Preview | Custodian Agreement |

This Agreement is made as of January 28, 1998 by and between each entity set forth on Appendix A hereto (as such Appendix A may be amended from time to time) which executes a copy of this Agreement (each referred to herein as the "Fund"), and State Street Bank and Trust Company, a Massachusetts trust company with its principal place of business at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 (the "Custodian").

Whereas, the Funds have retained Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. to act as the Funds` custodian with respect to the assets of each such Fund to be held outside of the United States of America (except as otherwise set forth in this Agreement) pursuant to a written custodian agreement (the "Foreign Custodian Agreement"),

Each Fund hereby employs the Custodian as the custodian of certain of its assets, including those securities it desires to be held within the United States of America ("domestic securities") and those securities it desires to be held outside the United States of America (the "United States") which are (i) not held on the Funds` behalf by Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. pursuant to the Foreign Custodian Agreement and (ii) described with greater particularity in Section 3 hereof (such securities shall be referred to herein as "foreign securities"). Each Fund agrees to deliver to the Custodian all domestic securities, foreign securities and cash owned by it from time to time, and all payments of income, payments of principal or capital distributions received by it with respect to

securities held by it hereunder, and the cash consideration received by it for such new or treasury shares of capital stock of each Fund as may be issued or sold from time to time ("Shares"). The Custodian shall not be responsible for any property of any Fund held or received by such Fund (i) not delivered to the Custodian, or (ii) held in the custody of Chase Manhattan Bank N.A.

The Custodian is authorized to employ one or more sub-custodians located within the United States, provided that the Custodian shall have obtained the written acknowledgment of the Fund with respect to such employment. The Custodian is authorized to employ sub-custodians located outside the United States as noted on Schedule A attached hereto (as such Schedule A may be amended from time to time). The Custodian shall have no more or less responsibility or liability to any Fund on account of any actions or omissions of any sub-custodian so employed than any such sub-custodian has to the Custodian and shall not release any sub-custodian from any responsibility or liability unless so agreed in writing by the Custodian and the applicable Fund. With the exception of State Street Bank and Trust Company (London branch), the Custodian shall not be liable for losses arising from the bankruptcy, insolvency or receivership of any sub-custodian located outside the United States.

Section 2.1Holding Securities. The Custodian shall hold and physically segregate for the account of each Fund all non-cash property to be held by it in the United States, including all domestic securities owned by the Fund other than (a) securities which are maintained pursuant to Section 2.9 in a clearing agency which acts as a securities depository or in a book-entry system authorized by the United States Department of the Treasury and certain federal agencies (each, a "U.S. Securities System") and (b) commercial paper of an issuer for which the Custodian acts as issuing and paying agent ("Direct Paper") which is deposited and/or maintained in the Direct Paper system of the Custodian (the "Direct Paper System") pursuant to Section 2.10.

Section 2.2Delivery of Investments. The Custodian shall release and deliver domestic investments owned by a Fund held by the Custodian or in a U.S. Securities System account of the Custodian or in the Custodian`s Direct Paper System account ("Direct Paper System Account") only upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which

6)To the issuer thereof, or its agent, for transfer into the name of the Fund or into the name of any nominee or nominees of the Custodian or into the name or nominee name of any agent appointed pursuant to Section 2.8 or into the name or nominee name of any sub-custodian appointed pursuant to Section 1; or for exchange for a different number of bonds, certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units; provided that, in any such case, the new securities are to be delivered to the Custodian;

7)Upon the sale of such investments for the account of the Fund, to the broker or its clearing agent, against a receipt, for examination in accordance with usual "street delivery" custom; provided that in any such case the Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from the delivery of such investments prior to receiving payment for such investments except as may arise from the Custodian`s own negligence or willful misconduct;

8)For exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or readjustment of the investments of the issuer of such investments, or pursuant to provisions for conversion contained in such investments, or pursuant to any deposit agreement; provided that, in any such case, the new investments and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian;

9)In the case of warrants, rights or similar investments, the surrender thereof in the exercise of such warrants, rights or similar investments or the surrender of interim receipts or temporary investments for definitive investments; provided that, in any such case, the new investments and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian or against a receipt;

10)For delivery in connection with any loans of investments made on behalf of the Fund, but only against receipt of adequate collateral as agreed upon from time to time by the Fund or its duly-appointed agent (which may be in the form of cash or obligations issued by the United States government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or such other property as the Fund may agree), except that in connection with any loans for which collateral is to be credited to the Custodian`s account in the book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Custodian will not be held liable or responsible for the delivery of investments owned by the Fund prior to the receipt of such collateral in the absence of the Custodian`s negligence or willful misconduct;

