nv1a
As filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on January 16, 2013.
1940 Act
Registration No. 811-22793
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
and/or
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REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 |
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Amendment No.___
(Check appropriate box
or boxes.)
INVESCO SECURITIES TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (713) 626-1919
John M. Zerr, Esquire
11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173
(Name and Address of Agent of Service)
With Copies to:
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Stephen Rimes, Esquire
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E. Carolan Berkley, Esquire |
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
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Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP |
11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000
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2005 Market Street, Suite 2600 |
Houston, Texas 77046
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7018 |
INVESCO SECURITIES TRUST
Prospectus
Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund
January 16, 2013
Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund (the “Fund”), a series portfolio of Invesco
Securities Trust (the “Trust”), issues its beneficial interests (“shares”) only in private
placement transactions that do not involve a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(2) of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). This prospectus is not offering to
sell, or soliciting any offer to buy, any security to the public within the meaning of the
Securities Act.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved the Fund’s
shares as an investment or determined whether this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Invesco Securities Trust
Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund
Responses to items 1 through 4 and 13 have been omitted pursuant to paragraph 2(b) of Instruction B
of the General Instructions to Form N-1A.
Management
Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco” or the “Adviser”) serves as Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive
Allocation Fund’s (the “Fund”) investment adviser.
The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of
the Fund’s portfolio:
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Portfolio Managers |
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Length of Service on the Fund |
Scott Wolle
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Portfolio Manager (lead)
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Inception |
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Mark Ahnrud
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Portfolio Manager
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Inception |
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Chris Devine
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Portfolio Manager
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Inception |
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Scott Hixon
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Portfolio Manager
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Inception |
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Christian Ulrich
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Portfolio Manager
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Inception |
The portfolio managers are assisted by Invesco’s Global Asset Allocation Team, which is
comprised of portfolio managers and research analysts. Members of the team may change from time to
time.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund’s shares have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”), which means that the Fund’s shares may not be sold publicly. However, the Fund
may sell its shares through private placements pursuant to available exemptions from registration
under the Securities Act.
Shares of the Fund are sold only to other investment companies. Requests to purchase or
redeem shares of the Fund are processed at the net asset value of the shares next determined after
receipt of the request in good order. All investments are subject to approval of the Adviser.
There are no minimum investment requirements.
Tax information
The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some
combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k)
plan or individual retirement account.
This discussion of “Taxes” is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors
should consult their own tax advisers as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions
applicable to them.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
Not applicable.
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Investment Objectives, Principal Investment Strategies, Related Risks, and Disclosure of Portfolio
Holdings
Investment Objective
The Fund’s investment objective is to provide total return with a low to moderate correlation to
traditional financial market indices. The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board
of Trustees (Board) without shareholder approval.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to provide capital loss protection during down markets.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund’s portfolio management team allocates across three asset
classes, equities, fixed income and commodities, such that no one asset class drives the Fund’s
performance. The Fund’s exposure to these three asset classes will be achieved primarily through
investments in derivative instruments.
The portfolio managers manage the Fund’s portfolio using two different processes. One is strategic
asset allocation, which the portfolio managers use to express their long term views of the market.
The portfolio managers apply their strategic process to, on average, approximately 80% of the
Fund’s portfolio. The other process is tactical asset allocation, which is used by the portfolio managers to
reflect their shorter term views of the market. The strategic and tactical processes are intended to diversify portfolio risk in a variety of market conditions.
The portfolio managers will implement their investment decisions through the use of derivatives and
other investments that create economic leverage. The Fund uses derivatives and other leveraged
instruments to create and adjust exposure to the asset classes. The portfolio managers make these
adjustments to balance risk exposure when they believe it will benefit the Fund. Using derivatives
allows the portfolio managers to implement their views more efficiently and to gain more exposure
to the asset classes than investing in more traditional assets, such as stocks and bonds, would
allow. The Fund holds only long positions in derivatives. A long derivative position involves
the Fund buying a derivative with the anticipation of a price increase of the underlying asset. The Fund’s use of derivatives and the leveraged investment exposure created by the use of
derivatives are expected to be significant and greater than most mutual funds.
We expect the Fund’s net asset value over a short to intermediate term to be volatile because of
the significant use of derivatives and other instruments that provide economic leverage.
Volatility measures the range of returns of a security, fund or index, as indicated by the
annualized standard deviation of its returns. Higher volatility generally indicates higher risk
and is often reflected by frequent and sometimes significant movements up and down in value. It is
expected that the annualized volatility level for the Fund will be, on average, approximately 12%.
The Fund’s actual volatility level for longer or shorter periods may be materially higher or lower
than the target level depending on market conditions, and therefore the Fund’s risk exposure may be
materially higher or lower than the level targeted by the portfolio managers. The Fund’s
investment strategy seeks to provide total return with low to moderate correlation to traditional
market indices, notwithstanding the expected short and intermediate term volatility in the net
asset value of the Fund.
The Fund will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses,
than if the Fund did not use derivatives or other instruments that have an economic leveraging
effect. Economic leveraging tends to magnify, sometimes significantly depending on the amount of
leverage used, the
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effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund’s exposure to an asset class and
may cause the Fund’s net asset value to be more volatile than a fund that does not use leverage.
For example, if the Adviser gains exposure to a specific asset class through an instrument that
provides leveraged exposure to the class, and that leveraged instrument increases in value, the
gain to the Fund will be magnified; however, if the leveraged instrument decreases in value, the
loss to the Fund will be magnified.
The Adviser’s investment process has three steps. The first step involves asset selection within
the three asset classes (equities, fixed income and commodities). The portfolio managers select
investments to represent each of the three asset classes from a universe of over fifty investments.
The selection process (1) evaluates a particular investment’s theoretical case for long-term excess
returns relative to cash; (2) screens the identified investments against minimum liquidity
criteria; and (3) reviews the expected correlation among the investments, meaning the likelihood
that the value of the investments will move in the same direction at the same time, and the
expected risk of each investment to determine whether the selected investments are likely to
improve the expected risk adjusted return of the Fund.
Using a systematic approach based on fundamental principles, the portfolio management team analyzes
the asset classes and investments, considering the following factors: valuation, economic
environment and historic price movements. Regarding valuation, the portfolio managers evaluates
whether asset classes and investments are attractively priced relative to fundamentals. Next, the
portfolio managers assess the economic environment and consider the effect that monetary policy and
other determinants of economic growth, inflation and market volatility will have on the asset
classes and investments. Lastly, the portfolio managers assess the impact of historic price
movements for the asset classes and investments on likely future returns.
The second step in the investment process involves portfolio construction. The portfolio managers
use their own estimates for risk and correlation to weight each asset class and the investments
within each asset class to construct a risk-balanced portfolio. Periodically, the management team
re-estimates the risk contributed by each asset class and investment and re-balances the portfolio;
the portfolio also may be rebalanced when the Fund makes new investments.
Utilizing the results from the analysis described above, the portfolio managers determine tactical
short-term over-weight (buying additional assets relative to the strategic allocation) and
under-weight (selling assets relative to the strategic allocation) positions for the asset classes
and investments. The portfolio managers then attempt to control the frequency, depth and duration
of portfolio losses and manage the risk contribution from the various asset classes and investments
with the proprietary risk-balancing process.
In the third step of the investment process, the portfolio managers calculate the estimated risk of
the portfolio and scale the positions accordingly in order to construct a portfolio with a targeted
risk profile. The management team actively adjusts portfolio positions to reflect the near-term
market environment, while remaining consistent with the balanced-risk long-term portfolio structure
described in step two above. The management team uses a systematic approach to evaluate the
attractiveness of the assets in the portfolio relative to the expected returns of treasury bills.
The approach focuses on three concepts: valuation, the economic
environment, and historic price movements. When the balance of these concepts is positive, the management team will increase
exposure to an asset by purchasing more relative to the
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strategic allocation. In a like manner,
the management team will reduce exposure to strategic assets when the balance of these concepts is
negative.
The Fund’s equity exposure will be achieved through investments in derivatives that track equity
indices from developed and/or emerging market countries. The Fund’s fixed income exposure will be
achieved through derivative investments that offer exposure to issuers in developed markets that
are rated investment grade or unrated but deemed to be investment grade quality, including U.S.
and foreign government debt securities having intermediate (5 – 10 years) and long (10 plus years)
term duration. The Fund’s commodity exposure will be achieved through investments in
exchange-traded funds (ETFs), commodity futures and swaps, exchange-traded notes (ETNs) and
commodity-linked notes, some or all of which will be owned through
Invesco Cayman Commodity Fund VI
Ltd., a wholly–owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands
(Subsidiary). The commodity investments will be focused in four sectors of the commodities market:
energy, precious metals, industrial metals and agriculture/livestock.
ETFs are traded on an exchange and generally hold a portfolio of securities, commodities and/or
currencies that are designed to replicate (i) a specified market or other index, (ii) a basket of
securities, commodities or currencies, or (iii) a particular commodity or currency.
ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a bank or other sponsor, the
returns of which are linked to the performance of a particular market, benchmark or strategy. ETNs
are traded on an exchange; however, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity,
the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day’s
market benchmark or strategy factor.
The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, in derivatives that provide exposure to issuers
located in at least three different countries, including the U.S. The Fund will invest, under
normal circumstances, at least 40% of its net assets in derivatives that provide exposure to
issuers outside the United States.
The Fund will invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary to gain exposure to
commodities markets. The Subsidiary, in turn, will invest in futures, swaps, commodity-linked
notes, ETFs and ETNs. The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser, has the same investment objective
as the Fund and generally employs the same investment strategy. Unlike the Fund, however, the
Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivatives and other securities that
may provide leveraged and non-leveraged exposure to commodities. The Subsidiary holds cash and can
invest in cash equivalent instruments, including affiliated money market funds, some or all of
which may serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivative positions. Because the
Subsidiary is wholly-owned by the Fund, the Fund will be subject to the risks associated with any
investment by the Subsidiary.
The Fund generally will maintain 50% to 100% of its total assets (including assets held by the
Subsidiary) in cash and cash equivalent instruments, including affiliated money market funds, as
margin or collateral for the Fund’s obligations under derivative transactions. The larger the value
of the Fund’s derivative positions, as opposed to positions held in non-derivative instruments, the
more the Fund will be required to maintain cash and cash equivalents as margin or collateral for
such derivatives.
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The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a
small group of issuers or any one issuer than a diversified fund can.
The derivatives in which the Fund will invest will include but are not limited to futures, swap
agreements and commodity-linked notes.
A swap contract is an agreement between two parties pursuant to which the parties exchange payments
at specified dates on the basis of a specified notional amount, with the payments calculated by
reference to specified securities, indexes, reference rates, commodities, currencies or other
instruments. The notional amount of a swap is based on the nominal or face amount of a referenced
asset that is used to calculate payments made on that swap; the notional amount typically is not
exchanged between counterparties. The parties to the swap use variations in the value of the
underlying asset to calculate payments between them through the life of the swap.
Futures contracts are standardized agreements between two parties to buy or sell a specific
quantity of an underlying instrument or commodity at a specific price at a specific future time.
The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease with the value of the underlying
instrument or commodity. Futures contracts are bilateral agreements, with both the purchaser and
the seller equally obligated to complete the transaction. Depending on the terms of the particular
contract, futures contracts are settled by purchasing an offsetting contract, physically delivering
the underlying instrument or commodity on the settlement date or paying a cash settlement amount on
the settlement date.
Commodity-linked notes are notes issued by a bank or other sponsor that pay a return linked to the
performance of a commodities index or basket of futures contracts with respect to all of the
commodities in an index. In some cases, the return will be based on a multiple of the performance
of the index and this embedded leverage will magnify the positive return and losses the Fund earns
from these notes as compared to the index.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with any mutual fund investment, loss of money is a risk of investing. An investment in the
Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any other governmental agency. The risks associated with an investment in the Fund
can increase during times of significant market volatility. The principal risks of investing in the
Fund are:
CFTC Regulation Risk. The CFTC has recently adopted amendments to certain CFTC rules, and is
promulgating new rules, which will subject the Fund to regulation by the CFTC. The Fund will be
required to operate subject to applicable CFTC requirements, including registration, disclosure and
operational requirements. The Fund also will be subject to CFTC requirements related to processing
derivatives transactions and tracking exposure levels to certain commodities. Compliance with
these additional requirements will increase Fund expenses. Certain of the requirements that would
apply to the Fund have not yet been adopted, and it is unclear what the effect of those
requirements would be on the Fund if they are adopted. The Adviser believes that it is possible
that compliance with CFTC regulations, if they are adopted as proposed, may adversely affect the
ability of the Fund to achieve its objective.
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Commodity-Linked Notes Risk. The Fund’s investments in commodity-linked notes
may involve substantial risks, including risk of loss of a significant portion of their principal
value. In addition to risks associated with the underlying commodities, they may be subject to
additional special risks, such as the lack of a secondary trading market and temporary price
distortions due to speculators and/or the continuous rolling over of futures contracts underlying
the notes. Commodity-linked notes are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the
other party to the contract will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction
with the Fund.
Commodity Risk. The Fund’s significant investment exposure to the commodities
markets, and/or a particular sector of the commodities markets, may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and
bonds. The commodities markets may fluctuate widely based on a variety of factors, including
changes in overall market movements, domestic and foreign political and economic events and
policies, war, acts of terrorism, changes in domestic or foreign interest rates and/or investor
expectations concerning interest rates, domestic and foreign inflation rates and investment and
trading activities of mutual funds, hedge funds and commodities funds. Prices of various
commodities may also be affected by factors such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease,
embargoes, tariffs and other regulatory developments. The prices of commodities can also fluctuate
widely due to supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. Because the
Fund’s performance is linked to the performance of volatile commodities,
investors should be willing to assume the risks of potentially significant fluctuations in the
value of the Fund’s shares.
Correlation Risk. Changes in the value of two investments or asset classes may not track or offset
each other in the manner anticipated by the portfolio managers. Because the Fund’s investment
strategy seeks to balance risk across three asset classes and, within each asset class, to balance
risk across different countries and commodities, to the extent either the three asset classes or
the selected countries and commodities are correlated in a way not anticipated by the portfolio
managers the Fund’s risk allocation process may not succeed in achieving its investment objective.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party to the contract will not
fulfill its contractual obligations, which may cause losses or additional costs to the Fund.
Credit
Risk. The issuer of instruments in which the Fund invests may be unable to
meet interest and/or principal payments, thereby causing its instruments to decrease in value and
lowering the issuer’s credit rating.
Currency/Exchange Rate Risk. The dollar value of the Fund’s foreign
investments will be affected by changes in the exchange rates between the dollar and the currencies
in which those investments are traded.
Derivatives Risk. The performance of derivative instruments is tied to the performance of an
underlying currency, security, index, commodity or other instrument. In addition to risks relating
to their underlying instruments, the use of derivatives may include other, possibly greater, risks.
Derivatives involve costs, may be volatile, and may involve a small initial investment relative to
the risk assumed. Risks associated with the use of derivatives may include counterparty, leverage,
correlation, liquidity, tax, market, interest rate and management risks. Derivatives may also be
more difficult to purchase, sell or value than other
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investments. The Fund may
lose more than the cash amount invested on investments in derivatives. Investors should bear in
mind that, while the Fund intends to use derivative strategies, it is not obligated to actively
engage in these transactions, generally or in any particular kind of derivative, if the investment
manager elects not to do so due to availability, cost, market conditions or other factors.
Developing/Emerging Markets Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign companies and governments
located in developing/emerging countries may be affected more negatively by inflation, devaluation
of their currencies, higher transaction costs, delays in settlement, adverse
political developments, the introduction of capital controls, withholding taxes, nationalization of
private assets, expropriation, social unrest, war or lack of timely information than those in
developed countries.
Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. An investment by the Fund in exchange-traded funds
generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a mutual fund. In addition, an
exchange-traded fund may be subject to the following: (1) a discount of the exchange-traded fund’s
shares to its net asset value; (2) failure to develop or maintain an active trading market for the
exchange-traded fund’s shares; (3) the listing exchange halting trading of the exchange-traded
fund’s shares; (4) failure of the exchange-traded fund’s shares to track the referenced asset; and
(5) holding troubled securities in the referenced index or basket of investments. Exchange-traded
funds may involve duplication of management fees and certain other expenses, as the Fund
indirectly bears its proportionate share of any expenses paid by the exchange-traded
funds in which it invests. Further, certain of the exchange-traded
funds in which the Fund may invest are leveraged. The more the Fund
invests in such leveraged
exchange-traded funds, the more this leverage will magnify any losses on those investments.
Exchange-Traded Notes Risk. Exchange-traded notes are subject to credit risk, including the credit
risk of the issuer, and the value of the exchange-traded note may drop due to a downgrade in the
issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged.
The value of an exchange-traded note may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply
and demand for the exchange-traded note, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market,
changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic,
legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying market or strategy.
Exchange-traded notes are also subject to counterparty risk.
Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund’s foreign investments may be affected by
changes in a foreign country’s exchange rates, political and social instability, changes in
economic or taxation policies, difficulties when enforcing obligations, decreased liquidity, and
increased volatility. Foreign companies may be subject to less regulation resulting in less
publicly available information about the companies.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk refers to the risk that bond prices generally fall as
interest rates rise; conversely, bond prices generally rise as interest rates fall. Specific bonds
differ in their sensitivity to changes in interest rates depending on their individual
characteristics, including duration. This risk may be magnified due to the Fund’s use of
derivatives that provide leveraged exposure to government bonds.
Leverage Risk. Leverage exists when the Fund purchases or sells an instrument or
enters into a transaction without investing cash in an amount equal to the full economic exposure
of the
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instrument or transaction and the Fund could lose more than it invested.
Leverage created from borrowing or certain types of transactions or instruments may impair the
Fund’s liquidity, cause it to liquidate positions at an unfavorable time,
increase volatility or otherwise not achieve its intended objective. There is no assurance that
the Fund’s use of the leveraged instruments will enable the Fund to achieve its investment
objective. The Fund’s significant use of derivatives and leverage could, under certain market
conditions, cause the Fund’s losses to be more significant than other mutual funds and, in extreme
market conditions, could cause a complete loss of your investment.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may hold illiquid securities that they may be unable to
sell at the preferred time or price and could lose their entire investment in such securities. The
Fund’s significant use of derivative instruments may cause liquidity risk to be greater than other
mutual funds that invest in more traditional assets such as stocks and bonds, which trade on
markets with more market participants.
Management Risk. The investment techniques and risk analysis used by the Fund’s portfolio managers may not produce the desired results. Because the Fund’s investment
process relies heavily on its tactical asset allocation process, market movements that are counter
to the portfolio manager’s expectations may have a significant adverse effect on the Fund’s net
asset value. Further, the portfolio manager’s use of instruments that provide economic leverage
increases the volatility of the Fund’s net asset value, which increases the potential of greater
losses that may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so.
Market Risk. The prices of and the income generated by the Fund’s securities
may decline in response to, among other things, investor sentiment, general economic and market
conditions, regional or global instability, and currency and interest rate fluctuations.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of its
assets in a small number of issuers or a single issuer. A change in the value of the issuer could
affect the value of the Fund more than if it was a diversified fund.
Subsidiary Risk. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to risks associated
with the Subsidiary’s investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act), and, except as otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not
subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States
and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized,
could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this
prospectus and the SAI, and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.
Tax Risk. The tax treatment of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be adversely affected by
changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. If, as a result of any such
adverse action, the income of the Fund from certain commodity-linked derivatives was treated as
non-qualifying income, the Fund might fail to qualify as a regulated investment company and be
subject to federal income tax at the Fund level. The Internal Revenue Service has issued a number
of private letter rulings to other mutual funds (including to another Invesco fund), which indicate
that income from a fund’s investment in certain commodity-linked notes and a wholly owned foreign
subsidiary that invests in
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commodity-linked derivatives, such as the Subsidiary, constitutes
qualifying income. However, the Internal Revenue Service has suspended issuance of any further
private letter rulings pending a review of its position. Should the Internal Revenue Service issue
guidance, or Congress enact legislation, that adversely affects the tax treatment of the Fund’s use
of commodity-linked notes or the Subsidiary (which guidance might be applied to the Fund
retroactively), it could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategy and the Fund
might not qualify as a regulated investment company for one or more years. In this event the Fund’s
Board of Trustees may authorize a significant change in investment strategy or Fund liquidation.
The Fund also may incur transaction and other costs to comply with any new or additional guidance from the Internal Revenue Service.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest in obligations issued by U.S. Government
agencies and instrumentalities that may receive varying levels of support from the government,
which could affect the Fund’s ability to recover should they default.
Volatility Risk. The Fund may have investments that appreciate or decrease significantly in value
over short periods of time. This may cause the Fund’s net asset value per share to experience
significant increases or declines in value over short periods of time.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio
holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI.
Management, Organization and Capital Structure
The Adviser(s)
Invesco serves as the Fund’s 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 Fund’s day-to-day
management. The Adviser is located at 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. The
Adviser, as successor in interest to multiple investment advisers, has been an investment adviser
since 1976.
Pending Litigation. There is no material litigation affecting the Fund. Detailed information
concerning other pending litigation can be found in the SAI.
Adviser Compensation
The Adviser is to receive a fee from Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund, calculated
at the annual rate of average daily net assets set forth below:
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Net Assets |
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Annual Rate |
First $250 million |
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1.100% |
Next $250 million |
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1.075% |
Next $500 million |
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1.050% |
Next $1.5 billion |
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1.025% |
Next $2.5 billion |
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1.000% |
Next $2.5 billion |
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0.975% |
Next $2.5 billion |
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0.950% |
Over $10 billion |
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0.925% |
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When issued, a discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the
investment advisory agreement and investment sub-advisory agreements of the Fund will be available
in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the twelve-month period ended October 31, 2013.
Portfolio Managers
The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of
the Fund’s portfolio:
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Scott Wolle, Portfolio Manager (lead), who has been responsible for the Fund since
inception and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 1999. |
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Mark Ahnrud, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since inception
and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2000. |
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Chris Devine, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since inception
and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 1998. |
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Scott Hixon, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since inception
and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 1994. |
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Christian Ulrich, Portfolio Manager, who has been responsible for the Fund since
inception and has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2000. |
The portfolio managers are assisted by Invesco’s Global Asset Allocation Team, which is
comprised of portfolio managers and research analysts. Members of the team may change from time to
time.
More information on the portfolio managers may be found at www.invesco.com/us. The Web site is
not part of this prospectus.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ investments in
the Fund, a description of the compensation structure and information regarding other accounts
managed.
Shareholder Information
Fair Value Pricing
Securities owned by the Fund are to be valued at current market value if market quotations are
readily available. All other securities and assets of the Fund for which market quotations are not
readily available are to be valued at fair value determined in good faith using procedures approved
by the Board. An effect of fair value pricing may be to reduce the ability of frequent traders to
take advantage of arbitrage opportunities resulting from potentially “stale” prices of portfolio
holdings. However, it cannot eliminate the possibility of frequent trading.
Pricing of Shares
Determination of Net Asset Value
The price of the Fund’s shares is the Fund’s net asset value per share. The Fund values portfolio
securities for which market quotations are readily available at market value. The Fund values all
other securities and assets for which market quotations are unavailable or unreliable at their fair
value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. The Board has delegated the daily
determination of good faith fair value methodologies to Invesco’s Valuation Committee, which acts
in accordance with Board approved policies. On a quarterly basis, Invesco provides the Board
various reports indicating the quality and effectiveness of its fair value decisions on portfolio
holdings. Securities and other assets quoted in foreign currencies are valued in U.S. dollars based
on the prevailing exchange rates on that day.
Even when market quotations are available, they may be stale or unreliable because the
security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading
market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the
passage of time between the
11
close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the
New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and when the Fund calculates its net asset value. Issuer specific
events may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable. Such events may include a merger or
insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political
events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market.
Where market quotations are not readily available, including where Invesco determines that the
closing price of the security is unreliable, Invesco will value the security at fair value in good
faith using procedures approved by the Board.
Fair value is that amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive for the security
upon its current sale. Fair value requires consideration of all appropriate factors, including
indications of fair value available from pricing services. A fair value price is an estimated price
and may vary from the prices used by other mutual funds to calculate their net asset values.
Invesco may use indications of fair value from pricing services approved by the Board. In
other circumstances, the Invesco Valuation Committee may fair value securities in good faith using
procedures approved by the Board. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, Invesco
routinely compares closing market prices, the next day’s opening prices for the security in its
primary market if available, and indications of fair value from other sources. Fair value pricing
methods and pricing services can change from time to time as approved by the Board.
Specific types of securities are valued as follows:
Domestic Exchange Traded Equity Securities. Market quotations are generally available and
reliable for domestic exchange traded equity securities. If market quotations are not available or
are unreliable, Invesco will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures
approved by the Board.
Foreign Securities. If market quotations are available and reliable for foreign exchange
traded equity securities, the securities will be valued at the market quotations. Because trading
hours for certain foreign securities end before the close of the NYSE, closing market quotations
may become unreliable. If between the time trading ends on a particular security and the close of
the customary trading session on the NYSE events occur that are significant and may make the
closing price unreliable, the Fund may fair value the security. If an issuer specific event has
occurred that Invesco determines, in its judgment, is likely to have affected the closing price of
a foreign security, it will price the security at fair value. Invesco also relies on a screening
process from a pricing vendor to indicate the degree of certainty, based on historical data, that
the closing price in the principal market where a foreign security trades is not the current market
value as of the close of the NYSE. For foreign securities where Invesco believes, at the approved
degree of certainty, that the price is not reflective of current market value, Invesco will use the
indication of fair value from the pricing service to determine the fair value of the security. The
pricing vendor, pricing methodology or degree of certainty may change from time to time.
Fund securities primarily traded on foreign markets may trade on days that are not business
days of the Fund. Because the net asset value of Fund shares is determined only on business days of
the Fund, the value of the portfolio securities of a Fund that invests in foreign securities may
change on days when you will not be able to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.
Fixed Income Securities. Government, corporate, asset-backed and municipal bonds, convertible
securities, including high yield or junk bonds, and loans, normally are valued on the basis of
prices provided by independent pricing services. Prices provided by the pricing services may be
determined without exclusive reliance on quoted prices, and may reflect appropriate factors such as
institution-size trading in similar groups of securities, developments related to special
securities, dividend rate, maturity and other market data. Prices received from pricing services
are fair value prices. In addition, if the price provided by the pricing service and independent
quoted prices are unreliable, the Invesco valuation committee will fair value the security using
procedures approved by the Board.
12
Short-term Securities. Invesco Money Market Fund, Invesco Tax-Exempt Cash Fund, Premier
Portfolio, Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio and Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio value all their
securities at amortized cost.
Futures and Options. Futures contracts are valued at the final settlement price set by the
exchange on which they are principally traded. Options are valued on the basis of market
quotations, if available.
Swap Agreements. Swap Agreements are fair valued using an evaluated quote provided by an
independent pricing service. Evaluated quotes provided by the pricing service are based on a model
that may include end of day net present values, spreads, ratings, industry and company performance.
Open-end Funds. To the extent the Fund invests in other open-end funds, other than open-end
funds that are exchange traded, the investing Fund will calculate its net asset value using the net
asset value of the underlying fund in which it invests, and the prospectuses for such open-end
funds explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of
using fair value pricing.
The Fund determines the net asset value of its shares on each day the NYSE is open for
business (a business day), as of the close of the customary trading session, or earlier NYSE
closing time that day. Portfolio open for business at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Premier Portfolio
and Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio will generally determine the net asset value of their
shares at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio will generally determine the net
asset value of its shares at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Premier Portfolio, Premier Tax-Exempt
Portfolio and Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio are authorized not to open for trading on a
day that is otherwise a business day if the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and The Bank of New
York Mellon, the Fund’s custodian, are not open for business or the Securities Industry and
Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) recommends that government securities dealers not open for
trading and any such day will not be considered a business day. Premier Portfolio, Premier
Tax-Exempt Portfolio and Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio also may close early on a business
day if SIFMA recommends that government securities dealers close early. If Premier Portfolio,
Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio or Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio uses its discretion to
close early on a business day, the Fund will calculate its net asset value as of the time of such
closing.
For financial reporting purposes and shareholder transactions on the last day of the fiscal
quarter, transactions are normally accounted for on a trade date basis. For purposes of executing
shareholder transactions in the normal course of business (other than shareholder transactions at a
fiscal period-end), the Fund’s portfolio securities transactions are recorded no later than the
first business day following the trade date.
The Fund, may invest up to 25% of its total assets in shares of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary
offers to redeem all or a portion of its shares at the current net asset value per share every
regular business day. The value of shares of the Subsidiary will fluctuate with the value of the
Subsidiary’s portfolio investments. The Subsidiary prices its portfolio investments pursuant to the
same pricing and valuation methodologies and procedures used by the Fund, which requires, among
other things, that the Subsidiary’s portfolio investments be marked-to-market (that is, the value
on the Subsidiary’s books changes) each business day to reflect changes in the market value of the
investment.
Purchase of Fund Shares
The Fund’s shares have not been registered under the Securities Act, which means that the Fund’s
shares may not be sold publicly. However, the Trust may sell the Fund’s shares through private
placements pursuant to available exemptions from registration under the Securities Act.
13
Shares of the Fund are sold only to other investment companies. Shares of the Fund are sold
at net asset value without a sales charge. Shares of the Fund generally may be purchased on any
day the Trust is open for business. Shares are purchased at the net asset value next determined
after the Trust receives the order in proper form. All investments are credited to the
shareholder’s account in the form of full and fractional shares of the Fund calculated to three
decimal places. In the interest of economy and convenience, certificates for shares will not be
issued.
Redemption of Fund Shares
Redemptions are processed on any day on which the Trust is open for business and are effected at
the Fund’s net asset value next determined after the Fund receives a redemption request in good
form.
Redemption payments in cash will ordinarily be made within seven days after receipt of the
redemption request in good form. However, the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of
payment postponed in accordance with the 1940 Act. The amount received upon redemption may be more
or less than the amount paid for the shares, depending upon the fluctuations in the market value of
the assets owned by the Fund.
Although the Fund generally intends to pay redemption proceeds solely in cash, the Fund
reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether to satisfy redemption requests by
making payment in securities or other property (known as a redemption in kind).
Dividends and Distributions
Distributions
The Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies that its distributions, if any,
will consist of ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both.
Dividends
The Fund generally declares and pays dividends from net investment income, if any, annually.
Capital Gains Distributions
The Fund generally distributes long-term and short-term capital gains (net of any available capital
loss carryovers), if any, at least annually. Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from
year to year as a result of the Fund’s normal investment activities and cash flows. During a time
of economic volatility, a fund may experience capital losses and unrealized depreciation in value
of investments, the effect of which may be to reduce or eliminate capital gains distributions for a
period of time. Even though a fund may experience a current year loss, it may nonetheless
distribute prior year capital gains.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares
The Board has not adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and
redemptions of Fund shares by Fund shareholders because Fund shares are purchased only by other
investment companies in private placements. Those investment companies generally have adopted
policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of their shares.
Anti-Money Laundering Program. Customer identification and verification is part of the Fund’s
overall obligation to deter money laundering under federal law. The Fund has adopted an anti-money
laundering compliance program designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or
the financing of terrorist activities. In this regard, the Fund reserves the right to (i) refuse,
cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order, (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account
services or (iii) involuntarily close an account in cases of threatening conduct or suspected
fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of the
Adviser, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is
requested or compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement
14
authority. If your account is
closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive proceeds of
the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
Tax Consequences
A Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company and, as such, is not subject
to entity-level tax on the income and gain it distributes to shareholders. If you are a taxable
investor, dividends and distributions you receive from a Fund generally are taxable to you whether
you reinvest distributions in additional Fund shares or take them in cash. Every year, you will be
sent information showing the amount of dividends and distributions you received from a Fund during
the prior calendar year. In addition, investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the
following basic tax points as supplemented below where relevant:
Fund Tax Basics
|
§ |
|
A Fund earns income generally in the form of dividends or interest on its investments.
This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of a Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net
investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor,
distributions of net investment income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. |
|
|
§ |
|
Distributions of net short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. A
Fund with a high portfolio turnover rate (a measure of how frequently assets within a Fund
are bought and sold) is more likely to generate short-term capital gains than a Fund with a
low portfolio turnover rate. |
|
|
§ |
|
Distributions of net long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital
gains no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. |
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|
§ |
|
If you are an individual and meet certain holding period requirements, a portion of
income dividends paid to you by a Fund may be designated as qualified dividend income
eligible for taxation at long-term capital gain rates. These reduced rates generally are
available (through 2012) for dividends derived from a Fund’s investment in stocks of
domestic corporations and qualified foreign corporations. In the case of a Fund that
invests primarily in debt securities, either none or only a nominal portion of the
dividends paid by the Fund will be eligible for taxation at these reduced rates. |
|
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§ |
|
Distributions declared to shareholders with a record date in December—if paid to you by
the end of January—are taxable for federal income tax purposes as if received in December. |
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§ |
|
Any long-term or short-term capital gains realized on sale or redemption of your Fund
shares will be subject to federal income tax. For tax purposes an exchange of your shares
for shares of another Fund is the same as a sale. Your gain or loss is calculated by
subtracting from the gross proceeds your cost basis. Gross proceeds and, for shares
acquired on or after January 1, 2012 and disposed of after that date, cost basis will be
reported to you and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Cost basis will be calculated using
the Fund’s default method of average cost, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different
calculation method. As a service to you, the Fund will continue to provide to you (but not
the IRS) cost basis information for shares acquired before 2012, when available, using the
average cost method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information
provided by a Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that
are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If you hold
your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that broker (nominee)
with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. For more
information about the cost basis methods offered by Invesco, please refer to the Tax Center
located under the Accounts & Services menu of our website at www.invesco.com/us. |
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§ |
|
At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect
undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value
of portfolio securities held by the Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts,
although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. This is sometimes
referred to as “buying a dividend.” |
15
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§ |
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By law, if you do not provide a Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and
certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any
distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. A Fund
also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the
amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid (for distributions and proceeds
paid after December 31, 2012, the rate is scheduled to rise to 31% unless the 28% rate is
extended or made permanent). |
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§ |
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You will not be required to include the portion of dividends paid by the Fund derived
from interest on U.S. government obligations in your gross income for purposes of personal
and, in some cases, corporate income taxes in many state and local tax jurisdictions. The
percentage of dividends that constitutes dividends derived from interest on federal
obligations will be determined annually. This percentage may differ from the actual
percentage of interest received by the Fund on federal obligations for the particular days
on which you hold shares. |
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§ |
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For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax
will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital
gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable
dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that
such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted
gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount. |
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§ |
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Fund distributions and gains from sale or exchange of your Fund shares generally are
subject to state and local income taxes. |
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§ |
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If a Fund qualifies to pass through to you the tax benefits from foreign taxes it pays
on its investments, and elects to do so, then any foreign taxes it pays on these
investments may be passed through to you as a foreign tax credit. You will then be required
to include your pro-rata share of these taxes in gross income, even though not actually
received by you, and will be entitled either to deduct your share of these taxes in
computing your taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against
your U.S. federal income tax. |
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§ |
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Foreign investors should be aware that U.S. withholding, special certification
requirements to avoid U.S. backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits and estate
taxes may apply to an investment in a Fund. |
The above discussion concerning the taxability of Fund dividends and distributions and of
redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares is inapplicable to investors that generally are exempt
from federal income tax, such as retirement plans that are qualified under Section 401 and 403 of
the Code and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and Roth IRAs.
Fund Investments
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§ |
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The Fund’s strategy of investing in derivatives and financially-linked
instruments whose performance is expected to correspond to the fixed income, equity and
commodity markets may cause the Fund to recognize more ordinary income and short-term
capital gains taxable as ordinary income than would be the case if the Fund invested
directly in debt instruments, stocks and commodities. |
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§ |
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The Fund must meet certain requirements under the Code for favorable tax
treatment as a regulated investment company, including asset diversification and income
requirements. |
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§ |
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The Fund intends to treat the income it derives from commodity-linked notes and
the Subsidiary as qualifying income. If, contrary to a number of private letter rulings
(PLRs) issued by the IRS to other mutual funds (including to another Invesco fund), the IRS
were to determine such income is non -qualifying, the Fund might fail to satisfy the income
requirement. As of the date of this prospectus, the IRS has suspended issuance of any
further PLRs pending a review of its position. Should the IRS issue guidance, or Congress
enact legislation, that adversely affects the tax treatment of the Fund’s use of
commodity-linked notes or the Subsidiary (which guidance might be applied to the Fund
retroactively), it could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategy and the
Fund might not qualify as a regulated investment company for one or more years. |
16
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In this event, the Fund’s Board of Trustees may authorize a significant change in investment
strategy or Fund liquidation. The Fund also may incur transaction and other costs to comply
with any new or additional guidance from the IRS. |
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§ |
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The Fund intends to limit its investment in the Subsidiary to no more than 25%
of the value of the Fund’s total assets in order to satisfy the asset diversification
requirement. |
This discussion of “Taxes” is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors
should consult their own tax advisers as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions
applicable to them.
Distribution Arrangements
Sales Loads
Not applicable.
Rule 12b-1 Fees
Not applicable.
Multiple Class and Master-Feeder Funds
Not applicable.
The response to Item 13 has been omitted pursuant to paragraph 2(b) of Instruction B of the General
Instructions to Form N-1A
17
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Statement of Additional Information
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January 16, 2013 |
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Invesco Securities Trust |
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This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) relates to the portfolio (the Fund) of Invesco
Securities Trust (the Trust) listed below.
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Fund |
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Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund |
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Statement of Additional Information
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January 16, 2013 |
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Invesco Securities Trust |
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This SAI is not a Prospectus, and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for the Fund
listed below. When issued, portions of the Fund’s financial statements will be incorporated into
this SAI by reference to the Fund’s most recent Annual Report to shareholders. You may obtain,
without charge, a copy of any Prospectus and/or Annual Report for the Fund listed below from an
authorized dealer or by writing to:
Invesco Investment Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 219078
Kansas City, MO 64121-9078
or by calling (800) 959-4246
or on the Internet: www.invesco.com/us.
This SAI, dated January 16, 2013, relates to the following Prospectus:
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Fund |
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Class |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund
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January 16, 2013 |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page |
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST |
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1 |
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Fund History |
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1 |
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Shares of Beneficial Interest |
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1 |
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DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND AND ITS INVESTMENTS AND RISKS |
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2 |
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Classification |
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2 |
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Investment Strategies and Risks |
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2 |
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Equity Investments |
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3 |
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Foreign Investments |
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4 |
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Exchange-Traded Funds |
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7 |
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Exchange-Traded Notes |
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8 |
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Debt Investments |
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9 |
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Other Investments |
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17 |
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Investment Techniques |
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20 |
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Derivatives |
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25 |
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Fund Policies |
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34 |
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MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST |
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39 |
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Board of Trustees |
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39 |
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Management Information |
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44 |
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Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares |
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48 |
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Compensation |
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48 |
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Retirement Plan For Trustees |
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49 |
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Deferred Compensation Agreements |
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50 |
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Code of Ethics |
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50 |
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Proxy Voting Policies |
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50 |
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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES |
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51 |
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INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES |
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51 |
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Investment Adviser |
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51 |
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Services to the Subsidiary |
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53 |
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Portfolio Managers |
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54 |
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Securities Lending Arrangements |
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54 |
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Service Agreements |
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54 |
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Other Service Providers |
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55 |
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BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES |
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56 |
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Brokerage Transactions |
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56 |
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Commissions |
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57 |
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Broker Selection |
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57 |
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Affiliated Transactions |
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60 |
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Allocation of Portfolio Transactions |
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60 |
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Allocation of Initial Public Offering (IPO) Transactions |
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61 |
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DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX MATTERS |
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61 |
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Dividends and Distributions |
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61 |
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Tax Matters |
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61 |
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DISTRIBUTION OF SECURITIES |
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78 |
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Distributor |
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78 |
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i
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Page |
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
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79 |
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PENDING LITIGATION |
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79 |
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APPENDICES: |
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RATINGS OF DEBT SECURITIES |
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A-1 |
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PERSONS TO WHOM INVESCO PROVIDES NON-PUBLIC PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ON AN
ONGOING BASIS |
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B-1 |
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TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS |
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C-1 |
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TRUSTEE COMPENSATION TABLE |
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D-1 |
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PROXY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES |
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E-1 |
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PORTFOLIO MANAGER FUND HOLDINGS AND INFORMATION ON OTHER MANAGED
ACCOUNTS |
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F-1 |
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ii
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
Fund History
Invesco Securities Trust (the Trust) is a Delaware statutory trust registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as an open-end series management
investment company. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 31, 2012. Under
the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the Trust Agreement), the Board of Trustees of the
Trust (the Board) is authorized to create new series of shares without the necessity of a vote of
shareholders of the Trust.
Shares of Beneficial Interest
The Fund issues its beneficial interests (shares) only in private placement transactions that
do not involve a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the 1933 Act). Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are redeemable at their net
asset value at the option of the shareholder or at the option of the Trust in certain
circumstances.
The Trust allocates moneys and other property it receives from the issue or sale of shares and
all income, earnings and profits from such issuance and sales, subject only to the rights of
creditors, to the Fund. These assets constitute the underlying assets of the Fund, are segregated
on the Trust’s books of account, and are charged with the expenses of the Trust and the Fund.
Each share of the Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other
share and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of the income belonging to the Fund
as are declared by the Board.
The Trust is not required to hold annual or regular meetings of shareholders. Meetings of
shareholders of the Fund will be held from time to time to consider matters requiring a vote of
such shareholders in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, state law or the provisions
of the Trust Agreement. It is not expected that shareholder meetings will be held annually.
Each share of the Fund has the same voting dividend, liquidation and other rights.
Except as specifically noted above, shareholders of the Fund are entitled to one vote per
share (with proportionate voting for fractional shares), irrespective of the relative net asset
value of the shares of the Fund. When issued, shares of the Fund are fully paid and nonassessable,
have no preemptive or subscription rights, and are freely transferable. There are no conversion
rights. Shares do not have cumulative voting rights, which means that when shareholders elect
trustees, holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of trustees can elect all
of the trustees of the Trust, and the holders of fewer than 50% of the shares voting for the
election of trustees will not be able to elect any trustees.
Under Delaware law, shareholders of a Delaware statutory trust shall be entitled to the same
limitation of personal liability extended to shareholders of private for-profit corporations
organized under Delaware law. There is a remote possibility, however, that shareholders could,
under certain circumstances, be held liable for the obligations of the Trust to the extent the
courts of another state, which does not recognize such limited liability, were to apply the laws of
such state to a controversy involving such obligations. The Trust Agreement disclaims shareholder
liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given
in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the trustees
to all parties. The Trust Agreement provides for indemnification out of the property of the Fund
for all losses and expenses of any shareholder of such Fund held liable on account of being or
having been a shareholder. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss due to
shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which
1
the Fund is unable to meet its
obligations and the complaining party is not held to be bound by the disclaimer.
The trustees and officers of the Trust will not be liable for any act, omission or obligation
of the Trust or any trustee or officer; however, a trustee or officer is not protected against any
liability to the Trust or to the shareholders to which a trustee or officer would otherwise be
subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of his or her office with the Trust (Disabling Conduct). The
Trust’s Bylaws generally provide for indemnification by the Trust of the trustees, officers and
employees or agents of the Trust, provided that such persons have not engaged in Disabling Conduct.
Indemnification does not extend to judgments or amounts paid in settlement in any actions by or in
the right of the Trust. The Trust Agreement also authorizes the purchase of liability insurance on
behalf of trustees and officers. The Trust’s Bylaws provide for the advancement of payments of
expenses to current and former trustees, officers and employees or agents of the Trust, or anyone
serving at their request, in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any
claim, action, suit or proceeding, for which such person would be entitled to indemnification;
provided that any advancement of expenses would be reimbursed unless it is ultimately determined
that such person is entitled to indemnification for such expenses.
Share Certificates. Shareholders of the Fund do not have the right to demand or require the
Trust to issue share certificates and share certificates are not issued.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND AND ITS INVESTMENTS AND RISKS
Classification
The Trust is an open-end management investment company. The Fund is “non-diversified” for
purposes of the 1940 Act, which means the Fund can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any
one issuer than a diversified fund can.
Investment Strategies and Risks
Set forth below are detailed descriptions of the various types of securities and investment
techniques that Invesco and/or the Sub-Advisers (as defined herein) may use in managing the Fund,
as well as the risks associated with those types of securities and investment techniques. The
descriptions of the types of securities and investment techniques below supplement the discussion
of principal investment strategies and risks contained in the Fund’s Prospectus; where a particular
type of security or investment technique is not discussed in the Fund’s Prospectus, that security
or investment technique is not a principal investment strategy.
Unless otherwise indicated, the Fund may invest in all of the following types of investments.
The Fund may not invest in all of the types of securities or use all of the investment techniques
described below, and the Fund might not invest in all of these types of securities or use all of
these techniques at any one time. Invesco and/or the Sub-Advisers may invest in other types of
securities and may use other investment techniques in managing the Fund, including those described
where the Fund is not specifically mentioned as investing in the security or using the investment
technique, as well as securities and techniques not described. The Fund’s transactions in a
particular type of security or use of a particular technique is subject to limitations imposed by
the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions described in the Fund’s Prospectus
and/or this SAI, as well as the federal securities laws.
The Fund will seek to gain exposure to the commodity market primarily through investments in
the Invesco Cayman Commodity Fund VI Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund, organized under
2
the laws of the Cayman Islands or other such wholly owned subsidiary (the Subsidiary). The Fund
may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary.
The Fund’s investment objective, policies, strategies and practices described below are
non-fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval of the holders of the Fund’s voting
securities unless otherwise indicated.
Equity Investments
The Fund may invest in all of the following types of equity investments:
Common Stock. Common stock is issued by a company principally to raise cash for business
purposes and represents an equity or ownership interest in the issuing company. Common
stockholders are typically entitled to vote on important matters of the issuing company, including
the selection of directors, and may receive dividends on their holdings. The Fund participates in
the success or failure of any company in which it holds common stock. In the event a company is
liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bondholders, other debt holders, owners of
preferred stock and general creditors take precedence over the claims of those who own common
stock.
The prices of common stocks change in response to many factors including the historical and
prospective earnings of the issuing company, the value of its assets, general economic conditions,
interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stock, unlike common stock, often offers a specified dividend rate
payable from a company’s earnings. Preferred stock also generally has a preference over common
stock on the distribution of a company’s assets in the event the company is liquidated or declares
bankruptcy; however, the rights of preferred stockholders on the distribution of a company’s assets
in the event of a liquidation or bankruptcy are generally subordinate to the rights of the
company’s debt holders and general creditors. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on
preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline.
Some fixed rate preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions which provide for
the stock to be retired or redeemed on a predetermined schedule, as well as call/redemption
provisions prior to maturity, which can limit the benefit of any decline in interest rates that
might positively affect the price of preferred stocks. Preferred stock dividends may be
“cumulative,” requiring all or a portion of prior unpaid dividends to be paid before dividends are
paid on the issuer’s common stock. Preferred stock may be “participating,” which means that it may
be entitled to a dividend exceeding the stated dividend in certain cases. In some cases an issuer
may offer auction rate preferred stock, which means that the interest to be paid is set by auction
and will often be reset at stated intervals.
Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are generally bonds, debentures, notes,
preferred stocks or other securities or investments that may be converted or exchanged (by the
holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of
equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio or predetermined price (the conversion price). A
convertible security is designed to provide current income and also the potential for capital
appreciation through the conversion feature, which enables the holder to benefit from increases in
the market price of the underlying common stock. A convertible security may be called for
redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances
(including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by the Fund is
called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption,
convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party, which may have an adverse
effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives. Convertible securities have
general characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities.
A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued until
the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion,
convertible
3
securities have characteristics similar to non-convertible debt obligations and are
designed to provide for a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks.
However, there can be no assurance of current income because the issuers of the convertible
securities may default on their obligations. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in
a corporation’s capital structure and, therefore, generally entail less risk than the corporation’s
common stock. Convertible securities are subordinate in rank to any senior debt obligations of the
issuer, and, therefore, an issuer’s convertible securities entail more risk than its debt
obligations. Moreover, convertible securities are often rated below investment grade or not rated
because they fall below debt obligations and just above common stock in order of preference or
priority on an issuer’s balance sheet. To the extent that the Fund invests in convertible
securities with credit ratings below investment grade, such securities may have a higher likelihood
of default, although this may be somewhat offset by the convertibility feature.
Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible
debt securities of similar credit quality because of the potential for capital appreciation. The
common stock underlying convertible securities may be issued by a different entity than the issuer
of the convertible securities.
The value of convertible securities is influenced by both the yield of non-convertible
securities of comparable issuers and by the value of the underlying common stock. The value of a
convertible security viewed without regard to its conversion feature (i.e., strictly on the basis
of its yield) is sometimes referred to as its “investment value.” The investment value of the
convertible security typically will fluctuate based on the credit quality of the issuer and will
fluctuate inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates. However, at the same time, the
convertible security will be influenced by its “conversion value,” which is the market value of the
underlying common stock that would be obtained if the convertible security were converted.
Conversion value fluctuates directly with the price of the underlying common stock, and will
therefore be subject to risks relating to the activities of the issuer and general market and
economic conditions. Depending upon the relationship of the conversion price to the market value of
the underlying security, a convertible security may trade more like an equity security than a debt
instrument.
If, because of a low price of the common stock, the conversion value is substantially below
the investment value of the convertible security, the price of the convertible security is governed
principally by its investment value. Generally, if the conversion value of a convertible security
increases to a point that approximates or exceeds its investment value, the value of the security
will be principally influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security will sell at a
premium over its conversion value to the extent investors place value on the right to acquire the
underlying common stock while holding an income-producing security.
While the Fund uses the same criteria to rate a convertible debt security that it uses to rate
a more conventional debt security, a convertible preferred stock is treated like a preferred stock
for the Fund’s financial reporting, credit rating and investment limitation purposes.
Alternative Entity Securities. The Fund may invest in alternative entity securities which are
the securities of entities that are formed as limited partnerships, limited liability companies,
business trusts or other non-corporate entities that are similar to common or preferred stock of
corporations.
Foreign Investments
Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest in foreign securities.
Foreign securities are equity or debt securities issued by issuers outside the U.S., and
include securities in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts
(EDRs), or other securities representing underlying securities of foreign issuers (foreign
securities). ADRs are receipts, issued by U.S. banks, for the shares of foreign corporations, held
by the bank issuing the receipt. ADRs are typically issued in registered form, denominated in U.S.
dollars and designed for use
4
in the U.S. securities markets. EDRs are similar to ADRs, except they
are typically issued by European banks or trust companies, denominated in foreign currencies and
designed for use outside the U.S. securities markets. ADRs and EDRs entitle the holder to all
dividends and capital gains on the underlying foreign securities, less any fees paid to the bank.
Purchasing ADRs or EDRs gives the Fund the ability to purchase the functional equivalent of foreign
securities without going to the foreign securities markets to do so. ADRs or EDRs that are
“sponsored” means that the foreign corporation whose shares are represented by the ADR or EDR is
actively involved in the issuance of the ADR or EDR, and generally provides material information
about the corporation to the U.S. market. An “unsponsored” ADR or EDR program means that the
foreign corporation whose shares are held by the bank is not obligated to disclose material
information in the United States, and, therefore, the market value of the ADR or EDR may not
reflect important facts known only to the foreign company.
Foreign debt securities include corporate debt securities of foreign issuers, certain foreign
bank obligations (see Bank Instruments) and U.S. dollar or foreign currency denominated obligations
of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities (see Foreign
Government Obligations), international agencies and supranational entities.
The Fund considers various factors when determining whether a company is in a particular
country, including whether (1) it is organized under the laws of a country; (2) it has a principal
office in a country; (3) it derives 50% or more of its total revenues from businesses in a country;
and/or (4) its securities are traded principally on a stock exchange, or in an over-the-counter
market, in a particular country.
Investments by the Fund in foreign securities, including ADRs and EDRs, whether denominated in
U.S. dollars or foreign currencies, may entail all of the risks set forth below in addition to
those accompanying an investment in issuers in the U.S.
Currency Risk. The value in U.S. dollars of the Fund’s non-dollar denominated foreign
investments will be affected by changes in currency exchange rates. The U.S. dollar value of a
foreign security decreases when the value of the U.S. dollar rises against the foreign currency in
which the security is denominated and increases when the value of the U.S. dollar falls against
such currency.
Political and Economic Risk. The economies of many of the countries in which the Fund may
invest may not be as developed as the United States’ economy and may be subject to significantly
different forces. Political, economic or social instability and development, expropriation or
confiscatory taxation, and limitations on the removal of funds or other assets could also adversely
affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
Regulatory Risk. Foreign companies are generally not subject to the regulatory controls
imposed on U.S. issuers and, as a consequence, there is generally less publicly available
information about foreign securities than is available about domestic securities. Foreign
companies may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards,
corporate governance practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to domestic
companies. Therefore, financial information about foreign companies may be incomplete, or may not
be comparable to the information available on U.S. companies. Income from foreign securities owned
by the Fund may be reduced by a withholding tax at the source, which tax would reduce dividend
income payable to the Fund’s shareholders.
