officer and Director of
VLI; Acting Chairman and Acting CEO of VLI since November 2009; Secretary
and Treasurer of the Adviser since February 2009; Vice President,
Secretary, Treasurer, General Counsel and a Director of Arnold Bernhard
& Co., Inc., the parent company of VLI.
|
|
|
Vice
President and Secretary
|
Mark
Marrone
|
|
|
Chief
Compliance Officer
|
|
|
-
|
APPENDIX
K
Audit
Fees, Audit Related Fees, Tax Fees and All Other Fees Paid to Independent
Registered Public
Accounting
Firms. The Fund, the Adviser, and the Adviser Affiliates did not pay
any fees to Independent
Registered
Public Accounting Firms for non-audit services.
Audit
Fees and Audit Related Fees
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
Fees
|
|
|
Audit
Related Fees
|
|
Fund
|
|
Fiscal
Year End
|
|
|
Most Recent Fiscal Year
($)
|
|
|
Fiscal
Year Prior to Most
Recent Fiscal
Year
End
($)
|
|
|
Most
Recent Fiscal Year
($)
|
|
|
Fiscal
Year
Prior
to
Most
Recent
Fiscal
Year
End
($)
|
|
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
|
|
|
01/31 |
|
|
$ |
14,906 |
|
|
$ |
8,917 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
03/31 |
|
|
$ |
10,035 |
|
|
$ |
24,702 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
34,464 |
|
|
$ |
39,093 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
25,776 |
|
|
$ |
54,691 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
04/30 |
|
|
$ |
25,555 |
|
|
$ |
30,339 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
03/31 |
|
|
$ |
50,583 |
|
|
$ |
174,619 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
15,777 |
|
|
$ |
34,520 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
42,264 |
|
|
$ |
81,704 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
17,779 |
|
|
$ |
57,321 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
|
|
|
01/31 |
|
|
$ |
10,342 |
|
|
$ |
5,425 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
41,537 |
|
|
$ |
104,448 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
46,900 |
|
|
$ |
118,966 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
02/28 |
|
|
$ |
4,898 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
08/31 |
|
|
$ |
29,783 |
|
|
$ |
21,657 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Tax
Fees and All Other Fees
|
|
|
|
|
Tax
Fees1
|
|
|
All
Other Fees
|
|
Fund
|
|
Fiscal
Year
End
|
|
|
Most
Recent
Fiscal
Year
($)
|
|
|
Fiscal
Year
Prior
to
Most
Recent
Fiscal
Year
End
($)
|
|
|
Most
Recent
Fiscal
Year
($)
|
|
|
Fiscal
Year
Prior
to
Most
Recent
Fiscal
Year
End
($)
|
|
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
|
|
|
01/31 |
|
|
$ |
5,559 |
|
|
$ |
505 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
03/31 |
|
|
$ |
13,709 |
|
|
$ |
890 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
30,192 |
|
|
$ |
856 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
20,517 |
|
|
$ |
881 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
04/30 |
|
|
$ |
5,133 |
|
|
$ |
900 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
03/31 |
|
|
$ |
98,692 |
|
|
$ |
868 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
15,277 |
|
|
$ |
877 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
47,908 |
|
|
$ |
830 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
29,945 |
|
|
$ |
851 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
|
|
|
01/31 |
|
|
$ |
3,320 |
|
|
$ |
597 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
50,040 |
|
|
$ |
861 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
|
|
|
12/31 |
|
|
$ |
54,512 |
|
|
$ |
600 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
02/28 |
|
|
$ |
14,629 |
|
|
$ |
872 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
|
|
|
08/31 |
|
|
$ |
900 |
|
|
$ |
1,577 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
1 Tax
fees include Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms and State Street
Bank.
PROXY
CARD
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
PROXY
FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To be held October 15,
2010
I (We),
having received notice of the Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of
the Value Line Mutual Funds noted above (the “Funds” and each individually a
“Fund”) and the accompanying Proxy Statement therefore, and revoking all prior
proxies, hereby appoint Mitchell E. Appel, Howard A. Brecher, and Emily D.
