REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ☒ |
Pre-Effective Amendment No. | ☐ |
Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 | ☒ |
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | ☐ |
Amendment No. 90 | ☒ |
Joseph
C. Benedetti, Esquire
Invesco Advisers, Inc. 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000 Houston, Texas 77046-1173 |
Matthew
R. DiClemente, Esquire
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7018 |
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box) | |
__ | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
__ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) |
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a) | |
X | on September 4, 2020 pursuant to paragraph (a) |
__ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
__ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485 |
If appropriate, check the following box: | |
__ | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
Prospectus | September 4, 2020 |
■ | is not FDIC insured; |
■ | may lose value; and |
■ | is not guaranteed by a bank. |
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | ||||
Class: | A | C | Y | R6 |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | 4.25% | None | None | None |
... | ||||
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is less) | None 1 | 1.00% | None | None |
... |
1 | A contingent deferred sales charge may apply in some cases. See “Shareholder Account Information-Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs).” |
2 | Invesco Advisers, Inc. (Invesco or the Adviser) has contractually agreed to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (excluding certain items discussed in the SAI) of Class A, Class C, Class Y and Class R6 shares to 0.70%, 1.25%, 0.45% and 0.35%, respectively, of the Fund's average daily net assets (the “expense limits”). Unless Invesco continues the fee waiver agreement, it will terminate on [September 4, 2021]. During its term, the fee waiver agreement cannot be terminated or amended to increase the expense limits without approval of the Board of Trustees. |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Class A | $499 | $693 | $902 | $1,505 |
... | ||||
Class C | $233 | $493 | $878 | $1,956 |
... | ||||
Class Y | $ 52 | $200 | $362 | $ 830 |
... | ||||
Class R6 | $ 42 | $182 | $334 | $ 777 |
... |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Class A | $499 | $693 | $902 | $1,505 |
... | ||||
Class C | $133 | $493 | $878 | $1,956 |
... | ||||
Class Y | $ 52 | $200 | $362 | $ 830 |
... | ||||
Class R6 | $ 42 | $182 | $334 | $ 777 |
... |
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2019) | ||||
1
Year |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Since
Inception |
|
Class A shares: Inception (11/7/2006) | ||||
Return Before Taxes | 5.39% | 3.29% | 5.32% | —% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 5.35 | 3.28 | 5.32 | — |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 4.62 | 3.34 | 5.10 | — |
... | ||||
Class C shares: Inception (11/7/2006) | 8.46 | 3.46 | 5.02 | — |
... | ||||
Class Y shares: Inception (7/29/2011) | 10.32 | 4.31 | — | 5.60 |
... | ||||
Class R6 shares: Inception (5/24/2019) | 10.24 1 | 4.22 1 | 5.80 1 | — |
... | ||||
S&P Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)2 | 7.26 | 3.50 | 4.41 | — |
... | ||||
Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)2 | 7.54 | 3.53 | 4.34 | — |
... | ||||
S&P Municipal Bond 5+ Year Investment Grade Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 8.47 | 4.04 | 5.11 | — |
... | ||||
Lipper General Municipal Debt Funds Index | 7.99 | 3.70 | 4.68 | — |
... |
1 | Performance shown prior to the inception date is that of the Fund’s and predecessor fund’s Class A shares at net asset value and includes the 12b-1 fees applicable to that class. Class A shares’ performance reflects any applicable fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. |
2 | Effective September 4, 2020, the Fund changed its benchmark from the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index to the S&P Municipal Bond Index. These changes were made to better align with the Fund’s risk profile. |
Portfolio Managers | Title | Length of Service on the Fund |
Mark Paris | Portfolio Manager | 2019 |
... | ||
Tim Benzel | Portfolio Manager | 2020 |
... | ||
Eddie Bernhardt | Portfolio Manager | 2020 |
... | ||
Tim O'Reilly | Portfolio Manager | 2020 |
... | ||
Galen True | Portfolio Manager | 2020 |
... | ||
Julius Williams | Portfolio Manager | 2020 |
... |
Type of Account |
Initial
Investment Per Fund |
Additional
Investments Per Fund |
Asset or fee-based accounts managed by your financial adviser | None | None |
... | ||
Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans and Employer Sponsored IRAs | None | None |
... | ||
IRAs and Coverdell ESAs if the new investor is purchasing shares through a systematic purchase plan | $25 | $25 |
... | ||
All other types of accounts if the investor is purchasing shares through a systematic purchase plan | 50 | 50 |
... | ||
IRAs and Coverdell ESAs | 250 | 25 |
... | ||
All other accounts | 1,000 | 50 |
... |
■ | Counterparty Risk. Certain derivatives do not trade on an established exchange (referred to as over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives) and are simply financial contracts between the Fund and a counterparty. When the Fund is owed money on an OTC derivative, the Fund is dependent on the counterparty to pay or, in some cases, deliver the underlying asset, unless the Fund can otherwise sell its derivative contract to a third party prior to its expiration. Many counterparties are financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers and their creditworthiness (and ability to pay or perform) may be negatively impacted by factors affecting financial institutions generally. In addition, in the event that a counterparty becomes bankrupt or insolvent, the Fund’s ability to recover the collateral that the Fund has on deposit with the counterparty could be delayed or impaired. For derivatives traded on a centralized exchange, the Fund generally is dependent upon the solvency of the relevant exchange clearing house (which acts as a guarantor for each contractual obligation under such derivatives) for payment on derivative instruments for which the Fund is owed money. |
■ | Leverage Risk. Many derivatives do not require a payment up front equal to the economic exposure created by holding a position in the derivative, which creates a form of leverage. As a result, an adverse change in the value of the underlying asset could result in the Fund sustaining a loss that is substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative or the anticipated value of the underlying asset. Leverage may therefore make the Fund’s returns more volatile and increase the risk of loss. The Fund segregates or earmarks liquid assets with a value at least equal to the amount that the Fund owes the derivative counterparty each day, if any, or otherwise holds instruments that offset the Fund’s daily obligation under the derivatives instrument. This process is sometimes referred to as “cover.” The amount of liquid assets needed as cover will fluctuate over time as the value of the derivative instrument rises and falls. If |
the value of the Fund’s derivative positions or the value of the assets used as cover unexpectedly decreases, the Fund may be forced to segregate additional liquid assets as cover or sell assets at a disadvantageous time or price to meet its derivative obligations or to meet redemption requests, which could affect management of the Fund and the Fund’s returns. In certain market conditions, losses on derivative instruments can grow larger while the value of the Fund’s other assets fall, resulting in the Fund’s derivative positions becoming a larger percentage of the Fund’s investments. | |
■ | Liquidity Risk. There is a smaller pool of buyers and sellers for certain derivatives, particularly OTC derivatives, than more traditional investments such as stocks. These buyers and sellers are often financial institutions that may be unable or unwilling to buy or sell derivatives during times of financial or market stress. Derivative instruments may therefore be less liquid than more traditional investments and the Fund may be unable to sell or exit its derivative positions at a desirable time or price. This risk may be more acute under adverse market conditions, during which the Fund may be most in need of liquidating its derivative positions. To the extent that the Fund is unable to exit a derivative position because of market illiquidity, the Fund may not be able to prevent further losses of value in its derivatives holdings and the liquidity of the Fund and its ability to meet redemption requests may be impaired to the extent that a substantial portion of the Fund’s otherwise liquid assets must be used as margin or cover. Another consequence of illiquidity is that the Fund may be required to hold a derivative instrument to maturity and take or make delivery of the underlying asset that the Adviser would otherwise have attempted to avoid. |
■ | Other Risks. Compared to other types of investments, derivatives may be harder to value and may also be less tax efficient, as described under the “Taxes” section of the prospectus. In addition, changes in government regulation of derivative instruments could affect the character, timing and amount of the Fund’s taxable income or gains, and may limit or prevent the Fund from using certain types of derivative instruments as a part of its investment strategy, which could make the investment strategy more costly to implement or require the Fund to change its investment strategy. Derivatives strategies may not always be successful. For example, to the extent that the Fund uses derivatives for hedging or to gain or limit exposure to a particular market or market segment, there may be imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative instrument and the value of the instrument being hedged or the relevant market or market segment, in which case the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. There is also the risk that during adverse market conditions, an instrument which would usually operate as a hedge provides no hedging benefits at all. The Fund’s use of derivatives may be limited by the requirements for taxation of the Fund as a regulated investment company. |
■ | Mark Paris, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since 2019 and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2010. |
■ | Tim Benzel, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since 2020 and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates |
since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, he was associated with OppenheimerFunds, a global asset management firm. Prior to joining OppenheimerFunds, he was employed by SNW Asset Management from 2010 to 2017, where he served as a Portfolio Manager. | |
■ | Eddie Bernhardt, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since 2020 and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, he was associated with OppenheimerFunds, a global asset management firm. Prior to joining OppenheimerFunds, he was employed by SNW Asset Management from 2005 to 2017, where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer. |
■ | Tim O'Reilly, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since 2020 and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2010. |
■ | Galen True, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since 2020 and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, he was associated with OppenheimerFunds, a global asset management firm. Prior to joining OppenheimerFunds, he was employed by SNW Asset Management from 2009 to 2017, where he served as Portfolio Manager. |
■ | Julius Williams, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since 2020 and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2010. |
Class A |
Eleven
Months
Ended February 29, 2020 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2019 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2018 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2017 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2016 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2015 |
Per Share Operating Data | ||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ 13.09 | $ 12.68 | $ 12.71 | $ 13.12 | $ 13.16 | $ 12.64 |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | ||||||
Net investment income1 | 0.33 | 0.48 | 0.45 | 0.49 | 0.44 | 0.56 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.88 | 0.40 | (0.01) | (0.43) | 0.01 | 0.51 |
Total from investment operations | 1.21 | 0.88 | 0.44 | 0.06 | 0.45 | 1.07 |
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders: | ||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.43) | (0.47) | (0.47) | (0.47) | (0.49) | (0.55) |
Net asset value, end of period | $ 13.87 | $ 13.09 | $ 12.68 | $ 12.71 | $ 13.12 | $ 13.16 |
Total Return, at Net Asset Value2 | 9.36% | 7.12% | 3.49% | 0.37% | 3.51% | 8.58% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $81,165 | $54,800 | $60,899 | $73,607 | $84,636 | $81,518 |
Average net assets (in thousands) | $67,639 | $53,900 | $66,638 | $81,810 | $82,128 | $82,896 |
Ratios to average net assets:3 | ||||||
Net investment income | 2.65% | 3.76% | 3.49% | 3.73% | 3.40% | 4.28% |
Expenses excluding specific expenses listed below | 0.86% | 0.99% | 0.98% | 0.96% | 0.97% | 0.96% |
Interest and fees from borrowings | 0.06% | 0.13% | 0.12% | 0.14% | 0.25% | 0.26% |
Interest and fees on short-term floating rate notes issued | 0.00% | 0.07% 4 | 0.03% 4 | 0.06% 4 | 0.04% 4 | 0.03% 4 |
Total expenses | 0.92% | 1.19% | 1.13% | 1.16% | 1.26% | 1.25% |
Expenses after payments, waivers and/or reimbursements and reduction to custodian expenses | 0.76% | 0.95% | 0.95% | 1.00% | 1.09% | 1.09% |
Portfolio turnover rate5 | 14% | 79% | 9% | 12% | 14% | 13% |
1. | Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during the period. |
2. | Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and as such, the net asset value for financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. Does not include sales charges and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
3. | Annualized for periods less than one full year. |
4. | Interest and fee expense relates to the Fund's liability for short-term floating rate notes issued in conjunction with inverse floating rate security transactions. |
5. | Portfolio turnover is calculated at the fund level and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
Class C |
Eleven
Months
Ended February 29, 2020 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2019 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2018 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2017 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2016 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2015 |
Per Share Operating Data | ||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ 13.08 | $ 12.66 | $ 12.70 | $ 13.11 | $ 13.14 | $ 12.63 |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | ||||||
Net investment income1 | 0.26 | 0.39 | 0.35 | 0.39 | 0.35 | 0.46 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.87 | 0.41 | (0.02) | (0.43) | 0.01 | 0.50 |
Total from investment operations | 1.13 | 0.80 | 0.33 | (0.04) | 0.36 | 0.96 |
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders: | ||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.35) | (0.38) | (0.37) | (0.37) | (0.39) | (0.45) |
Net asset value, end of period | $ 13.86 | $ 13.08 | $ 12.66 | $ 12.70 | $ 13.11 | $ 13.14 |
Total Return, at Net Asset Value2 | 8.77% | 6.47% | 2.65% | (0.38)% | 2.83% | 7.70% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $26,381 | $25,961 | $29,457 | $33,510 | $37,744 | $32,303 |
Average net assets (in thousands) | $25,739 | $26,690 | $31,061 | $36,761 | $34,412 | $29,501 |
Ratios to average net assets:3 | ||||||
Net investment income | 2.10% | 3.10% | 2.73% | 2.99% | 2.65% | 3.51% |
Expenses excluding specific expenses listed below | 1.62% | 1.75% | 1.73% | 1.73% | 1.72% | 1.72% |
Interest and fees from borrowings | 0.06% | 0.13% | 0.12% | 0.14% | 0.25% | 0.26% |
Interest and fees on short-term floating rate notes issued | 0.00% | 0.07% 4 | 0.03% 4 | 0.06% 4 | 0.04% 4 | 0.03% 4 |
Total expenses | 1.68% | 1.95% | 1.88% | 1.93% | 2.01% | 2.01% |
Expenses after payments, waivers and/or reimbursements and reduction to custodian expenses | 1.31% | 1.62% | 1.70% | 1.75% | 1.84% | 1.84% |
Portfolio turnover rate5 | 14% | 79% | 9% | 12% | 14% | 13% |
1. | Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during the period. |
2. | Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and as such, the net asset value for financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. Does not include sales charges and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
3. | Annualized for periods less than one full year. |
4. | Interest and fee expense relates to the Fund's liability for short-term floating rate notes issued in conjunction with inverse floating rate security transactions. |
5. | Portfolio turnover is calculated at the fund level and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
Class Y |
Eleven
Months
Ended February 29, 2020 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2019 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2018 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2017 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2016 |
Year
Ended
March 31, 2015 |
Per Share Operating Data | ||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ 13.09 | $ 12.68 | $ 12.71 | $ 13.12 | $ 13.16 | $ 12.64 |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | ||||||
Net investment income1 | 0.36 | 0.49 | 0.45 | 0.50 | 0.45 | 0.56 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.87 | 0.41 | (0.00) 2 | (0.43) | 0.01 | 0.52 |
Total from investment operations | 1.23 | 0.90 | 0.45 | 0.07 | 0.46 | 1.08 |
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders: | ||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.46) | (0.49) | (0.48) | (0.48) | (0.50) | (0.56) |
Net asset value, end of period | $ 13.86 | $ 13.09 | $ 12.68 | $ 12.71 | $ 13.12 | $ 13.16 |
Total Return, at Net Asset Value3 | 9.54% | 7.26% | 3.57% | 0.45% | 3.60% | 8.67% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $46,639 | $26,214 | $27,590 | $21,199 | $18,298 | $15,169 |
Average net assets (in thousands) | $35,032 | $25,778 | $26,900 | $20,663 | $16,327 | $ 9,523 |
Ratios to average net assets:4 | ||||||
Net investment income | 2.91% | 3.89% | 3.55% | 3.81% | 3.49% | 4.29% |
Expenses excluding specific expenses listed below | 0.62% | 0.74% | 0.72% | 0.73% | 0.72% | 0.71% |
Interest and fees from borrowings | 0.06% | 0.13% | 0.12% | 0.14% | 0.25% | 0.26% |
Interest and fees on short-term floating rate notes issued | 0.00% | 0.07% 5 | 0.03% 5 | 0.06% 5 | 0.04% 5 | 0.03% 5 |
Total expenses | 0.68% | 0.94% | 0.87% | 0.93% | 1.01% | 1.00% |
Expenses after payments, waivers and/or reimbursements and reduction to custodian expenses | 0.51% | 0.82% | 0.87% | 0.93% | 1.01% | 1.00% |
Portfolio turnover rate6 | 14% | 79% | 9% | 12% | 14% | 13% |
1. | Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during the period. |
2. | Less than $0.005 per share. |
3. | Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and as such, the net asset value for financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. Does not include sales charges and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
4. | Annualized for periods less than one full year. |
5. | Interest and fee expense relates to the Fund's liability for short-term floating rate notes issued in conjunction with inverse floating rate security transactions. |
6. | Portfolio turnover is calculated at the fund level and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
Class R6 |
Period
Ended February 29, 20201 |
Per Share Operating Data | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $13.29 |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | |
Net investment income2 | 0.31 |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 0.66 |
Total from investment operations | 0.97 |
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders: | |
Dividends from net investment income | (0.39) |
Net asset value, end of period | $13.87 |
Total Return, at Net Asset Value3 | 7.42% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $ 10 |
Average net assets (in thousands) | $ 10 |
Ratios to average net assets:4 | |
Net investment income | 3.00% |
Expenses excluding specific expenses listed below | 0.57% |
Interest and fees from borrowings | 0.06% |
Interest and fees on short-term floating rate notes issued | 0.00% |
Total expenses | 0.63% |
Expenses after payments, waivers and/or reimbursements and reduction to custodian expenses | 0.41% |
Portfolio turnover rate5 | 14% |
1. | For the period from after the close of business on May 24, 2019 (inception of offering) to February 29, 2020. |
2. | Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during the period. |
3. | Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and as such, the net asset value for financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. Does not include sales charges and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
4. | Annualized for periods less than one full year. |
5. | Portfolio turnover is calculated at the fund level and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
■ | Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans include (i) employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plans that qualify under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), including 401(k), money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plans; (ii) 403(b) and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate similar to plans described under (i) above, such as 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements; (iii) health savings accounts maintained pursuant to Section 223 of the Code; and (iv) voluntary employees’ beneficiary arrangements maintained pursuant to Section 501(c)(9) of the Code. |
■ | Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) include Traditional and Roth IRAs. |
■ | Employer Sponsored IRAs include Simplified Employee Pension (SEP), Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension (SAR-SEP), and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers (SIMPLE) IRAs. |
■ | Retirement and Benefit Plans include Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans, IRAs and Employer Sponsored IRAs. |
Share Classes | ||||
Class A | Class C | Class R | Class Y | Class R5 and R6 |
■ Initial sales charge which may be waived or reduced1 | ■ No initial sales charge | ■ No initial sales charge | ■ No initial sales charge | ■ No initial sales charge |
■ CDSC on certain redemptions1 | ■ CDSC on redemptions within one year3 | ■ No CDSC | ■ No CDSC | ■ No CDSC |
■ 12b-1 fee of up to 0.25%2 | ■ 12b-1 fee of up to 1.00%4 | ■ 12b-1 fee of up to 0.50% | ■ No 12b-1 fee | ■ No 12b-1 fee |
■ Investors may only open an account to purchase Class C shares if they have appointed a financial intermediary. This restriction does not apply to Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans. | ■ Does not convert to Class A shares | ■ Does not convert to Class A shares | ■ Does not convert to Class A shares | |
■ Purchase maximums apply | ■ Intended for Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans | ■ Special eligibility requirements and investment minimums apply (see “Share Class Eligibility – Class R5 and R6 shares” below) |
1 | Invesco Conservative Income Fund and Invesco Oppenheimer Short Term Municipal Fund do not have initial sales charges or CDSCs on redemptions. |
2 | Class A2 shares of Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund and Investor Class shares of Invesco Government Money Market Fund, Invesco Premier Portfolio, Invesco Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio and Invesco Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio do not have a 12b-1 fee; Invesco Short Term Bond Fund Class A shares and Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund Class A2 shares have a 12b-1 fee of 0.15%; and Invesco Conservative Income Fund Class A shares have a 12b-1 fee of 0.10%. |
3 | CDSC does not apply to redemption of Class C shares of Invesco Short Term Bond Fund unless you received Class C shares of Invesco Short Term Bond Fund through an exchange from Class C shares from another Invesco Fund that is still subject to a CDSC. |
4 | The 12b-1 fee for Class C shares of certain Funds is less than 1.00%. The “Fees and Expenses of the Fund—Annual Fund Operating Expenses” section of this prospectus reflects the actual 12b-1 fees paid by a Fund. |
■ | Investor Class shares: Invesco Diversified Dividend Fund, Invesco Dividend Income Fund, Invesco Energy Fund, Invesco European Growth Fund, Invesco Health Care Fund, Invesco High Yield Fund, Invesco Income Fund, Invesco International Core Equity Fund, Invesco Low Volatility Equity Yield |
Fund, Invesco Government Money Market Fund, Invesco Municipal Income Fund, Invesco Real Estate Fund, Invesco Small Cap Growth Fund, Invesco Technology Fund, Invesco Premier Portfolio, Invesco Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio and Invesco Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio. | |
■ | Class A2 shares: Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund and Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund; |
■ | Class AX shares: Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement Funds and Invesco Government Money Market Fund; |
■ | Class CX shares: Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement Funds and Invesco Government Money Market Fund; |
■ | Class RX shares: Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement Funds; |
■ | Class P shares: Invesco Summit Fund; |
■ | Class S shares: Invesco Charter Fund, Invesco Select Risk: Moderately Conservative Investor Fund, Invesco Select Risk: Growth Investor Fund, Invesco Select Risk: Moderate Investor Fund and Invesco Summit Fund; and |
■ | Invesco Cash Reserve Shares: Invesco Government Money Market Fund and Invesco Oppenheimer Government Money Market Fund. |
■ | Investors who established accounts prior to April 1, 2002, in Investor Class shares with Invesco Distributors, Inc. (Invesco Distributors) who have continuously maintained an account in Investor Class shares (this includes anyone listed in the registration of an account, such as a joint owner, trustee or custodian, and immediate family members of such persons) without a designated intermediary. These investors are referred to as “Investor Class grandfathered investors.” |
■ | Customers of a financial intermediary that has had an agreement with the Funds’ distributor or any Funds that offered Investor Class shares prior to April 1, 2002, that has continuously maintained such agreement. These intermediaries are referred to as “Investor Class grandfathered intermediaries.” |
■ | Any current, former or retired trustee, director, officer or employee (or immediate family member of a current, former or retired trustee, director, officer or employee) of any Invesco Fund or of Invesco Ltd. or any of its subsidiaries. |
■ | Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund, Class A2 shares. |
■ | Invesco Government Money Market Fund, Investor Class shares. |
■ | Invesco Premier Portfolio, Investor Class shares. |
■ | Invesco Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio, Investor Class shares. |
■ | Invesco Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio, Investor Class shares. |
■ | All Funds, Class Y, Class R5 and Class R6 shares |
■ | Class A shares: 0.25% |
■ | Class C shares: 1.00% |
■ | Class P shares: 0.10% |
■ | Class R shares: 0.50% |
■ | Class S shares: 0.15% |
■ | Invesco Cash Reserve Shares: 0.15% |
■ | Investor Class shares: 0.25% |
Category I Initial Sales Charges | |||
Investor’s Sales Charge | |||
Amount invested |
As
a % of
Offering Price |
As
a % of
Investment |
|
Less than | $ 50,000 | 5.50% | 5.82% |
... | |||
$50,000 but less than | $ 100,000 | 4.50 | 4.71 |
... | |||
$100,000 but less than | $ 250,000 | 3.50 | 3.63 |
... | |||
$250,000 but less than | $ 500,000 | 2.75 | 2.83 |
... | |||
$500,000 but less than | $1,000,000 | 2.00 | 2.04 |
... |
Category II Initial Sales Charges | |||
Investor’s Sales Charge | |||
Amount invested |
As
a % of
Offering Price |
As
a % of
Investment |
|
Less than | $ 100,000 | 4.25% | 4.44% |
... | |||
$100,000 but less than | $ 250,000 | 3.50 | 3.63 |
... | |||
$250,000 but less than | $ 500,000 | 2.50 | 2.56 |
... | |||
$500,000 but less than | $1,000,000 | 2.00 | 2.04 |
... |
Category III Initial Sales Charges | |||
Investor’s Sales Charge | |||
Amount invested |
As
a % of
Offering Price |
As
a % of
Investment |
|
Less than | $ 100,000 | 1.00% | 1.01% |
... | |||
$100,000 but less than | $ 250,000 | 0.75 | 0.76 |
... | |||
$250,000 but less than | $1,000,000 | 0.50 | 0.50 |
... |
Category IV Initial Sales Charges | |||
Investor’s Sales Charge | |||
Amount invested |
As
a % of
Offering Price |
As
a % of
Investment |
|
Less than | $100,000 | 2.50% | 2.56% |
... | |||
$100,000 but less than | $250,000 | 1.75 | 1.78 |
... |
Category V Initial Sales Charges | |||
Investor’s Sales Charge | |||
Amount invested |
As
a % of
Offering Price |
As
a % of
Investment |
|
Less than | $ 100,000 | 3.25% | 3.36% |
... | |||
$100,000 but less than | $ 250,000 | 2.75 | 2.83 |
... | |||
$250,000 but less than | $ 500,000 | 1.75 | 1.78 |
... | |||
$500,000 but less than | $1,000,000 | 1.50 | 1.52 |
... |
Category VI Initial Sales Charges | |||
Investor’s Sales Charge | |||
Amount invested |
As
a % of
Offering Price |
As
a % of
Investment |
|
Less than | $ 50,000 | 5.50% | 5.82% |
... | |||
$50,000 but less than | $100,000 | 4.50 | 4.71 |
... | |||
$100,000 but less than | $250,000 | 3.50 | 3.63 |
... |
■ | Investors who purchase shares through a fee-based advisory account with an approved financial intermediary. In a fee based advisory program, a financial intermediary typically charges each investor a fee based on the value of the investor’s account in exchange for servicing that account. |
■ | Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans maintained on retirement platforms or by the Funds’ transfer agent or its affiliates: |
■ | with assets of at least $1 million; or |
■ | with at least 100 employees eligible to participate in the plan; or |
■ | that execute plan level or multiple-plan level transactions through a single omnibus account per Fund. |
■ | Any investor who purchases his or her shares with the proceeds of an in kind rollover, transfer or distribution from a Retirement and Benefit Plan where the account being funded by such rollover is to be maintained by the same financial intermediary, trustee, custodian or administrator that maintained the plan from which the rollover distribution funding such rollover originated, or an affiliate thereof. |
■ | Investors who own Investor Class shares of a Fund, who purchase Class A shares of a different Fund through the same account in which the Investor Class Shares were first purchased. |
■ | Funds of funds or other pooled investment vehicles. |
■ | Insurance company separate accounts. |
■ | Any current or retired trustee, director, officer or employee of any Invesco Fund or of Invesco Ltd. or any of its subsidiaries. |
■ | Any registered representative or employee of any financial intermediary who has an agreement with Invesco Distributors to sell shares of the Invesco Funds (this includes any members of his or her immediate family). |
■ | Any investor purchasing shares through a financial intermediary that has a written arrangement with the Funds’ distributor in which the Funds’ distributor has agreed to participate in a no transaction fee program in which the financial intermediary will make Class A shares available without the imposition of a sales charge. |
■ | Former shareholders of Atlas Strategic Income Fund who purchase shares of a Fund into which shareholders of Invesco Oppenheimer Global Strategic Income Fund may exchange if permitted by the intermediary’s policies. |
■ | Former shareholders of Oppenheimer Total Return Fund Periodic Investment Plan who purchase shares of a Fund into which shareholders of Invesco Oppenheimer Main Street Fund may exchange if permitted by the intermediary’s policies. |
■ | reinvesting dividends and distributions; |
■ | exchanging shares of one Fund that were previously assessed a sales charge for shares of another Fund; |
■ | purchasing shares in connection with the repayment of an Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plan loan administered by the Funds’ transfer agent; and |
■ | purchasing Class A shares with proceeds from the redemption of Class C, Class R, Class R5, Class R6 or Class Y shares where the redemption and purchase are effectuated on the same business day due to the distribution of a Retirement and Benefit Plan maintained by the Funds’ transfer agent or one of its affiliates. |
■ | Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch |
■ | Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan; |
■ | Shares purchased by a 529 Plan (does not include 529 Plan unit or 529-specific share classes or equivalents); |
■ | Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program; |
■ | Shares exchanged due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers; |
■ | Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform; |
■ | Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (if applicable); |
■ | Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family); |
■ | Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares of the same fund pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers; |
■ | Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members; |
■ | Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus; and |
■ | Eligible shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated |
transactions (i.e. systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill Lynch’s account maintenance fees are not eligible for reinstatement. |
■ | CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at Merrill Lynch |
■ | Death or disability of the shareholder; |
■ | Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus; |
■ | Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account; |
■ | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code; |
■ | Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch; |
■ | Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement; |
■ | Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are converted to a lower cost share class due to transfer to a fee based account or platform (applicable to A and C shares only); and |
■ | Shares received through an exchange due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers. |
■ | Front-end load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent |
■ | Breakpoints as described in this prospectus; |
■ | Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts as described in the Fund’s prospectus will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts (including 529 program holdings, where applicable) within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets; and |
■ | Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable). |
■ | Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs. |
■ | Shares purchased through an Ameriprise Financial investment advisory program (if an Advisory or similar share class for such investment advisory program is not available). |
■ | Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Ameriprise Financial’s platform (if an Advisory or similar share class for such investment advisory program is not available). |
■ | Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the same fund family). |
■ | Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to such shares following a shorter holding period, that waiver will apply to exchanges following such shorter period. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Class C shares for load waived shares, that waiver will also apply to such exchanges. |
■ | Employees and registered representatives of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates and their immediate family members. |
■ | Shares purchased by or through qualified accounts (including IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 401(k)s, 403(b) TSCAs subject to ERISA and defined benefit plans) that are held by a covered family member, defined as an Ameriprise financial advisor and/or the advisor’s |
spouse, advisor’s lineal ascendant (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather), advisor’s lineal descendant (son, step-son, daughter, step-daughter, grandson, granddaughter, great grandson, great granddaughter) or any spouse of a covered family member who is a lineal descendant. | |
■ | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e. Rights of Reinstatement). |
■ | Automatic Exchange of Class C shares |
■ | Class C shares will automatically exchange to Class A shares in the month of the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date. |
■ | Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management |
■ | Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans; |
■ | Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules; |
■ | Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund; |
■ | Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account; |
■ | Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class conversion program; and |
■ | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge. |
■ | Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James |
■ | Shares purchased in an investment advisory program. |
■ | Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend distributions. |
■ | Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James. |
■ | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). |
■ | A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James. |
■ | CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at Raymond James |
■ | Death or disability of the shareholder. |
■ | Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s prospectus. |
■ | Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account. |
■ | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the fund’s prospectus. |
■ | Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James. |
■ | Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement. |
■ | Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent |
■ | Breakpoints as described in this prospectus. |
■ | Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
■ | Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
■ | Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at D.A. Davidson |
■ | Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions. |
■ | Employees and registered representatives of D.A. Davidson or its affiliates and their family members as designated by D.A. Davidson. |
■ | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as Rights of Reinstatement). |
■ | A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is consistent with D.A. Davidson’s policies and procedures. |
■ | CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at D.A. Davidson |
■ | Death or disability of the shareholder. |
■ | Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s prospectus. |
■ | Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account. |
■ | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA or other qualifying retirement accounts as described in the fund’s prospectus beginning in the calendar year the shareholder turns age 72. |
■ | Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement. |
■ | Front-end sales charge discounts available at D.A. Davidson: breakpoints, rights of accumulation and/or letters of intent |
■ | Breakpoints as described in this prospectus. |
■ | Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at D.A. Davidson. Eligible fund family assets not held at D.A. Davidson may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
■ | Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at D.A. Davidson may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
■ | Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A shares available at Janney |
■ | Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family). |
■ | Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney. |
■ | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within ninety (90) days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., right of reinstatement). |
■ | Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans. |
■ | Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement. |
■ | Class C shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Janney’s policies and procedures. |
■ | CDSC waivers on Class A and C shares available at Janney |
■ | Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder. |
■ | Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s Prospectus. |
■ | Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account. |
■ | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and other retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the fund’s Prospectus. |
■ | Shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney. |
■ | Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement. |
■ | Shares exchanged into the same share class of a different fund. |
■ | Front-end sales charge discounts available at Janney: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent |
■ | Breakpoints as described in the fund’s Prospectus. |
■ | Rights of accumulation (“ROA”), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Janney. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
■ | Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney Montgomery Scott may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
■ | Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at OPCO |
■ | Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan |
■ | Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan |
■ | Shares purchased through an OPCO affiliated investment advisory program |
■ | Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family) |
■ | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). |
■ | A shareholder in the Fund's Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of OPCO |
■ | Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members |
■ | Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund's investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus |
■ | CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at OPCO |
■ | Death or disability of the shareholder |
■ | Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund's prospectus |
■ | Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account |
■ | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the prospectus |
■ | Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement |
■ | Front-end load Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent |
■ | Breakpoints as described in this prospectus. |
■ | Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser's household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
■ | Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Class A-shares Available at Baird |
■ | Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund. |
■ | Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliate and their family members as designated by Baird. |
■ | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as rights of reinstatement). |
■ | A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C Shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares of the fund if the shares are no longer subject to CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Baird. |
■ | Employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs. |
■ | CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares Available at Baird |
■ | Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder. |
■ | Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus. |
■ | Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account. |
■ | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 72 as described in the Fund’s prospectus. |
■ | Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird. |
■ | Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement. |
■ | Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation and/or letters of intent |
■ | Breakpoints as described in this prospectus. |
■ | Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Baird. Eligible fund family assets not held at Baird may be included in the rights of accumulation calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
■ | Letters of Intent (LOI) allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of within a fund family through Baird, over a 13-month period of time. |
■ | Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Edward Jones |
■ | Associates of Edward Jones and its affiliates and their family members who are in the same pricing group (as determined by Edward Jones under its policies and procedures) as the associate. This waiver will continue for the remainder of the associate's life if the associate retires from Edward Jones in good-standing. |
■ | Shares purchased in an Edward Jones fee-based program. |
■ | Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment. |
■ | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of the same fund family so long as the following conditions are met: 1) the proceeds are from the sale of shares within 60 days of the purchase, and 2) the sale and purchase are made in the same share class and the same account or the purchase is made in an individual retirement account with proceeds from liquidations in a non-retirement account. |
■ | Shares exchanged into class A shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the |
discretion of Edward Jones. Edward Jones is responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in the prospectus. | |
■ | Exchanges from class C shares to class A shares of the same fund, generally, in the 84th month following the anniversary of the purchase date or earlier at the discretion of Edward Jones. |
■ | CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at Edward Jones |
■ | Death or disability of the shareholder |
■ | Systematic withdrawals with up to 10% per year of the account value |
■ | Return of excess contributions from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) |
■ | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations |
■ | Shares sold to pay Edward Jones fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Edward Jones |
■ | Shares exchanged in an Edward Jones fee-based program |
■ | Shares acquired through NAV reinstatement |
■ | Front-end load discounts available at Edward Jones: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent |
■ | Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitles the shareholder to the applicable sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares will be determined by taking into account all share classes (except any money market funds and retirement plan share classes) of Invesco Funds held by the shareholder or in an account grouped by Edward Jones with other accounts for the purpose of providing certain pricing considerations ("pricing groups”). This includes all share classes held on the Edward Jones platform and/or held on another platform. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the rights of accumulation calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying his or her financial advisor of such assets at the time of calculation. |
■ | ROA is determined by calculating the higher of cost or market value (current shares x NAV). |
■ | Letters of Intent (LOI) allow shareholders to receive sales charge and breakpoint discounts for purchases shareholders intend to make over a 13-month period from the date Edward Jones receives the LOI. The LOI is determined by calculating the higher of cost or market value of qualifying holdings at LOI initiation in combination with the value that the shareholder intends to buy over a 13-month period to calculate the front-end sales charge and any breakpoint discounts. Each purchase the shareholder makes during that 13-month period will receive the sales charge and breakpoint discount that applies to the total amount. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the LOI calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying his or her financial advisor of such assets at the time of calculation. Purchases made before the LOI is received by Edward Jones are not covered under the LOI and will not reduce the sales charge previously paid. Sales charges will be adjusted if LOI is not met. |
• | $250 initial purchase minimum |
• | $50 subsequent purchase minimum |
• | Edward Jones has the right to redeem at its discretion fund holdings with a balance of $250 or less. The following are examples of accounts that are not included in this policy: |
○ | A fee-based account held on an Edward Jones platform |
○ | A 529 account held on an Edward Jones platform |
○ | An account with an active systematic investment plan or letter of intent (LOI) |
• | At any time it deems necessary, Edward Jones has the authority to exchange at NAV a shareholder's holdings in a fund to Class A shares. |
1. | an individual account owner; |
2. | immediate family of the individual account owner (which includes the individual’s spouse or domestic partner; the individual’s children, step-children or grandchildren; the spouse or domestic partner of the individual’s children, step-children or grandchildren; the individual’s parents and step-parents; the parents or step-parents of the individual’s spouse or domestic partner; the individual’s grandparents; and the individual’s siblings); |
3. | a Retirement and Benefit Plan so long as the plan is established exclusively for the benefit of an individual account owner; and |
4. | a Coverdell Education Savings Account (Coverdell ESA), maintained pursuant to Section 530 of the Code (in either case, the account must be established by an individual account owner or have an individual account owner named as the beneficiary thereof). |
a) | the employer or plan sponsor submits all contributions for all participating employees in a single contribution transmittal (the Invesco Funds will not accept separate contributions submitted with respect to individual participants); |
b) | each transmittal is accompanied by checks or wire transfers; and |
c) | if the Invesco Funds are expected to carry separate accounts in the names of each of the plan participants, (i) the employer or plan sponsor notifies Invesco Distributors or its designee in writing that the separate accounts of all plan participants should be linked, and (ii) all new participant accounts are established by submitting an appropriate Account Application on behalf of each new participant with the contribution transmittal. |
■ | If you participate in the Systematic Redemption Plan and withdraw up to 12% of the value of your shares that are subject to a CDSC in any twelve-month period. |
■ | If you redeem shares to pay account fees. |
■ | If you are the executor, administrator or beneficiary of an estate or are otherwise entitled to assets remaining in an account following the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder or beneficial owner and you choose to redeem those shares. |
■ | Class C shares of Invesco Short Term Bond Fund |
■ | Class A2 shares of Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund and Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund |
■ | Class A shares of Invesco Government Money Market Fund |
■ | Invesco Cash Reserve Shares of Invesco Government Money Market Fund and Invesco Oppenheimer Government Money Market Fund |
■ | Investor Class shares of any Fund |
■ | Class P shares of Invesco Summit Fund |
■ | Class R5 and R6 shares of any Fund |
■ | Class S shares of Invesco Charter Fund, Invesco Select Risk: Moderately Conservative Investor Fund, Invesco Select Risk: Growth Investor Fund, Invesco Select Risk: Moderate Investor Fund and Invesco Summit Fund |
■ | Class Y shares of any Fund |
Type of Account |
Initial
Investment
Per Fund |
Additional
Investments Per Fund |
Asset or fee-based accounts managed by your financial adviser | None | None |
... | ||
Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans and Employer Sponsored IRAs | None | None |
... | ||
IRAs and Coverdell ESAs if the new investor is purchasing shares through a systematic purchase plan | $25 | $25 |
... | ||
All other accounts if the investor is purchasing shares through a systematic purchase plan | 50 | 50 |
... | ||
IRAs and Coverdell ESAs | 250 | 25 |
... | ||
All other accounts | 1,000 | 50 |
... |
■ | generally charges an asset-based fee or commission in addition to those described in this prospectus; and |
■ | maintains Class R6 shares and makes them available to retail investors. |
Opening An Account | Adding To An Account | |
Through a Financial Adviser or Financial Intermediary* | Contact your financial adviser or financial intermediary. | Contact your financial adviser or financial intermediary. |
By Mail |
Mail
completed account application and check to the Funds’ transfer agent,
Invesco Investment Services, Inc. P.O. Box 219078, Kansas City, MO 64121-9078. The Funds’ transfer agent does NOT accept the following types of payments: Credit Card Checks, Temporary/Starter Checks, Third Party Checks, and Cash. |
Mail your check and the remittance slip from your confirmation statement to the Funds’ transfer agent. The Funds’ transfer agent does NOT accept the following types of payments: Credit Card Checks, Temporary/Starter Checks, Third Party Checks, and Cash. |
■ | Your account balance in the Fund paying the dividend or distribution must be at least $5,000; and |
■ | Your account balance in the Fund receiving the dividend or distribution must be at least $500. |
How to Redeem Shares | |
Through a Financial Adviser or Financial Intermediary* | Contact your financial adviser or financial intermediary. The Funds’ transfer agent must receive your financial adviser’s or financial intermediary’s call before the Funds’ net asset value determination (as defined by the applicable Fund) in order to effect the redemption at that day’s net asset value. Please contact your financial adviser or financial intermediary with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. |
By Mail | Send a written request to the Funds’ transfer agent which includes: |
■
Original signatures of all registered owners/trustees;
■ The dollar value or number of shares that you wish to redeem; ■ The name of the Fund(s) and your account number; ■ The cost basis method or specific shares you wish to redeem for tax reporting purposes, if different than the method already on record; and |
|
■
Signature guarantees, if necessary (see below).
The Funds’ transfer agent may require that you provide additional documentation, or information, such as corporate resolutions or powers of attorney, if applicable. If you are redeeming from a Retirement and Benefit Plan, you must complete the appropriate distribution form. |
■ | Invesco Government Money Market Fund, Invesco Cash Reserve Shares, Class AX shares, Class Y shares and Investor Class shares |
■ | Invesco Oppenheimer Government Money Market Fund, Invesco Cash Reserve Shares and Class Y shares |
■ | Invesco Premier Portfolio, Investor Class shares |
■ | Invesco Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio, Investor Class shares |
■ | Invesco Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio, Investor Class shares |
■ | When your redemption proceeds exceed $250,000 per Fund. |
■ | When you request that redemption proceeds be paid to someone other than the registered owner of the account. |
■ | When you request that redemption proceeds be sent somewhere other than the address of record or bank of record on the account. |
■ | When you request that redemption proceeds be sent to a new address or an address that changed in the last 15 days. |
Exchange From | Exchange To |
Invesco Cash Reserve Shares | Class A, C, R, Investor Class |
... | |
Class A | Class A, Investor Class, Invesco Cash Reserve Shares* |
... | |
Class A2 | Class A, Investor Class, Invesco Cash Reserve Shares |
... | |
Class AX | Class A, AX, Investor Class, Invesco Cash Reserve Shares |
... |
■ | Investor Class shares cannot be exchanged for Class A shares of any Fund which offers Investor Class shares. |
■ | Class A2 shares of Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund and Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund cannot be exchanged for Class A shares of those Funds. |
■ | Invesco Cash Reserve Shares cannot be exchanged for Class C or R shares if the shares being exchanged were acquired by exchange from Class A shares of any Fund. |
■ | All existing systematic exchanges and reallocations will cease and these options will no longer be available on all 403(b) prototype plans. |
■ | Class A shares of a Fund acquired by exchange of Class Y shares of Invesco Oppenheimer Government Money Market Fund cannot be exchanged for Class Y shares of any Fund, except Class Y shares of Invesco Oppenheimer Government Money Market Fund. |
■ | Conversions into Class A from Class A2 of the same Fund. |
■ | Conversions into Class A2, Class AX, Class CX, Class P, Class RX or Class S of the same Fund. |
■ | Reject or cancel all or any part of any purchase or exchange order. |
■ | Modify any terms or conditions related to the purchase, redemption or exchange of shares of any Fund. |
■ | Reject or cancel any request to establish a Systematic Purchase Plan or Systematic Redemption Plan. |
■ | Modify or terminate any sales charge waivers or exceptions. |
■ | Suspend, change or withdraw all or any part of the offering made by this prospectus. |
■ | Trade activity monitoring. |
■ | Discretion to reject orders. |
■ | Purchase blocking. |
■ | The use of fair value pricing consistent with procedures approved by the Board. |
■ | The money market funds are offered to investors as cash management vehicles; therefore, investors should be able to purchase and redeem shares regularly and frequently. |
■ | One of the advantages of a money market fund as compared to other investment options is liquidity. Any policy that diminishes the liquidity of the money market funds will be detrimental to the continuing operations of such Funds. |
■ | With respect to the money market funds maintaining a constant net asset value, the money market funds’ portfolio securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost, and such Funds seek to maintain a constant net asset value. As a result, the money market funds are not subject to price arbitrage opportunities. |
■ | With respect to the money market funds maintaining a constant net asset value, because such Funds seek to maintain a constant net asset value, investors are more likely to expect to receive the amount they originally invested in the Funds upon redemption than other mutual funds. |
■ | The Fund is offered to investors as a cash management vehicle; investors perceive an investment in the Fund as an alternative to cash and must be able to purchase and redeem shares regularly and frequently. |
■ | One of the advantages of the Fund as compared to other investment options is liquidity. Any policy that diminishes the liquidity of the Fund will be detrimental to the continuing operations of the Fund. |
■ | A Fund earns income generally in the form of dividends or interest on its investments. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of a Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. |
■ | Distributions of net short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. A Fund with a high portfolio turnover rate (a measure of how frequently assets within a Fund are bought and sold) is more likely to generate short-term capital gains than a Fund with a low portfolio turnover rate. |
■ | Distributions of net long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. |
■ | A portion of income dividends paid by a Fund to you may be reported as qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates, provided certain holding period requirements |
are met. These reduced rates generally are available for dividends derived from a Fund’s investment in stocks of domestic corporations and qualified foreign corporations. In the case of a Fund that invests primarily in debt securities, either none or only a nominal portion of the dividends paid by the Fund will be eligible for taxation at these reduced rates. | |
■ | The use of derivatives by a Fund may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of ordinary income or short-term capital gain, distributions from which are taxable to individual shareholders at ordinary income tax rates rather than at the more favorable tax rates for long-term capital gain. |
■ | Distributions declared to shareholders with a record date in December—if paid to you by the end of January—are taxable for federal income tax purposes as if received in December. |
■ | Any long-term or short-term capital gains realized on the sale or redemption of your Fund shares will be subject to federal income tax. For tax purposes an exchange of your shares for shares of another Fund is the same as a sale. An exchange occurs when the purchase of shares of a Fund is made using the proceeds from a redemption of shares of another Fund and is effectuated on the same day as the redemption. Your gain or loss is calculated by subtracting from the gross proceeds your cost basis. Gross proceeds and, for shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 and disposed of after that date, cost basis will be reported to you and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Cost basis will be calculated using the Fund’s default method of average cost, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. As a service to you, the Fund will continue to provide to you (but not the IRS) cost basis information for shares acquired before 2012, when available, using the average cost method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by a Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If you hold your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that broker (nominee) with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. For more information about the cost basis methods offered by Invesco, please refer to the Tax Center located under the Account Access menu of our website at www.Invesco.com/us. |
■ | The conversion of shares of one class of a Fund into shares of another class of the same Fund is not taxable for federal income tax purposes and no gain or loss will be reported on the transaction. This is true whether the conversion occurs automatically pursuant to the terms of the class or is initiated by the shareholder. |
■ | At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect undistributed income or undistributed capital gains. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in a Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as “buying a dividend.” In addition, a Fund’s net asset value may, at any time, reflect net unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions to you. |
■ | By law, if you do not provide a Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. A Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid. |
■ | An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount. This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return. |
■ | You will not be required to include the portion of dividends paid by a Fund derived from interest on U.S. government obligations in your gross income for purposes of personal and, in some cases, corporate income taxes in many state and local tax jurisdictions. The percentage of dividends that constitutes dividends derived from interest on federal obligations will be |
determined annually. This percentage may differ from the actual percentage of interest received by the Fund on federal obligations for the particular days on which you hold shares. | |
■ | Fund distributions and gains from sale or exchange of your Fund shares generally are subject to state and local income taxes. |
■ | If a Fund qualifies to pass through to you the tax benefits from foreign taxes it pays on its investments, and elects to do so, then any foreign taxes it pays on these investments may be passed through to you. You will then be required to include your pro-rata share of these taxes in gross income, even though not actually received by you, and will be entitled either to deduct your share of these taxes in computing your taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against your U.S. federal income tax. |
■ | Foreign investors should be aware that U.S. withholding, special certification requirements to avoid U.S. backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits, and estate taxes may apply to an investment in a Fund. |
■ | Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), a Fund will be required to withhold a 30% tax on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities, that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). A Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA or similar laws. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA. |
■ | If a Fund invests in an underlying fund taxed as a RIC, please see any relevant section below for more information regarding the Fund’s investment in such underlying fund. |
■ | You will not be required to include the “exempt-interest” portion of dividends paid by the Fund in either your gross income for federal income tax purposes or your net investment income subject to the additional 3.8% Medicare tax. You will be required to report the receipt of exempt-interest dividends and other tax-exempt interest on your federal income tax returns. The percentage of dividends that constitutes exempt-interest dividends will be determined annually. This percentage may differ from the actual percentage of exempt interest received by the Fund for the particular days in which you hold shares. |
■ | A Fund may invest in municipal securities the interest on which constitutes an item of tax preference and could give rise to a federal alternative minimum tax liability for noncorporate shareholders, unless such municipal securities were issued in 2009 or 2010. |
■ | Exempt-interest dividends from interest earned on municipal securities of a state, or its political subdivisions, generally are exempt from that state’s personal income tax. Most states, however, do not grant tax-free treatment to interest from municipal securities of other states. |
■ | A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that pay income that is not tax-exempt. To the extent that dividends paid by a Fund are derived from taxable investments or realized capital gains, they will be taxable as ordinary income or long-term capital gains. |
■ | A Fund may distribute to you any market discount and net short-term capital gains from the sale of its portfolio securities. If you are a taxable investor, Fund distributions from this income are taxable to you as ordinary income, and generally will neither qualify for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders nor as qualified dividend income subject to reduced rates of taxation in the case of noncorporate shareholders. |
■ | Exempt-interest dividends from a Fund are taken into account when determining the taxable portion of your social security or railroad retirement benefits, may be subject to state and local income taxes, may affect the deductibility of interest on certain indebtedness, and may have other collateral federal income tax consequences for you. |
■ | There are risks that: (a) a security issued as tax-exempt may be reclassified by the IRS or a state tax authority as taxable and/or (b) future legislative, administrative or court actions could adversely impact the qualification of income from a tax-exempt security as tax-free. Such reclassifications or actions could cause interest from a security to become taxable, possibly retroactively, subjecting you to increased tax liability. In addition, such reclassifications or actions could cause the value of a security, and therefore, the value of the Fund’s shares, to decline. |
■ | A Fund does not anticipate realizing any long-term capital gains. |
■ | If a Fund, other than Invesco Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio, expects to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share, investors should not have any gain or loss on sale or exchange of Fund shares (unless the investor incurs a liquidity fee on such sale or exchange). See “Liquidity Fees and Redemption Gates.” |
■ | Invesco Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio rounds its current net asset value per share to a minimum of the fourth decimal place, therefore, investors will have gain or loss on sale or exchange of shares of the Fund calculated by subtracting your cost basis from the gross proceeds received from the sale or exchange. |
■ | There is some degree of uncertainty with respect to the tax treatment of liquidity fees received by a Fund, and such tax treatment may be the subject of future IRS guidance. If a Fund receives liquidity fees, it will consider the appropriate tax treatment of such fees to the Fund at such time. |
■ | Because the Invesco Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio is not expected to maintain a stable share price, a sale or exchange of Fund shares may result in a capital gain or loss for you. Unless you choose to adopt a simplified “NAV method” of accounting (described below), any capital gain or loss on the sale or exchange of Fund shares (as noted above) generally will be treated either as short-term if you held your Fund shares for one year or less, or long-term if you held your Fund shares longer. If you elect to adopt the NAV method of accounting, rather than computing gain or loss on every taxable disposition of Fund shares as described above, you would determine your gain or loss based on the change in the aggregate value of your Fund shares during a computation period (such as your taxable year), reduced by your net investment (purchases minus sales) in those shares during that period. Under the NAV method, any resulting net capital gain or loss would be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. |
■ | Because of “noncash” expenses such as property depreciation, the cash flow of a REIT that owns properties will exceed its taxable income. The REIT, and in turn a Fund, may distribute this excess cash to shareholders. Such a distribution is classified as a return of capital. Return of capital distributions generally are not taxable to you. Your cost basis in your Fund shares will be decreased by the amount of any return of capital. Any return of capital distributions in excess of your cost basis will be treated as capital gains. |
■ | Dividends paid to shareholders from the Funds’ investments in U.S. REITs generally will not qualify for taxation at long-term capital gain rates applicable to qualified dividend income. |
■ | The Fund may derive “excess inclusion income” from certain equity interests in mortgage pooling vehicles either directly or through an |
investment in a U.S. REIT. Please see the SAI for a discussion of the risks and special tax consequences to shareholders in the event the Fund realizes excess inclusion income in excess of certain threshold amounts. | |
■ | Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, “qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income) are treated as eligible for a 20% deduction by noncorporate taxpayers. Proposed regulations issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, enable the Fund to pass through the special character of “qualified REIT dividends” to a shareholder, provided both the Fund and a shareholder meet certain holding period requirements with respect to their shares. |
■ | The Fund’s foreign shareholders should see the SAI for a discussion of the risks and special tax consequences to them from a sale of a U.S. real property interest by a REIT in which the Fund invests. |
■ | Taxes, penalties, and interest associated with an audit of a partnership are generally required to be assessed and collected at the partnership level. Therefore, an adverse federal income tax audit of a partnership that a Fund invests in (including MLPs taxed as partnerships) could result in the Fund being required to pay federal income tax. A Fund may have little input in any audit asserted against a partnership and may be contractually or legally obligated to make payments in regard to deficiencies asserted without the ability to put forward an independent defense. Accordingly, even if a partnership in which the Fund invests were to remain classified as a partnership (instead of as a corporation), it could be required to pay additional taxes, interest and penalties as a result of an audit adjustment, and the Fund, as a direct or indirect partner of such partnership, could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest and penalties, which would reduce the value of Fund shares. |
■ | Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “qualified publicly traded partnership income” is treated as eligible for a 20% deduction by noncorporate taxpayers. The legislation does not contain a provision permitting a RIC, such as a Fund, to pass the special character of this income through to its shareholders. It is uncertain whether a future technical corrections bill or regulations issued by the IRS will address this issue to enable a Fund to pass through the special character of “qualified publicly traded partnership income” to its shareholders. |
■ | Some amounts received by a Fund from the MLPs in which it invests likely will be treated as returns of capital to such Fund because of accelerated deductions available to the MLPs. The receipt of returns of capital from the MLPs in which a Fund invests could cause some or all of the Fund’s distributions to be classified as a return of capital. Return of capital distributions generally are not taxable to you. Your cost basis in your Fund shares will be decreased by the amount of any return of capital. Any return of capital distributions in excess of your cost basis will be treated as capital gains. |
■ | The Funds’ strategies of investing through their respective Subsidiary in derivatives and other financially linked instruments whose performance is expected to correspond to the commodity markets may cause the Funds to recognize more ordinary income and short-term capital gains taxable as ordinary income than would be the case if the Funds invested directly in commodities. |
■ | The Funds must meet certain requirements under the Code for favorable tax treatment as a RIC, including asset diversification and income requirements. The Funds intend to treat the income each derives from commodity-linked notes as qualifying income based on an opinion from counsel confirming that income from such investments should be qualifying income because such commodity-linked notes constitute securities under section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act. Each Subsidiary will be classified for federal income tax purposes as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) with respect to the Fund. As such, the Fund will be required to include in its gross income each year amounts earned by the Subsidiary during that year (“Subpart F” income), whether or not such earnings are distributed by the Subsidiary to the Fund (deemed inclusions). Recently released Treasury Regulations also permit the Fund |
to treat such deemed inclusions of “Subpart F” income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income to the Fund, even if the Subsidiary does not make a distribution of such income. Consequently, the Fund and the Subsidiary reserve the right to rely on deemed inclusions being treated as qualifying income to the Fund consistent with recently released Treasury Regulations. If, contrary to the opinion of counsel or other guidance issued by the IRS, the IRS were to determine that income from direct investment in commodity-linked notes is non-qualifying, a Fund might fail to satisfy the income requirement. In lieu of disqualification, the Funds are permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the asset diversification or income requirements, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect. The Funds intend to limit their investments in their respective Subsidiary to no more than 25% of the value of each Fund’s total assets in order to satisfy the asset diversification requirement. | |
■ | The Invesco Balanced-Risk Commodity Strategy Fund received a PLR from the IRS holding that income from a form of commodity-linked note is qualifying income. However, the IRS has revoked the ruling on a prospective basis, thus allowing the Fund to continue to rely on its private letter ruling to treat income from commodity-linked notes purchased on or before June 30, 2017 as qualifying income. After that time the Invesco Balanced-Risk Commodity Strategy Fund expects to rely on the opinion of counsel described above. |
■ | The Funds may realize gains from the sale or other disposition of foreign currencies (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from investing in securities or foreign currencies. The U.S. Treasury Department is authorized to issue regulations on whether the realization of such foreign currency gains is qualified income for the Funds. If such regulations are issued, each Fund may not qualify as a RIC and/or the Fund may change its investment policy. As of the date of this prospectus, no regulations have been issued pursuant to this authorization. It is possible, however, that such regulations may be issued in the future. Additionally, the IRS has not issued any guidance on how to apply the asset diversification test to such foreign currency positions. Thus, the IRS’ determination as to how to treat such foreign currency positions for purposes of satisfying the asset diversification test might differ from that of each Fund resulting in the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC. In lieu of disqualification, each Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the asset diversification or income requirements, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect. |
■ | The Funds’ transactions in foreign currencies may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease the Funds' ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the Funds' previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. Return of capital distributions generally are not taxable to you. Your cost basis in your Fund shares will be decreased by the amount of any return of capital. Any return of capital distributions in excess of your cost basis will be treated as capital gains. |
■ | The Fund intends to invest a significant portion of its assets in MLPs, which are generally treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To the extent that the Fund invests in equity securities of an MLP, the Fund will be a partner in such MLP. Accordingly, the Fund will be required to take into account the Fund’s allocable share of the income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits recognized by each such MLP, regardless of whether the MLP distributes cash to the Fund. MLP distributions to partners, such as the Fund, are not taxable unless the cash amount (or in certain cases, the fair market value of marketable securities) distributed exceeds the Fund’s basis in its MLP interest. The Fund expects that the cash distributions it will receive with respect to its investments in equity securities of MLPs will exceed the net taxable income allocated to the Fund from such MLPs because of tax deductions such as depreciation, amortization and depletion that will be allocated to the Fund from the MLPs. No assurance, however, can be given in this regard. If this expectation is not realized, the Fund will have a larger corporate income tax expense than expected, which will result in less cash available for distribution to shareholders. |
■ | The Fund will recognize gain or loss on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of its portfolio assets, including equity securities of MLPs, equal to the difference between the amount realized by the Fund on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition and the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in such assets. Any such gain will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the corporate income tax rate, regardless of how long the Fund has held such assets since preferential capital gain rates do not apply to regular corporations such as the Fund. The amount realized by the Fund in any case generally will be the amount paid by the purchaser of the assets plus, in the case of MLP equity securities, the Fund’s allocable share, if any, of the MLP’s debt that will be allocated to the purchaser as a result of the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition. The Fund’s tax basis in its equity securities in an MLP generally is equal to the amount the Fund paid for the equity securities, (i) increased by the Fund’s allocable share of the MLP’s net taxable income and certain MLP debt, if any, and (ii) decreased by the Fund’s allocable share of the MLP’s net losses and any distributions received by the Fund from the MLP. Although any distribution by an MLP to the Fund in excess of the Fund’s allocable share of such MLP’s net taxable income may create a temporary economic benefit to the Fund, net of a deferred tax liability, such distribution will decrease the Fund’s tax basis in its MLP investment and will therefore increase the amount of gain (or decrease the amount of loss) that will be recognized on the sale of an equity security in the MLP by the Fund. To the extent that the Fund has a net capital loss in any year, the net capital loss can be carried back three taxable years and forward five taxable years to reduce the Fund’s capital gains in such years. In the event a capital loss carryover cannot be utilized in the carryover periods, the Fund’s federal income tax liability may be higher than expected, which will result in less cash available to distribute to shareholders. |
■ | Distributions by the Fund of cash or property in respect of the shares (other than certain distributions in redemption of shares) will be treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Generally, the Fund’s earnings and profits are computed based upon the Fund’s taxable income (loss), with certain specified adjustments. Any such dividend likely will be eligible for the dividends-received deduction if received by an otherwise qualifying |
corporate U.S. shareholder that meets certain holding period and other requirements for the dividends-received deduction. Dividends paid by the Fund to certain non-corporate U.S. shareholders (including individuals), generally are eligible for U.S. federal income taxation at the rates generally applicable to long-term capital gains for individuals provided that the U.S. shareholder receiving the dividend satisfies applicable holding period and other requirements. Otherwise, dividends paid by the Fund to non-corporate U.S. Shareholders (including individuals) will be taxable at ordinary income rates. | |
■ | If the amount of a Fund distribution exceeds the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, such excess will be treated first as a tax- deferred return of capital to the extent of, and in reduction of, a shareholder’s tax basis in the shares, and thereafter as capital gain to the extent the shareholder held the shares as a capital asset. Any such capital gain will be long-term capital gain if such shareholder has held the applicable shares for more than one year. The portion of the distribution received by a shareholder from the Fund that is treated as a return of capital will decrease the shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares (but not below zero), which will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund shares. |
■ | The Fund anticipates that the cash distributions it will receive with respect to its investments in equity securities of MLPs and which it will distribute to its shareholders will exceed the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Accordingly, the Fund expects that only a part of its distributions to shareholders with respect to the shares will be treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No assurance, however, can be given in this regard. |
■ | Special rules may apply to the calculation of the Fund’s earnings and profits. For example, the Fund’s earnings and profits will be calculated using the straight-line depreciation method rather than the accelerated depreciation method. This difference in treatment may, for example, result in the Fund’s earnings and profits being higher than the Fund’s taxable income or loss in a particular year if the MLPs in which the Fund invests calculate their income using accelerated depreciation. Because of these special earnings profits rules, the Fund may make distributions in a particular year out of earnings and profits (treated as dividends) in excess of the amount of the Fund’s taxable income or loss for such year, which means that a larger percentage of the Fund ’s distributions could be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income instead of tax-deferred return of capital or capital gain. |
■ | Shareholders that receive distributions in shares rather than in cash will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as having (i) received a cash distribution equal to the fair market value of the shares received and (ii) reinvested such amount in shares. |
■ | A redemption of shares will be treated as a sale or exchange of such shares, provided the redemption is not essentially equivalent to a dividend, is a substantially disproportionate redemption, is a complete redemption of a shareholder’s entire interest in the Fund, or is in partial liquidation of such Fund. Redemptions that do not qualify for sale or exchange treatment will be treated as distributions as described above. Upon a redemption treated as a sale or exchange under these rules, a shareholder generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the adjusted tax basis of his or her shares and the amount received when they are sold. |
■ | If the Fund is required to sell portfolio securities to meet redemption requests, the Fund may recognize income and gains for U.S. federal, state and local income and other tax purposes, which may result in the imposition of corporate income or other taxes on the Fund and may increase the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, which will result in a greater portion of distributions to Fund shareholders being treated as dividends. Any long-term or short-term capital gains realized on sale or redemption of your Fund shares will be subject to federal income tax. For tax purposes an exchange of your shares for shares of another Fund is the same as a sale. An exchange occurs when the purchase of shares of a Fund is made using the proceeds from a redemption of shares of another Fund and is effectuated on the same day |
as the redemption. Your gain or loss is calculated by subtracting from the gross proceeds your cost basis. Gross proceeds and, for shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 and disposed of after that date, cost basis will be reported to you and the IRS. Cost basis will be calculated using the Fund’s default method of first-in, first-out (FIFO), unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by a Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If you hold your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that broker (nominee) with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. For more information about the cost basis methods offered by Invesco, please refer to the Tax Center located under the Accounts & Services menu of our website at www.invesco.com/us. | |
■ | The conversion of shares of one class of a Fund into shares of another class of the same Fund is not taxable for federal income tax purposes and no gain or loss will be reported on the transaction. This is true whether the conversion occurs automatically pursuant to the terms of the class or is initiated by the shareholder. |
■ | At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect undistributed income. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in a Fund just before it declares an income dividend is sometimes known as “buying a dividend.” In addition, a Fund’s net asset value may, at any time, reflect net unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions to you. |
■ | By law, if you do not provide a Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. A Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid. |
■ | A 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount. This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return. |
■ | Fund distributions and gains from sale or exchange of your Fund shares generally are subject to state and local income taxes. |
■ | Foreign investors should be aware that U.S. withholding, special certification requirements to avoid U.S. backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits, and estate taxes may apply to an investment in a Fund. |
■ | Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), a Fund will be required to withhold a 30% tax on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities, that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). A Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA or similar laws. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA. |
■ | Taxes, penalties, and interest associated with an audit of a partnership are generally required to be assessed and collected at the partnership level. Therefore, an adverse federal income tax audit of an MLP taxed as a partnership that the Fund invests in could result in the Fund being |
required to pay federal income tax. The Fund may have little input in any audit asserted against an MLP and may be contractually or legally obligated to make payments in regard to deficiencies asserted without the ability to put forward an independent defense. Accordingly, even if an MLP in which the Fund invests were to remain classified as a partnership, it could be required to pay additional taxes, interest and penalties as a result of an audit adjustment, and the Fund, as a direct or indirect partner of such MLP, could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest and penalties, which would reduce the value of Fund shares. | |
■ | Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act certain “qualified publicly traded partnership income” (e.g., certain income from certain of the MLPs in which the Fund invests) is treated as eligible for a 20% deduction by noncorporate taxpayers. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act does not contain a provision permitting an entity, such as the Fund, to benefit from this deduction (since the Fund is taxed as a “C” corporation) or pass the special character of this income through to its shareholders. Qualified publicly traded partnership income allocated to a noncorporate investor investing directly in an MLP might, however, be eligible for the deduction. |
By Mail: |
Invesco Investment
Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 219078 Kansas City, MO 64121-9078 |
By Telephone: | (800) 959-4246 |
On the Internet: |
You
can send us a request by e-mail or
download prospectuses, SAIs, annual or semi-annual reports via our website: www.invesco.com/us |
Invesco
Environmental Focus Municipal Fund
SEC 1940 Act file number: 811-07890 |
invesco.com/us | O-MUNI-PRO-1 |
|
The information in this statement of additional information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This statement of additional information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED July 2, 2020
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Statement of Additional Information
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September 4, 2020
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AIM Tax-Exempt Funds (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds) |
This Statement of Additional Information (the SAI) relates to the portfolio (the Fund) of AIM Tax-Exempt Funds (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds) (the Trust) listed below. The Fund offers separate classes of shares as follows.
Class: | A | C | Y | R6 | ||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund* |
OPAMX | OPCMX | OPYMX | IOMUX |
* |
Formerly known as Invesco Oppenheimer Municipal Fund |
This SAI is not a Prospectus, and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectuses for the Fund listed above. The Fund was organized on May 24, 2019 and was created for the purposes of acquiring the assets and liabilities of the corresponding predecessor fund (as defined below). Portions or the Funds and predecessor funds financial statements are incorporated into this SAI by reference to the Funds and predecessor funds most recent Annual Report to shareholders as follows.
The Funds eleven-month period ended February 29, 2020.
Oppenheimer Municipal Funds fiscal year ended March 31, 2019.
You may obtain, without charge, a copy of any Prospectus and/or Annual Reports for the Fund listed below from an authorized dealer or by writing to:
Invesco Investment Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 219078
Kansas City, MO 64121-9078
or by calling (800) 959-4246
or on the Internet: www.invesco.com/us
This SAI, dated September 4, 2020, relates to the Class A, Class C, Class Y and Class R6 shares, of the Funds Prospectus dated September 4, 2020.
The Trust has established other funds which are offered by separate prospectuses and SAIs. Any reference to the term Fund or Funds throughout this SAI refers to the Fund named above unless otherwise indicated.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Amendment of Retirement Plan and Conversion to Defined Contribution Plan |
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APPENDICES: |
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PERSONS TO WHOM INVESCO PROVIDES NON-PUBLIC PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ON AN ONGOING BASIS | B-1 | |||
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DIRECTED BROKERAGE (RESEARCH SERVICES) AND PURCHASES OF SECURITIES OF REGULAR BROKERS OR DEALERS | K-1 | |||
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AMOUNTS PAID TO INVESCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC. PURSUANT TO DISTRIBUTION PLANS |
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ALLOCATION OF ACTUAL FEES PAID PURSUANT TO DISTRIBUTION PLANS |
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SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO JURISDICTIONS IN WHICH THE FUND INVESTS |
P-1 |
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
AIM Tax-Exempt Funds (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds) (the Trust) is a Delaware statutory trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as an open-end series management investment company. The Trust was originally organized as a Maryland corporation on May 3, 1993, and re-organized as a Delaware statutory trust on June 1, 2000. Under the Trusts Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended (the Trust Agreement), the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board) is authorized to create new series of shares without the necessity of a vote of shareholders of the Trust. Prior to April 30, 2010, the Trust was known as AIM Tax-Exempt Funds.
On May 24, 2019, the Fund assumed the assets and liabilities of its predecessor fund as shown below.
Fund |
Predecessor Fund |
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Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund | Oppenheimer Municipal Fund |
Prior to September 4, 2020, Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund was known as Invesco Oppenheimer Municipal Fund.
All historical financial information and other information contained in this SAI relating to the Fund (or any classes thereof) for periods ending on or prior to May 24, 2019 is that of its predecessor fund (or the corresponding classes thereof).
Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are redeemable at their net asset value at the option of the shareholder or at the option of the Trust, in accordance with any applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement and applicable law, subject in certain circumstances to a contingent deferred sales charge.
The Trust allocates cash and property it receives from the issue or sale of shares, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, to the appropriate Fund, subject only to the rights of creditors of that Fund. These assets constitute the assets belonging to each Fund, are segregated on the Trusts books, and are charged with the liabilities and expenses of such Fund and its respective classes. The Trust allocates any general liabilities and expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular Fund primarily on the basis of relative net assets, or other relevant factors, subject to oversight by the Board.
Each share of the Fund represents an equal pro rata interest in the Fund with each other share and is entitled to dividends and other distributions with respect to the Fund, which may be from income, capital gains or capital, as declared by the Board.
Each class of shares of the Fund represents a proportionate undivided interest in the net assets belonging to the Fund. Differing sales charges and expenses will result in differing net asset values and dividends and distributions. Upon any liquidation of the Trust, shareholders of each class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets belonging to the applicable Fund allocable to such class available for distribution after satisfaction of, or reasonable provision for, the outstanding liabilities of the Fund allocable to such class.
The Trust Agreement provides that each shareholder, by virtue of having become a shareholder of the Trust, is bound by terms of the Trust Agreement and the Trusts Bylaws. Ownership of shares does not make shareholders third party beneficiaries of any contract entered into by the Trust.
The Trust is not required to hold annual or regular meetings of shareholders. Meetings of shareholders of the Fund or class will be held for any purpose determined by the Board, including from time to time to consider matters requiring a vote of such shareholders in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, state law or the provisions of the Trust Agreement. It is not expected that shareholder meetings will be held annually.
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The Trust Agreement provides that the Board may authorize (i) a merger, consolidation or sale of assets (including, but not limited to, mergers, consolidations or sales of assets between two Funds, or between a Fund and a series of any other registered investment company), and (ii) the combination of two or more classes of shares of a Fund into a single class, each without shareholder approval but subject to applicable requirements under the 1940 Act and state law.
Each share of the Fund generally has the same voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights; however, each class of shares of the Fund is subject to different sales loads, conversion features, exchange privileges and class-specific expenses. Only shareholders of a specific class may vote on matters relating to that classs distribution plan.
Except as specifically noted above, shareholders of the Fund are entitled to one vote per share (with proportionate voting for fractional shares), irrespective of the relative net asset value of the shares of the Fund. However, on matters affecting an individual Fund or class of shares, a separate vote of shareholders of that Fund or class is required. Shareholders of the Fund or class are not entitled to vote on any matter which does not affect that Fund or class but that requires a separate vote of another Fund or class. An example of a matter that would be voted on separately by shareholders of each Fund is the approval of the advisory agreement with Invesco Advisers, Inc. (the Adviser or Invesco).
When issued, shares of the Fund are fully paid and nonassessable, have no preemptive or subscription rights, and are freely transferable. There are no automatic conversion rights but the Fund may offer voluntary rights to convert between certain share classes, as described in the Funds prospectus. Shares do not have cumulative voting rights in connection with the election of Trustees or on any other matter.
Under Delaware law, shareholders of a Delaware statutory trust shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to shareholders of private for-profit corporations organized under Delaware law. There is a remote possibility, however, that shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held liable for the obligations of the Trust to the extent the courts of another state, which does not recognize such limited liability, were to apply the laws of such state to a controversy involving such obligations. The Trust Agreement disclaims shareholder personal liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses of the Trust and requires that every undertaking of the Trust or the Board relating to the Trust or any Fund include a recitation limiting such obligation to the Trust and its assets or to one or more Funds and the assets belonging thereto. The Trust Agreement provides for indemnification out of the property of a Fund (or Class, as applicable) for all losses and expenses of any shareholder of such Fund held personally liable solely on account of being or having been a shareholder.
The trustees and officers of the Trust will not be liable for any act, omission or obligation of the Trust or any trustee or officer; however, a trustee or officer is not protected against any liability to the Trust or to the shareholders to which a trustee or officer would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office with the Trust or applicable Fund (Disabling Conduct). The Trusts Bylaws generally provide for indemnification by the Trust of the trustees, officers and employees or agents of the Trust, provided that such persons have not engaged in Disabling Conduct. Indemnification does not extend to judgments or amounts paid in settlement in any actions by or in the right of the Trust. The Trust Agreement also authorizes the purchase of liability insurance on behalf of trustees and officers with Fund assets. The Trusts Bylaws provide for the advancement of payments of expenses to current and former trustees, officers and employees or agents of the Trust, or anyone serving at their request, in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding, for which such person would be entitled to indemnification; provided that any advancement of expenses would be reimbursed unless it is ultimately determined that such person is entitled to indemnification for such expenses.
The Trust Agreement provides that any Trustee who serves as chair of the Board or of a committee of the Board, lead independent Trustee, or an expert on any topic or in any area (including an audit committee financial expert), or in any other special appointment will not be subject to any greater standard of care or liability because of such position.
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The Trust Agreement provides a detailed process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders. A shareholder may only bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust if certain conditions are met. Among other things, such conditions: (i) require shareholder(s) to make a pre-suit demand on the Trustees (unless such effort is not likely to succeed because a majority of the Board or the committee established to consider the merits of such action are not independent Trustees under Delaware law); (ii) require 10% of the beneficial owners to join in the pre-suit demand; and (iii) afford the Trustees a reasonable amount of time to consider the request and investigate the basis of the claims (including designating a committee to consider the demand and hiring counsel or other advisers). These conditions generally are intended to provide the Trustees with the ability to pursue a claim if they believe doing so would be in the best interests of the Trust and its shareholders and to preclude the pursuit of claims that the Trustees determine to be without merit or otherwise not in the Trusts best interest to pursue.
The Trust Agreement also generally requires that actions by shareholders in connection with or against the Trust or the Fund be brought only in certain Delaware courts and that the right to jury trial be waived to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Shareholders of the Fund do not have the right to demand or require the Trust to issue share certificates and share certificates are not issued. Any certificates previously issued with respect to any shares are deemed to be cancelled without any requirement for surrender to the Trust.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND AND ITS INVESTMENTS AND RISKS
The Trust is an open-end management investment company. The Fund is diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act.
Investment Strategies and Risks
Set forth below are detailed descriptions of the various types of securities and investment techniques that Invesco and/or the Sub-Advisers (as defined herein) may use in managing the Fund, as well as the risks associated with those types of securities and investment techniques. The descriptions of the types of securities and investment techniques below supplement the discussion of principal investment strategies and risks contained in the Funds Prospectus.
The Fund may invest in all of the following types of investments. The Fund might not invest in all of these types of securities or use all of these techniques at any one time. Invesco and/or the Sub-Advisers may invest in other types of securities and may use other investment techniques in managing the Fund, as well as securities and techniques not described. The Funds transactions in a particular type of security or use of a particular technique is subject to limitations imposed by the Funds investment objective, policies and restrictions described in the Funds Prospectus and/or this SAI, as well as the federal securities laws.
Any percentage limitations relating to the composition of the Funds portfolio identified in the Funds Prospectus or this SAI apply at the time the Fund acquires an investment. Subsequent changes that result from market fluctuations generally will not require the Fund to sell any portfolio security. However, the Fund may sell its illiquid investments holdings, or reduce its borrowings, if any, in response to fluctuations in the value of such holdings.
The Funds investment objectives, policies, strategies and practices described below are non-fundamental and may be changed without approval of the holders of the Funds voting securities unless otherwise indicated.
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Common Stock. Common stock is issued by a company principally to raise cash for business purposes and represents an equity or ownership interest in the issuing company. Common stockholders are typically entitled to vote on important matters of the issuing company, including the selection of directors, and may receive dividends on their holdings. The Fund participates in the success or failure of any company in which it holds common stock. In the event a company is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bondholders, other debt holders, owners of preferred stock and general creditors take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.
The prices of common stocks change in response to many factors including the historical and prospective earnings of the issuing company, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stock, unlike common stock, often offers a specified dividend rate payable from a companys earnings. Preferred stock also generally has a preference over common stock on the distribution of a companys assets in the event the company is liquidated or declares bankruptcy; however, the rights of preferred stockholders on the distribution of a companys assets in the event of a liquidation or bankruptcy are generally subordinate to the rights of the companys debt holders and general creditors. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline.
Some fixed rate preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions which provide for the stock to be retired or redeemed on a predetermined schedule, as well as call/redemption provisions prior to maturity, which can limit the benefit of any decline in interest rates that might positively affect the price of preferred stocks. Preferred stock dividends may be cumulative, requiring all or a portion of prior unpaid dividends to be paid before dividends are paid on the issuers common stock. Preferred stock may be participating, which means that it may be entitled to a dividend exceeding the stated dividend in certain cases. In some cases an issuer may offer auction rate preferred stock, which means that the interest to be paid is set by auction and will often be reset at stated intervals.
Equity-Linked Securities. Equity-linked securities are instruments whose value is based upon the value of one or more underlying equity securities, a reference rate or an index. Equity-linked securities come in many forms and may include features, among others, such as the following: (i) may be issued by the issuer of the underlying equity security or by a company other than the one to which the instrument is linked (usually an investment bank), (ii) may convert into equity securities, such as common stock, within a stated period from the issue date or may be redeemed for cash or some combination of cash and the linked security at a value based upon the value of the underlying equity security within a stated period from the issue date, (iii) may have various conversion features prior to maturity at the option of the holder or the issuer or both, (iv) may limit the appreciation value with caps or collars of the value of the underlying equity security and (v) may have fixed, variable or no interest payments during the life of the security which reflect the actual or a structured return relative to the underlying dividends of the linked equity security. Investments in equity-linked securities may subject the Fund to additional risks not ordinarily associated with investments in other equity securities. Because equity-linked securities are sometimes issued by a third party other than the issuer of the linked security, the Fund is subject to risks if the underlying equity security, reference rate or index underperforms or if the issuer defaults on the payment of the dividend or the common stock at maturity. In addition, the trading market for particular equity-linked securities may be less liquid, making it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a particular security when necessary and reduced liquidity in the secondary market for any such securities may make it more difficult to obtain market quotations for valuing the Funds portfolio.
Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are generally bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities or investments that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio or predetermined price (the conversion price). A convertible security is designed to provide current income and also the potential for capital appreciation through the conversion feature, which enables the holder to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. A convertible security may be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain
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circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party, which may have an adverse effect on the Funds ability to achieve its investment objectives. Convertible securities have general characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities.
A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to non-convertible debt obligations and are designed to provide for a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks. However, there can be no assurance of current income because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure and, therefore, generally entail less risk than the corporations common stock. Convertible securities are subordinate in rank to any senior debt obligations of the issuer, and, therefore, an issuers convertible securities entail more risk than its debt obligations. Moreover, convertible securities are often rated below investment grade or not rated because they fall below debt obligations and just above common stock in order of preference or priority on an issuers balance sheet. To the extent that a Fund invests in convertible securities with credit ratings below investment grade, such securities may have a higher likelihood of default, although this may be somewhat offset by the convertibility feature.
Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar credit quality because of the potential for capital appreciation. The common stock underlying convertible securities may be issued by a different entity than the issuer of the convertible securities.
The value of convertible securities is influenced by both the yield of non-convertible securities of comparable issuers and by the value of the underlying common stock. The value of a convertible security viewed without regard to its conversion feature (i.e., strictly on the basis of its yield) is sometimes referred to as its investment value. The investment value of the convertible security typically will fluctuate based on the credit quality of the issuer and will fluctuate inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates. However, at the same time, the convertible security will be influenced by its conversion value, which is the market value of the underlying common stock that would be obtained if the convertible security were converted. Conversion value fluctuates directly with the price of the underlying common stock, and will therefore be subject to risks relating to the activities of the issuer and general market and economic conditions. Depending upon the relationship of the conversion price to the market value of the underlying security, a convertible security may trade more like an equity security than a debt instrument.
If, because of a low price of the common stock, the conversion value is substantially below the investment value of the convertible security, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. Generally, if the conversion value of a convertible security increases to a point that approximates or exceeds its investment value, the value of the security will be principally influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security will sell at a premium over its conversion value to the extent investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding an income-producing security.
While a Fund uses the same criteria to rate a convertible debt security that it uses to rate a more conventional debt security, a convertible preferred stock is treated like a preferred stock for the Funds financial reporting, credit rating and investment limitation purposes.
Contingent Convertible Securities (CoCos). CoCos (also referred to as contingent capital securities) are a form of hybrid fixed income security typically issued by non-U.S. banks that may either convert into common stock of the issuer or undergo a principal write-down by a predetermined percentage upon the occurrence of a trigger event, such as if (a) the issuers capital ratio falls below a specified level or (b) certain regulatory events, such as a change in regulatory capital requirements, affect the issuers continued viability. Unlike traditional convertible securities, the conversion is not voluntary and the equity conversion or principal write-down features are tailored to the issuing banking institution and its regulatory requirements.
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CoCos are subject to credit, interest rate and market risks associated with fixed income and equity securities generally, along with risks typically applicable to convertible securities. CoCos are also subject to loss absorption risk because coupon payments can potentially be cancelled or deferred at the issuers discretion or at the request of the relevant regulatory authority in order to help the bank absorb losses. Additionally, certain call provisions permit an issuer to repurchase CoCos if the regulatory environment or tax treatment of the security (e.g., tax deductibility of interest payments) changes. This may result in a potential loss to the Fund if the price at which the issuer calls or repurchases the CoCos is lower than the initial purchase price by the Fund.
CoCos are subordinate in rank to traditional convertible securities and other debt obligations of an issuer in the issuers capital structure, and therefore, CoCos entail more risk than an issuers other debt obligations.
CoCos are generally speculative and their market value may fluctuate based on a number of unpredictable factors, including, but not limited to, the creditworthiness of the issuer and/or fluctuations in the issuers capital ratios, supply and demand for CoCos, general market conditions and available liquidity, and economic, financial and political events affecting the particular issuer or markets in general.
Enhanced Convertible Securities. Enhanced convertible securities are equity-linked hybrid securities that automatically convert to equity securities on a specified date. Enhanced convertibles have been designed with a variety of payoff structures, and are known by a variety of different names. Three features common to enhanced convertible securities are (i) conversion to equity securities at the maturity of the convertible (as opposed to conversion at the option of the security holder in the case of ordinary convertibles); (ii) capped or limited appreciation potential relative to the underlying common stock; and (iii) dividend yields that are typically higher than that on the underlying common stock. Thus, enhanced convertible securities offer holders the opportunity to obtain higher current income than would be available from a traditional equity security issued by the same company in return for reduced participation in the appreciation potential of the underlying common stock. Other forms of enhanced convertible securities may involve arrangements with no interest or dividend payments made until maturity of the security or an enhanced principal amount received at maturity based on the yield and value of the underlying equity security during the securitys term or at maturity.
Synthetic Convertible Securities. A synthetic convertible security is a derivative position composed of two or more distinct securities whose investment characteristics, taken together, resemble those of traditional convertible securities, i.e., fixed income and the right to acquire the underlying equity security. For example, a Fund may purchase a non-convertible debt security and a warrant or option, which enables a Fund to have a convertible-like position with respect to a security or index.
Synthetic convertibles are typically offered by financial institutions in private placement transactions and are typically sold back to the offering institution. Upon conversion, the holder generally receives from the offering institution an amount in cash equal to the difference between the conversion price and the then-current value of the underlying security. Synthetic convertible securities differ from true convertible securities in several respects. The value of a synthetic convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component. Thus, the values of a synthetic convertible and a true convertible security will respond differently to market fluctuations. Purchasing a synthetic convertible security may provide greater flexibility than purchasing a traditional convertible security, including the ability to combine components representing distinct issuers, or to combine a fixed income security with a call option on a stock index, when the Adviser determines that such a combination would better further a Funds investment goals. In addition, the component parts of a synthetic convertible security may be purchased simultaneously or separately.
The holder of a synthetic convertible faces the risk that the price of the stock, or the level of the market index underlying the convertibility component will decline. In addition, in purchasing a synthetic convertible security, a Fund may have counterparty risk with respect to the financial institution or investment bank that offers the instrument.
Alternative Entity Securities. Alternative entity securities are the securities of entities that are formed as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts or other non-corporate entities that are similar to common or preferred stock of corporations.
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Equity-Linked Notes (ELNs). ELNs are hybrid derivative-type instruments, in a single note form, that are specially designed to combine the characteristics of one or more reference securities (such as a single stock, exchange-traded fund, exchange-traded note, or an index or basket of securities (underlying securities)) and a related equity derivative, such as a put or call option. Generally, when purchasing an ELN, a Fund pays the counterparty the current value of the underlying securities plus a commission. Upon the maturity of the note, the Fund generally receives the par value of the note plus a return based on the appreciation of the underlying securities. If the underlying securities have depreciated in value or if their price fluctuates outside of a preset range, depending on the type of ELN, the Fund may receive only the principal amount of the note, or may lose the entire principal invested in the ELN. ELNs are available with an assortment of features, including periodic coupon payments; limitations on participation in the appreciation of the underlying securities; and different protection levels on the Funds principal investment. ELNs are generally in two types: (1) those that provide for protection of a Funds principal in exchange for limited participation in the appreciation of the underlying securities, and (2) those that do not provide for such protection and subject a Fund to the risk of loss of its principal investment.
Investments in ELNs possess the risks associated with the underlying securities, such as management risk, market risk and, as applicable, foreign securities and currency risks. In addition, as a note, ELNs are also subject to certain debt securities risks, such as interest rate and credit risk. An investment in an ELN also bears the risk that the ELN issuer will default or become bankrupt. In such an event, the Fund may have difficulty being repaid, or fail to be repaid, the principal amount of, or income from, its investment. A downgrade or impairment to the credit rating of the issuer may also negatively impact the price of the ELN. The Fund may also experience liquidity issues when investing in ELNs, as ELNs are generally designed for the over-the-counter institutional investment market. The secondary market for ELNs may be limited, and the lack of liquidity may make ELNs difficult to sell at a desirable time and price and value. The price of an ELN may not correlate with the price of the underlying securities or a fixed-income investment. As the holder of an ELN, the Fund generally has no rights to the underlying securities, including no voting rights or rights to receive dividends. The Advisers ability to accurately forecast movements in the underlying securities will determine the success of the Funds ELNs investments. Should the prices of the underlying securities move in an unexpected manner, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of its ELN investments, and it may realize losses, which could be significant and could include the Funds entire principal investment.
Foreign Securities. Foreign securities are equity or debt securities issued by issuers outside the U.S., and include securities in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), or other securities representing underlying securities of foreign issuers (foreign securities). ADRs are receipts, issued by U.S. banks, for the shares of foreign corporations, held by the bank issuing the receipt. ADRs are typically issued in registered form, denominated in U.S. dollars and designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. GDRs are bank certificates issued in more than one country for shares in a foreign company. The shares are held by a foreign branch of an international bank. GDRs trade as domestic shares but are offered for sale globally through the various bank branches. GDRs are typically used by private markets to raise capital and are denominated in either U.S. dollars or foreign currencies. EDRs are similar to ADRs and GDRs, except they are typically issued by European banks or trust companies, denominated in foreign currencies and designed for use outside the U.S. securities markets. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains on the underlying foreign securities, less any fees paid to the bank. Purchasing ADRs, EDRs or GDRs gives a Fund the ability to purchase the functional equivalent of foreign securities without going to the foreign securities markets to do so. ADRs, EDRs or GDRs that are sponsored are those where the foreign corporation whose shares are represented by the ADR, EDR, or GDR is actively involved in the issuance of the ADR, EDR or GDR, and generally provides material information about the corporation to the U.S. market. An unsponsored ADR, EDR or GDR program is one where the foreign corporation whose shares are held by the bank is not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, the market value of the ADR, EDR or GDR may not reflect important facts known only to the foreign company.
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Foreign debt securities include corporate debt securities of foreign issuers, certain foreign bank obligations (see Bank Instruments) and U.S. dollar or foreign currency denominated obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities (see Foreign Government Obligations), international agencies and supranational entities.
The Fund considers various factors when determining whether a company is in a particular country or region/continent, including whether (1) it is organized under the laws of a country or in a country in a particular region/continent; (2) it has a principal office in a country or in a country in a particular region/continent; (3) it derives 50% or more of its total revenues from businesses in a country or in a country in a particular region/continent; and/or (4) its securities are traded principally on a security exchange, or in an over-the-counter (OTC) market, in a particular country or in a country in a particular region/continent.
Investments by a Fund in foreign securities, including ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, whether denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies, may entail all of the risks set forth below in addition to those accompanying an investment in issuers in the United States.
Currency Risk. The value in U.S. dollars of the Funds non-dollar-denominated foreign investments will be affected by changes in currency exchange rates. The U.S. dollar value of a foreign security decreases when the value of the U.S. dollar rises against the foreign currency in which the security is denominated and increases when the value of the U.S. dollar falls against such currency.
Political and Economic Risk. The economies of many of the countries in which the Fund invests may not be as developed as that of the United States economy and may be subject to significantly different forces. Political, economic or social instability and development, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, and limitations on the removal of funds or other assets could also adversely affect the value of the Funds investments.
Regulatory Risk. Foreign companies may not be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and are generally not subject to the regulatory controls and disclosure requirements imposed on U.S. issuers and, as a consequence, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign securities than is available about domestic securities. Foreign companies may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, corporate governance practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to domestic companies. Therefore, financial information about foreign companies may be incomplete, or may not be comparable to the information available on U.S. companies. Income from foreign securities owned by the Fund may be reduced by a withholding tax at the source, which tax would reduce dividend income payable to the Funds shareholders.
There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers, and listed companies in foreign countries than in the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets may also have different clearance and settlement procedures. If a Fund experiences settlement problems it may result in temporary periods when a portion of the Funds assets are uninvested and could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities or a potential liability to the Fund arising out of the Funds inability to fulfill a contract to sell such securities.
Market Risk. Investing in foreign markets generally involves certain risks not typically associated with investing in the United States. The securities markets in many foreign countries will have substantially lower trading volume than the U.S. markets. As a result, the securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and experience more price volatility than comparable domestic securities. Obtaining and/or enforcing judgments in foreign countries may be more difficult, and there is generally less government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and issuers, each of which may make it more difficult to enforce contractual obligations. Increased custodian costs as well as administrative costs (such as the need to use foreign custodians) may also be associated with the maintenance of assets in foreign jurisdictions. In addition, transaction costs in foreign securities markets are likely to be higher, since brokerage commission rates in foreign countries are likely to be higher than in the United States.
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Risks of Developing/Emerging Markets Countries. The Fund may invest in securities of companies located in developing and emerging markets countries. Unless the Funds prospectus includes a different definition, the Fund considers developing and emerging markets countries to be those countries that are (i) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community, including the World Bank, or (ii) determined by the Adviser to be an emerging market country. As of the date of this SAI, the Adviser considers emerging market countries to generally include every country in the world except those countries included in the MSCI World Index. The Adviser has broad discretion to identify countries that it considers to be emerging market countries and may consider various factors in determining whether to classify a country as an emerging market country, including a countrys relative interest rates, inflation rates, exchange rates, monetary and fiscal policies, trade and current account balances, legal and political developments and any other specific factors the Adviser believes to be relevant. Because emerging markets equity and emerging markets debt are distinct asset classes, a country may be deemed an emerging market country with respect to its equity only, its debt only, both its equity and debt, or neither.
Investments in developing and emerging markets countries present risks in addition to, or greater than, those presented by investments in foreign issuers generally, and may include the following risks:
i. |
Restriction, to varying degrees, on foreign investment in stocks; |
ii. |
Repatriation of investment income, capital, and the proceeds of sales in foreign countries may require foreign governmental registration and/or approval; |
iii. |
Greater risk of fluctuation in value of foreign investments due to changes in currency exchange rates, currency control regulations or currency devaluation; |
iv. |
Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates may have negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain developing and emerging markets countries; |
v. |
Many of the developing and emerging markets countries securities markets are relatively small or less diverse, have low trading volumes, suffer periods of relative illiquidity, and are characterized by significant price volatility; and |
vi. |
There is a risk in developing and emerging markets countries that a future economic or political crisis could lead to price controls, forced mergers of companies, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or creation of government monopolies. |
Risks of Investments in the China Interbank Bond Market through the Bond Connect Program. The Funds may invest in China onshore bonds traded on the China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM) through the China Hong Kong Bond Connect Program (Bond Connect). In China, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Central Moneymarkets Unit holds Bond Connect securities on behalf of ultimate investors (such as the Funds) in accounts maintained with a China-based custodian (either the China Central Depository & Clearing Co. or the Shanghai Clearing House). This recordkeeping system subjects a Fund to various risks, including the risks of settlement delays and counterparty default of the China custodian and Hong Kong custody agent. In addition, the Fund may have a limited ability to enforce rights as a bondholder because enforcing the ownership rights of a beneficial holder of Bond Connect securities is untested and courts in China have limited experience in applying the concept of beneficial ownership.
Bond Connect uses the trading infrastructure of both Hong Kong and China and is not available on trading holidays in Hong Kong. As a result, prices of securities purchased through Bond Connect may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its position. Securities offered through Bond Connect may lose their eligibility for trading through Bond Connect at any time. If Bond Connect securities lose their eligibility for trading through Bond Connect, they may be sold but can no longer be purchased through Bond Connect.
Because Bond Connect trades are settled in RMB, the Funds investing through Bond Connect must have timely access to a reliable supply of offshore RMB, which cannot be guaranteed.
Market volatility and potential lack of liquidity due to low trading volume of certain bonds on the CIBM may result in prices of such bonds fluctuating significantly, exposing a Fund to liquidity and volatility risks. The bid-ask spreads of the prices of such securities may be large, and a Fund may therefore incur significant costs and may suffer losses when selling such investments. Bonds traded on the CIBM may be difficult or impossible to sell, which may impact a Funds ability to acquire or dispose of such securities at their expected prices.
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Bond Connect is relatively new and its effects on the Chinese interbank bond market are uncertain. Trading through Bond Connect is performed through newly developed trading platforms and operational systems, and in the event of systems malfunctions or extreme market conditions, trading via Bond Connect could be disrupted. There can be no assurance as to Bond Connects continued existence or whether future developments regarding Bond Connect (including further interpretation and guidance provided by regulators in Hong Kong and China) may restrict or adversely affect the Funds investments or returns. Finally, uncertainties in China tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments via Bond Connect could result in unexpected tax liabilities for a Fund.
Foreign Government Obligations. Debt securities issued by foreign governments are often, but not always, supported by the full faith and credit of the foreign governments, or their subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, that issue them. These securities involve the risks discussed above under Foreign Securities. Additionally, the issuer of the debt or the governmental authorities that control repayment of the debt may be unwilling or unable to pay interest or repay principal when due. Political or economic changes or the balance of trade may affect a countrys willingness or ability to service its debt obligations. Periods of economic uncertainty may result in the volatility of market prices of sovereign debt obligations, especially debt obligations issued by the governments of developing countries. Foreign government obligations of developing countries, and some structures of emerging market debt securities, both of which are generally below investment grade, are sometimes referred to as Brady Bonds. The failure of a sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance, or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third-party commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may impair the debtors ability or willingness to service its debts.
Foreign Exchange Transactions. To the extent the Fund invests in foreign currency-denominated securities, the Fund has the authority to purchase and sell put and call options on foreign currencies (foreign currency options), foreign currency futures contracts and related options, currency-related swaps and may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a spot (i.e., for prompt delivery and settlement) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market at the time or through forward foreign currency contracts (see Forward Foreign Currency Contracts). The use of these instruments may result in a loss to the Fund if the counterparty to the transaction (particularly with respect to OTC derivatives, as discussed further below) does not perform as promised, including because of such counterpartys bankruptcy or insolvency.
The Fund will incur costs in converting assets from one currency to another. Foreign exchange dealers may charge a fee for conversion. In addition, dealers may realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they buy and sell various currencies in the spot and forward markets.
A Fund will generally engage in foreign exchange transactions in order to complete a purchase or sale of foreign currency denominated securities. The Fund may also use foreign currency options, forward foreign currency contracts, foreign currency futures contracts and currency-related swap contracts to increase or reduce exposure to a foreign currency, to shift exposure from one foreign currency to another in a cross currency hedge or to enhance returns. These transactions are intended to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies; however, at the same time, they tend to limit any potential gain which might result should the value of such currencies increase. Open positions in forward foreign currency contracts used for non-hedging purposes will be covered by the segregation of a sufficient amount of liquid assets.
A Fund may purchase and sell foreign currency futures contracts and purchase and write foreign currency options to increase or decrease its exposure to different foreign currencies. A Fund may also purchase and write foreign currency options in connection with foreign currency futures contracts or forward foreign currency contracts. Foreign currency futures contracts are traded on exchanges and have standard contract sizes and delivery dates. Most foreign currency futures contracts call for payment or delivery in U.S. dollars. The uses and risks of foreign currency futures contracts are similar to those of futures contracts relating to securities or indices (see Futures Contracts). Foreign currency futures contracts values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates but may not reflect other factors that affect the value of the Funds investments.
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Whether or not any hedging strategy will be successful is highly uncertain, and use of hedging strategies may leave a Fund in a less advantageous position than if a hedge had not been established. Moreover, it is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a forward foreign currency contract. Accordingly, a Fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such transaction) if Invescos or the Sub-Advisers predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
The Fund may hold a portion of its assets in bank deposits denominated in foreign currencies, so as to facilitate investment in foreign securities as well as protect against currency fluctuations and the need to convert such assets into U.S. dollars (thereby also reducing transaction costs). To the extent these monies are converted back into U.S. dollars, the value of the assets so maintained will be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations. Foreign exchange transactions may involve some of the risks of investments in foreign securities. For a discussion of tax considerations relating to foreign currency transactions, see Dividends, Distributions and Tax Matters Tax Matters Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions Foreign currency transactions.
Under definitions adopted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), non-deliverable foreign exchange forwards and OTC foreign exchange options are considered swaps. These instruments are therefore included in the definition of commodity interests for purposes of determining whether the Funds service providers qualify for certain exemptions and exclusions from regulation by the CFTC. Although forward foreign currency contracts have historically been traded in the OTC market, as swaps they may in the future be regulated to be centrally cleared and traded on public facilities. For more information, see Forward Foreign Currency Contracts and Swaps.
Floating Rate Corporate Loans and Corporate Debt Securities of Non-U.S. Borrowers. Floating rate loans and debt securities made to and issued by non-U.S. borrowers in which the Fund invests will be U.S. dollar-denominated or otherwise provide for payment in U.S. dollars, and the borrower will meet the credit quality standards established by Invesco and the Sub-Advisers for U.S. borrowers. The Fund similarly may invest in floating rate loans and floating rate debt securities made to and issued by U.S. borrowers with significant non-U.S. dollar-denominated revenues; provided that the loans are U.S. dollar-denominated or otherwise provide for payment to the Fund in U.S. dollars. In all cases where the floating rate loans or floating rate debt securities are not denominated in U.S. dollars, provisions will be made for payments to the lenders, including the Fund, in U.S. dollars pursuant to foreign currency swaps.
Foreign Bank Obligations. Foreign bank obligations include certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances and fixed time deposits and other obligations (a) denominated in U.S. dollars and issued by a foreign branch of a domestic bank (Eurodollar Obligations), (b) denominated in U.S. dollars and issued by a domestic branch of a foreign bank (Yankee dollar Obligations), or (c) issued by foreign branches of foreign banks. Foreign banks are not generally subject to examination by any U.S. Government agency or instrumentality.
Performance Indexed Paper. Performance Indexed Paper is U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper the yield of which is linked to certain foreign exchange rate movements. The yield to the investor on performance indexed paper is between the U.S. dollar and a designated currency as of or about that time (generally, the index maturity two days prior to maturity). The yield to the investor will be within a range stipulated at the time of purchase of the obligation, generally with a guaranteed minimum rate of return that is below, and a potential maximum rate of return that is above, market yields on U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper, with both the minimum and maximum rates of return on the investment corresponding to the minimum and maximum values of the spot exchange rate two business days prior to maturity.
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Most ETFs are registered under the 1940 Act as investment companies, although others may not be registered as investment companies and are registered as commodity pools. Therefore, a Funds purchase of shares of an ETF may be subject to the restrictions on investments in other investment companies discussed under Other Investment Companies. ETFs have management fees, which increase their cost. The Fund may invest in ETFs advised by unaffiliated advisers as well as ETFs advised by Invesco Capital Management LLC (Invesco Capital). Invesco, the Sub-Advisers and Invesco Capital are affiliates of each other as they are all indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Invesco Ltd.
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Generally, ETFs hold portfolios of securities, commodities and/or currencies that are designed to replicate, as closely as possible before expenses, the performance of a specified market index. The performance results of ETFs will not replicate exactly the performance of the pertinent index due to transaction and other expenses, including fees to service providers, borne by ETFs. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that the portfolio of securities, commodities and/or currencies purchased by an ETF will replicate a particular index. Some ETFs are actively managed and instead of replicating a particular index, they seek to outperform it or outperform a basket or price of a commodity or currency. Only Authorized Participants (APs) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with ETFs. ETF shares are sold and redeemed by APs at net asset value only in large blocks called creation units and redemption units, respectively. Such market makers have no obligation to submit creation or redemption orders; consequently, there is no assurance that market makers will establish or maintain an active trading market for ETF shares. In addition, to the extent that APs exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to an ETF and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem units of an ETF, an ETFs shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. ETF shares may be purchased and sold by all other investors in secondary market trading on national securities exchanges, which allows investors to purchase and sell ETF shares at their market price throughout the day.
Investments in ETFs generally present the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional mutual fund that has the same investment objective, strategy and policies. Investments in ETFs further involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in the types of securities, commodities and/or currencies included in the indices the ETFs are designed to replicate. In addition, shares of an ETF may trade at a market price that is higher or lower than their net asset value and an active trading market in such shares may not develop or continue. Moreover, trading of an ETFs shares may be halted if the listing exchanges officials deem such action to be appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide circuit breakers (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.
Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs). ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours; however, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the days market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuers credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuers credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When a Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by the Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.
ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will accept, or a court will uphold, how a Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs.
An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form.
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The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.
U.S. Government Obligations. U.S. Government obligations are obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and include, bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, as well as stripped or zero coupon U.S. Treasury obligations.
U.S. Government obligations may be: (i) supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, (ii) supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, (iii) supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agencys obligations, or (iv) supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. There is a risk that the U.S. Government may choose not to provide financial support to U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities if it is not legally obligated to do so. In that case, if the issuer were to default, a Fund holding securities of such issuer might not be able to recover its investment from the U.S. Government. For example, while the U.S. Government has provided financial support to Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), no assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will always do so, since the U.S. Government is not so obligated by law. There also is no guarantee that the government would support Federal Home Loan Banks. Accordingly, securities of FNMA, FHLMC and Federal Home Loan Banks, and other agencies, may involve a risk of non-payment of principal and interest. Any downgrade of the credit rating of the securities issued by the U.S. Government may result in a downgrade of securities issued by its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored entities.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the Consumer Price Index accruals as part of a semiannual coupon.
Inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury have maturities of five, ten or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. The U.S. Treasury securities pay interest on a semi-annual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. For example, if a Fund purchased an inflation-indexed bond with a par value of $1,000 and a 3% real rate of return coupon (payable 1.5% semi-annually), and inflation over the first six months was 1%, the mid-year par value of the bond would be $1,010 and the first semi-annual interest payment would be $15.15 ($1,010 times 1.5%). If inflation during the second half of the year resulted in the whole years inflation equaling 3%, the end-of-year par value of the bond would be $1,030 and the second semi-annual interest payment would be $15.45 ($1,030 times 1.5%).
If the periodic adjustment rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. Other inflation related bonds may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.
The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds.
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While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds inflation measure.
The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.
Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.
Temporary Investments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in affiliated money market funds or in other types of money market instruments in which those funds would invest or other short-term U.S. Government securities for cash management purposes. The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in investments that may be inconsistent with the Funds principal investment strategies for temporary defensive purposes in anticipation of or in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, or atypical circumstances such as unusually large cash inflows or redemptions. As a result, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities. Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities include commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). Mortgage-backed securities are mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or issued by non-government entities, such as commercial banks and other private lenders. Mortgage-related securities represent ownership in pools of mortgage loans assembled for sale to investors by various government agencies such as the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) and government-related organizations such as the FNMA and FHLMC, as well as by non-government issuers such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers and private mortgage insurance companies. Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed by a third party or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not so secured. These securities differ from conventional bonds in that the principal is paid back to the investor as payments are made on the underlying mortgages in the pool. Accordingly, a Fund receives monthly scheduled payments of principal and interest along with any unscheduled principal prepayments on the underlying mortgages. Because these scheduled and unscheduled principal payments must be reinvested at prevailing interest rates, mortgage-backed securities do not provide an effective means of locking in long-term interest rates for the investor.
In addition, there are a number of important differences among the agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities they issue. Mortgage-related securities issued by GNMA include GNMA Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as Ginnie Maes) which are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest. That guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. GNMA is a corporation wholly-owned by the U.S. Government within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mortgage-related securities issued by FNMA include FNMA Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as Fannie Maes) and are guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by FNMA itself and backed by a line of credit with the U.S. Treasury. FNMA is a government-sponsored entity (GSE) wholly-owned by public stockholders. Mortgage-related securities issued by FHLMC include FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates (also known as Freddie Macs) and are guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by FHLMC itself and backed by a line of credit with the U.S. Treasury. FHLMC is a GSE wholly-owned by public stockholders.
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On June 3, 2019, under the Federal Housing Finance Agencys (FHFA) Single Security Initiative intended to maximize liquidity for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities in the TBA market, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac started issuing uniform mortgage-backed securities (UMBS) in place of their separate offerings of TBA-eligible mortgage-backed securities. The issuance of UMBS may not achieve the intended results and may have unanticipated or adverse effects on the market for mortgage backed securities.
Another type of mortgage-related security issued by GSEs, such as FNMA and FHLMC, is credit risk transfer securities. GSE credit risk transfer securities are unguaranteed and unsecured fixed or floating rate general obligations issued by GSEs, which are typically issued at par and have stated final maturities. In addition, GSE credit risk transfer securities are structured so that: (i) interest is paid directly by the issuing GSE; and (ii) principal is paid by the issuing GSE in accordance with the principal payments and default performance of a pool of residential mortgage loans acquired by the GSE. The issuing GSE selects the pool of mortgage loans based on that GSEs eligibility criteria, and the performance of the credit risk transfer securities will be directly affected by the selection of such underlying mortgage loans.
GSE credit risk transfer securities are not directly linked to or backed by the underlying mortgage loans. Thus, although the payment of principal and interest on such securities is tied to the performance of the pool of underlying mortgage loans, in no circumstances will the actual cash flow from the underlying mortgage loans be paid or otherwise made available to the holders of the securities and the holders of the securities will have no interest in the underlying mortgage loans. As a result, in the event that a GSE fails to pay principal or interest on its credit risk transfer securities or goes through a bankruptcy, insolvency or similar proceeding, holders of such credit risk transfer securities will have no direct recourse to the underlying mortgage loans. Such holders will receive recovery on par with other unsecured note holders (agency debentures) in such a scenario.
GSE credit risk transfer securities are issued in multiple tranches, which are allocated certain principal repayments and credit losses corresponding to the seniority of the particular tranche. Each tranche will have credit exposure to the underlying mortgage loans and the yield to maturity will be directly related to the amount and timing of certain defined credit events on the underlying mortgage loans, any prepayments by borrowers and any removals of a mortgage loan from the pool. Because credit risk exposure is allocated in accordance with the seniority of the particular tranche, principal losses will be first allocated to the most junior or subordinate tranches, thus making the most subordinate tranches subject to increased sensitivity to dramatic housing downturns. In addition, many credit risk transfer securities have collateral performance triggers (such as those based on credit enhancement, delinquencies or defaults) that could shut off principal payments to subordinate tranches.
The risks associated with an investment in GSE credit risk transfer securities will be different than the risks associated with an investment in mortgage-backed securities issued by GSEs, because some or all of the mortgage default or credit risk associated with the underlying mortgage loans in credit risk transfer securities is transferred to investors, such as the Fund. As a result, investors in GSE credit risk transfer securities could lose some or all of their investment in these securities if the underlying mortgage loans default.
The Fund may also invest in credit risk transfer securities issued by private entities, such as banks or other financial institutions. Credit risk transfer securities issued by private entities are structured similarly to those issued by GSEs, and are generally subject to the same types of risks, including credit, prepayment, extension, interest rate and market risks.
On September 7, 2008, FNMA and FHLMC were placed under the conservatorship of the FHFA to provide stability in the financial markets, mortgage availability and taxpayer protection by preserving FNMA and FHLMCs assets and property and putting FNMA and FHLMC in a sound and solvent position. Under the conservatorship, the management of FNMA and FHLMC was replaced.
Since 2009, both FNMA and FHLMC have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases and Federal Reserve purchases of the entities mortgage-backed securities.
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In February 2011, the Obama Administration produced a report to Congress outlining proposals to wind down FNMA and FHLMC and reduce the governments role in the mortgage market. Discussions among policymakers continue, however, as to whether FNMA and FHLMC should be nationalized, privatized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. FNMA and FHLMC also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations over certain accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in question as the U.S. Government considers multiple options regarding the future of FNMA and FHLMC.
Asset-backed securities are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales contracts or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements and from sales of personal property. Regular payments received on asset-backed securities include both interest and principal. Asset-backed securities typically have no U.S. Government backing. Additionally, the ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited.
If a Fund purchases a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed security at a premium, the premium may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying collateral. As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of such securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. Although the value of a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed security may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since in periods of declining interest rates the mortgages and loans underlying the securities are prone to prepayment, thereby shortening the average life of the security and shortening the period of time over which income at the higher rate is received. When interest rates are rising, the rate of prepayment tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the period of time over which income at the lower rate is received. For these and other reasons, a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed securitys average maturity may be shortened or lengthened as a result of interest rate fluctuations and, therefore, it is not possible to predict accurately the securitys return. In addition, while the trading market for short-term mortgages and asset-backed securities is ordinarily quite liquid, in times of financial stress the trading market for these securities may become restricted.
CMBS and RMBS generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related mortgage-backed securities because there are no direct or indirect government or government agency guarantees of payment. The risk of loss due to default on CMBS and RMBS is historically higher because neither the U.S. Government nor an agency or instrumentality have guaranteed them. CMBS and RMBS whose underlying assets are neither U.S. Government securities nor U.S. Government-insured mortgages, to the extent that real properties securing such assets may be located in the same geographical region, may also be subject to a greater risk of default than other comparable securities in the event of adverse economic, political or business developments that may affect such region and, ultimately, the ability of property owners to make payments of principal and interest on the underlying mortgages. Non-government mortgage-backed securities are generally subject to greater price volatility than those issued, guaranteed or sponsored by government entities because of the greater risk of default in adverse market conditions. Where a guarantee is provided by a private guarantor, a Fund is subject to the credit risk of such guarantor, especially when the guarantor doubles as the originator.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs). A CMO is a hybrid between a mortgage-backed bond and a mortgage pass-through security. A CMO is a type of mortgage-backed security that creates separate classes with varying maturities and interest rates, called tranches. Similar to a bond, interest and prepaid principal is paid, in most cases, semiannually. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage loans, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC, or FNMA, and their income streams.
CMOs are structured into multiple classes, each bearing a different fixed or floating interest rate and stated maturity. Actual maturity and average life will depend upon the prepayment experience of the collateral. CMOs provide for a modified form of call protection through a de facto breakdown of the underlying pool of mortgages according to how quickly the loans are repaid. Monthly payment of principal
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received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments, is first returned to investors holding the shortest maturity class. Investors holding the longer maturity classes receive principal only after the first class has been retired. An investor is partially guarded against a sooner than desired return of principal because of the sequential payments.
In a typical CMO transaction, a corporation (issuer) issues multiple series (e.g., Series A, B, C and Z) of CMO bonds (Bonds). Proceeds of the Bond offering are used to purchase mortgages or mortgage pass-through certificates (Collateral). The Collateral is pledged to a third party trustee as security for the Bonds. Principal and interest payments from the Collateral are used to pay principal on the Bonds in the following order: Series A, B, C and Z. The Series A, B, and C Bonds all bear current interest. Interest on a Series Z Bond is accrued and added to principal and a like amount is paid as principal on the Series A, B, or C Bond is currently being paid off. Only after the Series A, B, and C Bonds are paid in full does the Series Z Bond begin to receive payment. With some CMOs, the issuer serves as a conduit to allow loan originators (primarily builders or savings and loan associations) to borrow against their loan portfolios.
CMOs that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or by any of its agencies or instrumentalities will be considered U.S. Government securities by the Fund, while other CMOs, even if collateralized by U.S. Government securities, will have the same status as other privately issued securities for purposes of applying the Funds diversification tests.
FHLMC CMOs are debt obligations of FHLMC issued in multiple classes having different maturity dates which are secured by the pledge of a pool of conventional mortgage loans purchased by FHLMC. Payments of principal and interest on the FHLMC CMOs are made semiannually. The amount of principal payable on each semiannual payment date is determined in accordance with FHLMCs mandatory sinking fund schedule, which, in turn, is equal to approximately 100% of FHA prepayment experience applied to the mortgage collateral pool. All sinking fund payments in the FHLMC CMOs are allocated to the retirement of the individual classes of bonds in the order of their stated maturities. Payment of principal on the mortgage loans in the collateral pool in excess of the amount of FHLMCs minimum sinking fund obligation for any payment date are paid to the holders of the FHLMC CMOs as additional sinking fund payments. Because of the pass-through nature of all principal payments received on the collateral pool in excess of FHLMCs minimum sinking fund requirement, the rate at which principal of the FHLMC CMOs is actually repaid is likely to be such that each class of bonds will be retired in advance of its scheduled maturity date. If collection of principal (including prepayments) on the mortgage loans during any semiannual payment period is not sufficient to meet the FHLMC CMOs minimum sinking fund obligation on the next sinking fund payment date, FHLMC agrees to make up the deficiency from its general funds.
Classes of CMOs may also include interest only securities (IOs) and principal only securities (POs). IOs and POs are stripped mortgage-backed securities representing interests in a pool of mortgages the cash flow from which has been separated into interest and principal components. IOs receive the interest portion of the cash flow while POs receive the principal portion. IOs and POs can be extremely volatile in response to changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise and fall, the value of IOs tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. POs perform best when prepayments on the underlying mortgages rise since this increases the rate at which the investment is returned and the yield to maturity on the PO. When payments on mortgages underlying a PO are slow, the life of the PO is lengthened and the yield to maturity is reduced.
CMOs are generally subject to the same risks as mortgage-backed securities. In addition, CMOs may be subject to credit risk because the issuer or credit enhancer has defaulted on its obligations and a Fund may not receive all or part of its principal. Obligations issued by U.S. Government-related entities are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. The performance of private label mortgage-backed securities, issued by private institutions, is based on the financial health of those institutions. Although GNMA guarantees timely payment of GNMA certificates even if homeowners delay or default, tracking the pass-through payments may, at times, be difficult.
Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs). A CDO is a security backed by a pool of bonds, loans and other debt obligations. CDOs are not limited to investing in one type of debt and accordingly, a CDO may own corporate bonds, commercial loans, asset-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed
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securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and emerging market debt. The CDOs securities are typically divided into several classes, or bond tranches, that have differing levels of investment grade or credit tolerances. Most CDO issues are structured in a way that enables the senior bond classes and mezzanine classes to receive investment-grade credit ratings. Credit risk is shifted to the most junior class of securities. If any defaults occur in the assets backing a CDO, the senior bond classes are first in line to receive principal and interest payments, followed by the mezzanine classes and finally by the lowest rated (or non-rated) class, which is known as the equity tranche. Similar in structure to a collateralized mortgage obligation (described above), CDOs are unique in that they represent different types of debt and credit risk.
Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs). CLOs are debt instruments backed solely by a pool of other debt securities. The risks of an investment in a CLO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CLO in which a Fund invests. Some CLOs have credit ratings, but are typically issued in various classes with various priorities. Normally, CLOs are privately offered and sold (that is, they are not registered under the securities laws) and may be characterized by a Fund as illiquid investments; however, an active dealer market may exist for CLOs that qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal interest rate, default and other risks of fixed income securities, CLOs carry additional risks, including the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments, the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default a Fund may invest in CLOs that are subordinate to other classes, values may be volatile, and disputes with the issuer may produce unexpected investment results.
Credit Linked Notes (CLNs). A CLN is a security structured and issued by an issuer, which may be a bank, broker or special purpose vehicle. If a CLN is issued by a special purpose vehicle, the special purpose vehicle will typically be collateralized by AAA-rated securities, but some CLNs are not collateralized. The performance and payment of principal and interest is tied to that of a reference obligation which may be a particular security, basket of securities, credit default swap, basket of credit default swaps, or index. The reference obligation may be denominated in foreign currencies. Risks of CLNs include those risks associated with the underlying reference obligation including, but not limited to, market risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, default risk and foreign currency risk. In the case of a CLN created with credit default swaps, the structure will be funded such that the par amount of the security will represent the maximum loss that could be incurred on the investment and no leverage is introduced. An investor in a CLN also bears counterparty risk or the risk that the issuer of the CLN will default or become bankrupt and not make timely payments of principal and interest on the structured security. Should the issuer default or declare bankruptcy, the CLN holder may not receive any compensation. In return for these risks, the CLN holder receives a higher yield. As with most derivative instruments, valuation of a CLN may be difficult due to the complexity of the security.
Bank Instruments. Bank instruments are unsecured interest bearing bank deposits. Bank instruments include, but are not limited to, certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers acceptances from U.S. or foreign banks, as well as Eurodollar certificates of deposit (Eurodollar CDs) and Eurodollar time deposits of foreign branches of domestic banks. Some certificates of deposit are negotiable interest-bearing instruments with a specific maturity issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds, and can typically be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity. Other certificates of deposit, like time deposits, are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds which earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market. A bankers acceptance is a bill of exchange or time draft drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank.
An investment in Eurodollar CDs or Eurodollar time deposits may involve some of the same risks that are described for Foreign Securities.
Commercial Instruments. Commercial instruments include commercial paper, master notes and other short-term corporate instruments, that are denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies.
Commercial instruments are a type of instrument issued by large banks and corporations to raise money to meet their short-term debt obligations, and are only backed by the issuing bank or corporations promise to pay the face amount on the maturity date specified on the note. Commercial paper consists of short-term promissory notes issued by corporations. Commercial paper may be traded in the secondary
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market after its issuance. Master notes are demand notes that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts of money at varying rates of interest pursuant to arrangements with issuers who meet the credit quality criteria of the Fund. The interest rate on a master note may fluctuate based on changes in specified interest rates or may be reset periodically according to a prescribed formula or may be a set rate. Although there is no secondary market in master demand notes, if such notes have a demand feature, the payee may demand payment of the principal amount of the note upon relatively short notice. Master notes are generally illiquid and therefore subject to the Funds percentage limitations for investments in illiquid securities. Commercial instruments may not be registered with the SEC.
Synthetic Municipal Instruments. Synthetic municipal instruments are instruments, the value of and return on which are derived from underlying securities. Synthetic municipal instruments in which the Fund may invest include tender option bonds and fixed and variable rate trust certificates. These types of instruments involve the deposit into a trust or custodial account of one or more long-term tax-exempt bonds or notes (Underlying Bonds), and the sale of certificates evidencing interests in the trust or custodial account to investors such as a Fund. The trustee or custodian receives the long-term fixed rate interest payments on the Underlying Bonds, and pays certificate holders fixed rates or short-term floating or variable interest rates which are reset periodically. A tender option bond provides a certificate holder with the conditional right to sell its certificate to the sponsor or some designated third party at specified intervals and receive the par value of the certificate plus accrued interest (a demand feature). A fixed rate trust certificate evidences an interest in a trust entitling a certificate holder to fixed future interest and/or principal payments on the Underlying Bonds. A variable rate trust certificate evidences an interest in a trust entitling the certificate holder to receive variable rate interest based on prevailing short-term interest rates and also typically provides the certificate holder with the conditional demand feature (the right to tender its certificate at par value plus accrued interest under certain conditions).
All synthetic municipal instruments must meet the minimum quality standards for the Funds investments and must present minimal credit risks. In selecting synthetic municipal instruments for the Fund, Invesco considers the creditworthiness of the issuer of the Underlying Bond, the sponsor and the party providing certificate holders with a conditional right to sell their certificates at stated times and prices (a demand feature).
Typically, a certificate holder cannot exercise the demand feature until the occurrence of certain conditions, such as where the issuer of the Underlying Bond defaults on interest payments. Moreover, because synthetic municipal instruments involve a trust or custodial account and a third party conditional demand feature, they involve complexities and potential risks that may not be present where a municipal security is owned directly.
The tax-exempt character of the interest paid to certificate holders is based on the assumption that the holders have an ownership interest in the Underlying Bonds; however, the IRS has not issued a ruling addressing this issue. In the event the IRS issues an adverse ruling or successfully litigates this issue, it is possible that the interest paid to the Fund on certain synthetic municipal instruments would be deemed to be taxable. The Fund relies on opinions of special tax counsel on this ownership question and opinions of bond counsel regarding the tax-exempt character of interest paid on the Underlying Bonds.
Municipal Securities. Municipal Securities are typically debt obligations of states, territories or possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, the interest of which, in the opinion of bond counsel or other counsel to the issuers of such securities, is, at the time of issuance, exempt from federal income tax. The issuers of municipal securities obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, housing, mass transportation, streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which municipal securities may be issued include refunding outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for general operating expenses and obtaining funds to lend to other public institutions and facilities.
Certain types of municipal securities are issued to obtain funding for privately operated facilities. The credit and quality of private activity debt securities are dependent on the private facility or user, who is responsible for the interest payment and principal repayment. Special considerations relating to jurisdictions in which the Fund invests are located in Appendix P.
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The two major classifications of Municipal Securities are bonds and notes. Municipal bonds are municipal debt obligations in which the issuer is obligated to repay the original (or principal) payment amount on a certain maturity date along with interest. A municipal bonds maturity date (the date when the issuer of the bond repays the principal) may be years in the future. Short-term bonds mature in one to three years, while long-term bonds usually do not mature for more than a decade. Notes are short-term instruments which usually mature in less than two years. Most notes are general obligations of the issuing municipalities or agencies and are sold in anticipation of a bond sale, collection of taxes or receipt of other revenues. Municipal notes also include tax, revenue notes and revenue and bond anticipation notes (discussed more fully below) of short maturity, generally less than three years, which are issued to obtain temporary funds for various public purposes.
Some bonds may be callable, allowing the issuer to redeem them before their maturity date. To protect bondholders, callable bonds may be issued with provisions that prevent them from being called for a period of time. Typically, that is 5 to 10 years from the issuance date. When interest rates decline, if the call protection on a bond has expired, it is more likely that the issuer may call the bond. If that occurs, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds of the called bond in investments that pay a lower rate of return, which could reduce the Funds yield.
Municipal debt securities may also be classified as general obligation or revenue obligations (or special delegation securities). General obligation securities are secured by the issuers pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest.
Revenue debt obligations, such as revenue bonds and revenue notes, are usually payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source but not from the general taxing power. The principal and interest payments for industrial development bonds or pollution control bonds are often the sole responsibility of the industrial user and therefore may not be backed by the taxing power of the issuing municipality. The interest paid on such bonds may be exempt from federal income tax, although current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the purposes and size of such issues. Such obligations are considered to be Municipal Securities provided that the interest paid thereon, in the opinion of bond counsel, qualifies as exempt from federal income tax.
Another type of revenue obligation is pre-refunded bonds, which are typically issued to refinance debt. In other words, pre-refunded bonds result from the advance refunding of bonds that are not currently redeemable. The proceeds from the issue of the lower yield and/or longer maturing pre-refunding bond will usually be used to purchase U.S. Government obligations, such as U.S. Treasury securities, which are held in an escrow account and used to pay interest and principal payments until the scheduled call date of the original bond issue occurs. Like other fixed income securities, pre-refunded bonds are subject to interest rate, market, credit, and reinvestment risks. However, because pre-refunded bonds are generally collateralized with U.S. Government obligations, such pre-refunded bonds have essentially the same risks of default as a AAA-rated security. The Fund will treat such pre-refunded securities as investment-grade securities, notwithstanding the fact that the issuer of such securities may have a lower rating (such as a below-investment-grade rating) from one or more rating agencies.
Within these principal classifications of municipal securities, there are a variety of types of municipal securities, including but not limited to, fixed and variable rate securities, variable rate demand notes, municipal leases, custodial receipts, participation certificates, inverse floating rate securities, and derivative municipal securities.
Inverse Floating Rate Obligations. Inverse floating rate obligations are variable rate debt instruments that pay interest at rates that move in the opposite direction of prevailing interest rates. Because the interest rate paid to holders of such obligations is generally determined by subtracting a variable or floating rate from a predetermined amount, the interest rate paid to holders of such obligations will decrease as such variable or floating rate increases and increase as such variable or floating rate decreases. The inverse floating rate obligations in which the Fund may invest include derivative instruments such as residual interest bonds, tender option bonds (TOBs) or municipal bond trust certificates. Such instruments are typically created by a special purpose trust (the TOB Trust) that holds long-term fixed rate bonds, which
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are contributed by a Fund (the underlying security) and sells two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests, which are sold to or held by third party investors (Floaters), and inverse floating residual interests, which are purchased by the Fund (Residuals). The Floaters have first priority on the cash flow from the bonds held by the TOB Trust and the Fund (as holder of the Residuals) is paid the residual cash flow from the bonds held by the TOB Trust. Like most other fixed-income securities, the value of inverse floating rate obligations will decrease as interest rates increase. They are more volatile, however, than most other fixed-income securities because the coupon rate on an inverse floating rate obligation typically changes at a multiple of the change in the relevant index rate. Thus, any rise in the index rate (as a consequence of an increase in interest rates) causes a correspondingly greater drop in the coupon rate of an inverse floating rate obligation while a drop in the index rate causes a correspondingly greater increase in the coupon of an inverse floating rate obligation. Some inverse floating rate obligations may also increase or decrease substantially because of changes in the rate of prepayments. Inverse floating rate obligations tend to underperform the market for fixed rate bonds in a rising interest rate environment, but tend to outperform the market for fixed rate bonds when interest rates decline or remain relatively stable. Inverse floating rate obligations have varying degrees of liquidity.
The primary risks associated with inverse floating rate securities are varying degrees of liquidity and decreases in the value of such securities in response to changes in interest rates to a greater extent than fixed rate securities having similar credit quality, redemption provisions and maturity, which may cause the Funds net asset value to be more volatile than if it had not invested in inverse floating rate securities. In certain instances, the short-term floating rate notes created by the TOB Trust may not be able to be sold to third parties or, in the case of holders tendering (or putting) such notes for repayment of principal, may not be able to be remarketed to third parties. In such cases, the TOB Trust holding the fixed rate bonds may be collapsed with the entity that contributed the fixed rate bonds to the TOB Trust. In the case where a TOB Trust is collapsed with a Fund, the Fund will be required to repay the principal amount of the tendered securities, which may require the Fund to sell other portfolio holdings to raise cash to meet that obligation. The Fund could therefore be required to sell other portfolio holdings at a disadvantageous time or price to raise cash to meet this obligation, which risk will be heightened during times of market volatility, illiquidity or uncertainty. The embedded leverage in the TOB Trust could cause a Fund to lose more money than the value of the asset it has contributed to the TOB Trust and greater levels of leverage create the potential for greater losses. In addition, a Fund may enter into reimbursement agreements with the liquidity provider of certain TOB transactions in connection with certain residuals held by the Fund. These agreements commit a Fund to reimburse the liquidity provider to the extent that the liquidity provider must provide cash to a TOB Trust, including following the termination of a TOB Trust resulting from a mandatory tender event (liquidity shortfall). The reimbursement agreement will effectively make the Fund liable for the amount of the negative difference, if any, between the liquidation value of the underlying security and the purchase price of the floating rate notes issued by the TOB Trust.
Final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Volcker Rule) prohibit banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading of certain instruments and limit such entities investments in, and relationships with, covered funds, as defined in the rules. These rules preclude banking entities and their affiliates from sponsoring and/or providing services for existing TOB Trusts. A new TOB structure is being utilized by a Fund wherein the Fund, as holder of the residuals, will perform certain duties previously performed by banking entities as sponsors of TOB Trusts. These duties may be performed by a third-party service provider. A Funds expanded role under the new TOB structure may increase its operational and regulatory risk. The new structure is substantially similar to the previous structure; however, pursuant to the Volcker Rule, the remarketing agent would not be able to repurchase tendered floaters for its own account upon a failed remarketing. In the event of a failed remarketing, a banking entity serving as liquidity provider may loan the necessary funds to the TOB Trust to purchase the tendered floaters. The TOB Trust, not a Fund, would be the borrower and the loan from the liquidity provider will be secured by the purchased floaters now held by the TOB Trust. However, as previously described, a Fund would bear the risk of loss with respect to any liquidity shortfall to the extent it entered into a reimbursement agreement with the liquidity provider.
Further, the SEC and various banking agencies have adopted rules implementing credit risk retention requirements for asset-backed securities (the Risk Retention Rules). The Risk Retention Rules require the sponsor of a TOB Trust to retain at least 5% of the credit risk of the underlying assets supporting the TOB Trusts municipal bonds. As applicable, the Fund has adopted policies intended to comply with the Risk Retention Rules. The Risk Retention Rules may adversely affect the Funds ability to engage in TOB Trust transactions or increase the costs of such transactions in certain circumstances.
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There can be no assurances that the new TOB structure will continue to be a viable form of leverage. Further, there can be no assurances that alternative forms of leverage will be available to the Fund in order to maintain current levels of leverage. Any alternative forms of leverage may be less advantageous to a Fund, and may adversely affect the Funds net asset value, distribution rate and ability to achieve its investment objective.
Certificates of participation (or Participation certificates) are obligations issued by state or local governments or authorities to finance the acquisition of equipment and facilities. They may represent participations in a lease, an installment purchase contract or a conditional sales contract. These participation interests may give the purchaser an undivided interest in one or more underlying Municipal Securities. Municipal securities may not be backed by the faith, credit and taxing power of the issuer.
Custodial receipts are underwritten by securities dealers or banks and evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain municipal securities.
Municipal Lease Obligations. Municipal lease obligations, a type of Municipal Security, may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase contract or a conditional sales contract. Municipal lease obligations are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land, equipment and facilities such as state and municipal vehicles, telecommunications and computer equipment, and other capital assets. Interest payments on qualifying municipal lease obligations are generally exempt from federal income taxes.
Municipal lease obligations are generally subject to greater risks than general obligation or revenue bonds. State laws set forth requirements that states or municipalities must meet in order to issue municipal obligations, and such obligations may contain a covenant by the issuer to budget for, appropriate, and make payments due under the obligation. However, certain municipal lease obligations may contain non-appropriation clauses which provide that the issuer is not obligated to make payments on the obligation in future years unless funds have been appropriated for this purpose each year. If not enough money is appropriated to make the lease payments, the leased property may be repossessed as security for holders of the municipal lease obligation. In such an event, there is no assurance that the propertys private sector or re-leasing value will be enough to make all outstanding payments on the municipal lease obligation or that the payments will continue to be tax-free. Additionally, it may be difficult to dispose of the underlying capital asset in the event of non-appropriation or other default. Direct investments by the Fund in municipal lease obligations may be deemed illiquid and therefore subject to the Funds percentage limitations on illiquid investments and the risks of holding illiquid investments.
Municipal Forward Contracts. A municipal forward contract is a Municipal Security which is purchased on a when-issued basis with longer-than-standard settlement dates, in some cases taking place up to five years from the date of purchase. The buyer, in this case the Fund, will execute a receipt evidencing the obligation to purchase the bond on the specified issue date, and must segregate cash to meet that forward commitment. Municipal forward contracts typically carry a substantial yield premium to compensate the buyer for the risks associated with a long when-issued period, including shifts in market interest rates that could materially impact the principal value of the bond, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer, loss of alternative investment options during the when-issued period and failure of the issuer to complete various steps required to issue the bonds.
Tobacco Related Bonds. The Fund may invest in two types of tobacco related bonds: (i) tobacco settlement revenue bonds, for which payments of interest and principal are made solely from a states interest in the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) described below, and (ii) tobacco bonds subject to a states appropriation pledge, for which payments may come from both the MSA revenue and the applicable states appropriation pledge.
Tobacco Settlement Revenue Bonds. The Fund may invest up to 25% (measured at the time of purchase) of its total assets in tobacco settlement revenue bonds. Tobacco settlement revenue bonds are secured by an issuing states proportionate share in the MSA. The MSA is an agreement reached out of
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court in November 1998 between 46 states and six other U.S. jurisdictions (including Puerto Rico and Guam) and the four largest (now three) U.S. tobacco manufacturers (Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown & Williamson (merged with RJ Reynolds in 2004), and Lorillard). Subsequently, a number of smaller tobacco manufacturers signed on to the MSA. The MSA provides for payments annually by the manufacturers to the states and jurisdictions in perpetuity, in exchange for releasing all claims against the manufacturers and a pledge of no further litigation. The MSA established a base payment schedule and a formula for adjusting payments each year. Tobacco manufacturers pay into a master escrow trust based on their market share and each state receives a fixed percentage of the payment as set forth in the MSA.
A number of states have securitized the future flow of those payments by selling bonds pursuant to indentures, some through distinct governmental entities created for such purpose. The bonds are backed by the future revenue flow that is used for principal and interest payments on the bonds. Annual payments on the bonds, and thus the risk to the Fund, are highly dependent on the receipt of future settlement payments by the state or its governmental entity, as well as other factors. The actual amount of future settlement payments is dependent on many factors including, but not limited to, annual domestic cigarette shipments, cigarette consumption, inflation and the financial capability of participating tobacco companies. As a result, payments made by tobacco manufacturers could be reduced if the decrease in tobacco consumption is significantly greater than the forecasted decline.
On June 22, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act which extends the authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to encompass the regulation of tobacco products. Among other things, the legislation authorizes the FDA to adopt product standards for tobacco products, restrict advertising of tobacco products, and impose stricter warning labels. FDA regulation of tobacco products could result in greater decreases in tobacco consumption than originally forecasted. On August 31, 2009, a number of tobacco manufacturers filed suit in federal court in Kentucky alleging that certain of the provisions of the FDA Tobacco Act restricting the advertising and marketing of tobacco products are inconsistent with the freedom of speech guarantees of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The suit does not challenge Congress decision to give the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco products or the vast majority of the provisions of the law.
Because tobacco settlement bonds are backed by payments from the tobacco manufacturers, and generally not by the credit of the state or local government issuing the bonds, their creditworthiness depends on the ability of tobacco manufacturers to meet their obligations. A market share loss by the MSA companies to non-MSA participating tobacco manufacturers could also cause a downward adjustment in the payment amounts. A participating manufacturer filing for bankruptcy also could cause delays or reductions in bond payments, which could affect the Funds net asset value.
The MSA and tobacco manufacturers have been and continue to be subject to various legal claims. An adverse outcome to any litigation matters relating to the MSA or affecting tobacco manufacturers could adversely affect the payment streams associated with the MSA or cause delays or reductions in bond payments by tobacco manufacturers. The MSA itself has been subject to legal challenges and has, to date, withstood those challenges.
Tobacco Subject to Appropriation (STA) Bonds. In addition to the tobacco settlement bonds discussed above, the Fund also may invest in tobacco related bonds that are subject to a states appropriation pledge (STA Tobacco Bonds). STA Tobacco Bonds rely on both the revenue source from the MSA and a state appropriation pledge.
These STA Tobacco Bonds are part of a larger category of municipal bonds that are subject to state appropriation. Although specific provisions may vary among states, subject to appropriation bonds (also referred to as appropriation debt) are typically payable from two distinct sources: (i) a dedicated revenue source such as a municipal enterprise, a special tax or, in the case of tobacco bonds, the MSA funds, and (ii) the issuers general funds. Appropriation debt differs from a states general obligation debt in that general obligation debt is backed by the states full faith, credit and taxing power, while appropriation debt requires the state to pass a specific periodic appropriation to pay interest and/or principal on the bonds as the payments come due. The appropriation is usually made annually. While STA Tobacco Bonds offer an enhanced credit support feature, that feature is generally not an unconditional guarantee of payment by a state and states generally do not pledge the full faith, credit or taxing power of the state.
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Litigation Challenging the MSA. The participating manufacturers and states in the MSA are subject to several pending lawsuits challenging the MSA and/or related state legislation or statutes adopted by the states to implement the MSA (referred to herein as the MSA-related legislation). One or more of the lawsuits allege, among other things, that the MSA and/or the states MSA-related legislation are void or unenforceable under the Commerce Clause and certain other provisions of the U.S. Constitution, the federal antitrust laws, federal civil rights laws, state constitutions, consumer protection laws and unfair competition laws.
To date, challenges to the MSA or the states MSA-related legislation have not been ultimately successful, although several such challenges have survived initial appellate review of motions to dismiss or have proceeded to a stage of litigation where the ultimate outcome may be determined by, among other things, findings of fact based on extrinsic evidence as to the operation and impact of the MSA and the states MSA-related legislation.
The MSA and states MSA-related legislation may also continue to be challenged in the future. A determination that the MSA or states MSA-related legislation is void or unenforceable would have a material adverse effect on the payments made by the participating manufacturers under the MSA.
Litigation Seeking Monetary Relief from Tobacco Industry Participants. The tobacco industry has been the target of litigation for many years. Both individual and class action lawsuits have been brought by or on behalf of smokers alleging that smoking has been injurious to their health, and by non-smokers alleging harm from environmental tobacco smoke, also known as secondhand smoke. Plaintiffs seek various forms of relief, including compensatory and punitive damages aggregating billions of dollars, treble/multiple damages and other statutory damages and penalties, creation of medical monitoring and smoking cessation funds, disgorgement of profits, legal fees, and injunctive and equitable relief.
The MSA does not release participating manufacturers from liability in either individual or class action cases. Healthcare cost recovery cases have also been brought by governmental and non-governmental healthcare providers seeking, among other things, reimbursement for healthcare expenditures incurred in connection with the treatment of medical conditions allegedly caused by smoking. The participating manufacturers are also exposed to liability in these cases, because the MSA only settled healthcare cost recovery claims of the participating states. Litigation has also been brought against certain participating manufacturers and their affiliates in foreign countries.
The ultimate outcome of any pending or future lawsuit is uncertain. Verdicts of substantial magnitude that are enforceable as to one or more participating manufacturers, if they occur, could encourage commencement of additional litigation, or could negatively affect perceptions of potential triers of fact with respect to the tobacco industry, possibly to the detriment of pending litigation. An unfavorable outcome or settlement or one or more adverse judgments could result in a decision by the affected participating manufacturers to substantially increase cigarette prices, thereby reducing cigarette consumption beyond the forecasts under the MSA. In addition, the financial condition of any or all of the participating manufacturer defendants could be materially and adversely affected by the ultimate outcome of pending litigation, including bonding and litigation costs or a verdict or verdicts awarding substantial compensatory or punitive damages. Depending upon the magnitude of any such negative financial impact (and irrespective of whether the participating manufacturer is thereby rendered insolvent), an adverse outcome in one or more of the lawsuits could substantially impair the affected participating manufacturers ability to make payments under the MSA.
Investments in Municipal Preferred Shares Issued by a Closed-End Fund. The Fund may invest in municipal preferred shares issued by a type of investment company known as a closed-end fund. Closed-end funds may issue preferred shares, subject to the asset coverage requirements of the 1940 Act, to raise capital that can be used to purchase more securities for its portfolio. While these municipal preferred shares are equity securities that have a fixed, monthly dividend rate payable from the companys earnings, their fixed dividend rate, among other features, causes preferred shares to have similar characteristics to debt securities. Income earned from investments in these preferred shares is expected to be exempt from federal income taxes.
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If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred shares may be less attractive and the price of those securities will likely decline. If interest rates fall their price will likely increase. In addition to interest rate risk, investments in municipal preferred shares issued by a closed-end fund may be subject to credit risk, early redemption risk and reinvestment risk. Municipal preferred shares have provisions for their redemption prior to maturity which can have a negative effect on their prices when interest rates fall. Although these municipal preferred shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, there is a risk that the market for these shares may be thinly traded and relatively illiquid compared to the market for other types of securities.
The Fund may pay transaction fees in connection with acquiring or disposing of the preferred shares. The Fund does not intend to invest in these investment companies unless the Adviser believes that the potential benefits of an investment justify any transaction fees.
Although these municipal preferred shares do not constitute a liability of the issuer and therefore do not offer the same degree of capital protection as debt securities, the municipal preferred shares rank ahead of common stock in claims for dividends and for assets of the issuer in a liquidation or bankruptcy. Investments in other investment companies are subject to limits set forth in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund cannot invest more than 5% of its total assets in any single closed-end fund or other investment company and cannot invest in aggregate more than 10% of its total assets in multiple in closed-end funds and other investment companies.
Land-Secured or Dirt Bonds. The Fund may invest in municipal securities that are issued in connection with special taxing districts that are organized to plan and finance infrastructure development to induce residential, commercial and industrial growth and redevelopment. The bonds financed by these methods, such as tax assessment, special tax or tax increment financing generally are payable solely from taxes or other revenues attributable to the specific projects financed by the bonds, without recourse to the credit or taxing power of related or overlapping municipalities.
These projects often are exposed to real estate development-related risks, such as the failure of property development, unavailability of financing, extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values, lessening demand for properties, and changes in interest rates. These real estate risks may be heightened if a project were subject to foreclosure. Additionally, upon foreclosure the Fund might be required to pay certain maintenance or operating expenses or taxes relating to such projects. These expenses could increase the overall expenses of the Fund and reduce its returns.
In addition, the bonds financing these projects may have more taxpayer concentration risk than general tax-supported bonds, such as general obligation bonds. Further, the fees, special taxes, or tax allocations and other revenues that are established to secure such financings generally are limited as to the rate or amount that may be levied or assessed and are not subject to increase pursuant to rate covenants or municipal or corporate guarantees. The bonds could default if a development failed to progress as anticipated or if taxpayers failed to pay the assessments, fees and taxes as provided in the financing plans of the projects.
Municipal Securities also include the following securities:
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Bond Anticipation Notes usually are general obligations of state and local governmental issuers which are sold to obtain interim financing for projects that will eventually be funded through the sale of long-term debt obligations or bonds. |
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Revenue Anticipation Debt Securities, including bonds, notes, and certificates, are issued by governments or governmental bodies with the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will be used to repay the securities. In general, they also constitute general obligations of the issuer. |
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Tax Anticipation Notes are issued by state and local governments to finance the current operations of such governments. Repayment is generally to be derived from specific future tax revenues. Tax anticipation notes are usually general obligations of the issuer. |
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Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper (Municipal Paper) is similar to taxable commercial paper, except that tax-exempt commercial paper is issued by states, municipalities and their agencies. |
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Tax-Exempt Mandatory Paydown Securities (TEMPS) are fixed rate term bonds carrying a short-term maturity, usually three to four years beyond the expected redemption. TEMPS are structured as bullet repayments, with required optional redemptions as entrance fees are collected. |
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Zero Coupon and Pay-in-Kind Securities do not immediately produce cash income. These securities are issued at an original issue discount, with the full value, including accrued interest, paid at maturity. Interest income may be reportable annually, even though no annual payments are made. Market prices of zero-coupon bonds tend to be more volatile than bonds that pay interest regularly. Pay-in-kind securities are securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Zero coupon and pay-in-kind securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities paying cash interest at regular interest payment periods. Prices on non-cash-paying instruments may be more sensitive to changes in the issuers financial condition, fluctuation in interest rates and market demand/supply imbalances than cash-paying securities with similar credit ratings, and thus may be more speculative. Special tax considerations are associated with investing in certain lower-grade securities, such as zero coupon or pay-in-kind securities. |
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Capital Appreciation Bonds are municipal securities in which the investment return on the initial principal payment is reinvested at a compounded rate until the bond matures. The principal and interest are due on maturity. Thus, like zero-coupon securities, investors must wait until maturity to receive interest and principal, which increases the interest rate and credit risks. |
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Payments in lieu of taxes (also known as PILOTs) are voluntary payments by, for instance the U.S. Government or nonprofits, to local governments that help offset losses in or otherwise substitute property taxes. |
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Converted Auction Rate Securities (CARS) are a structure that combines the debt service deferral feature of Capital Appreciation Bonds (CABS) with Auction Rate Securities. The CARS pay no debt service until a specific date, then they incrementally convert to conventional Auction Rate Securities. At each conversion date the issuer has the ability to call and pay down any amount of the CARS. |
After purchase by the Fund, an issue of Municipal Securities may cease to be rated by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) or S&P Global Ratings (S&P), or another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or the rating of such a security may be reduced below the minimum credit quality rating required for purchase by the Fund. Neither event would require the Fund to dispose of the security. To the extent that the ratings applied by Moodys, S&P or another NRSRO to Municipal Securities may change as a result of changes in these rating systems, the Fund will attempt to use comparable credit quality ratings as standards for its investments in Municipal Securities.
The yields on Municipal Securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general economic and monetary conditions, money market factors, conditions of the Municipal Securities market, size of a particular offering, and maturity and rating of the obligation. Because many Municipal Securities are issued to finance similar projects, especially those related to education, health care, transportation and
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various utilities, conditions in those sectors and the financial condition of an individual municipal issuer can affect the overall municipal market. The market values of the Municipal Securities held by the Fund will be affected by changes in the yields available on similar securities. If yields increase following the purchase of a Municipal Security, the market value of such Municipal Security will generally decrease. Conversely, if yields decrease, the market value of a Municipal Security will generally increase. The ratings of S&P and Moodys represent their opinions of the quality of the municipal securities they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal securities with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while municipal securities of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield.
Certain of the municipal securities in which the Fund may invest represent relatively recent innovations in the municipal securities markets and the markets for such securities may be less developed than the market for conventional fixed rate municipal securities.
Under normal market conditions, longer-term municipal securities generally provide a higher yield than shorter-term municipal securities. The Fund has no limitation as to the maturity of municipal securities in which it may invest. The Adviser may adjust the average maturity of the Funds portfolio from time to time depending on its assessment of the relative yields available on securities of different maturities and its expectations of future changes in interest rates.
The net asset value of the Fund will change with changes in the value of its portfolio securities. With fixed income municipal securities, the net asset value of a Fund can be expected to change as general levels of interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the value of a portfolio invested in fixed income securities generally can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a portfolio invested in fixed income securities generally can be expected to decline. The prices of longer term municipal securities generally are more volatile with respect to changes in interest rates than the prices of shorter term municipal securities. Volatility may be greater during periods of general economic uncertainty.
Municipal Securities, like other debt obligations, are subject to the credit risk of nonpayment. The ability of issuers of municipal securities to make timely payments of interest and principal may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such nonpayment would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, and could result in a reduction in the value of the municipal securities experiencing nonpayment and a potential decrease in the net asset value of the Fund. In addition, the Fund may incur expenses to work out or restructure a distressed or defaulted security.
The Fund may invest in Municipal Securities with credit enhancements such as letters of credit and municipal bond insurance. The Fund may invest in Municipal Securities that are insured by financial insurance companies. Since a limited number of entities provide such insurance, the Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in securities insured by the same insurance company. If the Fund invests in Municipal Securities backed by insurance companies and other financial institutions, changes in the financial condition of these institutions could cause losses to the Fund and affect share price. Letters of credit are issued by a third party, usually a bank, to enhance liquidity and ensure repayment of principal and any accrued interest if the underlying Municipal Bond should default. These credit enhancements do not guarantee payments or repayments on the Municipal Securities and a downgrade in the credit enhancer could affect the value of the Municipal Security.
If the IRS determines that an issuer of a Municipal Security has not complied with applicable tax requirements, interest from the security could be treated as taxable, which could result in a decline in the securitys value. In addition, there could be changes in applicable tax laws or tax treatments that reduce or eliminate the current federal income tax exemption on Municipal Securities or otherwise adversely affect the current federal or state tax status of Municipal Securities. For example, 2017 legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act repeals the exclusion from gross income for interest on pre-refunded municipal securities effective for such bonds issued after December 31, 2017.
Taxable municipal securities are debt securities issued by or on behalf of states and their political subdivisions, the District of Columbia, and possessions of the United States, the interest on which is not exempt from federal income tax. While the Fund can invest up to 20% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in investments that generate income subject to income taxes, it does not anticipate investing substantial amounts of its assets in taxable investments under normal market conditions or as part of its normal trading strategies and policies.
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Taxable investments include, for example, hedging instruments, repurchase agreements, and many of the types of securities the Fund would buy for temporary defensive purposes.
At times, in connection with the restructuring of a municipal bond issuer either outside of bankruptcy court in a negotiated workout or in the context of bankruptcy proceedings, the Fund may determine or be required to accept equity or taxable debt securities, or the underlying collateral (which may include real estate or loans) from the issuer in exchange for all or a portion of the Funds holdings in the municipal security. Although the Adviser will attempt to sell those assets as soon as reasonably practicable in most cases, depending upon, among other things, the Advisers valuation of the potential value of such assets in relation to the price that could be obtained by the Fund at any given time upon sale thereof, the Fund may determine to hold such securities or assets in its portfolio for limited period of time in order to liquidate the assets in a manner that maximizes their value to the Fund.
Investment Grade Debt Obligations. Debt obligations include, among others, bonds, notes, debentures or variable rate demand notes. They may be U.S. dollar-denominated debt obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. corporations or U.S. commercial banks, U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign issuers or debt obligations of foreign issuers denominated in foreign currencies.
The Adviser considers investment grade securities to include: (i) securities rated BBB- or higher by S&P or Baa3 or higher by Moodys or an equivalent rating by another NRSRO, (ii) securities with comparable short term NRSRO ratings; or (iii) unrated securities determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality, each at the time of purchase. The descriptions of debt securities ratings may be found in Appendix A.
In choosing corporate debt securities on behalf of a Fund, portfolio managers may consider:
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general economic and financial conditions; |
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the specific issuers (a) business and management, (b) cash flow, (c) earnings coverage of interest and dividends, (d) ability to operate under adverse economic conditions, (e) fair market value of assets, and (f) in the case of foreign issuers, unique political, economic or social conditions applicable to such issuers country; and, |
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other considerations deemed appropriate. |
Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk, prepayment risk, inflation risk, credit risk, currency risk and default risk.
Non-Investment Grade Debt Obligations (Junk Bonds). Bonds rated or determined to be below investment grade (as defined above in Investment Grade Debt Obligations) are commonly referred to as junk bonds. Analysis of the creditworthiness of junk bond issuers is more complex than that of investment grade issuers and the success of the Adviser in managing these decisions is more dependent upon its own credit analysis than is the case with investment grade bonds.
The capacity of junk bonds to pay interest and repay principal is considered speculative. While junk bonds may provide an opportunity for greater income and gains, they are subject to greater risks than higher-rated debt securities. The prices of and yields on junk bonds may fluctuate to a greater extent than those of higher-rated debt securities. Junk bonds are generally more sensitive to individual issuer developments, economic conditions and regulatory changes than higher-rated bonds. Issuers of junk bonds are often smaller, less-seasoned companies or companies that are highly leveraged with more traditional methods of financing unavailable to them. Junk bonds are generally at a higher risk of default because such issues are often unsecured or otherwise subordinated to claims of the issuers other creditors. If a junk bond issuer defaults, a Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. The secondary markets in which junk bonds are traded may be thin and less liquid than the market for higher-rated debt securities
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and a Fund may have difficulty selling certain junk bonds at the desired time and price. Less liquidity in secondary trading markets could adversely affect the price at which a Fund could sell a particular junk bond, and could cause large fluctuations in the net asset value of that Funds shares. The lack of a liquid secondary market may also make it more difficult for a Fund to obtain accurate market quotations in valuing junk bond assets and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation.
Loans, Loan Participations and Assignments. Loans and loan participations are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental or other borrowers to another party. They may represent amounts owed to lenders or lending syndicates, to suppliers of goods or services, or to other parties. A Fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation and only upon receipt by the lender of the payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations, a Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. In addition, the Funds rights to consent to modifications of the loan are limited and it is dependent upon the participating lender to enforce the Funds rights upon a default. As a result, a Fund will be subject to the credit risk of the borrower, the lender, and the agent who is responsible for collection of principal and interest and fee payments from the borrower and apportioning those payments to all lenders who are parties to the loan agreement. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, a Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower. Credit risks relating to the agent may include delay in receiving payments of principal and interest paid by the borrower to the agent. In the event of the borrowers bankruptcy, the borrowers obligation to repay the loan may be subject to defenses that the borrower can assert as a result of improper conduct by the agent.
When a Fund purchases assignments from lenders, it acquires direct rights against the borrower on the loan. However, because assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by a Fund as the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, a Fund could be part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral.
Investments in loans, loan participations and assignments present the possibility that the Fund could be held liable as a co-lender under emerging legal theories of lender liability. The Fund anticipates that loans, loan participations and assignments could be sold only to a limited number of institutional investors. If there is no active secondary market for a loan, it may be more difficult to sell the interests in such a loan at a price that is acceptable or to even obtain pricing information. In addition, some loans, loan participations and assignments may not be rated by major rating agencies. Loans held by a Fund might not be considered securities for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act) or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the Exchange Act) and therefore a risk exists that purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud provisions of those Acts.
Floating Rate Corporate Loans and Corporate Debt Securities. Floating rate loans consist generally of obligations of companies and other entities (collectively, borrower) incurred for the purpose of reorganizing the assets and liabilities of a borrower; acquiring another company; taking over control of a company (leveraged buyout); temporary refinancing; or financing internal growth or other general business purposes. Floating rate loans are often obligations of borrowers who have incurred a significant percentage of debt compared to equity issued and thus are highly leveraged.
Floating rate loans may include both term loans, which are generally fully funded at the time of the Funds investment, and revolving loans, which may require the Fund to make additional investments in the loans as required under the terms of the loan agreement. A revolving credit loan agreement may require the Fund to increase its investment in a loan at a time when the Fund might not otherwise have done so, even if the borrowers condition makes it unlikely that the loan will be repaid.
A floating rate loan is generally offered as part of a lending syndicate to banks and other financial institutions and is administered in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement by an agent bank who is responsible for collection of principal and interest and fee payments from the borrower and apportioning those payments to all lenders who are parties to the agreement. Typically, the agent is given broad discretion to enforce the loan agreement and is compensated by the borrower for its services.
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Floating rate loans may be acquired by direct investment as a lender at the inception of the loan or by assignment of a portion of a floating rate loan previously made to a different lender or by purchase of a participation interest. If the Fund makes a direct investment in a loan as one of the lenders, it generally acquires the loan at par. This means the Fund receives a return at the full interest rate for the loan. If the Fund acquires its interest in loans in the secondary market or acquires a participation interest, the loans may be purchased or sold above, at, or below par, which can result in a yield that is below, equal to, or above the stated interest rate of the loan. At times, the Fund may be able to invest in floating rate loans only through assignments or participations.
A participation interest represents a fractional interest in a floating rate loan held by the lender selling the Fund the participation interest. In the case of participations, the Fund will not have any direct contractual relationship with the borrower, the Funds rights to consent to modifications of the loan are limited and it is dependent upon the participating lender to enforce the Funds rights upon a default.
The Fund may be subject to the credit of both the agent and the lender from whom the Fund acquires a participation interest. These credit risks may include delay in receiving payments of principal and interest paid by the borrower to the agent or, in the case of a participation, offsets by the lenders regulator against payments received from the borrower. In the event of the borrowers bankruptcy, the borrowers obligation to repay the floating rate loan may be subject to defenses that the borrower can assert as a result of improper conduct by the agent.
Historically, floating rate loans have not been registered with the SEC or any state securities commission or listed on any securities exchange. As a result, the amount of public information available about a specific floating rate loan has been historically less extensive than if the floating rate loan were registered or exchange traded.
Floating rate debt securities are typically in the form of notes or bonds issued in public or private placements in the securities markets. Floating rate debt securities will typically have substantially similar terms to floating rate loans, but will not be in the form of participations or assignments.
The floating rate loans and debt securities in which the Fund invests will, in most instances, be secured and senior to other indebtedness of the borrower. Each floating rate loan and debt security will generally be secured by collateral such as accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, real estate, intangible assets such as trademarks, copyrights and patents, and securities of subsidiaries or affiliates. The value of the collateral generally will be determined by reference to financial statements of the borrower, by an independent appraisal, by obtaining the market value of such collateral, in the case of cash or securities if readily ascertainable, or by other customary valuation techniques considered appropriate by Invesco and/or the Sub-Advisers. The value of collateral may decline after the Funds investment, and collateral may be difficult to sell in the event of default. Consequently, the Fund may not receive all the payments to which it is entitled. The Funds assets may be invested in unsecured floating rate loans and debt securities or subordinated floating rate loans and debt securities, which may or may not be secured. If the borrower defaults on an unsecured loan or security, there is no specific collateral on which the lender can foreclose. If the borrower defaults on a subordinated loan or security, the collateral may not be sufficient to cover both the senior and subordinated loans and securities.
Most borrowers pay their debts from cash flow generated by their businesses. If a borrowers cash flow is insufficient to pay its debts, it may attempt to restructure its debts rather than sell collateral. Borrowers may try to restructure their debts by filing for protection under the federal bankruptcy laws or negotiating a work-out. If a borrower becomes involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy and other laws. If a court decides that access to collateral is limited or voidable, the Fund may not recover the full amount of principal and interest that is due.