There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges,
brokers, dealers, and listed companies in foreign countries than in the U.S., thus increasing the
risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio
securities. Foreign markets may also have different clearance and settlement procedures. If the
Fund experiences settlement problems it may result in temporary periods when a portion of the
Fund’s assets are uninvested and could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities
or a potential liability to the Fund arising out of the Fund’s inability to fulfill a contract to
sell such securities.
5
Market Risk. Investing in foreign markets generally involves certain risks not typically
associated with investing in the United States. The securities markets in many foreign countries
will have substantially less trading volume than the United States markets. As a result, the
securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and experience more price volatility than
comparable domestic securities. Obtaining and/or enforcing judgments in foreign countries may be
more difficult, which may make it more difficult to enforce contractual obligations. Increased
custodian costs as well as administrative costs (such as the need to use foreign custodians) may
also be associated with the maintenance of assets in foreign jurisdictions. In addition,
transaction costs in foreign securities markets are likely to be higher, since brokerage commission
rates in foreign countries are likely to be higher than in the United States.
Risks of Developing/Emerging Market Countries. The Fund may invest in securities of
companies located in developing and emerging market countries.
Developing and emerging market countries are those countries in the world other than developed
countries of the European Union, the United States of America, Canada, Japan, Australia, New
Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore. Developed countries of the European Union
are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland,
Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United
Kingdom.
Investments in developing and emerging market countries present risks in addition to, or
greater than, those presented by investments in foreign issuers generally, and may include the
following risks:
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i. |
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Restriction, to varying degrees, on foreign investment in stocks; |
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ii. |
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Repatriation of investment income, capital, and the proceeds of sales in foreign
countries may require foreign governmental registration and/or approval; |
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iii. |
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Greater risk of fluctuation in value of foreign investments due to changes in
currency exchange rates, currency control regulations or currency devaluation; |
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iv. |
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Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates may have negative effects on
the economies and securities markets of certain developing/emerging market countries; |
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v. |
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Many of the developing and emerging market countries’ securities markets are
relatively small or less diverse, have low trading volumes, suffer periods of relative
illiquidity, and are characterized by significant price volatility; and |
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vi. |
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There is a risk in developing and emerging market countries that a future
economic or political crisis could lead to price controls, forced mergers of companies,
expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or creation of
government monopolies. |
Foreign Government Obligations. The Fund may invest in debt securities of foreign
governments. Debt securities issued by foreign governments are often, but not always, supported by
the full faith and credit of the foreign governments, or their subdivisions, agencies or
instrumentalities, that issue them. These securities involve the risks discussed above under
Foreign Securities. Additionally, the issuer of the debt or the governmental authorities that
control repayment of the debt may be unwilling or unable to pay interest or repay principal when
due. Political or economic changes or the balance of trade may affect a country’s willingness or
ability to service its debt obligations. Periods of economic uncertainty may result in the
volatility of market prices of sovereign debt obligations, especially debt obligations issued by
the governments of developing/emerging market countries. Foreign government obligations of
developing/emerging market countries, and some structures of emerging market debt securities, both
of which are generally below investment grade, are sometimes referred to as “Brady Bonds”. The
failure of a sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic
performance, or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third-party
commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may impair the debtor’s ability or
willingness to service its debts.
6
Foreign Exchange Transactions. The Fund may invest in foreign currency-denominated
securities has the authority to purchase and sell foreign currency options, foreign currency
futures contracts and related options, and may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a
spot (i.e., for prompt delivery and settlement) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency
exchange market at the time or through forward currency contracts (referred to also as forward
contracts; see also Forward Currency Contracts). Because forward contracts are privately
negotiated transactions, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will honor its obligations.
The Fund will incur costs in converting assets from one currency to another. Foreign exchange
dealers may charge a fee for conversion. In addition, dealers may realize a profit based on the
difference between the prices at which they buy and sell various currencies in the spot and forward
markets.
The Fund will generally engage in these transactions in order to complete a purchase or sale
of foreign currency denominated securities The Funds may also use foreign currency options and
forward contracts to increase or reduce exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure from
one foreign currency to another in a cross currency hedge. Forward contracts are intended to
minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies; however, at the
same time, they tend to limit any potential gain which might result should the value of such
currencies increase. Certain Funds may also engage in foreign exchange transactions, such as
forward contracts, for non-hedging purposes to enhance returns. Open positions in forward
contracts used for non-hedging purposes will be covered by the segregation of a sufficient amount
of liquid assets.
The Fund may purchase and sell currency futures and purchase and write currency options to
increase or decrease its exposure to different foreign currencies. The Fund also may purchase and
write currency options in connection with currency futures or forward contracts. Currency futures
contracts are similar to forward currency exchange contracts, except that they are traded on
exchanges and have standard contract sizes and delivery dates. Most currency futures contracts call
for payment or delivery in U.S. dollars. The uses and risks of currency futures are similar to
those of futures relating to securities or indices (see also Futures and Options). Currency
futures values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates but may not reflect other factors
that affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
Whether or not any hedging strategy will be successful is highly uncertain, and use of hedging
strategies may leave the Fund in a less advantageous position than if a hedge had not been
established. Moreover, it is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio
securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, the Fund may be
required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such
transaction) if Invesco’s or the Sub-Advisers’ predictions regarding the movement of foreign
currency or securities markets prove inaccurate.
The Fund may hold a portion of its assets in bank deposits denominated in foreign currencies,
so as to facilitate investment in foreign securities as well as protect against currency
fluctuations and the need to convert such assets into U.S. dollars (thereby also reducing
transaction costs). To the extent these monies are converted back into U.S. dollars, the value of
the assets so maintained will be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency
exchange rates and exchange control regulations. Foreign exchange transactions may involve some of
the risks of investments in foreign securities. For a discussion of tax considerations relating to
foreign currency transaction, see “Dividends, Distributions, and Tax Matters – Tax Matters – Tax
Treatment of Portfolio Transactions – Foreign currency transactions.”
Exchange-Traded Funds
Exchange-Traded Funds. The Fund may purchase shares of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Most
ETFs are registered under the 1940 Act as investment companies. Therefore, the Fund’s purchase of
shares of an ETF may be subject to the restrictions on investments in other investment
7
companies
discussed under “Other Investment Companies.” ETFs have management fees, which increase their
cost. The Fund may invest in ETFs advised by Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC
(PowerShares). Invesco, the Sub-Advisers and PowerShares are affiliates of each other as they are
all indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Invesco Ltd.
ETFs hold portfolios of securities, commodities and/or currencies that are designed to
replicate, as closely as possible before expenses, the price and/or yield of (i) a specified market
or other index, (ii) a basket of securities, commodities or currencies, or (iii) a particular
commodity or currency. The performance results of ETFs will not replicate exactly the performance
of the pertinent index, basket, commodity or currency due to transaction and other expenses,
including fees to service providers, borne by ETFs. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that
the portfolio of securities, commodities and/or currencies purchased by an ETF will replicate a
particular index or basket or price of a commodity or currency. ETF shares are sold and redeemed
at net asset value only in large blocks called creation units and redemption units, respectively.
ETF shares also may be purchased and sold in secondary market trading on national securities
exchanges, which allows investors to purchase and sell ETF shares at their market price throughout
the day.
Investments in ETFs generally present the same primary risks as an investment in a
conventional mutual fund that has the same investment objective, strategy and policies.
Investments in ETFs further involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in the
commodity or currency, or in the types of securities, commodities and/or currencies included in the
indices or baskets the ETFs are designed to replicate. In addition, shares of an ETF may trade at
a market price that is higher or lower than their net asset value and an active trading market in
such shares may not develop or continue. Moreover, trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the
listing exchange’s officials deem such action to be appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the
exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in
stock prices) halts stock trading generally.
Exchange-Traded Notes
Exchange-Traded Notes. The Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes. Exchange-traded notes
(ETNs) are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the
performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on
an exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours; however, investors can
also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal
to the principal amount, subject to the day’s market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not
make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk,
including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in
the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining
unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and
demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the
applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political,
or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs
(directly or through their respective Subsidiary) it will bear its proportionate share of any fees
and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by the Fund or its Subsidiary to sell ETN holdings may be
limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on
an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance
that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.
ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund or its Subsidiary characterizes and treats
ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change
the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs.
An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate
and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other
components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at
times, be
8
relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price.
Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form.
The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference
in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in
time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities
or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a
result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or
strategy.
Debt Investments
The Fund may invest in high-grade short-term securities and debt securities including U.S.
Government obligations and investment grade corporate bonds, whether denominated in U.S. dollars or
foreign currencies.
U.S. Government Obligations. The Fund may invest in U.S. Government obligations, which
include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and
instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, as well as
“stripped” or “zero coupon” U.S. Treasury obligations.
U.S. Government Obligations may be, (i) supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
Treasury, (ii) supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, (iii)
supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency’s
obligations, or (iv) supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. There is a risk that the
U.S. Government may choose not to provide financial support to U.S. Government-sponsored agencies
or instrumentalities if it is not legally obligated to do so. In that case, if the issuer were to
default, a Fund holding securities of such issuer might not be able to recover its investment from
the U.S. Government. For example, while the U.S. Government has recently provided financial
support to Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
(FHLMC), no assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will always do so, since the U.S.
Government is not so obligated by law. There also is no guarantee that the government would
support Federal Home Loan Banks. Accordingly, securities of FNMA, FHLMC and Federal Home Loan
Banks, and other agencies, may involve a risk of non-payment of principal and interest.
Temporary Investments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in affiliated money market
funds or in the types of money market instruments in which the Fund would invest or other
short-term U.S. government securities for cash management purposes. The Fund may invest up to 100%
of its assets in investments that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment
strategies for temporary defensive purposes in anticipation of or in response to adverse market,
economic, political or other conditions, or atypical circumstances such as unusually large cash
inflows or redemptions. As a result, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed and
asset-backed securities. Mortgage-backed securities are mortgage-related securities issued or
guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or issued by nongovernment
entities. Mortgage-related securities represent ownership in pools of mortgage loans assembled for
sale to investors by various government agencies such as the Government National Mortgage
Association (GNMA) and government-related organizations such as FNMA, and the FHLMC, as well as by
nongovernment issuers such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers and
private mortgage insurance companies. Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed
by a third party or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may
fluctuate, is not so secured. These securities differ from conventional bonds in that the
principal is paid back to the investor as payments are made on the underlying mortgages in the
pool. Accordingly, a Fund receives monthly scheduled payments of principal and interest along with
any unscheduled principal prepayments on the underlying mortgages. Because these scheduled and
unscheduled
9
principal payments must be reinvested at prevailing interest rates, mortgage-backed
securities do not provide an effective means of locking in long-term interest rates for the
investor.
In addition, there are a number of important differences among the agencies and
instrumentalities of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the
securities they issue. Mortgage-related securities issued by GNMA include GNMA Mortgage
Pass-Through Certificates (also known as Ginnie Maes) which are guaranteed as to the timely payment
of principal and interest. That guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
Treasury. GNMA is a corporation wholly owned by the U.S. Government within the Department of
Housing and Urban Development. Mortgage-related securities issued by FNMA include FNMA Guaranteed
Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as Fannie Maes) and are guaranteed as to payment of
principal and interest by FNMA itself and backed by a line of credit with the U.S. Treasury. FNMA
is a government-sponsored entity wholly owned by public stockholders. Mortgage-related securities
issued by FHLMC include FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates (also known as Freddie Macs)
guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by FHLMC itself and backed by a line of credit
with the U.S. Treasury. FHLMC is a government-sponsored entity wholly owned by public
stockholders.
On September 7, 2008, FNMA and FHLMC were placed under the conservatorship of the Federal
Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) to provide stability in the financial markets, mortgage
availability and taxpayer protection by preserving FNMA and FHLMC’s assets and property and putting
FNMA and FHLMC in a sound and solvent position. Under the conservatorship, the management of FNMA
and FHLMC was replaced. Additionally, FNMA and FHLMC modestly increased their mortgage-backed
security portfolios through the end of 2009 and are expected to gradually reduce such portfolios at
the rate of 10% per year until stabilizing at a lower, less risky size.
Since 2009, both FNMA and FHLMC have received significant capital support through U.S.
Treasury preferred stock purchases and Federal Reserve purchases of the entities’ mortgage-back
securities. The U.S. Treasury announced in December 2009 that it would continue that support for
the entities’ capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth through at least 2012. However,
the Federal Reserve’s purchases of mortgage-backed securities ended in 2010. While the U.S.
Treasury is committed to offset negative equity at FNMA and FHLMC through its preferred stock
purchases through 2012, no assurance can be given that the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury or FHFA
initiatives discussed earlier will ensure that FNMA and FHLMC will remain successful in meeting
their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities they issue beyond that
date.
In February 2011, the Obama Administration produced a report to Congress outlining proposals
to wind down FNMA and FHLMC and reduce the government’s role in the mortgage market. Discussions
among policymakers continue, however, as to whether FNMA and FHLMC should be nationalized,
privatized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. FNMA and FHLMC Mac also are subject of several
continuing legal actions and investigations over certain accounting, disclosure or corporate
governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an
adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in
question as the U.S. Government considers multiple options regarding the future of FNMA and FHLMC.
Asset-backed securities are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of
mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as
motor vehicle installment sales contracts or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of
real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements and from sales of personal
property. Regular payments received on asset-backed securities include both interest and
principal. Asset-backed securities typically have no U.S. Government backing. Additionally, the
ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying
assets may be limited.
If a Fund purchases a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed security at a premium, the premium
may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from
changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying collateral. As with other
interest-bearing
10
securities, the prices of such securities are inversely affected by changes in
interest rates. Although the value of a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed security may decline
when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since in periods of declining
interest rates the mortgages and loans underlying the securities are prone to prepayment, thereby
shortening the average life of the security and shortening the period of time over which income at
the higher rate is received. When interest rates are rising, the rate of prepayment tends to
decrease, thereby lengthening the period of time over which income at the lower rate is received.
For these and other reasons, a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed security’s average maturity
may be shortened or lengthened as a result of interest rate fluctuations and, therefore, it is not
possible to predict accurately the security’s return. In addition, while the trading market for
short-term mortgages and asset-backed securities is ordinarily quite liquid, in times of financial
stress the trading market for these securities may become restricted.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs). The Fund may invest in CMOs. A CMO is a hybrid
between a mortgage-backed bond and a mortgage pass-through security. A CMO is a type of
mortgage-backed security that creates separate classes with varying maturities and interest rates,
called tranches. Similar to a bond, interest and prepaid principal is paid, in most cases,
semiannually. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage loans, but are more typically
collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC, or
FNMA, and their income streams.
CMOs are structured into multiple classes, each bearing a different fixed or floating interest
rate and stated maturity. Actual maturity and average life will depend upon the prepayment
experience of the collateral. CMOs provide for a modified form of call protection through a de
facto breakdown of the underlying pool of mortgages according to how quickly the loans are repaid.
Monthly payment of principal received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments,
is first returned to investors holding the shortest maturity class. Investors holding the longer
maturity classes receive principal only after the first class has been retired. An investor is
partially guarded against a sooner than desired return of principal because of the sequential
payments.
In a typical CMO transaction, a corporation (issuer) issues multiple series (e.g., Series A,
B, C and Z) of CMO bonds (Bonds). Proceeds of the Bond offering are used to purchase mortgages or
mortgage pass-through certificates (Collateral). The Collateral is pledged to a third party
trustee as security for the Bonds. Principal and interest payments from the Collateral are used to
pay principal on the Bonds in the following order: Series A, B, C and Z. The Series A, B, and C
Bonds all bear current interest. Interest on a Series Z Bond is accrued and added to principal and
a like amount is paid as principal on the Series A, B, or C Bond currently being paid off. Only
after the Series A, B, and C Bonds are paid in full does the Series Z Bond begin to receive
payment. With some CMOs, the issuer serves as a conduit to allow loan originators (primarily
builders or savings and loan associations) to borrow against their loan portfolios.
CMOs that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or by any of its agencies or
instrumentalities will be considered U.S. Government securities by the Fund, while other CMOs, even
if collateralized by U.S. Government securities, will have the same status as other privately
issued securities for purposes of applying the Fund’s diversification test.
FHLMC CMOs are debt obligations of FHLMC issued in multiple classes having different maturity
dates which are secured by the pledge of a pool of conventional mortgage loans purchased by FHLMC.
Payments of principal and interest on the FHLMC CMOs are made semiannually. The amount of
principal payable on each semiannual payment date is determined in accordance with FHLMC’s
mandatory sinking fund schedule, which, in turn, is equal to approximately 100% of FHA prepayment
experience applied to the mortgage collateral pool. All sinking fund payments in the FHLMC CMOs
are allocated to the retirement of the individual classes of bonds in the order of their stated
maturities. Payment of principal on the mortgage loans in the collateral pool in excess of the
amount of FHLMC’s minimum sinking fund obligation for any payment date are paid to the holders of
the FHLMC CMOs as additional sinking fund payments. Because of the “pass-through” nature of all
principal payments
11
received on the collateral pool in excess of FHLMC’s minimum sinking fund
requirement, the rate at which principal of the FHLMC CMOs is actually repaid is likely to be such
that each class of bonds will be retired in advance of its scheduled maturity date. If collection
of principal (including prepayments) on the mortgage loans during any semiannual payment period is
not sufficient to meet FHLMC CMO’s minimum sinking fund obligation on the next sinking fund payment
date, FHLMC agrees to make up the deficiency from its general funds.
Classes of CMOs may also include interest only (IOs) and principal only (POs). IOs and POs are
stripped mortgage-backed securities representing interests in a pool of mortgages the cash flow
from which has been separated into interest and principal components. IOs (interest only
securities) receive the interest portion of the cash flow while POs (principal only securities)
receive the principal portion. IOs and POs can be extremely volatile in response to changes in
interest rates. As interest rates rise and fall, the value of IOs tends to move in the same
direction as interest rates. POs perform best when prepayments on the underlying mortgages rise
since this increases the rate at which the investment is returned and the yield to maturity on the
PO. When payments on mortgages underlying a PO are slow, the life of the PO is lengthened and the
yield to maturity is reduced.
CMOs are generally subject to the same risks as mortgage-backed securities. In addition, CMOs
may be subject to credit risk because the issuer or credit enhancer has defaulted on its
obligations and a Fund may not receive all or part of its principal. Obligations issued by U.S.
Government-related entities are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest, but are not
backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. The performance of private label
mortgage-backed securities, issued by private institutions, is based on the financial health of
those institutions. Although GNMA guarantees timely payment of GNMA certificates even if
homeowners delay or default, tracking the “pass-through” payments may, at times, be difficult.
Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs). The Fund may invest in CDOs. A CDO is a security
backed by a pool of bonds, loans and other debt obligations. CDOs are not limited to investing in
one type of debt and accordingly, a CDO may own corporate bonds, commercial loans, asset-backed
securities, residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and
emerging market debt. The CDO’s securities are typically divided into several classes, or bond
tranches, that have differing levels of investment grade or credit tolerances. Most CDO issues are
structured in a way that enables the senior bond classes and mezzanine classes to receive
investment-grade credit ratings. Credit risk is shifted to the most junior class of securities.
If any defaults occur in the assets backing a CDO, the senior bond classes are first in line to
receive principal and interest payments, followed by the mezzanine classes and finally by the
lowest rated (or non-rated) class, which is known as the equity tranche. Similar in structure to a
collateralized mortgage obligation (described above) CDOs are unique in that they represent
different types of debt and credit risk.
Credit Linked Notes (CLNs). The Fund may invest in CLNs. A CLN is a security with an
embedded credit default swap allowing the issuer to transfer a specific credit risk to credit
investors.
CLNs are created through a Special Purpose Company (SPC), or trust, which is collateralized
with AAA-rated securities. The CLN’s price or coupon is linked to the performance of the reference
asset of the second party. Generally, the CLN holder receives either fixed or floating coupon rate
during the life of the CLN and par at maturity. The cash flows are dependent on specified
credit-related events. Should the second party default or declare bankruptcy, the CLN holder will
receive an amount equivalent to the recovery rate. In return for these risks, the CLN holder
receives a higher yield. The Fund bears the risk of default by the second party and any unforeseen
movements in the reference asset, which could lead to loss of principal and receipt of interest
payments. As with most derivative instruments, valuation of a CLN may be difficult due to the
complexity of the security.
Bank Instruments. The Fund may invest in bank instruments. Bank instruments are unsecured
interest bearing bank deposits. Bank instruments include, but are not limited to, certificates of
deposits, time deposits, and banker’s acceptances from U.S. or foreign banks as well as Eurodollar
12
certificates of deposit (Eurodollar CDs) and Eurodollar time deposits (Eurodollar time deposits) of
foreign branches of domestic banks. Some certificates of deposit is a negotiable interest-bearing
instrument with a specific maturity issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange
for the deposit of funds, and can typically be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity.
Other certificates of deposit, like time deposits, are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in
exchange for the deposit of funds which earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period
of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market. A banker’s acceptance is a bill of
exchange or time draft drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank.
An investment in Eurodollar CDs or Eurodollar time deposits may involve some of the same risks
that are described for Foreign Securities.
Commercial Instruments. The Fund may invest in commercial instruments, including commercial
paper, master notes and other short-term corporate instruments, that are denominated in U.S.
dollars or foreign currencies.
Commercial instruments are a type of instrument issued by large banks and corporations to
raise money to meet their short term debt obligations, and are only backed by the issuing bank or
corporation’s promise to pay the face amount on the maturity date specified on the note. Commercial
paper consists of short-term promissory notes issued by corporations. Commercial paper may be
traded in the secondary market after its issuance. Master notes are demand notes that permit the
investment of fluctuating amounts of money at varying rates of interest pursuant to arrangements
with issuers who meet the credit quality criteria of the Fund. The interest rate on a master note
may fluctuate based on changes in specified interest rates or may be reset periodically according
to a prescribed formula or may be a set rate. Although there is no secondary market in master
demand notes, if such notes have a demand feature, the payee may demand payment of the principal
amount of the note upon relatively short notice. Master notes are generally illiquid and therefore
subject to the Fund’s percentage limitations for investments in illiquid securities. Commercial
instruments may not be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Synthetic Municipal Instruments. The Fund may invest in synthetic municipal instruments, the
value of and return on which are derived from underlying securities. The types of synthetic
municipal instruments in which the Fund may invest include tender option bonds and variable rate
trust certificates. Both types of instruments involve the deposit into a trust or custodial
account of one or more long-term tax-exempt bonds or notes (Underlying Bonds), and the sale of
certificates evidencing interests in the trust or custodial account to investors such as the Fund.
The trustee or custodian receives the long-term fixed rate interest payments on the Underlying
Bonds, and pays certificate holders short-term floating or variable interest rates which are reset
periodically. A “tender option bond” provides a certificate holder with the conditional right to
sell its certificate to the sponsor or some designated third party at specified intervals and
receive the par value of the certificate plus accrued interest (a demand feature). A “variable
rate trust certificate” evidences an interest in a trust entitling the certificate holder to
receive variable rate interest based on prevailing short-term interest rates and also typically
provides the certificate holder with the conditional demand feature the right to tender its
certificate at par value plus accrued interest.
Typically, a certificate holder cannot exercise the demand feature until the occurrence of
certain conditions, such as where the issuer of the Underlying Bond defaults on interest payments.
Moreover, because synthetic municipal instruments involve a trust or custodial account and a third
party conditional demand feature, they involve complexities and potential risks that may not be
present where a municipal security is owned directly.
The tax-exempt character of the interest paid to certificate holders is based on the
assumption that the holders have an ownership interest in the Underlying Bonds; however, the IRS
has not issued a ruling addressing this issue. In the event the IRS issues an adverse ruling or
successfully litigates this issue, it is possible that the interest paid to the Fund on certain
synthetic municipal instruments would
13
be deemed to be taxable. The Fund relies on opinions of
special tax counsel on this ownership question and opinions of bond counsel regarding the
tax-exempt character of interest paid on the Underlying Bonds.
Municipal Securities. The Fund may invest in Municipal Securities. “Municipal Securities”
include debt obligations of states, territories or possessions of the United States and the
District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, issued to
obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public
facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools,
streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which Municipal Securities may be
issued include the refunding of outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for general operating
expenses and lending such funds to other public institutions and facilities.
The principal and interest payments for industrial development bonds or pollution control
bonds are often the sole responsibility of the industrial user and therefore may not be backed by
the taxing power of the issuing municipality. The interest paid on such bonds may be exempt from
federal income tax, although current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the purposes
and size of such issues. Such obligations are considered to be Municipal Securities provided that
the interest paid thereon, in the opinion of bond counsel, qualifies as exempt from federal income
tax. However, interest on Municipal Securities may give rise to a federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT) liability and may have other collateral federal income tax consequences. Interest received by
the Fund from tax-exempt Municipal Securities may be taxable to shareholders if the Fund fails to
qualify to pay exempt-interest dividends by failing to satisfy the requirement that at the close of
each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year at least 50% of the Fund’s total assets consists of
Municipal Securities.
The two major classifications of Municipal Securities are bonds and notes. Bonds may be
further classified as “general obligation” or “revenue” issues. General obligation bonds are
secured by the issuer’s pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of
principal and interest. Revenue bonds are payable from the revenues derived from a particular
facility or class of facilities, and in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other
specific revenue source, but not from the general taxing power. Tax-exempt industrial development
bonds are in most cases revenue bonds and do not generally carry the pledge of the credit of the
issuing municipality. Notes are short-term instruments which usually mature in less than two
years. Most notes are general obligations of the issuing municipalities or agencies and are sold
in anticipation of a bond sale, collection of taxes or receipt of other revenues.
Municipal Securities also include the following securities:
|
• |
|
Bond Anticipation Notes usually are general obligations of state and local
governmental issuers which are sold to obtain interim financing for projects that
will eventually be funded through the sale of long-term debt obligations or bonds. |
|
|
• |
|
Tax Anticipation Notes are issued by state and local governments to finance the
current operations of such governments. Repayment is generally to be derived from
specific future tax revenues. Tax anticipation notes are usually general
obligations of the issuer. |
|
|
• |
|
Revenue Anticipation Notes are issued by governments or governmental bodies with
the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will be used to repay
the notes. In general, they also constitute general obligations of the issuer. |
|
|
• |
|
Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper (Municipal Paper) is similar to taxable commercial
paper, except that tax-exempt commercial paper is issued by states, municipalities
and their agencies. |
14
The Fund also may purchase participation interests or custodial receipts from financial
institutions. These participation interests give the purchaser an undivided interest in one or
more underlying Municipal Securities.
After purchase by the Fund, an issue of Municipal Securities may cease to be rated by Moody’s
Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s) or Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P), or another
nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or the rating of such a security may
be reduced below the minimum credit quality rating required for purchase by the Fund. Neither
event would require the Fund to dispose of the security. To the extent that the ratings applied by
Moody’s, S&P or another NRSRO to Municipal Securities may change as a result of changes in these
rating systems, the Fund will attempt to use comparable credit quality ratings as standards for its
investments in Municipal Securities.
Since the Fund invests in Municipal Securities backed by insurance companies and other
financial institutions, changes in the financial condition of these institutions could cause losses
to the Fund and affect its share price.
The Fund may invest in Municipal Securities that are insured by financial insurance companies.
Since a limited number of entities provide such insurance, the Fund may invest more than 25% of
its assets in securities insured by the same insurance company.
The Fund may also invest in taxable municipal securities. Taxable municipal securities are
debt securities issued by or on behalf of states and their political subdivisions, the District of
Columbia, and possessions of the United States, the interest on which is not exempt from federal
income tax.
The yields on Municipal Securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general
economic and monetary conditions, money market factors, conditions of the Municipal Securities
market, size of a particular offering, and maturity and rating of the obligation. Because many
Municipal Securities are issued to finance similar projects, especially those related to education,
health care, transportation and various utilities, conditions in those sectors and the financial
condition of an individual municipal issuer can affect the overall municipal market. The market
values of the Municipal Securities held by the Fund will be affected by changes in the yields
available on similar securities. If yields increase following the purchase of a Municipal
Security, the market value of such Municipal Security will generally decrease. Conversely, if
yields decrease, the market value of a Municipal Security will generally increase.
Investment Grade Debt Obligations. The Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated debt
obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. corporations or U.S. commercial banks, U.S.
dollar-denominated obligations of foreign issuers and debt obligations of foreign issuers
denominated in foreign currencies. Debt obligations include, among others, bonds, notes,
debentures and variable rate demand notes.
These obligations must meet minimum ratings criteria set forth for the Fund or, if unrated, be
of comparable quality. Bonds rated Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service and/or BBB or higher
by Standard & Poors or Fitch Ratings, Ltd are typically considered investment grade debt
obligations. The description of debt securities ratings may be found in Appendix A.
In choosing corporate debt securities on behalf of the Fund, portfolio managers may consider:
|
(i) |
|
general economic and financial conditions; |
|
|
(ii) |
|
the specific issuer’s (a) business and management, (b) cash flow, (c)
earnings coverage of interest and dividends, (d) ability to operate under adverse
economic conditions, (e) fair market value of assets, and (f) in the case of foreign
issuers, unique political, economic or social conditions applicable to such issuer’s
country; and, |
|
|
(iii) |
|
other considerations deemed appropriate. |
15
Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk,
prepayment risk, inflation risk, credit risk, currency risk and default risk.
Non-Investment Grade Debt Obligations (Junk Bonds). The Fund may invest in lower-rated or
non-rated debt securities commonly known as junk bonds. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total
assets in junk bonds, including junk bonds of companies located in developing countries.
Bonds rated Ba or below by Moody’s Investors Service and/or BB or below by Standard & Poors or
Fitch Ratings, Ltd are typically considered non-investment grade or “junk bonds.” Analysis of the
creditworthiness of junk bond issuers is more complex than that of investment-grade issuers and the
success of the Fund’s Adviser in managing these decisions is more dependent upon its own credit
analysis than is the case with investment-grade bonds. Descriptions of debt securities ratings are
found in Appendix A.
The capacity of junk bonds to pay interest and repay principal is considered speculative.
While junk bonds may provide an opportunity for greater income and gains, they are subject to
greater risks than higher-rated debt securities. The prices of and yields on junk bonds may
fluctuate to a greater extent than those of higher-rated debt securities. Junk bonds are generally
more sensitive to individual issuer developments, economic conditions and regulatory changes than
higher-rated bonds. Issuers of junk bonds are often issued by smaller, less-seasoned companies or
companies that are highly leveraged with more traditional methods of financing unavailable to them.
Junk bonds are generally at a higher risk of default because such issues are often unsecured or
otherwise subordinated to claims of the issuer’s other creditors. If a junk bond issuer defaults,
a Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. The secondary markets in which junk bonds
are traded may be thin and less liquid than the market for higher-rated debt securities and a Fund
may have difficulty selling certain junk bonds at the desired time and price. Less liquidity in
secondary trading markets could adversely affect the price at which a Fund could sell a particular
junk bond, and could cause large fluctuations in the net asset value of that Fund’s shares. The
lack of a liquid secondary market may also make it more difficult for a Fund to obtain accurate
market quotations in valuing junk bond assets and elements of judgment may play a greater role in
the valuation.
Structured Notes and Indexed Securities. The Fund may invest in structured notes and indexed
securities.
Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is
linked to currencies, interest rates, commodities, indices or other financial indicators (reference
instruments). Indexed securities may include structured notes and other securities wherein the
interest rate or principal are determined by a reference instrument.
Structured notes and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other
types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument.
Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult
to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt
securities. In addition to the credit risk of the structured note or indexed security’s issuer and
the normal risks of price changes in response to changes in interest rates, the principal amount of
structured notes or indexed securities may decrease as a result of changes in the value of the
underlying reference instruments. Further, in the case of certain structured notes or indexed
securities in which the interest rate, or exchange rate in the case of currency, is linked to a
referenced instrument, the rate may be increased or decreased or the terms may provide that, under
certain circumstances, the principal amount payable on maturity may be reduced to zero resulting in
a loss to the Fund.
Investment in Wholly-Owned Subsidiary. The Fund will invest up to 25% of its total assets, in
the wholly-owned and controlled Subsidiary which is expected to invest primarily in
commodity-linked notes, commodity-linked derivatives, ETFs and ETNs, as well as fixed income
securities and other
16
investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s
derivative positions. As a result, the Fund may be considered to be investing indirectly in these
investments through its Subsidiary.
The Subsidiary will not be registered under the 1940 Act and, except otherwise noted in the
Fund’s prospectus, is not subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, since the
Fund wholly-owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are managed by the
Adviser, it is unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund
or its shareholders. The Fund’s Trustees have oversight responsibility for the investment
activities of the Fund, including its investments in the Subsidiary, and role as sole shareholder
of the Subsidiary. Also, in managing the Subsidiary’s portfolio, the Adviser will be subject to the
same investment restrictions and operational guidelines that apply to the management of the Fund.
Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and
the Subsidiary, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund or the Subsidiary to
operate as described in this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. For
example, the government of the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or
capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If
Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, the Funds
shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.
Other Investments
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). The Fund may invest in equity and/or debt securities
issued by REITs.
REITs are trusts that sell equity or debt securities to investors and use the proceeds to
invest in real estate or interests therein. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets
directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs
can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs
invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection
of interest payments.
Investments in REITS may be subject to many of the same risks as direct investments in real
estate. These risks include difficulties in valuing and trading real estate, declines in the value
of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, adverse changes in the
climate for real estate, environmental liability risks, increases in property taxes and operating
expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, changes in
neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, heavy cash flow dependency and increases
in interest rates. To the extent that the Fund invests in REITs, the Fund could conceivably own
real estate directly as a result of a default on the REIT interests or obligations it owns.
In addition to the risks of direct real estate investment described above, equity REITs may be
affected by any changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage
REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are also subject to the
following risks: they are dependent upon management skill and on cash flows; are not diversified;
are subject to defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to maintain
an exemption from the 1940 Act; and are subject to interest rate risk. The Fund that invests in
REITs will bear a proportionate share of the expenses of the REITs.
Other Investment Companies. Unless otherwise indicated in this SAI or the Fund’s prospectus,
the Fund may purchase shares of other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds. For
the Fund, the 1940 Act imposes the following restrictions on investments in other investment
companies: (i) the Fund may not purchase more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of
another investment company; (ii) a Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in
securities issued by another investment company; and (iii) a Fund may not invest more than 10% of
its total assets
17
in securities issued by other investment companies. The 1940 Act and related
rules provide certain exemptions from these restrictions. For example, under certain conditions,
the Fund may acquire an unlimited amount of shares of mutual funds that are part of the same group
of investment companies as the acquiring fund. In addition, these restrictions do not apply to
investments by the Fund in investment companies that are money market funds, including money market
funds that have Invesco or an affiliate of Invesco as an investment adviser (the Affiliated Money
Market Funds).
When a Fund purchases shares of another investment company, including an Affiliated Money
Market Fund, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of the advisory fees and other
operating expenses of such investment company and will be subject to the risks associated with the
portfolio investments of the underlying investment company.
Defaulted Securities. The Fund may invest in defaulted securities.
Defaulted securities are debt securities on which the issuer is not currently making interest
payments. In order to enforce its rights in defaulted securities, the Fund may be required to
participate in legal proceedings or take possession of and manage assets securing the issuer’s
obligations on the defaulted securities. This could increase the Fund’s operating expenses and
adversely affect its net asset value. Risks in defaulted securities may be considerably higher as
they are generally unsecured and subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. Any investments by
the Fund in defaulted securities will also be considered illiquid securities subject to the
limitations described herein, unless Invesco and/or the Sub-Advisers determines that such defaulted
securities are liquid under guidelines adopted by the Board.
Variable or Floating Rate Instruments. The Fund may invest in variable or floating rate
instruments.
Variable or floating rate instruments are securities that provide for a periodic adjustment in
the interest rate paid on the obligation. The interest rates for securities with variable interest
rates are readjusted on set dates (such as the last day of the month or calendar quarter) and the
interest rates for securities with floating rates are reset whenever a specified interest rate
change occurs. Variable or floating interest rates generally reduce changes in the market price of
securities from their original purchase price because, upon readjustment, such rates approximate
market rates. Accordingly, as market interest rates decrease or increase, the potential for
capital appreciation or depreciation is less for variable or floating rate securities than for
fixed rate obligations. Many securities with variable or floating interest rates have a demand
feature allowing the Fund to demand payment of principal and accrued interest prior to its
maturity. The terms of such demand instruments require payment of principal and accrued interest
by the issuer, a guarantor, and/or a liquidity provider. All variable or floating rate
instruments will meet the applicable rating standards of the Fund. The Fund’s adviser or
Sub-adviser, as applicable, may determine that an unrated floating rate or variable rate demand
obligation meets the Fund’s rating standards by reason of being backed by a letter of credit or
guarantee issued by a bank that meets those rating standards.
Zero-Coupon and Pay-in-Kind Securities. The Fund may invest in zero-coupon or pay-in-kind
securities.
Zero-coupon securities do not pay interest or principal until final maturity unlike debt
securities that traditionally provide periodic payments of interest (referred to as a coupon
payment). Investors must wait until maturity to receive interest and principal, which increases
the interest rate and credit risks of a zero coupon security. Pay-in-kind securities are
securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the
holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Zero-coupon and
pay-in-kind securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and less liquidity in the
event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities paying cash interest at regular
interest payment periods. Investors may purchase zero coupon and pay in kind
18
securities at a price
below the amount payable at maturity. The difference between the purchase price and the amount
paid at maturity represents “original issue discount” on the security.
Premium Securities. The Fund may invest in premium securities. Premium securities are
securities bearing coupon rates higher than the then prevailing market rates.
Premium securities are typically purchased at a “premium”, in other words, at a price greater
than the principal amount payable on maturity. The Fund will not amortize the premium paid for
such securities in calculating its net investment income. As a result, in such cases the purchase
of premium securities provides the Fund a higher level of investment income distributable to
shareholders on a current basis than if the Fund purchased securities bearing current market rates
of interest. However, the yield on these securities would remain at the current market rate. If
securities purchased by the Fund at a premium are called or sold prior to maturity, the Fund will
realize a loss to the extent the call or sale price is less than the purchase price. Additionally,
the Fund will realize a loss of principal if it holds such securities to maturity.
Stripped Income Securities. The Fund may invest in stripped income securities.
Stripped Income Securities are obligations representing an interest in all or a portion of the
income or principal components of an underlying or related security, a pool of securities, or other
assets. Stripped income securities may be partially stripped so that each class receives some
interest and some principal. However, they may be completely stripped, where one class will
receive all of the interest (the interest only class or the IO class), while the other class will
receive all of the principal (the principal-only class or the PO class).
The market values of stripped income securities tend to be more volatile in response to
changes in interest rates than are conventional income securities. In the case of mortgage-backed
stripped income securities, the yields to maturity of IOs and POs may be very sensitive to
principal repayments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgages resulting in a Fund being
unable to recoup its initial investment or resulting in a less than anticipated yield. The market
for stripped income securities may be limited, making it difficult for the Fund to dispose of its
holding at an acceptable price.
Privatizations. The Fund may invest in privatizations.
The governments of certain foreign countries have, to varying degrees, embarked on
privatization programs to sell part or all of their interests in government owned or controlled
companies or enterprises (privatizations). The Fund’s investments in such privatizations may
include: (i) privately negotiated investments in a government owned or controlled company or
enterprise; (ii) investments in the initial offering of equity securities of a government owned or
controlled company or enterprise; and (iii) investments in the securities of a government owned or
controlled company or enterprise following its initial equity offering.
In certain foreign countries, the ability of foreign entities such as the Fund to participate
in privatizations may be limited by local law, or the terms on which the Fund may be permitted to
participate may be less advantageous than those for local investors. There can be no assurance
that foreign governments will continue to sell companies and enterprises currently owned or
controlled by them, that privatization programs will be successful, or that foreign governments
will not re-nationalize companies or enterprises that have been privatized. If large blocks of
these enterprises are held by a small group of stockholders the sale of all or some portion of
these blocks could have an adverse effect on the price.
19
Investment Techniques
Forward Commitments, When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities. The Fund may purchase or
sell securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis.
Forward commitments, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis means that delivery and payment
take place in the future after the date of the commitment to purchase or sell the securities at a
pre-determined price and/or yield. Settlement of such transactions normally occurs a month or more
after the purchase or sale commitment is made. Typically, no interest accrues to the purchaser
until the security is delivered. Forward commitments also include “To be announced” (TBA)
synthetic securities, which are contracts for the purchase or sale of mortgage-backed securities to
be delivered at a future agreed upon date, whereby the specific mortgage pool numbers or the number
of pools that will be delivered to fulfill the trade obligation or terms of the contract are
unknown at the time of the trade. The Fund may also enter into buy/sell back transactions (a form
of delayed delivery agreement). In a buy/sell back transaction, the Fund enters a trade to sell
securities at one price and simultaneously enters a trade to buy the same securities at another
price for settlement at a future date. Although the Fund generally intends to acquire or dispose of
securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis, the Fund may sell these
securities or its commitment before the settlement date if deemed advisable.
When purchasing a security on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, the
Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and
yield fluctuation, and takes such fluctuations into account when determining its net asset value.
Securities purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis are subject to
changes in value based upon the public’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and
changes, real or anticipated, in the level of interest rates. Accordingly, securities acquired on
such a basis may expose the Fund to risks because they may experience such fluctuations prior to
actual delivery. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery
basis may involve the additional risk that the yield available in the market when the delivery
takes place actually may be higher than that obtained in the transaction itself.
Investment in these types of securities may increase the possibility that the Fund will incur
short-term gains subject to federal taxation or short-term losses if the Fund must engage in
portfolio transactions in order to honor its commitment. Until the settlement date, the Fund will
segregate liquid assets of a dollar value sufficient at all times to make payment for the forward
commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery transactions. Such segregated liquid assets will be
marked-to-market daily, and the amount segregated will be increased if necessary to maintain
adequate coverage of the delayed delivery commitments. No additional forward, when-issued or
delayed delivery commitments will be made by the Fund if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s
total assets would become so committed. The delayed delivery securities, which will not begin to
accrue interest or dividends until the settlement date, will be recorded as an asset of the Fund
and will be subject to the risk of market fluctuation. The purchase price of the delayed delivery
securities is a liability of the Fund until settlement.
Short Sales. The Fund may engage in short sales. The Fund will not sell a security short if,
as a result of such short sale, the aggregate market value of all securities sold short exceeds 10%
of the Fund’s total assets. This limitation does not apply to short sales against the box.
A short sale involves the sale of a security which the Fund does not own in the hope of
purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. To make delivery to the buyer, the
Fund must borrow the security from a broker. The Fund normally closes a short sale by purchasing an
equivalent number of shares of the borrowed security on the open market and delivering them to the
broker. A short sale is typically affected when Invesco believes that the price of a particular
security will decline. Open short positions using futures or forward foreign currency contracts are
not deemed to constitute selling securities short.
20
To secure its obligation to deliver the securities sold short to the broker, the Fund will be
required to deposit cash or liquid securities with the broker. In addition, the Fund may have to
pay a premium to borrow the securities, and while the loan of the security sold short is
outstanding, the Fund is required to pay to the broker the amount of any dividends paid on shares
sold short. In addition to maintaining collateral with the broker, the Fund will set aside an
amount of cash or liquid securities equal to the difference, if any, between the current market
value of the securities sold short and any cash or liquid securities deposited as collateral with
the broker-dealer in connection with the short sale. The collateral will be marked to market
daily. The amounts deposited with the broker or segregated with the custodian do not have the
effect of limiting the amount of money that the Fund may lose on a short sale. Short sale
transactions covered in this manner are not considered senior securities and are not subject to the
Fund’s fundamental investment limitations on senior securities and borrowings.
Short positions create a risk that the Fund will be required to cover them by buying the
security at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the
Fund. A short position in a security poses more risk than holding the same security long. Because
a short position loses value as the security’s price increases, the loss on a short sale is
theoretically unlimited. The loss on a long position is limited to what the Fund originally paid
for the security together with any transaction costs. The Fund may not always be able to borrow a
security the Fund seeks to sell short at a particular time or at an acceptable price. It is
possible that the market value of the securities the Fund holds in long positions will decline at
the same time that the market value of the securities the Fund has sold short increases, thereby
increasing the Fund’s potential volatility. Because the Fund may be required to pay dividends,
interest, premiums and other expenses in connection with a short sale, any benefit for the Fund
resulting from the short sale will be decreased, and the amount of any ultimate gain or loss will
be decreased or increased, respectively, by the amount of such expenses.
The Fund may also enter into short sales against the box. Short sales against the box are
short sales of securities that the Fund owns or has the right to obtain (equivalent in kind or
amount to the securities sold short). If the Fund enters into a short sale against the box, it
will be required to set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short
(or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will be required to hold such
securities while the short sale is outstanding. The Fund will incur transaction costs including
interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining, and closing short sales against the
box.
Short sales against the box result in a “constructive sale” and require the Fund to recognize
any taxable gain unless an exception to the constructive sale applies. See “Dividends,
Distributions and Tax Matters – Tax Matters – Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions – Options,
futures, forward contracts, swap agreements and hedging transactions.”
Margin Transactions. The Fund will not purchase any security on margin, except that the Fund
may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of
portfolio securities. The payment by the Fund of initial or variation margin in connection with
futures or related options transactions will not be considered the purchase of a security on
margin.
Interfund Loans. The SEC has issued an exemptive order permitting the Invesco Funds to borrow
money from and lend money to each other for temporary or emergency purposes. The Invesco Funds’
interfund lending program is subject to a number of conditions, including the requirements that:
(1) an interfund loan will generally only occur if the interest rate on the loan is more favorable
to the borrowing fund than the interest rate typically available from a bank for a comparable
transaction and the rate is more favorable to the lending fund than the rate available on overnight
repurchase transactions; (2) an Invesco Fund may not lend more than 15% of its net assets through
the program (measured at the time of the last loan); and (3) an Invesco Fund may not lend more than
5% of its net assets to another Invesco Fund through the program (measured at the time of the
loan). The Fund may participate in the program only if and to the extent that such participation is
consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and investment policies. Interfund loans have a
maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called with one day’s notice and may be repaid on any
day.
21
Borrowing. The Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted under the Fund Policies. Such
borrowings may be utilized (i) for temporary or emergency purposes; (ii) in anticipation of or in
response to adverse market conditions; or, (iii) for cash management purposes. All borrowings are
limited to an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount
borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that exceed this amount will be
reduced within three business days to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation
even if it is not advantageous to sell securities at that time.
If there are unusually heavy redemptions, the Fund may have to sell a portion of its
investment portfolio at a time when it may not be advantageous to do so. Selling Fund securities
under these circumstances may result in a lower net asset value per share or decreased dividend
income, or both. Invesco and the Sub-Advisers believe that, in the event of abnormally heavy
redemption requests, the Fund’s borrowing ability would help to mitigate any such effects and could
make the forced sale of their portfolio securities less likely.
The Fund may borrow from a bank, broker-dealer, or an Invesco Fund. Additionally, the Fund is
permitted to temporarily carry a negative or overdrawn balance in their account with their
custodian bank. To compensate the custodian bank for such overdrafts, the Fund may either (i)
leave fund as a compensating balance in their account so the custodian bank can be compensated by
earning interest on such funds; or (ii) compensate the custodian bank by paying it an agreed upon
rate. The Fund may not purchase additional securities when any borrowings from banks or
broker-dealers exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets or when any borrowings from an Invesco Fund are
outstanding.
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. The Fund may lend
portfolio securities to the extent of one-third of its total assets. The Fund will loan its
securities only to parties that Invesco has determined are in good standing and when, in Invesco’s
judgment, the income earned would justify the risks.
The Fund will not have the right to vote securities while they are on loan, but it can call a
loan in anticipation of an important vote. The Fund would receive income in lieu of dividends on
loaned securities and may, at the same time, generate income on the loan collateral or on the
investment of any cash collateral.
If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of
insolvency or other reasons, the Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering securities
loaned or gaining access to the collateral. If the Fund is not able to recover the securities
loaned, the Fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement security in the market. Lending
securities entails a risk of loss to the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the
loaned securities increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly.
Any cash received as collateral for loaned securities will be invested, in accordance with the
Fund’s investment guidelines, in short-term money market instruments or Affiliated Money Market
Funds. Investing this cash subjects that investment to market appreciation or depreciation. For
purposes of determining whether the Fund is complying with its investment policies, strategies and
restrictions, the Fund will consider the loaned securities as assets of the Fund, but will not
consider any collateral received as the Fund asset. The Fund will bear any loss on the investment
of cash collateral.
For a discussion of tax considerations relating to lending portfolio securities, see
“Dividends, Distributions and Tax Matters – Tax Matters – Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions –
Securities lending.”
22
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions involving the
types of securities in which it is permitted to invest. Repurchase agreements are agreements under
which the Fund acquires ownership of a security from a broker-dealer or bank that agrees to
repurchase the security at a mutually agreed upon time and price (which is higher than the purchase
price), thereby determining the yield during the Fund’s holding period. The Fund may enter into a
“continuing contract” or “open” repurchase agreement under which the seller is under a continuing
obligation to repurchase the underlying securities from the Fund on demand and the effective
interest rate is negotiated on a daily basis. Repurchase agreements may be viewed as loans made by
the Fund which are collateralized by the securities subject to repurchase.
If the seller of a repurchase agreement fails to repurchase the security in accordance with
the terms of the agreement, the Fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, and could
experience a loss on the sale of the underlying security to the extent that the proceeds of the
sale including accrued interest are less than the resale price provided in the agreement, including
interest. In addition, although the Bankruptcy Code and other insolvency laws may provide certain
protections for some types of repurchase agreements, if the seller of a repurchase agreement should
be involved in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, the Fund may incur delay and costs in selling
the underlying security or may suffer a loss of principal and interest if the value of the
underlying security declines. The securities underlying a repurchase agreement will be
marked-to-market every business day so that the value of such securities is at least equal to the
investment value of the repurchase agreement, including any accrued interest thereon.
The Fund may invest its cash balances in joint accounts with other Invesco Funds for the
purpose of investing in repurchase agreements with maturities not to exceed 60 days, and in certain
other money market instruments with remaining maturities not to exceed 90 days. Repurchase
agreements are considered loans by the Fund under the 1940 Act.
Restricted and Illiquid Securities. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in
securities that are illiquid. The Fund may invest in Rule 144A securities.
Illiquid securities are securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the normal
course of business at approximately the price at which they are valued. Illiquid securities may
include a wide variety of investments, such as: (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than
seven days (unless the agreements have demand/redemption features); (2) over-the-counter (OTC)
options contracts and certain other derivatives (including certain swap agreements); (3) fixed time
deposits that are not subject to prepayment or that provide for withdrawal penalties upon
prepayment (other than overnight deposits); (4) loan interests and other direct debt instruments;
(5) municipal lease obligations; (6) commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(2) of the 1933
Act; and (7) securities that are unregistered, that can be sold to qualified institutional buyers
in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, or that are exempt from registration under the
1933 Act or otherwise restricted under the federal securities laws.
Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on their
marketability, which may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices.
The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering such securities for resale, and the risk of
substantial delays in effecting such registrations. The Fund’s difficulty valuing and selling
illiquid securities may result in a loss or be costly to the Fund.
If a substantial market develops for a restricted security or other illiquid investment held
by the Fund, it may be treated as a liquid security, in accordance with procedures and guidelines
approved by the Board. While Invesco monitors the liquidity of restricted securities on a daily
basis, the Board oversees and retains ultimate responsibility for Invesco’s liquidity
determinations. Invesco considers various factors when determining whether a security is liquid,
including the frequency of trades, availability of quotations and number of dealers or qualified
institutional buyers in the market.
23
Rule 144A Securities. The Fund may invest in Rule 144A securities. Rule 144A securities are
securities which, while privately placed, are eligible for purchase and resale pursuant to Rule
144A under the 1933 Act. This Rule permits certain qualified institutional buyers, such as the
Fund, to trade in privately placed securities even though such securities are not registered under
the 1933 Act. Invesco and/or Sub-Advisers, under the supervision of the Board, will consider
whether securities purchased under Rule 144A are illiquid and thus subject to the Fund’s
restriction on investment in illiquid securities. Determination of whether a Rule 144A security is
liquid or not is a question of fact. In making this determination Invesco and/or Sub-Advisers will
consider the trading markets for the specific security taking into account the unregistered nature
of a Rule 144A security. In addition, Invesco and/or Sub-Advisers could consider the (i) frequency
of trades and quotes; (ii) number of dealers and potential purchasers; (iii) dealer undertakings to
make a market; and (iv) nature of the security and of market place trades (for example, the time
needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer).
