0000835333falseN-2/ANo If Common Shares to which this Prospectus relates are sold to or through underwriters, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth any applicable sales load and the estimated offering expenses borne by the Fund. Common Shareholders will pay service fee of $2.50 and brokerage charges if they direct the Plan Agent to sell Common Shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” The example above does not include sales loads or estimated offering costs. In connection with an offering of Common Shares, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth an Example including sales load and estimated offering costs. Based upon average net assets applicable to Common Shares for the semi-annual period ended August 31, 2024 (unaudited). The Fund pays the Adviser an annual fee, payable monthly, in an amount equal to 0.55% of the Fund’s average weekly Managed Assets. The fee shown above is based upon outstanding leverage of 28.70% of the Fund’s total assets. If leverage of more than 28.70% of the Fund’s total assets is used, the management fees shown would be higher. Based upon the Fund’s outstanding borrowings as of August 31, 2024 of approximately $114,600,000, and the average daily weighted interest rate for the period ended August 31, 2024 of 4.14% . The Fund currently has no preferred shares outstanding. Other Expenses have been restated to reflect current fees. Calculated based on the information presented. Percentages are rounded. Based on the Fund’s computations. 0000835333ck0000835333:CommonSharesMember 2025-02-07 2025-02-07 0000835333 2025-02-07 2025-02-07 0000835333 2024-11-30 2024-11-30 0000835333ck0000835333:CommonSharesMember 2024-11-30 2024-11-30 0000835333ck0000835333:PreferredSharesMember 2025-02-07 2025-02-07 0000835333 2014-02-28 0000835333 2015-02-28 0000835333 2016-02-29 0000835333 2017-02-28 0000835333 2018-02-28 0000835333 2019-02-28 0000835333 2014-03-01 2015-02-28 0000835333 2015-03-01 2016-02-29 0000835333 2016-03-01 2017-02-28 0000835333 2017-03-01 2018-02-28 0000835333 2018-03-01 2019-02-28 0000835333dei:BusinessContactMember 2025-02-07 2025-02-07 0000835333 2024-09-01 2024-11-30 0000835333 2024-06-01 2024-08-31 0000835333 2024-03-01 2024-05-31 0000835333 2023-12-01 2024-02-29 0000835333 2023-09-01 2023-11-30 0000835333 2023-06-01 2023-08-31 0000835333 2023-03-01 2023-05-31 0000835333 2022-12-01 2023-02-28 0000835333 2022-09-01 2022-11-30 0000835333 2022-06-01 2022-08-31 0000835333 2022-03-01 2022-05-31 0000835333 2021-12-01 2022-02-28 0000835333 2025-02-04 0000835333 2025-02-04 2025-02-04 xbrli:pure xbrli:shares iso4217:USD iso4217:USDxbrli:shares

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 7, 2025

 

Securities Act File No. 333-283796

Investment Company Act File No. 811-05597

 

 

 

United States

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM N-2

 

 

 

Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933

Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1

Post-Effective Amendment No.

and/or

Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940

Amendment No. 7

 

 

 

INVESCO MUNICIPAL INCOME OPPORTUNITIES TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

 

11 Greenway Plaza, Houston, TX 77046-1173

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (713) 626-1919

 

Melanie Ringold, Esq.

11 Greenway Plaza, Houston, Texas 77046

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

 

Copies to:

 

Taylor V. Edwards, Esquire

Invesco Advisers, Inc.

225 Liberty Street, 15th FL

New York, NY 10281-1087

Matthew R. DiClemente, Esquire

Mena M. Larmour, Esquire

Stradley Ronon Stevens and Young, LLP

2005 Market Street, Suite 2600

Philadelphia. Pennsylvania 19103-7018

 

Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Public Offering:

 

From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

Check box if the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans.
Check box if any securities being registered on this Form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan.
Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction A.2 or a post-effective amendment thereto.
Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction B or a post-effective amendment thereto that will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act.
Check box if this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction B to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act.

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

 

when declared effective pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Securities Act.

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

This [post-effective] amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed [post-effective amendment] [registration statement].
This Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: .
This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: .
This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: .

 

Check each box that appropriately characterizes the Registrant:

 

Registered Closed-End Fund (closed-end company that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”)).
Business Development Company (closed-end company that intends or has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act).
Interval Fund (Registered Closed-End Fund or a Business Development Company that makes periodic repurchase offers under Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act).
A.2 Qualified (qualified to register securities pursuant to General Instruction A.2 of this Form).
Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (as defined by Rule 405 under the Securities Act).
Emerging Growth Company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”)).
If an Emerging Growth Company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act.
New Registrant (registered or regulated under the Investment Company Act for less than 12 calendar months preceding this filing).

 

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(a), MAY DETERMINE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BASE PROSPECTUS

 

25,500,000 Shares

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust

 

Common Shares

Rights to Purchase Common Shares

 

February 7, 2025

 

The Fund. Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income which is exempt from federal income tax. The investment objective is fundamental and may not be changed without approval of a majority of the Trust’s outstanding voting securities, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

Common Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). The trading or “ticker” symbol of the Common Shares is “OIA.” The closing price of the Common Shares, as reported by the NYSE on February 4, 2025, was $6.38 per Common Share. The net asset value of the Common Shares at the close of business on that same date was $6.12 per Common Share. Rights issued by the Fund may also be listed on a securities exchange.

 

Offerings. The Fund may offer, from time to time, up to 25,500,000 of common shares of beneficial interest, no par value (“Common Shares”) and/or subscription rights to purchase Common Shares (“Rights,” and collectively with Common Shares, “Securities”), in any combination, in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices and on terms set forth in one or more supplements to this Prospectus (each a “Prospectus Supplement”). The Fund may offer and sell such Securities directly to one or more purchasers, to or through underwriters, through dealers or agents that the Fund designates from time to time, or through a combination of these methods. The Prospectus Supplement relating to any offering of Securities will describe such offering, including, as applicable, the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and information regarding any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangements made with those underwriters, dealers or agents or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. The Prospectus Supplement relating to any Rights offering will set forth the number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of each Right (or number of Rights) and the other terms of such Rights offering. For more information about the manners in which the Fund may offer Securities, see “Plan of Distribution.”

 

You should read this Prospectus and any related Prospectus Supplement carefully before you decide to invest in these Securities.  This Prospectus, together with any related prospectus supplements sets forth concisely the information about the Fund that a prospective investor should know before investing, and should be retained for future reference. Investing in Securities involves risks, including the risks associated with the Fund’s use of leverage. See “Use of Leverage” beginning on page 9. You could lose some or all of your investment. You should consider carefully these risks, together with all of the other information in this Prospectus and any related prospectus supplement before making a decision to purchase any of the Securities. See “Risks” beginning on page 10.

 

 

A Statement of Additional Information, dated February 7, 2025 (the “SAI”), containing additional information about the Fund has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this Prospectus. You may request a free copy of the SAI, the table of contents of which is on the last page of this Prospectus, annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and other information about the Fund and make shareholder inquiries by calling 800-959-4246, by writing to the Fund at Invesco Distributors Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77046-1173 or from the Fund’s website www.invesco.com/reports. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this Prospectus, except to the extent specifically incorporated by reference herein. You also may obtain a copy of the SAI (and other information regarding the Fund) from the SEC’s web site (http://www.sec.gov).

 

The Securities do not represent a deposit or obligation of, and are not guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depository institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other governmental agency.

 

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

ii

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY2
SUMMARY OF FUND EXPENSES6
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS7
SENIOR SECURITIES7
THE FUND7
USE OF PROCEEDS7
MARKET AND NET ASSET VALUE INFORMATION7
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES8
USE OF LEVERAGE9
RISKS10
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND10
NET ASSET VALUE13
DISTRIBUTIONS14
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN15
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE15
ANTI-TAKEOVER AND OTHER PROVISIONS IN THE FUND’S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS19
CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND21
TAX MATTERS22
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION25
CUSTODIAN, DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT AND TRANSFER AGENT27
LEGAL MATTERS27
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM27
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION28
PRIVACY POLICY28
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION29

 

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this Prospectus. The Fund has not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. The Fund is not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this Prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this Prospectus. The Fund’s business, financial condition and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

Any projections, forecasts and estimates contained or incorporated by reference herein are forward looking statements and are based upon certain assumptions. Projections, forecasts and estimates are necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions underlying any projections, forecasts or estimates will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. Actual results may vary from any projections, forecasts and estimates and the variations may be material. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward looking statements include changes in interest rates, market, financial or legal uncertainties, including changes in tax law, and the timing and frequency of defaults on underlying investments. Consequently, the inclusion of any projections, forecasts and estimates herein should not be regarded as a representation by the Fund or any of its affiliates or any other person or entity of the results that will actually be achieved by the Fund. Neither the Fund nor its affiliates has any obligation to update or otherwise revise any projections, forecasts and estimates including any revisions to reflect changes in economic conditions or other circumstances arising after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, even if the underlying assumptions do not come to fruition. The Fund acknowledges that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the safe harbor for forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 does not apply to investment companies such as the Fund.

 

1

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

This is only a summary. You should review the more detailed information contained elsewhere in this Prospectus and any related prospectus supplement and in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).

 

The Fund Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. See “The Fund” below for more information. The Fund’s common shares of beneficial interest, no par value (“Common Shares”), are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “OIA.”
The Offering

The Fund may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings, up to 25,500,000 of Common Shares, and/or subscription rights to purchase Common Shares (“Rights” and with the Common Shares, “Securities”) on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. The Fund will offer Securities at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more supplements to this Prospectus (each a “Prospectus Supplement”). The Fund may offer and sell such Securities directly to one or more purchasers, to or through underwriters, through dealers or agents that the Fund designates from time to time, or through a combination of these methods. The Prospectus Supplement relating to any offering of Securities will describe such offering, including, as applicable, the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and information regarding any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangements made with those underwriters, dealers or agents or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated.

 

The Fund may not sell any Securities through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of this Prospectus and a Prospectus Supplement, describing the method and terms of the particular offering of such Securities. You should read this Prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest. See “Plan of Distribution.”

 

The Prospectus Supplement relating to any Rights offering will set forth the number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of each Right (or number of Rights) and the other terms of such Rights offering. The minimum price on any day at which the Common Shares may be sold will not be less than the NAV per Common Share at the time of the offering plus the per share amount of any underwriting commission or discount; provided that Rights offerings that meet certain conditions may be offered at a price below the then current NAV. See “Rights Offerings.”

Use Of Proceeds Unless otherwise specified in a Prospectus Supplement, the Fund intends to invest the net proceeds of an offering of Securities in accordance with its investment objective and policies as stated herein. It is currently anticipated that the Fund will be able to invest substantially all of the net proceeds of an offering of Securities in accordance with its investment objective and policies within three to six months after the completion of any such offering or the receipt of such proceeds, depending on the availability of appropriate investment opportunities consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and market conditions. Pending such investment, it is anticipated that the proceeds will be invested in cash, cash equivalents or other securities, including U.S. government securities or high quality, short-term debt securities. The Fund may also use the proceeds for working capital purposes, including the payment of distributions, interest and operating expenses, although the Fund currently has no intent to issue Securities primarily for these purposes.
Investment Objective and Policies

Please refer to the section of the Fund’s most recent annual report on Form N-CSR entitled “Additional Information—Investment Objective, Policies and Principal Risks of the Trust,” as such investment objective and investment policies may be supplemented from time to time, which are incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

 

There can be no assurance that such strategies will be successful. For a more complete discussion of the Fund’s portfolio composition and its corresponding risks, see “Investment Objective and Policies” and “Risks.”

 

2

 

Use of Leverage

The Fund uses leverage to pursue its investment objective. The Fund may use leverage to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The Fund may source leverage through a number of methods, including through issuing preferred shares, though the Fund does not currently have any preferred shares outstanding. In addition, the Fund may also use other forms of leverage including, but not limited to, portfolio investments that have the economic effect of leverage, such as by investing in residual interest certificates of tender option bond trusts, also called inverse floating rate securities. The Fund may also use other forms of leverage including, but not limited to certain derivatives that have the economic effect of leverage. The Fund may reduce or increase leverage based upon changes in market conditions and anticipates that its leverage ratio will vary from time to time based upon variations in the value of the Fund’s holdings.

 

Leverage involves special risks. See “Use of Leverage” below.

Management of the Fund

Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco” or the “Adviser”) is the Fund’s investment adviser. The Adviser is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. The Adviser is located at 1331 Spring Street NW, Suite 2500, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. The Adviser, a successor in interest to multiple investment advisers, has been an investment adviser since 1976. Invesco has entered into sub-advisory agreements (“Sub-Advisory Agreements”) with certain affiliates to serve as sub-advisers to the Fund (each a “Sub-Adviser” and collectively, the “Sub-Advisers”), 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.

 

Under an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a monthly advisory fee based on the annual rate of 0.55% of the Fund’s average weekly Managed Assets. “Managed Assets,” for purposes of the advisory fee, means the Fund’s net assets, plus assets attributable to outstanding preferred shares and the amount of any borrowings incurred for the purpose of leverage (whether or not such borrowed amounts are reflected in the Fund’s consolidated financial statements for purposes of generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”)). This means that during periods in which the Fund is using leverage, the fee paid to the Adviser will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the fee is calculated as a percentage of the Fund’s managed assets, which include those assets purchased with leverage

Distributions

The Fund intends to make regular monthly distributions of all or a portion of its net investment income to its common shareholders (the “Common Shareholders”). The Fund expects to pay its Common Shareholders annually all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income, if applicable, and net tax-exempt income to meet the requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Various factors will affect the level of the Fund’s net investment company taxable income. The Fund may from time to time distribute less than the entire amount of income earned in a particular period. The undistributed income would be available to supplement future distributions. As a result, the distributions paid by the Fund for any particular month may be more or less than the amount of income actually earned by the Fund during that period. Undistributed income will add to the Fund’s net asset value and, correspondingly, distributions from undistributed income, if any, will reduce the Fund’s net asset value.

 

3

 

 

In addition, the Fund intends to distribute, on an annual basis, all or substantially all of any net capital gains to its Common Shareholders. The Fund may also declare and pay capital gains distributions more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

 

If, for any calendar year, the total distributions made exceed the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profit, the excess will, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to each Common Shareholder up to the amount of the Common Shareholder’s basis in his or her Common Shares, and thereafter as gain from the sale of Common Shares. The amount treated as a tax-free return of capital will reduce the Common Shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her Common Shares, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale of his or her Common Shares. To the extent the Fund’s distribution policy results in distributions in excess of its net investment income and net capital gain, such distributions will decrease its total assets and increase its expense ratio to a greater extent than would have been the case if distributions were limited to these amounts. Distributions in any year may or may not include a substantial return of capital component.

 

The Fund reserves the right to change its distribution policy and the basis for establishing the rate of distributions at any time and may do so without prior notice to Common Shareholders.

 

Shareholders will automatically have all dividends and distributions reinvested in Common Shares issued by the Fund or Common Shares of the Fund purchased in the open market in accordance with the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan unless an election is made to receive cash. See “Distributions” and “Dividend reinvestment plan.”

Listing and Symbol The Fund’s currently outstanding Common Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “OIA” and the Common Shares offered by this Prospectus, subject to notice of issuance, will also be listed on the NYSE. The net asset value per Common Share at the close of business on February 4, 2025 was $6.38, and the last reported sale price of the Common Shares on the NYSE on such date was $6.12, representing a discount to net asset value of (4.08)%. See “Market and Net Asset Value Information.”
Special Risk Considerations Investment in the Fund involves special risk considerations, which are summarized below. The Fund is designed as a long-term investment and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program. The Fund’s performance and the value of its investments will vary in response to changes in interest rates, inflation and other market factors. Please refer to the section of the Fund’s most recent annual report on Form N-CSR entitled “Additional Information, Investment Objective, Policies and Principal Risks of the Trust.”
Summary of TaxationThe Fund intends to elect to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and intends to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any net ordinary income or capital gains that is currently distributed as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to Common Shareholders, as applicable. To qualify for and maintain its treatment as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is required to meet certain specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements, and is required to distribute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes of an amount at least equal to 90% of the sum of its net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses each tax year to Shareholders as applicable. The Fund’s distributions primarily are exempt from regular federal income tax. All or a portion of these distributions, however, may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax and state and local taxes. The Fund also may make distributions that are taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains. See “Tax Matters.”

 

4

 

Reports to Common ShareholdersAs soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year, a statement on Form 1099-DIV identifying the sources of the distributions paid by the Fund to Shareholders for tax purposes will be furnished to Shareholders subject to Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) reporting. In addition, the Fund will prepare and transmit to Shareholders an unaudited semi-annual and an audited annual report within 60 days after the close of the period for which the report is being made, or otherwise required by the 1940 Act.

Anti-Takeover Provisions in the Fund’s Governing Documents

The Fund’s Certificate of Trust, as amended, the Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”) and the Fund’s By-Laws (collectively, the “Governing Documents”) include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to an open-end fund. These provisions could have the effect of depriving the Common Shareholders of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then-current market price of the Common Shares. See “Anti-Takeover and Other Provisions in the Fund’s Governing Documents.”

AdministratorThe Fund has entered into a master administrative services agreement with the Adviser, pursuant to which the Adviser performs or arranges for the provision of accounting and other administrative services to the Fund that are not required to be performed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement.

Custodian, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Transfer Agent

The custodian for the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-2801.

 

The transfer agent and dividend paying agent for the Fund is Computershare Trust Company, N.A 250 Royall Street Canton, MA 02021.

 

5

 

SUMMARY OF FUND EXPENSES

 

The following table contains information about the costs and expenses that Common Shareholders will bear directly or indirectly. The table is based on the capital structure of the Fund as of August 31, 2024 (except as noted below).

 

Common Shareholder Transaction Expenses        
Sales load paid by you (as a percentage of offering price)     None (1) 
Offering expenses borne by Common Shareholders (as a percentage of offering price)     [--] (1) 
Dividend Reinvestment Plan fees(2)     None   

 

    As a Percentage of Net Assets
Attributable to Common Shares(3)
 
Annual Expenses        
Management fees(4)     0.77 %
Interest payments on borrowed funds(5)     1.54 %
Other expenses(6)       0.10 %
Total annual expenses     2.41 %

 

 
(1)   If Common Shares to which this Prospectus relates are sold to or through underwriters, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth any applicable sales load and the estimated offering expenses borne by the Fund.

 

(2)   Common Shareholders will pay service fee of $2.50 and brokerage charges if they direct the Plan Agent to sell Common Shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”

 

(3)   Based upon average net assets applicable to Common Shares for the semi-annual period ended August 31, 2024 (unaudited).

 

(4)   The Fund pays the Adviser an annual fee, payable monthly, in an amount equal to 0.55% of the Fund’s average weekly Managed Assets. The fee shown above is based upon outstanding leverage of 28.70% of the Fund’s total assets. If leverage of more than 28.70% of the Fund’s total assets is used, the management fees shown would be higher.

 

(5)   Based upon the Fund’s outstanding borrowings as of August 31, 2024 of approximately $114,600,000, and the average daily weighted interest rate for the period ended August 31, 2024 of 4.14% . The Fund currently has no preferred shares outstanding.

 

(6)   Other Expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.

 

The purpose of the table and the example below is to help you understand the fees and expenses that you, as a holder of Common Shares, would bear directly or indirectly.

 

Example

 

The following example illustrates the expenses that you would pay on a $1,000 investment in Common Shares, assuming (1) “Total annual expenses” of 2.41% of net assets attributable to Common Shares and (2) a 5% annual return*:

 

    1 Year     3 Years     5 Years     10 Years  
Total Expenses paid by Common Shareholders(1)    $ 24     $ 75     $ 129     $ 275  

 

*            The Example should not be considered a representation of future expenses or returns. Actual expenses may be higher or lower than those assumed. Moreover, the Fund’s actual rate of return may be higher or lower than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example. The example assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at net asset value.

 

(1)   The example above does not include sales loads or estimated offering costs. In connection with an offering of Common Shares, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth an Example including sales load and estimated offering costs.

 

6

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The Fund’s financial highlights for the fiscal years ended February 29, 2024, February 28, 2023, February 29, 2022, February 28, 2021, and February 29, 2020 are incorporated by reference from the Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024 (File No. 811-05597), as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR on May 2, 2024. The financial highlights for each of these fiscal periods have been derived from financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, for the last five fiscal periods. PwC has not reviewed or examined any records, transactions or events after the date of such reports. The Fund’s unaudited financial highlights for the period ended August 31, 2024 are incorporated by reference to the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2024 (File No. 811-05597), as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSRS on November 1, 2024. The Fund’s financial highlights for the fiscal years ended February 28, 2019, February 28, 2018, February 28, 2017, February 29, 2016, and February 28, 2015, are set forth in the table below. A copy of the Fund’s most recent Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report may be obtained from www.sec.gov or by visiting www.invesco.com.

 

The following schedule presents financial highlights for a share of the Fund outstanding throughout the periods indicated.

 

                      Year Ended     Year Ended  
    Years ended February 28,     February 29,     February 28,  
    2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  
Net asset value per common share, beginning of period   $ 7.41     $ 7.44     $ 7.65     $ 7.58     $ 7.05  
Net investment income(a)     0.38       0.42       0.41       0.42       0.40  
Net gains (losses) on securities (both realized and unrealized)     (0.06 )     (0.04 )     (0.22 )     0.04       0.53  
Total from investment operations     0.32       0.38       0.19       0.46       0.93  
Dividends paid to common shareholders from net investment income     (0.40 )     (0.41 )     (0.40 )     (0.39 )     (0.40 )
Net asset value per common share, end of period   $ 7.33     $ 7.41     $ 7.44     $ 7.65     $ 7.58  
Market value per common share, end of period   $ 7.65     $ 7.53     $ 7.60     $ 7.43     $ 6.99  
Total return at net asset value(b)     4.49 %     5.19 %     2.51 %     6.73 %     13.96 %
Total return at market value(c)     7.32 %     4.64 %     7.82 %     12.41 %     13.63 %
Net assets applicable to common shares, end of period (000’s omitted)   $ 348,568     $ 351,816     $ 353,295     $ 362,645     $ 359,602  
Portfolio turnover rate(d)     19 %     13 %     14 %     7 %     11 %
                                         
Ratios/supplemental data based on average net assets applicable to common shares outstanding:                                        
Ratio of expenses:                                        
With fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements     1.62 %(e)     1.20 %     0.98 %     0.86 %     0.79 %
With fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements excluding interest, facilities and maintenance fees     0.83 %(e)     0.83 %     0.76 %     0.74 %     0.69 %
Without fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements     1.62 %(e)     1.20 %     0.98 %     0.86 %     0.84 %
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets     5.13 %(e)     5.63 %     5.33 %     5.58 %     5.51 %
Senior securities:                                        
Total amount of preferred shares outstanding (000’s omitted)   $ 30,000     $ 30,000       N/A       N/A       N/A  
Asset coverage per preferred share(f)   $ 1,261,893     $ 1,272,271       N/A       N/A       N/A  
Liquidating preference per preferred share   $ 100,000     $ 100,000       N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

(a) Calculated using average shares outstanding.
(b) Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and as such, the net asset value for financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. Not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable.
(c) Total return assumes an investment at the common share market price at the beginning of the period indicated, reinvestment of all distributions for the period in accordance with the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan, and sale of all shares at the closing common share market price at the end of the period indicated. Not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable.
(d) Portfolio turnover is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable.
(e) Ratios are based on average daily net assets applicable to common shares (000’s omitted) of $349,748.
(f) Calculated by subtracting the Fund’s total liabilities (not including preferred shares, at liquidation value) from the Fund’s total assets and dividing this by the total number of preferred shares outstanding.

N/A - Not applicable

 

SENIOR SECURITIES

 

The information regarding the Fund’s outstanding senior securities at the end of each of the Fund’s last five fiscal years are included in the Fund’s financial highlights, which are incorporated by reference from the Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024 (File No. 811-05597), as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR on May 2, 2024. The information regarding the Fund's outstanding senior securities for the fiscal years ended February 28, 2019, February 28, 2018, February 28, 2017, February 29, 2016, and February 28, 2015 is set forth in the table above. See “Financial Highlights” above.

 

THE FUND

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Fund was originally organized as a Massachusetts business trust on June 22, 1988. The Fund commenced operations on September 19, 1988. Effective as of August 27, 2012, the Fund completed a redomestication to a Delaware statutory trust. The Fund’s principal office is located at 1331 Spring Street NW, Suite 2500., Atlanta, Georgia 30309 and its phone number is (404) 892-0896.

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

Unless otherwise specified in a Prospectus Supplement, the net proceeds from any offering will be invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies within three to six months after the completion of such offering or the receipt of such proceeds, depending on the availability of appropriate investment opportunities consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and market conditions. Pending such investment, it is anticipated that the proceeds will be invested in cash, cash equivalents or other securities, including U.S. government securities, affiliated money market funds or high quality, short-term debt securities. The Fund may also use the proceeds for working capital purposes, including the payment of distributions, interest and operating expenses, although the Fund currently has no intent to issue Securities primarily for this purpose. See “Use of Leverage.”

 

MARKET AND NET ASSET VALUE INFORMATION

 

The Fund’s currently outstanding Common Shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “OIA” and the Common Shares offered by this Prospectus, subject to notice of issuance, will also be listed on the NYSE. The Fund’s Common Shares commenced trading on the NYSE in June 1998.

 

Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from net asset value. The Common Shares have traded both at a premium and at a discount in relation to the Fund’s net asset value per share. Although the Common Shares have previously traded at a premium to net asset value, there can be no assurance that they will do so in the future. If the Common Shares trade at a premium to net asset value, there can be no assurance that this will continue after any offering nor that the Common Shares will not trade at a discount in the future. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. Costs incurred in connection with an offering of Common Shares will be borne entirely by the Fund, which may reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share. The sale of Common Shares by the Fund (or the perception that such sales may occur) may have an adverse effect on prices of Common Shares in the secondary market. An increase in the number of Common Shares available may put downward pressure on the market price for Common Shares.

 

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The following table sets forth, for each of the periods indicated: (i) the high and low closing market prices for the Common Shares reported as of the end of the day on the NYSE, (ii) the high and low net asset value (NAV) of the Common Shares, and (iii) the high and low of the premium or discount to NAV (expressed as a percentage) of shares of the Common Shares. Net asset value is generally determined on each day that the NYSE is open for business. See “Net Asset Value” for information as to the determination of the Fund’s NAV.

 

    Market Price     NAV(1)     Premium/(Discount) to NAV(2)  
During Quarter Ended   High     Low     High     Low     High     Low  
November 2024   $ 6.96     $ 6.43     $ 6.63     $ 6.33       6.42 %     (1.68 )%
August 2024   $ 6.59     $ 6.20     $ 6.59     $ 6.23       1.93 %     (3.43 )%
May 2024   $ 6.70     $ 6.06     $ 6.48     $ 6.22       4.36 %     (2.57 )%
February 2024   $ 6.66     $ 6.20     $ 6.47     $ 6.18       4.02 %     (2.82 )%
November 2023   $ 6.45     $ 4.94     $ 6.17     $ 5.54       5.74 %     (11.15 )%
August 2023   $ 6.39     $ 6.00     $ 6.38     $ 6.08       4.58 %     (4.09 )%
May 2023   $ 6.82     $ 5.97     $ 6.49     $ 6.17       8.95 %     (3.92 )%
February 2023   $ 7.09     $ 5.98     $ 6.59     $ 6.25       9.89 %     (4.93 )%
November 2022   $ 6.92     $ 5.45     $ 6.52     $ 5.85       7.45 %     (7.43 )%
August 2022   $ 7.19     $ 6.03     $ 6.86     $ 6.39       8.59 %     (5.93 )%
May 2022   $ 7.47     $ 6.26     $ 7.46     $ 6.50       3.75 %     (8.55 )%
February 2022   $ 8.13     $ 7.01     $ 7.88     $ 7.42       3.57 %     (6.78 )%

 

(1)            Based on the Fund’s computations.

 

(2)            Calculated based on the information presented. Percentages are rounded.

 

The net asset value per Common Share, the market price, and percentage of premium/(discount) to net asset value per Common Share on February 4, 2025 was $6.38, $6.12, and (4.08)%, respectively. As of February 4, 2025, the Fund had 47,676,823.640 Common Shares outstanding and net assets applicable to Common Shares of $304,102,796.97. The Fund cannot predict whether its Common Shares will trade in the future at a premium to or discount from net asset value, or the level of any premium or discount.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES

 

Investment Objective and Policies

 

Please refer to the section of the Fund’s most recent annual report on Form N-CSR, entitled “Additional Information—Investment Objective, Policies and Principal Risks of the Trust—Investment Objective” and “—Investment Policies of the Trust,” as such investment objective and policies may be supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund will buy and sell securities to seek to accomplish its investment objective. Portfolio turnover generally involves some expense to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year. For the past two fiscal years, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was as follows.

 

Fiscal Year Ended     Portfolio Turnover Rate  
February 29, 2024     19 %
February 28, 2023     21 %
 
 

 

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Investment Restrictions

 

The Fund has adopted certain other investment limitations designed to limit investment risk. These limitations are fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Common Shares, as defined in the 1940 Act (and preferred shares, if any, voting together as a single class), which is defined by the 1940 Act as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s voting securities present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. See “Investment Restrictions” in the SAI for a complete list of the fundamental investment policies of the Fund.

 

USE OF LEVERAGE

 

The Fund uses leverage to pursue its investment objective. The Fund may use leverage to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The Fund may source leverage through a number of methods, including through issuing preferred shares. In addition, the Fund may also use other forms of leverage including, but not limited to certain derivatives that have the economic effect of leverage. In addition, the Fund may also use other forms of leverage including, but not limited to, portfolio investments that have the economic effect of leverage, such as by investing in residual interest certificates of tender option bond trusts, also called inverse floating rate securities. The Fund may reduce or increase leverage based upon changes in market conditions and anticipates that its leverage ratio will vary from time to time based upon variations in the value of the Fund’s holdings.

 

The Fund does not currently have any outstanding preferred shares. The Fund currently also invests in residual interest certificates of tender option bond trusts, also called inverse floating rate securities, that have the economic effect of leverage because the Fund’s investment exposure to the underlying bonds held by the trust have been effectively financed by the trust’s issuance of floating rate certificates.

 

The amounts and forms of leverage used by the Fund may vary with prevailing market or economic conditions. The timing and terms of any leverage transactions are determined by the Board of Trustees. There is no assurance that the Fund’s leveraging strategy will be successful.

 

The Fund may use derivative instruments (including futures and options) for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income.

 

So long as the net rate of income received from the Fund’s investments purchased with leverage proceeds exceeds the then current interest rate on such leverage, the investment of the proceeds of leverage will generate more net income than if the Fund had not leveraged itself. However, if the rate of net income received from the Fund’s portfolio investments purchased with the proceeds of leverage is less than the then current interest rate on that leverage, the Fund may be required to utilize other Fund assets to make interest payments on its leveraging instruments.

 

The Fund pays a management fee to the Adviser (which in turn pays a portion of such fee to the Sub-Adviser) based on a percentage of Managed Assets. Managed Assets include the proceeds realized and managed from the Fund’s use of leverage (excluding the leverage exposure attributable to the use of futures, options and similar derivatives). Because Managed Assets includes the Fund’s net assets as well as assets that are attributable to the Fund’s investment of the proceeds of its leverage, it is anticipated that the Fund’s Managed Assets will be greater than its net assets. The Adviser will be responsible for using leverage to pursue the Fund’s investment objective. The Adviser will base its decision regarding whether and how much leverage to use for the Fund, and the terms of that leverage, on its assessment of whether such use of leverage is in the best interests of the Fund. However, a decision to employ or increase leverage will have the effect, all other things being equal, of increasing Managed Assets and in turn the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s management fees. Thus, the Adviser may have a conflict of interest in determining whether to use or increase leverage. The Adviser will seek to manage that potential conflict by recommending to the Fund’s Board of Trustees to leverage the Fund (or increase such leverage) only when it determines that such action would be in the best interests of the Fund and its Shareholders, and by periodically reviewing with the Board of Trustees the Fund’s performance and the impact of the use of leverage on that performance.

 

 

9

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to issue “senior securities” that are preferred shares if, immediately after the issuance of preferred shares, the asset coverage ratio with respect to such preferred shares would be less than 200%. With respect to any such preferred shares, asset coverage means the ratio which the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, bears to the aggregate amount of senior securities representing indebtedness of the Fund plus the aggregate liquidation preference of such preferred shares.

 

Preferred Shares

 

The Fund may authorize and issue preferred shares with rights as determined by the Board of Trustees, by action of the Board of Trustees without prior approval of the holders of the Common Shares. Common Shareholders have no preemptive right to purchase any preferred shares that might be issued. Any such preferred share offering would be subject to the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not issue preferred shares if, immediately after issuance, the Fund would have asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) of less than 200% (i.e., for every dollar of preferred shares outstanding, the Fund is required to have at least two dollars of assets).

 

The terms of the preferred shares, including their distribution rate, voting rights, liquidation preference and redemption provisions, will be determined by the Board (subject to applicable law and the Fund’s Declaration of Trust) if and when it authorizes the preferred shares. The Fund may issue preferred shares that provide for the periodic redetermination of the distribution rate at relatively short intervals through an auction or remarketing procedure, although the terms of the preferred shares may also enable the Fund to lengthen such intervals. At times, the distribution rate on the Fund’s preferred shares may exceed the Fund’s return after expenses on the investment of proceeds from the preferred shares, resulting in a lower rate of return to Common Shareholders than if the preferred shares were not outstanding.

 

 

RISKS

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in any investment company security involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Please refer to the section of the Fund’s most recent annual report on Form N-CSR entitled “Additional Information—Investment Objective, Policies and Principal Risks of the Trust—Principal Risks of Investing in the Trust,” as such principal risks may be supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of the principal risks you should consider before making an investment in the Fund. Any additional risks applicable to a particular offering of Securities will be set forth in the related Prospectus Supplement.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Board of Trustees

 

The management of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed by the Adviser, is the responsibility of the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

 

10

 

Adviser

 

Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco” or the “Adviser”) is the Fund’s investment adviser. The Adviser is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. The Adviser is located at 1331 Spring Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. The Adviser, a successor in interest to multiple investment advisers, has been an investment adviser since 1976.

 

Investment Advisory Agreement

 

The Fund retains the Adviser to manage the investment of its assets and to place orders for the purchase and sale of its portfolio securities. Under an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Fund (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser a monthly advisory fee based on the annual rate of 0.55% of the Fund’s average weekly Managed Assets. “Managed Assets,” for purposes of the advisory fee, means the Fund’s net assets, plus assets attributable to outstanding preferred shares and the amount of any borrowings incurred for the purpose of leverage (whether or not such borrowed amounts are reflected in the Fund’s financial statements for purposes of GAAP).

 

Such fee is payable for each calendar month as soon as practicable after the end of that month. The Adviser has contractually agreed, through at least June 30, 2026, to waive the advisory fee payable by the Fund in an amount equal to 100% of the net advisory fees the Adviser receives from the affiliated money market funds on investments by the Fund of uninvested cash in such affiliated money market funds. For the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, the Adviser did not waive any advisory fees.

 

The Adviser furnishes offices, necessary facilities and equipment. The Fund pays all charges and expenses of its day-to-day operations, including service fees, distribution fees, custodian fees, legal and independent registered public accounting firm fees, the costs of reports and proxies to shareholders, compensation of trustees of the Fund (other than those who are affiliated persons of the Adviser or Invesco Distributors) and all other ordinary business expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement was available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2024.

 

Sub-Adviser

 

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 Advisers Act are:

 

Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH (“Invesco Deutschland”)

 

Invesco Asset Management Limited (“Invesco Asset Management”)

 

Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited (“Invesco Japan”)

 

Invesco Hong Kong Limited (“Invesco Hong Kong”)

 

Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (“Invesco Senior Secured”)

 

Invesco Canada Ltd. (“Invesco Canada”);

 

(each a “Sub-Adviser” and collectively, the “Sub-Advisers”).

 

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 Fund, 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 Fund pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, as reduced to reflect contractual or voluntary fees waivers or expense limitations by Invesco, if any.

 

11

 

Portfolio Management

 

Investment decisions for the Fund are made by the Fund’s investment management team. The following individuals are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

 Mark Paris, Senior Portfolio Manager. Mr. Paris is Chief Investment Officer and Head of Municipals for the Invesco Municipal Bond team. In this role, he is responsible for the oversight and implementation of all municipal bond strategies. Mr. Paris joined Invesco when the firm combined with Van Kampen Investments in 2010. Prior to joining the firm, he was both a trader and portfolio manager on the municipal fixed income team at Morgan Stanley/Van Kampen, which he joined in 2002. He was also a trader and portfolio manager at OppenheimerFunds, head underwriter at Chase Manhattan Bank, and a trader and underwriter at NatWest Bank. Mr. Paris entered the financial industry in 1990. Mr. Paris earned a BBA degree in finance from Baruch College of the City University of New York.

 

 Julius Williams, Senior Portfolio Manager. Mr. Williams is a Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading for the Invesco Municipal Bond team. Mr. Williams joined Invesco when the firm combined with Van Kampen in 2010, where he was a portfolio manager and trader of municipal funds. Mr. Williams entered the financial industry in 2000. Mr. Williams earned a BA degree in economics and sociology and a master’s in educational psychology from the University of Virginia.

 

 John Schorle, Senior Portfolio Manager. Mr. Schorle is a Senior Portfolio Manager for the Invesco Municipal Bond team. Mr. Schorle joined Invesco when the firm combined with the Morgan Stanley/Van Kampen retail business in 2010, where his roles included buy- and sell-side fixed income trading and analysis, fixed income and equity research, and fund accounting. Prior to his current role, he served as a senior credit analyst on the Municipal Bond team, following his experience as a senior investment research manager in the Unit Investment Trust division. Mr. Schorle entered the financial industry in 1998. Mr. Schorle earned a BA degree in economics from DePaul University. He is a registered Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

 

 Jack Connelly, Senior Portfolio Manager. Mr. Connelly is a Senior Portfolio Manager for the Invesco Municipal Bond team. Mr. Connelly joined Invesco in 2016. Prior to joining the firm, he was senior vice president of municipal sales for Raymond James & Associates, where he entered the industry in 1994. Mr. Connelly earned a BA degree in philosophy from Wheaton College and master’s degrees from the University of Rhode Island and Yale University.

 

 Tim O’Reilly, Senior Portfolio Manager. Mr. O’Reilly is a Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Institutional Municipal Portfolio Management for the Invesco Municipal Bond team. Mr. O’Reilly joined Invesco when the firm combined with Van Kampen Investments in 2010, serving as a senior unit trust fixed income portfolio manager. He entered the financial industry in 2001. Mr. O’Reilly earned a BS degree in finance from Eastern Illinois University and an MBA in finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

 

More information on the portfolio managers may be found at www.invesco.com/us. The web site is not part of the 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.

 

12

 

Administrator

 

Invesco Advisers, Inc., the Fund’s investment adviser, also serves as the Fund’s administrator (the “Administrator”) under a master administrative services agreement pursuant to which the Adviser performs or arranges, for a separate fee, for the provision of accounting and other administrative services to the Fund which are not required to be performed by the Adviser under its investment advisory agreement with the Fund. Pursuant to a subcontract for administrative services with the Adviser, State Street Bank and Trust Company, which also serves as the Fund’s Custodian, performs certain administrative functions for the Fund. The Fund has also entered into a support services agreement with Invesco Investment Services, Inc. The principal business address of Invesco Investment Services, Inc. is 11 Greenway Plaza, Houston, Texas 77046-1173.

 

For the services rendered to the Fund as Administrator, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, accrued daily and paid monthly, at an annualized rate based on the aggregate monthly net assets of each mutual fund and closed-end fund in the Invesco Fund complex (not to exceed 0.0175%) of the Fund’s average net assets

 

NET ASSET VALUE

 

The net asset value per share of the Fund’s Common Shares is determined as of the close of business on each business day by calculating the total value of the Fund’s assets, deducting its total liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of Common Shares outstanding.

 

Variable rate senior loan interests are fair valued using quotes provided by an independent pricing service. Quotes provided by the pricing service may reflect appropriate factors such as ratings, tranche type, industry, company performance, spread, individual trading characteristics, institution-size trading in similar groups of securities and other market data. Securities, including restricted securities, are valued according to the following policy. A security listed or traded on an exchange is generally valued at its trade price or official closing price that day as of the close of the exchange where the security is principally traded, or lacking any sales or official closing price on a particular day, the security may be valued at the closing bid or ask price on that day. Securities traded in the over-the-counter market (but not securities reported on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange) are valued based on the prices furnished by independent pricing services, in which case the securities may be considered fair valued, or by market makers. Each security reported on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange is valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”) as of the close of the customary trading session on the valuation date or absent a NOCP, at the closing bid price.

 

Futures contracts are valued at the daily settlement price set by an exchange on which they are principally traded. Where a final settlement price exists, exchange-traded options are valued at the final settlement price from the exchange where the option principally trades. Where a final settlement price does not exist, exchange-traded options are valued at the mean between the last bid and ask price generally from the exchange where the option principally trades.

 

Securities of investment companies that are not exchange-traded (e.g., open-end mutual funds) are valued using such company’s end-of-business-day net asset value per share, whereas securities of investment companies that are exchange-traded will be valued at the last trade price or official closing price on the exchange where they primarily trade.

 

Fixed income securities (including convertible debt securities) normally are valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services. Prices provided by the pricing service 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 specific securities, dividend rate (for unlisted equities), yield (for debt obligations), quality, type of issue, coupon rate (for debt obligations), maturity (for debt obligations), individual trading characteristics and other market data. Pricing services generally value debt obligations assuming orderly transactions of institutional round lot size, but a trust may hold or transact in the same securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots, and their value may be adjusted accordingly. Debt obligations are subject to interest rate and credit risks. In addition, all debt obligations involve some risk of default with respect to interest and/or principal payments.

 

13

 

Swap agreements are fair valued using an evaluated quote, if available, provided by an independent pricing service. Evaluated quotes provided by the pricing service are valued based on a model which may include end-of-day net present values, spreads, ratings, industry, company performance and returns of referenced assets. Centrally cleared swap agreements are valued at the daily settlement price determined by the relevant exchange or clearinghouse. Deposits, other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions, and cash equivalents are valued at their daily account value.

 

Unlisted securities will be valued using prices provided by independent pricing services or by another method that the Adviser, in its judgment, believes better reflects the security’s fair value in accordance with the Valuation Procedures.

 

Non-traded rights and warrants shall be valued at intrinsic value if the terms of the rights and warrants are available, specifically the subscription or exercise price and the ratio. Intrinsic value is calculated as the daily market closing price of the security to be received less the subscription price, which is then adjusted by the exercise ratio. In the case of warrants, an option pricing model supplied by an independent pricing service may be used based on market data such as volatility, stock price and interest rate from the independent pricing service and strike price and exercise period from verified terms.

 

Securities for which market prices are not provided by any of the above methods may be valued based upon quotes furnished by independent sources. The mean between the last bid and ask prices is used to value debt obligations, including corporate loans.

 

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available are fair valued by the Adviser in accordance with the Valuation Procedures. If a fair value price provided by a pricing service is unreliable in the Adviser’s judgment, the Adviser will fair value the security using the Valuation Procedures. Issuer specific events, market trends, bid/ask quotes of brokers and information providers and other market data may be reviewed in the course of making a good faith determination of a security’s fair value.

 

The Fund may invest in securities that are subject to interest rate risk, meaning the risk that the prices will generally fall as interest rates rise and, conversely, the prices will generally rise as interest rates fall. Specific securities differ in their sensitivity to changes in interest rates depending on their individual characteristics. Changes in interest rates may result in increased market volatility, which may affect the value and/ or liquidity of certain Fund investments.

 

Valuations change in response to many factors including the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of the issuer’s assets, general market conditions which are not specifically related to the particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for revenues or corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, regional or global instability, natural or environmental disasters, widespread disease or other public health issues, war, acts of terrorism, significant governmental actions or adverse investor sentiment generally and market liquidity. Because of the inherent uncertainties of valuation, the values reflected in the consolidated financial statements may materially differ from the value received upon actual sale of those investments

 

The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of any investment may differ from the Adviser’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that are valued using a fair valuation technique. When fair valuation techniques are applied, the Adviser uses available information, including both observable and unobservable inputs and assumptions, to determine a methodology that will result in a valuation that the Adviser believes approximates market value. Fund securities that are fair valued may be subject to greater fluctuation in their value from one day to the next than would be the case if market quotations were used.

 

Because of the inherent uncertainties of valuation, and the degree of subjectivity in such decisions, the Fund could realize a greater or lesser than expected gain or loss upon the sale of the investment.

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The Fund intends to make regular monthly distributions of all or a portion of its net investment income to Common Shareholders. The Fund expects to pay its Common Shareholders annually all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income, if applicable, and net tax-exempt income to meet the requirements for qualification as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The investment company income of the Fund will generally consist of all interest and other ordinary income accrued on portfolio investments, short-term capital gain (including short-term gains on options, futures and forward positions and gains on the sale of portfolio investments held for one year or less) in excess of long-term capital loss and income from certain hedging transactions, less all expenses of the Fund. Expenses of the Fund will be accrued each day. Various factors will affect the level of the Fund’s net investment company taxable income.

 

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The Fund may from time to time distribute less than the entire amount of income earned in a particular period. The undistributed income would be available to supplement future distributions. As a result, the distributions paid by the Fund for any particular month may be more or less than the amount of income actually earned by the Fund during that period. Undistributed income will add to the Fund’s net asset value and, correspondingly, distributions from undistributed income, if any, will reduce the Fund’s net asset value.

 

In addition, the Fund intends to distribute, on an annual basis, all or substantially all of any net capital gains (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) to its Common Shareholders. The Fund may also declare and pay capital gains distributions more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. To the extent that the Fund’s net investment income and net capital gain for any year exceed the total distributions paid during the year, the Fund will make a special distribution at or near year-end of such excess amount as may be required. Under the 1940 Act, for any distribution that includes amounts from sources other than net income, the Fund is required to provide Common Shareholders a written statement regarding the components of such distribution. Such a statement will be provided at the time of any distribution believed to include any such amounts.

 

If, for any calendar year, the total distributions made exceed the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profit, the excess will, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to each Common Shareholder up to the amount of the Common Shareholder’s basis in his or her Common Shares, and thereafter as gain from the sale of Common Shares. The amount treated as a tax-free return of capital will reduce the Common Shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her Common Shares, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale of his or her Common Shares. To the extent the Fund’s distribution policy results in distributions in excess of its net investment income and net capital gain, such distributions will decrease its total assets and increase its expense ratio to a greater extent than would have been the case if distributions were limited to these amounts. Distributions in any year may or may not include a substantial return of capital component.