11)For delivery as security in connection with any borrowing by the Fund requiring a pledge of assets by the Fund, but only against receipt of amounts borrowed, except where additional collateral is required to secure a borrowing already made, subject to Proper Instructions, further securities may be released and delivered for that purpose;

relating to compliance with the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation, the rules of any registered national securities exchange or of any similar organization or organizations, or under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time (the "1940 Act"), regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund;

13)For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian, and a Futures Commission Merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any Contract Market, or any similar organization or organizations, or under the 1940 Act, regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Fund;

14)Upon receipt of instructions from the transfer agent for the Fund (the "Transfer Agent"), for delivery to such Transfer Agent or to the holders of shares in connection with distributions in kind, as may be described from time to time in the Fund`s currently effective prospectus, statement of additional information or other offering documents (all, as amended, supplemented or revised from time to time, the "Prospectus"), in satisfaction of requests by holders of Shares for repurchase or redemption; and

Section 2.3Registration of Investments. Domestic investments held by the Custodian (other than bearer securities) shall be registered in the name of the Fund or in the name of any nominee of the Fund or of any nominee of the Custodian which nominee shall be assigned exclusively to the Fund, unless the Fund has authorized in writing the appointment of a nominee to be used in common with other registered investment companies having the same investment adviser as the Fund, or in the name or nominee name of any agent appointed pursuant to Section 2.8 or in the name or nominee name of any sub-custodian appointed pursuant to Section 1. All securities accepted by the Custodian on behalf of the Fund under the terms of

this Agreement shall be in good deliverable form. If, however, the Fund directs the Custodian to maintain securities in "street name", the Custodian shall utilize its best efforts only to timely collect income due the Fund on such securities and to notify the Fund of relevant corporate actions including, without limitation, pendency of calls, maturities, tender or exchange offers.

Section 2.4Bank Accounts. The Custodian shall open and maintain a separate bank account or accounts in the United States in the name of the Fund, subject only to draft or order by the Custodian acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall hold in such account or accounts, subject to the provisions hereof, all cash received by it from or for the account of the Fund, other than cash maintained by the Fund in a bank account established and used in accordance with Rule 17f-3 under the 1940 Act. Monies held by the Custodian for the Fund may be deposited by the Custodian to its credit as custodian in the banking department of the Custodian or in such other banks or trust companies as it may in its discretion deem necessary or desirable in the performance of its duties hereunder; provided, however, that every such bank or trust company shall be qualified to act as a custodian under the 1940 Act, and that each such bank or trust company and the funds to be deposited with each such bank or trust company shall be approved by vote of a majority of the board of directors or the board of trustees of the applicable Fund (as appropriate and in each case, the "Board"). Such funds shall be deposited by the Custodian in its capacity as custodian and shall be withdrawable by the Custodian only in that capacity.

Section 2.5Collection of Income. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.3, the Custodian shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to United States registered investments held hereunder to which the Fund shall be entitled either by law or pursuant to custom in the investments business, and shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to United States bearer investments if, on the date of payment by the issuer, such investments are held by the Custodian or its agent thereof and shall credit such income, as collected, to the Fund`s custodian account. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Custodian shall detach and present for payment all coupons and other income items requiring presentation as and when they become due, collect interest when due on investments held hereunder, and receive and collect all stock dividends, rights and other items of like nature as and when they become due and payable. With respect to income due the Fund on United States investments of the Fund loaned (pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.2 (10))

in accordance with a separate agreement between the Fund and the Custodian in its capacity as lending agent, collection thereof shall be in accordance with the terms of such agreement. Except as otherwise set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, income due the Fund on United States investments of the Fund loaned pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.2 (10) shall be the responsibility of the Fund; the Custodian will have no duty or responsibility in connection therewith other than to provide the Fund with such information or data as may be necessary to assist the Fund in arranging for the timely delivery to the Custodian of the income to which the Fund is properly entitled.

1)Upon the purchase of domestic investments, options, futures contracts or options on futures contracts for the account of the Fund but only (a) against the delivery of such investments, or evidence of title to such options, futures contracts or options on futures contracts, to the Custodian (or any bank, banking firm or trust company doing business in the United States or abroad which is qualified under the 1940 Act to act as a custodian and has been designated by the Custodian as its agent for this purpose in accordance with Section 2.8) registered in the name of the Fund or in the name of a nominee of the Custodian referred to in Section 2.3 hereof or in proper form for transfer; (b) in the case of a purchase effected through a U.S. Securities System, in accordance with the conditions set forth in Section 2.9 hereof; (c) in the case of a purchase involving the Direct Paper System, in accordance with the conditions set forth in Section 2.10 hereof; or (d) for transfer to a time deposit account of the Fund in any bank, whether domestic or foreign, such transfer may be effected prior to receipt of a confirmation from a broker and/or the applicable bank pursuant to Proper Instructions;