Invesco and/or Sub-Advisers will also monitor the liquidity of Rule 144A securities and, if as a
result of changed conditions, Invesco and/or Sub-Advisers determines that a Rule 144A security is
no longer liquid, Invesco and/or Sub-Advisers will review a Fund’s holdings of illiquid securities
to determine what, if any, action is required to assure that such Fund complies with its
restriction on investment in illiquid securities.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements.
Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements that involve the sale of securities held by the
Fund to financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers, with an agreement that the Fund
will repurchase the securities at an agreed upon price and date. During the reverse repurchase
agreement period, the Fund continues to receive interest and principal payments on the securities
sold. The Fund may employ reverse repurchase agreements (i) for temporary emergency purposes, such
as to meet unanticipated net redemptions so as to avoid liquidating other portfolio securities
during unfavorable market conditions; (ii) to cover short-term cash requirements resulting from the
timing of trade settlements; or (iii) to take advantage of market situations where the interest
income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds of the transaction is greater than the
interest expense of the transaction.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of securities to be
purchased by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund is obligated to repurchase the
securities, or that the other party may default on its obligation, so that the Fund is delayed or
prevented from completing the transaction. At the time the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase
agreement, it will segregate, and maintain, liquid assets having a dollar value equal to the
repurchase price. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files
for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, a Fund’s use of the proceeds from the sale of the securities
may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether
to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements are
considered borrowings by the Fund under the 1940 Act.
Mortgage Dollar Rolls. The Fund may engage in mortgage dollar rolls (a dollar roll).
A dollar roll is a type of transaction that involves the sale by the Fund of a mortgage-backed
security to a financial institution such as a bank or broker-dealer, with an agreement that the
Fund will repurchase a substantially similar (i.e., same type, coupon and maturity) security at an
agreed upon price and date. The mortgage securities that are purchased will bear the same interest
rate as those sold, but will generally be collateralized by different pools of mortgages with
different prepayment histories. During the period between the sale and repurchase the Fund will
not be entitled to receive interest or principal payments on the securities sold but is compensated
for the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase.
In addition, cash proceeds of the sale may be invested in short-term instruments and the income
from these investments, together with any additional fee income received on the sale, would
generate income for the Fund. The Fund typically
24
enters into a dollar roll transaction to enhance
the Fund’s return either on an income or total return basis or to manage pre-payment risk.
Dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained by
a Fund may decline below the price of the securities that the Fund has sold but is obligated to
repurchase under the agreement. In the event the buyer of securities under a dollar roll
transaction files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds from the sale
of the securities may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or
receiver, whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. Dollar rolls are
considered borrowings by the Fund under the 1940 Act. At the time the Fund enters into a dollar
roll transaction, a sufficient amount of assets held by the Fund will segregated to meet the
forward commitment.
Unless the benefits of the sale exceed the income, capital appreciation or gains on the
securities sold as part of the dollar roll, the investment performance of the Fund will be less
than what the performance would have been without the use of dollar rolls. The benefits of dollar
rolls may depend upon Invesco or Sub-Adviser’s ability to predict mortgage repayments and interest
rates. There is no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed.
Derivatives
A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is dependent upon the value of other
assets, rates or indices, referred to as an “underlying reference.” These underlying references may
include commodities, stocks, bonds, interest rates, currency exchange rates or related indices.
Derivatives include swaps, options, warrants, futures and forward foreign currency contract. Some
derivatives, such as futures and certain options, are traded on U.S. commodity or securities
exchanges, while other derivatives, such as swap agreements, are privately negotiated and entered
into in the over-the-counter (OTC) market.
Derivatives may be used for “hedging,” which means that they may be used when the portfolio
manager seeks to protect the Fund’s 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 manager seeks 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 Fund’s portfolio
investments, for example, duration, and/or to enhance return. However derivatives are used, their
successful use is not assured and will depend upon the portfolio manager’s 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
Fund’s 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
sufficient to cover its obligations under a derivative transaction or otherwise “cover” the
transaction in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. If a large portion of the Fund’s assets is
used for cover, it could affect portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption
requests or other current obligations. The leverage involved in certain derivative transactions may
result in the Fund’s net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of the related
investment.
For swaps, forwards 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 Fund’s daily net liabilities, if any), rather than the notional
value (See Swap Agreements). By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under
cash-settled swaps,
25
forward and futures contracts, the Fund will have the ability to employ
leverage to a greater extent than if it were required to segregate assets equal to the full
notional value of such contracts. The Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation
policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions articulated from time to time by
the SEC and its staff. The Subsidiary will comply with these asset segregation requirements to the
same extent as the Fund.
General risks associated with derivatives:
The use by the Fund of derivatives may involve certain risks, as described below.
Counterparty Risk: OTC derivatives are generally governed by a single master agreement for
each counterparty. Counterparty Risk refers to the risk that the counterparty under the agreement
will not live up to its obligations. An agreement may not contemplate delivery of collateral to
support fully a counterparty’s contractual obligation; therefore, the Fund might need to rely on
contractual remedies to satisfy the counterparty’s 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 counterparty’s bankruptcy. The agreement may allow for netting of the
counterparty’s obligations on specific transactions, in which case the Fund’s 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.
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 Fund’s net assets determined on the date the transaction is entered into.
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 mitigates leverage by
segregating or earmarking assets or otherwise covers transactions that may give rise to 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.
Regulatory Risk: The risk that a change in laws or regulations will materially impact a
security or market or the Fund’s ability to hold certain commodities.
Tax Risks: For a discussion of the tax considerations relating to derivative transactions,
see “Dividends, Distributions and Tax Matters – Tax Matters – Tax Treatment of Portfolio
Transactions.”
|
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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 Invesco’s and the Sub-Advisers’ ability to
predict correctly the direction of changes in the value of the applicable markets and securities,
contracts
26
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.
Types of derivatives:
Swap Agreements. The Fund may engage in certain strategies involving swaps to attempt to
manage the risk of their investments or, in certain circumstances, for investment (e.g., as a
substitute for investing in securities). The Fund may enter into a swap agreement. Generally,
swap agreements are contracts between the Fund and a brokerage firm, bank, or other financial
institution (the counterparty) for periods ranging from a few days to multiple years. In a basic
swap transaction, the Fund agrees with its counterparty to exchange the returns (or differentials
in returns) earned or realized on a particular asset such as an equity or debt security, commodity,
currency or interest rate, 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. 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.
The OTC derivatives market continues to undergo changes as various regulatory entities and
rulemaking bodies to regulate the OTC derivatives markets, including, specifically, requirements
for clearing transactions in credit default swaps based on a credit default swap index (sometimes
referred to as CDX) and requirements for clearing transactions in interest rate swaps. These new
regulations will change the OTC markets for derivatives and could materially and adversely impact
the ability of the Fund to buy or sell OTC derivatives, including credit default swaps and interest
rate swaps.
Commonly used swap agreements include:
Credit Default Swaps (CDS): 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
27
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 (CDX). A CDX is an index of CDS. CDX allow an investor to manage credit
risk or to take a position on a basket of credit entities (such as CDS or CMBS) in a more efficient
manner than transacting in single name CDS. If a credit event occurs in one of the underlying
companies, the protection is paid out via the delivery of the defaulted bond by the buyer of
protection in return for payment of the notional value of the defaulted bond by the seller of
protection or it may be settled through a cash settlement between the two parties. The underlying
company is then removed from the index. New series of CDX are issued on a regular basis. A
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Index (CMBX) is a type of CDX made up of 25 tranches of commercial
mortgage-backed securities (See “Debt Instruments – Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities”)
rather than CDS. Unlike other CDX contracts where credit events are intended to capture an event of
default CMBX involves a pay-as-you-go (PAUG) settlement process designed to capture non-default
events that affect the cash flow of the reference obligation. PAUG involves ongoing, two-way
payments over the life of a contract between the buyer and the seller of protection and is designed
to closely mirror the cash flow of a portfolio of cash commercial mortgage-backed securities.
Currency Swap: An agreement between two parties pursuant to which the parties exchange a U.S.
dollar-denominated payment for a payment denominated in a different currency.
Interest Rate Swap: 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 and in return Party B agrees to
pay Party A a variable interest rate.
Total Return Swap: 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.
Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the
premium paid, the right 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 in the case of an index option the cash value of the index).
Options on a CDS or a Futures Contract (defined below) give the purchaser the right to enter into a
CDS or assume a position in a Futures Contract.
The Fund may engage in certain strategies involving options to attempt to manage the risk of
their investments or, in certain circumstances, for investment (e.g., as a substitute for investing
in securities). Option transactions present the possibility of large amounts of exposure (or
leverage), which may result in the Fund’s net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the
value of the option.
28
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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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.
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 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.
29
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 Option: A CDS option transaction gives the holder the right to enter into a CDS at a
specified future date and under specified terms in exchange for a 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.
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.
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 instruments must be sold (in the case of a call
option) or purchased (in the case of a put option) because the option purchaser may notify the Fund
of exercise at any time prior to the expiration of the option (for American style options). 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 security, contract or
currency. In return for the premium received for writing a put option, the Fund assumes the risk
that the price of the underlying security, contract, or foreign currency will decline below the
exercise price, in which case the put would be exercised and the Fund would suffer a loss.
In return for the premium received for writing a call option on a security the Fund holds, the
Fund foregoes the opportunity for profit from a price increase in the underlying security,
contract, or foreign currency above the exercise price so long as the option remains open, but
retains the risk of loss should the price of the security, contract, or foreign currency 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
security, contract or currency, 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 security, contract
or currency, 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.
Purchasing Options. The Fund may only purchase a put option on an underlying security,
contract or currency owned by the Fund in order to protect against an anticipated decline in the
value of the security, contract or currency held by the Fund; or purchase put options on underlying
securities, contracts or currencies against which it has written other put options. The premium
paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any profit realized when the
security, contract or
30
currency is delivered upon the exercise of the put option. Conversely, if
the underlying security, contract or currency does not decline in value, the option may expire
worthless and the premium paid for the protective put would be lost.
The Fund may purchase a call option for the purpose of acquiring the underlying security,
contract or currency for its portfolio, or on underlying securities, contracts or currencies
against which it has written other call options. The Fund is not required to own the underlying
security 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 security, contract or currency at
the exercise price of the call option plus the premium paid. So long as it holds a call option,
rather than the underlying security, contract or currency itself, the Fund is partially protected
from any unexpected increase in the market price of the underlying security, contract or currency.
If the market price does not exceed the exercise price, the Fund could purchase the security 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.
Straddles/Spreads/Collars. The Fund may, for hedging purposes, enter into straddles
(combinations of put and call options on the same underlying security) to adjust the risk and
return characteristics of the Fund’s’ overall position. A possible combined position would involve
writing a covered call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, in
order to reduce the risk of the written covered call option in the event of a substantial price
increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher
transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
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 Fund’s
ability to enter into such transactions and to liquidate its positions when necessary or deemed
advisable may be more limited than if the Fund were to buy or sell a single option. Similarly,
costs incurred by the Fund in connection with these transactions will in many cases be greater than
if the Fund were to buy or sell a single option.
Option Collars. 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 Fund’s right to sell the security is typically set at a
price that is below the counterparty’s 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.
Warrants. 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.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may enter into Futures Contracts.
A Futures Contract is a two-party agreement to buy or sell a specified amount of a specified
security, currency or commodity (or delivery of a cash settlement price, in the case of certain
futures
31
such as an index future or Eurodollar 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 and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying
financial instrument. Futures exchanges and trading thereon in the United States are regulated
under the Commodity Exchange Act and by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Foreign
futures exchanges and trading thereon are not regulated by the CFTC and are not subject to the same
regulatory controls. The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has claimed an exclusion from the
definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore,
is not subject to registration or regulation as a pool operator under the act with respect to the
Fund.
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
Contracts 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 Fund’s 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 futures
commission merchant 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 futures commission merchant
along with any amount in excess of the margin amount; if the Fund has a loss of less than the
margin amount, the difference is returned to the Fund; or if the Fund has a gain, the margin amount
is paid to the Fund and the futures commission merchant pays the Fund any excess gain over the
margin amount.
Closing out an open Futures Contract is affected 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.
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 fund shares may be subject to greater
volatility to the extent it invests in commodity futures.
32
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.
Index Futures: A stock 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 stock 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 stocks comprising the index is made.
Interest Rate Futures: An interest-rate Futures Contract is an exchange-traded contact in
which the specified underlying security is either an interest-bearing fixed income security or an
inter-bank deposit. Two examples of common interest rate Futures Contracts are U.S. Treasury
futures and Eurodollar Futures Contracts. The specified security for U.S. Treasury futures is a
U.S. Treasury security. The specified security for Eurodollar futures is the London Interbank
Offered Rate (Libor) which is a daily reference rate based on the interest rates at which banks
offer to lend unsecured funds to other banks in the London wholesale money market.
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 writer’s Futures Contract margin account. The Fund
currently may not invest in any security (including futures contracts or options thereon) that is
secured by physical commodities.
Pursuant to federal securities laws and regulations, the Fund’s use of Futures Contracts and
options on Futures Contracts may require the Fund to set aside assets to reduce the risks
associated with using Futures Contracts and options on Futures Contracts. This process is
described in more detail below in the section “Cover.”
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts. The Fund may engage in forward foreign currency
transactions in anticipation of, or to protect itself against, fluctuations in exchange rates.
A forward foreign currency contract is an over the counter contract between two parties to buy or
sell a particular currency at a specified price at a future date. The parties may exchange
currency at the maturity of the forward foreign currency contract, or if the parties agree prior to
maturity, enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting amount
of currency. Forward foreign currency contracts are traded over-the-counter, and not on organized
commodities or securities exchanges.
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. The cost to a Fund of
engaging in forward foreign currency contracts varies with factors such as the currencies involved,
the length of the contract period, interest rate differentials and the prevailing market
conditions. Because forward foreign currency contracts are usually entered into on a principal
basis, no fees or commissions are involved. The use of forward foreign currency contracts does not
eliminate fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities a Fund owns or intends to
acquire, but it does establish a rate of exchange in advance. While forward foreign currency
contract sales limit the risk of loss due to a decline in the value
33
of the hedged currencies, they
also limit any potential gain that might result should the value of the currencies increase.
Limitations on Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts and on Certain Options on
Currencies. The Fund may enter into Futures Contracts for hedging purposes. For example, Futures
Contracts may be sold to protect against a decline in the price of securities or currencies that
the Fund owns, or purchased to protect the Fund against an increase in the price of securities or
currencies it has committed to purchase or expects to purchase. Additionally, Futures Contracts
may be used to hedge against certain portfolio risks such as interest rate risk, yield curve risk
and currency exchange rates.
Fund Policies
Fundamental Restrictions. Except as otherwise noted below, the Fund is subject to the
following investment restrictions, which may be changed only by a vote of the Fund’s outstanding
shares. Fundamental restrictions may be changed only by a vote of the lesser of (i) 67% or more of
the Fund’s 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 Fund’s outstanding
shares. Any investment restriction that involves a maximum or minimum percentage of securities or
assets (other than with respect to borrowing) shall not be considered to be violated unless an
excess over or a deficiency under the percentage occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an
acquisition or disposition of securities or utilization of assets by the Fund.
(1) The Fund 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 form time to time by the SEC staff (collectively,
the “1940 Act Laws, 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,
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 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 Fund’s investments in (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its
agencies or instrumentalities, or (ii) tax-exempt obligations issued by governments or political
subdivisions of governments. In complying with this restriction, the Fund will not consider a
bank-issued guaranty or financial guaranty insurance as a separate security.
(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 physical commodities or sell physical commodities unless
acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This restriction does not
prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving futures contracts and options thereon or
investing in securities that are secured by physical commodities. This restriction also does not
prevent the Fund from investing up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary, thereby gaining
exposure to the investment returns of commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax
requirements and
34
investing outside of the Subsidiary in other commodity-linked instruments such as
commodity-linked notes, ETFs, futures and swaps.
(6) The Fund may not make personal loans or loans of its assets to persons who control or are
under common control with the Fund, except to the extent permitted by 1940 Act Laws,
Interpretations and Exemptions. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from, among other
things, purchasing debt obligations, entering into repurchase agreements, loaning its assets to
broker-dealers or institutional investors, or investing in loans, including assignments and
participation interests.
(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.
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. The non-fundamental investment restrictions listed below apply to
the Fund unless otherwise indicated.
(1) In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding industry concentration, the Fund
may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the securities of issuers whose principal business
activities are in the same industry.
(2) Notwithstanding the fundamental restriction with regard to engaging in transactions
involving futures contracts and options thereon or investing in securities that are secured by
physical commodities, the Fund currently may not invest in any security (including futures
contracts or options thereon) that is secured by 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 Fund’s investment objectives and
general investment policies (as stated in the Fund’s prospectuses 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 its fundamental restriction regarding purchasing and selling physical commodities and its
related non-fundamental restriction to permit the Fund to invest in exchange-traded funds that
invest in physical and/or financial commodities, subject to the limits described in the Fund’s
prospectus and herein.
(3) In complying with the fundamental restriction with regard to making loans, the Fund may
lend up to 33 1/3% of its total assets and may lend money to an Invesco Fund, on such terms and
conditions as the SEC may require in an exemptive order.
(4) Notwithstanding the fundamental restriction with regard to investing all assets in an
open-end fund, the Fund may not invest all of its assets in the securities of a single open-end
35
management investment company with the same fundamental investment objectives, policies and
restrictions as the Fund.
(5) The Fund may not acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or
registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940
Act.
Geographic Asset Diversification. The Fund considers emerging market countries as those in
the world other than developed countries of the European Union, the United States of America,
Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore. Developed
countries of the European Union are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Portfolio Turnover
Variations in turnover rate may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and
redemption orders, market conditions and/or changes in Invesco’s investment outlook. Prior to the
date of this SAI, the Fund had not yet commenced operations; therefore, as of the date of this SAI,
the Fund has no portfolio turnover.
Policies and Procedures for Disclosure of Fund Holdings
The Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s
portfolio holdings (the Holdings Disclosure Policy). Invesco and the Board may amend the Holdings
Disclosure Policy at any time without prior notice. Details of the Holdings Disclosure Policy and
a description of the basis on which employees of Invesco and its affiliates may release information
about portfolio securities in certain contexts are provided below.
Public release of portfolio holdings. The Fund discloses the following portfolio holdings
information on www.invesco.com/us1:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Approximate Date of |
|
Information Remains |
Information |
|
Website Posting |
|
Posted on Website |
Top ten holdings as
of month-end
|
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15 days after month-end
|
|
Until replaced with
the following
month’s top ten
holdings |
|
|
|
|
|
Select holdings
included in the
Fund’s
Quarterly Performance Update
|
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29 days after calendar
quarter-end
|
|
Until replaced with
the following
quarter’s Quarterly
Performance Update |
|
|
|
|
|
Complete portfolio
holdings as of
calendar quarter-end
|
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30 days after calendar
quarter-end
|
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For one year |
|
|
|
|
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Complete portfolio
holdings as of
fiscal quarter-end
|
|
60-70 days after fiscal
quarter-end
|
|
For one year |
These holdings are listed along with the percentage of the Fund’s net assets they represent.
Generally, employees of Invesco and its affiliates may not disclose such portfolio holdings until
one day after they have been posted on www.invesco.com/us. You may also obtain the
publicly available portfolio holdings information described above by contacting us at
1-800-959-4246.
Selective disclosure of portfolio holdings pursuant to non-disclosure agreement. Employees of
Invesco and its affiliates may disclose non-public full portfolio holdings on a selective
|
|
|
1 |
|
To locate the Fund’s portfolio holdings
information on http://www.invesco.com/us, click on the Products tab, then
click on the Mutual Funds link, then select the Fund from the drop down menu
and click on the “Overview” tab. A link to the Fund’s holdings is located
under the heading “Top Ten Holdings” in the middle of the Web page. |
36
basis
only if the Internal Compliance Controls Committee (the ICCC) of Invesco Management approves the
parties to whom disclosure of non-public full portfolio holdings will be made. The ICCC must
determine that the proposed selective disclosure will be made for legitimate business purposes of
the applicable Fund and is in the best interest of the applicable Fund’s shareholders. In making
such determination, the ICCC will address any perceived conflicts of interest between shareholders
of such Fund and Invesco or its affiliates as part of granting its approval.
The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings by (1)
overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Holdings Disclosure Policy and the Invesco
Funds Code of Ethics by the Chief Compliance Officer (or his designee) of Invesco and the Invesco
Funds and (2) considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning
any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended) that may arise in connection with the
Holdings Disclosure Policy. Pursuant to the Holdings Disclosure Policy, the Board reviews the
types of situations in which Invesco provides selective disclosure and approves situations
involving perceived conflicts of interest between shareholders of the applicable Fund and Invesco
or its affiliates brought to the Board’s attention by Invesco.
Invesco discloses non-public full portfolio holdings information to the following persons in
connection with the day-to-day operations and management of the Invesco Funds:
|
• |
|
Attorneys and accountants; |
|
|
• |
|
Securities lending agents; |
|
|
• |
|
Lenders to the Invesco Funds; |
|
|
• |
|
Rating and rankings agencies; |
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|
• |
|
Persons assisting in the voting of proxies; |
|
|
• |
|
Invesco Funds’ custodians; |
|
|
• |
|
The Invesco Funds’ transfer agent(s) (in the event of a redemption in kind); |
|
|
• |
|
Pricing services, market makers, or other persons who provide systems or software
support in connection with Invesco Funds’ operations (to determine the price of
securities held by an Invesco Fund); |
|
|
• |
|
Financial printers; |
|
|
• |
|
Brokers identified by the Invesco Funds’ portfolio management team who provide
execution and research services to the team; and |
|
|
• |
|
Analysts hired to perform research and analysis to the Invesco Funds’ portfolio
management team. |
In many cases, Invesco will disclose current portfolio holdings on a daily basis to these
persons. In these situations, Invesco has entered into non-disclosure agreements which provide
that the recipient of the portfolio holdings will maintain the confidentiality of such portfolio
holdings and will not trade on such information (Non-disclosure Agreements). Please refer to
Appendix B for a list of examples of persons to whom Invesco provides non-public portfolio holdings
on an ongoing basis.
Invesco will also disclose non-public portfolio holdings information if such disclosure is
required by applicable laws, rules or regulations, or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction
over Invesco and its affiliates or the Fund.
The Holdings Disclosure Policy provides that Invesco will not request, receive or accept any
compensation (including compensation in the form of the maintenance of assets in the Fund or other
mutual fund or account managed by Invesco or one of its affiliates) for the selective disclosure of
portfolio holdings information.
37
Disclosure of certain portfolio holdings and related information without non-disclosure
agreement. Invesco and its affiliates that provide services to the Fund, the Sub-Advisers and each
of their employees may receive or have access to portfolio holdings as part of the day to day
operations of the Fund.
From time to time, employees of Invesco and its affiliates may express their views orally or
in writing on one or more of the Fund’s portfolio securities or may state that the Fund has
recently purchased or sold, or continues to own, one or more securities. The securities subject to
these views and statements may be ones that were purchased or sold since the Fund’s most recent
quarter-end and therefore may not be reflected on the list of the Fund’s most recent quarter-end
portfolio holdings disclosed on the website. Such views and statements may be made to various
persons, including members of the press, brokers and other financial intermediaries that sell
shares of the Fund, shareholders in the applicable Fund, persons considering investing in the
applicable Fund or representatives of such shareholders or potential shareholders, such as
fiduciaries of a 401(k) plan or a trust and their advisers, and other entities for which Invesco or
its affiliates provides or may provide investment advisory services. The nature and content of the
views and statements provided to each of these persons may differ.
From time to time, employees of Invesco and its affiliates also may provide oral or written
information (portfolio commentary) about the Fund, including, but not limited to, how the Fund’s
investments are divided among various sectors, industries, countries, investment styles and
capitalization sizes, and among stocks, bonds, currencies and cash, security types, bond
maturities, bond coupons and bond credit quality ratings. This portfolio commentary may also
include information on how these various weightings and factors contributed to Fund performance.
Invesco may also provide oral or written information (statistical information) about various
financial characteristics of the Fund or its underlying portfolio securities including, but not
limited to, alpha, beta, R-squared, coefficient of determination, duration, maturity, information
ratio, sharpe ratio, earnings growth, payout ratio, price/book value, projected earnings growth,
return on equity, standard deviation, tracking error, weighted average quality, market
capitalization, percent debt to equity, price to cash flow, dividend yield or growth, default rate,
portfolio turnover, and risk and style characteristics. This portfolio commentary and statistical
information about the Fund may be based on the Fund’s portfolio as of the most recent quarter-end
or the end of some other interim period, such as month-end. The portfolio commentary and
statistical information may be provided to various persons, including those described in the
preceding paragraph. The nature and content of the information provided to each of these persons
may differ.
Disclosure of portfolio holdings by traders. Additionally, employees of Invesco and its
affiliates may disclose one or more of the portfolio securities of the Fund when purchasing and
selling securities through broker-dealers, requesting bids on securities, obtaining price
quotations on securities, or in connection with litigation involving the Fund’s portfolio
securities. Invesco does not enter into formal Non-Disclosure Agreements in connection with these
situations; however, the Fund would not continue to conduct business with a person who Invesco
believed was misusing the disclosed information.
Disclosure of portfolio holdings of other Invesco Invesco-managed products. Invesco and its
affiliates manage products sponsored by companies other than Invesco, including investment
companies, offshore funds, and separate accounts. In many cases, these other products are managed
in a similar fashion to certain Invesco Funds (as defined herein) and thus have similar portfolio
holdings. The sponsors of these other products managed by Invesco and its affiliates may disclose
the portfolio holdings of their products at different times than Invesco discloses portfolio
holdings for the Invesco Funds.
Invesco provides portfolio holdings information for portfolios of AIM Variable Insurance Funds
(Invesco Variable Insurance Funds) (the Insurance Funds) to insurance companies whose variable
annuity and variable life insurance accounts invest in the Insurance Funds (Insurance Companies).
Invesco may disclose portfolio holdings information for the Insurance Funds to Insurance Companies
38
with which Invesco has entered into Non-Disclosure Agreements up to five days prior to the
scheduled dates for Invesco’s disclosure of similar portfolio holdings information for other
Invesco Funds on http://www.invesco.com/us. Invesco provides portfolio holdings information for
the Insurance Funds to such Insurance Companies to allow them to disclose this information on their
websites at approximately the same time that Invesco discloses portfolio holdings information for
the other Invesco Funds on its website. Invesco manages the Insurance Funds in a similar fashion
to certain other Invesco Funds and thus the Insurance Funds and such other Invesco Funds have
similar portfolio holdings. Invesco does not disclose the portfolio holdings information for the
Insurance Funds on its website, and not all Insurance Companies disclose this information on their
websites.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board of Trustees
The Trustees and officers of the Trust, their principal occupations during at least the last
five years and certain other information concerning them are set forth in Appendix C.
Qualifications and Experience. In addition to the information set forth in Appendix C, the
following sets forth additional information about the qualifications and experiences of each of the
Trustees.
Interested Persons
Martin L. Flanagan Trustee
Martin L. Flanagan has been a member of the Board of Trustees 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 Franklin’s
co-president from May 2003 to January 2004, chief operating officer and chief financial officer
from November 1999 to May 2003, and senior vice president and chief financial officer from 1993
until November 1999.
Mr. Flanagan served as director, executive vice president and chief operating officer of
Templeton, Galbraith & Hansberger, Ltd. before its acquisition by Franklin in 1992. Before joining
Templeton in 1983, he worked with Arthur Anderson & 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. Flanagan’s long experience as an executive in the investment
management area benefits the Fund.
Philip A. Taylor, Trustee
Philip A. Taylor has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2006.
Mr. Taylor has headed Invesco’s North American retail business as Senior Managing Director since
April 2006. He previously served as chief executive officer of Invesco Trimark Investments since
January 2002.
39
Mr. Taylor joined Invesco in 1999 as senior vice president of operations and client services
and later became executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Mr. Taylor was president of Canadian retail broker Investors Group Securities from 1994 to
1997 and managing partner of Meridian Securities, an execution and clearing broker, from 1989 to
1994. He held various management positions with Royal Trust, now part of Royal Bank of Canada, from
1982 to 1989. He began his career in consumer brand management in the U.S. and Canada with
Richardson-Vicks, now part of Procter & Gamble.
The Board believes that Mr. Taylor’s long experience in the investment management business
benefits the Fund.
Wayne W. Whalen, Trustee
Wayne W. Whalen has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2010.
Mr. Whalen is Of Counsel, and prior to 2010, Partner in the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Meagher & Flom LLP.
Mr. Whalen is a Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. From 1995 to
2010, Mr. Whalen served as Director or Trustee of investment companies in the Van Kampen Funds
complex.
The Board believes that Mr. Whalen’s experience as a law firm Partner and his experience as a
director of investment companies benefits the Fund.
Independent Trustees
Bruce L. Crockett, Trustee and Chair
Bruce L. Crockett has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 1978,
and has served as Independent Chair of the Board of Trustees and their predecessor funds since
2004.
Mr. Crockett has more than 30 years of experience in finance and general management in the
banking, aerospace and telecommunications industries. From 1992 to 1996, he served as president,
chief executive officer and a director of COMSAT Corporation, an international satellite and
wireless telecommunications company.
Mr. Crockett has also served, since 1996, as chairman of Crockett Technologies Associates, a
strategic consulting firm that provides services to the information technology and communications
industries. Mr. Crockett also serves on the Board of Directors of ACE Limited, a Zurich-based
insurance company. He is a life trustee of the University of Rochester Board of Directors.
The Board of Trustees elected Mr. Crockett to serve as its Independent Chair because of his
extensive experience in managing public companies and familiarity with investment companies.
David C. Arch, Trustee
David C. Arch has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2010.
Formerly, Mr. Arch was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blistex, Inc., a consumer
health care products manufacturer. Mr. Arch is a member of the Heartland Alliance Advisory Board,
a
40
nonprofit organization serving human needs based in Chicago and member of the Board of the
Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Mr. Arch is also a member of the Board of Visitors, Institute
for the Humanities, University of Michigan. From 1984 to 2010, Mr. Arch served as Director or
Trustee of investment companies in the Van Kampen Funds complex.
The Board believes that Mr. Arch’s experience as the CEO of a public company and his
experience with investment companies benefits the Fund.
Frank S. Bayley, Trustee
Frank S. Bayley has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 1985.
Mr. Bayley is a business consultant in San Francisco. He is Chairman and a Director of the
C. D. Stimson Company, a private investment company in Seattle.
Mr. Bayley serves as a Trustee of the Seattle Art Museum, a Trustee of San Francisco
Performances, and a Trustee and Overseer of The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He
also serves on the East Asian Art Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Visiting
Committee for Art of Asia, Oceana and Africa of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Mr. Bayley is a retired partner of the international law firm of Baker & McKenzie LLP, where
his practice focused on business acquisitions and venture capital transactions. Prior to joining
Baker & McKenzie LLP in 1986, he was a partner of the San Francisco law firm of Chickering &
Gregory. He received his A.B. from Harvard College in 1961, his LL.B. from Harvard Law School in
1964, and his LL.M. from Boalt Hall at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1965. Mr. Bayley
served as a Trustee of the Badgley Funds from inception in 1998 until dissolution in 2007.
The Board believes that Mr. Bayley’s experience as a business consultant and a lawyer benefits
the Fund.
James T. Bunch, Trustee
James T. Bunch has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2000.
From 1988 to 2010, Mr. Bunch was Founding Partner of Green Manning & Bunch, Ltd., a leading
investment banking firm located in Denver, Colorado. Green Manning & Bunch is a FINRA-registered
investment bank specializing in mergers and acquisitions, private financing of middle-market
companies and corporate finance advisory services. Immediately prior to forming Green Manning &
Bunch, Mr. Bunch was Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and a Director of Boettcher &
Company, then the leading investment banking firm in the Rocky Mountain region.
Mr. Bunch began his professional career as a practicing attorney. He joined the prominent
Denver-based law firm of Davis Graham & Stubbs in 1970 and later rose to the position of Chairman
and Managing Partner of the firm.
At various other times during his career, Mr. Bunch has served as Chair of the NASD Business
District Conduct Committee, and Chair of the Colorado Bar Association Ethics Committee. In June
2010, Mr. Bunch became the Managing Member of Grumman Hill Group LLC, a family office private
equity investment manager.
The Board believes that Mr. Bunch’s experience as an investment banker and investment
management lawyer benefits the Fund.
41
Rodney F. Dammeyer, Trustee
Rodney F. Dammeyer has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2010.
Mr. Dammeyer is chairman of CAC, LLC, a private company offering capital investment and
management advisory services. Prior to this, Mr. Dammeyer was responsible for managing all of Sam
Zell’s non-real estate investment activity as managing partner of Equity Group Corporate
Investments.
From 1985 to 1995, Mr. Dammeyer was CEO of Itel Corporation, which later changed its name to
Anixter International. From 1983 to 1985, Mr. Dammeyer was senior vice president and chief
financial officer of Household International, Inc. He was executive vice president and chief
financial officer of Northwest Industries, Inc. from 1979 to 1983.
After graduating from Kent State University in 1962, Mr. Dammeyer began his business career
with Arthur Andersen & Co. and was admitted to partnership in 1970. He served as chairman of the
firm’s advisory council and a member of the board of director’s nominating committee.
Mr. Dammeyer is a member of the boards of directors of Stericycle, Inc. and Quidel
Corporation, in addition to several private companies. He also serves on the School of Leadership
and Education Sciences (SOLES) Advisory Board of the University of San Diego, the board of
directors of High Tech charter schools, and the California Charter Schools Association.
The Board believes that Mr. Dammeyer’s experience in executive positions at a number of public
companies, his accounting experience and his experience serving as a director of investment
companies benefits the Fund.
Albert R. Dowden, Trustee
Albert R. Dowden has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2000.
Mr. Dowden retired at the end of 1998 after a 24 -year career with Volvo Group North America,
Inc. and Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. Mr. Dowden joined Volvo as general counsel in 1974 and
was promoted to increasingly senior positions until 1991 when he was appointed president, chief
executive officer and director of Volvo Group North America and senior vice president of Swedish
parent company AB Volvo.
Since retiring, Mr. Dowden continues to serve on the board of the Reich & Tang Funds and also
serves on the boards of Homeowners of America Insurance Company and its parent company as well as
Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. and The Boss Group. Mr. Dowden’s charitable endeavors currently
focus on Boys & Girls Clubs where he has been active for many years as well as several other
not-for-profit organizations.
Mr. Dowden began his career as an attorney with a major international law firm, Rogers & Wells
(1967-1976), which is now Clifford Chance.
The Board believes that Mr. Dowden’s extensive experience as a corporate executive benefits
the Fund.
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
42
Communications Commission and the SEC. Mr. Fields co-sponsored the National Securities Markets
Improvements Act of 1996, and played a leadership role in enactment of the Securities Litigation
Reform Act.
Mr. Fields currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Twenty-First Century Group in
Washington, D.C., a bipartisan Washington consulting firm specializing in Federal government
affairs.
Mr. Fields also serves as a Director of Insperity (formerly known as Administaff), a premier
professional employer organization with clients nationwide. In addition, Mr. Fields sits on the
Board of the Discovery Channel Global Education Fund, 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 Fund.
Dr. Prema Mathai-Davis, Trustee
Dr. Prema Mathai-Davis has been a member of the Board of Trustee of the Invesco Funds since
1998.
Prior to her retirement in 2000, Dr. Mathai-Davis served as Chief Executive Officer of the
YWCA of the USA. Prior to joining the YWCA, Dr. Mathai-Davis served as the Commissioner of the New
York City Department for the Aging. She was a Commissioner of the New York Metropolitan
Transportation Authority of New York, the largest regional transportation network in the U.S. Dr.
Mathai-Davis also serves as a Trustee of the YWCA Retirement Fund, the first and oldest pension
fund for women, and on the advisory board of the Johns Hopkins Bioethics Institute. Dr.
Mathai-Davis was the president and chief executive officer of the Community Agency for Senior
Citizens, a non-profit social service agency that she established in 1981. She also directed the
Mt. Sinai School of Medicine-Hunter College Long-Term Care Gerontology Center, one of the first of
its kind.
The Board believes that Dr. Mathai-Davis’ extensive experience in running public and
charitable institutions benefits the Fund.
Dr. Larry Soll, Trustee
Dr. Larry Soll has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 1997.
Formerly, Dr. Soll was chairman of the board (1987 to 1994), Chief Executive Officer (1982 to
1989; 1993 to 1994), and President (1982 to 1989) of Synergen, Inc., a public company, and in such
capacities supervised the activities of the Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Soll also has served as a
director of three other public companies and as Treasurer of a non-profit corporation.
The Board believes that Dr. Soll’s experience as a chairman of a public company and in
academia benefits the Fund.
Hugo F. Sonnenschein, Trustee
Hugo F. Sonnenschein has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds and their
predecessor funds since 2010.
Mr. Sonnenschein is the Distinguished Service Professor and President Emeritus of the
University of Chicago and the Adam Smith Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of
Economics at the University of Chicago. Until July 2000, Mr. Sonnenschein served as President of
the University of Chicago.
43
Mr. Sonnenschein is a Trustee of the University of Rochester and a member of its investment
committee. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical
Society, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. From 1994 to 2010, Mr.
Sonnenschein served as Director or Trustee of investment companies in the Van Kampen Funds complex.
The Board believes that Mr. Sonnenschein’s experiences in academia and in running a
university, and his experience as a director of investment companies benefits the Fund.
Raymond Stickel, Jr., Trustee
Raymond Stickel, Jr. has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since
2005.
Raymond Stickel, Jr. retired after a 35-year career with Deloitte & Touche. For the last five
years of his career, he was the managing partner of the investment management practice for the New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut region. In addition to his management role, he directed audit and
tax services to several mutual fund clients.
Mr. Stickel began his career with Touche Ross & Co. (the Firm) in Dayton, Ohio, became a
partner in 1976 and managing partner of the office in 1985. He also started and developed an
investment management practice in the Dayton office that grew to become a significant source of
investment management talent for the Firm. In Ohio, he served as the audit partner on numerous
mutual funds and on public and privately held companies in other industries. Mr. Stickel has also
served on the Firm’s Accounting and Auditing Executive Committee.
The Board believes that Mr. Stickel’s experience as a partner in a large accounting firm
working with investment managers and investment companies, and his status as an Audit Committee
Financial Expert, benefits the Fund.
Management Information
The Trustees have the authority to take all actions necessary in connection with the business
affairs of the Trust, including, among other things, approving the investment objectives, policies
and procedures for the Fund. The Trust enters into agreements with various entities to manage the
day-to-day operations of the Fund, including the Funds’ investment advisers, administrator,
transfer agent, distributor and custodians. The Trustees are responsible for selecting these
service providers approving the terms of their contracts with the Fund, and exercising general
oversight of these service providers on an ongoing basis.
Certain trustees and officers of the Trust are affiliated with Invesco and Invesco Ltd., the
parent corporation of Invesco. All of the Trust’s executive officers hold similar offices with
some or all of the other Funds.
Leadership Structure and the Board of Trustees. The Board is currently composed of fifteen
Trustees, including twelve 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 five committees to assist the Board
in performing its oversight responsibilities.
The Board has appointed an Independent Trustee to serve in the role of Chairman. The
Chairman’s primary role is to participate in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the
Board and the identification of information to be presented to the Board and matters to be acted
upon by the Board.
44
The Chairman also presides at all meetings of the Board and acts as a liaison
with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Trustees generally between meetings. The
Chairman may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time.
Except for any duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or By-laws,
the designation of Chairman does not impose on such Independent Trustee any duties, obligations or
liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a
member of the Board, generally. The Fund has substantially the same leadership structure as the
Trust.
The Board believes that its leadership structure, which includes an Independent Trustee as
Chairman, allows for effective communication between the Trustees and Fund management, among the
Board’s Trustees and among its Independent Trustees. The existing Board structure, including its
committee structure, provides the Independent Trustees with effective control over Board governance
while also providing insight from the two interested Trustees who are active officers of the Funds’
investment adviser. The Board’s leadership structure promotes dialogue and debate, which the Board
believes will allow for the proper consideration of matters deemed important to the Fund and its
shareholders and result in effective decision-making.
Risk Oversight. The Board considers risk management issues as part of its general oversight
responsibilities throughout the year at regular meetings of the Investments, Audit, Compliance and
Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committees (as defined and further described below).
These Committees in turn report to the full Board and recommend actions and approvals for the full
Board to take.
Invesco prepares regular reports that address certain investment, valuation and compliance
matters, and the Board as a whole or the Committees may 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. In addition, the Audit Committee of the Board meets regularly with Invesco Ltd.’s
internal audit group to review reports on their examinations of functions and processes within
Invesco that affect the Fund.
The Investments Committee and its sub-committees receive regular written reports describing and
analyzing the investment performance of the Fund. In addition, the portfolio managers of the Fund
meet regularly with the sub-committees of the Investment Committee to discuss portfolio
performance, including investment risk, such as the impact on the Fund of the investment in
particular 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 Fund’s risk profile, the
Board generally is consulted in advance with respect to such change.
Invesco provides regular written reports to the Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight
Committee that enable the Committee to monitor the number of fair valued securities in a particular
portfolio, the reasons for the fair valuation and the methodology used to arrive at the fair value.
Such reports also include information concerning illiquid securities within the Fund’s portfolio.
In addition, the Audit Committee reviews valuation procedures and pricing results with the Fund’s
independent auditors in connection with such Committee’s review of the results of the audit of the
Fund’s year-end financial statement.
The Compliance Committee receives regular compliance reports prepared by Invesco’s compliance
group and meets regularly with the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) to discuss compliance
issues, including compliance risks. As required under SEC rules, the Independent Trustees meet at
least quarterly in executive session with the CCO and the Fund’s CCO prepares and presents an
annual written compliance report to the Board. The Compliance Committee recommends and the Board
adopts compliance policies and procedures for the Fund and approves such procedures for the Fund’s
service providers. The compliance policies and procedures are specifically designed to detect,
prevent and correct violations of the federal securities laws.
45
Committee Structure. The standing committees of the Board are the Audit Committee, the
Compliance Committee, the Governance Committee, the Investments Committee, and the Valuation,
Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee (the Committees).
The members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. David C. Arch, Frank S. Bayley, James T. Bunch,
Bruce L. Crockett, Rodney F. Dammeyer (Vice Chair), Raymond Stickel, Jr. (Chair) and Dr. Larry
Soll. The Audit Committee’s primary purposes are to: (i) oversee qualifications, independence and
performance of the independent registered public accountants; (ii) appoint independent registered
public accountants for the Fund; (iii) pre-approve all permissible audit and non-audit services
that are provided to the Fund by its independent registered public accountants to the extent
required by Section 10A(h) and (i) of the Exchange Act; (iv) pre-approve, in accordance with Rule
2-01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X, certain non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent
registered public accountants to Invesco and certain other affiliated entities; (v) review the
audit and tax plans prepared by the independent registered public accountants; (vi) review the
Fund’s audited financial statements; (vii) review the process that management uses to evaluate and
certify disclosure controls and procedures in Form N-CSR; (viii) review the process for preparation
and review of the Fund’s shareholder reports; (ix) review certain tax procedures maintained by the
Fund; (x) review modified or omitted officer certifications and disclosures; (xi) review any
internal audits of the Fund; (xii) establish procedures regarding questionable accounting or
auditing matters and other alleged violations; (xiii) set hiring policies for employees and
proposed employees of the Funds who are employees or former employees of the independent registered
public accountants; and (xiv) remain informed of (a) the Fund’s accounting systems and controls,
(b) regulatory changes and new accounting pronouncements that affect the Fund’s net asset value
calculations and financial statement reporting requirements, and (c) communications with regulators
regarding accounting and financial reporting matters that pertain to the Fund. During the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2012, the Audit Committee held five meetings.
The members of the Compliance Committee are Messrs. Bayley, Bunch, Dammeyer (Vice Chair), Dr.
Soll (Chair) and Stickel. The Compliance Committee is responsible for: (i) recommending to the
Board and the independent trustees the appointment, compensation and removal of the Fund’s Chief
Compliance Officer; (ii) recommending to the independent trustees the appointment, compensation and
removal of the Fund’s Senior Officer appointed pursuant to the terms of the Assurances of
Discontinuance entered into by the New York Attorney General, Invesco and INVESCO Funds Group, Inc.
(“IFG”); (iii) reviewing any report prepared by a third party who is not an interested person of
Invesco, upon the conclusion by such third party of a compliance review of Invesco; (iv) reviewing
all reports on compliance matters from the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer, (v) reviewing all
recommendations made by the Senior Officer regarding Invesco’s compliance procedures, (vi)
reviewing all reports from the Senior Officer of any violations of state and federal securities
laws, the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, or breaches of Invesco’s fiduciary duties to Fund
shareholders and of Invesco’s Code of Ethics; (vii) overseeing all of the compliance policies and
procedures of the Fund and its service providers adopted pursuant to Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act;
(viii) receiving and reviewing quarterly reports on the activities of Invesco’s Internal Compliance
Controls Committee; (ix) reviewing all reports made by Invesco’s Chief Compliance Officer; (x)
reviewing and recommending to the independent trustees whether to approve procedures to investigate
matters brought to the attention of Invesco’s ombudsman; (xi) risk management oversight with
respect to the Fund and, in connection therewith, receiving and overseeing risk management reports
from Invesco Ltd. that are applicable to the Fund or its service providers; and (xii) overseeing
potential conflicts of interest that are reported to the Compliance Committee by Invesco, the Chief
Compliance Officer, the Senior Officer and/or the Compliance Consultant. During the fiscal year
ended October 31, 2012, the Compliance Committee held six meetings.
The members of the Governance Committee are Messrs. Arch, Crockett, Albert R. Dowden (Chair),
Jack M. Fields (Vice Chair), Hugo F. Sonnenschein and Dr. Prema Mathai-Davis. The Governance
Committee is responsible for: (i) nominating persons who will qualify as independent trustees for
(a) election as trustees in connection with meetings of shareholders of the Funds that are called
to vote on the election of trustees, (b) appointment by the Board as trustees in connection with
46
filling vacancies that arise in between meetings of shareholders; (ii) reviewing the size of the
Board, and recommending to the Board whether the size of the Board shall be increased or decreased;
(iii) nominating the Chair of the Board; (iv) monitoring the composition of the Board and each
committee of the Board, and monitoring the qualifications of all trustees; (v) recommending persons
to serve as members of each committee of the Board (other than the Compliance Committee), as well
as persons who shall serve as the chair and vice chair of each such committee; (vi) reviewing and
recommending the amount of compensation payable to the independent trustees; (vii) overseeing the
selection of independent legal counsel to the independent trustees; (viii) reviewing and approving
the compensation paid to independent legal counsel to the independent trustees; (ix) reviewing and
approving the compensation paid to counsel and other advisers, if any, to the Committees of the
Board; and (x) reviewing as they deem appropriate administrative and/or logistical matters
pertaining to the operations of the Board. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2012, the
Governance Committee held six meetings.
The Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by a shareholder to serve as
trustees, provided: (i) that such person 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 Trust’s bylaws
require that any shareholder of the Fund desiring to nominate a trustee for election at a
shareholder meeting must submit to the Trust’s Secretary the nomination in writing not later than
the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such shareholder meeting or the tenth
day following the day on which public announcement is made of the shareholder meeting and not
earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the shareholder meeting.
The members of the Investments Committee are Messrs. Arch, Bayley (Chair), Bunch (Vice Chair),
Crockett, Dammeyer, Dowden, Fields (Vice Chair), Martin L. Flanagan, Sonnenschein (Vice Chair),
Stickel, Philip A. Taylor, Wayne W. Whalen and Drs. Mathai-Davis and Soll. The Investments
Committee’s primary purposes are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight of the investment
management services provided by Invesco Ltd. and the Sub-Advisers; and (ii) review all proposed and
existing advisory and sub-advisory arrangements for the Funds, and to recommend what action the
full Boards and the independent trustees take regarding the approval of all such proposed
arrangements and the continuance of all such existing arrangements. During the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2012, the Investments Committee held six meetings.
The Investments Committee has established three Sub-Committees. The Sub-Committees are
responsible for: (i) reviewing the performance, fees and expenses of the Funds that have been
assigned to a particular Sub-Committee (for each Sub-Committee, the “Designated Funds”), unless the
Investments Committee takes such action directly; (ii) reviewing with the applicable portfolio
managers from time to time the investment objective(s), policies, strategies and limitations of the
Designated Funds; (iii) evaluating the investment advisory, sub-advisory and distribution
arrangements in effect or proposed for the Designated Funds, unless the Investments Committee takes
such action directly; (iv) being familiar with the registration statements and periodic shareholder
reports applicable to their Designated Funds; and (v) such other investment-related matters as the
Investments Committee may delegate to the Sub-Committee from time to time.
The members of the Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee are Messrs. Dowden,
Fields, Sonnenschein (Vice Chair), Whalen and Dr. Mathai-Davis (Chair). The primary purposes of
the Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee are: (a) to address issues requiring
action or oversight by the Board of the Invesco Funds (i) in the valuation of the Invesco Funds’
portfolio securities consistent with the Pricing Procedures, (ii) in oversight of the creation and
maintenance by the principal underwriters of the Invesco Funds of an effective distribution and
marketing system to build and maintain an adequate asset base and to create and maintain economies
of scale for the Invesco Funds, (iii) in the review of existing distribution arrangements for the
Invesco Funds under Rule 12b-1 and Section 15 of the 1940 Act, and (iv) in the oversight of proxy
voting on
47
portfolio securities of the Invesco Funds; and (b) to make regular reports to the full
Board of the Invesco Funds.
The Valuation, Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee is responsible for: (a) with regard
to valuation, (i) developing an understanding of the valuation process and the Pricing Procedures,
(ii) reviewing the Pricing Procedures and making recommendations to the full Board with respect
thereto, (iii) reviewing the reports described in the Pricing Procedures and other information from
Invesco Ltd. regarding fair value determinations made pursuant to the Pricing Procedures by
Invesco’s internal valuation committee and making reports and recommendations to the full Board
with respect thereto, (iv) receiving the reports of Invesco’s internal valuation committee
requesting approval of any changes to pricing vendors or pricing methodologies as required by the
Pricing Procedures and the annual report of Invesco Ltd. evaluating the pricing vendors, approving
changes to pricing vendors and pricing methodologies as provided in the Pricing Procedures, and
recommending annually the pricing vendors for approval by the full Board; (v) upon request of
Invesco, assisting Invesco’s internal valuation committee or the full Board in resolving particular
fair valuation issues; (vi) reviewing the reports described in the Procedures for Determining the
Liquidity of Securities (the “Liquidity Procedures”) and other information from Invesco regarding
liquidity determinations made pursuant to the Liquidity Procedures by Invesco and making reports
and recommendations to the full Board with respect thereto, and (vii) overseeing actual or
potential conflicts of interest by investment personnel or others that could affect their input or
recommendations regarding pricing or liquidity issues; (b) with regard to distribution and
marketing, (i) developing an understanding of mutual fund distribution and marketing channels and
legal, regulatory and market developments regarding distribution, (ii) reviewing periodic
distribution and marketing determinations and annual approval of distribution arrangements and
making reports and recommendations to the full Board with respect thereto, and (iii) reviewing
other information from the principal underwriters to the Invesco Funds regarding distribution and
marketing of the Invesco Funds and making recommendations to the full Board with respect thereto;
and (c) with regard to proxy voting, (i) overseeing the implementation of the Proxy Voting
Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) and the Proxy Policies and Procedures (the “Proxy Procedures”) by
Invesco and the Sub-Advisers, reviewing the Quarterly Proxy Voting Report and making
recommendations to the full Board with respect thereto, (ii) reviewing the Guidelines and the Proxy
Procedures and information provided by Invesco and the Sub-Advisers regarding industry developments
and best practices in connection with proxy voting and making recommendations to the full Board
with respect thereto, and (iii) in implementing its responsibilities in this area, assisting
Invesco in resolving particular proxy voting issues. The Valuation, Distribution and Proxy
Oversight Committee was formed effective January 1, 2008. It succeeded the Valuation Committee
which existed prior to 2008. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2012, the Valuation,
Distribution and Proxy Oversight Committee held six meetings.
Trustee Ownership of Fund 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, is set forth in Appendix C.
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 Chairs and Vice Chairs of certain committees receive
additional compensation for their services.
Information regarding compensation paid or accrued for each trustee of the Trust who was not
affiliated with Invesco during the year ended December 31, 2012 is found in Appendix D.
48
Retirement Plan For Trustees
The Trustees have adopted a retirement plan funded by the Funds for the Trustees who are not
affiliated with the Adviser. The Trustees also have adopted a retirement policy that permits each
non-Invesco-affiliated Trustee to serve until December 31 of the year in which the Trustee turns
75. A majority of the Trustees may extend from time to time the retirement date of a Trustee.
Annual retirement benefits are available from the Funds and/or the other Invesco Funds for
which a Trustee serves (each, a “Covered Fund”), for each Trustee who is not an employee or officer
of the Adviser, who either (a) became a Trustee prior to December 1, 2008, and who has at least
five years of credited service as a Trustee (including service to a predecessor fund) of a Covered
Fund, or (b) was a member of the Board of Trustees of a Van Kampen Fund immediately prior to June
1, 2010 (“Former Van Kampen Trustee”), and has at least one year of credited service as a Trustee
of a Covered Fund after June 1, 2010.
