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Prospectus | July 21, 2021 | |||
Class: A (XCRTX), AX (XAXCX), Y (XCRRX), R6 (XCYOX) | ||||
Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunity Fund | ||||
As with all other mutual fund securities, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
An investment in the Fund:
∎ | is not FDIC insured; |
∎ | may lose value; and |
∎ | is not guaranteed by a bank. |
The Fund. Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunity Fund (the Fund) is organized as a Delaware statutory trust that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that is operated as an interval fund.
Investment Objectives. The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. You should carefully consider the risks of investing in the Fund. See Risks.
Offerings. This prospectus is offering four classes of common shares of beneficial interest (collectively, the Shares or Common Shares) of the Fund, designated as Class A (Class A Shares), Class AX (Class AX Shares), Class Y (Class Y Shares) and Class R6 (Class R6 Shares). The Fund continuously offers its Class A Shares, Class Y Shares and Class R6 Shares through Invesco Distributors, Inc. (Invesco Distributors), as principal underwriter, and through selected broker-dealers and financial services firms. Class AX Shares of the Fund are closed to new investors. Only investors who have continuously maintained an account in Shares of Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Fund, the Funds predecessor fund, prior to the closing of the reorganization of the predecessor fund into the Fund anticipated to occur in the second half of 2021 (the Reorganization), may continue to make additional purchases in their accounts in Class AX Shares of the Fund. Invesco Distributors is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of Shares, but will use its best efforts to sell the Shares. During the continuous offering, Shares will be sold at their offering price, which is net asset value per Share for each class of Shares plus sales charges, where applicable. See Fees and Expenses of the Fund and Distribution of Securities As of July 21, 2021, the proceeds of the offering of the 31,250,000 Shares currently registered but not yet issued or distributed are estimated at $375,000,000, subject to the expenses of issuance and distribution, and will be invested by the Fund over the course of the offering, subject to any repurchases by the Fund. The expenses of issuance and distribution are included as Other Expenses under the section Fees and Expenses of the Fund.
Interval Fund. The Fund is designed primarily for long-term investors and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is an interval fund (defined below) pursuant to which it, subject to applicable law, will conduct quarterly repurchase offers for between 5% and 25% of the Funds outstanding Shares at net asset value (NAV), subject to certain conditions. In connection with any given repurchase offer, it is likely that the Fund may offer to repurchase only the minimum amount of 5% of its outstanding Shares. It is also possible that a repurchase offer may be oversubscribed, with the result that shareholders may only be able to have a portion of their Shares repurchased.
Written notification of each quarterly repurchase offer (the Repurchase Offer Notice) is sent to Shareholders at least 21 calendar days before the repurchase request deadline (i.e., the date by which Shareholders can tender their Shares in response to a repurchase offer) (the Repurchase Request Deadline); however, the Fund will seek to provide such written notification earlier but no more than 42 calendar days before the Repurchase Request Deadline. The NAV will be calculated no later than the 14th calendar day (or the next business day if the 14th calendar day is not a business day) after the Repurchase Request Deadline (the Repurchase Pricing Date). The Fund will distribute payment to Shareholders within seven calendar days after the Repurchase Pricing Date. The Fund expects its initial repurchase offer to commence in the first quarter of 2022. See Share Repurchase Program.
The Fund does not currently intend to list its Shares for trading on any national securities exchange. The Shares are, therefore, not readily marketable and no market is expected to develop. Even though the Fund will make quarterly repurchase offers to repurchase a portion of the outstanding Shares to try to provide liquidity to shareholders, you should consider the Shares to have limited liquidity. There is no guarantee that
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you will be able to sell your Shares at any given time. See Risks Other Risks Relating to the Fund Repurchase Offer Risks.
Principal Investment Strategies. Depending on current market conditions and the Funds outlook over time, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by opportunistically investing primarily in credit securities of issuers which operate in a variety of industries and geographic regions located throughout the world. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in any combination of the following credit securities: (i) senior secured floating rate and fixed rate loans (Senior Loans); (ii) second lien or other subordinated or unsecured floating rate and fixed rate loans or debt; and (iii) other debt obligations, including high-yield, high-risk obligations. In complying with this 80% investment requirement, the Fund may invest in derivatives and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to the Funds direct investments that are counted toward the 80% investment requirement.
The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its total assets in equity securities (including common stocks, preferred stocks, rights, warrants, and securities convertible into common stock) and may also invest in structured products, including structured notes, credit-linked notes, collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), collateralized bond obligations (CBOs) and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and other types of structured products (collectively, structured products). The Fund also may invest in swaps, including credit default, total return, index and interest rate swaps. To the extent that the Fund invests in structured products or swaps that gain exposure to credit securities, such investments will be counted for purposes of the Funds 80% policy.
The Fund may originate Senior Loans directly or through investments in one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries (each, a Subsidiary). The Fund may originate loans in order to obtain exposure to middle market loan transactions, which are lending options provided to middle market companies that, due to their size, may not otherwise be able to rely on the broadly syndicated bank loans typically provided to larger companies. Middle market lenders may include business development companies, finance companies, debt funds or mezzanine loan providers. Such loans which will generally be first and second lien Senior Loans. Such borrowers may have credit ratings that are determined by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSRO) or Invesco Advisers, Inc. (Invesco or the Adviser) to be below investment grade (or, in the case of unrated borrowers, determined by the Adviser to be comparable to borrowers rated below investment grade). The loans the Fund originates may vary in maturity and/or duration. Maturity is a certain date upon which the borrower of a security repays the outstanding original or principal payment amount, along with any applicable interest. Duration is a measure of the price volatility of a security as a result of changes in market rates of interest, based on the weighted average timing of a securitys expected principal and interest payments. The Fund is not limited in the size or type of Senior Loans it may originate, including with respect to a single borrower or with respect to borrowers that are determined to be below investment grade, other than pursuant to any applicable law.
The Fund participates in direct lending opportunities through its indirect investment in the Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Loan Origination LLC (the LLC), a Delaware limited liability company. The Fund owns all beneficial and economic interests in the Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Loan Origination Trust, a Massachusetts Business Trust (the Loan Origination Trust), which in turn owns all beneficial and economic interests in the LLC. The Fund may invest up to 60% of its net assets in the Loan Origination Trust.
The Fund may invest, without limitation, in below investment grade debt securities (that is, securities rated Ba or lower by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) or BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings Services
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(S&P)), which are commonly referred to as junk securities or in unrated debt securities determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality, each at the time of purchase. Any of the Funds investments may be issued by non-stressed, stressed and distressed issuers (as defined under Investment Objectives and Policies Investment Policies of the Fund), including issuers in bankruptcy.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will not invest more than 20% of its total assets in obligations not making current interest and principal payments when due.
The Fund may utilize derivative instruments that reference or otherwise provide exposure to credit securities. From time to time, the Fund may also invest in short-term debt securities such as U.S. government securities, commercial paper and other money market instruments and cash equivalents. The Fund may invest without limitation in obligations for which there is no readily available trading market or which are otherwise illiquid, including securities restricted as to resale such as those contained in Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
The Fund will invest in obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers and such obligations may be U.S. dollar denominated as well as non-U.S. dollar denominated. To address foreign currency risks, the Fund may enter into foreign currency swaps and other hedging transactions. Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects to invest a portion of its assets in issuers located anywhere in the world and, although under current market conditions the Fund does not intend to invest in obligations of issuers located in emerging market countries (as defined under Investment Objectives and Policies Investment Policies of the Fund), the Fund may do so if it determines that such investments are appropriate for the Fund.
The Fund may invest in credit securities of any maturity or duration, and although the Fund will not be managed to target a specific maturity or duration, given the nature of the Funds portfolio, the Funds portfolio will likely have a low average duration (generally, four years or less).
The Fund is non-diversified, which means it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a small group of issuers or any one issuer than a diversified fund can. You should carefully consider the risks of investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. The Fund may also invest without limitation in below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as high-yielding, high-risk investments or junk investments. These investments are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal when due. Because of the risks associated with investing in high yield securities, an investment in the Fund should be considered speculative. See Risks beginning on page 35 of this prospectus.
Unlisted Closed-End Fund. An investment in the Fund is subject to, among others, the following risks:
| There is not expected to be any secondary trading market in the Shares. |
| Unlike most closed-end funds, the Shares are not listed on any securities exchange. The Fund will provide liquidity through quarterly offers to repurchase a limited amount of the Funds Shares (at least 5%). |
| Fund shareholders (Shareholders) should not expect to be able to sell their Shares in a secondary market transaction regardless of how the Fund performs. An investment in the Fund is considered to be of limited liquidity. |
| If a Shareholder is able to sell its Shares outside the quarterly repurchase process, the Shareholder likely will receive less than the then-current NAV per Share. |
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| An investor will pay a sales load of up to 3.25% on Class A Shares. |
| There is no assurance that annual distributions paid by the Fund will be maintained at the targeted level or that dividends will be paid at all. |
| Although the Fund does not intend to use offering proceeds to fund distributions, the Funds distributions may be funded from unlimited amounts of offering proceeds or borrowings, which may constitute a return of capital and reduce the amount of capital available to the Fund for investment. Any capital returned to Shareholders through distributions will be distributed after payment of fees and expenses. |
| A return of capital to Shareholders is a return of a portion of their original investment in the Fund, thereby reducing the tax basis of their investment. As a result from such reduction in tax basis, Shareholders may be subject to tax in connection with the sale of Fund Shares, even if such Shares are sold at a loss relative to the Shareholders original investment. |
| The Funds distributions may result from expense reimbursements from Invesco Advisers, Inc., which are subject to repayment by the Fund. Shareholders should understand that any such distributions are not based on the Funds investment performance, and can only be sustained if the Fund achieves positive investment performance in future periods and/or Invesco Advisers, Inc. continues to make such expense reimbursements. Shareholders should also understand that the Funds future repayments will reduce the distributions that a Shareholder would otherwise receive. |
Investing in Shares involves a high degree of risk. See Risks beginning on page 35 of this prospectus.
The date of this prospectus is July 21, 2021.
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Per Class A Share |
Per Class AX Share |
Per Class Y Share |
Per Class R6 Share |
Total (1) | ||||||
Public Offering Price |
Current NAV, plus sales load | N/A | Current NAV | Current NAV | Up to $375,000,000 | |||||
Sales Load (1) |
3.25% | N/A | None | None | Up to $375,000,000 | |||||
Proceeds to the Fund (Before Expenses) (2) |
Amount invested at current NAV | N/A | Amount invested at current NAV | Amount invested at current NAV | Up to $375,000,000 |
(1) | Generally, the stated minimum initial investment by an investor in the Fund is $10,000 with respect to Class A Shares, Class Y Shares and Class R6 Shares, which stated minimums may be reduced for certain investors. Investors purchasing Class A Shares may be charged a sales load of up to 3.25% of the investors net purchase. The Sales Load and Proceeds to the Fund (Before Expenses) line items in the table assume the maximum sales load on Class A Shares is charged on an amount of gross sales equal to the amount registered hereunder. |
(2) | Assumes all amounts currently registered are sold in the continuous offering. The Adviser (as defined below) will also bear certain ongoing offering costs associated with the Funds continuous offering. The Funds estimated organizational and initial offering expenses (including pre-effective expenses) are $367,000 or $0.004 per Share. See Fund Expenses. |
Structure. The Fund does not currently intend to list its Shares for trading on any securities exchange and does not expect any secondary market to develop for its Shares. Shareholders of the Fund are not able to have their Shares redeemed or otherwise sell their Shares on a daily basis because the Fund is an unlisted closed-end fund. To provide some liquidity to Shareholders, the Fund is structured as an interval fund and conducts periodic repurchase offers for a portion of its outstanding Shares, as described below. An investment in the Fund is suitable only for long-term investors who can bear the risks associated with the limited liquidity of the Shares.
Investment Adviser. Invesco Advisers, Inc. (Invesco or the Adviser) is the Funds investment adviser.
Securities Offered. The Fund is offering its Class A, Class Y and Class R6 Shares on a continuous basis. Class AX Shares of the Fund are closed to new investors. Only investors who have continuously maintained an account in Shares of Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Fund, the Funds predecessor fund, prior to the closing of the Reorganization may continue to make additional purchases in their accounts in Class AX Shares of the Fund. With respect to Class A Shares and Class Y Shares, the minimum initial investment is $10,000 for regular and retirement accounts; subsequent investments may be made with at least $1,000. With respect to Class R6 Shares, the minimum initial investment is $10,000 for all accounts; subsequent investments may be made with at least $1,000. Financial intermediaries may aggregate orders of Class R6 Shares to meet the $10,000 minimum initial investment so long as individual investors each invest at least $1,000. With respect to Class A Shares and Class Y Shares, Invesco Distributors (Distributor) or its designee has the discretion to accept orders on behalf of its clients for lesser amounts. Shares are being offered through the Distributor and through selected broker-dealers and financial services firms. Shares are sold at their offering price, which is NAV per Share for such class of Shares, plus any applicable sales load. The Distributor pays the broker-dealers and financial services firms participating in the continuous offering.
This prospectus provides the information that a prospective investor should know about the Fund before investing. Investors are advised to read this prospectus carefully and to retain it for future reference. Additional information about the Fund, including a statement of additional information about the Fund, dated July 21, 2021 (Statement of Additional Information), has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this prospectus. The Statement of Additional Information and, when available, the Funds annual and semi-annual reports and other information filed with the SEC, can be obtained upon written or oral request without charge from our website at www.invesco.com/us. You may also get a copy of any of these materials, request other information about the Fund and make other inquiries by calling (800) 959-4246. The table of contents of
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the Statement of Additional Information appears on page 77 of this prospectus. The Statement of Additional Information, other material incorporated by reference into this prospectus and other information about SEC registrants, including the Fund, is also available on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. The address of the SECs website is provided solely for the information of prospective investors and is not intended to be an active link.
Shares are not deposits or obligations of, and are not guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depository institution, and Shares are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other government agency.
Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Table of Contents
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Table of Contents of The Statement of Additional Information |
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This is only a summary and does not contain all of the information that a prospective investor should consider before investing in the Fund. Before investing, a prospective investor in the Fund should carefully read the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information.
THE FUND |
The Fund is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered under the 1940 Act as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund is operated as an interval fund (as defined below).
The Fund offers four separate classes of Shares designated as Class A Shares, Class AX Shares, Class Y Shares and Class R6 Shares. Class A Shares, Class AX Shares, Class Y Shares and Class R6 Shares are subject to different fees and expenses. The Fund may offer additional classes of Shares in the future. | |
THE ADVISER |
Invesco Advisers, Inc. (Invesco or the Adviser), is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. As investment adviser, Invesco supervises all aspects of the Funds operations and provides investment advisory services to the Fund. The Adviser carries out its duties, subject to the policies established by the Funds Board of Trustees (the Board), under an investment advisory agreement (the Investment Advisory Agreement) with the Fund that states the Advisers responsibilities.
Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. and Invesco Asset Management Limited serve as the Funds investment sub-advisers. | |
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES |
The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. | |
INVESTMENT POLICIES OF THE FUND |
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in any combination of the following credit securities: (i) senior secured floating rate and fixed rate loans (Senior Loans); (ii) second lien or other subordinated or unsecured floating rate and fixed rate loans or debt; and (iii) other debt obligations, including high-yield, high-risk obligations.
The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its total assets in equity securities (including common stocks, preferred stocks, rights, warrants, and securities convertible into common stock) and may also invest in structured products, including structured notes, credit-linked notes, collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), collateralized bond obligations (CBOs) and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and other types of structured products (collectively, structured products). The Fund also may invest in swaps, including credit default, total return, index and interest rate swaps. |
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The Fund may originate Senior Loans directly or through investments in one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries (each, a Subsidiary). The Fund may originate loans in order to obtain exposure to middle market loan transactions which will generally be first and second lien Senior Loans. Such borrowers may have credit ratings that are determined by one or more NRSRO or the Adviser to be below investment grade (or, in the case of unrated borrowers, determined by the Adviser to be comparable to borrowers rated below investment grade). The loans the Fund originates may vary in maturity and/or duration. The Fund is not limited in the size or type of Senior Loans it may originate, including with respect to a single borrower or with respect to borrowers that are determined to be below investment grade, other than pursuant to any applicable law.
The Fund participates in direct lending opportunities through its indirect investment in the Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Loan Origination LLC (the LLC), a Delaware limited liability company. The Fund may invest up to 60% of its net assets in direct lending opportunities through this investment.
The Fund may co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions outlined in an Exemptive Order granted to the Fund by the SEC. The Fund may co-invest with its affiliates in Senior Loans, including Senior Loans directly originated by the Fund or its affiliates and may also engage in direction origination of Senior Loans with its affiliates, all in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Exemptive Order and related compliance policies.
The Fund may invest, without limitation, in below investment grade debt securities (that is, securities rated Ba or lower by Moodys or BB or lower by S&P), which are commonly referred to as junk securities. The Fund may also invest in unrated debt securities determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality to securities rated below investment grade, each at the time of purchase. Any of the Funds investments may be issued by non-stressed, stressed and distressed issuers, including issuers in bankruptcy.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will not invest more than 20% of its total assets in obligations not making current interest and principal payments when due.
The Fund may utilize derivative instruments that reference or otherwise provide exposure to credit securities. From time to time, the Fund may also invest in short-term debt securities such as U.S. government securities, commercial paper and other money market instruments and cash equivalents. The Fund may invest in credit securities of any maturity or duration. |
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PORTFOLIO CONTENTS |
The Funds portfolio will consist of some combination of the following types of investments:
Senior Loans. Senior Loans are business loans made to borrowers that may be corporations, partnerships or other entities that operate in a variety of industries and geographic regions. Senior Loans generally are negotiated between a borrower and several financial institution lenders represented by one or more lenders acting as agent of all the lenders. Senior Loans hold (or in the judgment of the Adviser, hold) a senior position in the capital structure of U.S. and foreign corporations, partnerships or other business entities that, under normal circumstances, allow them to have priority of claim ahead of (or at least as high as) other obligations of a borrower in the event of liquidation. The Fund may act as one of the group of original lenders originating a Senior Loan, may purchase assignments of portions of Senior Loans from third parties and may invest in participations in Senior Loans. The Fund will only acquire participations if the lender selling the participation and any other persons positioned between the Fund and the lender has, at the time of investment, outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade by a rating agency or that are determined to be of comparable quality and has entered into an agreement which provides for the holding of assets in safekeeping for, or the prompt disbursement of assets to, the Fund.
The Fund generally acquires Senior Loans of borrowers that, among other things, in the Advisers judgment, can make timely payments on their Senior Loans and that satisfy other credit standards established by the Adviser. The Fund may invest in Senior Loans secured by specific assets of the borrower, and may also invest in loans that are not secured by specific collateral. The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio Senior Loans of borrowers that have filed for protection under the federal bankruptcy laws or that have had involuntary bankruptcy petitions filed against them by creditor.
There is no minimum rating or other independent evaluation of a borrower or its securities limiting the Funds investments. There is no limit on the percentage of the Funds assets that may be invested in Senior Loans that are rated below investment grade or that are unrated but deemed to be of comparable quality.
Certain of the loans, loan participations or assignments acquired by the Fund may involve unfunded commitments of the lenders or revolving credit facilities under which a borrower may from time to time borrow and repay amounts up to the maximum amount of the facility. In such cases, the Fund would have an obligation to advance its portion of such additional borrowings upon the terms specified in the loan documentation. Such an obligation may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not be desirable to do so (including at a time when the companys |
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financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid).
Below Investment Grade Securities and Distressed Issuers. The Fund may invest, without limitation, in below investment grade debt securities (that is, securities rated Ba or lower by Moodys or BB or lower by S&P), which are commonly referred to as junk securities or in unrated debt securities determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality, each at the time of purchase. Any of the Funds investments may be issued by non-stressed, stressed and distressed issuers (as defined under Investment Objectives and Policies Investment Policies of the Fund), including issuers in bankruptcy.
Structured Products and Derivatives. The Fund also may invest in structured products, including CDOs, CBOs, CLOs, structured notes, credit-linked notes and other types of structured products. The Fund can invest in derivative instruments including swap contracts, options, futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts.
Co-Investment. The Fund may co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions outlined in an Exemptive Order granted to the Fund by the SEC. The Fund may co-invest with its affiliates in Senior Loans, including Senior Loans directly originated by the Fund or its affiliates and may also engage in direction origination of Senior Loans with its affiliates, all in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Exemptive Order and related compliance policies.
Other Investments
Securities of Other Investment Companies. The Fund may invest its assets in securities of other open- and closed-end investment companies, including affiliated registered investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.
Zero Coupon Bonds. Certain debt obligations purchased by the Fund may take the form of zero coupon bonds. A zero coupon bond is a bond that does not pay interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. When held to its maturity, its return comes from the difference between the purchase price and its maturity value.
Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may engage in repurchase agreements with broker-dealers, banks and other financial institutions to earn incremental income on temporarily available cash which would otherwise be uninvested. The Fund may also borrow through entering into reverse repurchase agreements under which the Fund sells portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers and agrees to repurchase them at a particular date |
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and price. Such agreements are considered to be borrowings under the 1940 Act unless the Fund segregates an amount of cash and/or liquid securities equal to the amount of the Funds obligations under the reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund may utilize reverse repurchase agreements when it is anticipated that the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds of the transaction is greater than the interest expense of the transaction.
When Issued and Delayed Securities. The Fund may purchase and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis whereby the Fund buys or sells a security with payment and delivery taking place in the future. The payment obligation and the interest rate are fixed at the time the Fund enters into the commitment. No income accrues to the Fund on securities in connection with such transactions prior to the date the Fund actually takes delivery of such securities.
Private Placements and Restricted Securities. The Fund may invest in securities which are subject to restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). These securities are generally referred to as private placements or restricted securities. The Fund has no liquidity limitation or restriction; thus, some or all of the Fund investments may be in illiquid securities. At times, private placements or restricted securities, as well as other securities in which the Fund may invest, may be deemed illiquid.
Short Sales. The Fund may engage in short sales. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells securities it owns or has the right to acquire at no added cost (i.e., against the box) or does not own (but has borrowed) in anticipation of a decline in the market price of the securities. To deliver the securities to the buyer, the Fund arranges through a broker to borrow the securities and, in so doing, the Fund becomes obligated to replace the securities borrowed at their market price at the time of replacement. When selling short, the Fund intends to replace the securities at a lower price and therefore, profit from the difference between the cost to replace the securities and the proceeds received from the sale of the securities. The Funds obligation to replace the securities borrowed in connection with a short sale will be secured by collateral deposited with the broker that consists of cash and/or liquid securities. In addition, the Fund will place in a segregated account an amount of cash and/or liquid securities equal to the difference, if any, between (i) the market value of the securities sold at the time they were sold short, and (ii) any cash and/or liquid securities deposited as collateral with the broker in connection with the short sale.
Warrants. Warrants give holders the right, but not the obligation, to buy common stock of an issuer at a given price, usually higher than the market price at the time of issuance, during a specified period. Warrants are usually freely transferable. |
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Lending Portfolio Securities. The 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. Any cash received as collateral for loaned securities will be invested, in accordance with the Funds investment guidelines, in short-term money market instruments or funds.
Temporary Investments. During periods in which the Fund believes that changes in economic, financial or political conditions make it advisable to do so, the Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, reduce its primary investment holdings and invest in certain short-term (less than one year to maturity) and medium-term (not greater than five years to maturity) debt securities or hold cash. The short-term and medium-term debt securities in which the Fund may invest consist of (i) obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; (ii) bank deposits and bank obligations (including certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers acceptances) of U.S. or foreign banks denominated in any currency; (iii) floating rate securities and other instruments denominated in any currency issued by various governments or international development agencies; (iv) finance company and corporate commercial paper and other short-term corporate debt obligations of U.S. or foreign corporations; and (v) repurchase agreements with banks and broker-dealers with respect to such securities. The Fund intends to invest for temporary defensive purposes only in short-term and medium-term debt securities that the Fund believes to be of high quality, i.e., subject to relatively low risk of loss of interest or principal. In taking such defensive position, the Fund temporarily would not be pursuing and may not achieve its investment objectives. | ||
USE OF LEVERAGE |
The Fund may utilize financial leverage (i.e., borrowing or issuing preferred shares in an effort to increase the yield and distributions on the Common Shares) (i) to provide the Fund with additional liquidity to meet its obligations to repurchase its Shares pursuant to its repurchase offers and (ii) for investment purposes (i.e., to use such financial leverage to purchase additional portfolio securities consistent with the Funds investment objective and primary investment strategy) to benefit the Funds Common Shares.
