Document:

SEPARATION AGREEMENT AND RELEASE

       This   Separation   Agreement  and  Release   ("Separation
Agreement"), dated this June 12th, 2003, shall be effective as of
June  30th,  2003 (the "Effective Date"), by and  between  Comtex
News  Network,  Inc.  (the "Employer") and  C.  W.  Gilluly  (the
"Employee").

      WHEREAS, Employee is employed by the Employer and holds the
title  of  Vice  Chairman of the Board of Directors,  an  officer
position with Employer; and

      WHEREAS, the Employee has elected to resign as an  employee
and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective as of June
30, 2003;

     NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration of the  promises  herein
stated and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
adequacy of which is acknowledged by each of the parties and  who
intend  to  be  legally bound by this Separation  Agreement,  the
parties state and agree as follows:

1.    Termination  of  Employment.  The parties  hereto  mutually
agree  that the Employee's employment shall be terminated  as  of
the effective date hereof.  Employee further agrees to resign  as
Vice  Chairman of the Board of Directors as of the effective date
hereof.

2.    Effect  of  Termination.  It is  agreed  that  a  severance
payment of $26,777.00 is payable by Employer to Employee, at such
time   and  in  such  installments  as  determined  in  the  sole
discretion  of  the Employer, but no later than  June  30,  2007.
Employee  shall also be entitled to elect continuing health  care
coverage  under  Employer's health plan, at  Employee's  expense,
subject  to  the  requirements of Title  X  of  the  Consolidated
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, Internal Revenue  Code
section 4980B, and subsequent legislation ("COBRA").  The parties
hereto  hereby  waive and release each other  from  any  and  all
causes  of actions, debts, claims and liabilities, whether  known
or  unknown, which either party now has or may have in the future
against the other, except as otherwise provided herein.

3.    No Effect on Board Position.  This Separation Agreement  is
not  intended  and  shall not be construed as  a  termination  by
Employee of his position as a member of the Board of Directors of
Employer  and  Employee shall remain a member  of  the  Board  of
Directors of employer for his duly elected term.

4.    Counterparts.  This Separation Agreement may be executed in
one  or  more  counterparts, each of which  shall  be  deemed  to
constitute an original.

5.    Governing Law.  This Separation Agreement shall be governed
by,   and  interpreted  in  accordance  with,  the  laws  of  the
Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to the conflict  of  law
principles thereof.

IN   WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  parties  hereto  have  caused   this
instrument  to  be  executed on this 12th day of  June  2003,  in
counterparts, with an Effective Date as defined hereinabove.

                                   COMTEX NEWS NETWORK, INC.

Date: June 12, 2003                By:/S/ STEVE ELLIS
                                   ----------------------------
                                   Steve Ellis, Chairman of the
                                   Board
                                   Acting on Behalf of the Board
                                    of Directors

Date: June 12, 2003                EMPLOYEE

                                   By:/S/ C.W. GILLULY
                                   ----------------------------
                                        C. W. Gilluly

<PAGE>Executed in 6 Parts
                                                      Counterpart No. (   )

                              NATIONAL EQUITY TRUST

                           TOP TEN PORTFOLIO SERIES 43

                            REFERENCE TRUST AGREEMENT

     This Reference Trust  Agreement  dated September 24, 2003 among  Prudential
Investment Management Services LLC, as Depositor, Prudential Investments LLC, as
Portfolio  Supervisor,  and The Bank of New York, as Trustee, sets forth certain
provisions  in full  and  incorporates  other  provisions  by  reference  to the
document  entitled  "National Equity Trust,  Trust Indenture and Agreement" (the
"Basic  Agreement")  dated February 2, 2000. Such provisions as are set forth in
full herein and such provisions as are  incorporated  by reference  constitute a
single instrument (the "Indenture").

                                WITNESSETH THAT:

     In  consideration  of the  premises  and of the  mutual  agreements  herein
contained, the Depositor and the Trustee agree as follows: Part I.

                     STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF TRUST

     Subject to the provisions of Part II hereof,  all the provisions  contained
in the Basic  Agreement are herein  incorporated  by reference in their entirety
and  shall be deemed  to be a part of this  instrument  as fully and to the same
extent as though said provisions had been set forth in full in this instrument.

A.   Article I, entitled "Definitions," shall be amended as follows:

(i)  Section  1.01-Definitions  shall be amended to add the following definition
     at the end thereof:

<PAGE>

                                      -2-

     "Portfolio  Supervisor" of the Trust shall have the meaning  assigned to it
in Part II of the Reference Trust Agreement.

B.   Article  III,  entitled  "Administration  of  Trust,"  shall be  amended as
     follows:

     (i) The third  paragraph of Section  3.05-Distribution  shall be amended by
deleting any reference to Depositor and replacing it with Portfolio Supervisor.