A borrower must comply with certain restrictive covenants contained in the loan agreement or indenture (in the case of floating rate debt securities). In addition to requiring the scheduled payment of principal and interest, these covenants may include restrictions on the payment of dividends and other
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distributions to the borrowers shareholders, provisions requiring compliance with specific financial ratios, and limits on total indebtedness. The agreement may also require the prepayment of the floating rate loans or debt securities from excess cash flow. A breach of a covenant that is not waived by the agent (or lenders directly) is normally an event of default, which provides the agent and lenders the right to call for repayment of the outstanding floating rate loan or debt security.
Although loan investments are generally subject to certain restrictive covenants in favor of the investor, certain of the loans in which a Fund may invest may be issued or offered as covenant lite loans, which have few or no financial maintenance covenants. Financial maintenance covenants are those that require a borrower to maintain certain financial metrics during the life of the loan, such as maintaining certain levels of cash flow or limiting leverage. In the event of financial deterioration on the part of the borrower, these covenants are included to permit the lenders to renegotiate the terms of the loan, such as increasing the borrowing costs to the borrower, or to take other actions which would improve the position of the lender.
Purchasers of floating rate loans may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to interest payments and may include commitment fees, facility fees, and prepayment penalty fees. When the Fund buys a floating rate loan, it may receive a facility fee, and when it sells a floating rate loan, it may pay an assignment fee.
It is expected that the majority of floating rate loans and debt securities will have stated maturities of three to ten years. However, because floating rate loans and debt securities are frequently prepaid, it is expected that the average maturity will be three to five years. The degree to which borrowers prepay floating rate loans and debt securities, whether as a contractual requirement or at the borrowers election, may be affected by general business conditions, the borrowers financial condition and competitive conditions among lenders. Prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Prepayments may result in the Fund investing in floating rate loans and debt securities with lower yields.
Public Bank Loans. Public bank loans are privately negotiated loans for which information about the issuer has been made publicly available. Public loans are made by banks or other financial institutions, and may be rated investment grade (as defined above in Investment Grade Debt Obligations) or below investment grade. However, public bank loans are not registered under the 1933 Act, and are not publicly traded. They usually are second lien loans normally lower in priority of payment to senior loans, but have seniority in a companys capital structure to other claims, such as subordinated corporate bonds or publicly-issued equity so that in the event of bankruptcy or liquidation, the company is required to pay down these second lien loans prior to such other lower-ranked claims on their assets. Bank loans normally pay floating rates that reset frequently, and as a result, protect investors from increases in interest rates.
Bank loans generally are negotiated between a borrower and several financial institutional lenders represented by one or more lenders acting as agent of all the lenders. The agent is responsible for negotiating the loan agreement that establishes the terms and conditions of the loan and the rights of the borrower and the lenders, monitoring any collateral, and collecting principal and interest on the loan. By investing in a loan, a Fund becomes a member of a syndicate of lenders. Certain bank loans are illiquid, meaning the Fund may not be able to sell them quickly at a fair price. Illiquid securities are also difficult to value. To the extent a bank loan has been deemed illiquid, it will be subject to a Funds restrictions on investment in illiquid securities. The secondary market for bank loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods.
Bank loans are subject to the risk of default. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a loan will result in a reduction of income to a Fund, a reduction in the value of the loan, and a potential decrease in the Funds net asset value. The risk of default will increase in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase in interest rates. Bank loans are subject to the risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments. As discussed above, however, because bank loans reside higher in the capital structure than high yield bonds, default losses have been historically lower in the bank loan market. Bank loans that are rated below investment grade share the same risks of other below investment grade securities.
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Structured Notes and Indexed Securities. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is linked to currencies, interest rates, commodities, indices or other financial indicators (reference instruments). Indexed securities may include structured notes and other securities wherein the interest rate or principal is determined by a reference instrument.
Most structured notes and indexed securities are fixed income securities that have maturities of three years or less. The interest rate or the principal amount payable at maturity of an indexed security may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference instruments, such as a floating interest rate compared with a fixed interest rate. The reference instrument need not be related to the terms of the indexed security. Structured notes and indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed (i.e., their principal value or interest rates may increase or decrease if the underlying reference instrument appreciates), and may have return characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying reference instrument or to one or more options on the underlying reference instrument.
Structured notes and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. In addition to the credit risk of the structured note or indexed securitys issuer and the normal risks of price changes in response to changes in interest rates, the principal amount of structured notes or indexed securities may decrease as a result of changes in the value of the underlying reference instruments. Further, in the case of certain structured notes or indexed securities in which the interest rate, or exchange rate in the case of currency, is linked to a reference instrument, the rate may be increased or decreased or the terms may provide that, under certain circumstances, the principal amount payable on maturity may be reduced to zero resulting in a loss to a Fund.
U.S. Corporate Debt Obligations. Corporate debt obligations in which the Fund may invest are debt obligations issued or guaranteed by corporations that are denominated in U.S. dollars. Such investments may include, among others, commercial paper, bonds, notes, debentures, variable rate demand notes, master notes, funding agreements and other short-term corporate instruments. Commercial paper consists of short-term promissory notes issued by corporations. Commercial paper may be traded in the secondary market after its issuance. Variable rate demand notes are securities with a variable interest which is readjusted on pre-established dates. Variable rate demand notes are subject to payment of principal and accrued interest (usually within seven days) on a Funds demand. Master notes are negotiated notes that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts of money at varying rates of interest pursuant to arrangements with issuers who meet the credit quality criteria of the Fund. The interest rate on a master note may fluctuate based upon changes in specified interest rates or be reset periodically according to a prescribed formula or may be a set rate. Although there is no secondary market in master notes, if such notes have a demand feature, the payee may demand payment of the principal amount of the note upon relatively short notice. Funding agreements are agreements between an insurance company and a Fund covering underlying demand notes. Although there is no secondary market in funding agreements, if the underlying notes have a demand feature, the payee may demand payment of the principal amount of the note upon relatively short notice. Master notes and funding agreements are generally illiquid and therefore subject to the Funds percentage limitation for investments in illiquid securities.
Regulation S Securities. Regulation S securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers are offered through private offerings without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S of the 1933 Act. Offerings of Regulation S securities may be conducted outside of the United States, and Regulation S securities may be relatively less liquid as a result of legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Although Regulation S securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the price realized from these sales could be less than that originally paid by a Fund. Further, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that would be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. Accordingly, Regulation S securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk and may result in substantial losses.
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Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). REITs are trusts that sell equity or debt securities to investors and use the proceeds to invest in real estate or interest therein. A REIT may focus on particular projects, such as apartment complexes, or geographic regions, such as the southeastern United States, or both. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments.
Investments in REITs may be subject to many of the same risks as direct investments in real estate. These risks include difficulties in valuing and trading real estate, declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, adverse changes in the climate for real estate, environmental liability risks, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, heavy cash flow dependency and increases in interest rates. To the extent that a Fund invests in REITs, the Fund could conceivably own real estate directly as a result of a default on the REIT interests or obligations it owns.
In addition to the risks of direct real estate investment described above, equity REITs may be affected by any changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are also subject to the following risks: they are dependent upon management skill and on cash flows; are not diversified; are subject to defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to maintain an exemption from the 1940 Act; and are subject to interest rate risk. A Fund that invests in REITs will bear a proportionate share of the expenses of the REITs.
Furthermore, for tax reasons, a REIT may impose limits on how much of its securities any one investor may own. These ownership limitations (also called excess share provisions) may be based on ownership of securities by multiple funds and accounts managed by the same investment adviser and typically result in adverse consequences (such as automatic divesture of voting and dividend rights for shares that exceed the excess share provision) to investors who exceed the limit. A REITs excess share provision may result in a Fund being unable to purchase (or otherwise obtain economic exposure to) the desired amounts of certain REITs. In some circumstances, a Fund may seek and obtain a waiver from a REIT to exceed the REITs ownership limitations without being subject to the adverse consequences of exceeding such limit were a waiver not obtained, provided that the Fund complies with the provisions of the waiver.
Other Investment Companies. Unless otherwise indicated in this SAI or in a Funds prospectus the Fund may purchase shares of other investment companies, including ETFs. The 1940 Act imposes the following restrictions on investments in other investment companies: (i) a Fund may not purchase more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of another investment company; (ii) a Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities issued by another investment company; and (iii) a Fund may not invest more than 10% of its total assets in securities issued by other investment companies. The 1940 Act and related rules provide certain exemptions from these restrictions. These restrictions do not apply to investments by the Fund in investment companies that are money market funds, including money market funds that have Invesco or an affiliate of Invesco as an investment adviser (the Affiliated Money Market Funds).
When a Fund purchases shares of another investment company, including an Affiliated Money Market Fund, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of the advisory fees and other operating expenses of such investment company and will be subject to the risks associated with the portfolio investments of the underlying investment company.
In December 2018, the SEC issued a proposed rulemaking package related to investments in other investment vehicles that, if adopted, could require certain Funds to adjust their investments accordingly. These adjustments may have an impact on the Funds investment performance, strategy and process as well as those of the underlying investment vehicles.
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Limited Partnerships. A limited partnership interest entitles the Fund to participate in the investment return of the partnerships assets as defined by the agreement among the partners. As a limited partner, the Fund generally is not permitted to participate in the management of the partnership. However, unlike a general partner whose liability is not limited, a limited partners liability generally is limited to the amount of its commitment to the partnership.
Master Limited Partnership (MLPs).
MLPs are generally limited partnerships (or limited liability companies), the common units of which are listed and traded on a national securities exchange or over-the-counter. MLPs generally have two classes of partners, the general partner and the limited partners. The general partner normally controls the MLP through an equity interest plus units that are subordinated to the common (publicly traded) units for an initial period and then only converting to common if certain financial tests are met. The general partner also generally receives a larger portion of the net income as incentive. As cash flow grows, the general partner receives a greater interest in the incremental income compared to the interest of limited partners.
MLP common units represent an equity ownership interest in a partnership, providing limited voting rights and entitling the holder to a share of the companys success through distributions and/or capital appreciation. Unlike shareholders of a corporation, common unit holders do not elect directors annually and generally have the right to vote only on certain significant events, such as mergers, a sale of substantially all of the assets, removal of the general partner or material amendments to the partnership agreement. MLPs are required by their partnership agreements to distribute a large percentage of their current operating earnings. Common unit holders generally have first right to a minimum quarterly distribution (MQD) prior to distributions to the convertible subordinated unit holders or the general partner (including incentive distributions). Common unit holders typically have arrearage rights if the MQD is not met. In the event of liquidation, MLP common unit holders have first right to the partnerships remaining assets after bondholders, other debt holders, and preferred unit holders have been paid in full.
The general partner or managing member interest in an MLP is typically retained by the original sponsors of an MLP, such as its founders, corporate partners and entities that sell assets to the MLP. The holder of the general partner or managing member interest can be liable in certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holders investment in the general partner or managing member. General partner or managing member interests often confer direct board participation rights in, and in many cases control over the operations of, the MLP. General partner or managing member interests can be privately held or owned by publicly traded entities. General partner or managing member interests receive cash distributions, typically in an amount of up to 2% of available cash, which is contractually defined in the partnership or limited liability company agreement. In addition, holders of general partner or managing member interests typically receive incentive distribution rights (IDRs), which provide them with an increasing share of the entitys aggregate cash distributions upon the payment of per common unit distributions that exceed specified threshold levels above the MQD. Incentive distributions to a general partner are designed to encourage the general partner, who controls and operates the partnership, to maximize the partnerships cash flow and increase distributions to the limited partners. Due to the IDRs, general partners of MLPs have higher distribution growth prospects than their underlying MLPs, but quarterly incentive distribution payments would also decline at a greater rate than the decline rate in quarterly distributions to common and subordinated unit holders in the event of a reduction in the MLPs quarterly distribution. The ability of the limited partners or members to remove the general partner or managing member without cause is typically very limited. In addition, some MLPs permit the holder of IDRs to reset, under specified circumstances, the incentive distribution levels and receive compensation in exchange for the distribution rights given up in the reset.
Some companies in which a Fund may invest have been organized as limited liability companies (MLP LLCs). Such MLP LLCs generally are treated in the same manner as MLPs for federal income tax purposes (i.e., generally taxed as partnerships). MLP LLC common units trade on a national securities exchange or OTC. In contrast to MLPs, MLP LLCs have no general partner and there are generally no incentives that entitle management or other unitholders to increased percentages of cash distributions as distributions reach higher target levels. In addition, MLP LLC common unitholders typically have voting rights with respect to the MLP LLC, whereas MLP common units have limited voting rights.
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Investments in securities of an MLP involve risks that differ from investments in common stock, including risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP, risks related to potential conflicts of interest between the MLP and the MLPs general partner, cash flow risks, dilution risks and risks related to the general partners right to require unit-holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price. Certain MLP securities may trade in lower volumes due to their smaller capitalizations, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements and lower market liquidity. MLPs are generally considered interest-rate sensitive investments. During periods of interest rate volatility, these investments may not provide attractive returns.
There are also certain tax risks undertaken by a Fund when it invests in MLPs. MLPs are generally treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Partnerships do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level, subject to the application of certain partnership audit rules. Rather, each partner is allocated a share of the partnerships income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or a change in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in the MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax (as well as state and local income taxes) on its taxable income. This would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP and could result in a reduction in the value of a Funds investment in the MLP and lower income to a Fund. Also, to the extent a distribution received by a Fund from an MLP is treated as a return of capital, a Funds adjusted tax basis in the interests of the MLP will be reduced, which may increase a Funds tax liability upon the sale of the interests in the MLP or upon subsequent distributions in respect of such interests.
Private Investments in Public Equity. Private investments in public equity (PIPES) are equity securities in a private placement that are issued by issuers who have outstanding, publicly-traded equity securities of the same class. Shares in PIPES generally are not registered with the SEC until after a certain time period from the date the private sale is completed. This restricted period can last many months. Until the public registration process is completed, PIPES are restricted as to resale and a Fund cannot freely trade the securities. Generally, such restrictions cause the PIPES to be illiquid during this time. PIPES may contain provisions that the issuer will pay specified financial penalties to the holder if the issuer does not publicly register the restricted equity securities within a specified period of time, but there is no assurance that the restricted equity securities will be publicly registered, or that the registration will remain in effect.
Distressed Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in securities, including loans purchased in the secondary market, that are the subject of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise in default or in risk of being in default as to the repayment of principal and/or interest at the time of acquisition by the Fund or that are rated in the lower rating categories by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (for example, Ca or lower by Moodys and CC or lower by S&P or Fitch) or, if unrated, are in the judgment of the Adviser, of equivalent quality (Distressed Securities). Investment in Distressed Securities is speculative and involves significant risks.
The Fund will generally make such investments only when the Adviser, or Sub-Adviser, as applicable, believes it is reasonably likely that the issuer of the Distressed Securities will make an exchange offer or will be the subject of a plan of reorganization pursuant to which the Fund will receive new securities in return for the Distressed Securities. However, there can be no assurance that such an exchange offer will be made or that such a plan of reorganization will be adopted. Additionally, a significant period of time may pass between the time at which the Fund makes its investment in Distressed Securities and the time that any such exchange offer or plan of reorganization is completed, if at all. During this period, it is unlikely that the Fund would receive any interest payments on the Distressed Securities, the Fund will be subject to significant uncertainty as to whether or not the exchange offer or plan of reorganization will be completed and the Fund may be required to bear certain extraordinary expenses to protect and recover its investment. Therefore, to the extent a Fund seeks capital appreciation through investment in distressed securities, the Funds ability to achieve current income for its shareholders may be diminished. The Fund also will be subject to significant uncertainty as to when and in what manner and for what value the obligations evidenced by the distressed securities will eventually be satisfied (e.g., through a liquidation of the obligors assets, an exchange offer or plan of reorganization involving the distressed securities or a payment of some amount in satisfaction of the obligation). Even if an exchange offer is made or plan of reorganization is adopted with respect to Distressed Securities held by the Fund, there can be no assurance that the securities or other assets received by a Fund in connection with such exchange offer or plan of reorganization will not have a lower value or income potential than may have been anticipated when the
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investment was made or no value. Moreover, any securities received by the Fund upon completion of an exchange offer or plan of reorganization may be restricted as to resale. Similarly, if the Fund participates in negotiations with respect to any exchange offer or plan of reorganization with respect to an issuer of Distressed Securities, the Fund may be restricted from disposing of such securities. To the extent that a Fund becomes involved in such proceedings, the Fund may have a more active participation in the affairs of the issuer than that assumed generally by an investor. The Fund, however, will not make investments for the purpose of exercising day-to-day management of any issuers affairs.
Defaulted Securities. Defaulted securities are debt securities on which the issuer is not currently making interest payments. In order to enforce its rights in defaulted securities, a Fund may be required to participate in legal proceedings or take possession of and manage assets securing the issuers obligations on the defaulted securities. This could increase a Funds operating expenses and adversely affect its net asset value. Risks of defaulted securities may be considerably higher as they are generally unsecured and subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. Any investments by the Fund in defaulted securities generally will also be considered illiquid investments subject to the limitations described herein, except as otherwise may be determined under the Trusts applicable policies and procedures.
Variable or Floating Rate Instruments. Variable or floating rate instruments are securities that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligation. The interest rates for securities with variable interest rates are readjusted on set dates (such as the last day of the month or calendar quarter) and the interest rates for securities with floating rates are reset whenever a specified interest rate change occurs. Variable or floating interest rates generally reduce changes in the market price of securities from their original purchase price because, upon readjustment, such rates approximate market rates. Accordingly, as market interest rates decrease or increase, the potential for capital appreciation or depreciation is less for variable or floating rate securities than for fixed rate obligations. Many securities with variable or floating interest rates have a demand feature allowing a Fund to demand payment of principal and accrued interest prior to its maturity. The terms of such demand instruments require payment of principal and accrued interest by the issuer, a guarantor, and/or a liquidity provider. All variable or floating rate instruments will meet the applicable rating standards of the Fund. A Funds Adviser, or Sub-Adviser, as applicable, may determine that an unrated floating rate or variable rate demand obligation meets the Funds rating standards by reason of being backed by a letter of credit or guarantee issued by a bank that meets those rating standards.
The secondary market for certain floating rate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods (in some cases, longer than seven days). Certain floating rate loans held by the Fund might not be considered securities for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and therefore a risk exists that purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud provisions of those Acts.
Premium Securities. Premium securities are securities bearing coupon rates higher than the then prevailing market rates.
Premium securities are typically purchased at a premium, in other words, at a price greater than the principal amount payable on maturity. A Fund will not amortize the premium paid for such securities in calculating its net investment income. As a result, in such cases the purchase of premium securities provides a Fund a higher level of investment income distributable to shareholders on a current basis than if the Fund purchased securities bearing current market rates of interest. However, the yield on these securities would remain at the current market rate. If securities purchased by a Fund at a premium are called or sold prior to maturity, the Fund will realize a loss to the extent the call or sale price is less than the purchase price. Additionally, a Fund will realize a loss of principal if it holds such securities to maturity.
Stripped Income Securities. Stripped Income Securities are obligations representing an interest in all or a portion of the income or principal components of an underlying or related security, a pool of securities, or other assets. Stripped income securities may be partially stripped so that each class receives some interest and some principal. However, they may be completely stripped, where one class will receive all of the interest (the interest only class or the IO class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only class or the PO class).
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The market values of stripped income securities tend to be more volatile in response to changes in interest rates than are conventional income securities. In the case of mortgage-backed stripped income securities, the yields to maturity of the IO and PO classes may be very sensitive to principal repayments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgages resulting in a Fund being unable to recoup its initial investment or resulting in a less than anticipated yield. The market for stripped income securities may be limited, making it difficult for the Fund to dispose of its holding at an acceptable price.
Privatizations. The governments of certain foreign countries have, to varying degrees, embarked on privatization programs to sell part or all of their interests in government owned or controlled companies or enterprises (privatizations). A Funds investments in such privatizations may include: (i) privately negotiated investments in a government owned or controlled company or enterprise; (ii) investments in the initial offering of equity securities of a government owned or controlled company or enterprise; and (iii) investments in the securities of a government owned or controlled company or enterprise following its initial equity offering.
In certain foreign countries, the ability of foreign entities such as a Fund to participate in privatizations may be limited by local law, or the terms on which a Fund may be permitted to participate may be less advantageous than those for local investors. There can be no assurance that foreign governments will continue to sell companies and enterprises currently owned or controlled by them, that privatization programs will be successful, or that foreign governments will not re-nationalize companies or enterprises that have been privatized. If large blocks of these enterprises are held by a small group of stockholders, the sale of all or some portion of these blocks could have an adverse effect on the price.
Participation Notes. Participation notes, also known as participation certificates, are issued by banks or broker-dealers and are designed to replicate the performance of foreign companies or foreign securities markets and can be used by the Fund as an alternative means to access the securities market of a country. Participation notes are generally traded OTC. The performance results of participation notes will not replicate exactly the performance of the foreign company or foreign securities market that they seek to replicate due to transaction and other expenses. Investments in participation notes involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in the underlying foreign companies or foreign securities market that they seek to replicate. In addition, participation notes are subject to counterparty risk, currency risk, and reinvestment risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the broker-dealer or bank that issues them will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with a Fund. Participation notes constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them, and a Fund is relying on the creditworthiness of such banks or broker-dealers and has no rights under a participation note against the issuer of the underlying assets. Additionally, there is a currency risk since the dollar value of a Funds foreign investments will be affected by changes in the exchange rates between the dollar and (a) the currencies in which the notes are denominated, such as euro denominated participation notes, and (b) the currency of the country in which foreign company sits. Also, there is a reinvestment risk because the amounts from the note may be reinvested in a less valuable investment when the note matures.
Forward Commitments, When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities. The Fund may purchase and sell securities on a forward commitment when-issued and delayed delivery basis whereby the Fund buys or sells a security with payment and delivery taking place in the future. Securities purchased or sold on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis involve delivery and payment that take place in the future after the date of the commitment to purchase or sell the securities at a pre-determined price and/or yield. Settlement of such transactions normally occurs a month or more after the purchase or sale commitment is made. Typically, no interest accrues to the purchaser until the security is delivered. Forward commitments also include to be announced (TBA) dollar roll transactions, which are contracts for the purchase or sale of mortgage-backed securities to be delivered at a future agreed upon date, whereby the specific mortgage-backed securities that will be delivered to fulfill the trade obligation or terms of the contract are not specifically identified at the time of the trade. A Fund may also enter into buy/sell back transactions (a form of delayed delivery agreement). In a buy/sell back transaction, a Fund enters a trade to sell securities at one price and simultaneously enters a trade to buy the same securities at another price for settlement at a future date. Although a Fund generally intends to acquire or dispose of securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis, a Fund may sell these securities or its commitment before the settlement date if deemed advisable. No specific limitation exists as to the percentage of a Funds assets which may be used to acquire securities on a when-issued and delayed delivery basis.
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When purchasing a security on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis, a Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield fluctuation, and takes such fluctuations into account when determining its net asset value. Securities purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis are subject to changes in value based upon the publics perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and changes, real or anticipated, in the level of interest rates. Accordingly, securities acquired on such a basis may expose a Fund to risks because they may experience such fluctuations prior to actual delivery. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis may involve the additional risk that the yield available in the market when the delivery takes place actually may be higher than that obtained in the transaction itself.
Many forward commitments, when-issued and delayed delivery transactions, including TBAs, are also subject to the risk that a counterparty may become bankrupt or otherwise fail to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, including making payments or fulfilling obligations to a Fund. A Fund may obtain no or only limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other organizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. With respect to forward settling TBA transactions involving U.S. Government agency mortgage-backed securities, the counterparty risk may be mitigated by the exchange of variation margin between the counterparties on a regular basis as the market value of the deliverable security fluctuates. Additionally, new regulatory rules anticipated to be effective in March 2021 will require the exchange of initial and/or variation margin between counterparties of forward settling. TBA transactions involving U.S. Government agency and GSE-sponsored mortgage-backed securities.
Investment in these types of securities may increase the possibility that the Fund will incur short-term gains subject to federal taxation or short-term losses if the Fund must engage in portfolio transactions in order to honor its commitment. Until the settlement date, a Fund will segregate liquid assets of a dollar value sufficient at all times to make payment for the forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery transactions. Such segregated liquid assets will be marked-to-market daily, and the amount segregated will be increased if necessary to maintain adequate coverage of the delayed delivery commitments. The delayed delivery securities, which will not begin to accrue interest or dividends until the settlement date, will be recorded as an asset of a Fund and will be subject to the risk of market fluctuation. The purchase price of the delayed delivery securities is a liability of a Fund until settlement. TBA transactions and transactions in other forward-settling mortgage-backed securities are effected pursuant to a collateral agreement with the seller. A Fund provides to the seller collateral consisting of cash or liquid securities in an amount as specified by the agreement upon initiation of the transaction. A Fund will make payments throughout the term of the transaction as collateral values fluctuate to maintain full collateralization for the term of the transaction. Collateral will be marked-to-market every business day. If the seller defaults on the transaction or declares bankruptcy or insolvency, a Fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, or the Fund might experience delay and costs in recovering collateral or may suffer a loss of principal and interest if the value of the collateral declines. In these situations, a Fund will be subject to greater risk that the value of the collateral will decline before it is recovered or, in some circumstances, the Fund may not be able to recover the collateral, and the Fund will experience a loss.
Short Sales. A short sale involves the sale of a security which a Fund does not own in the hope of purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. To make delivery to the buyer, a Fund must borrow the security from a broker. The Fund normally closes a short sale by purchasing an equivalent number of shares of the borrowed security on the open market and delivering them to the broker. A short sale is typically effected when the Adviser believes that the price of a particular security will decline. Open short positions using options, futures, swaps or forward foreign currency contracts are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
To secure its obligation to deliver the securities sold short to the broker, the Fund will be required to deposit cash or liquid securities with the broker. In addition, the Fund may have to pay a premium to borrow the securities, and while the loan of the security sold short is outstanding, the Fund is required to pay to the broker the amount of any dividends paid on shares sold short. In addition to maintaining collateral
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with the broker, the Fund will earmark or segregate an amount of cash or liquid securities equal to the difference, if any, between the current market value of the securities sold short and any cash or liquid securities deposited as collateral with the broker-dealer in connection with the short sale. The collateral will be marked to market daily. The amounts deposited with the broker or segregated with the custodian do not have the effect of limiting the amount of money that the Fund may lose on a short sale. Short sale transactions covered in this manner are not treated as senior securities for purposes of the Funds fundamental investment limitation on senior securities and borrowings.
Short positions create a risk that a Fund will be required to cover them by buying the security at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. A short position in a security poses more risk than holding the same security long. Because a short position loses value as the securitys price increases, the loss on a short sale is theoretically unlimited. The loss on a long position is limited to what the Fund originally paid for the security together with any transaction costs. The Fund may not always be able to borrow a security the Fund seeks to sell short at a particular time or at an acceptable price. It is possible that the market value of the securities the Fund holds in long positions will decline at the same time that the market value of the securities the Fund has sold short increases, thereby increasing the Funds potential volatility. Because the Fund may be required to pay dividends, interest, premiums and other expenses in connection with a short sale, any benefit for the Fund resulting from the short sale will be decreased, and the amount of any ultimate gain or loss will be decreased or increased, respectively, by the amount of such expenses.
Short sales against the box are short sales of securities that a Fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or amount to the securities sold short). If a Fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. The Fund will incur transaction costs including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.
Short sales against the box result in a constructive sale and require a Fund to recognize any taxable gain unless an exception to the constructive sale applies. See Dividends, Distributions and Tax Matters Tax Matters Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions Options, futures, forward contracts, swap agreements and hedging transactions.
Margin Transactions. The Fund will not purchase any security on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities. The payment by a Fund of initial or variation margin in connection with futures, swaps or related options transactions and the use of a reverse repurchase agreement to finance the purchase of a security will not be considered the purchase of a security on margin.
Interfund Loans. The SEC has issued an exemptive order permitting the Invesco Funds to borrow money from and lend money to each other for temporary or emergency purposes. The Invesco Funds interfund lending program is subject to a number of conditions, including the requirements that: (1) an interfund loan generally will occur only if the interest rate on the loan is more favorable to the borrowing fund than the interest rate typically available from a bank for a comparable transaction and the rate is more favorable to the lending fund than the rate available on overnight repurchase transactions; (2) an Invesco Fund may not lend more than 15% of its net assets through the program (measured at the time of the last loan); and (3) an Invesco Fund may not lend more than 5% of its net assets to another Invesco Fund through the program (measured at the time of the loan). A Fund may participate in the program only if and to the extent that such participation is consistent with the Funds investment objective and investment policies. Interfund loans have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called with one days notice and may be repaid on any day.
Borrowing. The Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions (defined below). Such borrowings may be utilized (i) for temporary or emergency purposes; (ii) in anticipation of or in response to adverse market conditions; or (iii) for cash management purposes. All borrowings are limited to an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of a Funds total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that exceed this amount will be reduced within three business days to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation even if it is not advantageous to sell securities at that time.
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If there are unusually heavy redemptions, a Fund may have to sell a portion of its investment portfolio at a time when it may not be advantageous to do so. Selling Fund securities under these circumstances may result in a lower net asset value per share or decreased dividend income, or both. Invesco and the Sub-Advisers believe that, in the event of abnormally heavy redemption requests, a Funds borrowing ability would help to mitigate any such effects and could make the forced sale of their portfolio securities less likely.
The Fund may borrow from a bank, broker-dealer, or another Invesco Fund. Additionally, the Fund is permitted to temporarily carry a negative or overdrawn balance in their account with their custodian bank. To compensate the custodian bank for such overdrafts, the Fund may either (i) leave funds as a compensating balance in their account so the custodian bank can be compensated by earning interest on such funds; or (ii) compensate the custodian bank by paying it an agreed upon rate. A Fund may not purchase additional securities when any borrowings from banks or broker-dealers exceed 5% of the Funds total assets or when any borrowings from an Invesco Fund are outstanding.
The Fund participates in a secured line of credit (the Line of Credit) with certain commercial paper conduits as lenders, Citibank, N.A., 111 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005, as a secondary lender and administrator, and other banks, each as lenders from time to time. The Line of Credit enables the Fund to participate with certain other affiliated funds, as borrowers, in a committed, secured borrowing facility that permits borrowings of up to a maximum aggregate amount by the participants, as negotiated from time to time. Borrowings by the Fund under the Line of Credit can be used to purchase securities for investment or for other purposes. The Funds Board determined that the Funds participation in the Line of Credit is consistent with the Funds investment objective and policies and is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.
Under the Line of Credit, in the event that the commercial paper conduit lenders are unable or unwilling to make loans, Citibank, N.A. and the other bank lenders, if any, would then be required to make those loans. Under the Line of Credit, interest is charged to the Fund, based on its borrowings, at current commercial rates. Additionally, the Fund will pay its pro rata portion of a loan commitment fee for the Line of Credit, and pays additional fees annually to the lenders on its outstanding borrowings for management and administration of the facility. The Fund can prepay loans and terminate its participation in the Line of Credit at any time upon prior notice to Citibank, N.A. As a borrower under the Line of Credit, the Fund has certain rights and remedies under state and federal law comparable to those it would have with respect to a loan from a bank.
Lending Portfolio Securities. A Fund may lend its portfolio securities (principally to broker-dealers) to generate additional income. Such loans are callable at any time and are continuously secured by segregated collateral equal to no less than the market value, determined daily, of the loaned securities. Such collateral will be cash, letters of credit, or debt securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to the extent of one-third of its total assets. A Fund will loan its securities only to parties that Invesco has determined are in good standing and when, in Invescos judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
A Fund will not have the right to vote securities while they are on loan, but it can call a loan in anticipation of an important vote. A Fund would receive income in lieu of dividends on loaned securities and may, at the same time, generate income on the loan collateral or on the investment of any cash collateral.
If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, a Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering securities loaned or gaining access to the collateral. If a Fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the Fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to a Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly.
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Any cash received as collateral for loaned securities will be invested, in accordance with the Funds investment guidelines, in short-term money market instruments, affiliated unregistered investment companies that are compliant with Rule 2a-7 or Affiliated Money Market Funds. Investing this cash subjects that investment to market appreciation or depreciation. For purposes of determining whether a Fund is complying with its investment policies, strategies and restrictions, the Fund will consider the loaned securities as assets of the Fund, but will not consider any collateral received as a Fund asset. A Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral.
For a discussion of tax considerations relating to lending portfolio securities, see Dividends, Distributions and Tax Matters Tax Matters Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions Securities lending.
Repurchase Agreements. Repurchase agreements are agreements under which a Fund acquires ownership of a security from a broker-dealer or bank that agrees to repurchase the security at a mutually agreed upon time and price (which is higher than the purchase price), thereby determining the yield during a Funds holding period. A Fund may enter into a continuing contract or open repurchase agreement under which the seller is under a continuing obligation to repurchase the underlying securities from the Fund on demand and the effective interest rate is negotiated on a daily basis. Repurchase agreements may be viewed as loans made by a Fund which are collateralized by the securities subject to repurchase.
In any repurchase transaction, collateral for a repurchase agreement may include cash items, obligations issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities. A Fund may engage in repurchase agreements collateralized by securities that are rated investment grade and below investment grade by the requisite NRSROs or unrated securities of comparable quality, loan participations, and equities.
If the seller of a repurchase agreement fails to repurchase the security in accordance with the terms of the agreement, a Fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, and could experience a loss on the sale of the underlying security to the extent that the proceeds of the sale including accrued interest are less than the resale price provided in the agreement, including interest. In addition, although the Bankruptcy Code and other insolvency laws may provide certain protections for some types of repurchase agreements, if the seller of a repurchase agreement should be involved in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, a Fund may incur delay and costs in selling the underlying security or may suffer a loss of principal and interest if the value of the underlying security declines.
The securities underlying a repurchase agreement will be marked-to-market every business day so that the value of such securities is at least equal to the investment value of the repurchase agreement, including any accrued interest thereon. Custody of the securities will be maintained by a Funds custodian or sub-custodian for the duration of the agreement.
The Fund may invest their cash balances in joint accounts with other Invesco Funds for the purpose of investing in repurchase agreements with maturities not to exceed 60 days, and in certain other money market instruments with remaining maturities not to exceed 90 days. Repurchase agreements may be considered loans by a Fund under the 1940 Act.
Restricted and Illiquid Investments. The Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets.
For purposes of the above 15% limitation, illiquid investment means any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment, as determined pursuant to the 1940 Act and applicable rules and regulations thereunder.
Limitations on the resale of restricted investments may have an adverse effect on their marketability, which may prevent a Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering such securities for resale, and the risk of substantial delays in effecting such registrations. A Funds difficulty valuing and selling illiquid investments may result in a loss or be costly to the Fund.
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If a substantial market develops for a restricted security or other illiquid investment held by a Fund, it may be treated as a liquid investment, in accordance with procedures and guidelines adopted by the Board on behalf of the Fund.
Rule 144A Securities. Rule 144A securities are securities which, while privately placed, are eligible for purchase and resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. This Rule permits certain qualified institutional buyers, such as the Fund, to trade in privately placed securities even though such securities are not registered under the 1933 Act. Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, a Fund will consider whether securities purchased under Rule 144A are illiquid and thus subject to the Funds restriction on investment in illiquid investments. The determination of whether a Rule 144A security is liquid or illiquid will take into account relevant market, trading, and investment-specific considerations consistent with applicable SEC guidance. Additional factors that may be considered include: the (i) frequency of trades and quotes; (ii) number of dealers and potential purchasers; (iii) dealer undertakings to make a market; and (iv) nature of the security and of market place trades (for example, the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer). Investing in Rule 144A securities could increase the amount of the Funds illiquid investments if qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase such securities.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements that involve the sale of securities held by the Fund to financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers, with an agreement that the Fund will repurchase the securities at an agreed upon price and date. During the reverse repurchase agreement period, a Fund continues to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold. A Fund may employ reverse repurchase agreements (i) for temporary emergency purposes, such as to meet unanticipated net redemptions so as to avoid liquidating other portfolio securities during unfavorable market conditions; (ii) to cover short-term cash requirements resulting from the timing of trade settlements; or (iii) to take advantage of market situations where the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds of the transaction is greater than the interest expense of the transaction.
Reverse repurchase agreements are a form of leverage and involve the risk that the market value of securities to be purchased by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities, or that the other party may default on its obligation, so that the Fund is delayed or prevented from completing the transaction. Leverage may make the Funds returns more volatile and increase the risk of loss. At the time the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will segregate, and maintain, liquid assets having a dollar value equal to the repurchase price, if specified, or the value of proceeds received on any sale subject to the repurchase plus accrued interest. This practice of segregating assets is referred to as cover. Reverse repurchase agreements covered in this manner are not treated as senior securities for purposes of the Funds fundamental investment limitation on senior securities and borrowings. The liquidity of the Fund and its ability to meet redemption requests may be impaired to the extent that a substantial portion of the Funds otherwise liquid assets is used as cover or pledged to the counterparty as collateral. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Funds use of the proceeds from the sale of the securities may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the Funds obligation to repurchase the securities.
Mortgage Dollar Rolls. A mortgage dollar roll (a dollar roll) is a type of transaction that involves the sale by a Fund of a mortgage-backed security to a financial institution such as a bank or broker dealer, with an agreement that the Fund will repurchase a substantially similar (i.e., same type, coupon and maturity) security at an agreed upon price and date. The mortgage securities that are purchased will bear the same interest rate as those sold, but will generally be collateralized by different pools of mortgages with different prepayment histories. During the period between the sale and repurchase, the Fund will not be entitled to receive interest or principal payments on the securities sold but is compensated for the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase. The Fund typically enters into a dollar roll transaction to enhance the Funds return either on an income or total return basis or to manage pre-payment risk.
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Dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities that the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase under the agreement. In the event the buyer of securities under a dollar roll transaction files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Funds use of the proceeds from the sale of the securities may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the Funds obligation to repurchase the securities. At the time the Fund enters into a dollar roll transaction, a sufficient amount of assets held by the Fund will be segregated to meet the forward commitment. Dollar roll transactions covered in this manner are not treated as senior securities for purposes of the Funds fundamental investment limitation on senior securities and borrowings.
Unless the benefits of the sale exceed the income, capital appreciation or gains on the securities sold as part of the dollar roll, the investment performance of the Fund will be less than what the performance would have been without the use of dollar rolls. The benefits of dollar rolls may depend upon the Advisers or Sub-Advisers ability to predict mortgage repayments and interest rates. There is no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed.
Standby Commitments. Under a standby commitment, a bank or dealer would agree to purchase, at the Funds option, specified securities at a specified price. Standby commitments generally increase the cost of the acquisition of the underlying security, thereby reducing the yield. Standby commitments depend upon the issuers ability to fulfill its obligation upon demand. Although no definitive creditworthiness criteria are used for this purpose, Invesco reviews the creditworthiness of the banks and other municipal securities dealers from which the Fund obtains standby commitments in order to evaluate those risks.
Contracts for Difference. A contract for difference (CFD) is a contract between two parties, buyer and seller, stipulating that the seller will pay to the buyer the difference between the nominal value of the underlying stock, stock basket or index at the opening of the contract and the stocks, stock baskets or indexs value at the close of the contract. The size of the contract and the contracts expiration date are typically negotiated by the parties to the CFD transaction. CFDs enable a Fund to take long positions on an underlying stock, stock basket or index and thus potentially capture gains on movements in the share prices of the stock, stock basket or index without the need to own the underlying stock, stock basket or index. By entering into a CFD transaction, a Fund could incur losses because it would face many of the same types of risks as owning the underlying equity security directly. For example, a Fund might buy a position in a CFD and the contract value at the close of the transaction may be greater than the contract value at the opening of the transaction. This may be due to, among other factors, an increase in the market value of the underlying equity security. In such a situation, a Fund would have to pay the difference in value of the contract to the seller of the CFD. CFDs also carry counterparty risk, i.e., the risk that the counterparty to the CFD transaction may be unable or unwilling to make payments or to otherwise honor its financial obligations under the terms of the contract. If the counterparty were to do so, the value of the contract, and of a Funds shares, may be reduced.
Entry into a CFD transaction may, in certain circumstances, require the payment of an initial margin, and adverse market movements against the underlying stock may require the buyer to make additional margin payments. CFDs may be considered illiquid investments subject to the limitations described herein, except as otherwise may be determined under the Trusts applicable policies and procedures. To the extent that there is an imperfect correlation between the return on a Funds obligation to its counterparty under the CFD and the return on related assets in its portfolio, the CFD transaction may increase such Funds financial risk. A Fund will not enter into a CFD transaction that is inconsistent with its investment objective, policies and strategies.
A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is dependent upon the value of other assets, rates or indices, referred to as underlying reference assets. These underlying reference assets may include, among others, commodities, stocks, bonds, interest rates, currency exchange rates or related indices. Derivatives include, among others, swaps, options, futures and forward foreign currency contracts. Some derivatives, such as futures and certain options, are traded on U.S. commodity and securities exchanges, while other derivatives such as many types of swap agreements, are privately negotiated and entered into in the OTC market. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the Dodd-Frank Act) and implementing rules require certain types of swaps to be traded on public facilities and centrally cleared.
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Derivatives may be used for hedging, which means that they may be used when the portfolio managers seek to protect a Funds investments from a decline in value, which could result from changes in interest rates, market prices, currency fluctuations and other market factors. Derivatives may also be used when the portfolio managers seek to increase liquidity, implement a tax or cash management strategy, invest in a particular stock, bond or segment of the market in a more efficient or less expensive way, modify the characteristics of a Funds portfolio investments, for example, duration, and/or to enhance return. However derivatives are used, their successful use is not assured and will depend upon, among other factors, the portfolio managers ability to predict and understand relevant market movements.
Because certain derivatives involve leverage, that is, the amount invested may be smaller than the full economic exposure of the derivative instrument and a Fund could lose more than it invested, federal securities laws, regulations and guidance may require the Fund to earmark assets, to reduce the risks associated with derivatives, or to otherwise hold instruments that offset the Funds current obligations under the derivatives instrument. This process is known as cover. A Fund will not enter into any derivative transaction unless it can comply with SEC guidance regarding cover, and, if SEC guidance so requires, a Fund will earmark cash or liquid assets with a value at least sufficient to cover its current obligations under a derivative transaction or otherwise cover the transaction in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. If a large portion of a Funds assets is used for cover, it could affect portfolio management or the Funds ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations. The leverage involved in certain derivative transactions may result in a Funds net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of the related investment.
For swaps, forwards, options and futures that are contractually required to cash-settle, the Fund sets aside liquid assets in an amount equal to these Funds respective daily mark-to-market (net) obligations, if any (i.e., the Funds respective daily net liabilities, if any), rather than such contracts full notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled swaps, forwards, options and futures contracts, the Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund was required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. Instruments that do not cash settle may be treated as cash settled for purposes of setting aside assets when a Fund has entered into a contractual arrangement with a third party futures commission merchant (FCM) or other counterparty to off-set the Funds exposure under the contract and, failing that, to assign its delivery obligation under the contract to the counterparty. The Fund reserves the right to modify their asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions articulated from time to time by the SEC.
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) Regulation and Exclusions:
With respect to the Fund, Invesco has claimed an exclusion from the definition of CPO under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC and, therefore, is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO. In addition, Invesco is relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of CTA under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC with respect to the Funds.
The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Fund, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in commodity interests. Commodity interests include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable forwards, as further described below. Because Invesco and the Fund intends to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Fund may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with its investment objective, to limit its investments in these types of instruments. The Fund is not intended as vehicles for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved Invescos reliance on these exclusions, or the Fund, its investment strategies, its prospectus or this SAI.
Generally, the exclusion from CPO regulation on which Invesco relies requires the Fund to meet one of the following tests for its commodity interest positions, other than positions entered into for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1) the aggregate initial margin and
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premiums required to establish the Funds positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Funds portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of the Funds commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent such position was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Funds portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of these trading limitations, the Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. If, in the future, the Fund can no longer satisfy these requirements, Invesco would withdraw its notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of a CPO, and Invesco would be subject to registration and regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund in accordance with the CFTC rules that allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements based on Invescos compliance with comparable SEC requirements. However, as a result of CFTC regulation with respect to the Fund, the Fund may incur additional compliance and other expenses.
General risks associated with derivatives:
The use by the Fund of derivatives may involve certain risks, as described below:
Counterparty Risk: The risk that a counterparty under a derivatives agreement will not live up to its obligations, including because of the counterpartys bankruptcy or insolvency. Certain agreements may not contemplate delivery of collateral to support fully a counterpartys contractual obligation; therefore, a Fund might need to rely on contractual remedies to satisfy the counterpartys full obligation. As with any contractual remedy, there is no guarantee that a Fund will be successful in pursuing such remedies, particularly in the event of the counterpartys bankruptcy. The agreement may allow for netting of the counterpartys obligations with respect to a specific transaction, in which case a Funds obligation or right will be the net amount owed to or by the counterparty. A Fund will not enter into a derivative transaction with any counterparty that Invesco and/or the Sub-Advisers believe does not have the financial resources to honor its obligations under the transaction. Invesco monitors the financial stability of counterparties. Where the obligations of the counterparty are guaranteed, Invesco monitors the financial stability of the guarantor instead of the counterparty. If a counterpartys creditworthiness declines, the value of the derivative would also likely decline, potentially resulting in losses to a Fund.
A Fund will not enter into a transaction with any single counterparty if the net amount owed or to be received under existing transactions under the agreements with that counterparty would exceed 5% of the Funds net assets determined on the date the transaction is entered into or as otherwise permitted by law.
Leverage Risk: Leverage exists when a Fund can lose more than it originally invests because it purchases or sells an instrument or enters into a transaction without investing an amount equal to the full economic exposure of the instrument or transaction. A Fund segregates or earmarks assets or otherwise covers transactions that may give rise to leverage. Leverage may cause a Fund to be more volatile because it may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The use of some derivatives may result in economic leverage, which does not result in the possibility of a Fund incurring obligations beyond its initial investment, but that nonetheless permits the Fund to gain exposure that is greater than would be the case in an unlevered instrument. The Fund does not segregate or otherwise cover investments in derivatives with economic leverage.
Liquidity Risk: The risk that a particular derivative is difficult to sell or liquidate. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses to a Fund.
Pricing Risk: The risk that the value of a particular derivative does not move in tandem or as otherwise expected relative to the corresponding underlying instruments.
Risks of Potential Increased Regulation of Derivatives: The regulation of derivatives is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In addition, the SEC, CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.
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It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. However, it is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, such as speculative position limits on certain types of derivatives, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent a Fund from using or limit a Funds use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect a Funds ability to achieve its investment objective. Invesco will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect a Funds ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to a Fund, may increase the cost of a Funds investments and cost of doing business.
Regulatory Risk: The risk that a change in laws or regulations will materially impact a security or market.
Tax Risks: For a discussion of the tax considerations relating to derivative transactions, see Dividends, Distributions and Tax Matters Tax Matters Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions.
General risks of hedging strategies using derivatives:
The use by the Fund of hedging strategies involves special considerations and risks, as described below.
Successful use of hedging transactions depends upon Invescos and the Sub-Advisers ability to predict correctly the direction of changes in the value of the applicable markets and securities, contracts and/or currencies. While Invesco and the Sub-Advisers are experienced in the use of derivatives for hedging, there can be no assurance that any particular hedging strategy will succeed.
In a hedging transaction, there might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between the price movements of an instrument used for hedging and the price movements of the investments being hedged. Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as changing interest rates, market liquidity, and speculative or other pressures on the markets in which the hedging instrument is traded.
Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, hedging strategies can also reduce opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. Investors should bear in mind that a Fund is not obligated to actively engage in hedging. For example, a Fund may not have attempted to hedge its exposure to a particular foreign currency at a time when doing so might have avoided a loss.
Types of derivatives:
Swaps.
Generally, swap agreements are contracts between a Fund and another party (the counterparty) involving the exchange of payments on specified terms over periods ranging from a few days to multiple years. A swap agreement may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between the two parties (for an uncleared swap) or, in some instances, must be transacted through a futures commission merchant (FCM) and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty (for a cleared swap). In a basic swap transaction, a Fund agrees with its counterparty to exchange the returns (or differentials in returns) and/or cash flows earned or realized on a particular asset such as an equity or debt security, commodity, currency, interest rate or index, calculated with respect to a notional amount. The notional amount is the set amount selected by the parties to use as the basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The parties typically do not exchange the notional amount. Instead, they agree to exchange the returns that would be earned or realized if the notional amount were invested in given investments or at given interest rates. Examples of returns that may be exchanged in a
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swap agreement are those of a particular security, a particular fixed or variable interest rate, a particular foreign currency, or a basket of securities representing a particular index. Swap agreements can also be based on credit and other events. In some cases, such as cross currency swaps, the swap agreement may require delivery (exchange) of the entire notional value of one designated currency for another designated currency.
It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements. Additionally, ISDA master agreements include credit related contingent features which allow Counterparties to OTC derivatives to terminate derivative contracts prior to maturity in the event that, for example, the Funds net assets decline by a stated percentage or the Fund fails to meet the terms of its ISDA master agreements, which would cause the Fund to accelerate payment of any net liability owed to the Counterparty.
Comprehensive swaps regulation. The Dodd-Frank Act and related regulatory developments imposed comprehensive regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants. The regulatory framework includes: (1) registration and regulation of swap dealers and major swap participants; (2) requiring central clearing and execution of standardized swaps; (3) imposing margin requirements in swap transactions; (4) regulating and monitoring swap transactions through position limits and large trader reporting requirements; and (5) imposing record keeping and centralized and public reporting requirements, on an anonymous basis, for most swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of most swaps. The SEC has jurisdiction over a small segment of the market referred to as security-based swaps, which includes swaps on single securities or credits, or narrow-based indices of securities or credits.
Uncleared swaps. In an uncleared swap, the swap counterparty is typically a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. In the event that one party to the swap transaction defaults and the transaction is terminated prior to its scheduled termination date, one of the parties may be required to make an early termination payment to the other. An early termination payment may be payable by either the defaulting party or the non-defaulting party, under certain circumstances, depending upon which of them is in-the-money with respect to the swap at the time of its termination. Early termination payments may be calculated in various ways, but generally represent the amount that the in-the-money party would have to pay to replace the swap as of the date of its termination.
During the term of an uncleared swap, a Fund will be required to pledge to the swap counterparty, from time to time, an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to the total net amount (if any) that would be payable by the Fund to the counterparty if all outstanding swaps between the parties were terminated on the date in question, including any early termination payments (variation margin). Periodically, changes in the amount pledged are made to recognize changes in value of the contract resulting from, among other things, interest on the notional value of the contract, market value changes in the underlying investment, and/or dividends paid by the issuer of the underlying instrument. Likewise, the counterparty will be required to pledge cash or other assets to cover its obligations to a Fund. However, the amount pledged will not always be equal to or more than the amount due to the other party. Therefore, if a counterparty defaults in its obligations to a Fund, the amount pledged by the counterparty and available to the Fund may not be sufficient to cover all the amounts due to the Fund and the Fund may sustain a loss.
Currently, the Fund does not typically provide initial margin in connection with uncleared swaps. However, rules requiring initial margin to be posted by certain market participants for uncleared swaps have been adopted and are being phased in over time. When these rules take effect with respect to the Fund, if the Fund is deemed to have material swaps exposure, it will under applicable swap regulations be required to post initial margin in addition to variation margin.
Uncleared swaps are not traded on exchanges. As a result, swap participants may not be as protected as participants on organized exchanges. Performance of a swap agreement is the responsibility only of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result, a Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterpartys bankruptcy or insolvency. The Fund risks the loss of the accrued but unpaid amounts under a swap agreement, which could be substantial, in the event of a default, insolvency or bankruptcy by a swap counterparty. In such an event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreements, but bankruptcy and insolvency laws could affect the Funds rights as a creditor. If the counterpartys creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would likely decline, potentially resulting in losses.
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Cleared Swaps. Certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing and exchange-trading. Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not eliminate these risks and may involve additional costs and risks not involved with uncleared swaps. The Dodd-Frank Act and related regulatory developments will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing and public trading facilities making such cleared swaps available to trade. To date, the CFTC has designated only certain of the most common credit default index swaps and certain interest rate swaps as subject to mandatory clearing and certain public trading facilities have made these swaps available to trade, but it is expected that additional categories of swaps will in the future be designated as subject to mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements.
In a cleared swap, a Funds ultimate counterparty is a central clearinghouse rather than a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. Cleared swaps are submitted for clearing through each partys FCM, which must be a member of the clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty.
When a Fund enters into a cleared swap, it must deliver to the central counterparty (via the FCM) an amount referred to as initial margin. Initial margin requirements are determined by the central counterparty and are typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of the cleared swap over a fixed period, but an FCM may require additional initial margin above the amount required by the central counterparty. During the term of the swap agreement, a variation margin amount may also be required to be paid by the Fund or may be received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts. If the value of the Funds cleared swap declines, the Fund will be required to make additional variation margin payments to the FCM to settle the change in value. Conversely, if the market value of the Funds position increases, the FCM will post additional variation margin to the Funds account. At the conclusion of the term of the swap agreement, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain are paid to the Fund.
Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to uncleared swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participants swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. There is also a risk of loss by a Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position, or the central counterparty in a swap contract. The assets of a Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCMs customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, a Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Funds assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCMs other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty. Credit risk of cleared swap participants is concentrated in a few clearinghouses, and the consequences of insolvency of a clearinghouse are not clear.
With cleared swaps, a Fund may not be able to obtain terms as favorable as it would be able to negotiate for a bilateral, uncleared swap. In addition, an FCM may unilaterally amend the terms of its agreement with a Fund, which may include the imposition of position limits or additional margin requirements with respect to the Funds investment in certain types of swaps. Central counterparties and FCMs can require termination of existing cleared swap transactions upon the occurrence of certain events, and can also require increases in margin above the margin that is required at the initiation of the swap agreement.
Finally, a Fund is subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, the Fund may be required to break the trade and make an early termination payment to the executing broker.
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Commonly used swap agreements include:
Commonly used swap agreements include:
Credit Default Swaps (CDS). A CDS is an agreement between two parties where the first party agrees to make one or more payments to the second party, while the second party assumes the risk of certain defaults, generally a failure to pay or bankruptcy of the issuer on a referenced debt obligation. CDS transactions are typically individually negotiated and structured. A Fund may enter into CDS to create long or short exposure to domestic or foreign corporate debt securities or sovereign debt securities.
A Fund may buy a CDS (buy credit protection). In this transaction the Fund makes a stream of payments based on a fixed interest rate (the premium) over the life of the swap in exchange for a counterparty (the seller) taking on the risk of default of a referenced debt obligation (the Reference Obligation). If a credit event occurs for the Reference Obligation, the Fund would cease making premium payments and it would deliver defaulted bonds to the seller. In return, the seller would pay the notional value of the Reference Obligation to the Fund. Alternatively, the two counterparties may agree to cash settlement in which the seller delivers to the Fund (buyer) the difference between the market value and the notional value of the Reference Obligation. If no event of default occurs, the Fund pays the fixed premium to the seller for the life of the contract, and no other exchange occurs.
Alternatively, a Fund may sell a CDS (sell credit protection). In this transaction the Fund will receive premium payments from the buyer in exchange for taking the risk of default of the Reference Obligation. If a credit event occurs for the Reference Obligation, the buyer would cease to make premium payments to the Fund and deliver the Reference Obligation to the Fund. In return, the Fund would pay the notional value of the Reference Obligation to the buyer. Alternatively, the two counterparties may agree to cash settlement in which the Fund would pay the buyer the difference between the market value and the notional value of the Reference Obligation. If no event of default occurs, the Fund receives the premium payments over the life of the contract, and no other exchange occurs.
Credit Default Index Swaps (CDX). A CDX is a swap on an index of CDS. A CDX allows an investor to manage credit risk or to take a position on a basket of credit entities (such as CDS or CMBS) in a more efficient manner than transacting in single name CDS. If a credit event occurs in one of the underlying companies, the protection is paid out via the delivery of the defaulted bond by the buyer of protection in return for payment of the notional value of the defaulted bond by the seller of protection or it may be settled through a cash settlement between the two parties. The underlying company is then removed from the index. New series of CDX are issued on a regular basis. A Commercial Mortgage-Backed Index (CMBX) is a type of CDX made up of 25 tranches of commercial mortgage-backed securities (See Debt Instruments Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities) rather than CDS. Unlike other CDX contracts where credit events are intended to capture an event of default, CMBX involves a pay-as-you-go (PAUG) settlement process designed to capture non-default events that affect the cash flow of the reference obligation. PAUG involves ongoing, two-way payments over the life of a contract between the buyer and the seller of protection and is designed to closely mirror the cash flow of a portfolio of cash commercial mortgage-backed securities. A CDX index tranche provides access to customized risk, exposing each investor to losses at different levels of subordination. The lowest part of the capital structure is called the equity tranche as it has exposure to the first losses experienced in the basket. The mezzanine and senior tranches are higher in the capital structure but can also be exposed to loss in value. Investments are subject to liquidity risks as well as other risks associated with investments in credit default swaps.
Foreign Exchange Swaps. A foreign exchange swap involves an agreement between two parties to exchange two different currencies on a specific date at a fixed rate, and an agreement for the reverse exchange of those two currencies at a later date and at a fixed rate. Foreign exchange swaps were exempted from the definition of swaps by the U.S. Treasury and are therefore not subject to many rules under the CEA that apply to swaps, including the mandatory clearing requirement. They are also not considered commodity interests for purposes of CEA Regulations and Exclusions, discussed above. However, foreign exchange swaps nevertheless remain subject to the CFTCs trade reporting requirements, enhanced anti-evasion authority, and strengthened business conduct standards.
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Currency Swaps: A currency swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange periodic cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential between them. Currency swaps typically involve the delivery of the entire notional values of the two designated currencies. In such a situation, the full notional value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. The Fund may also enter into currency swaps on a net basis, which means the two different currency payment streams under the swap agreement are converted and netted out to a single cash payment in just one of the currencies.
Because currency control is of great importance to the issuing governments and influences economic planning and policy, purchases and sales of currency and related instruments can be negatively affected by government exchange controls, blockages, and manipulations or exchange restrictions imposed by governments. These actions could result in losses to the Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive a specified currency or funds in settlement of obligations, including swap transaction obligations. These actions could also have an adverse effect on the Funds swap transactions or cause the Funds hedging positions to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency exposure as well as incurring unnecessary transaction costs.
Interest Rate Swaps. An agreement between two parties pursuant to which the parties exchange a floating rate payment for a fixed rate payment based on a specified principal or notional amount. In other words, Party A agrees to pay Party B a fixed interest rate multiplied by a notional amount and in return Party B agrees to pay Party A a variable interest rate multiplied by the same notional amount. The Fund may not enter into interest rate swaps with respect to more than 25% of its total assets.
Commodity Swaps. A commodity swap agreement is a contract in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of a commodity-based underlying instrument (such as a specific commodity or commodity index) in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from another commodity-based underlying instrument. In a total return commodity swap, a Fund receives the price appreciation of a commodity index, a portion of a commodity index or a single commodity in exchange for paying an agreed-upon fee.
Total Return Swaps. An agreement in which one party makes payments based on a set rate, either fixed or variable, while the other party makes payments based on the return of an underlying asset, which includes both the income it generates and any capital gains.
Volatility and Variance Swaps: A volatility swap involves an exchange between a Fund and a counterparty of periodic payments based on the measured volatility of an underlying security, currency, commodity, interest rate, index or other reference asset over a specified time frame. Depending on the structure of the swap, either a Funds or the counterpartys payment obligation will typically be based on the realized volatility of the reference asset as measured by changes in its price or level over a specified time period while the other partys payment obligation will be based on a specified rate representing expected volatility for the reference asset at the time the swap is executed, or the measured volatility of a different reference asset over a specified time period. A Fund will typically make or lose money on a volatility swap depending on the magnitude of the reference assets volatility, or size of the movements in its price, over a specified time period, rather than general increases or decreases in the price of the reference asset. Volatility swaps are often used to speculate on future volatility levels, to trade the spread between realized and expected volatility, or to decrease the volatility exposure of other investments held by a Fund. Variance swaps are similar to volatility swaps except payments are based on the difference between the implied and measured volatility mathematically squared.
Inflation Swaps. Inflation swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to pay the cumulative percentage increase in a price index, such as the Consumer Price Index, over the term of the swap (with some lag on the referenced inflation index), and the other party pays a compounded fixed rate. Inflation swap agreements may be used to protect the net asset value of a Fund against an unexpected change in the rate of inflation measured by an inflation index. The value of inflation swap agreements is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation.
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Swaptions. An option on a swap agreement, also called a swaption, is an option that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a swap on a future date in exchange for paying a market-based premium. A receiver swaption gives the owner the right to receive the total return of a specified asset, reference rate or index. A payer swaption gives the owner the right to pay the total return of a specified asset, reference rate, or index. Swaptions also include options that allow an existing swap to be terminated or extended by one of the counterparties.
Swaptions are considered to be swaps for purposes of CFTC regulation. Although they are currently traded OTC, the CFTC may in the future designate certain options on swaps as subject to mandatory clearing and exchange trading.
Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right, but not the obligation, to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option at the exercise price during the term of the option (for American style options) or on a specified date (for European style options), the security, currency or other instrument underlying the option (or delivery of a cash settlement price, in the case of certain options, such as an index option and other cash-settled options). An option on a CDS or a futures contract (described below) gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a CDS or assume a position in a futures contract. Option transactions present the possibility of large amounts of exposure (or leverage), which may result in a Funds net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of the option.
The value of an option position will reflect, among other things, the current market value of the underlying investment, the time remaining until expiration, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying investment, the price volatility of the underlying investment and general market and interest rate conditions.
A Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into an offsetting closing transaction. For example, a Fund may terminate its obligation under a call or put option that it had written by purchasing an identical call or put option, which is known as a closing purchase transaction. Conversely, a Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option it had purchased by writing an identical put or call option, which is known as a closing sale transaction. Closing transactions permit a Fund to realize profits or limit losses on an option position prior to its exercise or expiration.
Options may be either listed on an exchange or traded in OTC markets. Listed options are tri-party contracts (i.e., performance of the obligations of the purchaser and seller are guaranteed by the exchange or clearing corporation) and have standardized strike prices and expiration dates. OTC options are two-party contracts with negotiated strike prices and expiration dates and differ from exchange-traded options in that OTC options are transacted with dealers directly and not through a clearing corporation (which guarantees performance). In the case of OTC options, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option at any specific time; therefore the Fund may be required to treat some or all OTC options as illiquid securities. Although a Fund will enter into OTC options only with dealers that are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with it, there is no assurance that the Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option position at a favorable price prior to exercise or expiration. In the event of insolvency of the dealer, a Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration.
Types of Options:
Put Options on Securities. A put option gives the purchaser the right to sell, to the writer, the underlying security, contract or foreign currency at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option (for American style options) or on a specified date (for European style options), regardless of the market price or exchange rate of the security, contract or foreign currency, as the case may be, at the time of exercise. If the purchaser exercises the put option, the writer of a put option is obligated to buy the underlying security, contract or foreign currency for the exercise price.
Call Options on Securities. A call option gives the purchaser the right to buy, from the writer, the underlying security, contract or foreign currency at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option (for American style options) or on a specified date (for European style options),
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regardless of the market price or exchange rate of the security, contract or foreign currency, as the case may be, at the time of exercise. If the purchaser exercises the call option, the writer of a call option is obligated to sell to and deliver the underlying security, contract or foreign currency to the purchaser of the call option for the exercise price.
After the Fund writes a call, not more than 20% of the Funds total assets may be subject to calls.
A call or put option may not be purchased if the purchase would cause the value of all of the Funds put and call options to exceed 5% of its total assets.
The Fund may also write calls on futures contracts without owning the futures contract or securities deliverable under the contract. To do so, at the time the call is written, the Fund must cover the call by segregating in escrow an equivalent dollar value of liquid assets. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets if the value of the escrowed assets drops below 100% of the current value of the future. Because of this escrow requirement, in no circumstances would the Funds receipt of an exercise notice as to that future put the Fund in a short futures position.
The Fund may buy only those puts that relate to securities that it owns, broadly-based municipal bond indices, municipal bond index futures or interest rate futures (whether or not the Fund owns the futures).
Index Options. Index options (or options on securities indices) give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise, cash instead of securities, if the closing level of the securities index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the call or put times a specified multiple (the multiplier), which determines the total dollar value for each point of such difference.
The risks of investment in index options may be greater than options on securities. Because index options are settled in cash, when a Fund writes a call on an index it cannot provide in advance for its potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. A Fund can offset some of the risk of writing a call index option by holding a diversified portfolio of securities similar to those on which the underlying index is based. However, a Fund cannot, as a practical matter, acquire and hold a portfolio containing exactly the same securities that underlie the index and, as a result, bears the risk that the value of the securities held will not be perfectly correlated with the value of the index.
CDS Options. A CDS option transaction gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a CDS at a specified future date and under specified terms in exchange for paying a market based purchase price or premium. The writer of the option bears the risk of any unfavorable move in the value of the CDS relative to the market value on the exercise date, while the purchaser may allow the option to expire unexercised.
Option Techniques
Writing Options. A Fund may write options to generate additional income and to seek to hedge its portfolio against market or exchange rate movements. As the writer of an option, the Fund may have no control over when the underlying reference asset must be sold (in the case of a call option) or purchased (in the case of a put option), if the option was structured as an American style option, because the option purchaser may notify the Fund of exercise at any time prior to the expiration of the option. In addition, if the option is cash-settled instead of deliverable, the Fund is obligated to pay the option purchaser the difference between the exercise price and the value of the underlying reference asset, instead of selling or purchasing the underlying reference asset, if the option is exercised. In general, options are rarely exercised prior to expiration. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium.
A Fund would write a put option at an exercise price that, reduced by the premium received on the option, reflects the price it is willing to pay for the underlying reference asset. In return for the premium received for writing a put option, the Fund assumes the risk that the price of the underlying reference asset will decline below the exercise price, in which case the put option may be exercised and the Fund may suffer a loss.
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In return for the premium received for writing a call option on a reference asset, the Fund foregoes the opportunity for profit from a price increase in the underlying reference asset above the exercise price so long as the option remains open, but retains the risk of loss should the price of the reference asset decline.
If an option that a Fund has written expires, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium; however, such gain may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying reference asset, held by the Fund during the option period. If a call option is exercised, a Fund will realize a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying reference asset, which will be increased or offset by the premium received. The obligation imposed upon the writer of an option is terminated upon the expiration of the option, or such earlier time at which a Fund effects a closing purchase transaction by purchasing an option (put or call as the case may be) identical to that previously sold. However, once a Fund has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver (for a call) or purchase (for a put) the underlying reference asset at the exercise price (if deliverable) or pay the difference between the exercise price and the value of the underlying reference asset (if cash-settled).
Purchasing Options. A Fund may purchase a put option on an underlying reference asset owned by the Fund in order to protect against an anticipated decline in the value of the underlying reference asset held by the Fund; may purchase put options on underlying reference assets against which it has written other put options; or may speculate on the value of an underlying reference asset, index or quantitative measure. The premium paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any profit realized when the underlying reference asset is delivered upon the exercise of the put option. Conversely, if the underlying reference asset does not decline in value, the option may expire worthless and the premium paid for the protective put would be lost. A put option may also be purchased on an investment the Fund does not own.
A Fund may purchase a call option for the purpose of acquiring the underlying reference asset for its portfolio, or on underlying reference assets against which it has written other call options. The Fund is not required to own the underlying reference asset in order to purchase a call option. If the Fund does not own the underlying position, the purchase of a call option would enable a Fund to acquire the underlying reference asset at the exercise price of the call option plus the premium paid. So long as it holds a call option, rather than the underlying reference asset itself, the Fund is partially protected from any unexpected increase in the market price of the underlying reference asset. If the market price does not exceed the exercise price, the Fund could purchase the underlying reference asset on the open market and could allow the call option to expire, incurring a loss only to the extent of the premium paid for the option.
Municipal Market Data Rate Locks.
A Municipal Market Data Rate Lock (MMD Rate Lock) permits a Fund to lock in a specified municipal interest rate for a portion of its portfolio to preserve a return on a particular investment or a portion of its portfolio as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities to be purchased at a later date. MMD Rate Locks may be used for hedging purposes. An MMD Rate Lock is an agreement between two parties, a Fund and an MMD Rate Lock provider, pursuant to which the parties agree to make payments to each other on a notional amount, contingent upon whether the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is above or below a specified level on the expiration date of the contract.
MMD Rate Locks involve the risk that municipal yields will move in the direction opposite than the direction anticipated by a Fund. The risk of loss with respect to MMD Rate Locks is limited to the amount of payments a Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to an MMD Rate Lock defaults, a Funds risk of loss consists of the amount of payments that the Fund contractually is entitled to receive. If there is a default by the counterparty, a Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, but they could be difficult to enforce.
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Straddles/Spreads/Collars.
Spread and straddle options transactions. In spread transactions, a Fund buys and writes a put or buys and writes a call on the same underlying instrument with the options having different exercise prices, expiration dates, or both. In straddles, a Fund purchases a put option and a call option or writes a put option and a call option on the same instrument with the same expiration date and typically the same exercise price. When a Fund engages in spread and straddle transactions, it seeks to profit from differences in the option premiums paid and received and in the market prices of the related options positions when they are closed out or sold. Because these transactions require the Fund to buy and/or write more than one option simultaneously, the Funds ability to enter into such transactions and to liquidate its positions when necessary or deemed advisable may be more limited than if the Fund were to buy or sell a single option. Similarly, costs incurred by the Fund in connection with these transactions will in many cases be greater than if the Fund were to buy or sell a single option.
Option Collars. A Fund also may use option collars. A collar position combines a put option purchased by the Fund (the right of the Fund to sell a specific security within a specified period) with a call option that is written by the Fund (the right of the counterparty to buy the same security) in a single instrument. The Funds right to sell the security is typically set at a price that is below the counterpartys right to buy the security. Thus, the combined position collars the performance of the underlying security, providing protection from depreciation below the price specified in the put option, and allowing for participation in any appreciation up to the price specified by the call option.
Rights and Warrants. Rights are equity securities representing a preemptive right of stockholders to purchase additional shares of a stock at the time of a new issuance, before the stock is offered to the general public. A stockholder who purchases rights may be able to retain the same ownership percentage after the new stock offering. A right usually enables the stockholder to purchase common stock at a price below the initial offering price. A Fund that purchases a right takes the risk that the right might expire worthless because the market value of the common stock falls below the price fixed by the right.
A warrant gives the holder the right to purchase securities from the issuer at a specific price within a certain time frame and is similar to a call option. The main difference between warrants and call options is that warrants are issued by the company that will issue the underlying security, whereas options are not issued by the company. Young, unseasoned companies often issue warrants to finance their operations.
Futures Contracts. A futures contract is a standard binding agreement to buy or sell a specified amount of a specified security, currency, or commodity, interest rate or index (or delivery of a cash settlement price, in the case of certain futures such as an index future, Eurodollar Future or volatility future) for a specified price at a designated date, time and place (collectively, futures contracts). A sale of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to deliver the underlying instrument or asset called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. A purchase of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to acquire the underlying instrument or asset called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date.
The Fund will only enter into futures contracts that are traded (either domestically or internationally) on futures exchanges or certain exempt markets, including exempt boards of trade and electronic trading facilities, and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying financial instrument. Futures exchanges and trading thereon in the United States are regulated under the CEA and by the CFTC. Foreign futures exchanges or exempt markets and trading thereon are not regulated by the CFTC and are not subject to the same regulatory controls. In addition, futures contracts that are traded on non-U.S. exchanges or exempt markets may not be as liquid as those purchased on CFTC-designated contract markets. For a further discussion of the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, see Foreign Investments above.
Brokerage fees are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold, and margin deposits must be maintained at all times when a futures contract is outstanding. Margin for a futures contract is the amount of funds that must be deposited by a Fund in order to initiate futures contracts trading and maintain its open positions in futures contracts. A margin deposit made when the futures contract is entered (initial margin) is intended to ensure the Funds performance under the futures contract. The margin required for a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the futures contract is traded and may be significantly modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the futures contract.
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Subsequent payments, called variation margin, received from or paid to the FCM through which a Fund enters into the futures contract will be made on a daily basis as the futures price fluctuates making the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as marking-to-market. When the futures contract is closed out, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain are paid to the Fund and the FCM pays the Fund any excess gain over the margin amount.
There is a risk of loss by a Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of a Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCMs customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, a Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Funds assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCMs other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty.
Closing out an open futures contract is effected by entering into an offsetting futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the identical financial instrument or currency and the same delivery date. There can be no assurance, however, that a Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time. If a Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, it will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contract.
In addition, if a Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract or an option on a futures contract position due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. The Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, except in the case of purchased options, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments.
Pursuant to federal securities laws and regulations, a Funds use of futures contracts may require the Fund to set aside assets to reduce the risks associated with using futures contracts. This process is described in more detail above in the section Derivatives.
Types of Futures Contracts:
Commodity Futures: A commodity futures contract is an exchange-traded contract to buy or sell a particular commodity at a specified price at some time in the future. Commodity futures contracts are highly volatile; therefore, the prices of a Funds shares may be subject to greater volatility to the extent it invests in commodity futures.
Currency Futures. A currency futures contract is a standardized, exchange-traded contract to buy or sell a particular currency at a specified price at a future date (commonly three months or more). Currency futures contracts may be highly volatile and thus result in substantial gains or losses to the Fund.
A Fund may either exchange the currencies specified at the maturity of a currency futures contract or, prior to maturity, enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. A Fund may also enter into currency futures contracts that do not provide for physical settlement of the two currencies but instead are settled by a single cash payment calculated as the difference between the agreed upon exchange rate and the spot rate at settlement based upon an agreed upon notional amount. Closing transactions with respect to currency futures contracts are usually effected with the counterparty to the original currency futures contract.
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Index Futures. An index futures contract is an exchange-traded contract that provides for the delivery, at a designated date, time and place, of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading on the date specified in the contract and the price agreed upon in the futures contract; no physical delivery of securities comprising the index is made. Index futures can be based on stock, bond or other indices. Such indices cannot be purchased or sold directly.
Interest Rate Futures. An interest rate futures contract is an exchange-traded contract in which the specified underlying security is either an interest-bearing fixed income security or an inter-bank deposit. Two examples of common interest rate futures contracts are U.S. Treasury futures and Eurodollar futures contracts. The specified security for U.S. Treasury futures is a U.S. Treasury security. The specified security for Eurodollar futures is the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is a daily reference rate based on the interest rates at which banks offer to lend unsecured funds to other banks in the London wholesale money market.
On July 27, 2017, the head of the United Kingdoms Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. There remains uncertainty regarding the future utilization of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate. As a result, any impact of a transition away from LIBOR on a Fund or the instruments in which a Fund invests cannot yet be determined. Industry initiatives are underway to identify alternative reference rates; however, there is no assurance that the composition or characteristics of any such alternative reference rate will be similar to or produce the same value or economic equivalence as LIBOR or that instruments using an alternative rate will have the same volume or liquidity. As a result, the transition process might lead to increased volatility and reduced liquidity in markets that currently rely on LIBOR to determine interest rates; a reduction in the value of some LIBOR-based investments; and/or costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new agreements. These effects could occur prior to the end of 2021 as the utility of LIBOR as a reference rate could deteriorate during the transition period.
Dividend Futures: A dividend futures contract is an exchange-traded contract to purchase or sell an amount equal to the total dividends paid by a selected security, basket of securities or index, over a period of time for a specified price that is based on the expected dividend payments from the selected security, basket of securities or index.
Security Futures. A security futures contract is an exchange-traded contract to purchase or sell, in the future, a specified quantity of a security (other than a Treasury security) or a narrow-based securities index at a certain price.
Options on Futures Contracts. Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities or currencies except that options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures contract position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writers futures contract margin account.
Pursuant to federal securities laws and regulations, a Funds use of options on futures contracts may require the Fund to set aside assets to reduce the risks associated with using options on futures contracts. This process is described in more detail above in the section Derivatives.
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts. A forward foreign currency contract is an obligation to buy or sell a particular currency in exchange for another currency, which may be U.S. dollars, at a specified price at a future date. Forward foreign currency contracts are typically individually negotiated and privately traded by currency traders and their customers in the interbank market. A Fund may enter into forward foreign currency contracts with respect to a specific purchase or sale of a security, or with respect to its portfolio positions generally.
At the maturity of a forward foreign currency contract, a Fund may either exchange the currencies specified at the maturity of the contract or, prior to maturity, a Fund may enter into a closing transaction
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involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward foreign currency contracts are usually effected with the counterparty to the original forward contract. A Fund may also enter into forward foreign currency contracts that do not provide for physical settlement of the two currencies but instead provide for settlement by a single cash payment calculated as the difference between the agreed upon exchange rate and the spot rate at settlement based upon an agreed upon notional amount (non-deliverable forwards).
The Fund will comply with guidelines established by the SEC with respect to cover requirements of forward foreign currency contracts (See Derivatives above).
Generally, with respect to forward foreign currency contracts that are not contractually required to cash-settle (i.e., are deliverable), a Fund covers its open positions by setting aside liquid assets equal to the contracts full notional value. With respect to forward foreign currency contracts that are contractually required to cash-settle (i.e., a non-deliverable forward (NDF) or the synthetic equivalent thereof), however, a Fund may set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Funds daily mark-to-market obligation (i.e., the Funds daily net liabilities, if any), rather than the contracts full notional value. By setting aside assets equal to its net obligations under forward foreign currency contracts that are cash-settled or treated as being cash-settled, the Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund was required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. Segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of a Funds assets could impede portfolio management or the Funds ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
Under definitions adopted by the CFTC and SEC, non-deliverable forwards are considered swaps, and therefore are included in the definition of commodity interests. Although non-deliverable forwards have historically been traded in the OTC market, as swaps they may in the future be required to be centrally cleared and traded on public facilities. For more information on central clearing and trading of cleared swaps, see Swaps and Risks of Potential Increased Regulation of Derivatives. Forward foreign currency contracts that qualify as deliverable forwards are not regulated as swaps for most purposes, and are not included in the definition of commodity interests. However these forwards are subject to some requirements applicable to swaps, including reporting to swap data repositories, documentation requirements, and business conduct rules applicable to swap dealers. CFTC regulation of forward foreign currency contracts, especially non-deliverable forwards, may restrict a Funds ability to use these instruments in the manner described above or subject Invesco to CFTC registration and regulation as a CPO.
The cost to a Fund of engaging in forward foreign currency contracts varies with factors such as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period, interest rate differentials and the prevailing market conditions. Because forward foreign currency contracts are usually entered into on the principal basis, no fees or commissions are typically involved. The use of forward foreign currency contracts does not eliminate fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities a Fund owns or intends to acquire, but it does establish a rate of exchange in advance. While forward foreign currency contract sales limit the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies, they also limit any potential gain that might result should the value of the currencies increase.
Receipt of Issuers Nonpublic Information
The Adviser or Sub-Advisers (through their portfolio managers, analysts, or other representatives) may receive material nonpublic information about an issuer that may restrict the ability of the Adviser or Sub-Adviser to cause a Fund to buy or sell securities of the issuer on behalf of the Fund for substantial periods of time. This may impact a Funds ability to realize profit or avoid loss with respect to the issuer and may adversely affect a Funds flexibility with respect to buying or selling securities, potentially impacting Fund performance. For example, activist investors of certain issuers in which the Adviser or Sub-Advisers hold large positions may contact representatives of the Adviser or Sub-Advisers and may disclose material nonpublic information in such communication. The Adviser or Sub-Advisers would be restricted from trading on the basis of such material nonpublic information, limiting their flexibility in managing a Fund and possibly impacting Fund performance.