The Funds policy on financial leverage allows the Fund to use financial leverage in the form of borrowings and/or preferred shares to the maximum extent allowable under the 1940 Act. Currently, the Fund employs financial leverage by borrowing through a credit facility (as defined herein). |
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Credit Facility. At the closing of the Reorganization, the Fund intends to assume the Credit Agreement of the Predecessor Fund or put in place a facility with substantially the same material terms. The Predecessor Fund has entered into a $325 million credit agreement, effective as of December 10, 2015 (as from time to time amended, supplemented, waived or modified, the Credit Agreement), with State Street Bank and Trust Company and other lending institutions as party thereto and State Street Bank and Trust Company , as agent (the Agent). As of June 29, 2021, the Predecessor Funds outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility were approximately $216 million, which represented approximately 27.94% of the Funds total assets as of such date. The Credit Agreement is secured by the assets of the Fund.
Preferred Shares. Although the Fund has no present intention to issue preferred shares, the Fund may authorize and issue preferred shares with rights as determined by the Board of Trustees, by action of the Board of Trustees without prior approval of the holders of the Common Shares. | ||
RISKS |
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
LIBOR Transition Risk. There remains uncertainty regarding the effect of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) transition process and therefore any impact of a transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or the instruments in which the Fund invests cannot yet be determined.
Market Risk. The market values of the Funds investments, and therefore the value of the Funds shares, will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The COVID-19 strain of coronavirus has resulted in instances of market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. The ongoing effects of COVID-19 are unpredictable and may result in significant and prolonged effects on the Funds performance.
Debt Securities Risk. The prices of debt securities held by the Fund will be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuer and other factors.
Risks of Senior Loans and Other Loans. In addition to the risks typically associated with debt securities, such as credit and interest rate risk, senior loans are also subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan, which typically holds a senior position in the capital structure of a borrower, to presently existing or future indebtedness or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans.
Risk of Second Lien or Other Subordinated or Unsecured Loans or Debt. Second lien or other subordinated or unsecured loans or debt generally are subject to similar risks associated with investments in Senior Loans. Because second lien or other subordinated or unsecured loans or debt are lower in priority of |
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payment to Senior Loans, they are subject to additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior secured obligations of the borrower. This risk is generally higher for subordinated unsecured loans or debt, which are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral.
High Yield Debt Securities (Junk Bond) Risk. The Funds investments in high yield debt securities (commonly referred to as junk bonds) and other lower-rated securities will subject the Fund to substantial risk of loss. These securities are considered to be speculative with respect to the issuers ability to pay interest and principal when due and are more susceptible to default or decline in market value due to adverse economic, regulatory, political or company developments than higher rated or investment grade securities.
Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions Risk. Increases in the federal funds and equivalent foreign rates may expose fixed income markets to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity for certain fixed income investments, particularly those with longer maturities. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may persist in the future, potentially leading to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income markets.
Financial Services Sector Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation and, as a result, their profitability may be affected by new regulations or regulatory interpretations. Unstable interest rates can have a disproportionate effect on companies in the financial services sector which could adversely affect the profitability of such companies. Financial services companies whose securities the Fund may purchase may themselves have concentrated portfolios, which makes them especially vulnerable to unstable economic conditions.
Interest Rate Risk, Income Risk and Prepayment or Call Risk. Rising interest rates, or an expectation of rising interest rates in the near future, could cause the values of the Funds investments to decline. The income you receive from the Fund is based primarily on interest rates, which can vary widely over the short- and long-term. If interest rates drop, your income from the Fund may drop as well. . If interest rates fall, it is possible that issuers of fixed income securities with high interest rates will prepay or call their securities before their maturity dates. In this event, the proceeds from the prepaid or called securities would likely be reinvested by the Fund in securities bearing the new, lower interest rates, resulting in a possible decline in the Funds income and distributions to shareholders. |
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Loan Origination Risks. In making a direct loan, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the borrower may default or become insolvent and, consequently, that the Fund will lose money on the loan. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market. The lack of a secondary market for direct loans may have an adverse impact on the ability of the Fund to dispose of a direct loan and/or to value the direct loan.
Loan Collateral Valuation Risk. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for the Funds loans and, accordingly, the valuation of and risks associated with such collateral will vary by loan. There is no assurance that the Fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Funds loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action.
Financial Leverage Risk. There are risks associated with borrowing or issuing preferred shares in an effort to increase the yield and distributions on the Common Shares, including that the costs of the financial leverage exceed the income from investments made with such leverage, the higher volatility of the net asset value of the Common Shares, and that fluctuations in the interest rates on the borrowing or dividend rates on preferred shares may affect the yield and distributions to the Common Shareholders. The Funds use of leverage also may impair the ability of the Fund to maintain its qualification for federal income tax purposes, as a regulated investment company.
Regulatory Risk. Various state licensing requirements could apply to the Fund with respect investments in, or the origination and servicing of loans and similar assets. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could lead to, among other penalties, a loss of the Funds (or its Subsidiarys) or the Advisers license, which in turn could require the Fund to divest assets located in or secured by real property located in that state.
Subsidiary Risk. By investing through one or more Subsidiaries, if any, the Fund is exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiaries investments (which risks are generally the same as the investment risks applicable to the Fund).
Investments in Middle-Market Companies. Middle-market companies may have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may be dependent on a smaller management group. As a result, such companies may be more vulnerable to general economic trends and to specific changes in markets and technology.
Conflicts of Interest Risk Related to Co-Investing. The Adviser and certain of its affiliates may experience conflicts of interest in connection with co-investment transactions.
Valuation Risk and Conflicts of Interest Created by Valuation Process for Certain Portfolio Holdings. The Funds portfolio investments may include loans that are not publicly traded and |
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for which no market based price quotation is available. As a result, the fair value of these loans will be determined in good faith in accordance with the Funds valuation procedures. The participation of the Advisers investment professionals in the Funds valuation process could result in a conflict of interest as the Advisers management fee is based, in part, on the value of the Funds assets.
Defaulted Securities Risk. Defaulted securities pose a greater risk that principal will not be repaid than non-defaulted securities.
Credit Risk. The issuers of instruments in which the Fund invests may be unable to meet interest and/or principal payments. This risk is increased to the extent the Fund invests in junk bonds which may cause the Fund to incur higher expenses to protect its interests. The credit risks and market prices of lower-grade securities generally are more sensitive to negative issuer developments, such as reduced revenues or increased expenditures, or adverse economic conditions, such as a recession, than are higher-grade securities.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may be unable to sell illiquid investments at the time or price it desires and, as a result, could lose its entire investment in such investments.
Restricted Securities Risk. Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices.
Foreign Securities Risk. The value of the Funds foreign investments may be adversely affected by political and social instability in the home countries of the issuers of the investments, by changes in economic or taxation policies in those countries, or by the difficulty in enforcing obligations in those countries. Foreign companies generally may be subject to less stringent regulations than U.S. companies, including financial reporting requirements and auditing and accounting controls, and may therefore be more susceptible to fraud or corruption. Also, there may be less publicly available information about companies in certain foreign countries than about U.S. companies making it more difficult for the Adviser to evaluate those companies.
Common Stock and Other Equity Investments. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, rights, warrants and certain securities that are convertible into common stock. Stocks and other equity securities fluctuate in price in response to changes to equity markets in general and those fluctuations may affect the value of the Funds portfolio. Stock markets may experience significant short-term volatility and may fall or rise sharply at times. Adverse events in any part of the equity or fixed-income markets may have unexpected negative effects on other market segments. Different stock markets may behave differently |
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from each other. A variety of factors, including, but not limited to, poor earnings reports, loss of customers, litigation, unfavorable performance and changes in government regulations, can negatively affect the price of a particular companys stock. To the extent that securities of a particular type are emphasized (for example foreign stocks, stocks of small- or mid-cap companies, growth or value stocks, or stocks of companies in a particular industry) their share values may fluctuate more in response to events affecting the market for that type of security. Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company.
Warrants, Equity Securities and Junior Debt Securities of the Borrower. Warrants, equity securities and junior debt securities have a subordinate claim on a Borrowers assets as compared with Senior Loans. As a result, the values of warrants, equity securities and junior debt securities generally are more dependent on the financial condition of the Borrower and less dependent on fluctuations in interest rates than are the values of many debt securities. The values of warrants, equity securities and junior debt securities may be more volatile than those of Senior Loans and thus may increase the volatility of the Funds net asset value. Additionally, warrants may be significantly less valuable on their relevant expiration date resulting in a loss of money or they may expire worthless resulting in a total loss of the investment. Warrants may also be postponed or terminated early resulting in a partial or total loss of the investment. Warrants may also be illiquid.
Risks of Structured Products. Holders of structured products bear risks of the underlying investments, index or reference obligation and are subject to counterparty risk. When investing in structured products, it is impossible to predict whether the underlying index or prices of the underlying securities will rise or fall, but prices of the underlying indices and securities (and, therefore, the prices of structured products) will be influenced by the same types of political and economic events that affect particular issuers of securities and capital markets generally.
Derivatives Risk. The value of a derivative instrument depends largely on (and is derived from) the value of an underlying security, currency, commodity, interest rate, index or other asset (each referred to as an underlying asset). In addition to risks relating to the underlying assets, the use of derivatives may include other, possibly greater, risks, including counterparty, leverage and liquidity risks.
Zero Coupon or Pay-In-Kind Securities Risk. 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/ |
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supply imbalances than cash-paying securities with similar credit ratings, and thus may be more speculative.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of its assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in Share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Funds volatility and cause the performance of a relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Funds performance.
Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and depends heavily on the Advisers judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Funds portfolio.
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES |
The management of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed by the Adviser, is the responsibility of the Funds Board of Trustees. | |
ADVISORY FEE |
The Fund shall pay the Adviser, out of its assets, as full compensation for all services rendered, an advisory fee for the Fund at the annual rate of 1.25% of the average daily managed assets of the Fund for the calendar year. Managed assets for this purpose means the Funds net assets, plus assets attributable to outstanding preferred shares and the amount of any borrowings incurred for the purpose of leverage (whether or not such borrowed amounts are reflected in the Funds financial statements for purposes of generally accepted accounting principles). | |
ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES |
Invesco Advisers, Inc., the Funds investment adviser, also serves as the Funds administrator (in such capacity, the Administrator). Pursuant to an administrative services agreement (Administrative Services Agreement), Invesco is 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 their operations.
Under the Administrative Services Agreement, Invesco is entitled to receive from the Fund reimbursement of its costs or such reasonable compensation. Currently, Invesco is reimbursed for the services of the Funds principal financial officer and her staff and any expenses related to fund accounting services. | |
VALUATIONS |
The Board has delegated day-to-day responsibility for implementing the portfolio valuation process set forth in the Funds valuation policy to the Adviser, and has authorized the |
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Adviser to utilize the independent third-party pricing services and independent third-party valuation services that have been approved by the Board. Independent pricing services will also use actuarial capabilities and modeling analysis to further validate fair prices specifically before and after key events.
Portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are readily available are valued at market value. In circumstances where market quotes are not readily available, the Board has adopted methods for determining the fair value of such securities and other assets. The Fund determines NAV per Share in accordance with the methodology described in the Funds valuation policy. Valuations of Fund investments are disclosed in reports publicly filed with the SEC.
The net asset value per Share for each class of Shares of the Fund is determined and reported on the Funds website once daily as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time or earlier in the case of a scheduled early close) each day the Exchange is open for trading. See Determination of Net Asset Value. | ||
SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM |
The Shares have no history of public trading, nor is it intended that the Shares will be listed on a public exchange at this time. No secondary market is expected to develop for the Funds Shares.
The Fund is an interval fund, a type of fund which, to provide some liquidity to Shareholders, makes quarterly offers to repurchase between 5% and 25% of its outstanding Shares at NAV, pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act, unless such offer is suspended or postponed in accordance with regulatory requirements (as discussed below). In connection with any given repurchase offer, it is likely that the Fund may offer to repurchase only the minimum amount of 5% of its outstanding Shares. Quarterly repurchases will occur in the months of March, June, September and December. The Fund expects its initial repurchase offer to commence in the first quarter of 2022. The offer to purchase Shares is a fundamental policy that may not be changed without the vote of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act). See Share Repurchase Program and Risks Other Risks Relating to the Fund Repurchase Offer Risks.
Written notification of each quarterly repurchase offer (the Repurchase Offer Notice) is sent to Shareholders at least 21 calendar days before the repurchase request deadline (i.e., the date by which Shareholders can tender their Shares in response to a repurchase offer) (the Repurchase Request Deadline); however, the Fund will seek to provide such written notification earlier but no more than 42 calendar days before the Repurchase Request Deadline. The NAV will be calculated no later than the 14th calendar day (or the next business day if the 14th calendar day is not a business day) after the Repurchase Request Deadline |
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(the Repurchase Pricing Date). The Fund will distribute payment to Shareholders within seven calendar days after the Repurchase Pricing Date.
The Board, in its sole discretion, will determine the number of Shares that the Fund will offer to repurchase (the Repurchase Offer Amount) for a given Repurchase Request Deadline. The Repurchase Offer Amount, however, will be between 5% and 25% of the total number of Shares outstanding on the Repurchase Request Deadline. Shares tendered for repurchase by Shareholders prior to any Repurchase Request Deadline will be repurchased subject to the aggregate Repurchase Offer Amount established for that Repurchase Request Deadline. | ||
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN |
The Fund has selected Invesco Distributors to provide distribution-related and shareholder services with respect to its Class A Shares (the Plan). There is no Plan for the Funds Class AX Shares, Class Y Shares or Class R6 Shares. The Plan compensates Invesco Distributors for expenses incurred in providing services primarily intended to result in the sale of Class A Shares of the Fund.
The Fund, pursuant to the Plan, pays Invesco Distributors compensation at the annual rate of 0.25% of the Funds average daily net assets of Class A Shares. | |
PURCHASES OF SHARES |
Class A Shares, Class Y Shares and Class R6 Shares are offered on a continuous basis through Invesco Distributors as principal underwriter. Class AX Shares of the Fund are closed to new investors. Only investors who have continuously maintained an account in Shares of Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Fund, the Funds predecessor fund, prior to the closing of the Reorganization may continue to make additional purchases in their accounts in Class AX Shares of the Fund. With respect to Class A Shares and Class Y Shares, the minimum initial investment is $10,000 for regular and retirement accounts; subsequent investments may be made with at least $1,000. With respect to Class R6 Shares, the minimum initial investment is $10,000 for all accounts; subsequent investments may be made with at least $1,000.
Class A Shares of the Fund are sold at the offering price, which is net asset value plus an initial maximum sales charge of up to 3.25% (or 3.36% of the net amount invested). Investors purchasing Class A Shares may, under certain circumstance, be entitled to pay reduced or no sales charges.
See Distribution of Securities Purchase Terms. Class Y and Class R6 Shares of the Fund are sold at net asset value. No sales charge is imposed on purchases of Class Y or Class R6 Shares and Class Y and Class R6 Shares are not subject to an early withdrawal charge. |
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DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS |
The Funds present policy, which may be changed at any time by the Funds Board of Trustees, is to declare daily and distribute quarterly all, or substantially all, of its net investment income as dividends to shareholders. The Fund generally distributes long-term and short-term capital gains (net of any available capital loss carryovers), if any, at least annually. | |
REINVESTMENT PLAN |
Investors may accumulate additional Shares by accepting dividends and distributions in Shares of the Fund. Such Shares are acquired at net asset value per Share (without a sales charge) on the applicable payable date of the dividend or distribution. Unless the shareholder instructs otherwise, the reinvestment plan is automatic with respect to Class A, Class Y and Class R6 Shares of the Fund. With respect to Class AX Shares, previous instructions regarding reinvestment of dividends and distributions will continue to apply until such shareholder changes his or her instruction. The investor may, on the account application form or prior to any declaration, instruct that dividends and/or distributions be paid in cash, be reinvested in the Fund at the next determined net asset value or be reinvested in another Participating Fund at the next determined net asset value. See Dividends and Distributions Reinvestment Plan. | |
UNLISTED CLOSED-END INTERVAL FUND STRUCTURE |
The Fund has been organized as a continuously offered, non-diversified closed-end management investment company that is operated as an interval fund. Closed-end funds differ from open-end funds (commonly known as mutual funds) in that investors in closed-end funds do not have the right to redeem their shares on a daily basis. Unlike most closed-end funds, which typically list their shares on a securities exchange, the Fund does not currently intend to list the Shares for trading on any securities exchange, and the Fund does not expect any secondary market to develop for the Shares in the foreseeable future. Therefore, an investment in the Fund, unlike an investment in a typical closed-end fund, is not a liquid investment. To provide some liquidity to Shareholders, the Fund is structured as an interval fund and conducts quarterly repurchase offers for a limited amount of the Funds Shares (at least 5%).
The Fund believes that a closed-end structure is most appropriate for the long-term nature of the Funds strategy. The Funds NAV per Share may be volatile. As the Shares are not traded, investors will not be able to dispose of their investment in the Fund, except through repurchases conducted through the share repurchase program, no matter how the Fund performs. | |
SUMMARY OF TAXATION |
The Fund intends to elect to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and intends to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any net ordinary income or capital gains that is currently distributed as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to Shareholders, as applicable. To qualify for and maintain its treatment as a RIC |
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for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is required to meet certain specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements, and is required to distribute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes of an amount at least equal to 90% of the sum of its net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses each tax year to Shareholders, as applicable. See Dividends and Distributions and Tax Matters. | ||
FISCAL YEAR |
For accounting purposes, the Funds fiscal year is the 12-month period ending on February 28. | |
REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS |
As soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year, a statement on Form 1099-DIV identifying the sources of the distributions paid by the Fund to Shareholders for tax purposes will be furnished to Shareholders subject to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reporting. In addition, the Fund will prepare and transmit to Shareholders an unaudited semi-annual and an audited annual report within 60 days after the close of the period for which the report is being made, or as otherwise required by the 1940 Act. |
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Consolidated Financial Highlights
The Fund is new and has no performance history as of the date of this Prospectus. Simultaneous with the commencement of the Funds investment operations, upon the closing of the Reorganization the Fund assumed the assets and liabilities of the Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Fund (the Predecessor Fund), and is the successor to the accounting and performance information of Predecessor Fund. As a result, the financial highlights information presented for the Fund is the financial history of the Predecessor Fund. The financial highlights show the Predecessor Funds financial history for the past ten fiscal years or, if shorter, the applicable period of operations since the inception of the of the Predecessor Fund or a class of Predecessor Fund shares. The accompanying financial statements reflect the financial position of the Predecessor Fund and the Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Loan Origination Trust, a Massachusetts Business Trust, which the Predecessor Fund owns all beneficial and economic interests in, and the results of operations on a consolidated basis. The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Funds and the Predecessor Funds financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Predecessor Fund share.
The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Predecessor Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the fiscal years shown in the table has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Predecessor Funds financial statements, is included in the Predecessor Funds annual report, which is available upon request.