4)For the payment of any expense or liability incurred by the Fund, including but not limited to the following payments for the account of the Fund: interest, taxes, management fees, accounting fees, transfer agent fees, legal fees, and operating expenses of the Fund (whether or not such expenses are to be in whole or part capitalized or treated as deferred expenses);

8)In connection with any repurchase agreement entered into by the Fund with respect to which the collateral is held by the Custodian, the Custodian shall act as the Fund`s "securities intermediary"( as that term is defined in Part 5 of Article 8 of the Massachusetts Uniform Commercial Code, as amended), and, as securities intermediary, the Custodian shall take the following steps on behalf of the Fund: (a) provide the Fund with notification of the receipt of the purchased securities, and (b), by book-entry identify on the books of the Custodian as belonging to the Fund uncertificated securities registered in the name of the Fund and held in the Custodian`s account at the Federal Reserve Bank. In connection with any repurchase agreement entered into by the Fund with respect to which the collateral is not held by the Custodian, the Custodian shall (a) provide the Fund with such notification as it may receive with respect to such collateral, and (b), by book-entry or otherwise, identify as belonging to the Fund securities as shown in the Custodian`s account on the books of the entity appointed by the Fund to hold such collateral.

Section 2.7Liability for Payment in Advance of Receipt of Securities Purchased. In any and every case where payment for purchase of domestic securities for the account of the Fund is made by the Custodian in advance of receipt of the securities purchased in the absence of specific written instructions from the Fund to so pay in advance, the Custodian shall be absolutely liable to the Fund for such securities to the same extent as if the securities had been received by the Custodian.

Section 2.8Appointment of Agents. The Custodian may at any time or times in its discretion appoint (and may at any time remove) any other bank or trust company, which is itself qualified under the 1940 Act to act as a custodian, as its agent to carry out such of the provisions of this Section 2 as the Custodian may from time to time direct; provided, however, that the appointment of any such agent shall not relieve the Custodian of its responsibilities or liabilities hereunder.

Section 2.9Deposit of Investments in U.S. Securities Systems. The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain domestic investments owned by the Fund in a U.S. Securities System in accordance with applicable Federal Reserve Board and United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") rules and regulations, if any, subject to the following provisions:

1)The Custodian may keep domestic investments of the Fund in a U.S. Securities System provided that such investments are represented in an account of the Custodian in the U.S. Securities System ("Account") which shall not include any assets of the Custodian other than assets held as a fiduciary, custodian or otherwise for customers;

(ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such payment and transfer for the account of the Fund. The Custodian shall transfer domestic investments sold for the account of the Fund upon (i) receipt of advice from the U.S. Securities System that payment for such investments has been transferred to the Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer and payment for the account of the Fund. Copies of all advices from the U.S. Securities System of transfers of domestic investments for the account of the Fund shall identify the Fund, be maintained for the Fund by the Custodian and be provided to the Fund at its request. Upon request, the Custodian shall furnish the Fund confirmation of each transfer to or from the account of the Fund in the form of a written advice or notice and shall furnish to the Fund copies of daily transaction sheets reflecting each day`s transactions in the U.S. Securities System for the account of the Fund;

6)Anything to the contrary in this Agreement notwithstanding, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund for any loss or damage to the Fund resulting from use of the U.S. Securities System by reason of any negligence, misfeasance or misconduct of the Custodian or any of its agents or of any of its or their employees, or from failure of the Custodian or any such agent to enforce effectively such rights as it may have against the U.S. Securities System. At the election of the Fund, the Fund shall be entitled to be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claim against the U.S. Securities System or any other person which the Custodian may have as a consequence of any such loss, expense or damage if and to the extent that

4)The Custodian shall pay for investments purchased for the account of the Fund upon the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such payment and transfer of investments to the account of the Fund. The Custodian shall transfer investments sold for the account of the Fund upon the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer and receipt of payment for the account of the Fund;

5)The Custodian shall furnish the Fund confirmation of each transfer to or from the account of the Fund, in the form of a written advice or notice, of Direct Paper on the next business day following such transfer and shall furnish to the Fund copies of daily transaction sheets reflecting each day`s transaction in the Direct Paper System for the account of the Fund; and

account or accounts for and on behalf of the Fund, into which account or accounts may be transferred cash and/or investments, including investments maintained in an account by the Custodian pursuant to Section 2.10 hereof, (i) in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the NASD (or any futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act), relating to compliance with the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or any registered contract market), or of any similar organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund, (ii) for purposes of segregating cash or government investments in connection with options purchased, sold or written by the Fund or commodity futures contracts or options thereon purchased or sold by the Fund, (iii) for the purposes of compliance by the Fund with the procedures required by 1940 Act Release No. 10666, or any other procedures subsequently required under the 1940 Act relating to the maintenance of segregated accounts by registered investment companies, and (iv) for other purposes, but only, in the case of clause (iv) upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying (a) the investments to be delivered, (b) setting forth the purpose for which such delivery is to be made, and (c) naming the person or persons to whom delivery of such investments shall be made.