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The Fund, like all companies, may be susceptible to operational and information security risks. Cybersecurity failures or breaches of the Fund or its service providers or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
Business Continuity and Operational Risk
The Adviser, the Funds and the Funds service providers may experience disruptions or operating errors, such as processing error, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, systems or technology failures, or other disruptive events, that could negatively impact and cause disruptions in normal business operations of the Adviser, the Funds or the Funds service providers. The Adviser has developed a Business Continuity Program (the Program) designed to minimize the disruption of normal business operations in the event of an adverse incident affecting the Funds, the Adviser and/or its affiliates. The Program is also designed to enable the Adviser to reestablish normal business operations in a timely manner during such an adverse incident; however, there are inherent limitations in such programs (including the possibility that contingencies have not been anticipated and procedures do not work as intended) and, under some circumstances (e.g. natural disaster, terrorism, public health crises, power or utility shortages and failures, system failures or malfunctions), the Adviser, its affiliates, and any service providers or vendors used by the Adviser, its affiliates, or the Funds could be prevented or hindered from providing services to the Funds for extended periods of time. These circumstances could cause disruptions and negatively impact the Funds service providers and the Funds business operations, potentially including an inability to process Fund shareholder transactions, an inability to calculate a Funds net asset value and price the Funds investments, and impediments to trading portfolio securities.
Natural Disaster/Epidemic Risk
Natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and other severe weather-related phenomena generally, and widespread disease, including pandemics and epidemics, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Funds investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are increasingly likely to adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries, including the U.S. These disruptions could prevent the Funds from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Funds ability to achieve their investment objectives. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Funds.
Fundamental Restrictions. Except as otherwise noted below, the Fund is subject to the following investment restrictions, which may be changed only by a vote of the Funds outstanding shares. Fundamental restrictions may be changed only by a vote of the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the Funds shares present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present in person or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Funds outstanding shares. Any investment restriction that involves a maximum or minimum percentage of securities or assets (other than with respect to borrowing) shall not be considered to be violated unless an excess over or a deficiency under the percentage occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an acquisition or disposition of securities or utilization of assets by the Fund.
(1) |
The Fund is a diversified company as defined in the 1940 Act. The Fund will not purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, the Fund would fail to be a diversified company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as such |
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statute, rules and regulations are amended from time to time or are interpreted from time to time by the SEC staff (collectively, the 1940 Act Laws and Interpretations) or except to the extent that the Fund may be permitted to do so by exemptive order or similar relief (collectively, with the 1940 Act Laws and Interpretations, the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions). In complying with this restriction, however, the Fund may purchase securities of other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. |
(2) |
The Fund may not borrow money or issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. |
(3) |
The Fund may not underwrite the securities of other issuers. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities, regardless of whether the Fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. |
(4) |
The Fund will not make investments that will result in the concentration (as that term may be defined or interpreted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions) of its investments in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in the same industry. This restriction does not limit the Funds investments in (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or (ii) tax-exempt obligations issued by governments or political subdivisions of governments. In complying with this restriction, the Fund will not consider a bank-issued guaranty or financial guaranty insurance as a separate security. |
(5) |
The Fund may not purchase real estate or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from investing in issuers that invest, deal, or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, or investing in securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein. |
(6) |
The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and any other governing statute, and by the rules thereunder, and by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund. |
(7) |
The Fund may not make personal loans or loans of its assets to persons who control or are under common control with the Fund, except to the extent permitted by 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from, among other things, purchasing debt obligations, entering into repurchase agreements, loaning its assets to broker-dealers or institutional investors, or investing in loans, including assignments and participation interests. |
(8) |
The Fund may, notwithstanding any other fundamental investment policy or limitation, invest all of its assets in the securities of a single open-end management investment company with substantially the same fundamental investment objectives, policies and restrictions as the Fund. |
(9) |
The following applies: |
(a) |
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in securities the income from which, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer of each security, is exempt from regular federal individual income tax. |
For purposes of the foregoing, assets means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, and derivatives and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities.
The investment restrictions set forth above provide the Fund with the ability to operate under new interpretations of the 1940 Act or pursuant to exemptive relief from the SEC without receiving prior shareholder approval of the change. Even though the Fund has this flexibility, the Board has adopted non-fundamental restrictions for the Fund relating to certain of these restrictions which Invesco and, when applicable, the Sub-Advisers must follow in managing the Fund. Any changes to these non-fundamental restrictions, which are set forth below, require the approval of the Board.
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Explanatory Note
For purposes of the Funds fundamental restriction related to industry concentration above, investments in tax-exempt municipal securities where the payment of principal and interest for such securities is derived solely from a specific project associated with an issuer that is not a governmental entity or a political subdivision of a government are subject to the Funds industry concentration policy.
For purposes of the Funds fundamental restriction related to physical commodities above, the Fund is currently permitted to invest in futures, swaps and other instruments on physical commodities to the extent disclosed in the Funds Prospectus or SAI.
Non-Fundamental Restrictions. Non-fundamental restrictions may be changed for the Fund without shareholder approval. The non-fundamental investment restrictions listed below apply to the Fund unless otherwise indicated.
(1) In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding issuer diversification, the Fund will not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities and securities issued by other investment companies), if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the Funds total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer. The Fund may purchase securities of other investment companies as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.
In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding issuer diversification, any Fund that invests in municipal securities will regard each state (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), territory and possession of the United States, each political subdivision, agency, instrumentality and authority thereof, and each multi-state agency of which a state is a member as a separate issuer. When the assets and revenues of an agency, authority, instrumentality or other political subdivision are separate from the government creating the subdivision and the security is backed only by assets and revenues of the subdivision, such subdivision would be deemed to be the sole issuer. Similarly, in the case of an Industrial Development Bond or Private Activity Bond, if that bond is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental user, then that non-governmental user would be deemed to be the sole issuer. However, if the creating government or another entity guarantees a security, then to the extent that the value of all securities issued or guaranteed by that government or entity and owned by the Fund exceeds 10% of the Funds total assets, the guarantee would be considered a separate security and would be treated as issued by that government or entity. Securities issued or guaranteed by a bank or subject to financial guaranty insurance are not subject to the limitations set forth in the preceding sentence.
(2) In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding borrowing money and issuing senior securities, the Fund may borrow money in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings).
(3) Notwithstanding the fundamental restriction with regard to investing all assets in an open-end fund, the Fund may not invest all of its assets in the securities of a single open-end management investment company with the same fundamental investment objective, policies, and restrictions as the Fund.
(4) In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding industry concentration, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the securities of issuers whose principal business activities are in the same industry.
(5) In complying with the fundamental restriction with regard to making loans, the Fund may lend up to 33 1/3% of its total assets and may lend money to an Invesco Fund, on such terms and conditions as the SEC may require in an exemptive order.
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(6) The Fund may not acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.
For purposes of the foregoing, assets means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. Derivatives and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to the securities described above for a Fund may also be counted towards that Funds 80% policy. The Fund will provide written notice to its shareholders prior to any changes to this policy, as required by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.
If a percentage restriction on the investment or use of assets set forth in the Prospectus or this SAI is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentage resulting from changing asset values will not be considered a violation. It is the intention of the Fund, unless otherwise indicated, that with respect to the Funds policies that are a result of application of law, the Fund will take advantage of the flexibility provided by rules or interpretations of the SEC currently in existence or promulgated in the future, or changes to such laws.
The Fund calculates its portfolio turnover rate by dividing the value of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal period by the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal period. A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all of the portfolio securities (other than short-term securities) were replaced once during the fiscal period. Portfolio turnover rates will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions. The following Fund experienced significant variation in portfolio turnover during the two most recently completed fiscal periods:
Fund |
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Months ended 2/29/20 |
2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund* |
14 | % | 79 | % | 9 | % |
* |
The variation in portfolio turnover during the two most recently completed fiscal periods was in connection with the Funds transition from a fund focused on Minnesota municipal securities to a national municipal fund. |
Policies and Procedures for Disclosure of Fund Holdings
The Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings (the Holdings Disclosure Policy). Invesco and the Board may amend the Holdings Disclosure Policy at any time without prior notice. Details of the Holdings Disclosure Policy and a description of the basis on which employees of Invesco and its affiliates may release information about portfolio securities in certain contexts are provided below. As used in the Holdings Disclosure Policy and throughout the SAI, the term portfolio holdings information includes information with respect to the portfolio holdings of the Fund, including holdings that are derivatives and holdings held as short positions. Information generally excluded from portfolio holdings information includes, without limitation, (i) descriptions of allocations among asset classes, regions, countries, industries or sectors; (ii) aggregated data such as average or median ratios, market capitalization, credit quality or duration; (iii) performance attributions by asset class, country, industry or sector; (iv) aggregated risk statistics, analysis and simulations, such as stress testing; (v) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the Funds portfolio holdings and other investment positions; (vi) the volatility characteristics of the Fund; (vii) information on how various weightings and factors contributed to Fund performance; (viii) various financial characteristics of the Fund or its underlying portfolio investments; and (ix) other information where, in the reasonable belief of the Funds Chief Compliance Officer (or a designee), the release of such information would not present risks of dilution, arbitrage, market timing, insider trading or other inappropriate trading for the Fund.
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Public release of portfolio holdings. The Fund discloses the following portfolio holdings information at www.invesco.com/us1.
Information |
Approximate Date of Website Posting |
Information Remains Available on Website |
||
Select portfolio holdings information, such as top ten holdings as of month-end | 15 days after month-end | Until replaced with the following months top ten holdings | ||
Select portfolio holdings information included in the Funds Quarterly Performance Update | 29 days after calendar quarter-end | Until replaced with the following quarters Quarterly Performance Update | ||
Complete portfolio holdings information as of calendar quarter-end | 30 days after calendar quarter-end | For one year | ||
Complete portfolio holdings information as of fiscal quarter-end | 60-70 days after fiscal quarter-end | For one year |
1 |
To locate the Funds portfolio holdings information go to www.invesco.com/us, select Financial Professional or Individual Investor, if applicable. Hover over the Products tab and then click on the Mutual Funds. On the Mutual Funds page click on Fund Materials. Links to each Funds portfolio holdings are located under the Holdings column. |
You may also obtain the publicly available portfolio holdings information described above by contacting us at 1-800-959-4246.
Selective disclosure of portfolio holdings information pursuant to Non-Disclosure Agreement. Employees of Invesco and its affiliates may disclose non-public full portfolio holdings information on a selective basis only if Invesco approves the parties to whom disclosure of non-public full portfolio holdings information will be made. Invesco must determine that the proposed selective disclosure will be made for business purposes of the Fund and is in the best interest of the Funds shareholders. In making such determination, Invesco will address any perceived conflicts of interest between shareholders of the Fund and Invesco or its affiliates as part of granting its approval.
The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Holdings Disclosure Policy and the Invesco Funds Code of Ethics by the Chief Compliance Officer (or his designee) of Invesco and the Invesco Funds and (2) considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (Advisers Act)) that may arise in connection with the Holdings Disclosure Policy. Pursuant to the Holdings Disclosure Policy, the Board receives reports on the specific types of situations in which Invesco proposes to provide such selective disclosure, and the situations where providing selective disclosure raises perceived conflicts of interest between shareholders of the Fund and Invesco or its affiliates. In any specific situation where Invesco addresses a perceived conflict, Invesco will report to the Board on the persons to whom such disclosures are to be made and the treatment of such conflict before agreeing to provide selective disclosure.
Invesco discloses non-public full portfolio holdings information to the following persons in connection with the day-to-day operations and management of the funds advised by Invesco (the Invesco Funds):
|
Attorneys and accountants; |
|
Securities lending agents; |
|
Lenders to the Invesco Funds; |
|
Rating and rankings agencies; |
|
Persons assisting in the voting of proxies; |
|
Invesco Funds custodians; |
|
The Invesco Funds transfer agent(s) (in the event of a redemption in kind); |
|
Pricing services, market makers, or other fund accounting software providers (to determine the price of investments held by an Invesco Fund); |
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|
Brokers identified by the Invesco Funds portfolio management team who provide execution and research services to the team; and |
|
Analysts hired to perform research and analysis for the Invesco Funds portfolio management team. |
In many cases, Invesco will disclose current portfolio holdings information on a daily basis to these persons. In these situations, Invesco has entered into non-disclosure agreements which provide that the recipient of the portfolio holdings information will maintain the confidentiality of such portfolio holdings information and will not trade on such information (Non-disclosure Agreements). Please refer to Appendix B for a list of examples of persons to whom Invesco provides non-public portfolio holdings information on an ongoing basis.
Invesco will also disclose non-public portfolio holdings information if such disclosure is required by applicable laws, rules or regulations, or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over Invesco and its affiliates or the Invesco Funds, and where there is no other way to transact the Funds business without disclosure of such portfolio holdings information.
The Holdings Disclosure Policy provides that the Fund, Invesco or any other party in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information will not request, receive or accept any compensation (including compensation in the form of the maintenance of assets in any Fund or other mutual fund or account managed by Invesco or one of its affiliates) for the selective disclosure of portfolio holdings information.
Disclosure of certain portfolio holdings information without Non-Disclosure Agreement. Invesco and its affiliates that provide services to the Fund, the Sub-Advisers and each of their employees may receive or have access to portfolio holdings information as part of the day-to-day operations of the Fund.
From time to time, employees of Invesco and its affiliates may express their views orally or in writing on one or more of the Funds portfolio investments or may state that the Fund has recently purchased or sold one or more investments. The investments subject to these views and statements may be ones that were purchased or sold since the date on which portfolio holdings information was made available on the Funds website and therefore may not be reflected on the portfolio holdings disclosed on the website. Such views and statements may be made to various persons, including members of the press, shareholders in the Fund, persons considering investing in the Fund or representatives of such shareholders or potential shareholders, such as fiduciaries of a 401(k) plan and their advisers. The nature and content of the views and statements provided to each of these persons may differ.
Disclosure of portfolio holdings information to traders. Additionally, employees of Invesco and its affiliates may disclose one or more of the investments held by the Fund when purchasing and selling investments through broker-dealers, futures commissions merchants, clearing agencies and other counterparties, requesting bids on investments, obtaining price quotations on investments, or in connection with litigation involving the Funds portfolio investments. Invesco does not enter into formal Non-disclosure Agreements in connection with these situations; however, the Fund would not continue to conduct business with a person who Invesco believed was misusing the disclosed information.
Disclosure of portfolio holdings of other Invesco-managed products. Invesco and its affiliates manage products sponsored by companies other than Invesco, including investment companies, offshore funds, and separate accounts. In many cases, these other products are managed in a similar fashion to certain Invesco Funds and thus have similar portfolio holdings. The sponsors of these other products managed by Invesco and its affiliates may disclose the portfolio holdings of their products at different times than Invesco discloses portfolio holdings for the Invesco Funds.
The Trustees and officers of the Trust, their principal occupations during at least the last five years and certain other information concerning them are set forth in Appendix C.
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Qualifications and Experience. In addition to the information set forth in Appendix C, the following sets forth additional information about the qualifications and experiences of each of the Trustees.
Interested Trustee
Martin L. Flanagan, Trustee and Vice Chair
Martin L. Flanagan has been a member of the Board of Trustees and Vice Chair of the Invesco Funds since 2007. Mr. Flanagan is president and chief executive officer of Invesco Ltd., a position he has held since August 2005. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Invesco Ltd.
Mr. Flanagan joined Invesco, Ltd. from Franklin Resources, Inc., where he was president and co-chief executive officer from January 2004 to July 2005. Previously he had been Franklins co-president from May 2003 to January 2004, chief operating officer and chief financial officer from November 1999 to May 2003, and senior vice president and chief financial officer from 1993 until November 1999.
Mr. Flanagan served as director, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Templeton, Galbraith & Hansberger, Ltd. before its acquisition by Franklin in 1992. Before joining Templeton in 1983, he worked with Arthur Andersen & Co.
Mr. Flanagan is a chartered financial analyst and a certified public accountant. He serves as vice chairman of the Investment Company Institute and a member of the executive board at the SMU Cox School of Business.
The Board believes that Mr. Flanagans long experience as an executive in the investment management area benefits the Funds.
Independent Trustees
Bruce L. Crockett, Trustee and Chair
Bruce L. Crockett has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 1978, and has served as Independent Chair of the Board of Trustees and their predecessor funds since 2004.
Mr. Crockett has more than 30 years of experience in finance and general management in the banking, aerospace and telecommunications industries. From 1992 to 1996, he served as president, chief executive officer and a director of COMSAT Corporation, an international satellite and wireless telecommunications company.
Mr. Crockett has also served, since 1996, as chairman of Crockett Technologies Associates, a strategic consulting firm that provides services to the information technology and communications industries. Mr. Crockett also serves on the Board of ALPS (Attorneys Liability Protection Society) and Ferroglobe PLC (metallurgical company) and he is a life trustee of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees. He is a member of the Audit Committee of Ferroglobe PLC.
The Board of Trustees elected Mr. Crockett to serve as its Independent Chair because of his extensive experience in managing public companies and familiarity with investment companies.
David C. Arch, Trustee
David C. Arch has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds and their predecessor funds since 2010. From 1984 to 2010, Mr. Arch served as Director or Trustee of investment companies in the Van Kampen Funds complex.
Mr. Arch is the Chairman of Blistex Inc., a consumer health care products manufacturer. Mr. Arch is a member of the Board of the Illinois Manufacturers Association and a member of the World Presidents Organization.
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The Board believes that Mr. Archs experience as the CEO of a public company and his experience with investment companies benefits the Funds.
Beth Ann Brown, Trustee
Beth Ann Brown has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019. From 2016 to 2019, Ms. Brown served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex.
Ms. Brown has served as Director of Caron Engineering, Inc. since 2018 and as an Independent Consultant since September 2012. Since 2013, she has also served as Director, Vice President (through 2019) and President (since 2019) of Grahamtastic Connection, a non-profit organization.
Previously, Ms. Brown served in various capacities at Columbia Management Investment Advisers LLC, including Head of Intermediary Distribution, Managing Director, Strategic Relations and Managing Director, Head of National Accounts. She also served as Senior Vice President, National Account Manager from 2002-2004 and Senior Vice President, Key Account Manager from 1999 to 2002 of Liberty Funds Distributor, Inc.
From 2014 and 2017, Ms. Brown served on the Board of Advisors of Caron Engineering Inc. and also served as President and Director of Acton Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps, a nonprofit organization, from 2012 to 2015.
The Board believes that Ms. Browns experience in financial services and investment management and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.
Jack M. Fields, Trustee
Jack M. Fields has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 1997.
Mr. Fields served as a member of Congress, representing the 8th Congressional District of Texas from 1980 to 1997. As a member of Congress, Mr. Fields served as Chairman of the House Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction and oversight of the Federal Communications Commission and the SEC. Mr. Fields co-sponsored the National Securities Markets Improvements Act of 1996, and played a leadership role in enactment of the Securities Litigation Reform Act.
Mr. Fields currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Twenty-First Century Group, Inc. in Washington, D.C., a bipartisan Washington consulting firm specializing in Federal government affairs. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Baylor College of Medicine.
Mr. Fields also served as a Director of Insperity, Inc. (formerly known as Administaff), a premier professional employer organization with clients nationwide until 2015. In addition, Mr. Fields serves as Chairman and sits on the Board of Discovery Learning Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational resources to people in need around the world through the use of technology.
The Board believes that Mr. Fields experience in the House of Representatives, especially concerning regulation of the securities markets, benefits the Funds.
Cynthia Hostetler, Trustee
Cynthia Hostetler has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2017.
Ms. Hostetler is currently a member of the board of directors of the Vulcan Materials Company, a public company engaged in the production and distribution of construction materials, Trilinc Global Impact Fund LLC, a publicly registered non-traded limited liability company that invests in a diversified portfolio of private debt instruments, and Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., a public company that owns and operates railroads worldwide. Ms. Hostetler also serves on the board of governors of the Investment Company Institute and is a member of the governing council of the Independent Directors Council, both of which are professional organizations in the investment management industry.
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Previously, Ms. Hostetler served as a member of the board of directors/trustees of Aberdeen Investment Funds, a mutual fund complex, and Edgen Group Inc., a public company that provides products and services to energy and construction companies, from 2012 to 2013, prior to its sale to Sumitomo.
From 2001 to 2009 Ms. Hostetler served as Head of Investment Funds and Private Equity at Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a government agency that supports US investment in the emerging markets. Ms. Hostetler oversaw a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio in private equity funds. Prior to joining OPIC, Ms. Hostetler served as President and member of the board of directors of First Manhattan Bancorporation, a bank holding company, and its largest subsidiary, First Savings Bank, from 1991 to 2001.
The Board believes that Ms. Hostetlers knowledge of financial services and investment management, her experience as a director of other companies, including a mutual fund complex, her legal background, and other professional experience gained through her prior employment benefit the Funds.
Dr. Eli Jones, Trustee
Dr. Eli Jones has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2016.
Dr. Jones is the dean of the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University and holder of the Peggy Pitman Mays Eminent Scholar Chair in Business. Dr. Jones has served as a director of Insperity, Inc. since April 2004 and is chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Prior to his current position, from 2012-2015, Dr. Jones was the dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas and holder of the Sam M. Walton Leadership Chair in Business. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Arkansas, he was dean of the E. J. Ourso College of Business and Ourso Distinguished Professor of Business at Louisiana State University from 2008 to 2012; professor of marketing and associate dean at the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston from 2007 to 2008; an associate professor of marketing from 2002 to 2007; and an assistant professor from 1997 until 2002. He taught at Texas A&M University for several years before joining the faculty of the University of Houston.
Dr. Jones served as the executive director of the Program for Excellence in Selling and the Sales Excellence Institute at the University of Houston from 1997 to 2007. Before becoming a professor, he worked in sales and sales management for three Fortune 100 companies: Quaker Oats, Nabisco, and Frito-Lay. Dr. Jones is a past director of Arvest Bank. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in journalism in 1982, his MBA in 1986 and his Ph.D. in 1997, all from Texas A&M University.
The Board believes that Dr. Jones experience in academia and his experience in marketing benefits the Funds.
Elizabeth Krentzman, Trustee
Elizabeth Krentzman has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019. From 2014 to 2019, Ms. Krentzman served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex.
Ms. Krentzman currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Florida National Board Foundation. She is a member of the Cartica Funds Board of Directors (private investment funds). Ms. Krentzman is also a member of the Board of Trustees and Audit Committee of the University of Florida Law Center Association, Inc.
Previously, Ms. Krentzman served as a member of the Audit Committee of the University of Florida National Board Foundation. Ms. Krentzman served from 1997 to 2004 and from 2007 and 2014 in various capacities at Deloitte & Touche LLP, including Principal and Chief Regulatory Advisor for Asset Management Services, U.S. Mutual Fund Leader and National Director of the Investment Management Regulatory Consulting Practice. She served as General Counsel of the Investment Company Institute from 2004 to 2007.
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From 1996 to 1997, Ms. Krentzman served as an Assistant Director of the Division of Investment ManagementOffice of Disclosure and Investment Adviser Regulation of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She also served from 1987 to 1996 in various positions with the Division of Investment Management Office of Regulatory Policy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and as an Associate at Ropes & Gray LLP.
The Board believes that Ms. Krentzmans legal background, experience in financial services and accounting and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr., Trustee
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr. has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019.
Previously, Mr. LaCava served as a member of the board of directors and as a member of the audit committee of Blue Hills Bank, a publicly traded financial institution.
Mr. LaCava retired after a 37-year career with KPMG LLP (KPMG) where he served as senior partner for a wide range of firm clients across the retail, financial services, consumer markets, real estate, manufacturing, health care and technology industries. From 2005 to 2013, Mr. LaCava served as a member of the board of directors of KPMG and chair of the boards audit and finance committee and nominating committee. He also previously served as Regional Managing Partner from 2009 through 2012 and Managing Partner of KPMGs New England practice.
Mr. LaCava currently serves as Chairman of the Business Advisory Council of Bentley University and as a member of American College of Corporate Directors and Board Leaders, Inc.
The Board believes that Mr. LaCavas experience in audit and financial services benefits the Funds.
Dr. Prema Mathai-Davis, Trustee
Dr. Prema Mathai-Davis has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 1998.
Previously, Dr. Mathai-Davis served as co-founder and partner of Quantalytics Research, LLC, (a FinTech Investment Research Platform).
Prior to her retirement in 2000, Dr. Mathai-Davis served as Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA of the USA. Prior to joining the YWCA, Dr. Mathai-Davis served as the Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging. She was a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York, the largest regional transportation network in the U.S. Dr. Mathai-Davis also serves as a Trustee of the YWCA Retirement Fund, the first and oldest pension fund for women, and on the advisory board of the Johns Hopkins Bioethics Institute. Dr. Mathai-Davis was the president and chief executive officer of the Community Agency for Senior Citizens, a non-profit social service agency that she established in 1981. She also directed the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine-Hunter College Long-Term Care Gerontology Center, one of the first of its kind.
The Board believes that Dr. Mathai-Davis extensive experience in running public and charitable institutions benefits the Funds.
Joel W. Motley, Trustee
Joel W. Motley has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019. From 2002 to 2019, Mr. Motley served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex.
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Since 2016, Mr. Motley has served as an independent director of the Office of Finance of the Federal Home Loan Bank System. He has been a member of the Vestry of Trinity Wall Street since 2011 and has served as Managing Director of Carmona Motley, Inc., a privately-held financial advisory firm, since January 2002.
Mr. Motley also serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and its Finance and Budget Committee. He is a member of the Investment Committee and is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Human Rights Watch and a member of the Investment Committee and the Board of Historic Hudson Valley, a non-profit cultural organization.
Since 2011, he has served as a Board Member and Investment Committee Member of the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, a non-profit journalism organization. Mr. Motley also serves as Director and member of the Board and Investment Committee of The Greenwall Foundation, a bioethics research foundation, and as a Director of Friends of the LRC, a South Africa legal services foundation.
Previously, Mr. Motley served as Managing Director of Public Capital Advisors, LLC, a privately held financial advisory firm, from 2006 to 2017. He also served as Managing Director of Carmona Motley Hoffman Inc. a privately-held financial advisor, and served as a Director of Columbia Equity Financial Corp., a privately-held financial advisor, from 2002 to 2007.
The Board believes that Mr. Motleys experience in financial services and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.
Teresa M. Ressel, Trustee
Teresa M. Ressel has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2017.
Ms. Ressel has previously served across both the private sector and the U.S. government. Formerly, Ms. Ressel served from 2004 to 2012 in various capacities at UBS AG, including most recently as Chief Executive Officer of UBS Securities LLC, a broker-dealer division of UBS Investment Bank, and Group Chief Operating Officer of the Americas group at UBS AG. In these roles, Ms. Ressel managed a broad array of operational risk controls, supervisory control, regulatory, compliance, and logistics functions covering the United States and Canada, as well as banking activities covering the Americas.
Between 2001 and 2004, Ms. Ressel served at the U.S. Treasury first as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget and then as Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Ressel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and handles a broad array of management duties including finance & accounting, operational risk, audit and performance measurement along with information technology and infrastructure security.
Ms. Ressel currently serves as a member of the board of directors and as a member of the audit committee of ON Semiconductor Corporation, a publicly traded technology company and a leading supplier of semiconductor-based solutions, many of which reduce global energy use. She has served on the ON Semiconductor board since 2012.
From 2014 to 2017, Ms. Ressel also served on the board of directors at Atlantic Power Corporation, a publicly traded company which owns and operates a diverse fleet of power generation across the United States and Canada.
The Board believes that Ms. Ressels risk management and financial experience in both the private and public sectors benefits the Funds.
Ann Barnett Stern, Trustee
Ann Barnett Stern has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2017.
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Ms. Stern is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Houston Endowment Inc., a private philanthropic institution. She has served in this capacity since 2012. Formerly, Ms. Stern served in various capacities at Texas Childrens Hospital from 2003 to 2012, including General Counsel and Executive Vice President.
Previously, Ms. Stern served as a member of the Dallas Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, from 2013 through 2018.
The Board believes that Ms. Sterns knowledge of financial services and investment management and her experience as a director, and other professional experience gained through her prior employment benefit the Funds.
Robert C. Troccoli, Trustee
Robert C. Troccoli has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2016.
Mr. Troccoli retired in 2010 after a 39-year career with KPMG LLP. From 2013 to 2017, he was an adjunct professor at the University of Denvers Daniels College of Business.
Mr. Troccolis leadership roles during his career with KPMG included managing partner and partner in charge of the Denver offices Financial Services Practice. He served regulated investment companies, investment advisors, private partnerships, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, and financial services companies. Toward the end of his career, Mr. Troccoli was a founding member of KPMGs Private Equity Group in New York City, where he served private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds. Mr. Troccoli also served mutual fund clients along with several large private equity firms as Global Lead Partner of KPMGs Private Equity Group.
The Board believes that Mr. Troccolis experience as a partner in a large accounting firm and his knowledge of investment companies, investment advisors, and private equity firms benefits the Funds.
Daniel S. Vandivort, Trustee
Daniel S. Vandivort has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019. From 2014 to 2019, Mr. Vandivort served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex.
Mr. Vandivort is currently Treasurer, Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee and Trustee of the Board of Trustees at Huntington Disease Foundation of America. He also serves as President of Flyway Advisory Services LLC, a consulting and property management company.
Previously, Mr. Vandivort served as Chairman and Lead Independent Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee and Director of Value Line Funds from 2008 through 2014.
The Board believes that Mr. Vandivorts experience in financial services and investment management and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.
James D. Vaughn, Trustee
James D. Vaughn has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019. From 2012 to 2019, Mr. Vaughn served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex.
Prior to his retirement, Mr. Vaughn served as managing partner of the Denver office of Deloitte & Touche LLP, and held various positions in the Denver and New York offices of Deloitte & Touche LLP during his 32 year career.
Mr. Vaughn has served as a Board member and Chairman of the Audit Committee of AMG National Trust Bank since 2005. He also serves as a Trustee and member of the Investment Committee of the University of South Dakota Foundation. In addition, Mr. Vaughn has served as a Board member, Audit Committee member and past Board Chair of Junior Achievement since 1993.
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Previously, Mr. Vaughn served as Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Schroder Funds from 2003 to 2012. He also previously served as a Board Member of Mile High United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, Economic Club of Colorado and Metro Denver Network.
The Board believes that Mr. Vaughns experience in financial services and accounting and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.
Christopher L. Wilson, Trustee, Vice Chair and Chair Designate
Christopher L. Wilson has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2017. He has served as Chair Designate since March 27, 2019 and Vice Chair since June 10, 2019.
Mr. Wilson started a career in the investment management business in 1980. From 2004 to 2009, Mr. Wilson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Funds, a mutual fund complex with over $350 billion in assets. From 2009 to 2017, Mr. Wilson served as a Managing Partner of CT2, LLC, an early stage investing and consulting firm for start-up companies.
From 2014 to 2016, Mr. Wilson served as a member of the Board of Directors of the mutual fund company managed by TDAM USA Inc., an affiliate of TD Bank, N.A.
Mr. Wilson also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of ISO New England, Inc., the company that establishes the wholesale electricity market and manages the electrical power grid in New England. Mr. Wilson is currently the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, which also oversees cybersecurity, and a member of the systems planning committee of ISO-NE, Inc. He previously served as chair of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee and was a member of the Markets Committee. He has served on the ISO New England, Inc. board since 2011.
The Board believes that Mr. Wilsons knowledge of financial services and investment management, his experience as a director and audit committee member of other companies, including a mutual fund company, and other professional experience gained through his prior employment benefit the Funds.
The Trustees have the authority to take all actions that they consider necessary or appropriate in connection with oversight of the Trust, including, among other things, approving the investment objectives, investment policies and fundamental investment restrictions for the Funds. The Trust has entered into agreements with various service providers, including the Funds investment advisers, administrator, transfer agent, distributor and custodians, to conduct the day-to-day operations of the Funds. The Trustees are responsible for selecting these service providers, approving the terms of their contracts with the Funds, and exercising general oversight of these arrangements on an ongoing basis.
Certain Trustees and officers of the Trust are affiliated with Invesco and Invesco Ltd., the parent corporation of Invesco. All of the Trusts executive officers hold similar offices with some or all of the other Trusts.
Leadership Structure and the Board of Trustees. The Board is currently composed of seventeen Trustees, including sixteen Trustees who are not interested persons of the Funds, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (collectively, the Independent Trustees and each, an Independent Trustee). In addition to eight regularly scheduled meetings per year, the Board holds special meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may require action prior to the next regular meeting. As discussed below, the Board has established five standing committees the Audit Committee, the Compliance Committee, the Governance Committee, the Investments Committee and the Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee (the Committees), to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.
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The Board has appointed an Independent Trustee to serve in the role of Chairman. The Chairmans primary role is to preside at meetings of the Board and act as a liaison with the Adviser and other service providers, officers, including the Senior Officer of the Trust, attorneys, and other Trustees between meetings. The Chairman also participates in the preparation of the agenda for the meetings of the Board, is active with mutual fund industry organizations, and may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. Except for any duties specified pursuant to the Trusts Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of Chairman does not impose on such Independent Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board generally.
The Board believes that its leadership structure, including having an Independent Trustee as Chairman, allows for effective communication between the Trustees and management, among the Trustees and among the Independent Trustees. The existing Board structure, including its Committee structure, provides the Independent Trustees with effective control over Board governance while also allowing them to receive and benefit from insight from the interested Trustee who is an active officer of the Funds investment adviser. The Boards leadership structure promotes dialogue and debate, which the Board believes allows for the proper consideration of matters deemed important to the Funds and their shareholders and results in effective decision-making.
Risk Oversight. The Board considers risk management issues as part of its general oversight responsibilities throughout the year at its regular meetings and at regular meetings of its Committees. Invesco prepares regular reports that address certain investment, valuation and compliance matters, and the Board as a whole or the Committees also receive special written reports or presentations on a variety of risk issues at the request of the Board, a Committee or the Senior Officer.
The Board also considers liquidity risk management issues as part of its general oversight responsibilities and oversees the Trusts liquidity risk through, among other things, receiving periodic reporting and presentations by Invesco personnel that address liquidity matters. As required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, has approved the Trusts Liquidity Risk Management (LRM) Program, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage the Trusts liquidity risk, and has appointed the LRM Program Administrator that is responsible for administering the LRM Program. The Board also reviews, no less frequently than annually, a written report prepared by the LRM Program Administrator that addresses, among other items, the operation of the program and assesses its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation.
The Audit Committee is apprised by, and discusses with, management its policies on risk assessment and risk management. Such discussion includes a discussion of the guidelines governing the process by which risks are assessed and managed and an identification of each Funds major financial risk exposures. In addition, the Audit Committee meets regularly with representatives of Invesco Ltd.s internal audit group to review reports on their examinations of functions and processes within Invesco that affect the Funds.
The Compliance Committee receives regular compliance reports prepared by Invescos compliance group and meets regularly with the Funds Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) to discuss compliance issues, including compliance risks. The Compliance Committee has recommended and the Board has adopted compliance policies and procedures for the Funds and for the Funds service providers. The compliance policies and procedures are designed to detect, prevent and correct violations of the federal securities laws.
The Governance Committee monitors the composition of the Board and each of its Committees and monitors the qualifications of the Trustees to ensure adherence to certain governance undertakings applicable to the Funds. In addition, the Governance Committee oversees an annual self-assessment of the Board and addresses governance risks, including insurance and fidelity bond matters, for the Trust.
The Investments Committee and its sub-committees receive regular written reports describing and analyzing the investment performance of the Invesco Funds. In addition, Invescos Chief Investment Officers and the portfolio managers of the Funds meet regularly with the Investments Committee or its sub-committees to discuss portfolio performance, including investment risk, such as the impact on the Funds of
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investments in particular types of securities or instruments, such as derivatives. To the extent that a Fund changes a particular investment strategy that could have a material impact on the Funds risk profile, the Board generally is consulted in advance with respect to such change.
The Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee monitors fair valuation of portfolio securities based on management reports that include explanations of the reasons for the fair valuation and the methodology used to arrive at the fair value.
The members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Arch, Crockett, LaCava (Chair), Troccoli and Vaughn (Vice Chair), and Mss. Hostetler, Krentzman and Ressel. The Audit Committee performs a number of functions with respect to the oversight of the Funds accounting and financial reporting, including: (i) assisting the Board with its oversight of the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent registered public accountants; (ii) selecting independent registered public accountants for the Funds; (iii) to the extent required, pre-approving certain audit and permissible non-audit services; (iv) overseeing the financial reporting process for the Funds; (v) assisting the Board with its oversight of the integrity of the Funds financial statements and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Funds accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; and (vi) pre-approving engagements for non-audit services to be provided by the Funds independent auditors to the Funds investment adviser or to any of its affiliates. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, the Audit Committee held six meetings.
The members of the Compliance Committee are Messrs. Arch (Chair), Motley, Troccoli and Vaughn, and Mss. Brown, Hostetler, Krentzman and Ressel (Vice Chair). The Compliance Committee performs a number of functions with respect to compliance matters, including: (i) reviewing and making recommendations concerning the qualifications, performance and compensation of the Funds Chief Compliance Officer; (ii) reviewing recommendations and reports made by the Chief Compliance Officer or Senior Officer of the Funds regarding compliance matters; (iii) overseeing compliance policies and procedures of the Funds and their service providers; (iv) overseeing potential conflicts of interest that are reported to the Compliance Committee by Invesco, the Chief Compliance Officer, or the Senior Officer; (v) reviewing reports prepared by a third partys compliance review of Invesco; (vi) if requested by the Board, overseeing risk management with respect to the Funds, including receiving and overseeing risk management reports from Invesco that are applicable to the Funds and their service providers; and (vii) reviewing reports by Invesco on correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies with respect to the Funds and recommending to the Board what action, if any, should be taken by the Funds in light of such reports. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, the Compliance Committee held five meetings.
The members of the Governance Committee are Messrs. Crockett, Fields (Chair), LaCava, Vandivort and Wilson, Ms. Stern (Vice Chair) and Drs. Jones and Mathai-Davis. The Governance Committee performs a number of functions with respect to governance, including: (i) nominating persons to serve as Independent Trustees and as members of each Committee, and nominating the Chair of the Board and the Chair and Vice Chair of each Committee; (ii) reviewing and making recommendations to the full Board regarding the size and composition of the Board and the compensation payable to the Independent Trustees;(iii) overseeing the annual evaluation of the performance of the Board and its Committees; (iv) considering and overseeing the selection of independent legal counsel to the Independent Trustees; (v) reviewing and approving the compensation paid to the Senior Officer; (vi) reviewing administrative and/or logistical matters pertaining to the operations of the Board; and (vii) reviewing annually recommendations from Invesco regarding amounts and coverage of primary and excess directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance and allocation of premiums. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, the Governance Committee held seven meetings.
The Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by a shareholder to serve as trustees, provided: (i) that such submitting shareholder is a shareholder of record at the time he or she submits such names and is entitled to vote at the meeting of shareholders at which trustees will be elected; and (ii) that the Governance Committee or the Board, as applicable, shall make the final determination of persons to be nominated. Notice procedures set forth in the Trusts bylaws require that any shareholder of
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a Fund desiring to nominate a candidate for election at a shareholder meeting must provide certain information about itself and the candidate, and must submit to the Trusts Secretary the nomination in writing not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day, nor earlier than the close of business on the 120th day, prior to the first anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days or delayed by more than 60 days from such anniversary date or if the Trust has not previously held an annual meeting, notice by the Shareholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Trust.
The members of the Investments Committee are Messrs. Arch, Crockett (Chair), Fields, Flanagan, LaCava, Motley, Troccoli, Vandivort, Vaughn and Wilson (Vice Chair), Mss. Brown, Hostetler (Vice Chair), Krentzman, Ressel and Stern (Vice Chair) and Drs. Jones and Mathai-Davis. The Investments Committees primary purposes are to assist the Board in its oversight of the investment management services provided by Invesco and the Sub-Advisers and to periodically review Fund performance information, information regarding the Funds trading practices and such other reports pertaining to portfolio securities transactions and information regarding the investment personnel and other resources devoted to the management of the Funds and make recommendations to the Board, when applicable. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, the Investments Committee held five meetings.
The Investments Committee has established three Sub-Committees and delegated to the Sub-Committees responsibility for, among other matters: (i) reviewing the performance of the Funds that have been assigned to a particular Sub-Committee (for each Sub-Committee, the Designated Funds), except to the extent the Investments Committee takes such action directly; (ii) reviewing with the applicable portfolio managers from time to time the investment objective(s), policies, strategies, performance and risks and other investment-related matters of the Designated Funds; and (iii) being generally familiar with the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of the Designated Funds.
The members of the Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee are Messrs. Fields, Motley, Vandivort and Wilson, Mss. Brown and Stern and Drs. Jones (Vice Chair) and Mathai-Davis (Chair). The Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee performs a number of functions with respect to valuation, distribution and proxy voting, including: (i) reviewing reports and making recommendations to the full Board regarding the Funds valuation methods and determinations, and annually approving and making recommendations to the full Board regarding pricing procedures; (ii) reviewing Invescos annual report evaluating the pricing vendors, and approving and recommending that the full Board approve changes to pricing vendors and pricing methodologies; (iii) reviewing reports and making recommendations to the full Board regarding mutual fund distribution and marketing channels and expenditures; (iv) reviewing reports and making recommendations to the full Board regarding proxy voting guidelines, policies and procedures; and (v) receiving reports regarding actual or potential conflicts of interest by investment personnel or others that could affect their input or recommendations regarding pricing issues and, if appropriate, consulting with the Compliance Committee about such conflicts. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, the Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee held five meetings.
Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares
The dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each trustee (i) in the Funds and (ii) on an aggregate basis, in all registered investment companies overseen by the trustee within the Invesco Funds complex, is set forth in Appendix C.
Each Trustee who is not affiliated with Invesco is compensated for his or her services according to a fee schedule that recognizes the fact that such Trustee also serves as a Trustee of other Invesco Funds. Each such Trustee receives a fee, allocated among the Invesco Funds for which he or she serves as a Trustee that consists of an annual retainer component and a meeting fee component. The Chair of the Board and of each Committee and Sub-Committee receive additional compensation for their services.
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Information regarding compensation paid or accrued for each Trustee of the Trust who was not affiliated with Invesco during the year ended December 31, 2019 is found in Appendix D.
The Trustees have adopted a retirement policy that permits each Trustee to serve until December 31 of the year in which the Trustee turns 75.
Pre-Amendment Retirement Plan For Trustees
The Trustees have adopted a Retirement Plan for the Trustees who are not affiliated with the Adviser. A description of the pre-amendment Retirement Plan follows. Annual retirement benefits are available from the Funds and/or the other Invesco Funds for which a Trustee serves (each, a Covered Fund), for each Trustee who is not an employee or officer of the Adviser, who either (a) became a Trustee prior to December 1, 2008, and who has at least five years of credited service as a Trustee (including service to a predecessor fund) of a Covered Fund, or (b) was a member of the Board of Trustees of a Van Kampen Fund immediately prior to June 1, 2010 (Former Van Kampen Trustee), and has at least one year of credited service as a Trustee of a Covered Fund after June 1, 2010.
For Trustees other than Former Van Kampen Trustees, effective January 1, 2006, for retirements after December 31, 2005, the retirement benefits will equal 75% of the Trustees annual retainer paid to or accrued by any Covered Fund with respect to such Trustee during the twelve-month period prior to retirement, including the amount of any retainer deferred under a separate deferred compensation agreement between the Covered Fund and the Trustee. The amount of the annual retirement benefit does not include additional compensation paid for Board meeting fees or compensation paid to the Chair of the Board and the Chairs and Vice Chairs of certain Board committees, whether such amounts are paid directly to the Trustee or deferred. The annual retirement benefit is payable in quarterly installments for a number of years equal to the lesser of (i) sixteen years or (ii) the number of such Trustees credited years of service. If a Trustee dies prior to receiving the full amount of retirement benefits, the remaining payments will be made to the deceased Trustees designated beneficiary for the same length of time that the Trustee would have received the payments based on his or her service or, if the Trustee has elected, in a discounted lump sum payment. A Trustee must have attained the age of 65 (60 in the event of disability) to receive any retirement benefit. A Trustee may make an irrevocable election to commence payment of retirement benefits upon retirement from the Board before age 72; in such a case, the annual retirement benefit is subject to a reduction for early payment.
If the Former Van Kampen Trustee completes at least 10 years of credited service after June 1, 2010, the retirement benefit will equal 75% of the Former Van Kampen Trustees annual retainer paid to or accrued by any Covered Fund with respect to such Trustee during the twelve-month period prior to retirement, including the amount of any retainer deferred under a separate deferred compensation agreement between the Covered Fund and such Trustee. The amount of the annual retirement benefit does not include additional compensation paid for Board meeting fees or compensation paid to the Chair of the Board and the Chairs and Vice Chairs of certain Board committees, whether such amounts are paid directly to the Trustee or deferred. The annual retirement benefit is payable in quarterly installments for 10 years beginning after the later of the Former Van Kampen Trustees termination of service or attainment of age 72 (or age 60 in the event of disability or immediately in the event of death). If a Former Van Kampen Trustee dies prior to receiving the full amount of retirement benefits, the remaining payments will be made to the deceased Trustees designated beneficiary or, if the Trustee has elected, in a discounted lump sum payment.
If the Former Van Kampen Trustee completes less than 10 years of credited service after June 1, 2010, the retirement benefit will be payable at the applicable time described in the preceding paragraph, but will be paid in two components successively. For the period of time equal to the Former Van Kampen Trustees years of credited service after June 1, 2010, the first component of the annual retirement benefit will equal 75% of the compensation amount described in the preceding paragraph. Thereafter, for the period of time equal to the Former Van Kampen Trustees years of credited service after June 1, 2010, the second component of the annual retirement benefit will equal the excess of (x) 75% of the compensation amount
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described in the preceding paragraph, over (y) $68,041 plus an interest factor of 4% per year compounded annually measured from June 1, 2010 through the first day of each year for which payments under this second component are to be made. In no event, however, will the retirement benefits under the two components be made for a period of time greater than 10 years. For example, if the Former Van Kampen Trustee completes 7 years of credited service after June 1, 2010, he or she will receive 7 years of payments under the first component and thereafter 3 years of payments under the second component, and if the Former Van Kampen Trustee completes 4 years of credited service after June 1, 2010, he or she will receive 4 years of payments under the first component and thereafter 4 years of payments under the second component.
Amendment of Retirement Plan and Conversion to Defined Contribution Plan
The Trustees approved an amendment to the Retirement Plan to convert it to a defined contribution plan for active Trustees (the Amended Plan). Under the Amended Plan, the benefit amount was amended for each active Trustee to the present value of the Trustees existing retirement plan benefit as of December 31, 2013 (the Existing Plan Benefit) plus the present value of retirement benefits expected to be earned under the Retirement Plan through the end of the calendar year in which the Trustee attained age 75 (the Expected Future Benefit and, together with the Existing Plan Benefit, the Accrued Benefit). On the conversion date, the Covered Funds established bookkeeping accounts in the amount of their pro rata share of the Accrued Benefit, which is deemed to be invested in one or more Invesco Funds selected by the participating Trustees. Such accounts will be adjusted from time to time to reflect deemed investment earnings and losses. Each Trustees Accrued Benefit is not funded and, with respect to the payments of amounts held in the accounts, the participating Trustees have the status of unsecured creditors of the Covered Funds. Trustees will be paid the adjusted account balance under the Amended Plan in quarterly installments for the same period as described above.
Deferred Compensation Agreements
Three retired Trustees, as well as Messrs. Crockett, LaCava, Motley, Troccoli, Vandivort, Vaughn and Wilson, Mss. Hostetler and Stern and Drs. Jones and Mathai-Davis (for purposes of this paragraph only, the Deferring Trustees) have each executed a Deferred Compensation Agreement (collectively, the Compensation Agreements). Pursuant to the Compensation Agreements, the Deferring Trustees have the option to elect to defer receipt of up to 100% of their compensation payable by the Funds, and such amounts are placed into a deferral account and deemed to be invested in one or more Invesco Funds selected by the Deferring Trustees.
Distributions from these deferral accounts will be paid in cash, generally in equal quarterly installments over a period of up to ten (10) years (depending on the Compensation Agreement) beginning on the date selected under the Compensation Agreement. If a Deferring Trustee dies prior to the distribution of amounts in his or her deferral account, the balance of the deferral account will be distributed to his or her designated beneficiary. The Compensation Agreements are not funded and, with respect to the payments of amounts held in the deferral accounts, the Deferring Trustees have the status of unsecured creditors of the Funds and of each other Invesco Fund from which they are deferring compensation.
Purchase of Class A Shares of the Funds at Net Asset Value
The Trustees and certain other affiliated persons of the Trust may purchase Class A shares of the Invesco Funds without paying an initial sales charge. Invesco Distributors permits such purchases because there is a reduced sales effort involved in sales to such purchasers, thereby resulting in relatively low expenses of distribution. For a complete description of the persons who will not pay an initial sales charge on purchases of Class A shares of the Invesco Funds, see Appendix L Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares Purchase and Redemption of Shares Class A Shares Sold Without an Initial Sales Charge.
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Purchases of Class Y Shares of the Funds
The Trustees and certain other affiliated persons of the Trust may purchase Class Y shares of the Invesco Funds. For a description please see Appendix L Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares Purchase and Redemption of Shares Purchases of Class Y Shares.
Invesco, the Trust, Invesco Distributors and certain of the Sub-Advisers each have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all Invesco Fund trustees and officers, and employees of Invesco, the Sub-Advisers and their affiliates, and governs, among other things, the personal trading activities of all such persons. Certain Sub-Advisers have adopted their own Code of Ethics. Each Code of Ethics is designed to detect and prevent improper personal trading by portfolio managers and certain other employees that could compete with or take advantage of the Funds portfolio transactions. Unless specifically noted, to the extent a Sub-Adviser has adopted its own Code of Ethics, each Sub-Advisers Code of Ethics does not materially differ from Invescos Code of Ethics discussed below. The Code of Ethics is intended to address conflicts of interest with the Trust that may arise from personal trading in the Invesco Funds. Personal trading, including personal trading involving securities that may be purchased or held by an Invesco Fund, is permitted under the Code of Ethics subject to certain restrictions; however, employees are required to pre-clear security transactions with the Compliance Officer or a designee and to report transactions on a regular basis.
Invesco has adopted its own specific Proxy Voting Policies.
The Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the following Adviser/Sub-Adviser(s):
Fund Name |
Adviser/Sub-Adviser | |
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund | Invesco Advisers, Inc. |
Invesco (the Proxy Voting Entity) will vote such proxies in accordance with the proxy voting policies and procedures, as outlined above, which have been reviewed and approved by the Board, and which are found in Appendix E. Any material changes to the proxy voting policies and procedures will be submitted to the Board for approval. The Board will be supplied with a summary quarterly report of the Funds proxy voting record. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities during the twelve months ended June 30, 2019 will be available without charge at our website, http://www.invesco.com/us. This information will also be available at the SEC website, http://www.sec.gov.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Information about the ownership of each class of the Funds shares by beneficial or record owners of the Fund and ownership of Fund shares by trustees and officers as a group is found in Appendix F. A shareholder who owns beneficially 25% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund is presumed to control the Fund.
Invesco serves as the Funds investment adviser. The Adviser manages the investment operations of the Fund as well as other investment portfolios that encompass a broad range of investment objectives, and has agreed to perform or arrange for the performance of the Funds day-to-day management. The Adviser, as successor in interest to multiple investment advisers, has been an investment adviser since 1976. Invesco Advisers, Inc. is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. Invesco Ltd. and its subsidiaries are an independent global investment management group. Certain of the directors and officers of Invesco are also executive officers of the Trust and their affiliations are shown under Management Information herein.
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As investment adviser, Invesco supervises all aspects of the Funds operations and provides investment advisory services to the Fund. Invesco obtains and evaluates economic, statistical and financial information to formulate and implement investment programs for the Fund. The Master Investment Advisory Agreement (Advisory Agreement) provides that, in fulfilling its responsibilities, Invesco may engage the services of other investment managers with respect to one or more of the Fund. The investment advisory services of Invesco are not exclusive and Invesco is free to render investment advisory services to others, including other investment companies.
Pursuant to an administrative services agreement with the Fund, Invesco is also responsible for furnishing to the Fund, at Invescos expense, the services of persons believed to be competent to perform all supervisory and administrative services required by the Fund, which in the judgment of the trustees, are necessary to conduct the business of the Fund effectively, as well as the offices, equipment and other facilities necessary for its operations. Such functions include the maintenance of the Funds accounts and records, and the preparation of all requisite corporate documents such as tax returns and reports to the SEC and shareholders.
The Advisory Agreement provides that the Fund will pay or cause to be paid all expenses of such Fund not assumed by Invesco, including, without limitation: brokerage commissions, taxes, legal, auditing or governmental fees, custodian, transfer and shareholder service agent costs, expenses of issue, sale, redemption, and repurchase of shares, expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale, expenses relating to trustee and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing and distributing reports and notices to shareholders, the fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust on behalf of the Fund in connection with membership in investment company organizations, and the cost of printing copies of prospectuses and statements of additional information distributed to the Funds shareholders.
Invesco, at its own expense, furnishes to the Trust office space and facilities. Invesco furnishes to the Trust all personnel for managing the affairs of the Trust and each of its series of shares.
Pursuant to its Advisory Agreement with the Trust, Invesco receives a monthly fee from the Fund calculated at the annual rates indicated in the second column below, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund during the year. The Fund allocates advisory fees to a class based on the relative net assets of each class.
Fund Name |
Annual Rate/Net Assets
Per Advisory Agreement Annual Rate |
|||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund* |
First $500 million | 0.40 | % | |||||
Next $500 million | 0.35 | % | ||||||
Next $500 million | 0.30 | % | ||||||
Over $1.5 billion | 0.28 | % |
* |
The advisory fee payable by the Fund shall be reduced by any amounts paid by the Fund under the administrative services agreement with Invesco. |
Invesco may from time to time waive or reduce its fee. Voluntary fee waivers or reductions may be rescinded at any time without further notice to investors. During periods of voluntary fee waivers or reductions, Invesco will retain its ability to be reimbursed for such fee prior to the end of the respective fiscal year in which the voluntary fee waiver or reduction was made.
Invesco has contractually agreed through at least June 30, 2022, to waive advisory fees payable by the Fund in an amount equal to 100% of the net advisory fee Invesco receives from the Affiliated Money Market Funds as a result of the Funds investment of uninvested cash in the Affiliated Money Market Funds. See Description of the Fund and Its Investments and Risks Investment Strategies and Risks Other Investments Other Investment Companies.
Invesco also has contractually agreed to waive advisory fees or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to limit the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding (i) interest; (ii) taxes; (iii) dividend expenses on short sales; (iv) extraordinary or non-routine items, including litigation expenses; and (v) expenses that the Fund has incurred but did not actually pay because of an expense offset arrangement, if applicable). The expense limitations for the following Funds shares are:
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Fund |
Annual Rate/Net Assets Per
Expense Limitation Agreement |
Expiration Date | ||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund |
||||||||||
Class A Shares |
0.70 | % | June 30, 2021 | |||||||
Class C Shares |
1.25 | % | June 30, 2021 | |||||||
Class Y Shares |
0.45 | % | June 30, 2021 | |||||||
Class R6 Shares |
0.35 | % | June 30, 2021 |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are not operating expenses of the Fund directly, but are fees and expenses, including management fees of the investment companies in which the Fund invests. As a result, the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement may exceed the Funds expense limit.
If applicable, such contractual fee waivers or reductions are set forth in the fee table to the Funds Prospectus. Unless Invesco continues the fee waiver agreements, they will terminate as indicated above. During their terms, the fee waiver agreements cannot be terminated or amended to increase the expense limits or reduce the advisory fee waiver without approval of the Board. The management fees are found in Appendix G.
Invesco has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with certain affiliates to serve as sub-advisers to the Fund (each a Sub-Adviser), pursuant to which these affiliated sub-advisers may be appointed by Invesco from time to time to provide discretionary investment management services, investment advice, and/or order execution services to the Fund. These affiliated sub-advisers, each of which is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act are:
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited (Invesco Japan)
Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH (Invesco Deutschland)
Invesco Asset Management Limited (Invesco Asset Management)
Invesco Canada Ltd. (Invesco Canada)
Invesco Hong Kong Limited (Invesco Hong Kong)
Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (Invesco Senior Secured).
Invesco has also entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with another affiliate, Invesco Capital Management LLC (Invesco Capital), also a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, to provide discretionary investment management services, investment advice, and/or order execution services to the Fund.
Invesco has also entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with another affiliate, Invesco Asset Management (India) Private Limited (Invesco India), also a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, to provide discretionary investment management services, investment advice, and/or order execution services to the Fund.
The only fees payable to the Sub-Advisers described above under the Sub-Advisory Agreement are for providing discretionary investment management services. For such services, Invesco will pay each Sub-Adviser a fee, computed daily and paid monthly, equal to (i) 40% of the monthly compensation that Invesco receives from the Trust, multiplied by (ii) the fraction equal to the net assets of such Fund as to which such Sub-Adviser shall have provided discretionary investment management services for that month divided by the net assets of such Fund for that month. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, this fee is reduced to reflect contractual or voluntary fee waivers or expense limitations by Invesco, if any, in effect from time to time. In no event shall the aggregate monthly fees paid to the Sub-Advisers under the Sub-Advisory Agreement exceed 40% of the monthly compensation that Invesco receives from the Trust pursuant to its advisory agreement with the Trust, as reduced to reflect contractual or voluntary fee waivers or expense limitations by Invesco, if any.
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Invesco has also entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with OppenheimerFunds, Inc., also a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, to provide discretionary investment management services, investment advice, and/or order execution services to the Fund. Under the sub-advisory agreement, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a percentage of the net investment advisory fee (after all applicable waivers) that it receives from the Fund as compensation for the provision of investment advisory services. The fee paid to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement is paid by the Adviser, not by the Fund.
Invesco and each Sub-Adviser are indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Invesco Ltd.
Administrative Services Agreement. Invesco and the Trust have entered into a Master Administrative Services Agreement (Administrative Services Agreement) pursuant to which Invesco may perform or arrange for the provision of certain accounting and other administrative services to the Fund which are not required to be performed by Invesco under the Advisory Agreement. The Administrative Services Agreement provides that it will remain in effect and continue from year to year only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board, including the independent trustees, by votes cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose. Under the Administrative Services Agreement, Invesco is entitled to receive from the Fund reimbursement of its costs or such reasonable compensation. The advisory fee payable by the Fund shall be reduced by any amounts paid by the Fund under the Administrative Services Agreement. Currently, Invesco is reimbursed for the services of the Trusts principal financial officer and her staff and any expenses related to fund accounting services.
Administrative services fees paid to Invesco by the Fund are found in Appendix I.
Transfer Agent. Invesco Investment Services, Inc., (Invesco Investment Services), 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., is the Trusts transfer agent.
The Transfer Agency and Service Agreement (the TA Agreement) between the Trust and Invesco Investment Services provides that Invesco Investment Services will perform certain services related to the servicing of shareholders of the Fund. Other such services may be delegated or sub-contracted to third party intermediaries. For servicing accounts holding Class A, A2, AX, C, CX, P, R, RX, S, Y, Invesco Cash Reserve and Investor Class shares, as applicable, the TA Agreement provides that the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, will pay Invesco Investment Services an annual fee per open shareholder account plus certain out of pocket expenses. This fee is paid monthly at the rate of 1/12 of the annual rate and is based upon the number of open shareholder accounts during each month. For servicing accounts holding Class R5 and Class R6 shares, as applicable, the TA Agreement provides that the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, will pay Invesco Investment Services a fee per trade executed, to be billed monthly, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, all fees payable by Invesco Investment Services or its affiliates to third party intermediaries who service accounts pursuant to sub-transfer agency, omnibus account services and sub-accounting agreements are charged back to the Fund, subject to certain limitations approved by the Board of the Trust. These payments are made in consideration of services that would otherwise be provided by Invesco Investment Services if the accounts serviced by such intermediaries were serviced by Invesco Investment Services directly. For more information regarding such payments to intermediaries, see the discussion under Sub-Accounting and Networking Support Payments in Appendix L.
Sub-Transfer Agent. Invesco Canada, 5140 Yonge Street, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2N6X7, a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., provides services to the Trust as a sub-transfer agent, pursuant to an agreement between Invesco Canada and Invesco Investment Services. The Trust does not pay a fee to Invesco Canada for these services. Rather Invesco Canada is compensated by Invesco Investment Services, as a sub-contractor.
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Custodian. State Street Bank and Trust Company (the Custodian), 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-2801, is the custodian of all securities and cash of the Fund.
The Custodian and sub-custodian are authorized to establish separate accounts in foreign countries and to cause foreign securities owned by the Funds to be held outside the United States in branches of U.S. banks and, to the extent permitted by applicable regulations, in certain foreign banks and securities depositories. Invesco is responsible for selecting eligible foreign securities depositories and for assessing the risks associated with investing in foreign countries, including the risk of using eligible foreign securities depositories in a country. The Custodian is responsible for monitoring eligible foreign securities depositories.
Under its contract with the Trust, the custodian maintains the portfolio securities of the Fund, administers the purchases and sales of portfolio securities, collects interest and dividends and other distributions made on the securities held in the portfolio of the Fund and performs other ministerial duties. These services do not include any supervisory function over management or provide any protection against any possible depreciation of assets.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Funds independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the financial statements of the Fund. The Audit Committee of the Board has appointed, and the Board has ratified and approved, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 5800, Houston, Texas 77002-5021, as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the financial statements of the Fund. In connection with the audit of the Funds financial statements, the Fund entered into an engagement letter with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The terms of the engagement letter required by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and agreed to by the Funds Audit Committee, include a provision mandating the use of mediation and arbitration to resolve any controversy or claim between the parties arising out of or relating to the engagement letter or the services provided thereunder. Financial statements for the predecessor fund for periods ending on or prior to May 24, 2019 were audited by the predecessor funds auditor, KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, which is different than the Funds auditor.
Counsel to the Trust. Legal matters for the Trust have been passed upon by Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7018.
Securities Lending Arrangements
The Advisory Agreement describes the administrative services to be rendered by Invesco if a Fund engages in securities lending activities, as well as the compensation Invesco may receive for such administrative services. Services to be provided include: (a) overseeing participation in the securities lending program to ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory and investment guidelines; (b) assisting the securities lending agent or principal (the agent) in determining which specific securities are available for loan; (c) monitoring the agent to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with Invescos instructions and with procedures adopted by the Board; (d) preparing appropriate periodic reports for, and seeking appropriate approvals from, the Board with respect to securities lending activities; (e) responding to agent inquiries; and (f) performing such other duties as may be necessary.
The Advisory Agreement authorizes Invesco to receive a separate fee equal to 25% of the net monthly interest or fee income retained or paid to the Fund for the administrative services that Invesco renders in connection with securities lending. Invesco has contractually agreed, however, not to charge this fee and to obtain Board approval prior to charging such fee in the future.
Appendix H contains the following information regarding the portfolio managers identified in the Funds prospectus:
|
The dollar range of the managers investments in the Fund. |
|
A description of the managers compensation structure. |
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|
Information regarding other accounts managed and potential conflicts of interest that might arise from the management of multiple accounts. |
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
The Sub-Advisers have adopted compliance procedures that cover, among other items, brokerage allocation and other trading practices. If all or a portion of a Funds assets are managed by one or more Sub-Advisers, the decision to buy and sell securities and broker selection will be made by the Sub-Adviser for the assets it manages. Unless specifically noted, the Sub-Advisers brokerage allocation procedures do not materially differ from Invesco Advisers, Inc.s procedures.
As discussed below, Invesco and the Sub-Advisers, unless prohibited by applicable law, may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a transaction that exceeds the amount another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting the same transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by that broker-dealer. Effective January 3, 2018, under the European Unions Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II), European Union investment advisers, including Invesco Deutschland and Invesco Asset Management, which may act as sub-adviser to the Fund as described in the Funds prospectus, must pay for research from broker-dealers directly out of their own resources, rather than through client commissions.
Placing trades generally involves acting on portfolio manager instructions to buy or sell a specified amount of portfolio securities, including selecting one or more broker-dealers, including affiliated and third-party broker-dealers, to execute the trades, and negotiating commissions and spreads. Various Invesco Ltd. subsidiaries have created a global equity trading desk. The global equity trading desk has assigned local traders in six primary trading centers to place equity securities trades in their regions. Invesco Advisers Americas desk, located in Atlanta and Toronto, generally places trades of equity securities trading in North America, Canada and Latin America; the Hong Kong desk of Invesco Hong Kong (the Hong Kong Desk) generally places trades of equity securities in the Asia-Pacific markets, except Japan and China; the Japan trading desk of Invesco Japan generally places trades of equity securities in the Japanese markets; the EMEA trading desk of Invesco Asset Management Limited (the EMEA Desk) generally places trades of equity securities in European, Middle Eastern and African countries; the Australian desk, located in Sydney and Melbourne, for the execution of orders of equity securities trading in the Australian and New Zealand markets and the Taipei desk, located in Taipei, for the execution of orders of securities trading in the Chinese market. Invesco, Invesco Canada, Invesco Japan, Invesco Deutschland, Invesco Hong Kong, Invesco Capital and Invesco Asset Management use the global equity trading desk to place equity trades. Other Sub-Advisers may use the global equity trading desk in the future. The trading procedures for the global trading desks are similar in all material respects.
References in the language below to actions by Invesco or a Sub-Adviser making determinations or taking actions related to equity trading include these entities delegation of these determinations/actions to the Americas Desk, the Hong Kong Desk, and the EMEA Desk. Even when trading is delegated by Invesco or the Sub-Advisers to the various arms of the global equity trading desk, Invesco or the Sub-Advisers that delegate trading is responsible for oversight of this trading activity.
Invesco or the Sub-Advisers make decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund, select broker-dealers (each, a Broker), effect the Funds investment portfolio transactions, allocate brokerage fees in such transactions and, where applicable, negotiate commissions and spreads on transactions. Invescos and the Sub-Advisers primary consideration in effecting a security transaction is to obtain best execution, which Invesco defines as prompt and efficient execution of the transaction at the best obtainable price with payment of commissions, mark-ups or mark-downs which are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage services provided by the Broker. While Invesco or the Sub-Advisers seek reasonably competitive commission rates, the Fund may not pay the lowest commission or spread available. See Broker Selection below.
Some of the securities in which the Fund invests are traded in OTC markets. Portfolio transactions in such markets may be effected on a principal basis at net prices without commissions, but which include
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compensation to the Broker in the form of a mark-up or mark-down, or on an agency basis, which involves the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions to the Broker, including electronic communication networks. Purchases of underwritten issues, which include initial public offerings and secondary offerings, include a commission or concession paid by the issuer (not the Fund) to the underwriter. Purchases of money market instruments may be made directly from issuers without the payment of commissions.
Historically, Invesco and the Sub-Advisers did not negotiate commission rates on stock markets outside the United States. In recent years many overseas stock markets have adopted a system of negotiated rates; however, a number of markets maintain an established schedule of minimum commission rates.
In some cases, Invesco may decide to place trades on a blind principal bid basis, which involves combining all trades for one or more portfolios into a single basket, and generating a description of the characteristics of the basket for provision to potential executing brokers. Based on the trade characteristics information provided by Invesco, these brokers submit bids for executing all of the required trades at a designated time for a specific commission rate. Invesco generally selects the broker with the lowest bid to execute these trades.
The Fund may engage in certain principal and agency transactions with banks and their affiliates that own 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of an Invesco Fund, provided the conditions of an exemptive order received by the Invesco Funds from the SEC are met. In addition, a Fund may purchase or sell a security from or to certain other Invesco Funds or other accounts (and may invest in the Affiliated Money Market Funds) provided the Fund follows procedures adopted by the Boards of the various Invesco Funds, including the Trust. These inter-fund transactions generally do not generate brokerage commissions but may result in custodial fees or taxes or other related expenses.
Brokerage commissions paid by the Fund are found in Appendix J.
Invescos or the Sub-Advisers primary consideration in selecting Brokers to execute portfolio transactions for an Invesco Fund is to obtain best execution. In selecting a Broker to execute a portfolio transaction in equity securities for a Fund, Invesco or the Sub-Advisers consider the full range and quality of a Brokers services, including the value of research and/or brokerage services provided (if permitted by applicable law or regulation), execution capability, commission rate, and willingness to commit capital, anonymity and responsiveness. Invescos and the Sub-Advisers primary consideration when selecting a Broker to execute a portfolio transaction in fixed income securities for a Fund is the Brokers ability to deliver or sell the relevant fixed income securities; however, Invesco and the Sub-Advisers will if permitted by applicable law or regulation, also consider the various factors listed above. In each case, the determinative factor is not the lowest commission or spread available but whether the transaction represents the best qualitative execution for the Fund. Invesco and the Sub-Advisers will not select Brokers based upon their promotion or sale of Fund shares.
Unless prohibited by applicable law, such as MiFID II (described herein), in choosing Brokers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, Invesco or the Sub-Advisers may select Brokers that are not affiliated with Invesco that provide brokerage and/or research services (Soft Dollar Products) to the Fund and/or the other accounts over which Invesco and its affiliates have investment discretion. For the avoidance of doubt, European Union investment advisers, including Invesco Deutschland and Invesco Asset Management, which may act as sub-adviser to certain Invesco Funds as described in such Funds prospectuses, must pay for research from broker-dealers directly out of their own resources, rather than through client commissions. Therefore, the use of the defined term Sub-Advisers throughout this section shall not be deemed to apply to those Sub-Advisers subject to the MiFID II prohibitions. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act provides that Invesco or the Sub-Advisers, under certain circumstances, lawfully may cause an account to pay a higher commission than the lowest available. Under Section 28(e)(1), Invesco or the Sub-Advisers must make a good faith determination that the commissions paid are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided... viewed in terms of either that
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particular transaction or [Invescos or the Sub-Advisers] overall responsibilities with respect to the accounts as to which [it] exercises investment discretion. The services provided by the Broker also must lawfully and appropriately assist Invesco or the Sub-Adviser in the performance of its investment decision-making responsibilities. Accordingly, a Fund may pay a Broker commissions higher than those available from another Broker in recognition of the Brokers provision of Soft Dollar Products to Invesco or the Sub-Advisers.
Invesco and the Sub-Advisers face a potential conflict of interest when they use client trades to obtain Soft Dollar Products. This conflict exists because Invesco and the Sub-Advisers are able to use the Soft Dollar Products to manage client accounts without paying cash for the Soft Dollar Products, which reduces Invescos or a Sub-Advisers expenses to the extent that Invesco or such Sub-Advisers would have purchased such products had they not been provided by Brokers. Section 28(e) permits Invesco or the Sub-Advisers to use Soft Dollar Products for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain Invesco-managed accounts (or accounts managed by the Sub-Advisers) may generate soft dollars used to purchase Soft Dollar Products that ultimately benefit other Invesco -managed accounts (or Sub-Adviser-managed accounts), effectively cross subsidizing the other Invesco-managed accounts (or the other Sub-Adviser-managed accounts) that benefit directly from the product. Invesco or the Sub-Advisers may not use all of the Soft Dollar Products provided by Brokers through which a Fund effects securities transactions in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
Invesco presently engages in the following instances of cross-subsidization:
Fixed income funds normally do not generate soft dollar commissions to pay for Soft Dollar Products. Therefore, soft dollar commissions used to pay for Soft Dollar Products which are used to manage certain fixed income Invesco Funds are generated entirely by equity Invesco Funds and other equity client accounts managed by Invesco. In other words, certain fixed income Invesco Funds are cross-subsidized by the equity Invesco Funds in that the fixed income Invesco Funds receive the benefit of Soft Dollar Products services for which they do not pay. Similarly, other accounts managed by Invesco or certain of its affiliates may benefit from Soft Dollar Products services for which they do not pay.
Invesco and the Sub-Advisers attempt to reduce or eliminate the potential conflicts of interest concerning the use of Soft Dollar Products by directing client trades for Soft Dollar Products only if Invesco or the Sub-Advisers conclude that the Broker supplying the product is capable of providing best execution.
Certain Soft Dollar Products may be available directly from a vendor on a hard dollar basis; other Soft Dollar Products are available only through Brokers in exchange for soft dollars. Invesco and the Sub-Advisers use soft dollars to purchase two types of Soft Dollar Products:
|
proprietary research created by the Broker executing the trade, and |
|
other products created by third parties that are supplied to Invesco or the Sub-Adviser through the Broker executing the trade. |
Proprietary research consists primarily of traditional research reports, recommendations and similar materials produced by the in-house research staffs of broker-dealer firms. This research includes evaluations and recommendations of specific companies or industry groups, as well as analyses of general economic and market conditions and trends, market data, contacts and other related information and assistance. Invesco periodically rates the quality of proprietary research produced by various Brokers. Based on the evaluation of the quality of information that Invesco receives from each Broker, Invesco develops an estimate of each Brokers share of Invesco clients commission dollars and attempts to direct trades to these firms to meet these estimates.
Invesco and the Sub-Advisers also use soft dollars to acquire products from third parties that are supplied to Invesco or the Sub-Advisers through Brokers executing the trades or other Brokers who step in to a transaction and receive a portion of the brokerage commission for the trade. Invesco or the Sub-Advisers may from time to time instruct the executing Broker to allocate or step out a portion of a transaction to another Broker. The Broker to which Invesco or the Sub-Advisers have stepped out would then settle and complete the designated portion of the transaction, and the executing Broker would settle
83
and complete the remaining portion of the transaction that has not been stepped out. Each Broker may receive a commission or brokerage fee with respect to that portion of the transaction that it settles and completes.
Soft Dollar Products received from Brokers supplement Invescos and the Sub-Advisers own research (and the research of certain of its affiliates), and may include the following types of products and services:
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Database Services comprehensive databases containing current and/or historical information on companies and industries and indices. Examples include historical securities prices, earnings estimates and financial data. These services may include software tools that allow the user to search the database or to prepare value-added analyses related to the investment process (such as forecasts and models used in the portfolio management process). |
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Quotation/Trading/News Systems products that provide real time market data information, such as pricing of individual securities and information on current trading, as well as a variety of news services. |
|
Economic Data/Forecasting Tools various macro economic forecasting tools, such as economic data or currency and political forecasts for various countries or regions. |
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Quantitative/Technical Analysis software tools that assist in quantitative and technical analysis of investment data. |
|
Fundamental/Industry Analysis industry specific fundamental investment research. |
|
Fixed Income Security Analysis data and analytical tools that pertain specifically to fixed income securities. These tools assist in creating financial models, such as cash flow projections and interest rate sensitivity analyses, which are relevant to fixed income securities. |
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Other Specialized Tools other specialized products, such as consulting analyses, access to industry experts, and distinct investment expertise such as forensic accounting or custom built investment-analysis software. |
If Invesco or the Sub-Advisers determine that any service or product has a mixed use (i.e., it also serves functions that do not assist the investment decision-making or trading process), Invesco or the Sub-Advisers will allocate the costs of such service or product accordingly in its reasonable discretion. Invesco or the Sub-Advisers will allocate brokerage commissions to Brokers only for the portion of the service or product that Invesco or the Sub-Advisers determine assists it in the investment decision-making or trading process and will pay for the remaining value of the product or service in cash.
Outside research assistance is useful to Invesco or the Sub-Advisers because the Brokers used by Invesco or the Sub-Advisers tend to provide more in-depth analysis of a broader universe of securities and other matters than Invescos or the Sub-Advisers staff follow. In addition, such services provide Invesco or the Sub-Advisers with a diverse perspective on financial markets. Some Brokers may indicate that the provision of research services is dependent upon the generation of certain specified levels of commissions and underwriting concessions by Invescos or the Sub-Advisers clients, including the Fund. However, the Fund is not under any obligation to deal with any Broker in the execution of transactions in portfolio securities. In some cases, Soft Dollar Products are available only from the Broker providing them. In other cases, Soft Dollar Products may be obtainable from alternative sources in return for cash payments. Invesco and the Sub-Advisers believe that because Broker research supplements rather than replaces Invescos or the Sub-Advisers research, the receipt of such research tends to improve the quality of Invescos or the Sub-Advisers investment advice. The advisory fee paid by the Fund is not reduced because Invesco or the Sub-Advisers receive such services. To the extent the Funds portfolio transactions are used to obtain Soft Dollar Products, the brokerage commissions obtained by the Fund might exceed those that might otherwise have been paid.
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Invesco or the Sub-Advisers may determine target levels of brokerage business with various Brokers on behalf of its clients (including the Fund) over a certain time period. Invesco determines target levels based upon the following factors, among others: (1) the execution services provided by the Broker; and (2) the research services provided by the Broker. Portfolio transactions may be effected through Brokers that recommend the Fund to its clients, or that act as agent in the purchase of a Funds shares for their clients, provided that Invesco or the Sub-Advisers believe such Brokers provide best execution and such transactions are executed in compliance with Invescos policy against using directed brokerage to compensate Brokers for promoting or selling Invesco Fund shares. Invesco and the Sub-Advisers will not enter into a binding commitment with Brokers to place trades with such Brokers involving brokerage commissions in precise amounts.
As noted above, under MiFID II, European Union investment advisers, including Invesco Deutschland and Invesco Asset Management, are not permitted to use Soft Dollar Products to pay for research from brokers but rather must pay for research out of their own profit and loss or have research costs paid by clients through research payment accounts that are funded by a specific client research charge or the research component of trade orders. Such payments for research must be unbundled from the payments for execution. As a result, Invesco Deutschland and Invesco Asset Management are restricted from using Soft Dollar Products in managing the Invesco Funds that they sub-advise.
Directed Brokerage (Research Services)
Directed Brokerage (Research Services)
Directed brokerage (research services) commissions are found in Appendix K.
The Adviser or Sub-Adviser may place trades with Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (ICMI), a broker-dealer with whom it is affiliated, provided the Adviser or Sub-Adviser determines that ICMIs trade execution abilities and costs are at least comparable to those of non-affiliated brokerage firms with which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser could otherwise place similar trades. ICMI receives brokerage commissions in connection with effecting trades for the Fund and, therefore, use of ICMI presents a conflict of interest for the Adviser or Sub-Adviser. Trades placed through ICMI, including the brokerage commissions paid to ICMI, are subject to procedures adopted by the Board.
Information concerning the Funds acquisition of securities of their Brokers is found in Appendix K.
Allocation of Portfolio Transactions
Invesco and the Sub-Advisers manage numerous Invesco Funds and other accounts. Some of these accounts may have investment objectives similar to the Fund. Occasionally, identical securities will be appropriate for investment by multiple Invesco Funds or other accounts. However, the position of each account in the same security and the length of time that each account may hold its investment in the same security may vary. Invesco and the Sub-Advisers will also determine the timing and amount of purchases for an account based on its cash position. If the purchase or sale of securities is consistent with the investment policies of the Fund(s) and one or more other accounts, and is considered at or about the same time, Invesco or the Sub-Advisers will allocate transactions in such securities among the Fund(s) and these accounts on a pro rata basis based on order size or in such other manner believed by Invesco to be fair and equitable. Invesco or the Sub-Advisers may combine transactions in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to obtain the most favorable execution. Simultaneous transactions could, however, adversely affect a Funds ability to obtain or dispose of the full amount of a security which it seeks to purchase or sell.