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Year Ended February 28, 2021 |
Year Ended February 29, 2020 |
Years ended February 28, | ||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value per common share, beginning of period | $ | 12.35 | $ | 12.66 | $ | 13.15 | $ | 13.25 | $ | 11.51 | ||||||||||
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Net investment income (a) |
0.62 | 0.72 | 0.61 | 0.71 | 0.89 | |||||||||||||||
Net gains (losses) on securities (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.05 | ) | (0.21 | ) | (0.19 | ) | 0.02 | 1.73 | ||||||||||||
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Total from investment operations | 0.57 | 0.51 | 0.42 | 0.73 | 2.62 | |||||||||||||||
Less: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends paid to common shareholders from net investment income |
(0.74 | ) | (0.82 | ) | (0.91 | ) | (0.62 | ) | (0.57 | ) | ||||||||||
Return of capital |
(0.16 | ) | | | (0.21 | ) | (0.31 | ) | ||||||||||||
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Total distributions |
(0.90 | ) | (0.82 | ) | (0.91 | ) | (0.83 | ) | (0.88 | ) | ||||||||||
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Net asset value per common share, end of period | $ | 12.02 | $ | 12.35 | $ | 12.66 | $ | 13.15 | $ | 13.25 | ||||||||||
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Market value per common share, end of period | $ | 11.00 | $ | 10.83 | $ | 11.06 | $ | 11.59 | $ | 12.40 | ||||||||||
Total return at net asset value (b) | 7.11 | % | 4.99 | % | 4.44 | % | 6.33 | % | 24.21 | % | ||||||||||
Total return at market value (c) | 11.77 | % | 5.39 | % | 3.52 | % | 0.14 | % | 34.20 | % | ||||||||||
Net assets applicable to common shares, end of period (000s omitted) | $ | 756,881 | $ | 777,644 | $ | 937,973 | $ | 974,593 | $ | 981,758 | ||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate (d) | 83 | % | 83 | % | 69 | % | 89 | % | 87 | % | ||||||||||
Ratios/supplemental data based on average net assets applicable to common shares outstanding: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ratio of expenses: | ||||||||||||||||||||
With fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements |
2.68 | %(e)(f) | 3.59 | %(f) | 3.50 | %(f) | 3.07 | %(f) | 2.78 | %(f) | ||||||||||
With fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements excluding interest, facilities and maintenance fees |
1.92 | %(e) | 1.99 | % | 1.97 | % | 1.96 | % | 1.94 | % | ||||||||||
Without fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements |
2.68 | %(e) | 3.59 | % | 3.50 | % | 3.07 | % | 2.78 | % | ||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 5.66 | %(e) | 5.76 | % | 4.72 | % | 5.45 | % | 6.98 | % | ||||||||||
Senior securities: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total amount of preferred shares outstanding (000s omitted) |
$ | 100,000 | $ | 125,000 | $ | 125,000 | $ | 75,000 | $ | 125,000 | ||||||||||
Asset coverage per $1,000 unit of senior indebtedness (g) |
$ | 5,486 | $ | 4,010 | $ | 4,249 | $ | 3,725 | $ | 4,513 | ||||||||||
Total borrowings (000s omitted) |
$ | 191,000 | $ | 300,000 | $ | 327,000 | $ | 385,000 | $ | 315,000 | ||||||||||
Asset coverage per preferred share (h) |
$ | 856,881 | $ | 722,116 | $ | 850,378 | $ | 1,398,919 | $ | 885,323 | ||||||||||
Liquidating preference per preferred share |
$ | 100,000 | $ | 100,000 | $ | 100,000 | $ | 100,000 | $ | 100,000 |
(a) | Calculated using average shares outstanding. |
(b) | 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. |
(c) | Total return assumes an investment at the common share market price at the beginning of the period indicated, reinvestment of all distributions for the period in accordance with the Funds dividend reinvestment plan, and sale of all shares at the closing common share market price at the end of the period indicated. Not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
(d) | Calculation includes the proceeds from principal repayments and sales of variable rate senior loan interests and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
(e) | Ratios are based on average daily net assets applicable to common shares (000s omitted) of $687,679. |
(f) | Includes fee waivers which were less than 0.005% per share. |
(g) | Calculated at the fund level by subtracting the Funds total liabilities (not including preferred shares, at liquidation value and the Borrowings) from the Funds total assets and dividing by the total number of senior indebtedness units, where one unit equals $1,000 of senior indebtedness. |
(h) | Calculated by subtracting the Funds total liabilities (not including the preferred shares, at liquidation value) from the Funds total assets and dividing by the total number of preferred shares outstanding. |
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Year ended 2016 |
Years ended February 28, | Year ended 2012 |
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2015 | 2014 | 2013 | |||||||||||||||||
Net asset value per common share, beginning of period | $ | 13.28 | $ | 13.82 | $ | 13.15 | $ | 12.37 | $ | 13.29 | ||||||||||
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Net investment income(a) |
0.97 | 0.92 | 0.84 | 0.91 | 0.84 | |||||||||||||||
Net gains (losses) on securities (both realized and unrealized) |
(1.84 | ) | (0.56 | ) | 0.73 | 0.77 | (0.88 | ) | ||||||||||||
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Total from investment operations | (0.87 | ) | 0.36 | 1.57 | 1.68 | (0.04 | ) | |||||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.56 | ) | (0.90 | ) | (0.90 | ) | (0.90 | ) | (0.88 | ) | ||||||||||
Return of capital | (0.34 | ) | | | | | ||||||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.90 | ) | (0.90 | ) | (0.90 | ) | (0.90 | ) | (0.88 | ) | ||||||||||
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Net asset value per common share, end of period | $ | 11.51 | $ | 13.28 | $ | 13.82 | $ | 13.15 | $ | 12.37 | ||||||||||
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Market value per common share, end of period | $ | 9.97 | $ | 12.07 | $ | 12.90 | $ | 13.29 | $ | 11.62 | ||||||||||
Total return at net asset value(b) | (6.03 | )% | 3.29 | % | 12.65 | % | 14.13 | % | 0.35 | % | ||||||||||
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Total return at market value(c) | (10.44 | )% | 0.57 | % | 4.04 | % | 23.00 | % | (2.36 | )% | ||||||||||
Net assets applicable to common shares, end of period (000s omitted) | $ | 853,086 | $ | 983,798 | $ | 1,024,187 | $ | 974,021 | $ | 916,236 | ||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate(d)(e) | 88 | % | 103 | % | 121 | % | 129 | % | 132 | % | ||||||||||
Ratio/supplement data based on average net assets applicable to common shares outstanding: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ratio of expenses | 2.68 | %(f)(g) | 2.52 | %(g) | 2.25 | %(g) | 2.09 | %(g) | 2.21 | % | ||||||||||
Ratio of expenses excluding interest, facilities and maintenance fees | 2.01 | %(f) | 1.96 | % | 1.82 | % | 1.72 | % | 1.86 | % | ||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income | 7.61 | %(f) | 6.72 | % | 6.28 | % | 7.15 | % | 6.73 | % | ||||||||||
Senior indebtedness: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total amount of preferred shares outstanding (000s omitted) | $ | 125,000 | $ | 125,000 | $ | 125,000 | ||||||||||||||
Total borrowings (000s omitted) | $ | 265,000 | $ | 361,000 | $ | 331,000 | $ | 240,000 | $ | 232,000 | ||||||||||
Asset coverage per $1,000 unit of senior indebtedness(h) | $ | 4,691 | $ | 4,071 | $ | 4,472 | $ | 5,058 | $ | 4,949 | ||||||||||
Asset coverage per preferred share(i) | $ | 782,469 | $ | 887,038 | $ | 919,350 | ||||||||||||||
Liquidating preference per preferred share | $ | 100,000 | $ | 100,000 | $ | 100,000 |
(a) | Calculated using average shares outstanding. |
(b) | 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. Not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
(c) | Total return assumes an investment at the common share market price at the beginning of the period indicated, reinvestment of all distributions for the period in accordance with the Trusts dividend reinvestment plan, and sale of all shares at the closing common share market price at the end of the period indicated. Not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
(d) | Portfolio turnover is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
(e) | Calculation includes the proceeds from principal repayments and sales of variable rate senior loan interests and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
(f) | Ratios are based on average daily net assets applicable to common shares (000s omitted) of $948,289. |
(g) | Includes fee waivers which were less than 0.005% per share. |
(h) | Calculated by subtracting the Funds total liabilities (not including the preferred shares and borrowings) from the Funds total assets and dividing by the total number of senior indebtedness units, where one unit equals $1,000 of senior indebtedness. |
(i) | Calculated by subtracting the Funds total liabilities (not including the preferred shares) from the Funds total assets and dividing by the total number of preferred shares outstanding. |
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of the Statement of
Additional Information
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APPENDIX A DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS |
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APPENDIX B PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES |
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Obtaining Additional Information
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Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunity Fund | ||||||
SEC 1940 Act file number: 811-23665 | ||||||
invesco.com/us VK-CE-DCO-PRO-1 |
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Dated July 20, 2021
Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunity Fund
This Statement of Additional Information (the SAI) relates to the Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunity Fund (the Fund), a newly organized Delaware statutory trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that is operated as an interval fund. The Fund offers four separate classes of shares as follows:
Fund |
Class A |
Class AX |
Class Y |
Class R6 | ||||
Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunity Fund |
XCRTX |
XAXCX | XCRRX | XCYOX |
This SAI does not include all the information that a prospective investor should consider before purchasing Class A, Class Y or Class R6 Shares (collectively with the Funds Class AX Shares, which are not offered to new investors, the Shares) of the Fund. This SAI is not a Prospectus, and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for the Fund dated July 20, 2021 (the Prospectus). The Fund is newly organized and has been created for the purpose of acquiring the assets and liabilities of the predecessor fund (as defined in the SAI). The predecessor funds financial statements are incorporated into this SAI by reference to the predecessor funds most recent Annual Report to shareholders. You may obtain, without charge, a copy of the Funds Prospectus and/or the Annual Report for the Fund (when available) or the predecessor fund from an authorized dealer or by writing to:
Invesco Distributors Inc.
11 Greenway Plaza
Suite 1000
Houston, Texas 77046-1173
or by calling (800) 959-4246
or on the Internet: www.invesco.com/us
You may also obtain a copy of the Funds Prospectus on the Securities and Exchange Commissions website (http://www.sec.gov). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Statement of Additional Information have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prospectus.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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B-1 |
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
The Fund was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on May 7, 2021 and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that is operated as an interval fund. As a non-diversified fund, the Fund can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a small number of issuers or any one issuer than a diversified fund can.
Simultaneous with the commencement of the Funds investment operations, upon the closing of the reorganization of Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Fund (Predecessor Fund) into the Fund (the Reorganization), the Fund assumed the assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Fund, which had the same investment objectives and substantially the same principal investment strategies as the Fund, but operated as an exchange-traded closed-end management investment company. The Predecessor Fund was also managed by the Invesco Advisers, Inc. All historical financial information and other information contained in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) relating to the Fund (or any classes thereof) for periods ending on or prior to the closing of the Reorganization is that of the Predecessor Fund.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
The following disclosure supplements the disclosure set forth under the captions Investment Objective and Policies and Risks in the Prospectus and does not, standing alone, present a complete or accurate explanation of the matters disclosed. Prospective investors should refer to the Prospectus for a complete presentation of the matters disclosed below.
The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The Fund cannot assure investors that it will achieve its investment objective and you could lose some or all of your investment.
Depending on current market conditions and the Funds outlook over time, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by opportunistically investing primarily in loan and debt instruments (and loan-related or debt-related instruments) (collectively, credit securities) of issuers which operate in a variety of industries and geographic regions located throughout the world. The Fund borrows money for investment purposes which may create the opportunity for enhanced return, but also should be considered a speculative technique and may increase the Funds volatility.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in any combination of the following credit securities: (i) senior secured floating rate and fixed rate loans (Senior Loans); (ii) second lien or other subordinated or unsecured floating rate and fixed rate loans or debt; and (iii) other debt obligations, including, without limitation, high-yield, high-risk obligations. In complying with this 80% investment requirement, the Fund may invest in derivatives and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to the Funds direct investments that are counted toward the 80% investment requirement.
The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its total assets in equity securities (including common stocks, preferred stocks, rights, warrants, and securities convertible into common stock) and may also invest in structured products, including structured notes, credit-linked notes, collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), collateralized bond obligations (CBOs) and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and other types of structured products (collectively, structured products). The Fund also may invest in swaps, including credit default, total return, index and interest rate swaps. To the extent that the Fund invests in structured products or swaps that gain exposure to credit securities, such investments will be counted for purposes of the Funds 80% policy.
The Fund may originate Senior Loans directly or through investments in one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries (each, a Subsidiary). The Fund may originate loans in order to obtain exposure to middle market loan transactions which will generally be first and second lien Senior Loans. Such borrowers may have credit ratings that are determined by one or more NRSRO or the Adviser to be below investment grade (or, in the case of unrated borrowers, determined by the Adviser to be comparable to borrowers rated below investment grade).
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The loans the Fund originates may vary in maturity and/or duration. The Fund is not limited in the size or type of loans it may originate, including with respect to a single borrower or with respect to borrowers that are determined to be below investment grade, other than pursuant to any applicable law. Currently, the Fund participates in direct lending opportunities through its indirect investment in the Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Loan Origination LLC (the LLC), a Delaware limited liability company. The Trust owns all beneficial and economic interests in the Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Loan Origination Trust, a Massachusetts Business Trust (the Loan Origination Trust), which in turn owns all beneficial and economic interests in the LLC. The Fund may invest 60% of its net assets in the Loan Origination Trust.
The Fund may co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions outlined in an Exemptive Order granted to the Fund by the SEC. The Fund may co-invest with its affiliates in Senior Loans, including Senior Loans directly originated by the Fund or its affiliates and may also engage in direct origination of Senior Loans with its affiliates, all in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Exemptive Order.
The Fund may invest, without limitation, in below investment grade securities (that is, securities rated Ba or lower by Moodys or BB or lower by S&P) are commonly referred to as junk securities or in unrated securities determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality, each at the time of purchase. Any of the Funds investments may be issued by non-stressed, stressed and distressed issuers, including issuers in bankruptcy. Distressed issuers generally refers to those issuers that are unable to service their debt and thus, have entered into default, bankruptcy or are likely to do so. Stressed issuers generally refers to those issuers that the market expects to be distressed in the near future. Non-stressed issuers are those issuers that generally are performing and currently not undergoing the same financial experiences as stressed and distressed issuers. Credit securities that are or become stressed or distressed generally trade at prices below par, thus creating opportunities for capital appreciation (or loss) as the values of such securities change over time.
The Fund may invest in credit securities of any maturity or duration, and the Fund will not be managed for maturity or duration. Although the Fund will not be managed for maturity or duration, given the nature of the Funds portfolio, the Funds portfolio will likely have a low average duration (generally, four years or less). Duration is a measure of the price volatility of a security as a result of changes in market rates of interest, based on the weighted average timing of a securitys expected principal and interest payments.
From time to time, the Fund may also invest in short-term debt securities such as U.S. government securities, commercial paper and other money market instruments and cash equivalents.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will not invest more than 20% of its total assets in obligations not making current interest and principal payments when due.
The Fund may invest without limitation in obligations for which there is no readily available trading market or which are otherwise illiquid, including securities restricted as to resale such as those contained in Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
The Fund will invest in obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers and such obligations may be U.S. dollar denominated as well as non-U.S. dollar denominated. Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects to invest in issuers located anywhere in the world and, although under current market conditions the Fund does not intend to invest in obligations of issuers located in emerging market countries, the Fund may so do if it determines that such investments are appropriate for the Fund. The Fund considers emerging countries to be those countries that the international financial community, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (more commonly known as The World Bank) and the International Finance Corporation, considers to be emerging or developing countries on the basis of such factors as trade initiatives, per capita income and level of industrialization.
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Temporary Defensive Strategies
The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in investments that may be inconsistent with its principal investment strategies for temporary defensive purposes in anticipation of or in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a result, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Involuntary Repurchases and Mandatory Redemptions
The Fund, consistent with the requirements of the Funds Agreement and Declaration of Trust, the provisions of the 1940 Act and rules thereunder, including Rule 23c-2, has the right to repurchase or redeem Shares of a Shareholder or any person acquiring Shares from or through a Shareholder under certain circumstances.
Fundamental Restrictions. 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 (and the issuance of senior securities) 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 may not borrow money or issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as such 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). |
2. | 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 Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act). |
3. | 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, (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. |
4. | 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. |
5. | The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund. |
6. | Make loans of money or property to any person, except (a) to the extent that securities or interests in which the Fund may invest, or which the Fund may originate, are considered to be loans, (b) through the loan of portfolio securities, (c) by engaging in repurchase agreements or (d) as may otherwise be permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations, and Exemptions. |
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7. | 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. |
In addition, the Fund has adopted a fundamental policy that it will make quarterly repurchase offers pursuant to Rule 23c-3 of the 1940 Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, for between 5% and 25% of the Shares outstanding at NAV, unless suspended or postponed in accordance with regulatory requirements, and each repurchase pricing shall occur no later than the 14th day after the Repurchase Request Deadline (as defined in the Prospectus), or the next business day if the 14th day is not a business day. The Fund will comply with the requirements of Rule 23c-3 of the 1940 Act in computing the Funds NAV when making repurchase offers.
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.
Non-Fundamental Restrictions. Non-fundamental restrictions may be changed for the Fund without shareholder approval.
1. | 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). |
2. | In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding investing in physical commodities, the Fund does not consider currencies or other financial commodities or contracts and financial instruments to be physical commodities (which include, for example, oil, precious metals and grains). Accordingly, the Fund will interpret the fundamental restriction and the related non-fundamental restriction to permit the Fund, subject to the Funds investment objectives and general investment policies (as stated in the Funds Prospectus and herein), to invest directly in foreign currencies and other financial commodities and to purchase, sell or enter into commodity futures contracts and options thereon, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency options, currency-, commodity- and financial instrument-related swap agreements, hybrid instruments, interest rate or securities- related or foreign currency-related hedging instruments or other currency-, commodity- or financial instrument- related derivatives, subject to compliance with any applicable provisions of the federal securities or commodities laws. The Fund also will interpret the fundamental restriction regarding the purchase and sale of physical commodities and their related non-fundamental restriction to permit the Fund to invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), registered investment companies and other pooled investment vehicles that invest in physical and/or financial commodities, subject to the limits described in the Fund prospectuses and herein. |
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 the Fund may be counted toward the Funds 80% policy. The Fund will provide written notice to its shareholders prior to any change 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.
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PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION AND OTHER INFORMATION
The following information supplements the discussion of the Funds investment objectives, policies, and strategies that are described in the Prospectus.
Additional Investment Policies and Portfolio Contents
The following information supplements the discussion of the Funds investment objectives, policies, and strategies that are described in the Prospectus.
Senior Loans. Senior Loans are generally negotiated between a borrower and several 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 Senior Loan and the rights of the borrower and the lenders. The agent is paid a fee by the borrower for its services.
The agent generally is required to administer and manage the Senior Loan on behalf of other lenders. When evaluating Senior Loans, the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers may consider, and may rely in part on, analysis performed by the agent and other lenders. This analysis may include an evaluation of the value and sufficiency of any collateral securing the Senior Loans. As to collateralized Senior Loans, the agent usually is required to monitor the collateral. The agent may rely on independent appraisals of specific collateral. The agent need not, however, obtain an independent appraisal of assets pledged as collateral in all cases. The agent generally is also responsible for determining that the lenders have obtained a perfected security interest in the collateral securing a Senior Loan.
The Fund normally relies on the agent to collect principal of and interest on a Senior Loan. Furthermore, the Fund also relies in part on the agent to monitor compliance by the borrower with the restrictive covenants in the loan agreement and to notify the Fund (or the lender from whom the Fund has purchased a Participation (as defined below)) of any adverse change in the borrowers financial condition. The Fund will not purchase interests in Senior Loans unless the agent, lender and any other person positioned between the Fund and the borrower has entered into an agreement that provides for the holding of assets in safekeeping for, or the prompt disbursement of assets to, the Fund. Insolvency of the agent or other persons positioned between the Fund and the borrower could result in losses for the Fund.
The Fund may be required to pay and may receive various fees and commissions in connection with purchasing, selling and holding interests in Senior Loans. The fees normally paid by borrowers include three primary types: facility fees, commitment fees and prepayment penalties. Facility fees are paid to lenders when a Senior Loan is originated. Commitment fees are paid to lenders on an ongoing basis based on the unused portion of a Senior Loan commitment. Lenders may receive prepayment penalties when a borrower prepays a Senior Loan. The Fund receives these fees directly from the borrower if the Fund is an original lender (as defined below) or, in the case of commitment fees and prepayment penalties, if the Fund acquires an Assignment (as defined below). Whether the Fund receives a facility fee in the case of an Assignment, or any fees in the case of a Participation (as defined below), depends on negotiations between the Fund and the lender selling such interests. When the Fund buys an Assignment, it may be required to pay a fee to the lender selling the Assignment, or to forgo a portion of interest and fees payable to the Fund. Occasionally, the assignor pays a fee to the assignee. A person selling a Participation to the Fund may deduct a portion of the interest and any fees payable to the Fund as an administrative fee. The Fund may be required to pass along to a person that buys a Senior Loan from the Fund a portion of any fees that the Fund is entitled to.
The Fund may have obligations under a loan agreement, including the obligation to make additional loans in certain circumstances.
Senior Loans typically pay interest at least quarterly at rates which equal a fixed percentage spread over a base rate such as the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR). For example, if LIBOR were 3% and the borrower was paying a fixed spread of 2.50%, the total interest rate paid by the borrower would be 5.50%.
Although a base rate such as LIBOR can change every day, loan agreements for Senior Loans typically allow the borrower the ability to choose how often the base rate for its loan will change. A single loan may have
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multiple reset periods at the same time, with each reset period applicable to a designated portion of the loan. Such periods can range from one day to one year, with most borrowers choosing monthly or quarterly reset periods. During periods of rising interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose longer reset periods, and during periods of declining interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose shorter reset periods. The fixed spread over the base rate on a senior loan typically does not change.
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. Although many LIBOR rates will be phased out at the end of 2021 as originally intended, a selection of widely used USD LIBOR rates will continue to be published until June 2023 in order to assist with the transition. As a result, any impact of a transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or the instruments in which the Fund invests cannot yet be determined. See LIBOR Transition Risk below for additional information regarding the risks associated with the transition to LIBOR.
In certain circumstances, loans may not be deemed to be securities, and in the event of fraud or misrepresentation by a borrower or an arranger, lenders will not have the protection of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws, as would be the case for bonds or stocks. Instead, in such cases, lenders generally rely on the contractual provisions in the loan agreement itself, and common-law fraud protections under applicable state law.
Types of Senior Loan Investments. The Fund may act as one of a group of lenders originating a Senior Loan (an Original Lender), may purchase assignments or novations (Assignments) of portions of Senior Loans from third parties and may invest in participations (Participations) in Senior Loans. Senior Loans also include certain senior debt obligations that are in the form of notes rather than Loan Agreements and certain structured products with rates of return determined by reference to the total rate of return on one or more Senior Loans referenced in such products. All of these interests in Senior Loans are sometimes referred to simply as Senior Loans. The Fund may also gain exposure to loans indirectly using certain derivative instruments, which is discussed elsewhere in this SAI.
Original Lender. When the Fund acts as an Original Lender, it may participate in structuring the Senior Loan. The Fund can invest in loans, generally at par (a price for the loan equal approximately to 100% of the Funded principal amount of the loan, minus any original issue discount) as an original lender. When the Fund is an original lender, it is entitled to receive a return at the full interest rate for the loan. When the Fund is an original lender, it will have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower and will have direct recourse against the borrower in the event the borrower fails to pay scheduled principal or interest. Lenders typically also have full voting and consent rights under the applicable loan agreement. Action subject to lender vote or consent generally requires the vote or consent of the holders of some specified percentage of the outstanding principal amount of the Senior Loan. Certain decisions, such as reducing the amount of interest on or principal of a Senior Loan, releasing collateral, changing the maturity of a Senior Loan or a change in control of the borrower, frequently require the unanimous vote or consent of all lenders affected.
As with investments in loans generally, in making a direct loan, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the borrower may default or become insolvent and, consequently, that the Fund will lose money on the loan. Furthermore, direct loans may subject the Fund to liquidity and interest rate risk and certain direct loans may be deemed illiquid. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market. The lack of a secondary market for direct loans may have an adverse impact on the ability of the Fund to dispose of a direct loan and/or to value the direct loan. When engaging in direct lending, the Funds performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the Fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. In originating and purchasing loans, the Fund will compete with a broad spectrum of lenders. Increased competition for, or a decrease in the available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on such loans, which could adversely affect Fund performance.
Assignments. The Fund may also purchase a loan by Assignment. When the Fund purchases a loan by Assignment, it typically succeeds to whatever rights and obligations the assigning lender had under the loan agreement and becomes a lender under the loan agreement, entitled to the same rights (including, but not
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limited to, enforcement or set-off rights) that are available to lenders generally. Assignments may, however, be arranged through private negotiations, and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an Assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender.
Participation Interests. These investments represent an undivided, indirect interest in a loan obligation of a borrower. They are typically purchased from banks or dealers that have made the loan, or are members of the loan syndicate. The participation seller remains as lender of record, and continues to face the borrower, the agent, and the other parties to the loan agreement, while the Fund generally acquires beneficial ownership of the loan. Participation interests are subject to the ongoing counterparty risk of the participation seller as well as the credit risk of the borrower. An investment in a loan participation will be considered to be an investment in the securities or obligations of the issuer of the loan to which the participation relates.
While the Fund expects to have access to financial and other information regarding the borrower that has been made available to the lenders under a loan, it may not have such information in connection with participation interests and certain loan assignments. Additionally, the amount of public information available with respect to loans generally will be less extensive than what is available for exchange-listed or otherwise registered securities.
Participation interests involve risks for the Fund. Participation interests are primarily dependent upon the creditworthiness of the borrower, which is obligated to make payments of principal and interest on the loan. In buying a participation interest, however, the Fund assumes both the credit risk of the borrower and the counterparty risk of the Lender selling the participation interest. As with an assignment or a loan originated by the Fund, there is a risk that a borrower may have difficulty making payments. If a borrower fails to pay scheduled interest or principal payments, the Funds income may be reduced and the value of the investment in the participation interest might also decline. Further, the seller of the participation interest will have no obligation to the Fund other than to pay the Fund the proportionate amount of the principal and interest payments it receives from the borrower. In addition, if the seller of the participation interest fails to perform its obligations, purchasers might incur costs and delays in realizing payment and suffer a loss of principal and/or interest, including in cases where the borrower may have performed its obligation to the Lender that issued the participation (e.g., if the participation seller fails to pass along to the Fund payments received from the borrower). Although most participation interests purchased by the Fund are structured to cause the Fund to become beneficial owner of the relevant loans, and therefore avoid this outcome, if a Lender that sells the Fund a participation interest becomes insolvent, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the Lender. As a general creditor, the Fund will have to share the proceeds of the loan with any other creditors of the Lender. The Fund will acquire a participation interest only if the investment adviser determines that the Lender (or other intermediary Participant) selling the participation interest is creditworthy.
The Funds rights under a participation interest with respect to a particular loan may be more limited than the rights of original Lenders or of investors who acquire an assignment of that loan. The Fund has the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the Lender selling the participation interest and only when the Lender receives the payments from the borrower. In purchasing participation interests, the Fund will usually have a contractual relationship only with the selling institution and not the underlying borrower. The Fund generally will have no right directly to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the related loan agreement, nor will the Fund necessarily have the right to object to certain changes to the loan agreement agreed to by the selling institution.
If the Fund buys a participation interest in a loan, the Fund may be subject to any rights of set-off the borrower has against the selling institution (although recourse to the selling institution may be available in the event of any such set-off). In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of the borrower, the obligation of the borrower to repay the loan may be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by the borrower as a result of any improper conduct of the Lender selling the participation (although recourse to the Lender may be available). As a result, the Fund may be subject to delays, expenses and risks that are greater than those that exist when the Fund is an original Lender or assignee, and therefore a participation may be relatively illiquid as compared to a direct investment in a loan because of a smaller universe of investors who are willing to assume these additional risks present in a participation.