 

The Fund reserves the right to change its distribution policy and the basis for establishing the rate of distributions at any time and may do so without prior notice to Common Shareholders.

 

DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

 

Please refer to the section of the Fund’s most recent annual report on Form N-CSR entitled “Dividend Reinvestment Plan,” which is incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan.

 

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE

 

The Fund is a statutory trust organized under the laws of Delaware pursuant to a Certificate of Trust, dated as of April 2, 2012. The following is a brief description of the terms of the Common Shares, Borrowings and preferred shares which may be issued by the Fund. This description does not purport to be complete and is qualified by reference to the Fund’s Governing Documents.

 

Common Shares

 

The Declaration of Trust permits the Fund to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional common shares of beneficial interest, no par value. Each Common Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets of the Fund with each other Common Share in the Fund. Holders of Common Shares will be entitled to the payment of distributions when, as and if declared by the Board. The 1940 Act or the terms of any borrowings or preferred shares may limit the payment of distributions to the holders of Common Shares. Each whole Common Share shall be entitled to one vote as to matters on which it is entitled to vote pursuant to the terms of the Declaration of Trust on file with the SEC. Upon liquidation of the Fund, after paying or adequately providing for the payment of all liabilities of the Fund and the liquidation preference with respect to any outstanding preferred shares, the Trustees may distribute the remaining assets of the Fund among the holders of the Common Shares on a pro rata basis.

 

 

 

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While there are any borrowings or preferred shares outstanding, the Fund may not be permitted to declare any cash distribution on its Common Shares, unless at the time of such declaration, (i) all accrued distributions on preferred shares or accrued interest on borrowings have been paid and (ii) the value of the Fund’s total assets (determined after deducting the amount of such distribution), less all liabilities and indebtedness of the Fund not represented by senior securities, is at least 300% of the aggregate amount of such securities representing indebtedness and at least 200% of the aggregate amount of securities representing indebtedness plus the aggregate liquidation value of the outstanding preferred shares (expected to equal the aggregate original purchase price of the outstanding preferred shares plus the applicable redemption premium, if any, together with any accrued and unpaid distributions thereon, whether or not earned or declared and on a cumulative basis). In addition to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund may be required to comply with other asset coverage requirements as a condition of the Fund obtaining a rating of the preferred shares from a rating agency. These requirements may include an asset coverage test more stringent than under the 1940 Act. This limitation on the Fund’s ability to make distributions on its Common Shares could in certain circumstances impair the ability of the Fund to maintain its qualification for taxation as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. The Fund intends, however, to the extent possible to purchase or redeem preferred shares or reduce borrowings from time to time to maintain compliance with such asset coverage requirements and may pay special distributions to the holders of the preferred shares in certain circumstances in connection with any such impairment of the Fund’s status as a RIC. Depending on the timing of any such redemption or repayment, the Fund may be required to pay a premium in addition to the liquidation preference of the preferred shares to the holders thereof.

 

The Common Shares have no preemptive rights or subscription rights.

 

The Fund will not issue certificates for the Common Shares.

 

Issuance of Additional Common Shares

 

Any additional offering of Common Shares will be subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. The provisions of the 1940 Act generally require that the public offering price (less underwriting commissions and discounts) of common shares sold by a closed-end investment company must equal or exceed the net asset value of such company’s common shares (calculated within 48 hours of the pricing of such offering), unless such sale is made with the consent of a majority of its Common Shareholders.

 

Rights Offerings

 

The Fund may in the future, and at its discretion, choose to make offerings of rights to its shareholders to purchase Common Shares. Rights may be issued independently or together with any other offered security and may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with a rights offering to shareholders, the Fund would distribute certificates or other documentation (i.e., rights cards distributed in lieu of certificates) evidencing the rights and a Prospectus Supplement to the Fund’s shareholders as of the record date that the Fund sets for determining the shareholders eligible to receive rights in such rights offering. Any such future rights offering will be made in accordance with the 1940 Act. Under the laws of Delaware, the Board is authorized to approve rights offerings without obtaining shareholder approval.

 

The staff of the SEC has interpreted the 1940 Act as not requiring shareholder approval of a transferable rights offering to purchase Common Shares at a price below the then current net asset value so long as certain conditions are met, including: (i) a good faith determination by a fund’s board that such offering would result in a net benefit to existing shareholders; (ii) the offering fully protects shareholders’ preemptive rights and does not discriminate among shareholders (except for the possible effect of not offering fractional rights); (iii) management uses its best efforts to ensure an adequate trading market in the rights for use by shareholders who do not exercise such rights; and (iv) the ratio of a transferable rights offering does not exceed one new share for each three rights held.

 
 
 
 

 

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The applicable Prospectus Supplement would describe the following terms of the rights in respect of which this Prospectus is being delivered:

 

  the period of time the offering would remain open;

 

  the underwriter or distributor, if any, of the rights and any associated underwriting fees or discounts applicable to purchases of the rights;

 

  the title of such rights;

 

  the exercise price for such rights (or method of calculation thereof);

 

  the number of such rights issued in respect of each Share;

 

  the number of rights required to purchase a single Share;

 

  the extent to which such rights are transferable and the market on which they may be traded if they are transferable;

 

  if applicable, a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the issuance or exercise of such rights;

 

  the date on which the right to exercise such rights will commence, and the date on which such right will expire (subject to any extension);

 

  the extent to which such rights include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities and the terms of such over-subscription privilege; and

 

  termination rights we may have in connection with such rights offering.

 

A certain number of rights would entitle the holder of the right(s) to purchase for cash such number of Common Shares at such exercise price as in each case is set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the Prospectus Supplement relating to the rights offered thereby. Rights would be exercisable at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for such rights set forth in the Prospectus Supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights would become void. Upon expiration of the rights offering and the receipt of payment and the rights certificate or other appropriate documentation properly executed and completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the rights agent, or any other office indicated in the Prospectus Supplement, the Common Shares purchased as a result of such exercise will be issued as soon as practicable. To the extent permissible under applicable law, we may determine to offer any unsubscribed offered securities directly to persons other than shareholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, as set forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement.

 

Repurchase of Common Shares

 

Because shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to their net asset values, the Board has determined that from time to time it may be in the interest of holders of Common Shares for the Fund to take corrective actions. The Board, in consultation with the Adviser, will review at least annually the possibility of open market repurchases and/or tender offers for the Common Shares and will consider such factors as the market price of the Common Shares, the net asset value of the Common Shares, the liquidity of the assets of the Fund, effect on the Fund’s expenses, whether such transactions would impair the Fund’s status as a RIC or result in a failure to comply with applicable asset coverage requirements, general economic conditions and such other events or conditions which may have a material effect on the Fund’s ability to consummate such transactions. There are no assurances that the Board will, in fact, decide to undertake either of these actions or if undertaken, that such actions will result in the Fund’s Common Shares trading at a price which is equal to or approximates their net asset value. In recognition of the possibility that the Common Shares might trade at a discount to net asset value and that any such discount may not be in the interest of holders of Common Shares, the Board, in consultation with the Adviser, from time to time may review possible actions to reduce any such discount.

 

 

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Preferred Shares

 

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with preference rights, including preferred shares, no par value, in one or more series, with rights as determined by the Board, by action of the Board without the approval of the holders of Common Shares.

 

Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund must, immediately after the issuance of any preferred shares, have an “asset coverage” of at least 200%. Asset coverage means the ratio which the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liability and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), bears to the aggregate amount of senior securities representing indebtedness of the Fund, if any, plus the aggregate liquidation preference of the preferred shares. The liquidation value of the preferred shares is expected to equal their aggregate original purchase price plus the applicable redemption premium, if any, together with any accrued and unpaid distributions thereon (on a cumulative basis), whether or not earned or declared. The terms of the preferred shares, including their distribution rate, voting rights, liquidation preference and redemption provisions, will be determined by the Board (subject to applicable law and the Fund’s Declaration of Trust) if and when it authorizes the preferred shares. The Fund may issue preferred shares that provide for the periodic redetermination of the distribution rate at relatively short intervals through an auction or remarketing procedure, although the terms of the preferred shares may also enable the Fund to lengthen such intervals. At times, the distribution rate on the Fund’s preferred shares may exceed the Fund’s return after expenses on the investment of proceeds from the preferred shares, resulting in a lower rate of return to Common Shareholders than if the preferred shares were not outstanding.

 

In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Fund, the terms of any preferred shares may entitle the holders of preferred shares to receive a preferential liquidating distribution (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus the applicable redemption premium, if any, together with accrued and unpaid distributions, whether or not earned or declared and on a cumulative basis) before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Common Shares. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, the preferred shareholders would not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets by the Fund.

 

Holders of preferred shares, voting as a class, shall be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s Trustees. Under the 1940 Act, if at any time distributions on the preferred shares are unpaid in an amount equal to two full years’ distributions thereon, the holders of all outstanding preferred shares, voting as a class, will be allowed to elect a majority of the Fund’s Trustees until all distributions in arrears have been paid or declared and set apart for payment.

 

In addition, if the Board determines it to be in the best interests of the Common Shareholders, issuance of the preferred shares may result in more restrictive provisions than required by the 1940 Act being imposed. In this regard, holders of the preferred shares may be entitled to elect a majority of the Fund’s Board in other circumstances, for example, if one payment on the preferred shares is in arrears.

 
 

 

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Borrowings

 

The Fund may utilize leverage through borrowings, including through a credit facility, commercial paper program or other borrowing program. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to incur indebtedness, including through the issuance of debt securities, unless immediately thereafter the total asset value of the Fund’s portfolio is at least 300% of the liquidation value of the outstanding indebtedness (i.e., such liquidation value may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total assets). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash distribution on its Common Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the net asset value of the Fund’s portfolio (determined after deducting the amount of such distribution) is at least 300% of such liquidation value. If the Fund borrows money, the Fund intends, to the extent possible, to retire outstanding debt, from time to time, to maintain coverage of any outstanding indebtedness of at least 300%.

 

The Fund may negotiate with commercial banks to arrange a borrowing facility pursuant to which the Fund may borrow an amount equal to approximately one-third of the Fund’s total assets (inclusive of the amount borrowed). Any such borrowings would constitute leverage. Such a borrowing facility is not expected to be convertible into any other securities of the Fund, outstanding amounts are expected to be prepayable by the Fund prior to final maturity without significant penalty and there are not expected to be any sinking fund or mandatory retirement provisions. Outstanding amounts would be payable at maturity or such earlier times as required by the agreement. The Fund may be required to prepay outstanding amounts under the borrowing facility or incur a penalty rate of interest upon the occurrence of certain events of default. The Fund would be expected to indemnify the lenders against liabilities they may incur in connection with the borrowing facility.

 

In addition, the Fund expects that a borrowing facility would contain covenants that, among other things, likely will limit the Fund’s ability to pay distributions in certain circumstances, incur additional debt, change its fundamental investment policies and engage in certain transactions, including mergers and consolidations, and may require asset coverage ratios in addition to those required by the 1940 Act. The Fund may be required to pledge its assets and to maintain a portion of its assets in cash or high-grade securities as a reserve against interest or principal payments and expenses. The Fund expects that any borrowing facility would have customary covenant, negative covenant and default provisions. There can be no assurance that the Fund will enter into an agreement for a borrowing facility on terms and conditions representative of the foregoing, or that additional material terms will not apply. In addition, if entered into, any such borrowing facility may in the future be replaced or refinanced by one or more borrowing facilities having substantially different terms or by the issuance of preferred shares or debt securities.

 

Capitalization

 

The following table provides information about the outstanding securities of the Fund as of November 30, 2024:

 

Title of Class   Amount Authorized   Amount Held by the
Fund or for its Account
    Amount Outstanding  
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, no par value   Unlimited     --       47,671,591.640  

 

ANTI-TAKEOVER AND OTHER PROVISIONS IN THE FUND’S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS

 

The Fund presently has provisions in its Governing Documents (the Declaration and the Bylaws of the Fund) which could have the effect of limiting, in each case, (i) the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund, (ii) the Fund’s freedom to engage in certain transactions or (iii) the ability of the Fund’s Board of Trustees or shareholders to amend the Governing Documents or effectuate changes in the Fund’s management. These provisions of the Governing Documents of the Fund may be regarded as “anti-takeover” provisions.

 

The Board of Trustees is divided into three classes. This provision could delay for up to two years the replacement of a majority of the Board of Trustees. Any amendment to declassify the Board of Trustees requires the affirmative vote or consent of the Board of Trustees followed by the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least 75% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, unless such amendment has been previously approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the Board of Trustees, in which case “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund shall be required.

 

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A Majority Trustee Vote is required on all Board actions, including amendments to the Declaration. “Majority Trustee Vote” means (a) with respect to a vote of the Board, a vote of the majority of the Trustees then in office, and, if there is one or more Continuing Trustees, a separate vote of a majority of the Continuing Trustees; and (b) with respect to a vote of a committee or sub-committee of the Board, a vote of the majority of the members of such committee or subcommittee, and, if there is one or more Continuing Trustees on such committee or sub-committee, a separate vote of a majority of the Continuing Trustees that are members of such committee or sub-committee. “Continuing Trustee” means a Trustee who either (a) has been a member of the Board for a period of at least thirty-six months or (b) was nominated to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees by a majority of the Continuing Trustees then members of the Board of Trustees.

 

A Trustee may be removed from office, only for cause, including but not limited to (i) willful misconduct, dishonesty, or fraud on the part of the Trustee in the conduct of his or her office; (ii) failing to meet, on a continuous basis, the trustee qualifications outlined in the Declaration; or (iii) being indicted for, pleading guilty to or being convicted of a felony, in each case only by a written instrument signed by at least 75% of the number of Trustees (not including the Trustee(s) for which removal is being sought) prior to such removal.

 

Further, under the Governing Documents, certain qualifications must be met to qualify for nomination and service as a Trustee. Nominees may be disqualified if they engaged in disabling conduct outlined in the Declaration of Trust. Nominees that are associated with other investment vehicles and investment advisers may not be eligible for nomination and service as a Trustee if the Board finds that such associations have conflicts of interest with the long-term best interests of the Fund, impede the ability of the nominee to perform, or impede the free-flow of information from management. Nominees that are acting in concert with control persons of other investment companies that are in violation of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act shall be disqualified from nomination and service as a Trustee.

 

In addition, the Declaration requires the approval of the Board of Trustees followed by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, to approve, adopt or authorize certain transactions, unless the transaction has been previously approved by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the Board of Trustees, in which case the affirmative vote of “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund shall be required. Transactions subject to this voting requirement include:

 

 The dissolution of the Fund; provided that if the affirmative vote of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the Board approves the dissolution, no vote of shareholders shall be required to dissolve the Fund.

 

 A merger or consolidation of the Fund with one or more other entities.

 

 A conversion of the Fund to an “other business entity” (as defined in Section 3801 of the Delaware Act) or a conversion or exchange of the shares of the Fund.

 

 The sale, conveyance and transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Fund to another entity.

 

 The reclassification of the Fund from a “closed-end company” to an “open-end company” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

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 The following transactions with any person or group (a “Principal Shareholder”) that is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of five percent (5%) or more of the shares of the Fund, and shall include any affiliate or associate of a Principal Shareholder. For purposes of these provisions, a Principal Shareholder shall be deemed to be the beneficial owner of any Shares which the Principal Shareholder owns directly, has the right to acquire pursuant to any agreement or upon exercise of conversion rights or warrants, or otherwise or which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly by any other person or group with which the Principal Shareholder or its affiliate or associate has any agreement, arrangement, or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting, or disposing of shares, or which is its affiliate or associate.

 

 oThe issuance of any securities of the Fund or any subsidiary of the Fund to any Principal Shareholder for cash (other than pursuant to any dividend reinvestment plan).

 

 oThe sale, lease or exchange of all or any substantial part of the assets of the Fund or any subsidiary of the Fund to any Principal Shareholder (except assets having an aggregate fair market value of less than two percent (2%) of the total assets of the Fund or any subsidiary of the Fund, aggregating for the purpose of such computation all assets sold, leased or exchanged in any series of similar transactions within a twelve-month period).

 

 oThe sale, lease, or exchange to the Fund or any subsidiary of the Fund, in exchange for securities of the Fund or any subsidiary of the Fund, of any assets of any Principal Shareholder (except assets having an aggregate fair market value of less than two percent (2%) of the total assets of the Fund or any of subsidiary of the Fund, aggregating for the purpose of such computation, all assets sold, leased or exchanged in any series of similar transactions within a twelve-month period).

 

In addition, any additional matter for which the Declaration or the 1940 Act does not expressly require a vote of shareholders, but with respect to which the Trustees determine the shareholders shall have power to vote, shall require the affirmative vote or consent of holders of at least 75% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, unless such matter has been previously approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the Board of Trustees, in which case the affirmative vote of “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund shall be required.

 

The Declaration provides a detailed process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders. A shareholder may only bring a derivative action on behalf of the Fund if certain conditions are met. Among other things, such conditions: (i) require shareholder(s) to make a pre-suit demand on the Trustees (unless such effort is not likely to succeed because a majority of the Board of Trustees or the committee established to consider the merits of such action are not independent Trustees under Delaware law); (ii) require 10% of the beneficial owners to join in the pre-suit demand, or if a pre-suit demand is not required, require 10% of beneficial owners to join in the demand for the Board of Trustees to commence such action; and (iii) afford the Trustees a reasonable amount of time to consider the request and investigate the basis of the claims (including designating a committee to consider the demand and hiring counsel or other advisers). The Board of Trustees may require an undertaking by the shareholders making such demand to reimburse the Fund for the fees and expenses of any such counsel or other advisors and other out of pocket expenses of the Fund, in the event that the Board of Trustees determines not to bring such action. These conditions generally are intended to provide the Trustees with the ability to pursue a claim if they believe doing so would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders and to preclude the pursuit of claims that the Trustees determine to be without merit or otherwise not in the Fund’s best interest to pursue. Any suit, claim or other action by shareholders must be brought pursuant to these provisions, irrespective of whether such claim involves a violation of shareholders’ rights. Insofar as the federal securities laws supersede state law, these provisions do not apply to shareholder derivative claims that arise under the federal securities laws.

 

The Declaration also generally requires that actions by shareholders in connection with or against the Fund be brought only in certain Delaware courts, provided that actions arising under the U.S. federal securities laws are required to be brought in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the right to jury trial be waived to the fullest extent permitted by law. These provisions may result in increased shareholder costs in pursuing a shareholder derivative claim and/or may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a different forum.

 

Reference should be made to the Declaration on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions. See “Additional Information.”

 

CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND

 

The Fund may be converted to an open-end management investment company if approved by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees followed by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, unless the conversion has been approved by at least 66 2/3% of the Board of Trustees, in which case the affirmative vote of “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund shall be required. The composition of the Fund’s portfolio and/or its investment policies could prohibit the Fund from complying with regulations of the SEC applicable to open-end management investment companies unless significant changes in portfolio holdings and investment policies are made. Conversion of the Fund to an open-end management investment company also would require the redemption of any outstanding preferred shares and could require the repayment of borrowings, which would reduce the leveraged capital structure of the Fund with respect to the Common Shares. In the event of conversion, the Common Shares would cease to be listed on the NYSE or other national securities exchange or market system. Common shareholders of an open-end management investment company can require the company to redeem their shares at any time (except in certain circumstances as authorized by or under the 1940 Act) at their net asset value, less such redemption charge, if any, as might be in effect at the time of a redemption. If converted to an open-end fund, the Fund expects to pay all redemption requests in cash, but intends to reserve the right to pay redemption requests in a combination of cash or securities. If such partial payment in securities were made, investors may incur brokerage costs in converting such securities to cash. If the Fund were converted to an open-end fund, it is likely that new Common Shares would be sold at net asset value with the potential for a sales load.

 

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TAX MATTERS

 

The following discussion is a brief summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Fund’s Common Shares. A more detailed discussion of the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its Common Shareholders can be found in the SAI that is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Except as otherwise noted, this discussion assumes you are a taxable U.S. person (as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and that you hold your Common Shares as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, assets held for investment). This discussion is based upon current provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder and judicial and administrative authorities, all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal tax concerns affecting the Fund and its Common Shareholders (including Common Shareholders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law).

 

The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice and potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the specific U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund.

 

Taxation Of The Fund

 

The Fund intends to elect to be treated and to qualify annually as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements:

 

 (i)The Fund must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from the following sources: (a) dividends, interest (including tax-exempt interest), payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including gain from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies; and (b) net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined in the Code). Generally, a qualified publicly traded partnership includes a partnership the interests of which are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof) and that derives less than 90% of its gross income from the items described in (a) above.

 

 (ii)The Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, including receivables, U.S. Government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (b) not more than 25% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. Government securities and the securities of other RICs) of (I) any one issuer, (II) any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same business or similar or related trades or businesses or (III) any one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined in the Code).

 

22

 

As long as the Fund qualifies as a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on income and gains that the Fund distributes to its shareholders, provided that it distributes each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of (i) the Fund’s investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends, interest, the excess of any net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, and other taxable income, other than any net capital gain (defined below), reduced by deductible expenses) determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and (ii) the Fund’s net tax-exempt interest (the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest over certain disallowed deductions). The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of such income each year. The Fund will be subject to income tax at regular corporate rates on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its shareholders.

 

The Fund will either distribute or retain for reinvestment all or part of its net capital gain (which consists of the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss). If any such gain is retained, the Fund will be subject to a corporate income tax on such retained amount. In that event, the Fund expects to report the retained amount as undistributed capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, each of whom, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes as long-term capital gain its share of such undistributed amounts, (ii) will be entitled to credit its proportionate share of the tax paid by the Fund against its U.S. federal income tax liability and to claim refunds to the extent that the credit exceeds such liability and (iii) will increase its basis in its shares by the amount of undistributed capital gain included in such shareholder’s gross income net of the tax deemed paid the shareholder under clause (ii).

 

The Code imposes a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the Fund to the extent the Fund does not distribute by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gain or loss) for the calendar year and (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain in excess of its capital loss (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year (unless an election is made to use the Fund’s fiscal year). In addition, the minimum amounts that must be distributed in any year to avoid the excise tax will be increased or decreased to reflect any under-distribution or over- distribution, as the case may be, from the previous year. For purposes of the excise tax, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income on which it paid federal income tax. While the Fund intends to distribute any income and capital gain in the manner necessary to minimize imposition of the 4% nondeductible excise tax, there can be no assurance that sufficient amounts of the Fund’s taxable income and capital gain will be distributed to entirely avoid the imposition of the excise tax. In that event, the Fund will be liable for the excise tax only on the amount by which it does not meet the foregoing distribution requirement.

 

Certain of the Fund’s investment practices are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gains or “qualified dividend income” into higher taxed short-term capital gains or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (vii) produce income that will not be “qualified” income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described above. These U.S. federal income tax provisions could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to Common Shareholders. The Fund intends to structure and monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections and may be required to dispose of securities to mitigate the effect of these provisions and prevent disqualification of the Fund as a RIC (which may adversely affect the net after-tax return to the Fund).

 

If for any taxable year the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders, and such distributions would be taxable to the Common Shareholders as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Such dividends, however, would be eligible (provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met) (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of U.S. Common Shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of U.S. Common Shareholders taxed as corporations. The Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a RIC.

 

23

 

Taxation Of Common Shareholders

 

The Fund intends to qualify each year to pay exempt-interest dividends by satisfying the requirement that at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year at least 50% of the Fund’s total assets consists of Municipal Securities, which are exempt from federal income tax.

 

Exempt-interest dividends. Distributions from the Fund will constitute exempt-interest dividends to the extent of the Fund’s tax-exempt interest income (net of allocable expenses and amortized bond premium). Exempt-interest dividends distributed to Common Shareholders of the Fund are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. However, Common Shareholders required to file a federal income tax return will be required to report the receipt of exempt-interest dividends on their returns. Moreover, while exempt-interest dividends are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes, they may be subject to alternative minimum tax (AMT) in certain circumstances and may have other collateral tax consequences as discussed below.

 

Distributions of capital gains. Any gain or loss from the sale or other disposition of a tax-exempt security generally is treated as either long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending upon its holding period, and is fully taxable.

 

Failure of a Municipal Security to qualify to pay exempt-interest. Failure of the issuer of a tax-exempt security to comply with certain legal or contractual requirements relating to a Municipal Security could cause interest on the Municipal Security, as well as Fund distributions derived from this interest, to become taxable, perhaps retroactively to the date the Municipal Security was issued. In such a case, the Fund may be required to report to the IRS and send to Common Shareholders amended Forms 1099 for a prior taxable year in order to report additional taxable income. This in turn could require Common Shareholders to file amended federal and state income tax returns for such prior year to report and pay tax and interest on their pro rata share of the additional amount of taxable income. Moreover, if a sufficient number of Municipal Securities were determined not to be tax-exempt bonds, the Fund could fail to satisfy the requirement that the Fund hold at least 50% of the Fund’s total assets consists of Municipal Securities, which are exempt from federal income tax. This would prevent the Fund from making any distributions of exempt-interest dividends.

 

Distributions of ordinary income. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that pay taxable interest. The Fund also may distribute to you any market discount and net short-term capital gains from the sale of its portfolio securities. If you are a taxable investor, Fund distributions from this income are taxable to you as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. None of the dividends paid by the Fund will qualify for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders or as qualified dividend income subject to reduced rates of taxation in the case of noncorporate shareholders. Provided the Fund otherwise satisfies the Distribution Requirement, the Fund reserves the right to retain, and not distribute to Common Shareholders, income and gains taxable as ordinary income, in which case the Fund would be subject to tax at the corporate income tax rate.

 

Sale of Common Shares. The sale or other disposition of Common Shares of the Fund will generally result in capital gain or loss to you and will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held such Common Shares for more than one year. Any loss upon the sale or other disposition of Common Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received (including amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain) by you with respect to such Common Shares. Any loss you recognize on a sale or other disposition of Common Shares will be disallowed if you acquire other Common Shares (whether through the automatic reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after your sale or exchange of the Common Shares. In such case, your tax basis in the Common Shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

24

 

Current U.S. federal income tax law taxes both long-term and short-term capital gain of corporations at the rates applicable to ordinary income. For non-corporate taxpayers, short-term capital gain is currently taxed at rates applicable to ordinary income, while long-term capital gain generally is taxed at reduced maximum rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations under the Code.

 

The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the certain of the Code and the Treasury regulations currently in effect as they directly govern the taxation of the Fund and its Common Shareholders. These provisions are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive. A more detailed discussion of the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its Common Shareholders can be found in the SAI that is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Common Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income or other taxes.

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

The Fund may offer and sell Securities from time to time on an immediate, continuous or delayed basis, in one or more offerings under this Prospectus and a related prospectus supplement, on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. The Fund may offer and sell such Securities directly to one or more purchasers, to or through underwriters, through dealers or agents that the Fund designates from time to time, or through a combination of these methods. Sales of Securities may be made in transactions that are deemed to be “at the market” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), including sales made directly on the NYSE or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange.

 

The Prospectus Supplement relating to any offering of Securities will describe the terms of such offering, including, as applicable:

 

 the names of any agents, underwriters or dealers;

 

 any sales loads, underwriting discounts and commissions or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

 

 any discounts, commissions, fees or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers or agents;

 

 the public offering or purchase price of the offered Securities, the estimated net proceeds the Fund will receive from the sale and the use of proceeds; and

 

 any securities exchange on which the offered Securities may be listed.

 

The Prospectus Supplement relating to any Rights offering will set forth the number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of each Right (or number of Rights) and the other terms of such Rights offering.

 

Direct Sales

 

The Fund may offer and sell Securities directly to, and solicit offers from, institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters as defined in the 1933 Act for any resales of Securities. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. The Fund may use electronic media, including the Internet, to sell offered Securities directly. The Fund will describe the terms of any of those sales in a Prospectus Supplement.

 

By Agents

 

The Fund may offer and sell Securities through an agent or agents designated by the Fund from time to time. An agent may sell Securities it has purchased from the Fund as principal to other dealers for resale to investors and other purchasers, and may reallow all or any portion of the discount received in connection with the purchase from the Fund to the dealers. After the initial offering of Securities, the offering price (in the case of Securities to be resold at a fixed offering price), the concession and the discount may be changed.

 

25

 

By Underwriters

 

If any underwriters are involved in the offer and sale of Securities, such Securities will be acquired by the underwriters and may be resold by them, either at a fixed public offering price established at the time of offering or from time to time in one or more negotiated transactions or otherwise, at prices related to prevailing market prices determined at the time of sale. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase Securities will be subject to conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all Securities described in the prospectus supplement if any are purchased. Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to underwriters may be changed from time to time.

 

In connection with an offering of Common Shares, if a Prospectus Supplement so indicates, the Fund may grant the underwriters an option to purchase additional Common Shares at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions, within 45 days from the date of the prospectus supplement, to cover any overallotments.

 

By Dealers

 

The Fund may offer and sell Securities from time to time through one or more dealers who would purchase the securities as principal. The dealers then may resell the offered Securities to the public at fixed or varying prices to be determined by those dealers at the time of resale. The Fund will set forth the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction in the prospectus supplement.

 

General

 

Any underwriters, dealer or agent participating in an offering of Securities may be deemed to be an “underwriter,” as that term is defined in the 1933 Act, of Securities so offered and sold, and any discounts and commission received by them, and any profit realized by them on resale of the offered Securities for whom they act as agent, may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the 1933 Act.

 

Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with the Fund, to indemnification by the Fund against some liabilities, including liabilities under the 1933 Act.

 

The Fund may offer to sell Securities either at a fixed price or at prices that may vary, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.

 

To facilitate an offering of Common Shares in an underwritten transaction and in accordance with industry practice, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the market price of the Common Shares or any other Security. Those transactions may include overallotment, entering stabilizing bids, effecting syndicate covering transactions, and reclaiming selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer.

 

An overallotment in connection with an offering creates a short position in the Common Shares for the underwriter’s own account.

 

An underwriter may place a stabilizing bid to purchase the Common Shares for the purpose of pegging, fixing, or maintaining the price of the Common Shares.

 

Underwriters may engage in syndicate covering transactions to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the Common Shares by bidding for, and purchasing, the Common Shares or any other Securities in the open market in order to reduce a short position created in connection with the offering.

 

The managing underwriter may impose a penalty bid on a syndicate member to reclaim a selling concession in connection with an offering when the Common Shares originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in syndicate covering transactions or otherwise.

 

Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the Securities above independent market levels. Underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

 

26

 

In connection with any Rights offering, the Fund may also enter into a standby underwriting arrangement with one or more underwriters pursuant to which the underwriter(s) will purchase Common Shares remaining unsubscribed for after the Rights offering.

 

Underwriters, agents and dealers may engage in transactions with or perform services, including various investment banking and other services, for the Fund and/or any of the Fund’s affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

 

The maximum amount of compensation to be received by any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) member or independent broker-dealer will not exceed the applicable FINRA limit for the sale of any securities being offered pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The Adviser will not pay any compensation to any underwriter or agent in the form of warrants, options, consulting or structuring fees or similar arrangements.

 

To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the underwriters may from time to time act as a broker or dealer and receive fees in connection with the execution of the Fund’s portfolio transactions after the underwriters have ceased to be underwriters and, subject to certain restrictions, each may act as a broker while it is an underwriter.

 

A prospectus and accompanying Prospectus Supplement in electronic form may be made available on the websites maintained by underwriters. The underwriters may agree to allocate a number of Securities for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Such allocations of Securities for Internet distributions will be made on the same basis as other allocations. In addition, Securities may be sold by the underwriters to securities dealers who resell Securities to online brokerage account holders.

 

CUSTODIAN, DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT AND TRANSFER AGENT

 

Custodian

 

State Street Bank and Trust Company will serve as custodian for the Fund. The Custodian will hold cash, securities, and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act. Custody fees are payable monthly based on assets held in custody, investment purchases and sales activity and account maintenance fees, plus reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The principal business address of the Custodian is 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-2801.

 

Dividend Disbursing Agent and Transfer Agent

 

Computershare Trust Company, N.A. will act as the Fund’s dividend paying agent, transfer agent and the registrar for the Fund’s Common Shares. Computershare is located at 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

Certain legal matters will be passed on for the Fund by Stradley Ronon Stevens and Young, LLP, in connection with the offering of the Common Shares.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, is the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund.

 

27

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

This Prospectus constitutes part of a Registration Statement filed by the Fund with the SEC under the Securities Act, and the 1940 Act. This Prospectus omits certain of the information contained in the Registration Statement, and reference is hereby made to the Registration Statement and related exhibits for further information with respect to the Fund and the Common Shares offered hereby. Any statements contained herein concerning the provisions of any document are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy of such document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or otherwise filed with the SEC. Each such statement is qualified in its entirety by such reference. The complete Registration Statement may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the fee prescribed by its rules and regulations or free of charge through the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov).

 

The documents listed below, and any reports and other documents subsequently filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 30(b)(2) of the 1940 Act and Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of the offering will be incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and deemed to be part of this Prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents:

 

 The Fund’s SAI, dated February 7, 2025;

 

 The Fund’s semi-annual report on Form N-CSR for the six months ended August 31, 2024;

 

 The Fund’s annual report on Form N-CSR for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024; and

 

 The description of the Common Shares contained in the Fund’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-09986) filed with the SEC on July 11, 1988, as amended August 21, 2012, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description prior to the termination of the offering registered hereby.

 

The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this Prospectus, and later information that the Fund files with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. Incorporated materials not delivered with the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge, by calling 800-959-4243, by writing to the Fund at Invesco Distributors Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, or from the Fund’s website www.invesco.com/reports.

 

PRIVACY POLICY

 

You share personal and financial information with us that is necessary for your transactions and your account records. We take very seriously the obligation to keep that information confidential and private.

 

Invesco collects nonpublic personal information about you from account applications or other forms you complete and from your transactions with us or our affiliates. We do not disclose information about you or our former customers to service providers or other third parties except to the extent necessary to service your account and in other limited circumstances as permitted by law. For example, we use this information to facilitate the delivery of transaction confirmations, financial reports, prospectuses and tax forms.

 

Even within Invesco. only people involved in the servicing of your accounts and compliance monitoring have access to your information. To ensure the highest level of confidentiality and security, Invesco maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that meet or exceed federal standards. Special measures, such as data encryption and authentication, apply to your communications with us on our website. More detail is available to you at invesco.com/privacy.

 

28

 

25,500,000 Shares

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust

 

Common Shares

Rights to Purchase Common Shares

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

 

February 7, 2025

 

All dealers that effect transactions in Common Shares, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a Prospectus.

 

29

 

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

February 7, 2025

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund’s primary investment objective is to provide a high level of current income which is exempt from federal income tax. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective, and you could lose some or all of your investment.

 

This Statement of Additional Information relates to the offering, from time to time, of up to 25,500,000 common shares of beneficial interest, no par value (“Common Shares”) and/or rights to purchase Common Shares (“Rights” and with the Common Shares, “Securities”) in one or more offerings. This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus, but should be read in conjunction with the prospectus for the Fund, dated February 7, 2025 (the “Prospectus”), and any related supplement to the Prospectus (each a “Prospectus Supplement”). Investors should obtain and read the Prospectus and any related Prospectus Supplement prior to purchasing Common Shares. A copy of the Prospectus and any related Prospectus Supplement may be obtained without charge, by calling the Fund at 800-959-4246.

 

The Prospectus and this SAI omit certain of the information contained in the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The registration statement may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the fee prescribed, or inspected at the SEC’s office or via its website (www.sec.gov) at no charge. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prospectus.

 

S-1

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE FUND S-3
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES S-3
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS S-14
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS S-17
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES S-35
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS S-37
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS S-38
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE ALLOCATION S-40
TAX MATTERS S-45
OTHER INFORMATION S-50
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS S-50
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS A-1
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES B-1

 

S-2

 

THE FUND

 

The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Fund was originally organized as a Massachusetts business trust on June 22, 1988. The Fund commenced operations on September 19, 1998. Effective as of August 27, 2012, the Fund completed a redomestication to a Delaware statutory trust. Effective June 1, 2010, the Fund’s name was changed from Morgan Stanley Municipal Income Opportunities Trust to Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust. The Fund’s currently outstanding common shares of beneficial interest, no par value (the “Common Shares”) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “OIA” and the Common Shares offered by this Prospectus, subject to notice of issuance, will also be listed on the NYSE. The Fund’s principal office is located at 1331 Spring Street NW, Suite 2500, Atlanta, Georgia 30309 and its phone number is (404) 892-0896.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES

 

Additional Investment Policies and Portfolio Contents

 

The following information supplements the discussion of the Fund’s investment objective, policies and techniques that are described in the Prospectus. The Fund may make the following investments, among others, some of which are part of its principal investment strategies and some of which are not. The principal risks of the Fund’s principal investment strategies are discussed in the Prospectus.

 

Municipal Securities

 

Municipal Securities are typically debt obligations of states, territories or possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel or other counsel to the issuers of such securities, is, at the time of issuance, exempt from federal income tax. The issuers of municipal securities obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, housing, mass transportation, streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which municipal securities may be issued include refunding outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for general operating expenses and obtaining funds to lend to other public institutions and facilities.

 

Certain types of municipal securities are issued to obtain funding for privately operated facilities. The credit and quality of private activity debt securities are dependent on the private facility or user, who is responsible for the interest payment and principal repayment.

 

The two major classifications of Municipal Securities are bonds and notes. Municipal bonds are municipal debt obligations in which the issuer is obligated to repay the original (or “principal”) payment amount on a certain maturity date along with interest. A municipal bond’s maturity date (the date when the issuer of the bond repays the principal) may be years in the future. Short-term bonds mature in one to three years, while long-term bonds usually do not mature for more than a decade. Notes are short-term instruments which usually mature in less than two years. Most notes are general obligations of the issuing municipalities or agencies and are sold in anticipation of a bond sale, collection of taxes or receipt of other revenues. Municipal notes also include tax, revenue notes and revenue and bond anticipation notes (discussed more fully below) of short maturity, generally less than three years, which are issued to obtain temporary funds for various public purposes.

 

Municipal debt securities may also be classified as general obligation or revenue obligations (or special delegation securities). General obligation securities are secured by the issuer’s pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest.

 

Revenue debt obligations, such as revenue bonds and revenue notes, are usually payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source but not from the general taxing power. The principal and interest payments for industrial development bonds or pollution control bonds are often the sole responsibility of the industrial user and therefore may not be backed by the taxing power of the issuing municipality. The interest paid on such bonds may be exempt from federal income tax, although current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the purposes and size of such issues. Such obligations are considered to be Municipal Securities provided that the interest paid thereon, in the opinion of bond counsel, qualifies as exempt from federal income tax. 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. There is a risk that some or all of the interest received by the Fund from tax-exempt municipal securities might become taxable as a result of tax law changes or determinations of the IRS.

 

S-3

 

Another type of revenue obligations is pre-refunded bonds, which are typically issued to refinance debt. In other words, pre-refunded bonds result from the advance refunding of bonds that are not currently redeemable. The proceeds from the issue of the lower yield and/or longer maturing pre-refunding bond will usually be used to purchase U.S. government obligations, such as U.S. Treasury securities, which are held in an escrow account and used to pay interest and principal payments until the scheduled call date of the original bond issue occurs. Like other fixed income securities, pre-refunded bonds are subject to interest rate, market, credit, and reinvestment risks. However, because pre-refunded bonds are generally collateralized with U.S. government obligations, such pre-refunded securities have essentially the same risks of default as a AAA-rated security. The Fund will treat such pre-refunded securities as investment-grade securities, notwithstanding the fact that the issuer of such securities may have a lower rating (such as a below-investment-grade rating) from one or more rating agencies.

 

Within these principal classifications of municipal securities, there are a variety of types of municipal securities, including but not limited to, fixed and variable rate securities, variable rate demand notes, municipal leases, custodial receipts, participation certificates, inverse floating rate securities, and derivative municipal securities.

 

After purchase by the Fund, an issue of Municipal Securities may cease to be rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s) or S&P Global Ratings (S&P), or another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or the rating of such a security may be reduced below the minimum credit quality rating required for purchase by the Fund. Neither event would require the Fund to dispose of the security. To the extent that the ratings applied by 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.

 

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. The ratings of S&P and Moody’s represent their opinions of the quality of the municipal securities they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal securities with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while municipal securities of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield.

 

Certain of the municipal securities in which the Fund may invest represent relatively recent innovations in the municipal securities markets and the markets for such securities may be less developed than the market for conventional fixed rate municipal securities.

 

Under normal market conditions, longer-term municipal securities generally provide a higher yield than shorter-term municipal securities. The Fund has no limitation as to the maturity of municipal securities in which they may invest. The Adviser may adjust the average maturity of the Fund’s portfolio from time to time depending on its assessment of the relative yields available on securities of different maturities and its expectations of future changes in interest rates.

 

The net asset value of the Fund will change with changes in the value of its portfolio securities. With fixed income municipal securities, the net asset value of the Fund can be expected to change as general levels of interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the value of a portfolio invested in fixed income securities generally can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a portfolio invested in fixed income securities generally can be expected to decline. The prices of longer term municipal securities generally are more volatile with respect to changes in interest rates than the prices of shorter term municipal securities. Volatility may be greater during periods of general economic uncertainty.

 

S-4

 

Municipal Securities, like other debt obligations, are subject to the credit risk of nonpayment. The ability of issuers of municipal securities to make timely payments of interest and principal may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such nonpayment would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, and could result in a reduction in the value of the municipal securities experiencing nonpayment and a potential decrease in the net asset value of the Fund. In addition, the Fund may incur expenses to work out or restructure a distressed or defaulted security.

 

The Fund may invest in Municipal Securities with credit enhancements such as letters of credit and municipal bond insurance. The Fund may invest in Municipal Securities that are insured by financial insurance companies. Since a limited number of entities provide such insurance, the Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in securities insured by the same insurance company. If the Fund invests in Municipal Securities backed by insurance companies and other financial institutions, changes in the financial condition of these institutions could cause losses to the Fund and affect share price. Letters of credit are issued by a third party, usually a bank, to enhance liquidity and ensure repayment of principal and any accrued interest if the underlying Municipal Bond should default. These credit enhancements do not guarantee payments or repayments on the Municipal Securities and a downgrade in the credit enhancer could affect the value of the Municipal Security.

 

If the IRS determines that an issuer of a Municipal Security has not complied with applicable tax requirements, interest from the security could be treated as taxable, which could result in a decline in the security’s value. In addition, there could be changes in applicable tax laws or tax treatments that reduce or eliminate the current federal income tax exemption on Municipal Securities or otherwise adversely affect the current federal or state tax status of Municipal Securities. For example, 2017 legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act repeals the exclusion from gross income for interest on pre-refunded municipal securities effective for such bonds issued after December 31, 2017.

 

Taxable municipal securities are debt securities issued by or on behalf of states and their political subdivisions, the District of Columbia, and possessions of the United States, the interest on which is not exempt from federal income tax. Taxable investments include, for example, hedging instruments, repurchase agreements, and many of the types of securities the Fund would buy for temporary defensive purposes.

 

At times, in connection with the restructuring of a municipal bond issuer either outside of bankruptcy court in a negotiated workout or in the context of bankruptcy proceedings, the Fund may determine or be required to accept equity or taxable debt securities, or the underlying collateral (which may include real estate or loans) from the issuer in exchange for all or a portion of the Fund’s holdings in the municipal security. Although the Adviser will attempt to sell those assets as soon as reasonably practicable in most cases, depending upon, among other things, the Adviser’s valuation of the potential value of such assets in relation to the price that could be obtained by the Fund at any given time upon sale thereof, the Fund may determine to hold such securities or assets in its portfolio for limited period of time in order to liquidate the assets in a manner that maximizes their value to the Fund.

 

Municipal Securities also include, but are not limited to, 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.

 

Revenue Anticipation Debt Securities, including bonds, notes, and certificates, are issued by
governments or governmental bodies with the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will be used to repay the securities. In general, they also constitute general obligations of the issuer.

 

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Tax Anticipation Notes are issued by state and local governments to finance the current operations of such governments. Repayment is generally to be derived from specific future tax revenues.

 

Tax-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.

 

Tax-Exempt Mandatory Paydown Securities (TEMPS) are fixed rate term bonds carrying a short-term maturity, usually three to four years beyond the expected redemption. TEMPS are structured as bullet repayments, with required optional redemptions as entrance fees are collected.

 

Zero Coupon and Pay-in-Kind Securities do not immediately produce cash income. These securities are issued at an original issue discount, with the full value, including accrued interest, paid at maturity. Interest income may be reportable annually, even though no annual payments are made. Market prices of zero coupon bonds tend to be more volatile than bonds that pay interest regularly. Pay-in-kind securities are securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Zero coupon and pay-in-kind securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities paying cash interest at regular interest payment periods. Prices on non-cash-paying instruments may be more sensitive to changes in the issuer’s financial condition, fluctuation in interest rates and market demand/supply imbalances than cash-paying securities with similar credit ratings, and thus may be more speculative. Special tax considerations are associated with investing in certain lower-grade securities, such as zero coupon or pay-in-kind securities. Pay-in-kind securities are subject to additional risks including that the interest payments deferred on pay-in-kind loans are subject to the risk that the borrower may default when the deferred payments are due in cash at the maturity of the loan.

 

Capital Appreciation Bonds are municipal securities in which the investment return on the initial principal payment is reinvested at a compounded rate until the bond matures. The principal and interest are due on maturity. Thus, like zero coupon securities, investors must wait until maturity to receive interest and principal, which increases the interest rate and credit risks.

 

Payments in lieu of taxes (also known as PILOTs) are voluntary payments by, for instance the U.S. government or nonprofits, to local governments that help offset losses in or otherwise serve as a substitute for property taxes.

 

Converted Auction Rate Securities (CARS) are a structure that combines the debt service deferral feature of Capital Appreciation Bonds (CABS) with Auction Rate Securities. The CARS pay no debt service until a specific date, then they incrementally convert to conventional Auction Rate Securities. At each conversion date the issuer has the ability to call and pay down any amount of the CARS. Some bonds may be “callable,” allowing the issuer to redeem them before their maturity date. To protect bondholders, callable bonds may be issued with provisions that prevent them from being called for a period of time. Typically, that is 5 to 10 years from the issuance date. When interest rates decline, if the call protection on a bond has expired, it is more likely that the issuer may call the bond. If that occurs, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds of the called bond in investments that pay a lower rate of return, which could reduce the Fund’s yield.