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Allocation of Initial Public Offering (IPO) Transactions
Certain of the Invesco Funds or other accounts managed by Invesco may become interested in participating in IPOs. Purchases of IPOs by one Invesco Fund or other accounts may also be considered for purchase by one or more other Invesco Funds or accounts. Invesco combines indications of interest for IPOs for all Invesco Funds and accounts participating in purchase transactions for that IPO. When the full amount of all IPO orders for such Invesco Funds and accounts cannot be filled completely, Invesco shall allocate such transactions in accordance with the following procedures:
Invesco or the Sub-Adviser may determine the eligibility of each Invesco Fund and account that seeks to participate in a particular IPO by reviewing a number of factors, including market capitalization/liquidity suitability and sector/style suitability of the investment with the Invesco Funds or accounts investment objective, policies, strategies and current holdings. Invesco will allocate securities issued in IPOs to eligible Invesco Funds and accounts on a pro rata basis based on order size.
Invesco Canada, Invesco Hong Kong and Invesco Japan allocate IPOs on a pro rata basis based on size of order or in such other manner which they believe is fair and equitable.
Invesco Asset Management allocates IPOs on a pro rata basis based on account size or in such other manner believed by Invesco Asset Management to be fair and equitable.
Invesco Deutschland and Invesco Senior Secured do not subscribe to IPOs.
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES
Please refer to Appendix L for information on Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares.
The following discussion of dividends and distributions should be read in connection with the applicable sections in the Prospectus.
All dividends and distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the same class of a Fund (hereinafter, the Fund) unless the shareholder has requested in writing to receive such dividends and distributions in cash or that they be invested in shares of another Invesco Fund, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus under the caption Purchasing Shares Automatic Dividend and Distribution Investment. Such dividends and distributions will be reinvested at the net asset value per share determined on the ex-dividend date.
The Fund calculates income dividends and capital gain distributions the same way for each class. The amount of any income dividends per share will differ, however, generally due to any differences in the distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees applicable to the classes, as well as any other expenses attributable to a particular class (Class Expenses). Class Expenses, including distribution plan expenses, must be allocated to the class for which they are incurred consistent with applicable legal principles under the 1940 Act.
The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.
This Tax Matters section is based on the Internal Revenue Code (Code) and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.
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This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to qualify (or, if newly organized, intends to elect and qualify) each year as a regulated investment company (sometimes referred to as a regulated investment company, RIC or fund) under Subchapter M of the Code. If the Fund qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (i.e., generally, taxable interest, dividends, net short-term capital gains and other taxable ordinary income net of expenses without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that it distributes to shareholders.
Qualification as a regulated investment company. In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the following requirements:
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Distribution Requirement the Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its tax year are considered distributions attributable to the previous tax year for purposes of satisfying this requirement). |
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Income Requirement the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (QPTPs). |
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Asset Diversification Test the Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Funds tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Funds assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. Government Securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Funds total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Funds total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government Securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, collectively, in the securities of QPTPs. |
In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by the Fund for purposes of the Income Requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the Asset Diversification Test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to such type of investment may adversely affect the Funds ability to satisfy these requirements. See Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions with respect to the application of these requirements to certain types of investments. In other circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order to meet the Income Requirement, Distribution Requirement, or Asset Diversification Test, which may have a negative impact on the Funds income and performance. In lieu of potential disqualification, the Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the Asset Diversification Test or Income Requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.
The Fund may use equalization accounting (in lieu of making some cash distributions) in determining the portion of its income and gains that has been distributed. If the Fund uses equalization accounting, it will allocate a portion of its undistributed investment company taxable income and net capital gain to redemptions of Fund shares and will correspondingly reduce the amount of such income and gains that it distributes in cash. However, the Fund intends to make cash distributions for each taxable year in an aggregate amount that is sufficient to satisfy the Distribution Requirement without taking into account its
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use of equalization accounting. If the IRS determines that the Funds allocation is improper and that the Fund has under-distributed its income and gain for any taxable year, the Fund may be liable for federal income and/or excise tax.
If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at the corporate income tax rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company thus would have a negative impact on the Funds income and performance. Subject to savings provisions for certain inadvertent failures to satisfy the Income Requirement or Asset Diversification Test which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.
Portfolio turnover. For investors that hold their Fund shares in a taxable account, a high portfolio turnover rate (except in a money market fund that maintains a stable net asset value) may result in higher taxes. This is because a fund with a high turnover rate may accelerate the recognition of capital gains and more of such gains are likely to be taxable as short-term rather than long-term capital gains in contrast to a comparable fund with a low turnover rate. Any such higher taxes would reduce the Funds after-tax performance. See Taxation of Fund Distributions Capital gain dividends below. For non-U.S. investors, any such acceleration of the recognition of capital gains that results in more short-term and less long-term capital gains being recognized by the Fund may cause such investors to be subject to increased U.S. withholding taxes. See Foreign Shareholders U.S. withholding tax at the source below.
Capital loss carryovers. The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. If the Fund has a net capital loss (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Funds net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Funds next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Funds net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Funds next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of the Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward indefinitely to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The amount of capital losses that can be carried forward and used in any single year is subject to an annual limitation if there is a more than 50% change in ownership of the Fund. An ownership change generally results when shareholders owning 5% or more of the Fund increase their aggregate holdings by more than 50% over a three-year look-back period. An ownership change could result in capital loss carryovers being used at a slower rate thereby reducing the Funds ability to offset capital gains with those losses. An increase in the amount of taxable gains distributed to the Funds shareholders could result from an ownership change. The Fund undertakes no obligation to avoid or prevent an ownership change, which can occur in the normal course of shareholder purchases and redemptions or as a result of engaging in a tax-free reorganization with another fund. Moreover, because of circumstances beyond the Funds control, there can be no assurance that the Fund will not experience, or has not already experienced, an ownership change.
Deferral of late year losses. The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any qualified late year loss as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Funds taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such qualified late year loss as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year, which may change the timing, amount, or characterization of Fund distributions (see Taxation of Fund Distributions Capital gain dividends below). A qualified late year loss includes:
(i) any net capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, or, if there is no such loss, any net long-term capital loss or any net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (post-October capital losses); and
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(ii) the sum of (1) the excess, if any, of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year and (2) the excess, if any, of (a) ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) the ordinary income incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year.
The terms specified losses and specified gains mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms ordinary losses and ordinary income mean other ordinary losses and income that are not described in the preceding sentence.
Special rules apply to a fund with a fiscal year ending in November or December that elects to use its taxable year for determining its capital gain net income for excise tax purposes.
Undistributed capital gains. The Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain for each taxable year. The Fund currently intends to distribute net capital gains. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the corporate income tax rate. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Asset allocation funds. If the Fund is a fund of funds, asset allocation fund, or a feeder fund in a master-feeder structure (collectively referred to as a fund of funds which invests in one or more underlying funds taxable as regulated investment companies) distributions by the underlying funds, redemptions of shares in the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions to shareholders of ordinary income or capital gains. A fund of funds (other than a feeder fund in a master-feeder structure) generally will not be able currently to offset gains realized by one underlying fund in which the fund of funds invests against losses realized by another underlying fund. If shares of an underlying fund are purchased within 30 days before or after redeeming at a loss other shares of that underlying fund (whether pursuant to a rebalancing of the Funds portfolio or otherwise), all or a part of the loss will not be deductible by the Fund and instead will increase its basis for the newly purchased shares. Also, except with respect to a qualified fund of funds, a fund of funds (a) is not eligible to pass-through to shareholders foreign tax credits from an underlying fund that pays foreign income taxes and (b) is not eligible to pass-through to shareholders exempt-interest dividends from an underlying fund. A qualified fund of funds, i.e., a fund at least 50 percent of the value of the total assets of which (at the close of each quarter of the taxable year) is represented by interests in other RICs, is eligible to pass-through to shareholders (a) foreign tax credits and (b) exempt-interest dividends. Also a fund of funds, whether or not it is a qualified fund of funds, is eligible to pass-through to shareholders qualified dividends earned by an underlying fund. However, dividends paid to shareholders by a fund of funds from interest earned by an underlying fund on U.S. Government obligations are unlikely to be exempt from state and local income tax.
Federal excise tax. To avoid a 4% non-deductible excise tax, the Fund must distribute by December 31 of each year an amount equal to at least: (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (the excess of the gains from sales or exchanges of capital assets over the losses from such sales or exchanges) for the one-year period ended on October 31 of such calendar year (or, at the election of a regulated investment company having a taxable year ending November 30 or December 31, for its taxable year), and (3) any prior year undistributed ordinary income and capital gain net income. The Fund may elect to defer to the following year any net ordinary loss incurred for the portion of the calendar year which is after the beginning of the Funds taxable year. Also, the Fund will defer any specified gain or specified loss which would be properly taken into account for the portion of the calendar after October 31. Any net ordinary loss, specified gain, or specified loss deferred shall be treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. Generally, the Fund may make sufficient distributions to avoid liability for federal income and excise tax, but can give no assurances that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided. In addition, under certain circumstances temporary timing or permanent differences in the realization of income and expense for book and tax purposes can result in the Fund having to pay an excise tax.
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Foreign income tax. Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source, and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other forms to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on these forms may not be available such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements which may cause the Fund not to receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on sale or disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of the Funds assets to be invested in various countries is not known. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to pass-through foreign taxes paid by the Fund to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so. If the Fund makes such an election and obtains a refund of foreign taxes paid by the Fund in a prior year, the Fund may be eligible to reduce the amount of foreign taxes reported by the Fund to its shareholders, generally by the amount of the foreign taxes refunded, for the year in which the refund is received.
Taxation of Fund Distributions. The Fund intends to qualify each year to pay exempt-interest dividends by satisfying the requirement that at the close of each quarter of the Funds taxable year at least 50% of the Funds total assets consists of Municipal Securities, which are exempt from federal income tax.
Exempt-interest dividends. Distributions from the Fund will constitute exempt-interest dividends to the extent of the Funds tax-exempt interest income (net of allocable expenses and amortized bond premium). Exempt-interest dividends distributed to shareholders of the Fund are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. However, shareholders required to file a federal income tax return will be required to report the receipt of exempt-interest dividends on their returns. Moreover, while exempt-interest dividends are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes, they may be subject to alternative minimum tax (AMT) in certain circumstances for non-corporate taxpayers and may have other collateral tax consequences as discussed below.
Distribution of ordinary income and capital gains. Any gain or loss from the sale or other disposition of a tax-exempt security generally is treated as either long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending upon its holding period, and is fully taxable as described in Taxation of Fund Distributions Capital gain dividends. However, gain recognized from the sale or other disposition of a Municipal Security purchased after April 30, 1993, will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the accrued market discount on such security. Distributions by the Fund of ordinary income and capital gains will be taxable to shareholders as discussed under Taxation of Fund Distributions Distributions of ordinary income.
Alternative minimum tax private activity bonds. AMT is imposed in addition to, but only to the extent it exceeds, the regular tax and is computed at a maximum rate of 28% for non-corporate taxpayers on the excess of the taxpayers alternative minimum taxable income (AMTI) over an exemption amount. Exempt-interest dividends derived from certain private activity Municipal Securities issued after August 7, 1986, generally will constitute an item of tax preference includable in AMTI for non-corporate taxpayers. However, tax-exempt interest on private activity bonds issued in 2009 and 2010 is not an item of tax preference for purposes of the AMT.
Effect on taxation of social security benefits; denial of interest deduction; substantial users. Exempt-interest dividends must be taken into account in computing the portion, if any, of social security or railroad retirement benefits that must be included in an individual shareholders gross income subject to federal income tax. Further, a shareholder of the Fund is denied a deduction for interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry shares of the Fund. Moreover, a shareholder who is (or is related to) a substantial user of a facility financed by industrial development bonds held by the Fund likely will be subject to tax on dividends paid by the Fund that are derived from interest on such bonds. Receipt of exempt-interest dividends may result in other collateral federal income tax consequences to certain taxpayers, including financial institutions, property and casualty insurance companies and foreign corporations engaged in a trade or business in the United States.
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Exemption from state tax. To the extent that exempt-interest dividends are derived from interest on obligations of a state or its political subdivisions or from interest on qualifying U.S. territorial obligations (including qualifying obligations of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam), they also may be exempt from that states personal income taxes. Most states, however, do not grant tax-free treatment to interest on state and municipal securities of other states.
Failure of a Municipal Security to qualify to pay exempt-interest. Failure of the issuer of a tax- exempt security to comply with certain legal or contractual requirements relating to a Municipal Security could cause interest on the Municipal Security, as well as Fund distributions derived from this interest, to become taxable, perhaps retroactively to the date the Municipal Security was issued. In such a case, the Fund may be required to report to the IRS and send to shareholders amended Forms 1099 for a prior taxable year in order to report additional taxable income. This in turn could require shareholders to file amended federal and state income tax returns for such prior year to report and pay tax and interest on their pro rata share of the additional amount of taxable income.
Distributions of ordinary income. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that pay taxable interest. The Fund also may distribute to you any market discount and net short-term capital gains from the sale of its portfolio securities. If you are a taxable investor, Fund distributions from this income are taxable to you as ordinary income to the extent of the Funds earnings and profits. None of the dividends paid by the Fund will qualify for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders or as qualified dividend income subject to reduced rates of taxation in the case of noncorporate shareholders. Provided the Fund otherwise satisfies the Distribution Requirement, the Fund reserves the right to retain, and not distribute to shareholders, income and gains taxable as ordinary income, in which case the Fund would be subject to tax at the corporate income tax rate.
Capital gain dividends. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. In general, the Fund will recognize long-term capital gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of assets it has owned for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss on investments it has owned for one year or less. Distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that are properly reported by the Fund to shareholders as capital gain dividends generally will be taxable to a shareholder receiving such distributions as long-term capital gain. Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals are 0%, 15%, 20% or 25% depending on the nature of the capital gain and the individuals taxable income. Distributions of net short-term capital gains for a taxable year in excess of net long-term capital losses for such taxable year generally will be taxable to a shareholder receiving such distributions as ordinary income.
Return of capital distributions. Distributions by the Fund that are not paid from earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholders tax basis in his shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his shares. Thus, the portion of a distribution that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the shareholders tax basis in his Fund shares (but not below zero), and will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund shares. Return of capital distributions can occur for a number of reasons including, among others, the Fund over-estimates the income to be received from certain investments such as those classified as partnerships or equity REITs. See Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions Investments in U.S. REITs.
Impact of realized but undistributed income and gains, and net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities. At the time of your purchase of shares (except in a money market fund that maintains a stable net asset value), the Funds net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by the Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable and would be taxed as either ordinary income or capital gain unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. The Fund may be able to reduce the amount of such distributions by utilizing its capital loss carryovers, if any.
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Tax credit bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more tax credit bonds (including build America bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholders proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholders ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code. (Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, build America bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and certain other qualified bonds may no longer be issued after December 31, 2017.) Even if the Fund is eligible to pass-through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.
U.S. Government interest. Income earned on certain U.S. Government obligations is exempt from state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. Government, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund. Income on investments by the Fund in certain other obligations, such as repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, commercial paper and federal agency-backed obligations (e.g., GNMA or FNMA obligations), generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations. If the Fund is a fund of funds, see Taxation of the Fund Asset allocation funds.
Dividends declared in December and paid in January. Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by the shareholders (and made by the Fund) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are actually paid in January of the following year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year in accordance with the guidance that has been provided by the IRS.
Medicare tax. A 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on net investment income earned by certain individuals, estates and trusts. Net investment income, for these purposes, means investment income, including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares, reduced by the deductions properly allocable to such income. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the shareholders net investment income or (2) the amount by which the shareholders modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (in any other case). This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return. Net investment income does not include exempt-interest dividends.
Sale or Redemption of Fund Shares. A shareholder will recognize gain or loss on the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the sale or redemption and the shareholders adjusted tax basis in the shares. If you owned your shares as a capital asset, any gain or loss that you realize will be considered capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for longer than one year. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.
Tax basis information. The Fund is required to report to you and the IRS annually on Form 1099-B the cost basis of shares purchased or acquired on or after January 1, 2012 where the cost basis of the shares is known by the Fund (referred to as covered shares) and which are disposed of after that date. However, cost basis reporting is not required for certain shareholders, including shareholders investing in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, or shareholders investing in a money market fund that maintains a stable net asset value. When required to report cost basis, the Fund will calculate it using the Funds default method of average cost, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. In general, average cost is the total cost basis of all your shares in an account divided by the total number of shares in the account. To determine whether short-term or long-term capital gains taxes apply, the IRS presumes you redeem your oldest shares first.
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The IRS permits the use of several methods to determine the cost basis of mutual fund shares. The method used will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing share prices, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund does not recommend any particular method of determining cost basis, and the use of other methods may result in more favorable tax consequences for some shareholders. It is important that you consult with your tax advisor to determine which method is best for you and then notify the Fund if you intend to utilize a method other than average cost for covered shares.
In addition to the Funds default method of average cost, other cost basis methods offered by Invesco, which you may elect to apply to covered shares, include:
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First-In, First-Out shares acquired first in the account are the first shares depleted. |
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Last-In, First-Out shares acquired last in the account are the first shares depleted. |
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High Cost shares acquired with the highest cost per share are the first shares depleted. |
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Low Cost shares acquired with the lowest cost per share are the first shares depleted. |
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Loss/Gain Utilization depletes shares with losses before gains, consistent with the objective of minimizing taxes. For shares that yield a loss, shares owned one year or less (short-term) will be depleted ahead of shares owned more than one year (long-term). For gains, long-term shares will be depleted ahead of short-term gains. |
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Specific Lot Identification shareholder selects which lots to deplete at time of each disposition. Transaction amount must be in shares. If insufficient shares are identified at the time of disposition, then a secondary default method of first-in, first-out will be applied. |
You may elect any of the available methods detailed above for your covered shares. If you do not notify the Fund of your elected cost basis method, the default method of average cost will be applied to your covered shares upon redemption. The cost basis for covered shares will be calculated separately from any noncovered shares (defined below) you may own. You may change or revoke the use of the average cost method and revert to another cost basis method if you notify the Fund by the date of the first sale, exchange, or other disposition of your covered shares. In addition, you may change to another cost basis method at any time by notifying the Fund, but only for shares acquired after the date of the change (the change is prospective). The basis of the shares that were averaged before the change will remain averaged after the date of the change.
The Fund may also provide Fund shareholders (but not the IRS) with information concerning the average cost basis of their shares purchased prior to January 1, 2012 (noncovered shares) in order to assist you with the calculation of gain or loss from a sale or redemption of noncovered shares. With the exception of the specific lot identification method, Invesco first depletes noncovered shares in first-in, first-out order before applying your elected method to your remaining covered shares. If you want to deplete your shares in a different order then you must elect specific lot identification and choose the lots you wish to deplete first. Shareholders that use the average cost method for noncovered shares must make the election to use the average cost method for these shares on their federal income tax returns in accordance with Treasury regulations. This election for noncovered shares cannot be made by notifying the Fund.
The Fund will compute and report the cost basis of your Fund shares sold or exchanged by taking into account all of the applicable adjustments to cost basis and holding periods as required by the Code and Treasury regulations for purposes of reporting these amounts to you and, in the case of covered shares, to the IRS. However, the Fund is not required to, and in many cases the Fund does not possess the information to, take all possible basis, holding period or other adjustments into account in reporting cost basis information to you. Therefore, shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund, whether this information is provided pursuant to compliance with cost basis reporting requirements for shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, or is provided by the Fund as a service to shareholders for shares acquired prior to that date, and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required by the Code and Treasury regulations when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. Shareholders remain solely responsible for complying with all federal income tax laws when filing their federal income tax returns.
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If you hold your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that broker (nominee) with respect to the reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. For more information about the cost basis methods offered by Invesco, please refer to the Tax Center located under the Accounts & Services menu of our website at www.invesco.com/us.
Wash sale rule. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be deferred under the wash sale rules if the shareholder purchases other shares of the Fund within 30 days before or after the sale or redemption.
Sales at a loss within six months of purchase. Any capital loss arising from the sale or redemption of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received on such shares. In the case of shares in a tax-free Fund, any such loss will be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends that were received within the six-month period. However, this rule does not apply to any loss incurred on a sale or redemption of shares of a tax-free Fund that declares exempt-interest dividends daily and distributes them at least monthly for which your holding period began after December 22, 2010.
Deferral of basis any class that bears a front-end sales load. If a shareholder (a) incurs a sales load in acquiring shares of the Fund, (b) disposes of such shares less than 91 days after they are acquired, and (c) subsequently acquires shares of the Fund or another Fund by January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the disposition of the original shares occurred at a reduced sales load pursuant to a right to reinvest at such reduced sales load acquired in connection with the acquisition of the shares disposed of, then the sales load on the shares disposed of (to the extent of the reduction in the sales load on the shares subsequently acquired) shall not be taken into account in determining gain or loss on the shares disposed of, but shall be treated as incurred on the acquisition of the shares subsequently acquired. The wash sale rules may also limit the amount of loss that may be taken into account on disposition after such adjustment.
Conversion of shares of the Fund into other shares of the same Fund. The conversion of shares of one class of the Fund into shares of another class of the same Fund is not taxable for federal income tax purposes and no gain or loss will be reported on the transaction. This is true whether the conversion occurs automatically pursuant to the terms of the class or is initiated by the shareholder. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the state and local tax consequences of a conversion of shares.
Exchange of shares of the Fund for shares of another Fund. The exchange of shares in one Fund for shares of another Fund is taxable for federal income tax purposes and the exchange will be reported as a taxable sale. An exchange occurs when the purchase of shares of the Fund is made using the proceeds from a redemption of shares of another Fund and is effectuated on the same day as the redemption. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the state and local tax consequences of an exchange of shares.
Reportable transactions. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Funds shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions. Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to a fund. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion under Description of the Fund and Its Investments and Risks Investment Strategies and Risks for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.
In general. In general, gain or loss recognized by a fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some
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cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or character, of certain gains or losses.
Certain fixed-income investments. Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation purchased by a fund at a market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount that accrued during the period of time the fund held the debt obligation unless the fund made a current inclusion election to accrue market discount into income as it accrues. If a fund purchases a debt obligation (such as a zero coupon security or pay-in-kind security) that was originally issued at a discount, the fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the original issue discount that accrues during such year. Therefore, a funds investment in such securities may cause the fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on the securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution requirements, a fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of fund shares.
Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present tax issues for a fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent a fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, when a fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent a fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how a fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by a fund in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company.
Options, futures, forward contracts, swap agreements and hedging transactions. In general, option premiums received by a fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If an option written by a fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the funds basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by a fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of a funds obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by a fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.
The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by a fund as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of the Code (section 1256 contracts). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (60/40), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by a fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are marked-to-market with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable. Section 1256 contracts do not include any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement.
In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, a funds transactions in other derivative instruments (including options, forward contracts and swap agreements) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more
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special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by a fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer losses to the fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the funds securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to derivative financial instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a fund has made sufficient distributions and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.
Certain of a funds investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and the funds transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If a funds book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If a funds book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the funds remaining earnings and profits (including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced by related deductions), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipients basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.
Foreign currency transactions. A funds transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease a funds ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the funds previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In certain cases, a fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.
PFIC investments. A fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, a fund intends to mark-to-market these securities under certain provisions of the Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary income at the end of the funds fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that a fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold or received dividends from these securities. You should also be aware that the designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by a fund. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, a fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the fund to make a mark-to-market election. If a fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any excess distribution or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on a fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.
Investments in non-U.S. REITs. While non-U.S. REITs often use complex acquisition structures that seek to minimize taxation in the source country, an investment by a fund in a non-U.S. REIT may subject the fund, directly or indirectly, to corporate taxes, withholding taxes, transfer taxes and other indirect taxes in the country in which the real estate acquired by the non-U.S. REIT is located. The funds pro rata share of any such taxes will reduce the funds return on its investment. A funds investment in a non-U.S. REIT may be considered an investment in a PFIC, as discussed above in Tax Treatment of Portfolio TransactionsPFIC investments. Additionally, foreign withholding taxes on distributions from the non-U.S. REIT may be reduced or eliminated under certain tax treaties, as discussed above in Taxation of the Fund Foreign income tax. Also, the fund in certain limited circumstances may be required to file an income
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tax return in the source country and pay tax on any gain realized from its investment in the non-U.S. REIT under rules similar to those in the United States which tax foreign persons on gain realized from dispositions of interests in U.S. real estate.
Investments in U.S. REITs. A U.S. REIT is not subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders. Dividends paid by a U.S. REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the U.S. REITs current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a U.S. REIT to a fund will be treated as long-term capital gains by the fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Because of certain noncash expenses, such as property depreciation, an equity U.S. REITs cash flow may exceed its taxable income. The equity U.S. REIT, and in turn a fund, may distribute this excess cash to shareholders in the form of a return of capital distribution. However, if a U.S. REIT is operated in a manner that fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the U.S. REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the U.S. REIT would be subject to federal income tax at the corporate income tax rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the U.S. REITs current and accumulated earnings and profits. Also, see Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income) and Foreign Shareholders U.S. withholding tax at the source with respect to certain other tax aspects of investing in U.S. REITs.
Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income). Under a Notice issued by the IRS, the Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of a funds income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REITs residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC) or equity interests in a taxable mortgage pool (referred to in the Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) to entities (including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans, Keogh plans or other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a disqualified organization (which generally includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the corporate income tax rate . The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that a fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.
These rules are potentially applicable to a fund with respect to any income it receives from the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either directly or, as is more likely, through an investment in a U.S. REIT. It is unlikely that these rules will apply to a fund that has a non-REIT strategy.
Investments in partnerships and QPTPs. For purposes of the Income Requirement, income derived by a fund from a partnership that is not a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the fund. While the rules are not entirely clear with respect to a fund investing in a partnership outside a master-feeder structure, for purposes of testing whether a fund satisfies the Asset Diversification Test, the fund generally is treated as owning a pro rata share of the underlying assets of a partnership. See Taxation of the Fund Qualification as a regulated investment company. In contrast, different rules apply to a partnership that is a QPTP. A QPTP is a partnership (a) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market, (b) that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and (c) that derives less than 90% of its income from sources that satisfy the Income Requirement (e.g., because it invests in commodities). All of the net income derived by a fund from an interest in a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income but the fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in one or more
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QPTPs. However, there can be no assurance that a partnership classified as a QPTP in one year will qualify as a QPTP in the next year. Any such failure to annually qualify as a QPTP might, in turn, cause a fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. Although, in general, the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a fund with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP. Fund investments in partnerships, including in QPTPs, may result in the fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.
If an MLP is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes (whether or not a QPTP), all or portion of the dividends received by a fund from the MLP likely will be treated as a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of accelerated deductions available with respect to the activities of such MLPs. Further, because of these accelerated deductions, on the disposition of interests in such an MLP, a fund likely will realize taxable income in excess of economic gain with respect to those MLP interests (or if the fund does not dispose of the MLP, the fund could realize taxable income in excess of cash flow with respect to the MLP in a later period), and the fund must take such income into account in determining whether the fund has satisfied its Distribution Requirement. A fund may have to borrow or liquidate securities to satisfy its Distribution Requirement and to meet its redemption requests, even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the fund to sell securities or borrow money at such time. In addition, any gain recognized, either upon the sale of a funds MLP interest or sale by the MLP of property held by it, including in excess of economic gain thereon, treated as so-called recapture income, will be treated as ordinary income. Therefore, to the extent a fund invests in MLPs, fund shareholders might receive greater amounts of distributions from the fund taxable as ordinary income than they otherwise would in the absence of such MLP investments.
Although MLPs are generally expected to be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, some MLPs may be treated as PFICs or regular corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The treatment of particular MLPs for U.S. federal income tax purposes will affect the extent to which a fund can invest in MLPs and will impact the amount, character, and timing of income recognized by the Fund.
Investments in commodities structured notes, corporate subsidiary and certain ETFs. Gains from the disposition of commodities, including precious metals, will neither be considered qualifying income for purposes of satisfying the Income Requirement nor qualifying assets for purposes of satisfying the Asset Diversification Test. See Taxation of the Fund Qualification as a regulated investment company. Also, the IRS has issued a revenue ruling which holds that income derived from commodity- linked swaps is not qualifying income for purposes of the Income Requirement. In a subsequent revenue ruling, as well as in a number of follow-on private letter rulings (upon which only the fund that received the private letter ruling may rely), the IRS provides that income from certain alternative investments which create commodity exposure, such as certain commodity-linked or structured notes or a corporate subsidiary that invests in commodities, may be considered qualifying income under the Code. In September 2016, the IRS announced that it will no longer issue private letter rulings on questions relating to the treatment of a corporation as a RIC that require a determination of whether a financial instrument or position, such as a commodity-linked or structured note, is a security under section 2 (a)(36) of the 1940 Act. (A financial instrument or position that constitutes a security under section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act generates qualifying income for a corporation taxed as a regulated investment company.) This caused the IRS to revoke the portion of any rulings that required such a determination, some of which were revoked retroactively and others of which were revoked prospectively as of a date agreed upon with the IRS. Accordingly, a fund may invest in certain commodity-linked notes relying on an opinion of counsel confirming that income from such investments should be qualifying income because such commodity-linked notes constitute securities under section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act. In addition, a RIC may gain exposure to commodities through investment in a QPTP, such as an exchange- traded fund or ETF that is classified as a partnership and which invests in commodities, or through investment in a wholly- owned foreign subsidiary that is treated as a controlled foreign corporation for federal income tax purposes. Recently released Treasury regulations treat Subpart F income (defined in Section 951 of the Code to include passive income such as income from commodity-linked derivatives) as qualifying income, even if a foreign corporation, such as a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary, does not make a distribution of such income. If a distribution is made, such income will be treated as a dividend by the Fund to the extent that, under applicable provisions of the Code, there is a distribution out of the earnings and profits of the foreign corporation attributable to the distribution. Accordingly, the extent to which a fund directly invests in commodities or commodity-linked derivatives may
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be limited by the Income Requirement and the Asset Diversification Test, which the fund must continue to satisfy to maintain its status as a regulated investment company. A fund also may be limited in its ability to sell its investments in commodities, commodity- linked derivatives, and certain ETFs or be forced to sell other investments to generate income due to the Income Requirement. If a fund does not appropriately limit such investments or if such investments (or the income earned on such investments) were to be recharacterized for U.S. tax purposes, the fund could fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. In lieu of potential disqualification, a fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the Asset Diversification Test or Income Requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.
Securities lending. While securities are loaned out by a fund, the fund generally will receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made in lieu of dividends are not considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 50% dividends-received deduction for corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made in lieu of dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders. Additionally, in the case of a fund with a strategy of investing in tax-exempt securities, any payments made in lieu of tax-exempt interest will be considered taxable income to the fund, and thus, to the investors, even though such interest may be tax-exempt when paid to the borrower.
Investments in convertible securities. Convertible debt is ordinarily treated as a single property consisting of a pure debt interest until conversion, after which the investment becomes an equity interest. If the security is issued at a premium (i.e., for cash in excess of the face amount payable on retirement), the creditor-holder may amortize the premium over the life of the bond. If the security is issued for cash at a price below its face amount, the creditor-holder must accrue original issue discount in income over the life of the debt. The creditor-holders exercise of the conversion privilege is treated as a nontaxable event. Mandatorily convertible debt (e.g., an exchange-traded note or ETN issued in the form of an unsecured obligation that pays a return based on the performance of a specified market index, exchange currency, or commodity) is often, but not always, treated as a contract to buy or sell the reference property rather than debt. Similarly, convertible preferred stock with a mandatory conversion feature is ordinarily, but not always, treated as equity rather than debt. In general, conversion of preferred stock for common stock of the same corporation is tax-free. Conversion of preferred stock for cash is a taxable redemption. Any redemption premium for preferred stock that is redeemable by the issuing company might be required to be amortized under original issue discount principles. A change in the conversion ratio or conversion price of a convertible security on account of a dividend paid to the issuers other shareholders may result in a deemed distribution of stock to the holders of the convertible security equal to the value of their increased interest in the equity of the issuer. Thus, an increase in the conversion ratio of a convertible security can be treated as a taxable distribution of stock to a holder of the convertible security (without a corresponding receipt of cash by the holder) before the holder has converted the security.
Tax Certification and Backup Withholding. Tax certification and backup withholding tax laws may require that you certify your tax information when you become an investor in the Fund. For U.S. citizens and resident aliens, this certification is made on IRS Form W-9. Under these laws, the Fund must withhold a portion of your taxable distributions and sales proceeds unless you:
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provide your correct Social Security or taxpayer identification number; |
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certify that this number is correct; |
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certify that you are not subject to backup withholding; and |
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certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). |
The Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting.
Non-U.S. investors have special U.S. tax certification requirements. See Foreign Shareholders Tax certification and backup withholding.
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Foreign Shareholders. Shareholders who, as to the United States, are nonresident alien individuals, foreign trusts or estates, foreign corporations, or foreign partnerships (foreign shareholder), may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements.
Taxation of a foreign shareholder depends on whether the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by such shareholder.
U.S. withholding tax at the source. If the income from the Fund is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, distributions to such shareholder will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) upon the gross amount of the distribution, subject to certain exemptions including those for dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders as:
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exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund from its net interest income earned on municipal securities; |
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capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from its net long-term capital gains (other than those from disposition of a U.S. real property interest), unless you are a nonresident alien present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year; and |
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interest-related dividends paid by the Fund from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources and short-term capital gain dividends. |
However, the Fund does not intend to utilize the exemptions for interest-related dividends paid and short-term capital gain dividends paid. Moreover, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any dividends and distributions of income and capital gains, including the proceeds from the sale of your Fund shares, will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.
Amounts reported by the Fund to shareholders as capital gain dividends (a) that are attributable to certain capital gain dividends received from a qualified investment entity (QIE) (generally defined as either (i) a U.S. REIT or (ii) a RIC classified as a U.S. real property holding corporation or which would be if the exceptions for holding 5% or less of a class of publicly traded shares or an interest in a domestically controlled QIE did not apply), or (b) that are realized by the Fund on the sale of a U.S. real property interest (including gain realized on the sale of shares in a QIE other than one that is domestically controlled), will not be exempt from U.S. federal income tax and may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) if the Fund by reason of having a REIT strategy is classified as a QIE. If the Fund is so classified, foreign shareholders owning more than 5% of the Funds shares may be treated as realizing gain from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest, causing Fund distributions to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the corporate income tax rate and requiring the filing of a nonresident U.S. income tax return. In addition, if the Fund is classified as a QIE, anti-avoidance rules apply to certain wash sale transactions. Namely, if the Fund is a domestically-controlled QIE and a foreign shareholder disposes of the Funds shares prior to the Fund paying a distribution attributable to the disposition of a U.S. real property interest and the foreign shareholder later acquires an identical stock interest in a wash sale transaction, the foreign shareholder may still be required to pay U.S. tax on the Funds distribution. Also, the sale of shares of the Fund, if classified as a U.S. real property holding corporation, could also be considered a sale of a U.S. real property interest with any resulting gain from such sale being subject to U.S. tax as income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business.
Income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. If the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations and require the filing of a nonresident U.S. income tax return.
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Tax certification and backup withholding. Foreign shareholders may have special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding (at a rate of 24%) and, if applicable, to obtain the benefit of any income tax treaty between the foreign shareholders country of residence and the United States. To claim these tax benefits, the foreign shareholder must provide a properly completed Form W-8BEN (or other Form W-8, where applicable, or their substitute forms) to establish his or her status as a non-U.S. investor, to claim beneficial ownership over the assets in the account, and to claim, if applicable, a reduced rate of or exemption from withholding tax under the applicable treaty. A Form W-8BEN provided without a U.S. taxpayer identification number remains in effect for a period of three years beginning on the date that it is signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year. However, non-U.S. investors must advise the Fund of any changes of circumstances that would render the information given on the form incorrect, and must then provide a new W-8BEN to avoid the prospective application of backup withholding. Forms W-8BEN with U.S. taxpayer identification numbers remain valid indefinitely, or until the investor has a change of circumstances that renders the form incorrect and necessitates a new form and tax certification. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Under FATCA, the Fund will be required to withhold a 30% tax on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions (FFI) or non-financial foreign entities (NFFE). After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). The FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reporting information relating to them. The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (IGA) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA.
An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding if it is deemed compliant or by becoming a participating FFI, which requires the FFI to enter into a U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS under section 1471(b) of the Code (FFI agreement) under which it agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meet certain other specified requirements. The FFI will either report the specified information about the U.S. accounts to the IRS, or, to the government of the FFIs country of residence (pursuant to the terms and conditions of applicable law and an applicable IGA entered into between the U.S. and the FFIs country of residence), which will, in turn, report the specified information to the IRS. An FFI that is resident in a country that has entered into an IGA with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the FFI shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.
An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid the FATCA withholding tax generally by certifying that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or by providing the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner. The NFFE will report the information to the Fund or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report the information to the IRS.
Such foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entitys status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the impact of these requirements on their investment in the Fund. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the U.S. tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation.
U.S. estate tax. Transfers by gift of shares of the Fund by a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. An individual who, at the time of death, is a foreign shareholder will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal estate tax with respect to shares at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens and residents, unless a treaty exemption applies. If a
101
treaty exemption is available, a decedents estate may nonetheless need to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption in order to obtain a U.S. federal transfer certificate. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Fund shares) as to which the U.S. federal estate tax lien has been released. In the absence of a treaty, there is a $13,000 statutory estate tax credit (equivalent to an estate with assets of $60,000).
Local Tax Considerations. Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income taxation described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholders particular situation.
The Trust has entered into a master distribution agreement, as amended, relating to the Fund (the Distribution Agreement) with Invesco Distributors, Inc. (Invesco Distributors), a registered broker-dealer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., pursuant to which Invesco Distributors acts as the distributor of shares of the Fund. The address of Invesco Distributors is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77046-1173. Certain trustees and officers of the Trust are affiliated with Invesco Distributors. See Management of the Trust. In addition to the Fund, Invesco Distributors serves as distributor to many other mutual funds that are offered to retail investors. The following Distribution of Securities information is about all of the Invesco Funds that offer retail and/or Class R5 or Class R6 shares. Not all Invesco Funds offer all share classes.
The Distribution Agreement provides Invesco Distributors with the exclusive right to distribute shares of the Fund on a continuous basis directly and through other broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries with whom Invesco Distributors has entered into selected dealer and/or similar agreements. Invesco Distributors has not undertaken to sell any specified number of shares of any classes of the Fund.
Invesco Distributors expects to pay sales commissions from its own resources to dealers and institutions who sell Class C and Class R shares of the Fund at the time of such sales.
Invesco Distributors may pay sales commissions to dealers and institutions who sell Class C shares of the Fund at the time of such sales. Payments for Class C shares generally equal 1.00% of the purchase price of the Class C shares sold by the dealer or institution, consisting of a sales commission of 0.75% of the purchase price of the Class C shares sold plus an advance of the first year service fee of up to 0.25% for such shares. Invesco Distributors will retain all payments received by it relating to Class C shares for the first year after they are purchased. The portion of the payments to Invesco Distributors under the Class C Plan that constitutes an asset-based sales charge (0.75%) is intended in part to permit Invesco Distributors to recoup a portion of the sales commissions to dealers plus financing costs, if any. After the first full year, Invesco Distributors will make quarterly payments to dealers and institutions based on the average net asset value of Class C shares that are attributable to shareholders for whom the dealers and institutions are designated as dealers of record. These payments will consist of an asset-based sales charge of 0.75% and a service fee of up to 0.25%.
Invesco Distributors may pay dealers and institutions who sell Class R shares an annual fee of 0.50% of average daily net assets. These payments will consist of an asset-based fee of 0.25% and a service fee of 0.25% and will commence either on the thirteenth month after the first purchase, on accounts on which a dealer concession was paid, or immediately, on accounts on which a dealer concession was not paid. If Invesco Distributors pays a dealer concession, it will retain all payments received by it relating to Class R shares for the first year after they are purchased. Invesco Distributors will make quarterly payments to dealers and institutions based on the average net asset value of Class R shares that are attributable to shareholders for whom the dealers and institutions are designated as dealers of record.
The Trust (on behalf of any class of any Invesco Fund) or Invesco Distributors may terminate the Distribution Agreement on 60 days written notice without penalty. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
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Total sales charges (front end and CDSCs) paid in connection with the sale of shares of each class of the Fund are found in Appendix O.
The Trust has adopted distribution and/or service plans pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for the Funds Class A shares and Class C shares (each, a Plan and, collectively, the Plans).
The Fund, pursuant to its Class A Plan, reimburses Invesco Distributors in an amount up to an annual rate of 0.25% of the Funds average daily net assets of its Class A shares.
The Fund, pursuant to its Class C Plan, pays Invesco Distributors compensation at the annual rate of 1.00% of the Funds average daily net assets of its Class C shares.
The Plans compensate or reimburse Invesco Distributors, as applicable, for expenses incurred for the purpose of financing any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the Fund. Such activities may include, but are not limited to, the following: printing of prospectuses and statements of additional information and reports for other than existing shareholders; overhead; preparation and distribution of advertising material and sales literature; expenses of organizing and conducting sales seminars; supplemental payments to dealers and other institutions such as asset-based sales charges or as payments of service fees under shareholder service arrangements; and costs of administering each Plan.
Payments pursuant to the Plans are subject to any applicable limitations imposed by FINRA rules.
See Appendix M for a list of the amounts paid by each class of shares of the Fund to Invesco Distributors pursuant to the Plans for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020 and Appendix N for an estimate by category of the allocation of actual fees paid by shares of the Fund pursuant to its distribution plan for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020.
As required by Rule 12b-1, the Plans were approved by the Board, including a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plans or in any agreements related to the Plans (the Rule 12b-1 Trustees). In approving the Plans in accordance with the requirements of Rule 12b-1, the trustees considered various factors and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plans would benefit each class of the Fund and its respective shareholders.
The anticipated benefits that may result from the Plans with respect to the Fund and/or the classes of the Fund and its shareholders include but are not limited to the following: (1) rapid account access; (2) relatively predictable flow of cash; and (3) a well-developed, dependable network of shareholder service agents to help to curb sharp fluctuations in rates of redemptions and sales, thereby reducing the chance that an unanticipated increase in net redemptions could adversely affect the performance of the Fund.
Unless terminated earlier in accordance with their terms, the Plans continue from year to year as long as such continuance is specifically approved, in person, at least annually by the Board, including a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or, with respect to a particular class, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that class.
Any change in the Plans that would increase materially the distribution expenses paid by the applicable class requires shareholder approval; otherwise, the Plans may be amended by the trustees, including a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees, by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting upon such amendment. As long as the Plans are in effect, the selection or nomination of the Independent Trustees is committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees.
Invesco Distributors may from time to time waive or reduce any portion of its 12b-1 fee. Voluntary fee waivers or reductions may be rescinded at any time without further notice to investors. During periods of voluntary fee waivers or reductions, Invesco Distributors will retain its ability to be reimbursed for such fee prior to the end of each fiscal year.
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The Fund may pay a service fee of up to the cap disclosed in the Funds Plan attributable to the customers selected dealers and financial institutions to such dealers and financial institutions, including Invesco Distributors, acting as principal, who furnish continuing personal shareholder services to their customers who purchase and own the applicable class of shares of the Fund. Under the terms of a shareholder service agreement, such personal shareholder services include responding to customer inquiries and providing customers with the information about their investments. Any amounts not paid as a service fee under each Plan would constitute an asset-based sales charge.
The audited financial statements for the Funds most recent fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, including the notes thereto and the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP thereon, are incorporated by reference to the annual reports to shareholders for the Funds contained in the Form N-CSR filed on May 6, 2020. Effective November 30, 2019, Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund changed its fiscal year end from March 31 to February 28.
The audited financial statement for the Oppenheimer Municipal Funds fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, including the notes thereto and the report of KPMG LLP thereon, are incorporated by reference to the annual reports to shareholders contained in the Form N-CSR filed on May 23, 2019.
The portions of such Annual Reports that are not specifically listed above are not incorporated by reference into this SAI and are not a part of this Registration Statement.
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APPENDIX A
The following is a description of the factors underlying the debt ratings of Moodys, S&P, and Fitch.
Moodys Long-Term Debt Ratings
Aaa: |
Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk. |
Aa: |
Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. |
A: |
Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. |
Baa: |
Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics. |
Ba: |
Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk. |
B: |
Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. |
Caa: |
Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. |
Ca: |
Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. |
C: |
Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. |
Note: |
Moodys appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a (hyb) indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms*. |
* |
By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security. |
Moodys Short-Term Prime Rating System
P-1: |
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. |
P-2: |
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. |
P-3: |
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations. |
NP (Not Prime):
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
A-1
Moodys MIG/VMIG US Short-Term Ratings
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
While the global short-term prime rating scale is applied to US municipal tax-exempt commercial paper, these programs are typically backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities and their short-term prime ratings usually map to the long-term rating of the enhancing bank or financial institution and not to the municipalitys rating. Other short-term municipal obligations, which generally have different funding sources for repayment, are rated using two additional short-term rating scales (i.e., the MIG and VMIG scales discussed below).
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuers long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levelsMIG 1 through MIG 3while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1: | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. | |
MIG 2: | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. | |
MIG 3: | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. | |
SG: | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection. |
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned. The components are a long-term rating and a short-term demand obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuers ability to meet scheduled principal and interest payments. The short-term demand obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to make payments associated with the purchase-price-upon-demand feature (demand feature) of the VRDO. The short-term demand obligation rating uses the VMIG scale. VMIG ratings with liquidity support use as an input the short-term Counterparty Risk Assessment of the support provider, or the long-term rating of the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support. Transitions of VMIG ratings of demand obligations with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuers long-term rating drops below investment grade. Please see our methodology that discusses demand obligations with conditional liquidity support.
We typically assign the VMIG short-term demand obligation rating if the frequency of the demand feature is less than every three years. If the frequency of the demand feature is less than three years but the purchase price is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the short-term demand obligation rating is NR.
VMIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
A-2
SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
Standard & Poors Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P Global Ratings analysis of the following considerations:
|
The likelihood of payment--the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; |
|
The nature and provisions of the financial obligation, and the promise we impute; and |
|
The protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors rights. |
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA: | An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong. | |
AA: | An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong. | |
A: | An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong. | |
BBB: | An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. |
BB, B, CCC, CC and C :
Obligations rated BB, B, CCC CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
BB: | An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. | |
B: | An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. | |
CCC: | An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. |
A-3
CC: | An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The CC rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default. | |
C: | An obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher. | |
D: | An obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligations rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
Plus (+) or minus (-):
The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
NR: |
This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P Global Ratings does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy. |
Standard & Poors Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1: |
An obligor rated A-1 has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. It is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. Within this category, certain obligors are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments is extremely strong. |
A-2: |
An obligor rated A-2 has satisfactory capacity to meet its financial commitments. However, it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligors in the highest rating category. |
A-3: |
An obligor rated A-3 has adequate capacity to meet its financial obligations. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments. |
B: |
An obligor rated B is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. |
C: |
An obligor rated C is currently vulnerable to nonpayment that would result in an SD or D issuer rating and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitments. |
SD and D:
An obligor is rated SD (selective default) or D if S&P Global Ratings considers there to be a default on one or more of its financial obligations, whether long- or short-term, including rated and unrated obligations but excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital or in nonpayment according to terms. A D rating is assigned when S&P Global Ratings believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay all or substantially all of its
A-4
obligations as they come due. An SD rating is assigned when S&P Global Ratings believes that the obligor has selectively defaulted on a specific issue or class of obligations but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other issues or classes of obligations in a timely manner. A rating on an obligor is lowered to D or SD if it is conducting a distressed exchange offer.
Standard & Poors Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings Definitions
An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings analysis will review the following considerations:
|
Amortization schedule the larger final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and |
|
Source of payment the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1: | Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation. | |
SP-2: | Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes. | |
SP-3: | Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest. | |
D: | D is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. |
Standard & Poors Dual Ratings
Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, AAA/A-1+ or A-1+/A-1). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, SP-1+/A-1+).
Fitch Credit Rating Scales
Fitch Ratings publishes opinions on a variety of scales. The most common of these are credit ratings, but the agency also publishes ratings, scores and other relative opinions relating to financial or operational strength. For example, Fitch also provides specialized ratings of servicers of residential and commercial mortgages, asset managers and funds. In each case, users should refer to the definitions of each individual scale for guidance on the dimensions of risk covered in each assessment.
Fitchs credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings relating to securities and obligations of an issuer can include a recovery expectation (please see section Specific Limitations Relating to Credit Rating Scales for details). Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. The agencys credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and
A-5
sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.
The terms investment grade and speculative grade have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories AAA to BBB (investment grade) and BB to D (speculative grade). The terms investment grade and speculative grade are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.
For the convenience of investors, Fitch may also include issues relating to a rated issuer that are not and have not been rated on its web page. Such issues are also denoted as NR.
Credit ratings express risk in relative rank order, which is to say they are ordinal measures of credit risk and are not predictive of a specific frequency of default or loss. For information about the historical performance of ratings please refer to Fitchs Ratings Transition and Default studies which detail the historical default rates and their meaning. The European Securities and Markets Authority also maintains a central repository of historical default rates.
Fitchs credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. In particular, ratings do not deal with the risk of a market value loss on a rated security due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and other market considerations. However, in terms of payment obligation on the rated liability, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay upon a commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of index-linked bonds).
In the default components of ratings assigned to individual obligations or instruments, the agency typically rates to the likelihood of non-payment or default in accordance with the terms of that instruments documentation. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e. rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligations documentation).
The primary credit rating scales can be used to provide a rating of privately issued obligations or certain note issuance programs or for private ratings. In this case the rating is not published, but only provided to the issuer or its agents in the form of a rating letter.
The primary credit rating scales may also be used to provide ratings for a more narrow scope, including interest strips and return of principal or in other forms of opinions such as Credit Opinions or Rating Assessment Services. Credit Opinions are either a notch- or category-specific view using the primary rating scale and omit one or more characteristics of a full rating or meet them to a different standard. Credit Opinions will be indicated using a lower case letter symbol combined with either an * (e.g. bbb+*) or (cat) suffix to denote the opinion status. Credit Opinions will be point-in-time typically but may be monitored if the analytical group believes information will be sufficiently available. Rating Assessment Services are a notch-specific view using the primary rating scale of how an existing or potential rating may be changed by a given set of hypothetical circumstances. Rating Assessments are point-in-time opinions. Rating Assessments are not monitored; they are not placed on Watch or assigned an Outlook and are not published.
Fitch Long-Term Rating Scales
Issuer Default Ratings
Rated entities in a number of sectors, including financial and non-financial corporations, sovereigns, insurance companies and certain sectors within public finance, are generally assigned Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs). IDRs are also assigned to certain entities in global infrastructure and project finance. IDRs opine on an entitys relative vulnerability to default on financial obligations. The threshold default risk addressed by the IDR is generally that of the financial obligations whose non-payment would best reflect the uncured failure of that entity. As such, IDRs also address relative vulnerability to bankruptcy, administrative receivership or similar concepts.
A-6
In aggregate, IDRs provide an ordinal ranking of issuers based on the agencys view of their relative vulnerability to default, rather than a prediction of a specific percentage likelihood of default.
AAA: Highest credit quality.
AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality.
AA ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High credit quality.
A ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good credit quality.
BBB ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative.
BB ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists that supports the servicing of financial commitments.
B: Highly speculative.
B ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC: Substantial credit risk.
Default is a real possibility.
CC: Very high levels of credit risk.
Default of some kind appears probable.
C: Near default
A default or default-like process has begun, or the issuer is in standstill, or for a closed funding vehicle, payment capacity is irrevocably impaired. Conditions that are indicative of a C category rating for an issuer include:
a. the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;
b. the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or
c. the formal announcement by the issuer or their agent of a distressed debt exchange;
d. a closed financing vehicle where payment capacity is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default is imminent
RD: Restricted default.
RD ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitchs opinion has experienced:
A-7
a. |
an uncured payment default or distressed debt exchange on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation, but |
b. |
has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation, or other formal winding-up procedure, and |
c. |
has not otherwise ceased operating. |
This would include:
i. |
the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; |
ii. |
the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; |
iii. |
the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; ordinary execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. |
D: Default.
D ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure or which has otherwise ceased business.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.
In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agencys opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuers financial obligations or local commercial practice.
Notes
The modifiers + or - may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA Long-Term IDR category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below B.
Fitch Short-Term Rating Scales
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as short term based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1: |
Highest Short-Term Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. |
F2: |
Good Short-Term Credit Quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. |
F3: |
Fair Short-Term Credit Quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate. |
B: |
Speculative Short-Term Credit Quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. |
C: |
High Short-Term Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. |
RD: |
Restricted Default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only. |
D: |
Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation. |
A-8
APPENDIX B
PERSONS TO WHOM INVESCO PROVIDES NON-PUBLIC PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
ON AN ONGOING BASIS
(as of May 31, 2020)
Service Provider | Disclosure Category | |
ABN AMRO Financial Services, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Absolute Color | Financial Printer | |
Anglemyer & Co. | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
AXA | Other | |
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP | Special Insurance Counsel | |
Barclays Capital, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Blaylock Robert Van LLC | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
BB&T Capital Markets | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Bear Stearns Pricing Direct, Inc. | Pricing Vendor (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
BLNS Securities Ltd. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
BOSC, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. | Custodian and Securities Lender (each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Cabrera Capital Markets | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Charles River Systems, Inc. | System Provider | |
Chas. P. Young Co. | Financial Printer | |
Cirrus Research, LLC | Trading System | |
Citibank, N.A. | Custodian and Securities Lender (each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Commerce Capital Markets | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Crane Data, LLC | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Credit Suisse International / Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Ltd. | Service Provider | |
Crews & Associates | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
D.A. Davidson & Co. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Dechert LLP | Legal Counsel | |
DEPFA First Albany | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas | Custodian and Securities Lender (each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) | |
E.K. Riley Investments LLC | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Empirical Research Partners | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Finacorp Securities | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
First Miami Securities | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
First Southwest Co. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
First Tryon Securities | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Fitch, Inc. | Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
FT Interactive Data Corporation | Pricing Vendor | |
FTN Financial Group | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
GainsKeeper | Software Provider (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
GCom2 Solutions | Software Provider (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
George K. Baum & Company | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Glass, Lewis & Co. | System Provider (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Global Trading Analytics, LLC | Software Provider | |
Global Trend Alert | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Hattier, Sanford & Reynoir |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
B-1
Service Provider | Disclosure Category | |
Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
ICI (Investment Company Institute) | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
ICRA Online Ltd. | Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Lincoln Investment Advisors Corporation | Other | |
iMoneyNet, Inc. | Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Initram Data, Inc. | Pricing Vendor | |
Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. | Proxy Voting Service (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Invesco Investment Services, Inc. | Transfer Agent | |
Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. | System Provider (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Investment Company Institute | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Investortools, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
ITG, Inc. | Pricing Vendor (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank | Custodian and Securities Lender (each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) | |
J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.\Citigroup Global Markets Inc.\JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. | Lender (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
J.P. Morgan Securities | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC | Sub-advisor (for certain sub-advised accounts) | |
Jorden Burt LLP | Special Insurance Counsel | |
KeyBanc Capital Markets, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP | Legal Counsel | |
Lebenthal & Co. LLC | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Lipper, Inc. | Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Loan Pricing Corporation | Pricing Service (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Loop Capital Markets | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
M.R. Beal | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
MarkIt Group Limited | Pricing Vendor (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Merrill Communications LLC | Financial Printer | |
Mesirow Financial, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Middle Office Solutions | Software Provider | |
Moodys Investors Service | Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Morrison Foerster LLP | Legal Counsel | |
MS Securities Services, Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated | Securities Lender (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Muzea Insider Consulting Services, LLC | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Ness USA Inc. | System provider | |
Noah Financial, LLC | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Omgeo LLC | Trading System | |
Piper Jaffray | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Prager, Sealy & Co. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (for all Invesco Funds) | |
Protective Securities | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Ramirez & Co., Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
RBC Capital Markets | Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
RBC Dain Rauscher Incorporated | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Reuters America LLC | Pricing Service (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Rice Financial Products | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) | |
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated | Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
B-2
Service Provider | Disclosure Category | |
RR Donnelley Financial |
Financial Printer |
|
Ryan Beck & Co. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
SAMCO Capital Markets, Inc. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Simon Printing Company |
Financial Printer |
|
Southwest Precision Printers, Inc. |
Financial Printer |
|
Southwest Securities |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Standard and Poors/Standard and Poors Securities Evaluations, Inc. |
Pricing Service and Rating and Ranking Agency (each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
StarCompliance, Inc. |
System Provider |
|
State Street Bank and Trust Company |
Custodian, Lender, Securities Lender, and System Provider (each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP |
Legal Counsel |
|
The Bank of New York |
Custodian and Securities Lender (each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
The MacGregor Group, Inc. |
Software Provider |
|
The Savader Group LLC |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Thomson Information Services Incorporated |
Software Provider |
|
TradingHub Group Ltd. |
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
UBS Financial Services, Inc. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
UMB Bank, N.A. |
Custodian and Securities Lender (each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
VCI Group Inc. |
Financial Printer |
|
Vining Sparks IBG |
Broker (for Certain Invesco Funds) |
|
W.H Mell Associates, Inc. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Wachovia National Bank, N.A. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
Western Lithograph |
Financial Printer |
|
Wiley Bros. Aintree Capital L.L.C. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
William Blair & Co. |
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
|
XSP, LLC\Solutions Plus, Inc. |
Software Provider |
B-3
APPENDIX C
As of May 31, 2020
The address of each trustee and officer is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173. The trustees serve for the life of the Trust, subject to their earlier death, incapacitation, resignation, retirement or removal as more specifically provided in the Trusts organizational documents. Each officer serves for a one year term or until their successors are elected and qualified. Column two below includes length of time served with predecessor entities, if any. |
Name,
|
Trustee
and/or Officer Since |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number
of Funds in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
||||
Interested Trustee: |
||||||||
Martin L. Flanagan1 1960 Trustee and Vice Chair |
2007 |
Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer and President, Invesco Ltd. (ultimate parent of Invesco and a global investment management firm); Trustee and Vice Chair, The Invesco Funds; Vice Chair, Investment Company Institute; and Member of Executive Board, SMU Cox School of Business
Formerly: Advisor to the Board, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.); Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (registered investment adviser); Director, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Invesco Holding Company (US), Inc. (formerly IVZ Inc.) (holding company), Invesco Group Services, Inc. (service provider) and Invesco North American Holdings, Inc. (holding company); Director, Chief Executive Officer and President, Invesco Holding Company Limited (parent of Invesco and a global investment management firm); Director, Invesco Ltd.; Chairman, Investment Company Institute and President, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Co-President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Franklin Resources, Inc. (global investment management organization) |
203 | None | ||||
Independent Trustees |
||||||||
Bruce L. Crockett 1944 Trustee and Chair |
1993 |
Chairman, Crockett Technologies Associates (technology consulting company)
Formerly: Director, Captaris (unified messaging provider); Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, COMSAT Corporation; Chairman, Board of Governors of INTELSAT (international |
203 | Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee, ALPS (Attorneys Liability Protection Society) |
1 |
Mr. Flanagan is considered an interested person (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) of the Trust because he is an officer of the Adviser to the Trust, and an officer and a director of Invesco Ltd., ultimate parent of the Adviser. |
C-1
communications company); ACE Limited (insurance company); Independent Directors Council and Investment Company Institute: Member of the Audit Committee, Investment Company Institute; Member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Governance Committee, Independent Directors Council | (insurance company); Director and Member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee, Ferroglobe PLC (metallurgical company) | |||||||
David C. Arch 1945 Trustee |
2010 | Chairman of Blistex Inc. (consumer health care products manufacturer); Member, World Presidents Organization | 203 | Board member of the Illinois Manufacturers Association | ||||
Beth Ann Brown 1968 Trustee |
2019 |
Independent Consultant
Formerly: Head of Intermediary Distribution, Managing Director, Strategic Relations, Managing Director, Head of National Accounts, Senior Vice President, National Account Manager and Senior Vice President, Key Account Manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers LLC; Vice President, Key Account Manager, Liberty Funds Distributor, Inc.; and Trustee of certain Oppenheimer Funds |
203 | Director, Board of Directors of Caron Engineering Inc.; Advisor, Board of Advisors of Caron Engineering Inc.; President and Director, Acton Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps (non -profit); and President and Director of Grahamtastic Connection (non-profit) | ||||
Jack M. Fields 1952 Trustee |
1997 |
Chief Executive Officer, Twenty First Century Group, Inc. (government affairs company); and Chairman, Discovery Learning Alliance (non-profit)
Formerly: Owner and Chief Executive Officer, Dos Angeles Ranch L.P. (cattle, hunting, corporate entertainment); Director, Insperity, Inc. (formerly known as Administaff) (human resources provider); Chief Executive Officer, Texana Timber LP (sustainable forestry company); Director of Cross Timbers Quail Research Ranch (non-profit); and member of the U.S. House of Representatives |
203 | Member, Board of Directors of Baylor College of Medicine | ||||
Cynthia Hostetler 1962 Trustee |
2017 |
Non-Executive Director and Trustee of a number of public and private business corporations
Formerly: Director, Aberdeen Investment Funds (4 portfolios); Head of Investment Funds and Private Equity, Overseas Private Investment Corporation; President, First Manhattan Bancorporation, Inc.; Attorney, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP |
203 | Vulcan Materials Company (construction materials company); Trilinc Global Impact Fund; Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. (railroads); Artio Global Investment LLC |
C-2
(mutual fund complex); Edgen Group, Inc. (specialized energy and infrastructure products distributor); Investment Company Institute (professional organization); Independent Directors Council (professional organization) | ||||||||
Eli Jones 1961 Trustee |
2016 |
Professor and Dean, Mays Business SchoolTexas A&M University
Formerly: Professor and Dean, Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas and E.J. Ourso College of Business, Louisiana State University; Director, Arvest Bank |
203 | Insperity, Inc. (formerly known as Administaff) (human resources provider) | ||||
Elizabeth Krentzman 1959 Trustee |
2019 | Formerly: Principal and Chief Regulatory Advisor for Asset Management Services and U.S. Mutual Fund Leader of Deloitte & Touche LLP; General Counsel of the Investment Company Institute (trade association); National Director of the Investment Management Regulatory Consulting Practice, Principal, Director and Senior Manager of Deloitte & Touche LLP; Assistant Director of the Division of Investment ManagementOffice of Disclosure and Investment Adviser Regulation of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and various positions with the Division of Investment Management Office of Regulatory Policy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Associate at Ropes & Gray LLP; and Trustee of certain Oppenheimer Funds | 203 | Trustee of the University of Florida National Board Foundation; Member of the Cartica Funds Board of Directors (private investment funds); Member of the University of Florida Law Center Association, Inc. Board of Trustees and Audit Committee Member | ||||
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr. 1956 Trustee |
2019 | Formerly: Director and Member of the Audit Committee, Blue Hills Bank (publicly traded financial institution) and Managing Partner, KPMG LLP | 203 | Blue Hills Bank; Chairman, Bentley University; Member, Business School Advisory Council; and Nominating Committee, KPMG LLP |
C-3
Prema Mathai-Davis 1950 Trustee |
1998 |
Retired
Formerly: Co-Founder & Partner of Quantalytics Research, LLC, (a FinTech Investment Research Platform for the Self-Directed Investor) |
203 | None | ||||
Joel W. Motley 1952 Trustee |
2019 |
Director of Office of Finance, Federal Home Loan Bank System; Member of the Vestry of Trinity Wall Street; Managing Director of Carmona Motley Inc. (privately held financial advisor); Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and its Finance and Budget Committee; Chairman Emeritus of Board of Human Rights Watch and Member of its Investment Committee; and Member of Investment Committee and Board of Historic Hudson Valley (non-profit cultural organization)
Formerly: Managing Director of Public Capital Advisors, LLC (privately held financial advisor); Managing Director of Carmona Motley Hoffman, Inc. (privately held financial advisor); Trustee of certain Oppenheimer Funds; and Director of Columbia Equity Financial Corp. (privately held financial advisor) |
203 | Member of Board of Greenwall Foundation (bioethics research foundation) and its Investment Committee; Member of Board of Friends of the LRC (non-profit legal advocacy); Board Member and Investment Committee Member of Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting (non-profit journalism) | ||||
Teresa M. Ressel 1962 Trustee |
2017 |
Non-executive director and trustee of a number of public and private business corporations
Formerly: Chief Financial Officer, Olayan America, The Olayan Group (international investor/commercial/industrial); Chief Executive Officer, UBS Securities LLC; Group Chief Operating Officer, Americas, UBS AG; Assistant Secretary for Management & Budget and CFO, US Department of the Treasury |
203 | Atlantic Power Corporation (power generation company); ON Semiconductor Corp. (semiconductor supplier) | ||||
Ann Barnett Stern 1957 Trustee |
2017 |
President and Chief Executive Officer, Houston Endowment Inc. (private philanthropic institution)
Formerly: Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Texas Childrens Hospital; Attorney, Beck, Redden and Secrest, LLP; Business Law Instructor, University of St. Thomas; Attorney, Andrews & Kurth LLP; Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas |
203 | None | ||||
Robert C. Troccoli 1949 Trustee |
2016 |
Retired
Formerly: Adjunct Professor, University of Denver Daniels College of Business; Senior Partner, KPMG LLP |
203 | None | ||||
Daniel S. Vandivort 1954 Trustee |
2019 |
Treasurer, Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee, and Trustee, Board of Trustees, Huntington Disease Foundation of America; and President, Flyway Advisory Services LLC (consulting and property management)
Formerly: Trustee and Governance Chair, of certain Oppenheimer Funds |
203 | Chairman and Lead Independent Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee, and Director, Board of Directors, Value Line Funds |
C-4
James D. Vaughn 1945 Trustee |
2019 |
Retired
Formerly: Managing Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP; Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Schroder Funds; Board Member, Mile High United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, Economic Club of Colorado and Metro Denver Network (economic development corporation); and Trustee of certain Oppenheimer Funds |
203 | Board member and Chairman of Audit Committee of AMG National Trust Bank; Trustee and Investment Committee member, University of South Dakota Foundation; Board member, Audit Committee Member and past Board Chair, Junior Achievement (non-profit) | ||||
Christopher L. Wilson 1957 Trustee, Vice Chair and Chair Designate |
2017 |
Retired
Formerly: Director, TD Asset Management USA Inc. (mutual fund complex) (22 portfolios); Managing Partner, CT2, LLC (investing and consulting firm); President/Chief Executive Officer, Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation; President/Chief Executive Officer, CDC IXIS Asset Management Services, Inc.; Principal & Director of Operations, Scudder Funds, Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc.; Assistant Vice President, Fidelity Investments |
203 | ISO New England, Inc. (non-profit organization managing regional electricity market) |
C-5
Officers |
||||||||
Sheri Morris 1964 President, Principal Executive Officer and Treasurer |
1999 |
Head of Global Fund Services, Invesco Ltd.; President, Principal Executive Officer and Treasurer, The Invesco Funds; Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser); and Vice President, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust; and Vice President, OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
Formerly: Vice President and Principal Financial Officer, The Invesco Funds; Vice President, Invesco AIM Advisers, Inc., Invesco AIM Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco AIM Private Asset Management, Inc.; Assistant Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, The Invesco Funds; Vice President and Assistant Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc.; Assistant Vice President, Invesco AIM Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco AIM Private Asset Management, Inc.; and Treasurer, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust |
N/A | N/A | ||||
Russell C. Burk 1958 Senior Vice President and Senior Officer |
2005 | Senior Vice President and Senior Officer, The Invesco Funds | N/A | N/A |
C-6
Jeffrey H. Kupor 1968 Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary |
2018 |
Head of Legal of the Americas, Invesco Ltd.; Senior Vice President and Secretary, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser); Secretary, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Distributors, Inc.); Vice President and Secretary, Invesco Investment Services, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Investment Services, Inc.) Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, The Invesco Funds; Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Investment Advisers LLC (formerly known as Van Kampen Asset Management); Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (formerly known as Van Kampen Funds Inc.) and Chief Legal Officer, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust; Secretary, Invesco Indexing LLC; Secretary, W.L. Ross & Co., LLC
Formerly: Senior Vice President, Invesco Distributors, Inc.; Secretary and Vice President, Jemstep, Inc.; Head of Legal, Worldwide Institutional, Invesco Ltd.; Secretary and General Counsel, INVESCO Private Capital Investments, Inc.; Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Management Group, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Management Group, Inc.); Assistant Secretary, INVESCO Asset Management (Bermuda) Ltd.; Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Private Capital, Inc.; Assistant Secretary and General Counsel, INVESCO Realty, Inc.; Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.; and Secretary, Sovereign G./P. Holdings Inc. |
N/A | N/A |
C-7
Andrew R. Schlossberg 1974 Senior Vice President |
2019 |
Head of the Americas and Senior Managing Director, Invesco Ltd.; Director and Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser); Director and Chairman, Invesco Investment Services, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Investment Services, Inc.) (registered transfer agent); Senior Vice President, The Invesco Funds; Director, Invesco Investment Advisers LLC (formerly known as Van Kampen Asset Management); Director, President and Chairman, Invesco Insurance Agency, Inc.
Formerly: Director, Invesco UK Limited; Director and Chief Executive, Invesco Asset Management Limited and Invesco Fund Managers Limited; Assistant Vice President, The Invesco Funds; Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser); Director and Chief Executive, Invesco Administration Services Limited and Invesco Global Investment Funds Limited; Director, Invesco Distributors, Inc.; Head of EMEA, Invesco Ltd.; President, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II and Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust; Managing Director and Principal Executive Officer, Invesco Capital Management LLC |
N/A | N/A | ||||
John M. Zerr 1962 Senior Vice President |
2006 | Chief Operating Officer of the Americas; Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser); Senior Vice President, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Distributors, Inc.); Director and Vice President, Invesco Investment Services, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Investment Services, Inc.) Senior Vice President, The Invesco Funds; Managing Director, Invesco Capital Management LLC; Director, Invesco Investment Advisers LLC (formerly known as Van Kampen Asset Management); Senior Vice President, Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (formerly known as Van Kampen Funds Inc.); Manager, Invesco Indexing LLC; Manager, Invesco Specialized Products, LLC; Director and Senior Vice President, Invesco Insurance Agency, Inc.; Member, Invesco Canada Funds Advisory Board; Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Invesco Corporate Class Inc. (corporate mutual fund company); and Director, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly known as Invesco Trimark Ltd./Invesco Trimark Ltèe) (registered investment adviser and registered transfer agent); President, Invesco, Inc.; President, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate Feeder GP Ltd.; President, Invesco IP Holdings (Canada) Ltd; President, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate GP Ltd.; President, Invesco Financial Services Ltd. / Services Financiers Invesco | N/A | N/A |
C-8
Ltée; and President, Trimark Investments Ltd./Placements Trimark Ltée
Formerly: Director and Senior Vice President, Invesco Management Group, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Management Group, Inc.); Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Management Group, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Management Group, Inc.); Secretary, Invesco Investment Services, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Investment Services, Inc.); Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, The Invesco Funds; Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Investment Advisers LLC (formerly known as Van Kampen Asset Management); Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (formerly known as Van Kampen Funds Inc.); Chief Legal Officer, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust; Secretary, Invesco Indexing LLC; Director, Secretary, General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Van Kampen Exchange Corp.; Director, Vice President and Secretary, IVZ Distributors, Inc. (formerly known as INVESCO Distributors, Inc.); Director and Vice President, INVESCO Funds Group, Inc.; Director and Vice President, Van Kampen Advisors Inc.; Director, Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Van Kampen Investor Services Inc.; Director and Secretary, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Distributors, Inc.); Director, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Invesco AIM Advisers, Inc. and Van Kampen Investments Inc.; Director, Vice President and Secretary, Fund Management Company; Director, Senior Vice President, Secretary, General Counsel and Vice President, Invesco AIM Capital Management, Inc.; Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Liberty Ridge Capital, Inc. (an investment adviser) |
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Gregory G. McGreevey 1962 Senior Vice President |
2012 |
Senior Managing Director, Invesco Ltd.; Director, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser); Director, Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc. and Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.; and Senior Vice President, The Invesco Funds; and President, SNW Asset Management Corporation and Invesco Managed Accounts, LLC
Formerly: Senior Vice President, Invesco Management Group, Inc. and Invesco Advisers, Inc.; Assistant Vice President, The Invesco Funds |
N/A | N/A |
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Kelli Gallegos 1970 Vice President, Principal Financial Officer and Assistant Treasurer |
2008 |
Principal Financial and Accounting Officer Investments Pool, Invesco Specialized Products, LLC; Vice President, Principal Financial Officer and Assistant Treasurer, The Invesco Funds; Principal Financial and Accounting Officer Pooled Investments, Invesco Capital Management LLC; Vice President and Treasurer, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust; Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc.
Formerly: Assistant Treasurer, Invesco Specialized Products, LLC; Assistant Treasurer, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust; Assistant Treasurer, Invesco Capital Management LLC; Assistant Vice President, The Invesco Funds |
N/A | N/A | ||||
Crissie M. Wisdom 1969 Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer |
2013 | Anti-Money Laundering and OFAC Compliance Officer for Invesco U.S. entities including: Invesco Advisers, Inc. and its affiliates, Invesco Capital Markets, Inc., Invesco Distributors, Inc., Invesco Investment Services, Inc., The Invesco Funds, Invesco Capital Management, LLC, Invesco Trust Company; OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc., and Fraud Prevention Manager for Invesco Investment Services, Inc. | N/A | N/A | ||||
Todd F. Kuehl 1969 Chief Compliance Officer |
2020 |
Chief Compliance Officer, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (registered investment adviser); and Chief Compliance Officer, The Invesco Funds
Formerly: Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer, Legg Mason (Mutual Funds); Chief Compliance Officer, Legg Mason Private Portfolio Group (registered investment adviser) |
N/A | N/A |
C-10
Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares as of December 31, 2019
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities Per Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in All Registered
|
||
Interested Persons |
||||
Martin L. Flanagan |
None | Over $100,000 | ||
Independent Trustees |
||||
David C. Arch |
None | Over $100,000 | ||
Beth Ann Brown |
None | Over $100,000 | ||
Bruce L. Crockett |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Jack M. Fields |
None | Over $100,000 | ||
Cynthia Hostetler |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Eli Jones |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Elizabeth Krentzman |
None | Over $100,000 | ||
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr. |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Prema Mathai-Davis |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Joel W. Motley |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Teresa M. Ressel |
None | None | ||
Ann Barnett Stern |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Robert C. Troccoli |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Daniel S. Vandivort |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
James D. Vaughn |
None | Over $100,0002 | ||
Christopher L. Wilson |
None | Over $100,0002 |
2 |
Includes total amount of compensation deferred by the trustee at his or her election pursuant to a deferred compensation plan. Such deferred compensation is placed in a deferral account and deemed to be invested in one or more of the Invesco Funds. |
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APPENDIX D
Set forth below is information regarding compensation paid or accrued for each trustee of the Trust who was not affiliated with Invesco during the year ended December 31, 2019:
Trustee |
Aggregate
Compensation from the Trust(1) |
Retirement
Benefits Accrued by All Invesco Funds |
Estimated
Annual Benefits Upon Retirement(2) |
Total
Compensation From All Invesco Funds Paid to the Trustees(3) |
||||||||||||
Independent Trustees(4) |
||||||||||||||||
David C. Arch |
$ | 19,910 | | $ | 205,000 | $ | 410,486 | |||||||||
Beth A. Brown(6) |
13,534 | | | 191,316 | ||||||||||||
Bruce L. Crockett |
32,193 | | 205,000 | 679,516 | ||||||||||||
Jack M. Fields |
19,346 | | 205,000 | 409,378 | ||||||||||||
Cynthia Hostetler |
18,870 | | | 374,320 | ||||||||||||
Eli Jones |
18,464 | | | 391,836 | ||||||||||||
Elizabeth Krentzman(6) |
14,032 | | | 192,066 | ||||||||||||
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr.(5) |
18,866 | | | 306,732 | ||||||||||||
Prema Mathai-Davis |
19,216 | | 205,000 | 406,878 | ||||||||||||
Joel W. Motley(6) |
13,386 | | | 188,066 | ||||||||||||
Teresa M. Ressel |
18,221 | | | 368,728 | ||||||||||||
Ann Barnett Stern |
18,945 | | | 397,070 | ||||||||||||
Robert C. Troccoli |
18,387 | | | 376,336 | ||||||||||||
Daniel S. Vandivort(6) |
14,239 | | | 206,709 | ||||||||||||
James D. Vaughn(6) |
14,507 | | | 205,066 | ||||||||||||
Christopher L. Wilson |
22,011 | | | 432,974 |
1 |
Amounts shown are based on the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020. The total amount of compensation deferred by all trustees of the Trust during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, including earnings, was $75,777. |
2 |
These amounts represent the estimated annual benefits payable by the Invesco Funds upon the trustees retirement and assumes each trustee serves until his or her normal retirement date. These amounts are not adjusted to reflect deemed investment appreciation or depreciation. |
3 |
These amounts represent the compensation paid from all Invesco Funds to the individuals who serve as trustees. All trustees currently serve as trustee of 32 registered investment companies advised by Invesco. |
4 |
On December 31, 2019, Mr. Raymond Stickel, Jr., retired. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, compensation from the Trust for Mr. Stickel was $15,405. |
5 |
Mr. Anthony J. LaCava, Jr. was appointed as Trustee of the Trust effective March 1, 2019. |
6 |
Mss. Beth A. Brown and Elizabeth Krentzman and Messrs. Joel W. Motley, Daniel S. Vandivort and James D. Vaughn were appointed as Trustees for all open-end funds in the Invesco Fund Complex (which includes all registered investment companies advised by the Adviser and its affiliates, including other subsidiaries of the Advisers parent company, Invesco Ltd.) and Invesco Senior Loan Fund effective June 10, 2019 and were appointed as Trustees for all close-end funds in the Invesco Fund Complex effective September 17, 2019. |
D-1
APPENDIX E
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Invescos Policy Statement on Global Corporate
Governance and Proxy Voting
The Adviser and each sub-adviser rely on this policy. In addition, Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Asset Management Limited, Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Capital Management LLC and Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd. have also adopted operating guidelines and procedures for proxy voting particular to each regional investment center. Such guidelines and procedures are attached hereto.
|
Invescos Policy Statement on Global Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting |
February, 2020
I. |
Guiding Principles and Philosophy |
Public companies hold shareholder meetings, attended by the companys executives, directors, and shareholders, during which important issues, such as appointments to the companys board of directors, executive compensation, and auditors, are addressed and where applicable, voted on. Proxy voting gives shareholders the opportunity to vote on issues that impact the companys operations and policies without being present at the meetings.
Invesco views proxy voting as an integral part of its investment management responsibilities and believes that the right to vote proxies should be managed with the same high standards of care and fiduciary duty to its clients as all other elements of the investment process. Invescos proxy voting philosophy, governance structure and process are designed to ensure that proxy votes are cast in accordance with clients best interests, which Invesco interprets to mean clients best economic interests, this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of Invescos regional investment centers.
Invesco investment teams vote proxies on behalf of Invesco-sponsored funds and both fund and non-fund advisory clients that have explicitly granted Invesco authority in writing to vote proxies on their behalf.
The proxy voting process at Invesco, which is driven by investment professionals, focuses on maximizing long-term value for our clients, protecting clients rights and promoting governance structures and practices that reinforce the accountability of corporate management and boards of directors to shareholders. Invesco takes a nuanced approach to voting and, therefore, many matters to be voted upon are reviewed on a case by case basis.