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Lower Grade Loans and Debt. The Funds investments may include obligations with the lowest grade assigned by recognized rating organizations and unrated obligations of comparable quality. Obligations assigned the lowest grade ratings include those of companies that are in default or are in bankruptcy or reorganization. Obligations of such companies are regarded by the rating agencies as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing and are usually available at deep discounts from the face values of the instruments. A security purchased at a deep discount may currently pay a very high effective yield. In addition, if the financial condition of the issuer improves, the underlying value of the obligation may increase, resulting in capital appreciation. If the company defaults on its obligations or remains in default, or if the plan of reorganization does not provide sufficient payments for debtholders, the deep discount obligations may stop generating income and lose value or become worthless. The Adviser will balance the benefits of deep discount obligations with their risks. While a diversified portfolio may reduce the overall impact of a deep discount obligation that is in default or loses its value, the risk cannot be eliminated.
Few lower-grade obligations are listed for trading on any national securities exchange, and issuers of lower-grade obligations may choose not to have a rating assigned to their obligations by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization. As a result, the Funds portfolio may consist of a higher portion of unlisted or unrated obligations as compared with a fund that invests primarily in higher-grade obligations. Unrated obligations are usually not as attractive to as many buyers as are rated obligations, a factor which may make unrated obligations less marketable. These factors may have the effect of limiting the availability of the obligations for purchase by the Fund and may also limit the ability of the Fund to sell such obligations at their fair value either to meet redemption requests or in response to changes in the economy or the financial markets. Further, to the extent the Fund owns or may acquire illiquid or restricted lower-grade obligations, these obligations may involve special registration responsibilities, liabilities and costs, and liquidity and valuation difficulties.
The markets for lower-grade loans and debt obligations may be less liquid than the markets for higher-grade obligations. Liquidity relates to the ability of a fund to sell an obligation in a timely manner at a price which reflects the value of that obligation. To the extent that there is no established retail market for some of the lower-grade securities in which the Fund may invest, trading in such securities may be relatively inactive. Prices of lower-grade obligations may decline rapidly in the event a significant number of holders decide to sell. Changes in expectations regarding an individual issuer of lower-grade obligations generally could reduce market liquidity for such obligations and make their sale by the Fund more difficult, at least in the absence of price concessions. The effects of adverse publicity and investor perceptions may be more pronounced for securities for which no established retail market exists as compared with the effects on securities for which such a market does exist. An economic downturn or an increase in interest rates could severely disrupt the market for such obligations and adversely affect the value of outstanding obligations or the ability of the issuers to repay principal and interest. Further, the Fund may have more difficulty selling such obligations in a timely manner and at their stated value than would be the case for obligations for which an established retail market does exist.
During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for lower-grade obligations held in the Funds portfolio, the ability of the Fund to value the Funds obligations becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund may play a greater role in the valuation of the Funds obligations due to the reduced availability of reliable objective data.
The Fund will rely on the Advisers or a Sub-Advisers judgment, analysis and experience in evaluating the creditworthiness of an issuer. The amount of available information about the financial condition of certain lower-grade issuers may be less extensive than other issuers. In their analysis, the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers may consider the credit ratings of recognized rating organizations in evaluating obligations although the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers do not rely primarily on these ratings. Credit ratings of securities rating organizations evaluate only the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market risk. In addition, ratings are general and not absolute standards of quality, and credit ratings are subject to the risk that the creditworthiness of an issuer may change and the rating agencies may fail to change such ratings in a timely fashion. A rating downgrade does not require the Fund to dispose of a security. The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers continuously monitor the issuers of obligations held in their respective managed portions of the Fund. Additionally, since most foreign income
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obligations are not rated, the Fund will invest in such obligations based on the analysis of the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers without any guidance from published ratings. Because of the number of investment considerations involved in investing in lower-grade obligations and foreign income obligations, achievement of the Funds investment objectives may be more dependent upon the credit analysis of the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers than is the case with investing in higher-grade obligations.
New or proposed laws may have an impact on the market for lower-grade obligations. The Fund is unable at this time to predict what effect, if any, legislation may have on the market for lower-grade obligations.
Loan Origination Risks. As with investments in loans generally, in making a direct loan, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the borrower may default or become insolvent and, consequently, that the Fund will lose money on the loan. Furthermore, direct loans may subject the Fund to liquidity and interest rate risk and certain direct loans may be deemed illiquid. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market. The lack of a secondary market for direct loans may have an adverse impact on the ability of the Fund to dispose of a direct loan and/or to value the direct loan. When engaging in direct lending, the Funds performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the Fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. In originating and purchasing loans, the Fund will compete with a broad spectrum of lenders. Increased competition for, or a decrease in the available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on such loans, which could adversely affect Fund performance.
Conflicts of Interest Risk Related to Co-Investing. The Adviser and certain of its affiliates may experience conflicts of interest in connection with co-investment transactions. The Exemptive Order imposes various conditions on the Fund and the Adviser intended to ensure that any co-investment transactions are done in a fair and equitable manner. However, conflicts may nonetheless arise, including, but not limited to, the following:
| The Adviser may be incentivized to pursue a co-investment transaction for reputational or other reasons that are not directly advantageous to the Fund. For example, the Adviser may receive a higher advisory fee from an affiliated fund that would be a participant in a co-investment transaction with the Fund, in which case the Adviser might be incentivized to recommend that the Fund participate in riskier co-investment transactions than would be the case if the Fund was the only participant. |
| By reason of the various activities of the Adviser and its affiliates, the Adviser and such affiliates may acquire confidential or material non-public information or otherwise be restricted from purchasing certain potential Fund investments that otherwise might have been purchased or be restricted from selling certain Fund investments that might otherwise have been sold at the time. |
Valuation Risk and Conflicts of Interest Created by Valuation Process for Certain Portfolio Holdings. The Funds portfolio investments are expected to include loans that are not publicly traded and for which no market based price quotation is available. As a result, the fair value of these loans will be determined in good faith in accordance with the Funds valuation procedures. In connection with that determination, investment professionals from the Adviser may provide input regarding valuations based upon the most recent portfolio company financial statements available and projected financial results of each portfolio company. The participation of the Advisers investment professionals in the Funds valuation process could result in a conflict of interest as the Advisers management fee is based, in part, on the value of the Funds assets. Because such valuations are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if an exchange-traded market for these securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, the Funds fair value determinations may cause the Funds NAV on a given date to materially understate or overstate the value that it may ultimately realize upon the sale of one or more of its investments.
Loan Origination. The Fund may originate loans including, consumer loans or other types of loans, which may be in the form of whole loans, secured and unsecured notes, senior and second lien loans, mezzanine loans or similar investments The Fund may originate loans to corporations and/or other legal entities and financial institutions, real estate businesses, individuals and/or other legal entities. Such borrowers may have credit ratings
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that are determined by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations or the Sub-Adviser to be below investment grade. The loans the Fund originates may vary in maturity and/or duration. The Fund is not limited in the size or type of loans it may originate, including with respect to a single borrower or with respect to borrowers that are determined to be below investment grade. The Funds origination of loans may also be limited by the Funds intention to qualify as a regulated investment company. The Fund may retain all, or an applicable pro rata portion of, fees received in connection with originating or structuring the terms of any such loan. In determining whether to make a direct loan, in addition to a review of the investment opportunity, the Fund will rely upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. In making a direct loan, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the borrower may default or become insolvent and, consequently, that the Fund may lose money on the loan depending on, among other things, the value of the underlying collateral and the Funds rights to that collateral. Furthermore, direct loans may subject the Fund to liquidity and interest rate risk and certain direct loans may be deemed illiquid. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market.
The lack of a secondary market for direct loans may have an adverse impact on the ability of the Fund to dispose of a direct loan and/or to value the direct loan. When engaging in direct lending, the Funds performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the Fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. In originating and purchasing loans, the Fund will compete with a broad spectrum of lenders. Increased competition for, or a diminishment in the available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on such loans, which could reduce Fund performance. As part of its lending activities, the Fund may originate loans to companies that are rated below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization. Although the terms of such financing may result in significant financial returns to the Fund, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for the Funds loans and, accordingly, the valuation of and risks associated with such collateral will vary by loan. There is no assurance that the Fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Funds loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company that the Fund funds, the Fund may lose all or part of the amounts advanced to the borrower or may be required to accept collateral with a value less than the amount of the loan advanced by the Fund or its affiliates to the borrower.
Furthermore, in the event of a default by a borrower, the Fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. Various state licensing requirements could apply to the Fund with respect investments in, or the origination and servicing of loans and similar assets. The licensing requirements could apply depending on the location of the borrower, the location of the collateral securing the loan, or the location where the Fund or the Adviser operates or has offices. In states in which it is licensed, the Fund or the Adviser will be required to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including consumer protection and anti-fraud laws, which could impose restrictions on the Funds or Advisers ability to take certain actions to protect the value of its investments in such assets and impose compliance costs. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could lead to, among other penalties, a loss of the Funds or Advisers license, which in turn could require the Fund to divest assets located in or secured by real property located in that state. These risks will also apply to issuers and entities in which the Fund invests that hold similar assets, as well as any origination company or servicer in which the Fund owns an interest. If the Fund is required to be licensed in any particular jurisdiction in order to originate, acquire, hold, dispose or foreclose loans, obtaining the required license may not be viable (because, for example, it is not possible or practical) and the Fund may be unable to restructure its holdings to address the licensing requirement. In that case, the Fund may be forced to cease activities involving the affected loans, or may be forced to sell such loans. If a state regulator or court were to determine that the Fund acquired, held or foreclosed a loan without a required state license, the Fund could be subject to penalties or other sanctions, prohibited or restricted in its ability to enforce its rights under the loan, or subject to litigation risk or other losses or damages.
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Derivatives
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.
Derivatives may be used for hedging, which means that they may be used when the portfolio managers seek to protect the 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 the 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 the 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. The Fund will not enter into any derivative transaction unless it can comply with SEC guidance regarding cover, and, if SEC guidance so requires, the 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 the 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 the 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 is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Funds daily mark-to-market (net) obligations, if any (i.e., the Funds 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 the 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:
The Adviser is registered as a commodity pool operator (CPO) under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC and is subject to CFTC regulation with respect to the Fund. The CFTC has recently adopted rules regarding the disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping requirements that will apply with respect to the Fund as a result of Invescos registration as a CPO. Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements, based on Invescos compliance with comparable SEC requirements. This means that for most of the CFTCs disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements applicable to Invesco as the Funds CPO, Invescos compliance with SEC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements will be deemed to fulfill Invescos CFTC compliance obligations. However,
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as a result of CFTC regulation with respect to the Fund, the Fund may incur additional compliance and other expenses. The Adviser is also registered as a commodity trading advisor (CTA) but, with respect to the Fund, relies on an exemption from CTA regulation available for a CTA that also serves as the Funds CPO.
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 Fund.
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 intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Fund may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with their investment objectives, to limit their 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, 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 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 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 CFT 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, the Fund might need to rely on contractual remedies to satisfy the counterpartys full obligation. As with any contractual remedy, there is no guarantee that the 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 the Funds obligation or right will be the net amount owed to or by the counterparty. The 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 the Fund.
The 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.
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Leverage Risk: Leverage exists when the 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. The Fund segregates or earmarks assets or otherwise covers transactions that may give rise to leverage. Leverage may cause the 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 the 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 the 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.
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 the Fund from using or limit the Funds use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect the Funds ability to achieve its investment objective. Invesco will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Funds ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, may increase the cost of the 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.
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 the Fund is not obligated to actively engage in hedging. For example, the 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.
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Types of derivatives:
Swaps.
Generally, swap agreements are contracts between the 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, the 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 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, the 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
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pledge cash or other assets to cover its obligations to the 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 the 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, 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, the 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.
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, the 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 the 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 the 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 the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the
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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, the 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, the 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 the 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, the 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.
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. The Fund may enter into CDS to create long or short exposure to domestic or foreign corporate debt securities or sovereign debt securities.
The 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, the 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 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
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(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.
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.
Index Swap Transactions. Invesco Fundamental Alternatives Fund and Invesco Global Allocation Fund may enter into a swap on an index, which involves the exchange by the Fund with another party of the respective amounts payable to a notional principal amount related to one or more securities.
Caps, floors and collars. Other types of swaps include (i) interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or cap, (ii) interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or floor, and (iii) interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.
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 the 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
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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.
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.
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, the 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 the 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 the 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. The 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 the Fund. Variance swaps are similar to volatility swaps except payments are based on the difference between the implied and measured volatility mathematically squared.
Bundled Securities. The Fund may invest in bundled securities. In lieu of investing directly in securities, the Fund may from time to time invest in Targeted Returns Index Securities Trusts (TRAINS) or similar instruments representing a fractional undivided interest in an underlying pool of securities often referred to a Bundled Securities. Bundled Securities are typically represented by certificates and the Fund will be permitted at any time to exchange such certificates for the underlying securities evidenced by such certificates and thus the certificates are generally subject to the same risks as the underlying securities held in the trust. The Fund will examine the characteristics of the underlying securities for compliance with investment criteria but will determine liquidity with reference to the certificates itself. TRAINS and other trust certificates are generally not registered under the 1933 Act or the 1940 Act and therefore must be held by qualified purchasers and resold to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. Investments in certain TRAINS or other trust certificates may have the effect of increasing the level of Fund illiquidity to the extent the Fund, at a particular point in time, may be unable to find qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing such securities.
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Options. The Fund may engage in certain strategies involving options to attempt to manage the risk of its investments or, in certain circumstances, for investment purposes (e.g., as substitute for investing in securities), to speculate on future volatility levels or to decrease the volatility exposure of other investments held by the Fund. 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 the 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.
The Fund will not write (sell) options if, immediately after such sale, the aggregate value of securities or obligations underlying the outstanding options would exceed 20% of the Funds total assets. The Fund will not purchase options if, immediately after such purchase, the aggregate premiums paid for outstanding options would exceed 5% of the Funds total assets.
The Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into an offsetting closing transaction. For example, the 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, the 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 the 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 the 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, the 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), 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
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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.
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 the Fund writes a call on an index it cannot provide in advance for its potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. The 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, the 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.
Non-Standard Options. In addition to the options described above, certain options used by the Fund may have non-standard payout structures or other features. These options, which are sometimes referred to as exotic options, include, but are not limited to: (i) digital options (otherwise known as binary options or all-or-nothing options), which are cash-settled options that provide for a pre-determined all-or-nothing payment if, at the time of the expiration of the contract, the price of a reference asset exceeds a particular threshold; and (ii) barrier or window barrier options, which come into existence (knock-in) or cease to exist (knock-out) if the price of a reference asset reaches a particular threshold before the contracts expiration. These options are typically traded over-the-counter (OTC) and entail all of the investment risks associated with OTC options discussed herein. In addition, due to their non-standard terms, these options may have price movements that vary markedly from those of simple put or call options. Exotic options may be more difficult to value than more standard types of options, and may be subject to greater liquidity risk. While some exotic options have fairly active markets, others are mostly thinly traded instruments. Furthermore, to the extent that the Fund uses options that provide for all-or-nothing payouts (e.g., digital options) for hedging purposes, there may be a heightened risk that the payout will not fully offset the downside risk being hedged. Certain exotic options are considered swaps, and therefore are included in the definition of commodity interests.
Option Techniques:
Writing Options. The 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.
The 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 the 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, the 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 the 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 the 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). Invesco Fundamental Alternatives Fund and Invesco Global Allocation Fund can buy a put or call option only if, after the purchase, the value of all call and put options held by the Fund will not exceed 5% of the Funds total assets.
Purchasing Options. The 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.
The 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 the 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.
Options on Futures Contracts. Options on futures contracts give the holder the right to assume a position in a futures contract (to buy the futures contract if the option is a call and to sell the futures contract if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option.
Straddles/Spreads/Collars. The Fund for hedging purposes, or for speculative purposes, may enter into straddles, spreads or collars to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the Funds overall position.
Spread and straddle options transactions. In spread transactions, the 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, the 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 the 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.
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Option Collars. The 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. The 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.
The Fund may purchase warrants. 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.
Invesco Fundamental Alternatives Fund and Invesco Global Allocation Fund can invest up to 5% of its total assets in rights and warrants, not including rights and warrants the Fund acquires as part of the securities units or that are attached to other securities the Fund buys.
Futures Contracts.
A futures contract is a standard binding agreement to buy or sell a specified amount of a specified security, currency, 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.
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 the 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.
Subsequent payments, called variation margin, received from or paid to the FCM through which the 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
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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 the 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 the 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, the 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 the Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time. If the 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 the 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, the 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.
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 the 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.
The 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. The 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.
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
23
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.
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.
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts. The Fund may enter into forward foreign currency contracts to hedge against adverse movements in the foreign currencies in which portfolio securities are denominated.
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. The 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, the Fund may either exchange the currencies specified at the maturity of the contract or, prior to maturity, the Fund may enter into a closing transaction 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. The 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. 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, the 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 the 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. 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 the Funds ability to use these instruments in the manner described above or subject Invesco to CFTC registration and regulation as a CPO.
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The cost to the 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 a 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 the 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.
LIBOR Transition Risk
The Fund may invest in financial instruments (including variable or floating rate loans, debt securities, and derivatives such as interest rate futures) that are tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). LIBOR is a common benchmark interest rate index used to make adjustments to variable-rate loans and to determine interest rates for a variety of financial instruments and borrowing arrangements. The Funds investments may pay interest at floating rates based on LIBOR, may be subject to interest caps or floors based on LIBOR, or may otherwise reference LIBOR as a reference rate to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies or investment value.
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. Although many LIBOR rates will be phased out at the end of 2021 as originally intended, a selection of widely used USD LIBOR rates will continue to be published until June 2023 in order to assist with the transition. There remains uncertainty regarding the effect of the LIBOR transition process and therefore any impact of a transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or the instruments in which the Fund invests cannot yet be determined. There is no assurance that the composition or characteristics of any 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; increased difficulty in borrowing or refinancing and diminished effectiveness of any applicable hedging strategies against instruments whose terms currently include LIBOR; and/or costs incurred in connection with temporary borrowings and closing out positions and entering into new agreements. Additionally, while some existing LIBOR-based instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative or fallback rate-setting methodology, there may be significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies to replicate LIBOR. Not all existing LIBOR-based instruments have such fallback provisions and there remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to add alternative rate-setting provisions in certain existing instruments. 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. Any such effects of the transition away from LIBOR and the adoption of alternative reference rates could result in losses to the Fund.
Industry initiatives are underway to identify and begin implementation of alternative reference rates; however, there are challenges to converting certain securities and transactions to a new reference rate.
In June 2017, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a group of large U.S. banks working with the Federal Reserve, announced a replacement for LIBOR, the Secured Overnight Funding Rate (SOFR). The Federal Reserve Bank of New York began publishing the SOFR in April 2018, which is a broad measure of the cost of overnight borrowing of cash collateralized by Treasury securities. SOFR is intended to serve as a reference rate for U.S. dollar-based debt and derivatives and ultimately reduce the markets dependence on LIBOR. Bank working groups and regulators in other countries have suggested other alternatives for their markets, including the Sterling Overnight Interbank Average Rate in the United Kingdom.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Considerations
The ESG considerations described herein may not be used by the Fund and will vary depending on the Funds particular investment strategy and in accordance with what the Funds investment team deems relevant when making investment decisions. Further, the Funds prospectus may describe additional ESG strategies and risks.
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ESG considerations, either quantitative or qualitative, may be utilized as a component of the Funds investment process to implement its investment strategy in pursuit of its investment objective. ESG factors may be incorporated to evaluate an issuer as part of risk analysis, credit analysis or in other manners. ESG factors may vary across types of investments and issuers, and not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. The incorporation of ESG factors may affect the Funds exposure to certain companies or industries and may not work as intended. The Fund may underperform other funds that do not assess an issuers ESG factors as part of the investment process or that use a different methodology to identify and/or incorporate ESG factors. Because ESG considerations may be used as one part of an overall investment process, the Fund may still invest in securities of issuers that are not considered ESG-focused or that may be viewed as having a high ESG risk profile. As investors can differ in their views regarding ESG factors, the Fund may invest in issuers that do not reflect the views with respect to ESG of any particular investor. Information used by the Fund to evaluate such factors, including from reliance on third-party research and/or proprietary research, may not be readily available, complete or accurate, and may vary across providers and issuers as ESG is not a uniformly defined characteristic, which could negatively impact a Funds ability to accurately assess an issuer and, therefore, its performance. There is no guarantee that the evaluation of ESG considerations will be additive to the Funds performance.
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-Advisers to cause the Fund to buy or sell securities of the issuer on behalf of the Fund for substantial periods of time. This may impact the Funds ability to realize profit or avoid loss with respect to the issuer and may adversely affect the 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 the Fund and possibly impacting Fund performance.
Business Continuity and Operational Risk
The Adviser, the Fund and the Funds service providers may experience disruptions or operating errors, such as processing errors or human errors, 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 Fund 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 Fund, 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 disasters, 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 Fund could be prevented or hindered from providing services to the Fund 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 the Funds net asset value and price the Funds investments, and impediments to trading portfolio securities.
Cybersecurity Risk
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 Funds and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
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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 Fund 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 Fund.
COVID-19. The current outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in instances of market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, lower consumer demand, defaults and other significant economic impacts, all of which have disrupted global economic activity across many industries and may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The ongoing effects of COVID-19 are unpredictable and may result in significant and prolonged effects on the Funds performance.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The business and affairs of the Fund are managed under the direction of the Funds Board of Trustees (the Board) and the Funds officers appointed by the Board. The tables below list the trustees and executive officers of the Fund and their principal occupations, other directorships held by trustees and their affiliations, if any, with the Adviser or its affiliates. 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 Fund, subject to their earlier death, incapacitation, resignation, retirement or removal as more specifically provided in the Funds 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 the Predecessor Fund.