 

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Inverse Floating Rate Interests

 

Inverse floating rate interests (Inverse Floaters) are issued in connection with municipal tender option bond (TOB) financing transactions to generate leverage for the Fund. Such instruments are created by a special purpose trust (a TOB Trust) that holds long-term fixed rate bonds sold to it by the Fund (the underlying security), and issues two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests (Floaters), which are sold to other investors, and Inverse Floaters, which are purchased by the Fund. The Floaters have first priority on the cash flow from the underlying security held by the TOB Trust, have a tender option feature that allows holders to tender the Floaters back to the TOB Trust for their par amount and accrued interest at specified intervals and bear interest at prevailing short-term interest rates. Tendered Floaters are remarketed for sale to other investors for their par amount and accrued interest by a remarketing agent to the TOB Trust and are ultimately supported by a liquidity facility provided by a bank, upon which the TOB Trust can draw funds to pay such amount to holders of Tendered Floaters that cannot be remarketed. The Fund, as holder of the Inverse Floaters, is paid the residual cash flow from the underlying security. Accordingly, the Inverse Floaters provide the Fund with leveraged exposure to the underlying security. When short-term interest rates rise or fall, the interest payable on the Floaters issued by a TOB Trust will, respectively, rise or fall, leaving less or more, respectively, residual interest cash flow from the underlying security available for payment on the Inverse Floaters. Thus, as short-term interest rates rise, Inverse Floaters produce less income for the Fund, and as short-term interest rates decline, Inverse Floaters produce more income for the Fund. The price of Inverse Floaters is expected to decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates decline, in either case generally more so than the price of a bond with a similar maturity, because of the effect of leverage. As a result, the price of Inverse Floaters is typically more volatile than the price of bonds with similar maturities, especially if the relevant TOB Trust is structured to provide the holder of the Inverse Floaters relatively greater leveraged exposure to the underlying security (e.g., if the par amount of the Floaters, as a percentage of the par amount of the underlying security, is relatively greater). Upon the occurrence of certain adverse events (including a credit ratings downgrade of the underlying security or a substantial decrease in the market value of the underlying security), a TOB Trust may be collapsed by the remarketing agent or liquidity provider and the underlying security liquidated, and the Fund could lose the entire amount of its investment in the Inverse Floater and may, in some cases, be contractually required to pay the shortfall, if any, between the liquidation value of the underlying security and the principal amount of the Floaters. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, the Fund’s investments in Inverse Floaters could negatively impact the Fund’s performance and yield, especially when those Inverse Floaters provide the Fund with relatively greater leveraged exposure to the underlying securities held by the relevant
TOB Trusts.

 

Final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Volcker Rule) prohibit banking entities and their affiliates from sponsoring and/or providing certain services to TOB Trusts, which constitute “covered funds” under the Volcker Rule. As a result of the Volcker Rule, the Fund, as holder of Inverse Floaters, is required to perform certain duties in connection with TOB financing transactions previously performed by banking entities. These duties may alternatively be performed by a non-bank third-party service provider. The Fund’s expanded role in TOB financing transactions as a result of the Volcker Rule may increase its operational and regulatory risk.

 

Further, the SEC and various banking agencies have adopted rules implementing credit risk retention requirements for asset-backed securities (the Risk Retention Rules), which apply to TOB financing transactions and TOB Trusts. The Risk Retention Rules require the sponsor of a TOB Trust, which is deemed to be the Fund (as holder of the related Inverse Floaters), to retain at least 5% of the credit risk of the underlying security held by the TOB Trust. As applicable, the Fund has adopted policies and procedures intended to comply with the Risk Retention Rules. The Risk Retention Rules may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to engage in TOB financing transactions or increase the costs of such transactions in certain circumstances.

 

There can be no assurances that TOB financing transactions will continue to be a viable or cost-effective form of leverage. The unavailability of TOB financing transactions or an increase in the cost of financing provided by TOB transactions may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value, distribution rate and ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Municipal Lease Obligations

 

Municipal leases obligations are issued by state and local governments or authorities to finance the acquisition of land, equipment and facilities, such as state and municipal vehicles, telecommunications and computer equipment, and other capital assets. Municipal lease obligations, a type of Municipal Security, may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase contract or a conditional sales contract. Interest payments on qualifying municipal lease obligations are generally exempt from federal income taxes.

 

Municipal lease obligations are generally subject to greater risks than general obligation or revenue bonds. State laws set forth requirements that states or municipalities must meet in order to issue municipal obligations, and such obligations may contain a covenant by the issuer to budget for, appropriate, and make payments due under the obligation. However, certain municipal lease obligations may contain non-appropriation clauses which provide that the issuer is not obligated to make payments on the obligation in future years unless funds have been appropriated for this purpose each year. If not enough money is appropriated to make the lease payments, the leased property may be repossessed as security for holders of the municipal lease obligation. In such an event, there is no assurance that the property’s private sector or re-leasing value will be enough to make all outstanding payments on the municipal lease obligation or that the payments will continue to be tax-free. Additionally, it may be difficult to dispose of the underlying capital asset in the event of non-appropriation or other default. Direct investments by the Fund in municipal lease obligations may be deemed illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund’s percentage limitations for illiquid investments and the risks of holding illiquid investments.

 

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Municipal Forward Contracts

 

A municipal forward contract is an agreement by the Fund to purchase a Municipal Security on a when-issued basis with a longer-than-standard settlement period, in some cases with the settlement date taking place up to five years from the date of purchase. Municipal forward contracts typically carry a substantial yield premium to compensate the buyer for the risks associated with a long when-issued period, including shifts in market interest rates that could materially impact the principal value of the bond, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer, loss of alternative investment options during the when-issued period and failure of the issuer to complete various steps required to issue the bonds.

 

Tobacco Related Bonds

 

The Fund may invest in two types of tobacco related bonds: (i) tobacco settlement revenue bonds, for which payments of interest and principal are made solely from a state’s interest in the Master Settlement Agreement (“MSA”) and (ii) tobacco bonds subject to a state’s appropriation pledge (“STA Tobacco Bonds”), for which payments may come from both the MSA revenue and the applicable state’s appropriation pledge.

 

Tobacco Settlement Revenue Bonds. Tobacco settlement revenue bonds are secured by an issuing state’s proportionate share of periodic payments by tobacco companies made under the MSA, a litigation settlement agreement reached out of court in November 1998 between 46 states and six U.S. jurisdictions and tobacco manufacturers representing a majority of U.S. market share. The MSA provides for annual payments by the manufacturers to the states and other jurisdictions in perpetuity in exchange for releasing all claims against the manufacturers and a pledge of no further litigation. The MSA established a base payment schedule and a formula for adjusting payments each year. Tobacco manufacturers pay into a master escrow trust based on their market share, and each state receives a fixed percentage of the payment as set forth in the MSA. Within some states, certain localities may in turn be allocated a specific portion of the state’s MSA payment pursuant to an arrangement with the state.

 

A number of states and local governments have securitized the future flow of payments under the MSA by selling bonds, some through distinct governmental entities created for such purpose. The bonds are backed by the future revenue flows from the tobacco manufacturers. Annual payments on the bonds, and thus the risk to the Fund, are dependent on the receipt of future settlement payments by the state or its instrumentality. The actual amount of future settlement payments depends on many factors including, but not limited to, annual domestic cigarette shipments, cigarette consumption, inflation and the financial capability of participating tobacco companies. As a result, payments made by tobacco manufacturers could be reduced if the decrease in tobacco consumption is significantly greater than the forecasted decline. Demand for cigarettes in the U.S. could continue to decline based on many factors, including without limitation, further regulation, anti-smoking campaigns, tax-increases, price increases implemented to recoup the cost of payments by tobacco companies under the MSA, reduced ability to advertise, enforcement of laws prohibiting sales to minors, elimination of certain sales venues such as vending machines, the spread of local ordinances restricting smoking in public areas, and increase in the use of other nicotine delivery devices (such as electronic cigarettes, smoking cessation products, and smokeless tobacco).

 

Because tobacco settlement bonds are backed by payments from the tobacco manufacturers, and generally not by the credit of the state or local government issuing the bonds, their creditworthiness depends on the ability of tobacco manufacturers to meet their obligations. A market share loss by the MSA companies to non-MSA participating tobacco manufacturers could also cause a downward adjustment in the payment amounts. A participating manufacturer filing for bankruptcy also could cause delays or reductions in bond payments, which could affect the Fund’s net asset value.

 

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The MSA and tobacco manufacturers have been and continue to be subject to various legal claims, including among others, claims that the MSA violates federal antitrust law. In addition, the United States Department of Justice has alleged in a civil lawsuit that the major tobacco companies defrauded and misled the American public about the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes. Since the MSA, individual and class action healthcare cost recovery lawsuits have been brought against tobacco manufacturers by plaintiffs seeking various forms of relief, including compensatory and punitive damages, as well as reimbursement for healthcare expenditures incurred in connection with the treatment of medical conditions allegedly caused by smoking or secondhand smoke. The MSA does not release participating manufacturers from liability in such cases as the MSA only settled claims of the participating states. An adverse outcome to these, or any litigation matters or regulatory actions relating to the MSA or affecting tobacco manufacturers, could adversely affect the payment streams associated with the MSA or cause delays or reductions in bond payments by tobacco manufacturers.

 

Tobacco Subject to Appropriation (STA) Bonds. In addition to the tobacco settlement bonds discussed above, the Fund also may invest in STA Tobacco Bonds that rely on both the revenue source from the MSA and a state appropriation pledge.

 

These STA Tobacco Bonds are part of a larger category of municipal bonds that are subject to state appropriation. Although specific provisions may vary among states, “government appropriation” or “subject to appropriation” bonds (also referred to as “appropriation debt”) are typically payable from two distinct sources: (i) a dedicated revenue source such as a municipal enterprise, a special tax or, in the case of tobacco bonds, the MSA funds, and (ii) the issuer’s general funds. Appropriation debt differs from a state’s general obligation debt in that general obligation debt is backed by the state’s full faith, credit, and taxing power, while appropriation debt requires the state to pass a specific periodic appropriation to pay interest and/or principal on the bonds. The appropriation is usually made annually. While STA Tobacco Bonds offer an enhanced credit support feature, that feature is generally not an unconditional guarantee of payment by a state and states generally do not pledge the full faith, credit, or taxing power of the state.

 

Derivative Transactions and Related Risk Factors

 

The Fund may invest in derivatives. A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is dependent upon the value of other assets, rates or indices, referred to as “underlying reference assets.” These underlying reference assets may include, among others, commodities, stocks, bonds, interest rates, currency exchange rates or related indices. Derivatives include, among others, swaps, options, futures and forward foreign currency contracts. Some derivatives, such as futures and certain options, are traded on U.S. commodity and securities exchanges, while other derivatives, such as many types of swap agreements, are privately negotiated and entered into in the OTC market. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the Dodd-Frank Act) and implementing rules require certain types of swaps to be traded on public execution facilities and centrally cleared.

 

Derivatives may be used for “hedging,” which means that they may be used when the portfolio managers seek to protect the 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 managers seek to increase liquidity, implement a tax or cash management strategy, invest in a particular stock, bond or segment of the market in a more efficient or less expensive way, modify the characteristics of the 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, among other factors, the portfolio managers’ ability to predict and understand relevant market movements.

 

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. The leverage involved in these derivative transactions may result in the Fund’s net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of its investments.

 

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Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) Regulation and Exclusions:

 

With respect to the Fund, Invesco has claimed an exclusion from the definition of “commodity pool operator” (CPO) under the CEA and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and, therefore, is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO. In addition, Invesco is relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of “commodity trading advisor” (CTA) under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC with respect to the Fund.

 

The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Fund, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in “commodity interests.” Commodity interests include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable forwards, as further described below. Because Invesco and the Fund intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Fund may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with their investment objectives, to limit their investments in these types of instruments. The Fund is not intended as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved Invesco’s reliance on these exclusions, or the Fund, its investment strategies, its prospectus or this SAI.

 

Generally, the exclusion from CPO regulation on which Invesco relies requires the Fund to meet one of the following tests for its commodity interest positions, other than positions entered into for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of the Fund’s commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent such position was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of these trading limitations, the Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. If, in the future, the Fund can no longer satisfy these requirements, Invesco would withdraw its notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of a CPO, and Invesco would be subject to registration and regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund, in accordance with the CFTC rules that allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements based on Invesco’s compliance with comparable SEC requirements. However, as a result of CFTC regulation with respect to the Fund, the Fund may incur additional compliance and other expenses.

 

General risks associated with derivatives:

 

The use by the Fund of derivatives may involve certain risks, as described below.

 

Counterparty Risk: The risk that a counterparty under a derivatives agreement will not live up to its obligations, including because of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Certain agreements may not contemplate delivery of collateral to support fully a counterparty’s contractual obligation; therefore, the Fund might need to rely solely 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 or insolvency. Many derivative trading agreements, such as an ISDA Master Agreement governing OTC swaps, provide for netting of derivatives transactions governed by the agreement in the event of a default by either counterparty, pursuant to which the Fund’s and the counterparty’s obligations under the relevant transactions can be netted and set-off against each other, in which case the Fund’s obligation or right will be the net amount owed to or by the counterparty. Netting agreements are intended to function as a counterparty credit risk mitigant, but in the case of a bankruptcy or insolvency of the relevant counterparty, are subject to the risk that the insolvency regime applicable to the counterparty might not recognize the enforceability of the contractual netting provisions. 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 and the counterparty. If a counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of the derivative would also likely decline, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund.

 

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. Leverage may cause the Fund to be more volatile because it may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. The use of some derivatives may result in economic leverage, which does not result in the possibility of the Fund incurring obligations beyond its initial investment, but that nonetheless permits the Fund to gain exposure that is greater than would be the case in an unlevered instrument.

 

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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.

 

Special Regulatory Risks of Derivatives: The regulation of derivatives is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In addition, the SEC, CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.

 

It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. However, it is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, such as speculative position limits on certain types of derivatives, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent the Fund from using or limit the Fund’s use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Invesco will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business.

 

Tax Risks: For a discussion of the tax considerations relating to derivative transactions, see “Tax Matters.”

 

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 and/or currencies. While Invesco and the Sub-Advisers are experienced in the use of derivatives for hedging, there can be no assurance that any particular hedging strategy will succeed.

 

In a hedging transaction, there might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between the price movements of an instrument used for hedging and the price movements of the investments being hedged. Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as changing interest rates, market liquidity, and speculative or other pressures on the markets in which the hedging instrument is traded.

 

Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, hedging strategies can also reduce opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. Investors should bear in mind that the Fund is not obligated to actively engage in hedging. For example, the Fund may not have attempted to hedge its exposure to a particular foreign currency at a time when doing so might have avoided a loss.

 

Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund, like all companies, may be susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. Cybersecurity incidents involving the Fund and its service providers (including, without limitation, the Fund’s investment adviser, sub-adviser, fund accountant, custodian, transfer agent and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs.

 

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Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate cyberattacks or unintentional events and may arise from external or internal sources. Cyberattacks may include infection by malicious software or gaining unauthorized access to digital systems, networks or devices that are used to service the Fund’s operations (e.g., by “hacking” or “phishing”). Cyberattacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). These cyberattacks could cause the misappropriation of assets or personal information, corruption of data or operational disruptions. Geopolitical tensions may, from time to time, increase the scale and sophistication of deliberate cyberattacks.

 

Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity incidents affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, other financial institutions and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cybersecurity incidents in the future. Although the Fund’s service providers may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate cybersecurity risks, there can be no guarantee or assurance that such plans or systems will be effective, or that all risks that exist, or may develop in the future, have been completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

The rapid development and increasingly widespread use of AI Technologies (as discussed under “Artificial Intelligence Risk” herein) could increase the effectiveness of cyberattacks and exacerbate the risks.

 

Risks Relating to Fund’s RIC Status. Although the Fund intends to elect and qualify each year to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, no assurance can be given that the Fund will be able to qualify for and maintain RIC status. If the Fund qualifies as a RIC under the Code, the Fund generally will not be subject to corporate-level federal income taxes on its income and capital gains that are timely distributed (or deemed distributed) as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to its shareholders. To qualify as a RIC under the Code and to be relieved of federal taxes on income and gains distributed as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the Fund’s shareholders, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements. The distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if the Fund distributes dividends each tax year for U.S. federal income tax purposes of an amount generally at least equal to 90% of the sum of its net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to the Fund’s shareholders.

 

Receipt of Issuer’s Nonpublic Information. The Adviser or Sub-Advisers (through their portfolio managers, analysts, or other representatives) may receive material nonpublic information about an issuer that may restrict the ability of the Adviser or Sub-Advisers to cause the Fund to buy or sell securities of the issuer on behalf of the Fund for substantial periods of time. This may impact the Fund’s ability to realize profit or avoid loss with respect to the issuer and may adversely affect the Fund’s flexibility with respect to buying or selling securities, potentially impacting Fund performance. For example, activist investors of certain issuers in which the Adviser or Sub-Advisers hold large positions may contact representatives of the Adviser or Sub-Advisers and may disclose material nonpublic information in such communication. The Adviser or Sub-Advisers would be restricted from trading on the basis of such material nonpublic information, limiting their flexibility in managing the Fund and possibly impacting Fund performance.

 

Business Continuity and Operational Risk. The Adviser, the Fund and the Fund’s service providers may experience disruptions or operating errors, such as processing errors or human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, systems or technology failures, or other disruptive events, that could negatively impact and cause disruptions in normal business operations of the Adviser, the Fund or the Fund’s service providers. The Adviser has developed a Business Continuity Program (the “Program”) designed to minimize the disruption of normal business operations in the event of an adverse incident affecting the Fund, the Adviser and/or its affiliates. The Program is also designed to enable the Adviser to reestablish normal business operations in a timely manner during such an adverse incident; however, there are inherent limitations in such programs (including the possibility that contingencies have not been anticipated and procedures do not work as intended) and, under some circumstances (e.g. natural disasters, terrorism, public health crises, power or utility shortages and failures, system failures or malfunctions), the Adviser, its affiliates, and any service providers or vendors used by the Adviser, its affiliates, or the Fund could be prevented or hindered from providing services to the Fund for extended periods of time. These circumstances could cause disruptions and negatively impact the Fund’s service providers and the Fund’s business operations, potentially including an inability to calculate the Fund’s net asset value and price the Fund’s investments, and impediments to trading portfolio securities.

 

S-12

 

Artificial Intelligence Risk. The rapid development and increasingly widespread use of certain artificial intelligence technologies, including machine learning models and generative artificial intelligence (collectively “AI Technologies”), may adversely impact markets, the overall performance of the Fund’s investments, or the services provided to the Fund by its service providers. For example, issuers in which the Fund invests and/or service providers to the Fund (including, without limitation, the Fund’s investment adviser, sub-adviser, fund accountant, custodian, or transfer agent) may use and/or expand the use of AI Technologies in their business operations, and the challenges with properly managing its use could result in reputational harm, competitive harm, legal liability, and/or an adverse effect on business operations. AI Technologies are highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data and complex algorithms, and it is possible that the information provided through use of AI Technologies could be insufficient, incomplete, inaccurate or biased leading to adverse effects for the Fund, including, potentially, operational errors and investment losses. Additionally, the use of AI Technologies could impact the market as a whole, including by way of use by malicious actors for market manipulation, fraud and cyberattacks, and may face regulatory scrutiny in the future, which could limit the development of this technology and impede the growth of companies that develop and use AI.

 

To the extent the Fund invests in companies that are involved in various aspects of AI Technologies, it is particularly sensitive to the risks of those types of companies. These risks include, but are not limited to, small or limited markets for such securities, changes in business cycles, world economic growth, technological progress, rapid obsolescence, and government regulation. Such companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, or personnel. Securities of such companies, especially smaller, start-up companies, tend to be more volatile than securities of companies that do not rely heavily on technology. Rapid change to technologies that affect a company’s products could have a material adverse effect on such company’s operating results. Companies that are extensively involved in AI Technologies also may rely heavily on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secret laws to establish and protect their proprietary rights in their products and technologies. There can be no assurance that the steps taken by these companies to protect their proprietary rights will be adequate to prevent the misappropriation of their technology or that competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to such companies’ technology. Such companies may engage in significant amounts of spending on research and development, and there is no guarantee that the products or services produced by these companies will be successful.

 

Actual usage of AI Technologies by the Fund’s service providers and issuers in which the Fund invests will vary. AI Technologies and their current and potential future applications, and the regulatory frameworks within which they operate, continue to rapidly evolve, and it is impossible to predict the full extent of future applications or regulations and the associated risks to the Fund.

 

Natural Disaster/Epidemic Risk. Natural or environmental disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, other severe weather-related phenomena, and widespread disease including pandemics and epidemics, can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, sometimes severely so, and can adversely impact individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are increasingly likely to adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries, including the U.S. These disruptions could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund. The recent spread of the human coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an example. In the first quarter of 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized COVID-19 as a global pandemic and both the WHO and the U.S. declared the outbreak a public health emergency. The subsequent spread of COVID-19 resulted in, among other significant adverse economic impacts, instances of market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations (including business closures) and supply chains, employee layoffs and general lack of employee availability, lower consumer demand, and defaults and credit downgrades, all of which contributed to disruption of global economic activity across many industries and exacerbated other pre-existing political, social and economic risks domestically and globally. Although the WHO and the U.S. ended their declarations of COVID-19 as a global health emergency in May 2023, the full economic impact at the macro-level and on individual businesses, as well as the potential for a future reoccurrence of COVID or the occurrence of a similar epidemic or pandemic, are unpredictable and could result in significant and prolonged adverse impact on economies and financial markets in specific countries and worldwide and thereby negatively affect the Fund’s performance.

 

S-13

 

Litigation Risk. From time to time, the Fund may pursue or be involved as a named party in litigation arising in connection with its role or status as a shareholder, bondholder, lender or holder of portfolio investments, its own activities, or other circumstances. Litigation that affects the Fund’s portfolio investments may result in the reduced value of such investments or higher portfolio turnover if the Fund determines to sell such investments. Litigation could result in significant expenses, reputational damage, increased insurance premiums, adverse judgment liabilities, settlement liabilities, injunctions, diversions of Fund resources, disruptions to Fund operations and/or other similar adverse consequences, any of which may increase the expenses incurred by a Fund or adversely affect the value of the Fund’s shares.

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

The following are fundamental investment restrictions of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act means the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s voting securities present at a meeting at which more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities). Except as otherwise noted, all percentage limitations set forth below apply immediately after a purchase and any subsequent change in any applicable percentage resulting from market fluctuations does not require any action. With respect to the limitations on the issuance of senior securities and in the case of borrowings, the percentage limitations apply at the time of issuance and on an ongoing basis. In accordance with the foregoing, the Fund may not:

 

1.The Fund is a “diversified company” as defined in the 1940 Act. The Fund will not purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, the Fund would fail to be a diversified company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as such statute, rules and regulations are amended from time to time or are interpreted from time to time by the SEC staff (collectively, the “1940 Act Laws and Interpretations”) or except to the extent that the Fund may be permitted to do so by exemptive order or similar relief (collectively, with the 1940 Act Laws and Interpretations, the “1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions”). In complying with this restriction, however, the Fund may purchase securities of other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.

 

2.The Fund 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.

 

3.The Fund may not borrow money or issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.

 

4.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.

 

S-14

 

5.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 the 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.

 

6.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.

 

7.The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and any other governing statute, and by the rules thereunder, and by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.

 

8.The Trust will invest at least 80% of its net assets in Municipal Obligations, except during temporary defensive periods.

 

For purposes of the foregoing, “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. Derivatives and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to the securities described above for the Fund may be counted toward that Fund’s 80% policy. For purposes of the Fund’s 80% policy, the Fund will consider Municipal Obligations, the interest from which, in the opinion of bond counsel to the Fund, is exempt from federal income tax. “Municipal Obligations” consist of Municipal Bonds, Municipal Notes and Municipal Commercial Paper (each described below), including such obligations purchased on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis.

 

“Municipal Bonds,” “Municipal Notes” and “Municipal Commercial Paper” are debt obligations of states or territories, cities, counties, municipalities and other agencies or instrumentalities which generally have maturities, at the time of their issuance, of either one year or more (Bonds), from six months to three years (Notes), or less than one year (Commercial Paper).

 

The Fund’s investment objective to provide a high level of current income which is exempt from federal income tax is also fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval. The investment restrictions set forth above provide each of 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. The Board may adopt 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 require the approval of the Board.

 

Explanatory Note

 

For purposes of the Fund’s fundamental restriction related to industry concentration above, investments in tax-exempt municipal securities where the payment of principal and interest for such securities is derived solely from a specific project associated with an issuer that is not a governmental entity or a political subdivision of a government are subject to the Fund’s industry concentration policy.

 

For purposes of the Fund’s fundamental restriction related to physical commodities above, the Fund is currently permitted to invest in futures, swaps and other instruments on physical commodities to the extent permitted by the fundamental restriction and the 1940 Act does not prohibit a fund from owning commodities or contracts related to commodities. The extent to which the Fund can invest in futures, swaps and other instruments on physical commodities, and/or commodities or contracts related to commodities is set out in the investment strategies described in the Fund’s prospectus and this SAI and permitted by the Fund’s fundamental restriction.

 

For purposes of the Fund’s fundamental restriction related to real estate above, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a fund from owning real estate. The extent to which the Fund can invest in real estate is set out in the investment strategies described in the Fund’s prospectus or this SAI.

 

For purposes of the Fund’s fundamental restriction related to senior securities above, the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from issuing a “senior security,” which is generally defined as any bond, debenture, note, or similar obligation or instrument constituting a security and evidencing indebtedness, or any stock of a class having priority over any other class of the fund’s shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of fund assets, except that the fund may borrow money as described above.

 

S-15

 

For purposes of the Fund’s fundamental restriction related to loans above made by the Fund, current SEC staff interpretations under the 1940 Act prohibit a fund from lending more than one-third of its total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements.

 

Non-Fundamental Restrictions. Non-fundamental restrictions may be changed for any Fund without shareholder approval.

 

1.In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding issuer diversification, the Fund will not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities and securities issued by other investment companies), if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer. The Fund may purchase securities of other investment companies as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.

 

In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding issuer diversification, the Fund will regard each state (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), territory and possession of the United States, each political subdivision, agency, instrumentality, and authority thereof, and each multi-state agency of which a state is a member as a separate issuer. When the assets and revenues of an agency, authority, instrumentality or other political subdivision are separate from the government creating the subdivision and the security is backed only by assets and revenues of the subdivision, such subdivision would be deemed to be the sole issuer. Similarly, in the case of an Industrial Development Bond or Private Activity Bond, if that bond is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental user, then that non-governmental user would be deemed to be the sole issuer. However, if the creating government or another entity guarantees a security, then to the extent that the value of all securities issued or guaranteed by that government or entity and owned by the Fund exceeds 10% of the Fund’s total assets, the guarantee would be considered a separate security and would be treated as issued by that government or entity. Securities issued or guaranteed by a bank or subject to financial guaranty insurance are not subject to the limitations set forth in the preceding sentence.

 

2.In complying with the fundamental restriction regarding borrowing money and issuing senior securities, the Fund may borrow money in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings).

 

3.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.

 

4.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.

 

It is the intention of the Fund, unless otherwise indicated, that with respect to the Fund’s policies that are a result of application of law, the Fund will take advantage of the flexibility provided by rules or interpretations of the SEC currently in existence or promulgated in the future, or changes to such laws.

 

S-16

 

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

 

The business and affairs of the Fund are managed under the direction of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) and the Fund’s officers appointed by the Board. The tables below list the trustees and the executive officers of the Fund and their principal occupations, other directorships held by the trustees and their affiliations, if any, with the Adviser or its affiliates. The “Fund Complex” includes each of the investment companies advised by the Adviser as of January 31, 2025. Trustees serve until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Officers are annually elected by the Board. The principal business address of each Trustee and Officer is c/o Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust, 1331 Spring Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

 

Name, year of Birth

and Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  Trustee
and/or
Officer
Since
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 years

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
 

Other

Trusteeship(s)/

Directorship

Held by

Trustee/Director

During Past

5 Years

Interested Trustees:                

Jeffery H. Kupor1 – 1969

Trustee

  2024  

Senior Managing Director and General Counsel, Invesco Ltd.; Trustee, Invesco Foundation, Inc.; Director, Invesco Advisers, Inc.; Executive Vice President, Invesco Asset Management (Bermuda), Ltd., Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd.; and Vice President, Invesco Group Services, Inc.

 

Formerly: Head of Legal of the Americas, Invesco Ltd.; Senior Vice President and Secretary, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser); Secretary, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Distributors, Inc.); Vice President and Secretary, Invesco Investment Services, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Investment Services, Inc.); Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, The Invesco Funds; Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Investment Advisers LLC (formerly known as Van Kampen Asset Management); Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (formerly known as Van Kampen Funds Inc.) and Chief Legal Officer, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust; Secretary and Vice President, Harbourview Asset Management Corporation; Secretary and Vice President, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. and Invesco Managed Accounts, LLC; Secretary and Senior Vice President, OFI Global Institutional, Inc.; Secretary and Vice President, OFI SteelPath, Inc.; Secretary and Vice President, Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.; Secretary and Vice President, Shareholder Services, Inc.; Secretary and Vice President, Trinity Investment Management Corporation, Senior Vice President, Invesco Distributors, Inc.; Secretary and Vice President, Jemstep, Inc.; Head of Legal, Worldwide Institutional, Invesco Ltd.; Secretary and General Counsel, INVESCO Private Capital Investments, Inc.; Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Management Group, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Management Group, Inc.); Assistant Secretary, INVESCO Asset Management (Bermuda) Ltd.; Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Private Capital, Inc.; Assistant Secretary and General Counsel, INVESCO Realty, Inc.; Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.; Secretary, Sovereign G./P. Holdings Inc.; Secretary, Invesco Indexing LLC; and Secretary, W.L. Ross & Co., LLC.

 

  160   None

Douglas Sharpe 2 – 1974

Trustee

  2024  

Senior Managing Director and Head of Americas & EMEA, Invesco Ltd.

 

Formerly: Director and Chairman Invesco UK Limited; Director, Chairman and Chief Executive, Invesco Fund Managers Limited

  160   None

 

S-17

 

Name, year of Birth

and Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  Trustee
and/or
Officer
Since
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 years

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
 

Other

Trusteeship(s)/

Directorship

Held by

Trustee/Director

During Past

5 Years

Independent Trustees                

Beth Ann Brown – 1968

Trustee (2019) and Chair (2022)

  2019  

Independent Consultant

 

Formerly: Head of Intermediary Distribution, Managing Director, Strategic Relations, Managing Director, Head of National Accounts, Senior Vice President, National Account Manager and Senior Vice President, Key Account Manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers LLC; Vice President, Key Account Manager, Liberty Funds Distributor, Inc; and Trustee of certain Oppenheimer Funds

  160   Director, Board of Directors of Caron Engineering Inc.; Formerly: Advisor, Board of Advisors of Caron Engineering Inc.; President and Director, Acton Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps (non-profit) President and Director Director of Grahamtastic Connection (non-profit)
                 

Carol Deckbar – 1962

Trustee

  2024  

Formerly: Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, TIAA Financial Services; Executive Vice President and Principal, College Retirement Equities Fund at TIAA; Executive Vice President and Head of Institutional Investments and Endowment Services, TIAA

  160   Formerly: Board Member, TIAA Asset Management, Inc.; and Board Member, TH Real Estate Group Holdings Company
                 

Cynthia Hostetler – 1962

Trustee

  2017  

Non-Executive Director and Trustee of a number of public and private business corporations

 

Formerly: Director, Aberdeen Investment Funds (4 portfolios); Director, Artio Global Investment LLC (mutual fund complex); Director, Edgen Group, Inc. (specialized energy and infrastructure products distributor); Director, Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. (railroads); Head of Investment Funds and Private Equity, Overseas Private Investment Corporation; President, First Manhattan Bancorporation, Inc.; and Attorney, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

  160   Resideo Technologies, Inc. (smart home technology); Vulcan Materials Company (construction materials company); Trilinc Global Impact Fund; Textainer Group Holdings, (shipping container leasing company); Investment Company Institute (professional organization); and Independent Directors Council (professional organization)
                 

Eli Jones– 1961

Trustee

  2016  

Professor and Dean Emeritus, Mays Business School - Texas A&M University

 

Formerly: Dean of Mays Business School-Texas A&M University; Professor and Dean, Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas and E.J. Ourso College of Business, Louisiana State University; and Director, Arvest Bank

  160   Insperity, Inc. (formerly known as Administaff) (human resources provider); Board Member of the regional board, First Financial Bank Texas; and Boad Member, First Financial Bankshares, Inc. Texas
                 

Elizabeth Krentzman– 1959

Trustee

 

  2019  

Formerly: Principal and Chief Regulatory Advisor for Asset Management Services and U.S. Mutual Fund Leader of Deloitte & Touche LLP; General Counsel of the Investment Company Institute (trade association); National Director of the Investment Management Regulatory Consulting Practice, Principal, Director and Senior Manager of Deloitte & Touche LLP; Assistant Director of the Division of Investment Management - Office of Disclosure and Investment Adviser Regulation of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and various positions with the Division of Investment Management – Office of Regulatory Policy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Associate at Ropes & Gray LLP; and Trustee of certain Oppenheimer Funds

  160   Formerly: Member of the Cartica Funds Board of Directors (private investment fund); Trustee of the University of Florida NationalBoard Foundation; and Member of the University of Florida Law Center Association, Inc.Board of Trustees, Audit Committee and Membership Committee

 

S-18

 

Name, year of Birth

and Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  Trustee
and/or
Officer
Since
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 years

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
 

Other

Trusteeship(s)/

Directorship

Held by

Trustee/Director

During Past

5 Years

Anthony J. LaCava, Jr. – 1956

Trustee

  2019  

Formerly: Director and Member of the Audit Committee, Blue Hills Bank (publicly traded financial institution) and Managing Partner, KPMG LLP

 

  160  

Member and Chairman, of the Bentley University, Business School Advisory Council; and Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee and Nominating Committee, KPMG LLP

 

Prema Mathai-Davis – 1950

Trustee

 

  2014  

Formerly: Co-Founder & Partner of Quantalytics Research, LLC, (a FinTech Investment Research Platform for the Self-Directed Investor); Trustee of YWCA Retirement Fund; CEO of YWCA of the USA; Board member of the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Commissioner of the NYC Department of Aging; and Board member of Johns Hopkins Bioethics Institute

 

  160   Member of Board of Positiv Planet US (non-profit) and HealthCare Chaplaincy Network (non-profit)

James “Jim” Liddy – 1959

Trustee

  2024   Formerly: Chairman, Global Financial Services, Americas and Retired Partner, KPMG LLP   160  

Director and Treasurer, Gulfside Place Condominium Association, Inc. and Non-Executive Director, Kellenberg Memorial High School

 

Joel W. Motley – 1952

Trustee

 

  2019  

Director of Office of Finance, Federal Home Loan Bank System; Managing Director of Carmona Motley Inc. (privately held financial advisor); Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and its Finance and Budget Committee; Chairman Emeritus of Board of Human Rights Watch and Member of its Investment Committee; and Member of Investment Committee Board of Historic Hudson Valley (non-profit cultural organization); Member of the Board, Blue Ocean Acquisition Corp.; and Member of the Vestry and the Investment Committee of Trinity Church Wall Street.

 

Formerly: Managing Director of Public Capital Advisors, LLC (privately held financial advisor); Managing Director of Carmona Motley Hoffman, Inc. (privately held financial advisor); Trustee of certain Oppenheimer Funds; and Director of Columbia Equity Financial Corp. (privately held financial advisor)

  160   Member of Board of Trust for Mutual Understanding (non-profit promoting the arts and environment); Member of Board of Greenwall Foundation (bioethics research foundation) and its Investment Committee; Member of Board of Friends of the LRC (non- profit legal advocacy); and Board Member and Investment Committee Member of Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting (non-profit journalism)
                 
Edward Perkin – 1972 Trustee   2025   Former: Chief Investment Officer, Equity, Eaton Vance; Managing Director, Morgan Stanley; and Chief Investment Officer, Goldman Sachs Asset Management.   160   None
                 

Teresa M. Ressel – 1962

Trustee

 

 

2017

 

Non-executive director and trustee of a number of public and private business corporations

 

Formerly: Chief Executive Officer, UBS Securities LLC (investment banking); Group Chief Operating Officer, UBS AG Americas (investment banking); Sr. Management Team Olayan America, The Olayan Group (international investor/commercial/industrial); and Assistant Secretary for Management & Budget and Designated Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Treasury

 

160

 

None

 

                 

Daniel S. Vandivort – 1954

Trustee

 

 

2019

 

President, Flyway Advisory Services LLC (consulting and property management) and Member, Investment Committee of Historic Charleston Foundation

 

Formerly: President and Chief Investment Officer, previously Head of Fixed Income, Weiss Peck and Greer/Robeco Investment Management; Trustee and Chair, Weiss Peck and Greer Funds Board; and various capacities at CS First Boston including Head of Fixed Income at First Boston Asset Management.

 

160

 

 

Formerly: Trustee and Governance Chair, Oppenheimer Funds; Treasurer, Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee, Huntington Disease Foundation of America T-3 Invesco Senior Income Trust

 

S-19

 

Name, year of Birth

and Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  Trustee
and/or
Officer
Since
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 years

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
 

Other

Trusteeship(s)/

Directorship

Held by

Trustee/Director

During Past

5 Years

Officers                

Glenn Brightman – 1972

President and Principal Executive Officer

 

  2023  

Chief Operating Officer, Americas, Invesco Ltd.; Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc.; President and Principal Executive Officer, The Invesco Funds; Manager, Invesco Investment Advisers LLC.

 

Formerly: Global Head of Finance, Invesco Ltd; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Nuveen

 

  N/A   N/A

Melanie Ringold– 1975

Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

 

  2023  

Head of Legal of the Americas, Invesco Ltd.; Senior Vice President and Secretary, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser); Secretary, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Distributors, Inc.); Secretary, Invesco Investment Services, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco AIM Investment Services, Inc.); Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, The Invesco Funds; Secretary, Invesco Investment Advisers LLC, Invesco Capital Markets, Inc.; Chief Legal Officer, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Secretary and Vice President, Harbourview Asset Management Corporation; Secretary and Senior Vice President, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. and Invesco Managed Accounts, LLC; Secretary and Senior Vice President, Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.; Secretary, SteelPath Funds Remediation LLC; and Secretary and Senior Vice President, Trinity Investment Management Corporation

 

Formerly: Secretary and Senior Vice President, OFI SteelPath, Inc., Assistant Secretary, Invesco Distributors, Inc., Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Investment Services, Inc., Invesco Capital Markets, Inc., Invesco Capital Management LLC and Invesco Investment Advisers LLC; and Assistant Secretary and Investment Vice President, Invesco Funds

  N/A   N/A

 

S-20

 

Name, year of Birth

and Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  Trustee
and/or
Officer
Since
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 years

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
 

Other

Trusteeship(s)/

Directorship

Held by

Trustee/Director

During Past

5 Years

Crissie M. Wisdom – 1969

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer

  2013  

Anti-Money Laundering and OFAC Compliance Officer for Invesco U.S. entities including: Invesco Advisers, Inc. and its affiliates, Invesco Capital Markets, Inc., Invesco Distributors, Inc., Invesco Investment Services, Inc., The Invesco Funds, Invesco Capital Management, LLC, Invesco Trust Company; and Fraud Prevention Manager for Invesco Investment Services, Inc

 

  N/A   N/A

Tony Wong – 1973

Senior Vice President

 

 

2023

 

Senior Managing Director, Invesco Ltd.; Director, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Invesco Advisers, Inc.; Director and Chairman, Invesco Private Capital, Inc., INVESCO Private Capital Investments, Inc. and INVESCO Realty, Inc.; Director, Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.; President, Invesco Managed Accounts, LLC and SNW Asset Management Corporation; and Senior Vice President, The Invesco Funds

 

Formerly: Assistant Vice President, The Invesco Funds; and Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

 

N/A

 

 

N/A

 

Stephanie C. Butcher – 1971
Senior Vice President
  2023   Senior Managing Director, Invesco Ltd.; Senior Vice President, The Invesco Funds; Director and Chief Executive Officer, Invesco Asset Management Limited   N/A   N/A

 

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Name, year of Birth

and Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  Trustee
and/or
Officer
Since
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 years

  Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
 

Other

Trusteeship(s)/

Directorship

Held by

Trustee/Director

During Past

5 Years

Adrien Deberghes – 1967

Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Senior Vice President

 

 

2020

 

 

Head of the Fund Office of the CFO and Fund Administration; Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc.; Director, Invesco Trust Company; Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Senior Vice President, The Invesco Funds; Vice President, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust

 

N/A

 

 

N/A

 

                 

Todd F. Kuehl – 1969

Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President

 

 

 

2020

 

Formerly: Vice President, The Invesco Funds; Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Fidelity Investments

Chief Compliance Officer, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (registered investment adviser); and Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President, The Invesco Funds

 

Formerly: Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer, Legg Mason (Mutual Funds); Chief Compliance Officer, Legg Mason Private Portfolio Group (registered investment adviser)

 

 

N/A

 

 

N/A

 

James Bordewick, Jr. – 1959
Senior Vice President and Senior Officer

 

2022

 

Formerly: Chief Legal Officer, KingsCrowd, Inc. (research and analytical platform for investment in private capital markets); Chief Operating Officer and Head of Legal and Regulatory, Netcapital (private capital investment platform); Managing Director, General Counsel of asset management and Chief Compliance Officer for asset management and private banking, Bank of America Corporation; Chief Legal Officer, Columbia Funds and BofA Funds; Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel, MFS Investment Management; Chief Legal Officer, MFS Funds; Associate, Ropes & Gray; and Associate, Gaston Snow & Ely Bartlett

 

N/A

 

 

N/A

 

 

 

1Mr. Kupor is considered an interested person (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) of the Fund because he is an officer of the Adviser to the Trust, and an officer of Invesco Ltd., ultimate parent of the Adviser.

 

2Mr. Sharp is considered an interested person (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) of the Fund because he is an officer of the Adviser to the Trust, and an officer of Invesco Ltd., ultimate parent of the Adviser.

 

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Additional Information about the Trustees

 

Interested Trustees

 

Jeffrey H. Kupor, Trustee

 

Jeffrey Kupor has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2024. Mr. Kupor is Senior Managing Director and General Counsel at Invesco Ltd.

 

Mr. Kupor joined Invesco Ltd. in 2002 and has held a number of legal roles, including, most recently, Head of Legal, Americas, in which role he was responsible for legal support for Invesco’s Americas business. Prior to joining the firm, he practiced law at Fulbright & Jaworski LLP (now known as Norton Rose Fulbright), specializing in complex commercial and securities litigation. He also served as the general counsel of a publicly traded communication services company.

 

Mr. Kupor earned a BS degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from the Boalt Hall School of Law (now known as Berkeley Law) at the University of California at Berkeley.

 

The Board believes that Mr. Kupor’s current and past positions with the Invesco complex along with his legal background and experience as an executive in the investment management area benefits the Fund.

 

Douglas Sharp, Trustee

 

Douglas Sharp has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2024. Mr. Sharp is Senior Managing Director, Head of Americas & EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) at Invesco Ltd. He also served as Director and Chairman of the Board of Invesco UK Limited (Invesco’s European subsidiary board) and as Director, Chairman and Chief Executive of Invesco Fund Managers Limited.

 

Mr. Sharp joined Invesco Ltd. in 2008 and has served in multiple leadership roles across the company, including his previous role as Head of EMEA. Prior to that, he ran Invesco Ltd.’s EMEA retail business and served as head of strategy and business planning and as chief administrative officer for Invesco Ltd.’s US institutional business. Before joining the firm, he was with the strategy consulting firm McKinsey & Co., where he served clients in the financial services, energy, and logistics sectors.

 

The Board believes that Mr. Sharp’s current and past positions within the Invesco complex along with his experience in the investment management business benefits the Fund.

 

Independent Trustees

 

Beth Ann Brown, Trustee and Chair

 

Beth Ann Brown has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019 and Chair since 2022. From 2016 to 2019, Ms. Brown served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex.

 

Ms. Brown has served as Director of Caron Engineering, Inc. since 2018 and as an Independent Consultant since 2012.

 

Previously, Ms. Brown served in various capacities at Columbia Management Investment Advisers LLC, including Head of Intermediary Distribution, Managing Director, Strategic Relations and Managing Director, Head of National Accounts. She also served as Senior Vice President, National Account Manager from 2002-2004 and Senior Vice President, Key Account Manager from 1999 to 2002 of Liberty Funds Distributor, Inc. From 2013 through 2022, she served as Director, Vice President (through 2019) and President (2019-2022) of Grahamtastic Connection, a non-profit organization.

 

From 2014 to 2017, Ms. Brown served on the Board of Advisors of Caron Engineering Inc. and also served as President and Director of Acton Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps, a non–profit organization, from 2012 to 2015.

 

The Board believes that Ms. Brown’s experience in financial services and investment management and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Fund.

 

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Carol Deckbar, Trustee

 

Carol Deckbar has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2024. Ms. Deckbar previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) Financial Services from 2019 to 2021. She also served as Executive Vice President and Principal of College Retirement Equities Fund at TIAA from 2014 to 2021. Ms. Deckbar served in various other capacities at TIAA since joining in 2007, including Executive Vice President and Head of Institutional Investments and Endowment Services from 2016 to 2019.

 

Prior to joining TIAA, Ms. Deckbar was a Senior Vice President of AMSOUTH Bank from 2002 to 2006, and before that she served as Senior Vice President, Managing Director, for Bank of America Capital Management from 1999 to 2002. She began her asset management career with the Evergreen Funds where she served as Senior Vice President, Managing Director from 1991 to 1998.

 

From 2019 to 2020, Ms. Deckbar served as Chairman of the TIAA Retirement Plan Investments Committee and as an Executive Sponsor at Advance, a council for the advancement of women. She has also held various memberships, including at Investment Company Institute, from 2017 to 2019, Fortune 400 Most Powerful Women Network, from 2012 to 2015, and Mutual Fund Education Alliance, from 2010 to 2015.

 

The Board believes that Ms. Deckbar’s experience in financial services and investment management benefits the Fund.

 

Cynthia Hostetler, Trustee

 

Cynthia Hostetler has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2017.

 

Ms. Hostetler is currently a member of the board of directors of the Vulcan Materials Company, a public company engaged in the production and distribution of construction materials, Trilinc Global Impact Fund LLC, a publicly registered non-traded limited liability company that invests in a diversified portfolio of private debt instruments, and Resideo Technologies, Inc., a public company that manufactures and distributes smart home security products and solutions worldwide. Ms. Hostetler also serves on the board of governors of the Investment Company Institute and is a member of the governing council of the Independent Directors Council, both of which are professional organizations in the investment management industry.