     (ii)  Section 3.14-Deferred  Sales  Charge  shall  be  amended  to add  the
following sentences at the end thereof:

"References to Deferred Sales Charge in this Trust Indenture and Agreement shall
include any Creation and  Development  Fee  indicated  in the  prospectus  for a
Trust.  The  Creation  and  Development  Fee  shall be  payable  on each date so
designated  and in an amount  determined  as specified in the  prospectus  for a
Trust."

C.   Article VIII, entitled "Depositor," shall be amended as follows:

     (i) Section 8.07-Compensation shall be amended by deleting any reference to
Depositor and replacing it with Portfolio Supervisor.

D.   Article IX,  entitled  "Additional  Covenants;  Miscellaneous  Provisions,"
     shall be amended as follows:

     (i) The first sentence of Section 9.05 - Written Notice shall be amended by
deleting the language "Prudential Securities  Incorporated at One Seaport Plaza,
New  York,  New  York  10292"  and  replacing  it  with  "Prudential  Investment
Management LLC at 100 Mulberry Street,  Gateway Center Three, Newark, New Jersey
07102".

                                    Part II.

                      SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF TRUST

     The following special terms and conditions are hereby agreed to:

<PAGE>

                                      -3-

A.   The Trust is denominated  National Equity Trust,  Top Ten Portfolio  Series
     43.

B.   The Units of the Trust shall be subject to a deferred sales charge.

C.   The publicly  traded stocks  listed in  Schedule A  hereto are those which,
     subject to the terms of this Indenture, have been or are to be deposited in
     Trust under this Indenture as of the date hereof.

D.   The term "Depositor" shall mean Prudential  Investment  Management Services
     LLC.

E.   The term "Portfolio Supervisor" shall mean Prudential Investments LLC.

F.   The aggregate number of Units referred to in Sections 2.03  and 9.01 of the
     Basic Agreement is 125,000 as of the date hereof.

G.   A Unit of the Trust is hereby  declared  initially  equal to 1/125,000th of
     the Trust.

H.   The term "First Settlement Date" shall mean September 30, 2003.

I.   The terms  "Computation  Day" and  "Record  Date"  mean on the tenth day of
     January 2004, April 2004, July 2004, and October 2004.

J.   The term "Distribution  Date" shall mean on the twenty-fifth day of January
     2004, April 2004, July 2004, and October 2004.

K.   The term "Termination Date" shall mean November 3, 2004.

L.   The Trustee's Annual Fee shall be $.90 (per 1,000 Units) for 49,999,999 and
     below  units  outstanding  $.84 (per  1,000  Units) on the next  50,000,000
     Units, $.78 (per 1,000 Units) on the next 100,000,000  Units, and $.66 (per
     1,000 Units) on Units in excess of 200,000,000  Units.  In calculating  the
     Trustee's annual fee, the fee applicable to the number of units outstanding
     shall apply to all units outstanding.

M.   The Portfolio  Supervisor's portfolio supervisory service fee shall be $.25
     per 1,000 Units.

<PAGE>

                                      -4-

               [Signatures and acknowledgments on separate pages]

<PAGE>

                                      -5-

The Schedule of Portfolio  Securities  in Part A of the  prospectus  included in
this Registration  Statement for National Equity Trust, Top Ten Portfolio Series
43 is hereby incorporated by reference herein as Schedule A hereto.

<PAGE>

                                            PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
                                            SERVICES LLC,
                                            (Depositor)

                                            By /s/ Richard R. Hoffmann
                                                   Richard R. Hoffmann
                                                   Vice President

                                            PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC
                                            (Portfolio Supervisor)

                                            By /s/ Richard R. Hoffmann
                                                   Richard R. Hoffmann
                                                   Vice President

<PAGE>

                                                       THE BANK OF NEW YORK
                                                       Trustee

                                                   By: /s/ Brian Aarons
                                                           Brian Aarons
                                                           Title: Vice President

(SEAL)

ATTEST:

By:      /s/ Dorothy Alencastro
             Dorothy Alencastro
             Title: Assistant Vice President

STATE OF NEW YORK          )
                                            : ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )

     I, Emanuel  Lytle,  Jr., a Notary  Public in and for the said County in the
state  aforesaid,  do hereby  certify that Brian  Aarons and Dorothy  Alencastro
personally  known to me to be the same persons whose names are subscribed to the
foregoing  instrument  and  personally  known to me to be a Vice  President  and
Assistant Vice President,  respectively of The Bank of New York, appeared before
me this  day in  person,  and  acknowledged  that  they  signed,  sealed  with a
corporate  seal of The Bank of New York,  and delivered  the said  instrument as
their  free  and  voluntary  act as  such  Vice  President  and  Assistant  Vice
President,  respectively,  and as the free and  voluntary act of The Bank of New
York, for the uses and purposes therein set forth.

     GIVEN, under my hand and notarial seal this 24th day of September, 2003.

                                          /s/      Emanuel Lytle, Jr.
                                                   Emanuel Lytle, Jr.
                                                   Notary Public

(SEAL)

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00056-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00056-of-00352.parquet"}]]