Interested Trustee
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held |
Trustee |
Principal Occupation(s) |
Number of |
Other Trusteeship(s)/ | |||||
Martin L. Flanagan111960 | Trustee and Vice Chair |
2014 | 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 |
184 | None |
27
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held |
Trustee |
Principal Occupation(s) |
Number of |
Other Trusteeship(s)/ | |||||
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) |
1. | Mr. Flanagan is considered an interested person (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) of the Fund because he is an officer of the Adviser to the Fund, and an officer and a director of Invesco Ltd., the ultimate parent of the Adviser placed in a deferral account and deemed to be invested in one or more of the Invesco Funds. |
Independent Trustees
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held |
Trustee and/or |
Principal Occupation(s) |
Number of |
Other | |||||
Christopher L. Wilson1957 | Trustee and Chair | 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 |
184 | enaible, Inc. (artificial intelligence technology) |
28
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held |
Trustee and/or |
Principal Occupation(s) |
Number of |
Other | |||||
Services, Inc.; Principal & Director of Operations, Scudder Funds, Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc.; Assistant Vice President, Fidelity Investments; Director, ISO New England, Inc. (non-profit organization managing regional electricity market) | ||||||||||
Beth Ann Brown1968 | 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 |
184 | 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. Fields1952 | Trustee | 2014 | Chief Executive Officer, Twenty First Century Group, Inc. (government affairs company); and Board Member Impact(Ed) (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 |
184 | Member, Board of Directors of Baylor College of Medicine | |||||
Cynthia Hostetler1962 | Trustee | 2017 | Non-Executive Director and Trustee of a number of public and private business corporations
Formerly: Director, Aberdeen Investment Funds (4 portfolios); Director, Artio Global Investment LLC (mutual fund complex); Director, Edgen Group, Inc. (specialized energy and infrastructure |
184 | Resideo Technologies (smart home technology); Vulcan Materials Company (construction materials company); Trilinc Global |
29
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held |
Trustee and/or |
Principal Occupation(s) |
Number of |
Other | |||||
products distributor); Head of Investment Funds and Private Equity, Overseas Private Investment Corporation; President, First Manhattan Bancorporation, Inc.; Attorney, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | Impact Fund; Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. (railroads); Investment Company Institute (professional organization); Independent Directors Council (professional organization); Eisenhower Foundation (non-profit) | |||||||||
Eli Jones1961 | 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 |
184 | Insperity, Inc. (formerly known as Administaff) (human resources provider) | |||||
Elizabeth Krentzman1959 | 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 | 184 | 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 | 184 | Blue Hills Bank; Chairman, Bentley University; Member, |
30
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held |
Trustee and/or |
Principal Occupation(s) |
Number of |
Other | |||||
Business School Advisory Council; and Nominating Committee, KPMG LLP | ||||||||||
Prema Mathai-Davis1950 | Trustee | 2014 | Retired
Formerly: Co-Founder & Partner of Quantalytics Research, LLC, (a FinTech Investment Research Platform for the Self-Directed Investor); Trustee of YWCA Retirement Fund; CEO of YWCA of the USA; Board member of the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Commissioner of the NYC Department of Aging; Board member of Johns Hopkins Bioethics Institute |
184 | None | |||||
Joel W. Motley1952 | Trustee | 2019 | Director of Office of Finance, Federal Home Loan Bank System; 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; Director of Columbia Equity Financial Corp. (privately held financial advisor); and Member of the Vestry of Trinity Church Wall Street |
184 | 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. Ressel1962 | Trustee | 2017 | Non-executive director and trustee of a number of public and private business corporations
Formerly: Chief Executive Officer, UBS Securities LLC (investment banking); Chief Operating Officer, UBS AG Americas (investment banking); Sr. Management Team Olayan America, The Olayan Group (international investor/ commercial/ |
184 | Elucida Oncology (nanotechnology & medical particles company) |
31
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held |
Trustee and/or |
Principal Occupation(s) |
Number of |
Other | |||||
industrial); Assistant Secretary for Management & Budget and Designated Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Treasury; Director, Atlantic Power Corporation (power generation company) and ON Semiconductor Corporation (semiconductor manufacturing) | ||||||||||
Ann Barnett Stern1957 | 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; Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas |
184 | Holdsworth Center, Good Reason Houston, Greater Houston Partnership, University of Texas Law School Foundation | |||||
Robert C. Troccoli1949 | Trustee | 2016 | Retired
Formerly: Adjunct Professor, University of Denver Daniels College of Business; and Managing Partner, KPMG LLP |
184 | None | |||||
Daniel S. Vandivort1954 | Trustee | 2019 | 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; and Treasurer, Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee, Huntington Disease Foundation of America |
184 | None | |||||
James D. Vaughn1945 | 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 |
184 | 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) |
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Officers
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held with the Fund |
Trustee and/or Officer Since |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | |||
Sheri Morris1964 | President and Principal Executive Officer |
2010 | Head of Global Fund Services, Invesco Ltd.; President and Principal Executive Officer, 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, Treasurer 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 | |||
Russell C. Burk1958 | Senior Vice President and Senior Officer |
2014 | Senior Vice President and Senior Officer, The Invesco Funds | |||
Jeffrey H. Kupor1968 | 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; Secretary and Vice President, Harbourview Asset Management Corporation; Secretary and Vice President, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. and Invesco Managed Accounts, LLC; Secretary and Senior Vice President, OFI Global Institutional, Inc.; Secretary and Vice President, OFI SteelPath, Inc.; Secretary and Vice President, Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.; Secretary and Vice President, Shareholder Services, Inc.; Secretary and Vice President, Trinity Investment Management Corporation
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. | |||
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 |
33
Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held with the Fund |
Trustee and/or Officer Since |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | |||
Services, Inc.) (registered transfer agent); Senior Vice President, The Invesco Funds; Director, Invesco Investment Advisers LLC (formerly known as Van Kampen Asset Management)
Formerly: Director, President and Chairman, Invesco Insurance Agency, Inc.; 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 | ||||||
John M. Zerr1962 | Senior Vice President |
2010 | 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; 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 Ltée; and President, Trimark Investments Ltd./Placements Trimark Ltée
Formerly: Director and Senior Vice President, Invesco Insurance Agency, Inc.; 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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Name, Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held with the Fund |
Trustee and/or Officer Since |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | |||
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; Chairman and Director, Invesco Private Capital, Inc.; Chairman and Director, INVESCO Private Capital Investments, Inc;. and Chairman and Director, INVESCO Realty, Inc.
Formerly: Senior Vice President, Invesco Management Group, Inc. and Invesco Advisers, Inc.; Assistant Vice President, The Invesco Funds | |||
Adrien Deberghes1967 | Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Vice President |
2020 | Head of the Fund Office of the CFO and Fund Administration; Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc.; Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Vice President, The Invesco Funds; 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
Formerly: Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Fidelity Investments | |||
Crissie M. Wisdom1969 | Anti- Money Laundering Compliance |
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; and Fraud Prevention Manager for Invesco Investment Services, Inc. | |||
Todd F. Kuehl1969 | Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President |
2020 | Chief Compliance Officer, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (registered investment adviser); and Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President, 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) | |||
Michael McMaster1962 | Chief Tax Officer, Vice President and Assistant Treasurer |
2020 | Head of Global Fund Services Tax; Chief Tax Officer, Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, The Invesco Funds; Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer, Invesco Capital Management LLC, Assistant Treasurer and Chief Tax 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; Assistant Treasurer, Invesco Specialized Products, LLC
Formerly: Senior Vice President Managing Director of Tax Services, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (GFS) |
Board of Trustees
Qualifications and Experience. 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.
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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
Christopher L. Wilson, Trustee and Chair
Christopher L. Wilson has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2017 and Chair since January 2021. He previously 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.
From 2011 to 2020, Mr. Wilson served 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 served as the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, which also oversaw cybersecurity, and was a member of the systems planning committee of ISO-NE, Inc. He also previously served as chair of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee and was a member of the Markets Committee.
Mr. Wilson currently serves as a Board member of enaible Inc., a technology company focused on providing artificial intelligence solutions.
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.
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.
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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. In addition, Mr. Fields led the effort to reform telecommunications policy which resulted in the passage of The Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was the first major reform of telecommunications policy since 1934.
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 a Board member of Impact(Ed), 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 Resideo Technologies, Inc., a public company that manufactures and distributes smart home security products and solutions 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. Ms. Hostetler is also a member of the board of directors of the Eisenhower Foundation, a non-profit organization.
Previously, Ms. Hostetler served as a member of the board of directors/trustees of Aberdeen Investment Funds, a mutual fund complex, 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, and Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., a public company that owns and operates railroads worldwide, from 2018 to 2019, prior to its sale to Brookfield Asset Management.
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, from 1991 to 2007, and its largest subsidiary, First Savings Bank, from 1991 to 2006 (Board Member) and from 1996 to 2001 (President).
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. Prior to his current position, Dr. Jones served as a director of
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Insperity, Inc. from 2004 to 2016 and was chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. 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.
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.
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 1991 to 1996 in various positions with the Division of Investment ManagementOffice of Regulatory Policy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and from 1987 to 1991 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.
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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) from 2017 to October 2019, when the firm was acquired by Forbes Media Holdings, LLC.
Dr. Mathai-Davis previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA of the USA from 1994 until her retirement in 2000. 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 and Board Member 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. She was a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, and on the visiting Committee of The Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
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.
Since 2016, Mr. Motley has served as an independent director of the Office of Finance of the Federal Home Loan Bank System. He has served as Managing Director of Carmona Motley, Inc., a privately-held financial advisory firm, since January 2002. He previously served as a member of the Vestry of Trinity Church Wall Street.
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 Ressel has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2017.
Ms. Ressel has previously served within the private sector and the U.S. government as well as consulting. Formerly, Ms. Ressel served at UBS AG in various capacities, including as Chief Executive Officer of UBS
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Securities LLC, a broker-dealer division of UBS Investment Bank, and as Group Chief Operating Officer of the Americas.
Between 2001 and 2004, Ms. Ressel served at the U.S. Treasury, initially as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management & Budget and then as Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Ressel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and anchored financial duties at the Department, including finance, accounting, risk, audit and performance measurement.
From 2014 to 2017, Ms. Ressel served on the board of directors at Atlantic Power Corporation, a publicly traded company with a fleet of power generation assets. From 2012 to 2020, Ms. Ressel served on the board of directors of ON Semiconductor, a publicly traded manufacturer of semiconductors.
Since 2017, Ms. Ressel has served as a director of Elucida Oncology, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of therapeutics for cancer treatment. Ms. Ressel also volunteers within her community across a number of functions and serves on the board of GAVI, the Global Vaccine Alliance (non-profit) supporting childrens health.
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.
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 2019.
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 after a 39-year career with KPMG LLP (KPMG), where he served as a senior Partner. 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.
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Mr. Vandivort also served as Chairman and Lead Independent Director, Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee and Director of Value Line Funds from 2008 through 2014.
Mr. Vandivort is currently a Trustee on the Board of Trustees of Huntington Disease Foundation of America. He also serves as President of Flyway Advisory Services LLC, a consulting and property management company.
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.
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.
Management Information
The Trustees have the authority to take all actions that they consider necessary or appropriate in connection with oversight of the Fund, including, among other things, approving the investment objectives, investment policies and fundamental investment restrictions for the Fund. The Fund has entered into agreements with various service providers, including the Funds investment adviser, administrator, transfer agent, distributor and custodians, to conduct the day-to-day operations of the Fund. The Trustees are responsible for selecting these service providers, approving the terms of their contracts with the Fund, and exercising general oversight of these arrangements on an ongoing basis.
Certain Trustees and officers of the Fund are affiliated with Invesco and Invesco Ltd., the parent corporation of Invesco. All of the Funds executive officers hold similar offices with some or all of the other Invesco Funds.
Leadership Structure and the Board of Trustees. The Board is currently composed of fifteen Trustees, including fourteen Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund, 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 four standing committees the Audit Committee, the Compliance Committee, the Governance Committee and the Investments Committee (the Committees), to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.
The Board has appointed an Independent Trustee to serve in the role of Chair. The Chairs 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 Fund, attorneys, and other Trustees between meetings. The Chair 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 Funds Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of Chair 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.
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The Board believes that its leadership structure, including having an Independent Trustee as Chair, 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 Fund 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, liquidity 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 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 the 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 Fund.
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 Fund 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 Fund. 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 Fund.
The Investments Committee and its sub-committees receive regular written reports describing and analyzing the investment performance of the Invesco Fund. In addition, Invescos Chief Investment Officers and the portfolio manager of the Fund meet regularly with the Investments Committee or its sub-committees to discuss portfolio performance, including investment risk, such as the impact on the Fund of investments in particular types of securities or instruments, such as derivatives. To the extent that the 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
Committee Structure
Audit Committee. The members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. LaCava (Chair), Troccoli, Vaughn (Vice Chair), Wilson, Dr. Jones, and Mss. Hostetler and Stern. 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) appointing independent registered public accountants for the Fund; (iii) to the extent required, pre-approving certain audit and permissible non-audit services; (iv) overseeing the financial reporting process for the Fund; (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; and (vii) overseeing the valuation of the Funds portfolio securities. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2021, the Audit Committee held four meetings.
Compliance Committee. The members of the Compliance Committee are Messrs. Fields, Motley and Vandivort, and Mss. Brown, Krentzman (Chair), and Ressel (Vice Chair) and Dr. Mathai-Davis. The Compliance
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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 Fund regarding compliance matters; (iii) overseeing compliance policies and procedures of the Fund and its 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 Fund, including receiving and overseeing risk management reports from Invesco that are applicable to the Fund and its service providers; and (vii) reviewing reports by Invesco on correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies with respect to the Fund and recommending to the Board what action, if any, should be taken by the Fund in light of such reports. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2021, the Compliance Committee held four meetings.
Governance Committee. The members of the Governance Committee are Messrs. Fields (Chair), LaCava, Vandivort and Wilson, Ms. Stern (Vice Chair and Chair Designate) 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 28, 2021, the Governance Committee held six 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 Funds bylaws require that any shareholder of the 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 Funds 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 Fund 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 Fund.
Investments Committee. The members of the Investments Committee are Messrs. Fields, Flanagan, LaCava, Motley, Troccoli, Vandivort (Vice Chair), Vaughn and Wilson, Mss. Brown, Hostetler (Chair), Krentzman, Ressel (Vice Chair) 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 B 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 Fund and make recommendations to the Board, when applicable.
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
43
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 familiar with the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of the Designated Funds as stated in such Designated Funds prospectuses, and with the managements discussion of fund performance section of the Designated Funds periodic shareholder reports. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2021, the Investments Committee held five meetings.
Compensation
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.
Set forth below is information regarding compensation paid or accrued for each trustee of the Fund who was not affiliated with Invesco during the year ended December 31, 2020, unless otherwise noted. The information below also provides information regarding compensation paid to Russell Burk, the Funds Senior Vice President, during the year ended December 31, 2020:
Trustee |
Aggregate Compensation From the Fund(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 |
||||||||||||||||
Beth A. Brown | None | | | $401,978 | ||||||||||||
Jack M. Fields | None | | $205,000 | 426,970 | ||||||||||||
Cynthia Hostetler | None | | | 436,324 | ||||||||||||
Eli Jones | None | | | 396,978 | ||||||||||||
Elizabeth Krentzman | None | | | 424,478 | ||||||||||||
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr. | None | | | 474,776 | ||||||||||||
Prema Mathai-Davis | None | | 205,000 | 426,970 | ||||||||||||
Joel W. Motley | None | | | 391,978 | ||||||||||||
Teresa M. Ressel | None | | | 421,328 | ||||||||||||
Ann Barnett Stern | None | | | 414,178 | ||||||||||||
Robert C. Troccoli | None | | | 425,228 | ||||||||||||
Daniel S. Vandivort | None | | | 405,578 | ||||||||||||
James D. Vaughn | None | | | 412,728 | ||||||||||||
Christopher L. Wilson | None | | | 500,578 | ||||||||||||
Officer |
||||||||||||||||
Russell Burk | None | | | N/A |
(1) | Amounts shown are based on the fiscal year ended February 28, 2021. The total amount of compensation deferred by all trustees of the Fund during the fiscal year ended February 28, 2021, including earnings, was $4,850. |
(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 as of December 31, 2020. All trustees currently serve as trustee of 32 registered investment companies advised by Invesco, unless otherwise noted. |
(4) | On December 31, 2020, Mr. David Arch and Mr, Bruce Crockett retired. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2021, compensation from the Fund for both Messrs. Arch and Crockett was $2,543. |
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Trustee Beneficial Ownership of Shares
The dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee (i) in the Fund and (ii) on an aggregate basis, in all registered investment companies overseen by the Trustee within the Invesco Funds complex as of December 31, 2020, is set forth below.
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Invesco Funds | ||
Interested Person | ||||
Martin L. Flanagan | None | Over $100,000 | ||
Independent Trustees | ||||
Beth A. Brown | None | Over $100,000 | ||
Jack M. Fields | None | Over $100,000 | ||
Cynthia Hostetler | None | Over $100,0001 | ||
Eli Jones | None | Over $100,0001 | ||
Elizabeth Krentzman | None | Over $100,000 | ||
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr. | None | None1 | ||
Prema Mathai-Davis | None | Over $100,0001 | ||
Joel W. Motley | None | Over $100,0001 | ||
Teresa M. Ressel | None | Over $100,000 | ||
Ann Barnett Stern | None | Over $100,0001 | ||
Robert C. Troccoli | None | Over $100,0001 | ||
Daniel S. Vandivort | None | Over $100,0001 | ||
James D. Vaughn | None | Over $100,0001 | ||
Christopher L. Wilson | None | Over $100,0001 |
1. | 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. |
Retirement Policy
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 Fund 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
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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 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.
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Deferred Compensation Agreements
Four retired Trustees, as well as Messrs. 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 Fund, 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 Fund and of each other Invesco Fund from which they are deferring compensation.
Purchase of Class A Shares of the Fund at Net Asset Value
The Trustees and certain other affiliated persons of the Fund 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 Fund, see Purchase TermsClass A Shares in the prospectus.
Purchases of Class Y Shares of the Fund
The Trustees and certain other affiliated persons of the Fund may purchase Class Y Shares of the Fund. For a description please see Purchase TermsClass Y Shares in the prospectus.
Shareholder Communications
Shareholders may send communications to the Board. Shareholders should send communications intended for the Board by addressing the communication directly to the Board (or individual Board members) and/or otherwise clearly indicating in the salutation that the communication is for the Board (or individual Board members) and by sending the communication to either the Funds office or directly to such Board member(s) at the address specified for such trustee above. Other shareholder communications received by the Fund not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management and will be forwarded to the Board only at managements discretion based on the matters contained therein.
Code of Ethics
Invesco, the Fund, 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 Fund 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.
The Codes of Ethics are available on the EDGAR Database on the SECs internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies of these Codes of Ethics may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
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Proxy Voting Policies
The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. The Board has delegated the day-to-day responsibility to the Adviser to vote such proxies pursuant to the Board approved Proxy Voting Policy. Attached hereto as Appendix B is the Proxy Voting Policy which is currently in effect as of the date of this SAI.
The Proxy Voting Policy is subject to change over time and investors seeking the most current copy of the Proxy Voting Policy should go to our website at www.invesco.com/us. The Funds most recent proxy voting record for the twelve-month period ended June 30 which has been filed with the SEC is also available without charge on our website at www.invesco.com/us. The Funds proxy voting record is also available without charge on the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Investment Adviser
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 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 Fund and their affiliations are shown in this Statement of Additional Information.
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 Funds Investment Advisory Agreement (Advisory Agreement) provides that, in fulfilling its responsibilities, Invesco may engage the services of other investment managers with respect to 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 (Administrative Services Agreement) with the Fund, Invesco is 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 their 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. Pursuant to an additional administrative services agreement with the Fund, Invesco is responsible for providing or overseeing the provision of certain additional activities including monitoring provisions of Loan Agreements and any Participations and Assignments and is responsible for recordkeeping for Senior Loans and arranging for dissemination of the Funds proxy and any repurchase offer materials to shareholders, and oversees the tabulation of proxies by the Funds transfer agent.
The Advisory Agreement provides that the Fund will pay or cause to be paid all expenses of the Fund not assumed by Invesco, including, without limitation: brokerage commissions, taxes, legal, accounting, auditing, or governmental fees, the cost of preparing share certificates, 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 trustees and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing and distributing reports and notices to shareholders, the fees and other expenses incurred by 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 Fund office space and facilities. Invesco furnishes to the Fund all personnel for managing the affairs of the Fund.
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Pursuant to its Advisory Agreement with the Fund, Invesco receives a monthly fee from the Fund calculated at the annual rate of 1.25% of the Funds average daily managed assets, which shall mean the average daily total asset value of the Fund minus the sum of accrued liabilities other than the aggregate liquidation preference of any preferred shares and/or the aggregate amount of any borrowings for investment purposes (Managed Assets). The Fund allocates advisory fees to a class based on the relative net assets of each class.
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 fiscal year in which the voluntary fee waiver or reduction was made.
Invesco has contractually agreed through at least June 30, 2023 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.
Because the Fund is new, no advisory fees have been paid by the Fund as of the date of this SAI. Advisory fees paid (before giving effect to any fee waiver) by the Predecessor Fund, and advisory fees waived by Invesco, for the last three fiscal years are as follows:
Fiscal Year Ended |
Advisory Fees Paid (Before waiver) |
Advisory Fees Waived | ||
February 28, 2021 | $12,426,125 | $20,131 | ||
February 29, 2020 | $16,761,666 | $18,906 | ||
February 28, 2019 | $17,525,022 | $11,487 |
Investment Sub-Advisers
Invesco has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with certain affiliates to serve as sub-advisers to the Fund, 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 Funds. 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 Asset Management (India) Private Limited (Invesco India) |
| Invesco Canada Ltd. (Invesco Canada) |
| Invesco Capital Management LLC (Invesco Capital) |
| Invesco Hong Kong Limited (Invesco Hong Kong) |
| Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (Invesco Senior Secured) (each a Sub-Adviser and collectively, the Sub-Advisers). |
Invesco and each Sub-Adviser are indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Invesco Ltd.
The only fees payable to the Sub-Advisers described above under the Sub-Advisory Agreements 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 Fund, multiplied by (ii) the fraction equal to the net assets of the Fund as to which such Sub-Adviser shall have provided discretionary investment management services for that month divided by the net assets of the 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 Fund pursuant to its advisory agreement with the Fund, as reduced to reflect contractual or voluntary fee waivers or expense limitations by Invesco, if any.
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Portfolio Managers
Portfolio Manager Fund Holdings and Information on Other Accounts Managed
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 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 Fund 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 April 30, 2021 (unless otherwise noted):
Portfolio Manager |
Dollar Range of Investments in the Predecessor Fund(1) | |
Scott Baskind | None | |
Thomas Ewald | None | |
Ron Kantowitz | None | |
Nuno Caetano | None | |
Phillip Yarrow | None |
(1) | This column reflects investments in the Predecessor 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. |
Assets Managed
The following information is as of April 30, 2021 (unless otherwise noted):
Other Registered Investment Companies Managed (assets in millions) |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed (assets in millions) |
Other Accounts Managed (assets in millions) |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Assets | Number of Accounts |
Assets | Number of Accounts |
Assets | ||||||||||||||||||
Scott Baskind | 4 | $9,991.4 | 6 | $4,641.3 | 18 | $7,298.8 | ||||||||||||||||||
Thomas Ewald | 5 | $7,258.1 | 5 | $4,393.8 | 17 | $7,005.3 | ||||||||||||||||||
Ron Kantowitz | None | None | None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||||||||
Nuno Caetano | None | None | None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||||||||
Phillip Yarrow | 5 | $7,258.1 | 5 | $4,393.8 | 18 | $7,298.8 |
None of the foregoing accounts paid an advisory fee based on the performance of the account.
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:
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| 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 Fund. |
| If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, the 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 Fund 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 Fund, 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 the 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. |
The Adviser, each Sub-Adviser and the Fund 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).
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Each portfolio managers compensation is linked to the pre-tax investment performance of the Funds/accounts managed by the portfolio manager as described in the table below.
Sub-Adviser |
Performance time period (1) | |
Invesco (2) | One-, three-and five-year performance against Fund peer group | |
Invesco Deutschland | ||
Invesco Hong Kong (2) | ||
Invesco Asset Management | ||
Invesco India | ||
Invesco Listed Real Assets Division (2) | ||
Invesco Senior Secured (2)(3) | Not applicable | |
Invesco Capital (2)(4) | ||
Invesco Canada (2) | One-year performance against Fund peer group and three- and five-year performance against entire universe of Canadian funds | |
Invesco Japan | One-, three- and five-year performance |
(1) | Rolling time periods based on calendar year-end. |
(2) | Portfolio managers may be granted an annual deferral award that vests on a pro-rata basis over a four year period. |
(3) | Invesco Senior Secureds bonus is based on annual measures of equity return and standard tests of collateralization performance. |
(4) | Portfolio managers for Invesco Capital base their bonus on Invesco results as well as overall performance of Invesco Capital. |
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.
Principal Underwriter
The Fund has entered into a master 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
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Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77046-1173. Certain trustees and officers of the Fund are affiliated with Invesco Distributors. See Management of the Fund. Invesco Distributors has the exclusive right to distribute Shares of the Fund through authorized dealers on a continuous basis. Invesco Distributors obligation is an agency or best efforts arrangement under which Invesco Distributors is required to take and pay for only such Shares of the Fund as may be sold to the public. Invesco Distributors is not obligated to sell any stated number of Shares.
Administrator
Invesco, the Funds investment adviser, also serves as the Funds Administrator. Pursuant to the administration agreement between the Fund and the Administrator (the Administrative Services Agreement), the Administrator (i) arranges for the printing and dissemination of reports to shareholders; (ii) arranges for dissemination of the Funds proxy and any repurchase offer materials to shareholders, and oversees the tabulation of proxies by the Funds transfer agent; (iii) negotiates the terms and conditions under which custodian services are provided to the Fund and the fees to be paid by the Fund in connection therewith; (iv) negotiates the terms and conditions under which dividend disbursing services are provided to the Fund, and the fees to be paid by the Fund in connection therewith, and reviews the provision of such services to the Fund; (v) provides the Funds dividend disbursing agent and custodian with such information as is required for them to effect payment of dividends and distributions and to implement the Funds dividend reinvestment plan; (vi) makes such reports and recommendations to the Board of Trustees as the trustees reasonably request; and (vii) provides shareholder services to holders or potential holders of the Funds securities.