 

Previously, Ms. Hostetler served as a member of the board of directors/trustees of Aberdeen Investment Funds, a mutual fund complex, Edgen Group Inc., a public company that provides products and services to energy and construction companies, from 2012 to 2013, prior to its sale to Sumitomo, Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., a public company that owns and operates railroads worldwide, from 2018 to 2019, prior to its sale to Brookfield Asset Management, and Textainer Group Holdings Ltd., a public company that is the world’s second largest shipping container leasing company, prior to its sale to Stonepeak in March 2024. Ms. Hostetler was also a member of the board of directors of the Eisenhower Foundation, a non- profit organization.

 

From 2001 to 2009, Ms. Hostetler served as Head of Investment Funds and Private Equity at Overseas Private Investment Corporation (“OPIC”), a government agency that supports US investment in the emerging markets. Ms. Hostetler oversaw a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio in private equity funds. Prior to joining OPIC, Ms. Hostetler served as President and member of the board of directors of First Manhattan Bancorporation, a bank holding company, from 1991 to 2007, and its largest subsidiary, First Savings Bank, from 1991 to 2006 (Board Member) and from 1996 to 2001 (President).

 

The Board believes that Ms. Hostetler’s knowledge of financial services and investment management, her experience as a director of other companies, including a mutual fund complex, her legal background, and other professional experience gained through her prior employment benefit the Fund.

 

S-24

 

Dr. Eli Jones, Trustee

 

Dr. Eli Jones has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2016.

 

Dr. Jones has served as Board Member of the regional board, First Financial Bank Texas since 2021 and Board Member, First Financial Bankshares, Inc. Texas since 2022. Since 2020, Dr. Jones has served as a director on the board of directors of Insperity, Inc. (“Insperity”). From 2004 to 2016, Dr. Jones was chair of the Compensation Committee, a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and a director on the board of directors of Insperity.

 

Dr. Jones is a Professor of Marketing, Lowry and Peggy Mays Eminent Scholar, and Dean Emeritus of Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. From 2015 to 2021, Dr. Jones served as Dean of Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. From 2012 to 2015, Dr. Jones was the dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas and holder of the Sam M. Walton Leadership Chair in Business. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Arkansas, he was dean of the E. J. Ourso College of Business and Ourso Distinguished Professor of Business at Louisiana State University from 2008 to 2012; professor of marketing and associate dean at the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston from 2007 to 2008; an associate professor of marketing from 2002 to 2007; and an assistant professor from 1997 until 2002. He taught at Texas A&M University for several years before joining the faculty of the University of Houston.

 

Dr. Jones served as the executive director of the Program for Excellence in Selling and the Sales Excellence Institute at the University of Houston from 1997 to 2007. Before becoming a professor, he worked in sales and sales management for three Fortune 100 companies: Quaker Oats, Nabisco, and Frito- Lay. Dr. Jones is a past director of Arvest Bank. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in journalism in 1982, his MBA in 1986 and his Ph.D. in 1997, all from Texas A&M University.

 

The Board believes that Dr. Jones’ experience in academia and his experience in marketing benefits the Fund.

 

Elizabeth Krentzman, Trustee

 

Elizabeth Krentzman has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019. From 2014 to 2019, Ms. Krentzman served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex.

 

Ms. Krentzman served from 2017 to 2022, as a member of the Cartica Funds Board of Directors (private investment funds). Ms. Krentzman previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Florida National Board Foundation from 2016 to 2021. She also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Florida Law Center Association, Inc. from 2016 to 2021, as a member of its Audit Committee from 2016 to 2020, and as a member of its Membership Committee from 2020 to 2021.

 

Ms. Krentzman served from 1997 to 2004 and from 2007 and 2014 in various capacities at Deloitte & Touche LLP, including Principal and Chief Regulatory Advisor for Asset Management Services, U.S. Mutual Fund Leader and National Director of the Investment Management Regulatory Consulting Practice. She served as General Counsel of the Investment Company Institute from 2004 to 2007.

 

From 1996 to 1997, Ms. Krentzman served as an Assistant Director of the Division of Investment Management - Office of Disclosure and Investment Adviser Regulation of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She also served from 1991 to 1996 in various positions with the Division of Investment Management – Office of Regulatory Policy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and from 1987 to 1991 as an Associate at Ropes & Gray LLP.

 

The Board believes that Ms. Krentzman’s legal background, experience in financial services and accounting and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Fund.

 

Anthony J. LaCava, Jr., Trustee

 

Anthony J. LaCava, Jr. has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019.

 

Previously, Mr. LaCava served as a member of the board of directors and as a member of the audit committee of Blue Hills Bank, a publicly traded financial institution.

 

S-25

 

Mr. LaCava retired after a 37-year career with KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) where he served as senior partner for a wide range of firm clients across the retail, financial services, consumer markets, real estate, manufacturing, health care and technology industries. From 2005 to 2013, Mr. LaCava served as a member of the board of directors of KPMG and chair of the board’s audit and finance committee and nominating committee. He also previously served as Regional Managing Partner from 2009 through 2012 and Managing Partner of KPMG’s New England practice.

 

Mr. LaCava currently serves as Member and Chairman of the Business School Advisory Council of Bentley University and as a member of American College of Corporate Directors and Board Leaders, Inc.

 

The Board believes that Mr. LaCava’s experience in audit and financial services benefits the Fund.

 

James “Jim” Liddy, Trustee

 

James “Jim” Liddy has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2024. Mr. Liddy is a Retired Partner of KPMG LLP (KPMG) and previously served as Chairman of KPMG’s Global Financial Services, Americas practice from 2017 through 2021. He also led KPMG’s U.S. Financial Services practice from 2015 through 2021.

 

Prior to assuming his most recent role in 2017, Mr. Liddy served as Vice Chair of Audit and on various other committees at KPMG. He also previously served as National Managing Partner of Audit and was a member of the firm’s Global Audit Steering Group.

 

The Board believes that Mr. Liddy’s audit experience and knowledge of financial services and investment management benefits the Fund.

 

Dr. Prema Mathai-Davis, Trustee

 

Dr. Prema Mathai-Davis has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 1998.

 

Since 2021, Dr. Mathai-Davis has served as a member of the Board of Positive Planet US, a non-profit organization and Healthcare Chaplaincy Network, a non-profit organization.

 

Previously, Dr. Mathai-Davis served as co-founder and partner of Quantalytics Research, LLC, (a FinTech Investment Research Platform) from 2017 to 2019, when the firm was acquired by Forbes Media Holdings, LLC.

 

Dr. Mathai-Davis previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA of the USA from 1994 until her retirement in 2000. Prior to joining the YWCA, Dr. Mathai-Davis served as the Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging. She was a Commissioner and Board Member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York, the largest regional transportation network in the U.S. Dr. Mathai-Davis also served as a Trustee of the YWCA Retirement Fund, the first and oldest pension fund for women, and on the advisory board of the Johns Hopkins Bioethics Institute. She was a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, and on the visiting Committee of The Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

 

Dr. Mathai-Davis was the president and chief executive officer of the Community Agency for Senior Citizens, a non-profit social service agency that she established in 1981. She also directed the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine-Hunter College Long-Term Care Gerontology Center, one of the first of its kind.

 

The Board believes that Dr. Mathai-Davis’ extensive experience in running public and charitable institutions benefits the Fund.

 

S-26

 

Joel W. Motley, Trustee

 

Joel W. Motley has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019. From 2002 to 2019, Mr. Motley served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex.

 

In May 2022, Mr. Motley rejoined the Vestry and the Investment Committee of Trinity Church Wall Street. Since 2021, Mr. Motley has served as a Board member of the Trust for Mutual Understanding, which makes grants to arts and environmental organizations in Eastern Europe. Since 2021, Mr. Motley has served as a member of the board of Blue Ocean Acquisition Corp. Since 2016, Mr. Motley has served as an independent director of the Office of Finance of the Federal Home Loan Bank System. He has served as Managing Director of Carmona Motley, Inc., a privately-held financial advisory firm, since 2002.

 

Mr. Motley also serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and its Finance and Budget Committee. He is a member of the Investment Committee and is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Human Rights Watch and a member of the Investment Committee and the Board of Historic Hudson Valley, a non-profit cultural organization.

 

Since 2011, he has served as a Board Member and Investment Committee Member of the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, a non-profit journalism organization. Mr. Motley also serves as Director and member of the Board and Investment Committee of The Greenwall Foundation, a bioethics research foundation, and as a Director of Friends of the LRC, a South Africa legal services foundation.

 

Previously, Mr. Motley served as Managing Director of Public Capital Advisors, LLC, a privately held financial advisory firm, from 2006 to 2017. He also served as Managing Director of Carmona Motley Hoffman Inc. a privately-held financial advisor, and served as a Director of Columbia Equity Financial Corp., a privately-held financial advisor, from 2002 to 2007.

 

The Board believes that Mr. Motley’s experience in financial services and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Fund.

 

Edward Perkin, Trustee

 

Edward Perkin has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2025. From 2014 to 2021, Mr. Perkin served as the Chief Investment Officer, Equity, at Eaton Vance. He was a managing director at Morgan Stanley from 2021 to 2023.

 

Prior to joining Eaton Vance, Mr. Perkin served as Chief Investment Officer, International & Emerging Markets Equity, at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He also served as a senior research analyst at FISERV from 1997 to 2000 and as an insurance broker at American Retirement Insurance Services from 1993 to1997.

 

Mr. Perkin holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He has an MBA, Finance, from Columbia School of Business, and a BA, Economics, from UC Santa Barbara.

 

The Board believes that Mr. Perkin’s experience and knowledge of investment management benefits the Fund.

 

Teresa M. Ressel, Trustee

 

Teresa Ressel has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2017.

 

Ms. Ressel has previously served within the private sector and the U.S. government as well as consulting. Formerly, Ms. Ressel served at UBS AG in various capacities, including as Chief Executive Officer of UBS Securities LLC, a broker-dealer division of UBS Investment Bank, and as Group Chief Operating Officer of the Americas.

 

Between 2001 and 2004, Ms. Ressel served at the U.S. Treasury, initially as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management & Budget and then as Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Ressel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and anchored financial duties at the Department, including finance, accounting, risk, audit and performance measurement.

 

Ms. Ressel also volunteers within her community across a number of functions and serves on the board of GAVI, the Global Vaccine Alliance (non-profit) supporting children’s health.

 

The Board believes that Ms. Ressel’s risk management and financial experience in both the private and public sectors benefits the Fund.

 

S-27

 

Daniel S. Vandivort, Trustee

 

Daniel S. Vandivort has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Invesco Funds since 2019. From 2014 to 2019, Mr. Vandivort served on the boards of certain investment companies in the Oppenheimer Funds complex, as a Trustee and as the Governance Committee Chair.

 

Mr. Vandivort also served as Chairman, Lead Independent Director, and Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Value Line Funds from 2008 through 2014.

 

Previously, Mr. Vandivort also served as a Trustee and Chairman of the Weiss Peck and Greer Mutual Funds Board from 2004 to 2005.

 

Previously, Mr. Vandivort served at Weiss Peck and Greer/Robeco Investment Management from 1994 to 2007, as President and Chief Investment Officer and prior to that as Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income. Mr. Vandivort also served in various capacities at CS First Boston from 1984 to 1994, including as Head of Fixed Income at CS First Boston Investment Management.

 

Mr. Vandivort was also a Trustee on the Board of Huntington Disease Foundation of America from 2007 to 2013 and from 2015 to 2019. He also served as Treasurer and Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee of Huntington Disease Foundation of America from 2016 to 2019.

 

Mr. Vandivort currently serves as President of Flyway Advisory Services LLC, a consulting and property management company. He is also a Member of the Investment Committee for the Historic Charleston Foundation.

 

The Board believes that Mr. Vandivort’s experience in financial services and investment management and as a director of other investment companies benefits the Fund.

 

Management Information

 

The Trustees have the authority to take all actions that they consider necessary or appropriate in connection with oversight of the Fund, including, among other things, approving the investment objectives, investment policies and fundamental investment restrictions for the Fund. The Fund has entered into agreements with various service providers, including the Fund’s investment advisers, administrator, transfer agent, distributor and custodians, to conduct the day-to-day operations of the Fund. The Trustees are responsible for selecting these service providers, approving the terms of their contracts with the Fund, and exercising general oversight of these arrangements on an ongoing basis.

 

Certain Trustees and officers of the Fund are affiliated with Invesco and Invesco Ltd., the parent corporation of Invesco. All of the Trust’s executive officers hold similar offices with some or all of the other Trusts.

 

S-28

 

Leadership Structure and the Board of Trustees.

 

The Board is currently composed of fourteen 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 four standing committees – the Audit Committee, the Compliance Committee, the Governance Committee and the Investments Committee (the Committees), to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has appointed an Independent Trustee to serve in the role of Chair. The Chair’s primary role is to preside at meetings of the Board and act as a liaison with the Adviser and other service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Trustees between meetings. The Chair also participates in the preparation of the agenda for the meetings of the Board, is active with mutual fund industry organizations, and may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. Except for any duties specified pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of Chair does not impose on such Independent Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board generally.

 

The Board believes that its leadership structure, including having an Independent Trustee as Chair, allows for effective communication between the Trustees and management, among the Trustees and among the Independent Trustees. The existing Board structure, including its Committee structure, provides the Independent Trustees with effective control over Board governance while also allowing them to receive and benefit from insight from the interested Trustee who is an active officer of the Fund’s investment adviser. The Board’s leadership structure promotes dialogue and debate, which the Board believes allows for the proper consideration of matters deemed important to the Fund and its shareholders and results in effective decision-making.

 

Risk Oversight. The Board considers risk management issues as part of its general oversight responsibilities throughout the year at its regular meetings and at regular meetings of its Committees. Invesco prepares regular reports that address certain investment, valuation and compliance matters, and the Board as a whole or the Committees also receive special written reports or presentations on a variety of risk issues at the request of the Board, a Committee or the Senior Officer.

 

The Board also oversees risks related to the Fund’s use of derivatives as part of its general oversight responsibilities. The Board has approved a derivatives risk manager, which is responsible for administering the derivatives risk management program (“DRM Program”) for the funds that are required to implement a DRM Program. The Board meets with the derivatives risk manager on a periodic basis, including receiving quarterly and annual reports from the derivatives risk manager, to review the implementation of the DRM Program.

 

The Audit Committee assists the Board with its oversight of the Fund’s accounting and auditing process. The Audit Committee is responsible for selecting the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm (auditors), including evaluating their independence and meeting with such auditors to consider and review matters relating to the Fund’s financial reports and internal controls. In addition, the Audit Committee meets regularly with representatives of Invesco Ltd.’s internal audit group to review reports on their examinations of functions and processes within Invesco that affect the Fund. The Audit Committee also oversees the Adviser’s process for valuing the Fund’s portfolio investments and receives reports from management regarding its process and the valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments as consistent with the valuation policy approved by the Board and related procedures.

 

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. The Compliance Committee has recommended and the Board has adopted compliance policies and procedures for the Fund and for the Fund’s service providers. The compliance policies and procedures are designed to detect, prevent and correct violations of the federal securities laws.

 

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The Governance Committee monitors the composition of the Board and each of its Committees and monitors the qualifications of the Trustees to ensure adherence to certain governance undertakings applicable to the Fund. In addition, the Governance Committee oversees an annual self-assessment of the Board and its committees and addresses governance risks, including insurance and fidelity bond matters, for the Fund.

 

The Investments Committee and its sub-committees receive regular written reports describing and analyzing the investment performance of the Invesco Funds. In addition, Invesco’s Chief Investment Officers and the portfolio managers of the Fund meet regularly with the Investments Committee or its sub-committees to discuss portfolio performance, including investment risk, such as the impact on the Fund of investments in particular types of securities or instruments, such as derivatives. To the extent that the Fund changes a particular investment strategy that could have a material impact on the Fund’s risk profile, the Board generally is consulted in advance with respect to such change.

 

Committee Structure

 

The members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. LaCava (Chair), Liddy and Vandivort, Dr. Jones, and Mss. Hostetler and Ressel. The Audit Committee performs a number of functions with respect to the oversight of the Fund’s accounting and financial reporting, including: (i) assisting the Board with its oversight of the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent registered public accountants; (ii) selecting independent registered public accountants for the Fund; (iii) to the extent required, pre-approving certain audit and permissible non-audit services; (iv) overseeing the financial reporting process for the Fund; (v) assisting the Board with its oversight of the integrity of the Fund’s financial statements and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Fund’s accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (vi) pre-approving engagements for non-audit services to be provided by the Fund’s independent auditors to the Fund’s investment adviser or to any of its affiliates; and (vii) overseeing the performance of the fair valuation determinations by the Adviser. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, the Audit Committee held six meetings.

 

The members of the Compliance Committee are Messrs. Motley and Perkin, and Mss. Brown, Deckbar and Krentzman (Chair) and Dr. Mathai-Davis. The Compliance Committee performs a number of functions with respect to compliance matters, including: (i) reviewing and making recommendations concerning the qualifications, performance and compensation of the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer; (ii) reviewing recommendations and reports made by the Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund regarding compliance matters; (iii) overseeing compliance policies and procedures of the Fund and their service providers; (iv) overseeing potential conflicts of interest that are reported to the Compliance Committee by Invesco, the Chief Compliance Officer or other independent advisors; (v) reviewing reports prepared by a third party’s compliance review of Invesco; (vi) if requested by the Board, overseeing risk management with respect to the Fund (other than risks overseen by the other Committees), including receiving and overseeing risk management reports from Invesco that are applicable to the Fund and their service providers; and (vii) reviewing reports by Invesco on correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies with respect to the Fund and recommending to the Board what action, if any, should be taken by the Fund in light of such reports. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, the Compliance Committee held four meetings.

 

The members of the Governance Committee are Messrs. Motley and Vandivort (Chair) and Mss. Brown and Hostetler and Dr. Mathai-Davis. The Governance Committee performs a number of functions with respect to governance, including: (i) nominating persons to serve as Independent Trustees and as members of each Committee, and nominating the Chair of the Board and the Chair of each committee, except that the members and Chair of each Sub-Committee of the Investments Committee shall be appointed by the Chair of the Investments Committee in consultation with the Chair of the Governance Committee; (ii) reviewing and making recommendations to the full Board regarding the size and composition of the Board and the compensation payable to the Independent Trustees; (iii) overseeing the annual evaluation of the performance of the Board and its Committees; (iv) considering and overseeing the selection of independent legal counsel to the Independent Trustees; (v) considering and overseeing the selection and engagement of a Senior Officer if and as they deem appropriate, including compensation and scope of services, and recommending all such matters to the Board or the independent trustees as appropriate; (vi) reviewing administrative and/or logistical matters pertaining to the operations of the Board; and (vii) reviewing annually recommendations from Invesco regarding amounts and coverage of primary and excess directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance and allocation of premiums. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, the Governance Committee held nine meetings.

 

S-30

 

The Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by a shareholder in accordance with the Fund’s governing instruments to serve as trustees, provided: (i) that such submitting shareholder provides the information required by, and otherwise complies with the applicable provisions of, the Fund’s governing instruments, (ii) that such submitting shareholder is a shareholder of record, with proof of such ownership or holding reasonably satisfactory to the Fund to be provided by such record owner or nominee holder, 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 (iii) that the Governance Committee or the Board, as applicable, shall make the final determination of persons to be nominated. While the Governance Committee believes that there are no specific minimum qualifications for a nominee to possess or any specific qualities or skills that are necessary, in considering a candidate’s qualifications, the Governance Committee may consider, among other things: (1) whether or not the person is an “interested person,” as defined in the 1940 Act, and is otherwise qualified under applicable laws and regulations to serve as a trustee of the Fund; (2) whether or not the person is willing to serve as, and willing and able to commit the time necessary for the performance of the duties of, a trustee; (3) whether the person can make a positive contribution to the Board and the Fund, with consideration being given to the person’s specific experience, education, qualifications and other skills; and (4) whether the person is of good character and high integrity, and whether the person has other desirable personality traits, including independence, leadership and the ability to work with other Board members..

 

Under the Fund’s governing instruments, nominees must meet certain additional qualifications to qualify for nomination and service as a Trustee. Nominees may be disqualified if they engaged in disabling conduct outlined in the Fund’s Declarations of Trust. Nominees that are associated with other investment vehicles and investment advisers may not be eligible for nomination and service as a Trustee if the Board finds that such associations have conflicts of interest with the long-term best interests of the Fund, impede the ability of the nominee to perform, or impede the free-flow of information from management. Nominees that are acting in concert with control persons of other investment companies that are in violation of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act shall be disqualified from nomination and service as a Trustee.

 

Notice procedures set forth in the Fund’s Bylaws require that any shareholder of the Fund desiring to nominate a trustee for election at an annual shareholder meeting must deliver to the Fund’s Secretary notice of the shareholder’s intent to nominate in writing not less than ninety (90) nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year.

 

The members of the Investments Committee are Messrs. LaCava, Liddy, Motley, Perkin and Vandivort, Mss. Brown, Deckbar (Sub-Committee Chair), Hostetler (Chair and Sub-Committee Chair), Krentzman and Ressel and Drs. Jones and Mathai-Davis (Sub-Committee Chair). The Investments Committee’s primary purposes are to assist the Board in its oversight of the investment management services provided by Invesco and the Sub-Advisers and to periodically review Fund performance information, and information regarding the investment personnel and other resources devoted to the management of the Fund and make recommendations to the Board, when applicable. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, the Investments Committee held four meetings.

 

The Investments Committee has established three Sub-Committees and delegated to the Sub-Committees responsibility for, among other matters: (i) reviewing the performance of the Invesco Funds that have been assigned to a particular Sub-Committee (for each Sub-Committee, the Designated Funds), except to the extent the Investments Committee takes such action directly; (ii) reviewing with the applicable portfolio managers from time to time the investment objective(s), policies, strategies, performance and risks and other investment-related matters of the Designated Funds; and (iii) being generally familiar with the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of the Designated Funds.

 

S-31

 

Compensation

 

Each Trustee who is not affiliated with Invesco is compensated for his or her services according to a fee schedule that recognizes the fact that such Trustee also serves as a Trustee of other Invesco Funds. Each such Trustee receives a fee, allocated among the Invesco Funds for which he or she serves as a Trustee that consists of an annual retainer component and a meeting fee component. The Chair of the Board and of each Committee and Sub-Committee receive additional compensation for their services

 

Information regarding compensation paid or accrued for each trustee of the Fund who was not affiliated with Invesco during the year ended December 31, 2023, unless otherwise noted, are as follows:

 

Name  Aggregate
Compensation from
the Fund(1)
  Retirement Benefits
Accrued by All
Invesco Funds
  Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement(2)
  Total Compensation from
the Invesco Fund
Complex(3)
 
Independent Trustees(4)(5)(6)                 
Beth Ann Brown  $31,905  -   -  $630,000 
Carol Deckbar   3,933   -   -   - 
Cynthia Hostetler   23,280   -   -   465,000 
Eli Jones   21,151   -   -   422,500 
Elizabeth Krentzman   23,780   -   -   470,000 
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr.   3,993   -   -   477,500 
James “Jim” Liddy   22,153   -   -   - 
Prema Mathai-Davis   21,774   -  $205,000   442,500 
Joel W. Motley   22,026   -   -   430,000 
Theresa M. Ressel   22,151   -   -   440,000 
Robert C. Troccoli   23,153   -   -   445,000 
Daniel S. Vandivort   -   -   -   462,500 

 

(1) Amounts shown are based on the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024. The total amount of compensation deferred by all trustees of the Fund during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, including earnings, was $51,896.69.

 

(2) These amounts represent the estimated annual benefits payable by the Invesco Funds upon the trustees’ retirement and assumes each trustee serves until his or her normal retirement date. These amounts are not adjusted to reflect deemed investment appreciation or depreciation.

 

(3) These amounts represent the compensation paid from all Invesco Funds to the individuals who serve as trustees. All trustees currently serve as trustee of 32 registered investment companies advised by Invesco, unless otherwise noted.

 

(4) On August 28, 2022, Christopher Wilson retired. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, compensation from the Fund for Mr. Wilson for consultant services provided to the Fund subsequent to his retirement was $16,959.63. Pursuant to a consulting agreement with the Trust, Mr. Wilson may receive payments for consulting services provided to the Fund for up to three years following his retirement.

 

(5) Effective January 16, 2024, Carol Deckbar and James Liddy have been onboarded as two new Trustees.
   
 (6)On December 31, 2024, Robert C. Troccoli retired.

 

S-32

 

Trustee Beneficial Ownership of Securities

 

The dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each trustee (i) in the Fund and (ii) on an aggregate basis, in all registered investment companies overseen by the trustee within the Invesco Funds complex, as of December 31, 2023, are as follows:

 

Name  Fund  Aggregate dollar range
of equity securities in all
registered investment
companies overseen by
trustee in the Invesco
Fund Complex(1)
Independent Trustees      
Beth Ann Brown  None  Over $100,000
Carol Deckbar2  None  None
Cynthia Hostetler  None  Over $100,000
Eli Jones  None  Over $100,000
Elizabeth Krentzman  None  Over $100,000
Anthony J. LaCava, Jr.  None  Over $100,000
James “Jim” Liddy2  None  None
Prema Mathai-Davis  None  Over $100,000
Joel W. Motley  None  Over $100,000
Edward Perkin2  None  None
Theresa M. Ressel  None  Over $100,000
Robert C. Troccoli2  None  Over $100,000
Daniel S. Vandivort  None  Over $100,000
Beth Ann Brown  None  Over $100,000
       
Interested Trustees      
Jeffrey H. Kupor2  None  Over $100,000
Douglas Sharp2  None  None

 

(1) Includes total amount of compensation deferred by the trustee at his or her election pursuant to a deferred compensation plan. Such deferred compensation is placed in a deferral account and deemed to be invested in one or more of the Invesco Funds.
   
 (2)The information in the table is provided as of December 31, 2023. Messrs Kupor, Sharp and Liddy and Ms. Deckbar were elected as trustees of the Trust effective January 16, 2024 Mr. Troccoli retired on December 31, 2024. Mr. Perkin was appointed as a trustee of the Trust on January 2, 2025.

 

Retirement Policy

 

The Trustees have adopted a retirement policy that permits each Trustee to serve until December 31 of the year in which the Trustee turns 75.

 

Pre-Amendment Retirement Plan For Trustees

 

The Trustees have adopted a Retirement Plan for the Trustees who are not affiliated with the Adviser. A description of the pre-amendment Retirement Plan follows. Annual retirement benefits are available from the Fund and/or the other Invesco Funds for which a Trustee serves (each, a Covered Fund), for each Trustee who is not an employee or officer of the Adviser, who either (a) became a Trustee prior to December 1, 2008, and who has at least five years of credited service as a Trustee (including service to a predecessor fund) of a Covered Fund, or (b) was a member of the Board of Trustees of a Van Kampen Fund immediately prior to June 1, 2010 (Former Van Kampen Trustee), and has at least one year of credited service as a Trustee of a Covered Fund after June 1, 2010.

 

For Trustees other than Former Van Kampen Trustees, effective January 1, 2006, for retirements after December 31, 2005, the retirement benefits will equal 75% of the 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 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.

 

S-33

 

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 interest factor of 4% per year compounded annually measured from June 1, 2010 through the first day of each year for which payments under this second component are to be made. In no event, however, will the retirement benefits under the two components be made for a period of time greater than 10 years. For example, if the Former Van Kampen Trustee completes 7 years of credited service after June 1, 2010, he or she will receive 7 years of payments under the first component and thereafter 3 years of payments under the second component, and if the Former Van Kampen Trustee completes 4 years of credited service after June 1, 2010, he or she will receive 4 years of payments under the first component and thereafter 4 years of payments under the second component.

 

Amendment of Retirement Plan and Conversion to Defined Contribution Plan

 

The Trustees approved an amendment to the Retirement Plan to convert it to a defined contribution plan for active Trustees (the Amended Plan). Under the Amended Plan, the benefit amount was amended for each active Trustee to the present value of the Trustee’s existing retirement plan benefit as of December 31, 2013 (the Existing Plan Benefit) plus the present value of retirement benefits expected to be earned under the Retirement Plan through the end of the calendar year in which the Trustee attained age 75 (the Expected Future Benefit and, together with the Existing Plan Benefit, the Accrued Benefit). On the conversion date, the Covered Funds established bookkeeping accounts in the amount of their pro rata share of the Accrued Benefit, which is deemed to be invested in one or more Invesco Funds selected by the participating Trustees. Such accounts will be adjusted from time to time to reflect deemed investment earnings and losses. Each Trustee’s Accrued Benefit is not funded and, with respect to the payments of amounts held in the accounts, the participating Trustees have the status of unsecured creditors of the Covered Funds. Trustees will be paid the adjusted account balance under the Amended Plan in quarterly installments for the same period as described above.

 

Deferred Compensation Agreements

 

Certain former Trustees and current Independent Trustees (for purposes of this paragraph only, the Deferring Trustees) have executed a Deferred Compensation Agreement (collectively, the Compensation Agreements). Pursuant to the Compensation Agreements, the Deferring Trustees have the option to elect to defer receipt of up to 100% of their compensation payable by the Fund, and such amounts are placed into a deferral account and deemed to be invested in one or more Invesco Funds selected by the Deferring Trustees. Amounts deferred by Deferring Trustees pursuant to a Compensation Agreement during the most recent fiscal year are shown above.

 

Distributions from these deferral accounts will be paid in cash, generally in equal quarterly installments over a period of up to ten (10) years (depending on the Compensation Agreement) beginning on the date selected under the Compensation Agreement. If a Deferring Trustee dies prior to the distribution of amounts in his or her deferral account, the balance of the deferral account will be distributed to his or her designated beneficiary. The Compensation Agreements are not funded and, with respect to the payments of amounts held in the deferral accounts, the Deferring Trustees have the status of unsecured creditors of the Fund and of each other Invesco Fund from which they are deferring compensation.

 

S-34

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

Investment Adviser

 

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 Fund and their affiliations are shown in this Statement of Additional Information

 

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 Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement (the “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, the Adviser is also responsible for furnishing to the Fund at the Adviser’s expense, the services of persons believed to be competent to perform all supervisory and administrative services required by the Fund and that, in the judgment of the Trustees, are necessary to conduct the business of the Fund effectively, as well as the offices, equipment and other facilities necessary for their operations. Such functions include the maintenance of the Fund’s accounts and records, and the preparation of all requisite corporate documents such as tax returns and reports to the SEC and shareholders.

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Fund will pay or cause to be paid all expenses of such Fund not assumed by Invesco, including, without limitation: brokerage commissions, taxes, legal, auditing, or governmental fees, custodian, transfer and shareholder service agent costs, expenses of issue, sale, redemption and repurchase of shares, expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale, expenses relating to trustees and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing and distributing reports and notices to shareholders, the fees and other expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with membership in investment company organizations and the cost of printing copies of prospectuses and statements of additional information distributed to the Fund’s shareholders.

 

Invesco, at its own expense, furnishes to the Fund office space and facilities. Invesco furnishes to the Fund all personnel for managing the affairs of the Fund.

 

Advisory fees paid for the last three fiscal years of the Fund are as follows:

 

Fiscal Year Ended  Advisory Fees Paid 
February 29, 2024  $2,279,476 
February 28, 2023  $2,251,841 
February 28, 2022  $2,630,301 

 

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 their respective fiscal year in which the voluntary fee waiver or reduction was made.

 

Invesco has contractually agreed through at least June 30, 2026, to waive advisory fees payable by the Fund in an amount equal to 100% of the net advisory fee Invesco receives from the affiliated money market funds as a result of the Fund’s investment of uninvested cash in the affiliated money market funds. Unless Invesco continues the fee waiver agreement, it will terminate as indicated above. During its term, the fee waiver agreements cannot be terminated or amended to reduce the advisory fee waivers without approval of the Board.

 

S-35

 

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 Advisers Act are:

 

Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH (Invesco Deutschland)

 

Invesco Asset Management Limited (Invesco Asset Management)

 

Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited (Invesco Japan)

 

Invesco Hong Kong Limited (Invesco Hong Kong)

 

Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (Invesco Senior Secured)

 

Invesco Canada Ltd. (Invesco Canada); (each a “Sub-Adviser” and collectively, the “Sub-Advisers”).

 

Invesco and each Sub-Adviser is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary 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 (and not the Fund) pays each Sub-Adviser a fee, computed daily and paid monthly, equal to (i) 40% of the monthly compensation that Invesco receives from the Fund, multiplied by (ii) the fraction equal to the net assets of 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 Fund pursuant to its advisory agreement with the Fund, as reduced to reflect contractual or voluntary fees waivers or expense limitations by Invesco, if any.

 

Securities Lending Arrangements

 

The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income. The Fund may participate in a securities lending program pursuant to a securities lending agreement that establishes the terms of the loan, including collateral requirements. The Fund may lend securities to securities brokers and other borrowers.

 

Under the securities lending program, Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon) served as a securities lending agent for certain of the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Board also appointed Invesco to serve as an affiliated securities lending agent for the Fund under the securities lending program. Invesco served as an affiliated securities lending agent for the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, as listed in the table below (as applicable).

 

To the extent the Fund utilizes Invesco as an affiliated securities lending agent, the Fund conducts its securities lending in accordance with and in reliance upon no-action letters issued by the SEC staff that provide guidance on how an affiliate may act as a direct agent lender and receive compensation for those services without obtaining exemptive relief. The Board has approved policies and procedures that govern the Fund’s securities lending activities when utilizing an affiliated securities lending agent, such as Invesco, consistent with the guidance set forth in the no-action letters.

 

Invesco serves as a securities lending agent to other clients in addition to the Fund. There are potential conflicts of interests involved in the Fund’s use of Invesco as an affiliated securities lending agent, including but not limited to: (i) Invesco as securities lending agent may have an incentive to increase or decrease the amount of securities on loan, lend particular securities, delay or forgo calling securities on loans, or lend securities to less creditworthy borrowers, in order to generate additional fees for Invesco and its affiliates; and (ii) Invesco as securities lending agent may have an incentive to allocate loans to clients that would provide more fees to Invesco. Invesco seeks to mitigate these potential conflicts of interest by utilizing a methodology designed to provide its securities lending clients with equal lending opportunities over time.

 

S-36

 

Service Agreements

 

Administrative Services Agreement. Invesco and the Fund have entered into a Master Administrative Services Agreement (the “Administrative Services Agreement”) pursuant to which Invesco may perform or arrange for the provision of certain accounting and other administrative services to the Fund which are not required to be performed by Invesco under the Advisory Agreement. The Administrative Services Agreement provides that it will remain in effect and continue from year to year only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board, including the independent trustees, by votes cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose. Under the Administrative Services Agreement, Invesco is entitled to receive from the Fund reimbursement of its costs or such reasonable compensation as may be approved by the Board. Currently, Invesco is reimbursed for the services of the Fund’s principal financial officer and her staff and any expenses related to fund accounting services.

 

Administrative services fees paid for the last three fiscal years of the Fund are as follows:

 

Fiscal Year Ended  Administrative Fees Paid 
February 29, 2024  $41,583 
February 28, 2023  $44,766 
February 28, 2022  $52,689 

 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Transfer Agent

 

Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (“Computershare”), 250 Royall Street, Canton, MA 02021 is the transfer agent for the Fund.

 

The Transfer Agency and Service Agreement (the “TA Agreement”) between the Fund and Computershare provides that Computershare will perform certain services related to the servicing of shareholders of the Fund. Other such services may be delegated or subcontracted to third party intermediaries.

 

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’s responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund’s portfolio securities and
handling the delivery of such securities to and from the Fund. These services do not include any supervisory function over management or provide any protection against any possible depreciation of assets.

 

The Custodian and sub-custodian are 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 Fund, the Custodian maintains the portfolio securities of the Fund, administers the purchases and sales of portfolio securities, collects interest and dividends and other distributions made on the securities held in the portfolio of the Fund and performs other ministerial duties. These services do not include any supervisory function over management or provide any protection against any possible depreciation of assets.

 

S-37

 

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 Fund’s Board has selected, and the Board has ratified and approved, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 5800, Houston, Texas 77002-5021, as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the financial statements of the Fund. In connection with the audit of the Fund’s financial statements, the Fund entered into an engagement letter with PwC. The terms of the engagement letter required by PwC, and agreed to by the Fund’s Audit Committee, include a provision mandating the use of mediation and arbitration to resolve any controversy or claim between the parties arising out of or relating to the engagement letter or the services provided thereunder. The financial statements incorporated in this SAI by reference to the Annual Report on Form N-CSR for the year ended February 29, 2024 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PwC, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

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 Fund and includes investments in the 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). The ‘Assets Managed’ chart reflects information regarding accounts other than the Fund for which each portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into three categories: (i) other registered investment companies; (ii) other pooled investment vehicles; and (iii) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance (performance-based fees), information on those accounts is specifically noted. In addition, any assets denominated in foreign currencies have been converted into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of the applicable date.

 

Investments

 

The following information is as of February 29, 2024:

 

Portfolio Manager  Dollar Range of
Investments in
the Fund
Mark Paris  None
Julius Williams  None
John Schorle  None
Jack Connelly  None
Tim O’Reilly  None

 

Assets Managed

 

The following information is as of February 29, 2024:

 

   Other Registered Investment
Companies Managed
(assets in millions)
   Other Pooled Investment
Vehicles Managed
(assets in millions)
   Other Accounts
Managed
(assets in millions)
 
Portfolio Manager  Number of
Accounts
   Assets   Number of
Accounts
   Assets   Number of
Accounts
   Assets 
Mark Paris   27   $47,756.6    None    None    11   $901.021 
Julius Williams   26   $47,746.5    None    None    11   $901.021 
John Schorle   16   $23,861.0    None    None    11   $901.021 
Jack Connelly   15   $23,850.8    None    None    11   $901.021 
Tim O’Reilly   26   $47,831.0   None    None     11   $901.021 

 

S-38

 

Potential Conflicts of Interest

 

Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one Fund or other account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple funds and/or other accounts may be presented with one or more of the following potential conflicts:

 

The management of multiple funds and/or other accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of the Fund and/or other account. The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser seek to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most other accounts managed by a portfolio manager are managed using the same investment models that are used in connection with the management of the funds.

 

If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one Fund or other account, the Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible funds and other accounts. To deal with these situations, the Adviser, each Sub-Adviser and the funds have adopted procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple accounts.

 

The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser determine which broker to use to execute each order for securities transactions for the funds, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, for certain other accounts (such as mutual funds for which Invesco or an affiliate acts as sub-adviser, other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds, and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the Adviser and each Sub-Adviser may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, trades for the Fund in a particular security may be placed separately from, rather than aggregated with, such other accounts. Having separate transactions with respect to a security may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the possible detriment of the Fund or other account(s) involved.

 

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 Fund have adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.

 

Description of Compensation Structure

 

The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser seek to maintain a compensation program that is competitively positioned to attract and retain high-caliber investment professionals. Portfolio managers receive a base salary, an incentive cash bonus opportunity and a deferred compensation opportunity. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed and may be modified each year as appropriate to reflect changes in the market, as well as to adjust the factors used to determine bonuses to promote competitive Fund performance. The Adviser and each Sub-Adviser evaluate competitive market compensation by reviewing compensation survey results conducted by an independent third party of investment industry compensation. Each portfolio 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 firm-wide bonus pool available based upon progress against strategic objectives and annual operating plan, including investment performance and financial results. In addition, while having no direct impact on individual bonuses, assets under management are considered when determining the starting bonus funding levels. Each portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual cash bonus which is based on quantitative (i.e., investment performance) and non-quantitative factors (which may include, but are not limited to, individual performance, risk management and teamwork).

 

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Each portfolio manager’s compensation is linked to the pre-tax investment performance of the Fund/accounts managed by the portfolio manager as described in the table below.

 

Sub-Adviser   Performance time period(5)
   

Invesco(1)

Invesco Canada(1)

Invesco Deutschland(1)

Invesco Hong Kong(1)

Invesco Asset Management(1)

Invesco Listed Real Assets Division(1)

  One-, Three- and Five-year performance against Fund peer group.
     
   
Invesco Senior Secured(1),(2)   Not applicable
     
   
Invesco Japan   One-, Three- and Five-year performance
     

 

 

(1)  Portfolio Managers may be granted an annual deferral award that vests on a pro-rata basis over a four year period.

 

(2)  Invesco Senior Secured’s bonus is based on annual measures of equity return and standard tests of collateralization performance.

 

High investment performance (against applicable peer group and/or benchmarks) would deliver compensation generally associated with top pay in the industry (determined by reference to the third-party provided compensation survey information) and poor investment performance (versus applicable peer group) would result in low bonus compared to the applicable peer group or no bonus at all. These decisions are reviewed and approved collectively by senior leadership which has responsibility for executing the compensation approach across the organization.

 

Deferred/Long-Term Compensation. Portfolio managers may be granted a deferred compensation award based on a firm-wide bonus pool approved by the Compensation Committee of Invesco Ltd. Deferred compensation awards may take the form of annual fund deferral awards or long-term equity awards. Annual fund deferral awards are notionally invested in certain Invesco funds selected by the Portfolio Manager and are settled in cash. Long-term equity awards are settled in Invesco Ltd. common shares. Both fund deferral awards and long-term equity awards have a four-year ratable vesting schedule. The vesting period aligns the interests of the Portfolio Managers with the long-term interests of clients and shareholders and encourages retention.

 

Retirement and health and welfare arrangements. Portfolio managers are eligible to participate in retirement and health and welfare plans and programs that are available generally to all employees.

 

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE ALLOCATION

 

Invesco and the Sub-Advisers have adopted compliance procedures that cover, among other items, brokerage allocation and other trading practices. If all or a portion of the Fund’s assets are managed by one or more Sub-Advisers, the decision to buy and sell securities and broker-dealer 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 the Advisers’s procedures.

 

As discussed below, Invesco and the Sub-Advisers, unless prohibited by applicable law, may cause the Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a transaction that exceeds the amount another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting the same transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by that broker-dealer.

 

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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 primary trading centers around the world to place equity securities trades in their regions. Invesco’s Americas desk, with locations in the United States and Canada (the Americas Desk), generally places trades of equity securities trading in North America, Canada and Latin America; the Asia Pacific desk, with locations in Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and China (the Asia Pacific Desk), generally places trades of equity securities trading in the Asia-Pacific markets; and the EMEA trading desk, with locations in the United Kingdom (the EMEA Desk), generally places trades of equity securities trading in European, Middle Eastern and African countries. Additionally, various Invesco Ltd. subsidiaries have created an alternatives trading desk that generally places trades in derivatives, options and foreign currency.

 

Invesco, Invesco Canada, Invesco Japan, Invesco Deutschland, Invesco Hong Kong, Invesco Capital and Invesco Asset Management use the global equity trading desk and the alternatives desk to place trades. Other Sub-Advisers may use the global equity trading desk and the alternatives desk in the future. The trading procedures for the global trading desks are similar in all material respects. References in the language below to actions by Invesco or a Sub-Adviser making determinations or taking actions related to equity trading include these entities’ delegation of these determinations/actions to the Americas Desk, the Asia Pacific Desk, and the EMEA Desk. Even when trading is delegated by Invesco or the Sub-Advisers to the various arms of the global equity trading desk or to the alternatives desk, Invesco or the Sub-Adviser that delegates trading is responsible for oversight of this trading activity.

 

Commissions

 

Substantially all of the Fund’s trades are effected on a principal basis. Brokerage commissions during the Fund’s last three fiscal years are as follows:

 

Fiscal Year Ended  Brokerage Commissions 
February 29, 2024   $0 
February 28, 2023   $0 
February 28, 2022   $0 

 

The Fund does not and will not pay brokerage commissions to Brokers affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers or any affiliates of such entities.

 

The Fund may purchase or sell a security from or to certain other Invesco funds or other accounts (and may invest in affiliated money market funds) provided the Fund follows procedures adopted by the Boards of the various Invesco funds, including the Fund. These inter-fund transactions do not generate brokerage commissions but may result in custodial fees or taxes or other related expenses.

 

Broker Selection

 

The Adviser’s or the Sub-Advisers’ primary consideration in selecting Brokers to execute portfolio transactions for an Invesco fund is to obtain best execution. In selecting a Broker to execute a portfolio transaction in equity or fixed income securities for the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers consider the full range and quality of a Broker’s services, including, but not limited to, the value of research and/or brokerage services provided (if permitted by applicable law and regulation), execution capability, commission rate, spread or mark-up or mark-down (as applicable), and willingness to commit capital, anonymity and responsiveness. In each case, the determinative factor is not the lowest commission, spread or mark-up or mark-down available but whether the transaction represents the best qualitative execution for the Fund under the circumstances. The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers will not select Brokers based upon their promotion or sale of shares of funds advised by the Adviser and/or the Sub-Advisers.

 

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Unless prohibited by applicable law, such as MiFID II (described herein), in choosing brokers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers may select Brokers that provide brokerage and/or research services (“Soft Dollar Products”) to the Fund and/or the other accounts over which the Adviser and its affiliates have investment discretion. For the avoidance of doubt, European Union and United Kingdom investment advisers, including Invesco Deutschland and Invesco Asset Management, which may act as sub-adviser to certain Invesco Funds as described in such Fund’s prospectuses, must pay for research from Brokers directly out of their own resources, rather than through client commissions. Therefore, the use of the defined term “Sub-Advisers” throughout this section shall not be deemed to apply to those Sub-Advisers subject to the MiFID II prohibitions. Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, provides that the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers, under certain circumstances, lawfully may cause a client account to pay a higher commission than the lowest available. Under Section 28(e)(1), the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers must make a good faith determination that the commissions paid are “reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Adviser’s or the Sub-Advisers’ overall responsibilities with respect to the accounts as to which it exercises investment discretion.” The Soft Dollar Products provided by the Broker also must lawfully and appropriately assist the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers in the performance of their investment decision-making responsibilities. Accordingly, the Fund may pay a Broker commissions that are higher than those charged by another Broker in recognition of the Broker’s provision of Soft Dollar Products to the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers.

 

The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers face a potential conflict of interest when they use client trades to obtain Soft Dollar Products. This conflict exists because the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers are able to use the Soft Dollar Products to manage client accounts without paying cash for the Soft Dollar Products, which reduces the Adviser’s or the Sub-Advisers’ expenses to the extent that the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers would have purchased such products had they not been provided by Brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers to use Soft Dollar Products for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain Invesco-managed client accounts (or accounts managed by the Sub-Advisers) may generate soft dollars used to purchase Soft Dollar Products that ultimately benefit other Adviser- managed accounts (or Sub-Adviser-managed accounts), effectively cross subsidizing the other Adviser-managed accounts (or the other Sub-Adviser-managed accounts) that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser or the Sub-Advisers may not use all of the Soft Dollar Products provided by Brokers through which the Fund effects securities transactions in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollar commissions used to purchase such products. Fixed income trading normally does 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 or other fixed-income client accounts are generated entirely by equity-focused Invesco funds and other equity-focused client accounts managed by the Adviser. 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 for which they do not pay.