For Trustees other than Former Van Kampen Trustees, effective January 1, 2006, for retirements
after December 31, 2005, the retirement benefits will equal 75% of the Trustee’s annual retainer
paid to or accrued by any Covered Fund with respect to such Trustee during the twelve-month period
prior to retirement, including the amount of any retainer deferred under a separate deferred
compensation agreement between the Covered Fund and the Trustee. The amount of the annual
retirement benefit does not include additional compensation paid for Board meeting fees or
compensation paid to the Chair of the Board and the Chairs and Vice Chairs of certain Board
committees, whether such amounts are paid directly to the Trustee or deferred. The annual
retirement benefit is payable in quarterly installments for a number of years equal to the lesser
of (i) sixteen years or (ii) the number of such Trustee’s 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 Trustee’s 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 death
or 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 Trustee’s 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 Trustee’s 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 Trustee’s 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 Trustee’s 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 Trustee’s 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
49
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
Deferred Compensation Agreements
Edward K. Dunn (a former Trustee of the Funds in the Invesco Funds complex), Messrs. Crockett,
Fields and Drs. Mathai-Davis and Soll (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 Trust, 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 Trust and of each other Invesco Fund from
which they are deferring compensation.
Code of Ethics
Invesco, the Trust, Invesco Distributors and 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. Unless specifically noted, each Sub-Advisers’ Codes of Ethics do not
materially differ from Invesco Code of Ethics discussed below. The Code of Ethics is intended to
address conflicts of interest with the Trust that may arise from personal trading, including
personal trading in most of 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.
Proxy Voting Policies
Invesco is comprised of two business divisions, Invesco and Invesco Institutional, each of
which have adopted their own specific Proxy Voting Policies.
The Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities
held by the Fund to the following Adviser/Sub-Adviser(s), including as appropriate, separately to
the named division of the Adviser:
50
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Adviser/Sub-Adviser |
Invesco Balanced-Risk
Aggressive Allocation Fund
|
|
Invesco Institutional – a division of Invesco |
Invesco (the Proxy Voting Entity) will vote such proxies in accordance with the proxy policies
and procedures, as outlined above, which have been reviewed and approved by the Board, and which
are found in Appendix E. Any material changes to the proxy policies and procedures will be
submitted to the Board for approval. The Board will be supplied with a summary quarterly report of
the Fund’s proxy voting record. Once the Fund commences operations, information regarding how the
Fund voted proxies related to their portfolio securities during the 12 months ended June 30, will
be available without charge at our Web site, www.invesco.com/us. This information will also be
available at the SEC website, http://www.sec.gov.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Invesco provided the initial capitalization of the Fund and, accordingly, as of the date of
this SAI, owned more than 25% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Fund and therefore could
be deemed to “control” the Fund as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. It is anticipated that
after the commencement of the public offering of the Fund’s shares, Invesco will cease to control
the Fund for the purposes of the 1940 Act. The Fund had no 5% shareholders because, as of the date
of this SAI, it had not yet commenced operations. As of the date of this SAI, the officers and
Trustees, unless otherwise noted, as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding equity
securities of the Fund and of each class of equity securities of the Fund.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Investment Adviser
Invesco Advisers, Inc. (the Adviser or Invesco) serves as the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Trust and their affiliations are shown under “Management Information” herein.
As investment adviser, Invesco supervises all aspects of the Fund’s operations and provides
investment advisory services to the Fund. Invesco obtains and evaluates economic, statistical and
financial information to formulate and implement investment programs for the Fund. The Master
Investment Advisory Agreement (Advisory Agreement) provides that, in fulfilling its
responsibilities, Invesco may engage the services of other investment managers with respect to the
Fund. The investment advisory services of Invesco are not exclusive and Invesco is free to render
investment advisory services to others, including other investment companies.
Pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement with the Fund, Invesco is also responsible
for furnishing to the Fund, at Invesco’s 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 respective businesses of the Fund effectively, as
well as the offices, equipment and other facilities necessary for their operations. Such functions
include the maintenance of the Fund’s accounts and records, and the preparation of all requisite
corporate documents such as tax returns and reports to the SEC and shareholders.
51
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,
auditing or governmental fees, custodian, transfer and shareholder service agent costs, expenses of
issue, sale, redemption, and repurchase of shares, expenses of registering and qualifying shares
for sale, expenses relating to trustee and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing and
distributing reports and notices to shareholders, the fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust
on behalf of the Fund in connection with membership in investment company organizations, and the
cost of printing copies of prospectuses and statements of additional information distributed to the
Fund’s shareholders.
Invesco, at its own expense, furnishes to the Trust office space and facilities. Invesco
furnishes to the Trust all personnel for managing the affairs of the Trust and each of its series
of shares.
Pursuant to its Advisory Agreement with the Trust, Invesco receives a monthly fee from the
Fund calculated at the annual rates indicated in the second column below, based on the average
daily net assets of the Fund during the year. The Fund allocates advisory fees to a class based on
the relative net assets of each class.
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Rate/Net Assets |
Fund Name |
|
Per Advisory Agreement |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund
|
|
1.100% of the first $250 million |
|
|
1.075% of the next $250 million |
|
|
1.050% of the next $500 million |
|
|
1.025% of the next $1.5 billion |
|
|
1.000% of the next $2.5 billion |
|
|
0.975% of the next $2.5 billion |
|
|
0.950% of the next $2.5 billion |
|
|
0.925% of the amount over $10 billion |
Invesco may from time to time waive or reduce its fee. Voluntary fee waivers or
reductions may be rescinded at any time without further notice to investors. During periods of
voluntary fee waivers or reductions, Invesco will retain its ability to be reimbursed for such fee
prior to the end of the respective fiscal year in which the voluntary fee waiver or reduction was
made. Contractual fee waivers or reductions set forth in the Fee Table in a Prospectus may not be
terminated or amended to the Fund’s detriment during the period stated in the agreement between
Invesco and the Fund.
Invesco has contractually agreed through at least June 30, 2013, to waive advisory fees
payable by the Fund in an amount equal to 100% of the advisory fee Invesco receives from the
Affiliated Money Market Funds as a result of the Fund’s investment of uninvested cash in the
Affiliated Money Market Funds. See “Description of the Fund and Its Investments and Risks –
Investment Strategies and Risks – Other Investments – Other Investment Companies.” The Fund may
pursue its investment objective by investing in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary has entered into a
separate contract with the Adviser whereby the Adviser provides investment advisory and other
services to the Subsidiary. In consideration of these services, the Subsidiary pays the Adviser a
management fee. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive the advisory fee it receives from
the Funds in an amount equal to the advisory fee and administration fee, respectively, paid to the
Adviser by the Subsidiary. This waiver may not be terminated by the Adviser and will remain in
effect for as long as the Adviser’s contract with the Subsidiary is in place.
Invesco also has contractually agreed through at least October 31, 2013, to waive advisory
fees or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to limit total annual fund operating expenses
(excluding (i) interest; (ii) taxes; (iii) dividend expense on short sales; (iv) extraordinary or
non-routine items, including litigation expenses; and (v) expenses that the Fund has incurred but
did not actually pay because of an expense offset arrangement) for the Fund’s shares as follows:
52
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Expense Limitation |
|
Expiration Date |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive
Allocation Fund
|
|
|
1.15 |
% |
|
February 28, 2014 |
The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses used in determining whether the Fund meets or exceeds
the Expense Limitations Described above do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Acquired
Fund Fees and Expenses are not operating expenses of the Fund directly, but are fees and expenses,
including management fees of the investment companies in which the Fund invests. As a result, the
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement may exceed the
Fund’s expense limit.
Unless the Board of Trustees and Invesco mutually agree to amend or terminate the fee waiver
agreement, it will terminate on October 31, 2013.
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 Fund. These affiliated sub-advisers, each of which
is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 are:
Invesco Asset Management Deutschland Gmbh (Invesco Deutschland)
Invesco Asset Management Limited (Invesco Asset Management)
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited (Invesco Japan)
Invesco Australia Limited (Invesco Australia)
Invesco Canada Ltd. (Invesco Canada)
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 under the Sub-Advisory Agreement are for providing
discretionary investment management services. For such services, Invesco will pay each Sub-Adviser
a fee, computed daily and paid monthly, equal to (i) 40% of the monthly compensation that Invesco
receives from the Trust, multiplied by (ii) the fraction equal to the net assets of such Fund as to
which such Sub-Adviser shall have provided discretionary investment management services for that
month divided by the net assets of such Fund for that month. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory
Agreement, this fee is reduced to reflect contractual or voluntary fee waivers or expense
limitations by Invesco, if any, in effect from time to time. In no event shall the aggregate
monthly fees paid to the Sub-Advisers under the Sub-Advisory Agreement exceed 40% of the monthly
compensation that Invesco receives from the Trust pursuant to its advisory agreement with the
Trust, as reduced to reflect contractual or voluntary fees waivers or expense limitations by
Invesco, if any.
Services to the Subsidiary.
As with the Fund, Invesco is responsible for the Subsidiary’s day-to-day business pursuant to
an investment advisory agreement with the Subsidiary. Under this agreement, Invesco provides the
Subsidiary with the same type of management and sub-advisory services, under the same terms and
conditions, as are provided to the Fund. The advisory agreement of the Subsidiary provides for
automatic termination upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement, with respect to the Fund.
The
53
Subsidiary has also entered into a separate contract for the provision of custody, transfer
agency and audit services with the same service providers that provide those services to the Fund.
The Subsidiary will be managed pursuant to compliance policies and procedures that are the
same, in all material respects, as the policies and procedures adopted by the Fund. As a result,
Invesco, in managing the Subsidiary portfolios, is subject to the same investment policies and
restrictions that apply to the management of the Fund, and, in particular, to the requirements
relating to portfolio leverage, liquidity, brokerage, and the timing and method of the valuation of
the Subsidiary’s portfolio investments and shares of the Subsidiary. The Fund’s Chief Compliance
Officer oversees implementation of the Subsidiary’s policies and procedures and makes periodic
reports to the Fund’s Board regarding the Subsidiary’s compliance with its policies and procedures.
Portfolio Managers
Appendix F contains the following information regarding the portfolio managers identified in
the Fund’s prospectus:
|
• |
|
The dollar range of the managers’ investments in the Fund. |
|
|
• |
|
A description of the managers’ compensation structure. |
Information regarding other accounts managed by the manager and potential conflicts of
interest that might arise from the management of multiple accounts.
Securities Lending Arrangements
If the Fund engages in securities lending, Invesco will provide the Fund investment advisory
services and related 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 Invesco’s
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.
Invesco’s 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.
Service Agreements
Administrative Services Agreement. Invesco and the Trust have entered into a Master
Administrative Services Agreement (Administrative Services Agreement) pursuant to which Invesco may
perform or arrange for the provision of certain accounting and other administrative services to the
Fund which are not required to be performed by Invesco under the Advisory Agreement. The
Administrative Services Agreement provides that it will remain in effect and continue from year to
year only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board, including
the independent trustees, by votes cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose. Under the
Administrative Services Agreement, Invesco is entitled to receive from the Funds reimbursement of
its costs or such reasonable
54
compensation as may be approved by the Board. Currently, Invesco is
reimbursed for the services of the Trust’s principal financial officer and her staff and any
expenses related to fund accounting services.
An agreement containing the same material, terms and provisions was entered into between
Invesco and the Subsidiary.
Other Service Providers
Transfer Agent. Invesco Investment Services, Inc., (Invesco Investment Services), 11 Greenway
Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, a wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco, is the Trust’s
transfer agent.
The Transfer Agency and Service Agreement (the TA Agreement) between the Trust and Invesco
Investment Services provides that Invesco Investment Services will perform certain services related
to the servicing of shareholders of the Funds. Other such services may be delegated or
sub-contracted to third party intermediaries. For servicing accounts holding shares of the Fund,
the TA Agreement provides that the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, will pay Invesco Investment
Services a fee per trade executed, to be billed monthly, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. In
addition, all fees payable by Invesco Investment Services or its affiliates to third party
intermediaries who service accounts pursuant to sub-transfer agency, omnibus account services and
sub-accounting agreements are charged back to the Fund, subject to certain limitations approved by
the Board of the Trust. These payments are made in consideration of services that would otherwise
be provided by Invesco Investment Services if the accounts serviced by such intermediaries were
serviced by Invesco Investment Services directly.
An agreement containing the same material, terms and provisions was entered into between
Invesco and the Subsidiary.
Sub-Transfer Agent. Invesco Canada, 5140 Yonge Street, Suite 900, Toronto, Ontario M2N6X7, a
wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco, provides services to the Trust as a sub-transfer
agent, pursuant to an agreement between Invesco Canada and Invesco Investment Services. The Trust
does not pay a fee to Invesco Canada for these services. Rather Invesco Canada is compensated by
Invesco Investment Services, as a sub-contractor.
Custodian. State Street Bank and Trust Company (the Custodian), 225 Franklin Street, Boston,
Massachusetts 02110, is custodian of all securities and cash of the Fund. The Bank of New York
Mellon, 2 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, New York 11217-1431, also serves as sub-custodian to facilitate
cash management.
The custodian is authorized to establish separate accounts in foreign countries and to cause
foreign securities owned by the Fund to be held outside the United States in branches of U.S. banks
and, to the extent permitted by applicable regulations, in certain foreign banks and securities
depositories. Invesco is responsible for selecting eligible foreign securities depositories and
for assessing the risks associated with investing in foreign countries, including the risk of using
eligible foreign securities’ depositories in a country. The Custodian is responsible for monitoring
eligible foreign securities depositories.
Under its contract with the Trust, the Custodian maintains the portfolio securities of the
Fund, administers the purchases and sales of portfolio securities, collects interest and dividends
and other distributions made on the portfolio securities of the Fund and performs other ministerial
duties. These services do not include any supervisory function over management or provide any
protection against any possible depreciation of assets.
An agreement containing the same material, terms and provisions was entered into between
Invesco and the Subsidiary.
55
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Fund’s independent registered public
accounting firm is responsible for auditing the financial statements of the Fund. The Audit
Committee of the Board has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 1201 Louisiana Street, Suite 2900,
Houston, Texas 77002, as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the financial
statements of the Fund. Such appointment was ratified and approved by the Board.
Counsel to the Trust. Legal matters for the Trust have been passed upon by Stradley Ronon
Stevens & Young, LLP, 2050 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7018, which
also serves as counsel to the Subsidiary.
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
The Sub-Advisers have adopted compliance procedures that cover, among other items, brokerage
allocation and other trading practices. If all or a portion of the Fund’s 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’s procedures. The same
procedures also apply to the Subsidiary.
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. Invesco Advisers’ Americas desk, located in Atlanta, Houston
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; the Japan trading desk of Invesco
Japan generally places trades of equity securities in the Japanese markets; the London trading desk
of Invesco Global Investment Funds Limited (the London 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 Australia, Invesco Japan, Invesco
Deutschland, Invesco Hong Kong 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 (other than Invesco
Canada) 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 London
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 delegates trading is responsible for
oversight of this trading activity.
Invesco or the Sub-Advisers make decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund, selects
broker-dealers (each, a Broker), effects the Fund’s investment portfolio transactions, allocates
brokerage fees in such transactions and, where applicable, negotiates commissions and spreads on
transactions. Invesco’s and the Sub-Adviser’s primary consideration in effecting a security
transaction is to obtain best execution, which is defined 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-
56
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 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 the market close price for a specific commission. Invesco
generally selects the broker with the lowest bid to execute these trades.
Commissions
The Fund may engage in certain principal and agency transactions with banks and their
affiliates that own 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of an Invesco Fund, provided
the conditions of an exemptive order received by the Invesco Funds from the SEC are met. In
addition, 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 Fund follows procedures
adopted by the Boards of the various Invesco Funds, including the Trust. These inter-fund
transactions do not generate brokerage commissions but may result in custodial fees or taxes or
other related expenses.
Broker Selection
Invesco’s or the Sub-Advisers’ primary consideration in selecting Brokers to execute portfolio
transactions for the 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 Broker’s services, including the value of research and/or brokerage
services provided, execution capability, commission rate, and willingness to commit capital,
anonymity and responsiveness. Invesco’s and the Sub-Advisers’ primary consideration when selecting
a Broker to execute a portfolio transaction in fixed income securities for the Fund is the Broker’s
ability to deliver or sell the relevant fixed income securities; however, Invesco and the
Sub-Advisers will 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.
In choosing Brokers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, Invesco or the
Sub-Advisers may select Brokers that are not affiliated with Invesco that provide brokerage and/or
research services (Soft Dollar Products) to the Fund and/or the other accounts over which Invesco
and its affiliates have investment discretion. Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, provides that Invesco or the Sub-Advisers, under certain circumstances, lawfully
may cause an account to pay a higher commission than the lowest available. Under Section 28(e)(1),
Invesco or the Sub-Advisers must
57
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 [Invesco’s 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, a
Fund may pay a Broker commissions higher than those available from another Broker in recognition of
the Broker’s 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-Adviser are able
to use the Soft Dollar Products to manage client accounts without paying cash for the Soft Dollar
Products, which reduces Invesco’s or the Sub-Adviser’s expenses to the extent that Invesco or the
Sub-Adviser’s would have purchased such products had they not been provided by Brokers. Section
28(e) permits Invesco or the Sub-Adviser’s to use Soft Dollar Products for the benefit of any
account it manages. Certain Invesco-managed accounts (or accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser’s)
may generate soft dollars used to purchase Soft Dollar Products that ultimately benefit other
Invesco Advisers, Inc.-managed accounts (or Sub-Adviser’s-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-Adviser’s may not use all of the Soft Dollar
Products provided by Brokers through which a Fund effects securities transactions in connection
with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
Invesco presently engages in the following instances of cross-subsidization:
Fixed income funds normally do not generate soft dollar commissions to pay for Soft Dollar
Products. Therefore, soft dollar commissions used to pay for Soft Dollar Products which are used
to manage certain fixed income Invesco Funds are generated entirely by equity Invesco Funds and
other equity client accounts managed by Invesco. In other words, certain fixed income Invesco
Funds are cross-subsidized by the equity Invesco Funds in that the fixed income Invesco Funds
receive the benefit of Soft Dollar Products services for which they do not pay. Similarly, other
accounts managed by Invesco or certain of its affiliates may benefit from Soft Dollar Products
services for which they do not pay.
Invesco and the Sub-Advisers attempt to reduce or eliminate the potential conflicts of
interest concerning the use of Soft Dollar Products by directing client trades for Soft Dollar
Products only if Invesco or the Sub-Advisers conclude that the Broker supplying the product is
capable of providing best execution.
Certain Soft Dollar Products may be available directly from a vendor on a hard dollar basis;
other Soft Dollar Products are available only through Brokers in exchange for soft dollars.
Invesco and the Sub-Adviser use soft dollars to purchase two types of Soft Dollar Products:
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proprietary research created by the Broker executing the trade, and |
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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 Broker’s share of Invesco clients’
commission dollars and attempts to direct trades to these firms to meet these estimates.
58
Invesco and the Sub-Advisers also use soft dollars to acquire products from third parties that
are supplied to Invesco or the Sub-Advisers through Brokers executing the trades or other Brokers
who “step in” to a transaction and receive a portion of the brokerage commission for the trade.
Invesco or the Sub-Advisers may from time to time instruct the executing Broker to allocate or
“step out” a portion of a transaction to another Broker. The Broker to which Invesco or the
Sub-Advisers have “stepped out” would then settle and complete the designated portion of the
transaction, and the executing Broker would settle 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 Invesco’s and or the Sub-Advisers’ own
research (and the research of certain of its affiliates), and may include the following types of
products and services:
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Database Services – comprehensive databases containing current and/or historical
information on companies and industries and indices. Examples include historical
securities prices, earnings estimates and financial data. These services may include
software tools that allow the user to search the database or to prepare value-added
analyses related to the investment process (such as forecasts and models used in the
portfolio management process). |
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Quotation/Trading/News Systems – products that provide real time market data
information, such as pricing of individual securities and information on current
trading, as well as a variety of news services. |
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Economic Data/Forecasting Tools – various macro economic forecasting tools, such as
economic data or currency and political forecasts for various countries or regions. |
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Quantitative/Technical Analysis – software tools that assist in quantitative and
technical analysis of investment data. |
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Fundamental/Industry Analysis – industry specific fundamental investment research. |
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Fixed Income Security Analysis – data and analytical tools that pertain specifically
to fixed income securities. These tools assist in creating financial models, such as
cash flow projections and interest rate sensitivity analyses, which are relevant to
fixed income securities. |
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Other Specialized Tools – other specialized products, such as consulting analyses,
access to industry experts, and distinct investment expertise such as forensic
accounting or custom built investment-analysis software. |
If Invesco or the Sub-Advisers determine that any service or product has a mixed use (i.e., it
also serves functions that do not assist the investment decision-making or trading process),
Invesco or the Sub-Advisers will allocate the costs of such service or product accordingly in its
reasonable discretion. Invesco or the Sub-Advisers will allocate brokerage commissions to Brokers
only for the portion of the service or product that Invesco or the Sub-Advisers determine assists
it in the investment decision-making or trading process and will pay for the remaining value of the
product or service in cash.
Outside research assistance is useful to Invesco or the Sub-Advisers because the Brokers used
by Invesco or the Sub-Advisers tend to provide more in-depth analysis of a broader universe of
securities and other matters than Invesco’s or the Sub-Advisers’ staff follows. In addition, such
services
59
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 Invesco’s 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 Invesco’s or the
Sub-Advisers’ research, the receipt of such research tends to improve the quality of Invesco’s or
the Sub-Advisers’ investment advice. The advisory fee paid by the Fund is not reduced because
Invesco or the Sub-Advisers receives such services. To the extent the Fund’s 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 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 a Fund’s 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 Invesco’s 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.
Affiliated Transactions
Invesco may place trades with Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (d/b/a Zedd Securities) (Zedd), a
broker-dealer with whom it is under common control, provided Invesco determines that the
affiliate’s trade execution abilities and costs are at least comparable to those of non-affiliated
brokerage firms with which Invesco could otherwise place similar trades. Zedd receives brokerage
commissions in connection with effecting trades for the Fund and, therefore, use of Zedd presents a
conflict of interest for Invesco. Trades placed through Zedd, including the brokerage commissions
paid to Zedd, are subject to procedures adopted by the Boards of the various Invesco Funds,
including the Trust.
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 one of the Funds and by another Fund or one or more other
accounts. However, the position of each account in the same security and the length of time that
each account may hold its investment in the same security may vary. Invesco and the Sub-Advisers
will also determine the timing and amount of purchases for an account based on its cash position.
If the purchase or sale of securities is consistent with the investment policies of the Fund(s) and
one or more other accounts, and is considered at or about the same time, Invesco or the
Sub-Advisers will allocate transactions in such securities among the Fund(s) and these accounts on
a pro rata basis based on order size or in such other manner believed by Invesco to be fair and
equitable. Invesco or the Sub-Advisers may combine transactions in accordance with applicable laws
and regulations to obtain the most favorable execution. Simultaneous transactions could, however,
adversely affect a Fund’s ability to obtain or dispose of the full amount of a security which it
seeks to purchase or sell.
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Allocation of Initial Public Offering (IPO) Transactions
Certain of the Invesco Funds or other accounts managed by Invesco may become interested in
participating in IPOs. Purchases of IPOs by one Invesco Fund or other accounts may also be
considered for purchase by one or more other Invesco Funds or accounts. Invesco combines
indications of interest for IPOs for all Invesco Funds and accounts participating in purchase
transactions for that IPO. When the full amount of all IPO orders for such Invesco Funds and
accounts cannot be filled completely, Invesco shall allocate such transactions in accordance with
the following procedures:
Invesco or the Sub-Advisers 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 Fund’s or account’s 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 Australia, 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.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX MATTERS
Dividends and Distributions
The following discussion of dividends and distributions should be read in connection with the
applicable sections in the Prospectus.
All dividends and distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the
Fund unless the shareholder has requested in writing to receive such dividends and distributions in
cash or that they be invested in shares of another Invesco Fund, subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in the Prospectus under the caption “Purchasing Shares ¾Automatic
Dividend and Distribution Investment.” Such dividends and distributions will be reinvested at the
net asset value per share determined on the ex-dividend date.
Tax Matters
The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the
Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present
a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion
here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.
This “Tax Matters” section is based on the Code and applicable regulations in effect on the
date of this SAI. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes including provisions of
current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change
the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions
may have a retroactive effect.
This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their
own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.
61
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to qualify (or, if newly organized,
intends to elect and qualify) each year as a “regulated investment company” (sometimes referred to
as a regulated investment company, RIC or fund) under Subchapter M of the Code. If the Fund
qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment
company taxable income (i.e., generally, taxable interest, dividends, net short-term capital gains
and other taxable ordinary income net of expenses without regard to the deduction for dividends
paid) and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term
capital losses) that it distributes to shareholders.
Qualification as a regulated investment company. In order to qualify for treatment as a
regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the following requirements:
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Distribution Requirement ¾ the Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum
of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt
income, if any, for the tax year (certain distributions made by the Fund after the
close of its tax year are considered distributions attributable to the previous tax
year for purposes of satisfying this requirement). |
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Income Requirement ¾ the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income
from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains
from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other
income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward
contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or
currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (QPTPs). |
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Asset Diversification Test ¾ the Fund must satisfy the following asset
diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s tax year: (1) at least
50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S.
Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and
securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the
value of the Fund’s total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund
does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and
(2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the
securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities and securities of
other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls
and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, collectively, in
the securities of QPTPs. |
In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by the Fund for purposes of
the Income Requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the Asset
Diversification Test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an
adverse determination or future guidance by IRS with respect to such type of investment may
adversely affect the Fund’s ability to satisfy these requirements. See “Tax Treatment of Portfolio
Transactions” with respect to the application of these requirements to certain types of
investments. In other circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order
to meet the Income Requirement, Distribution Requirement, or Asset Diversification Test, which may
have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. In lieu of potential
disqualification, the Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the Asset
Diversification Test or Income Requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to
reasonable cause and not willful neglect, for taxable years of the Fund with respect to which the
extended due date of the return is after December 22, 2010.
The Fund may use “equalization accounting” (in lieu of making some cash distributions) in
determining the portion of its income and gains that has been distributed. If the Fund uses
equalization accounting, it will allocate a portion of its undistributed investment company taxable
income and net capital gain to redemptions of Fund shares and will correspondingly reduce the
amount of such income and gains that it distributes in cash. However, the Fund intends to make
cash distributions for each
62
taxable year in an aggregate amount that is sufficient to satisfy the
Distribution Requirement without taking into account its use of equalization accounting. If the
IRS determines that the Fund’s allocation is improper and that the Fund has under-distributed its
income and gain for any taxable year, the Fund may be liable for federal income and/or excise tax.
If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of
its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate
rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable
to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of
the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated
investment company thus would have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. Subject
to savings provisions for certain inadvertent failures to satisfy the Income Requirement or Asset
Diversification Test which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not
willful neglect, it is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in
any given tax year. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary
sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the Board reserves the right not to maintain the
qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of
action to be beneficial to shareholders.
Portfolio turnover. For investors that hold their Fund shares in a taxable account, a high
portfolio turnover rate (except in a money market fund that maintains a stable net asset value) may
result in higher taxes. This is because a Fund with a high turnover rate may accelerate the
recognition of capital gains and more of such gains are likely to be taxable as short-term rather
than long-term capital gains in contrast to a comparable fund with a low turnover rate. Any such
higher taxes would reduce the Fund’s after-tax performance. See “Taxation of Fund Distributions
¾ Capital gain dividends” below. For non-U.S. investors, any such acceleration of the
recognition of capital gains that results in more short-term and less long-term capital gains being
recognized by the Fund may cause such investors to be subject to increased U.S. withholding taxes.
See, “Foreign Shareholders — U.S. withholding tax at the source” below.
Capital loss carryovers. The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to
shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to
offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such
gains that are offset by the losses. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of
2010 (RIC Mod Act), if the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of
capital gains) for a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010, the excess (if any) of the
Fund’s 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 Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess
(if any) of the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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. However, for any net capital losses realized in taxable years of the Fund beginning on or
before December 22, 2010, the Fund is permitted to carry forward such capital losses for eight
years as a short-term capital loss. Under a transition rule, capital losses arising in a taxable
year beginning after December 22, 2010 must be used before capital losses realized in a prior
taxable year. 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 (or, in the case of those
realized in taxable years of the Fund beginning on or before December 22, 2010, to expire), thereby
reducing the Fund’s ability to offset capital gains with those losses. An increase in the amount of
taxable gains distributed to the Fund’s 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
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the Fund’s control,
there can be no assurance that the Fund will not experience, or has not already experienced, an
ownership change.
Deferral of late year losses. The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late
year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s
taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The
effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred
in the succeeding taxable year, which may change the timing, amount, or characterization of Fund
distributions (see, “Taxation of Fund Distributions — Distributions of capital gains” below). A
“qualified late year loss” includes:
(i) any net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss
incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (post-October losses), and
(ii) the excess, if any, of (1) the sum of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of
the current taxable year, and (b) other ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the
current taxable year, over (2) the sum of (a) specified gains incurred after October 31 of
the current taxable year, and (b) other ordinary gains incurred after December 31 of the
current taxable year.
The terms “specified losses” and “specified gains” mean ordinary losses and gains from the
sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with
respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from
holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) for which a mark-to-market election is
in effect. The terms “ordinary losses” and “ordinary gains” mean other ordinary losses and gains
that are not described in the preceding sentence.
Special rules apply to a Fund with a fiscal year ending in November or December that elects to
use its taxable year for determining its capital gain net income for excise tax purposes.
Undistributed capital gains. The Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net
capital gain for each taxable year. The Fund currently intends to distribute net capital gains.
If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the
extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the highest corporate tax rate (currently 35%).
If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to
have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain,
with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on
its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata
share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an
amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Asset allocation funds. If the Fund is a fund of funds, asset allocation fund, or a feeder
fund in a master feeder structure (collectively referred to as a “fund of funds” which invests in
one or more underlying funds taxable as regulated investment companies) distributions by the
underlying funds, redemptions of shares in the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations
may result in taxable distributions to shareholders of ordinary income or capital gains. A fund of
funds (other than a feeder fund in a master feeder structure) generally will not be able currently
to offset gains realized by one underlying fund in which the fund of funds invests against losses
realized by another underlying fund. If shares of an underlying fund are purchased within 30 days
before or after redeeming at a loss other shares of that underlying fund (whether pursuant to a
rebalancing of the Fund’s portfolio or otherwise), all or a part of the loss will not be deductible
by the Fund and instead will increase its basis for the newly purchased shares. Also, except with
respect to a qualified fund of funds, a fund of funds (a) is not eligible to pass-through to
shareholders foreign tax credits from an underlying fund that pays foreign income taxes and (b) is
not eligible to pass-through to shareholders exempt-interest dividends from an underlying fund. A
“qualified fund of funds,” i.e., a fund at least 50 percent of the value of the total assets of
which (at the close of each quarter of the taxable year) is represented by interests in other RICs,
is eligible to pass-through to shareholders (a) foreign tax credits and (b) exempt-interest
64
dividends. Also a fund of funds, whether or not it is a qualified fund of funds, is eligible to
pass-through to shareholders qualified dividends earned by an underlying fund (see, “Taxation of
Fund Distributions — Qualified dividend income for individuals” and ”Corporate dividends received
deduction” below). However, dividends paid to shareholders by a fund of funds from interest earned
by an underlying fund on U.S. Government obligations are unlikely to be exempt from state and local
income tax.
Federal excise tax. To avoid a 4% non-deductible excise tax, the Fund must distribute by
December 31 of each year an amount equal to: (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year,
(2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (the excess of the gains from sales or exchanges of capital
assets over the losses from such sales or exchanges) for the one-year period ended on October 31 of
such calendar year (or, at the election of a regulated investment company having a taxable year
ending November 30 or December 31, for its taxable year), and (3) any prior year undistributed
ordinary income and capital gain net income. The Fund may elect to defer to the following year any
net ordinary loss incurred for the portion of the calendar year which is after the beginning of the
Fund’s taxable year. Also, the Fund will defer any “specified gain” or “specified loss” which
would be properly taken into account for the portion of the calendar after October 31. Any net
ordinary loss, specified gain, or specified loss deferred shall be treated as arising on January 1
of the following calendar year. Generally, the Fund may make sufficient distributions to avoid
liability for federal income and excise tax but can give no assurances that all or a portion of
such liability will be avoided. In addition, under certain circumstances temporary timing or
permanent differences in the realization of income and expense for book and tax purposes can result
in the Fund having to pay an excise tax.
Foreign income tax. Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign
countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source, and the amount of tax
withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into
tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption
from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other forms to
receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim
is within the control of the individual country. Information required on these forms may not be
available such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty
rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and
restrictive timing requirements which may cause the Fund not to receive the reduced treaty rates or
potential reclaims. Other countries may subject to capital gains realized by the Fund on sale or
disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective
rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of the Fund’s assets to be invested in various
countries is not known. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to pass-through foreign
tax credits to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so.
Investments in Commodities. The Fund invests in derivatives, financially-linked instruments,
and the stock of its own wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”) to gain exposure to the
commodity markets. This strategy may cause the Fund to realize more ordinary income than would be
the case if the Fund invested directly in commodities. Also, these commodity-linked investments and
the income earned thereon must be taken into account by the Fund in complying with the Distribution
and Income Requirements and the Asset Diversification Test as described below.
Distribution requirement. The Fund intends to distribute the Subsidiary’s income each year in
satisfaction of the Fund’s Distribution Requirement. The Subsidiary will be classified for federal
income tax purposes as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) with respect to the Fund. As such,
the Fund will be required to include in its gross income each year amounts earned by the Subsidiary
during that year (subpart F income), whether or not such earnings are distributed by the Subsidiary
to the Fund. Subpart F income will be distributed by the Fund to shareholders each year as
ordinary income and will not be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation at long-term
capital gain rates. The Subsidiary likely will also be classified as a PFIC as defined below in
“Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions — PFIC Investments” but the CFC rules supersede the PFIC
rules.
65
Income requirement. As described above, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income
from qualifying sources to qualify as a regulated investment company. Gains from the disposition
of commodities, including precious metals, are not considered qualifying income for purposes of
satisfying the Income Requirement. See, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions Investments in
commodities — structured notes, corporate subsidiary and certain ETFs.” Also, the IRS has issued a
Revenue Ruling which holds that income derived from commodity-linked swaps is not qualifying income
under Subchapter M of the Code. As a result, the Fund’s ability to directly invest in
commodity-linked swaps as part of its investment strategy is limited to a maximum of 10% of its
gross income. The IRS has issued a number of private letter rulings to other mutual funds
(including another Invesco fund), upon which the Fund cannot rely, which indicate that income from
a fund’s investment in certain commodity-linked notes and a wholly owned foreign subsidiary that
invests in commodity-linked derivatives such as the Subsidiary, constitutes qualifying income.
However, the IRS has suspended issuance of any further private letter rulings pending a review of
its position. Should the IRS issue guidance, or Congress enact legislation, that adversely affects
the tax treatment of the Fund’s use of commodity-linked notes, or the Subsidiary (which might be
applied retroactively to the Fund), it could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment
strategy and the Fund might not qualify as a regulated investment company for one or more years.
In this event, the Board may authorize a significant change in investment strategy or Fund
liquidation. In lieu of potential disqualification, the Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain
failures to satisfy the Income Requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to
reasonable cause and not willful neglect for taxable years of the Fund with respect to which the
extended due date of the return is after December 22, 2010. The Fund also may incur transaction
and other costs to comply with any new or additional guidance from the IRS.
Asset diversification test. For purposes of the Asset Diversification Test, the Fund’s
investment in the Subsidiary would be considered a security of one issuer. Accordingly, the Fund
intends to limit its investment in the Subsidiary to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s
total assets in order to satisfy the Asset Diversification Test.
Taxation of the Subsidiary. On the basis of current law and practice, the Subsidiary will not
be liable for income tax in the Cayman Islands. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will
not be subject to withholding tax in the Cayman Islands. In addition, the Subsidiary’s investment
in commodity-linked derivatives and other assets held as collateral are anticipated to qualify for
a safe harbor under Code Section 864(b) so that the Subsidiary will not be treated as conducting a
U.S. trade or business. Thus, the Subsidiary should not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a
net basis. However, if certain of the Subsidiary’s activities were determined not to be of the
type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary
may constitute a U.S. trade or business, or be taxed as such.
In general, a foreign corporation, such as the Subsidiary, that does not conduct a U.S. trade
or business is nonetheless subject to tax at a flat rate of 30 percent (or lower tax treaty rate),
generally payable through withholding, on the gross amount of certain U.S.-source income that is
not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, subject to certain exemptions, including
among others, exemptions for capital gains, portfolio interest and income from notional principal
contracts. It is not anticipated that the Subsidiary will be subject to material amounts of U.S.
withholding tax on its portfolio investments. The Subsidiary intends to properly certify its status
as a non-U.S. person to each custodian and withholding agent to avoid U.S. backup withholding
requirements discussed below.
Taxation of Fund Distributions. The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its
investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year. Distributions by the
Fund will be treated in the manner described regardless of whether such distributions are paid in
cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund (or of another Fund). The Fund will send you
information annually as to the federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed
made) during the year.
66
Distributions of ordinary income. The Fund receives income generally in the form of dividends
and/or interest on its investments. The Fund may also recognize ordinary income from other
sources, including, but not limited to, certain gains on foreign currency-related transactions.
This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net
investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor,
distributions of net investment income generally are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of
the Fund’s earnings and profits. In the case of a Fund whose strategy includes investing in stocks
of corporations, a portion of the income dividends paid to you may be qualified dividends eligible
to be taxed at reduced rates.
Capital gain dividends. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long
the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned
his or her shares. In general, the Fund will recognize long-term capital gain or loss on the sale
or other disposition of assets it has owned for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or
loss on investments it has owned for one year or less. Distributions of net capital gain (the
excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that are properly reported
by the Fund to shareholders as capital gain dividends generally will be taxable to a shareholder
receiving such distributions as long-term capital gain. Long-term capital gain rates applicable to
individuals are taxed at the maximum rate of 15% or 25% (through 2012) depending on the nature of
the capital gain. Distributions of net short-term capital gains for a taxable year in excess of net
long-term capital losses for such taxable year generally will be taxable to a shareholder receiving
such distributions as ordinary income.
Qualified dividend income for individuals. With respect to taxable years of the Fund
beginning before January 1, 2013 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to
January 1, 2013, or made permanent), ordinary income dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders
as derived from qualified dividend income will be taxed in the hands of individuals and other
noncorporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. Qualified dividend
income means dividends paid to the Fund (a) by domestic corporations, (b) by foreign corporations
that are either (i) incorporated in a possession of the United States, or (ii) are eligible for
benefits under certain income tax treaties with the United States that include an exchange of
information program, or (c) with respect to stock of a foreign corporation that is readily tradable
on an established securities market in the United States. Both the Fund and the investor must meet
certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Income derived
from investments in derivatives, fixed-income securities, U.S. REITs, PFICs, CFCs (such as the
Subsidiary; see “Investments in Commodities”) and income received “in lieu of” dividends in a
securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend
income. If the qualifying dividend income received by the Fund is equal to 95% (or a greater
percentage) of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain) in any taxable year, all of
the ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund will be qualifying dividend income.
Corporate dividends received deduction. Ordinary income dividends reported by the Fund to
shareholders as derived from qualified dividends from domestic corporations will qualify for the
70% dividends received deduction generally available to corporations. The availability of the
dividends-received deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt financing restrictions
imposed under the Code on the corporation claiming the deduction. Income derived by the Fund from
investments in derivatives, fixed-income and foreign securities generally is not eligible for this
treatment.
Return of capital distributions. Distributions by the Fund that are not paid from earnings
and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the
shareholder’s tax basis in his shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his
shares. Thus, the portion of a distribution that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the
shareholder’s tax basis in his Fund shares (but not below zero), and will result in an increase in
the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder
for tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund shares. Return of capital distributions can occur
for a number of reasons including, among others, the Fund over-estimates the income to be received
from certain investments such as those classified as partnerships or equity REITs. See “Tax
Treatment of Portfolio Transactions ¾Investments in U.S. REITs.”
67
Impact of realized but undistributed income and gains, and net unrealized appreciation of
portfolio securities. At the time of your purchase of shares (except in a money market fund that
maintains a stable net asset value), the Fund’s net asset value may reflect undistributed income,
undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by the
Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your
investment, would be taxable and would be taxed as either ordinary income (some portion of which
may be taxed as qualified dividend income)or capital gain unless you are investing through a
tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. The Fund may
be able to reduce the amount of such distributions by utilizing its capital loss carryovers, if
any.
Pass-through of foreign tax credits. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets
at the end of a fiscal year is invested in foreign securities, or if the Fund is a qualified fund
of funds (i.e. a fund at least 50 percent of the value of the total assets of which, at the close
of each quarter of the taxable year is represented by interests in other RICs), the Fund may elect
to “pass through” to the Fund’s shareholders the amount of foreign income tax paid by the Fund (the
Foreign Tax Election) in lieu of deducting such amount in determining its investment company
taxable income. Pursuant to the Foreign Tax Election, shareholders will be required (i) to include
in gross income, even though not actually received, their respective pro-rata shares of the foreign
income tax paid by the Fund that are attributable to any distributions they receive; and (ii)
either to deduct their pro-rata share of foreign tax in computing their taxable income or to use it
(subject to various Code limitations) as a foreign tax credit against federal income tax (but not
both). No deduction for foreign tax may be claimed by a noncorporate shareholder who does not
itemize deductions or who is subject to the alternative minimum tax. Shareholders may be unable to
claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate shares of the foreign income tax paid by
the Fund due to certain limitations that may apply. The Fund reserves the right not to
pass-through to its shareholders the amount of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund.
Additionally, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not
qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders. See “Tax Treatment of
Portfolio Transactions-Securities lending” below.
Tax credit bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more “tax credit bonds”
(including build America bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and qualified tax credit bonds) on one
or more applicable dates during a taxable year, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to
claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholder’s proportionate share of
tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case,
shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income
attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholder’s ability
to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain
limitations imposed by the Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits to
shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.
U.S. Government interest. Income earned on certain U.S. Government obligations is exempt from
state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status
to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. Government, subject
in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund.
Income on investments by the Fund in certain other obligations, such as repurchase agreements
collateralized by U.S. Government obligations), commercial paper and federal agency-backed
obligations (e.g., GNMA or FNMA obligations, generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment.
The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations. If the Fund is a fund of
funds, see “Taxation of the Fund ¾ Asset allocation funds.”
Dividends declared in December and paid in January. Ordinarily, shareholders are required to
take distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made.
However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to
shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by
the shareholders
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(and made by the Fund) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are
actually paid in January of the following year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the
U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year in
accordance with the guidance that has been provided by the IRS.
Medicare tax. The recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as
amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, will impose a
3.8% Medicare tax on net investment income earned by certain individuals, estates and trusts for
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. “Net investment income,” for these purposes,
means investment income, including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from
the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares, reduced by
the deductions properly allocable to such income. In the case of an individual, the tax will be
imposed on the lesser of (1) the shareholder’s net investment income or (2) the amount by which the
shareholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the shareholder is married and
filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing
separately) or $200,000 (in any other case), net investment income does not include exempt-interest
dividends.
Sale or Redemption of Fund Shares. A shareholder will recognize gain or loss on the sale or
redemption of shares of the Fund in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the
sale or redemption and the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares. If you owned your
shares as a capital asset, any gain or loss that you realize will be considered capital gain or
loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for longer than one year.
Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of
a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.
Tax basis information. The Fund is required to report to you and the IRS annually on Form
1099-B the cost basis of shares purchased or acquired on or after January 1, 2012 where the cost
basis of the shares is known by the Fund (referred to as “covered shares”) and which are disposed
of after that date. However, cost basis reporting is not required for certain shareholders,
including shareholders investing in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement account, such as
a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, or shareholders investing in a money market
fund that maintains a stable net asset value. When required to report cost basis, the Fund will
calculate it using the Fund’s default method of average cost, unless you instruct the Fund to use a
different calculation method. In general, average cost is the total cost basis of all your shares
in an account divided by the total number of shares in the account. To determine whether short-term
or long-term capital gains taxes apply, the IRS presumes you redeem your oldest shares first.
The IRS permits the use of several methods to determine the cost basis of mutual fund shares.
The method used will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple
purchases on different dates at differing share prices, and the entire position is not sold at one
time. The Fund does not recommend any particular method of determining cost basis, and the use of
other methods may result in more favorable tax consequences for some shareholders. It is important
that you consult with your tax advisor to determine which method is best for you and then notify
the Fund if you intend to utilize a method other than average cost for covered shares.
In addition to the Fund’s default method of average cost, other cost basis methods offered by
Invesco, which you may elect to apply to covered shares, include:
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First-In First-Out ¾ shares acquired first in the account are the first shares depleted. |
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Last-In First-Out ¾ shares acquired last in the account are the first shares depleted. |
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High Cost ¾ shares acquired with the highest cost per share are the first shares depleted. |
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Low Cost ¾ shares acquired with the lowest cost per share are the first shares depleted. |
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Loss/Gain Utilization ¾ depletes shares with losses before gains, consistent
with the objective of minimizing taxes. For shares that yield a loss, shares owned one
year or less (short-term) will be depleted ahead of shares owned more than one year
(long-term). For |
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gains, long-term shares will be depleted ahead of short-term gains |
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Specific Lot Identification ¾ shareholder selects which lots to deplete at
time of each disposition. Transaction amount must be in shares. If insufficient shares
are identified at the time of disposition, then a secondary default method of first-in
first-out will be applied. |
You may elect any of the available methods detailed above for your covered shares. If you do
not notify the Fund of your elected cost basis method, the default method of average cost will be
applied to your covered shares upon redemption. The cost basis for covered shares will be
calculated separately from any “noncovered shares” (defined below) you may own. You may change or
revoke the use of the average cost method and revert to another cost basis method if you notify the
Fund by the date of the first sale, exchange, or other disposition of your covered shares. In
addition, you may change to another cost basis method at any time by notifying the Fund, but only
for shares acquired after the date of the change (the change is prospective). The basis of the
shares that were averaged before the change will remain averaged after the date of the change
The Fund may also provide Fund shareholders (but not the IRS) with information concerning the
average cost basis of their shares purchased prior to January 1, 2012 (“noncovered shares”) in
order to assist you with the calculation of gain or loss from a sale or redemption of noncovered
shares. With the exception of the specific lot identification method, Invesco first depletes
noncovered shares in first-in first-out order before applying your elected method to your remaining
covered shares. If you want to deplete your shares in a different order then you must elect
specific lot identification and choose the lots you wish to deplete first. Shareholders that use
the average cost method for noncovered shares must make the election to use the average cost method
for these shares on their federal income tax returns in accordance with Treasury regulations. This
election for noncovered shares cannot be made by notifying the Fund.
The Fund will compute and report the cost basis of your Fund shares sold or exchanged by
taking into account all of the applicable adjustments to cost basis and holding periods as required
by the Code and Treasury regulations for purposes of reporting these amounts to you and, in the
case of covered shares, to the IRS. However, the Fund is not required to, and in many cases the
Fund does not possess the information to, take all possible basis, holding period or other
adjustments into account in reporting cost basis information to you. Therefore, shareholders should
carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund, whether this information is
provided pursuant to compliance with cost basis reporting requirements for shares acquired on or
after January 1, 2012, or is provided by the Fund as a service to shareholders for shares acquired
prior to that date, and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are
required by the Code and Treasury regulations when reporting these amounts on their federal income
tax returns. Shareholders remain solely responsible for complying with all federal income tax laws
when filing their federal income tax returns.
If you hold your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that broker
(nominee) with respect to the reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.
For more information about the cost basis methods offered by Invesco, please refer to the Tax
Center located under the Accounts & Services menu of our website at www.invesco.com/us.
Wash sale rule. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be deferred under the wash
sale rules if the shareholder purchases other shares of the Fund within 30 days before or after the
sale or redemption.
Sales at a loss within six months of purchase. Any capital loss arising from the sale or
redemption of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the
extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received on such shares.
Deferral of basis – any class that bears a front-end sales load. If a shareholder (a) incurs
a sales load in acquiring shares of the Fund, (b) disposes of such shares less than 91 days after
they are acquired, and (c) subsequently acquires shares of the Fund or another Fund by January 31
of the
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calendar year following the calendar year in which the disposition of the original shares
occurred at a reduced sales load pursuant to a right to reinvest at such reduced sales load
acquired in connection with the acquisition of the shares disposed of, then the sales load on the
shares disposed of (to the extent of the reduction in the sales load on the shares subsequently
acquired) shall not be taken into account in determining gain or loss on the shares disposed of,
but shall be treated as incurred on the acquisition of the shares subsequently acquired. The wash
sale rules may also limit the amount of loss that may be taken into account on disposition after
such adjustment.
Exchange of shares of the Fund for shares of another Fund. The exchange of shares in one Fund
for shares of another Fund is taxable for federal income tax purposes and the exchange will be
reported as a taxable sale. An exchange occurs when the purchase of shares of a Fund is made using
the proceeds from a redemption of shares of another Fund and is effectuated on the same day as the
redemption. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the state and local tax
consequences of an exchange of shares.
Tax shelter reporting. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with
respect to the Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or
more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on
Form 8886.
Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions. Set forth below is a general description of the tax
treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to
a fund. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion under “Description of the
Funds and their Investments and Risks ¾ Investment Strategies and Risks” for a detailed
description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.
In general. In general, gain or loss recognized by a fund on the sale or other disposition of
portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term
or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is
maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one
year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of
certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a
security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and
also the timing of the realization and/or character, of certain gains or losses.
Certain fixed-income investments. Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation
purchased by a fund at a market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount)
will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount that accrued
during the period of time the fund held the debt obligation unless the fund made a current
inclusion election to accrue market discount into income as it accrues. If a fund purchases a debt
obligation (such as a zero coupon security or pay-in-kind security)that was originally issued at a
discount, the fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the
original issue discount that accrues during such year. Therefore, a fund’s investment in such
securities may cause the fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it
receives any cash payments on the securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution
requirements, a fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued
to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of fund shares.
Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present tax issues for a
fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent a fund
should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, when a fund may cease to accrue interest,
original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent a fund may take deductions for
bad debts or worthless securities and how a fund should allocate payments received on obligations
in default between principal
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and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by a fund
in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated
investment company.
Options, futures, forward contracts, swap agreements and hedging transactions. In general,
option premiums received by a fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead,
the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the
holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing
transaction). If an option written by a fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the
underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) sum of the
strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock.
Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of
the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by a fund pursuant to the exercise of a put
option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in
the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of a fund’s obligation
under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the
underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income
received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating
the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by a fund expires unexercised, the fund
generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.
The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by a fund as well as listed
non-equity options written or purchased by the fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures
contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of the
Code (section 1256 contracts). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered
60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (60/40), although certain foreign currency
gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section
1256 contracts held by a fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise
tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are “marked-to-market” with the result
that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or
loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable. Section 1256 contracts do not
include any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor,
commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement.
In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures
transactions, a fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (including options, forward
contracts and swap agreements) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions,
may be subject to one or more special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional
principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains
and losses recognized by a fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term,
accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer losses to the fund, and cause
adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities. These rules, therefore, could affect
the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax
rules applicable to derivative financial instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law,
an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which
determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a fund has made sufficient
distributions and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements to maintain its qualification as a
regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.
Certain of a fund’s investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments,
and the fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference
between its book income and its taxable income. If a fund’s book income is less than the sum of its
taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the fund could be required to make distributions
exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If a fund’s book income exceeds
the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such
excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits
(including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced, by related
deductions), (ii)
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thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the
shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.
Foreign currency transactions. A fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign
currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and
forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent
such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This
treatment could increase or decrease a fund’s ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause
some or all of the fund’s previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In
certain cases, a fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.
PFIC investments. A fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified
under the Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half
of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is
investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, a fund intends to mark-to-market these
securities under certain provisions of the Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary
income at the end of the fund’s fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable
only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable
losses) are treated as ordinary income that a fund is required to distribute, even though it has
not sold or received dividends from these securities. You should also be aware that the designation
of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the
definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify
for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by a fund. Foreign
companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in
identifying PFICs, a fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio
securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the fund to make a mark-to-market
election. If a fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a
mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any
“excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is
distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature
of interest may be imposed on a fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions
or gains. Also, see “Investments in Commodities” with respect to investment in the Subsidiary.