Washington (the “Named Proxies”), and each of them, my (our) attorneys (with
full power of substitution in them and each of them) for and in my (our) name(s)
to attend the Meeting of my (our) Fund to be held on October 15, 2010, at 2:00
p.m. (Eastern Time) at the offices of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP,
399 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022, and any adjourned session or sessions
thereof, and there to vote and act upon the following matters (as more fully
described in the accompanying Proxy Statement) in respect of all shares of the
Fund which I (we) will be entitled to vote or act upon, with all the powers I
(we) would possess if personally present.
The shares represented by
this proxy will be voted in accordance with my (our) instructions as given on
the reverse side with respect to each Proposal. If this proxy is
executed but no instruction is given, I (we) understand that the Named Proxies
will vote my (our) shares in favor of each Proposal. The Named
Proxies are authorized to vote on any other business that may properly come
before the Meeting in their discretion.
[ADDRESS
LINE 1]
[ADDRESS
LINE 2]
[ADDRESS
LINE 3]
[ADDRESS
LINE 4]
[ADDRESS
LINE 5]
[ADDRESS
LINE 6]
[ADDRESS
LINE 7]
|
NOTE:
Please be sure that you complete, sign and date your proxy card. In
signing, please write your name(s) exactly as it (they) appear(s) hereon.
When signing as attorney, executor, administrator or other fiduciary,
please give your full title as such. Proxies being signed by or on behalf
of corporate shareholders should be signed in full corporate name by an
authorized officer. Joint owners should each sign personally.
|
Signature
|
Date
|
Signature(if
held jointly)
|
Date
|
Title
if a corporation, partnership or other entity
|
THIS
PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS/TRUSTEES
(THE
“BOARD”) OF YOUR FUND.
YOUR VOTE
IS IMPORTANT, NO MATTER HOW MANY SHARES YOU OWN. THE MATTERS WE ARE
SUBMITTING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ARE SIGNIFICANT TO THE FUND AND TO YOU AS A
FUND SHAREHOLDER. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT
AND CAST YOUR VOTE USING ANY OF THE METHODS DESCRIBED BELOW.
Three simple methods to vote
your proxy:
1.
|
Internet:
|
Log
on to [www._______].
Make sure to have this proxy card available when you plan to vote your
shares. You will need the control number and check digit found in the box
at the right at the time you execute your vote.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Control
Number:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.
|
Touchtone
Phone:
|
Dial
toll-free [_______]
and follow the automated instructions. Please have this
proxy card available at the time of the call.
|
|
Check Digit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
Mail:
|
Sign,
date, and complete the reverse side of this proxy card and return it in
the postage paid envelope provided.
|
|
|
|
If you
have any questions about the Proposals or completing this proxy card, please
call the Proxy Solicitation Firm [(toll-free)
at [_______]. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 9:00
a.m.-10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)].
TAGID:
“TAG ID”
|
CUSIP:
“CUSIP”
|
PROXY
CARD
Value
Line Aggressive Income Trust
Value
Line Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Centurion Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Convertible Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Emerging Opportunities Fund, Inc.
The
Value Line Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Income and Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Larger Companies Fund, Inc.
Value
Line New York Tax Exempt Trust
Value
Line Premier Growth Fund, Inc.
Value
Line Strategic Asset Management Trust
The
Value Line Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
Value
Line U.S. Government Securities Fund, Inc.
THE BOARD (INCLUDING ALL OF
THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS) RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF BOTH OF THE
FOLLOWING PROPOSALS:
TO VOTE,
MARK ONE BOX IN BLUE OR BLACK INK. Example: ■
PROPOSALS:
|
To
elect three nominees for Directors, as named in the Proxy Statement, of
each Fund, each of whom will serve until he or she resigns, is removed,
dies or becomes incapacitated
|
|
The
nominees for Directors
are:
|
|
|
|
FOR
|
WITHHOLD
|
|
1
|
Joyce
E. Heinzerling
|
o |
o |
|
2
|
Mitchell
E. Appel
|
o |
o |
|
3
|
Daniel
S. Vandivort
|
o |
o |
|
To
approve a new investment advisory agreement between each Fund and EULAV
Asset Management
|
|
FOR
|
AGAINST
|
ABSTAIN
|
|
|
|
|
|
o |
o |
o |
If you
plan to attend the Meeting please check this
box:
o
EVERY
SHAREHOLDER’S VOTE IS IMPORTANT! PLEASE VOTE NOW.
|
|
“Scanner
Bar Code”
|
|
|
|
TAG
ID:
|
CUSIP:
|
|
|