 

Similarly, other client accounts managed by the Adviser or certain of its affiliates may benefit from Soft Dollar Products for which they do not pay. The Adviser 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 the Adviser 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. The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers use soft dollar commissions to purchase two types of Soft Dollar Products:

 

proprietary research created by the Broker executing the trade, and

 

other research and brokerage products and services created by third party vendors that are supplied to the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser through the Broker executing the trade.

 

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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. The Adviser periodically rates the quality of proprietary research produced by various Brokers. Based on the evaluation of the quality of information that the Adviser receives from each Broker, the Adviser 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.

 

Soft Dollar Products are paid for by the Adviser and Sub-Advisers using soft dollar commissions through one of two methods: full-service trading or commission sharing agreements (“CSAs”). In a full-service trading arrangement, the Broker itself provides proprietary research products and brokerage services to Invesco or the Sub-Adviser, and commissions paid to the Broker are retained by it to pay for both trade execution and the proprietary research products and brokerage services provided by it. In a CSA arrangement with a Broker, a portion of the commission paid to the Broker is made available by the Broker to Invesco or the Sub-Adviser to pay a third party for third party research and brokerage products and services.

 

The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers also use soft dollars to acquire products from third parties that are supplied to the Adviser 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. The Adviser 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 the Adviser 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 the Adviser’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:

 

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).

 

Quotation/Trading/News Systems — products that provide real time market data information, such as pricing of individual securities and information on current trading, as well as a variety of news services.

 

Economic Data/Forecasting Tools — various macro-economic forecasting tools, such as economic data or currency and political forecasts for various countries or regions.

 

Quantitative/Technical Analysis — software tools that assist in quantitative and technical analysis of investment data.

 

Fundamental Company/Industry Analysis — company or industry specific fundamental investment research.

 

Fixed Income Security Analysis – data and analytical tools that pertain specifically to fixed income securities. These tools assist in creating financial models, such as cash flow projections and interest rate sensitivity analyses, which are relevant to fixed income securities.

 

Other Specialized Tools — other specialized products, such as consulting analyses, access to industry experts, and distinct investment expertise or custom-built investment-analysis software. Occasionally, the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser will receive certain “mixed-use” research and brokerage services, a portion of the cost of which is eligible under Section 28(e) for payment with soft dollar commissions and a portion of which is not. In these instances, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser will make a reasonable allocation of the cost of the product or service according to its use and pay for only that portion of the cost that is eligible under Section 28(e) with soft dollar commission (and will pay for the remaining portion with its own resources).

 

S-43

 

Outside research assistance is useful to the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers because the Brokers used by the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers and the providers of other Soft Dollar Products tend to provide more in-depth analysis of a broader universe of securities and other matters than the Adviser’s or the Sub-Advisers’ staff follows. In addition, such services provide the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers with a diverse perspective on financial markets. 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. The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers believe that because Broker research supplements rather than replaces the Adviser’s or the Sub-Advisers’ research, the receipt of such research tends to improve the quality of the Adviser’s or the Sub-Advisers’ investment advice. The advisory fee paid by the Fund is not reduced because the Adviser 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 charged to the Fund might exceed those that might otherwise have been paid.

 

Portfolio transactions may be effected through Brokers that recommend the Fund to their clients, or that act as agent in the purchase of the Fund’s shares for their clients, provided that the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers believes such Brokers provide best execution and such transactions are executed in compliance with the Adviser’s policy against using directed brokerage to compensate Brokers for promoting or selling Invesco fund shares. The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers will not enter into a binding commitment with Brokers to place trades with such Brokers involving brokerage commissions in precise amounts. As noted above, under MiFID II, European Union and United Kingdom investment advisers, including Invesco Deutschland and Invesco Asset Management, are not permitted to use soft dollar commissions to pay for research from brokers but rather must pay for research out of their own profit and loss or have research costs paid by clients through research payment accounts that are funded by a specific client research charge or the research component of trade orders. Such payments for research must be unbundled from the payments for execution. As a result, Invesco Deutschland and Invesco Asset Management are restricted from using Soft Dollar Products in managing the Invesco funds that they sub-advise.

 

Directed Brokerage (Research Services)

 

The Fund did not pay any directed brokerage (research services) during its most recently completed fiscal year.

 

Affiliated Transactions

 

The Adviser or a Sub-Adviser may place trades for equity securities with Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (ICMI), a broker-dealer with whom it is affiliated, provided that the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser determines that ICMI’s trade execution costs are at least comparable to those of non-affiliated brokerage firms with which the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser could otherwise place similar trades for similar securities. ICMI receives brokerage commissions in connection with effecting trades for the Fund and, therefore, use of ICMI presents a conflict of interest for the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser. Trades placed through ICMI, including the brokerage commissions paid to ICMI, are subject to procedures adopted by the Board that are designed to mitigate this conflict of interest. The Fund did not pay brokerage commissions on affiliated transactions for the last three fiscal years or periods, as applicable.

 

Regular Brokers

 

During its last fiscal year, the Fund did not acquire any securities of regular brokers or dealers, as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

Allocation of Portfolio Transactions

 

The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers manage numerous Invesco funds, and other client accounts. Some of these client accounts may have investment objectives similar to the Fund. Frequently, identical securities will be appropriate for investment by one the Fund and by another fund or one or more other client accounts. However, the position of each client account in the same security and the length of time that each client account may hold its investment in the same security may vary. The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers will also determine the timing and amount of purchases for a client account based on its cash position. If the purchase or sale of securities is consistent with the investment policies of the Fund and one or more other client accounts, and is considered at or about the same time, the Adviser or the Sub-Advisers will allocate transactions in such securities among the Fund and these client accounts on a pro rata basis based on order size or in such other manner believed by the Adviser to be fair and equitable. In determining what is fair and equitable, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser can consider various factors, including how closely the investment opportunity matches the investment objective and strategy of the Fund or client account, the capital available to the Fund or client account, and which portfolio management team sourced the opportunity. The Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may combine orders for the purchase or sale of securities and other investments for multiple client accounts, including the Fund in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to obtain the most favorable execution. Aggregated transactions could, however, adversely affect the Fund’s ability to obtain or dispose of the full amount of a security which it seeks to purchase or sell.

 

S-44

 

TAX MATTERS

 

The following discussion is a brief summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Fund’s Common Shares. Except as otherwise noted, this discussion assumes you are a taxable U.S. person (as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and that you hold your Common Shares as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, assets held for investment). This discussion is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the regulations promulgated thereunder and judicial and administrative authorities, all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal concerns affecting the Fund and its Common Shareholders (including Common Shareholders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law). No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to those set forth below. This summary does not discuss any aspects of foreign, state or local tax. The discussions set forth herein and in the Prospectus do not constitute tax advice and potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the specific U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund.

 

Taxation of the Fund

 

The Fund intends to elect to be treated and to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund must, among other things, (i) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (a) dividends, interest (including tax-exempt interest), payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including gain from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and (b) net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined in the Code); and (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (b) not more than 25% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. Government securities and the securities of other RICs) of (I) any one issuer, (II) any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same business or similar or related trades or businesses or (III) any one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships.” Generally, a qualified publicly traded partnership includes a partnership the interests of which are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof) and that derives less than 90% of its gross income from the items described in (i)(a) above.

 

As long as the Fund qualifies as a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on income and gains that the Fund distributes to its Common Shareholders, provided that it distributes each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of (i) the Fund’s investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends, interest, the excess of any net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, and other taxable income, other than any net capital gain (defined below), reduced by deductible expenses) determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and (ii) the Fund’s net tax-exempt interest (the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest over certain disallowed deductions). The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of such income each year. The Fund will be subject to income tax at regular corporate rates on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its Common Shareholders.

 

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The Code imposes a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the Fund to the extent the Fund does not distribute by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gain or loss) for the calendar year and (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain in excess of its capital loss (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year (unless an election is made to use the Fund’s taxable year). In addition, the minimum amounts that must be distributed in any year to avoid the excise tax will be increased or decreased to reflect any under-distribution or over-distribution, as the case may be, from the previous year. For purposes of the excise tax, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income on which it paid U.S. federal income tax. While the Fund intends to distribute any income and capital gain in the manner necessary to minimize imposition of the 4% nondeductible excise tax, there can be no assurance that sufficient amounts of the Fund’s taxable income and capital gain will be distributed to avoid entirely the imposition of the excise tax. In that event, the Fund will be liable for the excise tax only on the amount by which it does not meet the foregoing distribution requirement.

 

If for any taxable year the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain, which consists of the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to Common Shareholders. To qualify again to be taxed as a RIC in a subsequent year, the Fund would generally be required to distribute to its Common Shareholders its earnings and profits attributable to non-RIC years. In addition, if the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would be required to recognize and pay tax on any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if the Fund had been liquidated) or, alternatively, to elect to be subject to taxation on such built-in gain recognized for a period of ten years, in order to qualify as a RIC in a subsequent year.

 

The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund qualifies for taxation as a RIC.

 

The Fund’s Investments

 

Certain of the Fund’s investment practices are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale, short sale and other rules) that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, including the dividends received deduction, (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gains or “qualified dividend income” into higher taxed short-term capital gains or ordinary income, (iii) convert ordinary loss or a deduction into capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (vii) produce income that will not be “qualified” income for purposes of the 90% annual gross income requirement described above. These U.S. federal income tax provisions could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to Common Shareholders. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections and may be required to dispose of securities to mitigate the effect of these provisions and prevent disqualification of the Fund as a RIC. Additionally, the Fund may be required to limit its activities in derivative instruments in order to enable it to maintain its RIC status.

 

Gain or loss on the sale of securities by the Fund will generally be long-term capital gain or loss if the securities have been held by the Fund for more than one year. Gain or loss on the sale of securities held for one year or less will be short-term capital gain or loss.

 

Taxation of Common Shareholders

 

Distributions from the Fund will constitute exempt-interest dividends to the extent of the Fund’s tax-exempt interest income (net of allocable expenses and amortized bond premium). Exempt-interest dividends distributed to Common Shareholders of the Fund are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. However, Common Shareholders required to file a federal income tax return will be required to report the receipt of exempt-interest dividends on their returns. Moreover, while exempt-interest dividends are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes, they may be subject to alternative minimum tax (AMT) in certain circumstances for noncorporate taxpayers and may have other collateral tax consequences as discussed below.

 

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Any gain or loss from the sale or other disposition of a tax-exempt security generally is treated as either long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending upon its holding period, and is fully taxable.

 

Alternative minimum tax (AMT) is imposed in addition to, but only to the extent it exceeds, the regular tax and is computed at a maximum rate of 28% for non-corporate taxpayers on the excess of the taxpayer’s alternative minimum taxable income (AMTI) over an exemption amount. Exempt- interest dividends derived from certain “private activity” Municipal Securities issued after August 7, 1986, generally will constitute an item of tax preference includable in AMTI for non-corporate taxpayers. However, tax-exempt interest on private activity bonds issued in 2009 and 2010 is not an item of tax preference for purposes of the AMT.

 

Exempt-interest dividends must be taken into account in computing the portion, if any, of social security or railroad retirement benefits that must be included in an individual Common Shareholder’s gross income subject to federal income tax. Further, a Common Shareholder of the Fund is denied a deduction for interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry Common Shares of the Fund. Moreover, a Common Shareholder who is (or is related to) a “substantial user” of a facility financed by industrial development bonds held by the Fund likely will be subject to tax on dividends paid by the Fund that are derived from interest on such bonds. Receipt of exempt-interest dividends may result in other collateral federal income tax consequences to certain taxpayers, including financial institutions, property and casualty insurance companies and foreign corporations engaged in a trade or business in the United States.

 

To the extent that exempt-interest dividends are derived from interest on obligations of a state or its political subdivisions or from interest on qualifying U.S. territorial obligations (including qualifying obligations of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam), they also may be exempt from that state’s personal income taxes. Most states, however, do not grant tax-free treatment to interest on state and municipal securities of other states.

 

Failure of the issuer of a tax-exempt security to comply with certain legal or contractual requirements relating to a Municipal Security could cause interest on the Municipal Security, as well as Fund distributions derived from this interest, to become taxable, perhaps retroactively to the date the Municipal Security was issued. In such a case, the Fund may be required to report to the IRS and send to Common Shareholders amended Forms 1099 for a prior taxable year in order to report additional taxable income. This in turn could require Common Shareholders to file amended federal and state income tax returns for such prior year to report and pay tax and interest on their pro rata share of the additional amount of taxable income. Moreover, if a sufficient number of Municipal Securities were determined not to be tax-exempt bonds, the Fund could fail to satisfy the requirement that the Fund hold at least 50% of the Fund’s total assets consists of Municipal Securities, which are exempt from federal income tax. This would prevent the Fund from making any distributions of exempt-interest dividends.

 

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that pay taxable interest. The Fund also may distribute to you any market discount and net short-term capital gains from the sale of its portfolio securities. If you are a taxable investor, Fund distributions from this income are taxable to you as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. None of the dividends paid by the Fund will qualify for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders or as qualified dividend income subject to reduced rates of taxation in the case of noncorporate shareholders. Provided the Fund otherwise satisfies the Distribution Requirement, the Fund reserves the right to retain, and not distribute to Common Shareholders, income and gains taxable as ordinary income, in which case the Fund would be subject to tax at the corporate income tax rate.

 

The sale or other disposition of Common Shares will generally result in capital gain or loss to you and will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held such Common Shares for more than one year at the time of sale. Any loss upon the sale or other disposition of Common Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received (including amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain dividend) by you with respect to such Common Shares. Any loss you recognize on a sale or other disposition of Common Shares will be disallowed if you acquire other Common Shares (whether through the automatic reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after your sale or exchange of the Common Shares. In such case, your tax basis in the Common Shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

S-47

 

Current U.S. federal income tax law taxes both long-term and short-term capital gain of corporations at the rates applicable to ordinary income. For non-corporate taxpayers, short-term capital gain is currently taxed at rates applicable to ordinary income while long-term capital gain generally is taxed at reduced maximum rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations under the Code.

 

Certain U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of the Fund’s shares.

 

A Common Shareholder that is a nonresident alien individual or a foreign corporation (a “foreign investor”) generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or possibly a lower rate provided by an applicable tax treaty) on ordinary income dividends (except as discussed below). In general, U.S. federal withholding tax and U.S. federal income tax will not apply to any gain or income realized by a foreign investor in respect of any distribution of net capital gain (including amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain dividend) or upon the sale or other disposition of Common Shares of the Fund. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign investor is engaged in a trade or business in the United States or, in the case of an individual, is present in the United States for 183 days or more during a taxable year and certain other conditions are met.

 

Foreign investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of investing in the Fund’s Common Shares.

 

Ordinary income dividends properly reported by the RIC are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the RIC’s “qualified net interest income” (generally, its U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the RIC is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the RIC’s “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of the RIC’s net short-term capital gain over its long-term capital loss for such taxable year). The Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains, and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a foreign investor needs to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or substitute Form or other applicable W-8 Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund reports the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Foreign investors should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts. There can be no assurance as to what portion of the Fund’s distributions will qualify for favorable treatment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gains if this provision is extended.

 

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), the Fund will be required to withhold a 30% tax on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions (FFI) or non-financial foreign entities (NFFE). After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). The FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reporting information relating to them. The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (IGA) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA.

 

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding if it is deemed compliant or by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS under section 1471(b) of the Code (FFI agreement) under which it agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meet certain other specified requirements. The FFI will either report the specified information about the U.S. accounts to the IRS, or, to the government of the FFI’s country of residence (pursuant to the terms and conditions of applicable law and an applicable IGA entered into between the U.S. and the FFI’s country of residence), which will, in turn, report the specified information to the IRS. An FFI that is resident in a country that has entered into an IGA with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the FFI shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

 

S-48

 

An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid the FATCA withholding tax generally by certifying that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or by providing the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner. The NFFE will report the information to the Fund or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report the information to the IRS.

 

Such foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the impact of these requirements on their investment in the Fund. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the U.S. tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation.

 

The Fund may be required to withhold (currently at a rate of 24%), for U.S. federal backup withholding tax purposes, a portion of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to certain non-exempt Common Shareholders who fail to provide the Fund (or its agent) with their correct taxpayer identification number (in the case of individuals, generally, their social security number) or to make required certifications, or who are otherwise subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that you timely furnish the required information to the IRS.

 

Ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends, and gain from the sale or other disposition of Common Shares of the Fund also may be subject to state, local, and/or foreign taxes. Common Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding specific questions about U.S. federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund.

 

***

 

The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of certain provisions of the Code and the Treasury Regulations presently in effect as they directly govern the taxation of the Fund and its shareholders. For complete provisions, reference should be made to the pertinent Code sections and Treasury Regulations. The Code and the Treasury Regulations are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive with respect to Fund transactions. Prospective shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers for more detailed information concerning the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund.

 

S-49

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Principal Shareholders

 

As of January 27, 2025, to the knowledge of the Fund, no person beneficially owned more than 5% of the voting securities of any class of equity securities of the Fund.

 

As of January 27, 2025, the trustees and officers as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the Fund.

 

Proxy Voting Policy and Proxy Voting Record

 

The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. The Board has delegated the day-to-day responsibility to the Adviser to vote such proxies pursuant to the Board approved Proxy Voting Policy. A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available without charge, upon request, from our Client Services department at (800) 341-2929 or at invesco.com/corporate/about-us/esg. The information is also available on the SEC website, sec.gov.

 

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available at invesco.com/proxysearch. The information is also available on the SEC website, sec.gov.

 

Code of Ethics

 

Invesco, the Fund, Invesco Distributors and certain of the Sub-Advisers each have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all Invesco Fund trustees and officers, and employees of Invesco, the Sub-Advisers and their affiliates, and governs, among other things, the personal trading activities of all such persons. Certain Sub-Advisers have adopted their own Code of Ethics. Each Code of Ethics is designed to detect and prevent improper personal trading by portfolio managers and certain other employees that could compete with or take advantage of the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Unless specifically noted, to the extent a Sub-Adviser has adopted its own Code of Ethics, each Sub-Adviser’s Code of Ethics does not materially differ from Invesco’s Code of Ethics discussed below. The Code of Ethics is intended to address conflicts of interest with the Fund that may arise from personal trading in the Invesco Funds. Personal trading, including personal trading involving securities that may be purchased or held by an Invesco Fund, is permitted under the Code of Ethics subject to certain restrictions; however, employees are required to pre-clear security transactions with the Compliance Officer or a designee and to report transactions on a regular basis. The Code of Ethics can be viewed online or downloaded from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s internet website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics may be obtained, after paying the appropriate duplicating fee, by e-mail request at publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements for the Fund’s most recent fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, including the notes thereto and the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) thereon, are incorporated by reference to the Fund’s Form N-CSR filed on May 2, 2024.

 

The Fund’s unaudited financial statements for the six months period ended August 31, 2024 are incorporated herein by reference to the Fund’s Form N-CSRS filed on November 1, 2024.

 

The portions of such Form N-CSR and Form N-CSRS that are not specifically listed above are not incorporated by reference into this SAI and are not a part of this SAI.

 

S-50

Appendix A

 

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, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa: Obligations rated 'Aa' are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A: Obligations rated 'A' are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa: Obligations rated 'Baa' are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba: Obligations rated 'Ba' are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B: Obligations rated 'B' are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa: Obligations rated 'Caa' are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca: Obligations rated 'Ca' are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C: Obligations rated 'C' are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms*.
* By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
Moody's Short-Term Prime Rating System
P-1: Ratings of Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.
P-2: Ratings of Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term obligations.
P-3: Ratings of Prime-3 reflect 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.
Moody's MIG/VMIG US Short-Term Ratings
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
We use the global short-term Prime rating scale for commercial paper issued by US municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuer’s self-liquidity.
For other short-term municipal obligations, we use one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scales discussed below.
A-1

We use the MIG scale for US municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, we use the MIG scale for bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years.
MIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
VMIG Ratings
For variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), Moody’s assigns both a long-term rating and a short-term payment obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuer’s ability to meet scheduled principal and interest payments. The short-term payment obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to meet any purchase price payment obligation resulting from optional tenders (“on demand”) and/or mandatory tenders of the VRDO. The short-term payment obligation rating uses the VMIG scale. Transitions of VMIG ratings with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions of Prime ratings reflecting the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade. Please see our methodology that discusses obligations with conditional liquidity support.
For VRDOs, we typically assign a VMIG rating if the frequency of the payment obligation is less than every three years. If the frequency of the payment obligation is less than three years, but the obligation is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the VMIG short-term rating is not assigned and it is denoted as “NR”.
Industrial development bonds in the US where the obligor is a corporate may carry a VMIG rating that reflects Moody’s view of the relative likelihood of default and loss. In these cases, liquidity assessment is based on the liquidity of the corporate obligor.
VMIG Scale
VMIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
VMIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections.
Standard & Poor's Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P Global Ratings’ analysis of the following considerations:
The likelihood of payment--the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
The nature and provisions of the financial obligation, and the promise we impute; and
A-2

The protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
An issue rating is an assessment of default risk but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA: An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A: An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: An obligation rated 'BBB' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
BB, B, CCC, CC and C: Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC' 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. 'BB' indicates the least degree of speculation and 'C' the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligation rated 'BB' is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated 'B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated 'BB', but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CCC: An obligation rated 'CCC' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C: An obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.
D: An obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
A-3

Plus (+) or minus (-): The ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P Global Ratings does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Standard & Poor's Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1: A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2: A short-term obligation rated 'A-2' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3: A short-term obligation rated 'A-3' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
B: A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C: A short-term obligation rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
D: A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
Standard & Poor's Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings Definitions
An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:
Amortization schedule -- the larger final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and
Source of payment -- the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
A-4

SP-3: Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
D: ‘D’ is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.
Standard & Poor's Dual Ratings
Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, 'AAA/A-1+' or 'A-1+/A-1'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').
Fitch Credit Rating Scales
Fitch Ratings publishes credit ratings that are forward-looking opinions on the relative ability of an entity or obligation to meet financial commitments. Issuer default ratings (IDRs) are assigned to corporations, sovereign entities, financial institutions such as banks, leasing companies and insurers, and public finance entities (local and regional governments). Issue level ratings are also assigned, often include an expectation of recovery and may be notched above or below the issuer level rating. Issue ratings are assigned to secured and unsecured debt securities, loans, preferred stock and other instruments, Structured finance ratings are issue ratings to securities backed by receivables or other financial assets that consider the obligations’ relative vulnerability to default. Credit ratings are indications of the likelihood of repayment in accordance with the terms of the issuance. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e., rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligation’s documentation). Please see the section Specific Limitations Relating to Credit Rating Scales for details. Fitch Ratings also publishes other ratings, scores and opinions. For example, Fitch provides specialized ratings of servicers of residential and commercial mortgages, asset managers and funds. In each case, users should refer to the definitions of each individual scale for guidance on the dimensions of risk covered in each assessment.
Fitch’s credit rating scale for issuers and issues is expressed using the categories ‘AAA’ to ‘BBB’ (investment grade) and ‘BB’ to ‘D’ (speculative grade) with an additional +/-for AA through CCC levels indicating relative differences of probability of default or recovery for issues.
The terms “investment grade” and “speculative grade” are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories signal either a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.
Fitch may also disclose issues relating to a rated issuer that are not and have not been rated. Such issues are also denoted as ‘NR’ on its web page.
Credit ratings express risk in relative rank order, which is to say they are ordinal measures of credit risk and are not predictive of a specific frequency of default or loss. For information about the historical performance of ratings, please refer to Fitch’s Ratings Transition and Default studies, which detail the historical default rates. The European Securities and Markets Authority also maintains a central repository of historical default rates.
Fitch’s credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. Credit ratings do not deal with the risk of market value loss due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and/or other market considerations. However, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay or refinance a financial commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they
A-5

influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of payments linked to performance of an equity index).
Fitch will use credit rating scales to provide ratings to privately issued obligations or certain note issuance programs, or for private ratings using the same public scale and criteria. Private ratings are not published, and are only provided to the issuer or its agents in the form of a rating letter. The primary credit rating scales may also be used to provide ratings for a narrower scope, including interest strips and return of principal or in other forms of opinions such as Credit Opinions or Rating Assessment Services.
Credit Opinions are either a notch- or category-specific view using the primary rating scale and omit one or more characteristics of a full rating or meet them to a different standard. Credit Opinions will be indicated using a lower-case letter symbol combined with either an ‘*’ (e.g. ‘bbb+*’) or (cat) suffix to denote the opinion status. Credit Opinions will be typically point-in-time but may be monitored if the analytical group believes information will be sufficiently available.
Rating Assessment Services are a notch-specific view using the primary rating scale of how an existing or potential rating may be changed by a given set of hypothetical circumstances. While Credit Opinions and Rating Assessment Services are point-in-time and are not monitored, they may have a directional Watch or Outlook assigned, which can signify the trajectory of the credit profile.
Ratings assigned by Fitch are opinions based on established, approved and published criteria. A variation to criteria may be applied but will be explicitly cited in our rating action commentaries (RACs), which are used to publish credit ratings when established and upon annual or periodic reviews.
Ratings are the collective work product of Fitch, and no individual, or group of individuals, is solely responsible for a rating. Ratings are not facts and, therefore, cannot be described as being "accurate" or "inaccurate." Users should refer to the definition of each individual rating for guidance on the dimensions of risk covered by the rating.
Fitch Long-Term Rating Scales
Issuer Default Ratings
Rated entities in a number of sectors, including financial and non-financial corporations, sovereigns, insurance companies and certain sectors within public finance, are generally assigned Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs). IDRs are also assigned to certain entities in global infrastructure and project finance. IDRs opine on an entity's relative vulnerability to default on financial obligations. The threshold default risk addressed by the IDR is generally that of the financial obligations whose non-payment would best reflect the uncured failure of that entity. As such, IDRs also address relative vulnerability to bankruptcy, administrative receivership or similar concepts.
In aggregate, IDRs provide an ordinal ranking of issuers based on the agency's view of their relative vulnerability to default, rather than a prediction of a specific percentage likelihood of default.
AAA: Highest credit quality.
'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality.
'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
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A: High credit quality.
'A' ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good credit quality.
'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative.
'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists that supports the servicing of financial commitments.
B: Highly speculative.
'B' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC: Substantial credit risk.
Very low margin of safety. Default is a real possibility.
CC: Very high levels of credit risk.
Default of some kind appears probable.
C: Near default
A default or default-like process has begun, or the issuer is in standstill, or for a closed funding vehicle, payment capacity is irrevocably impaired. Conditions that are indicative of a 'C' category rating for an issuer include:
a. the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;
b. the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or
c. the formal announcement by the issuer or their agent of a distressed debt exchange;
d. a closed financing vehicle where payment capacity is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default is imminent
RD: Restricted default.
‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has experienced:
a. an uncured payment default or distressed debt exchange on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation, but
b. has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation, or other formal winding-up procedure, and
c. has not otherwise ceased operating.
This would include:
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i. the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;
ii. the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;
iii. the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; ordinary execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.
D: Default.
'D' ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure or which has otherwise ceased business.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.
In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency's opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer's financial obligations or local commercial practice.
Notes
The modifiers + or - may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-Term IDR category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below 'B'.
Fitch Short-Term Ratings Assigned to Issuers and Obligations
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as "short term" based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1: Highest Short-Term Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Under the agency’s National Rating scale, this rating is assigned to the lowest default risk relative to other in the same country or monetary union. Where the liquidity profile is particularly strong, a “+” is added to the assigned rating.
F2: Good Short-Term Credit Quality. Indicates a good capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union. However, the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
F3: Fair Short-Term Credit Quality. Indicates an uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
B: Speculative Short-Term Credit Quality. Indicates an uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
C: High Short-Term Default Risk. Indicates a highly uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
RD: Restricted Default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
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Appendix B

 

APPENDIX B - PROXY POLICY AND PROCEDURES
The Adviser and each sub-adviser rely on this policy. In addition, Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited has also adopted operating guidelines and procedures for proxy voting particular to each regional investment center. Such guidelines and procedures are attached hereto.
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Invesco’s Policy Statement on Global
Corporate Governance
and Proxy Voting
Effective January 2025
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Table of Contents
 
 
 