Investments in non-U.S. REITs. While non-U.S. REITs often use complex acquisition structures
that seek to minimize taxation in the source country, an investment by a fund in a non-U.S. REIT
may subject the fund, directly or indirectly, to corporate taxes, withholding taxes, transfer taxes
and other indirect taxes in the country in which the real estate acquired by the non-U.S. REIT is
located. The fund’s pro rata share of any such taxes will reduce the fund’s return on its
investment. A fund’s investment in a non-U.S. REIT may be considered an investment in a PFIC, as
discussed above in “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions — PFIC investments.” Additionally,
foreign withholding taxes on distributions from the non-U.S. REIT may be reduced or eliminated
under certain tax treaties, as discussed above in ”Taxation of the Fund — Foreign income tax.”
Also, the fund in certain limited circumstances may be required to file an income tax return in the
source country and pay tax on any gain realized from its investment in the non-U.S. REIT under
rules similar to those in the United States which tax foreign persons on gain realized from
dispositions of interests in U.S. real estate.
Investments in U.S. REITs. A U.S. REIT is not subject to federal income tax on the income
and gains it distributes to shareholders. Dividends paid by a U.S. REIT, other than capital gain
distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the U.S. REIT’s current and
accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a U.S. REIT to a fund will be
treated as long term capital gains by the fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the fund to its
shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Because of certain noncash expenses, such as property
depreciation, an equity U.S. REIT’s cash flow may exceed its taxable income. The equity U.S. REIT,
and in turn a fund, may distribute this excess cash to shareholders in the form of a return of
capital distribution. However, if a U.S. REIT is operated in a manner that fails to qualify as a
REIT, an investment in the U.S. REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable
income of the U.S. REIT would be subject to
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federal income tax at regular corporate rates without
any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders
as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the U.S. REIT’s
current and accumulated earnings and profits. Also, see “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions
¾ Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income)” and “Foreign Shareholders
¾ U.S. withholding tax at the source” with respect to certain other tax aspects of investing
in U.S. REITs.
Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income). Under a Notice issued by the
IRS, the Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of a fund’s income from a U.S. REIT
that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduits
(REMICs) or equity interests in a “taxable mortgage pool” (referred to in the Code as an excess
inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a
regulated investment company, such as a fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated
investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same
consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable,
taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i)
cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift
institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) to entities (including
qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans, Keogh plans or other
tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is
allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to
file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will
not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during
any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (which generally includes certain cooperatives,
governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a
share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a
tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to
the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed on
corporations. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment
companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that a fund will not
allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.
These rules are potentially applicable to a fund with respect to any income it receives from
the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either directly or, as is more likely,
through an investment in a U.S. REIT. It is unlikely that these rules will apply to a fund that
has a non-REIT strategy.
Investments in partnerships and QPTPs. For purposes of the Income Requirement, income
derived by a fund from a partnership that is not a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income only
to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be
qualifying income if realized directly by the fund. For purposes of testing whether the fund
satisfies the Asset Diversification Test, the fund generally is treated as owning a pro rata share
of the underlying assets of a partnership. See “Taxation of the Fund — Qualification as a
regulated investment company.” In contrast, different rules apply to a partnership that is a QPTP.
A QPTP is a partnership (a) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market,
(b) that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and (c) that derives less
than 90% of its income from sources that satisfy the Income Requirement (i.e., because it invests
in commodities). All of the net income derived by a fund from an interest in a QPTP will be
treated as qualifying income but the fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in one
or more QPTPs. However, there can be no assurance that a partnership classified as a QPTP in one
year will qualify as a QPTP in the next year. Any such failure to annually qualify as a QPTP
might, in turn, cause a fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. Although, in
general, the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a fund
with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP. Fund investments in partnerships,
including in QPTPs, may result in the fund’s being subject to state, local or foreign income,
franchise or withholding tax liabilities.
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Investments in commodities — structured notes, corporate subsidiary and certain ETFs. Gains
from the disposition of commodities, including precious metals, will neither be considered
qualifying income for purposes of satisfying the Income Requirement nor qualifying assets for
purposes of satisfying the Asset Diversification Test. See “Taxation of the Fund — Qualification as
a regulated investment company.” Also, the IRS has issued a Revenue Ruling which holds that income
derived from commodity-linked swaps is not qualifying income for purposes of the Income
Requirement. However, in a subsequent Revenue Ruling, as well as in a number of follow-on private
letter rulings, the IRS provides that income from certain alternative investments which create
commodity exposure, such as certain commodity index-linked or structured notes or a corporate
subsidiary (such as the Subsidiary) that invests in commodities, may be considered qualifying
income under the Code. However, as of the date of this SAI, the IRS has suspended the issuance of
any further private letter rulings pending a review of its position. Should the IRS issue guidance
that adversely affects the tax treatment of a fund’s use of commodity-linked notes, or a corporate
subsidiary, the fund may no longer be able to utilize commodity index-linked notes or a corporate
subsidiary to gain commodity exposure. In addition, a fund may gain exposure to commodities
through investment in QPTPs such as an exchange traded fund or ETF that is classified as a
partnership and which invests in commodities. Accordingly, the extent to which a fund invests in
commodities or commodity-linked derivatives may be limited by the Income Requirement and the Asset
Diversification Test, which the fund must continue to satisfy to maintain its status as a regulated
investment company. A fund also may be limited in its ability to sell its investments in
commodities, commodity-linked derivatives, and certain ETFs or be forced to sell other investments
to generate income due to the Income Requirement. In lieu of potential disqualification, a fund is
permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the Asset Diversification Test or Income
Requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful
neglect, for taxable years of a fund with respect to which the extended due date of the return is
after December 22, 2010. Also see, “Investments in Commodities” with respect to investment in the
Subsidiary.
Securities lending. While securities are loaned out by a fund, the fund generally will
receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed
securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made “in lieu of” dividends are not
considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of
taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 70% dividends received deduction for
corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest
will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders. Additionally, in the
case of a fund with a strategy of investing in tax-exempt securities, any payments made “in lieu
of” tax-exempt interest will be considered taxable income to the fund, and thus, to the investors,
even though such interest may be tax-exempt when paid to the borrower.
Investments in convertible securities. Convertible debt is ordinarily treated as a “single
property” consisting of a pure debt interest until conversion, after which the investment becomes
an equity interest. If the security is issued at a premium (i.e., for cash in excess of the face
amount payable on retirement), the creditor-holder may amortize the premium over the life of the
bond. If the security is issued for cash at a price below its face amount, the creditor-holder
must accrue original issue discount in income over the life of the debt. The creditor-holder’s
exercise of the conversion privilege is treated as a nontaxable event. Mandatorily convertible
debt (e.g., an exchange traded note or ETN issued in the form of an unsecured obligation that pays
a return based on the performance of a specified market index, exchange currency, or commodity) is
often, but not always, treated as a contract to buy or sell the reference property rather than
debt. Similarly, convertible preferred stock with a mandatory conversion feature is ordinarily,
but not always, treated as equity rather than debt. Dividends received generally are qualified
dividend income and eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction. In general, conversion
of preferred stock for common stock of the same corporation is tax-free. Conversion of preferred
stock for cash is a taxable redemption. Any redemption premium for preferred stock that is
redeemable by the issuing company might be required to be amortized under original issue discount
(OID) principles.
Tax Certification and Backup Withholding. Tax certification and backup withholding tax laws
may require that you certify your tax information when you become an investor in the Fund. For
U.S.
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citizens and resident aliens, this certification is made on IRS Form W-9. Under these laws,
the Fund must withhold a portion of your taxable distributions and sales proceeds unless you:
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provide your correct Social Security or taxpayer identification number, |
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certify that this number is correct, |
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certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and |
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certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). |
The Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required,
the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid. This rate will expire and the backup
withholding rate will be 31% for amounts paid on or after January 1, 2013, unless the 28% rate is
extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made permanent. Backup withholding is not
an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal
income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees
and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting.
Non-U.S. investors have special U.S. tax certification requirements. See “Foreign
Shareholders ¾ Tax certification and backup withholding.”
Foreign Shareholders. Shareholders who, as to the United States, are nonresident alien
individuals, foreign trusts or estates, foreign corporations, or foreign partnerships (foreign
shareholder), may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax
certification requirements.
Taxation of a foreign shareholder depends on whether the income from the Fund is “effectively
connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by such shareholder.
U.S. withholding tax at the source. If the income from the Fund is not effectively connected
with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, distributions to such
shareholder will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) upon
the gross amount of the distribution, subject to certain exemptions including those for dividends
reported by the Fund to shareholders as:
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exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund from its net interest income earned on
municipal securities; |
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capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from its net long-term capital gains (other
than those from disposition of a U.S. real property interest), unless you are a
nonresident alien present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183
days or more during the calendar year; and |
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with respect to taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2012 (unless
such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made
permanent), interest-related dividends paid by the Fund from its qualified net interest
income from U.S. sources and short-term capital gains dividends. After such sunset
date, short-term capital gains are taxable to non-U.S. investors as ordinary dividends
subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate. |
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 28% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person. This rate will
expire and the backup withholding tax rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2012,
unless Congress enacts tax legislation providing otherwise.
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Foreign shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% on the income
resulting from an election to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, but may not be able
to claim a credit or deduction with respect to the withholding tax for the foreign tax treated as
having been paid by them.
Amounts reported by the Fund to shareholders as capital gain dividends (a) that are
attributable to certain capital gain dividends received from a qualified investment entity (QIE)
(generally defined as either (i) a U.S. REIT or (ii) a RIC classified as a “U.S. real property
holding corporation” or which would be if the exceptions for holding 5% or less of a class of
publicly traded shares or an interest in a domestically controlled QIE did not apply) or (b) that
are realized by the Fund on the sale of a “U.S. real property interest” (including gain realized on
sale of shares in a QIE other than one that is a domestically controlled), will not be exempt from
U.S. federal income tax and may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower
treaty rate) if the Fund by reason of having a REIT strategy is classified as a QIE. If the Fund
is so classified, foreign shareholders owning more than 5% of the Fund’s shares may be treated as
realizing gain from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest, causing Fund distributions to
be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 35%, and requiring the filing of a nonresident U.S.
income tax return. In addition, if the Fund is classified as a QIE, anti-avoidance rules apply to
certain wash sale transactions. Namely, if the Fund is a QIE and a foreign shareholder disposes of
the Fund’s shares prior to the Fund paying a distribution attributable to the disposition of a U.S.
real property interest and the foreign shareholder later acquires an identical stock interest in a
wash sale transaction, the foreign shareholder may still be required to pay U.S. tax on the Fund’s
distribution. Also, the sale of shares of the Fund, if classified as a “U.S. real property holding
corporation,” could also be considered a sale of a U.S. real property interest with any resulting
gain from such sale being subject to U.S. tax as income “effectively connected with a U.S. trade or
business.” These rules generally apply to dividends paid by the Fund before January 1, 2012
(unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made permanent).
After such sunset date, Fund distributions from a U.S. REIT (whether or not domestically
controlled) attributable to gain from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest will
continue to be subject to the withholding rules described above provided the Fund is classified as
a QIE.
Income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. If the income from the Fund is
effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then
ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale or
redemption of shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable
to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations and require the filing of a nonresident U.S. income tax
return.
Tax certification and backup withholding. Foreign shareholders may have special U.S. tax
certification requirements to avoid backup withholding (at a rate of 28%, subject to increase to
31% as described above), and if applicable, to obtain the benefit of any income tax treaty between
the foreign shareholder’s country of residence and the United States. To claim these tax benefits,
the foreign shareholder must provide a properly completed Form W-8BEN (or other Form W-8, where
applicable, or their substitute forms) to establish his or her status as a non-U.S. investor, to
claim beneficial ownership over the assets in the account, and to claim, if applicable, a reduced
rate of or exemption from withholding tax under the applicable treaty. A Form W-8BEN provided
without a U.S. taxpayer identification number remains in effect for a period of three years
beginning on the date that it is signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar
year. However, non-U.S. investors must advise the Fund of any changes of circumstances that would
render the information given on the form incorrect, and must then provide a new W-8BEN to avoid the
prospective application of backup withholding. Forms W-8BEN with U.S. taxpayer identification
numbers remain valid indefinitely, or until the investor has a change of circumstances that renders
the form incorrect and necessitates a new form and tax certification. Certain payees and payments
are exempt from backup withholding.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, the relevant
withholding agent may be required to withhold 30% of: (a) income dividends paid after December 31,
2013 and (b) certain capital gains distributions and the proceeds of a sale of shares paid
77
after
December 31, 2014 to (i) a foreign financial institution unless such foreign financial institution
agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meets certain other
specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity that is the beneficial owner of the
payment unless such entity certifies that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides
the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner and such entity
meets certain other specified requirements. These requirements are different from, and in addition
to, the U.S. tax certification rules described above. The scope of these requirements remains
unclear, and shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of
these requirements to their own situation.
U.S. estate tax. Transfers by gift of shares of the Fund by a foreign shareholder who is a
nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. An individual who, at
the time of death, is a foreign shareholder will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal estate tax
with respect to shares at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens and residents, unless a
treaty exemption applies. If a treaty exemption is available, a decedent’s estate may nonetheless
need to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption in order to obtain a U.S. federal
transfer certificate. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Fund shares) as
to which the U.S. federal estate tax lien has been released. In the absence of a treaty, there is a
$13,000 statutory estate tax credit (equivalent to an estate with assets of $60,000). Estates of
nonresident alien shareholders dying after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2012 (unless
such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made permanent) will be
able to exempt from federal estate tax the proportion of the value of the Fund’s shares
attributable to “qualifying assets” held by the Fund at the end of the quarter immediately
preceding the nonresident alien shareholder’s death (or such other time as the IRS may designate in
regulations). Qualifying assets include bank deposits and other debt obligations that pay interest
or accrue original issue discount that is exempt from withholding tax, debt obligations of a
domestic corporation that are treated as giving rise to foreign source income, and other
investments that are not treated for tax purposes as being within the United States.
Local Tax Considerations. Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified
dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income
taxation described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign
taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.
DISTRIBUTION OF SECURITIES
Distributor
The Trust has entered into a master distribution relating to the Fund (the Distribution
Agreement) with Invesco Distributors, Inc., a registered broker-dealer and a wholly owned
subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., pursuant to which Invesco Distributors acts as the distributor of
shares of the Fund. The address of Invesco Distributors is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston,
Texas 77046-1173. Certain trustees and officers of the Trust are affiliated with Invesco
Distributors. See “Management of the Trust.” In addition to the Fund, Invesco Distributors serves
as distributor to many other mutual funds that are offered to retail investors.
The Distribution Agreement provides Invesco Distributors with the exclusive right to
distribute shares of the Fund on a continuous basis directly and through other broker-dealers and
other financial intermediaries with whom Invesco Distributors has entered into selected dealer
and/or similar agreements. Invesco Distributors has not undertaken to sell any specified number of
shares of the Fund.
78
The Trust (on behalf of the Fund) or Invesco Distributors may terminate the Distribution
Agreement on 60 days’ written notice without penalty. The Distribution Agreement will terminate
automatically in the event of its assignment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
When issued, the Fund’s financial statements, including the Financial Highlights pertaining
thereto, and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon, will be
incorporated by reference into this SAI from the Fund’s Annual Report to shareholders.
PENDING LITIGATION
Investigations Related to Market Timing
On August 30, 2005, the West Virginia Securities Commissioner (WVSC) issued a Summary Order to
Cease and Desist and Notice of Right to Hearing to AIM Advisors, Inc. and AIM Distributors, Inc.
(predecessors to Invesco Advisers, Inc. and Invesco Distributors, Inc., respectively)
(collectively, “Invesco”) (Order No. 05-1318). The WVSC alleged that Invesco entered into certain
arrangements permitting market timing and failed to disclose these arrangements in violation of the
West Virginia securities laws. The WVSC ordered Invesco to cease any further violations and sought
to impose monetary sanctions, including restitution to affected investors, disgorgement of fees,
reimbursement of investigatory, administrative and legal costs and an “administrative assessment”
to be determined by the Commissioner. On October 27, 2011, a hearing examiner was appointed to
this matter. This matter continues to be indefinitely suspended.
79
APPENDIX A
RATINGS OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following is a description of the factors underlying the debt ratings of Moody’s, S&P and
Fitch.
Moody’s Long-Term Debt Ratings
|
|
|
Aaa:
|
|
Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal 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 considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. |
|
|
|
Baa:
|
|
Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess
certain speculative characteristics. |
|
|
|
Ba:
|
|
Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements 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 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 class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of
principal or interest. |
Note: Moody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in 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.
Moody’s Short-Term Prime Rating System
P-1
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt
obligations.
P-2
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt
obligations.
P-3
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term
obligations.
NP (Not Prime)
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating
categories.
A-1
Note: In addition, in certain countries the prime rating may be modified by the issuer’s or
guarantor’s senior unsecured long-term debt rating.
Moody’s municipal ratings are as follows:
Moody’s U.S. Long-Term Municipal Bond Rating Definitions
Municipal Ratings are opinions of the investment quality of issuers and issues in the US
municipal and tax-exempt markets. As such, these ratings incorporate Moody’s assessment of the
default probability and loss severity of these issuers and issues.
Municipal Ratings are based upon the analysis of four primary factors relating to municipal
finance: economy, debt, finances, and administration/management strategies. Each of the factors
is evaluated individually and for its effect on the other factors in the context of the
municipality’s ability to repay its debt.
Aaa: Issuers or issues rated Aaa demonstrate the strongest creditworthiness relative to other
US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Aa: Issuers or issues rated Aa demonstrate very strong creditworthiness relative to other US
municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
A: Issuers or issues rated A present above-average creditworthiness relative to other US
municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Baa: Issuers or issues rated Baa represent average creditworthiness relative to other US
municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Ba: Issuers or issues rated Ba demonstrate below-average creditworthiness relative to other US
municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
B: Issuers or issues rated B demonstrate weak creditworthiness relative to other US municipal
or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Caa: Issuers or issues rated Caa demonstrate very weak creditworthiness relative to other US
municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Ca: Issuers or issues rated Ca demonstrate extremely weak creditworthiness relative to other
US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
C: Issuers or issues rated C demonstrate the weakest creditworthiness relative to other US
municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Note: Also, Moody’s applied numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating
classification from Aa to Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the issue ranks in the higher end of
its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3
indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic category.
Moody’s MIG/VMIG US Short-Term Ratings
In municipal debt issuance, there are three rating categories for short-term obligations that
are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Moody’s Investment Grade (MIG)
and are divided into three levels — MIG 1 through MIG 3.
A-2
In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG,
or speculative grade.
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned.
The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled
principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of
risk associated with the demand feature, using the MIG rating scale.
The short-term rating assigned to the demand feature of VRDOs is designated as VMIG. When
either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g.,
Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1.
MIG ratings expire at note maturity. By contrast, VMIG rating expirations will be a function
of each issue’s specific structural or credit features.
Gradations of investment quality are indicated by rating symbols, with each symbol
representing a group in which the quality characteristics are broadly the same.
MIG 1/VMIG 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/VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample
although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3/VMIG 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.
Standard & Poor’s Long-Term Corporate and Municipal Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based in varying degrees, on the following considerations:
likelihood of payment — capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on
an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; nature of and provisions of the
obligation; and protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of
bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws
affecting creditors’ rights.
The issue ratings definitions are expressed in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain
to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior
obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above.
S&P describes its ratings for corporate and municipal bonds as follows:
AAA: Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest and
repay principal is extremely strong.
AA: Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs
from the highest rated issues only in a small degree.
A: Debt rated A has a strong capacity to meet its financial commitments although it is
somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic
conditions than debt in higher rated categories.
A-3
BBB: Debt rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic
conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to meet its
financial commitment on the obligation.
BB-B-CCC-CC-C: Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded as having significant speculative
characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the
least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and
protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to
adverse conditions.
D: Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an
obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the
applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during
such grace period.
NR: Not Rated.
Plus (+) or minus (-): Ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or
minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major categories.
S&P Dual Ratings
S&P assigns “dual” ratings to all debt issues that have a put option or demand feature as part
of their structure.
The first rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and
the second rating addresses only the demand feature. The long-term debt rating symbols are used
for bonds to denote the long-term maturity and the commercial paper rating symbols for the put
option (for example, AAA/A-1+). With short-term demand debt, the not rating symbols are used with
the commercial paper rating symbols (for example, SP-1+/A-1+).
S&P Commercial Paper Ratings
An S&P commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of
debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days.
These categories are as follows:
A-1: This highest category indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is
strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted
with a plus sign (+) designation.
A-2: Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However,
the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1.
A-3: Issues carrying this designation have adequate capacity for timely payment. They are,
however, more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than obligations
carrying the higher designations.
B: Issues rated “B” are regarded as having only speculative capacity for timely payment.
C: This rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations with a doubtful capacity for
payment.
A-4
D: Debt rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when interest
payments or principal payments are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period
has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes such payments will be made during such grace
period.
S&P Short-Term Municipal Ratings
An S&P note rating reflect the liquidity factors and market-access risks unique to notes.
Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three
years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria will be used in
making that assessment: amortization schedule (the larger the final maturity relative to other
maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note); and source of payment (the more
dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a
note).
Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very
strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse
financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3: Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Fitch Long-Term Credit Ratings
Fitch Ratings provides an opinion on the ability of an entity or of a securities issue to meet
financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, or repayment of principal, on a
timely basis. These credit ratings apply to a variety of entities and issues, including but not
limited to sovereigns, governments, structured financings, and corporations; debt,
preferred/preference stock, bank loans, and counterparties; as well as the financial strength of
insurance companies and financial guarantors.
Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of getting their money
back in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Thus, the use of credit ratings defines
their function: “investment grade” ratings (international Long-term “AAA” — “BBB” categories;
Short-term “F1” — “F3”) indicate a relatively low probability of default, while those in the
“speculative” or “non-investment grade” categories (international Long-term “BB” — “D”; Short-term
“B” — “D”) either signal a higher probability of default or that a default has already occurred.
Ratings imply no specific prediction of default probability. However, for example, it is relevant
to note that over the long term, defaults on “AAA” rated U.S. corporate bonds have averaged less
than 0.10% per annum, while the equivalent rate for “BBB” rated bonds was 0.35%, and for “B” rated
bonds, 3.0%.
Fitch ratings do not reflect any credit enhancement that may be provided by insurance policies
or financial guaranties unless otherwise indicated.
Entities or issues carrying the same rating are of similar but not necessarily identical
credit quality since the rating categories do not fully reflect small differences in the degrees of
credit risk.
Fitch credit and research are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold any security. Ratings
do not comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any security for a particular
investor, or the tax-exempt nature of taxability of payments of any security.
A-5
The ratings are based on information obtained from issuers, other obligors, underwriters,
their experts, and other sources Fitch Ratings believes to be reliable. Fitch Ratings does not
audit or verify the truth or accuracy of such information. Ratings may be changed or withdrawn as
a result of changes in, or the unavailability of, information or for other reasons.
Our program ratings relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should
not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in
the case of non-standard issues, i.e., those that are linked to the credit of a third party or
linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable
program rating.
Credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. In particular, these
ratings do not deal with the risk of loss due to changes in market interest rates and other market
considerations.
AAA: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of the highest credit quality. The obligor
has an exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, which is unlikely
to be affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. The obligor has
a very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments which is not significantly
vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality. The obligor’s ability
to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to
adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.
BBB: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of good credit quality. The obligor’s
ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in
economic conditions and circumstances are more likely to impair this capacity.
Plus (+) Minus (-): Plus and minus signs are used with a rating symbol to indicate the
relative position of a credit within the rating category. Plus and minus signs, however, are not
used in the “AAA” category.
NR: Indicates that Fitch does not rate the specific issue.
Withdrawn: A rating will be withdrawn when an issue matures or is called or refinanced and at
Fitch’s discretion, when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of information available to be inadequate
for ratings purposes.
RatingWatch: Ratings are placed on RatingWatch to notify investors that there is a reasonable
possibility of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as
“Positive,” indicating a potential upgrade, “Negative,” for potential downgrade, or “Evolving,” if
ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. RatingWatch is typically resolved over a relatively
short period.
Fitch Speculative Grade Bond Ratings
BB: Bonds are considered speculative. There is a possibility of credit risk developing,
particularly as the result of adverse economic changes over time. However, business and financial
alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.
A-6
B: Bonds are considered highly speculative. Significant credit risk is present but a limited
margin of safety remains. While bonds in this class are currently meeting financial commitments,
the capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic
environment.
CCC: Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely
reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments.
CC: Default of some kind appears probable.
C: Bonds are in imminent default in payment of interest or principal.
DDD, DD, and D: Bonds are in default on interest and/or principal payments. Such bonds are
extremely speculative and are valued on the basis of their prospects for achieving partial or full
recovery value in liquidation or reorganization of the obligor. “DDD” represents the highest
potential for recovery on these bonds, and “D” represents the lowest potential for recovery.
Plus (+) Minus (-): Plus and minus signs are used with a rating symbol to indicate the
relative position of a credit within the rating category. Plus and minus signs, however, are not
used in categories below CCC.
Fitch Short-Term Credit Ratings
The following ratings scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. A
Short-term rating has a time horizon of less than 12 months for most obligations, or up to three
years for U.S. public finance securities, and thus places greater emphasis on the liquidity
necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner.
F-1+: Exceptionally Strong Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating are regarded as having
the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment.
F-1-: Very Strong Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating reflect an assurance of timely
payment only slightly less in degree than issues rated “F-1+;”
F-2: Good Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating have a satisfactory degree of assurance
for timely payment, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
F-3: Fair Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating have characteristics suggesting that
the degree of assurance for timely payment is adequate, however, near-term adverse changes could
result in a reduction to non-investment grade.
B: Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus
vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial
commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
D: Default. Issues assigned this rating are in actual or imminent payment default.
A-7
APPENDIX B
Persons to Whom Invesco Provides
Non-Public Portfolio Holdings on an Ongoing Basis
(as of July 31, 2012)
|
|
|
Service Provider |
|
Disclosure Category |
ABN AMRO Financial Services, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Absolute Color
|
|
Financial Printer |
Anglemyer & Co.
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP
|
|
Special Insurance Counsel |
Barclays Capital, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Blaylock Robert Van LLC
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
BB&T Capital Markets
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Bear Stearns Pricing Direct, Inc.
|
|
Pricing Vendor (for certain Invesco Funds) |
BLNS Securities Ltd.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
BOSC, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
BOWNE & Co.
|
|
Financial Printer |
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
|
|
Securities Lender (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Cabrera Capital Markets
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Charles River Systems, Inc.
|
|
System Provider |
Chas. P. Young Co.
|
|
Financial Printer |
Cirrus Research, LLC
|
|
Trading System |
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Commerce Capital Markets
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Crane Data, LLC
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Credit Suisse International / Credit Suisse
Securities (Europe) Ltd.
|
|
Service Provider |
Crews & Associates
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
D.A. Davidson & Co.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Dechert LLP
|
|
Legal Counsel |
DEPFA First Albany
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
E.K. Riley Investments LLC
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Empirical Research Partners
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Finacorp Securities
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
First Miami Securities
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
First Southwest Co.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
First Tryon Securities
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Fitch, Inc.
|
|
Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) |
FT Interactive Data Corporation
|
|
Pricing Vendor |
FTN Financial Group
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
GainsKeeper
|
|
Software Provider (for certain Invesco Funds) |
GCom2 Solutions
|
|
Software Provider (for certain Invesco Funds) |
George K. Baum & Company
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Glass, Lewis & Co.
|
|
System Provider (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Global Trading Analytics, LLC
|
|
Software Provider |
Global Trend Alert
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Greater Houston Publishers, Inc.
|
|
Financial Printer |
Hattier, Sanford & Reynoir
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
B-1
|
|
|
Service Provider |
|
Disclosure Category |
ICI (Investment Company Institute)
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
ICRA Online Ltd.
|
|
Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) |
iMoneyNet, Inc.
|
|
Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Initram Data, Inc.
|
|
Pricing Vendor |
Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.
|
|
Proxy Voting Service (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Invesco Investment Services, Inc.
|
|
Transfer Agent |
Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.
|
|
System Provider (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Investment Company Institute
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Investortools, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
ITG, Inc.
|
|
Pricing Vendor (for certain Invesco Funds) |
J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc.
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.\Citigroup Global
Markets Inc.\JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
|
|
Lender (for certain Invesco Funds) |
J.P. Morgan Securities
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC
|
|
Sub-advisor (for certain sub-advised accounts) |
Jorden Burt LLP
|
|
Special Insurance Counsel |
KeyBanc Capital Markets, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
|
|
Legal Counsel |
Lebenthal & Co. LLC
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Lipper, Inc.
|
|
Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Loan Pricing Corporation
|
|
Pricing Service (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Loop Capital Markets
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
M.R. Beal
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
MarkIt Group Limited
|
|
Pricing Vendor (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Merrill Communications LLC
|
|
Financial Printer |
Mesirow Financial, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Middle Office Solutions
|
|
Software Provider |
Moody’s Investors Service
|
|
Rating & Ranking Agency (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Morrison Foerster LLP
|
|
Legal Counsel |
MS Securities Services, Inc. and Morgan Stanley
& Co. Incorporated
|
|
Securities Lender (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Muzea Insider Consulting Services, LLC
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Ness USA Inc.
|
|
System provider |
Noah Financial, LLC
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Omgeo LLC
|
|
Trading System |
Piper Jaffray
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Prager, Sealy & Co.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
|
|
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (for
all Invesco Funds) |
Protective Securities
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Ramirez & Co., Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
RBC Capital Markets
|
|
Analyst (for certain Invesco Funds) |
RBC Dain Rauscher Incorporated
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Reuters America LLC
|
|
Pricing Service (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Rice Financial Products
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
RR Donnelley Financial
|
|
Financial Printer |
B-2
|
|
|
Service Provider |
|
Disclosure Category |
Ryan Beck & Co.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
SAMCO Capital Markets, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Simon Printing Company
|
|
Financial Printer |
Southwest Precision Printers, Inc.
|
|
Financial Printer |
Southwest Securities
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Standard and Poor’s/Standard and Poor’s
Securities Evaluations, Inc.
|
|
Pricing Service and Rating and Ranking Agency
(each, respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) |
StarCompliance, Inc.
|
|
System Provider |
State Street Bank and Trust Company
|
|
Custodian, Lender, Securities Lender, and System
Provider (each, respectively, for certain Invesco
Funds) |
Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
|
|
Legal Counsel |
The Bank of New York
|
|
Custodian and Securities Lender (each,
respectively, for certain Invesco Funds) |
The MacGregor Group, Inc.
|
|
Software Provider |
The Savader Group LLC
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Thomson Information Services Incorporated
|
|
Software Provider |
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
VCI Group Inc.
|
|
Financial Printer |
Vining Sparks IBG
|
|
Broker (for Certain Invesco Funds) |
W.H Mell Associates, Inc.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Wachovia National Bank, N.A.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
Western Lithograph
|
|
Financial Printer |
Wiley Bros. Aintree Capital L.L.C.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
William Blair & Co.
|
|
Broker (for certain Invesco Funds) |
XSP, LLC\Solutions Plus, Inc.
|
|
Software Provider |
B-3
APPENDIX C
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
As of December 31, 2012
The address of each trustee and officer is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas
77046-1173. The trustees serve for the life of the Trust, subject to their earlier death,
incapacitation, resignation, retirement or removal as more specifically provided in the Trust’s
organizational documents. Each officer serves for a one year term or until their successors are
elected and qualified. Column two below includes length of time served with predecessor entities,
if any.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
Interested Persons |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Martin L. Flanagan1 —
1960
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Executive Director,
Chief Executive
Officer and President,
Invesco Ltd. (ultimate
parent of Invesco and
a global investment
management firm);
Advisor to the Board,
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Institutional
(N.A.), Inc.);
Trustee, The Invesco
Funds; Vice Chair,
Investment Company
Institute; and Member
of Executive Board,
SMU Cox School of
Business
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Chairman,
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
(registered investment
adviser); Director,
Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and
President, 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) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Philip A. Taylor2 — 1954
|
|
2013
|
|
Head of North American
Retail and
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
None |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Mr. Flanagan is considered an interested
person of the Trust because he is an officer of the adviser to the Trust, and
an officer and a director of Invesco Ltd., ultimate parent of the adviser to
the Trust. |
C-1
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
Trustee, President and Principal
Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
Senior
Managing Director,
Invesco Ltd.;
Director, Co-Chairman,
Co-President and
Co-Chief Executive
Officer, Invesco
Advisers, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Institutional
(N.A.), Inc.)
(registered investment
adviser); Director,
Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and
President, Invesco
Management Group, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Aim Management
Group, Inc.)
(financial services
holding company);
Director and
President, INVESCO
Funds Group, Inc.
(registered investment
adviser and registered
transfer agent);
Director and Chairman,
Invesco Investment
Services, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Aim Investment
Services, Inc.)
(registered transfer
agent) and IVZ
Distributors, Inc.
(formerly known as
INVESCO Distributors,
Inc.) (registered
broker dealer);
Director, President
and Chairman, Invesco
Inc. (holding company)
and Invesco Canada
Holdings Inc. (holding
company); Chief
Executive Officer,
Invesco Corporate
Class Inc. (corporate
mutual fund company)
and Invesco Canada
Fund Inc. (corporate
mutual fund company);
Director, Chairman and
Chief Executive
Officer, Invesco
Canada Ltd. (formerly
known as Invesco
Trimark Ltd./Invesco
Trimark Ltèe)
(registered investment
adviser and registered
transfer agent);
Trustee, President and
Principal Executive
Officer, The Invesco
Funds (other than AIM
Treasurer’s Series
Trust (Invesco
Treasurer’s Series
Trust) and Short-Term
Investments Trust);
Trustee and Executive
Vice President, The
Invesco Funds (AIM
Treasurer’s Series
Trust (Invesco
Treasurer’s Series
Trust) and Short-Term
Investments Trust
only); Director,
Invesco Investment
Advisers LLC (formerly
known as Van Kampen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Mr. Taylor is considered an interested
person of the Trust because he is an officer and a director of the adviser to,
and a director of the principal underwriter of, the Trust. |
|
C-2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
|
|
|
|
Asset Management);
Director, Chief
Executive Officer and
President, Van Kampen
Exchange Corp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Director and
Chairman, Van Kampen
Investor Services
Inc.: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director, Chief
Executive Officer and
President, 1371
Preferred Inc.
(holding company); and
Van Kampen Investments
Inc.; Director and
President, AIM GP
Canada Inc. (general
partner for limited
partnerships); and Van
Kampen Advisors, Inc.;
Director and Chief
Executive Officer,
Invesco Trimark Dealer
Inc. (registered
broker dealer);
Director, Invesco
Distributors, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Aim
Distributors, Inc.)
(registered broker
dealer); Manager,
Invesco PowerShares
Capital Management
LLC; Director, Chief
Executive Officer and
President, Invesco
Advisers, Inc.;
Director, Chairman,
Chief Executive
Officer and President,
Invesco Aim Capital
Management, Inc.;
President, Invesco
Trimark Dealer Inc.
and Invesco Trimark
Ltd./Invesco Trimark
Ltèe; Director and
President, AIM Trimark
Corporate Class Inc.
and AIM Trimark Canada
Fund Inc.; Senior
Managing Director,
Invesco Holding
Company Limited;
Trustee and Executive
Vice President,
Tax-Free Investments
Trust; Director and
Chairman, Fund
Management Company
(former registered
broker dealer);
President and
Principal Executive
Officer, The Invesco
Funds (AIM Treasurer’s
Series Trust (Invesco
Treasurer’s Series
Trust), Short-Term
Investments Trust and
Tax-Free Investments
Trust only);
President, AIM Trimark
Global Fund Inc. and
AIM Trimark Canada
Fund Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
C-3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
Wayne W. Whalen3 — 1939
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Of Counsel, and prior
to 2010, partner in
the law firm of
Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Meagher & Flom LLP,
legal counsel to
certain funds in the
Fund Complex
|
|
|
136 |
|
|
Director of the
Mutual Fund
Directors Forum, a
nonprofit
membership
organization for
investment
directors; Chairman
and Director of the
Abraham Lincoln
Presidential
Library Foundation;
and Director of the
Stevenson Center
for Democracy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Independent Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bruce L. Crockett — 1944
Trustee and Chair
|
|
2013
|
|
Chairman, Crockett
Technologies
Associates (technology
consulting company)
Formerly: Director,
Captaris (unified
messaging provider);
Director, President
and Chief Executive
Officer COMSAT
Corporation; and
Chairman, Board of
Governors of INTELSAT
(international
communications
company)
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
ACE Limited
(insurance
company); and
Investment Company
Institute |
|
|
|
3 |
|
Mr. Whalen has been deemed to be an interested person of the Trust because of his prior service as counsel to the
predecessor funds of certain Invesco open-end funds and his affiliation with
the law firm that served as counsel to such predecessor funds and continues to
serve as counsel to the Invesco Van Kampen closed-end funds. |
C-4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
David C. Arch — 1945
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Retired.
Formerly: Chairman
and Chief Executive
Officer of Blistex
Inc., (consumer health
care products
manufacturer)
|
|
|
136 |
|
|
Member of the
Heartland Alliance
Advisory Board, a
nonprofit
organization
serving human needs
based in Chicago.
Board member of the
Illinois
Manufacturers’
Association. Member
of the Board of
Visitors, Institute
for the Humanities,
University of
Michigan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frank S. Bayley — 1939
Trustee
|
|
|
|
Retired
Formerly: Director,
Badgley Funds, Inc.
(registered investment
company) (2
portfolios) and
Partner, law firm of
Baker & McKenzie
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
Director and
Chairman, C.D.
Stimson Company (a
real estate
investment company) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James T. Bunch — 1942
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Managing Member,
Grumman Hill Group LLC
(family office private
equity management)
Formerly: Founder,
Green, Manning & Bunch
Ltd. (investment
banking
firm)(1988-2010);
Executive Committee,
United States Golf
Association; and
Director, Policy
Studies, Inc. and Van
Gilder Insurance
Corporation
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
Chairman, Board of
Governors, Western
Golf Association,
Chairman-elect,
Evans Scholars
Foundation and
Director, Denver
Film Society |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rodney F. Dammeyer — 1940
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Chairman of CAC, LLC,
(private company
offering capital
investment and
management advisory
services)
Formerly: Prior to
2001, Managing Partner
at Equity Group
Corporate Investments.
Prior to 1995, Vice
Chairman of Anixter
International. Prior
to 1985, experience
includes Senior Vice
President and Chief
Financial Officer of
Household
International, Inc,
Executive
|
|
|
136 |
|
|
Director of Quidel
Corporation and
Stericycle, Inc.
Prior to May 2008,
Trustee of The
Scripps Research
Institute. Prior to
February 2008,
Director of Ventana
Medical Systems,
Inc. |
C-5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
|
|
|
|
Vice
President and Chief
Financial Officer of
Northwest Industries,
Inc. and Partner of
Arthur Andersen & Co. |
|
|
|
|
|
Prior to April
2007, Director of
GATX Corporation.
Prior to April
2004, Director of
TheraSense, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Albert R. Dowden — 1941
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Director of a number
of public and private
business corporations,
including the Boss
Group, Ltd. (private
investment and
management); Reich &
Tang Funds (5
portfolios)
(registered investment
company); and
Homeowners of America
Holding Corporation/Homeowners
of America
Insurance Company
(property casualty
company)
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
Director of
Nature’s Sunshine
Products, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Director,
Continental Energy
Services, LLC (oil and
gas pipeline service);
Director, CompuDyne
Corporation (provider
of product and
services to the public
security market) and
Director, Annuity and
Life Re (Holdings),
Ltd. (reinsurance
company); Director,
President and Chief
Executive Officer,
Volvo Group North
America, Inc.; Senior
Vice President, AB
Volvo; Director of
various public and
private corporations;
Chairman, DHJ Media,
Inc.; Director
Magellan Insurance
Company; and Director,
The Hertz Corporation,
Genmar Corporation
(boat manufacturer),
National Media
Corporation; Advisory
Board of Rotary Power
International
(designer,
manufacturer, and
seller of rotary power
engines); and
Chairman, Cortland
Trust, Inc.
(registered investment
company) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jack M. Fields — 1952
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Chief Executive
Officer, Twenty First
Century Group, Inc.
(government affairs
company); and Owner
and Chief Executive
Officer, Dos Angelos
Ranch, L.P. (cattle,
hunting, corporate
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
Insperity (formerly
known as
Administaff) |
C-6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
|
|
|
|
entertainment),
Discovery Global
Education Fund
(non-profit) and Cross
Timbers Quail Research
Ranch (non-profit) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Chief
Executive Officer,
Texana Timber LP
(sustainable forestry
company) and member of
the U.S. House of
Representatives |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prema Mathai-Davis — 1950
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Retired
Formerly: Chief
Executive Officer,
YWCA of the U.S.A.
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Larry Soll — 1942
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Retired
Formerly: Chairman,
Chief Executive
Officer and President,
Synergen Corp. (a
biotechnology company)
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hugo F. Sonnenschein — 1940
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Distinguished Service
Professor and
President Emeritus of
the University of
Chicago and the Adam
Smith Distinguished
Service Professor in
the Department of
Economics at the
University of Chicago.
Formerly: President
of the University of
Chicago
|
|
|
136 |
|
|
Trustee of the
University of
Rochester and a
member of its
investment
committee. Member
of the National
Academy of
Sciences, the
American
Philosophical
Society and a
fellow of the
American Academy of
Arts and Sciences |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Raymond Stickel, Jr. — 1944
Trustee
|
|
2013
|
|
Retired
Formerly: Director,
Mainstay VP Series
Funds, Inc.
(25 portfolios) and
Partner, Deloitte &
Touche
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Officers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Russell C. Burk — 1958
Senior Vice President and Senior
Officer
|
|
|
|
Senior Vice President
and Senior Officer,
The Invesco Funds
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John M. Zerr — 1962
|
|
2013
|
|
Director, Senior Vice President,
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
C-7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
Senior Vice President, Chief Legal
Officer and Secretary
|
|
|
|
Secretary
and General Counsel,
Invesco Management
Group, Inc. (formerly
known as Invesco Aim
Management Group,
Inc.) and Van Kampen
Exchange Corp.; Senior
Vice President,
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Institutional
(N.A.), Inc.)
(registered investment
adviser); Senior Vice
President and
Secretary, Invesco
Distributors, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Aim
Distributors, Inc.);
Director, Vice
President and
Secretary, Invesco
Investment Services,
Inc. (formerly known
as Invesco Aim
Investment Services,
Inc.) and IVZ
Distributors, Inc.
(formerly known as
INVESCO Distributors,
Inc.); Director and
Vice President,
INVESCO Funds Group,
Inc.; Senior Vice
President, Chief Legal
Officer and Secretary,
The Invesco Funds;
Manager, Invesco
PowerShares Capital
Management LLC;
Director, Secretary
and General Counsel,
Invesco Investment
Advisers LLC (formerly
known as Van Kampen
Asset Management);
Secretary and General
Counsel, Van Kampen
Funds Inc. and Chief
Legal Officer,
PowerShares
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust, PowerShares
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust II, PowerShares
India Exchange-Traded
Fund Trust and
PowerShares Actively
Managed
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Director
and Secretary, Van
Kampen Advisors Inc.;
Director Vice
President, Secretary
and General Counsel
Van Kampen Investor
Services Inc.;
Director, Invesco
Distributors, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Aim
Distributors, Inc.);
Director, Senior Vice
President, General
Counsel and Secretary,
Invesco Advisers,
Inc.; and Van Kampen
Investments Inc.;
Director, Vice
President and
Secretary, Fund
Management Company;
Director, Senior Vice
President, Secretary,
General |
|
|
|
|
|
|
C-8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
|
|
|
|
Counsel and
Vice President,
Invesco Aim Capital
Management, Inc.;
Chief Operating
Officer and General
Counsel, Liberty Ridge
Capital, Inc. (an
investment adviser);
Vice President and
Secretary, PBHG Funds
(an investment
company) and PBHG
Insurance Series Fund
(an investment
company); Chief
Operating Officer,
General Counsel and
Secretary, Old Mutual
Investment Partners (a
broker-dealer);
General Counsel and
Secretary, Old Mutual
Fund Services (an
administrator) and Old
Mutual Shareholder
Services (a
shareholder servicing
center); Executive
Vice President,
General Counsel and
Secretary, Old Mutual
Capital, Inc. (an
investment adviser);
and Vice President and
Secretary, Old Mutual
Advisors Funds (an
investment company) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lisa O. Brinkley — 1959
Vice President
|
|
2013
|
|
Global Assurance
Officer, Invesco Ltd.
and Vice President,
The Invesco Funds
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Chief
Compliance Officer,
Invesco Distributors,
Inc. (formerly known
as Invesco Aim
Distributors, Inc.),
Invesco Investment
Services,
Inc.(formerly known as
Invesco Aim Investment
Services, Inc.) and
Van Kampen Investor
Services Inc.; Senior
Vice President,
Invesco Management
Group, Inc.; Senior
Vice President and
Chief Compliance
Officer, Invesco
Advisers, Inc. and The
Invesco Funds; Vice
President and Chief
Compliance Officer,
Invesco Aim Capital
Management, Inc. and
Invesco Distributors,
Inc.; Vice President,
Invesco Investment
Services, Inc. and
Fund Management
Company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
C-9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
Sheri Morris — 1964
Vice President, Treasurer and
Principal Financial Officer
|
|
2013
|
|
Vice President,
Treasurer and
Principal Financial
Officer, The Invesco
Funds; Vice President,
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Institutional
(N.A.), Inc.)
(registered investment
adviser); and
Treasurer, PowerShares
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust, PowerShares
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust II, PowerShares
India Exchange-Traded
Fund Trust and
PowerShares Actively
Managed
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Vice
President, Invesco
Advisers, Inc.,
Invesco Aim Capital
Management, Inc. and
Invesco Aim Private
Asset Management,
Inc.; Assistant Vice
President and
Assistant Treasurer,
The Invesco Funds and
Assistant Vice
President, Invesco
Advisers, Inc.,
Invesco Aim Capital
Management, Inc. and
Invesco Aim Private
Asset Management, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Karen Dunn Kelley — 1960
Vice President
|
|
2013
|
|
Head of Invesco’s
World Wide Fixed
Income and Cash
Management Group;
Senior Vice President,
Invesco Management
Group, Inc. (formerly
known as Invesco Aim
Management Group,
Inc.) and Invesco
Advisers, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Institutional
(N.A.), Inc.)
(registered investment
adviser); Executive
Vice President,
Invesco Distributors,
Inc. (formerly known
as Invesco Aim
Distributors, Inc.);
Director, Invesco
Mortgage Capital Inc.,
INVESCO Global Asset
Management Limited,
Invesco Management
Company Limited and
INVESCO Management
S.A.; Vice President,
The Invesco Funds
(other than AIM
Treasurer’s Series
Trust (Invesco
Treasurer’s Series
Trust) and Short-Term
Investments Trust);
and President and
Principal Executive
Officer, The Invesco
Funds (AIM Treasurer’s
Series Trust (Invesco
Treasurer’s Series
Trust) and Short-
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
C-10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
|
|
|
|
Term
Investments Trust
only) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Senior Vice
President, Van Kampen
Investments Inc.; Vice
President, Invesco
Advisers, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Institutional
(N.A.), Inc.);
Director of Cash
Management and Senior
Vice President,
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
and Invesco Aim
Capital Management,
Inc.; President and
Principal Executive
Officer, Tax-Free
Investments Trust;
Director and
President, Fund
Management Company;
Chief Cash Management
Officer, Director of
Cash Management,
Senior Vice President,
and Managing Director,
Invesco Aim Capital
Management, Inc.;
Director of Cash
Management, Senior
Vice President, and
Vice President,
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
and The Invesco Funds
(AIM Treasurer’s
Series Trust (Invesco
Treasurer’s Series
Trust), Short-Term
Investments Trust and
Tax-Free Investments
Trust only) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yinka Akinsola — 1977
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
Officer
|
|
2013
|
|
Anti-Money Laundering
Compliance Officer,
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Institutional
(N.A.), Inc.)
(registered investment
adviser); Invesco
Distributors, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Aim
Distributors, Inc.),
Invesco Investment
Services, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Aim Investment
Services, Inc.),
Invesco Management
Group, Inc., The
Invesco Funds, Invesco
Van Kampen Closed-End
Funds, Van Kampen
Exchange Corp., Van
Kampen Funds Inc.,
PowerShares
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust, PowerShares
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust II, PowerShares
India Exchange-Traded
Fund Trust, and
PowerShares Actively
Managed
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Regulatory
Analyst III, Financial
Industry Regulatory
Authority (FINRA). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
C-11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Trusteeship(s)/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds in |
|
Directorships(s) |
|
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
Fund |
|
Held by |
Name, Year of Birth |
|
and/or |
|
|
|
Complex |
|
Trustee/Director |
and Position(s) Held |
|
Officer |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
During Past 5 |
with the Trust |
|
Since |
|
During Past 5 Years |
|
Trustee |
|
Years |
Todd L. Spillane — 1958
Chief Compliance Officer
|
|
2013
|
|
Senior Vice President,
Invesco Management
Group, Inc. (formerly
known as Invesco Aim
Management Group,
Inc.) and Van Kampen
Exchange Corp.; Senior
Vice President and
Chief Compliance
Officer, Invesco
Advisers, Inc.
(registered investment
adviser) (formerly
known as Invesco
Institutional (N.A.),
Inc.); Chief
Compliance Officer,
The Invesco Funds;
Vice President,
Invesco Distributors,
Inc. (formerly known
as Invesco Aim
Distributors, Inc.)
and Invesco Investment
Services, Inc.
(formerly known as
Invesco Aim Investment
Services, Inc.)
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Formerly: Chief
Compliance Officer,
Invesco Van Kampen
Closed-End Funds;
Senior Vice President,
Van Kampen Investments
Inc.; Senior Vice
President and Chief
Compliance Officer,
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
and Invesco Aim
Capital Management,
Inc.; Chief Compliance
Officer, INVESCO
Private Capital
Investments, Inc.
(holding company),
Invesco Private
Capital, Inc.
(registered investment
adviser), Invesco
Global Asset
Management (N.A.),
Inc., Invesco Senior
Secured Management,
Inc. (registered
investment adviser)
and Van Kampen
Investor Services
Inc., PowerShares
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust, PowerShares
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust II, PowerShares
India Exchange-Traded
Fund Trust and
PowerShares Actively
Managed
Exchange-Traded Fund
Trust; Vice President,
Invesco Aim Capital
Management, Inc. and
Fund Management
Company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
C-12
Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares as of December 31, 2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of |
|
|
|
|
Equity Securities in All |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment |
|
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities |
|
Companies Overseen by |
Name of Trustee |
|
Per Fund |
|
Trustee in Invesco Funds |
Martin L. Flanagan
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000 |
Philip A. Taylor
|
|
None
|
|
None |
Wayne W. Whalen
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000 |
David C. Arch
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000 |
Frank S. Bayley
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000 |
James T. Bunch
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,0005 |
Bruce L. Crockett
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,0005 |
Rodney F. Dammeyer
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000 |
Albert R. Dowden
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000 |
Jack M. Fields
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,0005 |
Carl Frischling4
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,0005 |
Prema Mathai-Davis
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,0005 |
Larry Soll
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,0005 |
Hugo F. Sonnenschein
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000 |
Raymond Stickel, Jr.
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
Retired effective December 31, 2012. |
|
5 |
|
Includes the 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. |
C-13
APPENDIX D
TRUSTEE COMPENSATION TABLE
Set forth below is information regarding compensation paid or accrued for each trustee of the Trust
who was not affiliated with Invesco during the year ended December 31, 2012:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Retirement |
|
|
Annual Benefits |
|
|
Total Compensation |
|
|
|
Aggregate |
|
|
Benefits |
|
|
Upon Retirement |
|
|
From all Invesco |
|
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
Accrued by All |
|
|
for Invesco |
|
|
Funds Paid to |
|
Trustee |
|
from the Trust(1) |
|
|
Invesco Funds(2) |
|
|
Funds(3) |
|
|
Trustees(4) |
|
Interested Trustee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wayne Whalen |
|
$ |
-0- |
|
|
$ |
357,269 |
|
|
$ |
204,000 |
|
|
$ |
393,000 |
|
Independent Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
David C. Arch |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
202,943 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
406,250 |
|
Frank S. Bayley |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
227,815 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
377,900 |
|
James T. Bunch |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
333,951 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
345,700 |
|
Bruce L. Crockett |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
229,886 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
666,000 |
|
Rodney Dammeyer |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
345,145 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
357,087 |
|
Albert R. Dowden |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
322,755 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
372,900 |
|
Jack M. Fields |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
363,066 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
316,000 |
|
Carl Frischling(5) |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
227,815 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
367,900 |
|
Prema Mathai-Davis |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
349,810 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
340,700 |
|
Larry Soll |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
371,889 |
|
|
|
225,769 |
|
|
|
377,900 |
|
Hugo F. Sonnenschein |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
345,145 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
426,700 |
|
Raymond Stickel, Jr. |
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
259,883 |
|
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
|
402,600 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The total amount of compensation deferred by all trustees of the Trust during
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, including earnings, was $-0. |
|
(2) |
|
The total amount of expenses allocated to the Trust as of December 31, 2012
in respect of such retirement benefits was $-0-. |
|
(3) |
|
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. |
|
(4) |
|
All trustees except Messrs. Arch, Sonnenschein and Whalen currently serve
as trustees of 16 registered investment companies advised by Invesco. Messrs. Arch,
Sonnenschein and Whalen currently serve as trustee of 29 registered investment companies
advised by Invesco. |
|
(5) |
|
As of December 31, 2012, the Trust paid $0 legal fees to Kramer Levin
Naftalis & Frankel LLP for services rendered by such firm as counsel to the independent
trustees of the Trust. Mr. Frischling is a partner of such firm. Mr. Frischling’s retirement
from the Board was effective December 31, 2012. |
D-1
APPENDIX E
PROXY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
I.2. PROXY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES — RETAIL
|
|
|
Applicable to
|
|
Retail Accounts |
|
|
|
Risk Addressed by Policy
|
|
breach of fiduciary duty to client under
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing
Invesco personal interests ahead of client
best economic interests in voting proxies |
|
|
|
Relevant Law and Other Sources
|
|
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 |
|
|
|
Last Tested Date |
|
|
|
|
|
Policy/Procedure Owner
|
|
Advisory Compliance |
|
|
|
Policy Approver
|
|
Fund Board |
|
|
|
Approved/Adopted Date
|
|
January 1, 2010 |
The following policies and procedures apply to certain funds and other accounts managed by
Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco”).