Section 2.12Ownership Certificates for Tax Purposes. The Custodian shall execute ownership and other certificates and affidavits for all United States federal and state tax purposes in connection with receipt of income or other payments with respect to domestic investments of the Fund held by it hereunder and in connection with transfers of such investments.

Section 2.13Proxies. The Custodian shall, with respect to the domestic investments held hereunder, cause to be promptly executed by the registered holder of such investments, if the investments are registered otherwise than in the name of the Fund or a nominee of the Fund, all proxies without indication of the manner in which such proxies are to be voted, and shall promptly deliver to the Fund such proxies, all proxy soliciting materials received by the Custodian and all notices received relating to such investments.

Section 2.14Communications Relating to Fund Investments. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.3, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the Fund all written information (including, without limitation, pendency of calls and maturities of domestic investments and expirations of rights in connection therewith and notices of

exercise of call and put options written by the Fund and the maturity of futures contracts purchased or sold by the Fund) received by the Custodian in connection with the domestic investments being held for the Fund pursuant to this Agreement. With respect to tender or exchange offers, the Custodian shall transmit to the Fund all written information received by the Custodian, any agent appointed pursuant to Section 2.8 hereof, or any sub-custodian appointed pursuant to Section 1 hereof, from issuers of the domestic investments whose tender or exchange is sought and from the party (or his agents) making the tender or exchange offer. If the Fund desires to take action with respect to any tender offer, exchange offer or any other similar transaction, the Fund shall notify the Custodian at least two (2) New York Stock Exchange business days prior to the time such action must be taken under the terms of the tender, exchange offer or other similar transaction, and it will be the responsibility of the Custodian to timely transmit to the appropriate person(s) such notice. Where the Fund provides the Custodian with less than two (2) New York Stock Exchange business days notice of its desired action, the Custodian shall use its best efforts to timely transmit the Fund`s notice to the appropriate person. It is expressly noted that the parties may agree to alternative procedures with respect to such two (2) New York Stock Exchange business days notice period on a selective and individual basis.

Section 2.15Reports to Fund by Independent Public Accountants. The Custodian shall provide the Fund, at such times as the Fund may reasonably require, with reports by independent public accountants on the accounting system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding investments, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, including domestic investments deposited and/or maintained in a U.S. Securities System, relating to the services provided by the Custodian under this Agreement. Such reports shall be of sufficient scope and detail, as may reasonably be required by the Fund, to provide reasonable assurance that any material inadequacies would be disclosed by such examination, and if there are no such inadequacies the reports shall so state.

Section 3.2Holding Securities. The Custodian shall identify on its books as belonging to the Funds the foreign securities held by each Foreign Sub-Custodian or Foreign Securities System. The Custodian may hold foreign securities for all of its customers, including the Funds, with any Foreign Sub-Custodian in an account that is identified as belonging to the Custodian for the benefit of its customers, provided however, that (i) the records of the Custodian with respect to foreign securities of the Funds which are maintained in such account shall identify those securities as belonging to the Funds and (ii) the Custodian shall require that securities so held by the Foreign Sub-Custodian be held separately from any assets of such Foreign Sub-Custodian or of other customers of such Foreign Sub-Custodian.

3.4.1.Delivery of Foreign Securities. The Custodian or a Foreign Sub-Custodian shall release and deliver foreign securities of the Funds held by such Foreign Sub-Custodian, or in a Foreign Securities System account, only upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, and only in the following cases:

(i)upon the sale of such foreign securities for the Funds in accordance with reasonable market practice in the country where such foreign securities are held or traded, including, without limitation: (A) delivery against expectation of receiving later payment; or (B) in the case of a sale effected through a Foreign Securities System in accordance with the rules governing the operation of the Foreign Securities System;

(v)to the issuer thereof, or its agent, for transfer into the name of the Custodian (or the name of the respective Foreign Sub-Custodian or of any nominee of the Custodian or such Foreign Sub-Custodian) or for exchange for a different number of bonds, certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units;

(vi)to brokers, clearing banks or other clearing agents for examination or trade execution in accordance with market custom; provided that in any such case the Foreign Sub-Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from the delivery of such securities prior to receiving payment for such securities except as may arise from the Foreign Sub-Custodian`s own negligence or willful misconduct;