I.
Introduction
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A. Our Approach to Proxy Voting
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B. Applicability of Policy
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II.
Global Proxy Voting Operational Procedures
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A. Oversight and Governance
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B. The Proxy Voting Process
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C. Retention and Oversight of Proxy Service Providers
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D. Disclosures and Recordkeeping
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E. Market and Operational Limitations
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F. Securities Lending
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G. Conflicts of Interest
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H. Voting Funds of Funds
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I. Review of Policy
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III.
Our Good Governance Principles
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A. Transparency
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B. Accountability
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C. Board Composition and Effectiveness
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D. Capitalization
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E. Environmental, Social and Governance Risk Oversight
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F. Executive Compensation and Performance Alignment
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I.
Introduction
Invesco Ltd. and its wholly owned investment adviser subsidiaries (collectively, “Invesco,” the “Company,” “our” or “we”) have adopted and implemented this Policy Statement on Global Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting (this “Global Proxy Voting Policy” or “Policy”), which we believe describes policies and procedures reasonably designed to assure proxy voting matters are conducted in the best interests of our clients.
A.
Our Approach to Proxy Voting
Invesco understands proxy voting is an integral aspect of the investment management services it provides to clients. As an investment adviser, Invesco has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of our clients. Where Invesco has been delegated the authority to vote proxies with respect to securities held in client portfolios, we exercise such authority in the manner we believe best serves the interests of such clients and their investment objectives. We recognize that proxy voting is an important tool that enables us to drive shareholder value.
A summary of our global operational procedures and governance structure is included in Part II of this Policy. Invesco’s good governance principles, which are included in Part III of this Policy, and our internal proxy voting guidelines are both principles and rules, and cover topics that typically appear on voting ballots. Invesco’s investment teams retain ultimate authority to vote proxies. Given the complexity of proxy issues across our clients’ holdings globally, our investment teams consider many factors when determining how to cast votes. We seek to evaluate and make voting decisions that favor proxy proposals and governance practices that, in our view, promote long-term shareholder value.
B.
Applicability of Policy
Invesco’s investment teams vote proxies on behalf of Invesco-sponsored funds and both fund and non-fund advisory clients that have explicitly granted Invesco authority in writing to vote proxies on their behalf. In the case of institutional or sub-advised clients, Invesco will vote the proxies in accordance with this Policy unless the client agreement specifies that the client retains the right to vote or has designated a named fiduciary to direct voting. This Policy is implemented by all entities listed in Exhibit A, except as noted below. Due to regional or asset class-specific considerations, certain entities may have local proxy voting guidelines or policies and procedures that differ from this Policy. In the event local policies and this Policy differ, the local policy will apply. These entities subject to local policies are listed in Exhibit A and include Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd., Invesco Taiwan Limited, Invesco Real Estate Management S.à r.l. and Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. for Invesco Unit Investment Trusts.
Where our passively managed strategies and certain other client accounts managed in accordance with fixed income, money market and index strategies (including exchange-traded funds) (referred to as “passively managed accounts”) hold the same investments as our actively managed equity funds, voting decisions with respect to those accounts generally follow the voting decisions made by the largest active holder of the equity shares. Invesco refers to this approach as “Majority Voting.” This process of Majority Voting seeks to ensure that our passively managed accounts benefit from the engagement and deep dialogue of our active investment teams, which can benefit shareholders in passively managed accounts. Invesco will generally apply the majority holder’s vote instruction to these passively managed accounts. Where securities are held only in passively managed accounts and not owned in our actively managed accounts, the proxy will be generally voted in line with this Policy and internal proxy voting guidelines. Notwithstanding the above, investment teams of our passively managed accounts retain full discretion over proxy voting decisions to individually evaluate a specific proxy proposal or override Majority Voting and vote the shares as they determine to be in the best interest of those accounts, absent certain types of conflicts of interest which are discussed elsewhere in this Policy. To the extent our investment teams believe a specific proxy proposal requires enhanced analysis or if it is not covered by this Policy or internal guidelines, our investment teams will evaluate such proposal and execute the voting decision.
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II.
Global Proxy Voting Operational Procedures
Invesco’s global proxy voting operational procedures (the “Procedures”) are in place to implement the provisions of this Policy. Invesco aims to vote all proxies for which it has voting authority in accordance with this Policy, as implemented by the Procedures outlined in this Section II. It is the responsibility of Invesco’s Proxy Voting and Governance team to maintain and facilitate the review of the Procedures annually.
A.
Oversight and Governance
Oversight of the proxy voting process is provided by the Proxy Voting and Governance team and the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“Global IPAC”). For some clients, third parties (e.g., U.S. fund boards) and internal sub-committees also provide oversight of the proxy voting process.
Guided by its philosophy that investment teams should manage proxy voting, Invesco has created the Global IPAC. The Global IPAC is an investments-driven committee comprising representatives from various investment management teams. Representatives from Invesco’s Legal, Compliance, Risk, ESG and Government Affairs departments may also participate in Global IPAC meetings. The Director of Proxy Voting and Governance chairs the committee. The Global IPAC provides a forum for investment teams, in accordance with this Policy, to:
monitor, understand and discuss key proxy issues and voting trends within the Invesco complex;
assist Invesco in meeting regulatory obligations;
review votes not aligned with our good governance principles; and
consider conflicts of interest in the proxy voting process.
In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Global IPAC meets as necessary (but no less than semi-annually) and has the following responsibilities and functions: (i) acts as a key liaison between the Proxy Voting and Governance team and investment teams to assure compliance with this Policy; (ii) provides insight on market trends as it relates to stewardship practices; (iii) monitors proxy votes that present potential conflicts of interest; and (iv) reviews and provides input, at least annually, on this Policy and related internal procedures and recommends any changes to this Policy based on, but not limited to, Invesco’s experience, evolving industry practices, or developments in applicable laws or regulations. In addition, when necessary, the Global IPAC Conflict of Interest Sub-committee makes voting decisions on proxies that require an override of this Policy due to an actual or perceived conflict of interest. The Global IPAC reviews Global IPAC Conflict of Interest Sub-committee voting decisions.
B.
The Proxy Voting Process
At Invesco, investment teams execute voting decisions through our proprietary voting platform and are supported by the Proxy Voting and Governance team and a dedicated technology team. Invesco’s proprietary voting platform streamlines the proxy voting process by providing our global investment teams with direct access to proxy meeting materials, including ballots, Invesco’s internal proxy voting guidelines and recommendations, as well as proxy research and vote recommendations issued by Proxy Service Providers (as such term is defined in Part C below). Votes executed on Invesco’s proprietary voting platform are transmitted to our proxy voting agent electronically and are then delivered to the respective designee for tabulation.
Invesco’s Proxy Voting and Governance team monitors whether we have received proxy ballots for shareholder meetings in which we are entitled to vote. This involves coordination among various parties in the proxy voting ecosystem, including, but not limited to, our proxy voting agent, custodians and ballot distributors. If necessary, we may choose to escalate a matter in accordance with our internal procedures to facilitate our ability to exercise our right to vote.
Our proprietary systems facilitate internal control and oversight of the voting process. To facilitate the casting of votes in an efficient manner, Invesco may choose to pre-populate and leverage the
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capabilities of these proprietary systems to automatically submit votes based on internal proxy voting guidelines. If necessary, votes may be cast by Invesco or via the Proxy Service Providers Web platform at our direction.
C.
Retention and Oversight of Proxy Service Providers
Invesco has retained two independent third-party proxy voting service providers to provide proxy support globally: Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”) and Glass Lewis (“GL”). In addition to ISS and GL, Invesco may retain certain local proxy service providers to access regionally specific research (such local proxy service providers, collectively with ISS and GL, “Proxy Service Providers”). The services may include one or more of the following: providing a comprehensive analysis of each voting item and interpretations of each voting item based on Invesco’s internal proxy voting guidelines; and providing assistance with the administration of the proxy process and certain proxy voting-related functions, including, but not limited to, operational, reporting and recordkeeping services.
While Invesco may take into consideration the information and recommendations provided by the Proxy Service Providers, including recommendations based upon Invesco’s internal proxy voting guidelines and recommendations provided to such Proxy Service Providers, Invesco’s investment teams retain full and independent discretion with respect to proxy voting decisions.
Updates to previously issued proxy research reports and recommendations may be provided to incorporate newly available information or additional disclosure provided by an issuer regarding a matter to be voted on, or to correct factual errors that may result in the issuance of revised proxy vote recommendations. Invesco’s Proxy Voting and Governance team periodically monitors for these research alerts issued by Proxy Service Providers that are shared with our investment teams.
Invesco performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the Proxy Service Providers it engages globally. Invesco conducts annual due diligence meetings as part of its ongoing due diligence. The topics included in these annual due diligence meetings include material changes in service levels, leadership and control, conflicts of interest, methodologies for formulating vote recommendations, operations, and research personnel, among other topics. In addition, Invesco monitors and communicates with the Proxy Service Providers throughout the year and monitors their compliance with Invesco’s performance and policy standards.
As part of our annual policy development process, Invesco may engage with other external proxy and governance experts to understand market trends and developments. These meetings provide Invesco with an opportunity to assess the Proxy Service Providers’ capabilities, conflicts of interest and service levels, as well as provide investment professionals with direct insight into the Proxy Service Providers’ stances on key corporate governance and proxy topics and their policy framework/methodologies.
Invesco completes a review of the System and Organizational Controls (“SOC”) Reports for Proxy Service Providers to confirm the related controls were in place and to provide reasonable assurance that the related controls operated effectively.
D.
Disclosures and Recordkeeping
Unless otherwise required by local or regional requirements, Invesco maintains voting records for at least seven (7) years. Invesco makes its proxy voting records publicly available in compliance with regulatory requirements and industry best practices in the regions below:
In accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations, Invesco will file a record of all proxy voting activity for the prior 12 months ending June 30th for each U.S. registered fund. In addition, Invesco, as an institutional manager that is required to file Form 13F, will file a record of its votes on certain executive compensation (“say on pay”) matters. The proxy voting filings will generally be made on or before August 31st of each year and are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, each year, the Form N-PX proxy voting records for Invesco mutual funds’ and closed-end funds’, and Invesco ETF’s are made available on Invesco’s website here.
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To the extent applicable, the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), including Department of Labor regulations and guidance thereunder, provide that the named fiduciary generally should be able to review not only the investment adviser’s voting procedure with respect to plan-owned stock, but also the actions taken in individual proxy voting situations. In the case of institutional and sub-advised clients, clients may contact their client service representative to request information about how Invesco voted proxies on their behalf. Absent specific contractual guidelines, such requests may be made on a semi-annual basis.
In the UK and Europe, Invesco publicly discloses our proxy votes monthly in compliance with the UK Stewardship Code here. Additionally, in accordance with the European Shareholder Rights Directive and the European Fund and Asset Management Association Stewardship Code, Invesco publishes an annual report on implementation of our engagement policies, including a general description of voting behavior, an explanation of the most significant votes and the use of proxy voting advisors.
In Canada, Invesco publicly discloses a record of all proxy voting activity for the prior 12 months ending June 30th for each Invesco Canada registered mutual fund and ETF. In compliance with the National Instrument 81-106 Investment Fund Continuous Disclosure, the proxy voting records will generally be made available on or before August 31st of each year here.
In Japan, Invesco publicly discloses our proxy votes annually in compliance with the Japan Stewardship Code here.
In India, Invesco publicly discloses our proxy votes quarterly here in compliance with The Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”) Circular on stewardship code for all Mutual Funds and all categories of Alternative Investment Funds in relation to their investment in listed equities. SEBI has implemented principles on voting for Mutual Funds through circulars dated March 15, 2010, March 24, 2014, and March 5, 2021, which prescribed detailed mandatory requirements for Mutual Funds in India to disclose their voting policies and actual voting by Mutual Funds on different resolutions of investee companies.
In Hong Kong, Invesco Hong Kong Limited will provide proxy voting records upon request in compliance with the Securities and Futures Commission Principles of Responsible Ownership.
In Taiwan, Invesco publicly discloses our proxy voting policy and proxy votes annually in compliance with Taiwan’s Stewardship Principles for Institutional Investors here.
In Australia, Invesco publicly discloses a summary of its proxy voting record annually here.
In Singapore, Invesco Asset Management Singapore Ltd. will provide proxy voting records upon request in compliance with the Singapore Stewardship Principles for Responsible Investors.
Invesco may engage Proxy Service Providers to make available or maintain certain required proxy voting records in accordance with the above stated applicable regulations. Separately managed account clients that have authorized Invesco to vote proxies on their behalf will receive proxy voting information with respect to those accounts upon request. Certain other clients may obtain information about how we voted proxies on their behalf by contacting their client service representative or advisor. Invesco does not publicly disclose voting intentions in advance of shareholder meetings.
E.
Market and Operational Limitations
In the great majority of instances, Invesco will vote proxies. However, in certain circumstances, Invesco may refrain from voting where the economic or other opportunity costs of voting exceed any benefit to clients. Moreover, ERISA fiduciaries must not subordinate the economic interests of plan participants and beneficiaries to unrelated objectives when voting proxies or exercising other shareholder rights. These matters are left to the discretion of the relevant investment team. Such circumstances could include, for example:
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Certain countries impose temporary trading restrictions, a practice known as “share blocking.” This means that once the shares have been voted, the shareholder does not have the ability to sell the shares for a certain period of time, usually until the day after the conclusion of the shareholder meeting. Unless a client directs otherwise, Invesco generally refrains from voting proxies at companies or in markets where share blocking applies. In some instances, Invesco may determine that the benefit to the client(s) of voting a specific proxy outweighs the client’s temporary inability to sell the shares.
Some companies require a representative to attend shareholder meetings in person to vote a proxy or issuer-specific additional documentation, certification or the disclosure of beneficial owner details to vote. Invesco may determine that the costs of sending a representative or submitting additional documentation, including power of attorney documentation, or disclosures outweigh the benefit of voting a particular proxy.
Invesco may not receive proxy materials from the relevant fund or custodian used by our clients with sufficient time and information to make an informed independent voting decision.
Invesco held shares on the record date but has sold them prior to the meeting date.
Although Invesco uses reasonable efforts to vote a proxy, proxies may not be accepted or may be rejected for various reasons, including due to changes in the agenda for a shareholder meeting for which Invesco does not have sufficient notice, when certain custodians used by our clients do not offer a proxy voting in a jurisdiction, or due to operational issues experienced by third parties involved in the process or by an issuer or sub-custodian.
Additionally, despite the best efforts of Invesco and its proxy voting agent, there may be instances where our votes may not be received or properly tabulated by an issuer or an issuer’s agent. Invesco will generally endeavor to vote and maintain any paper ballots received provided they are delivered in a timely manner ahead of the vote deadline.
F.
Securities Lending
Invesco’s funds may participate in a securities lending program. In circumstances where funds’ shares are on loan, the voting rights of those shares are transferred to the borrower. If the security in question is on loan as part of a securities lending program, Invesco may determine that the vote is material to the investment, and therefore, the benefit to the client of voting a particular proxy outweighs the economic benefits of securities lending. In those instances, Invesco may determine to recall securities that are on loan prior to the meeting record date, so we will be entitled to vote those shares. For example, for certain actively managed funds, the lending agent has standing instructions to systematically recall all securities on loan for Invesco to vote the proxies on those previously loaned shares. There may be instances where Invesco may be unable to recall shares or may choose not to recall shares. Such circumstances may include instances when Invesco does not receive timely notice of the meeting, or when Invesco deems the opportunity for a fund to generate securities lending revenue outweighs the benefits of voting at a specific meeting. The relevant investment team will make these determinations.
G.
Conflicts of Interest
There may be occasions where voting proxies may present a perceived or actual conflict of interest between Invesco, as investment adviser, and one or more of Invesco’s clients or vendors.
Firm-Level Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a material business relationship with either the company soliciting a proxy or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote. Such relationships may include, among others, a client relationship, serving as a vendor whose products/services are material or significant to Invesco, serving as a distributor of Invesco’s products, or serving as a significant research provider or broker to Invesco.
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Invesco identifies potential conflicts of interest based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited, to the materiality of the relationship between the issuer or its affiliates to Invesco.
Material firm-level conflicts of interests are identified by individuals and groups within Invesco globally using criteria established by the Proxy Voting and Governance team. These criteria are monitored and updated periodically by the Proxy Voting and Governance team so up-to-date information is available when conducting conflicts checks. Operating procedures and associated governance are designed to seek to assure conflicts of interest are appropriately considered ahead of voting proxies. The Global IPAC Conflict of Interest Sub-committee maintains oversight of the process. Companies identified as conflicted will be voted in line with the principles below as implemented by Invesco’s internal proxy voting guidelines. To the extent an investment team disagrees with the Policy, our processes and procedures seek to assure that justifications and rationales are fully documented and presented to the Global IPAC Conflict of Interest Sub-committee for approval by a majority vote.
As an additional safeguard, persons from Invesco’s marketing, distribution and other customer-facing functions may not serve on the Global IPAC. For the avoidance of doubt, Invesco may not consider Invesco Ltd.’s pecuniary interest when voting proxies on behalf of clients. To avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Invesco will not vote proxies issued by Invesco Ltd. that are held in client accounts.
Personal Conflicts of Interest
A conflict also may exist where an Invesco employee has a known personal or business relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships. Under Invesco’s Global Code of Conduct, Invesco entities and individuals must act in the best interests of clients and must avoid any situation that gives rise to an actual or perceived conflict of interest.
All Invesco personnel with proxy voting responsibilities are required to report any known personal or business conflicts of interest regarding proxy issues with which they are involved. In such instances, the individual(s) with the conflict will be excluded from the decision-making process relating to such issues.
H.
Voting Funds of Funds
Funds of funds holdings can create various special situations for proxy voting, including operational challenges in certain markets. The scenarios below set out examples of how Invesco votes funds of funds:
When required by law or regulation, shares of an Invesco fund held by other Invesco funds will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund. If such proportional voting is not operationally possible, Invesco will not vote the shares.
When required by law or regulation, shares of an unaffiliated registered fund held by one or more Invesco funds will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund. If such proportional voting is not operationally possible, Invesco will not vote the shares.
For U.S. funds of funds where proportional voting is not required by law or regulation, shares of Invesco funds held by other Invesco funds generally will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund. If such proportional voting is not operationally possible, Invesco will vote in line with internal proxy voting guidelines. Investment teams retain full discretion over proxy voting decisions for funds of funds where proportional voting is not required by law or regulation and may choose to vote differently.
For U.S. funds of funds where proportional voting is not required by law or regulation, shares of unaffiliated registered funds held by one or more Invesco funds generally will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund. If such proportional voting is not operationally possible, Invesco will vote in line with internal proxy voting
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guidelines. Investment teams retain full discretion over proxy voting decisions for funds of funds where proportional voting is not required by law or regulation and may choose to vote differently.
Non-U.S. funds of funds will not be voted proportionally due to operational limitations. The applicable Invesco entity will vote in line with its local policies, as indicated in Exhibit A. If no local policies exist, Invesco will vote non-U.S. funds of funds in line with the firm level conflicts of interest process described above.
Where client or proprietary accounts are invested directly in shares issued by Invesco affiliates and Invesco has proxy voting authority, shares will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying holding. If proportional voting is not possible, the shares will be voted in line with a Proxy Service Provider’s recommendation.
Unless it decides to solicit investor instructions, Invesco shall not vote the shares of an Invesco fund held by a fund, client or proprietary account managed by Invesco Canada Ltd.
I.
Review of Policy
It is the responsibility of the Global IPAC to review this Policy and the internal proxy voting guidelines annually to consider whether any changes are warranted. This annual review seeks to assure this Policy and the internal proxy voting guidelines remain consistent with clients’ best interests, regulatory requirements, local market standards and best practices. Further, this Policy and our internal proxy voting guidelines are reviewed at least annually by various departments within Invesco to seek to ensure that they remain consistent with Invesco’s views on best practice in corporate governance and long-term investment stewardship.
III.
Our Good Governance Principles
Invesco’s good governance principles outline our views on best practice in corporate governance and long-term investment stewardship. These principles have been developed by our global investment teams in collaboration with the Proxy Voting and Governance team and various departments internally. The broad philosophy and guiding principles in this section inform our approach to long-term investment stewardship and proxy voting. The principles and positions reflected in this Policy are designed to guide Invesco’s investment professionals in voting proxies; they are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive.
Our investment teams retain full discretion on vote execution in the context of our good governance principles and internal proxy voting guidelines, except where otherwise specified in this Policy. The final voting decisions may consider the unique circumstances affecting companies, regional best practices and any dialogue we have had with company management. As a result, different investment teams may vote differently on particular proxy votes for the same company. To the extent investment teams choose to vote a proxy in a way that is not aligned with the principles below, rationales are fully documented.
When evaluating proxy issues and determining how to cast our votes, Invesco’s investment teams may engage with companies in advance of shareholder meetings, and throughout the year. These meetings can be joint efforts between our global investment professionals.
The following guiding principles apply to proxy voting with respect to operating companies. We apply a separate approach to open-end and closed-end investment companies and unit investment trusts. Where appropriate, these guidelines may be supplemented by additional internal guidance that considers regional variations in best practices, company disclosure and region-specific voting items. Invesco may vote on proposals not specifically addressed by these principles or guidelines based on an evaluation of a proposal’s likelihood to enhance long-term shareholder value.
Our good governance principles are organized around six broad pillars:
A.
Transparency
We expect companies to provide accurate, timely and complete information that enables investors to make informed investment decisions and effectively carry out their stewardship activities. Invesco
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supports the highest standards in corporate transparency and believes that these disclosures should be made available ahead of the voting deadlines for an annual general meeting or special meeting to allow for timely review and decision-making.
Financial reporting: Company accounts and reporting must accurately reflect the underlying economic position of a company. Arrangements that may constitute an actual or perceived conflict with this objective should be avoided.
We will generally support proposals to accept the annual financial statements, statutory accounts and similar proposals. However, if these reports are not presented in a timely manner or significant issues are identified regarding their integrity(e.g., the external auditor’s opinion is absent or qualified), we will generally review the matter on a case-by-case basis.
External auditor ratification and audit fees:
We will generally not support the ratification of the independent auditor and/or ratification of their fees payable if non-audit fees exceed audit and audit related fees or if there are significant auditing controversies or questions regarding the independence of the external auditor. We will consider an auditor’s length of service as a company’s independent auditor in applying this policy.
We will generally vote against the incumbent audit committee chair, or nearest equivalent, where the non-audit fees paid to the independent auditor exceed audit fees for two consecutive years or other problematic accounting practices are identified such as fraud, misapplication of audit standards or persistent material weaknesses/deficiencies in internal controls over financial reporting.
Other business: Generally, we vote against proposals to transact other business matters where disclosure is insufficient and we are not given the opportunity to review and understand what issues may be raised.
Related-party transactions: Invesco will vote all related party transactions on a case-by-case basis. The vote analysis will consider the following factors, among others:
disclosure of the transaction details must be full and transparent (such as details of the related parties and of the transaction subject, timeframe, pricing, potential conflicts of interest, and other terms and conditions);
the transaction must be fair and appropriate, with a sound strategic rationale;
the company should provide an independent opinion either from the supervisory board or an external financial adviser;
minority shareholders’ interests should be protected; and
the transactions should be on an arm’s length basis.
Routine business items and formalities: Invesco generally votes non-contentious routine business items and formalities as recommended by the issuer’s management and board of directors. Routine business items and formalities generally include proposals to:
accept or approve a variety of routine reports; and
approve provisionary financial budgets and strategy for the current year.
B.
Accountability
Robust shareholder rights and strong board oversight help ensure that management adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct, are held to account for poor performance and responsibly deliver value creation for stakeholders over the long term. We encourage companies to adopt governance
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features that ensure board and management accountability. In particular, we consider the following as key mechanisms for enhancing accountability to investors:
One share one vote: Voting rights are an important tool for investors to hold boards and management teams accountable. Unequal voting rights may limit the ability of investors to exercise their stewardship obligations.
We generally do not support proposals that establish or perpetuate dual classes of voting shares, double voting rights or other means of differentiated voting or disproportionate board nomination rights.
We generally support proposals to decommission differentiated voting rights.
Where unequal voting rights are established, we expect these to be accompanied by reasonable safeguards to protect minority shareholders’ interests.
Anti-takeover devices: Mechanisms designed to prevent or delay takeover attempts may unduly limit the accountability of boards and management teams to shareholders.
We generally will not support proposals to adopt antitakeover devices such as poison pills. Exceptions may be warranted at entities without significant operations and to preserve the value of net operating losses carried forward or where the applicability of the pill is limited in scope and duration.
In addition, we will generally not support capital authorizations or amendments to corporate articles or bylaws at operating companies that may be utilized for antitakeover purposes, for example, the authorization of classes of shares of preferred stock with unspecified voting, dividend, conversion or other rights (“blank check” authorizations).
We generally support proposals for the removal of anti-takeover provisions.
Shareholder rights: We support the rights of shareholders to hold boards and management teams accountable for company performance. We generally support best-practice-aligned proposals to enhance shareholder rights:
Proxy access: Within the US market, we generally vote for management and shareholder proposals for proxy access that employ guidelines reflecting the SEC framework for proxy access with the following provisions:
Ownership threshold: at least three percent (3%) of the voting power;
Ownership duration: at least three (3) years of continuous ownership for each member of the nominating group;
Aggregation: minimal or no limits on the number of shareholders permitted to form a nominating group; and
Cap: cap on nominees of one (1) director or twenty-five percent (25%) of the board, whichever is higher.
Shareholder ability to call special meetings: Generally, we vote for management and shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to call special meetings with a minimum threshold of 10% but not greater than 25%. We will not support proposals to prohibit shareholders’ right to call special meetings.
Shareholder ability to act by written consent: Generally, assess shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to act by written consent case-by-case taking into account the following factors, among other things:
Shareholders’ current right to call special meetings; and
Investor ownership structure.
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Supermajority vote requirements: Generally, vote against proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote. We will vote for management and shareholder proposals to reduce supermajority vote requirements, in favor of a simple majority threshold. Lowering this requirement can democratize corporate governance and facilitate a more fair and dynamic decision-making that empowers and represents a wider shareholder base; especially for key corporate actions such as mergers, changes in control, or proposals to amend or repeal a portion of a company’s articles of incorporation.
Bundling of proposals: It is our view that the bundling of multiple proposals or articles amendments in one single voting item restricts shareholders’ ability to express their views, with an all-or-nothing vote. We generally oppose such proposals unless all bundled resolutions are deemed acceptable and conducive of long-term shareholder value.
Virtual shareholder meetings: Companies should hold their annual or special shareholder meetings in a manner that best serves the needs of its shareholders and the company. Shareholders should have an opportunity to participate in such meetings. Shareholder meetings provide an important mechanism by which shareholders provide feedback or raise concerns without undue censorship and hear from the board and management.
We will generally support management proposals seeking to allow for the convening of hybrid shareholder meetings (allowing shareholders the option to attend and participate either in person or through a virtual platform).
Management or shareholder proposals that seek to authorize the company to hold virtual-only meetings (held entirely through virtual platform with no corresponding in-person physical meeting) will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Companies have a responsibility to provide strong justification and establish safeguards to preserve comparable rights and opportunities for shareholders to participate virtually as they would have during an in-person meeting. Invesco will consider, among other things, a company’s practices, jurisdiction and disclosure, including the items set forth below:
i.
meeting procedures and requirements are disclosed in advance of a meeting detailing the rationale for eliminating the in-person meeting;
ii.
clear and comprehensive description of which shareholders are qualified to participate, how shareholders can join the virtual-only meeting, how and when shareholders submit and ask questions either in advance of or during the meeting;
iii.
disclosure regarding procedures for questions received during the meeting, but not answered due to time or other restrictions; and
iv.
description of how shareholder rights will be protected in a virtual-only meeting format including the ability to vote shares during the time the polls are open.
C.
Board Composition and Effectiveness
Voting on director nominees in uncontested elections
Definition of independence: Invesco considers local market definitions of director independence, but applies a proprietary standard for assessing director independence considering a director’s status as a current or former employee of the business, any commercial or consulting relationships with the company, the level of shares beneficially owned or represented and familial relationships, among others.
Board and committee independence: The board of directors, board committees and regional equivalents should be sufficiently independent from management, substantial shareholders and conflicts of interest. We consider local market practices in this regard and in general we look for a balance across the board of directors. Above all, we like to see signs of robust challenge and discussion in the boardroom.
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We will generally vote against one or more non-independent directors when a board is less than majority independent, but we will take into account local market practice with regards to board independence in limited circumstances where this standard is not appropriate.
We will generally vote against non-independent directors serving on the audit committee.
We will generally vote against non-independent directors serving on the compensation committee.
We will generally vote against non-independent directors serving on the nominating committee.
In relation to the board, compensation committee and nominating committee we will consider the appropriateness of significant shareholder representation in applying this policy. This exception will generally not apply to the audit committee.
Independent Board Chair: It is our view that independent board leadership generally enhances management accountability to investors. Companies deviating from this best practice should provide a strong justification and establish safeguards to ensure that there is independent oversight of a board’s activities (e.g., by appointing a lead or senior independent director with clearly defined powers and responsibilities).
We will generally vote against the incumbent nominating committee chair, or nearest equivalent, where the board chair is not independent unless a lead independent or senior director is appointed.
We will review shareholder proposals requesting that the board chair be an independent director on a case-by-case basis, taking into account several factors, including, but not limited to, the presence of a lead independent director and a sufficiently independent board, a sound governance structure with no record of recent material governance failures or controversies, and sound financial performance. Invesco will also positively consider less disruptive proposals that will enter into force at the subsequent leadership transition.
We will generally not vote against a CEO or executive serving as board chair solely on the basis of this issue, however, we may do so in instances where we have significant concerns regarding a company’s corporate governance, capital allocation decisions and/or compensation practices.
Attendance and over boarding: Director attendance at board and committee meetings is a fundamental part of their responsibilities and provides efficient oversight for the company and its investors. In addition, directors should not have excessive external board or managerial commitments that may interfere with their ability to execute the duties of a director.
We will generally vote against or withhold votes from directors who attend less than 75% of board and committee meetings for two consecutive years. We expect companies to disclose any extenuating circumstances, such as health matters or family emergencies, that would justify a director’s low attendance, in line with good practices.
We will generally vote against directors who have more than four total mandates at public operating companies, if their attendance is below 75% of all board and committee meetings in the year under review, or if material governance failures have been identified. We apply a lower threshold for directors with significant commitments such as executive positions and chairmanships.
Diversity: In our view, an effective board should be comprised of directors with a mix of skills, experience, tenure, and industry expertise together with a diverse profile of individuals of different genders, ethnicities, race, culture, age, perspectives and backgrounds. The board should reflect the diversity of the workforce, customers, and the communities in which a business operates. In our view, greater diversity in the boardroom contributes to robust challenge and debate, avoids groupthink, fosters innovation, and provides competitive advantage to companies. We consider diversity at the board level, within the executive management team and in the succession pipeline.
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In markets where there are regulatory expectations, listing standards or minimum quotas for board diversity, Invesco will generally apply the same expectations. In all other markets, we will generally vote against the incumbent nominating committee chair of a board, or nearest equivalent, where a company failed to demonstrate improvements are being made to diversity practices for three or more consecutive years, recognizing that building a qualified and diverse board takes time.
It is our view that an individual board’s nominating committee is best positioned to determine whether director term limits would be an appropriate measure to help achieve these goals and, if so, the nature of such limits. Invesco generally opposes proposals to limit the tenure of outside directors through mandatory retirement ages.
Director term limits and retirement age: It is important for a board of directors to examine its membership regularly with a view to ensuring that the board is effective, and the company continues to benefit from a diversity of director viewpoints and experience. As stated above, an individual board’s nominating committee is best positioned to determine whether director term limits or establishing a mandatory retirement age would be an appropriate measure to help achieve these goals and, if so, the nature of such limits. Therefore, Invesco generally opposes shareholder proposals to limit the tenure of board directors or to impose a mandatory retirement age.
Responsiveness: Boards should respond to investor concerns in a timely fashion, including reasonable requests to engage with company representatives regarding such concerns, and address matters that receive significant voting dissent at general meetings of shareholders.
We will generally vote against the incumbent chair of the governance committee, or nearest equivalent, in cases where the board has not adequately responded to items receiving significant voting opposition from shareholders at an annual or extraordinary general meeting.
We will generally vote against the incumbent chair of the governance committee, or nearest equivalent, where the board has not adequately responded to a shareholder proposal which has received significant support from shareholders.
We will generally vote against the incumbent chair of the compensation committee, or nearest equivalent, if there are significant ongoing concerns with a company’s compensation practices that have not been addressed by the committee or egregious concerns with the company’s compensation practices for two consecutive years.
We will generally vote against the incumbent compensation committee chair, or nearest equivalent, where there are ongoing concerns with a company’s compensation practices and there is no opportunity to express dissatisfaction by voting against an advisory vote on executive compensation, remuneration report (or policy) or nearest equivalent.
Where a company has not adequately responded to engagement requests from Invesco or satisfactorily addressed issues of concern, we may oppose director nominations, including, but not limited to, nominations for the lead independent director and/or committee chairs.
Director Indemnification: Invesco recognizes that individuals may be reluctant to serve as corporate directors if they are personally liable for all related lawsuits and legal costs. As a result, reasonable limitations on directors’ liability can benefit a company and its shareholders by helping to attract and retain qualified directors while preserving recourse for shareholders in the event of misconduct by directors. Invesco will evaluate shareholder proposals to amend directors’ indemnification and exculpation provisions on a case-by-case basis.
Discharge of directors: We will generally support proposals to ratify the actions of the board of directors, supervisory board and/or executive decision-making bodies, provided there are no material oversight failures and legal controversies, or other wrongdoings in the relevant fiscal year – committed or yet to be confirmed. When such oversight concerns are identified, we will consider a company’s
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response to any issues raised and may vote against ratification proposals instead of, or in addition to, director nominees.
Director election process: Board members should generally stand for election annually and individually.
We will generally support proposals requesting that directors stand for election annually.
We will generally vote against the incumbent governance committee chair or nearest equivalent, if a company has a classified board structure that is not being phased out. We may make exceptions to this guideline in regions where market practice is for directors to stand for election on a staggered basis.
We will generally support shareholder proposals to repeal a classified board and elect all directors annually.
When a board is presented for election as a slate (e.g., shareholders are unable to vote against individual nominees and must vote for or against the entire nominated slate of directors) and this approach is not aligned with local market practice, we will generally vote against the slate in cases where we otherwise would vote against an individual nominee.
Where market practice is to elect directors as a slate, we will generally support the nominated slate unless there are governance concerns with several of the individuals included on the slate or we have broad concerns with the composition of the board such as a lack of independence.
Majority vote standard: Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote, except in cases where a company has adopted formal governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard.
Board size: We will generally defer to the board with respect to determining the optimal number of board members given the size of the company and complexity of the business, provided that the proposed board size is sufficiently large to represent shareholder interests and sufficiently limited to remain effective. We might oppose amendments to the board size, when such change is deemed diminishing of Invesco’s governance requirements such as an adequate level of independence and diversity on the board.
Board assessment and succession planning: Invesco will consider and vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals to adopt a policy on succession planning. When evaluating board effectiveness, Invesco considers whether periodic performance reviews and skills assessments are conducted to ensure the board represents the interests of shareholders. In addition, boards should have a robust succession plan in place for key management and board personnel.
Voting on director nominees in contested elections
Proxy contests: We will review case-by-case dissident shareholder proposals based on their individual merits. We consider the following factors, among others, when evaluating the merits of each list of nominees: the long-term performance of the company relative to its industry, management’s track record, any relevant background information related to the contest, the qualifications of the respective lists of director nominees, the strategic merits of the approaches proposed by both sides, including the likelihood that the proposed goals can be met, and positions of stock ownership in the company.
D.
Capitalization
Capital allocation: Invesco expects companies to responsibly raise and deploy capital toward the long-term, sustainable success of the business. In addition, we expect capital allocation authorizations and decisions to be made with due regard to shareholder dilution, rights of shareholders to ratify significant corporate actions and pre-emptive rights, where applicable.
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Share issuance: We generally support authorizations to issue shares without preemptive rights up to 20% of a company’s issued share capital for general corporate purposes. However, for issuance requests with preemptive rights, we support authorizations up to a threshold of 50%. Shares should not be issued at a substantial discount to the market price. The same requirements are expected for convertible and non-convertible debt instruments.
Share repurchase programs: We generally support share repurchase plans in which all shareholders may participate on equal terms. However, it is our view that such plans should be executed transparently and in alignment with long-term shareholder interests. Therefore, we will not support such plans when there is clear evidence of abuse or no safeguards against selective buybacks, or the terms do not align with market best practices.
Stock splits: We will evaluate proposals for forward and reverse stock splits on a case-by-case basis. Each proposal will be evaluated based on its potential impact on shareholder value, local market best practices, and alignment with the company's long-term strategic goals.
Increases in authorized share capital: We will generally support proposals to increase a company’s number of authorized common and/or preferred shares, provided we have not identified concerns regarding a company’s historical share issuance activity or the potential to use these authorizations for antitakeover purposes. We will consider the amount of the request in relation to the company’s current authorized share capital, any proposed corporate transactions contingent on approval of these requests and the cumulative impact on a company’s authorized share capital, for example, if a reverse stock split is concurrently submitted for shareholder consideration.
Mergers, acquisitions, disposals and other corporate transactions: Invesco’s investment teams will review proposed corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, proxy contests, private placements, dissolutions and divestitures based on a proposal’s individual investment merits. In addition, we broadly approach voting on other corporate transactions as follows:
We will generally support proposals to approve different types of restructurings that provide the necessary financing to save the company from involuntary bankruptcy.
We will generally support proposals to enact corporate name changes and other proposals related to corporate transactions that we believe are in shareholders’ best interests.
We will generally support reincorporation proposals, provided that management has provided a compelling rationale for the change in legal jurisdiction and provided further that the proposal will not significantly adversely impact shareholders’ rights.
E.
Environmental, Social and Governance Risk Oversight
Director responsibility for risk oversight: A board of directors is ultimately responsible for overseeing management and ensuring that proper governance, oversight and control mechanisms are in place at the companies it oversees. Invesco may take voting action against director nominees in response to material governance or risk oversight failures that adversely affect shareholder value.
Invesco considers the adequacy of a company's response to material oversight failures when determining whether any voting action is warranted. In addition, Invesco will consider the responsibilities delegated to board sub-committees when determining if it is appropriate to hold the incumbent chair of the relevant committee, or nearest equivalent, accountable for these material failures.
Material governance or risk oversight failures at a company may include, without limitation:
i.
significant bribery, corruption or ethics violations;
ii.
events causing significant climate-related risks;
iii.
significant health and safety incidents; and/or
iv.
failure to ensure the protection of human rights.
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Reporting of financially material environmental, social and corporate governance (“ESG”) information: Companies should report on their ESG opportunities and risks where material to their business operations.
Climate risk management: We encourage companies to report on material climate-related risks and opportunities and how these are considered within the company’s strategy, financial planning, governance structures and risk management frameworks aligned with applicable regional regulatory requirements. For companies in industries that materially contribute to climate change, we encourage comprehensive disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and Paris Agreement of 2015-aligned emissions reduction targets, where appropriate. Invesco may take voting action at companies that fail to adequately address climate-related risks, including opposing director nominations in cases where we view the lack of effective climate transition risk management as potentially detrimental to long-term shareholder value.
Shareholder proposals addressing environmental and social (“E&S”) issues: We recognize E&S shareholder proposals are nuanced and therefore, Invesco will analyze such proposals on a case-by-case basis. When considering such proposals, we will consider the following factors, among others: a company's track record on E&S issues, the efficacy of the proposal's request, whether the requested action is unduly burdensome, and whether we consider the adoption of such proposal would promote long-term shareholder value. We will also consider company responsiveness to the proposal and any engagement on the issue when casting votes.
Invesco may support shareholder resolutions requesting that specific actions be taken to address E&S issues or mitigate exposure to material E&S risks, including reputational risk, related to these issues. We generally do not support resolutions where insufficient information has been provided in advance of the vote or a lack of disclosure inhibits our ability to make fully informed voting decisions.
F.
Executive Compensation and Performance Alignment
Invesco supports compensation polices and equity incentive plans that promote alignment between management incentives and shareholders’ long-term interests. We pay close attention to local market practice and may apply stricter or modified criteria where appropriate.
Advisory votes on executive compensation, remuneration policy and remuneration reports: We will generally not support compensation-related proposals where more than one of the following is present:
i.
there is an unmitigated misalignment between executive pay and company performance for at least two consecutive years;
ii.
there are problematic compensation practices which may include, among others, incentivizing excessive risk taking or circumventing alignment between management and shareholders’ interests via repricing of underwater options;
iii.
vesting periods for long-term incentive awards are less than three years;
iv.
the company “front loads” equity awards;
v.
there are inadequate risk mitigating features in the program such as clawback provisions;
vi.
excessive, discretionary one-time equity grants are awarded to executives; and/or
vii.
less than half of variable pay is linked to performance targets, except where prohibited by law.
Invesco will consider company reporting on pay ratios as part of our evaluation of compensation proposals, where relevant.
Equity plans: Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders’ long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features which may include
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provisions to reprice options without shareholder approval, plans that include evergreen provisions or plans that provide for automatic accelerated vesting upon a change in control.
Employee stock purchase plans: We generally support employee stock purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock represents a reasonable discount from the market price and that the total shareholder dilution resulting from the plan is not excessive (e.g., more than 10% of outstanding shares).
Severance Arrangements: Invesco considers proposed severance arrangements (sometimes known as “golden parachute” arrangements) on a case-by-case basis due to the wide variety among their terms. Invesco acknowledges that in some cases such arrangements, if reasonable, and aligned with local market best practices, may be in shareholders’ best interests as a method of attracting and retaining high-quality executive talent. We generally evaluate case-by-case proposals requiring shareholder ratification of senior executives’ severance agreements depending on whether the proposed terms and disclosure align with good market practice.
Frequency of Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay, MSOP) Management Proposals: It is our view that shareholders should be given the opportunity to vote on executive compensation and adequately express their potential concerns. Invesco will generally vote in favor of a one-year frequency, in order to foster greater accountability, as well as to grant shareholders a timely intervention on egregious pay practices.
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Exhibit A
Harbourview Asset Management Corporation
Invesco Advisers, Inc.
Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd*1
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited*1
Invesco Asset Management (Schweiz) AG
Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH
Invesco Asset Management Limited1
Invesco Asset Management Singapore Ltd
Invesco Australia Ltd
Invesco Canada Ltd.1
Invesco Capital Management LLC
Invesco Capital Markets, Inc.*1
Invesco European RR L.P.
Invesco Fund Managers Limited
Invesco Hong Kong Limited
Invesco Investment Advisers LLC
Invesco Investment Management (Shanghai) Limited
Invesco Investment Management Limited
Invesco Loan Manager, LLC
Invesco Managed Accounts, LLC
Invesco Management S.A.
Invesco Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Limited
Invesco Pensions Limited
Invesco Private Capital, Inc.
Invesco Real Estate Management S.à.r.l1
Invesco RR Fund L.P.
Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.
Invesco Taiwan Ltd*1
Invesco Trust Company
Oppenheimer Funds, Inc.
WL Ross & Co. LLC
* Invesco entities with specific proxy voting guidelines
1 Invesco entities with specific conflicts of interest policies
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
for
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited
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Invesco Japan Proxy Voting Guideline
Invesco Japan (hereinafter “we” or “our) votes proxies to maximize the interests of our clients (investors) and beneficiaries in the long term, acknowledging the importance of corporate governance based on fiduciary duties to our clients (investors) and beneficiaries. We do not vote proxies for the interests of ourselves and any third party other than clients (investors) and beneficiaries. The interests of clients (investors) and beneficiaries are to expand the corporate value or the shareholders’ economic interests or prevent damage thereto. Proxy voting is an integral part of our stewardship activities, and we make voting decisions considering whether the proposal would contribute to corporate value expansion and sustainable growth.
To vote proxies adequately, we have established the Responsible Investment Committee and developed the Proxy Voting Guideline to govern the decision-making process of proxy voting. While we may seek advice from an external service provider based on our own guidelines, our investment professionals make voting decisions in principle, based on the proxy voting guideline, taking into account whether they contribute to increasing the subject company’s shareholder value.
Responsible proxy voting and constructive dialogue with investee companies are important components of stewardship activities. While the Proxy Voting Guideline are principles for our voting decisions, depending on the proposals, we may make an exception if we conclude that such a decision is in the best interests of clients (investors) and beneficiaries after having constructive dialogue with the investee companies. In such a case, approval of the Responsible Investment Committee shall be obtained.
The Responsible Investment Committee consists of members including Chief Investment Officer, as the chair, Head of Compliance, Head of ESG, investment professionals nominated by the chair and the other members, including persons in charge at the Client Reporting department.
We have established the Conflict of Interest Management Policy. In the situation that may give rise to a conflict of interest, we aim to control it in the best interests of clients (investors) and beneficiaries. The Compliance department is responsible for governing company-wide control of a conflict of interest. The Compliance department is independent of Investment and Sales departments and shall not receive any command or order for the matters compliant with the laws and regulations, including a conflict of interest, from them.
Proxy Voting Guidelines
1. Appropriations of Retained Earnings and Dividends
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking approval for appropriations of retained earnings and dividends, taking into account the subject company’s financial conditions and business performance, shareholders’ economic interests and so on.
Taking into account the company’s capital adequacy, business strategies, and so on if the total payout ratio, including dividends and share repurchases, is significantly low, we consider voting against the proposals unless reasonable explanations are given by the company.
With respect to the company where the Board of Directors determines appropriations of retained earnings, taking into account the subject company’s capital adequacy, business strategies, and so on if the total payout ratio, including dividends and share repurchases, is significantly low, we consider voting against the reappointment of board directors unless reasonable explanations are given by the company.
Taking into account the subject company’s capital adequacy, business strategies, and so on if the total payout ratio, including dividends and share repurchases, is significantly low, we consider voting for shareholder proposals increasing shareholder returns.
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2. Appointment of Board Directors
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning the appointment of board directors, taking into account their independence, competence, anti-social activity records (if any), and so on. Furthermore, we decide how to vote on the reappointment of board directors, taking into account their corporate governance practices, accountability during their tenures, the company’s business performance and anti-social records (if any), and so on in addition to the above factors.
Board directors should make best efforts to continuously gain knowledge and skills to fulfill the critical role and responsibilities in the company’s governance. A company should also provide sufficient training opportunities.
Independent outside directors are expected to play a significant role, such as safeguarding minority shareholders’ interests through action based on their insights to increase the company’s corporate value. It is desirable to enhance the board’s governance function with independent outside directors accounting for the board majority. However, given the challenge to secure competent candidates, we also recognize that it is difficult for all the companies, irrespective of their size, to deploy the independent outside directors’ majority on the Board.
Sufficient disclosure is a prerequisite for reflecting the assessment of independence and suitability of director candidates and board composition in voting decisions. Currently, there are cases where sufficient information cannot be obtained due to insufficient disclosure on a board chair, each committee’s function and committee chairs in Notice of Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a corporate governance report, as well as untimeliness of these issuances. We generally make decisions based on Notice of AGM, a corporate governance report and an annual securities report disclosed by the time of voting. However, this shall not apply if we obtain such information from direct engagement with the company or find relevant disclosure elsewhere.
(1)
Independence
We generally vote for the appointment of outside directors. However, we generally vote against if a candidate is not regarded as independent of the subject company. It is desirable that the company discloses information, such as numerical data, which supports our decision on board independence.
We view the following outside director candidates are not independent enough.
Candidates who have been working for the following companies for the last ten years or are those people’s relatives.
The subject company
Its subsidiary
Its parent company
Candidates who have been working for the following companies for the last five years or are those people’s relatives.
Shareholders who own more than 10% of the subject company
Principal loan lenders
Principal securities brokers
Major business partners
Auditors
Audit companies, consulting companies or any related service providers which have any consulting contracts with the subject company
Any other counterparts which have any interests in the subject company
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In cases other than above, we separately scrutinize the independence of candidates who are regarded as not independent enough.
We take extra care when we assess the independence of candidates from a company which is regarded as a policy shareholder under cross shareholding, mutually sends outside directors to each other, and so on, as such cases potentially raise doubts about their independence. The company should give reasonable explanations. It is also desirable that the company contrives the timing and method of disclosure to allow investors to understand those relationships enough.
We judge board independence according to the stock exchange’s independence criteria with emphasizing independence ensured practically. We consider each company’s business environment and make the best effort to engage with the subject company to determine the independence of the candidates.
We regard an outside director with a significantly long tenure as non-independent and consider voting against the reappointment of such an outside director. We generally consider voting against the reappointment of outside directors whose tenures are longer than ten years.
If the subject company is a company with Audit Committee, we judge the independence of outside director candidates who become audit committee board members using the same independence criteria for the appointment of statutory auditors in principle.
We generally consider voting against the appointment of top executives and a nominating committee chair at a company with three Committees if independent outside directors of the subject company account for less than 1/3 of the Board after the AGM. However, this shall not apply if we confirm sufficient planning or special circumstances on increasing the number of independent outside directors in engagements.
In case the subject company has a parent company, we generally consider voting against the appointment of top executives and a nominating committee chair at a company with three Committees if independent outside directors account for less than half of the Board after the AGM. However, this shall not apply if we confirm sufficient planning or special circumstances on increasing the number of independent outside directors in engagements.
(2)
Attendance rate and concurrent duties
All members are expected to attend board and respective committee meetings in principle. A Company is generally obligated to facilitate all members to attend these meetings. We generally vote against the reappointment of board directors who attended less than 75% of board or respective committee meetings.
We take into account not only the number of attendance but nomination reasons and candidates’ real contributions if disclosed.
We take extra care when we assess the capability of board directors who have many concurrent duties as an outside director or outside statutory auditor of listed companies, as such cases potentially arise doubts about their capacity given the importance of outside directors’ role and responsibilities. Accordingly, we consider voting against the appointment of board directors who perform five or more duties as a director or statutory auditor of a listed company or equivalent company.
If a company nominates a board director with many concurrent duties, it should provide reasonable explanations. It is also desirable that the company contrives disclosure timing and methods to allow investors to understand the situation enough.
(3)
Company’s business performance
We consider voting against the reappointment of board directors if the subject company made a loss for the three consecutive years during their tenures.
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We consider voting against the reappointment of board directors if we judge that the subject company’s business performance significantly lags the peers in the same industry during their tenures.
We consider voting against top executives if, concerning capital efficiency including return on capital, business strategies achieving corporate value expansion and sustainable growth are not demonstrated, and constructive dialogues are not conducted.
(4)
Company’s anti-social activities
If we judge that a corporate scandal damages or is likely to damage shareholder value with having a significant effect on society during a board tenure, we conduct adequate dialogues with the subject company on the background and subsequent resolutions of the scandal. Based on the dialogues, we decide how to vote on the reappointment of top executives, board directors in charge of those cases and audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committee or three Committees, considering the impact on shareholder value.
With respect to domestic corporate scandals, at the time a company receives administrative dispositions to cartel, bid-rigging, and so on from authorities, such as the Fair Trade Commission, we consider voting against the reappointment of top executives, directors in charge and audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committee or three Committees. However, in case final dispositions are subsequently determined based on appeal or complaints resolutions, we do not vote against the reappointment again at that time. We vote on a case-by-case basis concerning compensation orders in a civil case, dispositions from the Consumer Affairs Agency or administrative dispositions from overseas authorities.
With respect to administrative dispositions to an unlisted subsidiary or affiliate, we consider voting against the reappointment of top executives, directors in charge and audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committee or three Committees of the holding or parent company. If a subsidiary or affiliate is listed, we consider voting against the reappointment of top executives, directors in charge and audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committee or three Committees of both the subsidiary or affiliate and the holding or parent company. However, we may vote on a case-by-case basis, depending on the importance of the disposition to the subsidiary or affiliate, its impact on the holding or parent company’s financial performance, and so on.
With respect to employees’ scandals, if the scandal damages or is likely to damage shareholder value, and we judge that the subject company owes management responsibility, we consider voting against the reappointment of top executives, directors in charge and audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committee or three Committees.
We consider voting against the reappointment of board directors if the subject company engages in window dressing or inadequate accounting practices during their tenures.
(5)
Activities against shareholder interest
If a company raises capital through an excessively dilutive third-party allotment without a shareholders’ meeting’s approval, we consider voting against the reappointment of board directors, particularly top executives.
If a company raises capital through a large-scale public offering without reasonable explanations, we consider voting against the reappointment of board directors, particularly top executives.
If a company does not execute a shareholder proposal regarded as favorable for minority shareholders receiving the majority support from shareholders or does not make a similar company proposal at an AGM in the following year, we consider voting against the appointment of top executives.
(6)
Others
If a company insufficiently discloses board director candidates’ information, we generally vote against such candidates.
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3. Composition of Board of Directors
While each company’s board structure would differ depending on its size and so on, we believe that a company with three Committees (Nomination, Audit and Remuneration) is desirable to achieve better governance as a listed company. For a company with Board of Statutory Auditors (Kansayaku) or Audit Committee, it is also desirable to voluntarily deploy a Nomination Committee, a Remuneration Committee and other necessary committees. Besides, it is desirable that Board Chair is an independent outside director. We believe that a highly transparent board composition ensures management accountability and contributes to sustained enterprise value expansion. Finally, the disclosure of the third-party assessment on the Board of Directors is desirable.
To strengthen the Board of Directors’ monitoring function and increase its transparency and effectiveness, we believe it is important to ensure gender, nationality, career, and age diversity in principle. It is desirable that each company adopts a skills matrix that defines the diversity and expertise required to fulfill the Board’s responsibilities reflecting its situation and selects director candidates accordingly.
We are concerned about retired directors assuming consulting, advisory or other similar positions which could negatively impact transparency and decision making of the Board. If such positions exist, and retired directors assume them, it is desirable that the company discloses their existence, their expected roles and contributions and compensations for such posts.
(1)
Number of board members and change in board composition
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning the number of board members and change in board composition, taking into account the impacts on the subject company and shareholders’ economic interests compared to the current situations.
The number of board members should be optimized to make the right management decision at the right time. We may consider each company’s business situation and scale. However, we generally consider voting against the appointment of top executives and a nominating committee chair at a company three Committees if the number of board members is expected to exceed 20 without decreasing from the previous AGM, and reasonable explanations are not given.
We generally vote against the appointment of top executives and a nomination committee chair at a company three Committees if a decrease in outside directors or an increase in internal directors reduces the percentage of outside directors to less than half of the board members.
If there are no females on the Board, we consider voting against the appointment of top executives and a nomination committee chair at a company three Committees. However, this shall not apply if we confirm sufficient planning or special circumstances on increasing the number of female directors in engagements.
We believe that board diversity is important and may set a higher target for a female board member ratio in the future. Similarly, we may set a racial and nationality diversity target, especially for companies with global business operations.
(2)
Procedures of board director appointment, scope of their responsibilities and so on
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning change in board director appointment procedures, taking into account the rationales, and so on, compared to the current procedures.
We generally vote against proposals reducing board directors’ responsibilities for financial damages on fiduciary duty breach.
Board directors’ responsibilities include effective monitoring of top executives succession planning. The Nomination Committee at a company with three Committees or the arbitrary Nomination Committee created at a company with the other governance structures should provide effective monitoring of successor development and appointment with transparency. It is desirable that an independent outside
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director serves as Nomination Committee Chair. If we judge that the succession procedure significantly lacks transparency and rationality, we consider voting against the appointment of top executives.
4. Appointment of Statutory Auditors (Kansayaku)
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning the appointment of statutory auditors, taking into account their independence, competence and anti-social activities records (if any), and so on. We decide how to vote on the reappointment of statutory auditors, taking into account their corporate governance practices and accountability during their tenures, the company’s anti-social activity records, and so on in addition to the above factors.
Statutory auditors and audit committee board directors at a company with Audit committee or three Committees should have deep knowledge specialized in accounting, laws and regulations and should make best efforts to continuously gain knowledge and skills to fulfill the critical role and responsibilities in the company’s governance. A company should also provide sufficient training opportunities.
(1)
Independence
We generally vote against the appointment of outside statutory auditors without independency.
In general, a person who has no relationship with the subject company other than a statutory auditor appointment is regarded as independent.
We regard that an outside statutory auditor with a significantly long tenure is not independent and generally vote against the reappointment of such an outside statutory auditor. We generally consider voting against the candidate whose tenure is longer than ten years.
(2)
Attendance rate and concurrent duties
All statutory auditors are expected to attend board or board of statutory auditors meetings in principle. A companies is generally obligated to facilitate all statutory auditors to attend these meetings. We generally vote against the reappointment of statutory auditors who attended less than 75% of board or board of statutory auditors meetings.
We take into account not only the number of attendance but nomination reasons and candidates’ real contributions if disclosed.
We take extra care when we assess the capability of statutory auditors who have many concurrent duties as an outside director or outside statutory auditor of listed companies, as such cases potentially arise doubts about their capacity given the importance of outside statutory auditors’ role and responsibilities. Accordingly, we consider voting against the appointment of statutory auditors who perform five or more duties as a board director or statutory auditor of a listed company or equivalent company. If a company nominates a statutory auditor with many concurrent duties, it should give reasonable explanations. It is also desirable that the company contrives disclosure timing and methods to allow investors to understand the situation enough.
(3)
Accountability
If there are material concerns about a published audit report or audit procedures, or insufficiencies of required disclosures, we vote against the reappointment of statutory auditors.
(4)
Company’s anti-social activities
If we judge that a corporate scandal damages or is likely to damage shareholder value with having a significant impact on society during a statutory auditor’s tenure, we conduct adequate dialogues with the subject company on the background and subsequent resolutions of the scandal. Based on the dialogues, we decide how to vote on the reappointment of statutory auditors, considering the impact on shareholder value.
With respect to domestic corporate scandals, at the time a company receives administrative
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dispositions to cartel, bid-rigging, and so on from authorities, such as the Fair Trade Commission, we consider voting against the reappointment of statutory auditors. However, in case the final dispositions are subsequently determined based on appeal or complaints resolutions, we do not vote against the reappointment again at that time. We vote on a case-by-case basis concerning compensation orders in a civil case, dispositions from the Consumer Affairs Agency or administrative dispositions from overseas authorities.
With respect to administrative dispositions to an unlisted subsidiary or affiliate, we consider voting against the reappointment of statutory auditors of the holding or parent company. If a subsidiary or affiliate is listed, we consider voting against the reappointment of statutory auditors of both the subsidiary or affiliate and the holding or parent company. However, we may decide on a case-by-case basis, depending on the importance of the dispositions to the subsidiary or affiliate, its impact on the holding or parent company’s financial performance, and so on.
With respect to employees’ scandals, if the scandal damages or is likely to damage shareholder value, and we judge that the subject company owes management responsibility, we consider voting against the reappointment of statutory auditors.
We consider voting against the reappointment of statutory auditors if the subject company engages in window-dressing or inadequate accounting practices during their tenures.
5. Composition of Board of Statutory Auditors (Kansayaku)
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning the number of members or change in composition of the board of statutory auditors, taking into account the impact on the subject company and shareholders’ economic interests compared to the current situations.
We consider an increase in statutory auditors favorably. However, in case of a decrease, we consider voting against the reappointment of top executives unless clear and reasonable explanations are given.
6. Appointment of Accounting Auditors
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning the appointment and replacement of accounting auditors, taking into account their competence, audit fee levels, and so on.
We generally vote against the reappointment of statutory auditors (Kansayaku) or audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committee or three Committees if we judge that a company reappoints an accounting auditor without replacing it despite the following accounting audit problems.
It is determined that an accounting auditor provides an unfair opinion on the company’s financial conditions.
In case there are concerns on financial statements, required disclosures are insufficient.
In case an accounting auditor has a service contract other than accounting audit services with the subject company, it is regarded that such a contract creates a conflict of interest between them.
Excessive audit fees are paid.
It is regarded that an accounting auditor makes fraud or negligence.
If it is regarded that an accounting auditor has issues in other company’s audits, in case a company appoints or reappoints the accounting auditor without replacing it, we take the impact on the company’s corporate value full consideration into voting decisions.
We generally vote against proposals concerning accounting auditor replacement if it is regarded that a company changes an incumbent accounting auditor due to a dispute about accounting principles.
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7. Compensation for Board Directors, Statutory Auditors (Kansayaku) and Employees
(1)
Board directors’ salaries and bonuses
It is desirable to increase the proportion of stock incentive plans in board directors’ salaries and bonuses, on condition that a performance-based compensation structure is established, transparency, such as disclosures of a benchmark or formula laying the foundations for calculation, ensures accountability, and the impact on shareholders, such as dilution, are taken into considerations. The Remuneration Committee at a company with three Committees (Nomination, Audit and Remuneration) or the arbitrary Remuneration Committee preferably deployed at a company with the other governance structures should ensure the accountability of compensation schemes. It is desirable that an independent outside director serves as Remuneration Committee Chair.
We consider voting against proposals seeking approval for salaries and bonuses in the following cases.
Negative correlation between company’s financial performance and directors’ salaries and bonuses are observed.
Inappropriate systems and practices are in place.
The total amount of salaries and bonuses is not disclosed.
Management failures, such as a significant share price decline or serious earnings deterioration, are apparent.
The remuneration proposal includes people determined to be responsible for activities against shareholder interest.
We generally vote for shareholder proposals requesting disclosure of individual directors’ salaries and bonuses.
If a company implements any measures ensuring transparency other than disclosure, we take it into consideration.
If there is no proposal seeking approval for directors’ salaries and bonuses, and the compensation structure lacks transparency, we consider voting against the appointment of top executives.
We generally vote against bonuses for statutory auditors at a company with Board of Statutory Auditors and audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committee.
We separately consider voting to audit committee board members at a company with three Committees.
(2)
Stock incentive plans
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning stock incentive plans, including stock options and restricted stock units, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, compensation levels, the scope, the rationales, and so on.
We generally vote against proposals seeking to lower the strike price of stock options.
We generally vote for proposals seeking to change the strike price on condition that shareholders’ approval is required every time.
We generally vote against stock incentive plans if the terms and conditions for exercising options, including equity dilution, lack transparency. We generally consider voting against proposals potentially causing 10% or more equity dilution.
It is desirable that stock incentive plans is a long-term incentive aligned with sustainable growth and corporate value expansion. As such, we generally vote against stock incentive plans allowing recipients to exercise all the rights within two years after vested for the subject fiscal year. However,
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this shall not apply to recipients who retire during the subject fiscal year. We assess the validity if a vesting period is regarded as too long.
We generally vote against stock incentive plans granted to statutory auditors and audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committee.
We separately consider stock incentive plans granted to audit committee board members, including both inside and outside directors, at a company with three Committees.
We generally vote against stock incentive plans granted to any third parties other than employees.
We generally vote against stock incentive plans in case a company is likely to adopt the plans as takeover defense.
(3)
Employee stock purchase plan
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning employee stock purchase plans, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, the scope and the rationales, and so on.
(4)
Retirement benefits for board directors
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning grant of retirement benefits, taking into account the scope and scandals (if any) of recipients and business performance and scandals (if any) of the subject company, and so on.
We generally vote for proposals granting retirement benefits if all the following criteria are satisfied.
The granted amount is disclosed.
Outside directors, statutory auditors and audit committee board members at a company with Audit Committees are excluded.
Recipients do not cause any significant scandals during their tenures.
The subject company does not make a loss for the three consecutive years, or its business performance is not determined to significantly lag behind the peers in the same industry.
The company does not cause scandals that significantly impact society and damage, or are unlikely to damage, shareholder value during their tenures.
The company does not engage in window-dressing or inadequate accounting practices during their tenures.
8. Cross-shareholdings
If a company holds shares for the sake of business relations (cross shareholdings), the company should explain the medium- to long-term business and financial strategies, including capital costs, and disclose proxy voting guidelines, voting results, and so on. If the company does not give reasonable explanations and engage in constructive dialogues, we consider voting against the appointment of top executives. It is important that the company does not hinder the sales/reduction of cross shareholdings when a policy shareholder intends.
If a company's cross shareholdings account for 20% or more of its net assets, we generally consider voting against the appointment of top executives. However, this shall not apply if we confirm that the company makes a reduction, does sufficient planning or has industry- specific circumstances that should be taken into consideration in engagement.
9. Capital Policy
As a listed companies’ capital policy is likely to significantly impact shareholder value and interests, a company should implement a rational capital policy and explain capital policy guidelines to shareholders. We consider voting against proposals concerning capital policies that we judge damage shareholder value. If a
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company has a capital policy that is not part of proposals at an AGM but regarded to damage shareholder value, we consider voting against the reappointment of board directors.
It is undesirable that a company intends to maintain or increase so-called “friendly” stable shareholders and infringes minority shareholders’ rights by the third-party allotment, treasury stocks transfer or company management holdings’ transfer to foundations affiliated with the company.
(1)
Change in authorized shares
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to increase authorized shares, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, the rationales, the impact on the sustainability of stock market listing and a going concern, and so on.
We generally vote for proposals seeking to increase authorized shares if we judge that not increasing authorized shares is likely to lead to delisting or have a significant impact on a going concern.
We generally vote against proposals seeking to increase authorized shares after an acquirer emerges.
(2)
New share issue
We decide how to vote on new share issues, taking into account the rationales, the terms and conditions of issues, the impact of dilution on shareholder value and rights and the impact on the sustainability of stock market listing or a going concern, and so on.
(3)
Share repurchase and reissue
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning share repurchase or reissue, taking into account the rationales, and so on.
(4)
Stock split
We generally vote for proposals seeking a stock split.
(5)
Consolidation of shares (reverse stock split)
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking consolidation of shares, taking into account the rationale, and so on.
(6)
Preferred shares
We generally vote against proposals seeking to issue blank-cheque preferred shares or increase authorized shares without specifying voting rights, dividends, conversion and other rights.
We generally vote for proposals seeking to issue preferred shares or increase authorized shares if voting rights, dividends, conversion and other rights are specified, and those rights are regarded as reasonable.
We generally vote for proposals requiring approvals for preferred shares issues from shareholders.
(7)
Convertible bonds
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to issue convertible bonds, taking into account the number of new shares, the time to maturity, and so on.
(8) Corporate bonds and credit facilities
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning a corporate bond issue or a credit facility expansion, taking into account the subject company’s financial conditions, and so on.
(9) Debt capitalization
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to change the number of authorized shares or issue shares for debt restructuring, taking into account the terms and conditions of the change or the issue, the impact
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on shareholder value and rights, the rationales, the impact on the sustainability of stock market listing and a going concern, and so on.
(10) Capital reduction
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning capital reduction, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, the rationales and the impact on the sustainability of stock market listing and a going concern, and so on.
We generally vote for proposals seeking capital reduction following standard accounting procedures.
(11) Financing plan
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning a financing plan, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, the rationales and the impact on the sustainability of stock market listing and a going concern, and so on.
(12) Capitalization of reserves
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking capitalization of reserves, taking into account the rationales, and so on.
10. Amendment to Articles of Incorporation and Other Legal Documents
(1) Change in an accounting period
We generally vote for proposals seeking to change an accounting period unless it is regarded as an aim to delay an AGM.
(2) Amendment to articles of incorporation
We decide how to vote on proposals to amend an article of incorporation, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, the necessity, the rationales, and so on.
We generally vote for proposals seeking to amend an article of incorporation if it is required by law.
We generally vote against proposals seeking to amend an article of incorporation if we judge that it is likely to infringe shareholder rights or damage shareholder value.
We generally vote for transition to a company with three Committees.
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to relax or eliminate special resolution requirements, taking into account the rationale.
We are concerned about retired directors assuming advisory, consulting, or other similar positions which could negatively impact on transparency and decision making of the Board of Directors. We generally vote against proposals seeking to create such a position.
We generally vote for proposals seeking to authorize a company to hold virtual-only meetings, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights.
We will consider, among other things, a company’s practices, jurisdiction and disclosure, including the items set forth below:
meeting procedures and requirements are disclosed in advance of a meeting detailing the rationale for eliminating the in-person meeting,
safeguard and clear and comprehensive description as to how and when shareholders submit and ask questions either in advance of or during the meeting,
disclosure regarding procedures for questions received during the meeting, but not answered due to time or other restrictions, and
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description of how shareholder rights will be protected in a virtual-only meeting format including the ability to vote on proposals during the time the polls are open.
(3) Change in a quorum for an annual general meeting (AGM)
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning change in quorum for an AGM, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, and so on.
11. Company Organization Change
(1) Change in a registered company name and address
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to change a registered company name, taking into account the impact on shareholder value, and so on.
We generally vote for proposals seeking to change a registered address.
(2) Company reorganization
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning the following company reorganization, taking into account their respective impacts on shareholder value and rights, the subject company’s financial conditions and business performance, and the sustainability of stock market listing or a going concern, and so on.
Mergers and acquisitions
Business transfers
Company split (spin-off)
Asset sale
Company sale
Liquidation
12. Proxy Fight
(1)
Proxy fight
We decide how to vote on proposals concerning the appointment of directors with opposition candidates, taking into account their independence, competence, anti-social activity records (if any), corporate governance practices and accountability of the candidates and business performance and anti-social activity records (if any) of the subject company, the proxy fight background, and so on.
(2)
Proxy context defense
Classified board
We generally vote against proposals seeking to introduce a classified board.
We generally vote for proposals seeking to set a director's term of one year.
Shareholder rights to remove a director
We generally vote against proposals seeking to tighten requirements for shareholders to remove a director.
Cumulative voting
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to introduce cumulative voting for director appointments, taking into account the background, and so on.
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We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to terminate cumulative voting for director appointment, taking into account the background, and so on.
13. Takeover Defense
We believe that management and shareholder interest is not always aligned. As such, we generally vote against the creation, amendment and renewal of takeover defense measures that we judge decrease shareholder value or infringes shareholder rights. We generally vote against the reappointment of directors if takeover defense measures are not part of proposals at an AGM but are regarded to decrease shareholder value or infringes shareholder rights.
Relaxing requirements to amend articles of incorporation and company policies
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to relax requirements to amend articles of incorporation or company policies, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, and so on.
Relaxing of requirements for merger approval
We decide how to vote on proposals seeking to relaxing requirements for merger approval, taking into account the impact on shareholder value and rights, and so on.
14. Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)
We support the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) and acknowledge that company’s ESG practices are an important factor in investment decision making. Thus, we consider voting against the reappointment of top executives and directors in charge if we judge that there is an issue that could significantly damage corporate value. We consider voting for proposals related to ESG materiality, including climate change or diversity, if we judge that such proposals contribute to preventing from damaging or expanding corporate value. If not, we consider voting against such proposals.
15. Disclosure
Disclosure and constructive dialogues based thereon are important in proxy voting and investment decision making. Furthermore, proactive disclosure and effective engagement are desirable as demand for ESG disclosure, including climate change, has been increasing, and the disclosure frameworks have been rapidly progressing.
We generally vote against proposals that lack sufficient disclosure to make proxy voting decisions.
We generally vote for proposals seeking to enhance disclosures if such information is beneficial to shareholders.
If a company’s financial and non-financial disclosures is significantly poor, and if the level of investor relations activities by management or people in charge is significantly low, we consider voting against the reappointment of top executives and directors in charge.
16. Conflict of Interest
We abstain from voting proxies of the following companies that are likely to have a conflict of interest. We also abstain from voting proxies with respect to the following investment trusts that are managed by us or Invesco group companies, as a conflict of interest may rise.
Companies and investment trusts that we abstain from voting proxies:
Invesco Ltd.
We have established the Conflict of Interest Management Policy. In the situation that may give rise to a conflict of interest, we aim to control it in the best interests of clients (investors) and beneficiaries. The Compliance department is responsible for governing company-wide control of a conflict of interest. The Compliance department is independent of the Investment and Sales departments and shall not receive any
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command or order for the matters compliant with the laws and regulations, including a conflict of interest, from the Investment and Sales departments.
Proxy voting and stewardship activities are reported to the Responsible Investment Committee. The Responsible Investment Committee approves them. Besides, the Compliance department reviews whether conflicts of interest are properly managed in proxy voting and then reports the results to the Conflict of Interest Oversight Committee. Furthermore, the results are reported to the Executive Committee in Tokyo and the Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee.
17. Shareholder Proposals
We vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals while we follow the Proxy Voting Guidelines in principle.
DISCLAIMER: The English version is a translation of the original in Japanese for information purposes only. In case of a discrepancy, the Japanese original will prevail. You can download the Japanese version from our website: http://www.invesco.co.jp/footer/proxy.html.
2092318-JP
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Appendix C