A. POLICY STATEMENT
Introduction
Our Belief
The Invesco Funds Boards of Trustees and Invesco’s investment professionals expect a high standard
of corporate governance from the companies in our portfolios so that Invesco may fulfill its
fiduciary obligation to our fund shareholders and other account holders. Well governed companies
are characterized by a primary focus on the interests of shareholders, accountable boards of
directors, ample transparency in financial disclosure, performance-driven cultures and appropriate
consideration of all stakeholders. Invesco believes well governed companies create greater
shareholder wealth over the long term than poorly governed companies, so we endeavor to vote in a
manner that increases the value of our investments and fosters good governance within our portfolio
companies.
In determining how to vote proxy issues, Invesco considers the probable business consequences of
each issue and votes in a manner designed to protect and enhance fund shareholders’ and other
account holders’ interests. Our voting decisions are intended to enhance each company’s total
shareholder value over Invesco’s typical investment horizon.
Proxy voting is an integral part of Invesco’s investment process. We believe that the right to vote
proxies should be managed with the same care as all other elements of the investment process. The
objective of Invesco’s proxy-voting activity is to promote good governance and advance the economic
interests of our clients. At no time will Invesco exercise its voting power to advance its own
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commercial interests, to pursue a social or political cause that is unrelated to our
clients’ economic interests, or to favor a particular client or business relationship to the
detriment of others.
B. OPERATING PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBLE PARTIES
Proxy administration
The Invesco Retail Proxy Committee (the “Proxy Committee”) consists of members representing
Invesco’s Investments, Legal and Compliance departments. Invesco’s Proxy Voting Guidelines (the
“Guidelines”) are revised annually by the Proxy Committee, and are approved by the Invesco Funds
Boards of Trustees. The Proxy Committee implements the Guidelines and oversees proxy voting.
The Proxy Committee has retained outside experts to assist with the analysis and voting of proxy
issues. In addition to the advice offered by these experts, Invesco uses information gathered from
our own research, company managements, Invesco’s portfolio managers and outside shareholder groups
to reach our voting decisions.
Generally speaking, Invesco’s investment-research process leads us to invest in companies led by
management teams we believe have the ability to conceive and execute strategies to outperform their
competitors. We select companies for investment based in large part on our assessment of their
management teams’ ability to create shareholder wealth. Therefore, in formulating our proxy-voting
decisions, Invesco gives proper consideration to the recommendations of a company’s Board of
Directors.
Important principles underlying the Invesco Proxy Voting Guidelines
I. Accountability
Management teams of companies are accountable to their boards of directors, and directors of
publicly held companies are accountable to their shareholders. Invesco endeavors to vote the
proxies of its portfolio companies in a manner that will reinforce the notion of a board’s
accountability to its shareholders. Consequently, Invesco votes against any actions that would
impair the rights of shareholders or would reduce shareholders’ influence over the board or over
management.
The following are specific voting issues that illustrate how Invesco applies this principle of
accountability.
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Elections of directors. In uncontested director elections for companies that do not have
a controlling shareholder, Invesco votes in favor of slates if they are comprised of at
least a majority of independent directors and if the boards’ key committees are fully
independent. Key committees include the Audit, Compensation and Governance or Nominating
Committees. Invesco’s standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to
the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they
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Contested director elections are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and are decided within
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Director performance. Invesco withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of
accountability to shareholders, either through their level of attendance at meetings or by
enacting egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial
restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan
(“poison pills”) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco
may withhold votes from some or all of a company’s directors. In situations where
directors’ performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take
corrective actions such as so-called “clawback” provisions. |
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Auditors and Audit Committee members. Invesco believes a company’s Audit Committee has a
high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity
of the financial statements and effectiveness of a company’s internal controls.
Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a
well-functioning Audit Committee. When electing directors who are members of a company’s
Audit Committee, or when ratifying a company’s auditors, Invesco considers the past
performance of the Committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the
company’s financial statements and reports. |
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Majority standard in director elections. The right to elect directors is the single most
important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco supports the
nascent effort to reform the U.S. convention of electing directors, and votes in favor of
proposals to elect directors by a majority vote. |
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Classified boards. Invesco supports proposals to elect directors annually instead of
electing them to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a board’s
level of accountability to its shareholders. |
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Supermajority voting requirements. Unless proscribed by law in the state of
incorporation, Invesco votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting
requirement, and supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements. |
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Responsiveness. Invesco withholds votes from directors who do not adequately respond to
shareholder proposals that were approved by a majority of votes cast the prior year. |
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Cumulative voting. The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to
have representation on a company’s board. Invesco supports proposals to institute the
practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards
indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders. |
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Shareholder access. On business matters with potential financial consequences, Invesco
votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders’ opportunities to express
their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder
action and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in
corporate governance. |
II. Incentives
Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are
effective in creating incentives that induce managements and employees of our portfolio companies
to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco supports equity compensation plans that promote the
proper alignment of incentives, and votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing
shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to
reduce the value of an account’s investment.
Following are specific voting issues that illustrate how Invesco evaluates incentive plans.
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Executive compensation. Invesco evaluates compensation plans for executives within the
context of the company’s performance under the executives’ tenure. Invesco believes
independent compensation committees are best positioned to craft executive-compensation
plans that are suitable for their company-specific circumstances. We view the election of
those independent compensation committee members as the appropriate mechanism for
shareholders to express their approval or disapproval of a company’s compensation
practices. Therefore, Invesco generally does not support shareholder proposals to limit or
eliminate certain forms of executive compensation. In the interest of reinforcing the
notion of a compensation committee’s accountability to shareholders, Invesco supports
proposals requesting that companies subject each year’s compensation record to an advisory
shareholder vote, or so-called “say on pay” proposals. |
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Equity-based compensation plans. When voting to approve or reject equity-based
compensation plans, Invesco compares the total estimated cost of the plans, including stock
options and restricted stock, against a carefully selected peer group and uses multiple
performance metrics that help us determine whether the incentive structures in place are
creating genuine shareholder wealth. Regardless of a plan’s estimated cost relative to its
peer group, Invesco votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair
the alignment of incentives between
shareholders and management. Such features include the ability to reprice or reload options
without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stock’s current market
price, or the ability to automatically replenish shares without shareholder approval. |
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Employee stock-purchase plans. Invesco supports employee stock-purchase plans that are
reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided
that the price at which employees may acquire stock is at most a 15 percent discount from
the market price. |
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Severance agreements. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory
shareholder ratification of executives’ severance agreements. However, we oppose proposals
requiring such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption. |
III. Capitalization
Examples of management proposals related to a company’s capital structure include authorizing or
issuing additional equity capital, repurchasing outstanding stock, or enacting a stock split or
reverse stock split. On requests for additional capital stock, Invesco analyzes the company’s
stated reasons for the request. Except where the request could adversely affect the fund’s
ownership stake or voting rights, Invesco generally supports a board’s decisions on its needs for
additional capital stock. Some capitalization proposals require a case-by-case analysis within the
context of Invesco’s investment thesis on a company. Examples of such proposals include authorizing
common or preferred stock with special voting rights, or issuing additional stock in connection
with an acquisition.
IV. Mergers, Acquisitions and Other Corporate Actions
Issuers occasionally require shareholder approval to engage in certain corporate actions such as
mergers, acquisitions, name changes, dissolutions, reorganizations, divestitures and
reincorporations. Invesco analyzes these proposals within the context of our investment thesis on
the company, and determines its vote on a case-by-case basis.
V. Anti-Takeover Measures
Practices designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder
value and voting rights, and they create conflicts of interests among directors, management and
shareholders. Except under special issuer-specific circumstances, Invesco votes to reduce or
eliminate such measures. These measures include adopting or renewing “poison pills”, requiring
supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of
electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock
with special voting rights. Invesco generally votes against management proposals to impose these
types of measures, and generally votes for shareholder proposals designed to reduce such measures.
Invesco supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover
provisions to a shareholder vote.
VI. Shareholder Proposals on Corporate Governance
Invesco generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights
if a company’s corporate-governance standards indicate that such additional protections are
warranted.
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VII. Shareholder Proposals on Social Responsibility
The potential costs and economic benefits of shareholder proposals seeking to amend a company’s
practices for social reasons are difficult to assess. Analyzing the costs and economic benefits of
these proposals is highly subjective and does not fit readily within our framework of voting to
create greater shareholder wealth over Invesco’s typical investment horizon. Therefore, Invesco
abstains from voting on shareholder proposals deemed to be of a purely social, political or moral
nature.
VIII. Routine Business Matters
Routine business matters rarely have a potentially material effect on the economic prospects of
fund holdings, so we generally support the board’s discretion on these items. However, Invesco
votes against proposals where there is insufficient information to make a decision about the nature
of the proposal. Similarly, Invesco votes against proposals to conduct other unidentified business
at shareholder meetings.
Summary
These Guidelines provide an important framework for making proxy-voting decisions, and should give
fund shareholders and other account holders insight into the factors driving Invesco’s decisions.
The Guidelines cannot address all potential proxy issues, however. Decisions on specific issues
must be made within the context of these Guidelines and within the context of the investment thesis
of the funds and other accounts that own the company’s stock. Where a different investment thesis
is held by portfolio managers who may hold stocks in common, Invesco may vote the shares held on a
fund-by-fund or account-by-account basis.
Exceptions
In certain circumstances, Invesco may refrain from voting where the economic cost of voting a
company’s proxy exceeds any anticipated benefits of that proxy proposal.
Share-lending programs
One reason that some portion of Invesco’s position in a particular security might not be voted is
the securities lending program. When securities are out on loan and earning fees for the lending
fund, they are transferred into the borrower’s name. Any proxies during the period of the loan are
voted by the borrower. The
lending fund would have to terminate the loan to vote the company’s proxy, an action that is not
generally in the best economic interest of fund shareholders. However, whenever Invesco determines
that the benefit to shareholders or other account holders of voting a particular proxy outweighs
the revenue lost by terminating the loan, we recall the securities for the purpose of voting the
fund’s full position.
“Share-blocking”
Another example of a situation where Invesco may be unable to vote is in countries where the
exercise of voting rights requires the fund to submit to short-term trading restrictions, a
practice known as “share-blocking.” Invesco generally
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refrains from voting proxies in
share-blocking countries unless the portfolio manager determines that the benefit to fund
shareholders and other account holders of voting a specific proxy outweighs the fund’s or other
account’s temporary inability to sell the security.
International constraints
An additional concern that sometimes precludes our voting non-U.S. proxies is our inability to
receive proxy materials with enough time and enough information to make a voting decision. In the
great majority of instances, however, we are able to vote non-U.S. proxies successfully. It is
important to note that Invesco makes voting decisions for non-U.S. issuers using these Guidelines
as our framework, but also takes into account the corporate-governance standards, regulatory
environment and generally accepted best practices of the local market.
Exceptions to these Guidelines
Invesco retains the flexibility to accommodate company-specific situations where strictly adhering
to the Guidelines would lead to a vote that the Proxy Committee deems not to be in the best
interest of the funds’ shareholders and other account holders. In these situations, the Proxy
Committee will vote the proxy in the manner deemed to be in the best interest of the funds’
shareholders and other account holders, and will promptly inform the funds’ Boards of Trustees of
such vote and the circumstances surrounding it.
Resolving potential conflicts of interest
A potential conflict of interest arises when Invesco votes a proxy for an issuer with which it also
maintains a material business relationship. Examples could include issuers that are distributors of
Invesco’s products, or issuers that employ Invesco to manage portions of their retirement plans or
treasury accounts. Invesco reviews each proxy proposal to assess the extent, if any, to which there
may be a material conflict between the interests of the fund shareholders or other account holders
and Invesco.
Invesco takes reasonable measures to determine whether a potential conflict may exist. A potential
conflict is deemed to exist only if one or more of the Proxy
Committee members actually knew or should have known of the potential conflict.
If a material potential conflict is deemed to exist, Invesco may resolve the potential conflict in
one of the following ways: (1) if the proposal that gives rise to the potential conflict is
specifically addressed by the Guidelines, Invesco may vote the proxy in accordance with the
predetermined Guidelines; (2) Invesco may engage an independent third party to determine how the
proxy should be voted; or (3) Invesco may establish an ethical wall or other informational barrier
between the persons involved in the potential conflict and the persons making the proxy-voting
decision in order to insulate the potential conflict from the decision makers.
Because the Guidelines are pre-determined and crafted to be in the best economic interest of
shareholders and other account holders, applying the Guidelines to vote client proxies should, in
most instances, adequately resolve any potential conflict of
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interest. As an additional safeguard
against potential conflicts, persons from Invesco’s marketing, distribution and other
customer-facing functions are precluded from becoming members of the Proxy Committee.
On a quarterly basis, the Invesco Funds Boards of Trustees review a report from Invesco’s Internal
Compliance Controls Committee. The report contains a list of all known material business
relationships that Invesco maintains with publicly traded issuers. That list is cross-referenced
with the list of proxies voted over the period. If there are any instances where Invesco’s voting
pattern on the proxies of its material business partners is inconsistent with its voting pattern on
all other issuers, they are brought before the Trustees and explained by the Chairman of the Proxy
Committee.
Personal conflicts of interest. If any member of the Proxy Committee has a personal conflict of
interest with respect to a company or an issue presented for voting, that Proxy Committee member
will inform the Proxy Committee of such conflict and will abstain from voting on that company or
issue.
Funds of funds. Some Invesco Funds offering diversified asset allocation within one investment
vehicle own shares in other Invesco Funds. A potential conflict of interest could arise if an
underlying Invesco Fund has a shareholder meeting with any proxy issues to be voted on, because
Invesco’s asset-allocation funds or target-maturity funds may be large shareholders of the
underlying fund. In order to avoid any potential for a conflict, the asset-allocation funds and
target maturity funds vote their shares in the same proportion as the votes of the external
shareholders of the underlying fund.
C. RECORDKEEPING
Records are maintained in accordance with Invesco’s Recordkeeping Policy.
Policies and Vote Disclosure
A copy of these Guidelines and the voting record of each Invesco Fund are available on our web
site, www.invesco.com. In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission regulations,
all funds file a record of all proxy-voting activity for the prior 12 months ending June 30th. That
filing is made on or before August 31st of each year.
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I.1. PROXY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES — INSTITUTIONAL
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Applicable to
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Institutional Accounts
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Risk Addressed by Policy
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breach of fiduciary duty to client under Investment Advisers Act
of 1940 by placing Invesco personal interests ahead of client
best economic interests in voting proxies
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Relevant Law and Other Sources
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Investment Advisers Act of 1940
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Last Tested Date
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Policy/Procedure Owner
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Advisory Compliance, Proxy Committee
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Policy Approver
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Invesco Risk Management Committee
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Approved/Adopted Date
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January 1, 2010, revised August 2011
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The following policies and procedures apply to all institutional accounts, clients and funds
managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco”). These policies and procedures do not apply to any
of the retail funds managed by Invesco. See Section I.2 for the proxy policies and procedures
applicable to Invesco’s retail funds.
A. POLICY STATEMENT
Invesco has responsibility for making investment decisions that are in the best interests of its
clients. As part of the investment management services it provides to clients, Invesco may be
authorized by clients to vote proxies appurtenant to the shares for which the clients are
beneficial owners.
Invesco believes that it has a duty to manage clients’ assets in the best economic interests of its
clients and that the ability to vote proxies is a client asset.
Invesco reserves the right to amend its proxy policies and procedures from time to time without
prior notice to its clients.
Voting of Proxies
Invesco will vote client proxies relating to equity securities in accordance with the procedures
set forth below unless a non-ERISA client retains in writing the right to vote, the named fiduciary
(e.g., the plan sponsor) of an ERISA client retains in writing the right to direct the plan trustee
voting a proxy
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would be outweighed by the costs associated therewith. In addition, due to the distinct nature of
proxy voting for interests in fixed income assets and stable value wrap agreements, the proxies for
such fixed income assets and stable value wrap agreements will be voted in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the “Proxy Voting for Fixed Income Assets and Stable Value Wrap Agreements”
section below.
Best Economic Interests of Clients
In voting proxies, Invesco will take into consideration those factors that may affect the value of
the security and will vote proxies in a manner in which, in its opinion, is in the best economic
interests of clients. Invesco endeavors to resolve any conflicts of interest exclusively in the
best economic interests of clients.
B. OPERATING PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBLE PARTIES
ISS’ Services
Invesco has contracted with ISS, an independent third party service provider, to vote Invesco’s
clients’ proxies according to ISS’ proxy voting recommendations determined by ISS pursuant to its
then-current US Proxy Voting Guidelines, a summary of which can be found here, and which
are deemed to be incorporated herein. In addition, ISS will provide proxy analyses, vote
recommendations, vote execution and record-keeping services for clients for which Invesco has proxy
voting responsibility. On an annual basis, the Proxy Committee will review information obtained
from ISS to ascertain whether ISS (i) has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy
issues, and (ii) can make such recommendations in an impartial manner and in the best economic
interests of Invesco’s clients. This may include a review of ISS’ Policies, Procedures and
Practices Regarding Potential Conflicts of Interest and obtaining information about the work ISS
does for corporate issuers and the payments ISS receives from such issuers.
Custodians forward to ISS proxy materials for clients who rely on Invesco to vote proxies. ISS is
responsible for exercising the voting rights in accordance with the ISS proxy voting guidelines.
If Invesco receives proxy materials in connection with a client’s account where the client has, in
writing, communicated to Invesco that the client, plan fiduciary or other third party has reserved
the right to vote proxies, Invesco will forward to the party appointed by client any proxy
materials it receives with respect to the account. In order to avoid voting proxies in
circumstances where Invesco, or any of its affiliates have or may have any conflict of interest,
real or perceived, Invesco has engaged ISS to provide the proxy analyses, vote recommendations and
voting of proxies.
In the event that (i) ISS recuses itself on a proxy voting matter and makes no recommendation or
(ii) Invesco decides to override the ISS vote recommendation, the Proxy Committee will review the
issue and direct ISS how to vote the proxies as described below.
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Proxy Voting for Fixed Income Assets and Stable Value Wrap Agreements
Some of Invesco’s fixed income clients hold interests in preferred stock of companies and some of
Invesco’s stable value clients are parties to wrap agreements. From time to time, companies that
have issued preferred stock or that are parties to wrap agreements request that Invesco’s clients
vote proxies on particular matters. ISS does not currently provide proxy analysis or vote
recommendations with respect to such proxy votes. Therefore, when a particular matter arises in
this category, the investment team responsible for the particular mandate will review the matter
and make a recommendation to the Proxy Manager as to how to vote the associated proxy. The Proxy
Manager will complete the proxy ballots and send the ballots to the persons or entities identified
in the ballots.
Proxy Committee
The Proxy Committee shall have seven (7) members, which shall include representatives from
portfolio management, operations, and legal/compliance or other functional departments as deemed
appropriate and who are knowledgeable regarding the proxy process. A majority of the members of
the Proxy Committee shall constitute a quorum and the Proxy Committee shall act by a majority vote
of those members in attendance at a meeting called for the purpose of determining how to vote a
particular proxy. The Proxy Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings that shall be kept with
the proxy voting records of Invesco. The Proxy Committee will appoint a Proxy Manager to manage
the proxy voting process, which includes the voting of proxies and the maintenance of appropriate
records.
The Proxy Manager shall call for a meeting of the Proxy Committee (1) when override submissions are
made; and (2) in instances when ISS has recused itself or has not provided a vote recommendation
with respect to an equity security. At such meeting, the Proxy Committee shall determine how
proxies are to be voted in accordance with the factors set forth in the section entitled “Best
Economic Interests of Clients,” above.
The Proxy Committee also is responsible for monitoring adherence to these procedures and engaging
in the annual review described in the section entitled “ISS’ Services,” above.
Recusal by ISS or Failure of ISS to Make a Recommendation
When ISS does not make a recommendation on a proxy voting issue or recuses itself due to a conflict
of interest, the Proxy Committee will review the issue and determine whether Invesco has a material
conflict of interest as determined pursuant to the policies and procedures outlined in the
“Conflicts of Interest” section below. If Invesco determines it does not have a material conflict
of interest, Invesco will direct ISS how to vote the proxies. If Invesco determines it does have a
material conflict of interest, the Proxy Committee will follow the policies and procedures set
forth in such section.
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Override of ISS’ Recommendation
There may be occasions where Invesco investment personnel, senior officers or a member of the Proxy
Committee seek to override a ISS recommendation if they believe that a ISS recommendation is not in
accordance with the best economic interests of clients. In the event that an individual listed
above in this section disagrees with a ISS recommendation on a particular voting issue, the
individual shall document in writing the reasons that he/she believes that the ISS recommendation
is not in accordance with clients’ best economic interests and submit such written documentation to
the Proxy Manager for consideration by the Proxy Committee along with the certification attached as
Appendix A hereto. Upon review of the documentation and consultation with the individual and
others as the Proxy Committee deems appropriate, the Proxy Committee may make a determination to
override the ISS voting recommendation if the Committee determines that it is in the best economic
interests of clients and the Committee has addressed any conflict of interest.
Proxy Committee Meetings
When a Proxy Committee Meeting is called, whether because of a ISS recusal or request for override
of a ISS recommendation, the Proxy Committee shall request from the Chief Compliance Officer as to
whether any Invesco person has reported a conflict of interest.
The Proxy Committee shall review the report from the Chief Compliance Officer to determine whether
a real or perceived conflict of interest exists, and the minutes of the Proxy Committee shall:
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determine whether such real or perceived conflict of interest is material, |
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discuss any procedure used to address such conflict of interest, |
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report any contacts from outside parties (other than routine communications
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include confirmation that the recommendation as to how the proxies are to be
voted is in the best economic interests of clients and was made without regard to any
conflict of interest. |
Based on the above review and determinations, the Proxy Committee will direct ISS how to vote the
proxies as provided herein.
Certain Proxy Votes May Not Be Cast
In some cases, Invesco may determine that it is not in the best economic interests of clients to
vote proxies. For example, proxy voting in certain countries outside
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the United States requires share blocking. Shareholders who wish to vote their proxies must
deposit their shares 7 to 21 days before the date of the meeting with a designated depositary.
During the blocked period, shares to be voted at the meeting cannot be sold until the meeting has
taken place and the shares have been returned to the Custodian/Sub-Custodian bank. In addition,
voting certain international securities may involve unusual costs to clients, some of which may be
related to requirements of having a representative in person attend the proxy meeting. In other
cases, it may not be possible to vote certain proxies despite good faith efforts to do so, for
instance when inadequate notice of the matter is provided. In the instance of loan securities,
voting of proxies typically requires termination of the loan, so it is not usually in the best
economic interests of clients to vote proxies on loaned securities. Invesco typically will not,
but reserves the right to, vote where share blocking restrictions, unusual costs or other barriers
to efficient voting apply. Invesco will not vote if it determines that the cost of voting exceeds
the expected benefit to the client. The Proxy Manager shall record the reason for any proxy not
being voted, which record shall be kept with the proxy voting records of Invesco.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Procedures to Address Conflicts of Interest and Improper Influence
In order to avoid voting proxies in circumstances where Invesco or any of its affiliates have or
may have any conflict of interest, real or perceived, Invesco has contracted with ISS to provide
proxy analyses, vote recommendations and voting of proxies. Unless noted otherwise by ISS, each
vote recommendation provided by ISS to Invesco shall include a representation from ISS that ISS has
no conflict of interest with respect to the vote. In instances where ISS has recused itself or
makes no recommendation on a particular matter, or if an override submission is requested, the
Proxy Committee shall determine how to vote the proxy and instruct the Proxy Manager accordingly,
in which case the conflict of interest provisions discussed below shall apply.
In effecting the policy of voting proxies in the best economic interests of clients, there may be
occasions where the voting of such proxies may present a real or perceived conflict of interest
between Invesco, as the investment manager, and Invesco’s clients. For each director, officer and
employee of Invesco (“Invesco person”), the interests of Invesco’s clients must come first, ahead
of the interest of Invesco and any Invesco person, including Invesco’s affiliates. Accordingly, no
Invesco person may put “personal benefit,” whether tangible or intangible, before the interests of
clients of Invesco or otherwise take advantage of the relationship with Invesco’s clients.
“Personal benefit” includes any intended benefit for oneself or any other individual, company,
group or organization of any kind whatsoever, except a benefit for a client of Invesco, as
appropriate. It is imperative that each Invesco person avoid any situation that might compromise,
or call into question, the exercise of fully independent judgment that is in the interests of
Invesco’s clients.
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Occasions may arise where a person or organization involved in the proxy voting process may have a
conflict of interest. A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a business relationship with
(or is actively soliciting business from) either the company soliciting the 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. Additional examples of situations where a conflict may exist
include:
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Business Relationships — where Invesco manages money for a company or an
employee group, manages pension assets or is actively soliciting any such business, or
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Personal Relationships — where an Invesco person has a personal
relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests,
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relationship relating to a company (e.g. a spouse or other relative who serves as a
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In the event that the Proxy Committee determines that Invesco (or an affiliate) has a material
conflict of interest, the Proxy Committee will not take into consideration the relationship giving
rise to the conflict of interest and shall, in its sole discretion, either (a) decide to vote the
proxies pursuant to ISS’ general proxy voting guidelines, (b) engage an independent third party to
provide a vote recommendation, or (c) contact Invesco’s client(s) for direction as to how to vote
the proxies.
In the event an Invesco person has a conflict of interest and has knowledge of such conflict of
interest, it is the responsibility of such Invesco person to disclose the conflict to the Chief
Compliance Officer. When a Proxy Committee meeting is called, the Chief Compliance Officer will
report to the Proxy Committee all real or potential conflicts of interest for the Proxy Committee
to review and determine whether such conflict is material. If the Proxy Committee determines that
such conflict is material and involves a person involved in the proxy voting process, the Proxy
Committee may require such person to recuse himself or herself from participating in the
discussions regarding the proxy vote item and from casting a vote regarding how Invesco should vote
such proxy. An Invesco person will not be considered to have a material conflict of interest if
the Invesco person did not know of the conflict of interest and did not attempt to influence the
outcome of a proxy vote.
In order to ensure compliance with these procedures, the Proxy Manager and each member of the Proxy
Committee shall certify annually as to their compliance with this policy. In addition, any Invesco
person who submits a ISS override recommendation to the Proxy Committee shall certify as to their
compliance with this policy concurrently with the submission of their override recommendation. A
form of such certification is attached as Appendix A.
E-14
In addition, members of the Proxy Committee must notify Invesco’s Chief Compliance Officer, with
impunity and without fear of retribution or retaliation, of any direct, indirect or perceived
improper influence exerted by any Invesco person or by an affiliated company’s representatives with
regard to how Invesco should vote proxies. The Chief Compliance Officer will investigate the
allegations and will report his or her findings to the Invesco Risk Management Committee. In the
event that it is determined that improper influence was exerted, the Risk Management Committee will
determine the appropriate action to take, which actions may include, but are not limited to, (1)
notifying the affiliated company’s Chief Executive Officer, its Management Committee or Board of
Directors, (2) taking remedial action, if necessary, to correct the result of any improper
influence where clients have been harmed, or (3) notifying the appropriate regulatory agencies of
the improper influence and cooperating fully with these regulatory agencies as required. In all
cases, the Proxy Committee shall not take into consideration the improper influence in determining
how to vote proxies and will vote proxies solely in the best economic interests of clients.
C. RECORDKEEPING
Records are maintained in accordance with Invesco’s Recordkeeping Policy.
Proxy Voting Records
The proxy voting statements and records will be maintained by the Proxy Manager on-site (or
accessible via an electronic storage site of ISS) for the first two (2) years. Copies of the proxy
voting statements and records will be maintained for an additional five (5) years by Invesco (or
will be accessible via an electronic storage site of ISS). Clients may obtain information about
how Invesco voted proxies on their behalf by contacting their client services representative.
Alternatively, clients may make a written request for proxy voting information to: Proxy Manager,
1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.
E-15
APPENDIX A
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CERTIFICATION
I acknowledge that I have read the Invesco Proxy Voting Policy (a copy of which
has been supplied to me, which I will retain for future reference) and agree to comply
in all respects with the terms and provisions thereof. I have disclosed or reported
all real or potential conflicts of interest to the Invesco Chief Compliance Officer
and will continue to do so as matters arise. I have complied with all provisions of
this Policy.
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Print Name |
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Date
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I.1 Proxy Policy Appendix A
Acknowledgement and Certification
E-16
Invesco Perpetual
Policy on Corporate Governance and Stewardship
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Contents |
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E-19
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Introduction |
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Scope |
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Responsible voting |
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Voting procedures |
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Dialogue with companies |
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Non-routine resolutions and other topics |
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Evaluation of companies’ environmental, social and governance arrangements (ESG) |
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Disclosure and reporting |
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UK Stewardship Code |
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Appendix 1 — Voting on non-UK/European and blocked shares |
E-18
Invesco Perpetual
Policy on Corporate Governance and Stewardship
1. |
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Introduction |
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Invesco Perpetual (IP), a business name of Invesco Asset Management Limited, has adopted a
clear and considered policy towards its responsibility as a shareholder on behalf of all
investors in portfolios managed by them. As part of this policy, IP will take steps to
satisfy itself about the extent to which the companies in which it invests look after
shareholders’ value in their companies and comply with local recommendations and practices,
such as the UK Corporate Governance Code issued by the Financial Reporting Council and the
U.S. Department of Labor Interpretive Bulletins. |
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IP has a responsibility to optimise returns to its investors. As a core part of the
investment process, IP’s fund managers will endeavour to establish a dialogue with
management to promote company decision making that is in the best interests of shareholders,
and is in accordance with good Corporate Governance principles. |
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Being a major shareholder in a company is more than simply expecting to benefit in its
future earnings streams. In IP’s view, it is about helping to provide the capital it needs
to grow, it is about being actively involved in its strategy and it is about helping to
ensure that shareholder interests are always at the forefront of management’s thoughts. |
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IP considers that shareholder activism is fundamental to good Corporate Governance. Although
this does not entail intervening in daily management decisions, it does involve supporting
general standards for corporate activity and, where necessary, taking the initiative to
ensure those standards are met, with a view to protecting and enhancing value for our
investors in our portfolios. |
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Engagement will also be proportionate and will reflect the size of holdings, length of
holding period and liquidity of the underlying company shares. This is because in most of
IP’s investment jurisdictions, the only effective remedy of last resort available to
shareholders, other than liquidating their share ownership, is the removal of directors. |
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2. |
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Scope |
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The scope of this policy covers all portfolios that are managed by the IP investment teams
located in Henley on Thames, United Kingdom and specifically excludes portfolios that are
managed by other investment teams within the wider Invesco group that have their own voting,
corporate governance and stewardship policies. As an example, within IP’s ICVC range the
following funds are excluded: IP UK Enhanced Index, IP US Equity Benchmark Plus, IP Hong
Kong & China, IP Japanese Smaller Companies, IP Global Balanced Index Fund, IP Global ex-UK
Core Equity and the IP Global ex-UK Enhanced Index. |
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3. |
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Responsible voting |
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One important means of putting shareholder responsibility into practice is via the
exercising of voting rights. In deciding whether to vote shares, IP will take into account
such factors as the likely impact of voting on management activity, and where expressed, the
preference of clients. As a result of these two factors, IP will tend to vote on all UK
and European shares, but to vote on a more selective basis on other shares. (See Appendix I
— Voting on non-UK/European shares). |
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IP considers that the voting rights attached to its clients’ investments should be actively
managed with the same duty of care as that applied to all other aspects of asset
administration. As such, voting rights will be exercised on an informed and independent
basis, and will not simply be passed back to the company concerned for discretionary voting
by the Chairman. |
E-19
Invesco Perpetual
Policy on Corporate Governance and Stewardship
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In voting for or against a proposal, IP will have in mind three objectives, as follows: |
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To protect the rights of its investors |
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To minimise the risk of financial or business impropriety within the companies in
which its clients are invested, and |
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To protect the long-term value of its clients’ investments. |
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It is important to note that, when exercising voting rights, the third option of abstention
can also be used as a means of expressing dissatisfaction, or lack of support, to a board on
any particular issue. Additionally, in the event of a conflict of interest arising between
IP and its clients over a specific issue, IP will either abstain or seek instruction from
each client. |
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IP will actively exercise the voting rights represented by the shares it manages on behalf
of its investors where it is granted the discretion to do so. In certain circumstances the
discretion is retained by the client, where they wish to be responsible for applying their
own right to vote. |
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Note: Share blocking |
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Generally, IP will not vote where this results in shares being blocked from trading for a
period of more than a few hours. IP considers that it is not in the interest of clients that
their shares are blocked at a potentially sensitive time, such as the time around a
shareholder meeting. |
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Voting procedures |
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IP will endeavour to keep under regular review with trustees, depositaries, custodians and
third party proxy voting services the practical arrangements for circulating company
resolutions and notices of meetings and for exercising votes in accordance with standing or
special instructions. Although IP’s proxy voting service will provide research and
recommendations for each resolution, each fund manager will cast their vote independently
considering their own research and dialogue with company management. |
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Proxy voting research and services are currently provided by Institutional Shareholder
Services (ISS), part of the RiskMetrics Group. |
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IP will endeavour to review regularly any standing or special instructions on voting and
where possible, discuss with company representatives any significant issues. |
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IP will take into account the implications of stock lending arrangements where this is
relevant (that is, when stock is lent to the extent permitted by local regulations, the
voting rights attaching to that stock pass to the borrower). However, IP does not currently
enter into any stock lending arrangements as it believes the facility does not support
active shareholder engagement. |
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5. |
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Dialogue with companies |
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IP will endeavour, where practicable in accordance with its investment approach, to
enter into a dialogue with companies based on the mutual understanding of objectives. This
dialogue is likely to include regular meetings with company representatives to explore any
concerns about corporate governance where these may impact on the best interests of clients.
In discussion with company boards and senior non-Executive Directors, IP will endeavour to
cover any matters of particular relevance to shareholder value. |
E-20
Invesco Perpetual
Policy on Corporate Governance and Stewardship
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Those people on the inside of a company, most obviously its executives, know their
businesses much more intimately. Therefore, it is usually appropriate to leave strategic
matters in their hands. However, if that strategy is not working, or alternatives need
exploring, IP will seek to influence the direction of that company where practicable. In
IP’s view, this is part of its responsibility to investors, where possible, in shaping
strategy. Ultimately the business’ performance will have an impact on the returns generated
by IP’s portfolios, whether it is in terms of share price performance or dividends, and IP
wants to seek to ensure that the capital IP has invested on behalf of its clients is being
used as effectively as possible. In the majority of cases IP is broadly in agreement with
the direction of a company that it has invested in, as its initial decision to invest will
have taken these factors into account. But these issues demand regular re-evaluation, which
can only be achieved through company meetings. |
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The building of this relationship facilitates frank and open discussion, and ongoing
interaction is an integral part of the fund manager’s role. The fact that IP has been a
major shareholder in a number of companies for a long time, in particular within its
domestic UK portfolios, reflects both the fact that IP’s original investment was based on a
joint understanding of where the business was going and the ability of the management to
execute that plan. Inevitably there are times when IP’s views diverge from those of the
company’s executives but, where possible, it attempts to work with the company towards a
practical solution. However, IP believes that its status as part-owner of a company means
that it has both the right and the responsibility to make its views known. The option of
selling out of that business is always open, but normally IP prefers to push for change,
even if this can be a slow process. |
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Specifically when considering resolutions put to shareholders, IP will pay attention to
the companies’ compliance with the relevant local requirements. In addition, when analysing
the company’s prospects for future profitability and hence returns to shareholders, IP will
take many variables into account, including but not limited to, the following: |
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Nomination and audit committees |
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Remuneration committee and directors’ remuneration |
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Board balance and structure |
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Financial reporting principles |
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Internal control system and annual review of its effectiveness |
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Dividend and Capital Management policies |
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Socially Responsible Investing policies |
6. |
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Non-routine resolutions and other topics |
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These will be considered on a case-by-case basis and where proposals are put to the vote
will require proper explanation and justification by (in most instances) the board. Examples
of such proposals would be all political donations and any proposal made by a shareholder or
body of shareholders (typically a pressure group). |
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Apart from the three fundamental voting objectives set out under ‘Responsible Voting’ above,
considerations that IP might apply to non-routine proposals will include: |
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The degree to which the company’s stated position on the issue could affect its
reputation and/or sales, or leave it vulnerable to boycott or selective purchasing |
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Peer group response to the issue in question |
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Whether implementation would achieve the objectives sought in the proposal |
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Whether the matter is best left to the Board’s discretion. |
E-21
Invesco Perpetual
Policy on Corporate Governance and Stewardship
7. |
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Evaluation of companies’ environmental, social and governance arrangements |
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At IP, each fund manager is individually responsible for environmental, social and
governance (ESG) matters, rather than utilising ESG professionals or an internal / external
discrete team independent from the fund management process. ESG issues are deemed as an
essential component of the fund manager’s overall investment responsibilities. Additionally,
fund managers may call on the support of the IP Operations team on any ESG matter. |
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As mentioned in Section 5, company meetings are an integral part of IP’s investment research
approach and discussions at these meetings include all matters that might affect the share
price, including ESG issues. |
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IP’s research is structured to give it a detailed understanding of a company’s key
historical and future, long-term business drivers, such as demand for its products, pricing
power, market share trends, cash flow and management strategy. This enables IP’s investment
teams to form a holistic opinion of management strategy, the quality of the management, an
opinion on a company’s competitive position, its strategic advantages/ disadvantages, and
corporate governance arrangements, thus incorporating any inherent ESG issues. |
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IP will, when evaluating companies’ governance arrangements, particularly those
relating to board structure and composition, give due weight to all relevant factors brought
to its attention. |
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8. |
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Disclosure and reporting |
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Although IP acknowledges initiatives of transparency, it is also very aware of its fiduciary
duty and the interests of all investors in portfolios managed by them. As such, IP is very
cognisant that disclosure of any meeting specific information may have a detrimental affect
in its ability to manage its portfolios and ultimately would not be in the best interests of
all shareholders. Primarily, this is for investor protection and to allow IP’s fund managers
to manage their portfolios in the interests of all its clients. |
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Although IP does not report specific findings of company meetings for external use, regular
illustrations will be provided to demonstrate that active engagement is at the heart of its
investment process. |
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For clients with individual mandates, (i.e. not invested in a fund), IP may discuss specific
issues where it can share details of a client’s portfolio with that specific client.
Occasionally, where IP has expressed strong views to management over matters of governance,
those views have gained media attention, but IP will never seek to encourage such debates in
the media. |
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On request from investors, IP will in good faith provide records of voting instructions
given to third parties such as trustees, depositaries and custodians provided that: |
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In IP’s view, it does not conflict with the best interests of other investors and |
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It is understood that IP will not be held accountable for the expression of views
within such voting instructions and |
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IP is not giving any assurance nor undertaking nor has any obligation to ensure
that such instructions resulted in any votes actually being cast. Records of voting
instructions within the immediate preceding three months will not normally be
provided for activities within the funds managed by IP. |
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Note: |
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The record of votes will reflect the voting instruction of the relevant fund manager.
This may not be the same as votes actually cast as IP is entirely reliant on third parties
complying promptly with such instructions to ensure that such votes are cast correctly.
Accordingly, the |
E-22
Invesco Perpetual
Policy on Corporate Governance and Stewardship
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provision of information relating to an instruction does not mean that a vote was
actually cast, just that an instruction was given in accordance with a particular view
taken. |
9. |
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The UK Stewardship Code |
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The UK Stewardship Code (the Code)issued by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) aims to
enhance the quality of engagement between institutional investors and companies to help
improve long-term returns to shareholders and the efficient exercise of governance
responsibilities. The Code sets out seven principles, which support good practice on
engagement with UK investee companies and to which the FRC believes institutional investors
should aspire. The Code is applied on a ‘comply or explain’ approach. IP sets out below how
it complies with each principle or details why it chooses not to. |
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Principle 1 |
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Institutional investors should publicly disclose their policy on how they will discharge
their stewardship responsibilities. |
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IP complies with Principle 1 and publishes the Invesco Perpetual Policy on Corporate
Governance and Stewardship on its website — |
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http://investor.invescoperpetual.co.uk/portal/site/ipinvestor/aboutus/ukstewardshipcode/ |
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Principle 2 |
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Institutional investors should have a robust policy on managing conflicts of interest in
relation to stewardship and this policy should be publicly disclosed. |
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IP complies with Principle 2 by meeting its regulatory requirement of having an effective
Conflicts of Interest Policy. Any conflicts of interest arising through its stewardship of
investee companies will be handled in accordance with that policy. |
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In respect of stewardship, IP anticipates the opportunity for conflicts arising would be
limited, e.g. where it invests in a company that is also a broker (i.e. dealing) of, or
client of IP. |
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Principle 3 |
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Institutional investors should monitor their investee companies. |
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As an active shareholder, IP complies with Principle 3. Through its investment process, fund
managers endeavour to establish on a proportionate basis ongoing dialogue with company
management and this is likely to include regular meetings. In discussions with company
boards and senior non-Executive Directors, IP will explore any concerns about corporate
governance where these may impact on the best interests of clients, together with any other
matters of particular value to shareholders. |
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Meeting company boards of investee companies is a core part of IP’s investment process and
IP is committed to keeping records of all future key engagement activities. |
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When casting votes on behalf of investors, IP keeps detailed records of all instructions
given in good faith to third parties such as trustees, depositories and custodians. Although
the rationale for voting in a particular manner is not automatically captured through the
voting process, the individually responsible fund manager would be expected to be able to
clearly articulate their decision whenever required. |
E-23
Invesco Perpetual
Policy on Corporate Governance and Stewardship
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Principle 4 |
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Institutional investors should establish clear guidelines on when and how they will escalate
their activities as a method of protecting and enhancing shareholder value. |
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IP complies with Principle 4 with its fund managers managing corporate governance matters
independently being a key part of their investment process to protect and add value on
behalf investors. Initially any issues / concerns would be raised by its fund managers
through IP’s process of ongoing dialogue and company meetings. On occasions that a fund
manager believes an issue is significant enough to be escalated, this will be done through
IP’s Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and the IP Operations team who will ensure the relevant
internal resources are made available to support the fund manager in securing the most
appropriate outcome for IP’s clients. |
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Principle 5 |
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Institutional investors should be willing to act collectively with other investors where
appropriate. |
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IP is supportive of collective engagement in cases where objectives between parties are
mutually agreeable and, as they pertain to the UK market, are not in breach of ‘concert
party’ rules. Other shareholders can engage directly with the relevant fund manager or
through an investment adviser. Alternatively, enquiries can be directed to the members of
the IP Operations team detailed below: |
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Charles Henderson — Head of IP Operations and Dealing |
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Dan Baker — IP Operations Manager |
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Principle 6 |
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Institutional investors should have a clear policy on voting and disclosure of voting
activity. |
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As detailed in Section 3, IP is committed to voting on all the UK stocks it holds for its
underlying investors and where it has the full discretion to do so. Whilst comprehensive
records of IP’s voting instructions are maintained, IP does not report specifically on its
voting activity. Whilst being mindful of its fiduciary duty and the interest of all
investors, IP believes that automatic public disclosure of its voting records may have a
detrimental affect on its ability to manage its portfolios and ultimately would not be in
the best interest of all shareholders. |
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On specific requests from clients, IP will in good faith provide records of voting
instructions given to third parties such as trustees, depositaries and custodians subject to
limitations detailed in Section 8. |
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Principle 7 |
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Institutional investors should report periodically on their stewardship and voting
activities. |
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IP complies with Principle 7 through a commitment to provide regular illustrations of
its engagement activities and to respond to voting record requests from investors in its
portfolios on an individual basis. |
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Although IP does not report specific findings of company meetings for external use, regular
illustrations will be provided to demonstrate that active engagement is at the heart of its
investment process. On request from investors, IP will in good faith provide records of
voting instructions given to third parties such as trustees, depositaries and custodians
subject to certain limitations outlined in Section 8. Although the rationale for its voting
decision is not captured through the voting process, individual fund managers would be
expected to articulate their decision whenever required. |
E-24
Invesco Perpetual
Policy on Corporate Governance and Stewardship
Appendix 1
Voting on non-UK/European shares
When deciding whether to exercise the voting rights attached to its clients’ non-UK/European
shares, IP will take into consideration a number of factors. These will include the:
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Likely impact of voting on management activity, versus the cost to the client |
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Portfolio management restrictions (e.g. share blocking) that may result from voting |
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Preferences, where expressed, of clients |
Generally, IP will vote on non-UK/European shares by exception only, except where the client or
local regulator expressly requires voting on all shares.
Note: Share blocking
Generally, IP will not vote where this results in shares being blocked from trading for a period of
more than a few hours. IP considers that it is not in the interest of clients that their shares are
blocked at a potentially sensitive time, such as that around a shareholder meeting.
E-25
As at 30 September 2010.
Information our products is available on the contact details provided below.
Telephone calls may be recorded.
The value of investments and any income will fluctuate (this may partly be the result of exchange
rate fluctuations) and investors may not get back the full amount invested.
Past performance is not a guide to future returns.
Where Invesco Perpetual has expressed views and opinions, these may change.
Invesco Perpetual is a business name of Invesco Asset Management Limited. Authorised and regulated
by the Financial Services Authority.
Invesco Asset Management Limited
Perpetual Park, Perpetual Park Drive, Henley-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire, RG9 1HH
Telephone: Broker Services 0800 0282121
www.invescoperpetual.co.uk
30 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AG
Telephone: 020 7065 4000
www.invescoperpetual.co.uk/institutional
Registered in England 949417
Registered Office: 30 Finsbury Square, London, EC2A 1AG
E-26
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1.1 |
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Introduction |
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Invesco recognises its fiduciary obligation to act in the best interests of all
clients, be they superannuation trustees, institutional clients, unit-holders in
managed investment schemes or personal investors. One way Invesco represents its
clients in matters of corporate governance is through the proxy voting process. |
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This policy sets out Invesco Australia’s approach to proxy voting in the context of
portfolio management, client service responsibilities and corporate governance
principles. |
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This policy applies to; |
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all Australian based and managed funds and mandates, in accordance with
IFSA Standard No. 13.00 October 2004, clause 9.1 and footnote #3. |
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This policy does not apply; |
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where investment management of an international fund has been delegated to
an overseas Invesco company, proxy voting will rest with that delegated
manager. |
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In order to facilitate its proxy voting process and to avoid conflicts of interest
where these may arise, Invesco may retain a professional proxy voting service to
assist with in-depth proxy research, vote recommendations, vote execution, and the
necessary record keeping. |
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1.2 |
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Guiding Principles |
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1.2.1 |
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The objective of Invesco’s Proxy Voting Policy is to promote the economic
interests of its clients. At no time will Invesco use the shareholding powers exercised
in respect of its clients’ investments to advance its own commercial interests, to
pursue a social or political cause that is unrelated to clients’ economic interests, or
to favour a particular client or other relationship to the detriment of others. |
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1.2.2 |
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The involvement of Invesco as an institutional shareholder will not extend to
interference in the proper exercise of Board or management responsibilities, or impede
the ability of companies to take the calculated commercial risks which are essential
means of adding value for shareholders. |
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1.2.3 |
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The primary aim of the policy is to encourage a culture of performance among
investee companies, rather than one of mere conformance with a prescriptive set of rules
and constraints. |
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1.2.4 |
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Invesco considers that proxy voting rights are an important power, which if
exercised diligently can enhance client returns, and should be managed with the same
care as any other asset managed on behalf of its clients. |
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1.2.5 |
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Invesco may choose not to vote on a particular issue if this results in shares
being blocked from trading for a period of more than 4 |
E-27
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hours; it may not be in the interest of clients if the liquidity of investment
holdings is diminished at a potentially sensitive time, such as that around a
shareholder meeting. |
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1.3 |
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Proxy Voting Authority |
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1.3.1 |
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Authority Overview |
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An important dimension of Invesco’s approach to corporate governance is the
exercise of proxy voting authority at the Annual General Meetings or other
decision-making forums of companies in which we manage investments on behalf of
clients. |
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Proxy voting policy follows two streams, each defining where discretion to
exercise voting power should rest — with Invesco as the investment manager
(including its ability to outsource the function), or with individual mandate
clients. |
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Under the first alternative, Invesco’s role would be both to make voting
decisions, for pooled funds and on individual mandate clients’ behalf, and to
implement those decisions. |
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Under the second alternative, where IM clients retain voting control, Invesco has no
role to play other than administering voting decisions under instructions from our
clients on a cost recovery basis. |
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1.3.2 |
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Individually-Managed Clients |
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IM clients may elect to retain voting authority or delegate this authority to Invesco.
If delegated, Invesco will employ either ISS or ASCI guidelines (selected at
inception by the client) but at all times Invesco Investment Managers will retain the
ability to override any decisions in the interests of the client. Alternate overlays
and ad hoc intervention will not be allowed without Board approval. |
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In cases where voting authority is delegated by an individually-managed client,
Invesco recognises its responsibility to be accountable for the decisions it makes. |
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Some individually-managed clients may wish to retain voting authority for themselves,
or to place conditions on the circumstances in which it can be exercised by investment
managers1. |
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The choice of this directive will occur at inception or at major review events only.
Individually managed clients will not be allowed to move on an ad hoc basis between
delegating control to the funds manager and full direct control. |
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1 |
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In practice, it is believed that this option
is generally only likely to arise with relatively large clients such as
trustees of major superannuation funds or statutory corporations that have the
resources to develop their own policies and to supervise their implementation
by investment managers and custodians. In particular, clients who have
multiple equity managers and utilise a master custody arrangement may be more
likely to consider retaining voting authority in order to ensure consistency of
approach across their total portfolio. Such arrangements will be costed into
administration services at inception. |
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1.3.3 |
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Pooled Fund Clients |
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The funds manager is required to act solely in the collective
interests of unit holders at large rather than as a direct agent or delegate
of each unit holder. The legal relationship that exists means it is not
possible for the manager to accept instructions from a particular pooled fund
client as to how to exercise proxy voting authority in a particular instance. |
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Invesco’s accountability to pooled fund clients in exercising its fiduciary
responsibilities is best addressed as part of the manager’s broader client
relationship and reporting responsibilities. |
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In considering proxy voting issues arising in respect of
pooled fund shareholdings, Invesco will act solely in accordance with its
fiduciary responsibility to take account of the collective interests of unit
holders in the pooled fund as a whole. |
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All proxy voting decisions may be delegated to an outsourced
provider, but Invesco investment managers will retain the ability to override
these decisions in the interests of fund unit holders. |
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1.4 |
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Key Proxy Voting Issues |
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1.4.1 |
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Issues Overview |
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Invesco will consider voting requirements on all issues at all company meetings
directly or via an outsourced provider. We will generally not announce our voting
intentions and the reasons behind them. |
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1.4.2 |
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Portfolio Management Issues |
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Invesco does not consider it feasible or desirable to prescribe in advance
comprehensive guidelines as to how it will exercise proxy voting authority in all
circumstances. The primary aim of Invesco’s approach to corporate governance is
to encourage a culture of performance among the companies in which we invest in
order to add value to our clients’ portfolios, rather than one of mere conformance
with a prescriptive set of rules and constraints. |
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As a general rule, Invesco will vote against any actions that will reduce the
rights or options of shareholders, reduce shareholder influence over the board of
directors and management, reduce the alignment of interests between management and
shareholders, or reduce the value of shareholders’ investments, unless balanced by
reasonable increase in net worth of the shareholding. |
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Where appropriate, Invesco will also use voting powers to influence companies to
adopt generally accepted best corporate governance practices in areas such as
board composition, disclosure policies and the other areas of recommended
corporate governance practice. |
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Administrative constraints are highlighted by the fact that many issues on which
shareholders are in practice asked to vote are routine matters relating to
the ongoing administration of the company — eg. approval of financial
accounts or housekeeping amendments to Articles of Association. Generally in
such cases, |
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Invesco will be in favour of the motion as most companies take seriously their
duties and are acting in the best interests of shareholders. However, reasonable
consideration of issues and the actual casting of a vote on all such resolutions
would entail an unreasonable administrative workload and cost. For this reason,
Invesco may outsource all or part of the proxy voting function at the expense of
individual funds. Invesco believes that an important consideration in the framing
of a proxy voting policy is the need to avoid unduly diverting resources from our
primary responsibilities to add value to our clients’ investments through
portfolio management and client service. |
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Internal Proxy Voting Procedure |
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In situations where an override decision is required to be made or where the
outsourced provider has recused itself from a vote recommendation, the
responsible Investment Manager will have the final say as to how a vote will be
cast. |
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In the event that a voting decision is considered not to be in the best
interests of a particular client or where a vote is not able to be cast, a
meeting may be convened at any time to determine voting intentions. The meeting
will be made up of at least three of the following: |
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Chief Executive Officer; |
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Head of Operations & Finance; |
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Head of either Legal or Compliance; and |
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Relevant Investment Manager(s). |
Invesco will keep records of its proxy voting activities, directly or through outsourced
reporting.