Votes in favor of board or management proposals should not be interpreted as an indication of insufficient consideration by Invesco fund managers. Such votes may reflect the outcome of past or ongoing engagement and active ownership by Invesco with representatives of the companies in which we invest.
II. |
Applicability of this Policy |
This Policy sets forth the framework of Invescos corporate governance approach, broad philosophy and guiding principles that inform the proxy voting practices of Invescos investment teams around the world. Given the different nature of these teams and their respective investment processes, as well as the significant differences in regulatory regimes and market practices across jurisdictions, not all aspects of this Policy may apply to all Invesco investment teams at all times. In the case of a conflict between this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of a regional investment center the latter will control.
III. |
Proxy Voting for Certain Fixed Income, Money Market and Index Strategies |
For proxies held by certain client accounts managed in accordance with fixed income, money market and index strategies (including exchange traded funds), Invesco will typically vote in line with the majority holder of the active-equity shares held by Invesco outside of those strategies (Majority Voting). In this manner Invesco seeks to leverage the active-equity expertise and comprehensive proxy voting reviews conducted by teams employing active-equity strategies, which typically incorporate analysis of proxy issues as a core component of the investment process. Portfolio managers for accounts employing Majority Voting still retain full discretion to override Majority Voting and to vote the shares as they determine to be in the best interest of those accounts, absent certain types of conflicts of interest, which are discussed elsewhere in this Policy. When there are no corresponding active-equity shares held by Invesco, the proxies for those strategies will be voted in the following manner: (i) for U.S. issuers, in line with Invesco custom voting guidelines derived from the guidelines set forth below; and (ii) for non-U.S. issuers, in line with the recommendations of a third-party proxy advisory service.
IV. |
Conflicts of Interest |
There may be occasions where voting proxies may present a real or perceived conflict of interest between Invesco, as investment manager, and one or more of Invescos clients or vendors. Under Invescos Code of Conduct, Invesco entities and individuals are strictly prohibited from putting personal benefit, whether tangible or intangible, before the interests of clients. Personal benefit includes any intended benefit for Invesco, oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever, except a benefit for the relevant Invesco client.
Firm-level Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a material business relationship with, or is actively soliciting business from, either the company soliciting a proxy or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote (e.g., issuers that are distributors of Invescos products, or issuers that employ Invesco to manage portions of their retirement plans or treasury accounts). Invescos proxy governance team maintains a list of all such issuers for which a conflict of interest exists.
If the proposal that gives rise to the potential conflict is specifically addressed by this Policy or the operating guidelines and procedures of the relevant regional investment center, Invesco generally will vote the proxy in accordance therewith. Otherwise, based on a majority vote of its members, the Global IPAC (as described below) will vote the proxy.
Because this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center are pre-determined and crafted to be in the best interest of clients, applying them to vote client proxies should, in most instances, resolve any potential conflict of interest. As an additional safeguard, persons from Invescos marketing, distribution and other customer-facing functions may not serve on the Global IPAC. For the avoidance of doubt, Invesco may not consider Invesco Ltd.s pecuniary interest when voting proxies on behalf of clients.
2
Personal Conflicts of Interest
A conflict also may exist where an Invesco employee has a known personal relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships.
All Invesco personnel with proxy voting responsibilities are required to report any known personal conflicts of interest regarding proxy issues with which they are involved. In such instances, the individual(s) with the conflict will be excluded from the decision-making process relating to such issues.
Other Conflicts of Interest
To avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Invesco will not vote proxies issued by, or related to matters involving, Invesco Ltd. that may be held in client accounts from time to time.1 Shares of an Invesco-sponsored fund held by other Invesco funds will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund. Shares of an unaffiliated registered fund held by one or more Invesco funds will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund as required by federal securities law or any exemption therefrom. Additionally, Invesco or its Funds may vote proportionally in other cases where required by law.
V. |
Use of Third-Party Proxy Advisory Services |
Invesco may supplement its internal research with information from third-parties, such as proxy advisory firms. However, Invesco generally retains full and independent discretion with respect to proxy voting decisions.
As part of its fiduciary obligation to clients, Invesco performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms it engages. This includes reviews of information regarding the capabilities of their research staffs, methodologies for formulating voting recommendations, the adequacy and quality of staffing, personnel and technology, as applicable, and internal controls, policies and procedures, including those relating to possible conflicts of interest. In addition, Invesco regularly monitors and communicates with these firms and monitors their compliance with Invescos performance and policy standards.
VI. |
Global Proxy Voting Platform and Administration |
Guided by its philosophy that investment teams should manage proxy voting, Invesco has created the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (Global IPAC). The Global IPAC is a global investments-driven committee comprised of representatives from various investment management teams and Invescos Global Head of ESG. The Global IPAC provides a forum for investment teams to monitor, understand and discuss key proxy issues and voting trends within the Invesco complex. Absent a conflict of interest, the Global IPAC representatives, in consultation with the respective investment team, are responsible for voting proxies for the securities the team manages
1 |
Generally speaking, Invesco does not invest for its clients in the shares of Invesco Ltd., however, limited exceptions apply in the case of funds or accounts designed to track an index that includes Invesco Ltd. as a component. |
3
(unless such responsibility is explicitly delegated to the portfolio managers of the securities in question). In addition to the Global IPAC, for some clients, third parties (e.g., U.S. fund boards) provide oversight of the proxy process. The Global IPAC and Invescos proxy administration and governance team, compliance and legal teams annually communicate and review this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center to ensure that they remain consistent with clients best interests, regulatory requirements, governance trends and industry best practices.
Invesco maintains a proprietary global proxy administration platform, known as the fund manager portal and supported by the Global Head of ESG and a dedicated team of internal proxy specialists. The platform streamlines the proxy voting and ballot reconciliation processes, as well as related functions, such as share blocking and managing conflicts of interest issuers. Managing these processes internally, as opposed to relying on third parties, gives Invesco greater quality control, oversight and independence in the proxy administration process.
The platform also includes advanced global reporting and record-keeping capabilities regarding proxy matters that enable Invesco to satisfy client, regulatory and management requirements. Historical proxy voting information, including commentary by investment professionals regarding the votes they cast, where applicable, is stored to build institutional knowledge across the Invesco complex with respect to individual companies and proxy issues. Certain investment teams also use the platform to access third-party proxy research.
VII. |
Non-Votes |
In the great majority of instances, Invesco will vote proxies. However, in certain circumstances, Invesco may refrain from voting where the economic or other opportunity costs of voting exceeds any benefit to clients. Such circumstances could include, for example:
|
If the security in question is on loan as part of a securities lending program, Invesco may determine that the benefit to the client of voting a particular proxy is outweighed by the revenue that would be lost by terminating the loan and recalling the securities; |
|
In some countries the exercise of voting rights imposes temporary transfer restrictions on the related securities (share blocking). Invesco generally refrains from voting proxies in share-blocking countries unless Invesco determines that the benefit to the client(s) of voting a specific proxy outweighs the clients temporary inability to sell the security; or |
|
Some companies require a representative to attend meetings in person to vote a proxy. Invesco may determine that the costs of sending a representative or signing a power-of-attorney outweigh the benefit of voting a particular proxy. |
In addition, there may be instances in which Invesco is unable to vote all of its clients proxies despite using commercially reasonable efforts to do so. For example, Invesco may not receive proxy materials from the relevant fund or client custodian with sufficient time and information to make an informed independent voting decision. In other cases, voting may not be practicable due to operational limitations. In such cases, Invesco may choose not to vote, to abstain from voting,
4
to vote in line with management or to vote in accordance with proxy advisor recommendations. These matters are left to the discretion of the relevant portfolio manager.
VIII. |
Proxy Voting Guidelines |
The following guidelines describe Invescos general positions on various proxy voting issues. The guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. As noted above, Invescos proxy process is investor-driven, and each portfolio manager retains ultimate discretion to vote proxies in the manner he or she deems most appropriate, consistent with Invescos proxy voting principles and philosophy discussed in Sections I. through IV. Individual proxy votes therefore will differ from these guidelines from time to time.
Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a companys business and will generally support a boards discretion on proposals relating to ordinary business practices and routine matters, unless there is insufficient information to decide about the nature of the proposal.
Invesco generally abstains from voting on or opposes proposals that are bundled or made contingent on each other (e.g., proposals to elect directors and approve compensation plans) where there is insufficient information to decide about the nature of the proposals.
A. |
Shareholder Access and Treatment of Shareholder Proposals General |
Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders opportunities to express their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder action, and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in corporate governance, provided that such proposals would not require a disproportionate amount of management attention or corporate resources or otherwise that may inappropriately disrupt the companys business and main purpose, usually set out in their reporting disclosures and business model. Likewise, Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights if a companys corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections are warranted (for example, where minority shareholders rights are not adequately protected).
B. |
Environmental, Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues |
Invesco believes that a companys long-term response to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues can significantly affect long-term shareholder value. We recognize that to manage a corporation effectively, directors and management may consider not only the interests of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, creditors and the local community, among others. While Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a companys business, Invesco generally will evaluate proposals relating to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues on a case by case basis and will vote on those proposals in a manner intended to maximize long-term shareholder value. Invesco may choose, however, to abstain on voting on proposals relating to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues.
5
Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally supports the following proposals relating to these issues:
|
Gender pay gap proposals |
|
Political contributions disclosure/political lobbying disclosure/political activities and action |
|
Data security, privacy, and internet issues |
|
Report on climate change/climate change action |
|
Gender diversity on boards |
C. |
Capitalization Structure Issues |
i. |
Stock Issuances |
Invesco generally supports a boards proposal to issue additional capital stock to meet ongoing corporate needs, except where the request could adversely affect Invesco clients ownership stakes or voting rights. Some capitalization proposals, such as those to authorize common or preferred stock with special voting rights or to issue additional stock in connection with an acquisition, may require additional analysis. Invesco generally opposes proposals to issue additional stock without preemptive rights, as those issuances do not permit shareholders to share proportionately in any new issues of stock of the same class. Invesco generally opposes proposals to authorize classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend or other rights (blank check stock) when they appear to be intended as an anti-takeover mechanism; such issuances may be supported when used for general financing purposes.
ii. |
Stock Splits |
Invesco generally supports a boards proposal to increase common share authorization for a stock split, provided that the increase in authorized shares would not result in excessive dilution given the companys industry and performance in terms of shareholder returns.
iii. |
Share Repurchases |
Invesco generally supports a boards proposal to institute open-market share repurchase plans only if all shareholders participate on an equal basis.
D. |
Corporate Governance Issues |
i. General
Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally supports the following proposals related to governance matters:
|
Adopt proxy access right |
6
|
Require independent board chairperson |
|
Provide right to shareholders to call special meetings |
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Provide right to act by written consent |
|
Submit shareholder rights plan (poison pill) to shareholder vote |
|
Reduce supermajority vote requirement |
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Remove antitakeover provisions |
|
Declassify the board of directors |
|
Require a majority vote for election of directors |
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Require majority of independent directors on the board |
|
Approve executive appointment |
|
Adopt exclusive forum provision |
Invesco generally supports a boards discretion to amend a companys articles concerning routine matters, such as formalities relating to shareholder meetings. Invesco generally opposes non-routine amendments to a companys articles if any of the proposed amendments would limit shareholders rights or there is insufficient information to decide about the nature of the proposal.
ii. Board of Directors
1. |
Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections |
Subject to the other considerations described below, in an uncontested director election for a company without a controlling shareholder, Invesco generally votes in favor of the director slate if it is comprised of at least a majority of independent directors and if the boards key committees are fully independent, effective and balanced. Key committees include the audit, compensation/remuneration and governance/nominating committees. Invescos standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they serve.
2. |
Director Nominees in Contested Elections |
Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiments influence the corporate governance landscape and may influence companies in Invesco clients portfolios and more broadly across the market. Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiment may conflict with long-term value creation and as such looks at each proxy contest matter on a case by case basis, considering factors such as:
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Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry |
7
|
Managements track record |
|
Background to the proxy contest |
|
Qualifications of director nominees (both slates) |
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Evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders as well as the likelihood that the proposed objectives and goals can be met |
|
Stock ownership positions in the company |
3. |
Director Accountability |
Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of accountability to shareholders. Examples include, without limitation, poor attendance (less than 75%, absent extenuating circumstances) at meetings, director overboarding (as described below), failing to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority of votes and/or by adopting or approving egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan (poison pills) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco may withhold votes from some or all of a companys directors. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals relating to the competence of directors that are in the best interest of the companys performance and the interest of its shareholders. In situations where directors performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take corrective actions such as so-called clawback provisions.
Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who serve on an excessive number of boards of directors (overboarding). Examples of overboarding may include when (i) a non-executive director is sitting on more than six public company boards, and (ii) a CEO is sitting on the board of more than two public companies besides the CEOs own company, excluding the boards of majority-owned subsidiaries of the parent company.
4. |
Director Independence |
Invesco generally supports proposals to require a majority of directors to be independent unless particular circumstances make this not feasible or in the best interests of shareholders. We generally vote for proposals that would require the boards audit, compensation/remuneration, and/or governance/nominating committees to be composed exclusively of independent directors because this minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.
5. |
Director Indemnification |
Invesco recognizes that individuals may be reluctant to serve as corporate directors if they are personally liable for all related lawsuits and legal costs. As a result, reasonable limitations on directors liability can benefit a company and its shareholders by helping to attract and retain qualified directors while preserving recourse for shareholders in the event of misconduct by directors. Accordingly, unless there is insufficient information to make a decision about the nature of the proposal, Invesco will generally support a boards discretion regarding proposals to limit
8
directors liability and provide indemnification and/or exculpation, provided that the arrangements are limited to the director acting honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in criminal matters, are limited to the director having reasonable grounds for believing the conduct was lawful.
6. |
Separate Chairperson and CEO |
Invesco evaluates these proposals on a case by case basis, recognizing that good governance requires either an independent chair or a qualified, proactive, and lead independent director.
Voting decisions may consider, among other factors, the presence or absence of:
|
a designated lead director, appointed from the ranks of the independent board members, with an established term of office and clearly delineated powers and duties |
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a majority of independent directors |
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completely independent key committees |
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committee chairpersons nominated by the independent directors |
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CEO performance reviewed annually by a committee of independent directors |
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established governance guidelines |
7. |
Majority/Supermajority/Cumulative Voting for Directors |
The right to elect directors is the single most important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote. Except in cases where required by law in the jurisdiction of incorporation or when a company has adopted formal governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard, Invesco generally votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting requirement, and generally supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements.
The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to have representation on a companys board. Invesco generally opposes such proposals as unnecessary where the company has adopted a majority voting standard. However, Invesco generally supports proposals to institute the practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders.
8. |
Staggered Boards/Annual Election of Directors |
Invesco generally supports proposals to elect each director annually rather than electing directors to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a boards level of accountability to its shareholders.
9. |
Board Size |
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Invesco believes that the number of directors is an important factor to consider when evaluating the boards ability to maximize long-term shareholder value. Invesco approaches proxies relating to board size on a case by case basis but generally will defer to the board with respect to determining the optimal number of board members, provided that the proposed board size is sufficiently large to represent shareholder interests and sufficiently limited to remain effective.
10. |
Director Term Limits and Retirement Age |
Invesco believes it is important for a board of directors to examine its membership regularly with a view to ensuring that the company continues to benefit from a diversity of director viewpoints and experience. We generally believe that an individual boards nominating committee is best positioned to determine whether director term limits would be an appropriate measure to help achieve these goals and, if so, the nature of such limits. Invesco generally opposes proposals to limit the tenure of outside directors through mandatory retirement ages.
iii. Audit Committees and Auditors
1. |
Qualifications of Audit Committee and Auditors |
Invesco believes a companys Audit Committee has a high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity of the financial statements and effectiveness of a companys internal controls. Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a well-functioning Audit Committee. When electing directors who are members of a companys Audit Committee, or when ratifying a companys auditors, Invesco considers the past performance of the Audit Committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the companys financial statements and reports.
2. |
Auditor Indemnifications |
A companys independent auditors play a critical role in ensuring and attesting to the integrity of the companys financial statements. It is therefore essential that they perform their work in accordance with the highest standards. Invesco generally opposes proposals that would limit the liability of or indemnify auditors because doing so could serve to undermine this obligation.
3. |
Adequate Disclosure of Auditor Fees |
Understanding the fees earned by the auditors is important for assessing auditor independence. Invescos support for the re-appointment of the auditors will take into consideration the availability of adequate disclosure concerning the amount and nature of audit versus non-audit fees. Invesco generally will support proposals that call for this disclosure if it is not already being made.
E. |
Remuneration and Incentives |
Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are effective in creating incentives that induce management and employees of portfolio companies to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain
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objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to reduce the value of the clients investment.
i. Independent Compensation/Remuneration Committee
Invesco believes that an independent, experienced and well-informed compensation/remuneration committee is critical to ensuring that a companys remuneration practices align with shareholders interests and, therefore, generally supports proposals calling for a compensation/remuneration committee to be comprised solely of independent directors.
ii. Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation
Invesco believes that an independent compensation/remuneration committee of the board, with input from management, is generally best positioned to determine the appropriate components and levels of executive compensation, as well as the appropriate frequency of related shareholder advisory votes. This is particularly the case where shareholders can express their views on remuneration matters through annual votes for or against the election of the individual directors who comprise the compensation/remuneration committee. Invesco, therefore, generally will support managements recommendations regarding the components and levels of executive compensation and the frequency of shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation. However, Invesco will vote against such recommendations where Invesco determines that a companys executive remuneration policies are not properly aligned with shareholder interests or may create inappropriate incentives for management.
iii. Equity Based Compensation Plans
Invesco generally votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair the alignment of incentives between shareholders and management. Such features include, without limitation, the ability to reprice or reload options without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stocks current market price, or the ability to replenish shares automatically without shareholder approval.
iv. Severance Arrangements
Invesco considers proposed severance arrangements (sometimes known as golden parachute arrangements) on a case by case basis due to the wide variety among their terms. Invesco acknowledges that in some cases such arrangements, if reasonable, may be in shareholders best interests as a method of attracting and retaining high quality executive talent. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory shareholder ratification of senior executives severance agreements while generally opposing proposals that require such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption.
v. Claw Back Provisions
Invesco generally supports so called claw back policies intended to recoup remuneration paid to senior executives based upon materially inaccurate financial reporting (as evidenced by later restatements) or fraudulent accounting or business practices.
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vi. Employee Stock Purchase Plans
Invesco generally supports employee stock purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock represents a reasonable discount from the market price.
F. |
Anti-Takeover Defenses |
Measures designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder value and voting rights, and they have the potential to create conflicts of interests among directors, management and shareholders. Such measures include adopting or renewing shareholder rights plans (poison pills), requiring supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock with special voting rights. In determining whether to support a proposal to add, eliminate or restrict anti-takeover measures, Invesco will examine the elements of the proposal to assess the degree to which it would adversely affect shareholder rights of adopted. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover provisions to a shareholder vote, as well as the following proposals:
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Provide right to act by written consent |
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Provide right to call special meetings |
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Adopt fair price provision |
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Approve control share acquisition |
Invesco generally opposes payments by companies to minority shareholders intended to dissuade such shareholders from pursuing a takeover or another change (sometimes known as greenmail) because these payments result in preferential treatment of some shareholders over others.
Companies occasionally require shareholder approval to engage in certain corporate actions or transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, name changes, dissolutions, reorganizations, divestitures and reincorporations. Invesco generally determines its votes for these types of corporate actions after a careful evaluation of the proposal. Generally, Invesco will support proposals to approve different types of restructurings that provide the necessary financing to save the company from involuntary bankruptcy. However, Invesco will generally oppose proposals to change a companys corporate form or to go dark (i.e., going private transactions) without shareholder approval.
Reincorporation involves re-establishing the company in a different legal jurisdiction. Invesco generally will vote for proposals to reincorporate a company if the board and management have demonstrated sound financial or business reasons for the move. Invesco generally will oppose proposals to reincorporate if they are solely part of an anti-takeover defense or intended to limit directors liability.
Invesco will generally support proposals that ask the board to consider non-shareholder constituencies or other non-financial effects when evaluating a merger or business combination.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
for
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Applicable to | All Advisory Clients, including the Invesco Funds | |
Risk Addressed by the Guidelines | Breach of fiduciary duty to client under Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invescos interests ahead of clients best interests in voting proxies | |
Relevant Law and Other Sources | U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended | |
Last ☒Reviewed ☒Revised by Compliance for Accuracy |
April 19, 2016 | |
Guideline Owner | U.S. Compliance and Legal | |
Policy Approver | Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Funds Board | |
Approved/Adopted Date | May 3-4, 2016 |
The following guidelines apply to all institutional and retail funds and accounts that have explicitly authorized Invesco Advisers, Inc. (Invesco) to vote proxies associated with securities held on their behalf (collectively, Clients).
A. INTRODUCTION
Invesco Ltd. (IVZ), the ultimate parent company of Invesco, has adopted a global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting (the Invesco Global Proxy Policy). The policy describes IVZs views on governance matters and the proxy administration and governance approach. Invesco votes proxies by using the framework and procedures set forth in the Invesco Global Proxy Policy, while maintaining the Invesco-specific guidelines described below.
B. PROXY VOTING OVERSIGHT: THE MUTUAL FUNDS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
In addition to the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee, the Invesco mutual funds board of trustees provides oversight of the proxy process through quarterly reporting and an annual in-person presentation by Invescos Global Head of Proxy Governance and Responsible Investment.
C. USE OF THIRD PARTY PROXY ADVISORY SERVICES
Invesco has direct access to third-party proxy advisory analyses and recommendations (currently provided by Glass Lewis (GL) and Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (ISS)), among other research tools, and uses the information gleaned from those sources to make independent voting decisions.
Invescos proxy administration team performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms that it engages. When deemed appropriate, representatives from the proxy advisory firms are asked to deliver updates directly to the mutual funds board of trustees. Invesco conducts semi-annual, in-person policy roundtables with key heads of research from ISS and GL to ensure transparency, dialogue and engagement with the firms. These meetings provide Invesco with an opportunity to assess the firms capabilities, conflicts of interest and service levels, as well as provide investment professionals with direct insight into the advisory firms stances on key governance and proxy topics and their policy framework/methodologies. Invescos proxy administration team also reviews the annual SSAE 16 reports for, and the periodic proxy guideline updates published by, each proxy advisory firm to ensure that their guidelines remain consistent with Invescos policies and procedures. Furthermore, each proxy advisory firm completes an annual due diligence questionnaire submitted by Invesco, and Invesco conducts on-site due diligence at each firm, in part to discuss their responses to the questionnaire.
If Invesco becomes aware of any material inaccuracies in the information provided by ISS or GL, Invescos proxy administration team will investigate the matter to determine the cause, evaluate the adequacy of the proxy advisory firms control structure and assess the efficacy of the measures instituted to prevent further errors.
ISS and GL provide updates to previously issued proxy reports when necessary to incorporate newly available information or to correct factual errors. ISS also has a Feedback Review Board, which provides a mechanism for stakeholders to communicate with ISS about issues related to proxy voting and policy formulation, research, and the accuracy of data contained in ISS reports.
D. PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
The following guidelines describe Invescos general positions on various common proxy issues. The guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. Invescos proxy process is investor-driven, and each portfolio manager retains ultimate discretion to vote proxies in the manner that he or she deems to be the most appropriate, consistent with the proxy voting principles and philosophy discussed in the Invesco Global Proxy Policy. Individual proxy votes therefore will differ from these guidelines from time to time.
I. |
Corporate Governance |
Management teams of companies are accountable to the boards of directors and directors of publicly held companies are accountable to shareholders. Invesco endeavors to vote the proxies of companies in a manner that will reinforce the notion of a boards accountability. Consequently, Invesco generally votes against any actions that would impair the rights of shareholders or would reduce shareholders influence over the board.
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The following are specific voting issues that illustrate how Invesco applies this principle of accountability.
Elections of directors
In uncontested director elections for companies that do not have a controlling shareholder, Invesco generally votes in favor of slates if they are comprised of at least a majority of independent directors and if the boards key committees are fully independent. Key committees include the audit, compensation and governance or nominating Committees. Invescos standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they serve. Contested director elections are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Director performance
Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of accountability to shareholders, either through their Level of attendance at meetings or by adopting or approving egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan (poison pills) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco may withhold votes from some or all of a companys directors. In situations where directors performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take corrective actions, such as so-called clawback provisions.
Auditors and Audit Committee members
Invesco believes a companys audit committee has a high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity of the financial statements and effectiveness of a companys internal controls. Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a well-functioning audit committee. When electing directors who are members of a companys audit committee, or when ratifying a companys auditors, Invesco considers the past performance of the committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the companys financial statements and reports.
Majority standard in director elections
The right to elect directors is the single most important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco supports the nascent effort to reform the U.S. convention of electing directors, and generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote.
Staggered Boards/Annual Election of Directors
Invesco generally supports proposals to elect each director annually rather than electing directors to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a boards level of accountability to its shareholders.
Supermajority voting requirements
Unless required by law in the state of incorporation, Invesco generally votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting requirement, and generally supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements.
Responsiveness of Directors
Invesco generally withholds votes for directors who do not adequately respond to shareholder proposals that were approved by a majority of votes cast the prior year.
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Cumulative voting
The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to have representation on a companys board, Invesco generally supports proposals to institute the practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders.
Proxy access
Invesco generally supports shareholders nominations of directors in the proxy statement and ballot because it increases the accountability of the board to shareholders. Invesco will generally consider the proposed minimum period of ownership (e.g., three years), minimum ownership percentage (e.g., three percent), limitations on a proponents ability to aggregate holdings with other shareholders and the maximum percentage of directors who can be nominated when determining how to vote on proxy access proposals.
Shareholder access
On business matters with potential financial consequences, Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders opportunities to express their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder action and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in corporate governance. Furthermore, Invesco generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights if a companys corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections are warranted.
Exclusive Forum
Invesco generally supports proposals that would designate a specific jurisdiction in company bylaws as the exclusive venue for certain types of shareholder lawsuits in order to reduce costs arising out of multijurisdidional litigation.
II. |
Compensation and Incentives |
Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are effective in creating incentives that induce management and employees of companies to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to reduce the value of the Clients investment.
Following are specific voting issues that illustrate how Invesco evaluates incentive plans.
Executive compensation
Invesco evaluates executive compensation plans within the context of the companys performance under the executives tenure. Invesco believes independent compensation committees are best positioned to craft executive-compensation plans that are suitable for their company-specific circumstances. Invesco views the election of independent compensation committee members as the appropriate mechanism for shareholders to express their approval or disapproval of a companys compensation practices. Therefore, Invesco generally does not support shareholder proposals to limit or eliminate certain forms of executive compensation. In the interest of reinforcing the notion of a compensation committees accountability to shareholders, Invesco generally supports proposals requesting that companies subject each years compensation record to an advisory shareholder vote, or so-called say on pay proposals.
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Equity-based compensation plans
Invesco generally votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair the alignment of incentives between shareholders and management. Such features include the ability to reprice or reload options without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stocks current market price, or the ability automatically to replenish shares without shareholder approval.
Employee stock-purchase plans
Invesco generally supports employee stock-purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock is at most a 15 percent discount from the market price.
Severance agreements
Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory shareholder ratification of executives severance agreements. However, Invesco generally opposes proposals requiring such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption. Given the vast differences that may occur in these agreements, some severance agreements are evaluated on an individual basis.
III. |
Capitalization |
Examples of management proposals related to a companys capital structure include authorizing or issuing additional equity capital, repurchasing outstanding stock, or enacting a stock split or reverse stock split. On requests for additional capital stock, Invesco analyzes the companys stated reasons for the request. Except where the request could adversely affect the Clients ownership stake or voting rights, Invesco generally supports a boards decisions on its needs for additional capital stock. Some capitalization proposals require a case-by-case analysis. Examples of such proposals include authorizing common or preferred stock with special voting rights, or issuing additional stock in connection with an acquisition.
IV. |
Mergers, Acquisitions and Other Corporate Actions |
Issuers occasionally require shareholder approval to engage in certain corporate actions such as mergers, acquisitions, name changes, dissolutions, reorganizations, divestitures and reincorporations and the votes for these types of corporate actions are generally determined on a case-by-case basis.
V. |
Anti-Takeover Measures |
Practices designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder value and voting rights, and they potentially create conflicts of interests among directors, management and shareholders. Except under special issuer-specific circumstances, Invesco generally votes to reduce or eliminate such measures. These measures include adopting or renewing poison pills, requiring supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock with special voting rights. Invesco generally votes against management proposals to impose these types of measures, and generally votes for shareholder proposals designed to reduce such measures. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover provisions to a shareholder vote.
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VI. |
Environmental, Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues |
Invesco believes that a companys response to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues and the risks attendant to them can have a significant effect on its long-term shareholder value. Invesco recognizes that to manage a corporation effectively, directors and management must consider not only the interest of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, customers, suppliers and creditors, among others. While Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a companys business, Invesco will evaluate such proposals on a case-by-case basis and will vote proposals relating to these issues in a manner intended to maximize long-term shareholder value.
VII. |
Routine Business Matters |
Routine business matters rarely have the potential to have a material effect on the economic prospects of Clients holdings, so Invesco generally supports a boards discretion on these items. However, Invesco generally votes against proposals where there is insufficient information to make a decision about the nature of the proposal. Similarly, Invesco generally votes against proposals to conduct other unidentified business at shareholder meetings.
D. |
EXCEPTIONS |
Client Maintains Right to Vote Proxies
In the case of institutional or sub-advised Clients, Invesco will vote the proxies in accordance with these guidelines and the Invesco Global Proxy Policy, unless the Client retains in writing the right to vote or the named fiduciary of a Client (e.g., the plan sponsor of an ERISA Client) retains in writing the right to direct the plan trustee or a third party to vote proxies.
Voting for Certain Investment Strategies
For cash sweep investment vehicles selected by a Client but for which Invesco has proxy voting authority over the account and where no other Client holds the same securities, Invesco will vote proxies based on ISS recommendations.
Funds of Funds
Some Invesco Funds offering diversified asset allocation within one investment vehicle own shares in other Invesco Funds. A potential conflict of interest could arise if an underlying Invesco Fund has a shareholder meeting with any proxy issues to be voted on, because Invescos asset-allocation funds or target-maturity funds may be large shareholders of the underlying fund. In order to avoid any potential for a conflict, the asset-allocation funds and target maturity funds vote their shares in the same proportion as the votes of the external shareholders of the underlying fund.
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F. |
POLICIES AND VOTE DISCLOSURE |
A copy of these guidelines, the Invesco Global Proxy Policy and the voting record of each Invesco Retail Fund are available on Invescos web site, www.invesco.com. In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, all Invesco Funds file a record of all proxy-voting activity for the prior 12 months ending June 30th. That filing is made on or before August 31st of each year. In the case of institutional and sub-advised Clients, Clients may contact their client service representative to request information about how Invesco voted proxies on their behalf. Absent specific contractual guidelines, such requests may be made on a semi-annual basis.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
for
Invesco Asset Management Limited (UK)
Page |
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Introduction | |||
03 |
What is the UK Stewardship Code? | |||
03 |
Our compliance with the Stewardship Code | |||
04 |
Introduction to the principles of the Stewardship Code | |||
05 |
Institutional investors should publicly disclose their policy on how they will discharge their stewardship responsibilities. |
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06 |
Institutional investors should have a robust policy on managing conflicts of interest in relation to stewardship and this policy should be publicly disclosed. |
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07 |
Institutional investors should monitor their investee companies. |
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08 |
Institutional investors should establish clear guidelines on when and how they will escalate their activities as a method of protecting and enhancing shareholder value. |
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09 |
Institutional investors should be willing to act collectively with other investors where appropriate |
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09 |
Institutional investors should have a clear policy on voting and disclosure of voting activity |
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11 |
Institutional investors should report periodically on their stewardship and voting activities |
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11 |
Further information/useful links | |||
11 |
Key contact details for matters concerning stewardship |
Henley Investment Centre UK Stewardship Policy |
03 |
This paper describes Invescos approach to stewardship in the UK and in particular how our policy and procedures meet the requirements of the Financial Reporting Councils (FRC) UK Stewardship Code (the Code). Its purpose is to increase understanding of the philosophy, beliefs and practices that drive the Henley Investment Centres behaviours as a significant institutional investor in markets around the world.
Invescos Henley Investment Centre has supported the development of good governance in the UK and beyond for many years. We are signatories and supporters of the FRCs Stewardship Code. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire. It also describes steps asset owners can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary.
This document is designed to describe how we approach our stewardship responsibilities and how this is consistent with and complies with the Code. It also provides useful links to relevant documents, codes and regulation for those who would like to look further at the broader context of our policy and the Code, as well as our commitment to other initiatives in this area, such as the UN supported Principles for Responsible Investment, of which Invesco is a signatory.
Key contact details are available at the end of this document should you have any questions on any aspect of our stewardship activities.
What is the UK Stewardship Code?
The UK Stewardship Code is a set of principles and guidance for institutional investors which represents current best practice on how they should perform their stewardship duties. The purpose of the Code is to improve the quality of engagement between institutional investors and companies to help improve long-term returns to shareholders and the efficient exercise of governance responsibilities. The Code was published by the FRC in July 2010, was updated in September 2012, and will continue to be overseen by the FRC. Commitment to the Code is on a comply or explain basis.
Our compliance with the UK Stewardship Code
Invesco is committed to being a responsible investor. We serve our clients in this space as a trusted partner both on specific responsible investment product strategies as well as part of our commitment to deliver a superior investment experience. Invesco signed the UN sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2013 thereby formalising our commitment to responsible investment globally. We achieved an A+ rating in our 2017 PRI assessment for our strategy and governance in responsible investment. This rating demonstrates our extensive efforts in terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration, active ownership, investor collaboration and transparency. The diversity of Invesco means that investment centres and strategies will vary in their approaches to implementation of responsible investment. Global resources both in terms of external research input and a global team of experts underpin and drive this effort alongside our investment centres. Invesco is a signatory to the UK Stewardship Code. The Code sets out seven principles, which support good practice on engagement with investee companies, and to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire.
The Henley Investment Centre takes its responsibilities for investing its clients money very seriously. As a core part of the investment process, its fund managers will endeavour to establish a dialogue with company management to promote company decision making that is in the best interests of shareholders, and takes into account ESG issues.
Being a major shareholder in a company is more than simply expecting to benefit from its future earnings streams. In the Henley Investment Centres view, it is about helping to provide the capital a company needs to grow, about being actively involved in its strategy, when necessary, and helping to ensure that shareholder interests are always at the forefront of managements thoughts.
We recognize that different asset classes will vary in their approach to implementation of stewardship activities. Where relevant, the fixed interest and multi-asset teams consider ESG elements as part of their investment research.
The Henley Investment Centre primarily defines stewardship as representing the best interests of clients in its fiduciary role as a discretionary asset manager (not asset owner) and as an institutional shareholder. This is considered more appropriate than undertaking the direct management of investee companies, which we believe should always remain the responsibility of the directors and executives of those companies.
The Henley Investment Centre may at times seek to influence strategies of investee companies, where appropriate, on behalf of its clients, but it will never seek to be involved in the day to day running of any investee companies. The Henley Investment Centre considers that being an active shareholder is fundamental to good Corporate Governance. Although this does not entail intervening in daily management decisions, it does involve supporting general standards for corporate activity and, where necessary, taking the initiative to ensure those standards are met, with a view to protecting and enhancing value for investors in our portfolios.
Engagement will also be proportionate and will reflect the size of holdings, length of holding period and liquidity of the underlying company shares. Given that the majority of the Henley Investment Centres investments are part of a very active asset management culture, engagement with those companies in which it chooses to invest its clients money is very important. Encouraging high standards of corporate governance within those companies that it invests is key to achieving successful outcomes for its clients.
The Henley Investment Centre sets out below how it complies with each principle of the FRCs Stewardship code, or details why we have chosen to take a different approach, where relevant.
Henley Investment Centre UK Stewardship Policy |
04 |
Scope
The scope of this policy covers all portfolios that are managed by the Invesco investment teams located in Henley on Thames, United Kingdom and specifically excludes portfolios that are managed by other investment teams within the wider Invesco group that have their own voting, corporate governance and stewardship policies, all falling under the broader global policy. As an example, within Invescos UK ICVC range the following funds are excluded: Invesco US Enhanced Index Fund (UK), Invesco Balanced Risk 8 Fund (UK), Invesco Balanced Risk 10 Fund (UK), Invesco European ex UK Enhanced Index Fund (UK), Invesco Global Balanced Index Fund (UK), Invesco Global ex-UK Core Equity Index Fund (UK), Invesco Global ex-UK Enhanced Index Fund (UK), Invesco Hong Kong & China Fund (UK), Invesco Japanese Smaller Companies Fund (UK) and Invesco UK Enhanced Index Fund (UK).
Introduction to the principles of the Stewardship Code
There are 7 principles under the Stewardship Code. Each principle is accompanied by guidance to help investors focus on how to meet it.
The principles are as follows:
- Principle 1: |
Institutional investors should publicly disclose their policy on how they will discharge their stewardship responsibilities. | |
- Principle 2: |
Institutional investors should have a robust policy on managing conflicts of interest in relation to stewardship and this policy should be publicly disclosed. | |
- Principle 3: |
Institutional investors should monitor their investee companies. | |
- Principle 4: |
Institutional investors should establish clear guidelines on when and how they will escalate their activities as a method of protecting and enhancing shareholder value. | |
- Principle 5: |
Institutional investors should be willing to act collectively with other investors where appropriate. | |
- Principle 6: |
Institutional investors should have a clear policy on voting and disclosure of voting activity. | |
- Principle 7: |
Institutional investors should report periodically on their stewardship and voting activities. |
Henley Investment Centre UK Stewardship Policy |
05 |
Institutional investors should publicly disclose their policy on how they will discharge their stewardship responsibilities.
Guidance
Stewardship activities include monitoring and engaging with companies on matters such as strategy, performance, risk, capital structure and corporate governance, including culture and remuneration.
Engagement is purposeful dialogue with companies on those matters as well as on issues that are the immediate subject of votes at general meetings.
The policy should disclose how the institutional investor applies stewardship with the aim of enhancing and protecting the value for the ultimate beneficiary or client.
The statement should reflect the institutional investors activities within the investment chain, as well as the responsibilities that arise from those activities. In particular, the stewardship responsibilities of those whose primary activities are related to asset ownership may be different from those whose primary activities are related to asset management or other investment related services.
Where activities are outsourced, the statement should explain how this is compatible with the proper exercise of the institutional investors stewardship responsibilities and what steps the investor has taken to ensure that they are carried out in a manner consistent with the approach to stewardship set out in the statement.
The disclosure should describe arrangements for integrating stewardship within the wider investment process.
Invescos Investors approach:
The Henley Investment Centre complies with Principle 1 by publishing Invescos Global Policy Statement on Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting and this document around the specific application to Invesco on its website.
In this document we explain our philosophy on stewardship, our proxy voting policy and how we deal with conflicts of interest. In addition, this statement of compliance with the UK Stewardship Code indicates how the Henley Investment Centre addresses engagement, monitoring, and incorporates environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities within our investment process. All of our activities are aimed at enhancing and protecting the value of our investments for our clients.
These documents are reviewed and updated on an annual basis.
Integration of stewardship activities as part of the wider investment process
The investment process and philosophy in Henley is rooted in a culture of long term, valuation led, active management. Fundamental research of companies includes a holistic set of factors.
When analysing companies prospects for future profitability and hence returns to shareholders, we will take many variables into account, including but not limited to, the following:
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Nomination and audit committees |
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Remuneration policies, reporting and directors remuneration |
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Board balance and structure |
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Financial reporting principles |
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Internal control system and annual review of its effectiveness |
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Dividend and Capital Management policies |
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ESG activities |
Frequent dialogue with companies on these topics is an essential part of our fundamental research process and we will regularly support companies to improve and develop overtime. As such, stewardship is core to our wider investment process.
Dialogue with companies
We will endeavour, where practicable and in accordance with its investment approach, to enter into a dialogue with companies management based on the mutual understanding of objectives. This dialogue is likely to include regular meetings with company representatives to explore any concerns about ESG issues where these may impact on the best interests of clients. In discussion with company boards and senior non-Executive Directors, we will endeavour to cover any matters of particular relevance to investee company shareholder value.
Those people on the inside of a company, most obviously its executives, know their businesses much more intimately. Therefore, it is usually appropriate to leave strategic matters in their hands. However, if that strategy is not working, or alternatives need exploring, the Henley Investment Centre will seek to influence the direction of that company where practicable. In our view, this is part of our responsibility to clients.
Ultimately the business performance will have an impact on the returns generated by the Henley Investment Centres portfolios, whether it is in terms of share price performance or dividends, and the business wants to seek to ensure that the capital invested on behalf of its clients is being used as effectively as possible. In the majority of cases the business is broadly in agreement with the direction of a company that it has invested in, as its initial decision to invest will have taken these factors into account. Corporate engagement provides an opportunity for regular reviews of these issues.
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The building of this relationship facilitates frank and open discussion, and on-going interaction is an integral part of the fund managers role. The fact that the Henley Investment Centre has been a major shareholder in a number of companies for a long time, reflects both the fact that the original investments were based on a joint understanding of where the businesses were going and the ability of the companies management to execute that plan. It adds depth to the sophistication of our understanding of the firm, its clients and markets. Inevitably there are times when our views diverge from those of the companies executives but, where possible, we attempt to work with companies towards a practical solution. However, the Henley Investment Centre believes that its status as part-owner of companies means that it has both the right and the responsibility to make its views known. The option of selling out of those businesses is always open, but normally we prefer to push for change, (i.e. we believe that we are more influential as an owner of equity) even if this can be a slow process.
Specifically when considering resolutions put to shareholders, we will pay attention to the companies compliance with the relevant local requirements.
Non-routine resolutions and other topics
These will be considered on a case-by-case basis and where proposals are put to a vote will require proper explanation and justification by (in most instances) the Board. Examples of such proposals would be all political donations and any proposal made by a shareholder or body of shareholders (typically a pressure group).
Other considerations that the Henley Investment Centre might apply to non-routine proposals will include:
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The degree to which the companys stated position on the issue could affect its reputation and/or sales, or leave it vulnerable to boycott or selective purchasing |
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Peer group response to the issue in question |
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Whether implementation would achieve the objectives sought in the proposal |
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Whether the matter is best left to the Boards discretion |
Institutional investors should have a robust policy on managing conflicts of interest in relation to stewardship and this policy should be publicly disclosed.
Guidance
An institutional investors duty is to act in the interests of its clients and/or beneficiaries.
Conflicts of interest will inevitably arise from time to time, which may include when voting on matters affecting a parent company or client.
Institutional investors should put in place, maintain and publicly disclose a policy for identifying and managing conflicts of interest with the aim of taking all reasonable steps to put the interests of their client or beneficiary first. The policy should also address how matters are handled when the interests of clients or beneficiaries diverge from each other.
Invescos Investors approach:
Invesco is required to take all appropriate steps to identify, manage, record and, where relevant, disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest between ourselves (including our managers and employees and any person directly or indirectly linked) and our clients and between one client and another. Invesco has a UK Conflicts of Interest Policy which lists the types of potential conflicts of interest which may arise through the normal course of business whose existence may damage the interests of clients and details the administrative arrangements taken to prevent and manage these. A copy of the UK Conflicts of Interest Policy is provided to investors on request.
Invesco has a UK Code of Ethics for its employees which covers expectations around our principles and obligations as a fiduciary, material non-public information, personal account dealing, outside business activity, and other potential conflicts of interest. All employees are required to provide an annual attestation that they have read the Code of Ethics and will comply with its provisions.
Invesco maintains policies and procedures that deal with conflicts of interest in all of its business dealings. In particular in relation to conflicts of interest that exist in its stewardship and proxy voting activities, these policies can be found in the Global Policy Statement on Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting found on our website.
There may be occasions where voting proxies may present a real or perceived conflict of interest between Invesco, as investment manager, and one or more of Invescos clients or vendors. Under Invescos Code of Conduct, Invesco entities and individuals are strictly prohibited from putting personal benefit, whether tangible or intangible, before the interests of clients. Personal benefit includes any intended benefit for Invesco, oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever, except a benefit for the relevant Invesco client.
Firm-level Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a material business relationship with, or is actively soliciting business from, either the company soliciting a proxy vote or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote (e.g., issuers that are distributors of Invescos products, or issuers that employ Invesco to manage portions of their retirement plans or treasury accounts). Invescos proxy administration team maintains a list of all such issuers for which a conflict of interest actually exists.
If the proposal that gives rise to the potential conflict is specifically addressed by this Policy or the operating guidelines and procedures of the relevant regional investment centre, Invesco generally will vote the proxy in accordance therewith. Where this is not the case, Invesco operates a global Invesco proxy advisory committee (IPAC) who will vote the proxy based on the majority vote of its members (see full description of IPAC in the section on Principle 6).
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Because this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment centre are pre-determined and crafted to be in the best economic interest of clients, applying them to vote client proxies should, in most instances, adequately resolve any potential conflict of interest. As an additional safeguard, persons from Invescos marketing, distribution and other customer-facing functions may not serve on the IPAC.
Personal Conflicts of Interest
A conflict also may exist where an Invesco employee has a known personal relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or candidates for directorships.
All Invesco personnel with proxy voting responsibilities are required to report any known personal conflicts of interest regarding proxy issues with which they are involved. In such instances, the individual(s) with the conflict will be excluded from the decision making process relating to such issues.
Other Conflicts of Interest
In order to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Invesco will not vote proxies issued by, or related to matters involving, Invesco Ltd. that may be held in client accounts from time to time.
Institutional investors should monitor their investee companies.
Guidance
Effective monitoring is an essential component of stewardship. It should take place regularly and be checked periodically for effectiveness.
When monitoring companies, institutional investors should seek to:
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Keep abreast of the companys performance; |
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Keep abreast of developments, both internal and external to the company, that drive the companys value and risks; |
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Satisfy themselves that the companys leadership is effective; |
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Satisfy themselves that the companys board and committees adhere to the spirit of the UK Corporate Governance Code, including through meetings with the chairman and other board members; |
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Consider the quality of the companys reporting; and |
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Attend the General Meetings of companies in which they have a major holding, where appropriate and practicable |
Institutional investors should consider carefully explanations given for departure from the UK Corporate Governance Code and make reasoned judgements in each case. They should give a timely explanation to the company, in writing where appropriate, and be prepared to enter a dialogue if they do not accept the companys position.
Institutional investors should endeavour to identify at an early stage issues that may result in a significant loss in investment value. If they have concerns, they should seek to ensure that the appropriate members of the investee companys board or management are made aware.
Institutional investors may or may not wish to be made insiders. An institutional investor who may be willing to become an insider should indicate in its stewardship statement the willingness to do so, and the mechanism by which this could be done.
Institutional investors will expect investee companies and their advisers to ensure that information that could affect their ability to deal in the shares of the company concerned is not conveyed to them without their prior agreement.
Invescos Investors approach:
Through the Henley Investment Centres active investment process, fund managers endeavour to establish on a proportionate basis, on-going dialogue with company management and this includes regular meetings. The business will also engage with companies on particular ESG related matters.
Meeting investee companies is a core part of the investment process and the Henley Investment Centre is committed to keeping records of all key engagement activities.
However, meeting company management is not the only method of corporate engagement.
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Our investment teams regularly review company filings and publicly available information to gain a fuller understanding of the relevant company. |
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We also attend public meetings that companies call in order to hear from company boards and to discuss topics with other company shareholders on an informal basis. |
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Our investment teams also utilise research provided by market participants on the companies that we invest in. This allows us to understand what other participants in the capital markets think about those companies, and helps us develop a more rounded view. Invesco expenses research costs. |
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Our investment teams have access to external corporate governance research that flags corporate non-compliance with best practice corporate governance standards. While we believe this is a helpful guide, we consider each company on a case by case basis and may well support management where we believe this is in our clients best interest. |
This approach, and these methods of gaining information allows us to review the performance of our investee companies on a regular basis, and ask questions and raise concerns promptly.
Invescos approach to the receipt of inside information
Invesco has a global and interconnected asset management business without internal information barriers, which means that the receipt of inside information by one area of Invescos global business results in all of Invescos global business being deemed to be in receipt of inside information.
The Henley Investment Centre acknowledges that the receipt of inside information has the potential to negatively impact other investment teams, our clients and more generally the efficient and fair operation of capital markets.
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For these reasons and as a matter of general policy the business does not want to receive inside information.
However, it is acknowledged that as part of the Henley Investment Centres investment approach and duty to act in the best interests of our clients, there are circumstances in which the business may receive inside information which are detailed further in relevant procedures and policies.
The Henley Investment Centres investment approach is about forming strong, long term relationships with the companies it invests in. We do this by maintaining regular and direct contact with corporate brokers and the management of companies that they invest in so that we can build real insight into and a deep understanding of such companies, as well as the markets and industry in which they operate.
This, along with the corporate governance responsibilities of being long term asset managers, means participating in meaningful conversations about our investee companies with the company itself and its advisors. This approach provides us with the opportunity to engage in discussions regarding the direction of the strategy of those companies before decisions by the companies have been made. Such engagement is an important aspect of the exercise of our responsibilities as asset manager owners.
Fund managers individually have a key fiduciary responsibility in assessing information received and managing it effectively. In accepting that fund managers may be exposed to receiving inside information, the business has in place policies and procedures to effectively manage this risk. Anyone in receipt of inside information should only disclose to colleagues where necessary or required through the normal course of business and on a need to know basis. As soon as an individual has received inside information and been made an insider, compliance will be notified together with the names of those known to also be in receipt of the information. Compliance will update the Invesco insider list and ensure trading systems are updated to prevent any further trading until the information becomes public. Further details are available upon request.
Institutional investors should establish clear guidelines on when and how they will escalate their activities as a method of protecting and enhancing shareholder value.
Guidance
Institutional investors should set out the circumstances in which they will actively intervene and regularly assess the outcomes of doing so. Intervention should be considered regardless of whether an active or passive investment policy is followed. In addition, being underweight is not, of itself, a reason for not intervening. Instances when institutional investors may want to intervene include, but are not limited to, when they have concerns about the companys strategy, performance, governance, remuneration or approach to risks, including those that may arise from social and environmental matters.
Initial discussions should take place on a confidential basis. However, if companies do not respond constructively when institutional investors intervene, then institutional investors should consider whether to escalate their action, for example, by:
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Holding additional meetings with management specifically to discuss concerns; |
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Expressing concerns through the companys advisers; |
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Meeting with the chairman or other board members; |
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Intervening jointly with other institutions on particular issues; |
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Making a public statement in advance of General Meetings; |
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Submitting resolutions and speaking at General Meetings; and |
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Requisitioning a General Meeting, in some cases proposing to change board membership |
Invescos Investors approach:
The Henley Investment Centres fund managers escalate stewardship activities in several stages. Initially any issues/concerns would be raised by its fund managers through a process of on-going dialogue and company meetings. We may then take a number of actions to escalate our concerns along the lines of a broad escalation hierarchy, via a number of different approaches including (but not limited to) as follows:
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Meeting with non-executive members of company boards to discuss our concerns |
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Attendance and active participation at company annual general meetings (AGMs) |
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Writing of letters to company boards expressing our concerns and requiring action to be taken |
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Votes against management through the use of proxy voting on company resolutions |
On occasions where a fund manager believes an issue is significant enough to be escalated, we will ensure the relevant internal resources are made available to support the fund manager in securing the most appropriate outcome for our clients.
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Examples of issues that would prompt us to escalate our concerns may include:
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Poor examples of corporate governance practice within companies for example where management structures are created that increase conflicts of interest, or leave management control in the hands of dominant shareholders. |
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Concerns over remuneration policies at companies where those policies do not align with the ongoing positive growth of the company. This may include us exercising our proxy votes against the reappointment of chairs of the remuneration committees in order to express our concerns. |
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Where the strategic direction of companies that we invest in changes significantly, and does not match with the original investment rationale that attracted us to the company in the first place, and where we believe that the new strategy will no longer return the best value to shareholders, and ultimately to our clients. |
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Where Board structure or individual composition at an investee company does not meet our standards in terms of the qualifications and expertise required. |
We believe that our approach to escalation is consistent with the intent of the Code. However, because we approach each engagement individually we do not see this as a mechanistic process, and therefore our approach will vary based on the individual situations. Through regular and frank meetings with management, we try as much as possible to raise queries and issues before they become areas of concern that require more direct intervention such as votes against management or disinvestment of positions.
Our preference is to engage privately as we believe it better serves the long-term interests of our clients to establish relationships, and a reputation with companies that enhances rather than hinders dialogue.
Institutional investors should be willing to act collectively with other investors where appropriate
Guidance
At times collaboration with other investors may be the most effective manner in which to engage.
Collective engagement may be most appropriate at times of significant corporate or wider economic stress, or when the risks posed threaten to destroy significant value.
Institutional investors should disclose their policy on collective engagement, which should indicate their readiness to work with other investors through formal and informal groups when this is necessary to achieve their objectives and ensure companies are aware of concerns. The disclosure should also indicate the kinds of circumstances in which the institutional investor would consider participating in collective engagement.
Invescos Investors approach:
The Henley Investment Centre is supportive of collective engagement in cases where objectives between parties are mutually agreeable and there are no conflicts of interest.
In taking collaborative action we are cognisant of legal and regulatory requirements, including on market abuse, insider dealing and concert party regulations.
The Investment Association (IA), the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) and the UN backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) coordinate and support collective shareholder meetings which can be very effective as they are carried out in a neutral environment. Where we have an interest, we are regular participants in such meetings.
Invesco are also members of the UK Investor Forum, an organisation set up to create an effective model for collective engagement with UK companies.
All of our engagement activities are undertaken in the best interests of our clients.
Institutional investors should have a clear policy on voting and disclosure of voting activity
Guidance
Institutional investors should seek to vote on all shares held. They should not automatically support the board.
If they have been unable to reach a satisfactory outcome through active dialogue then they should register an abstention or vote against the resolution. In both instances, it is good practice to inform the company in advance of their intention and the reasons why.
Institutional investors should disclose publicly voting records.
Institutional investors should disclose the use made, if any, of proxy voting or other voting advisory services. They should describe the scope of such services, identify the providers and disclose the extent to which they follow, rely upon or use recommendations made by such services.
Institutional investors should disclose their approach to stock lending and recalling lent stock.
Invescos Investors approach:
Invesco views proxy voting as an integral part of its investment management responsibilities and believes that the right to vote proxies should be managed with the same high standards of care and fiduciary duty to its clients as all other elements of the investment process. Invescos proxy voting philosophy, governance structure and process are designed to ensure that proxy votes are cast in accordance with clients best interests, which Invesco interprets to mean clients best economic interests.
Invesco investment teams vote proxies on behalf of Invesco-sponsored funds and non-fund advisory clients that have explicitly granted Invesco authority in writing to vote proxies on their behalf.
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The proxy voting process at Invesco, which is driven by investment professionals, focuses on maximizing long-term value for our clients, protecting clients rights and promoting governance structures and practices that reinforce the accountability of corporate management and boards of directors to shareholders. Invesco takes a nuanced approach to voting and, therefore, many matters to be voted upon are reviewed on a case by case basis. The Henley Investment Centre buys research from several providers to make an informed voting decision. Globally we use ISS and Glass Lewis and we use the Investment Association IVIS service for research for UK securities.
The Henley Investment Centre reports the investment teams proxy voting records through an easily accessible portal on our website. This allows our clients to see votes that have been cast by our investment professionals on each of our ICVC funds managed by IAML, by company that we are shareholders of, and by resolution, and to easily search for the records that they are interested in. This can be viewed on our website at: www.invesco.co.uk/proxy-voting-records This data will be updated on an annual basis.
Global Proxy Voting Platform and Administration
Guided by its philosophy that investment teams should manage proxy voting, Invesco has created the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (Global IPAC). The Global IPAC is a global investments-driven committee which compromises representatives from various investment management teams and Invescos Head of Global Governance, Policy and Responsible Investment (Head of Global Governance). The Global IPAC provides a forum for investment teams to monitor, understand and discuss key proxy issues and voting trends within the Invesco group. In addition to the Global IPAC, for some clients, third parties (e.g., U.S. mutual fund boards) provide oversight of the proxy process.
The Global IPAC and Invescos proxy administration and governance team, compliance and legal teams regularly communicate and review this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment centre to ensure that they remain consistent with clients best interests, regulatory requirements, governance trends and industry best practices.
Invesco maintains a proprietary global proxy administration platform, supported by the Global Head of Responsible Investment and a dedicated team of internal proxy specialists. This proprietary portal is supported by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) to process the underlying voting ballots. The platform streamlines the proxy voting and ballot reconciliation processes, as well as related functions, such as share blocking and managing conflicts of interest issuers. Managing these processes internally, as opposed to relying on third parties, gives Invesco greater quality control, oversight and independence in the proxy administration process.
The platform also includes advanced global reporting and record-keeping capabilities regarding proxy matters that enable Invesco to satisfy client, regulatory and management requirements. Certain investment teams also use the platform to access third-party proxy research.
Non-Votes
In the vast majority of instances, Invesco is able to vote proxies successfully. However, in certain circumstances Invesco may refrain from voting where the economic or other opportunity costs of voting exceeds any anticipated benefits of that proxy proposal. In addition, there may be instances in which Invesco is unable to vote all of its clients proxies despite using commercially reasonable efforts to do so. For example:
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Invesco may not receive proxy materials from the relevant fund or client custodian with sufficient time and information to make an informed independent voting decision. In such cases, Invesco may choose not to vote, to abstain from voting or to vote in accordance with proxy advisor recommendations |
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If the security in question is on loan as part of a securities lending program, Invesco may determine that the benefit to the client of voting a particular proxy is outweighed by the revenue that would be lost by terminating the loan and recalling the securities |
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In some countries the exercise of voting rights imposes temporary transfer restrictions on the related securities (share blocking). Invesco generally refrains from voting proxies in share-blocking countries unless Invesco determines that the benefit to the clients of voting a specific proxy outweighs the clients temporary inability to sell the security |
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Some companies require a representative to attend meetings in person in order to vote a proxy. In such cases, Invesco may determine that the costs of sending a representative or signing a power-of-attorney outweigh the benefit of voting a particular proxy |
Approach to Stock Lending
The Henley Investment Centre does not enter into stock lending arrangements.
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Institutional investors should report periodically on their stewardship and voting activities
Guidance
Institutional investors should maintain a clear record of their stewardship activities.
Asset managers should regularly account to their clients or beneficiaries as to how they have discharged their responsibilities. Such reports will be likely to comprise qualitative as well as quantitative information. The particular information reported and the format used, should be a matter for agreement between agents and their principals.
Asset owners should report at least annually to those to whom they are accountable on their stewardship policy and its execution.
Transparency is an important feature of effective stewardship. Institutional investors should not, however, be expected to make disclosures that might be counterproductive. Confidentiality in specific situations may well be crucial to achieving a positive outcome.
Asset managers that sign up to this Code should obtain an independent opinion on their engagement and voting processes having regard to an international standard or a UK framework such as AAF 01/062. The existence of such assurance reporting should be publicly disclosed. If requested, clients should be provided access to such assurance reports.
Invescos Investors approach:
Invesco produces an annual stewardship report which highlights our activities at a global level in terms of ESG activity and in various investment centres.
The Henley Investment Centre reports our investment teams proxy voting records through an easily accessible portal on our website. This allows our clients to see votes that have been cast by our investment professionals on each of our ICVC funds managed by IAML, by company that we are shareholders of, and by resolution, and to easily search for the records that they are interested in. This can be viewed on our website at: www.invesco.co.uk/proxy-voting-results
This data will be updated on an annual basis.
The processes relating to our corporate governance activities are subject to audit by our internal audit function. This function is independent from the front office, and the rest of the business, and provides an independent assessment of business practises directly to Board level.
We believe that this level of scrutiny and oversight provides our clients with the assurance that our policies and practises meet and exceed current industry standards.
We will continue to assess this approach.
Further information/useful links (also available via our website):
www.invesco.co.uk/corporategovernance-and-stewardship-code
Key contact details for matters concerning stewardship:
Bonnie Saynay
Global Head of Proxy Governance and Responsible Investment
Tel: +1 (713) 214-4774
Email: Bonnie.Saynay@invesco.com
Stuart Howard
Head of Investment Management Operations
Tel: +44 1491 417175
Email: Stuart_Howard@invesco.com
Dan Baker
Operations Manager
Tel: +44 1491 416514
Email: Dan_Baker@invesco.com
Charles Henderson
UK Equities Business Manager
Tel: +44 1491 417672
Email: Charles_Henderson@invesco.com
Cathrine de Coninck-Lopez
Head of ESG, Henley Investment Centre
Tel +44 1491416139
Email: Cathrine.deconinck-lopez@invesco.com
Telephone calls may be recorded.
Important information
Where individuals or the business have expressed opinions, they are based on current market conditions, they may differ from those of other investment professionals and are subject to change without notice.
All information as at 12 December 2017 sourced from Invesco unless otherwise stated.
Invesco Asset Management Limited
Registered in England 949417
Perpetual Park, Perpetual Park Drive, Henley-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire RG9 1HH, UK Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
EMEA7636/64080/PDF/161018
Proxy Voting Guidelines
for
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited
Basic Policy on Proxy Voting
We vote proxies for the purpose of seeking to maximize the interests of our clients (investors) and beneficiaries over time, acknowledging the importance of corporate governance, based on fiduciary duties to our clients (investors) and beneficiaries. We do not vote proxies for the interests of ourselves and any third party other than clients (investors) and beneficiaries. The interests of clients (investors) and beneficiaries is to expand the corporate value or the economic interest of shareholders or the preventing of damage thereto. . Proxy voting is an integral part of our stewardship activities and we make voting decisions considering whether or not the proposal would contribute to the corporate value expansion and sustainable growth.
In order to vote proxies adequately we have established the Responsible Investment Committee and developed these Proxy Voting Guidelines to oversee control of the decision making process concerning proxy voting. While we may seek advice from an external service provider based on our own guidelines, our investment professionals make voting decisions in principle, based on our proxy voting guidelines, taking into account whether or not they contribute to shareholder value enhancement of the subject company.
Responsible proxy voting and constructive dialogue with investee companies are important components of stewardship activities. While the proxy voting guidelines are principles for our making voting decisions, depending on the proposals, we may make special decisions to maximize the interests of clients (investors) and beneficiaries, through the establishment of constructive dialogue with the investee companies. In such case, approval of the Responsible Investment Committee shall be obtained.
The Responsible Investment Committee is consisted of members including Director in charge of the Investment Division as the chair, Head of Compliance, Responsible Investment Officer, investment professionals nominated by the chair and persons in charge at the Client Reporting Department.
We have developed the Conflict of Interest Control Policy and, even in the situation where any conflict of interest is likely to arise, we work to control conflict of interest to protect the interests of clients (investors) and beneficiaries. The Compliance Department is responsible for overseeing company-wide control of conflict of interest. The Compliance Department is independent from investment and marketing divisions, and shall not receive any command or order with respect to the matters concerning compliance with the laws and regulations including the matters concerning conflict of interest from investment and marketing divisions.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
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Profit Allocation and Dividends |
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking approval for profit allocation and dividends, taking into account the financial conditions and business performance of the subject company, and the economic interest of shareholders, etc.
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Taking into account the status of capital adequacy and business strategies, etc. of the subject company, if the total payout ratio including dividends and share buybacks is significantly low, we consider to vote against the proposals, unless reasonable explanation is given by the company. |
With respect to the company where profit allocation is determined by the board of directors, taking into account the status of capital adequacy and business strategies, etc. of the subject company, if the total payout ratio including dividends and share buybacks is significantly low, we consider to vote against reelection of directors, unless reasonable explanation is given by the company.
Taking into account the status of capital adequacy and business strategies, etc. of the subject company, if the total payout ratio including dividends and share buybacks is significantly low, we consider to vote for the shareholder proposals that require more payout to shareholders.
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Election of Directors |
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning election of directors, taking into account independence, competence and existence of anti-social acts of director candidates, etc. We decide how to vote on reelection of director candidates, taking into account their approach to corporate governance and accountability during their tenure, business performance of the company and existence of anti-social acts of the company, etc. in addition to the above factors.
Directors should make efforts to continuously gain knowledge and skills from time to time to fulfill the important role and responsibilities in governance of the subject company. Companies are also required to provide sufficient opportunities of such training.
Independent outside directors are expected to play a significant role such as to secure the interest of minority shareholders through activities based on their insights to increase the corporate value of the subject company. It is desirable to enhance the boards governance function with independent outside directors accounting for the majority of the board. However, given the
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challenge to secure competent candidates, we also recognize that, under the current conditions, it is difficult for all the companies, irrespective of their size, to deploy a majority of the board with independent outside directors.
(1) Independence
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We generally vote for election of outside directors; provided, however, that we generally vote against the candidate who is not regarded as independent from the subject company. With respect to independence, it is desirable that the subject company discloses numerical standard which should support our decision. |
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We view following candidates for outside directors are not enough independent; |
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Candidates who have been working for following companies during the last 10 years or relatives of those people. |
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The subject company |
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Subsidiary of the subject company |
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Parent of the subject company |
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Candidates who have been working for following companies during the last five years or relatives of those people. |
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Shareholders who own more than 10% of the subject company |
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Principal loan lender |
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Principal securities broker |
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Major business relationship |
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Auditor of the subject company |
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Audit companies, consulting companies or any related service providers which have any consulting contracts with the subject company |
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Any other counterparts which have any interests in the subject company |
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We further scrutinize the independence of candidates who are regarded as not independent enough, even though those are not categorized the case listed above. |
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We carefully consider the independence of the candidates who are regarded as being in the cross-share-holding relationship, or the relationship in which companies are sending outside directors each other. We expect that the company should disclose the detail information related to the independence of those candidates reasonably, to enable investors to understand those relationships enough, both in terms of the disclosure timing and method. |
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We judge independence based on the independence criteria stipulated by the stock exchange, with focus on whether independence is substantially secured. We consider each companys business surroundings and make best effort to have |
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constructive dialogue with the subject company to understand the independence of the candidates. |
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We regard the outside director with significantly long tenure as non-independent, and vote against reelection of such outside director. We generally consider voting against the candidate whose tenure is longer than 10 years. |
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In the case where the subject company is the company with a board with audit committee structure, we judge independence of outside director candidates who become members of the audit committee based on the same independence criteria for election of statutory auditors in principle. |
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In the case where the subject company is the company with a three committee board structure or the company with a board with audit committee structure, we generally consider to vote against the director candidates who are top executives of the subject company, if independent outside directors of the subject company account for less than 1/3 of the board after the shareholders meeting. |
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In the case where the subject company is the company with a statutory auditor structure, we generally vote against the director candidates who are top executives, unless there are at least two outside directors who are independent from the subject company after the shareholders meeting. |
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In the case where the subject company has a parent company, we generally consider voting against the director candidates who are top executives of the subject company, if outside directors who are independent from the subject company account for less than half of the board after the shareholders meeting. |
(2) Attendance rate and concurrent duties
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All members are expected to attend the board meetings and each committee in principle, and companies are generally obligated to facilitate all members to attend meetings. We generally vote against reelection of the director candidate who attended less than 75% of the board meetings or the respective committee. |
|
We take into account not only the number of attendance but reasons for nomination and substantial contribution, if disclosed. |
|
We carefully consider the quality of the candidates who have many concurrent duties as outside directors or outside auditors of listed companies, given that outside directors/auditors are expected to make an important contribution to the board discussion. The company which nominates the candidates who have many concurrent duties should explain the reasonable background and eligibility for such nomination and make best effort to enable investors to understand them enough, both in terms of the disclosure timing and method. |
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(3) Business performance of the company
|
We consider voting against reelection of director candidates, if the subject company made a loss for the three-consecutive year during their tenure. |
|
We consider voting against reelection of director candidates, if it is judged that the business performance of the subject company is significantly behind peers in the same industry during their tenure. |
|
We consider voting against the directors who are top executives, if business strategies that enable the corporate value enhancement and sustainable growth are not demonstrated and no constructive dialogue is conducted, with respect to capital efficiency including return on capital. |
(4) Anti-social acts of the company
|
If it is judged that there has been any corporate scandal that has significant social effects and has impaired, or is likely to impair, the shareholder value during the tenure, we shall conduct sufficient dialogue with the subject company on the background and subsequent resolutions of the scandal. Based on the dialogue and taking into account impact on the shareholder value, we decide how to vote on reelection of the director candidates who are top executives, directors in charge of those cases and members of the audit committee or the similar committee. |
|
With respect to domestic scandals, if the company has received administrative disposition on cartel or bid-rigging, we consider voting against reelection of the director candidates who are top executives, directors in charge and members of the audit committee or the similar committee, at the time when the disposition is determined by the Fair Trade Commission, etc. If the final disposition is subsequently determined on appeal or complaint, we do not vote against reelection again at such time. We decide case-by-case with respect to an order for compensation in a civil case or disposition by the Consumer Affairs Agency and administrative disposition imposed overseas. |
|
With respect to administrative disposition imposed on a subsidiary or affiliate, if the subsidiary or affiliate is unlisted, we consider voting against reelection of the director candidates who are top executives, directors in charge and members of the audit committee or the similar committee of the holding company or the parent company. If the subsidiary or affiliate is listed, we consider to vote against reelection of the director candidates who are top executives, directors in charge and members of the audit committee or the similar committee of the subsidiary or affiliate and the parent company; provided, however, that we decide case-by-case depending on importance of the disposition on the subsidiary or affiliate, its impact on business performance of the |
- 5 -
holding company or parent company. |
|
With respect to a scandal of an individual employee, if such scandal has impaired, or is likely to impair the shareholder value, and it is judged that the subject company should assume responsibility as a manager, we consider to vote against reelection of the director candidates who are top executives, directors in charge and members of the audit committee or the similar committee. |
|
We consider voting against reelection of director candidates, if the subject company has committed window-dressing and inadequate accounting activities during their tenure. |
(5) Acts against the interest of shareholders
|
If the company has increased capital through a third-party allotment that is excessively dilutive without resolution by the shareholders meeting, we consider to vote against reelection of director candidates, particularly the director candidates who are top executives. |
|
If the company has increased capital through a large-scale public offering without reasonable explanation, we consider voting against reelection of director candidates, particularly the director candidates who are top executives. |
|
If the shareholder proposal that is judged desirable for minority shareholders has received the majority support, but the company does not implement such proposal or make the similar proposal as the company proposal at the shareholders meeting in the following year, we consider voting against the director candidates who are top executives. |
(6) Other
|
If information of a director candidate is not fully disclosed, we generally vote against such director candidate. |
3. |
Composition of Board of Directors, etc. |
Depending on the size of companies, etc., we believe that a three-committee board structure is desirable to achieve better governance as a listed company. Even for a company with a statutory auditor structure or a company with a board with audit committee, it is also desirable to voluntarily deploy the nomination committee, compensation committee and other necessary committees. It is also desirable that the chair of the board of directors is an independent outside director. We believe that composition of the highly transparent board of directors secures transparency of the management and contributes to a persistent increase in the enterprise value. It is also desirable that the third-party assessment of the board of directors is disclosed.
We are concerned about the retired director assuming a consulting, advisory or other similar position which is likely to have negative impact on greater transparency and decision making of
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the board of directors. If such position or a person assuming such position exists, it is desirable that its existence, expected role and effects or compensation and other treatment for such position are fully disclosed.
(1) Number of members and change in constituents of the board of directors
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning the number of members and change in constituents of the board of directors, by comparing with the current structure and taking into account impact on the subject company and the economic interest of shareholders. |
|
Number of the board member should be well optimized to make the right management decision at the right timing. We may take into consideration each companys business situation and business scale; however we generally consider to vote against the director candidates who are top executives, in the case that the number of board member exceeds 20 and is not decreased from the previous shareholders meeting and also the reason for such case is not enough disclosed and reasonably explained. |
|
We generally vote against the director candidates who are top executives in the case that the percentage of outside directors declines substantially through the decrease of outside directors or the increase of internal directors. |
(2) Procedures for election of directors, scope of responsibilities of directors, etc.
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning a change in procedures for election of directors, by comparing with the current procedures and taking into account reasonableness of such change, etc. |
|
We generally vote against the proposals that reduce responsibility of directors for monetary damages due to their breach of duty of care of a prudent manager. |
|
Responsibilities of the board of directors include proper supervision over the succession plan for top executives. The nomination committee at the company with a three-committee board structure, or the nomination committee that should be voluntarily deployed by the company with a different structure, should provide proper supervision over fostering and election of successors with secured transparency. It is desirable that an independent outside director serves as the chair of the nomination committee. If the process is judged to significantly lack transparency and reasonableness, we consider to vote against the director candidates who are top executives. |
4. |
Election of Statutory Auditors |
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We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning election of statutory auditors, taking into account independence, competence and existence of anti-social acts of auditor candidates, etc. We decide how to vote on reelection of statutory auditor candidates, taking into account their approach to corporate governance and accountability during their tenure, existence of anti-social acts of the company, etc. in addition to the above factors.
Statutory auditors and directors who are members of the audit committee or the similar committee are required to have deep specialized knowledge of accounting and laws and regulations, and should make efforts to continuously gain knowledge and skills from time to time to fulfill the important role and responsibilities in governance of the subject company. Companies are also required to provide sufficient opportunities of such training.
(1) Independence
|
We generally vote against non-independent outside statutory auditors. |
|
The person who has no relationship with the subject company other than being elected as a statutory auditor is regarded as independent. |
|
We regard the outside statutory auditor with significantly long tenure as non-independent, and vote against reelection of such outside statutory auditor. We generally consider to vote against the candidate whose tenure is longer than 10 years. |
(2) Attendance rate and concurrent duties
|
All statutory auditors are expected to attend meetings of the board of directors or the board of statutory auditors in principle, and companies are generally obligated to facilitate all statutory auditors to attend meetings. We generally vote against reelection of the statutory auditor candidate who attended less than 75% of meetings of the board of directors or the board of statutory auditors. |
|
We take into account not only the number of attendance but reasons for nomination and substantial contribution, if disclosed. |
|
We carefully consider the quality of the candidates who have many concurrent duties as outside directors or outside auditors of listed companies, given that outside directors/auditors are expected to make an important contribution to the board discussion. The company which nominate the candidates who have many concurrent duties should explain the reasonable background and eligibility for such nomination and make best effort to enable investors to understand them enough, both in terms of the disclosure timing and method. |
(3) Accountability
|
If there are material concerns about the provided auditor report or auditing procedures, or if |
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the matters to be disclosed are not fully disclosed, we vote against reelection of statutory auditor candidates. |
(4) Anti-social acts of the company
|
If it is judged that there has been any corporate scandal that has significant social effects and has impaired, or is likely to impair, the shareholder value during the tenure, we shall conduct sufficient engagement with the subject company on the background and subsequent resolutions of the scandal. Based on the engagement and taking into account impact on the shareholder value, we decide how to vote on reelection of statutory auditor candidates. |
|
With respect to domestic scandals, if the company has received administrative disposition on cartel or bid-rigging, we consider to vote against reelection of statutory auditor candidates, at the time when the disposition is determined by the Fair Trade Commission, etc. If the final disposition is subsequently determined on appeal or complaint, we do not vote against reelection again at such time. We decide case-by-case with respect to an order for compensation in a civil case or disposition by the Consumer Affairs Agency and administrative disposition imposed overseas. |
|
With respect to administrative disposition imposed on a subsidiary or affiliate, if the subsidiary or affiliate is unlisted, we consider to vote against reelection of statutory auditor candidates of the holding company or the parent company. If the subsidiary or affiliate is listed, we consider to vote against reelection of statutory auditor candidates of the subsidiary or affiliate and the holding company; provided, however, that we decide case-by-case depending on importance of the disposition on the subsidiary or affiliate, its impact on business performance of the holding company or parent company. |
|
With respect to a scandal of an individual employee, if such scandal has impaired, or is likely to impair the shareholder value, and it is judged that the subject company should assume responsibility as a manager, we consider to vote against reelection of statutory auditor candidates. |
|
We consider voting against reelection of statutory auditor candidates, if the subject company has committed window-dressing and inadequate accounting activities during their tenure. |
5. |
Composition of Board of Statutory Auditors |
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning the number of members and change in constituents of the board of statutory auditors, by comparing with the current structure and taking into account impact on the subject company and the economic interest of shareholders.
|
We favorably consider an increase in the number of statutory auditors, but in the case of a decrease in the number of statutory auditors, unless reasons are clearly and |
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reasonably stated, we consider to vote against reelection of the director candidates who are top executives. |
6. |
Election and Removal of Accounting Auditors |
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning election and removal of accounting auditors, taking into account competence of candidates and the level of costs for the accounting audit, etc.
|
If it is judged that there are following problems with the accounting audit services in the subject company, and the accounting auditor in question is not removed but reelected, we generally vote against reelection of the statutory auditor candidates and the director candidates who are members of the audit committee or the similar committee: |
|
It is judged that the accounting auditor has expressed incorrect opinions on financial conditions; |
|
In the case where there are concerns on the financial statements, the matters to be disclosed are not fully disclosed; |
|
In the case where the accounting auditor has a contract of non-accounting audit services with the subject company, it is judged that such non-accounting audit services are recognized to have conflict of interest with accounting audit services; |
|
In the case where excessive accounting audit costs are paid; |
|
It is judged that gross fraudulence or negligence of the accounting auditor is recognized. |
|
If it is judged that there are problems with accounting audit services in another company, and the accounting auditor in question becomes a candidate for election or is not removed but reelected, we decide how to vote, giving full consideration to impact on the enterprise value of the subject company. |
|
We generally vote against the proposals concerning a change in accounting auditors, if difference in views about the accounting principles between the previous accounting auditor and the subject company is judged to be the reason for such change. |
7. |
Compensation and Bonuses for Directors, Statutory Auditors and Employees |
(1) Compensation and bonuses for Directors
|
In determining compensation and bonuses for directors, it is desirable to increase the proportion of stocks in compensation and bonuses, taking into account whether the performance-based compensation structure is developed, whether transparency is fully secured such as disclosure of an index or formula as a basis for calculation, and impact on shareholders such as dilution. The compensation committee at the company with a three- |
- 10 -
committee board structure, or the compensation committee that should be voluntarily deployed by the company with a different structure, should ensure the compensation structure with secured transparency. It is desirable that an independent outside director serves as the chair of the compensation committee. |
|
We consider to vote against the proposals seeking approval for compensation and bonuses in the following cases: |
|
where negative correlation is seen between the business performance of the subject company and compensation and bonuses; |
|
where there exist problematic system and practices; |
|
where the aggregate amount of compensation and bonuses is not disclosed; |
|
where mismanagement is clear as shown by share price erosion or and significant deterioration in profit; |
|
where the person who is judged to be responsible for acts against the interest of shareholders is among recipients of compensation and bonuses. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals requesting disclosure of compensation and bonuses of individual directors. |
|
If any measures are implemented to secure transparency of the system other than individual disclosure, such measures are taken into account. |
|
If there is no proposal seeking approval for compensation and bonuses and the system is not clear, we consider to vote against election of the director candidates who are top executives, |
|
We generally vote against bonuses for statutory auditors and the directors who become members of the audit committee under the audit committee system |
|
As directors who become members of the audit committee at the company with a three committee structure, directors who become members of the audit committee at the company with a board with audit committee structure and outside directors are required to perform duties as director, we consider their compensation and bonuses differently from statutory auditors at the company with a statutory auditor structure. |
(2) Stock compensation
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning stock compensation including stock option plans and restricted stock units, taking into account impact on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, the level of compensation, the recipients of stock compensation, and reasonableness, etc. |
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|
We generally vote against the proposals seeking to lower the strike price of stock options. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to require approval of shareholders for change in the strike price of stock options. |
|
We generally vote against the stock compensation, if terms of exercise including the percentage of dilution are unclear. We generally consider to vote against the proposal in which there is a 10% or more dilution potentiality. |
|
Stock compensation should be a long-term incentive and its plan should be aligned with a long-term corporate value growth. Considering that, we generally vote against the proposal which enables the beneficiaries to exercise whole rights vested in the subject year within two years. However, the beneficiary who retires during the subject year is the exception for this clause. We will carefully review its validity if the restricted period is regarded as too long. |
|
We generally vote against the stock compensation granted to statutory auditors and the directors who become members of the audit committee under the audit committee system. |
|
As directors who become members of the audit committee at the company with a three committee structure are required to perform duties as director, we consider the stock compensation for them differently from statutory auditors and the directors who become members of the audit committee under the audit committee system at the company with a statutory auditor structure. |
|
We generally vote against the stock compensation granted to any third parties other than employees. |
|
We generally vote against the stock compensation if it is judged likely to be used as a tool for takeover defense. |
(3) Stock purchase plan
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning stock purchase plan, taking into account impact on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, the recipients of stock compensation and reasonableness, etc. |
(4) Retirement benefits for directors
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning grant of retirement benefits, taking into account the scope of recipients, existence of anti-social acts of recipients, business performance of the company and anti-social acts of the company, etc. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals granting retirement benefits, if all of the following criteria are met: |
|
The granted amount is disclosed; |
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|
Outside directors, statutory auditors and the directors who become members of the audit committee under the audit committee system are not included in recipients; |
|
There has been no serious scandal involving recipients during their tenure; |
|
The subject company has not suffered from loss for the three consecutive year, or its business performance is not judged to significantly lag relative to peers in the same industry; |
|
There has been no corporate scandal that has significant social effects on the subject company and has impaired, or likely to impair, the shareholder value during the tenure of recipients; |
|
The subject company has not committed window-dressing and inadequate accounting activities during the tenure of recipients. |
8. |
Cross-shareholdings |
If the company holds shares for relationship purpose, we believe that the company is required to explain about medium- to long-term business and financial strategies and disclose criteria for proxy voting decisions and voting results, etc. If no reasonable views are indicated and no constructive dialogue is conducted, we consider to vote against the director candidates who are top executives. It is important that the company does not prevent companies who have its shares as a policy-share-holding from selling/reducing them.