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO THE JURISDICTIONS IN WHICH THE FUND INVESTS

 

As explained in the Fund’s prospectus, the Fund’s investments are highly sensitive to the fiscal stability of the jurisdictions in which the Fund principally invests, including the subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities or authorities of those jurisdictions that issue municipal securities contained in the Fund’s portfolio. You should consider carefully the special risks inherent in the Fund’s investments in municipal securities.

 

The Fund may invest in municipal securities issued by certain territories, commonwealths and possessions of the United States that pay interest that is exempt (in the opinion of the issuer’s legal counsel when the security is issued) from federal income tax. Therefore, the Fund’s investments could be affected by the fiscal stability of, for example, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands. Additionally, the Fund’s investments could be affected by economic, legislative, regulatory or political developments affecting issuers in those territories, commonwealths or possessions.

 

The following information represents a summary of the risks associated with the concentration of the Fund’s investments in the municipal securities of these jurisdictions. This information is intended to supplement the information contained in the Fund’s prospectus, and does not purport to be a complete analysis of every risk factor that may affect the obligations of the issuers of these municipal securities.

 

The following information is based on publicly available reports prepared by officials of each jurisdiction’s government or their designees. The information may also be based on official statements and other offering documents relating to securities issued by or on behalf of these jurisdictions, their agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions, as available on of the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Although this information is generally compiled from government resources, the Fund does not make any representation as to the accuracy of the information contained herein. Municipal bond issuers may not be subject to the same disclosure obligations as other bond issuers, which may impact the reliability of the information provided by municipal issuers that is used to determine fund investments and can potentially make investments in municipal securities riskier than other investments. The Fund has not independently verified this information and the Fund does not have any obligation to update this information throughout the year.

 

In addition, this information is subject to change rapidly, substantially and without notice. Such changes may negatively impact the fiscal condition of the jurisdictions in which the Fund invests, which could harm the performance of the Fund. Accordingly, inclusion of the information herein shall not create an implication that there has not been any change in the affairs of the relevant jurisdictions since the date of this Statement of Additional Information. More information about the specific risks facing each jurisdiction may be available from official resources published by those jurisdictions.

 

The bond ratings provided below are current as of the date specified. Unless otherwise stated, the ratings indicated are for obligations of the jurisdiction referenced below. The political subdivisions of a given jurisdiction may have different ratings that are unrelated to the ratings assigned to the obligations of the state, commonwealth or territory. Investors should note that the creditworthiness of obligations issued by a jurisdiction’s local municipal issuers may be unrelated to the creditworthiness of obligations issued by the jurisdiction itself, and that there may be no obligation on the part of the jurisdiction to make payment on such local obligations in the event of default.

 

To the extent that any statements made below involve matters of forecasts, projections, opinions, assumptions or estimates, whether or not expressly stated to be such, they are made as such and not as representations of fact or certainty, and no representation is made that any of these statements have been or will be realized. All forecasts, projections, assumptions, opinions or estimates are “forward looking statements,” which must be read with an abundance of caution because they may not be realized or may not occur in the future.

 

In addition, investors should note that municipal securities may be more susceptible to being downgraded, and issuers of municipal securities may be more susceptible to default, insolvency or bankruptcy, during recessions or similar periods of economic stress. Factors contributing to the economic stress on municipalities may include lower property tax collections, lower sales tax revenue and lower income tax revenue, among others. In addition, as certain municipal obligations may be secured or guaranteed by banks and other institutions, the risk to the Fund could increase if the banking or financial sector suffers an economic downturn or if the credit ratings of the institutions issuing the guarantee are downgraded or at risk of being downgraded by a national rating organization. Such a downward revision or risk of being downgraded may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the municipal securities and thus the value of the Fund’s investments in those securities.

 

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Recent downgrades of certain municipal securities insurers have negatively impacted the price of certain insured municipal securities. Given the large number of potential claims against municipal securities insurers, there is a risk that they will be unable to meet all future claims. Certain municipal issuers either have been unable to issue securities or access the market to sell their issues. For some issuers that have been able to access the market, they have had to issue securities at much higher rates, which may reduce revenues available for the municipal issuers to pay existing obligations.

 

Should a jurisdiction, or its applicable municipalities or subdivisions, fail to sell their securities when and at the rates projected, the jurisdiction or its subdivisions could experience a weakened overall cash position in the current fiscal year.

 

An insolvent municipality may take steps to reorganize its debt, which might include extending debt maturities, reducing the amount of principal or interest, refinancing the debt or taking other measures that may significantly affect the rights of creditors and the value of the securities issued by the municipality and the value of the Fund’s investments in those securities. Pursuant to Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, certain municipalities that meet specific conditions may be provided protection from creditors while they develop and negotiate plans for reorganizing their debts. The U.S. Bankruptcy Code provides that individual U.S. states are not permitted to pass their own laws purporting to bind non-consenting creditors to a restructuring of a municipality’s indebtedness, and thus all such restructurings must be pursuant to Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code. The jurisdictions discussed below all face challenges to achieving sustained economic growth, which is critical to debt sustainability. Challenges include, for example, (i) the location of the islands that leads to the high cost of importing goods and energy; (ii) vulnerability to increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events; (iii) concentrated economies relying on limited industries; and (iv) outmigration and population loss.

 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

 

Introduction. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (the “Commonwealth”) Government and the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (the Oversight Board) together have made significant progress in achieving fiscal responsibility, stabilizing Puerto Rico’s finances, substantially reducing its debt burden, and making significant strides to reform its civil service.

 

When the U.S. Congress passed the bipartisan Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act of 2016 (PROMESA) that created the Oversight Board, the Governor of Puerto Rico had declared the debt unpayable, and the Puerto Rico Government was in default. Decades of economic decline and chronic financial mismanagement left Puerto Rico in crisis, soon exacerbated by natural disasters, including Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017, earthquakes, and the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

 

According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from 2018, the causes of the crisis were: (i) inadequate financial management and oversight practices, such as the overestimation of potential revenues and persistent spending in excess of appropriated amounts; (ii) prolonged economic contraction, impacted by outmigration and resulting diminished labor force, the high cost of energy and importing goods, regulatory challenges to doing business, the phaseout of the possessions tax credit, and banking and housing struggles; and (iii) policy decisions, such as allowing the use of debt proceeds to balance budgets, insufficiently addressing public pension funding shortfalls, and inadequately managing the financial condition of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).

 

Prior to PROMESA and for each of the first 16 consecutive years of this century, from fiscal years 2000 to 2016, Government spending exceeded recurring Government revenues. Controls and guardrails, to the extent they existed, were insufficient to prevent overestimation of revenues, excessive borrowing, overspending, and the deficits that eroded Puerto Rico’s economic stability. Before PROMESA, Government pensions were not sufficiently funded, putting pension payments for current and future retirees at risk.

 

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As result of these practices, the consolidated Commonwealth’s outstanding debt and pension liabilities had grown to over $120 billion – with more than $70 billion in financial debt and more than $50 billion in pension liabilities – an amount almost twice the size of Puerto Rico’s economy.

 

The Oversight Board was established oversee the Commonwealth’s financial operations and allows the Commonwealth and its instrumentalities, with approval of the Oversight Board, to file cases to restructure debt and other obligations in a “Title III” proceeding. U.S. territories do not have the ability to file for bankruptcy under the federal Bankruptcy Code. Title III incorporates many provisions of the federal Bankruptcy Code, and incorporates legal mechanisms for a litigation stay and restructuring of pension and debt obligations, among other provisions. Title III petitions were filed for, among others, the Commonwealth, the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation (COFINA), and PREPA, three of the largest issuers of Commonwealth debt. It is possible that petitions under Title III or other provisions of PROMESA, including Title VI, for additional Commonwealth instrumentalities will be filed in the future. These restructuring proceedings create uncertainty as to the treatment of claims of varying degrees of seniority in the levels and priorities of payment from the affected entities.

 

There can be no assurances that the Commonwealth will not continue to face severe fiscal stress or that such circumstances will not become even more difficult in the future. Furthermore, there can be no guarantee that future developments will not have a materially adverse impact on the Commonwealth’s finances. Any deterioration in the Commonwealth’s financial condition may have a negative effect on the payment of principal and interest, the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by the Commonwealth, which could reduce the performance of a fund.

 

Current Economic Climate. Puerto Rico’s civilian labor force consists of approximately 1.2 million individuals. As of August 2024, Puerto Rico had an unemployment rate of 5.7%, which was down from 5.8% in August 2023. Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate was higher than the national average of 4.2% in August 2024.

 

Puerto Rico’s economy has major components in Trade, Transportation and Utilities; Professional and Business Services; Education and Health Services; and Leisure and Hospitality. In addition, government agencies at the local and federal levels employ a significant number of the Commonwealth’s residents. Based on September 2024 data, these sectors employed almost 80% of the Commonwealth’s workers. Because these sectors represent the largest share of employment in the Commonwealth, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sectors may have a negative effect on the value of the Commonwealth’s municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.

 

On April 10, 2024, the Commonwealth filed its audited financial statements for fiscal year 2022 with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s Electronic Municipal Market Access system. Total assets plus deferred outflows of resources and total liabilities plus deferred inflows of resources of the primary government as of June 30, 2022, amounted to approximately $34.4 billion and $85.5 billion, respectively, for a net deficit of approximately $51.1 billion as of June 30, 2022, compared to a net deficit of approximately $59.2 billion as of June 30, 2021 (as restated). The 2022 audited financial statements noted that notwithstanding the circumstances existing on June 30, 2022, based on subsequent events that remediated the Commonwealth’s financial condition and addressed its liabilities, management does not believe there is substantial doubt about the Commonwealth’s ability to continue as a going concern as of the date of the basic financial statements. The 2022 audited financial statements noted that various component units, including PREPA, have been identified as having substantial doubt about their ability to continue as a going concern.

 

Puerto Rico’s economy is closely linked to the economy of the United States, as most of the external factors that affect the Commonwealth’s economy (other than oil prices) are determined by the policies and performance of the mainland economy. In recent years, however, the performance of Puerto Rico’s economy has significantly diverged from the performance of the United States economy. In May 2018, the Oversight Board projected that the Commonwealth’s real gross national product declined by 13.3% on a year-over-year basis, due, in part, to adverse effects from hurricanes that impacted the Commonwealth in 2017 (as discussed below). In addition, in December 2017, Congress enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which subjects companies located in the Commonwealth to a tax on income generated from certain intellectual property. Previously, companies located in the Commonwealth had been exempt from paying federal income taxes on such income. It is not presently possible to predict the extent of the impact that the tax will have on the Commonwealth’s economy.

 

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In recent years, Puerto Rico has received an unprecedented influx of federal funds in the form of Disaster Relief Funding, COVID-19 stimulus, and funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which have strengthened Puerto Rico’s economy but may mask underlying weaknesses. Prior to 2017, Puerto Rico gross national product was trending downwards, a trend which was compounded by subsequent natural disasters, including Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017, earthquakes in 2020, and a global pandemic. Through successive federal stimulus packages, Puerto Rico received approximately $120 billion in federal funds, equivalent to approximately 145% of its 2023 gross national product. Puerto Rico’s economic growth is highly dependent on its ability to efficiently deploy those federal funds. The 2024 Fiscal Plan assumes full deployment of this stimulus by the end of FY2035, after which their stimulative effect on the economy will end.

 

Puerto Rico’s Government significantly expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) starting in tax year 2021 after receiving permanent additional funds from the federal government under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). Since then, $3.6 billion has been paid to more than 640,000 taxpayers with approximately $1.3 billion estimated for FY2023 alone. While not solely attributable to the EITC, given other concurring federal stimulus funding, since the adoption of the expanded credit, Puerto Rico’s non-farm employment level increased by over 106,000 from about 851,100 in January 2021 to 957,600 in February 2023. Puerto Rico’s labor force also increased by about 89,000 over this same period, and as of December 2023, the labor participation rate (the size of the labor force relative to the size of the working age population) increased from around 40.6% in 2020 (1.1 million workers) to 43.6% in 2023 (1.2 million workers).

 

Fiscal Plan and Budget. The Commonwealth has faced a number of significant fiscal challenges, including a structural imbalance between its General Fund revenues and expenditures. Such challenges contributed to the passage of PROMESA, which established the Oversight Board and empowered it to approve Puerto Rico’s fiscal plans and budgets. The Oversight Board is comprised of seven members appointed by the President who are nominated by a bipartisan selection process. The budget process requires the Oversight Board, the Governor, and the Commonwealth’s Legislative Assembly to develop a budget that complies with the fiscal plan developed by the Oversight Board and the Governor.

 

Most of Puerto Rico’s unaffordable debt has been dramatically reduced. The restructuring of the central government debt saved Puerto Rico more than $50 billion in debt payments to creditors. The restructurings of COFINA saved about $17.5 billion, the Highways and Transportation Authority (HTA) about $3 billion, and the Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewers Authority (PRASA) about $400 million. The savings of more than $70 billion reduced the debt burden on the people of the Island by approximately $24,000 per person in Puerto Rico.

 

The debt restructuring of PREPA is pending. Restructuring the debt, however, was only half of PROMESA’s mandate. In order to fulfill the mandate of PROMESA, fiscal responsibility still needs to be secured over the long term. Necessary improvements to systems and procedures are underway. However, appropriate spending discipline to preserve and institutionalize the recent success and prevent Puerto Rico from falling back into old habits of overpromising and overspending that resulted in bankruptcy has not been achieved. Strong financial management is critical to long-term fiscal stability and will be required to restore access to the capital markets at reasonable rates.

 

As the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico leaves bankruptcy behind, the Government and Oversight Board’s focus will shift toward growing the economy. The 2023 Fiscal Plan is a roadmap that prioritizes growth and opportunity. The 2023 Fiscal Plan also includes critical initiatives to support economic development, including actions to improve the ease of doing business, upgrade infrastructure, prepare the workforce to compete for the jobs of the future, and a roadmap for tax reform. These economic development initiatives are designed to maximize the impact of an unprecedented influx of federal funds. In response to multiple natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has committed over $120 billion in funding to Puerto Rico, equivalent to 150% of the Commonwealth’s gross national product.

 

On June 5, 2024, the Oversight Board certified the 2024 Fiscal Plan for Puerto Rico. The 2024 Fiscal Plan reports that Puerto Rico is stable, and the Commonwealth government is solvent. The massive debt is almost completely restructured, a critical element of fiscal responsibility and access to market access. Under the Fiscal Plans and PROMESA certified budgets, Puerto Rico has moved from structural deficits to fiscal stability. The Oversight Board developed a comprehensive process to evaluate budget changes throughout the year to ensure sufficient funding sources are available to support operating needs. However, the government must still undertake significant work to put in place the practices needed to ensure that this progress is sustained beyond the longevity of the Oversight Board. In particular, the government must establish robust financial management and oversight practices, while also making targeted investments to promote sustainable and inclusive economic development. The 2024 Fiscal Plan highlights a set of initiatives that aim to ensure the successful pursuit of these objectives.

 

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Separate 2024 Fiscal Plans were certified for COFINA on June 5, 2024 and PRASA on June 11, 2024. A separate Fiscal Plan for PREPA’s was certified on June 23, 2023.

 

There is no certainty that any certified fiscal plan will be fully implemented, or if implemented will ultimately provide the intended results.

 

Investors should be aware that Puerto Rico relies heavily on transfers from the federal government related to specific programs and activities in the Commonwealth. These transfers include, among others, entitlements for previously performed services, or those resulting from contributions to programs such as Social Security, Veterans’ Benefits, Medicare and U.S. Civil Service retirement pensions, as well as grants such as Nutritional Assistance Program grants and Pell Grant scholarships for higher education. There is considerable uncertainty about which federal policy changes may be enacted in the coming years and the economic impact of those changes. Due to the Commonwealth’s dependence on federal transfers, any actions that reduce or alter these transfers may cause increased fiscal stress in Puerto Rico, which may have a negative effect on the value of the Commonwealth’s municipal securities.

 

Retirement Systems. The Commonwealth’s retirement systems include the Employees Retirement System (“ERS”), the Teachers Retirement System (“TRS”) and the Judiciary Retirement System (“JRS” and together with the ERS and TRS, the “Pension Systems”). As of July 1, 2017, the total actuarial liabilities for the ERS, the TRS and the JRS were approximately $31.0 billion, $17.0 billion and $700 million, respectively. The total annual benefits due from the ERS, TRS and JRS for FY2018 totaled approximately $1.5 billion, $700 million, and $25 million, respectively. In 2017, the Legislative Assembly enacted laws to reform the operation and funding of the Pension Systems. Those laws required the ERS to sell its assets and transfer the proceeds to the General Fund. In addition, employer contributions to the Pension Systems, which had been operating on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, were eliminated, and the General Fund assumed any payments that the Pension Systems could not make.

 

The Oversight Board reported in its 2022 Fiscal Plan that, over many decades, successive Commonwealth governments have failed to adequately fund these retirement plans, and that the ERS, TRS and JRS were insolvent. The Oversight Board reported in its 2023 Fiscal Plan that, historically, government pensions were not sufficiently funded, putting the ability to make pension payments for current and future retirees at risk. The Plan of Adjustment (see “Debt” section below) and 2023 Fiscal Plan, together, minimize this risk through a series of pension initiatives. Most importantly, the budget now funds estimated pay-as-you-go (PayGo) payments and the Plan of Adjustment authorizes the establishment of a new Pension Reserve Trust, which allocates surplus funds to support future payments to retirees. Pension Reserve Trust and PayGo accounts for about 10% and 20% of General Fund expenditures in FY 2023, respectively.

 

The Commonwealth may have to make additional contributions to the Pension Systems, which could result in reduced funding for other priorities, including payments on its outstanding debt obligations. Alternatively, the Commonwealth may be forced to raise revenue or issue additional debt. Either outcome could increase the pressure on the Commonwealth’s budget, which could have an adverse impact on a fund’s investments in Puerto Rico.

 

Debt. Certain of the Commonwealth’s component units defaulted on debt service payments during fiscal year 2016. As a result, the Governor issued several executive orders declaring emergency periods and suspending certain transfers and payments with respect to the Commonwealth and several of its component units. It is expected that the Commonwealth and its component units will need to seek further relief under existing or potential future laws regarding receivership, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and/or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights, to the extent available.

 

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On July 1, 2016, the Commonwealth and various additional component units were unable to comply with their scheduled debt service obligations, and defaulted on $911 million of their scheduled debt obligations, including $779 million in general obligation debt service. Since 2016, the Commonwealth has continued to default on debt service payments for multiple bonds, including general obligation bonds and those issued by various component units, including PREPA, the Puerto Rico Public Finance Corporation, and the Puerto Rico Public Building Authority, among others.

 

In 2017, the Oversight Board filed petitions pursuant to Title III of PROMESA in federal court on behalf the Commonwealth and certain of its instrumentalities, including the PREPA to begin proceedings to restructure their outstanding debt. As a result of these petitions, the ability of the creditors of the Commonwealth and its instrumentalities that have filed for Title III to take action with respect to outstanding obligations were temporarily stayed. The judge assigned to oversee the Title III proceedings initiated a confidential mediation process administered by five federal judges.

 

In February 2019, the U.S. District Court approved the Plan of Adjustment for COFINA, the first debt restructuring completed under PROMESA’s Title III. It reduced COFINA debt by $6 billion, from $18 billion to $12 billion.

 

In August 2019, the PRASA and the Government of Puerto Rico reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture to a consensual modification of about $1 billion of outstanding loans under PROMESA’s Section 2017. This agreement lowers PRASA’s debt service payments on the U.S. Government program loans by about $380 million over the next 10 years and eliminates approximately $1 billion in guaranty claims against the Puerto Rico Government. Additionally, it provides PRASA with access to $400 million in new federal funding through various clean water programs over the next five years to support PRASA’s ongoing effort to improve water quality and safety for the people of Puerto Rico.

 

On January 18, 2022, Judge Laura Taylor Swain confirmed the Commonwealth Plan of Adjustment restructuring approximately $35 billion of debt and other claims against the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Public Buildings Authority (PBA), and ERS, as well as more than $50 billion of unfunded pension liabilities. The Plan of Adjustment saves Puerto Rico more than $50 billion in debt service and reduces outstanding obligations to just over $7 billion. On January 18, 2022, the Title III Court entered its Findings of Fact and Confirmation Order with respect to the Eighth Amended Plan. Between January 28, 2022, and February 17, 2022, six appeals of the Confirmation Order were filed in the First Circuit. By March 11, 2022, the First Circuit denied all parties’ motions for stay pending appeal. On March 15, 2022, the conditions precedent to the Effective Date of the Eighth Amended Plan were satisfied and/or waived by the Oversight Board, and the plan became effective.

 

On the Effective Date, the principal elements of the Eighth Amended Plan were executed reducing the Commonwealth’s total funded debt obligations from approximately $34.3 billion of prepetition debt to approximately $7.4 billion, representing a total debt reduction of 78%. This debt reduction will also reduce the Commonwealth’s maximum annual debt service (inclusive of COFINA) from approximately $4.2 billion to $1.15 billion, representing a total debt service reduction of 73%. Also as of the Effective Date, all of the legacy Commonwealth general obligation bonds, ERS bonds, and PBA bonds were discharged, and all of the Commonwealth, ERS, and PBA obligations and guarantees related thereto were discharged. In addition, all Commonwealth laws that required the transfer of funds from the Commonwealth to other entities have been deemed preempted, and the Commonwealth has no obligation to transfer additional amounts pursuant to those laws. Importantly, effectuating the Eighth Amended Plan provides a path for Puerto Rico to access the credit markets and develop balanced annual budgets.

 

A critical component of the Eighth Amended Plan is the post-effective date issuance of new general obligation bonds (the “New GO Bonds”) and contingent value instruments (CVIs) that will be used to provide recoveries to general obligation and PBA bondholders, and to HTA and Puerto Rico Infrastructure Financing Authority bondholders under separate restructurings.

 

With respect to PREPA’s Title III proceeding, the Oversight Board announced on August 25, 2023 that it had filed the Third Amended Plan of Adjustment for PREPA (the “PREPA Plan”) with the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico (“District Court”). Multiple modifications and objections to the PREPA Plan have subsequently been filed with the District Court. There is no certainty that the District Court will confirm the PREPA Plan, or that, if confirmed, the PREPA Plan will be fully implemented.

 

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As of the date of this SAI, this process is ongoing. Any future negative developments could adversely affect Fund performance. It is not presently possible to predict the results of all of the restructurings and related planned issuance of the New GO Bonds and CVIs and other debt securities, but such outcomes will have significant impact on bondholders. If the Commonwealth or its instrumentalities are unable to obtain favorable results, there would be negative impacts on Fund performance.

 

Other Considerations. On September 6, 2017 and September 20, 2017, respectively, Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck Puerto Rico, causing unprecedented humanitarian, economic, and infrastructure-related damages and upending the daily lives of Puerto Rico’s over three million residents. Thousands of residents were left homeless, basic utilities were completely shut down, and schools, hospitals, and businesses were destroyed. Tens of thousands of local residents fled the Island. The Federal Government’s response has become one of the largest and most complex disaster relief efforts in U.S. history. In addition, the southwestern part of Puerto Rico has been struck by a swarm of earthquakes that began on December 28, 2019, and continued into 2021. On September 18, 2022 Hurricane Fiona made landfall, again causing significant infrastructure damages and loss of basic utilities.

 

With the onset of the pandemic, the economy of Puerto Rico virtually ground to a halt as the public health imperative for people to stay at home left all but the most essential workers unable to travel to their places of business. The economy responded to the vast amount of local and federal stimulus funding, and an economic recovery is now underway, though there is still significant uncertainty about the future of the Puerto Rican economy.

 

The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are currently unpredictable. The long-term behavioral changes associated with the pandemic (i.e., reduced travel, increased work from home, reduced activity in large gathering places, etc.) are also unknown.

 

Outstanding issues relating to the potential for a transition to statehood may also have broad implications for Puerto Rico and its financial and credit positions. The power to grant statehood resides with the U.S. Congress.

 

Litigation. In addition to the litigation described above, the Commonwealth, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against the Commonwealth might require the Commonwealth to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the Commonwealth to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a fund’s investments.

 

Credit Rating. In February 2014, Puerto Rico’s then outstanding general obligation bonds were downgraded to non-investment grade or “junk” status by Moody’s and S&P. Following multiple further downgrades S&P discontinued its ratings for the Commonwealth’s general obligation bonds in 2018 and Moody’s withdrew its ratings for the Commonwealth’s general obligation bonds in 2021. On May 12, 2022, following the Effective Date of the Plan of Adjustment, Fitch withdrew its D rating and announced that it will no longer provide ratings for the Commonwealth. S&P, Fitch and Moody’s do not currently maintain a rating for the New GO Bonds or an issuer rating for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (confirmed as of November 12, 2024).

 

GUAM

 

Introduction. Guam’s economy is heavily dependent upon revenues from tourism and U.S. federal and military spending. As a result, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sources of revenue may have a negative effect on the value of Guam’s municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.

 

Guam faces significant fiscal challenges including a high unemployment rate, uncertainty in the tourism industry and a reliance on a foreign workforce affecting key industry segments. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the United States remains uncertain, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic downturn in the United States or countries such as Japan, China, or Korea, which provide large sources of tourism to the island, could significantly impact the finances of Guam and, therefore, its municipal securities. Moreover, the level of public debt in Guam may affect long-term growth prospects and could cause Guam to experience financial hardship. As a result of these and other factors, Guam has faced fiscal stress in recent years.

 

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From year-to-year, Guam may experience a number of political, social, economic and environmental circumstances that influence Guam’s economic and fiscal condition. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: (i) persistent structural imbalances; (ii) rising debt levels; (iii) significant pension underfunding; (iv) revenue volatility; (v) developments with respect to the U.S. and world economies; (vi) environmental considerations, natural disasters and widespread diseases, including pandemics and epidemics; and (vii) U.S. federal economic and fiscal policies, including the amount of federal aid provided to Guam. There can be no guarantee that future developments, including events affecting Guam’s economic and fiscal condition, will not have a materially adverse impact on Guam’s finances. Any deterioration in Guam’s financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by Guam, which could reduce the performance of a fund.

 

Current Economic Climate. As of September 2023, Guam’s civilian labor force consisted of approximately 71, 990 individuals. This figure includes citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Marshall Islands, who are authorized by compact to accept employment in the United States, and also citizens of the Republic of Palau, who are authorized by covenant to accept employment in the United States.

 

The unemployment rate in Guam for September 2023 was 4.1%, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from the June 2023 figure of 4.0%, and a reduction of 0.3 percentage points from September 2022. Guam’s unemployment rate was above the national average of 3.8% in September 2023. Approximately 76% of Guam’s workforce is employed in the private sector, with the remainder employed by the federal and local governments. Based upon preliminary reports for June 2024, Guam’s private sector employment increased 4.9%, federal government employment decreased 2.9% and local government employment increased 3.1%.

 

Guam’s 2022 gross domestic product is estimated at $6.91 billion. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates indicate that after declining in calendar year 2020 due to COVID-19, Guam’s GDP continued to grow from $6.234 billion in 2021 to $6.910 billion in 2022, an increase of 10.8%. The 2022 gross domestic product figure primarily consists of approximately $4.140 billion in personal consumption expenditures, $4.633 billion in government consumption expenditures and gross investment and 2.013 billion in private fixed investments less $3.876 billion in net export of goods and services increase in real gross domestic product for Guam increased 5.1% in 2022 after increasing 2.1% in 2021. The increase in real domestic product reflected increases in exports, private fixed investment, government spending and personal consumption expenditures. Imports, a subtraction item in the calculation of GDP, increased.

 

The Guam Government, residents and businesses received and estimated $3.8 billion through various federal stimulus programs enacted following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guam received 1.8 billion under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020; the Guam government received its full share of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 ($553.6 million); and Guam received $1.5 billion from ARPA.

 

Guam’s economy is expected to continue expanding and recovering from the pandemic downturn throughout Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025. This economic expansion and partial recovery began in 2021 and 2022, restoring Guam’s growth trend. Further, increased Economic activity is anticipated due to simultaneous increases in construction including the progression of the Camp Blaz Marine Corps base construction activity nearing its planned peak, missile defense construction, private and Government construction projects, and continued recovery in the tourism sector from Korea and Japan.

 

The three primary sources of inflows of funds to Guam are from tourism, federal expenditures, and construction capital investment. Tourism has begun a partial rebound from the pandemic virtual shutdown in March 2020, continuing into 2022. Calendar year 2023 visitor arrivals rose by approximately 101% over 2022, although they were still less than half of pre-pandemic levels.

 

Federal government expenditures now represent the largest single source of funds flowing to Guam. Federal government expenditures in recent years were the second-largest source of funds, well behind tourism expenditures in recent years. The pandemic induced reduction in tourism, and an increase in federal expenditures changed that.

 

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Economic, social and political conditions in Japan, South Korea and throughout the Pacific Rim, and the resulting effect on overseas travel from these countries, are a major determinant of tourism on Guam. Tourism, particularly from South Korea and Japan, where approximately 85% of visitors originated over the past several fiscal years (including FY 2021), represents a significant share of the economic activity on Guam. In response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, many countries, including South Korea and Japan, issued shelter-in-place orders and travel restrictions and warnings. As a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, calendar year 2020 visitor arrivals to Guam fell by approximately 80%.

 

The United States’ military presence on Guam also contributes significantly to the island’s economy. Its strategic location close to Asia has increased its importance in the overall military strategy of the United States, but also has exposed Guam to certain geopolitical risks, including threats of military confrontation. In the years following 2010, Guam began to experience a decrease in U.S. military personnel as the plan to relocate certain forces from Japan to Guam was delayed. There can be no guarantee that the relocation will occur or to what extent Guam’s local economy will benefit from any relocation.

 

However, current plans anticipate that approximately 5,000 Marines and 1,500 dependents from Okinawa and other locations will be relocated to Guam by Fiscal Year 2028, with the first 2,500 Marines moving to a new Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz by Fiscal Year 2026. The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, passed in December 2023, includes over $4.2 billion of appropriations as part of the military buildup on Guam.

 

Budget. On February 5, 2024, the Governor of Guam submitted the Executive Budget Proposal request for FY 2025 (the “Proposed Budget”). The Proposed Budget totaled $1.13 billion and projected $961.7 million in General Fund Revenues, $214.5 million in Special Fund Revenues and $552.9 million in federal matching grants-in-aid revenue. The Governor of Guam signed the budget bill into law on September 11, 2024. The enacted budget totaled $1.31 billion and projects $906.5 million in General Fund Revenues, $212.3 million in Special Fund Revenues and $190.1 million in federal matching grants-in-aid revenue.

 

Debt. Guam is prohibited from authorizing or allowing the issuance of public debt in excess of 10% of the assessed tax valuation of the property in Guam, which amounts to $1.352 billion as of October 2022. Public debt does not include bonds or other obligations payable solely from revenues derived from any public improvement or undertaking. Total debt outstanding as of September 30, 2022, subject to the debt ceiling limitation is $940.8 million. The legal debt margin as of September 30, 2022 was $411.1 million.

 

Litigation. Guam, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against Guam might require Guam to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of Guam to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a fund’s investments.

 

Natural Disasters. Like other Pacific islands, Guam is periodically subject to typhoons and tropical storms. From 1962 to date, ten typhoons caused damage great enough to result in federal disaster relief. Super Typhoon Karen in 1962, Typhoon Pamela in 1976, Typhoon Russ in 1990,

 

Super Typhoon Omar in 1992, Super Typhoon Paka in 1997, Typhoon Chata’an and Super Typhoon Pongsona in 2002, Typhoon Dolphin in 2015, Typhoon Wutip in 2019 and Super Typhoon Mawar in 2023. Super Typhoon Mawar made landfall on Guam on May 24, 2023, with the territory sustaining substantial damage from high winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall. President Joe Biden declared Guam a major disaster area on May 27, 2023, enabling the distribution of federal funds.

 

Although the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) makes disaster relief assistance available after significant typhoon or earthquake damage, there can be no assurance that future typhoons and/or earthquakes will not cause significant damage to business in Guam, or that FEMA will provide disaster relief assistance if significant damage is experienced. There can also be no assurance that, even with FEMA assistance, damage that results from future typhoons or earthquakes will not adversely affect business activity on Guam.

 

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Potential impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, excessive rainfall, stronger tropical storms, drought, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, saltwater intrusion, storm surges, rising temperatures and increased migration, may threaten Guam’s security and resources. The impact of climate change and climate variability may also have detrimental socioeconomic impacts to Guam.

 

Credit rating. On December 16, 2021, S&P affirmed its BB- rating on Guam’s general obligation debt and revised its outlook to stable from negative. On January 25, 2024, Moody’s upgraded its rating of Guam’s outstanding general obligation debt to Baa3 (with a stable outlook). These ratings reflect only the views of the respective rating agency, an explanation of which may be obtained from each such rating agency. As of November 12, 2024, the above ratings had not been revised or withdrawn. There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time or that it will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating agencies if, in the judgment of such rating agencies, circumstances so warrant. A downward revision or withdrawal of any such rating may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the securities issued by Guam or its political subdivisions, instrumentalities and authorities.

 

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

 

Introduction. The United States Virgin Islands (the “Virgin Islands” or “USVI”) is an unincorporated territory of the United States with separate executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The economy of the Virgin Islands is heavily dependent upon revenues from tourism, but other major sectors of the Virgin Islands’ economy include the trade, transportation and utilities sector; the professional and business services sector; the leisure and hospitality sector; and the government sector. As these sectors represent the largest share of employment in the Virgin Islands, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sectors may have a negative effect on the value of the Virgin Islands’ municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.

 

The economy of the Virgin Islands has faced substantial fiscal challenges in recent years, including damage to infrastructure caused by natural disasters and widespread diseases, a high unemployment rate, a structural deficit, declining government revenues, and considerable unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities. The level of public debt in the Virgin Islands may affect long-term growth prospects and may make it difficult for the Virgin Islands to make full repayment on its obligations. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the United States remains uncertain. A future economic downturn in the United States could significantly impact the finances of the Virgin Islands and, therefore, its municipal securities.

 

There can be no guarantee that economic and fiscal conditions in the Virgin Islands will improve or that future developments will not have a materially adverse impact on the finances of the Virgin Islands. Any deterioration in the Virgin Islands’ financial condition may have a negative effect on the value of the securities issued by the Virgin Islands, which could reduce the performance of a fund.

 

Current Economic Climate. The impact of the pandemic on employment in the U.S. Virgin Islands was substantial. From February to May 2020, the Territory’s unemployment rate grew from 4.5% to 13.6% but has since fallen to 5.6% as of August 2022. Exports declined partially due to the unprecedented losses in travel and tourism. Tourism is the Territory’s primary export and the sector most impacted by the pandemic. The industry experienced a near halt to air leisure and business travel in 2020 and the cancellation of all cruise ship calls throughout most of 2020 and early 2021. Consequently, air visitors fell 35.1% in 2020 to 442,027 from 640,887 in 2019 before rebounding 96.7% to a high of 824,460 in 2021. Cruise passenger visitors plunged 69.3% to 442,027 in 2020 but began to recover in the second half of 2021 and by year’s end, reached 245,695— still about 82.9% below the 1.4 million cruise passengers in 2019.

 

Businesses also spent less money on construction and equipment, triggering a 27.7% decline in private fixed investment. In addition, declining government spending from fading disaster response and hurricane recovery activities weighed on gross domestic product growth, decreasing that component by 4%. Imports fell 10.6%, reflecting declines in imports of goods, including consumer goods and equipment, and other services. The U.S. Census Bureau released the 2020 decennial census counts in 2021. Between 2010 and 2020, the Virgin Islands’ population fell 18.1%. According to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Economic Research, residents of the Virgin Islands received approximately $2.9 billion in estimated personal income in 2021. As a result, residents of the Virgin Islands had a per capita personal income of $27,049 in 2021.

 

C-10

 

In 2022, the Virgin Islands’ real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased by 1.3% following a 3.7% increase in 2021. The increase in real GDP reflected increases in exports and personal consumption expenditures. This was due to reductions in exports, private investment, government spending, and personal consumption, partially offset by an increase in inventory investment. Imports, a subtraction item in the calculation of GDP, also decreased. In 2022 the export of goods and services decreased by 18.9%. Goods exports declined due to lower crude oil and petroleum products exports, while services exports increased due to higher visitor spending. Total visitor arrivals were 69.7% higher in 2022 than in 2021.

 

Visitor arrivals reached roughly 2.4 million in 2023, marking a rise of around 582,385 visitors over 2022—or a 32.1% increase. Furthermore, visitor arrivals surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 15.5%. Air arrivals totaled 782,022. A total of 1.6 million cruise guests visited the territory in 2023, accounting for 67.4% of visitor arrivals in 2023.

 

As of July 2024, the Virgin Islands’ had an unemployment of approximately 3.8% which was down from 3.7% in July 2023. The Virgin Islands’ unemployment rate was lower than the national average which was 4.3% for the same periods.

 

The Virgin Islands’ economy has faced setbacks in recent years largely as a result of the lingering effects of the economic recession in the United States, the impact of natural disasters, the closure of the HOVENSA petroleum refinery and the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors have placed financial stress on key segments of the Virgin Islands’ economy.

 

The tourism sector constitutes a significant portion of the Virgin Islands’ economy. However, because of its geographical location, the Virgin Islands is subject to natural disasters, including hurricanes, that can cause considerable damage to the territory and disrupt the tourism industry. Any additional natural disasters that impact tourism could adversely affect the Virgin Islands’ economy. Furthermore, the Virgin Islands was closed to tourists from March to May 2020 and from August to September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of September 19, 2020, the Virgin Islands has reopened to tourism. However, the current and long-term impact of the pandemic remains unknown.

 

The United States continues to be the primary source of visitors to the Virgin Islands. Therefore, any gains in the tourism industry are closely related to economic growth in the United States. In order to expand its tourism industry and insulate the islands from potential economic declines in the United States, the Virgin Islands has begun, in recent years, increasing its tourism marketing to other countries and regions and is evaluating ways to reposition itself as a leading tourism destination through a private-sector driven approach.

 

Important private sector activities in the Virgin Islands include wholesale and retail trade, leisure and hospitality, financial activities, and construction and mining activities. The agricultural sector remains small, which requires most of the territory’s food to be imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy.

 

In 2012, the operators of the HOVENSA oil refinery, one of the largest employers in the Virgin Islands at the time, announced that they would close the refinery, laying off approximately 1,200 employees and 950 subcontractors. However, in January 2016, Limetree Bay Terminals, LLC and its affiliates (Limetree) finalized its purchase of the HOVENSA oil refinery, including HOVENSA’s storage and docking facilities. Limetree re-opened the refinery in February 2021. Following multiple major flaring incidents resulting in significant air pollutant and oil releases, the EPA issued notices of violations of the Clean Air Act, and ordered Limetree to pause all operations at the refinery for at least 60 days. In June 2021, Limetree announced the indefinite closing of its oil refining facility on the island of St. Croix and the layoff of 271 plant employees. In December 2021 Limetree sold the refinery through a Chapter 11 asset auction to joint bidders, West Indies Petroleum and Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation. Because of these and subsequent other events, including West Indies Petroleum’s announcement in June 2022 disavowing ownership of the refinery, ongoing litigation, an August 2022 fire at the refinery, and the September 2022, October 2022, and August 2024 announcements of additional EPA action and reopening requirements, it is not possible to predict the extent of the impact of the sale of the refinery on the Virgin Islands’ economy.