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Upon client election, Invesco will report quarterly or annually to the client on proxy
voting activities for investments owned by the client. |
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A record will be kept of the voting decision in each case by Invesco or its outsourced
provider. Invesco will disclose on an annual basis, a summary of its proxy voting
statistics on its website as required by IFSA standard No. 13 — Proxy Voting. |
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Voting Rights Policy
This document sets out the high level Proxy Voting policy of Invesco Asset
Management GmbH and Invesco Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH. The principles within this
policy are followed by both Invesco Asset Management GmbH and Invesco
Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH or to any of its delegates as applicable
Introduction:
Invesco Asset Management GmbH and Invesco Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH is committed to
the fair and equitable treatment of all its clients. As such Invesco Asset Management GmbH
and Invesco Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH has put in place procedures to ensure that
voting rights attached to securities within a UCITS for which it is the Management Company
are exercised where appropriate and in the best interests of the individual UCITS itself.
Where Invesco Asset Management GmbH and Invesco Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH delegates
the activity of Investment Management it will ensure that the delegate has in place
policies and procedures consistent with the principles of this policy.
Outline of Voting Rights Process:
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Voting opportunities which exist in relation to securities within each individual
UCITS are monitored on an ongoing basis in order to ensure that advantage can be
taken of any opportunity that arises to benefit the individual UCITS. |
It is has been identified that a voting opportunity exist, an investment decisions is
taken whether or not the opportunity to vote should be exercised and, if relevant, the
voting decision to be taken. Considerations which are taken into account include:
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the cost of participating in the vote relative to the potential benefit to the UCITS |
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the impact of participation in a vote on the liquidity of the securities creating
the voting opportunity due to the fact that some jurisdictions will require that the
securities are not sold for a period if they are the subject of a vote. |
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Other factors as deemed appropriate by the Investment Manager in relation to the
investment objectives and policy of the individual UCITS. |
It may be the case that an investment decision is taken not to participate in a vote. Such
decisions can be equally appropriate due to the considerations applied by the investment
team to determine the relative benefit to the individual UCITS, based on criteria such as
fund size, investment objective, policy and investment strategy applicable.
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Information on Voting Activity:
Further information on votes which were available to individual UCITS and actions taken
are available to unitholders free of charge and by request to the UCITS Management
Company.
Conflicts of Interest:
(name of management company) has a Conflict of Interest Policy which outlines the
principles for avoiding, and where not possible, managing conflicts of interest. At no
time will Invesco use shareholding powers in respect of individual UCITS to advance its
own commercial interests, to pursue a social or political cause that is unrelated to a
UCITS economic interests, or to favour another UCITS or client or other relationship to
the detriment of others. This policy is available, free of cost, from the (name of
Management Company.)
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B6. Proxy Voting
Policy Number: B-6 Effective Date: May 1,
2001 Revision Date: December 2010
1. Purpose and Background
In its trusteeship and management of mutual funds, Invesco Trimark acts as fiduciary to the
Fund and must act in its best interest.
2. Application
Invesco Trimark will make every effort to exercise all voting rights with respect to
securities held in the accounts (“Accounts”) that it acts as investment fund manager and/or adviser
including separately managed portfolios (“SMPs”), investment funds offered in Canada (“Canadian
Funds”), investment funds registered under and governed by the US Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended, and to which Invesco Trimark provides advisory services (the “US Funds”).but excluding
Accounts (“Sub-Advised Accounts”) that are sub-advised to affiliated or third party advisers
(“Sub-Advisers”) to provide investment advice to such accounts. Proxies for Sub-Advised Accounts
will be voted in accordance with the Sub-Adviser’s policy, unless the sub-advisory agreement or
investment management agreement between the client and Invesco Trimark provides otherwise.
Unless the investment management agreement between Invesco Trimark and its client provides
otherwise, Invesco Trimark’s portfolio managers have responsibility for exercising all proxy votes
and in doing so, for acting in the best interest of the Account. Portfolio managers must vote
proxies in accordance with the Invesco Trimark Proxy Voting Guidelines (the “Guidelines”), as
amended from time to time, a copy of which is attached to this policy.
When a proxy is voted against the recommendation of the publicly traded company’s management,
the portfolio manager or designate will provide to the Chief Investment Officer (“CIO”) the reasons
in writing for any vote in opposition to management’s recommendation.
Invesco Trimark may delegate to a third party the responsibility to vote proxies on behalf of
all or certain Accounts, in accordance with the Guidelines.
3. Proxy Administration, Records Management and Data Retention
3.1 Proxy Administration
Invesco Trimark has a dedicated proxy team within the Investment Operations and Support
department (“Proxy Team”). This team is responsible for managing all proxy voting materials. The
Proxy Team endeavours to ensure that all proxies and notices are received from all issuers on a
timely basis.
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Proxy voting circulars for all companies are received electronically through an external
service provider. Circulars for North American companies and ADRs are generally also received in
paper format.
Once a circular is received, the Proxy Team verifies that all shares and Accounts affected are
correctly listed. The Proxy Team then gives a copy of the proxy ballot to each affected portfolio
manager and maintains a tracking list to ensure that all proxies are voted within the prescribed
deadlines.
Once voting information has been received from the portfolio managers, voting instructions are
sent electronically to the service provider who then forwards the instructions to the appropriate
proxy voting agent or transfer agent.
3.2 Records Management and Data Retention
Invesco Trimark will maintain for all Accounts a record of all proxies received, a record of
votes cast and a copy of the reasons for voting against management. In addition, for the US Funds
Invesco Trimark will maintain a copy of any document created by Invesco Trimark that was material
to making a decision how to vote proxies on behalf of a U.S. Fund and that memorializes the basis
of that decision.
The external proxy service provider retains on behalf of Invesco Trimark electronic records of
the votes cast and agrees to provide Invesco Trimark with a copy of proxy records promptly upon
request. The service provider must make all documents available to Invesco Trimark for a period of
7 years.
In the event that Invesco Trimark ceases to use an external service provider, all documents
would be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place i) for a period of 2 years where
Invesco Trimark carries on business in Canada and ii) for a period of 5 years thereafter at the
same location or at any other location.
4. Reporting
The CIO will report on proxy voting to the Compliance Committees of the Invesco Trimark Fund
Advisory Board and the Boards of Directors of Invesco Trimark Canada Fund Inc. and Invesco Trimark
Corporate Class Inc. (collectively, the “Board Compliance Committees”) on an annual basis with
respect to all Canadian Funds and investment funds managed by Invesco Trimark but sub-advised by a
Sub-Adviser. The CIO will report on proxy voting to the Board of Directors of the US Funds as
required from time to time.
In accordance with National Instrument 81-106 (NI 81-106), proxy voting records for all
Canadian mutual funds must be prepared annually (for the period ended June 30) and must be posted
on Invesco Trimark’s website no later than August 31st of each year.
The Invesco Trimark Compliance department (“Compliance department”) will review a sample of
the proxy voting records posted on Invesco Trimark’s website on an annual basis to confirm that the
records are posted by the August 31st deadline under NI 81-106.
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A summary of the review will be
maintained and preserved by the Compliance department in an easily accessible place i) for a period
of 2 years where Invesco Trimark
carries on business in Canada and ii) for a period of 5 years thereafter at the same location or at
any other location.
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INVESCO TRIMARK
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to describe Invesco Trimark’s general guidelines for voting
proxies received from companies held in the accounts (“Accounts”) for which it acts as investment
fund manager and/or adviser including separately managed portfolios (“SMPs”), investment funds
offered in Canada (“Canadian Funds”) and investment funds registered under and governed by the US
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and to which Invesco Trimark provides advisory services
(the “US Funds”) but excluding Accounts (“Sub-Advised Accounts”) that are sub-advised by affiliated
or third party advisers (“Sub-Advisers”) to provide investment advice to such accounts. Proxies
for Sub-Advised Accounts will be voted in accordance with the Sub-Adviser’s policy, unless the
sub-advisory agreement or investment advisory agreement between the client and Invesco Trimark
provides otherwise.
As part of its due diligence, the Invesco Trimark Compliance department will review the proxy
voting policies & procedures of any new sub-advisors to ensure that they are appropriate in the
circumstances.
Introduction
Invesco Trimark has a fiduciary obligation to act in the best long-term economic interest of
the Accounts when voting proxies of portfolio companies.
The default is to vote with the recommendation of the publicly traded company’s management.
As a general rule, Invesco Trimark shall vote against any actions that would:
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reduce the rights or options of shareholders, |
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reduce shareholder influence over the board of directors and management, |
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reduce the alignment of interests between management and shareholders, or |
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reduce the value of shareholders’ investments. |
At the same time, since Invesco Trimark’s Toronto-based portfolio managers follow an
investment discipline that includes investing in companies that are believed to have strong
management teams, the portfolio managers will generally support the management of companies in
which they invest, and will accord proper weight to the recommendations of company management.
Therefore, in most circumstances, votes will be cast in accordance with the recommendations of
company management.
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While Invesco Trimark’s proxy voting guidelines are stated below, the portfolio managers will
take into consideration all relevant facts and circumstances (including
country specific considerations), and retain the right to vote proxies as deemed appropriate.
These guidelines may be amended from time to time.
Conflicts of Interest
When voting proxies, Invesco Trimark’s portfolio managers assess whether there are material
conflicts of interest between Invesco Trimark’s interests and those of the Account. A potential
conflict of interest situation may include where Invesco Trimark or an affiliate manages assets
for, provides other financial services to, or otherwise has a material business relationship with,
a company whose management is soliciting proxies, and failure to vote in favour of management of
the company may harm Invesco Trimark’s relationship with the company. In all situations, the
portfolio managers will not take Invesco Trimark’s relationship with the company into account, and
will vote the proxies in the best interest of the Account. To the extent that a portfolio manager
has any personal conflict of interest with respect to a company or an issue presented, that
portfolio manager should abstain from voting on that company or issue. Portfolio managers are
required to report to the CIO any such conflicts of interest and/or attempts by outside parties to
improperly influence the voting process. The CIO will report any conflicts of interest to the
Trading Committee and the Independent Review Committee on an annual basis.
I. BOARDS OF DIRECTORS
We believe that a board that has at least a majority of independent directors is integral to
good corporate governance. Unless there are restrictions specific to a company’s home
jurisdiction, key board committees, including audit and compensation committees, should be
completely independent.
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections
Votes in an uncontested election of directors are evaluated on a case-by-case basis,
considering factors that may include:
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Long-term company performance relative to a market index, |
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Composition of the board and key board committees, |
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Nominee’s attendance at board meetings, |
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Nominee’s time commitments as a result of serving on other company boards, |
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Nominee’s investments in the company, |
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Whether the chairman is also serving as CEO, and |
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Whether a retired CEO sits on the board. |
Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections
Votes in a contested election of directors are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering
factors that may include:
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Long-term financial performance of the target company relative to its industry, |
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Management’s track record, |
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Background to the proxy contest, |
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Qualifications of director nominees (both slates), |
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Evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders as well as the likelihood
that the proposed objectives and goals can be met, and |
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Stock ownership positions. |
Majority Threshold Voting for Director Elections
We will generally vote for proposals that require directors to be elected with an affirmative
majority of votes cast unless the relevant portfolio manager believes that the company has adopted
formal corporate governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting
standard.
Separating Chairman and CEO
Shareholder proposals to separate the chairman and CEO positions should be evaluated on a
case-by-case basis.
While we generally support these proposals, some companies have governance structures in place
that can satisfactorily counterbalance a combined position. Voting decisions will take into
account factors such as:
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Designated lead director, appointed from the ranks of the independent board members
with clearly delineated duties; |
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Majority of independent directors; |
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All-independent key committees; |
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Committee chairpersons nominated by the independent directors; |
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CEO performance is reviewed annually by a committee of outside directors; and |
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Established governance guidelines. |
Majority of Independent Directors
While we generally support proposals asking that a majority of directors be independent, each
proposal should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
We generally vote for proposals that request that the board’s audit, compensation, and/or
nominating committees be composed exclusively of independent directors.
Stock Ownership Requirements
We believe that individual directors should be appropriately compensated and motivated to act
in the best interests of shareholders. Share ownership by directors better aligns their interests
with those of other shareholders. Therefore, we believe that meaningful share ownership by
directors is in the best interest of the company.
We generally vote for proposals that require a certain percentage of a director’s compensation
to be in the form of common stock.
Size of Boards of Directors
We believe that the number of directors is important to ensuring the board’s effectiveness in
maximizing long-term shareholder value. The board must be large enough to allow it to adequately
discharge its responsibilities, without being so large that it becomes cumbersome.
While we
will prefer a board of no fewer than 5 and no more than 16 members, each situation
will be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the specific company
circumstances.
Classified or Staggered Boards
In a classified or staggered board, directors are typically elected in two or more “classes”,
serving terms greater than one year.
We prefer the annual election of all directors and will generally not support proposals that
provide for staggered terms for board members. We recognize that there may be jurisdictions where
staggered terms for board members is common practice and, in such situations, we will review the
proposals on a case-by-case basis.
Director Indemnification and Liability Protection
We recognize that many individuals may be reluctant to serve as corporate directors if they
are personally liable for all lawsuits and legal costs. As a result, limitations on
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directors’ liability can benefit the corporation and its shareholders by helping to attract and
retain qualified directors while providing recourse to shareholders on areas of misconduct by
directors.
We generally vote for proposals that limit directors’ liability and provide indemnification as
long as the arrangements are limited to the director acting honestly and in good faith
with a view to the best interests of the corporation and, in criminal matters, are limited to the
director having reasonable grounds for believing the conduct was lawful.
II. AUDITORS
A strong audit process is a requirement for good corporate governance. A significant aspect
of the audit process is a strong relationship with a knowledgeable and independent set of auditors.
Ratification of Auditors
We believe a company should limit its relationship with its auditors to the audit engagement,
and certain closely related activities that do not, in the aggregate, raise an appearance of
impaired independence.
We generally vote for the reappointment of the company’s auditors unless:
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It is not clear that the auditors will be able to fulfill their function; |
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There is reason to believe the auditors have rendered an opinion that is neither
accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position; or |
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The auditors have a significant professional or personal relationship with the
issuer that compromises their independence. |
Disclosure of Audit vs. Non-Audit Fees
Understanding the fees earned by the auditors is important for assessing auditor independence.
Our support for the re-appointment of the auditors will take into consideration whether the
management information circular contains adequate disclosure about the amount and nature of audit
vs. non-audit fees.
There may be certain jurisdictions that do not currently require disclosure of audit vs.
non-audit fees. In these circumstances, we will generally support proposals that call for this
disclosure.
III. COMPENSATION PROGRAMS
Appropriately designed equity-based compensation plans, approved by shareholders, can be an
effective way to align the interests of long-term shareholders and the interests of management,
employees and directors. Plans should not substantially dilute shareholders’ ownership interests
in the company, provide participants with excessive
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awards or have objectionable structural
features. We will consider each compensation plan in its entirety (including all incentives,
awards and other compensation) to determine if the plan provides the right incentives to managers
and directors and is reasonable on the whole.
While we generally encourage companies to provide more transparent disclosure related to their
compensation programs, the following are specific guidelines dealing with some
of the more common features of these programs (features not specifically itemized below will be
considered on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the general principles described
above):
Cash Compensation and Severance Packages
We will generally support the board’s discretion to determine and grant appropriate cash
compensation and severance packages.
Executive Compensation (“say on pay”)
Proposals requesting that companies subject each year’s compensation record to a non binding
advisory shareholder vote, or so-called “say on pay” proposals will be evaluated on a case-by-case
basis.
Equity Based Plans — Dilution
Equity compensation plans can increase the number of shares of a company and therefore dilute
the value of existing shares. While such plans can be an effective compensation tool in moderation,
they can be a concern to shareholders and their cost needs to be closely watched. We assess
proposed equity compensation plans on a case-by-case basis.
Employee Stock Purchase Plans
We will generally vote for the use of employee stock purchase plans to increase company stock
ownership by employees, provided that shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than
85% of their market value. It is recognized that country specific circumstances may exist (e.g.
tax issues) that require proposals to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Loans to Employees
We will vote against the corporation making loans to employees to allow employees to pay for
stock or stock options. It is recognized that country specific circumstances may exist that
require proposals to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Stock Option Plans — Board Discretion
We will vote against stock option plans that give the board broad discretion in setting the
terms and conditions of the programs. Such programs should be submitted with detail
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and be
reasonable in the circumstances regarding their cost, scope, frequency and schedule for exercising
the options.
Stock Option Plans — Inappropriate Features
We will generally vote against plans that have any of the following structural features:
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ability to re-price “underwater” options without shareholder approval, |
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ability to issue options with an exercise price below the stock’s current market
price, |
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ability to issue “reload” options, or |
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automatic share replenishment (“evergreen”) features. |
Stock Option Plans — Director Eligibility
While we prefer stock ownership by directors, we will support stock option plans for directors
as long as the terms and conditions of director options are clearly defined
Stock Option Plans — Repricing
We will vote for proposals to re-price options if there is a value-for-value (rather than a
share-for-share) exchange.
Stock Option Plans — Vesting
We will vote against stock option plans that are 100% vested when granted.
Stock Option Plans — Authorized Allocations
We will generally vote against stock option plans that authorize allocation of 25% or more of
the available options to any one individual.
Stock Option Plans — Change in Control Provisions
We will vote against stock option plans with change in control provisions that allow option
holders to receive more for their options than shareholders would receive for their shares.
IV. CORPORATE MATTERS
We will review proposals relating to changes to capital structure and restructuring on a
case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the impact of the changes on corporate governance and
shareholder rights, anticipated financial and operating benefits, portfolio manager views, level of
dilution, and a company’s industry and performance in terms of shareholder returns.
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Common Stock Authorization
We will review proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issue
on a case-by-case basis.
Dual Class Share Structures
Dual class share structures involve a second class of common stock with either superior or
inferior voting rights to those of another class of stock.
We will generally vote against proposals to create or extend dual class share structures where
classes have different voting rights.
Stock Splits
We will vote for proposals to increase common share authorization for a stock split, provided
that the increase in authorized shares would not result in excessive dilution given a company’s
industry and performance in terms of shareholder returns.
Reverse Stock Splits
We will vote for proposals to implement a reverse stock split, provided that the reverse split
does not result in an increase of authorized but unissued shares of more than 100% after giving
effect to the shares needed for the reverse split.
Share Repurchase Programs
We will vote against proposals to institute open-market share repurchase plans if all
shareholders do not participate on an equal basis.
Reincorporation
Reincorporation involves re-establishing the company in a different legal jurisdiction.
We will generally vote for proposals to reincorporate the company provided that the board and
management have demonstrated sound financial or business reasons for the move. Proposals to
reincorporate will generally not be supported if solely as part of an anti-takeover defense or as a
way to limit directors’ liability.
Mergers & Acquisitions
We will vote for merger & acquisition proposals that the relevant portfolio managers believe,
based on their review of the materials:
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will result in financial and operating benefits, |
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have a fair offer price, |
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have favourable prospects for the combined companies, and |
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will not have a negative impact on corporate governance or shareholder rights. |
V. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
We recognize that to effectively manage a corporation, directors and management must consider
not only the interests of shareholders, but the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, and
creditors, among others.
We believe that companies and their boards must give careful consideration to social
responsibility issues in order to enhance long-term shareholder value.
We support efforts by companies to develop policies and practices that consider social
responsibility issues related to their businesses.
VI. SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
Shareholder proposals can be extremely complex, and the impact on the interests of all
stakeholders can rarely be anticipated with a high degree of confidence. As a result, shareholder
proposals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with consideration of factors such as:
|
• |
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the proposal’s impact on the company’s short-term and long-term share value, |
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• |
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its effect on the company’s reputation, |
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• |
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the economic effect of the proposal, |
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• |
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industry and regional norms applicable to the company, |
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• |
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the company’s overall corporate governance provisions, and |
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• |
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the reasonableness of the request. |
We will generally support shareholder proposals that require additional disclosure regarding
corporate responsibility issues where the relevant portfolio manager believes:
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• |
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the company has failed to adequately address these issues with shareholders, |
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• |
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there is information to suggest that a company follows procedures that are not in
compliance with applicable regulations, or |
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• |
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the company fails to provide a level of disclosure that is comparable to industry
peers or generally accepted standards. |
E-44
We will generally not support shareholder proposals that place arbitrary or artificial
constraints on the board, management or the company.
Ordinary Business Practices
We will generally support the board’s discretion regarding shareholder proposals that involve
ordinary business practices.
Protection of Shareholder Rights
We will generally vote for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder
rights if the company’s corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections
are warranted.
Barriers to Shareholder Action
We will generally vote for proposals to lower barriers to shareholder action.
Shareholder Rights Plans
We will generally vote for proposals to subject shareholder rights plans to a shareholder vote.
VII. OTHER
We will vote against any proposal where the proxy materials lack sufficient information upon
which to base an informed decision.
We will vote against any proposals to authorize the company to conduct any other business that
is not described in the proxy statement (including the authority to approve any further amendments
to an otherwise approved resolution).
Reimbursement of Proxy Solicitation Expenses
Decisions to provide reimbursement for dissidents waging a proxy contest are made on a
case-by-case basis.
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Invesco Hong Kong Limited
PROXY VOTING POLICY
1 February 2010
E-46
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Introduction |
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E-48 |
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1. Guiding Principles |
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E-49 |
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2. Proxy Voting Authority |
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E-50 |
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3. Key Proxy Voting Issues |
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E-52 |
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4. Internal
Administration and Decision-Making Process |
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E-54 |
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5. Client Reporting |
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E-56 |
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E-47
INTRODUCTION
This policy sets out Invesco’s approach to proxy voting in the context of our broader
portfolio management and client service responsibilities. It applies to Asia related
equity portfolios managed by Invesco on behalf of individually-managed clients and
pooled fund clients
Invesco’s proxy voting policy is expected to evolve over time to cater for changing
circumstances or unforeseen events.
E-48
1. GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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1.1 |
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Invesco recognises its fiduciary obligation to act in the best interests of all
clients, be they retirement scheme trustees, institutional clients, unitholders in pooled
investment vehicles or personal investors. The application of due care and skill in
exercising shareholder responsibilities is a key aspect of this fiduciary obligation. |
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1.2 |
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The sole objective of Invesco’s proxy voting policy is to promote the economic
interests of its clients. At no time will Invesco use the shareholding powers exercised
in respect of its clients’ investments to advance its own commercial interests, to pursue
a social or political cause that is unrelated to clients’ economic interests, or to favour
a particular client or other relationship to the detriment of others. |
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1.3 |
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Invesco also recognises the broader chain of accountability that exists in the proper
governance of corporations, and the extent and limitations of the shareholder’s role in
that process. In particular, it is recognised that company management should ordinarily
be presumed to be best placed to conduct the commercial affairs of the enterprise
concerned, with prime accountability to the enterprise’s Board of Directors which is in
turn accountable to shareholders and to external regulators and exchanges. The
involvement of Invesco as an institutional shareholder will not extend to interference in
the proper exercise of Board or management responsibilities, or impede the ability of
companies to take the calculated commercial risks which are essential means of adding
value for shareholders. |
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1.4 |
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The primary aim of the policy is to encourage a culture of performance among investee
companies, rather than one of mere conformance with a prescriptive set of rules and
constraints. Rigid adherence to a checklist approach to corporate governance issues is of
itself unlikely to promote the maximum economic performance of companies, or to cater for
circumstances in which non-compliance with a checklist is appropriate or unavoidable. |
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1.5 |
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Invesco considers that proxy voting rights are an asset which should be managed with
the same care as any other asset managed on behalf of its clients. |
E-49
2. PROXY VOTING AUTHORITY
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2.1 |
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An important dimension of Invesco’s approach to corporate governance is the exercise
of proxy voting authority at the Annual General Meetings or other decision-making forums
of companies in which we manage investments on behalf of clients. |
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2.2 |
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An initial issue to consider in framing a proxy voting policy is the question of
where discretion to exercise voting power should rest — with Invesco as the investment
manager, or with each individual client? Under the first alternative, Invesco’s role
would be both to make voting decisions on clients’ behalf and to implement those
decisions. Under the second alternative, Invesco would either have no role to play, or
its role would be limited solely to implementing voting decisions under instructions from
our clients. |
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2.3 |
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In addressing this issue, it is necessary to distinguish the different legal
structures and fiduciary relationships which exist as between individually-managed
clients, who hold investments directly on their own accounts, and pooled fund clients,
whose investments are held indirectly under a trust structure. |
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2.4 |
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Individually-Managed Clients |
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2.4.1 |
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As a matter of general policy, Invesco believes that unless a client’s mandate gives
specific instructions to the contrary, discretion to exercise votes should normally rest
with the investment manager, provided that the discretion is always exercised in the
client’s interests alone. |
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2.4.2 |
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The reason for this position is that Invesco believes that, with its dedicated
research resources and ongoing monitoring of companies, an investment manager is usually
better placed to identify issues upon which a vote is necessary or desirable. We believe
it is also more practical that voting discretion rests with the party that has the
authority to buy and sell shares, which is essentially what investment managers have been
engaged to do on behalf of their clients. |
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2.4.3 |
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In cases where voting authority is delegated by an individually-managed client,
Invesco recognises its responsibility to be accountable for the decisions it makes. If a
client requires, an appropriate reporting mechanism will be put in place. |
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2.4.4 |
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While it is envisaged that the above arrangements will be acceptable in the majority
of cases, it is recognised that some individually-managed clients will wish to retain
voting authority for themselves, or to place conditions on the circumstances in which it
can be exercised by investment managers. In practice, it is believed that this option is
generally only likely to arise with relatively large clients such as trustees of major
superannuation funds or statutory corporations which have the resources to develop their
own policies and to supervise their implementation by investment managers and custodians.
In particular, clients who have multiple equity managers and utilise a master custody
arrangement may be more likely to consider retaining
voting authority in order to ensure consistency of approach across their total
portfolio. |
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2.4.5 |
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In any event, whatever decision is taken as to where voting authority should lie,
Invesco believes that the matter should be explicitly covered by the terms of the
investment management agreement and clearly understood by the respective parties. |
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2.4.6 |
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Accordingly, Invesco will pursue the following policies with respect to the exercise
of proxy voting authority for individually-managed clients: |
PROXY VOTING AUTHORITY
Individually-Managed Clients
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Unless an individually-managed client wishes to retain proxy voting authority, Invesco
will assume proxy voting authority by way of delegation from the client, provided that
the allocation of proxy voting responsibility is clearly set out in the investment
management agreement.
In the case of clients who wish to place special conditions on the delegation of proxy
voting powers, Invesco will endeavour to accommodate those clients’ requirements as far
as practicable, subject to any administrative obstacles or additional costs that might
arise in implementing the conditions.
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2.5 |
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Pooled Fund Clients |
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2.5.1 |
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The legal relationship between an investment manager and its pooled fund clients is
different in a number of important respects from that applying to individually-managed
clients. These differences have a bearing on how proxy voting authority is exercised on
behalf of pooled fund clients. |
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2.5.2 |
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These legal relationships essentially mean that the manager is required to act
solely in the collective interests of unitholders at large rather than as a direct agent
or delegate of each unitholder. On the issue of proxy voting, as with all other aspects
of our client relationships, Invesco will naturally continue to be receptive to any views
and concerns raised by its pooled fund clients. However, the legal relationship that
exists means it is not possible for the manager to accept instructions from a particular
pooled fund client as to how to exercise proxy voting authority in a particular instance. |
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2.5.3 |
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As in the case of individually-managed clients who delegate their proxy voting
authority, Invesco’s accountability to pooled fund clients in exercising its fiduciary
responsibilities is best addressed as part of the manager’s broader client relationship
and reporting responsibilities. |
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2.5.4 |
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Accordingly, Invesco will pursue the following policies with respect to the exercise
of proxy voting authority for pooled fund clients: |
PROXY VOTING AUTHORITY
Pooled Fund Clients
In considering proxy voting issues arising in respect of pooled fund shareholdings,
Invesco will act solely in accordance with its fiduciary responsibility to take account
of the collective interests of unitholders in the pooled fund as a whole.
Invesco cannot accept instructions from individual unitholders as to the exercise of
proxy voting authority in a particular instance.
E-51
3. KEY PROXY VOTING ISSUES
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3.1 |
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This section outlines Invesco’s intended approach in cases where proxy voting
authority is being exercised on clients’ behalf. |
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3.2 |
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Invesco will vote on all material issues at all company meetings where it has the
voting authority and responsibility to do so. We will not announce our voting intentions
and the reasons behind them. |
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3.3 |
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Invesco applies two underlying principles. First, our interpretation of ‘material
voting issues’ is confined to those issues which affect the value of shares we hold on
behalf of clients and the rights of shareholders to an equal voice in influencing the
affairs of companies in proportion to their shareholdings. We do not consider it
appropriate to use shareholder powers for reasons other than the pursuit of these economic
interests. Second, we believe that a critical factor in the development of an optimal
corporate governance policy is the need to avoid unduly diverting resources from our
primary responsibilities to add value to our clients’ portfolios through investment
performance and client service. |
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3.4 |
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In order to expand upon these principles, Invesco believes it is necessary to
consider the role of proxy voting policy in the context of broader portfolio management
and administrative issues which apply to our investment management business as a whole.
These are discussed as follows. |
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3.5 |
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Portfolio Management Issues — Active Equity Portfolios |
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3.5.1 |
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While recognising in general terms that issues concerning corporate governance
practices can have a significant bearing on the financial performance of companies, the
primary criterion for the selection and retention of a particular stock in active equity
portfolios remains our judgment that the stock will deliver superior investment
performance for our clients, based on our investment themes and market analysis. |
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3.5.2 |
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In view of these dynamics, Invesco does not consider it feasible or desirable to
prescribe in advance comprehensive guidelines as to how it will exercise proxy voting
authority in all circumstances. The primary aim of Invesco’s approach to corporate
governance is to encourage a culture of performance among the companies in which we manage
investments in order to add value to our clients’ portfolios, rather than one of mere
conformance with a prescriptive set of rules and constraints. |
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3.5.3 |
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Nevertheless, Invesco has identified a limited range of issues upon which it will
always exercise proxy voting authority — either to register disapproval of management
proposals or to demonstrate support for company initiatives through positive use of voting
powers. These issues are outlined as follows: |
KEY VOTING ISSUES
Major Corporate Proposals
Invesco will always vote on the following issues arising in company General Meetings
where it has the authority to do so on behalf of clients.
• |
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contentious issues (eg. issues of perceived national interest, or where there has been extensive press coverage or public comment); |
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• |
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approval of changes of substantial shareholdings; |
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• |
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mergers or schemes of arrangement; and |
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• |
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approval of major asset sales or purchases. |
As a general rule, Invesco will vote against any actions that will reduce the rights or
options of shareholders, reduce shareholder influence over the board of directors and
management, reduce the alignment of interests between management and shareholders, or
reduce the value of shareholders’ investments, unless balanced by reasonable increase
in net worth of the shareholding.
E-52
Where appropriate, Invesco will also use voting powers to influence companies to adopt
generally accepted best corporate governance practices in areas such as board
composition, disclosure policies and the other areas of recommended corporate
governance practice.
Invesco’s approach to significant proxy voting issues which fall outside these areas
will be addressed on their merits.
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3.6 |
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Administrative Issues |
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3.6.1 |
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In addition to the portfolio management issues outlined above, Invesco’s proxy
voting policy also takes account of administrative and cost implications, together with
the size of our holdings as compared to the issue size, involved in the exercise of proxy
voting authority on our clients’ behalf. |
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3.6.2 |
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There are practical constraints to the implementation of proxy voting decisions.
Proxy voting is a highly seasonal activity, with most company Annual General Meetings
being collapsed into a few months, with short deadlines for the distribution and return of
notice papers, multiple resolutions from multiple companies being considered
simultaneously, and under a legal system which is essentially dependent upon paper-based
communication and record-keeping. |
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3.6.3 |
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In addition, for investment managers such as Invesco who do not invest as
principals and who consequently do not appear directly on the share registers of
companies, all of these communications are channelled through external custodians, among
whom there is in turn a considerable variation in the nature and quality of systems to
deal with the flow of information. |
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3.6.4 |
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While Invesco has the systems in place to efficiently implement proxy voting
decisions when required, it can be seen that administrative and cost considerations by
necessity play an important role in the application of a responsible proxy voting policy.
This is particularly so bearing in mind the extremely limited time period within which
voting decisions must often be made and implemented (which can in practice be as little as
a few days). This factor also explains why Invesco resists any suggestion that there
should be compulsory proxy voting on all issues, as in our view this would only increase
the costs to be borne by our clients with very little practical improvement in corporate
performance in most cases. |
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3.6.5 |
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These administrative constraints are further highlighted by the fact that many
issues on which shareholders are in practice asked to vote are routine matters relating to
the ongoing administration of the company — eg. approval of financial accounts or
housekeeping amendments to Articles of Association. Generally in such cases, we will be
in favour of the motion as most companies take seriously their duties and are acting in
the best interests of shareholders. However, the actual casting of a “yes” vote on all
such resolutions in our view would entail an unreasonable administrative workload and
cost. |
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3.6.6 |
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Accordingly, Invesco believes that an important consideration in the framing of a
proxy voting policy is the need to avoid unduly diverting resources from our primary
responsibilities to add value to our clients’ investments through portfolio management and
client service. The policies outlined below have been prepared on this basis. |
KEY PROXY VOTING ISSUES
Administrative Constraints
In view of the administrative constraints and costs involved in the exercise of proxy
voting powers, Invesco may (depending on circumstances) not exercise its voting right
unless its clients’ portfolios in aggregate represent a significant proportion of the
shareholdings of the company in question.
A significant proportion in this context means 5% or more of the market
capitalisation of the company.
E-53
4. INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION & DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
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4.1 |
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The following diagram illustrates the procedures adopted by Invesco for the
administration of proxy voting: |
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4.2 |
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As shown by the diagram, a central administrative role is performed by our
Corporate Action Team, located within the Client Administration section. The initial
role of the Corporate Action Team is to receive company notice papers via the range of
custodians who hold shares on behalf of our clients, to ascertain which client
portfolios hold the stock, and to initiate the decision-making process by distributing
the company notice papers to the Primary Investment Manager responsible for the company
in question. |
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4.3 |
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A voting decision on each company resolution (whether a yes or no vote, or a
recommended abstention) is made by the Primary Investment Manager responsible for the
company in question. Invesco believes that this approach is preferable to the
appointment of a committee with responsibility for handling voting issues across all
companies, as it takes advantage of the expertise of individuals whose professional
lives are occupied by analysing particular companies and sectors, and who are familiar
with the issues facing particular companies through their regular company visits. |
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4.4 |
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Moreover, the Primary Equity Manager has overall responsibility for the relevant
market and this ensures that similar issues which arise in different companies are
handled in a consistent way across the relevant market. |
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4.5 |
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The voting decision is then documented and passed back to the Corporate Action
Team, who issue the voting instructions to each custodian in advance of the closing date
for receipt of proxies by the company. At the same time, the Corporate Action Team logs
all proxy voting activities for record keeping or client reporting purposes. |
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4.6 |
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A key task in administering the overall process is the capture and dissemination
of data from companies and custodians within a time frame that makes exercising votes
feasible in practice. This applies particularly during the company Annual General
Meeting “season”, when there are typically a large number of proxy voting issues under
consideration simultaneously. Invesco has no control over the former dependency and
Invesco’s ability to influence a custodian’s service levels are limited in the case of
individually-managed clients, where the custodian is answerable to the client. |
E-54
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4.7 |
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The following policy commitments are implicit in these administrative and
decision-making processes: |
INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
Invesco will consider all resolutions put forward in the Annual General Meetings or
other decision-making forums of all companies in which investments are held on behalf
of clients, where it has the authority to exercise voting powers. This consideration
will occur in the context of our policy on Key Voting Issues outlined in Section 3.
The voting decision will be made by the Primary Investment Manager responsible for the
market in question.
A written record will be kept of the voting decision in each case, and in case of an
opposing vote, the reason/comment for the decision.
Voting instructions will be issued to custodians as far as practicable in advance of
the deadline for receipt of proxies by the company. Invesco will monitor the
efficiency with which custodians implement voting instructions on clients’ behalf.
Invesco’s ability to exercise proxy voting authority is dependent on timely receipt of
notification from the relevant custodians.
E-55
5. CLIENT REPORTING
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5.1 |
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Invesco will keep records of its proxy voting activities. |
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5.2 |
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Upon client request, Invesco will regularly report back to the client on proxy
voting activities for investments owned by the client. |
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5.2 |
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The following points summarise Invesco’s policy commitments on the reporting of
proxy voting activities to clients (other than in cases where specific forms of client
reporting are specified in the client’s mandate): |
CLIENT REPORTING
Where proxy voting authority is being exercised on a client’s behalf, a statistical
summary of voting activity will be provided on request as part of the client’s regular
quarterly report.
Invesco will provide more detailed information on particular proxy voting issues in
response to requests from clients wherever possible.
E-56
Guidelines on Exercising Shareholder Voting Rights and
Policies for Deciding on the Exercise of Shareholder Voting Rights
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited
Enforcement Date: July 5, 2010
Revision Date: April 20, 2011
Authority to Amend or Abolish: Shareholders’ Voting Committee
E-57
Record of Amendments
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Date |
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Content |
April 20, 2011
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Revision associated with review of proxy voting guideline |
E-58
Guidelines on Exercising of Shareholder Voting Rights and
Policy Decision Making Criteria
(Japanese Equities)
Policy and Objectives of Exercising Shareholder Voting Rights
Our company is cognizant of the importance of corporate governance, and exercises votes with the
sole objective of maximizing the long term interests of trustors (investors) and beneficiaries,
pursuant to our fiduciary duty as a trustee to the trustors (investors) and the beneficiaries. We
will not conduct any voting with an objective of own interest or that of any third party other than
the trustors (investors) or beneficiaries. The interests of trustors (investors) and beneficiaries
means the increasing of corporate value or the increasing of the economic interests of shareholders
or the preventing of damage thereto.
Significance of Guidelines on Exercising Shareholder Voting Rights
Our company has determined the Guidelines on Exercising of Shareholder Voting Rights in accordance
with our policy on exercising the voting rights of shareholders, for the purpose of exercising
votes in an appropriate manner, and will closely examine each proposal and determine the response
pursuant to these Guidelines.
Guidelines on Exercising Shareholder Voting Rights
(1) Financial Statements, Business Reports and Auditors Reports
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• |
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In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting approval of the
financial statements, business reports and auditor reports, except in the following
circumstances: |
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- |
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Concerns exist about the settlement or auditing procedures; or |
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- |
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The relevant company has not answered shareholders’ questions concerning
matters that should be disclosed. |
(2) Allocation of Earned Surplus and Dividends
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• |
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A decision regarding a proposal requesting approval of the allocation of earned
surplus and dividends will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the financial condition
and the business performance of the relevant company as well as the economic interests of
shareholders. |
2. Election of Directors
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with electing a director will be made in
consideration of, inter alia, the independence, suitability and existence or absence of any
antisocial activities in
E-59
the past on the part of a candidate for director. In the event that a candidate for director is a
reelection candidate, we will decide in consideration, inter alia, of the director candidate’s
engagement in corporate governance, accountability, the business performance of the company, and
the existence or absence of any antisocial act by the company during his or her term in the office.
Definition of the independence:
A person considered to be independent shall mean a person for whom there is no relationship between
the relevant company and the candidate for director other than that of being selected as a
director.
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• |
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In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to elect an external
director, however, we will oppose a candidate for an external director who is perceived to
have an interest in the relevant company. |
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• |
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In principle we will oppose a candidate for an external director who does not
have independence in the case of a committees organized company, except where the majority
of the board are independent. |
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• |
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Listed parent and subsidiary |
If the relevant company has a listed parent and does not have at least one external
director who is independent from the relevant company, we shall in principle oppose the
candidates for directors of that company.
(2) Suitability
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• |
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In principle we shall oppose a director candidate in the following case: |
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- |
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An attendance rate of less than 75 percent at meetings of the board of directors. |
(3) Accountability
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• |
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In the following circumstances we will consider opposing a candidate for
reelection as a director: |
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- |
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If the relevant company has a problematic system as set forth bellow and if
business performance of the relevant company during the term in office of the
candidate experienced a deficit in three consecutive periods and no dividends were
paid or they were inferior when compared to others in the same industry. |
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- |
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If a takeover defense strategy is introduced, that has not been approved by a
resolution of a general meeting of shareholders. |
(4) Business Performance of the Company
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• |
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We will consider opposing a candidate for reelection as a director in the event
that business |
E-60
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performance of the relevant company during the term in office of the candidate experienced a
deficit in three consecutive periods and no dividends were paid. |
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• |
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We will consider opposing a candidate for reelection as a director in the
event that business performance of the relevant company during the term in office of the
candidate was inferior when compared to others in the same industry. |
(5) Antisocial Activities on the Part of the Company
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a candidate for reelection as a director in the
event that during the term in office of the candidate a corporate scandal occurred that
had a significant impact on society and caused or could cause damage to of shareholder
value. |
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• |
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In principle we will consider opposing a candidate for reelection as a
director in the event that during the term in office of the candidate window dressing or
inappropriate accounting practices occurred on the part of the relevant company. |
(6) Other
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• |
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In principle we will oppose a candidate for director in the event that
information concerning the relevant candidate has not been sufficiently disclosed. |
3. Amendment of the Composition of the Board of Directors and the Required Qualification of
Directors
(1) Amendment of the Number of Directors or Composition of the Board of Directors
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal concerning amendment of the number of
directors or the composition of the board of directors will be made by making a comparison
with the existing situation and considering, inter alia, the impact on the relevant
company and the economic interests of shareholders. |
(2) Amendment of Required Qualifications of Directors, Their Terms of Office and Scope of
Responsibilities
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• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal concerning amendment of the required
qualifications of directors, their terms of office or scope of liabilities will be made by
making a comparison with the existing situation and considering, inter alia, the impact on
the relevant company and the economic interests of shareholders. |
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• |
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In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting retention of a certain
number of a company’s own shares as a condition of installation or continuation in office
of a director. |
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• |
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In principle we will oppose a proposal to restrict a term in office of a director. |
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• |
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In principle we will oppose a proposal to institute a normal retirement age of directors. |
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• |
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In principle we will oppose a proposal to reduce the liabilities of a director
from liability in connection with financial damage as a result of a violation of the
fiduciary duties. |
E-61
(3) Amendment of the Procedural Method for Election of Directors
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal concerning amendment of the procedural method
of electing directors will be made by making a comparison with the existing situation and
considering, inter alia, the reasonability of the amendment. |
4. Election of Statutory Auditors
A decision regarding a proposal concerning the election of statutory auditors will be made by
considering, inter alia, the independence and the suitability of the candidate for statutory
auditor.
Definition of the independence:
A person considered to be independent shall mean a person for whom there is no relationship between
the relevant company and the candidate for statutory auditor other than that of being selected as a
statutory auditor.
(1) Independence
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a candidate for an external statutory auditor if
the candidate does not have independence. |
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• |
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In principle we shall oppose a statutory auditor candidate in the following
case: |
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- |
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An attendance rate of less than 75 percent at meetings of the board of
directors or meetings of the board of auditors |
|
• |
|
In principle we will consider opposing a candidate for reelection as a
statutory auditor in the event that significant concerns exist in an audit report that has
been submitted or audit proceedings. |
(4) |
|
Antisocial Activities on the Part of the Company |
|
• |
|
In principle we will consider opposing a candidate for reelection as a
statutory auditor in the event that during the term in office of the candidate a corporate
scandal occurred that had a significant impact on society and caused or could cause damage
to shareholder value. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will consider opposing a candidate for reelection as a
statutory auditor in the event that during the term in office of the candidate window
dressing or inappropriate accounting practices occurred on the part of the relevant
company. |
E-62
5. Election of Accounting Auditors
We will decide on proposals concerning the election of an accounting auditor by considering, inter
alia, the suitability of the candidate for accounting auditor, and the level of audit fees. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a candidate for accounting auditor in the event
that the accounting auditor can be determined to have expressed an opinion that is not
accurate concerning the financial condition of the relevant company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose in the event that a contract for non-auditing work
exists between the accounting auditor and the relevant company, and it is determined that
the non-auditing work can be found to present a conflict of interest with the auditing
work. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a candidate for accounting auditor in the event
that an excessive auditing fee is paid. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting a change of accounting
auditor in the event that the reason for the change can be determined to be a result of a
difference in interpretation between the accounting auditor and the relevant company
regarding accounting policy. |
6. Compensation of Directors, Statutory Auditors, Officers and Employees
(1) Compensation (including bonus)
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal concerning compensation will be made in
consideration of, inter alia, the levels of compensation, the business performance of the
company, and the reasonability of the framework. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to obtain approval of
compensation, except in the following cases: |
|
- |
|
A negative correlation appears to exist between the business performance of
the company and compensation |
|
- |
|
A compensation framework or practice exists which presents an issue |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to pay compensation only by granting
shares. |
|
• |
|
A proposal to introduce or amend a stock option plan will be decided in
consideration of, inter alia, the impact that introducing or amending the plan will have
on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders, as well as the level of compensation,
the scope of implementation, and the reasonability of the plan. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to reduce the exercise price of a stock
option plan. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to request that an amendment
of the exercise price of a stock option plan be made a matter for approval by the
shareholders. |
E-63
(3) Stock Purchase Plan
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal requesting the introduction or amendment of a
stock purchase plan will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact that
introducing or amending the plan will have on shareholder value and the rights of
shareholders, the scope of implementation, and the reasonability of the plan. |
(4) Retirement Bonus of Directors or Statutory Auditors
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with awarding a
retirement bonus to a director or a statutory auditor will be made in
consideration of, inter alia, the extent of the persons who are
to be recipients, the existence or absence of antisocial activities
in the past on the part of the prospective recipients, the business
performance of the company, and the existence or absence of
antisocial activities on the part of the company.
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to pay a retirement bonus of
a director or a statutory auditor if all of the following conditions are satisfied. |
|
- |
|
Retirement bonus amount is disclosed. |
|
- |
|
The prospective recipients do not include an external director or an external
statutory auditor. |
|
- |
|
None of the prospective recipients have committed a significant criminal
conduct. |
|
- |
|
The business performance of the relevant company has not experienced a
deficit for three consecutive periods and had no dividend or dividends or they were
inferior when compared to others in the same industry. |
|
- |
|
During the terms of office of the prospective recipients there has been no
corporate scandal that had a significant impact on society and caused or could cause
damage to shareholder value. |
|
- |
|
During their terms in office there has been no window dressing or
inappropriate accounting practices in the relevant company. |
7. Equity Financing Policy
(1) Amendment of the Number of Authorized Shares
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal requesting an increase in the number of
authorized shares will be made by considering, inter alia, the impact that amending the
number of authorized shares will have on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders,
as well as the reasonability of the amendment of the number of authorized shares, and the
impact on the listing of shares as well as on the continuity of the company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting an increase in the
number of authorized shares if it can be determined that unless an increase is made to the
number of authorized shares the company will be delisted or that there is a risk of a
significant impact on the continuity of the company. |
E-64
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to increase the number of authorized
shares after the appearance of an acquirer. |
(2) Issuing of New Shares
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with issuing of new shares will be made in
consideration of, inter alia, reasons of issuing new shares, issuing conditions and terms, the
impact of the dilution on the shareholders value and rights of shareholders as well as the impact
on the listing of shares and the continuity of the company.
(3) Acquisition or Reissue by a Company of Its Own Shares
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal for a company to acquire or reissue its own
shares shall be made by considering, inter alia, its reasonability. |
(4) Stock Split
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal involving a stock split. |
(5) Consolidation of Shares (Reverse Split)
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal involving a consolidation of shares (reverse
split) shall be made by considering, inter alia, its reasonability. |
(6) Preferred Shares
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting the creation of new
preferred shares or increasing the authorized number of preferred shares, by way of a
blank power of attorney that does not specify the voting rights, dividends, conversion or
other rights. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to create new preferred
shares or to increase the number of authorized preferred shares if the voting rights,
dividends, conversion and other rights are stipulated and these rights can be determined
to be reasonable. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to the effect that approval
of issuing preferred shares is so be obtained from shareholders. |
(7) Issuing of Convertible Bonds
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal to issue convertible bonds shall be made by
considering, inter alia, the number of shares into which the bonds are to be converted,
and the period to maturity of the bonds. |
(8) Issuing of Non-Convertible Bonds, and Increasing a Borrowing Limit
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with the issuing of
non-convertible bonds or increasing a borrowing limit shall be made by considering, inter
alia the financial condition of the relevant company. |
E-65
(9) Equitization of Debt
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal requesting an amendment of the number of
authorized shares or issuing of shares of the company in relation to a debt restructuring
shall be made in consideration of, inter alia, the conditions of amending the number of
authorized shares or issuing shares of the company, the impact on shareholder value and on
the rights of shareholders, the reasonability thereof, and the impact on listing of the
shares as well as on the continuity of the company. |
(10) Capital Reduction
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with a capital reduction will be
made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder value and on the rights of
shareholders, the reasonability of the capital reduction, as well as the impact on listing
of the shares and on the continuity of the company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will approve a proposal requesting a capital reduction in the
form of a standard accounting processing. |
(11) Financing Plan
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with a financing plan will be
made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder value and the rights of
shareholders, as well as the reasonability thereof, and the impact on the listing of
shares as well as on the continuity of the company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting approval of a
financing plan. |
(12) Capitalization of Reserves
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting a capitalization
of reserves. |
8. Corporate Governance
(1) Amendment of Settlement Period
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting an amendment of
the settlement period, except when it can be determined that the objective is to delay a
general meeting of shareholders. |
(2) Amendment of Articles of Incorporation
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with an amendment of the articles of incorporation
will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder value and the rights of
shareholders as well as the necessity and the reasonability of amending the articles of
incorporation.
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to amend the articles of
incorporation if amendment of the articles of incorporation is necessary by law. |
E-66
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to amend the articles of incorporation
if it can be determined that there is a risk that the rights of shareholders will be
infringed or a risk that a reduction in shareholder value will occur as a result of the
relevant amendment. |
|
• |
|
In principal we will vote in favor of a proposal submitted by the board in
connection with transition to a committees organized company. |
|
• |
|
In principal we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting mitigation or
abolishment of the requirements for special resolution. |
(3) Amendment of the Quorum of a General Meeting of Shareholders
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with an amendment of the quorum
of a general meeting of shareholders will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the
impact on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders as well as the customs of the
region or country. |
|
• |
|
A proposal in connection with amending the quorum of a special resolution of a
general meeting of shareholders will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact
on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders as well as the customs of the region
or country. |
(4) Omnibus Proposal of a General Meeting of Shareholders
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose an omnibus proposal at a general meeting of
shareholders if the entire proposal will not be in the best interests of shareholders. |
9. Corporate Behavior
(1) Amendment of Tradename or Location of Corporate Registration
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting amendment of a
tradename. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting amendment of a
location of corporate registration. |
(2) Corporate Restructuring
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with a corporate reorganization
as set forth below will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder
value and the rights of shareholders, the respective impact on the financial condition and
business performance of the relevant company, as well as the reasonability thereof, and
the impact on the listing of shares as well as on the continuity of the company: |
Merger or acquisition;
Assignment or acquisition of business;
Company split (spin-off);
Sale of assets;
E-67
Being acquired; or
Liquidation.