For the services rendered to the Fund and related expenses borne by the Administrator, the Fund pays the Administrator a fee, accrued daily and paid monthly, calculated at the annual rates indicated below, based on aggregate monthly net assets of the Invesco Funds overseen by the Funds Board.
Annual Rate/Net Assets Per Administrative Services Agreement
0.0175% on first $100 billion
0.0150% on the next $100 billion
0.0135% on the next $100 billion
0.0125% on the next $100 billion
0.010% on amounts over $400 billion
Because the Fund is new, no administrative services fees have been paid by the Fund to the Administrator as of the date of this SAI. For the last three fiscal years, the Predecessor Fund paid the following administrative services fees:
Fiscal Year Ended |
Administrative Services Fees Paid | |||
February 28, 2021 | $96,876 | |||
February 29, 2020 | $128,092 | |||
February 28, 2019 | $212,371 |
Custodian
State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, is the custodian of the Fund and has custody of the securities and cash of the Fund. The custodian, among other things, attends to the collection of principal and income and payment for and collection of proceeds of securities bought and sold by the Fund. State Street Bank and Trust Company also will perform certain accounting services for the Fund pursuant to the fund accounting agreement between it and the Fund.
Dividend Paying Agent and Transfer Agent
Invesco Investment Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219078, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9078 is the dividend disbursing agent and transfer agent of the Fund. The transfer agency fees are determined through negotiations with the Fund and are approved by the Funds Board of Trustees. The transfer agency fees are based on competitive benchmarks.
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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 Fund as a sub-transfer agent, pursuant to an agreement between Invesco Canada and Invesco Investment Services. The Fund does not pay a fee to Invesco Canada for these services. Rather Invesco Canada is compensated by Invesco Investment Services, as a sub-contractor.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
An independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund performs an annual audit of the Funds financial statements and performs other related audit services. The Audit Committee of the Board has selected, and the Board has ratified and approved PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, located at 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 5800, Houston Texas 77002-5021, to be the Funds independent registered public accounting firm. Financial statements for the Predecessor Fund were also audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Counsel to The Fund
Legal matters for the Fund have been passed upon by Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7018.
Securities Lending Arrangements
If the Fund engages in securities lending, Invesco will provide the Fund related investment advisory and administrative services. The Advisory Agreement describes the administrative services to be rendered by Invesco if the 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.
Invescos compensation for advisory services rendered in connection with securities lending is included in the advisory fee schedule. As compensation for the related administrative services Invesco will provide, a lending Fund will pay Invesco a fee equal to 25% of the net monthly interest or fee income retained or paid to the Fund from such activities. Invesco currently waives such fee, and has agreed to seek Board approval prior to its receipt of all or a portion of such fee.
Distribution and Service Plan
The Fund has selected Invesco Distributors to provide distribution-related and shareholder services with respect to its Class A Shares and in so doing has agreed to comply with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act as if the Fund were an open-end investment company (the Plan). There is no Plan for the Funds Class AX Shares, Class Y Shares or Class R6 Shares.
The Fund, pursuant to the Plan, pays Invesco Distributors compensation at the annual rate of 0.25% of the Funds average daily net assets of Class A Shares.
The Plan compensates Invesco Distributors for expenses incurred in providing services primarily intended to result in the sale of Class A Shares of the Fund, including, but not limited to, paying expenses for printing and distributing prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes, preparing and distributing sales literature (and any related services), advertisements, payment of dealer commissions and wholesaler compensation in connection with sales of the Funds Class A Shares exceeding a certain amount set forth in this prospectus (for which the Fund imposes no sales charge) and other distribution-related services permitted by Rule 12b-1.
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Payments pursuant to the Plan are subject to any applicable limitations imposed by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules.
As required by Rule 12b-1, the Plan was approved by a majority of the Board, including a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (Rule 12b-1 Trustees). Unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the Plan will continue from year to year as long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board, including a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees.
Any amendment to the Plan that would increase materially the distribution expenses paid by Class A requires shareholder approval; otherwise, the Plan may be amended by the Board, including a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees, by votes cast at a meeting called for the purpose of voting upon such amendment.
As long as the Plan is in effect, the Board shall satisfy the fund governance standards as defined in Rule 0-1(a)(7) under the 1940 Act.
The Plan obligates the Fund to pay Invesco Distributors the full amount of the distribution and service fees reflected on the schedule to the plan. Thus, even if Invesco Distributors actual allocated share of expenses exceeds the fee payable to Invesco Distributors at any given time, under the Plan, the Fund will not be obligated to pay more than that fee. If Invesco Distributors actual allocated share of expenses is less than the fee it receives, under the Plan, Invesco Distributors will retain the full amount of the fee.
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 the respective fiscal year in which the voluntary fee waiver or reduction was made.
The Fund may pay a service fee of up to the cap disclosed in the Plan and in any case no greater than 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Funds Class A Shares, 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 and/or maintenance of accounts to their customers who purchase and own Class A Shares of the Fund. Under the terms of a shareholder service agreement, such personal shareholder services and/or maintenance of accounts may include, but are not limited to, assisting in establishing and maintaining customer accounts and records, assisting with purchase and redemption requests, arranging for bank wires, monitoring dividend payments from a Fund on behalf of customers, forwarding certain shareholder communications from a Fund to customers, receiving and answering correspondence, aiding in maintaining the investment of their respective customers in a Fund and providing such other information and services as reasonably requested. Any amounts not paid as a service fee under the Plan would constitute an asset-based sales charge.
The Fund may agree to pay fees to selected dealers and other institutions who render the foregoing services to its customers subject to an agreement. Fees shall be paid only to those selected dealers or other institutions who are dealers or institutions of record at the close of business on the last business day of the applicable payment period for the account in which the Funds Class A Shares are held.
Under the Plan, certain financial institutions which have entered into service agreements and which sell shares of the Fund, may receive payments from the Fund pursuant to the Plan in an amount not to exceed the maximum annual rate to be paid to Invesco Distributors under the Plan. These payments are an obligation of the Fund and not of Invesco Distributors.
Because the Fund is new, no payments have been made by the Funds Class A Shares under Plans as of the date of this SAI.
Payments to Dealers. Invesco Distributors may elect to re-allow the entire initial sales charge to dealers for all sales with respect to which orders are placed with Invesco Distributors or its designee during a particular period. Dealers to whom substantially the entire sales charge is re-allowed may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined under the 1933 Act.
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The financial intermediary through which you purchase your Shares may receive all or a portion of the sales charges and Rule 12b-1 distribution fees discussed above. In this context, financial intermediaries include any broker, dealer, bank (including bank trust departments), insurance company separate account, transfer agent, registered investment adviser, financial planner, retirement plan administrator and any other financial intermediary having a selling, administration or similar agreement with Invesco Distributors or one or more of its corporate affiliates (collectively, the Invesco Distributors Affiliates). In addition to those payments, Invesco Distributors Affiliates may make additional cash payments to financial intermediaries in connection with the promotion and sale of Shares of the Invesco Funds. Invesco Distributors Affiliates make these payments from their own resources, from Invesco Distributors retention of underwriting concessions and from payments to Invesco Distributors under Rule 12b-1 plans. In the case of sub-accounting payments, discussed below, Invesco Distributors Affiliates will be reimbursed directly by the Invesco Funds for such payments. These additional cash payments are described below. The categories described below are not mutually exclusive. The same financial intermediary, or one or more of its affiliates, may receive payments under more than one or all categories. Most financial intermediaries that sell Shares of the Invesco Funds receive one or more types of these cash payments. Financial intermediaries negotiate the cash payments to be paid on an individual basis. Where services are provided, the costs of providing the services and the overall package of services provided may vary from one financial intermediary to another. Invesco Distributors Affiliates do not make an independent assessment of the cost of providing such services.
Certain financial intermediaries listed below received one or more types of the following payments during the prior calendar year. This list is not necessarily current and will change over time. Certain arrangements are still being negotiated, and there is a possibility that payments will be made retroactively to financial intermediaries not listed below. Accordingly, please contact your financial intermediary to determine whether they currently may be receiving such payments and to obtain further information regarding any such payments.
Financial Support Payments. Invesco Distributors Affiliates make financial support payments as incentives to certain financial intermediaries to promote and sell shares of Invesco Funds. The benefits Invesco Distributors Affiliates receive when they make these payments include, among other things, placing Invesco Funds on the financial intermediarys funds sales system, and access (in some cases on a preferential basis over other competitors) to individual members of the financial intermediarys sales force or to the financial intermediarys management. Financial support payments are sometimes referred to as shelf space payments because the payments compensate the financial intermediary for including Invesco Funds in its Fund sales system (on its sales shelf). Invesco Distributors Affiliates compensate financial intermediaries differently depending typically on the level and/or type of considerations provided by the financial intermediary. In addition, payments typically apply only to retail sales, and may not apply to other types of sales or assets (such as sales to Retirement and Benefit Plans, qualified tuition programs, or fee based adviser programs some of which may generate certain other payments described below).
The financial support payments Invesco Distributors Affiliates make may be calculated on sales of shares of Invesco Funds (Sales-Based Payments), in which case the total amount of such payments shall not exceed 0.25% of the public offering price of all such shares sold by the financial intermediary during the particular period. Such payments also may be calculated on the average daily net assets of the applicable Invesco Funds attributable to that particular financial intermediary (Asset-Based Payments), in which case the total amount of such cash payments shall not exceed 0.25% per annum of those assets during a defined period. Sales-Based Payments primarily create incentives to make new sales of shares of Invesco Funds and Asset-Based Payments primarily create incentives to retain previously sold shares of Invesco Funds in investor accounts. Invesco Distributors Affiliates may pay a financial intermediary either or both Sales-Based Payments and Asset-Based Payments.
Sub-Accounting and Networking Support Payments. The Transfer Agent, an Invesco Distributors Affiliate, acts as the transfer agent for the Invesco Funds, registering the transfer, issuance and redemption of Invesco Fund shares, and disbursing dividends and other distributions to Invesco Funds shareholders. However, many Invesco Fund shares are owned or held by financial intermediaries, as that term is defined above, for the benefit of their customers. In those cases, the Invesco Funds often do not maintain an account for the shareholder. Thus, some or all of the transfer agency functions for these accounts are performed by the financial
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intermediary. In these situations, Invesco Distributors Affiliates may make payments to financial intermediaries that sell Invesco Fund shares for certain transfer agency services, including record keeping and sub-accounting shareholder accounts. Payments for these services typically do not exceed 0.25% (for non-Class R5 shares) or 0.10% (for Class R5 shares) of average annual assets of such share classes or $19 per annum per shareholder account (for non-Class R5 shares only). No Sub-Accounting or Networking Support payments will be made with respect to Invesco Funds Class R6 shares. Invesco Distributors Affiliates also may make payments to certain financial intermediaries that sell Invesco Fund shares in connection with client account maintenance support, statement preparation and transaction processing. The types of payments that Invesco Distributors Affiliates may make under this category include, among others, payment of networking fees of up to $10 per shareholder account maintained on certain mutual fund trading systems.
All fees payable by Invesco Distributors Affiliates pursuant to a sub-transfer agency, omnibus account service or sub-accounting agreement are charged back to the Invesco Funds, subject to certain limitations approved by the Board of the Fund.
Other Cash Payments. From time to time, Invesco Distributors Affiliates, at their expense and out of their own resources, may provide additional compensation to financial intermediaries which sell or arrange for the sale of shares of an Invesco Fund. Such compensation provided by Invesco Distributors Affiliates may include payment of ticket charges per purchase or exchange order placed by a financial intermediary, one-time payments for ancillary services such as setting up funds on a financial intermediarys mutual fund trading systems, financial assistance to financial intermediaries that enable Invesco Distributors Affiliates to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, client entertainment, client and investor events, and other financial intermediary-sponsored events, and travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with client prospecting, retention and due diligence trips. Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (formerly, NASD, Inc.). Invesco Distributors Affiliates make payments for entertainment events they deem appropriate, subject to Invesco Distributors Affiliates guidelines and applicable law. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event or the relationship.
Invesco Distributors Affiliates are motivated to make the payments described above because they promote the sale of Invesco Fund shares and the retention of those investments by clients of financial intermediaries. To the extent financial intermediaries sell more shares of Invesco Funds or retain shares of Invesco Funds in their clients accounts, Invesco Distributors Affiliates benefit from the incremental management and other fees paid to Invesco Distributors Affiliates by the Invesco Funds with respect to those assets.
In certain cases, these payments could be significant to the financial intermediary. Your financial intermediary may charge you additional fees or commissions other than those disclosed in the prospectus. You can ask your financial intermediary about any payments it receives from Invesco Distributors Affiliates or the Invesco Funds, as well as about fees and/or commissions it charges. You should consult disclosures made by your financial intermediary at the time of purchase.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Invesco and the Sub-Advisers have adopted compliance procedures that cover, among other items, brokerage allocation and other trading practices. If all or a portion of the 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 the 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
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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.
With respect to interests in Senior Loans, the Fund generally will engage in privately negotiated transactions for purchase or sale in which the Adviser will negotiate on behalf of the Fund, although a more developed market may exist for certain Senior Loans. The Fund may be required to pay fees, or forgo a portion of interest and any fees payable to the Fund, to the Lender selling Participations or Assignments to the Fund. The Adviser will determine the Lenders from whom the Fund will purchase Assignments and Participations by considering their professional ability, level of service, relationship with the Borrower, financial condition, credit standards and quality of management. The illiquidity of many Senior Loans may restrict the ability of the Adviser to locate in a timely manner persons willing to purchase the Funds interests in Senior Loans at a fair price should the Fund desire to sell such interests. See Risks in the Prospectus. Affiliates of the Adviser may participate in the primary and secondary market for Senior Loans. Because of certain limitations imposed by the 1940 Act, this may restrict the Funds ability to acquire some Senior Loans. The Adviser does not believe that this will have a material effect on the Funds ability to acquire Senior Loans consistent with its investment policies.
Brokerage Transactions
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. The 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 Australia 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 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
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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.
Commissions
Substantially all of the Funds trades are effected on a principal basis. Because the Fund is new, no brokerage commissions have been paid by the Fund as of the date of this SAI. For the last three fiscal years ended February 28, the Predecessor Fund paid the following brokerage commissions:
Fiscal Year Ended |
Brokerage Commissions |
|||
February 28, 2021 | $9,242.28 | |||
February 29, 2020 | $0 | |||
February 28, 2019 | $0 |
The Predecessor Fund paid no commissions to affiliated brokers during the last three fiscal years.
In addition, the 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 Funds follow procedures adopted by the Boards of the various Invesco Funds, including the Fund. These inter-fund transactions generally do not generate brokerage commissions but may result in custodial fees or taxes or other related expenses.
Broker Selection
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 the 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 the 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 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,
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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 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-Advisers in the performance of its investment decision-making responsibilities. Accordingly, the 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-Adviser 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 the 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-Adviser concludes 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-Adviser 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-Advisers 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
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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 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:
| Database Servicescomprehensive 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). |
| Quotation/Trading/News Systemsproducts 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 Toolsvarious macro-economic forecasting tools, such as economic data or currency and political forecasts for various countries or regions. |
| Quantitative/Technical Analysissoftware tools that assist in quantitative and technical analysis of investment data. |
| Fundamental/Industry Analysisindustry specific fundamental investment research. |
| Fixed Income Security Analysisdata 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. |
| Other Specialized Toolsother 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.
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
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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 their clients, or that act as agent in the purchase of the 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)
Because the Fund is new, no research services have been purchased by the Fund as of the date of this SAI. During the last fiscal year ended February 28, 2021, the Predecessor Fund did not pay any directed brokerage (research services).
Affiliated Transactions
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 an Invesco 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.
Regular Brokers
Because the Fund is new, no securities have been purchased by the Fund as of the date of this SAI. During the last fiscal year ended February 28, 2021, the Predecessor Fund did not acquire any securities of regular brokers or dealers, as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act.
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-Adviser 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-Adviser 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-Adviser may combine transactions in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to obtain the most favorable execution. Simultaneous transactions could, however, adversely affect the Funds ability to obtain or dispose of the full amount of a security which it seeks to purchase or sell.
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
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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.
The Fund offers a number of shareholder services designed to facilitate investment in its Shares at little or no extra cost to the investor. Below is a description of such services. The following information supplements the section in the Funds Prospectus captioned Other Purchase Programs.
Reinvestment Plan
A convenient way for investors to accumulate additional Shares is by reinvesting dividends and distributions in Shares of the Fund. Such Shares are acquired at net asset value per Share (without a sales charge) on the applicable payable date of the dividend or distribution. Unless the shareholder instructs otherwise, with respect to Class A Shares, Class Y Shares and Class R6 Shares, the reinvestment plan (the Plan) is automatic. This instruction may be made by visiting our website at www.invesco.com/us by writing to Invesco Investment Services, Inc. (Invesco Investment Services) or by telephone by calling (800) 959-4246. With respect to Class AX Shares, previous instructions regarding reinvestment of dividends and distributions will continue to apply until such shareholder changes his or her instruction. The investor may, on the account application form or prior to any declaration, instruct that dividends and/or distributions be paid in cash, be reinvested in the Fund at the next determined net asset value or be reinvested in another Participating Fund (as defined in the Prospectus) at the next determined net asset value.
The agent for shareholders in administering the Plan maintains each shareholders account in the Plan and furnishes monthly written confirmations of all transactions in the accounts, including information needed by shareholders for personal and tax records. Shares will be held in non-certificated form in the name of the participant, and each shareholders proxy will include those Shares purchased pursuant to the Plan. Any fees for the handling of the reinvestment of dividends and distributions will be paid by the Fund.
The automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions will not relieve participants of any federal income tax that may be payable or required to be withheld on such dividends or distributions.
Experience under the Plan may indicate that changes are desirable. Accordingly, the Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan as applied to any dividend or distribution paid subsequent to written notice of the change sent to all shareholders of the Fund at least 90 days before the record date for the dividend or distribution. The Plan also may be amended or terminated by the agent for shareholders administering the Plan by at least 90 days written notice to all shareholders of the Fund.
A shareholder may withdraw from the Plan at any time by contacting Invesco Investment Services at the address or telephone number set forth below. There is no penalty for non-participation in or withdrawal from the Plan, and shareholders who have previously withdrawn from the Plan may rejoin it at any time. Changes in
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elections should be directed to Invesco Investment Services and should include the name of the Fund and the shareholders name and address as registered. An election to withdraw from the Plan will, until such election is changed, be deemed to be an election by a shareholder to take all subsequent dividends and distributions in cash. Elections will only be effective for dividends and distributions declared after, and with a record date of at least ten days after, such elections are received by Invesco Investment Services. When a participant withdraws from the Plan or upon termination of the Plan as provided above, whole Shares credited to his or her account under the Plan will be issued and a cash payment will be made for any fraction of a Share credited to such account. All correspondence concerning the dividend reinvestment plan should be directed to the Invesco Investment Services, Inc., P.O. Box 4739, Houston, Texas 77210-4739. Please call (800) 959-4246 if you have questions regarding the Plan.
Retirement Plans
Eligible investors may establish individual retirement accounts (IRAs); SEP; SIMPLE IRAs; or other pension or profit sharing plans. Documents and forms containing detailed information regarding these plans are available from the Distributor.
Dividend Diversification
A holder of Class A Shares, Class AX Shares, Class Y Shares or Class R6 Shares may elect, by completing the appropriate section of the account application form or by calling (800) 959-4246, to have all dividends and distributions paid on such class of Shares of the Fund invested into shares of the same class of any of the Participating Funds (as defined in the Prospectus) so long as the investor has a pre-existing account for such class of shares of the other fund. Both accounts must be of the same type, either non-retirement or retirement. If the accounts are retirement accounts, they must both be of the same type of retirement plan (e.g., IRA, 403(b)(7), 401(k), Money Purchase and Profit Sharing plans) and for the benefit of the same individual. If a qualified, pre-existing account does not exist, the shareholder must establish a new account subject to any requirements of the Participating Fund into which distributions will be invested. Distributions are invested into the selected Participating Fund, provided that shares of such Participating Fund are available for sale, at its net asset value per share as of the payable date of the distribution from the Fund.
Reinstatement Privilege
A holder of Class A Shares, Class AX Shares or Class Y Shares who has tendered for repurchase Shares of the Fund may reinstate any portion or all of the net proceeds of such repurchase (and may include that amount necessary to acquire a fractional Share to round off his or her purchase to the next full Share) in the same Share class of any Participating Fund. A holder of Class Y Shares may also reinstate any portion or all of the net proceeds of such repurchase in Class A Shares of any Participating Fund. A holder of Class R6 Shares who has tendered for repurchase Shares of the Fund may reinstate any portion or all of the net proceeds of such repurchase (and may include that amount necessary to acquire a fractional Share to round off his or her purchase to the next full Share) in Class R6 Shares of any Participating Fund. Shares acquired in this manner will be deemed to have the original cost and purchase date of the repurchased Shares for purposes of applying the early withdrawal charge (if any) to subsequent repurchases. Reinstatements are made at the net asset value per Share (without a sales charge or early withdrawal charge) next determined after the order is received, which must be made within 180 days after the date of the repurchase, provided that shares of the Participating Fund into which shareholders desire to reinstate their net proceeds of a repurchase of Shares of the Fund are available for sale. Reinstatement at net asset value per Share is also offered to participants in eligible retirement plans for repayment of principal (and interest) on their borrowings on such plans, provided that Shares of the Participating Fund are available for sale. Any gain or loss realized by the shareholder upon repurchase of Shares is a taxable event regardless of whether the shareholder reinstates all or any portion of the net proceeds of the repurchase. Any such loss may be disallowed, to the extent of the reinstatement, under the so-called wash sale rules if the reinstatement occurs within 30 days after such repurchase. In that event, the shareholders tax basis in the Shares acquired pursuant to the reinstatement will be increased by the amount of the disallowed loss, and the shareholders holding period for such Shares will include the holding period for the repurchased shares.
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EARLY WITHDRAWAL CHARGECLASS A
As described in the Funds Prospectus under Purchase of SharesClass A Shares, there is no sales charge payable on Class A Shares at the time of purchase on investments of $1 million or more, but an early withdrawal charge (EWCClass A) may be imposed on certain repurchases made within eighteen months of purchase. For purposes of the EWCClass A, when shares of a Participating Fund are exchanged for shares of another Participating Fund, the purchase date for the shares acquired by exchange will be assumed to be the date on which shares were purchased in the fund from which the exchange was made. If the exchanged shares themselves are acquired through an exchange, the purchase date is assumed to carry over from the date of the original election to purchase shares subject to an EWCClass A rather than a front-end load sales charge. In determining whether an EWCClass A is payable, it is assumed that Shares being repurchased first are any Shares in the shareholders account not subject to an EWCClass A followed by Shares held the longest in the shareholders account. The EWCClass A is assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the then current market value or the cost of the Shares being repurchased. Accordingly, no EWCClass A is imposed on increases in net asset value above the initial purchase price. In addition, no EWCClass A is assessed on Shares derived from reinvestment of dividends or distributions.
WAIVER OF EARLY WITHDRAWAL CHARGES
As described in the Funds Prospectus under Repurchase of Shares, repurchases of Class A Shares will be subject to the EWCClass A (defined above). The EWCClass A is waived on repurchases in the circumstances described below:
Repurchase Upon Death or Disability
The Fund will waive the EWCClass A on repurchases following the death or disability of a Class A Shareholder. An individual will be considered disabled for this purpose if he or she meets the definition thereof in Section 72(m)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), which in pertinent part defines a person as disabled if such person is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or to be of long-continued and indefinite duration. While the Fund does not specifically adopt the balance of the Codes definition which pertains to furnishing the Secretary of Treasury with such proof as he or she may require, the Distributor will require satisfactory proof of death or disability before it determines to waive the EWCClass A.
In cases of death or disability, the EWCClass A will be waived where the decedent or disabled person is either an individual shareholder or owns the Shares as a joint tenant with right of survivorship or is the beneficial owner of a custodial or fiduciary account, and where the repurchase is made within one year of the death or initial determination of disability. This waiver of the EWCClass A applies to a total or partial repurchase, but only to a repurchase of Shares held at the time of the death or initial determination of disability.