9. |
Capital Policy |
As the capital policy of listed companies is likely to have important impact on the shareholder value and the interest of shareholders of the subject company, the subject company should implement the reasonable capital policy and explain basic policies of the capital policy to shareholders. We consider voting against the proposals concerning the capital policy that is judged to impair the shareholder value. If there exists the capital policy that is not part of proposals at the shareholders meeting but is judged to impair the shareholder value, we consider voting against reelection of director candidates.
|
The company may not intend to keep/increase so-called loyal shareholders for the company management to hinder minority shareholders right through the third party allotment, transfer of the treasury stocks or transfer of the stocks which are held by the company management to the foundations which have a close relationship with the subject company. |
(1) Change in authorized capital
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to increase authorized capital, taking into account impact of the change in authorized capital on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, reasonableness of the change in authorized capital and impact on share listing |
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or sustainability of the company, etc. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to increase authorized capital, if it is judged that not increasing authorized capital is likely to cause delisting of the subject company or have significant impact on sustainability of the company. |
|
We generally vote against the proposals seeking to increase authorized capital after emergence of acquirer. |
(2) Issuance of new shares
|
We decide how to vote on issuance of new shares, taking into account reasons for issuance of new shares, issuing terms, impact of dilution on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, and impact on share listing or sustainability of the company, etc. |
(3) Share buybacks, reissuance of shares
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning share buybacks or reissuance of shares, taking into account their reasonableness, etc. |
(4) Share split
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to split shares. |
(5) Consolidation of shares (reverse share split)
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking consolidation of shares, taking into account its reasonableness, etc. |
(6) Preferred shares
|
We generally vote against the proposals seeking to create, or increase authorized capital of, carte blanche preferred shares that are issued without specifying the voting right, dividends, conversion and other rights. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to create, or increase authorized capital of, preferred shares where the voting right, dividends, conversion and other rights are specified and those rights are judged reasonable. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals requiring approval of shareholders for issuance of preferred shares. |
(7) Issuance of bonds with share options
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to issue bonds with share options, taking into account the number of new shares and the redemption period of bonds, etc. |
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(8) Issuance of straight bonds, expansion of credit facility
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning issuance of straight bonds or expansion of credit facility, taking into account the financial conditions, etc. of the subject company. |
(9) Capitalization of debt
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to change authorized capital or issue shares in connection with restructuring of debt, taking into account the terms of change in authorized capital or issuance of shares, impact on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, their reasonableness and impact on share listing or sustainability of the company, etc. |
(10) Capital reduction
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning reduction in capital, taking into account impact of capital reduction on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, reasonableness of capital reduction and impact on share listing or sustainability of the company, etc. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to reduce capital as typical accounting procedures. |
(11) Financing plan
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning financing plan, taking into account impact on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, its reasonableness and impact on share listing or sustainability of the company, etc. |
(12) Capitalization of reserves
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking capitalization of reserves, taking into account its reasonableness, etc. |
10. |
Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation, etc. |
(1) Change in accounting period
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to change the accounting period, unless it is judged to aim to delay the shareholders meeting. |
(2) Amendments of articles of incorporation
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning article amendments, taking into account impact of article amendments on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, necessity |
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and reasonableness of article amendments, etc. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking article amendments, if such amendments are required by the laws. |
|
We generally vote against the proposals seeking article amendments, if such amendments are judged to be likely to infringe on rights of shareholders or impair the shareholder value. |
|
We generally vote for transition to the company with a three committee board structure. |
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to ease or eliminate requirements for special resolutions, taking into account its reasonableness. |
|
We are concerned about the retired director assuming a consulting, advisory or other similar position which is likely to have negative impact on greater transparency and decision making of the board of directors. We generally vote against the proposals seeking to create such position. |
(3) Change in quorum for the shareholders meeting
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning change in quorum for the shareholders meeting, taking into account impact on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, etc. |
11. |
Change in company organization, etc |
(1) Change in trade name and registered address
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to change the trade name, taking into account impact on the shareholder value, etc. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to change the registered address. |
(2) Company reorganization
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning the following company reorganization, taking into account their respective impact on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, impact on financial conditions and business performance of the subject company, and impact on share listing or sustainability of the company, etc. |
Mergers and acquisitions
Transfer of business
Spin-off
Sale of assets
Sale of company
Liquidation
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12. |
Proxy Fight |
(1) |
Proxy fight |
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals concerning election of directors among rival candidates, taking into account independence, competence, existence of anti-social acts, approach to corporate governance and accountability of director candidates, business performance of the company, existence of anti-social acts of the company, as well as the background of the proxy fight, etc. |
(2) Proxy fight defense measures
|
Classified board structure |
|
We generally vote against the proposals seeking to introduce the classified board structure. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to set a directors term of one year. |
|
Right to remove directors |
|
We generally vote against the proposals seeking to tighten requirements for shareholders to remove directors. |
|
Cumulative voting system |
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to introduce the cumulative voting system for election of directors, taking into account its background, etc. |
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to eliminate the cumulative voting system for election of directors, taking into account its background, etc. |
13. |
Takeover Defense |
We believe that the interests of the management and shareholders do not always align with each other, and generally vote against new establishment, amendment and update of takeover defense measures that are judged to decrease the shareholder value or interfere with rights of shareholders. We generally vote against reelection of director candidates, if there exist takeover defense measures that are not part of proposals at the shareholders meeting but are judged to decrease the shareholder value or interfere with rights of shareholders.
|
Relaxation of requirements for amendment to the articles of incorporation and company regulations |
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to relax the requirements for amendment to the articles of incorporation or company regulations, taking into account impact on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders, etc. |
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|
Relaxation of requirements for approval of mergers |
|
We decide how to vote on the proposals seeking to relax the requirements for approval of mergers, taking into account impact on the shareholder value and rights of shareholders. |
14. |
ESG |
We support the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and acknowledge that how companies address to ESG is an important factor in making investment decisions. Thus, we consider voting against reelection of the director candidates who are top executives and directors in charge, if it is judged that any event that is likely to significantly impair the enterprise value has occurred. We consider to vote for the related proposal, if it is judged to contribute to protection from impairment of, or enhancement of, the enterprise value, and if not, vote against such proposal.
15. |
Disclosure |
Disclosure of information and constructive dialogue based thereon are important in making proxy voting decisions and investment decisions.
|
We generally vote against the proposals where sufficient information to make proxy voting decision is not disclosed. |
|
We generally vote for the proposals seeking to enhance disclosure of information, if such information is beneficial to shareholders. |
|
If disclosure of information about financial and non-financial information of the subject company is significantly poor, and if the level of investor relations activities by the management or persons in charge is significantly low, we consider to vote against reelection of the director candidates who are top executives and directors in charge. |
16. |
Conflict of Interest |
We abstain from voting proxies of the following companies that are likely to have conflict of interest.
We also abstain from voting proxies with respect to the following investment trusts, etc. that are managed by us or Invesco Group companies, as conflict of interest is likely to arise.
|
Companies and investment trusts, etc. that we abstain from voting proxies: |
|
Invesco Ltd. |
|
Investment corporations managed by Invesco Global Real Estate Asia Pacific, Inc. |
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Our proxy voting and stewardship activities are to be reported to Responsible Investment Committee and approved by the Committee. Further, the Compliance Department reviews appropriateness of proxy voting activities from a conflict of interest viewpoint and then reports to Conflict of Interest Committee. Those results are reported to Tokyos Executive Committee and global Proxy Advisory Committee.
We have developed the Conflict of Interest Control Policy. If any conflict of interest may arise, we work to control conflict of interest so as to protect the interests of clients (investors) and beneficiaries. The Compliance Department is responsible for overseeing company-wide control of conflict of interest. The Compliance Department is independent from investment, sales and marketing department, and shall not receive any command or order from investment, sales and marketing department with respect to the matters concerning compliance with the laws and regulations including the matters concerning conflict of interest.
17. |
Shareholder Proposals |
We vote case-by-case on the shareholder proposals in accordance with the Guidelines along with the company proposals in principle.
DISCLAIMER: The English version is a translation of the original in Japanese for information purposes only. In case of a discrepancy, the Japanese original will prevail. You can download the Japanese version from our website:
http://www.invesco.co.jp/footer/proxy.html.
C2019-08-021
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
for
Invesco Capital Management LLC
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Applicable to | All funds advised by Invesco Capital Management LLC (ICM or the Adviser) for which it has been delegated proxy voting authority. | |
Risk Addressed by Policy | Breach of fiduciary duty to clients under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invescos interests ahead of clients best interests in voting proxies | |
Relevant Law and Other Sources | Investment Advisers Act of 1940 | |
Effective Date | June 24, 2014 | |
Last Amended Date | December 12, 2019 |
I. GENERAL POLICY
ICM has adopted proxy voting policies with respect to securities owned by series for which it serves as investment adviser and has been delegated the authority to vote proxies. ICMs proxy voting policies are designed to provide that proxies are voted in the best interests of shareholders.
Invesco Ltd. (Invesco), the parent to the Adviser, has adopted a global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting (the Global Invesco Policy) (see Exhibit A), which details Invescos views on governance matters and describes the proxy administration and governance approach. The Adviser will approach proxy constraints according to the Invesco global statement on corporate governance and proxy voting. The Adviser will approach conflicts of interest in accordance with Invescos global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting. The Adviser votes proxies by utilizing the procedures and mechanisms outlined in the Global Invesco Policy, while maintaining specific guidelines for products advised by the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser (Affiliated Funds), as set forth below:
Overlapping Securities
In instances where both an Affiliated Fund advised by the Adviser and an Affiliated Fund advised by an Invesco Ltd. entity hold an equity security (Overlapping Securities), the Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with the recommendation of an Invesco Ltd. adviser based on the comprehensive proxy review and under the Global Invesco Policy. The Global Invesco Policy is overseen by the Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (IPAC), which also orchestrates the review and analysis of the top twenty-five proxy voting matters, measured by overall size of holdings by funds within the Invesco family. The Adviser consults with the IPAC on specific proxy votes and general proxy voting matters as it deems necessary. In addition, as part of the Global Invesco Proxy Voting Process, the IPAC oversees instances when possible conflicts of interest arise among funds. (Please see the Global Invesco Policy for the detailed conflicts of interest approach.)
In instances where the global proxy administration team does not receive a recommendation in a timely manner, the proxy administration team will automatically vote such ballots in accordance with Invescos custom guidelines established in Invescos global proxy voting policy and US guidelines.
Non-Overlapping Securities
In instances where securities are held only by an Affiliated Fund advised by the Adviser and not also by an Invesco Ltd. active equity entity fund, the Adviser will instruct the proxy administration team to vote proxies in accordance with said Invesco custom guidelines implemented by ISS, Invescos vote execution agent.
2
Under this Policy, the Adviser retains the power to vote contrary to the recommendation of the Invesco Voting Process (for Overlapping Securities) or Invescos custom guidelines (for Non-Overlapping Securities) at its discretion, so long as the reasons for doing so are well documented.
II. SPECIAL POLICY
Certain Affiliated Funds pursue their investment objectives by investing in other registered investment companies pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The relief granted by that order is conditioned upon complying with a number of undertakings, some of which require such Affiliated Fund to vote its shares in an acquired investment company in the same proportion as other holders of the acquired funds shares. In instances in which an Affiliated Fund is required to vote in this manner to rely on the exemptive order, the Adviser will vote shares of these acquired investment companies in compliance with the voting mechanism required by the order.
3
Proxy Voting Guidelines
for
Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Voting Policy
Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Voting Policy
Draft | : | Final | ||
Version | : | 7 | ||
Effective Date | : | May 9, 2019 |
Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Voting Policy
A. |
Preamble |
SEBI vide its circular reference no. SEBI/IMD/Cir No.18/198647/2010 dated March 15, 2010 has stated that mutual fund should play an active role in ensuring better corporate governance of listed companies. The said circular stated that the AMCs should disclose their general policies and procedures for exercising the voting rights in respect of shares held by them.
Subsequently, SEBI vide its circular ref. no. CIR/IMD/DF/05/2014 dated March 24, 2014 and SEBI/HO/IMD/DF2/CIR/P/2016/68 dated August 10, 2016 have amended certain provisions of above mentioned circular specifying additional compliance / disclosure requirements with respect to exercise of voting rights by mutual funds.
This policy is drafted in pursuance of SEBI circular dated March 15, 2010 read with March 24, 2014 and August 10, 2016 and provides general philosophy, broad guidelines and procedures for exercising voting rights.
Invesco Asset Management (India) Private Limited (IAMI) is an Investment Manager to the scheme(s) of Invesco Mutual Fund (the Fund). As an investment manager, IAMI has fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of unit-holders of the Fund. This responsibility includes exercising voting rights attached to the securities of the companies in which the schemes of the Fund invest. It will be IAMIs endeavor to participate in the voting process (i.e. exercise voting rights) based on the philosophy enunciated in this policy.
B. |
Philosophy of Voting Policy |
Good corporate governance ensures that a corporation is managed keeping in mind the long-term interest of shareholders. Promoting good corporate governance standards forms an integral part of corporate ownership responsibilities.
With this in the forefront, IAMI expects all corporations, in which it invests in, to comply with high corporate governance standards. Accordingly, as the decision to invest is generally an endorsement of sound management practices, IAMI may generally vote with the management of these corporations. However, when IAMI is of the view that the unit holders will be prejudiced by any such proposal, then it may vote against such proposal to protect the interest of unit holders. Also in case of resolutions moved by the shareholders of the company, IAMI will exercise its voting rights in the best interest of its unit holders. In certain circumstances, IAMI may also decide to refrain from voting where it has insufficient information or there is conflict of interest or it does not have a clear stance on the proposal under consideration.
IAMI, as an investment manager, will generally vote in accordance with the Voting Policy. However, it may deviate from the policy if there are particular facts and/or circumstances that warrant for such deviation to protect the interests of unit-holders of the Fund.
C. |
Conflict of Interest in Exercising Voting Rights |
IAMI, under schemes, may invest in the securities of associate/group companies (to the extent permitted under SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996). Further, IAMI is an affiliate of a diverse financial services organization consisting of many affiliates. Moreover IAMI under schemes may invest in securities of companies which have invested in schemes of Invesco Mutual Fund. Such scenarios may lead to a situation creating conflict of interest.
In a situation where an investee company, an affiliate or associate/group company were to approach IAMI with regard to a particular voting decision then such matter will be referred to the Voting Committee.
IAMI will attempt to avoid conflict of interest and will exercise its voting rights in the best interest of the unit-holders. Voting decisions in such cases will be based on merits without any bias and the same parameters will be applied for taking voting decisions as are applied for other companies.
D. |
Voting Policy Guidelines |
The matters regarding, but not limited to, which the IAMI may exercise the voting rights in the Annual General Meeting (AGMs) /Extra Ordinary General Meeting (EGMs)/ Through Postal Ballots/Electronic voting of the investee companies are as follows:
|
Corporate governance matters, including changes in the state of incorporation, merger and other corporate restructuring and anti- takeover provisions. |
|
Changes to capital structure, including increase and decrease of capital and preferred stock issuances. |
|
Stock option plans and other management compensation issues. |
|
Social and corporate responsibility issues. |
|
Appointment and Removal of Directors. |
|
Any other issue that may affect the interest of the shareholders in general and interest of the unit-holders in particular. |
IAMI will exercise voting rights keeping in mind the need to improve economic value of the companies and importance of protecting the interests of unit holders of its schemes but subject to importance of the matter and cost/time implications. The analysts in equity team will make recommendations on key voting issues and same will be approved by the Head of Equity or Fund Manager. In case of conflicts or need for a clearer direction, the matter may be referred to the Voting Committee for its guidance.
E. |
Voting Committee |
As a guiding principle, IAMI shall exercise voting rights solely in the interest of unit holders of the Fund. IAMI has constituted a Voting Committee (VC). The Committee is empowered to provide guidance on the voting matters referred to it, establish voting guidelines and procedures as it may consider necessary and is responsible to ensure that these guidelines and procedures are adhered to and also make changes in the Policy as may be required from time to time. The members of this Committee are as follows:
|
CEO / COO/Head - Operations (any one) |
|
Head of Compliance or Member of compliance team |
|
Head of Equity or Fund Manager (equity) |
|
Head of Fixed Income and/ or Fund Managers (fixed income) |
|
Any other representative as the Committee may co-opt from time to time |
Broad Guidelines for functioning of Voting Committee are:
1. |
Voting Committee may record its decisions by circulation including decisions/guidance on voting matters that have been referred to it. |
2. |
Voting Committee may consult with outside experts and other investors on issues as it may deem fit |
3. |
Decisions of Voting Committee should be maintained by compliance |
4. |
Details of voting decisions taken by the Fund Management team will be presented to the Voting Committee/Investment Committee. |
5. |
Voting Committee may review this policy from time to time. |
F. |
Steps (Procedure) in Exercising Voting Rights |
The following points outline the key steps in exercising Voting rights:
1) |
Notification of company AGMs / EGMs and relevant voting items to Fund Management Team. |
2) |
The IAMI shall endeavor to vote for all holdings of the Fund, aggregated for all its schemes, but subject to the importance of the matter and the cost/time implications. The voting will cover all equity holding across all schemes of Invesco Mutual Fund. (except for companies which are held only in arbitrage fund) |
3) |
Custodian will send ballots and or other relevant papers (notice of meeting, proxy form, attendance slips etc.) to IAMI relating to AGM/EGM as soon as it receives. |
4) |
The fund management team is authorized to decide on voting decisions but may refer decisions to the Voting Committee for its guidance/direction. |
5) |
Based on internal discussion within the fund management team, a decision would be arrived at as to whether IAMI should vote on the proposed resolution. Routine matters and ordinary resolutions like adoption of financials (unless there are significant auditor qualifications), dividend declaration, general updating/corrective amendments to the Articles of Association would also be considered for voting purpose. However IAMI may on a case to case basis, not vote on such resolutions, if it deems fit to do so. |
6) |
Proposed resolutions would be discussed within the fund management team and decision would be taken on whether to vote (for/ against) or abstain from voting. IAMI may abstain from voting on proposals that do not have a readily determinable financial impact on shareholder value and/or matters for which disclosure is inadequate. For the remaining proposals, IAMI would vote either for or against based on overall merits and demerits of the proposed resolution. IAMI will generally support and vote for proposals which are likely to result in maximizing long-term investment returns for unit holders. IAMI would not support and will vote against proposals that appear to be detrimental to the company financials / interest of the minority shareholders or which would adversely impact shareholders value. |
7) |
IAMI may exercise its voting rights by authorizing its own executives/authorized representative to attend the AGM/EGM or may instruct the Custodian to exercise voting rights in accordance with the instructions of IAMI. |
8) |
IAMI may exercise its voting rights through Postal Ballot or may use Electronic voting mechanism, wherever available, either through its own executives or by authorizing the Custodian. The records of voting exercised through Postal Ballot will be maintained by IAMI. |
9) |
IAMI may utilize the services of third party professional agencies for getting in-depth analyses of proposals and vote recommendations. However, the recommendations of the third party agencies will be non-binding in nature. IAMI will perform due diligence on proxy voting advisory firms at the time of initial selection as well as at the time of renewal of services of the proxy voting. The due diligence will be carried out on parameters viz. resource strength, Companies under coverage, extent of institutional ownership, depth of analysis, quality of advice / recommendations, analyst access & support, timely availability of reports, composition of board of directors, advisory board and top management, web-based interface platform and clientele. |
10) |
The rationale supporting each voting decision (For, Against and Abstain) will be recorded and such records will be retained for number of years (currently 8 years) as may be required under the SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996 from time to time. |
G. |
Disclosures |
The disclosures of voting rights exercised are as follows:
|
Details of votes cast by the schemes of the Fund will be uploaded on the website of IAMI (www.invescomutualfund.com) on a quarterly basis in the prescribed format within the stipulated timelines as prescribed by SEBI from time to time. |
|
Details of votes cast by the schemes of the Fund will be uploaded on the website of IAMI (www.invescomutualfund.com) on an annual basis in the prescribed format and the same will also be disclosed in Annual Report of the schemes of the Fund. |
|
Summary on actual exercise of votes cast and its break-up in terms of total number of votes cast in favor, against or abstained will also be uploaded on the website of IAMI (www.invescomutualfund.com) on an annual basis. |
H. |
Certification/Confirmation |
|
On an annual basis, IAMI will obtain a certification from scrutinizer (in terms of Rule 20 (3) (ix) of Companies (Management and Administration) Rules, 2014) on voting reports and the same will be placed before the Boards of AMC and Trustee. The scrutinizers certificate will form part of Annual Report and will also be uploaded on the website of IAMI (www.invescomutualfund.com). |
|
A confirmation shall also be submitted by Trustees in its half yearly report to SEBI that IAMI have voted on important decisions affecting interests of unitholders. |
I. |
Review |
The Board of Directors of IAMI and Trustees shall review and ensure that IAMI have voted on important decisions affecting interests of unitholders and the rationale recorded for vote decision is prudent and adequate.
References of SEBI Circular:
Sr. # |
Circular Number |
Date |
||||
1. |
SEBI/IMD/CIR No 18 / 198647 /2010 |
March 15, 2010 |
||||
2. |
E-mail from SEBI |
June 23, 2011 |
||||
3. |
CIR/IMD/DF/05/2014 |
March 24, 2014 |
||||
4. |
SEBI/HO/IMD/DF2/CIR/P/2016/68 |
August 10, 2016 |
The Voting Policy of Invesco Mutual Fund was initially approved by the Board of Directors Invesco Asset Management (India) Private Limited and Invesco Trustee Private Limited in their respective meetings held on September 16, 2010. The Voting Policy (Version 3) amended pursuant to SEBI Circular dated March 24, 2014 was approved in Board meetings of Invesco Asset Management (India) Private Limited and Invesco Trustee Private Limited held on May 22, 2014 and May 23, 2014, respectively.
The Voting Policy will be available on the website of the fund (www.invescomutualfund.com) and link will be provided on the home page.
Date of Review: May 9, 2019
Next Date of Review: On or before May 31, 2020
Noted for Implementation:
Taher Badshah Head - Equity |
Sujoy Das Head - Fixed Income |
Suresh Jakhotiya Head - Compliance & Risk |
||
Neelesh Dhamnaskar Fund Manager |
Kavita Bhanej Vice President - Operations |
Noted:
Saurabh Nanavati | Ketan Ugrankar | |
Chief Executive Officer | COO & CFO |
Version History:
Version |
Date |
Description |
Initiator |
Approved by |
||||
1.0 | September 2, 2010 | Initial Adoption of Voting Policy | Suresh Jakhotiya |
Board of Religare Invesco AMC and Trustees at board meetings held on September 16, 2010. |
||||
2.0 | June 28, 2011 | Policy amended pursuant to SEBI e-mail dated June 23, 2011 | Suresh Jakhotiya |
Board of Religare Invesco AMC and Trustees at board meetings held on July 13, 2011. |
||||
3.0 | May 23, 2014 | Policy amended pursuant to SEBI circular dated March 24, 2014 | Suresh Jakhotiya |
Board of Religare Invesco AMC and Trustees at board meetings held on May 22, 2014 and May 23, 2014 respectively. |
||||
3.1 | July 5, 2016 | Names of AMC and Trustee | Suresh Jakhotiya | N.A. |
Company were changed to reflect new names and logo was changed | ||||||||
4 | November 18, 2016 | Amended Policy pursuant to SEBI circular dated August 10, 2016 and for the purpose of IAMIs application to SEC for registration as an advisor. | Suresh Jakhotiya |
Board of IAMI & ITPL at their meetings held on November 18, 2016 and November 25, 2016 respectively. |
||||
5 | May 5, 2017 | Reviewed and no changes to be made | Suresh Jakhotiya | N.A. | ||||
6 | May 31, 2018 | Changes in the voting policy guidelines. | Suresh Jakhotiya |
Board of IAMI & ITPL at their meetings held on |
||||
7 | May 9, 2019 | Reviewed and changes made w.r.t voting for holdings in arbitrage fund | Suresh Jakhotiya |
Will be placed before the Board of IAMI and ITC for noting at their forthcoming meetings |
APPENDIX F
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
To the best knowledge of the Trust, the names and addresses of the record and beneficial holders of 5% or more of the outstanding shares of each class of the Trusts equity securities and the percentage of the outstanding shares held by such holders are set forth below. Unless otherwise indicated below, the Trust has no knowledge as to whether all or any portion of the shares owned of record are also owned beneficially.
A shareholder who owns beneficially 25% or more of the outstanding securities of the Fund is presumed to control the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act. Such control may affect the voting rights of other shareholders.
All information listed below is as of June 15, 2020.
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund
Class A
Shares |
Class C
Shares |
Class Y
Shares |
Class R6 Shares |
|||||||||||||
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage
Owned of Record |
Percentage
Owned of Record |
Percentage
Owned of Record |
Percentage
Owned of Record |
||||||||||||
American Enterprise Investment Service 707 2nd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405 |
8.12 | % | 33.16 | % | 23.14 | % | | |||||||||
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. Special Custody Acct. FBO Customers Attn: Mutual Funds 211 Main Street San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 |
| | 7.03 | % | | |||||||||||
Edward D. Jones & Co. FBO Customers 12555 Manchester Road St. Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
21.90 | % | 13.93 | % | | | ||||||||||
Invesco Advisers Inc. Attn: Corporate Controller 1555 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1800 Atlanta, GA 30309-2499 |
| | | 100.00 | %* | |||||||||||
JP Morgan Securities LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of Customer 3 Chase MetroTech Center 3rd Floor Mutual Fund Dept. Brooklyn, NY 11245-0001 |
7.72 | % | | | | |||||||||||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account Attn: Lindsay OToole 4707 Executive Drive San Diego, CA 92121-3091 |
| | 10.10 | % | | |||||||||||
National Financial Services LLC For Exclusive Benefit of Customers 200 Liberty Street One World Financial Center Attn: Mutual Funds, 5th Floor New York, NY 10281-1003 |
7.75 | % | | 29.97 | % | | ||||||||||
Pershing LLC 1 Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
7.15 | % | 5.09 | % | 7.81 | % | | |||||||||
Stifel Nicolaus & Co., Inc. Exclusive FBO Customers 501 N. Broadway St. Louis, MO 63102-2137 |
| 6.64 | % | | | |||||||||||
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC Special Custody A/C for the Exclusive FBO Customer 2801 Market Street St. Louis, MO 63103-2523 |
7.16 | % | 9.41 | % | 5.44 | % | |
*Owned |
of record and beneficially. |
F-1
Management Ownership
As of June 15, 2020 the trustees and officers as a group owned less than 1% of the shares outstanding of each class of the Fund.
F-2
APPENDIX G
For the last three fiscal years ended March 31 and any other periods below, the management fees, the amounts waived by Invesco and the net fees paid by the Fund, or the predecessor fund, as applicable, were as follows.
Fund Name | 4/1/19 2/29/20 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund* |
Management Fee Payable |
Management Fee Waivers |
Net Management Fee Paid |
Management Fee Paid |
Management Fee Paid |
Management Fee Paid |
||||||||||||||||||
$ | 455,002 | $ | (244,722 | ) | $ | 210,280 | $ | 515,323 | $ | 690,104 | $ | 773,871 |
*Effective |
November 30, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year from March 31 to February 28. |
G-1
APPENDIX H
Portfolio Manager Fund Holdings and Information on Other Managed Accounts
Invescos portfolio managers develop investment models which are used in connection with the management of certain Invesco Funds as well as other mutual funds for which Invesco or an affiliate acts as sub-adviser, other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds, and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals. The Investments chart reflects the portfolio managers investments in the Fund(s) that they manage and includes investments in the Funds shares beneficially owned by a portfolio manager, as determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (beneficial ownership includes ownership by a portfolio managers immediate family members sharing the same household). The Assets Managed chart reflects information regarding accounts other than the Funds for which each portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into three categories: (i) other registered investment companies; (ii) other pooled investment vehicles; and (iii) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance (performance-based fees), information on those accounts is specifically noted. In addition, any assets denominated in foreign currencies have been converted into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of the applicable date.
Investments
The following information is as of February 29, 2020 (unless otherwise noted):
Assets Managed
The following information is as of February 29, 2020 (unless otherwise noted):
Portfolio Manager(s) |
Other Registered
Investment Companies Managed |
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles Managed |
Other Accounts Managed |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Number
of Accounts |
Assets
(in
|
Number
of Accounts |
Assets
(in
|
Number
of Accounts |
Assets
(in
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund (formerly known as Invesco Oppenheimer Municipal Fund) |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Tim Benzel1 |
None | None | None | None | 2,564 | 2 | $ | 5,034.3 | 2 |
1 |
The Portfolio Manager began serving on the Fund effective September 4, 2020. Information for the Portfolio Manager has been provided as of April 30, 2020. |
H-1
Portfolio Manager(s) |
Other Registered
Investment Companies Managed |
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles Managed |
Other Accounts Managed |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Number
of Accounts |
Assets
(in
|
Number
of Accounts |
Assets
(in
|
Number
of Accounts |
Assets
(in
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Eddie Bernhardt1 |
None | None | None | None | 2,564 | 2 | $ | 5,034.3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Mark Paris |
30 | $ | 53,880.0 | None | None | 3 | 2 | $ | 0.7 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
Tim OReilly1 |
28 | $ | 44,111.0 | None | None | 3 | 2 | $ | 0.7 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
Galen True1 |
None | None | None | None | 2,564 | 2 | $ | 5,034.3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Julius Williams1 |
28 | $ | 44,111.0 | None | None | 3 | 2 | $ | 0.7 | 2 |
Potential Conflicts of Interest
Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one Fund or other account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple Funds and/or other accounts may be presented with one or more of the following potential conflicts:
|
The management of multiple Funds and/or other accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each Fund and/or other account. The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser seek to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most other accounts managed by a portfolio manager are managed using the same investment models that are used in connection with the management of the Funds. |
|
If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one Fund or other account, a Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible Funds and other accounts. To deal with these situations, the Adviser, each Sub-Adviser and the Funds have adopted procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple accounts. |
|
The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser determine which broker to use to execute each order for securities transactions for the Funds, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, for certain other accounts (such as mutual funds for which Invesco or an affiliate acts as sub-adviser, other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds, and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the Adviser and each Sub-Adviser may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, trades for a Fund in a particular security may be placed separately from, rather than aggregated with, such other accounts. Having separate transactions with respect to a security may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the possible detriment of the Fund or other account(s) involved. |
|
Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of one Fund or account but not all Funds and accounts for which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. None of the Invesco Fund accounts managed have a performance fee. |
2 |
These are accounts of individual investors for which Invesco provides investment advice. Invesco offers separately managed accounts that are managed according to the investment models developed by its portfolio managers and used in connection with the management of certain Invesco Funds. These accounts may be invested in accordance with one or more of those investment models and investments held in those accounts are traded in accordance with the applicable model. |
H-2
The Adviser, each Sub-Adviser, and the Funds have adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
Description of Compensation Structure
For the Adviser and each Sub-Adviser
The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser seek to maintain a compensation program that is competitively positioned to attract and retain high-caliber investment professionals. Portfolio managers receive a base salary, an incentive cash bonus opportunity and a deferred compensation opportunity. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed and may be modified each year as appropriate to reflect changes in the market, as well as to adjust the factors used to determine bonuses to promote competitive Fund performance. The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser evaluate competitive market compensation by reviewing compensation survey results conducted by an independent third party of investment industry compensation. Each portfolio managers compensation consists of the following three elements:
Base Salary. Each portfolio manager is paid a base salary. In setting the base salary, the Adviser and each Sub-Advisers intention is to be competitive in light of the particular portfolio managers experience and responsibilities.
Annual Bonus. The portfolio managers are eligible, along with other employees of the Adviser and each Sub-Adviser, to participate in a discretionary year-end bonus pool. The Compensation Committee of Invesco Ltd. reviews and approves the firm-wide bonus pool based upon progress against strategic objectives and annual operating plan, including investment performance and financial results. In addition, while having no direct impact on individual bonuses, assets under management are considered when determining the starting bonus funding levels. Each portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual cash bonus which is based on quantitative (i.e. investment performance) and non-quantitative factors (which may include, but are not limited to, individual performance, risk management and teamwork).
Each portfolio managers compensation is linked to the pre-tax investment performance of the Funds/accounts managed by the portfolio manager as described in Table 1 below.
Table 1
Sub-Adviser |
Performance time period3 |
|
Invesco 4 Invesco Deutschland Invesco Hong Kong4 Invesco Asset Management Invesco India Invesco Listed Real Assets Division4 |
One-, Three- and Five-year performance against Fund peer group | |
Invesco Senior Secured4,5 Invesco Capital4,6 |
Not applicable |
3 |
Rolling time periods based on calendar year-end. |
4 |
Portfolio Managers may be granted an annual deferral award that vests on a pro-rata basis over a four-year period. |
5 |
Invesco Senior Secureds bonus is based on annual measures of equity return and standard tests of collateralization performance. |
6 |
Portfolio Managers for Invesco Capital base their bonus on Invesco results as well as overall performance of Invesco Capital. |
H-3
Sub-Adviser |
Performance time period |
|
Invesco Canada4 |
One-year performance against Fund peer group
Three- and Five-year performance against entire universe of Canadian funds |
|
Invesco Japan7 |
One-, Three- and Five-year performance |
High investment performance (against applicable peer group and/or benchmarks) would deliver compensation generally associated with top pay in the industry (determined by reference to the third-party provided compensation survey information) and poor investment performance (versus applicable peer group) would result in low bonus compared to the applicable peer group or no bonus at all. These decisions are reviewed and approved collectively by senior leadership which has responsibility for executing the compensation approach across the organization.
With respect to Invesco Capital, there is no policy regarding, or agreement with, the Portfolio Managers or any other senior executive of the Adviser to receive bonuses or any other compensation in connection with the performance of any of the accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers.
Deferred / Long Term Compensation. Portfolio managers may be granted a deferred compensation award based on a firm-wide bonus pool approved by the Compensation Committee of Invesco Ltd. Deferred compensation awards may take the form of annual deferral awards or long-term equity awards. Annual deferral awards may be granted as an annual stock deferral award or an annual fund deferral award. Annual stock deferral awards are settled in Invesco Ltd. common shares. Annual fund deferral awards are notionally invested in certain Invesco Funds selected by the Portfolio Manager and are settled in cash. Long-term equity awards are settled in Invesco Ltd. common shares. Both annual deferral awards and long-term equity awards have a four-year ratable vesting schedule. The vesting period aligns the interests of the Portfolio Managers with the long-term interests of clients and shareholders and encourages retention.
Retirement and health and welfare arrangements. Portfolio managers are eligible to participate in retirement and health and welfare plans and programs that are available generally to all employees.
7 |
Portfolio Managers for Invesco Pacific Growth Funds compensation is based on the one-, three- and five-year performance against the appropriate Micropol benchmark. |
H-4
APPENDIX I
The Fund paid Invesco the following amount for administrative services for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and any other period shown below:
FUND NAME |
April 1, 2019
February 29, 2020 |
Fiscal year ended
March 31, 2019 |
||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund* |
$ | 14,414 | $ | 0 |
*Effective |
November 30, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from March 31 to February 28. |
I-1
APPENDIX J
AND COMMISSIONS ON AFFILIATED TRANSACTIONS
For the last three fiscal years ended March 31 and any other period shown below, the Fund, or the predecessor fund, as applicable, paid brokerage commissions as follows:
Fund Name |
Total $ Amount of
Brokerage Commissions Paid* |
% of Total
Brokerage Commissions Paid to the Affiliated Brokers |
% of Total
Transaction Dollars Effected Through Affiliated Brokers |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund** |
|
4/1/19
2/29/20 |
|
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2020 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | 0 | % | 0 | % |
* Amounts do not include spreads or commissions on principal transactions on a net trade basis.
** Effective November 30, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year from March 31 to February 28.
J-1
APPENDIX K
DIRECTED BROKERAGE (RESEARCH SERVICES) PURCHASES OF
SECURITIES OF REGULAR BROKERS OR DEALERS
Directed Brokerage
During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and fiscal period ended February 29. 2020, the Fund did not pay directed brokerage commissions. Effective November 30, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year from March 31 to February 28.
PURCHASES OF SECURITIES OF REGULAR BROKERS OR DEALERS
During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and fiscal period ended February 29, 2020, the Fund did not purchase securities issued by its regular brokers or dealers. Effective November 30, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year from March 31 to February 28.
K-1
• | Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans include (i) employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plans that qualify under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), including 401(k), money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plans; (ii) 403(b) and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate similar to plans described under (i) above, such as 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements; (iii) health savings accounts maintained pursuant to Section 223 of the Code; and (iv) voluntary employees' beneficiary arrangements maintained pursuant to Section 501(c)(9) of the Code. |
• | Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) include Traditional and Roth IRAs. |
• | Employer Sponsored IRAs include Simplified Employee Pension (SEP), Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension (SAR-SEP), and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers (SIMPLE) IRAs. |
• | Retirement and Benefit Plans include Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans, IRAs and Employer Sponsored IRAs. |
Category I Funds | |
Invesco Advantage International Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Capital Appreciation Fund |
Invesco All Cap Market Neutral Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund |
Invesco American Franchise Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Discovery Fund |
Invesco American Value Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Discovery Mid Cap Growth Fund |
Invesco Asia Pacific Growth Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Emerging Markets Innovators Fund |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Allocation Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Fundamental Alternatives Fund |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Commodity Strategy Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Global Allocation Fund |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2020 Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Global Focus Fund |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2030 Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Global Fund |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2040 Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Global Opportunities Fund |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2050 Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement Now Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer International Diversified Fund |
Invesco Charter Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer International Equity Fund |
Invesco Comstock Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer International Growth Fund |
Invesco Comstock Select Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer International Small-Mid Company Fund |
Invesco Convertible Securities Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Main Street All Cap Fund |
Invesco Developing Markets Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Main Street Fund |
Invesco Diversified Dividend Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Main Street Mid-Cap Fund |
Invesco Dividend Income Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Main Street Small Cap Fund |
Invesco Emerging Markets Select Equity Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rising Dividends Fund |
Invesco Endeavor Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer SteelPath MLP Alpha Fund |
Invesco Energy Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Steelpath MLP Alpha Plus Fund |
Invesco Equally-Weighted S&P 500 Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer SteelPath MLP Income Fund |
Invesco Equity and Income Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer SteelPath MLP Select 40 Fund |
Invesco European Growth Fund | Invesco Pacific Growth Fund |
Invesco European Small Company Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2015 Fund |
Invesco Global Core Equity Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2020 Fund |
Invesco Global Growth Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2025 Fund |
Invesco Global Infrastructure Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2030 Fund |
Invesco Global Low Volatility Equity Yield Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2035 Fund |
Invesco Global Market Neutral Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2040 Fund |
Invesco Global Opportunities Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2045 Fund |
Invesco Global Real Estate Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2050 Fund |
Invesco Global Real Estate Income Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2055 Fund |
Invesco Global Responsibility Equity Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2060 Fund |
Invesco Global Targeted Returns Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ 2065 Fund |
Invesco Greater China Fund | Invesco Peak Retirement™ Now Fund |
Invesco Growth and Income Fund | Invesco Real Estate Fund |
Invesco Health Care Fund | Invesco S&P 500 Index Fund |
Invesco International Core Equity Fund | Invesco Select Companies Fund |
Invesco International Growth Fund | Invesco Select Opportunities Fund |
Invesco International Select Equity Fund | Invesco Small Cap Equity Fund |
Amount of Investment | Investor’s Sales Charge | Dealer Concession | ||||
As
a Percentage of the
Public Offering Price |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
||||
Less than $50,000 | 5.50% | 5.82% | 5.00% | |||
$50,000 but less than $100,000 | 4.50% | 4.71% | 4.00% | |||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 3.50% | 3.63% | 3.00% I | |||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.75% | 2.83% | 2.25% | |||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 2.00% | 2.04% | 1.75% |
Category II Funds | |
Invesco Core Plus Bond Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Municipal Fund |
Invesco Corporate Bond Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester AMT-Free Municipal Fund |
Invesco High Yield Bond Factor Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester AMT-Free New York Municipal Fund |
Invesco High Yield Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester California Municipal Fund |
Invesco High Yield Municipal Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester High Yield Municipal Fund |
Invesco Income Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester New Jersey Municipal Fund |
Invesco Intermediate Bond Factor Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester New York Municipals Fund |
Invesco Municipal Income Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester Pennsylvania Municipal Fund |
Invesco Oppenheimer Emerging Markets Local Debt Fund | Invesco Quality Income Fund |
Invesco Oppenheimer Global Strategic Income Fund | Invesco World Bond Factor Fund |
Invesco Oppenheimer International Bond Fund |
Amount of Investment | Investor’s Sales Charge | Dealer Concession | ||||
As
a Percentage of the
Public Offering Price |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
||||
Less than $100,000 | 4.25% | 4.44% | 4.00% | |||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 3.50% | 3.63% | 3.25% | |||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.50% | 2.56% | 2.25% | |||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 2.00% | 2.04% | 1.75% |
Category III Funds | |
Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund (Class A2 shares) | |
Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund (Class A2 shares) |
Amount of Investment | Investor’s Sales Charge | Dealer Concession | ||||
As
a Percentage of the
Public Offering Price |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
||||
Less than $100,000 | 1.00% | 1.01% | 0.75% | |||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 0.75% | 0.76% | 0.50% | |||
$250,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 0.50% | 0.50% | 0.40% |
Category IV Funds | |
Invesco Floating Rate Fund | Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester Limited Term New York Municipal Fund |
Invesco Intermediate Term Municipal Income Fund | Invesco Short Duration High Yield Municipal Fund |
Category IV Funds | |
Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund (Class A shares) | Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund (Class A shares) |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester Limited Term California Municipal Fund | Invesco Short Term Bond Fund |
Amount of Investment | Investor’s Sales Charge | Dealer Concession | ||||
As
a Percentage of the
Public Offering Price |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
||||
Less than $100,000 | 2.50% | 2.56% | 2.00% | |||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 1.75% | 1.78% | 1.50% |
Category V Funds | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Plus Fund |
Amount of Investment | Investor’s Sales Charge | Dealer Concession | ||||
As
a Percentage of the
Public Offering Price |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
||||
Less than $100,000 | 3.25% | 3.36% | 3.00% | |||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 2.75% | 2.83% | 2.50% | |||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 1.75% | 1.78% | 1.50% | |||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 1.25% | 1.27% | 1.25% |
Category VI Funds | |
Invesco Active Allocation Fund | Invesco Select Risk: Growth Investor Fund |
Invesco Income Allocation Fund | Invesco Select Risk: High Growth Investor Fund |
Invesco Select Risk: Conservative Investor Fund | Invesco Select Risk: Moderate Investor Fund |
Invesco Select Risk: Moderately Conservative Investor Fund |
Amount of Investment | Investor’s Sales Charge | Dealer Concession | ||||
As
a Percentage of the
Public Offering Price |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
As
a Percentage of the
Net Amount Invested |
||||
Less than $50,000 | 5.50% | 5.82% | 5.00% | |||
$50,000 but less than $100,000 | 4.50% | 4.71% | 4.00% | |||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 3.50% | 3.63% | 3.00% |
• | 1% (0.50% for Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund and 0.75% for Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund and Invesco Short Term Bond Fund) of the first $4 million |
• | plus 0.50% of the next $46 million |
• | plus 0.25% of amounts in excess of $50 million |
• | 0.50% of the first $20 million |
• | plus 0.25% of amounts in excess of $20 million |
• | Each purchase of Fund shares normally subject to an initial sales charge made during the 13-month period will be made at the public offering price applicable to a single transaction of the total dollar amount indicated by the LOI (to determine what the applicable public offering price is, look at the sales charge table in the section on "Initial Sales Charges" above). |
• | It is the purchaser's responsibility at the time of purchase to specify the account numbers that should be considered in determining the appropriate sales charge. |
• | The offering price may be further reduced as described below under "Rights of Accumulation" if Invesco Investment Services, Inc., the Invesco Funds' transfer agent (Transfer Agent) is advised of all other accounts at the time of the investment. |
• | Reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions acquired during the 13-month LOI period will not be applied to the LOI. |
• | Purchases made and shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions prior to the LOI effective date will be applied toward the completion of the LOI based on the value of the shares calculated at the public offering price on the effective date of the LOI. |
• | If a purchaser wishes to revise the LOI investment amount upward, he, she or it may submit a written and signed request at any time prior to the completion of the original LOI. This revision will not change the original expiration date. |
• | The Transfer Agent will process necessary adjustments upon the expiration or completion date of the LOI. |
• | By signing a LOI, a purchaser is not making a binding commitment to purchase additional shares, but if purchases made within the 13-month period do not total the amount specified, the purchaser generally will have to pay the increased amount of sales charge. |
• | To assure compliance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Transfer Agent will reserve, in escrow |
or similar arrangement, in the form of shares, an appropriate dollar amount computed to the nearest full share out of the initial purchase (or subsequent purchases if necessary). All dividends and any capital gain distributions on the escrowed shares will be credited to the purchaser. All shares purchased, including those reserved, will be registered in the purchaser's name. If the total investment specified under this LOI is completed within the 13-month period, the reserved shares will be promptly released, and additional purchases will be subject to the appropriate breakpoint sales charge based on the account's current ROA value. | |
• | If the intended investment is not completed, the purchaser generally will pay the Transfer Agent the difference between the sales charge on the specified amount and the sales charge on the total amount actually purchased. If the purchaser does not pay such difference within 20 days of the expiration date, the Transfer Agent will surrender for redemption any or all shares, to make up such difference within 60 days of the expiration date. |
• | Accounts linked under the LOI revert back to ROA once a LOI is met, regardless of expiration date. |
• | If at any time before completing the LOI Program, the purchaser wishes to cancel the agreement, he or she must give written notice to Invesco Distributors or its designee. |
• | If at any time before completing the LOI Program the purchaser requests the Transfer Agent to liquidate or transfer beneficial ownership of his or her total shares, the LOI will be automatically canceled. If the total amount purchased is less than the amount specified in the LOI, the Transfer Agent will redeem an appropriate number of reserved shares equal to the difference between the sales charge actually paid and the sales charge that would have been paid if the total purchases had been made at a single time. |
• | Any current, former or retired trustee, director, officer or employee (or any immediate family member of a current, former or retired trustee, director, officer or employee) of any Invesco Fund or of Invesco Ltd. or any of its subsidiaries. This includes any foundation, trust or employee benefit plan maintained by any such persons; |
• | Any current or retired officer, director, or employee (and members of his or her immediate family) of DST Systems, Inc.; |
• | Shareholders who received Class A shares of an Invesco Fund on June 1, 2010 in connection with the reorganization of a predecessor fund in which such shareholder owned Class H, Class L, Class P, and/or Class W shares, who purchase additional Class A shares of the Invesco Fund; |
• | Shareholders of record holding shares of AIM Weingarten Fund or AIM Constellation Fund on September 8, 1986, or of AIM Charter Fund on November 17, 1986, who have continuously owned shares and who purchase additional shares of Invesco Constellation Fund or Invesco Charter Fund, respectively; |
• | Unitholders of G/SET series unit investment trusts investing proceeds from such trusts in shares of Invesco Constellation Fund in an account established without a designated intermediary; provided, however, prior to the termination date of the trusts, a unitholder may invest proceeds from the redemption or repurchase of his units only when the investment in shares of Invesco Constellation Fund is effected within 30 days of the redemption or repurchase; |
• | Shareholders of the former GT Global funds as of April 30, 1987 who since that date continually have owned shares of one or more of these funds who purchase additional Class A shares; |
• | Certain former AMA Investment Advisers' shareholders who became shareholders of the AIM Global Health Care Fund in October 1989, and who have continuously held shares in the GT Global funds since that time, who purchase additional Class A shares; |
• | Shareholders of record of Advisor Class shares of an Invesco Fund on February 11, 2000 who have continuously owned shares of that Invesco Fund, who purchase additional shares of that Invesco Fund; |
• | Shareholders of record of Class K shares on October 21, 2005 whose Class K shares were converted to Class A shares and who since that date have continuously held Class A shares, who purchase additional Class A shares; |
• | Shareholders of record of Class B shares of Invesco Global Dividend Growth Securities Fund who received Class A shares of the Invesco Global Core Equity Fund in connection with a reorganization |
on May 20, 2011 and who since that date have continuously owned Class A shares, who purchase additional Class A shares of Invesco Global Core Equity Fund; | |
• | Shareholders of record of Class B shares of Invesco Van Kampen Global Equity Allocation Fund who received Class A shares of the Invesco Global Core Equity Fund in connection with a reorganization on May 20, 2011 and who since that date have continuously owned Class A shares, who purchase additional Class A shares of Invesco Global Core Equity Fund; and |
• | Unitholders of Invesco unit investment trusts who enrolled prior to December 3, 2007 to reinvest distributions from such trusts in Class A shares of the Invesco Funds, who receive Class A shares of an Invesco Fund pursuant to such reinvestment program in an account established without a designated intermediary. The Invesco Funds reserve the right to modify or terminate this program at any time. |
• | Redemptions of shares held by an Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plan or SIMPLE IRA Plan in cases where (i) the plan has remained invested in Class A shares of a Fund for at least 12 months, or (ii) the redemption is not a complete redemption of all Class A shares held by the plan; |
• | Redemptions of shares by the investor where the investor's financial intermediary has elected to waive the amounts otherwise payable to it by Invesco Distributors and notifies Invesco Distributors prior to the time of investment; |
• | Minimum required distributions made in connection with a Retirement and Benefit Plan following attainment of age 70½ , or older, and only with respect to that portion of such distribution that does not exceed 12% annually of the participant's beneficiary account value in a particular Fund; |
• | Redemptions following the death or post-purchase disability of a registered shareholder or beneficial owner of an account. Subsequent purchases into such account are not eligible for the CDSC waiver; and |
• | Amounts from a monthly, quarterly or annual Systematic Redemption Plan of up to an annual amount of 12% of the account value on a per fund basis, provided; the investor reinvests his dividends. |
• | Redemptions following the death or post-purchase disability of a registered shareholder or beneficial owner of an account. Subsequent purchases into such account are not eligible for the CDSC waiver; |
• | Distributions from Retirement and Benefit Plans where redemptions result from (i) required minimum distributions to plan participants or beneficiaries who are age 70½ or older, and only with respect to that portion of such distributions that does not exceed 12% annually of the participant's or beneficiary's account value in a particular Fund; (ii) in kind transfers of assets where the participant or beneficiary notifies the distributor of the transfer no later than the time the transfer occurs; (iii) tax-free rollovers or transfers of assets to another Retirement and Benefit Plan invested in Class C shares of one or more of the Funds; (iv) tax-free returns of excess contributions or returns of excess deferral amounts; and (v) distributions on the death or disability (as defined in the Code) of the participant or beneficiary; |
• | Amounts from a monthly or quarterly Systematic Redemption Plan of up to an annual amount of 12% of the account value on a per fund basis provided the investor reinvests his dividends; |
• | Liquidation initiated by the Fund when the account value falls below the minimum required account size of $500; and |
• | Investment account(s) of Invesco and its affiliates. |
• | Redemption of shares held by Employer Sponsored Retirement and Benefit Plans or Employer Sponsored IRAs in cases where (i) the plan has remained invested in Class C shares of a Fund for at least 12 months, or (ii) the redemption is not a complete redemption of all Class C shares held by the plan; or |
• | A total or partial redemption of shares where the investor's financial intermediary has elected to waive amounts otherwise payable to it by Invesco Distributors and notifies Invesco Distributors prior to the time of investment. |
• | an annual custodial fee on accounts where Invesco Distributors acts as the prototype sponsor; |
• | expedited mailing fees in response to overnight redemption requests; and |
• | copying and mailing charges in response to requests for duplicate statements. |
APPENDIX M
AMOUNTS PAID TO INVESCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC. PURSUANT TO DISTRIBUTION PLANS
A list of amounts paid by each class of shares to Invesco Distributors (and the predecessor funds distributor) pursuant to the Plans for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and any other periods shown below. Effective November 30, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year from March 31 to February 28.
Fund |
Total Payments
Under Plan for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019 |
Amount Retained
by Distributor for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019 |
Amount Paid to
Affiliate for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019 |
Distributors
Aggregate
Unreimbursed Expenses Under the Plan for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019 |
Distributors
Unreimbursed Expenses as % of Net Assets of Class for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019 |
|||||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund |
||||||||||||||||||||
Class A Plan |
$ | 133,880 | $ | 0 | $ | 2,076 | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||
Class C Plan |
$ | 267,060 | $ | 1,112 | $ | 110 | N/A | N/A |
Total Payments
Under Plan for Fiscal Year Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
Amount Retained
by Distributor for Fiscal Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
Amount Paid to
Affiliate for Fiscal Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
Distributors Aggregate
Unreimbursed Expenses Under the Plan for Fiscal Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
Distributors
Unreimbursed Expenses as % of Net Assets of Class for Fiscal Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
||||||||||||||||
Class A Plan |
$ | 153,941 | N/A | N/A | $ | 77,091 | N/A |
Total Payments
Under Plan for Fiscal Year Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
Amount Retained
by Distributor for Fiscal Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
Amount Paid to
Affiliate for Fiscal Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
Distributors
Aggregate
Unreimbursed Expenses Under the Plan for Fiscal Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
Distributors
Unreimbursed Expenses as % of Net Assets of Class for Fiscal Period April 1, 2019 February 29, 2020 |
||||||||||||||||
Class C Plan |
$ | 235,546 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
M-1
APPENDIX N
ALLOCATION OF ACTUAL FEES PAID PURSUANT TO DISTRIBUTION PLANS
An estimate by category of the allocation of actual fees paid by Class A and Class C shares of the Fund, or predecessor fund, as applicable, during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 or fiscal period, as applicable, follows:
Class A for the
11-Month Period Ended 2/29/20 |
Class A for
the Fiscal Year Ended 3/31/19 |
Class C for
the 11-Month Period Ended 2/29/20 |
Class A for
the Fiscal Year Ended 3/31/19 |
|||||
Advertising |
$0 | $0 | $211 | $0 | ||||
Printing & Mailing |
$0 | $0 | 116 | $0 | ||||
Seminars |
$0 | $0 | 168 | $0 | ||||
Underwriters Compensation |
$0 | $0 | 20,274 | $0 | ||||
Dealers Compensation |
$153,941 | $133,880 | 212,493 | $267,060 | ||||
Personnel |
$0 | $0 | 2,137 | $0 | ||||
Travel Relating to Marketing |
$0 | $0 | 147 | $0 | ||||
Annual Report Total |
$153,941 | $133,880 | $235,546 | $267,060 |
N-1
APPENDIX O
The sales charges paid to, or retained by, Invesco Distributors (or the predecessor funds distributor, as applicable) from the sale of shares and the contingent deferred sales charges (CDSCs) retained by Invesco Distributors (or the predecessor funds distributor, as applicable) on the redemption of shares during the Funds three most recent fiscal years ended March 31 and fiscal period are shown below.
Class A Front-End Sales Charges
Aggregate Front-End Sales Charges on
Class A Shares |
Class A Front-End Sales Charges
Retained by Distributor* |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fund Name |
4/1/19 -
2/29/20 |
2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
4/1/19 -
2/29/20 |
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund** |
$ | 134,231 | $ | 56,060 | $ | 21,566 | $ | 46,515 | $ | 10,489 | $ | 7,469 | $ | 7,544 | $ | 7,803 |
* |
Includes amounts retained by a broker-dealer that is an affiliate or a parent of the predecessor funds distributor. |
** |
Effective November 30, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year from March 31 to February 28. |
Concessions Advanced by Distributor
Concessions on
Class A Shares Advanced by Distributor* |
Concessions on
Class C Shares Advanced by Distributor* |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Fund Name |
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund |
$ | 7,638 | $ | 754 | $ | 502 | $ | 7,145 | $ | 6,929 | $ | 11,374 |
* |
The Distributor advances concession payments to financial intermediaries for certain sales of Class A shares and for sales of Class C shares from its own resources at the time of sale. |
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges
Class A
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges Retained by Distributor |
Class B*
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges Retained by Distributor |
Class C
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges Retained by Distributor |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fund Name |
4/1/19 -
2/29/20 |
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
4/1/19 -
2/29/20 |
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund** |
$ | 643 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 7 | $ | 25 | $ | 428 | $ | 108 | $ | 487 | $ | 664 | $ | 417 | $ | 5,692 |
* |
All outstanding Class B shares were converted to Class A shares on June 1, 2018 |
** |
Effective November 30, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year from March 31 to February 28. |
O-1
APPENDIX P
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO JURISDICTIONS IN WHICH THE FUND INVESTS
As explained in each Funds Prospectus, the Funds investments are highly sensitive to the fiscal stability of the jurisdictions in which the Fund principally invests, including the subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities or authorities of those jurisdictions that issue municipal securities contained in the Funds portfolio. You should consider carefully the special risks inherent in the Funds investments in municipal securities.
The Fund may invest in municipal securities issued by certain territories, commonwealths and possessions of the United States that pay interest that is exempt (in the opinion of the issuers legal counsel when the security is issued) from federal income tax and/or state personal income tax. Therefore, a Funds investments could be affected by the fiscal stability of, for example, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands. Additionally, a Funds investments could be affected by economic, legislative, regulatory or political developments affecting issuers in those territories, commonwealths or possessions.
The following information represents a summary of the risks associated with the concentration of a Funds investments in the municipal securities of these jurisdictions. This information is intended to supplement the information contained in a Funds prospectus, and does not purport to be a complete analysis of every risk factor that may affect the obligations of the issuers of these municipal securities.
The following information is based on publicly available reports prepared by officials of each jurisdictions government or their designees. The information may also be based on official statements and other offering documents relating to securities issued by or on behalf of these jurisdictions, their agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions, as available on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Although this information is generally compiled from government resources, the Fund does not make any representation as to the accuracy of the information contained herein. Municipal bond issuers may not be subject to the same disclosure obligations as other bond issuers, which may impact the reliability of the information provided by municipal issuers that is used to determine fund investments and can potentially make investments in municipal securities riskier than other investments. The Fund has not independently verified this information and the Fund does not have any obligation to update this information throughout the year.
In addition, this information is subject to change rapidly, substantially and without notice. Such changes may negatively impact the fiscal condition of the jurisdictions in which the Fund invests, which could harm the performance of a Fund. Accordingly, inclusion of the information herein shall not create an implication that there has not been any change in the affairs of the relevant jurisdictions since the date of this Statement of Additional Information. More information about the specific risks facing each jurisdiction may be available from official resources published by those jurisdictions.
The bond ratings provided below are current as of the date specified. Unless otherwise stated, the ratings indicated are for obligations of the jurisdiction referenced below. The political subdivisions of a given jurisdiction may have different ratings that are unrelated to the ratings assigned to the obligations of the state, commonwealth or territory. Investors should note that the creditworthiness of obligations issued by a jurisdictions local municipal issuers may be unrelated to the creditworthiness of obligations issued by the jurisdiction itself, and that there may be no obligation on the part of the jurisdiction to make payment on such local obligations in the event of default.
To the extent that any statements made below involve matters of forecasts, projections, opinions, assumptions or estimates, whether or not expressly stated to be such, they are made as such and not as representations of fact or certainty, and no representation is made that any of these statements have been or will be realized. All forecasts, projections, assumptions, opinions or estimates are forward looking statements, which must be read with an abundance of caution because they may not be realized or may not occur in the future.
P-1
In addition, investors should note that municipal securities may be more susceptible to being downgraded, and issuers of municipal securities may be more susceptible to default, insolvency or bankruptcy, during recessions or similar periods of economic stress. Factors contributing to the economic stress on municipalities may include lower property tax collections, lower sales tax revenue and lower income tax revenue, among others. In addition, as certain municipal obligations may be secured or guaranteed by banks and other institutions, the risk to a Fund could increase if the banking or financial sector suffers an economic downturn or if the credit ratings of the institutions issuing the guarantee are downgraded or at risk of being downgraded by a national rating organization. Such a downward revision or risk of being downgraded may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the municipal securities and thus the value of a Funds investments in those securities.
Recent downgrades of certain municipal securities insurers have negatively impacted the price of certain insured municipal securities. Given the large number of potential claims against municipal securities insurers, there is a risk that they will be unable to meet all future claims. Certain municipal issuers either have been unable to issue securities or access the market to sell their issues. For some issuers that have been able to access the market, they have had to issue securities at much higher rates, which may reduce revenues available for the municipal issuers to pay existing obligations. Should a jurisdiction, or its applicable municipalities or subdivisions, fail to sell their securities when and at the rates projected, the jurisdiction or its subdivisions could experience a weakened overall cash position in the current fiscal year.
An insolvent municipality may take steps to reorganize its debt, which might include extending debt maturities, reducing the amount of principal or interest, refinancing the debt or taking other measures that may significantly affect the rights of creditors and the value of the securities issued by the municipality and the value of a Funds investments in those securities. Pursuant to Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, certain municipalities that meet specific conditions may be provided protection from creditors while they develop and negotiate plans for reorganizing their debts. The U.S. Bankruptcy Code provides that individual U.S. states are not permitted to pass their own laws purporting to bind non-consenting creditors to a restructuring of a municipalitys indebtedness, and thus all such restructurings must be pursuant to Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code.
California
Introduction. The economy of the State of California (State) is diverse, with major components in the high-technology, trade, entertainment, manufacturing, tourism, construction and services sectors. In addition, governmental agencies at the state, local and federal levels employ a significant number of the States residents. As these sectors represent the largest share of employment in the State, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sectors may have a negative effect on the value of the States municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.
The State faces significant fiscal challenges including significant underfunding of the States pension systems. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the United States remains uncertain, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic downturn could significantly impact the States finances and, therefore, its municipal securities. Moreover, the level of public debt in the State may affect long-term growth prospects and could cause some municipalities to experience financial hardship.
From year-to-year, the State may experience a number of political, social, economic, and environmental circumstances that influence the States economic and fiscal condition. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: (i) persistent structural imbalances; (ii) rising debt levels; (iii) significant pension underfunding; (iv) revenue volatility; (v) developments with respect to the U.S. and world economies; (vi) environmental considerations, natural disasters and widespread diseases, including pandemics and epidemics; and (vii) U.S. federal economic and fiscal policies, including the amount of federal aid provided to the State and its municipalities.
There can be no guarantee that the States economic and fiscal conditions will continue to improve or that future developments will not have a materially adverse impact on the States finances. Any deterioration in the States financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by the State and its municipalities, which could reduce the performance of a fund.
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Current Economic Climate. Californias economy, the largest among the 50 states and the fifth largest in the world, has major components in high technology, trade, entertainment, agriculture, manufacturing, government, tourism, construction and services. California is by far the most populous state in the nation. The July 2019 estimate of Californias population is 39.51 million residents, which was 12% of the total U.S. population.
Californias real domestic product totaled nearly $3.2 trillion, an increase of 2.6%, during FY2019, and the State remains the national leader in agricultural production and exports with over $50 billion in farm cash receipts. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, residents of California received approximately $2.63 trillion in estimated personal income in 2019. As a result, residents of California had a per capita personal income of $66,661, which compared favorably to the national average of $56,672 over the same period.
As of April 2020, Californias civilian labor force consisted of approximately 18.6 million individuals. Total nonfarm employment increased by 308,000 jobs during FY2019, with eight of Californias eleven major industry sectors experiencing job growth. The largest number of job gains were in educational and health services, government and financial activities. As of February 2020, California had an unemployment rate of approximately 3.9%, which was down from 4.3% in February 2019. However, Californias unemployment rate was above the national average of 3.5% during that same period. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent state and federal action, the unemployment rate in California grew to 15.5% in April 2020, above the national rate of 14.7%.In recent years, the State has paid off billions of dollars of budgetary borrowings, debts and deferrals which were accumulated to balance budgets during prior periods of economic downturn. Despite the recent significant budgetary improvements, there remain a number of budget risks that threaten the financial condition of the State, including the threat of a future economic downturn and the significant unfunded liabilities of the two main retirement systems managed by State entities.
Although recently the State has experienced moderate growth, there are still risks to the economy. For instance, the persistence of unemployment has meant slow income and wage growth for a broad section of the population, which impacts the ability of people to save and invest and makes it difficult for consumption growth to support broader economic growth.
Constraints on the Budget Process. Over the years, a number of laws and constitutional amendments have been enacted, often through voter initiatives that have limited the States ability to use local government taxing sources to aid its budget and use discretion in developing and executing budget plans.
Likewise, local governments are constrained by certain legislative and constitutional measures in their ability to raise revenue. As a result of these and other limits to the ability of local governments to raise revenue, local governments may face significant fiscal problems in periods of economic stress, which could cause these issuers to default on their outstanding obligations or file for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code provides insolvent municipalities that meet certain conditions with protection from their creditors while the municipalities develop plans to reorganize their debts. In the past, as a result of financial and economic difficulties, several California municipalities filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9. Additional municipalities could file for bankruptcy protection in the future. Any such action could negatively impact the value of a funds investments in the securities of those issuers or other issuers in California.
Budget. The FY 2020 Budget Act, enacted on June 27, 2019, continues to build reserves and pay down budgetary debt. The FY 2020 Budget allocates $14.3 billion in FY2020 to build budgetary resiliency and pay down the States unfunded liabilities. This includes $4.5 billion to eliminate debts and reverse deferrals, $5.5 billion to build reserves, and $4.3 billion to pay down unfunded retirement liabilities, and projects a structurally balanced budget through FY2023. The FY 2020 Budget projects total General Fund resources of $124.9 billion, which includes a $7.8 billion withdrawal from the Rainy Day Fund. The FY 2020 Budget projects budget reserves of $1.6 billion in the States Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties and $18 billion in the Budget Stabilization Account (BSA).
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The FY 2020 Budget provides for total State funding of $99.5 billion for health and human services, including $23.2 billion from the General Fund, with the remaining funding to be provided from special funds. Under the proposed FY 2020 Budget, Proposition 2 captures a total of $2 billion to be deposited in the BSA.
Retirement Systems. Underfunded pension plans continue to add spending pressure to the States budget. Californias two main public pension funds are the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS). As of March 2019, CalPERS and CalSTRS served a combined total of approximately 3.5 million members.
CalPERS and CalSTRS each face unfunded future liabilities in the tens of billions of dollars. For fiscal year 2019-2020, the actuarially determined General Fund pension contributions to the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) were approximately $3.9 billion and $3.3 billion, respectively. For fiscal year 2020-21, the actuarially determined General Fund pension contributions to CalPERS and CalSTRS are estimated to be approximately $3 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively.
Legislation with respect to both CalPERS and CalSTRS and changes made by both systems in actuarial assumptions in the last several years, including expected investment returns and funding methodologies, are expected to result in significant annual increases in the amount the State is required to pay from the General Fund in the foreseeable future.
In addition to pension benefits, the State also provides certain other post-employment benefits (OPEB), such as health care and dental benefits, for eligible retired employees of the State. Because the State currently funds its OPEB costs on a pay-as-you-go basis, the State has amassed large unfunded actuarial liabilities with respect to its OPEB obligations. The State has an actuarial accrued liability relating to these other post-employment benefits estimated at $85.59 billion as of May 15, 2019 (virtually all unfunded) as compared to an actuarial accrued liability of $91.01 billion estimated as of May 15, 2018.
Because the State may ultimately be responsible for paying the difference between the benefits paid and the contributions received by the systems, these unfunded liabilities pose a significant risk to the States fiscal condition. In addition, with more money diverted to pension contributions, the State may have less resources available to meet its debt obligations (including those obligations related to debt held by the Fund), which could impact the credit rating and marketability of its municipal bonds.
Debt. California has a substantial amount of debt outstanding. As of January 1, 2020, the State had approximately $80.3 billion of outstanding general obligation bonds and lease revenue bonds principally payable from the States General Fund or from lease payments paid from the operating budget of the respective lessees, which operating budgets are primarily, but not exclusively, derived from the General Fund. As of January 1, 2020, there were approximately $33.6 billion of authorized and unissued long-term voter-approved general obligation bonds which, when issued, will be payable principally from the General Fund and approximately $7.2 billion of authorized and unissued lease-revenue bonds. The State Constitution prohibits the creation of general obligation indebtedness of the State unless a bond measure is approved by a majority of the electorate voting at a general election or a direct primary. Additionally, the State constitution generally prevents these bonds from being used to finance State budget deficits.
Litigation. The State, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against the State might require the State to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the State to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a funds investments. If the State eventually loses any of these cases, the final remedies may not have to be implemented in any one year.
Credit Rating. As of June 11, 2020, Californias general obligation debt was assigned a rating of Aa2 by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys), AA- by S&P Global Ratings (S&P) and AA by Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch). These ratings reflect only the views of the respective rating agency, an explanation of which may be obtained from each such rating agency. There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time or that they will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating
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agency if, in the judgment of such rating agency, circumstances so warrant. A downward revision or withdrawal of any such rating may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the securities issued by the State, its municipalities, and their political subdivisions, instrumentalities, and authorities.
Other Considerations. Substantially all of California is within an active geologic region subject to major seismic activity. Northern California, in 1989, and Southern California, in 1994, experienced major earthquakes causing billions of dollars in damages. California has historically been susceptible to wildfires and hydrologic variability including drought. Extreme weather, intensified by climate change, has led to an essentially a year-round fire season, with larger and more intense fires. In October and December 2017 wildfires struck the State, destroying thousands of structures and burning over 500,000 acres and contributing to a 2017 total of more than 1.4 million acres burned. The November 2018 Camp Fire was the single deadliest and most destructive fire in California history, destroying thousands of structures and burning more than 150,000 acres, bringing the 2018 total to over 1.8 million acres burned. The total costs of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 fires are estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars and the full economic impacts may not be realized for years. The States and any other municipal issuers outstanding obligations could be affected by an interruption of revenues because of damaged facilities, or, consequently, income tax deductions for casualty losses or property tax assessment reductions due to earthquakes or fire. The 2020-2021 Budget estimates the General Fund share of wildfire recovery costs to be $1.1 billion.
The recent wildfires, as well as the large-scale power shutoffs implemented by the utilities companies for wildfire prevention, have significantly impacted the States economy, and there can be no guarantee that future wildfires and related power outages would not have an equally detrimental effect on the States economy or environment.
The State Legislature enacted AB 1054 on July 12, 2019, to address public utility liability for wildfires by, among other measures, establishing a Wildfire Fund to pay eligible claims arising from certain wildfires. It is anticipated that the States three largest public utilities shareholders and their ratepayers (by a charge collected by the public utilities at the direction of the California Public Utilities Commission) will jointly contribute to the Wildfire Fund in an amount up to $21 billion. In addition to allowing direct transfers of ratepayer charge to the Wildfire Fund, the legislation authorizes the Department of Water Resources to issue up to $10.5 billion in bonds to support the Wildfire Fund, debt service on such bonds to be paid by the ratepayer charge.
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely weakened the States economy. On May 14, 2020, the State reduced its FY 2020 Budget by $19 billion and slashed spending on education, environmental protection and natural resource management. While the State is anticipated to experience an unprecedented increase in unemployment and job loss, the States average wage is projected to grow slightly by 1.4% in 2020, after growing by 3.9% in 2019. The States gross personal income is also expected to decrease by 9% or $230 billion, and unemployment insurance benefits are estimated to cost $43.8 billion. The severity and duration of the pandemics effect on the States economy are still unknown.
Pennsylvania
Introduction. Although the economy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (the Commonwealth) is diverse, the Commonwealth has major components in the education and health services, trade, transportation, and utilities, professional and business services, manufacturing and leisure and hospitality sectors. Combined with state and local government employment, these sectors account for approximately 84% of the nonagricultural jobs in Pennsylvania as of February 2020. As a result, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sectors may have a negative effect on the value of the Commonwealths municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.
The Commonwealth faces significant fiscal challenges including a structural imbalance and significant underfunding of the Commonwealths pension systems. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the country remains uncertain, especially in light of COVID-19 pandemic. An economic downturn could significantly impact the Commonwealths finances and, therefore, its municipal securities. Moreover, the level of public debt in the Commonwealth may affect long-term growth prospects and could cause some municipalities to experience financial hardship. As a result of these and other factors, the Commonwealth has faced fiscal stress in recent years.
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From year-to-year, the Commonwealth may experience a number of political, social and economic circumstances that influence the Commonwealths economic and fiscal condition. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: (i) persistent structural imbalances; (ii) rising debt levels; (iii) significant pension underfunding; (iv) revenue volatility; (v) developments with respect to the U.S. and world economies; (vi) environmental considerations, natural disasters and widespread diseases, including pandemics and epidemics; and (vii) U.S. federal economic and fiscal policies, including the amount of federal aid provided to the Commonwealth and its municipalities. Furthermore, there can be no assurances that future developments, including events affecting the Commonwealths economic or fiscal condition, will not have a materially adverse impact on the Commonwealths fiscal position. Any deterioration in the Commonwealths financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity, or value of the securities issued by the Commonwealth and its municipalities, which could reduce the performance of a fund.
Current Economic Climate. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, residents of Pennsylvania received over $752 billion in estimated personal income in 2019. As a result, residents of Pennsylvania had a per capita income of $58,775, which compared favorably to the national average of $56,663 over the same period.
Pennsylvanias civilian labor force consists of approximately 6.1 million individuals. As of February 2020, Pennsylvania had an unemployment rate of approximately 4.7%, which was up from 4.1% from September 2019. Pennsylvanias unemployment rate was above the national average of 3.5% during the same period. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvanias unemployment rate spiked 15.1% in April 2020. The length of this increase remains unknown.
Despite the Commonwealths modest economic growth, low inflation, and improving labor and housing markets, Pennsylvanias municipal issuers face pressure from a number of economic and fiscal factors. Some of the challenges faced by municipal issuers include operating deficits, debt burden, and pension fund contributions, among others. Several municipalities in the Commonwealth are subject to continuing financial oversight, including the city of Harrisburg, the Commonwealths capital city, and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the two largest cities in the Commonwealth. Due to the current conditions facing many local governments in the Commonwealth, it is possible that additional municipalities may be subjected to oversight, attempt to file for bankruptcy protection or may be forced take other extraordinary measures to avoid any such bankruptcy in the future.
Budget. On February 4, 2020, the Governor proposed a $36.1 billion General Fund budget for FY2021 (Proposed Budget), which represents an increase of approximately 4.22%, from the previous fiscal year. The Proposed Budget projected General Fund net revenues of $37.3 billion, a decrease of 4.5% from estimated FY2020 revenues. Approximately $15.5 billion of the estimated revenue would be derived from personal income taxes, $12.2 billion from sales and use taxes and $3.7 billion from corporate income taxes. Based on these projected revenues, the Proposed Budget would be balanced for FY2021, resulting in an estimated $4 million surplus, which is comparatively higher than the estimated FY2020 General Fund ending balance of $3 million.
The Proposed Budget appropriated $14 billion for education; approximately $14.4 billion for health and human services; $2.6 billion for criminal justice; and $1.2 billion to service the Commonwealths outstanding debt.
The Constitution of Pennsylvania requires the Governor to submit a balanced budget and prohibits the General Assembly from appropriating monies in excess of actual and estimated revenues and surplus. The Proposed Budget includes savings and efficiencies to reduce annual expenditure growth far below historic trends. If revenues fall short of expectations, the Commonwealth could encounter future budget deficits. Any such deterioration in the Commonwealths fiscal condition could negatively impact the value of securities issued by the Commonwealth and its municipalities, which may in turn impact the performance of a fund.
On May 29, 2020, the Governor signed into law an interim budget for 2020-2021 (Enacted Budget). The Enacted Budget accounts for economic concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was designed to give the Commonwealth a better understanding of the pandemics economic impact. The Enacted Budget encompasses two parts and must be passed in two waves, the first covering the first 5
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months of FY2020 and the second covering the remainder of the year. As a result, the Enacted Budget anticipates total General Fund revenues of $25.8 billion, which represents a decrease of $8.3 billion or 24.4% compared to FY2019. The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic stability of the Commonwealth remains uncertain.
Retirement Systems. As evidenced by substantial governmental outlays in recent years, underfunded pension plans continue to add spending pressure to the Commonwealths budget. The Commonwealth maintains contributory benefit pension plans covering all public school employees, state employees, and employees of certain state-related organizations. These programs are funded by contributions from both the employer, which may include the Commonwealth, and the employees. Public school employees are members of the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS). State employees and employees of certain state-related organizations are members of the State Employees Retirement System (SERS). With certain exceptions, membership in the applicable retirement system is mandatory for covered employees. As of June 22, 2020, PSERS had over 600,000 participating active and retired members. Similarly, as of June 22, 2020, SERS had approximately 239,000 active and retired members.
The employer net pension liability for each of PSERS and SERS was $290 million (as of June 30, 2019) and $17.2 billion (as of June 30, 2019), respectively. As a result, the ratio of fiduciary net position to total pension liability for each of PSERS and SERS was .6043% (as of June 30, 2018) and 56.4% (as of June 30, 2019), respectively.