(3) Proxy Contest
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with election of a director from
among opposing candidates will be made in consideration of the independence, suitability,
existence or absence of any antisocial activities in the past, actions in corporate
governance and accountability on the part of the candidates for director, the business
performance of the company, the existence or absence of antisocial activities of the
company, and the background to the proxy contest. |
|
• |
|
A person who is considered to be independent shall mean a person for whom
there is no relationship between the relevant company and the candidate for director other
than that of being selected as a candidate director of the relevant company. |
(4) Defense Strategy in Proxy Contest
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting the introduction of a
staggered board of directors. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting that the terms in
office of directors be one year. |
|
• |
|
Authority to Dismiss Directors |
|
|
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting more stringent requirements for the
shareholders to be able to dismiss a director. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to introduce cumulative
voting in connection with the election of directors. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting the abolition of cumulative
voting in connection with the election of directors. |
(5) Takeover Defense Strategies
|
• |
|
Introduction or Amendment of Takeover Defense Strategy |
|
|
|
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting to introduce or amend a takeover
defense strategy that will reduce shareholder value or infringe the rights of shareholders. |
|
• |
|
Rights Plan (Poison Pill) |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal to introduce a rights plan (poison pill) will be made
in consideration of, inter alia, the triggering conditions, the effective period, the
conditions of disclosure of content, the composition of directors of the relevant company,
and the status |
E-68
|
|
|
of introducing other takeover defense strategies. |
|
- |
|
In principal we will oppose a proposal in which, a triggering condition of
the number of outstanding shares is less than 20%. |
|
|
- |
|
In principal we will oppose a proposal that the effective period is beyond 3 years. |
|
|
- |
|
In principal we will oppose a proposal that directors are not selected annually. |
|
- |
|
In principal we will oppose a proposal in the event that there are less than
2 directors or 20% of the board who are independent with no issue of the attendance
records of the board meeting. |
|
- |
|
We will vote in favor for a proposal that a rights plan is considered by an
independent committee before introducing such plan. We will vote in favor a proposal
only if all special committee members are independent with no issue of the attendance
records of the board meeting. |
|
- |
|
In principal we will oppose a proposal in the event that other takeover
defense strategies exist. |
|
- |
|
In principal we will oppose a proposal in the event that the issuing date of
invitation notice to shareholders is less than 3 weeks before the general shareholders
meeting. |
|
- |
|
In principal we will oppose a proposal unless the introduction of takeover
defense strategies is considered reasonably beneficial to interests of minority
shareholders. |
|
• |
|
Relaxation of Requirements to Amend the Articles of Incorporation or Company
Regulations |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal to relax the requirements to amend the articles of
incorporation or company regulations will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the
impact on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders. |
|
• |
|
Relaxation of Requirements for Approval of a Merger |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal to relax the requirements to approve a merger will be made
in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder value and the rights of
shareholders. |
10. Social, Environmental and Political Problems
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with social, environmental or political problems will
be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact that the actions on the part of the company
will have on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders, or on the financial condition and
business performance of the company, the reasonability of these actions, and the impact on the
listing of shares as well as on the continuity of the company.
E-69
11. |
|
Information Disclosure |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal for which sufficient information is not
disclosed for the purpose of making a voting decision. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to increase information
disclosure, if all of the following standards are satisfied. |
|
- |
|
The information will be beneficial to shareholders. |
|
|
- |
|
The time and expense required for the information disclosure will be minimal. |
12. Conflicts of Interest
We will abstain from exercising shareholder voting rights in a company that would constitute a
conflict of interest.
The following company is determined to be a company that would constitute a conflict of interest:
13. Shareholder proposals
A decision regarding shareholders’ proposals will be made in accordance with the Guidelines along
with company’s proposal, however, will be considered on the basis of proposed individual items.
E-70
Guidelines on Exercising of Shareholder Voting Rights and
Policy Decision Making Criteria
(Foreign Equities)
Policy and Objectives of Exercising Shareholder Voting Rights
Our company is cognizant of the importance of corporate governance, and exercises votes with the
sole objective of maximizing the long term interests of trustors (investors) and beneficiaries,
pursuant to our fiduciary duty as a trustee to the trustors (investors) and the beneficiaries. We
will not conduct any voting with an objective of own interest or that of any third party other than
the trustors (investors) or beneficiaries. The interests of trustors (investors) and beneficiaries
means the increasing of corporate value or the increasing of the economic interests of shareholders
or the preventing of damage thereto.
Significance of Guidelines on Exercising Shareholder Voting Rights
Our company has determined the Guidelines on Exercising of Shareholder Voting Rights in accordance
with our policy on exercising the voting rights of shareholders, for the purpose of exercising
votes in an appropriate manner, and will closely examine each proposal and determine the response
pursuant to these Guidelines.
Guidelines on Exercising Shareholder Voting Rights
1. Procedural Proposal
(1) Procedures
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a selection of the chairman of a general
meeting of shareholders, approval of the minutes, approval of the shareholders registry
and other proposals in connection with procedures to hold a general meeting of
shareholders. |
|
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a procedural proposal such as the following: |
|
- |
|
Opening of a general meeting of shareholders |
|
|
- |
|
Closing of a general meeting of shareholders |
|
|
- |
|
Confirming the proper convening of a general meeting of shareholders |
|
|
- |
|
Satisfaction of the quorum for a general meeting of shareholders |
|
|
- |
|
Confirming the agenda items of a general meeting of shareholders |
|
|
- |
|
Election of a chairman of a general meeting of shareholders |
|
- |
|
Designation of shareholders who will sign the minutes of a general meeting of
shareholders |
|
- |
|
Preparing and approving a registry of shareholders |
E-71
|
- |
|
Filing of legally prescribed documents in connection with a general meeting
of shareholders |
|
- |
|
Designation of an inspector or shareholder to inspect the minutes of a
general meeting of shareholders |
|
|
- |
|
Permission to ask questions |
|
|
- |
|
Approval of the issuing of minutes of a general meeting of shareholders |
|
- |
|
Approval of matters of resolution and granting to the board of directors the
authority to execute matters that have been approved |
(2) Financial Statements, Business Reports and Auditors Reports
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting approval of the
financial statements, business reports and auditor reports, except in the following
circumstances: |
|
- |
|
Concerns exist about the settlement or auditing procedures; or |
|
- |
|
The relevant company has not answered shareholders’ questions concerning
matters that should be disclosed. |
(3) Allocation of Earned Surplus and Dividends
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal requesting approval of the allocation of
earned surplus and dividends will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the financial
condition and the business performance of the relevant company as well as the economic
interests of shareholders. |
2. Election of Directors
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with electing a director will be made in
consideration of, inter alia, the independence, suitability and existence or absence of any
antisocial activities in the past on the part of a candidate for director. In the event that a
candidate for director is a reelection candidate, we will decide in consideration, inter alia, of
the director candidate’s engagement in corporate governance, accountability, the business
performance of the company, and the existence or absence of any antisocial act by the company
during his or her term in the office.
Definition of independence:
A person considered to be independent shall mean a person for whom there is no relationship between
the relevant company and the candidate for director other than that of being selected as a
director.
(1) Independence
(United States)
|
• |
|
In the following circumstances we will in principle oppose or withhold
approval of a |
E-72
|
|
|
candidate for an internal director, or a candidate for an external director who cannot be
found to have a relationship of independence from the relevant company: |
|
- |
|
If the internal director or the external director who cannot be found to have
a relationship of independence from the relevant company is a member of the
compensation committee or the nominating committee; |
|
- |
|
If the audit committee, compensation committee, or nominating committee has
not been established and the director functions as a committee member; |
|
- |
|
If the nominating committee has not been established; |
|
- |
|
If external directors who are independent from the relevant company do not
constitute a majority of the board of directors; |
|
- |
|
A person who is independent shall mean a person for whom there is no
relationship between the relevant company and the candidate for director other than
that of being selected as a director. |
(Other than United States)
A decision concerning the independence of the candidate for director will be made in consideration
of the conditions of each country.
(2) Suitability
|
• |
|
In principle we shall oppose or withhold approval of a director candidate in
the following circumstances: |
|
- |
|
An attendance rate of less than 75 percent at meetings of any of the board of
directors, the audit committee, the compensation committee, or the nominating
committee; |
|
- |
|
Serving as a director of six or more companies; or |
|
- |
|
Serving as a CEO of another company and also serving as an external director
of at least two other companies. |
(3) Corporate Governance Strategies
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose or withhold approval of all candidates for
reelection in the event that the board of directors employs a system of staggered terms of
office and a problem of governance has occurred in the board of directors or committee but
the responsible director is not made a subject of the current proposal to reelect
directors. |
|
• |
|
In the following circumstances we will in principle oppose or withhold
approval of a candidate for reelection of a director who is a member of the audit
committee: |
|
- |
|
If an excessive auditing fee is being paid to the accounting auditor; |
|
- |
|
If the accounting auditor has expressed an opinion of non-compliance
concerning the |
E-73
|
|
|
financial statements of the relevant company; or |
|
- |
|
If the audit committee has agreed with the accounting auditor to reduce or
waive the liability of accounting auditor, such as by limiting the right of the
company or the shareholders to take legal action against the accounting auditor. |
|
• |
|
In the following circumstances we will in principle oppose or withhold
approval of a candidate for reelection as a director who is a member of the compensation
committee: |
|
- |
|
If there appears to be a negative correlation between the business
performance of the company and the compensation of the CEO; |
|
- |
|
If in the case of an option for which the stock price of the relevant company
is less than the exercise price, an amendment of the exercise price or an exchange for
cash or the like has been made without the approval of a general meeting of
shareholders; |
|
- |
|
If an exchange (sale) of stock options which is limited to a single exercise
has been made without obtaining the approval of a general meeting of shareholders; |
|
- |
|
If the burn rate has exceeded the level promised in advance to shareholders
(the burn rate is the annual rate of dilution measured by the stock options or rights
to shares with restriction on assignment that have been actually granted (otherwise
known as the “run rate”)); or |
|
- |
|
If a compensation system or practice exists that presents a problem. |
|
• |
|
In the following circumstances we will in principle oppose or withhold
approval of all candidates for reelection as directors: |
|
- |
|
If the board of directors has not taken appropriate action regarding a
shareholder’s proposal even if there was a shareholder’s proposal which was approved
by a majority of the overall votes in the previous period at a general meeting of
shareholders. |
|
- |
|
If the board of directors has not taken appropriate action regarding a
shareholders’ proposal even if a shareholders’ proposal has been approved by a
majority of the valid votes in two consecutive periods at a general meeting of
shareholders; |
|
- |
|
If the board of directors has not taken appropriate action such as
withdrawing a takeover defense strategy, despite a majority of shareholders having
accepted a public tender offer; or |
|
- |
|
If the board of directors has not taken appropriate action regarding the
cause of opposition or withholding of approval even though at the general meeting of
shareholders for the previous period there was a candidate for director who was
opposed or for whom approval was withheld by a majority of the valid votes. |
E-74
(4) Accountability
|
• |
|
In the following cases we will consider opposing or withholding approval from
a candidate for reelection as a director: |
|
- |
|
If a notice of convening states that there is a director with an attendance
rate of less than 75% at meetings of the board of directors or committee meetings, but
the name of the individual is not specifically stated. |
|
- |
|
If the relevant company has a problematic system as set forth below, and
business performance of the relevant company during the term in office of candidate
has been in a deficit and with no dividend or is inferior when compared to those in
the same industry in three consecutive periods : |
|
|
- |
|
A system of staggered terms of office; |
|
|
- |
|
A system of special resolution that is not by simple majority; |
|
|
- |
|
Shares of stock with multiple votes; |
|
- |
|
A takeover defense strategy that has not been approved by a resolution of a
general meeting of shares; |
|
- |
|
No clause for exceptions exists in the event that there are competing
candidates, even though a system of majority resolution has been introduced for the
election of directors; |
|
- |
|
An unreasonable restriction is imposed on the authority of shareholders to
convene an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders; or |
|
- |
|
An unreasonable restriction is imposed on the shareholders’ right to seek
approval or disapproval on the part of shareholders by means of a letter of consent by
shareholders; |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose or withhold approval of all candidates for
reelection as directors in the event that a dead hand or similar provision is included
in a poison pill, until this provision is abolished. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose or withhold approval of all candidates for
reelection as directors in the event of introducing a new poison pill with an
effective duration of 12 months or more (a long-term pill), or any renewal of a poison
pill including a short-term pill with an effective period of less than 12 months, by
the board of directors without the approval of a general meeting of shareholders. |
|
|
|
|
Nevertheless we will in principle vote in favor of all candidates for reelection as
directors in the event of a new introduction if a commitment is made by binding
resolution to seek approval of the new introduction at a general meeting of
shareholders. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose or withhold approval of all candidates for
reelection as directors in the event that a significant amendment to the disadvantage
of shareholders is added to a poison pill, by the board of directors without the
approval of a general meeting of shareholders. |
E-75
(5) Business Performance of a Company
|
• |
|
We will consider opposing or withholding a candidate for reelection as a
director in the event that business performance of the relevant company during the term in
office of the candidate experienced a deficit in three consecutive periods and no
dividends were paid. |
|
• |
|
We will consider opposing or withholding candidate for reelection as a
director in the event that business performance of the relevant company during the term in
office of the candidate was inferior when compared to others in the same industry. |
(6) Antisocial Activities on the Part of the Company
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose or withhold a candidate for reelection as a
director in the event that during the term in office of the candidate a corporate scandal
occurred that had a significant impact on society and caused or could cause damage to of
shareholder value. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose or withhold approval of a candidate for reelection
as a director who was a member of the audit committee, if inappropriate accounting
practices occurred at the relevant company such as window dressing, accounting treatment
that deviates from GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), or a significant
omission in disclosure pursuant to Article 404 of the Sox Law. |
(7) Other
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose or withhold a candidate for director in the event
that information concerning the relevant candidate has not been sufficiently disclosed. |
(8) |
|
Amendment of the Number and Composition of Directors |
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal concerning amendment of the number of
directors or the composition of the board of directors will be made by making a comparison
with the existing situation and considering, inter alia, the impact on the relevant
company and the economic interests of shareholders. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to diversify the composition
of a board of directors. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to fix the number of members
of a board of directors, except when it is determined that this is a takeover defense
strategy. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to make shareholder approval
unnecessary in connection with an amendment of the number of members or composition of
the board of directors. |
(9) Amendment of Qualification Requirements, Period of Service, or Extent of Liability of Directors
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal concerning amendment of the required
qualifications of directors, their terms of office or scope of liabilities will be made by
making a comparison |
E-76
|
|
|
with the existing situation and considering, inter alia, the impact on the relevant company
and the economic interests of shareholders |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting retention of a certain
number of a company’s own shares as a condition of installation or continuation in
office of a director. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to restrict a term in office of a
director. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to institute normal retirement age of
directors. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to reduce the liabilities of a
director from liability in connection with financial damage as a result of a violation
of the fiduciary duties. |
(10) Amendment of the Procedural Method for Election of Directors
|
• |
|
We will decide on proposal concerning amendment of the procedural method of
electing directors will be made by making a comparison with the existing situation and
considering, inter alia, the reasonability of the amendment. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to require the approval of
the majority of the valid votes for an election of a director. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to prohibit the US style
voting system. |
3. Election of Statutory Auditors
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with electing a statutory
auditor shall be made by considering, inter alia, the independence and suitability of the
statutory auditor candidate. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a candidate for reelection as a statutory auditor
in the event that significant concerns exist in an audit report that has been submitted or
audit proceedings. |
|
• |
|
A person who is independent shall mean a person for whom there is no
relationship between the relevant company and the candidate for statutory auditor other
than that of being selected as a statutory auditor. |
4. Election of Accounting Auditor
We will decide on proposals concerning the election of an accounting auditor by considering, inter
alia, the suitability of the candidate for accounting auditor, and the level of audit fees.
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a candidate for accounting auditor in the event
that the accounting auditor can be determined to have expressed an opinion that is not
accurate concerning the financial condition of the relevant company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose in the event that a contract for non-auditing work
exists |
E-77
|
|
|
between the accounting auditor and the relevant company, and it is determined that the
non-auditing work can be found to present a conflict of interest with the auditing work. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a candidate for accounting auditor in the event
that an excessive auditing fee is paid. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting a change of accounting
auditor in the event that the reason for the change can be determined to be a result of a
difference in interpretation between the accounting auditor and the relevant company
regarding accounting policy. |
5. Compensation of Directors, Statutory Auditors, Officers and Employees
(1) Compensation (Including Bonus)
|
• |
|
Proposals concerning compensation will be decided in consideration of, inter
alia, levels of compensation, business performance of the company, and the reasonability
of the framework. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to obtain approval of
compensation reports, except in the following cases: |
|
- |
|
A negative correlation appears to exist between the business performance of
the company and compensation. |
|
- |
|
A compensation framework or practice exists which presents an issue. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to set an absolute level or maximum
compensation. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to pay compensation only by granting
shares. |
(2) Stock Option Plan
|
• |
|
A proposal to introduce or amend a stock option plan will be decided in
consideration of, inter alia, the impact that introducing or amending the plan will have
on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders, as well as the level of compensation,
the scope of implementation and the reasonability of the plan. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to reduce the exercise price of a stock
option plan. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to request that an amendment
of the exercise price of a stock option plan be made a matter for approval by the
shareholders. |
(3) Stock Purchase Plan
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal requesting the introduction or amendment of a
stock purchase plan will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact that
introducing or amending the plan will have on shareholder value and the rights of
shareholders, the scope of implementation and the reasonability of the plan. |
(4) Retirement Bonus of Directors or Statutory Auditors
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with awarding a retirement bonus
to a |
E-78
|
|
|
director or a statutory auditor will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the extent of
the persons who are to be recipients, the existence or absence of antisocial activities in
the past on the part of the prospective recipients, the business performance of the
company, and the existence or absence of antisocial activities on the part of the company.
In principle we will oppose awarding a retirement bonus in the event that a significant
criminal act has been committed by the recipient during his or her term in office. Moreover
we will also consider opposing the awarding of a retirement bonus in the event that the
business performance of the relevant company during the term in office of the candidate
experienced a deficit in three consecutive periods and no dividends were paid or they were
inferior when compared to others in the same industry. In principle we will oppose awarding
a retirement bonus in the event that during the term in office of the recipient
inappropriate accounting practices occurred such as window dressing or accounting treatment
that deviates from generally accepted accounting principles or a significant omission in
disclosure, or a corporate scandal occurred, which had a significant impact on society and
caused or could cause damage to shareholder value. |
6. Equity Financing Policy
(1) Amendment of the Number of Authorized Shares
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal requesting an increase in the number of
authorized shares of stock shall be made by considering, inter alia, the impact that
amending the number of authorized shares will have on shareholder value and the rights of
shareholders, as well as the reasonability of the amendment of the number of authorized
shares, and the impact on the listing of shares as well as on the continuity of the
company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting an increase in the
number of authorized shares if it can be determined that unless an increase is made to the
number of authorized shares the company will be delisted or that there is a risk of a
significant impact on the continuity of the company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to increase the number of authorized
shares after the appearance of an acquirer. |
(2) Issuing of New Shares
|
• |
|
In principle if the existing shareholders will be granted new share
subscription rights (pre-emptive purchase rights) we will vote in favor of a proposal to
issue new shares up to 100 percent of the number of shares issued and outstanding. |
|
• |
|
If the existing shareholders will not be granted new share subscription rights
(pre-emptive purchase rights) we will in principle vote in favor of a proposal to issue
new shares up to 20 percent of the number of shares issued and outstanding. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to issue new shares after an acquirer
has appeared. |
E-79
(3) Acquisition or Reissue by a Company of Its Own Shares
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal for a company to acquire or reissue its own
shares shall be made by considering, inter alia, its reasonability. |
(4) Stock Split
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal involving a stock split. |
(5) Consolidation of Shares (Reverse Split)
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal involving a consolidation of shares (reverse
split) shall be made by considering, inter alia, its reasonability. |
(6) Reduction in Par Value of Shares
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal reducing the par value of
shares. |
(7) Preferred Shares
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with creating new preferred
shares or amending the number of authorized preferred shares shall be made by considering,
inter alia, the existence or absence of voting rights, dividends, conversion or other
rights to be granted to the preferred shares as well as the reasonability of those rights. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting the creation of new
preferred shares or increasing the authorized number of preferred shares, by way of a
blank power of attorney that does not specify the voting rights, dividends, conversion
or other rights. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to create new preferred
shares or to increase the number of authorized preferred shares if the voting rights,
dividends, conversion and other rights are stipulated and these rights can be
determined to be reasonable. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to make the issuing of
preferred shares a matter for approval by the shareholders. |
(8) Classified Shares
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting the creation of new shares
with differing voting rights or increasing the authorized number of shares with differing
voting rights. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to convert to a capital
structure in which there is one vote per share. |
(9) Issuing of Convertible Bonds
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal to issue convertible bonds shall be made by
considering, inter alia, the number of shares into which the bonds are to be converted,
and the period to maturity of the bonds. |
E-80
(10) Issuing of Non-Convertible Bonds, and Increasing a Borrowing Limit
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal to issue non-convertible bonds will be made by
considering, inter alia, the financial condition of the relevant company. |
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal to increase a borrowing limit shall be made by
considering, inter alia, the financial condition of the relevant company. |
(11) Equitization of Debt
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal requesting an amendment of the number of
authorized shares or issuing of shares of the company in relation to a debt restructuring
shall be made in consideration of, inter alia, the conditions of amending the number of
authorized shares or issuing shares of the company, the impact on shareholder value and on
the rights of shareholders, the reasonability thereof, as well as the impact on listing of
the shares and on the continuity of the company. |
(12) Capital Reduction
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with a capital reduction will be
made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder value and on the rights of
shareholders, the reasonability of the capital reduction, as well as the impact on listing
of the shares and on the continuity of the company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will approve a proposal requesting a capital reduction in the
form of a standard accounting processing. |
(13) Financing Plan
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with a financing plan will be
made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder value and on the rights of
shareholders, as well as the reasonability thereof, and the impact on the listing of
shares as well as on the continuity of the company. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting approval of a
financing plan. |
(14) Capitalization of Reserves
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting a capitalization
of reserves. |
7. Corporate Governance
(1) Amendment of Settlement Period
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting an amendment of
the settlement period, except when it can be determined that the objective is to delay a
general meeting of shareholders. |
E-81
(2) Amendment of Articles of Incorporation
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with an amendment of the
articles of incorporation will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on
shareholder value and the rights of shareholders as well as the necessity and the
reasonability of amending the articles of incorporation. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to amend the articles of
incorporation if amendment of the articles of incorporation is necessary by law. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to amend the articles of incorporation
if it can be determined that there is a risk that the rights of shareholders will be
infringed or a risk that a reduction in shareholder value will occur as a result of
the relevant amendment. |
(3) Amendment of the Quorum of a General Meeting of Shareholders
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with amending the quorum of a
general meeting of shareholders and a special resolution of a general shareholders meeting
will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder value and on the
rights of shareholders as well as the customs of the region or country. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to reduce the quorum of a general
meeting of shareholders. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to reduce the quorum of a special
resolution. |
(4) Omnibus Proposal of a General Meeting of Shareholders
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose an omnibus proposal at a general meeting of
shareholders if the entire proposal will not be in the best interests of shareholders. |
(5) Other
(Anonymous Voting)
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting anonymous voting,
an independent vote counter, an independent inspector, and separate disclosure of the
results of voting on a resolution of a general meeting of shareholders. |
(Authority to Postpone General Meetings of Shareholders)
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting to grant to a company the
authority to postpone a general meeting of shareholders. |
(Requirement of Super Majority Approval)
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting a relaxation or
abolishment of the requirement for a super majority. |
E-82
8. Corporate Behavior
(1) Amendment of Tradename or Location of Corporate Registration
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting amendment of a
tradename. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting amendment of a
location of corporate registration. |
(2) Corporate Restructuring
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with a merger, acquisition, assignment or acquisition
of business, company split (spin-off), sale of assets, being acquired, corporate liquidation or
other corporate restructuring will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the respective impact
on shareholder value and on the rights of shareholders, the impact on the financial condition and
on the business performance of the relevant company, as well as the reasonability thereof, and the
impact on the listing of shares and on the continuity of the company.
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with a corporate reorganization
as set forth below will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the respective impact on
shareholder value and on the rights of shareholders, the impact on the financial condition
and on the business performance of the relevant company, as well as the reasonability
thereof, and the impact on the listing of shares as well as on the continuity of the
company: |
Merger or acquisition;
Assignment or acquisition of business;
Company split (spin-off);
Sale of assets;
Being acquired; or
Liquidation.
(3) Proxy Contest
|
• |
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with election of a director from
among opposing candidates will be made in consideration of the independence, suitability,
existence or absence of any antisocial activities in the past on the part of a candidate
for director, the actions in corporate governance, accountability the business performance
of the company, the existence or absence of antisocial activities of the company, and the
background to the proxy contest. |
|
• |
|
A person who is considered to be independent shall mean a person for whom
there is no relationship between the relevant company and the candidate for director other
than that of being selected as a candidate director of the relevant company. |
E-83
(4) Defense Strategy in Proxy Contest
|
• |
|
Staggered Board |
|
|
|
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting the introduction of staggered board of
directors: |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting the introduction of a
staggered board of directors. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting that the terms in
office of directors be one year. |
|
• |
|
Authority to Dismiss Directors |
|
|
|
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting more stringent requirements for the
shareholders to be able to dismiss a director. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to introduce cumulative
voting in connection with the election of directors. However, in principle we will
oppose a proposal which a majority of valid votes is required to elect a director
except in the event that shareholders are able to write-in their own candidate in the
convening notice or ballot of the company and the number of candidates exceeds a
prescribed number. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal requesting the abolition of cumulative
voting in connection with the election of directors. |
|
• |
|
Authority to Call an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting a right of
shareholders to call an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to abolish restrictions on
the right of shareholders to call an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to restrict or prohibit the right of
shareholders to call an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders. |
|
• |
|
Letter of Consent Seeking Approval or Disapproval from Shareholders |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting that shareholders
have the right to seek approval or disapproval on the part of shareholders by means of
a letter of consent. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to abolish restrictions on
the right of shareholders to seek approval or disapproval on the part of shareholders
by means of a letter of consent. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to restrict or prohibit the right of
shareholders to seek approval or disapproval on the part of shareholders by means of a
letter of consent. |
E-84
(5) Takeover Defense Strategies
|
• |
|
Rights Plan (Poison Pill) |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with introducing a rights plan (poison pill)
will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the triggering conditions, the effective
period, the conditions of disclosure of content, the composition of directors of the
relevant company, and the status of introducing other takeover defense strategies. |
|
• |
|
Fair Price Conditions |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with introducing fair price conditions will
be made in consideration of, inter alia, the triggering conditions, the decision-making
process for triggering, and the reasonability of the plan. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting the introduction
of fair price conditions, provided that the following is satisfied. |
|
- |
|
At the time of triggering the fair price provision, the approval of a
majority or not more than a majority of shareholders without a direct interest in the
acquisition is to be sought |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to reduce the number of
approvals by shareholders that is necessary to trigger fair price provision. |
|
• |
|
Anti-Greenmail Provision |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with introducing an anti-greenmail provision
will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the triggering conditions, the
decision-making process for triggering, and the reasonability of the plan. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting the introduction
of anti-greenmail provisions, provided that all of the following standards are
satisfied: |
|
- |
|
The definition of greenmail is clear |
|
- |
|
If a buyback offer is to be made to a person who holds a large number of
shares, that the buy-back offer will be made to all shareholders, or confirmation will
be made that shareholders who do not have a direct interest in the takeover do not
oppose the buyback offer to the person who holds a large number of shares. |
|
- |
|
No clause is included which would restrict the rights of shareholders, such
as measures to deter being bought out. |
|
• |
|
Golden Parachute and Tin Parachute Conditions |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with introducing a golden parachute or a tin
parachute will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the triggering conditions, the
decision-making process for triggering, the level of compensation to be provided and the |
E-85
|
|
|
reasonability of the plan. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to introduce or amend
a golden parachute or a tin parachute if all of the following criteria are
satisfied: |
|
- |
|
The triggering of the golden parachute or the tin parachute will be
determined by an independent committee. |
|
|
- |
|
The payable compensation shall be no more than three times the
employment compensation payable for a year. |
|
|
- |
|
Payment of compensation shall be made after the transfer of control. |
|
• |
|
Classified Shares |
|
|
|
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal in connection with creating new classified shares
with multiple voting rights. |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with creating new classified shares with no
voting rights or less voting rights will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the terms
of the classified shares. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to create classified shares with
multiple voting rights. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to create new classified
shares with no voting rights or less voting rights if all of the following conditions
are satisfied. |
|
- |
|
The objective of creating the new classified shares is to obtain
financing while minimizing the dilution of the existing shareholders. |
|
- |
|
The creation of the new classified shares does not have an
objective of protecting the voting rights of shareholders that have a direct
interest in a takeover or of major shareholders. |
|
• |
|
Issuing New Shares to a White Squire or a White Knight |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with issuing shares to a white squire or a
white knight will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the conditions of issuing the
shares. |
|
• |
|
Relaxation of Requirements to Amend the Articles of Incorporation or Company
Regulations |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal to relax the requirements to amend the articles of
incorporation or company regulations will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the
impact on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders. |
E-86
|
• |
|
Relaxation of Requirements for Approval of a Merger |
|
|
|
|
A decision regarding a proposal to relax the requirements to approve a merger will be made
in consideration of, inter alia, the impact on shareholder value and on the rights of
shareholders. |
|
• |
|
Introduction or Amendment of Takeover Defense Strategy |
|
|
|
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal in connection with introducing or amending a
takeover defense strategy that will reduce shareholder value or infringe the rights of
shareholders. |
9. Social, Environmental and Political Problems
A decision regarding a proposal in connection with a social, environmental or political problems
will be made in consideration of, inter alia, the impact that the actions on the part of the
company will have on shareholder value and the rights of shareholders, the impact on the financial
condition and the business performance of the company, the reasonability of these actions, and the
impact on the listing of shares as well as on the continuity of the company.
10. Information Disclosure
|
• |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal for which sufficient information is not
disclosed for the purpose of making a voting decision. |
|
• |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to increase information
disclosure, if all of the following criteria are satisfied. |
|
- |
|
The information will be beneficial to shareholders. |
|
|
- |
|
The time and expense required for the information disclosure will be minimal. |
11. Other
(1) Directors
|
• |
|
Ex Post Facto Approval of Actions by Directors and Executive Officers |
|
|
|
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting ex post facto approval of an
action taken by the directors or executive officers as long as there are no material
concerns such as having committed an act in violation of fiduciary duties. |
|
• |
|
Separation of Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to have a director who is
independent from the relevant company serve as the chairman of the board of directors
as long as there are not sufficient reasons to oppose the proposal, such as the
existence of a corporate governance organization that will counter a CEO who is also
serving as chairman. |
E-87
|
- |
|
A person considered to be independent shall mean a person for whom there is
no relationship between the relevant company and the director other than that of being
selected as a director. |
|
• |
|
Independence of Board of Directors |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to have directors who are
independent from the relevant company account for at least a majority or more than
two-thirds of the members of the board of directors. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal that the audit committee,
compensation committee and nominating committee of the board of directors shall be
composed solely of independent directors. |
|
- |
|
A person considered to be independent shall mean a person for whom there is
no relationship between the relevant company and the director other than that of being
selected as a director. |
(2) Statutory Auditors
|
• |
|
Ex Post Facto Approval of Actions by Statutory Auditors |
|
|
|
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting ex post facto approval of an
action taken by a statutory auditor as long as there are no material concerns such as
having committed an act in violation of fiduciary duties. |
|
• |
|
Attendance by a Statutory Auditor at a General Meeting of Shareholders |
|
|
|
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting that a statutory auditor attend
a general meeting of shareholders. |
(3) Accounting Auditor
|
• |
|
Fees of an accounting auditor |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal requesting that the decision
on the fees of an accounting auditor is left up to the discretion of the board of
directors. |
|
- |
|
In principle we will oppose a proposal to reduce or waive the liability of an
accounting auditor. |
|
• |
|
Selection of the Accounting Auditor by a General Meeting of Shareholders |
|
- |
|
In principle we will vote in favor of a proposal to make the selection of an
accounting auditor a matter for resolution by a general meeting of shareholders. |
E-88
12. Conflicts of Interest
We will abstain from exercising shareholder voting rights in a company that would constitute a
conflict of interest.
The following company is determined to be a company that would constitute a conflict of interest:
13. Shareholder Proposals
A decision regarding shareholders’ proposals will be made in accordance with the Guideline along
with company’s proposal, however, will be considered on the basis of proposed individual items.
E-89
APPENDIX F
Portfolio Manager Fund Holdings and Information on Other Managed Accounts
Invesco’s 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 Funds that they manage. Accounts are grouped into three
categories: (i) investments made directly in the Fund, (ii) investments made in an Invesco pooled
investment vehicle with the same or similar objectives and strategies as the Fund, and (iii) any
investments made in any Invesco Fund or Invesco pooled investment vehicle. The ‘Assets Managed’
chart reflects information regarding accounts other than the Funds for which each portfolio manager
has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into three categories: (i) other
registered investment companies, (ii) other pooled investment vehicles and (iii) other accounts.
To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance
(performance-based fees), information on those accounts is specifically broken out. 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 August 31, 2012:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dollar Range of |
|
Dollar Range of all |
|
|
Dollar Range of |
|
Investments in Invesco |
|
Investments in Funds |
Portfolio |
|
Investments in each |
|
pooled investment |
|
and Invesco pooled |
Manager |
|
Fund1 |
|
vehicles2 |
|
investment vehicles3 |
Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund |
Mark Ahnrud |
|
None |
|
N/A |
|
Over $1,000,000 |
Chris Devine |
|
None |
|
N/A |
|
$500,001-$1,000,000 |
Scott Hixon |
|
None |
|
N/A |
|
Over $1,000,000 |
Christian Ulrich |
|
None |
|
N/A |
|
$500,001-$1,000,000 |
Scott Wolle |
|
None |
|
N/A |
|
Over $1,000,000 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
This column reflects investments in a Fund’s 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 manager’s immediate family members sharing the same household. |
|
2 |
|
This column reflects portfolio managers’ investments made either directly or through a deferred compensation or a similar plan in Invesco pooled investment vehicles with the same or similar objectives and strategies as the Fund as of the most recent fiscal year end of the Fund. |
|
3 |
|
This column reflects the combined holdings from both the “Dollar Range of all Investments in Funds and Invesco pooled investment vehicles” and the “Dollar Range of Investments in each Fund” columns. |
F-1
Assets Managed
The following information is as of August 31, 2012:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Registered |
|
|
Other Pooled |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investment Companies |
|
|
Investment Vehicles |
|
|
Other Accounts |
|
|
|
Managed (assets in |
|
|
Managed (assets in |
|
|
Managed |
|
|
|
millions) |
|
|
millions) |
|
|
(assets in millions) |
|
|
|
Number |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number |
|
|
|
|
Portfolio |
|
of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
of |
|
|
|
|
Manager |
|
Accounts |
|
|
Assets |
|
|
Accounts |
|
|
Assets |
|
|
Accounts |
|
|
Assets |
|
Invesco Balanced-Risk Aggressive Allocation Fund |
|
Mark Ahnrud |
|
|
25 |
|
|
$ |
15,137.2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
2,072.1 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
$ |
736.9 |
|
Chris Devine |
|
|
25 |
|
|
$ |
15,137.2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
2,072.1 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
$ |
736.9 |
|
Scott Hixon |
|
|
25 |
|
|
$ |
15,137.2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
2,072.1 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
$ |
736.9 |
|
Christian Ulrich |
|
|
25 |
|
|
$ |
15,137.2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
2,072.1 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
$ |
736.9 |
|
Scott Wolle |
|
|
25 |
|
|
$ |
15,137.2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
2,072.1 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
$ |
736.9 |
|
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:
Ø |
|
The management of multiple Funds and/or other accounts may result
in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the
management of each Fund and/or other account. The Adviser and
each Sub-Adviser seek to manage such competing interests for the
time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio
managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most other
accounts managed by a portfolio manager are managed using the same
investment models that are used in connection with the management
of the Funds. |
|
Ø |
|
If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity
which may be suitable for more than one Fund or other account, a
Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity
due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all
eligible Funds and other accounts. To deal with these situations,
the Adviser, each Sub-Adviser and the Funds have adopted
procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple
accounts. |
|
Ø |
|
The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser determine which broker to use to
execute each order for securities transactions for the Funds,
consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the
transaction. However, for certain other accounts (such as mutual
funds for which Invesco or an affiliate acts as sub-adviser, other
pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds,
and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the
Adviser and each Sub-Adviser may be limited by the client with
respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct
trades through a particular broker. In these cases, trades for a
Fund in a particular security may be placed separately from,
rather than aggregated with, such other accounts. Having separate
transactions with respect to a security may temporarily affect the
market price of the security or the execution of the transaction,
or both, to the possible detriment of the Fund or other account(s)
involved. |
F-2
Ø |
|
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. |
The Adviser, each Sub-Adviser, and the Funds have adopted certain compliance procedures which
are designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such
procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
Description of Compensation Structure
For the Adviser and each affiliated 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 bonus opportunity and an equity 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 manager’s 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-Adviser’s intention is to be competitive in light of the particular portfolio
manager’s 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 amount of the bonus pool available for the
Adviser and each of the Sub-Adviser’s investment centers. The Compensation Committee considers
investment performance and financial results in its review. In addition, while having no direct
impact on individual bonuses, assets under management are considered when determining the starting
bonus funding levels. Each portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual cash bonus which is
based on quantitative (i.e. investment performance) and non-quantitative factors (which may
include, but are not limited to, individual performance, risk management and teamwork).
Each portfolio manager’s compensation is linked to the pre-tax investment performance of the
Funds/accounts managed by the portfolio manager as described in Table 1 below.
Table 1
|
|
|
Sub-Adviser |
|
Performance time period4 |
Invesco 5
Invesco Australia Invesco Deutschland
|
|
One-, Three- and Five-year performance against Fund peer group. |
|
|
|
Invesco — Invesco Real Estate6
Invesco Senior Secured4, 7
|
|
Not applicable |
|
|
|
4 |
|
Rolling time periods based on calendar year-end. |
|
5 |
|
Portfolio Managers may be granted an
annual deferral award that vests on a pro-rata basis over a four year period
and final payments are based on the performance of eligible Funds selected by
the portfolio manager at the time the award is granted. |
|
6 |
|
Portfolio Managers for Invesco Global
Real Estate Fund, Invesco Real Estate Fund, Invesco Global Real Estate Income
Fund and Invesco V.I. Global Real Estate Fund base their bonus on new operating
profits of the U.S. Real Estate Division of Invesco. |
F-3
|
|
|
Sub-Adviser |
|
Performance time period4 |
Invesco Canada4
|
|
One-year performance against Fund
peer group.
Three- and Five-year performance
against entire universe of
Canadian funds. |
Invesco Hong Kong4
Invesco Asset Management
|
|
One-, Three- and Five-year
performance against Fund peer
group. |
Invesco Japan8
|
|
One-, Three- and Five-year
performance against the
appropriate Micropol benchmark. |
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.
Equity-Based Compensation. Portfolio managers may be granted an annual deferral award that
allows them to select receipt of shares of certain Invesco Funds with a vesting period as well as
common shares and/or restricted shares of Invesco Ltd. stock from pools determined from time to
time by the Compensation Committee of Invesco Ltd.’s Board of Directors. Awards of equity-based
compensation typically vest over time, so as to create incentives to retain key talent.
Portfolio managers also participate in benefit plans and programs available generally to all
employees.
|
|
|
7 |
|
Invesco Senior Secured’s bonus is based
on annual measures of equity return and standard tests of collateralization
performance. |
|
8 |
|
Portfolio Managers for Invesco Pacific
Growth Fund’s compensation is based on the one-, three- and five-year
performance against the appropriate Micropol benchmark. |
F-4
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Item 28. |
|
|
Exhibits |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
a
|
|
(1) |
|
-
|
|
Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Registrant, dated July 31, 2012. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2) |
|
-
|
|
Certificate of Trust of Registrant, effective August 20, 2012. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
b
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
By-Laws of Registrant, adopted effective August 1, 2012. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
c
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Articles II, VI, VII, VIII and IX of the Declaration of Trust and Articles IV, V and VI, of the By-Laws
define rights of holders of shares. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
d
|
|
(1) |
|
-
|
|
Form of Master Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Invesco Advisers, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2) |
|
-
|
|
Form of Master Intergroup Sub-Advisory Contract for Mutual Funds between Invesco Advisers, Inc., on behalf
of Registrant, and each of Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, Invesco Asset Management Ltd.,
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Australia Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, Invesco
Senior Secured Management, Inc. and Invesco Canada Ltd. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
e
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Omitted pursuant to General Instruction B.2 of Form N-1A. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
f
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Not applicable. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
g
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Amended and Restated Master Custodian Contract dated June 1, 2010, between Registrant and State Street
Bank and Trust Company. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
h
|
|
(1) |
|
-
|
|
Form of Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and Invesco Investment Services, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2) |
|
|
|
Form of Master Administration Services Agreement between Registrant and Invesco Advisers, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
i
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Omitted pursuant to General Instruction B.2 of Form N-1A. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
j
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Omitted pursuant to General Instruction B.2 of Form N-1A. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
k
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Omitted pursuant to General Instruction B.2 of Form N-1A. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
l
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Not applicable. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
m
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Not applicable. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
n
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Not applicable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
o
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Not applicable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
p
|
|
(1) |
|
-
|
|
Invesco Advisers, Inc. Code of Ethics, adopted January 1, 2011, relating to Invesco Advisers, Inc. and any
of its subsidiaries. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
p
|
|
(2) |
|
-
|
|
Invesco Asset Management Limited Code of Ethics dated 2011, relating to Invesco UK. |
C-1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
p
|
|
(3) |
|
-
|
|
Invesco Ltd. Code of Conduct, dated October 2011, relating to Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited
Code of Ethics. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
p
|
|
(4) |
|
-
|
|
Invesco Staff Ethics and Personal Share Dealing dated January 2012, relating to Invesco Hong Kong Limited. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
p
|
|
(5) |
|
-
|
|
Invesco Ltd. Code of Conduct, revised October 2011, relating to Invesco Canada Ltd.; Invesco Canada Ltd.,
Policy No. D-6 Gifts and Entertainment, revised November 2011, and Policy No. D-7 Invesco Canada Personal
Trading Policy, revised November 2010, together the Code of Ethics relating to Invesco Canada Ltd. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
p
|
|
(6) |
|
-
|
|
Invesco Asset Management Deutschland (GmbH) Code of Ethics dated 2011 relating to Invesco Continental
Europe. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
p
|
|
(7) |
|
-
|
|
Invesco Ltd. Code of Conduct, revised October 2011, relating to Invesco Australia Limited. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
p
|
|
(8) |
|
-
|
|
Invesco Senior Secured Management Code of Ethics. |
Item 29. |
|
Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control With the Fund |
|
|
|
None. |
|
Item 30. |
|
Indemnification |
|
|
|
Indemnification provisions for officers, trustees, and employees of the Registrant are set forth in
Article VIII of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Article VIII of its Bylaws, and
are hereby incorporated by reference. See Item 28(a) and (b) above. Under the Agreement and Declaration
of Trust, effective as of July 31, 2012, (i) Trustees or officers, when acting in such capacity, shall not
be personally liable for any act, omission or obligation of the Registrant or any Trustee or officer
except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of his office with the Trust; (ii) every Trustee, officer, employee or agent of
the Registrant shall be indemnified to the fullest extent permitted under the Delaware Statutory Trust
act, the Registrant’s Bylaws and other applicable law; (iii) in case any shareholder or former shareholder
of the Registrant shall be held to be personally liable solely by reason of his being or having been a
shareholder of the Registrant or any portfolio or class and not because of his acts or omissions or for
some other reason, the shareholder or former shareholder (or his heirs, executors, administrators or other
legal representatives, or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or general
successor) shall be entitled, out of the assets belonging to the applicable portfolio (or allocable to the
applicable class), to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such
liability in accordance with the Bylaws and applicable law. The Registrant, on behalf of the affected
portfolio (or class), shall upon request by the shareholder, assume the defense of any such claim made
against the shareholder for any act or obligation of that portfolio (or class). |
|
|
|
The Registrant and other investment companies and their respective officers and trustees are insured under
a joint Mutual Fund Directors and Officers Liability Policy, issued by ICI Mutual Insurance Company and
certain other domestic issuers, with a $80,000,000 limit of liability (plus an additional $20,000,000
limit that applies to independent directors/trustees only). |
|
|
|
Section 16 of the Master Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Invesco Advisers, Inc.
(“Invesco Advisers”) provides that in the absence of willful |
C-2
|
|
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of Invesco Advisers or any of its
officers, directors or employees, that Invesco Advisers shall not be subject to liability to the
Registrant or to any series of the Registrant, or to any shareholder of any series of the Registrant for
any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses
that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security. Any liability of Invesco Advisers
to any series of the Registrant shall not automatically impart liability on the part of Invesco Advisers
to any other series of the Registrant. No series of the Registrant shall be liable for the obligations of
any other series of the Registrant. |
|
|
|
Section 10 of the Master Intergroup Sub-Advisory Contract for Mutual Funds (the Sub-Advisory Contract)
between Invesco Advisers, on behalf of Registrant, and each of Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH,
Invesco Asset Management Limited, Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Australia Limited,
Invesco Hong Kong Limited, Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc., and Invesco Canada Ltd. (each a
Sub-Adviser, collectively the Sub-Advisers) provides that the Sub-Adviser shall not be liable for any
costs or liabilities arising from any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by any
series of the Registrant or the Registrant in connection with the matters to which the Sub-Advisory
Contract relates except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the
part of the Sub-Adviser in the performance by the Sub-Adviser of its duties or from reckless disregard by
the Sub-Adviser of its obligations and duties under the Sub-Advisory Contract. |
|
Item 31. |
|
Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisor |
|
|
|
The only employment of a substantial nature of the Adviser’s directors and officers is with Invesco
Advisers and its affiliated companies. For information as to the business, profession, vocation or
employment of a substantial nature of each of the officers and directors of Invesco Asset Management
Deutschland GmbH, Invesco Asset Management Limited, Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco
Australia Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc., and Invesco Canada
Ltd. (each a “Sub-Adviser”, collectively the “Sub-Advisers”) reference is made to Form ADV filed under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by each Sub-Advisor herein incorporated by reference. Reference is also
made to the caption “Management, Organization and Capital Structure — The Adviser” in the Prospectus which
comprises Part A of the Registration Statement, and to the caption “Investment Advisory and Other
Services” of the Statement of Additional Information which comprises Part B of the Registration Statement,
and to Item 33 of this Part C. |
|
Item 32. |
|
Principal Underwriters |
|
(a) |
|
Invesco Distributors, Inc., the Registrant’s principal underwriter, also acts as a principal underwriter
to the following investment companies: |
|
|
|
AIM Counselor Series Trust (Invesco Counselor Series Trust)
AIM Equity Funds (Invesco Equity Funds)
AIM Funds Group (Invesco Funds Group)
AIM Growth Series (Invesco Growth Series)
AIM International Mutual Funds (Invesco International Mutual Funds)
AIM Investment Securities Funds (Invesco Investment Securities Funds)
AIM Sector Funds (Invesco Sector Funds)
AIM Tax-Exempt Funds (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds)
AIM Treasurer’s Series Trust (Invesco Treasurer’s Series Trust)
AIM Variable Insurance Funds (Invesco Variable Insurance Funds)
Invesco Senior Loan Fund (formerly known as Invesco Van Kampen Senior Loan Fund)
PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust |
C-3
|
|
PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II
PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
Short-Term Investments Trust |
|
(b) |
|
The following table sets forth information with respect to each director, officer or partner of Invesco
Distributors, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Principal |
|
Position and Offices with |
|
Positions and Offices |
Business Address* |
|
Underwriter |
|
with Registrant |
Robert C. Brooks
|
|
Director
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
Peter S. Gallagher
|
|
Director & President
|
|
Assistant Vice President |
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew Schlossberg
|
|
Director
|
|
Assistant Vice President |
|
|
|
|
|
Eric P. Johnson
|
|
Executive Vice President
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
Karen Dunn Kelley
|
|
Executive Vice President
|
|
Vice President |
|
|
|
|
|
Gursh Kundan
|
|
Executive Vice President
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
Brian Lee
|
|
Executive Vice President
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
Ben Utt
|
|
Executive Vice President
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
Eliot Honaker
|
|
Senior Vice President
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
LuAnn S. Katz
|
|
Senior Vice President
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
Ivy B. McLemore
|
|
Senior Vice President
|
|
None |
|
|
|
|
|
Lyman Missimer III
|
|
Senior Vice President
|
|
Assistant Vice President |
|
|
|
|
|
Greg J. Murphy
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Senior Vice President
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None |
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David J. Nardecchia
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Senior Vice President
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None |
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Margaret A. Vinson
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Senior Vice President
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None |
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Gary K. Wendler
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Senior Vice President
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Assistant Vice President |
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John M. Zerr
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Senior Vice President & Secretary
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Senior Vice President, Chief
Legal Officer and Secretary |
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Annette Lege
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Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer
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None |
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Miranda O’Keefe
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Chief Compliance Officer
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None |
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Yinka Akinsola
|
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Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
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Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer |
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|
* |
|
11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173 |
C-4
Item 33. |
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Location of Accounts and Records |
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Invesco Advisers, Inc., 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, will maintain physical possession of each such
account, book or other document of the Registrant at the Registrant’s principal executive offices, 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite
1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, except for those relating to certain transactions in portfolio securities that are maintained
by the Registrant’s Custodian, State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, and the
Registrant’s Transfer Agent and Dividend Paying Agent, Invesco Investment Services, Inc., 219078, Kansas City, MO 64121-9078. |
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Records may also be maintained at the offices of: |
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Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH
An der Welle 5
1st Floor
Frankfurt, Germany 60322 |
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Invesco Asset Management Ltd.
30 Finsbury Square
London, United Kingdom
EC2A 1AG |
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Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 14F
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Tokyo 106-6114 |
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Invesco Australia Limited
333 Collins Street, Level 26
Melbourne Vic 3000, Australia |
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Invesco Hong Kong Limited
41/F, Citibank Tower
3 Garden Road, Central
Hong Kong |
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Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.
1166 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036 |
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Invesco Canada Ltd.
5140 Yonge Street
Suite 900
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M2N 6X7 |
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Item 34. |
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Management Services. |
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Not applicable. |
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Item 35. |
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Undertakings |
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Not Applicable. |
C-5
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant
has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly
authorized, Houston, Texas on the 16th day of January, 2013.
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INVESCO SECURITIES TRUST
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By: |
/s/ John M. Zerr
|
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John M. Zerr |
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Senior Vice President |
|
INDEX
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Exhibit |
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|
Number |
|
Description |
a(1)
|
|
Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Registrant, dated July 31, 2012 |
|
|
|
a(2)
|
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Certificate of Trust of Registrant, effective August 20, 2012 |
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|
|
b
|
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By-Laws of Registrant, adopted effective August 1, 2012 |
|
|
|
d(1)
|
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Form of Master Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Invesco Advisers, Inc. |
|
|
|
d(2)
|
|
Form of Master Intergroup Sub-Advisory Contract for Mutual Funds between Invesco
Advisers, Inc., on behalf of Registrant, and each of Invesco Asset Management Deutschland
GmbH, Invesco Asset Management Ltd., Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco
Australia Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. and
Invesco Canada Ltd. |
|
|
|
g
|
|
Amended and Restated Master Custodian Contract, dated June 1, 2010, between Registrant
and State Street Bank and Trust Company |
|
|
|
h(1)
|
|
Form of Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and Invesco Investment
Services, Inc. |
|
|
|
h(2)
|
|
Form of Master Administration Services Agreement between Registrant and Invesco Advisers,
Inc. |
|
|
|
p(1)
|
|
Invesco Advisers, Inc. Code of Ethics, adopted January 1, 2011, relating to Invesco
Advisers, Inc. and any of its subsidiaries |
|
|
|
p(2)
|
|
Invesco Asset Management Limited Code of Ethics dated 2011, relating to Invesco UK |
|
|
|
p(3)
|
|
Invesco Ltd. Code of Conduct, dated October 2011, relating to Invesco Asset Management
(Japan) Limited Code of Ethics |
|
|
|
p(4)
|
|
Invesco Staff Ethics and Personal Share Dealing dated January 2012, relating to Invesco
Hong Kong Limited |
|
|
|
p(5)
|
|
Invesco Ltd. Code of Conduct, revised October 2011, relating to Invesco Canada Ltd.;
Invesco Canada Ltd., Policy No. D-6 Gifts and Entertainment, revised November 2011, and
Policy No. D-7 Invesco Canada Personal Trading Policy, revised November 2010, together
the Code of Ethics relating to Invesco Canada Ltd |
|
|
|
p(6)
|
|
Invesco Asset Management Deutschland (GmbH) Code of Ethics dated 2011 relating to Invesco
Continental Europe |
|
|
|
p(7)
|
|
Invesco Ltd. Code of Conduct, revised October 2011, relating to Invesco Australia Limited |
|
|
|
p(8)
|
|
Invesco Senior Secured Management Code of Ethics |
C-6