Repurchase in Connection with Certain Distributions from Retirement Plans
The Fund will waive the EWCClass A when a total or partial repurchase is made in connection with certain distributions from retirement plans. The EWCClass A also will be waived on any repurchase which results from the return of an excess contribution or other contribution pursuant to Code Section 408(d)(4) or (5), the return of excess contributions or excess deferral amounts pursuant to Code Section 401(k)(8) or 402(g)(2) or the financial hardship of the employee pursuant to U.S. Treasury regulation Section 1.401(k)-1(d)(2). In addition, the EWCClass A will be waived on any minimum distribution required to be distributed in accordance with Code Section 401(a)(9).
The Fund does not intend to waive the EWCClass A for any distributions from IRAs or other retirement plans not specifically described above.
No Initial Commission or Transaction Fee
The Fund will waive the EWCClass A in circumstances under which no commission or transaction fee is paid to authorized dealers at the time of purchase of Class A Shares.
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Taxation of the Fund
The following discussion and the taxation discussion in the Prospectus are summaries of certain federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The discussions reflect applicable federal income tax laws of the United States as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) retroactively or prospectively. These discussions assume that the Funds shareholders hold their Shares as capital assets for federal income tax purposes (generally, assets held for investment). No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders, and the discussions set forth herein and in the Prospectus do not constitute tax advice. No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS regarding any matter discussed herein. Counsel to the Fund has not rendered any legal opinion regarding any tax consequences relating to the Fund or its shareholders. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position different from any of the tax aspects summarized below. Shareholders must consult their own tax advisers regarding the federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Fund as well as state, local and foreign tax considerations and any proposed tax law changes.
The Fund intends to elect and qualify each year to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must comply with certain requirements of the Code relating to, among other things, the sources of its income and diversification of its assets.
The Fund must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from the following sources: (a) dividends, interest (including tax-exempt interest), payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gain from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies; and (b) interests in publicly traded partnerships that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that derive less than 90% of their gross income from the items described in clause (a) above (each, a Qualified Publicly Traded Partnership) (the Income Requirement).
The Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Funds total assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, the securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Funds total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (b) not more than 25% of the market value of the Funds total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities and the securities of other regulated investment companies) of (I) any one issuer, (II) any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same business or similar or related trades or businesses or (III) any one or more Qualified Publicly Traded Partnerships (the Asset Diversification Test).
If the Fund so qualifies and distributes each year to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally including ordinary income and net short-term capital gain, but not net capital gain, which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) and meets certain other requirements, it will not be required to pay federal income taxes on any income it distributes to shareholders. The Fund intends to distribute at least the minimum amount necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement. The Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on any net capital gain distributed to shareholders and designated as capital gain dividends.
To avoid a nondeductible 4% excise tax, the Fund will be required to distribute, by December 31st of each year, at least an amount equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain net income (the latter of which generally is computed on the basis of the one-year period ending on October 31st of such year), and (iii) any amounts that were not distributed in previous taxable years. For
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purposes of the excise tax, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by, and subject to federal income tax in the hands of, the Fund will be treated as having been distributed.
If the Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company in any taxable year, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation on its taxable income (even if such income were distributed to its shareholders) and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary dividend income eligible for the reduced maximum rates for qualified dividend income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a regulated investment company. 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.
Some of the Funds investment practices may be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, including the dividends-received deduction, (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income into higher taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and/or (vii) produce income that will not qualify as good income for purposes of the annual gross income requirement that the Fund must meet to be treated as a regulated investment company. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections or take other actions to mitigate the effect of these provisions and prevent disqualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company.
Investments of the Fund in securities issued at a discount or providing for deferred interest or payment of interest in kind are subject to special tax rules that will affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. For example, with respect to securities issued at a discount, the Fund generally will be required to accrue as income each year a portion of the discount and to distribute such income each year to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and to avoid income and excise taxes. To generate sufficient cash to make the distributions necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid income and excise taxes, the Fund may have to borrow money and/or dispose of securities that it would otherwise have continued to hold.
Income from investments in foreign securities received by the Fund may be subject to income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S. possessions. Such taxes will not be deductible or creditable by shareholders. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes.
Certain non-corporate U.S. shareholders whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare tax on their net investment income, which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of the Funds Shares.
As discussed under the heading RisksRisks of Senior Loans in the Prospectus, the Fund may acquire Senior Loans of Borrowers that are experiencing, or are likely to experience, financial difficulty, including Senior Loans of Borrowers that have filed for bankruptcy protection. Investments in Senior Loans that are at risk of or in default may present special tax issues for the Fund. Federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and interest and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, in the event that they arise with respect to Senior Loans it owns, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to federal income or excise tax.
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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.
Distributions to Shareholders
Distributions of the Funds investment company taxable income are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Funds earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. Distributions of the Funds net capital gains designated as capital gain dividends, if any, are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains regardless of the length of time Shares have been held by such shareholders, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. Distributions in excess of the Funds earnings and profits will first reduce the adjusted tax basis of a shareholders Shares and, after such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain to such shareholder.
Current law provides for reduced federal income tax rates on (1) long-term capital gains received by individuals and certain other non-corporate taxpayers and (2) qualified dividend income received by individuals and certain other non-corporate taxpayers from certain domestic and foreign corporations. Fund shareholders, as well as the Fund itself, must also satisfy certain holding period and other requirements in order for such reduced rates for qualified dividend income dividends to apply. Because the Fund intends to invest primarily in Senior Loans and other debt securities, ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund generally will not be eligible for the reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income or the corporate dividends-received deduction. To the extent that distributions from the Fund are designated as capital gain dividends, such distributions will be eligible for the reduced rates applicable to long-term capital gains. The Fund will inform shareholders of the source and tax status of all distributions promptly after the close of each calendar year.
Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Shares issued by the Fund will be treated for federal income tax purposes as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the fair market value of the Shares received, determined as of the distribution date. The tax basis of such Shares will equal their fair market value on the distribution date.
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, dividends declared in October, November or December, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such month and paid during January of the following year, will be treated as having been distributed by the Fund and received by the shareholders on the December 31st prior to the date of payment. In addition, certain other distributions made after the close of a taxable year of the Fund may be spilled back and generally treated as paid by the Fund (except for purposes of the nondeductible 4% excise tax) during such taxable year. In such case, shareholders will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distribution was actually made.
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Sale of Shares
The sale or exchange of Shares in connection with a repurchase of shares, as well as certain other transfers, will be a taxable transaction for federal income tax purposes. Except as discussed below, selling shareholders will generally recognize capital gain or capital loss in an amount equal to the difference between their adjusted tax basis in the Shares sold and the amount received. Any loss recognized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received with respect to such Shares. For purposes of determining whether Shares have been held for six months or less, the holding period is suspended for any periods during which the shareholders risk of loss is diminished as a result of holding one or more other positions in substantially similar or related property or through certain options or short sales.
The sale of Shares pursuant to a repurchase offer will be a taxable transaction for federal income tax purposes, either as a sale or exchange or, under certain circumstances, as a dividend. Under the Code, a sale of Shares pursuant to a repurchase offer generally will be treated as a sale or exchange if the receipt of cash by the shareholder: (a) results in a complete redemption of the shareholders interest in the Fund, (b) is substantially disproportionate with respect to the shareholder or (c) is not essentially equivalent to a dividend with respect to the shareholder. In determining whether any of these tests has been met, Shares actually owned, as well as Shares considered to be owned by the shareholder by reason of certain constructive ownership rules set forth in the Code, generally must be taken into account. If any of these three tests for sale or exchange treatment is met, a shareholder will recognize capital gain or capital loss equal to the difference between the amount of cash received by the shareholder pursuant to the repurchase offer and the tax basis of the Shares sold.
If none of the tests set forth in the Code is met, amounts received by a shareholder who sells Shares pursuant to the repurchase offer will be taxable to the shareholder as a dividend to the extent of such shareholders allocable share of the Funds current or accumulated earnings and profits. No part of such a dividend would constitute qualified dividend income eligible for reduced federal income tax rates. The excess of such amounts received over the portion that is taxable as a dividend would constitute a non-taxable return of capital (to the extent of the shareholders tax basis in the Shares sold pursuant to the repurchase offer). Any amounts in excess of the shareholders tax basis would constitute taxable gain. Thus, a shareholders tax basis in the Shares sold will not reduce the amount of the dividend. Any remaining tax basis in the Shares tendered to the Fund will be transferred to any remaining Shares held by such shareholder.
The Fund is required to report to shareholders 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. When required to report cost basis, the Fund will calculate it using the Funds default method, unless the shareholder instructs the Fund to use a different calculation method. For additional information regarding the Funds available cost basis reporting methods, including its default method, shareholders should contact the Fund. If a shareholder holds their Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), the shareholder should contact that broker (nominee) with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their account.
Withholding on Payments to Non-U.S. Shareholders
For purposes of this and the following paragraphs, a Non-U.S. Shareholder shall include any shareholder that is not a partnership (or an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and who is not:
| an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| a corporation created or organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| an estate, the income of which is subject to federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
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| a trust that (i) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more U.S. fiduciaries who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (ii) has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. |
A Non-U.S. Shareholder generally will be subject to withholding of federal income tax at a 30% rate (or lower applicable treaty rate), rather than backup withholding (discussed below), on dividends from the Fund (other than capital gain dividends) that are not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by such shareholder, provided that the shareholder furnishes to the Fund a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E certifying the shareholders non-United States status.
If the income from the Fund is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a Non-US 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:
| 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 |
| 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. See Backup Withholding and Information Reporting below.
If income from the Fund or gains recognized from the sale of Shares are effectively connected with a Non-U.S. Shareholders U.S. trade or business, then such amounts will not be subject to the 30% withholding described above, but rather will be subject to federal income tax on a net basis at the tax rates applicable to U.S. citizens and residents or domestic corporations. To establish that income from the Fund or gains recognized from the sale of Shares are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, a Non-U.S. Shareholder must provide the Fund with a properly completed IRS Form W-8ECI certifying that such amounts are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Shareholders U.S. trade or business. Non-U.S. Shareholders that are corporations may also be subject to an additional branch profits tax with respect to income from the Fund that is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. The tax consequences to a Non-U.S. Shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described in this section. To claim tax treaty benefits, Non-U.S. Shareholders will be required to provide the Fund with a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E certifying their entitlement to the benefits. In addition, in certain cases where payments are made to a Non-U.S. Shareholder that is a partnership or other pass-through entity, both the entity and the persons holding an interest in the entity will need to provide certification. For example, an individual Non-U.S. Shareholder who holds Shares in the Fund through a non-U.S. partnership must provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty. Non-U.S. Shareholders are advised to consult their advisers with respect to the tax implications of purchasing, holding and disposing of Shares of the Fund.
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (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 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). The Fund may disclose the
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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 the Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.
Backup Withholding
The Fund may be required to withhold federal income tax (backup withholding) from dividends and proceeds from the repurchase of Shares paid to non-corporate shareholders. This tax may be withheld from dividends paid to a shareholder (other than a Non-U.S. Shareholder that properly certifies its non-United States status) if (i) the shareholder fails to properly furnish the Fund with its correct taxpayer identification number, (ii) the IRS notifies the Fund that the shareholder has failed to properly report certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect or (iii) when required to do so, the shareholder fails to certify that the taxpayer identification number provided is correct, that the shareholder is not subject to backup withholding and that the shareholder is a U.S. person (as defined for federal income tax purposes). Repurchase proceeds may be subject to backup withholding under the circumstances described in (i) above.
Generally, dividends paid to Non-U.S. Shareholders that are subject to the 30% federal income tax withholding described above under Withholding on Payments to Non-U.S. Shareholders are not subject to backup withholding. To avoid backup withholding on capital gain dividends and gross proceeds from the repurchase of Shares, Non-U.S. Shareholders must provide a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E certifying their non-United States status.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from payments made to a shareholder may be refunded or credited against such shareholders federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is furnished timely to the IRS.
Information Reporting
The Fund must report annually to the IRS and to each shareholder (other than a Non-U.S. Shareholder that properly certifies its non-United States status) the amount of dividends from investment company taxable income and capital gains and repurchase proceeds paid to such shareholder and the amount, if any, of tax withheld pursuant to backup withholding rules with respect to such amounts. In the case of a Non-U.S. Shareholder, the Fund must report to the IRS and such Shareholder the amount of dividends from investment company taxable income and capital gains and repurchase proceeds paid that are subject to withholding (including backup withholding, if any) and the amount of tax withheld, if any, with respect to such amounts. This information may also be made available to the tax authorities in the Non-U.S. Shareholders country of residence.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
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. Prior to the date of this SAI, the Fund had not yet commenced operations and, therefore, the Fund did not have any shareholders. The principal holders of the common Shares of the Predecessor Fund, as of June 7, 2021, are listed below:
Name and Address of Holder |
Approximate Percentage of Ownership on June 7, 2021 |
|||
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON* 525 WILLIAM PENN PLACE SUITE 153-0400 PITTSBURGH PA 15259 |
9.22% | |||
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.* 2423 E LINCOLN DRIVE PHOENIX AZ 85016-1215 |
5.02% |
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Name and Address of Holder |
Approximate Percentage of Ownership on June 7, 2021 |
|||
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES* 200 LIBERTY STREET NEW YORK, NY 10281 |
10.47% | |||
MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC 1585 BROADWAY NEW YORK, NY 10036 |
16.24% | |||
TD PRIME SERVICES* ONE VANDERBILT AVE NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10017 |
5.53% | |||
SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. 405 LEXINGTON AVENUE, 58TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10174 |
16.09% | |||
FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS L.P., FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P., THE CHARGER CORPORATION 120 EAST LIBERTY DRIVE SUITE 400 WHEATON, IL 60187 |
5.77% |
* | Shares held of record only. |
Management Ownership
As of December 31, 2020, the trustees and officers as a group owned less than 1% of the Shares outstanding of each class of the Fund and the Predecessor Fund.
A Registration Statement on Form N-2, including amendments thereto, relating to the Shares of the Fund offered hereby, has been filed by the Fund with the SEC in Washington, D.C. The Funds Prospectus and this SAI do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement, including any exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information with respect to the Fund and the Shares offered hereby, reference is made to the Funds Registration Statement. Statements contained in the Funds Prospectus and this SAI as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference. Copies of the Registration Statement may be inspected without charge at the SECs principal office in Washington, D.C., and copies of all or any part thereof may be obtained from the SEC upon the payment of certain fees prescribed by the SEC or on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
Because the Fund is new, financial statements are not yet available for the Fund as of the date of this SAI. The Fund is the successor to the accounting and performance information of the Predecessor Fund. The audited financial statements for the Predecessor Funds most recent fiscal year ended February 28, 2021 and the related report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) are incorporated by reference to the annual report to shareholders for the Predecessor Fund contained in the Predecessor Funds Form N-CSR filed on May 7, 2021, which is incorporated by reference into this SAI. PwC also serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.
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RATINGS OF DEBT SECURITIES
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.
Moodys MIG/VMIG US Short-Term Ratings
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
We use the global short-term Prime rating scale for commercial paper issued by US municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuers self-liquidity.
A-1
For other short-term municipal obligations, we use one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scales discussed below.
We use the MIG scale for US municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, we use the MIG scale for bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years.
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.
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.
A-2
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. |
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. |
A-3
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 D issuer rating and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitments. |
D: | A short-term 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 any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring. |
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 schedulethe larger final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and |
A-4
| Source of paymentthe 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 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
A-5
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.
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.
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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. | 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. |
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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 Ratings Assigned to Issuers and Obligations
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.
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PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Invescos Policy Statement on Global Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting
Effective January 2021
Contents
I. | Introduction | B-1 | ||||||
A. | Our Commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Stewardship and Proxy Voting | B-1 | ||||||
B. | Applicability of Policy | B-2 | ||||||
II. | Global Proxy Voting Operational Procedures | B-2 | ||||||
A. | Proprietary Proxy Voting Platform | B-3 | ||||||
B. | Oversight of Voting Operations | B-3 | ||||||
C. | Disclosures and Record Keeping | B-3 | ||||||
D. | Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee | B-4 | ||||||
E. | Market and Operational Limitations | B-4 | ||||||
F. | Securities Lending | B-5 | ||||||
G. | Conflicts of Interest | B-5 | ||||||
H. | Use of Third-Party Proxy Advisory Services | B-6 | ||||||
I. | Review of Policy | B-7 | ||||||
III. | Our Good Governance Principles | B-7 | ||||||
A. | Transparency | B-8 | ||||||
B. | Accountability | B-8 | ||||||
C. | Board Composition | B-9 | ||||||
D. | Long Term Stewardship of Capital | B-11 | ||||||
E. | Environmental, Social and Governance Risk Oversight | B-12 | ||||||
F. | Executive Compensation and Alignment | B-13 |
I. | Introduction |
Invesco Ltd. and its affiliated investment advisers (collectively, Invesco, the Company, our or we) has adopted and implemented this Policy Statement on Global Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting (Policy) which it believes describes policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of its clients. This Policy is intended to help Invescos clients understand our commitment to responsible investing and proxy voting, as well as the good governance principles that inform our approach to engagement and voting at shareholder meetings.
A. | Our Commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Stewardship and Proxy Voting |
Our commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles is a core element of our ambition to be the most client centric asset manager. We aspire to incorporate ESG considerations into all of our investment capabilities in the context of financial materiality and in the best interest of our clients.
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Our Global ESG team functions as a center of excellence, providing specialist insights on research, engagement, voting, integration, tools, and client and product solutions with investment teams implementing ESG approaches appropriate to asset class and investment style. Much of our work is rooted in fundamental research and frequent dialogue with companies.
Invesco views proxy voting as an integral part of its investment management responsibilities. The proxy voting process at Invesco focuses on protecting clients rights and promoting governance structures and practices that reinforce the accountability of corporate management and boards of directors to shareholders. The voting decision lies with our portfolio managers and analysts with input and support from our Global ESG team and Proxy Operations functions. Our proprietary proxy voting platform (PROXYintel) facilitates implementation of voting decisions and rationales across global investment teams. Our good governance principles, governance structure and processes are designed to ensure that proxy votes are cast in accordance with clients best interests.
As a large active investor, Invesco is well placed to use our ESG expertise and beliefs to engage with portfolio companies in ways which drive corporate change that we believe will enhance shareholder value. We take our responsibility as active owners very seriously and see engagement as an opportunity to encourage continual improvement and ensure that our clients interests are represented and protected. Dialogue with portfolio companies is a core part of the investment process. Invesco may engage with investee companies to discuss environmental, social and governance issues throughout the year or on specific ballot items to be voted on.
Our passive strategies and certain other client accounts managed in accordance with fixed income, money market and index strategies (including exchange traded funds) will typically vote in line with the majority holder of the active-equity shares held by Invesco outside of those strategies. Invesco refers to this approach as Majority Voting. This process of Majority Voting ensures that our passive strategies benefit from the engagement and deep dialogue of our active investors, which Invesco believes benefits shareholders in passively-managed accounts. In the absence of overlap between the active and passive holders, the passive holders vote in line with our internally developed voting guidelines (as defined below). Portfolio managers and analysts for accounts employing Majority Voting 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.
B. | Applicability of Policy |
Invesco may be granted by its clients the authority to vote the proxies of securities held in client portfolios. Invescos 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. In the case of institutional or sub-advised clients, Invesco will vote the proxies in accordance with this Policy unless the client agreement specifies that the client retains the right to vote or has designated a named fiduciary to direct voting.
This Policy applies to all entities in Exhibit A. Due to regional or asset class specific considerations, there may be certain entities that have local proxy voting guidelines or policies and procedures that differ from this Policy. In the event that local policies and the Global Policy differ, the local policy will apply. These entities are also listed in Exhibit A and include proxy voting guidelines specific to; Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd, Invesco Taiwan Ltd and Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. for Invesco Unit Investment Trusts. In Europe, we comply with the Shareholder Rights Directive and publish our disclosures and voting practices in this regard.
II. | Global Proxy Voting Operational Procedures |
Invescos global proxy voting operational procedures are in place to implement the provisions of this Policy (the Procedures). At Invesco, proxy voting is conducted by our investment teams through PROXYintel. Our investment teams globally are supported by Invescos centralized team of ESG professionals and proxy voting specialists. Invescos Global ESG team oversees the proxy policy, operational procedures, inputs to analysis and
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research and leads the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (Global IPAC). Invescos global proxy administration team is responsible for operational implementation including vote execution oversight.
Invesco aims to vote all proxies where we have been granted voting authority in accordance with this Policy as implemented by the Procedures. Our portfolio managers and analysts review voting items based on their individual merits and retain full discretion on vote execution conducted through our proprietary proxy voting platform. Invesco may supplement its internal research with information from independent third-parties, such as proxy advisory firms.
A. | Proprietary Proxy Voting Platform |
Invescos proprietary proxy voting platform is supported by a dedicated team of internal proxy specialists. PROXYintel streamlines the proxy voting process by providing our investment teams globally with direct access to meeting information and proxies, external proxy research and ESG ratings, as well as related functions, such as management of conflicts of interest issues, significant votes, global reporting and record-keeping capabilities. Managing these processes internally, as opposed to relying on third parties, is designed to provide Invesco greater quality control, oversight and independence in the proxy administration process.
Historical proxy voting information is stored to build institutional knowledge across the Invesco complex with respect to individual companies and proxy issues. Certain investment teams also use PROXYintel to access third-party proxy research and ESG ratings.
Our proprietary systems facilitate internal control and oversight of the voting process. Invesco may choose to leverage this capability to automatically vote proxies based on its internally developed voting guidelines and in circumstances where Majority Voting applies.
B. | Oversight of Voting Operations |
Invescos Proxy Governance and Voting Manager provides oversight of the proxy voting verification processes facilitated by a dedicated proxy administration team which include; (i) the monthly global vote audit review of votes cast containing documented rationales of conflicts of interest votes, market and operational limitations; (ii) the quarterly sampling of proxy votes cast to determine that (a) Invesco is voting consistently with this Policy and (b) third-party proxy advisory firms methodologies in formulating the vote recommendation are consistent with their publicly disclosed guidelines; and (iii) quarterly review of rationales with the Global IPAC of occasions where a portfolio manager may take a position that may not be in accordance with Invescos good governance principles and our internally developed voting guidelines.
To the extent material errors are identified in the proxy voting process, such errors are reviewed and reported to, as appropriate, the Global Head of ESG, Global Proxy Governance and Voting Manager, legal and compliance, the Global IPAC and relevant boards and clients, where applicable. Invescos Global Head of ESG and Proxy Governance and Voting Manager provide proxy voting updates and reporting to the Global IPAC, various boards and clients. Invescos proxy voting administration and operations are subject to periodic review by Internal Audit and Compliance groups.