To address its pension funding crisis, the Commonwealth enacted legislation in 2017 to reform its pension systems. Under this legislation, beginning in July 2019, new members will have the option to choose between certain hybrid defined-benefit and defined-contribution plans or a pure defined-contribution plan. In addition, this legislation required the establishment of a commission to review the operation and investment processes of PSERS and SERS as well as develop a plan to identify $1.5 billion in cost savings over 30 years for each system. In December 2018, the commission reported that they had identified an estimated annual savings opportunity for both retirement systems, in the range of $97.3 million to $116.8 million, or, expressed as an actuarial savings over 30 years, between $8.2 billion and $9.9 billion. There can be no assurance that such cost savings measures will be implemented. In addition, if more money is diverted to pension contributions, the state may have less resources available to meet its debt obligations (including related to debt held by the Fund), which could impact the credit rating and marketability of its municipal bonds.
In addition to a defined benefit pension plan for state employees and employees of certain state-related organizations, the Commonwealth also provides health care plans for its eligible retirees and their qualifying dependents. These and similar plans are commonly referred to as other post-employment benefits or OPEBs. The Commonwealth provides OPEBs under two plans. The Retired Pennsylvania State Police Program provides collectively bargained benefits to retired state enlisted members and their dependents. The Retired Employee Health Program provides Commonwealth-determined benefits to other retired state employees and their dependents.
Because the Commonwealth may be responsible for paying portions of the difference between the benefits paid and the contributions received by the systems, these unfunded liabilities may present a significant risk to the Commonwealths fiscal condition. Should the Commonwealth be required to make any additional contributions to these systems, the Commonwealth would likely have to reduce funding for other priorities, which may include payments on its outstanding debt obligations. Alternatively, the Commonwealth may be forced to raise revenue or issue additional debt. Either outcome could increase the pressure on the Commonwealths budget, which could have an adverse impact on a funds investments in Pennsylvania.
Debt. The Commonwealth is permitted by its Constitution to incur the following types of debt: (i) debt to suppress insurrection or rehabilitate areas affected by disaster, (ii) electorate-approved debt, (iii) debt for capital projects subject to an aggregate debt limit of 1.75 times the annual average tax revenues of the preceding five fiscal years, and (iv) tax anticipation notes payable in the fiscal year of issuance. All debt, except debt incurred through the issuance of tax anticipation notes must be amortized in substantial and regular amounts.
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Debt service on Commonwealth general obligation debt is paid from appropriations out of the General Fund, except for debt issued for highway purposes, which is paid from Motor License Fund appropriations. As of June 30, 2019, the Commonwealth had outstanding general obligation debt of $10.2 billion, which represents a decrease of $2.25 billion from June 30, 2018.
Certain state-created organizations have statutory authorization to issue debt for which state appropriations to pay debt service thereon are not required. The debt of these organizations is funded by assets of, or revenues derived from, the various projects financed and is not a statutory or moral obligation of the Commonwealth. However, some of these organizations are indirectly dependent upon Commonwealth operating appropriations. In addition, the Commonwealth may choose to take action to financially assist these organizations.
Moral obligations. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) is a state-created agency that provides financing for housing for lower and moderate income families in the Commonwealth. As of June 30, 2019, PHFA had $363.9 million of limited obligation bonds outstanding.
Other Commonwealth obligations. The Commonwealth also has obligations with respect to, the bonds and debt obligations of, among other things, (i) the Commonwealth Financing Authority, which is authorized to issue limited obligation revenue bonds and other types of limited obligation revenue financing for the purposes of promoting the health, safety, employment, business opportunities, economic activity and general welfare of the Commonwealth and its citizens through loans, grants, guarantees, leases, lines and letters of credit and other financing arrangements to benefit both for-profit and non-profit entities, (ii) the Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County in connection with the construction and operation of the Pittsburgh Arena, a multi-purpose arena, to serve as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, a hockey team in the National Hockey League, and (iii) the Pennsylvania Convention Center located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the expansion thereto.
Litigation. The Commonwealth, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against the Commonwealth might require the Commonwealth to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the Commonwealth to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a funds investments.
Credit rating. As of June 20, 2020, Pennsylvanias general obligation debt was assigned a rating of Aa3 by Moodys, A+ by S&P and AA- by Fitch). These ratings reflect only the views of the respective rating agency, an explanation of which may be obtained from each such rating agency. There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time or that they will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating agency if, in the judgment of such rating agency, circumstances so warrant. A downward revision or withdrawal of any such rating may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the securities issued by the Commonwealth, its municipalities, and their political subdivisions, instrumentalities, and authorities.
Reductions in the credit ratings on Pennsylvanias general obligation bonds could weaken the demand for securities issued by the Commonwealth, its agencies or instrumentalities, which may reduce the opportunities for those issuers to obtain financing.
New Jersey
Introduction. Although the economy of the State of New Jersey (State) is diverse, it has major components in the trade, transportation, and utilities sector; the education and health services sector; the professional and business sector; and the government sector. As these sectors represent the largest share of employment in the State, economic problems or factors that negatively impact these sectors may have a negative effect on the value of the States municipal securities.
The State faces significant fiscal challenges including significant underfunding of the States pension systems. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the country remains uncertain, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic downturn could significantly hurt the State and its finances and,
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therefore, its municipal securities. Moreover, the level of public debt in the State continues to rise, which may hurt long-term growth prospects and could cause some municipalities to experience financial hardship. As a result of these and other factors, the State has faced fiscal stress in recent years.
From year-to-year, the State may experience a number of political, social and economic circumstances that influence the States economic and fiscal condition. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: (i) persistent structural imbalances; (ii) rising debt levels; (iii) significant pension underfunding; (iv) revenue volatility; (v) developments with respect to the U.S. and world economies; (vi) environmental considerations, natural disasters and widespread diseases, including pandemics and epidemics; and (vii) U.S. federal economic and fiscal policies, including the amount of federal aid provided to the State and its municipalities.
Furthermore, there can be no guarantee that future developments, including events affecting the States economic or fiscal condition, will not have a materially adverse impact on the States finances. Any deterioration in the States financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by the State and its municipalities, which could reduce the performance of a fund.
Current Economic Climate. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, residents of New Jersey received over $630 billion in estimated personal income in 2019. As a result, residents of New Jersey had a per capita income of $70,979, which compared favorably to the national average of $56,663 over the same period. In 2019, New Jerseys gross state product rose 1.5%. However, this rate lagged behind 2.3% growth rate at the national level during the same period.
New Jerseys civilian labor force consists of approximately 4.5 million individuals. As of February 2020, New Jersey had an unemployment rate of approximately 3.8%, which was up from 3.6% in February 2019. New Jerseys unemployment rate was below the national average of 3.5% during the same period.
New Jersey nonfarm employment increased by an average of 4,366 jobs per month in 2019, for a total gain of 52,400 jobs, compared to an average total gain of 43,488 jobs per year from 2011 to 2018. However, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reversed these gains and unemployment spiked to 15.3% in April 2020, a twenty-year high.
Current fiscal pressure continues to present significant risks for New Jersey issuers. Any deterioration in the current economic conditions would likely have a materially adverse impact on the ability of both State and local governments to satisfy the payment obligations on their outstanding debt. For example, any significant reduction in the States exports would likely result in higher unemployment and lower tax revenues. Although the actual impact of a future economic downturn on fiscal and economic conditions in New Jersey is unknown, it is likely that the State would perform considerably weaker than current estimates project.
Budget. On February 25, 2020, the Governor presented the proposed budget for FY2021 (Proposed Budget). The Proposed Budget recommended appropriations of $40.85 billion, an increase of approximately 2.2% from FY2020. The Proposed Budget forecasted total General Fund revenues of $41.2 billion, gross income tax revenues of $17.8 billion, sales tax revenues of $10.8 billion and corporate business tax revenues of $3.8 billion. The Governors Proposed Budget left a projected surplus of $891 million for FY2022.
State Aid represented the largest single expenditure in the Proposed Budget. The Governors proposal appropriated $17.8 billion or nearly half of the Proposed Budget for State Aid. The Proposed Budget also requested $12 billion for Grants-in-Aid, $3.8 billion to fund State government operations, $3.4 billion for State employee benefits, rent and utilities, and $2.9 billion for debt service.
In April 2020, the New Jersey Treasury reported that total tax collections fell $3.5 billion below April 2019 figures, which represents a decrease of 59.7%. Corporate and individual income tax had the largest declines, from 60% to 90%, due to delays in payment, as temporarily allowed by law.
On May 22, 2020, the Governor of New Jersey released an update to the State budget for FY2021 to account for an estimated $10 billion in lost revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To mitigate these losses, the State plans to de-appropriate $1.321 billion and modify other appropriations as necessary. In the coming months, the State expects to receive over $4 billion in federal aid, including $2.393 billion from the Coronavirus Relief Fund and $750 million from the FEMA Disaster Act Fund. The full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain uncertain.
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Retirement Systems. As evidenced by substantial governmental outlays in recent years, underfunded pension plans continue to add spending pressure to the States budget. Almost all of the public employees of the State and its counties, municipalities and political subdivisions are members of pension plans administered by the State. The State operates seven defined benefit pension plans, the largest of which are the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and the Teachers Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF). As of July 1, 2017, the total net pension liability for each of PERS and TPAF was $48.9 billion and $67.7 billion, respectively. As a result, as of July 1, 2017, the ratio of fiduciary net position to total pension liability for each of PERS and TPAF was 36.8% and 25.4%, respectively. Because the State may be responsible for paying portions of the difference between the benefits paid and the contributions received by the systems, these unfunded liabilities may present a significant risk to the States fiscal condition. Should the State be required to make any additional contributions to these systems, the State would likely have to reduce funding for other priorities, which may include payments on its outstanding debt obligations. Alternatively, the State may be forced to raise revenue or issue additional debt. Either outcome could increase the pressure on the States budget, which could have an adverse impact on a funds investments in New Jersey.
Debt. New Jersey has a substantial amount of long-term debt outstanding. The States long-term debt is divided into non-bonded obligations and bonded obligations. Non-bonded obligations represent long-term obligations of the State, but have not been financed with bonds or other publicly traded financial securities. Bonded obligations of the State include general obligation bonds for which the full faith and credit of the State is pledged. Bonded obligations also include bonds issued by State Authorities for which the State has agreed to make payments in amounts sufficient to cover the debt service on the Authoritys bonds. These payments are subject to annual appropriation by the State Legislature. Although the State Legislature has no legal obligation to enact such appropriations, it has done so for all such obligations to date. As of June 30, 2018, the total amount of general obligation debt outstanding was $1.55 billion. The total FY2020 appropriation for debt service on general obligation bonds is $343 million.
To provide effective cash flow management, the State may issue tax and revenue anticipation notes (TRANs). TRANs do not constitute a general obligation of the State or a debt or liability within the meaning of the State Constitution. Rather, TRANS are special obligations of the State payable solely from monies on deposit in the General Fund and the Property Tax Relief Fund and legally available for such payment. On July 31, 2019 the State Treasurer entered into Note Purchase Contracts in connection with the planned issuance of TRANs in an aggregate amount up to $2 billion during the first half of FY2020.
Litigation. The State, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which, if decided against the State, might require the State to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the State to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a funds investments.
Credit rating. As of June 11, 2020, New Jerseys general obligation bonds were rated A3 by Moodys, A- by S&P and A- by Fitch, each with a negative outlook. These ratings reflect only the views of the respective rating agency, an explanation of which may be obtained from each such rating agency. There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time or that they will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating agency if, in the judgment of such rating agency, circumstances so warrant. A downward revision or withdrawal of any such rating may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the securities issued by the State, its municipalities, and their political subdivisions, instrumentalities, and authorities.
In addition, a reduction in the credit ratings on New Jerseys general obligation bonds could weaken the demand for securities issued by the State, its agencies or instrumentalities, which may reduce the opportunities for those issuers to obtain financing.
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New York
Introduction. Although the economy of the State of New York (State) is diverse, the State is heavily dependent on the financial activities sector, which accounts for a significant portion of the States employment and wages. In addition, the State has large concentrations in the education and health services sector; the trade, transportation and utilities sector; professional and business services sector; and the government sector. As these sectors represent the largest share of employment in the State, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sectors may have a negative effect on the value of the States municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.
From year-to-year, the State may experience a number of political, social and economic circumstances that influence the States economic and fiscal condition. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: (i) rising debt levels; (ii) revenue volatility; (iii) developments with respect to the U.S. and world economies; and (iv) U.S. federal economic and fiscal policies, including the amount of federal aid provided to the State and its municipalities.
Furthermore, there can be no assurances that the State will not continue to face fiscal stress or that such circumstances will not become more difficult in the future. There can also be no guarantee that current or future economic conditions or federal actions will not have a materially adverse impact on the States fiscal position. Any deterioration in the States financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by the State, which could reduce the performance of a fund.
Current Economic Climate. New Yorks civilian labor force consists of approximately 9.5 million individuals. As of February 2020, New York had an unemployment rate of approximately 3.7%, which was down from 4% one year prior, and above the national average of 3.5% during February 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Yorks unemployment rate spiked to 14.5% in April 2020.
From April 2019 to April 2020, the number of nonfarm jobs (private plus public sectors) in New York decreased by 1,895,100, or 19.4%, and the number of private sector jobs decreased by 1,834,800, or 22.1%. During this period, the leisure and hospitality, educational and health services, and professional and business services sectors suffered job losses of 638,000, 227,200, and 190,500, respectively. The Division of the Budget of the State of New York (DOB) expects private sector employment to shed jobs starting from the first quarter of 2020 through the first quarter of 2021 on a year-over-year basis. Private sector employment is estimated to decline 7.5% in 2020 and recover in 2021 to a growth rate of 3.1%.
The States updated economic outlook for FY 2021 is bleak. Most key measures of economic output are expected to drop sharply in comparison to FY 2020. DOB forecasts that nonfarm employment will fall by 7%; total wages will fall by 7.2%, and personal income and wages (excluding bonuses) will fall by 2.2%. Financial and insurance sector bonuses, an important source of personal income tax collections, are expected to drop by 50%. The States unemployment rate is expected to average 11.4%, a level higher than any recorded.
New York City is the nations leading center for banking and finance and, as a result, this is a far more important sector for the State than for the nation as a whole. Although this sector accounts for less than one-tenth of all nonagricultural jobs in the State, it contributes about one-fifth of total wages.
New Yorks economy is subject to many of the same risks facing the national economy, such as reduced demand for goods and services due to slowing economies abroad, particularly in Europe and Asia, the effects of the Federal Reserves interest rate policies, and the continued volatility in energy markets. This international weakness may cause a continued increase in the value of the dollar, which may slow exports and overseas business and thus negatively impact the State. Furthermore, the States economy remains heavily dependent on the U.S. economy and transfers from the federal government. As a result, any downturn in the national economy would likely have a negative impact on the States economy and fiscal position. Similarly, because of New Yorks status as a global financial center, national events that affect financial markets, such as the gradual implementation of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the COVID-19 pandemic, may have a disproportionate impact on the States economy. Because many New York issuers continue to face fiscal pressure, any deterioration in current fiscal or economic conditions would likely have an adverse impact on the ability of such issuers to satisfy the payment obligations on their outstanding debt.
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Budget. The Governor proposed the FY 2021 Executive Budget Financial Plan (Executive Budget) on January 21, 2020, and amendments on February 14, 2020. The Executive Budget reflected a proposed $105.8 billion in State Operating Funds spending for FY 2021, an annual increase of $1.9 billion or 1.9%.
However, the COVID-19 pandemics impact on New Yorks economic activity has rendered the Executive Budgets estimates obsolete, and on April 2, 2020, the Governor adopted the Enacted Budget Financial Plan (Enacted Budget). In the Enacted Budget, the State has reduced the FY 2021 estimate for General Fund receipts by $13.3 billion. Disbursements, including transfers to other funds, are estimated at $73.2 billion or 5.6% below FY 2020 levels. Furthermore, the General Fund closing balance is estimated to be $6.7 billion, a decrease of $2.2 billion from FY 2020.
Steep reductions have also been made to estimates for General Fund tax receipts, lottery and gaming revenues that support School Aid, and tax receipts to the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund. The dramatic decline in General Fund receipts is forecasted to carry through each subsequent year of the Enacted Budget, for a total loss of $60.5 billion through FY 2024.
The Enacted Budget assumes that the Federal government will fully fund the States direct costs resulting from its pandemic response. Aid is expected through FEMA disaster assistance grants and aid, as well as the Coronavirus Relief Fund. As of April 24, 2020, the United States Treasury has deposited $5.1 billion, the States share of the Coronavirus Relief Fund, into the State Treasury. The State intends to charge eligible costs to the Coronavirus Relief Fund during the fiscal year. The funds deposited in the State Treasury will provide budgetary liquidity to the State until they are used to fund or reimburse pandemic-eligible expenditures.
The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on New Yorks economy remain uncertain.
Storms in recent years, including Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee, have demonstrated vulnerabilities in the States infrastructure (including mass transit systems, power transmission and distribution systems, and other critical lifelines) to extreme weather events including coastal flooding caused by storm surges. The State continues to recover from the damage sustained during three powerful storms that crippled entire regions. In August 2011, Hurricane Irene disrupted power and caused extensive flooding in various State counties. In September 2011, Tropical Storm Lee caused flooding in additional State counties and, in some cases, exacerbated the damage caused by Hurricane Irene two weeks earlier. On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy struck the East Coast, causing widespread infrastructure damage and economic losses to the greater New York region. The frequency and intensity of these storms present economic and financial risks to the State. Reimbursement claims for costs of the immediate response, recovery, and future mitigation efforts continue, largely supported by Federal Funds. In January 2013, the Federal government approved approximately $60 billion in Federal disaster aid for general recovery, rebuilding, and mitigation activity nationwide. It is anticipated that the State, its localities, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority may receive approximately one-half of this amount for response, recovery, and mitigation costs. To date, a total of $17 billion has been committed to repairing impacted homes and businesses, restoring community services, and mitigating future storm risks across the State. There can be no assurance that all anticipated Federal disaster aid described above will be provided to the State and its affected entities over the coming years.
Local Governments. With a population of over 8.6 million, New York City (the City) is the economic engine that drives growth in the region. As a result, the fiscal condition of the State is closely tied to the fiscal condition of the City. Currently, the City is facing certain fiscal challenges, such as large structural budget deficits, relatively high unemployment, slow wage growth, and significant underfunding of the Citys retirement systems and other post-employment benefits, which may impact the Citys fiscal condition. In addition, the City has a significant amount of public debt outstanding. As of June 30, 2019, New York Citys outstanding general obligation debt totaled $37.52 billion, while the Citys primary government debt totaled $95.5 billion. Because the City relies on State aid to balance its budget and meet its cash requirements, any increased pressure on the Citys finances could increase pressure on State finances.
Moreover, certain localities outside New York City have experienced financial problems and have requested and received additional State assistance during the last several years. While a relatively infrequent practice, deficit financing by local governments has become more common in recent years. Additionally, the State has periodically enacted legislation to create oversight boards in order to address deteriorating fiscal conditions within a locality.
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Like the State, local governments must respond to changing political, economic and financial conditions over which they have little or no control, but which can adversely affect their financial position. For example, the State or Federal government may reduce (or, in some cases, eliminate) funding of local programs, thus requiring local governments to pay these expenditures using their own resources. Similarly, past cash flow problems for the State have resulted in delays in State aid payments to localities. In some cases, these delays have necessitated short-term borrowing at the local level. A reduction in State aid or federal funding, as well as constraints on revenue generation, may cause localities to suffer serious financial difficulties that could jeopardize their access to the public credit markets and potentially affect the marketability of their securities. As a result, these economic and fiscal conditions could cause a locality to file for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the future.
Debt. State law restricts the issuance of State-supported debt to capital purposes only and limits such debt to a maximum term of 30 years. State law also limits the amount of new State-supported debt to 4% of State personal income and new State-supported debt service costs to 5% of all State funds receipts. Once these caps are met, the State is prohibited from issuing any new State supported debt until such time as the States debt is found to be within the applicable limits. As of March 31, 2020, the State had $2.13 billion in general obligation bonds outstanding. It is estimated that this figure will rise to $2.8 billion over FY 2021. The total amount of general obligation bonds authorized but not issued at March 31, 2020 was $2.454 billion. As of March 31, 2020, the State had $54.975 billion in bonds, notes, and other financing agreements outstanding compared to $59.6 billion in 2019, which represents a decrease of $4.625 billion.
As part of its cash management program, the General Fund is authorized to borrow resources temporarily from other available funds in the States short-term investment pool (STIP) for up to four months, or until the end of the fiscal year, whichever period is shorter. The amount of resources that can be borrowed by the General Fund is limited to the available balances in STIP. The State is expected to have sufficient liquidity to make payments as they become due for the remainder of FY2020. The State continues to reserve money on a quarterly basis for debt service payments that are financed with General Fund resources.
Pension and Other Benefits. The New York State and Local Retirement System (the System) provides pension benefits to public employees of the State and its local governments, with the exception of employees of New York City. The System consists primarily of the State and Local Employees Retirement System (ERS) and the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS). The Net Pension Liability (NPL) for ERS was $7.09 billion for the measurement period ended March 31, 2019, as compared to $3.23 billion for the measurement period ended March 31, 2018. The fiduciary net position, restricted for pension benefits as of March 31, 2019, was $182.72 billion, which represents 96.27% of the calculated total pension liability for ERS. The NPL for PFRS was $1.68 billion for the measurement period ended March 31, 2019, as compared to $1.01 billion for the measurement period ended March 31, 2018. The fiduciary net position, restricted for pension benefits as of March 31, 2019, was $32.45 billion, which represents 95.09% of the calculated total pension liability for PFRS.
In addition to pension benefits, the State also provides certain other post-employment benefits (OPEB), such as health care, for eligible retired employees of the State. Because the State currently funds its OPEB costs on a pay-as-you-go basis, the State has amassed large unfunded actuarial liabilities with respect to its OPEB obligations. The State recognized a total OPEB liability of $50.9 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019.
Because the State may ultimately be responsible for paying the difference between the benefits paid and the contributions received by the System or for unfunded amounts related to OPEB, any unfunded liabilities pose a significant risk to the States fiscal condition. In addition, with more money diverted to pension contributions, the State may have less resources available to meet its debt obligations (including related to debt held by the Fund), which could impact the credit rating and marketability of its municipal bonds.
Litigation. The State, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for
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substantial amounts, which if decided against the State might require the State to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the State to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a funds investments.
Credit Rating. As of June 11, 2020, New Yorks general obligation debt was assigned a rating of Aa1 by Moodys and AA+ by both S&P and Fitch. These ratings reflect only the views of the respective rating agency, an explanation of which may be obtained from each such rating agency. There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time or that they will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating agency if, in the judgment of such rating agency, circumstances so warrant. A downward revision or withdrawal of any such rating may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the securities issued by the State, its municipalities, and their political subdivisions, instrumentalities, and authorities.
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Introduction. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (the Commonwealth) is in the midst of a profound fiscal, economic and liquidity crisis, the culmination of many years of significant governmental deficits, a prolonged economic recession (which commenced in 2006), high unemployment, population decline, and high levels of debt and pension obligations. Further stressing the Commonwealths liquidity are large healthcare, pension and debt service costs. As the Commonwealths tax base has shrunk and its revenues affected by prevailing economic conditions, healthcare, pension, and debt service costs have become an increasing portion of the General Fund budget, which has resulted in reduced funding available for other essential services. The Commonwealths very high level of debt and unfunded pension liabilities and the resulting required allocation of revenue to service debt and pension obligations have contributed to significant budget deficits during the past several years, which deficits the Commonwealth has financed, further increasing the amount of its debt. Certain issuers of Puerto Rico municipal securities have failed to make payments on obligations that have come due, and additional missed payments and defaults may be likely to occur in the future. These financial challenges have been compounded by the two hurricanes that impacted the Commonwealth in 2017, which caused more than $80 billion dollars in damage.
On June 30, 2016, the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) was signed into law by President Obama. PROMESA established a federally-appointed oversight board (the Oversight Board) to oversee the Commonwealths financial operations and allows the Commonwealth and its instrumentalities, with approval of the Oversight Board, to file cases to restructure debt and other obligations in a Title III proceeding. U.S. territories do not have the ability to file for bankruptcy under the federal Bankruptcy Code. Title III incorporates many provisions of the federal Bankruptcy Code, and incorporates legal mechanisms for a litigation stay and restructuring of pension and debt obligations, among other provisions. Title III petitions were filed for, among others, the Commonwealth, the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation, and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, three of the largest issuers of Commonwealth debt. It is possible that petitions under Title III or other provisions of PROMESA, including Title VI, for additional Commonwealth instrumentalities will be filed in the future. These restructuring proceedings create uncertainty as to the treatment of claims of varying degrees of seniority in the levels and priorities of payment from the affected entities.
Puerto Ricos economy has major components in Trade, Transportation and Utilities, Professional and Business Services, and Education and Health Services. In addition, government agencies at the local and federal levels employ a significant number of the Commonwealths residents. Based on March 2020 data, these sectors employed 59% of the Commonwealths workers. Because these sectors represent the largest share of employment in the Commonwealth, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sectors may have a negative effect on the value of the Commonwealths municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.
There can be no assurances that the Commonwealth will not continue to face severe fiscal stress or that such circumstances will not become even more difficult in the future. Furthermore, there can be no guarantee that future developments will not have a materially adverse impact on the Commonwealths finances. Any deterioration in the Commonwealths financial condition may have a negative effect on the payment of principal and interest, the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by the Commonwealth, which could reduce the performance of a fund.
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Current Economic Climate. Data show that residents of Puerto Rico received $85.01 billion in estimated personal income in FY2018. As a result, residents of Puerto Rico had an estimated per capita income of $26,610, far below the national average of $63,690 during the same period.
Puerto Ricos civilian labor force consists of approximately 1.05 million individuals. As of February 2020, Puerto Rico had an unemployment rate of approximately 8.8%, which was up from 8.7% in February 2019, and is, significantly higher than the national average of 3.5% during February 2020. Puerto Ricos high unemployment continues a trend of high unemployment rates and a shrinking workforce in the Commonwealth.
On May 1, 2018, the Commonwealth filed a notice with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Boards Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) that the Commonwealth would not file its audited financial statements for FY2017, as required by its continuing disclosure undertakings. On May 1, 2019, the Commonwealth filed a notice with EMMA that the Commonwealth would not file its audited financial statements for FY2018, as required by its continuing disclosure undertakings. On April 30, 2020, the Commonwealth once more filed a notice with EMMA certifying that it would not file its audited financial statements for FY2019, continuing this trend. The Commonwealth has not provided an estimate of when it will be able to complete and file those audited financial statements.
On May 6, 2019, the Commonwealth filed its audited financial statements with EMMA for FY2016. The total aggregate amount of assets plus deferred outflows of resources and total liabilities plus deferred inflows of resources of the primary government as of June 30, 2016 amounted to approximately $19 billion and $89.3 billion, respectively, for a net deficit of approximately $70.3 billion, compared to a net deficit of approximately $67.8 billion as of June 30, 2015 (restated). As was also noted in the 2014 and 2015 audited financial statements, the 2016 audited financial statements noted that there is substantial doubt as to the ability of the primary government and of various component units to continue as a going concern.
Puerto Ricos economy is closely linked to the economy of the United States, as most of the external factors that affect the Commonwealths economy (other than oil prices) are determined by the policies and performance of the mainland economy. In recent years, however, the performance of Puerto Ricos economy has significantly diverged from the performance of the United States economy. Puerto Ricos economy entered into a recession in the fourth quarter of FY2006, two years before the rest of the United States, and has continued to face substantial economic challenges. In May 2018, the Oversight Board projected that the Commonwealths real gross national product declined by 13.3% on a year-over-year basis, due, in part, to adverse effects from hurricanes that impacted the Commonwealth in 2017 (as discussed below). In addition, in December 2017, Congress enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which subjects companies located in the Commonwealth to a tax on income generated from certain intellectual property. Previously, companies located in the Commonwealth had been exempt from paying federal income taxes on such income. It is not presently possible to predict the extent of the impact that the tax will have on the Commonwealths economy. In May 2020, the Oversight Board noted that since the 2008 recession the Commonwealths economy has continued to worsen Puerto Rico has seen its gross national product shrink by 20%, labor participation fallen to a record low of 39%, and the Islands population fallen by 15%.
Fiscal Plan and Budget. The Commonwealth has faced a number of significant fiscal challenges, including a structural imbalance between its General Fund revenues and expenditures. Such challenges contributed to the passage of PROMESA, which established the Oversight Board and empowered it to approve Puerto Ricos fiscal plans and budgets. The Oversight Board is comprised of seven members appointed by the President who are nominated by a bipartisan selection process. The budget process requires the Oversight Board, the Governor, and the Commonwealths Legislative Assembly to develop a budget that complies with the fiscal plan developed by the Oversight Board and the Governor.
In June 2017, the Oversight Board issued a notice of non-compliance in connection with the appropriations bill submitted by the Governor and Legislative Assembly for FY2018. The Governor and the Legislative Assembly were unable to take the necessary corrective actions that the Oversight Board outlined in its notice of non-compliance by the applicable deadline. Accordingly, the Oversight Board
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unanimously adopted a resolution approving the certification of a revised, compliant budget for the Commonwealth for FY2018 (FY2018 Budget). The FY2018 Budget provided for General Fund revenues of approximately $9.6 billion against $9.6 billion in General Fund appropriations. For FY2019, the Commonwealth reported $11.28 billion in General Fund revenues, an increase of 34.5% from the Oversight Boards original projection. However, for FY2020, the Commonwealth expects General Fund revenues to decrease 13% from FY2019 levels.
Following the natural disasters described below and the resulting impact on the Commonwealths infrastructure and economy, the Oversight Board requested the Commonwealth (and certain of its instrumentalities) to submit new fiscal plans that took into account the impact of the natural disasters. The Oversight Board certified a revised fiscal plan (Revised Fiscal Plan) for the Commonwealth in May 2018. The Revised Fiscal Plan provided for approximately $8.5 billion in General Fund revenue against $8.6 billion in General Fund appropriations. The Governor and Legislative Assembly submitted a proposed budget to the Oversight Board on June 1, 2018, and the Oversight Board unanimously determined on June 5, 2018 that the proposed budget was non-compliant with the Revised Fiscal Plan.
On June 29, 2018, the Oversight Board informed the Commonwealth of its intention to certify a revised version of the Fiscal Plan. Following disagreements with the Governor and Legislative Assembly, the Oversight Board approved its own version of the fiscal year 2019 budget, which was supposed to take effect on July 1, 2018 and provides for $8.8 billion in General Fund allocations. The Governor and Legislative Assembly had also passed their own version of the fiscal year 2019 budget, and the Governor and Legislative Assembly filed separate suits to enjoin the Oversight Boards fiscal year 2019 budget from taking effect. In August 2018, the U.S. district court ruled in favor of the Oversight Board, holding that PROMESA empowered the Oversight Board to make fiscal policy choices to which the Commonwealth must adhere, but that the Oversight Board itself was not empowered to enact laws on behalf of the Commonwealth. After negotiations with the Governor on a revised Fiscal Plan for FY2019 did not lead to an agreement, on October 23, 2018, the Oversight Board certified its own revised Fiscal Plan for FY2019. The Governor has stated that he disagrees with certain provisions and has indicated that the Commonwealth may not comply with these provisions.
On May 11, 2019, the Oversight Board notified the Commonwealth, that the proposed Commonwealth of Puerto Rico budget for FY2020, submitted to the Oversight Board on March 28, 2019, was not compliant with the revised version of the 2019 Fiscal Plan for Puerto Rico as certified by the Oversight Board on May 9, 2019.
Investors should be aware that Puerto Rico relies heavily on transfers from the federal government related to specific programs and activities in the Commonwealth. These transfers include, among others, entitlements for previously performed services, or those resulting from contributions to programs such as Social Security, Veterans Benefits, Medicare and U.S. Civil Service retirement pensions, as well as grants such as Nutritional Assistance Program grants and Pell Grant scholarships for higher education. There is considerable uncertainty about which federal policy changes may be enacted in the coming years and the economic impact of those changes. Due to the Commonwealths dependence on federal transfers, any actions that reduce or alter these transfers may cause increased fiscal stress in Puerto Rico, which may have a negative effect on the value of the Commonwealths municipal securities.
Retirement Systems. The Commonwealths retirement systems include the Employees Retirement System (ERS), the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) and the Judiciary Retirement System (JRS and together with the ERS and TRS, the Pension Systems). The Pension Systems are severely underfunded and are projected to deplete their assets in the near future. As of July 1, 2016, the total actuarial liabilities for the ERS, the TRS and the JRS were approximately $38.0 billion, $18.0 billion and $700 million, respectively. The total annual benefits due from the ERS, TRS and JRS for FY2018 totaled approximately $1.7 billion, $800,000, and $28 million, respectively. In 2017, the Legislative Assembly enacted laws to reform the operation and funding of the Pension Systems. Those laws required the ERS to sell its assets and transfer the proceeds to the General Fund. In addition, employer contributions to the Pension Systems, which had been operating on a pay-as-you-go basis, were eliminated, and the General Fund assumed any payments that the Pension Systems could not make. As was noted in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 audited financial statements, substantial doubt exists about each of the retirement systems ability to continue as a going concern.
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The Oversight Board reported in its 2020 plan that, in an attempt to avoid future pension liabilities, the benefit accruals of the TRS and JRS must be frozen by July 1, 2021. Along with freezes to other pension programs, the Oversight Board expects to see up to $300 million in yearly benefits by 2041, which may play a significant role in restoring long-term funding.
The Commonwealth may have to make additional contributions to the Pension Systems, which could result in reduced funding for other priorities, including payments on its outstanding debt obligations. Alternatively, the Commonwealth may be forced to raise revenue or issue additional debt. Either outcome could increase the pressure on the Commonwealths budget, which could have an adverse impact on a funds investments in Puerto Rico.
Debt. Certain of the Commonwealths component units defaulted on debt service payments during fiscal year 2016. As a result, the Governor issued several executive orders declaring emergency periods and suspending certain transfers and payments with respect to the Commonwealth and several of its component units. It is expected that the Commonwealth and its component units will need to seek further relief under existing or potential future laws regarding receivership, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and/or similar laws affecting creditors rights, to the extent available.
On July 1, 2016, the Commonwealth and various additional component units were unable to comply with their scheduled debt service obligations, and defaulted on $911 million of their scheduled debt obligations, including $779 million in general obligation debt service. Since 2016, the Commonwealth has continued to default on debt service payments for multiple bonds, including general obligation bonds and those issued by various component units, including PREPA, the Puerto Rico Public Finance Corporation, and the Puerto Rico Public Building Authority, among others. The Oversight Board reported in the Revised Fiscal Plan that, as of May 30, 2018, the Commonwealths consolidated outstanding debt and pension liabilities have grown to over $120 billion, with more than $70 billion in financial debt and more than $50 billion in pension liabilities. The Revised Fiscal Plan provided for debt service payments of approximately $2.4 billion for FY2019. However, on July 2, 2018, the Commonwealth failed to make a scheduled debt payment of approximately $516 million.
In 2017, the Oversight Board filed petitions pursuant to Title III of PROMESA in federal court on behalf the Commonwealth and certain of its instrumentalities, including the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation (COFINA), ERS, the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority, and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Utility (PREPA), to begin proceedings to restructure their outstanding debt. As a result of these petitions, the ability of the creditors of the Commonwealth and its instrumentalities that have filed for Title III to take action with respect to outstanding obligations has been temporarily stayed. The judge assigned to oversee the Title III proceedings initiated a confidential mediation process administered by five federal judges. In addition, the judge has concurrently overseen legal proceedings related to the Title III petitions and mediation, including litigation related to a proposed loan from the Commonwealth to PREPA and whether COFINA bonds were validly issued under the Commonwealths constitution.
With respect to the ongoing litigation between the Commonwealth and COFINA, agents for the Commonwealth and COFINA reached an agreement in principle on June 7, 2018, to share sales and use tax revenue and the Pledged Sales Tax Base Amount. The Oversight Board and the COFINA bondholders reached an agreement in August 2018 to restructure the COFINA bonds into a new issuance of bonds. Under the agreement, the senior and junior COFINA bondholders would be entitled to recover specified percentages of the value of their original investments. This agreement is subject to approval by the judge overseeing COFINAs Title III proceedings. On October 19, 2018, the Oversight Board filed a proposed Plan of Adjustment for COFINA (which is based both on the settlement between COFINA and the Commonwealth regarding ownership of the sales tax and the agreement with the COFINA bondholders) and a proposed Disclosure Statement to be utilized in connection with solicitations to approve the Plan of Adjustment. The judge overseeing the Title III proceedings approved the Disclosure Statement and the COFINA Plan of Adjustment on November 20, 2018 and February 14, 2019, respectively. It is not presently possible to predict whether the restructuring will achieve its intended effect of providing relief to the Commonwealth from its debt burden. With respect to PREPAs Title III proceeding, a preliminary agreement has been reached between the PREPA bondholders, on one side and PREPA, the Oversight Board, and Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, on the other side, to restructure the outstanding PREPA bonds. As of the date of this SAI, negotiations between the parties to restructure the PREPA bonds are still
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ongoing. On January 7, 2020, the judge overseeing the Title III proceedings rejected a bondholders motion that they be appointed as a trustee for ERS. The bondholders appealed the judges decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. On January 30, 2020 the First Circuit affirmed the ruling of the lower court.
As of the date of this SAI, the mediation process and certain related litigation are ongoing. The mediation process was interrupted for a period in late 2017 as a result of damage caused by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, and any future developments that further delay the resolution of the Commonwealths and its instrumentalities debt obligations could adversely affect Fund performance. It is not presently possible to predict the results of the petition, mediation, or any related litigation, but such outcomes will have a significant impact on bondholders. If the Commonwealth or its instrumentalities are unable to obtain favorable results, including with respect to restructuring their debt, there would be negative impacts on Fund performance.
In a legal action commenced in July 2018, a creditor of the Commonwealth challenged the Title III petition filed by the Oversight Board on behalf of the Commonwealth. The creditor argued that the organization of the Oversight Board under PROMESA violated the United States constitution, and therefore, the Oversight Board did not have the power to file the Title III petition on the Commonwealths behalf. The judge overseeing the Commonwealths Title III proceedings determined that there was no constitutional issue with the Oversight Boards organization, and the Title III petition was able go forward. The creditor appealed the judges decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which heard arguments in January 2019. The First Circuit held that Board members are Officers of the United States for purposes of the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution because they exercise significant authority pursuant to the laws of the United States and invalidated the provisions of PROMESA allowing the appointment of Board Members in a manner other than by presidential nomination followed by the Senates confirmation, and severed the remainder of the statute. The First Circuit declined to dismiss all of the Title III petitions, invoking the de facto officer doctrine to uphold the actions the Oversight Board had taken in good faith under the color of official title and cited the risk of significant harm to those who had relied on the Oversight Boards actions. The Oversight Board filed a petition for a writ of certiorari from the United States Supreme Court which was granted on June 20, 2019. Oral arguments were heard by the Supreme Court on October 15, 2019. On June 1, 2020, the Supreme Court came to a unanimous decision in favor of the Oversight Board. The Supreme Court held that the organization and appointment of the Oversight Board was not unconstitutional and therefore valid. The case has been remanded for further proceedings.
Natural Disasters. In September 2017, two successive hurricanes Irma and Maria caused severe damage to Puerto Rico. Hurricane Irma passed to the north of the Commonwealth, but Hurricane Maria made direct landfall, and the damage caused by both storms is extensive. The Commonwealths infrastructure was severely damaged by high winds and substantial flooding, and much of the Commonwealth was left without power. Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma caused more than 1 million people to lose power throughout the Commonwealth, and it has been reported that as of July 2018, power had not been completely restored. Current estimates suggest that Hurricane Maria caused approximately $80 billion in damage and is projected to cause a real decline in gross national product of 13.3% in 2018. In February 2018, Congress appropriated $89.3 billion for disaster recovery efforts for areas affected by hurricanes in 2017. Approximately $11 billion of these funds were made available to the Commonwealth and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and $2 billion was designated to help repair and reconstruct the electricity systems of the islands. In addition, while the Commonwealths population has trended downward every year since 2013, the trend was accelerated after the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria displaced residents.
The damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria is expected to have substantially adverse effects on the Commonwealths economy. In addition to diverting funds to relief and recovery efforts, the Commonwealth is expected to lose revenue as a result of decreased tourism and general business operations. There can be no assurances that the Commonwealth will receive the necessary aid to rebuild from the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and it is not currently possible to predict the long-term impact that Hurricanes Irma and Maria will have on the Commonwealths economy. All these developments have a material adverse effect on the Commonwealths finances and negatively impact the payment of principal and interest, the marketability, liquidity and value of securities issued by the Commonwealth that are held by the Fund.
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On December 28, 2019 a magnitude 4.7 earthquake shook the Commonwealth. In the weeks following, the Commonwealth has been hit by more than 500 additional earthquakes registering 2.0 or higher, including a 6.4 magnitude quake on January 7, 2020. The earthquakes have disrupted power, killed at least one person, damaged more than 500 buildings and caused at least $110 million in damage. On May 2, 2020, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck the southern coast of the Commonwealth, briefly knocking out power and forcing the relocation of at least 50 families on the island. It is not possible to predict when the seismic activity will return to normal levels or what the impact will be on the economy of the Commonwealth.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the Commonwealths economy. The Oversight Board estimates damages of $6.6 billion over the next two years resulting from economic shrinkage of 11% in both FY2020 and FY2021. The Oversight Board also estimates that the Commonwealth will receive a total of 350,000 unemployment claims (including claims from self-employed residents) related to the pandemic.
The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are currently unpredictable. The long-term behavioral changes associated with the pandemic (i.e., reduced travel, increased work from home, reduced activity in large gathering places, etc.) are also unknown.
Litigation. In addition to the litigation described above, the Commonwealth, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against the Commonwealth might require the Commonwealth to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the Commonwealth to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a funds investments.
Credit Rating. In 2014, Puerto Ricos general obligation bonds were downgraded to non-investment grade or junk status by Moodys, S&P and Fitch. Following multiple further downgrades, as of June 11, 2020, Puerto Ricos general obligation debt was assigned a credit rating of Ca by Moodys and D by Fitch. In 2018, S&P discontinued its ratings of Puerto Ricos general obligation debt. These ratings reflect only the views of the respective rating agency, an explanation of which may be obtained from each such rating agency. There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time or that they will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating agency if, in the judgment of such rating agency, circumstances so warrant. A downward revision or withdrawal of any such rating may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the securities issued by the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions, instrumentalities, and authorities.
As stated in the prospectus, below-investment-grade securities may be subject to greater price fluctuations than investment-grade securities, increased credit risk and a greater risk that the issuer might not be able to pay interest and principal when due, especially during times of weakening economic conditions or rising interest rates. The reduction in the credit rating on Puerto Ricos general obligation bonds could severely weaken the demand for securities issued by Puerto Rico, its agencies or instrumentalities, which may prevent those issuers from obtaining the financing they need.
Guam
Introduction. Guams economy is heavily dependent upon revenues from tourism and U.S. federal and military spending. As a result, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sources of revenue may have a negative effect on the value of Guams municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.
Guam faces significant fiscal challenges including a high unemployment rate, uncertainty in the tourism industry and a reliance on a foreign workforce affecting key industry segments. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the United States remains uncertain, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic downturn in the United States or countries such as Japan, China, or Korea, which provide large sources of tourism to the island, could significantly impact the finances of Guam and, therefore, its municipal securities. Moreover, the level of public debt in Guam may affect long-term growth prospects and could cause Guam to experience financial hardship. As a result of these and other factors, Guam has faced fiscal stress in recent years.
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From year-to-year, Guam may experience a number of political, social, economic and environmental circumstances that influence Guams economic and fiscal condition. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: (i) persistent structural imbalances; (ii) rising debt levels; (iii) significant pension underfunding; (iv) revenue volatility; (v) developments with respect to the U.S. and world economies; (vi) environmental considerations, natural disasters and widespread diseases, including pandemics and epidemics; and (vii) U.S. federal economic and fiscal policies, including the amount of federal aid provided to Guam. There can be no guarantee that future developments, including events affecting Guams economic and fiscal condition, will not have a materially adverse impact on Guams finances. Any deterioration in Guams financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by Guam, which could reduce the performance of a fund.
Current Economic Climate. As of May 2019, Guams civilian labor force consisted of approximately 63,630 individuals, a decline from the March 2018 estimate of 64,790 individuals. This figure includes citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Marshall Islands, who are authorized by compact to accept employment in the United States and also, citizens of the Republic of Palau who are authorized by covenant to accept employment in the United States. As of April 2019, Guam had an unemployment rate of approximately 4.6%, which was up from 4.4% in March 2018. Guams unemployment rate was above the national average of 3.6% in April 2019. Approximately 76% of Guams workforce is employed in the private sector, with the remainder employed by the federal and local government. Based upon preliminary reports for FY2018, Guams private and public sector jobs declined over the year.
According to the United States Department of Commerce (the Department), Guams real per capita GDP was $5.90 billion in 2017, which represented an increase of 0.6% over 2016. For comparison, real GDP for the United States during the same period was $78.0 billion. The increase in Guams real GDP in 2016 resulted primarily from an increase in private sector growth, including services and hospitality. This growth was offset by decreases in federal funds and decreases in spending on construction and equipment. Guams real per capita GDP decreased 0.3% in 2018, due to government investments and spending, although tourism income remained strong.
Tourism has represented the primary source of income for Guams economy for over twenty-five years. Historically, Japanese tourists accounted for the largest share of visitors to Guam. Accordingly, Guams economy may be affected by economic conditions in Japan that reduce visits to the island, including a weak yen and an increase in consumption tax. Although Japanese tourists still account for a significant portion of all visitors to Guam, the total share of Japanese visitors has declined in recent years as the U.S. has implemented visa waiver programs for more countries. As a result, Guam has attracted new visitors from South Korea, China and the Philippines. In 2018 almost 50% of tourists were from South Korea. Increased visits from tourists representing a more diverse pool of countries may reduce the impact of events, such as natural disasters, increased taxes, or weakening of the local currency, that may prevent Japanese tourists from visiting Guam. However, Guam remains susceptible to risks which affect the tourism industry as a whole, including widespread diseases such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States military presence on Guam also contributes significantly to the islands economy. Its strategic location close to Asia has increased its importance in the overall military strategy of the United States, but also has exposed Guam to certain geopolitical risks, including threats of military confrontation. In the years following 2010, Guam began to experience a decrease in U.S. military personnel as the plan to relocate certain forces from Japan to Guam was delayed. However, in 2016, the United States appropriated $253.9 million for military construction that would help facilitate the delayed relocation. Although the timing and size of the relocation is still uncertain, an increased military presence on the island may be beneficial to Guams economy. In addition, the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into Law in December 2017, which authorized $355 million in new construction projects. There can be no guarantee that the relocation will occur or to what extent Guams local economy will benefit from any relocation.
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In fiscal year 2018 the Department of Defense reported a total of 102 contracts, grants, agreements, or other funding mechanisms, totaling $2.2 billion to support military construction on Guam.
Budget. On February 4, 2020 the Governor of Guam submitted the Executive Budget Proposal Request for FY2021 (Proposed Budget). The Proposed Budget projects $664.8 million in total General Fund revenues available for appropriation (composed of $678.4 million in total General Fund revenues less the $13.6 million for the Rainy Day Fund).
Debt. Guam is prohibited from authorizing or allowing the issuance of public debt in excess of 10% of the assessed tax valuation of the property in Guam. Public debt does not include bonds or other obligations payable solely from revenues derived from any public improvement or undertaking, and obligations for the payment of which appropriations are required on an annual basis. As of May 31, 2019, the public debt of Guam may not exceed $1.32 billion. As of May 31, 2019, the Government of Guam had total outstanding public debt subject to a debt ceiling limitation of approximately $1.05 billion. In addition, Guam may also obtain other financing sources that are not subject to the debt ceiling, such as notes payable and other loans not backed by the full faith of general government taxes and revenues. As of May 31, 2019, Guams total indebtedness, including sources not subject to the debt ceiling, equaled approximately $2.67 billion.
Litigation. Guam, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against Guam might require Guam to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of Guam to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a funds investments.
Natural Disasters. In September 2018, Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall in Guam and caused significant damage. High winds and substantial flooding severely damaged Guams infrastructure and much of Guam was left without power. On October 1, 2018, the federal government declared a major disaster and authorized public assistance for emergency relief and rebuilding services. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied Guams initial request for access to the Individual Assistance program, and Guam has appealed FEMAs denial of relief. Officials in Guam have estimated total damage and repair costs caused by Typhoon Mangkhut are approximately $4.3 million.
The damage caused by Typhoon Mangkhut is expected to have adverse effects on Guams economy. In addition to diverting funds to relief and recovery efforts, Guam is expected to lose revenue as a result of decreased tourism. There can be no assurances that Guam will receive the necessary aid to rebuild from the damage caused by Typhoon Mangkhut, and it is not currently possible to predict the long-term impact that Typhoon Mangkhut will have on Guams economy. These developments have a material adverse effect on Guams finances and may negatively impact the payment of principal and interest, marketability, liquidity, and value of securities issued by Guam that are held by the Fund.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Guams tourism economy. To date, Guam has received $276 million in aid and is expected to receive another $924 million in funding from the United States Department of Labor. The effects on tourism due to the pandemic are currently unknown and unpredictable, and includes change in the habits of tourists in the coming years, especially with respect to the Southeast Asian, Russian and American markets.
Credit rating. As of June 18, 2020, Guams general obligation debt was assigned a rating of BB- by S&P. This rating reflects only the views of S&P, an explanation of which may be obtained from that rating agency. On May 19, 2020, Moodys assigned Guams general obligation debt a credit rating of Ba1 with a negative outlook. This rating reflects only the view of Moodys, an explanation of which may be obtained from Moodys. There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time or that it will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating agencies if, in the judgment of such rating agencies, circumstances so warrant. A downward revision or withdrawal of any such rating may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the securities issued by Guam or its political subdivisions, instrumentalities and authorities.
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Introduction. The United States Virgin Islands (Virgin Islands) is an unincorporated territory of the United States with separate executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The economy of the Virgin Islands is heavily dependent upon revenues from tourism, but other major sectors of the Virgin Islands economy include the trade, transportation and utilities sector; the professional and business services sector; the leisure and hospitality sector; and the government sector. As these sectors represent the largest share of employment in the Virgin Islands, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sectors may have a negative effect on the value of the Virgin Islands municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.
The economy of the Virgin Islands has faced substantial fiscal challenges in recent years, including damage to infrastructure caused by natural disasters or widespread diseases, a high unemployment rate, a structural deficit, declining government revenues, and considerable unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities. The level of public debt in the Virgin Islands may affect long-term growth prospects and may make it difficult for the Virgin Islands to make full repayment on its obligations. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the United States remains uncertain. A future economic downturn in the United States could significantly impact the finances of the Virgin Islands and, therefore, its municipal securities.
There can be no guarantee that economic and fiscal conditions in the Virgin Islands will improve or that future developments will not have a materially adverse impact on the finances of the Virgin Islands. Any deterioration in the Virgin Islands financial condition may have a negative effect on the value of the securities issued by the Virgin Islands, which could reduce the performance of a fund.
Current Economic Climate. According to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Economic Research, residents of the Virgin Islands received approximately $2.4 billion in estimated personal income in 2016. As a result, residents of the Virgin Islands had a per capita personal income of $23,333, which was less than half of the national average of $49,831 over the same period. As of July 2018, the Virgin Islands had an unemployment rate of approximately 9.6%, which was down from 10.0% in July 2017. The Virgin Islands unemployment rate was significantly above the national average, which was 3.9% during the same period. For FY2018, the Virgin Islands nonagricultural wage and salary jobs shrunk by 5.8%. The decline in employment was reflected both in the public and private sector. The loss of hotels and other tourism-related industries has impacted the leisure and hospitality sector. Cumulatively, total visitors for FY2018 was 1,561,993 compared to the 2,317,087 who visited the islands during FY2017, a loss of 32.6%. In FY2018, jobs in the construction sector continued to show growth due to ongoing disaster-related infrastructure restoration. As of November 2019, the civilian labor force of the Virgin Islands consisted of approximately 35,700 individuals.
The Virgin Islands economy has faced setbacks in recent years largely as a result of the lingering effects of the economic recession in the United States, the impact of natural disasters, and the closure of the HOVENSA petroleum refinery. These factors have placed financial stress on key segments of the Virgin Islands economy. While some signs of growth have emerged, such as, e.g., the commissioning of the Limetree Bay Refining, LLC (Limetree) refinery in 2020, a full recovery will likely require significant structural changes that are not guaranteed to be successful.
The tourism sector constitutes a significant portion of the Virgin Islands economy. However, because of its geographical location, the Virgin Islands is subject to natural disasters, including hurricanes, that can cause considerable damage to the territory and disrupt the tourism industry. In September 2017, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, discussed in more detail below, caused substantial damage and destruction to the Virgin Islands and significantly disrupted travel. For the one-year period ended August 2018, the number of tourists arriving by air decreased by 47.4% and the number of tourists arriving by cruise ship decreased by 13.3%. Any additional natural disasters that impact tourism could adversely affect the Virgin Islands economy.
Furthermore, the Virgin Islands was closed to tourists from March to May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 1, 2020, the Virgin Islands has reopened to tourism. However, the current and long-term impact of the pandemic remains unknown.
The United States continues to be the primary source of visitors to the Virgin Islands. Therefore, any gains in the tourism industry are closely related to economic growth in the United States. In order to expand its tourism industry and insulate the islands from potential economic declines in the United States, the Virgin Islands has begun, in recent years, increasing its tourism marketing to other countries and regions and is
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evaluating ways to reposition itself as a leading tourism destination through a private-sector driven approach. Continued efforts to encourage visitors from within the Caribbean region are also expected to play a significant role in growing the Virgin Islands tourism industry in the future. In addition, the Virgin Islands has sought to increase its capacity for tourists by increasing flights to the islands and establishing partnerships to increase accommodations.
Tourism-related services continue to bolster private sector enterprises. Important private sector activities in the Virgin Islands include wholesale and retail trade, leisure and hospitality, financial activities, and construction and mining activities. The agricultural sector remains small, which requires most of the territorys food to be imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy.
In 2012, the operators of the HOVENSA oil refinery, one of the largest employers in the Virgin Islands at the time, announced that they would close the refinery, laying off approximately 1,200 employees and 950 subcontractors. However, in January 2016, Limetree finalized its purchase of the HOVENSA oil refinery, including HOVENSAs storage and docking facilities. As part of the agreement, Limetree provided the government with an upfront payment of $220 million, agreed to invest $125 million in the facility within two years, and agreed to provide $15 million in the form of electric supply on the island of St. Croix. At this time, while such investment is expected to provide benefits to the Virgin Islands labor market and overall economy, is not possible to predict the extent of the impact the acquisition of HOVENSA will have on the Virgin Islands economy.
Overall, the underlying fundamentals of the Virgin Islands economy are volatile. Increasing unemployment, decreasing revenues and the loss of many high-paying jobs have combined to place significant fiscal pressure on the local government. It is possible that fiscal challenges facing the Virgin Islands could impact the ability of the territory to satisfy the obligations on its outstanding debt. Any such outcome would likely reduce the value of the municipal securities issued by the Virgin Islands and its political subdivisions, instrumentalities, and authorities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.
Budget. In recent fiscal years, the government has experienced substantial fluctuations in revenues and expenditures, as well as recurring deficits. The Virgin Islands has taken a series of actions in recent years to reduce the size of its operating budget and address its recurring operating deficit. However, these actions have not addressed the structural imbalances that have led to recurring deficits. Rather, annual shortfalls have been addressed by an ad hoc combination of inter-fund transfers and debt financing.
The FY2021 budget is based upon estimates of General Fund revenues composed of $488.8 million from income taxes, $299.3 million from other taxes, $49.6 million in other revenues and $48.3 million in transfers from other funds, less $83.7 million in other transfers from the General Fund, for a gross total of $841.9 million. The FY2021 budget assumes no debt financing and no new taxes. Unlike the FY2020 budget, the FY2021 proposal is a balanced budget.
The FY2021 budget proposes $1.2 billion in expenditures, which includes $69.1 million for debt service payments, $291 million in non-disaster related federal funds, and $822.2 million of local funds. From the local funds, $742.8 million is proposed for the Executive Branch departments and agencies, a decrease of $126 million from FY2019. The proposed FY2021 budget also proposes $20.7 million for the Legislative Branch and $31.7 million for the Judicial Branch.
Debt. Current law prohibits the Virgin Islands from authorizing or issuing general obligation bonds in excess of 10% of the total value of taxable property in the territory. As of September 30, 2016, the Virgin Islands had approximately $752.3 million of general obligation bonds or notes outstanding. As of September 30, 2016, the net amount of bonds outstanding, including both general obligation and revenue bonds, was estimated at $2.1 billion. The large fiscal risks faced by the Virgin Islands, coupled with its exclusion from capital markets, may hamper the Virgin Islands ability to repay its public debts.
Natural Disasters. In September 2017, two successive hurricanes Irma and Maria caused severe damage to the Virgin Islands. The infrastructure of the Virgin Islands was severely damaged by high winds and substantial flooding, leaving much of the Virgin Islands without power. According to officials, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused an estimated $10.76 billion in damage to the public infrastructure and economy of the Virgin Islands. In February 2018, Congress appropriated $89.3 billion for disaster recovery efforts for
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areas affected by hurricanes in 2017. Approximately $11 billion of these funds were made available to the Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and $2 billion was designated to help repair and reconstruct the electrical system of the islands.
The damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria is expected to have adverse effects on the Virgin Islands economy. A substantial portion of the Virgin Islands revenue is dependent on tourism, and the damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria is expected to significantly reduce the number of visitors to each of the islands. Before the storms made landfall, the Virgin Islands was already facing a severe economic crisis due to mounting debt obligations and declining revenues. There can be no assurances that the Virgin Islands will receive sufficient aid to rebuild from the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and it is not currently possible to predict the long-term impact that Hurricanes Irma and Maria will have on the Virgin Islands economy. All these developments have a material adverse effect on the Virgin Islands finances and negatively impact the marketability, liquidity and value of securities issued by the Virgin Islands that are held by the Fund.
Litigation. The Virgin Islands, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against the Virgin Islands might require the Virgin Islands to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the Virgin Islands to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a funds investments.
Credit rating. As of June 11, 2020, the Virgin Islands general obligation debt was assigned a rating of Caa3 by Moodys. This rating reflects only the views of Moodys, an explanation of which may be obtained from that rating agency. On September 28, 2017, Fitch Inc. (Fitch) withdrew its implied rating for the Virgin Islands general obligation debt. Fitch withdrew its ratings due to the Virgin Islands communication that it intended to stop participating in the ratings process, and Fitch indicated that it no longer had sufficient information to maintain the ratings.
Northern Mariana Islands
Introduction. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (the Commonwealth) is a commonwealth of the United States with a political status similar to that of Puerto Rico. The economy of the Commonwealth is heavily dependent upon revenues from tourism and transfers from the federal government. As these sources represent a significant share of the Commonwealths revenue, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sources may have a negative effect on the value of the Commonwealths municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.
Although the Commonwealth has faced significant setbacks, the economy has shown signs of modest growth in recent years. Such growth in may be slow as the Commonwealth continues to face substantial fiscal challenges including high unemployment, severe reductions in key industry segments and large government deficits. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the United States remains uncertain, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic downturn in the United States or countries such as Japan, China or Korea, which provide large sources of tourism to the islands, could significantly impact the finances of the Commonwealth and, therefore, its municipal securities. Moreover, the level of public debt in the Commonwealth may affect long-term growth prospects and could cause the Commonwealth to experience continued financial hardship.
From year-to-year, the Commonwealth may experience a number of political, social, economic and environmental circumstances that influence the Commonwealths economic and fiscal condition. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: (i) persistent structural imbalances; (ii) rising debt levels; (iii) significant pension underfunding; (iv) revenue volatility; (v) developments with respect to the U.S. and world economies; (vi) environmental considerations, natural disasters and widespread diseases, including pandemics and epidemics; and (vii) U.S. federal economic and fiscal policies, including the amount of federal aid provided to the Commonwealth. There can be no guarantee that future developments, including events affecting the Commonwealths economic and fiscal condition, will not have a materially adverse impact on the Commonwealths finances. Any further deterioration in the Commonwealths financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by the Commonwealth and may jeopardize the ability of the Commonwealth to satisfy its obligations on its outstanding debt, which could reduce the performance of a fund.
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Current Economic Climate. After joining the United States in 1978, the federal government agreed to exempt the Commonwealth from federal minimum wage and immigration laws in an effort to help stimulate the Commonwealths economy. As a result of these exemptions, the Commonwealth was able to build a large garment industry, which at one time accounted for nearly 40% of the Commonwealths economy. A significant portion of the Commonwealths residents and a large number of temporary workers from throughout the region worked in the textile industry. Critical to this growth was duty-free access to U.S. markets and local authority over immigration and the minimum wage.
Over the last two decades, however, the Commonwealths economy underwent an involuntary transformation resulting from federal policy actions that led to the dissolution of the Commonwealths garment industry. Following the collapse of the garment industry, tourism emerged as the major driver of the Commonwealths economy. The Commonwealth has engaged in marketing efforts to increase visitor arrivals from a wider scope of countries, which has led to an overall increase in tourism since 2011. The majority of the Commonwealths visitors are from Japan, Korea, China, and the United States, and federal immigration policy has also greatly impacted tourism in the Commonwealth. Any future developments that make international travel to the islands more difficult may have a negative impact on the Commonwealths economy. In addition, the relaxation of laws restricting gambling helped to attract outside private investment and spur economic growth.
The Commonwealths real gross domestic product decreased by 19.6% in 2018, after increasing 25.5% in 2017. The decline primarily reflects decreases in exports of services and private fixed investment that were partly offset by growth in government spending. Exports of services decreased 38.8% in 2018, due to a decrease in visitor spending. Revenues from casino gambling dropped over 50%. The number of visitors to the Commonwealth decreased 21.5%, reflecting the effects of Typhoon Yutu, which made landfall on Saipan and Tinian in October 2018. This is in contrast to 2017, which saw record high levels of tourism and casino income.
The Commonwealth also faces certain unique risks, including its reliance on a foreign workforce that has the potential to result in a labor shortage. In addition, because of its geographical location, the Commonwealth is subject to natural disasters. The Commonwealth has previously experienced severe weather events that significantly impacted its economy, and any future storms, or other natural disasters, that have an adverse effect on the Commonwealths finances could negatively impact the marketability, liquidity or value of securities issued by the Commonwealth.
Budget. The Commonwealth has run a budget deficit since 1994, which means spending has consistently outpaced revenue collection. The Commonwealths governmental activities deficit net position decreased to $61.9 million in FY2017 from $133.8 million in FY2016. The governmental activities position accounts for most of the Commonwealths basic services, including public safety and general administration. For FY2017, the Commonwealths General Fund experienced a total deficit of $44.3 million.
On September 26, 2019, the Governor signed into law the Commonwealths budget for FY2020 (Enacted Budget). The Enacted Budget identifies total budgetary resources of approximately $233.2 million, which, after adjustments and transfers, would leave $148.9 million for appropriations during the fiscal year. The projected resources and appropriations represent a decrease from FY2019. The Enacted Budget includes $37.7 million for the Commonwealths public school system, $6.9 million to fund the Department of Public Safety, $4 million for the Department of Corrections, and a combined total of $12.4 million to fund the legislative and judicial branches of government.
Unfunded liabilities of the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund and minimum annual payments required to the Northern Mariana Islands Settlement Fund (NMISF) as part of a 2013 pension-related settlement present a significant risk to the fiscal condition of the Commonwealth. Pursuant to law, the Commonwealth is required to make contributions to the retirement fund each year on an actuarially funded basis toward the annuities related to retirement and other benefits. Due to recurring budget deficits, the Commonwealth has often delayed or suspended payments to the retirement fund. The Commonwealth has, however, made the minimum annual payments to the NMISF for FY2016, FY2017, FY2018, FY2019 and FY2020 of $30 million, $33 million, $44 million, $45 million and $43 million, respectively. There can be no guarantee in the future that the Commonwealths pension fund will not face additional financial risk, including the possibility of going bankrupt, or that the Commonwealth will be able to make required payments.
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Debt. As of September 30, 2018, the Commonwealth had $71.3 million in long-term debt outstanding, which represents a net decrease of $4.7 million or 6.2% from the prior year. The expected annual debt service requirements on the Commonwealths general obligation bonds were $8.48 million for FY2019 and $8.51 million for FY2020.
Natural Disasters. On October 25, 2018, Super Typhoon Yutu, one of the strongest storms ever recorded, made landfall in the Commonwealth and caused significant damage. The sustained high winds damaged the Commonwealths infrastructure and many residents lost power. On October 27, 2018, the federal government declared a major disaster and authorized public assistance for emergency relief and rebuilding services. Officials have not yet estimated the cost of the damage, but it is expected that it will take months to restore power throughout the Commonwealth.
The damage caused by Super Typhoon Yutu is expected to have adverse effects on the Commonwealths economy. In addition to diverting funds to relief and recovery efforts, the Commonwealth is expected to lose revenue as a result of decreased tourism. There can be no assurances that the Commonwealth will receive the necessary aid to rebuild from the damage caused by Super Typhoon Yutu, and it is not currently possible to predict the long-term impact that Super Typhoon Yutu will have on the Commonwealths economy. These developments have a material adverse effect on the Commonwealths finances and may negatively impact the payment of principal and interest, marketability, liquidity, and value of securities issued by the Commonwealth that are held by the Fund.
The COVID-19 pandemic has marginally affected the Commonwealth. However, it is unclear what long-term effects the pandemic may have, either directly or indirectly, on the Commonwealths tourism, travel, exports and imports.
Litigation. The Commonwealth, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against the Commonwealth might require the Commonwealth to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the Commonwealth to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a funds investments.
Credit rating. As of June 11, 2020, S&P and Fitch did not maintain a credit rating for the general obligation debt of the Commonwealth. On December 9, 2019, Moodys assigned the Commonwealth an issuer rating of Ba3 with a negative outlook.
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(1) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 4, filed electronically on July 26, 1996. |
(2) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 7, filed electronically on July 29, 1998. |
(3) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 11, filed electronically on July 26, 2000. |
(4) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 14, filed electronically on July 25, 2002 |
(5) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 17, filed electronically on May 27, 2004. |
(6) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 18, filed electronically on July 27, 2004. |
(7) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 20, filed electronically on July 27, 2005. |
(8) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 21, filed electronically on May 25, 2006. |
(9) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 22, filed electronically on July 25, 2006. |
(10) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 23, filed electronically on July 26, 2007. |
(11) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 24, filed electronically on February 14, 2008. |
(12) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 25, filed electronically on July 23, 2008. |
(13) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 26, filed electronically on September 22, 2008. |
(14) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 28, filed electronically on July 23, 2009. |
(15) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 29, filed electronically on November 25, 2009. |
(16) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 31, filed electronically on February 11, 2010. |
(17) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 32, filed electronically on April 21, 2010. |
(18) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 34, filed electronically on June 28, 2010. |
(19) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 35, filed electronically on January 27, 2011. |
(20) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 37, filed electronically on March 25, 2011. |
(21) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 39, filed electronically on April 29, 2011. |
(22) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 40, filed electronically on June 28, 2011. |
(23) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 43, filed electronically on October 28, 2011. |
(24) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 45, filed electronically on December 29, 2011. |
(25) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 47, filed electronically on June 26, 2012. |
(26) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 49, filed electronically on January 15, 2013. |
(27) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 51, filed electronically on June 26, 2013. |
(28) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 53, filed electronically on June 26, 2014. |
(29) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 55, filed electronically on June 24, 2015. |
(30) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 57, filed electronically on June 24, 2016. |
(31) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 59, filed electronically on July 29, 2016. |
(32) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 60, filed electronically on October 11, 2016. |
(33) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 62, filed electronically on March 31, 2017. |
(34) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 64, filed electronically on June 5, 2017. |
(35) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 65, filed electronically on June 13, 2017. |
(36) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 67, filed electronically on June 26, 2017. |
(37) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 69, filed electronically on June 26, 2018. |
(38) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 71, filed electronically on November 2, 2018. |
(39) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 75, filed electronically on May 23, 2019. |
(40) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 77, filed electronically on June 27, 2019. |
(41) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 79, filed electronically on July 26, 2019. |
(42) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 91 to AIM Investment Securities Funds (Invesco Investment Securities Funds) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on September 26, 2019 |
(43) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 135 to AIM Equity Funds (Invesco Equity Funds) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on November 21, 2019 |
(44) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 81, filed electronically on November 21, 2019. |
(45) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 154 to AIM Growth Series (Invesco Growth Series) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on December 9, 2019. |
(46) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to AIM Treasurer’s Series Trust (Invesco Treasurer’s Series Trust Registration Statement on Form N-1A on December 19, 2019. |
(47) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 99 to AIM Investment Securities Funds (Invesco Investment Securities Funds) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on January 27, 2020. |
(48) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 83, filed electronically on January 27, 2020. |
(49) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to AIM Sector Funds (Invesco Sector Funds) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on February 27, 2020. |
(50) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 to AIM Counselor Series Trust (Invesco Counselor Series Trust) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on February 11, 2020. |
(51) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 189 to AIM Investment Funds (Invesco Investment Funds) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on March 30, 2020. |
(52) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 to AIM Funds Group (Invesco Funds Group) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on April 27, 2020. |
(53) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 86, filed electronically on April 28, 2020. |
(54) | Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 132 to AIM Counselor Series Trust (Invesco Counselor Series Trust) Registration Statement on Form N-1A on June 5, 2020. |
(55) | Incorporated herein by reference to PEA No. 88, filed electronically on June 29, 2020. |
(*) | Filed herewith electronically. |
NAME
AND PRINCIPAL
BUSINESS ADDRESS* |
POSITIONS
AND OFFICES
WITH REGISTRANT |
POSITIONS
AND OFFICES
WITH UNDERWRITER |
||
Rocco Benedetto | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Paul Blease | None | Senior Vice President | ||
David Borrelli | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Ken Brodsky | None | Senior Vice President | ||
George Fahey | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Jay Fortuna | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Mark W. Gregson | None |
Chief
Financial Officer,
Financial & Operations Principal |
||
Trisha B. Hancock | None |
Chief
Compliance Officer &
Senior Vice President |
NAME
AND PRINCIPAL
BUSINESS ADDRESS* |
POSITIONS
AND OFFICES
WITH REGISTRANT |
POSITIONS
AND OFFICES
WITH UNDERWRITER |
||
Clint Harris | None | President | ||
John Hoffman | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Eliot Honaker | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Brian Kiley | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Jeffrey H. Kupor |
Secretary,
Senior Vice President
& Chief Legal Officer |
Secretary | ||
Annette J. Lege | None | Treasurer | ||
Brian Levitt | None | Senior Vice President | ||
John McDonough | None | Director & Chief Executive Officer | ||
Peter Mintzberg | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Kevin Neznek | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Tony Oh | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Adam Rochlin | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Benjamin Stewart | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Paul E. Temple | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Ben Utt | None | Executive Vice President | ||
Rohit Vohra | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Gary K. Wendler | Assistant Vice President |
Senior
Vice President, Director,
Marketing Research & Analysis |
||
Donna White | None | Senior Vice President | ||
Crissie Wisdom | Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer | Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer | ||
John M. Zerr | Senior Vice President | Senior Vice President |
* | The principal business address for all directors and executive officers is Invesco Distributors, Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173. |
(c) Not applicable. |
Invesco
Asset Management Deutschland GmbH
An der Welle 5, 1st Floor Frankfurt, Germany 60322 |
Invesco
Asset Management Ltd.
Perpetual Park Perpetual Park Drive Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire, RG91HH United Kingdom |
Invesco
Asset Management (Japan) Limited
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 14F 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6114 |
Invesco
Hong Kong Limited
41/F, Champion Tower Three Garden Road, Central Hong Kong |
Invesco
Senior Secured Management, Inc.
1166 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036 |
Invesco
Canada Ltd.
5140 Yonge Street Suite 800 Toronto, Ontario Canada M2N 6X7 |
Invesco
Capital Management LLC
3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700 Downers Grove, IL 60515 |
Invesco
Asset Management (India) Private Limited
34d Floor, GYS Infinity, Subhash Road Paranipe B Scheme, Ville Parle (East) Mumbai – 400 057, India |
OppenheimerFunds,
Inc.
225 Liberty Street New York, NY 10281 |
AIM TAX-EXEMPT FUNDS (INVESCO TAX-EXEMPT FUNDS) | |
By: | /s/ Sheri Morris |
Sheri Morris | |
Title: | President |
SIGNATURE | TITLE | DATE | ||
/s/ Sheri Morris |
President
& Treasurer
(Principal Executive Officer) |
July 2, 2020 | ||
(Sheri Morris) | ||||
/s/ David C. Arch* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(David C. Arch) | ||||
/s/ Beth Ann Brown*** | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Beth Ann Brown) | ||||
/s/ Bruce L. Crockett* | Chair and Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Bruce L. Crockett) | ||||
/s/ Jack M. Fields* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Jack M. Fields) | ||||
/s/ Martin L. Flanagan* | Vice Chair and Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Martin L. Flanagan) | ||||
/s/ Cynthia Hostetler* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Cynthia Hostetler) | ||||
/s/ Eli Jones* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Eli Jones) | ||||
/s/ Elizabeth Krentzman*** | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Elizabeth Krentzman) | ||||
/s/ Anthony J. LaCava, Jr.** | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Anthony J. LaCava, Jr.) | ||||
/s/ Prema Mathai-Davis* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Prema Mathai-Davis) | ||||
/s/ Joel W. Motley*** | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Joel W. Motley) | ||||
/s/ Teresa M. Ressel* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Teresa M. Ressel) | ||||
/s/ Ann Barnett Stern* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Ann Barnett Stern) | ||||
/s/ Robert C. Troccoli* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Robert C. Troccoli) | ||||
/s/ Daniel S. Vandivort*** | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Daniel S. Vandivort) | ||||
/s/ James D. Vaughn*** | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(James D. Vaughn) | ||||
/s/ Christopher L. Wilson* | Trustee | July 2, 2020 | ||
(Christopher L. Wilson) | ||||
/s/ Kelli Gallegos |
Vice
President &
Assistant Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer) |
July 2, 2020 |
SIGNATURE | TITLE | DATE | ||
Kelli Gallegos | ||||
/s/ Sheri Morris | July 2, 2020 | |||
Sheri Morris | ||||
Attorney-In-Fact |
a(1)g | Amendment No. 6, dated June 3, 2020, to the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Registrant, dated April 11, 2017. |
j(1) | Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. |
j(2) | Consent of KPMG, LLP. |
AMENDMENT NO. 6
TO FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST OF
AIM TAX-EXEMPT FUNDS (INVESCO TAX-EXEMPT FUNDS)
This Amendment No. 6 (the Amendment) to the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of AIM Tax-Exempt Funds (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds) (the Trust) amends, effective September 30, 2020, the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust dated as of April 11, 2017, as amended (the Agreement).
Under Section 9.7 of the Agreement, this Amendment may be executed by a duly authorized officer of the Trust.
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to amend the Agreement to change the following Funds name, effective September 4, 2020:
FUND NAME | NEW FUND NAME | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Municipal Fund |
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund: |
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to amend the Agreement to change the following Funds names, effective September 30, 2020:
FUND NAME | NEW FUND NAME | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester AMT-Free Municipal Fund |
Invesco AMT-Free Municipal Income Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester AMT-Free New York Municipal Fund |
Invesco Rochester AMT-Free New York Municipal Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester California Municipal Fund |
Invesco California Municipal Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester High Yield Municipal Fund |
Invesco Rochester Municipal Opportunities Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester Limited Term California Municipal Fund |
Invesco Limited Term California Municipal Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester Limited Term New York Municipal Fund |
Invesco Rochester Limited Term New York Municipal Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester New Jersey Municipal Fund |
Invesco New Jersey Municipal Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester New York Municipals Fund |
Invesco Rochester New York Municipals Fund | |
Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester Pennsylvania Municipal Fund |
Invesco Pennsylvania Municipal Fund; |
NOW, THEREFORE, the Agreement is hereby amended as follows:
1. |
Schedule A of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated to read in its entirety as set forth on Exhibit 1 to this Amendment. |
2. |
All references in the Agreement to this Agreement shall mean the Agreement as amended by this Amendment. |
3. |
Except as specifically amended by this Amendment, the Agreement is hereby confirmed and remains in full force and effect. |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, a duly authorized officer of the Trust, has executed this Amendment as of June 3, 2020.
By: |
/s/ Jeffrey H. Kupor |
|
Names: Jeffrey H. Kupor | ||
Title: Secretary, Senior Vice President and
Chief Legal Officer |
EXHIBIT 1
SCHEDULE A
AIM TAX-EXEMPT FUNDS (INVESCO TAX-EXEMPT FUNDS)
PORTFOLIOS AND CLASSES THEREOF
PORTFOLIO |
CLASSES OF EACH PORTFOLIO |
|
Invesco AMT-Free Municipal Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
|
Invesco California Municipal Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
|
Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
|
Invesco Intermediate Term Municipal Income Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class F Shares Class R6 Shares Class T Shares Class Y Shares |
|
Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund |
Class A Shares Class A2 Shares Class C Shares Class F Shares Class R5 Shares Class R6 Shares Class T Shares Class Y Shares |
|
Invesco New Jersey Municipal Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
|
Invesco Pennsylvania Municipal Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
|
Invesco Rochester® AMT-Free New York Municipal Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
|
Invesco Rochester® Limited Term California Municipal Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
Invesco Rochester® Limited Term New York Municipal Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
|
Invesco Rochester® Municipal Opportunities Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R5 Shares Class R6 Shares |
|
Invesco Rochester® New York Municipals Fund |
Class A Shares Class C Shares Class Y Shares Class R6 Shares |
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form N-1A of AIM Tax-Exempt Funds (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds) of our report dated April 28, 2020, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights, which appears in Invesco Environmental Focus Municipal Funds (formerly known as Invesco Oppenheimer Municipal Fund) Annual Report on Form N-CSR for the eleven months ended February 29, 2020. We also consent to the references to us under the headings Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Financial Statements and Financial Highlights in such Registration Statement.
/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Houston, Texas
July 1, 2020
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Trustees
AIM Tax-Exempt Funds (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds):
We consent to the use of our reports, dated as listed in Appendix A, on the financial statements of the Funds as of the respective years ended listed in Appendix A, each incorporated by reference herein, and to the references to our firm under the headings Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Financial Statements in the Statement of Additional Information.
/s/ KPMG LLP
KPMG LLP
Denver, Colorado
June 26, 2020
Appendix A
Fund Name |
Fiscal Year End | Audit Report Date | ||||||
Oppenheimer Municipal Fund |
March 31, 2019 | May 15, 2019 | ||||||
Oppenheimer Rochester AMT-Free Municipal Fund |
July 31, 2018 | September 27, 2018 | ||||||
Oppenheimer Rochester AMT-Free New York Municipal Fund |
September 30, 2018 | November 21, 2018 | ||||||
Oppenheimer Rochester California Municipal Fund |
July 31, 2018 | September 27, 2018 | ||||||
Oppenheimer Rochester High Yield Municipal Fund |
July 31, 2018 | September 27, 2018 | ||||||
Oppenheimer Rochester Limited Term California Municipal Fund |
July 31, 2018 | September 27, 2018 | ||||||
Oppenheimer Rochester New Jersey Municipal Fund |
July 31, 2018 | September 27, 2018 | ||||||
Oppenheimer Rochester Pennsylvania Municipal Fund |
July 31, 2018 | September 27, 2018 |