C. | Disclosures and Record Keeping |
Unless otherwise required by local or regional requirements, Invesco maintains voting records in either electronic format or hard copy for at least 6 years. Invesco makes available its proxy voting records publicly in compliance with regulatory requirements and industry best practices in the regions below:
| In accordance with the US Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, Invesco will file a record of all proxy voting activity for the prior 12 months ending June 30th for each U.S. registered fund. That filing is made on or before August 31st of each year. Each year, the proxy voting records are made available on Invescos website here. Moreover, and to the extent applicable, the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), including Department of Labor |
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regulations and guidance thereunder, provide that the named fiduciary generally should be able to review not only the investment managers voting procedure with respect to plan-owned stock, but also to review the actions taken in individual proxy voting situations. 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. |
| In the UK and Europe, Invesco publicly discloses our proxy votes monthly in compliance with the UK Stewardship Code and for the European Shareholder Rights Directive annually here. |
| In Canada, Invesco publicly discloses our annual proxy votes each year here by August 31st, covering the 12-month period ending June 30th in compliance with the National Instrument 81-106 Investment Fund Continuous Disclosure. |
| In Japan, Invesco publicly discloses our proxy votes annually in compliance with the Japan Stewardship Code. |
| In India, Invesco publicly discloses our proxy votes quarterly in compliance with The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Circular on stewardship code for all mutual funds and all categories of Alternative Investment Funds in relation to their investment in listed equities. SEBI has implemented principles on voting for Mutual Funds through circulars dated March 15, 2010 and March 24, 2014, which prescribed detailed mandatory requirements for Mutual Funds in India to disclose their voting policies and actual voting by Mutual Funds on different resolutions of investee companies. |
| In Hong Kong, Invesco Hong Kong Limited will provide proxy voting records upon request in compliance with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Principles of Responsible Ownership. |
| In Taiwan, Invesco publicly discloses our proxy voting policy and proxy votes annually in compliance with Taiwans Stewardship Principles for Institutional Investors. |
D. | Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee |
Guided by its philosophy that investment teams should manage proxy voting, Invesco has created the Global IPAC. The Global IPAC is an investments-driven committee comprised of representatives from various investment management teams globally, Invescos Global Head of ESG and chaired by its Global Proxy Governance and Voting Manager. The Global IPAC provides a forum for investment teams to monitor, understand and discuss key proxy issues and voting trends within the Invesco complex, to assist Invesco in meeting regulatory obligations, to review votes not aligned with our good governance principles and to consider conflicts of interest in the proxy voting process, all in accordance with this Policy.
In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Global IPAC meets as necessary, but no less than semi-annually, and has the following responsibilities and functions: (i) acts as a key liaison between the Global ESG team and local proxy voting practices to ensure compliance with this Policy; (ii)
provides insight on market trends as it relates to stewardship practices; (iii) monitors proxy votes that present potential conflicts of interest; (iv) the Conflict of Interest sub-committee will make voting decisions on submissions made by portfolio managers on conflict of interest issues to override the Policy; and (v) reviews and provides input, at least annually, on this Policy and related internal procedures and recommends any changes to the Policy based on, but not limited to, Invescos experience, evolving industry practices, or developments in applicable laws or regulations.
In addition to the Global IPAC, for some clients, third parties (e.g., U.S. fund boards) provide oversight of the proxy voting process.
E. | Market and Operational Limitations |
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
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clients. Moreover, ERISA fiduciaries, in voting proxies or exercising other shareholder rights, must not subordinate the economic interests of plan participants and beneficiaries to unrelated objectives. These matters are left to the discretion of the relevant portfolio manager. Such circumstances could include, for example:
| 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. |
| Some companies require a representative to attend meetings in person to vote a proxy, additional documentation or the disclosure of beneficial owner details to vote. Invesco may determine that the costs of sending a representative, signing a power-of-attorney or submitting additional disclosures outweigh the benefit of voting a particular proxy. |
| 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. |
| Invesco held shares on the record date but has sold them prior to the meeting date. |
In some non-U.S. jurisdictions, although Invesco uses reasonable efforts to vote a proxy, proxies may not be accepted or rejected due to changes in the agenda for a shareholder meeting for which Invesco does not have sufficient notice, a proxy voting service may not be offered by the custodian in the local market or due to operational issues experienced by third-parties involved in the process or by the issuer or sub-custodian. In addition, despite the best efforts of Invesco and its proxy voting agent, there may be instances where our votes may not be received or properly tabulated by an issuer or the issuers agent.
F. | Securities Lending |
Invescos funds may occasionally participate in a securities lending program. In circumstances where shares are on loan, the voting rights of those shares are transferred to the borrower. 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 outweighs the benefits of securities lending. In those instances, Invesco may determine to recall securities that are on loan prior to the meeting record date, so that we will be entitled to vote those shares. There may be instances where Invesco may be unable to recall shares or may choose not to recall shares. The relevant portfolio manager will make these determinations.
G. | Conflicts of Interest |
There may be occasions where voting proxies may present a perceived or actual conflict of interest between Invesco, as investment manager, and one or more of Invescos clients or vendors.
Firm-Level Conflicts of interest
A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a material business relationship with 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. Such relationships may include, among others, a client relationship, serving as a vendor whose products / services are material or significant to Invesco, serving as a distributor of Invescos products, a significant research provider or broker to Invesco.
Invesco identifies potential conflicts of interest based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the materiality of the relationship between the issuer or its affiliates to Invesco.
Invescos proxy administration team maintains a list of all such issuers for which a conflict of interest exists (Global Conflicts List). Material firm-level conflicts of interests are identified by individuals and groups within Invesco globally based on criteria established by the proxy administration team. The Global
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Conflicts List is updated periodically by the proxy administration team so as to seek to ensure an updated view is available when conducting conflicts checks. Operating procedures and associated governance are designed to seek to ensure conflicts of interest are appropriately considered ahead of voting proxies. The Global IPAC Conflict of Interest Sub-committee maintains oversight of the process. Companies on the Global Conflicts List will be voted in line with the principles below as implemented by Invescos internally developed voting guidelines. To the extent a portfolio manager disagrees with the Policy, our processes and procedures seek to ensure justification and rationales are fully documented and presented to the Global IPAC Sub-committee for a majority vote of its members.
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. To avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Invesco will not vote proxies issued by Invesco Ltd. that may be held in client accounts.
Personal Conflicts of Interest
A conflict also may exist where an Invesco employee has a known personal or business relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships. Under Invescos Global Code of Conduct, Invesco entities and individuals must act in the best interests of clients and must avoid any situation that gives rise to an actual or perceived conflict of interest.
All Invesco personnel with proxy voting responsibilities are required to report any known personal or business 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.
Voting Fund of Funds
There may be conflicts that can arise from Invesco voting on matters when shares of Invesco-sponsored funds are held by other Invesco funds or entities. The scenarios below set out how Invesco votes in these instances.
| In the United States, as required by law, proportional voting applies. |
| 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, where required by law. |
| 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 where the thresholds are met as required by federal securities law or any exemption therefrom. |
| To the extent proportional voting is required by law, but not operationally possible, Invesco will not vote the shares. |
| For US fund of funds where proportional voting is not required by law, Invesco will still apply proportional voting. In the event this is not operationally possible, Invesco will vote in line with our internally developed voting guidelines (as defined below). |
| For non-US fund of funds Invesco will vote in line with our above-mentioned firm-level conflicts of interest process unless we have local policies in place as per Exhibit A. |
H. | Use of Third-Party Proxy Advisory Services |
Invesco may supplement its internal research with information from independent third-parties, such as proxy advisory firms. Globally, Invesco leverages research from Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) and Glass Lewis (GL). Invesco generally retains full and independent discretion with respect to proxy voting decisions.
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ISS and GL both provide research reports, including vote recommendations, to Invesco and its portfolio managers and analysts. Invesco retains ISS to provide recommendations based on Invescos internally developed custom guidelines. Updates to previously issued proxy research reports may be provided to incorporate newly available information or additional disclosure provided by the issuer regarding a matter to be voted on, or to correct factual errors which may result in the issuance of revised proxy vote recommendations. Invescos proxy administration team may periodically monitor for these research alerts issued by ISS and GL that are shared with our investment teams. There may be instances where these updates may not be provided in a timely manner ahead of the vote deadline.
Invesco also retains ISS to assist with services that include receipt of proxy ballots, vote execution through PROXYintel and vote disclosure in Canada, the UK and Europe to meet regulatory reporting obligations.
As part of its fiduciary obligation to clients, Invesco performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms it engages globally. This includes reviews of information regarding the capabilities of their research staff, methodologies for formulating voting recommendations, the adequacy and quality of personnel and technology, as applicable, and internal controls, policies and procedures, including those relating to possible conflicts of interest.
The proxy advisory firms Invesco engages globally complete an annual due diligence questionnaire submitted by Invesco, and Invesco conducts annual due diligence meetings in part to discuss their responses to the questionnaire. In addition, Invesco monitors and communicates with these firms and monitors their compliance with Invescos performance and policy standards. ISS and GL disclose conflicts to Invesco through a review of their policies, procedures and practices regarding potential conflicts of interests (including inherent internal conflicts) as well as disclosure of the work ISS and GL perform for corporate issuers and the payments they receive from such issuers. Invesco conducts semi-annual roundtables with external proxy and governance experts and our Global IPAC 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 compliance function completes a review of the System and Organizational Controls (SOC) Reports for each proxy advisory firm to ensure the related controls operated effectively to provide reasonable assurance.
In addition to ISS and GL, Invesco may use regional third-party research providers to access regionally specific research.
I. | Review of Policy |
The Global IPAC and Invescos Global ESG team, proxy administration team, compliance and legal teams annually communicate and review this Policy and our internally developed voting guidelines to seek to ensure that they remain consistent with clients best interests, regulatory requirements, governance trends and industry best practices. At least annually, this Policy and our internally developed voting guidelines are reviewed by various groups within Invesco to ensure that they remain consistent with Invescos views on best practice in corporate governance and long-term investment stewardship.
III. | Our Good Governance Principles |
Invescos good governance principles outline our views on best practice in corporate governance and long-term investment stewardship. These principles have been developed by our global investment teams in collaboration with the Global ESG team. The broad philosophy and guiding principles in this section inform our approach to investment stewardship and proxy voting. These principles are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive.
Our portfolio managers and analysts retain full discretion on vote execution except where otherwise specified in this Policy. The final voting decisions may incorporate the unique circumstances affecting
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companies, regional best practices and any dialogue we have had with company management. To the extent a portfolio manager chooses to vote a proxy in a way that is not aligned with the principles below, such managers rationales are fully documented.
The following guiding principles apply to operating companies. We apply a separate approach to investment companies and unit investment trusts. Where appropriate, these guidelines are supplemented by additional internal guidance that considers regional variations in best practices, disclosure and region-specific voting items.
The following are high-level governance principles that Invesco endorses:
A. | Transparency |
Investors require accurate, timely and complete information in order to make informed investment decisions and effectively carry out their stewardship obligations. Invesco supports the highest standards in corporate transparency, including but not limited to the following areas:
Financial reporting: Company accounts and reporting must accurately reflect the underlying economic position of a company. Arrangements that may constitute an actual or perceived conflict with this objective should be avoided.
| We will generally vote against the incumbent audit committee chair, or nearest equivalent, where the non-audit fees paid to the independent auditor exceed audit fees for two consecutive years or other problematic accounting practices are identified such as fraud, misapplication of audit standards or persistent material weaknesses/deficiencies in internal controls over financial reporting. |
| We will generally not support the ratification of the independent auditor and/or ratification of their fees payable if non-audit fees exceed audit and audit related fees or there are significant auditing controversies or questions regarding the independence of the external auditor. We will consider an auditors length of service as a companys independent auditor in applying this policy. |
B. | Accountability |
Robust shareholder rights and strong board oversight help ensure that management adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct, are held to account for poor performance and responsibly deliver value creation for stakeholders over the long-term. We therefore encourage companies to adopt governance features that ensure board and management accountability. In particular, we consider the following as key mechanisms for enhancing accountability to investors:
One share one vote: Voting rights are an important tool for investors to hold boards and management teams accountable. Unequal voting rights may limit the ability of investors to exercise their stewardship obligations.
| We generally do not support proposals that establish or perpetuate dual classes of voting shares, double voting rights or other means of differentiated voting or disproportionate board nomination rights. |
| We generally support proposals to decommission differentiated voting rights. |
| Where unequal voting rights are established, we expect these to be accompanied by reasonable safeguards to protect minority shareholders interests. |
Anti-takeover devices: Mechanisms designed to prevent or unduly delay takeover attempts may unduly limit the accountability of boards and management teams to shareholders.
| We generally will not support proposals to adopt antitakeover devices such as poison pills. Exceptions may be warranted at entities without significant operations and to preserve the value of net operating losses carried forward or where the applicability of the pill is limited in scope and duration. |
| In addition, we will generally not support capital authorizations or amendments to corporate articles or bylaws at operating companies that may be utilized for antitakeover purposes, for example, the authorization of classes of shares of preferred stock with unspecified voting, dividend, conversion or other rights (blank check authorizations). |
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Shareholder rights: We support the rights of shareholders to hold boards and management teams accountable for company performance. We generally support best practice aligned proposals to enhance shareholder rights, including but not limited to the following:
| Adoption of proxy access rights |
| Rights to call special meetings |
| Rights to act by written consent |
| Reduce supermajority vote requirements |
| Remove antitakeover provisions |
| Requirement that directors are elected by a majority vote |
In addition, we oppose practices that limit shareholders ability to express their views at a general meeting such as bundling unrelated proposals or several significant article or bylaw amendments into a single voting item. We will generally vote against these proposals unless we are satisfied that all the underlying components are aligned with our views on best practice.
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 proposals to limit directors liability and provide indemnification and/or exculpation, provided that the arrangements are reasonably limited in scope to directors acting in good faith and, in relation to criminal matters, limited in scope to directors having reasonable grounds for believing the conduct was lawful.
Responsiveness: Boards should respond to investor concerns in a timely fashion, including reasonable requests to engage with company representatives regarding such concerns, and address matters that receive significant voting dissent at general meetings of shareholders.
| We will generally vote against the lead independent director and/or the incumbent chair of the governance committee, or nearest equivalent, in cases where the board has not adequately responded to items receiving significant voting opposition from shareholders at an annual or extraordinary general meeting. |
| We will generally vote against the lead independent director and/or incumbent chair of the governance committee, or nearest equivalent, where the board has not adequately responded to a shareholder proposal which has received significant support from shareholders. |
| We will generally vote against the incumbent chair of the compensation committee if there are significant ongoing concerns with a companys compensation practices that have not been addressed by the committee or egregious concerns with the companys compensation practices for two years consecutively. |
| In addition, we will generally vote against the incumbent compensation committee chair where there are ongoing concerns with a companys compensation practices and there is no opportunity to express dissatisfaction by voting against an advisory vote on executive compensation, remuneration report (or policy) or nearest equivalent. |
C. | Board Composition |
Annual director elections: Board members should generally stand for election annually and individually.
| We will generally support proposals requesting that directors stand for election annually. |
| We will generally vote against the incumbent governance committee chair or lead independent director if a company has a declassified board structure that is not being phased out. This policy will not apply in |
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regions where market practice is for directors to stand for election on a staggered basis or for boards that do not oversee significant commercial operations. |
| When a board is presented for election as a slate (i.e., shareholders are unable to vote against individual nominees and must vote for or against the entire nominated slate of directors) and this approach is not aligned with local market practice, we will generally vote against the slate in cases where we otherwise would vote against an individual nominee. |
| Where market practice is to elect directors as a slate we will generally support the nominated slate unless there are governance concerns with several of the individuals included on the slate or we have broad concerns with the composition of the board such as a lack independence. |
Board size: We will generally 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.
Definition of independence: Invesco considers local market definitions of director independence but applies a proprietary standard for assessing director independence considering a directors status as a current or former employee of the business, any commercial or consulting relationships with the company, the level of shares beneficially owned or represented and familial relationships, among others.
Board and committee independence: The board of directors, board committees and regional equivalents should be sufficiently independent from management, substantial shareholders and conflicts of interest. We consider local market practices in this regard and in general we look for a balance across the board of directors. Above all, we like to see signs of robust challenge and discussion in the boardroom.
| We will generally vote against one or more non-independent directors when a board is less than majority independent, but we will take into account local market practice with regards to board independence in limited circumstances where this standard is not appropriate. |
| We will generally vote against non-independent directors serving on the audit committee. |
| We will generally vote against non-independent directors serving on the compensation committee. |
| We will generally vote against non-independent directors serving on the nominating committee. |
| In relation to the board, compensation committee and nominating committee we will consider the appropriateness of significant shareholder representation in applying this policy. This exception will generally not apply to the audit committee. |
Separation of Chair and CEO roles: We believe that independent board leadership generally enhances management accountability to investors. Companies deviating from this best practice should provide a strong justification and establish safeguards to ensure that there is independent oversight of a boards activities (e.g., by appointing a lead or senior independent director with clearly defined powers and responsibilities).
| We will generally vote against the incumbent nominating committee chair where the board chair is not independent unless a lead independent or senior director is appointed. |
| We will generally support shareholder proposals requesting that the board chair be an independent director. |
| We will generally not vote against a CEO or executive serving as board chair solely on the basis of this issue, however, we may do so in instances where we have significant concerns regarding a companys corporate governance, capital allocation decisions and/or compensation practices. |
Attendance and over boarding: Directors serving on the board should attend at least 75% of their board and committee meetings, where applicable. In addition, directors should not have excessive external board or managerial commitments that may interfere with their ability to execute the duties of a director.
| We will generally vote against directors who do not attend 75% of their meetings unless there are extenuating circumstances such as health matters or family emergencies. |
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| We will generally vote against directors who have more than four total mandates at public operating companies. We apply a lower threshold for directors with significant commitments such as executive positions and chairmanships. |
Diversity: We encourage companies to continue to evolve diversity and inclusion practices. Boards should be comprised of directors with a variety of relevant skills and industry expertise together with a diverse profile of individuals of different genders, ethnicities, skills, tenures and backgrounds in order to provide robust challenge and debate. We consider diversity at the board level, within the executive management team and in the succession pipeline.
| We will generally vote against the incumbent nominating committee chair of a board where women constitute less than two board members or 25% of the board, whichever is lower, for two or more consecutive years, unless incremental improvements are being made to diversity practices. |
| In addition, we will consider a companys performance on broader types of diversity which may include diversity of skills, non-executive director tenure, ethnicity or other factors where appropriate and reasonably determinable. We will generally vote against the incumbent nominating committee chair if there are multiple concerns on diversity issues. |
| 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. |
D. | Long Term Stewardship of Capital |
Capital allocation: Invesco expects companies to responsibly raise and deploy capital towards the long-term, sustainable success of the business. In addition, we expect capital allocation authorizations and decisions to be made with due regard to shareholder dilution, rights of shareholders to ratify significant corporate actions and pre-emptive rights, where applicable.
Share issuance and repurchase authorizations: We generally support authorizations to issue shares up to 20% of a companys issued share capital for general corporate purposes. Shares should not be issued at a substantial discount to the market price or be repurchased at a substantial premium to the market price.
Stock splits: We generally support management proposals to implement a forward or reverse stock split, provided that a reverse stock split is not being used to take a company private. In addition, we will generally support requests to increase a companys common stock authorization if requested in order to facilitate a stock split.
Increases in authorized share capital: We will generally support proposals to increase a companys number of authorized common and/or preferred shares, provided we have not identified concerns regarding a companys historical share issuance activity or the potential to use these authorizations for antitakeover purposes. We will consider the amount of the request in relation to the companys current authorized share capital, any proposed corporate transactions contingent on approval of these requests and the cumulative impact on a companys authorized share capital, for example, if a reverse stock split is concurrently submitted for shareholder consideration.
Mergers, acquisitions, proxy contests, disposals and other corporate transactions: Invescos investment teams will review proposed corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, proxy contests, private placements, dissolutions and divestitures based on a proposals individual investment merits. In addition, we broadly approach voting on other corporate transactions as follows:
| We will generally support proposals to approve different types of restructurings that provide the necessary financing to save the company from involuntary bankruptcy. |
| We will generally support proposals to enact corporate name changes and other proposals related to corporate transactions that we believe are in shareholders best interests. |
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| We will generally support reincorporation proposals, provided that management have provided a compelling rationale for the change in legal jurisdiction and provided further that the proposal will not significantly adversely impact shareholders rights. |
| With respect to contested director elections, we consider the following factors, among others, when evaluating the merits of each list of nominees: the long term performance of the company relative to its industry, managements track record, any relevant background information related to the contest, the qualifications of the respective lists of director nominees, the strategic merits of the approaches proposed by both sides including the likelihood that the proposed goals can be met, positions of stock ownership in the company. |
E. | Environmental, Social and Governance Risk Oversight |
Director responsibility for risk oversight: The board of directors are ultimately responsible for overseeing management and ensuring that proper governance, oversight and control mechanisms are in place at the companies they oversee. Invesco may take voting action against director nominees in response to material governance or risk oversight failures that adversely affect shareholder value.
Invesco considers the adequacy of a companys response to material oversight failures when determining whether any voting action is warranted. In addition, Invesco will consider the responsibilities delegated to board subcommittees when determining if it is appropriate to hold certain director nominees accountable for these material failures.
Material governance or risk oversight failures at a company may include, without limitation:
i. significant bribery, corruption or ethics violations;
ii. events causing significant environmental degradation;
iii. significant health and safety incidents; or
iv. failure to ensure the protection of human rights.
Reporting of financially material ESG information: Companies should report on their environmental, social and governance opportunities and risks where material to their business operations.
| Where Invesco finds significant gaps in terms of management and disclosure of environmental, social and governance risk policies, we will generally vote against the annual reporting and accounts or an equivalent resolution. |
Shareholder proposals addressing environmental and social risks: Invesco may support shareholder resolutions requesting that specific actions be taken to address environmental and social issues or mitigate exposure to material environmental and social risks, including reputational risk, related to these issues. When considering such proposals, we will consider a companys track record managing these risks, the efficacy of the proposals request and whether the requested action is unduly burdensome.
| We generally do not support resolutions where insufficient information has been provided in advance of the vote or a lack of disclosure inhibits our ability to make fully informed voting decisions. |
| We will generally support shareholder resolutions requesting that companies provide additional information on material environmental, social and governance risks facing their businesses, provided that such requests are not unduly burdensome or duplicative with a companys existing reporting. These may include but are not limited to the following: gender pay gap reporting requests, political contributions and lobbying disclosure, information on data security, privacy, and internet practices, and reporting on climate change risks. |
Ratification of board and/or management acts: We will generally support proposals to ratify the actions of the board of directors, supervisory board and/or executive decision-making bodies, provided there are no material oversight failures as described above. When such oversight concerns are identified, we will consider a companys
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response to any issues raised and may vote against ratification proposals instead of, or in addition to, director nominees.
F. | Executive Compensation and Alignment |
Invesco supports compensation polices and equity incentive plans that promote alignment between management incentives and shareholders long-term interests. We pay close attention to local market practice and may apply stricter or modified criteria where appropriate.
Advisory votes on executive compensation, remuneration policy and remuneration reports: We will generally not support compensation related proposals where more than one of the following is present:
i. there is an unmitigated misalignment between executive pay and company performance for at least two consecutive years;
ii. there are problematic compensation practices which may include among others incentivizing excessive risk taking or circumventing alignment between management and shareholders interests via repricing of underwater options;
iii. vesting periods for long term incentive awards are less than three years;
iv. the company front loads equity awards;
v. there are inadequate risk mitigating features in the program such as clawback provisions;
vi. excessive, discretionary one-time equity grants are awarded to executives;
vii. less than half of variable pay is linked to performance targets, except where prohibited by law.
Invesco will consider company reporting on pay ratios as part of our evaluation of compensation proposals, where relevant.
Equity plans: 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 which may include provisions to reprice options without shareholder approval, plans that include evergreen provisions or plans that provide for automatic accelerated vesting upon a change in control.
Employee stock purchase plans: We generally support 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.
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. We generally vote in favor of proposals requiring shareholder ratification of senior executives severance agreements where the proposed terms and disclosure align with good market practice.
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Exhibit A
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd*1
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited*1
Invesco Asset Management (Schweiz) AG
Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH
Invesco Asset Management Limited1
Invesco Asset Management Singapore Ltd
Invesco Asset Management Spain
Invesco Australia Ltd
Invesco Canada Ltd.1
Invesco Capital Management LLC
Invesco Capital Markets, Inc.*1
Invesco Hong Kong Limited
Invesco Investment Advisers LLC
Invesco Investment Management (Shanghai) Limited
Invesco Investment Management Limited
Invesco Managed Accounts, LLC
Invesco Management S.A
Invesco Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Limited
Invesco Pensions Limited
Invesco Private Capital, Inc.
Invesco Real Estate Management S.a.r.l1
Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.
Invesco Taiwan Ltd*1
Invesco Trust Company
Oppenheimer Funds, Inc.
WL Ross & Co. LLC
* | Invesco entities with specific proxy voting guidelines |
1 | Invesco entities with specific conflicts of interest policies |
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