 

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In fiscal year 2020, the Virgin Islands reported a net pension liability for the primary government and component units of $4.2 billion. Additionally, the Virgin Islands reported an other post-employment benefits liability of $786.8 million in fiscal year 2020. In fiscal year 2021, the pension liability totaled approximately $4.53 billion. Additionally, the Virgin Islands reported an other post-employment benefits liability of $992.3 million in fiscal year 2020. Virgin Islands officials were continuing to project that the public pension system would reach insolvency by 2024 absent a reduction in member benefits or infusion of cash into the system.

 

The U.S. Virgin Islands’ Government Employees’ Retirement System (GERS) remains one of the lowest funded public pension plans in the United States, according to GAO’s analysis of national data. In 2021, GERS actuaries projected that the plan would be insolvent by March 2025. The USVI government has made changes to the plan over the years to maintain its solvency. In April 2022, USVI finalized a debt refinancing plan to provide dedicated funding to GERS with revenue from an excise tax on rum sales. However, GERS continues to face the risk of insolvency. According to GAO’s analysis, GERS may face insolvency within the next 10 years if the excise tax rate is lower than expected or if rum sales decline, among other risks. For example, the GERS’ revenue projections for the excise tax used a $13.25 per proof gallon tax rate that expired in 2021 and reverted to a lower statutorily defined rate in 2022 ($10.50). While the USVI government has paid the resulting shortfall in 2023, it is not required and may not be sustainable.

 

Overall, the underlying fundamentals of the Virgin Islands economy are volatile. Increasing unemployment, decreasing revenues and the loss of many high-paying jobs have combined to place significant fiscal pressure on the local government. It is possible that fiscal challenges facing the Virgin Islands could impact the ability of the territory to satisfy the obligations on its outstanding debt. Any such outcome would likely reduce the value of the municipal securities issued by the Virgin Islands and its political subdivisions, instrumentalities, and authorities, which may reduce the performance of a fund.

 

Budget. In recent fiscal years, the government has experienced substantial fluctuations in revenues and expenditures, as well as recurring deficits. The Virgin Islands has taken a series of actions in recent years to reduce the size of its operating budget and address its recurring operating deficit. However, these actions have not addressed the structural imbalances that have led to recurring deficits. Rather, annual shortfalls have been addressed by an ad hoc combination of inter-fund transfers and debt financing.

 

The Proposed Executive Biennial Budget includes $969.1 million in General Funds for FY 2024 and $968.0 million in General Funds for FY 2025. The total operating budget including appropriated and nonappropriated funds and federal funds is $1.42 billion and $1.42 billion in Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025, respectively.

 

Total assets and deferred outflows of resources of the Government of the Virgin Islands as of September 30, 2021 and 2020, were approximately $4.3 billion and $3.7 billion, respectively. Total liabilities and deferred inflows were approximately $9.7 and $8.8 billion, respectively, over the same period. Liabilities exceed assets mainly due to unfunded pension and postemployment benefits such as health insurance due to retired Government employees amounting to $5.5 billion and $5.0 billion at September 30, 2021 and 2020.

 

As discussed in the financial statements, the Virgin Islands Government reported an unrestricted net deficit in Governmental Activities and in the General Fund that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. On September 30, 2021, the Government’s net deficit of $5.3 billion consisted of a $584.2 million net investment in capital assets; $300.5 million restricted by statute or other legal requirements that were not available to finance day-to-day operations; and an unrestricted net deficit of $6.2 billion. On September 30, 2020, the Government’s net deficit of $5.2 billion consisted of a $529.0 million net investment in capital assets; $307.4 million restricted by statute or other legal requirements that were not available to finance day-to-day operations; and an unrestricted net deficit of $6.0 billion.

 

The Proposed Executive Biennial Budget reflects a 100% reduction in transfers from the Internal Revenue Matching Fund (IMRF). The great majority of revenues collected through the IRMF have now been pledged towards the reduction of the unfunded liability of the Government Employees Retirement System. There is no guarantee that the Government’s efforts to reverse the pending insolvency of the Government Employees Retirement System through a matching fund special purpose securitization bond offering will be entirely successful.

 

C-12

 

Debt. Current law prohibits the Virgin Islands from authorizing or issuing general obligation bonds in excess of 10% of the aggregate assessed valuation of taxable real property in the territory. As of September 30, 2020, the net amount of bonds outstanding, including both general obligation and revenue bonds, was estimated at $2.0 billion. The large fiscal risks faced by the Virgin Islands, coupled with its exclusion from capital markets, may hamper the Virgin Islands ability to repay its public debts. Natural Disasters. In September 2017, two successive hurricanes – Irma and Maria – caused severe damage to the Virgin Islands. The infrastructure of the Virgin Islands was severely damaged by high winds and substantial flooding, leaving much of the Virgin Islands without power. According to officials, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused an estimated $10.76 billion in damage to the public infrastructure and economy of the Virgin Islands. In February 2018, Congress appropriated $89.3 billion for disaster recovery efforts for areas affected by hurricanes in 2017. Approximately $11 billion of these funds were made available to the Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and $2 billion was designated to help repair and reconstruct the electrical system of the islands. Before the storms made landfall, the Virgin Islands was already facing a severe economic crisis due to mounting debt obligations and declining revenues. There can be no assurances that the Virgin Islands will receive sufficient aid to rebuild from the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and it is not currently possible to predict the long-term impact that Hurricanes Irma and Maria will have on the Virgin Island’s economy. All these developments have a material adverse effect on the Virgin Island’s finances and negatively impact the marketability, liquidity and value of securities issued by the Virgin Islands that are held by the Fund.

 

Litigation. The Virgin Islands, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against the Virgin Islands might require the Virgin Islands to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the Virgin Islands to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a fund’s investments.

 

Credit rating. On September 28, 2017, Fitch withdrew its ratings due to the Virgin Islands’ communication that it intended to stop participating in the ratings process, and Fitch indicated that it no longer had sufficient information to maintain the ratings. On March 23, 2023, Moody’s announced that it had withdrawn the U.S. Virgin Islands issuer rating. S&P, Fitch and Moody’s do not currently maintain an issuer rating for U.S. Virgin Islands (confirmed as of November 12, 2024).

 

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

 

Introduction. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (the “Commonwealth” or “CNMI”) is a commonwealth of the United States with a political status similar to that of Puerto Rico. The economy of the Commonwealth is heavily dependent upon revenues from tourism and transfers from the federal government. As these sources represent a significant share of the Commonwealth’s revenue, economic problems or factors that adversely impact these sources may have a negative effect on the value of the Commonwealth’s municipal securities, which may reduce the performance of a fund. Although the Commonwealth has faced significant setbacks, the economy has shown signs of modest growth in recent years. Such growth in may be slow as the Commonwealth continues to face substantial fiscal challenges including high unemployment, severe reductions in key industry segments and large government deficits. Furthermore, the economic outlook in the rest of the United States remains uncertain, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic downturn in the United States or countries such as Japan, China or Korea, which provide large sources of tourism to the islands, could significantly impact the finances of the Commonwealth and, therefore, its municipal securities. Moreover, the level of public debt in the Commonwealth may affect long-term growth prospects and could cause the Commonwealth to experience continued financial hardship.

 

From year-to-year, the Commonwealth may experience a number of political, social, economic and environmental circumstances that influence the Commonwealth’s economic and fiscal condition. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: (i) persistent structural imbalances; (ii) rising debt levels; (iii) significant pension underfunding; (iv) revenue volatility; (v) developments with respect to the U.S. and world economies; (vi) environmental considerations, natural disasters and widespread diseases, including pandemics and epidemics; and (vii) U.S. federal economic and fiscal policies, including the amount of federal aid provided to the Commonwealth. There can be no guarantee that future developments, including events affecting the Commonwealth’s economic and fiscal condition, will not have a materially adverse impact on the Commonwealth’s finances. Any further deterioration in the Commonwealth’s financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by the Commonwealth and may jeopardize the ability of the Commonwealth to satisfy its obligations on its outstanding debt, which could reduce the performance of a fund.

 

C-13

 

Current Economic Climate. After joining the United States in 1978, the federal government agreed to exempt the Commonwealth from federal minimum wage and immigration laws in an effort to help stimulate the Commonwealth’s economy. As a result of these exemptions, the Commonwealth was able to build a large garment industry, which at one time accounted for nearly 40% of the Commonwealth’s economy. A significant portion of the Commonwealth’s residents and a large number of temporary workers from throughout the region worked in the textile industry. Critical to this growth was duty-free access to U.S. markets and local authority over immigration and the minimum wage.

 

Over the last two decades, however, the Commonwealth’s economy underwent an involuntary transformation resulting from federal policy actions that led to the dissolution of the Commonwealth’s garment industry. Following the collapse of the garment industry, tourism emerged as the major driver of the Commonwealth’s economy. The majority of the Commonwealth’s visitors are from Japan, Korea, China, and the United States, and federal immigration policy has also greatly impacted tourism in the Commonwealth. Any future developments that make international travel to the islands more difficult may have a negative impact on the Commonwealth’s economy. In addition, the relaxation of laws restricting gambling helped to attract outside private investment and spur economic growth.

 

The CNMI economy faced challenges prior to the pandemic. It was still recovering from the effects of Super Typhoon Yutu, which devastated the CNMI in October 2018, causing extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, including to the Saipan International Airport.

 

The CNMI government’s strategy to encourage tourism and economic activity by building casinos and hotels on Saipan and Tinian has not been successful, leaving the territory without a viable plan to recover its economy through other means. CNMI’s inflation adjusted gross domestic product fell by 11.3% in 2019 and another 29.7% in 2020 with sharp declines in tourist spending, casino gambling revenue, and private fixed investment. With the tourism industry struggling to recover, federal assistance slowing, and weak financial management practices persisting, CNMI is at risk of a severe fiscal crisis.

 

Tourism is CNMI’s primary source of economic activity. However, the number of visitors to CNMI has been declining since 2018 when Super Typhoon Yutu caused extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, including to the Saipan International Airport. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a much sharper decline in tourism revenue and economic activity, exacerbated by the subsequent closure of the CNMI’s largest casino in 2020 after just three years of operating. Visitors in 2022 increased to 96,521—indicating a slight recovery—though still well below pre-pandemic levels.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant negative impact on tourism, the Commonwealth’s primary industry. Tourism from Asia declined significantly beginning in January 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, leading to a sharp reduction in anticipated general revenue. To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Commonwealth suspended commercial air travel in April 2020 and again in December 2021.

 

The Commonwealth’s real gross domestic product decreased by 29.7% in 2020, after decreasing by 11.3% in 2019. The decrease primarily reflects decreases in exports of services, private fixed investment, personal consumption expenditures and government spending. Exports of goods and services decreased 74.4% in 2020. The decrease in exports was largely accounted for by exports of services, which consists primarily of visitor spending, including on casino gambling. Revenues from casino gambling dropped over 95%. The number of visitors to the Commonwealth decreased 81.7%, reflecting the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The Commonwealth also faces certain unique risks, including its reliance on a foreign workforce that has the potential to result in a labor shortage. In addition, because of its geographical location, the Commonwealth is subject to natural disasters. The Commonwealth has previously experienced severe weather events that significantly impacted its economy, and any future storms, or other natural disasters, that have an adverse effect on the Commonwealth’s finances could negatively impact the marketability, liquidity or value of securities issued by the Commonwealth.

 

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Budget. The Commonwealth has run a budget deficit for many years, which means spending has consistently outpaced revenue collection. The Commonwealth’s governmental activities deficit net position increased from $480 million to a deficit net position of $580.1 million, an increase of 20.9% between fiscal years 2020 and 2021.

 

On September 30, 2024, the Governor signed into law the Commonwealth’s budget for FY2025 (Enacted Budget). The Enacted Budget identifies total budgetary resources of approximately $158.6 million, which, after adjustments and transfers, including debt service, would leave $111.5 million for appropriations during the fiscal year.

 

Unfunded liabilities of the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund and minimum annual payments required to the Northern Mariana Islands Settlement Fund (“NMISF”) as part of a 2013 pension-related settlement present a significant risk to the fiscal condition of the Commonwealth. Pursuant to law, the Commonwealth is required to make contributions to the retirement fund each year on an actuarially funded basis toward the annuities related to retirement and other benefits. Due to recurring budget deficits, the Commonwealth has often delayed or suspended payments to the retirement fund.

 

For the years ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the Commonwealth recorded payments to NMISF of $40 million and $13.57 million, $42 million and $13.98 million, and $44 million and $14.15 million, respectively. However, the enacted Fiscal Year 2025 budget makes no provision for payments to NMISF in Fiscal Year 2025.

 

Debt. As of September 30, 2021, the Commonwealth had $80.6 million in long-term debt outstanding, which represents a net decrease of $4.8 million or 5.6% from the prior year. The expected annual debt service requirements on the Commonwealth’s general obligation bonds are $9.77 million for the fiscal year 2024 and $9.65 million for fiscal year 2025.

 

As of September 30, 2020, CNMI’s total public debt outstanding was about $114.1 million, or about 12 percent of GDP ($938.8 million). This reflects CNMI’s inability to borrow through capital markets in recent years. CNMI has struggled to finance its pension plan. Moreover, its economy continues to decline with limited prospects for recovery as its tourism industry struggles and its largest casino is closed and unlikely to reopen soon. CNMI’s financial management and reporting has also worsened. With CNMI’s limited financial prospects and weak financial management practices persisting, CNMI is at risk of a severe fiscal crisis.

 

Natural Disasters. The Commonwealth underwent two typhoons during the months of September and October 2018. Typhoon Mangkhut destroyed much of the resources for the island of Rota, and Super Typhoon Utu devastated the islands of Tinian and Saipan. The disasters had detrimental effects on the Commonwealth’s economic activity, leaving two main sectors of the economy (tourism and gaming) at a standstill for the first quarter of the 2019 fiscal year. These events had a material adverse effect on the Commonwealth’s finances and may negatively impact the payment of principal and interest, marketability, liquidity, and value of securities issued by the Commonwealth that are held by the Fund.

 

Litigation. The Commonwealth, its officials and employees are named as defendants in legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which if decided against the Commonwealth might require the Commonwealth to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is not presently possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the Commonwealth to pay debt service costs on its obligations, or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on a fund’s investments.

 

Credit rating. On April 1, 2020, Moody’s withdrew its issuer rating for the Commonwealth of Ba3 with a negative outlook. S&P, Fitch and Moody’s do not currently maintain a credit rating for CNMI general obligation debt (confirmed as of November 12, 2024).

 

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PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 25. Financial Statements And Exhibits

 

(1) Contained in Part A:

 

Financial Highlights of the Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust (the “Registrant”) for the last ten fiscal years and for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2024.

 

Registrant’s Financial Statements for the fiscal years ended February 29, 2024, February 28, 2023, February 28, 2022, February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, are incorporated in Part A by reference to Registrant’s February 29, 2024 Annual Report (audited) on Form N-CSR as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) via EDGAR Accession No. 0001193125-24-129060 on May 2, 2024.

 

Registrant’s Financial Statements for the fiscal years ended February 28, 2019, February 28, 2018, February 28, 2017, February 29, 2016 and February 28, 2015, are incorporated in Part A by reference to Registrant’s February 28, 2019 Annual Report (audited) on Form N-CSR as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001193125-19-142327 on May 9, 2019.

 

Registrant’s Financial Statements for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2024, are incorporated in Part A by reference to Registrant’s August 31, 2024 Semi-Annual Report (unaudited) on Form N-CSR as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001193125-24-249658 on November 1, 2024.

 

Contained in Part B:

 

Registrant’s Financial Statements are incorporated in Part B by reference to Registrant’s February 29, 2024 Annual Report (audited) on Form N-CSR as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001193125-24-129060 on May 2, 2024.

 

(2) Exhibits

 

  (a) (i)   Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Registrant, dated September 20, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Registrant’s report on Form N-CEN filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 14, 2024)
       
  (b) (i)   By-Laws of Registrant, effective as of September 20, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Registrant’s report on Form N-CEN/A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 20, 2023)
         
  (c) Not applicable
     
  (d) Not applicable
     
  (e) Dividend Reinvestment Plan of Registrant (to be filed by post-effective amendment)
     
  (f) Not applicable
             
  (g)   (i)   (1) Amended and Restated Master Investment Advisory Agreement, dated as of July 1, 2020, between the Registrant and Invesco Advisers, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (g)(i)(1) to Registrant’s report on Form N-2 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2024)
           
      (ii)   (1) Amended and Restated Master Intergroup Sub-Advisory Contract, dated July 1, 2020, between Invesco Advisers, Inc. and each of Invesco Canada Ltd., Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, Invesco Asset Management Ltd., Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited and Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (g)(ii)(1) to Registrant’s report on Form N-2 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2024)

 

 

 

 

  (h) Distribution Agreement dated as of January 31, 2025 between the Registrant and Invesco Distributors, Inc. (filed herewith)

 

  (i)   (i)   Form of AIM Funds Retirement Plan for Eligible Directors/Trustees, as approved by the Board of Directors/Trustees on December 31, 2011 (incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 87 to AIM Sector Funds (Invesco Sector Funds) registration statement filed on August 26, 2014

 

    (ii)   Form of Invesco Funds Trustee Deferred Compensation Agreement as approved by the Board of Directors/Trustees on December 31, 2011 (incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to AIM Sector Funds (Invesco Sector Funds) registration statement filed on August 27, 2015
           
    (iii)   Form of Amendment to Form of Invesco Funds Trustee Deferred Compensation Agreement, as approved by the Board of Directors/Trustees on December 31, 2011 (incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 91 to AIM Sector Funds (Invesco Sector Funds) registration statement filed on August 24, 2016)
           
  (j)   (i)  

 

Master Custodian Agreement, dated June 1, 2018, between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company (incorporated into this filing by preference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to AIM Investment Securities Funds (Invesco Investment Securities Funds) Registration Statement on Formo N-1A, filed on June 27, 2019)

           
      (ii)  

 

Amendment to Master Custodian Agreement, dated July 1, 2024, between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (j)(ii) to Registrant’s report on Form N-2 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2024)

 

  (k)   (i)   Memorandum of Agreement, dated December 10, 2024 regarding advisory fee waivers and affiliated money market fund waivers, between Registrant and Invesco Advisers, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (k)(i) to Registrant’s report on Form N-2 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2024)

 

    (ii)   (1) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, dated October 1, 2016, between Registrant and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. and Computershare Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (k)(ii)(7) to Invesco Senior Income Trust’s report on Form N-2/A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 2017)

 

      (2)

Amendment No. 1 to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, dated November 21, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (k)(ii)(8) to Invesco Senior Income Trust’s report on Form N-2/A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 2017)

 

      (3)

Amendment No. 2 to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, dated October 1, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (k)(ii)(3) to Registrant’s report on Form N-2 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2024)

 

    (iii)   (1) Amended and Restated Master Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 1, 2020, between Registrant and Invesco Advisers, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (k)(iii)(1) to Registrant’s report on Form N-2 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2024)

 

(l)   Opinion and Consent of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP (filed herewith)
   
(m)   Not applicable
       
(n)   (i)     Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (filed herewith)

 

 

 

 

(o)   Not applicable
   
(p)   Not applicable
   
(q)   Not applicable
       
(r)   (i)   Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for North America, dated January 2025, relating to Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Canada Ltd., Invesco Senior Secured Management and Invesco Capital Management, LLC(filed herewith)
       
    (ii)   Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for EMEA, dated January 2025, relating to Invesco Asset Management Limited and Invesco Asset Management Deutschland (GmbH)(filed herewith)
       
    (iii)   Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for APAC, dated January 2025, relating to Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited and Invesco Hong Kong Limited and Invesco Asset Management (India) PVT. LTD.(filed herewith)

 

(s)     Calculation of Filing Fees Exhibit (filed herewith)
     
(t)     Powers of Attorney for Brown, Deckbar, Hostetler, Jones, Krentzman, Kupor, LaCava, Liddy, Mathai-Davis, Motley,Perkin, Ressel, Sharp, and Vandivort dated December 18, 2024. (incorporated by reference to PEA No. 205 to AIM Counselor Series Trust (Invesco Counselor Series Trust) Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on January 31, 2025)

 

Item 26.Marketing Arrangements

 

Reference is made to Exhibit (h) to this Registration Statement to be filed by further amendment.

 

Item 27.Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

The following table sets forth the estimated expenses to be incurred in connection with the offering described in this Registration Statement:

 

NYSE Listing Fees  $24,831 
SEC Registration Fees  $23,918 
Printing/Engraving Expenses  $15,000 
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees  $15,000 
Legal Fees  $150,00 
FINRA Fees  $23,871 
Total  $252,620 

 

Item 28.Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant

 

None

 

Item 29.Number of Holders of Securities

 

Title of Class   Number of Record Shareholders as
of January 27, 2025
Common Shares, no par value   286

 

 

 

 

Item 30.Indemnification

 

Indemnification provisions for officers, trustees, and employees of the Registrant are set forth in Article VIII of the Registrant's Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Article VIII of its Bylaws and are hereby incorporated by reference. See Item 25(2)(a)(i) and (b)(i) above. Under the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, effective as of September 20, 2022, as amended (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 Registrant; (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 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 Registrant’s assets, 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 its own behalf, assume the defense of any such claim made against the shareholder for any act or obligation of the Registrant.

 

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 insurers, with limits up to $100,000,000 an additional; $50,000,000 of excess coverage (plus an additional $30,000,000 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 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 shareholder 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.

 

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 Canada Ltd., Invesco Hong Kong Limited and Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (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 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 the Investment Adviser

 

The only employment of a substantial nature of Invesco Adviser’s directors and officers is with the 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 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, as amended, by each Sub-Adviser herein incorporated by reference. Reference is also made to the caption “Fund Management – The Advisers” in the Prospectuses which comprises Part A of this Registration Statement, and to the caption “Investment Advisory and Other Services” of the Statement of Additional Information which comprises Part B of this Registration Statement.

 

 

 

 

Item 32. Location of Accounts and Records

 

Invesco Advisers, Inc., 1331 Spring Street NW, Suite 2500, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, maintains physical possession of each such account, book or other document of the Registrant at the Registrant’s principal executive offices, 11 Greenway Plaza, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, except for those maintained at its Atlanta offices at the address listed above or at its Louisville, Kentucky offices, 400 West Market Street, Suite 3300, Louisville, Kentucky 40202 and 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, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., 250 Royall Street, Canton, MA, 02021.

 

Records may also be maintained at the offices of:

 

Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH

An der Welle 5

1st Floor

Frankfurt, Germany 60322

 

Invesco Asset Management Ltd.

Perpetual Park

Perpetual Park Drive

Henley-on-Thames

Oxfordshire RG91HH

United Kingdom

 

Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited

Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 14F

6-10-1 Roppongi

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6114

 

Invesco Hong Kong Limited

45F Jardin House

1 Connaught Place

Central, Hong Kong P.R.C.

 

Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc.

224 Liberty Street

New York, NY 10281

 

Invesco Canada Ltd.

120 Bloor Street East

Suite 700

Toronto, Ontario

Canada M4W 1B7

 

Item 33. Management Services

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 34. Undertakings

 

1.Not applicable.

 

2.Not applicable.

 

3.Registrant undertakes:

 

(a)Not applicable.

 

(b)that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment to this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of those securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and

 

 

 

 

(c)to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

 

(d)that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

 

(1) if the Registrant is relying on Rule 430B:

 

(A) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (x), or (xi) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or

 

(2)       if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C: each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in this registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

(e)that for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities:

 

The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:

 

(1)any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act;

 

(2)free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrants;

 

 

 

 

(3)the portion of any other free writing prospectus or advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the Securities Act relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

 

(4)any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

 

4.            Registrant undertakes that:

 

(a)for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant under Rule 424(b)(1) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective; and

 

(b)for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

5.       The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference into the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

6.       Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

7.       Registrant undertakes to send by first class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two business days of receipt of a written or oral request, any prospectus or Statement of Additional Information. Additionally, the Registrant undertakes to only offer rights to purchase common and preferred shares together after a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement relating to such rights has been declared effective.

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement on Form N-2 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in this City of Houston, and State of Illinois, on the 7th day of February, 2025.

 

  INVESCO MUNICIPAL OPPORTUNITIES TRUST
     
  By: /s/ Glenn Brightman
    Glenn Brightman
    President

 

As required by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities set forth below on the 7th day of February, 2025.

 

Signatures   Title
     
Principal Executive Officer:    
     

 /s/ Glenn Brightman

  President
(Glenn Brightman)  

(Principal Executive Officer)

     
/s/ Beth Ann Brown*   Chair and Trustee
(Beth Ann Brown)    
     
/s/ Carol Deckbar*   Trustee
(Carol Deckbar)    
     
/s/ Cynthia Hostetler*   Trustee
(Cynthia Hostetler)    
     
/s/ Eli Jones*   Trustee
(Eli Jones)    
     
/s/ Elizabeth Krentzman*   Trustee
(Elizabeth Krentzman)    
     
/s/ Jeffrey H. Kupor*   Trustee
(Jeffrey H. Kupor)    
     
/s/ Anthony J. LaCava, Jr.*   Trustee
(Anthony J. LaCava, Jr.)    
     
/s/ James Liddy*   Trustee
(James Liddy)    
     
/s/ Prema Mathai-Davis*   Trustee
Prema Mathai-Davis    
     
/s/ Joel W. Motley*   Trustee
(Joel W. Motley)    
     
/s/ Edward Perkin*   Trustee

(Edward Perkin)

   
     
/s/ Teresa M. Ressel*   Trustee
(Teresa M. Ressel)    
     
/s/ Douglas Sharp*   Trustee
(Douglas Sharp)    

 

 

 

 

/s/ Robert C. Troccoli*   Trustee
(Robert C. Troccoli)      
     
/s/ Daniel S. Vandivort*   Trustee
(Daniel S. Vandivort)      
     
/s/ Adrien Deberghes   Vice President & Treasurer
(Adrien Deberghes)   (Principal Financial Officer)
     
/s/ Glenn Brightman    
(Glenn Brightman)    
Attorney-In-Fact    

 

*Glenn Brightman, pursuant to powers of attorney dated December 18, 2024, incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 205 to AIM Counselor Series Trust (Invesco Counselor Series Trust) Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on January 31, 2025.

 

 

 

 

EXHIBITS TO FORM N-2

INVESCO MUNICIPAL INCOME OPPORTUNITIES TRUST

 

Exhibit

Number

 

(h)Distribution Agreement dated as of January 31, 2025 between the Registrant and Invesco Distributors, Inc.

 

(l) Opinion and Consent of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

 

(n)Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

(r)(i)Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for North America, dated January 2025, relating to Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Canada Ltd., Invesco Senior Secured Management and Invesco Capital Management, LLC

 

(r)(ii)Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for EMEA, dated January 2025, relating to Invesco Asset Management Limited and Invesco Asset Management Deutschland (GmbH)

 

(r)(iii)Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for APAC, dated January 2025, relating to Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited and Invesco Hong Kong Limited and Invesco Asset Management (India) PVT. LTD.

 

(s)Calculation of Filing Fees Exhibit

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.(h)

 

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

This DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT (the Agreement”) made as of January 31, 2025 by and between Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Fund”), and Invesco Distributors, Inc., a Delaware limited liability company (the “Distributor”).

 

WITNESSETH:

 

WHEREAS, the Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively called the “Investment Company Act”), as a diversified, closed-end, management investment company; and

 

WHEREAS, the Fund has filed a registration statement on Form N-2 pursuant to the Investment Company Act and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively called the “Securities Act”), to register additional common shares of the Fund and subscription rights to purchase additional common shares, which may be issued and sold from time to time through various specified transactions, including at-the-market (“ATM”) offerings pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act; and

 

WHEREAS, the Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer under the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and is a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Fund and the Distributor wish to enter into an agreement with each other with respect to ATM offerings, from time to time, of the Fund’s common shares.

 

NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

 

Section 1. Appointment of the Distributor; ATM Offerings.

 

(a)         Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Fund hereby appoints the Distributor as its principal underwriter and placement agent for the common shares of the Fund to be offered pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) through ATM offerings from time to time (the “Shares”) and the Fund agrees that it will issue such Shares as the Distributor may sell. The Distributor agrees to use reasonable efforts to identify opportunities for the sale of Shares, but the Distributor is not obligated to sell any specific number of the Shares (though the Distributor will only be authorized to sell on any Offering Date the maximum number of Shares agreed to with the Fund pursuant to Section 1(d) hereof) or purchase any Shares for its own account. The Shares will only be sold on such days as shall be agreed to by the Distributor and the Fund (each, an “Offering Date”). The Distributor hereby accepts such appointment.

 

(b)         The Distributor acknowledges that Shares will be offered and sold only as set forth from time to time in the Registration Statement including, without limitation, pricing of Shares, handling of investor funds and payment of sales commissions.

 

(c)         The Fund may suspend or terminate any ATM offering of its Shares at any time. Upon notice to the Distributor of the terms of such suspension or termination, the Distributor shall suspend the ATM offering of Shares in accordance with such terms until the Fund notifies the Distributor that such ATM offering may be resumed; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice.

 

1 

 

 

(d)           The price per Share shall be determined by the Fund by reference to trades on the Fund’s primary exchange. In no event shall the price per Share be less than the current net asset value per Share plus the per Share amount of the commission to be paid to the Distributor (the “Minimum Price”). The Fund may establish a minimum sales price per Share on any Offering Date in excess of the Minimum Price (the “Minimum Sales Price”), and the Fund shall communicate such Minimum Sales Price to the Distributor. The Fund shall have sole discretion to establish a Minimum Sales Price for any Offering Date and may consider, among other factors, the degree to which the Fund’s market price per Share exceeds its net asset value per Share, and the amount of assets the Fund desires to raise through ATM offerings. The Distributor shall suspend the sale of Shares if the per share price of the Shares is less than the Minimum Price or the Minimum Sales Price, subject to notification by the Fund. The Fund will, determine the maximum number of Shares to be sold by the Distributor for any Offering Date, and the Distributor shall not be authorized to sell Shares on any Offering Date in excess of such maximum.

 

(e)           The Distributor will confirm to the Fund, following the close of trading on the Fund’s primary exchange on each Offering Date for the Shares, the number of Shares sold, the time of sale, the gross sales price per Share and the compensation payable to the Distributor, or to which the Distributor is entitled with respect to such sales. The Fund reserves the right to reject any order in whole or in part.

 

(t)            Settlement for sales of the Shares pursuant to this Section 1 will occur on the first business day following the date on which such sales are made (each such day, a “Settlement Date”). On each Settlement Date, the Shares sold through the Distributor for settlement on such date shall be delivered by the Fund to the Distributor against payment of the gross sales proceeds for the sale of such Shares, less the Distributor’s sales commission.

 

(g)           In selling Shares, the Distributor shall act solely as an agent of the Fund and not as principal.

 

2 

 

 

Section 2. Representations and Warranties by the Fund. The Fund represents, warrants to and agrees with the Distributor, as of the date hereof and as of each Offering Date and Settlement Date, that:

 

(a)           The Registration Statement (i) has been prepared by the Fund in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act in all material respects; (ii) has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act; and (iii) heretofore became, and is, effective; the Registration Statement sets forth the terms of the offering, sale and plan of distribution of the Shares and contains additional information concerning the Fund and its business; no stop order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of any Basic Prospectus (as defined below), the Prospectus Supplement (as defined below) or the Prospectus (as defined below), or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or, to the Fund’s knowledge, have been threatened by the Commission. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Registration Statement,” as used herein, means, collectively, the various parts of the registration statement, as amended at the time of effectiveness for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act (the Effective Time”), as such section applies to the Distributor, including (1) all documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, and (2) any information contained or incorporated by reference in a prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 497(c) and/or Rule 497(h) under the Securities Act, to the extent such information is deemed to be part of the registration statement at the Effective Time. “Basic Prospectus,” as used herein, means the final prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement, including the related statement of additional information, together with any amendments or supplements thereto as of the date of this Agreement. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Prospectus Supplement,” as used herein, means the final prospectus supplement, including the related statement of additional information, relating to the Shares, filed by the Fund with the Commission pursuant to Rule 497(c) and/or Rule 497(h) under the Securities Act, in the form furnished by the Fund to the Distributor in connection with the offering of the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Prospectus,” as used herein, means the Prospectus Supplement together with the Basic Prospectus attached to or used with the Prospectus Supplement. Any reference herein to the registration statement, the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference, or deemed to be incorporated by reference, therein.

 

(b)           The Fund is duly registered under the Investment Company Act as a closed-end management investment company. A notification of registration of the Fund as an investment company under the Investment Company Act on Form N-8A (the “Investment Company Act Notification”) has been prepared by the Fund in conformity with the Investment Company Act and has been filed with the Commission and, at the time of filing thereof and at the time of filing any amendment or supplement thereto, conformed in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. The Fund has not received any notice in writing from the Commission pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Investment Company Act with respect to the Investment Company Act Notification or the Registration Statement (or any amendment or supplement to either of them). No person is serving or acting as an officer, director/trustee or investment adviser of the Fund except in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Company Act.

 

(c)           The Registration Statement, the Investment Company Act Notification and the Prospectus as from time to time amended or supplemented each complied when it became effective or was filed (as the case may be), complies as of the date hereof and, as amended or supplemented, will comply, at each time of purchase of Shares in connection with the ATM offerings, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with any sale of Shares, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act; the Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Time, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; at no time during the period that begins on the earlier of the date of the Basic Prospectus and the date such Basic Prospectus was filed with the Commission and ends at the later of the time of purchase of Shares in connection with the ATM offerings, and the end of the period during which a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with any sale of Shares did or will the Prospectus, as from time to time amended or supplemented, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Fund does not make any representation or warranty with respect to any statement contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing by the Distributor or any sub-placement agents, or on the Distributor’s or any sub-placement agent’s behalf to the Fund expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (the “Agent Provided Information”).

 

3 

 

 

(d)           The financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly the financial position of the Fund as of the dates indicated and the results of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity of the Fund for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Investment Company Act and the Exchange Act, and in conformity in all material respects with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; the other financial and statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are accurately and fairly presented, in all material respects, and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Fund in all material respects; there are no financial statements that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus by the Securities Act, the Investment Company Act or the Exchange Act that are not included or incorporated by reference as required; and the Fund does not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto).

 

(e)           As of the date of this Agreement, the Fund has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus and, with respect to any issuance and sale under this Agreement, the Fund shall have as of the date of the most recent amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock, including the Shares, of the Fund have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable (except as described below and in the Registration Statement), have been issued in material compliance with all applicable securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right; the Shares will be duly listed, and admitted and authorized for trading, subject to official notice of issuance, on the exchange on which the Fund’s Shares are listed and primarily trade (the “Stock Exchange”).

 

(t)             The Fund has been duly formed, is validly existing and is in good standing under the laws of Delaware, with full power and authority to own, lease and operate and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectuses and the Prospectus and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as contemplated herein. The Fund is duly qualified to do business as a foreign entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition or results of operations of the Fund.

 

4 

 

 

(g)           The Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (except as described below and in the Registration Statement) and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights; the Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be free of any restriction upon the voting or transfer thereof pursuant to the Fund’s charter or bylaws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Fund is a party. The capital stock of the Fund, including the Shares, conforms in all material respects to each description thereof, if any, contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus; and the certificates for the Shares, if any, are in due and proper form. The Fund is in material compliance with the rules of the Stock Exchange, including, without limitation, the requirements for continued listing of the Shares on the Stock Exchange and the Fund has not received any written notice from the Stock Exchange regarding the delisting of the Shares from the Stock Exchange.

 

(h)           No approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or of or with any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the Stock Exchange), or approval of the shareholders of the Fund that has not already been obtained, is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Fund of the transactions contemplated hereby, other than (i) the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act, which has been effected, (ii) the listing of the Shares with the Stock Exchange, upon official notice of issuance, (iii) any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the Fund or (iv) any necessary qualification pursuant to the rules of FINRA.

 

Section 3. Duties of the Fund.

 

(a)           The Fund shall take, from time to time, but subject always to any necessary approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund (each a “Trustee,” and together the “Board”) or of its shareholders, all necessary action to fix the number of authorized Shares, to the end that the Fund will have a number of authorized but unissued Shares at least equal to the number of Shares registered for sale under the Securities Act and available for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

(b)           For purposes of the ATM offering of Shares, the Fund will furnish to the Distributor copies of its most recent amendment to its Registration Statement, its most recent Prospectus and all amendments and supplements thereto, and other documentation the Distributor may reasonably request for use in the ATM offering of Shares. The Distributor is authorized to furnish to prospective investors only such information concerning the Fund and the ATM offering as may be contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Fund’s publicly available formation documents, or any other documents (including sales material), if expressly approved by the Fund for such purpose.

 

(c)            The Fund shall furnish to the Distributor copies of all financial statements of the Fund which the Distributor may reasonably request for use in connection with its duties hereunder, and this shall include, upon request by the Distributor, one certified copy of all financial statements prepared for the Fund by independent public accountants.

 

(d)           The Fund shall use its best efforts to qualify and maintain, to the extent required by applicable law, the qualification of Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Distributor and the Fund may approve. Any such qualification may be withheld, terminated or withdrawn by the Fund at any time in its discretion. The expense of qualification and maintenance of qualification shall be borne by the Fund. The Distributor shall furnish such information and other material relating to its affairs and activities as may be required by the Fund in connection with such qualification.

 

5 

 

 

(e)           The Fund will furnish, in reasonable quantities upon request by the Distributor, copies of its annual and interim reports.

 

(f)            The Fund will furnish the Distributor with such other documents as it may reasonably require, from time to time, for the purpose of enabling it to perform its duties as contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Section 4. Duties of the Distributor.

 

(a)           The Distributor shall devote reasonable time and effort to its duties hereunder. The services of the Distributor to the Fund hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive and nothing herein contained shall prevent the Distributor from entering into like arrangements with other investment companies so long as the performance of its obligations with respect to the Fund hereunder is not impaired thereby.

 

(b)           In performing its duties hereunder, the Distributor shall comply with the requirements of all applicable laws relating to the sale of securities in all material respects. Neither the Distributor nor any sub-placement agent having an agreement to offer and sell Shares pursuant to Section 5 hereof nor any other person is authorized by the Fund to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in its Registration Statement, Prospectus and any sales literature specifically approved for such use by the Fund.

 

(c)           The Distributor shall adopt and follow internal procedures, as may be necessary to comply with the requirements of FINRA applicable to sales of Shares, as such requirements may from time to time exist.

 

(d)           The Distributor agrees to maintain an anti-money laundering program in compliance with Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “USA Patriot Act”) and all applicable laws and regulations promulgated thereunder. At the request of the Fund, the Distributor will supply the Fund with copies of the Distributor’s anti-money laundering policy and procedures, and such other relevant certifications and representations regarding such policy and procedures as the Fund may reasonably request from time to time. The Distributor shall prepare or review, and file with federal and state agencies or other organizations as required by federal, state, or other applicable laws and regulations, all sales literature (advertisements, brochures and shareholder communications) prepared in connection with the ATM offerings for the Fund.

 

(e)           The Distributor agrees to supply additional services, information and assistance as may be reasonably requested by the Fund, in regard to the relationships with sub-placement agents, together with such other services as set forth throughout this Agreement.

 

(f)            The Distributor shall report to the Board at least quarterly, or more frequently as requested by the Board, regarding matters as agreed to by the Fund and the Distributor.

 

(g)           The Distributor represents and warrants to the Fund that it has all necessary licenses to perform the services contemplated hereunder and will perform such services in compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.

 

6 

 

 

Section 5. Agreements with Sub-Placement Agents.

 

(a)           The Distributor may enter into dealer agreements, on such terms and conditions as the Distributor determines are not inconsistent with this Agreement, with broker-dealers to act as the Distributor’s agents to effect the sale of the Shares in the ATM offerings. Such selected broker-dealers (“sub-placement agents”) shall sell Shares only at market prices subject to the Minimum Price and the Minimum Sales Price. This Agreement shall not be construed as authorizing any dealer or other person to accept orders for sale on the Fund’s behalf or to otherwise act as the Fund’s agent for any purpose. The Distributor shall not be responsible for the acts of other dealers or agents except as and to the extent that they shall be acting for the

Distributor or under the Distributor’s direction or authority.

 

(b)           The Distributor shall offer and sell Shares only to such sub-placement agents who are acting as brokers or dealers who are members in good standing of FINRA and who agree to abide by the rules of FINRA.

 

(c)           The Distributor shall obtain appropriate assurance from any sub-placement agents which it engages of the compliance by such sub-placement agents with applicable federal and state securities laws and the rules of FINRA. Agreements shall include such other matters as the Distributor deems customary, necessary or desirable in respect such sub-placement agents’ participation in the offering of Shares, including but not limited to, appropriate services provided.

 

Section 6. Sales Commission.

 

(a)           The Fund shall pay the Distributor, or the Distributor shall be entitled to retain, an amount equal to 1.00% of the gross sales price per Share of the Shares sold.

 

(b)           The Distributor may pay to sub-placement agents such sub-placement agent commissions as the Distributor shall deem advisable, or may authorize such sub-placement agents to retain such sub-placement agent commissions from the gross sales proceeds from the sale of such Shares, which shall be payable or retained, as the case may be, from the commissions payable or retained, as the case may be, to or by the Distributor under Section 6(a) above. The Distributor shall have no obligation to pay any portion of the commission from the gross sale proceeds to sub-placement agents unless and until the Distributor receives payment under Section 6(a) above.

 

(c)           The Fund hereby represents and warrants to the Distributor that (i) the terms of this Agreement, (ii) the fees and expenses associated with this Agreement, and (iii) any benefits accruing to the Distributor or to the Fund’s investment adviser or sponsor or another affiliate of the Fund in connection with this Agreement, including but not limited to any fee waivers, conversion cost reimbursements, up-front payments, signing payments or periodic payments relating to this Agreement have been fully disclosed to the Board and that, if required by applicable law, the Board has approved or will approve the terms of this Agreement, any such fees and expenses, and any such benefits.

 

7 

 

 

Section 7. Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)            The Fund shall bear all of its own costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of its counsel and auditors, in connection with the preparation of its Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, if any, the preparation and filing of any required registration statements under the Securities Act and/or the Investment Company Act, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and in connection with any fees and expenses incurred with respect to any filing requirements of FINRA and preparing and mailing annual and interim reports and proxy materials to shareholders (including but not limited to the expense of setting in type any such Registration Statement, Prospectus, interim reports or proxy materials and any audited and certified financial reports to be included in shareholder reports).

 

(b)            The Fund shall bear any cost and expenses of qualification of the Shares for sale pursuant to this Agreement and of any filing or other fees necessary to continue offering Shares.

 

(c)            The Distributor shall bear all expenses incurred by it in connection with its duties and activities under this Agreement, including (i) the compensation of sub-placement agents for sales of the Fund’s Shares and fees (ii) expenses of Distributor’s counsel (except for any FINRA filing fees or “blue sky” fees paid on behalf of the Fund or the Distributor by such counsel) (iii) in connection with its registration as a broker or dealer or the registration or qualification of its officers, directors or representatives under federal and state laws, (iv) promotional, marketing or sales literature used by the Distributor or furnished by the Distributor to investment dealers and financial institutions in connection with such public offerings, and expenses of advertising in connection with such public offerings.

 

Section 8. Limitation of Liability; Indemnification.

 

(a)           The Distributor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. The Distributor shall not be liable for any damages arising out of any action or omission to act by any prior service provider of the Fund or for any failure to discover any such error or omission (provided that this sentence shall not apply where the Distributor was the prior service provider). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Distributor shall not be liable for any consequential, incidental, exemplary, punitive, special or indirect damages, whether or not the likelihood of such damages was known by the Distributor. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Distributor shall not be liable for damages occurring directly or indirectly by reason of circumstances beyond its reasonable control.

 

8 

 

 

(b)           The Fund agrees that it will indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Distributor, its several officers, and directors, and any person who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which the Distributor, its several officers, and directors, and any person who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, may become subject under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) (i) arise out of, or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectuses or in any application or other document executed by or on behalf of the Fund or are based upon information furnished by or on behalf of the Fund filed in any state in order to qualify the Shares under the securities or blue sky laws thereof (“Blue Sky application”) or arise out of, or are based upon, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) arise out of, or are based upon, any breach of the representations, warranties or covenants of the Fund contained in this Agreement, and the Fund will reimburse the Distributor, its several officers, and directors, and any person who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Distributor, its several officers, and directors, and any person who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, in investigating, defending or preparing to defend any such action, proceeding or claim described above in this Section 8(b); provided, however, that the Fund shall not be liable in any case to the extent that such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of, or is based upon, any untrue statement, alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Blue Sky application with respect to the Fund in reliance upon and in conformity with any Agent Provided Information, or arising out of the failure of the Distributor or any sub-placement agent to deliver a current Prospectus.

 

(c)           The Fund shall not indemnify any person pursuant to this Section 8 unless the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought has rendered a final decision on the merits that such person was not liable by reason of his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of his or her duties, or his or her reckless disregard of any obligations and duties, under this Agreement (“disabling conduct”) or, in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination (based upon a review of the facts) that such person was not liable by reason of disabling conduct has been made by the vote of a majority of a quorum of the directors of the Fund who are neither “interested parties” (as defined in the Investment Company Act) nor parties to the proceeding, or by independent legal counsel in a written opinion.

 

(d)           The Distributor will indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and its several officers and directors, and any person who controls the Fund within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which any of them may become subject under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Blue Sky application, or arise out of, or are based upon, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, which statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Fund or any of its several officers and directors by or on behalf of the Distributor specifically for inclusion therein, and will reimburse the Fund and its several officers, trustees and such controlling persons for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any of them in investigating, defending or preparing to defend any such action, proceeding or claim.

 

(e)           This Section 8 shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

 

9 

 

 

Section 9. Duration and Termination of this Agreement.

 

(a)           This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first above written and shall remain in force for two years thereafter and thereafter continue from year to year, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by the Trustees or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, and (ii) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

(b)           This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by the Distributor, on sixty days’ written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.

 

(c)           The terms “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “assignment,” “affiliated person” and “interested person,” when used in this Agreement, shall have the respective meanings specified in the Investment Company Act.

 

Section 10. Amendments of this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended by written mutual consent of the parties including Board or shareholder approval as required by applicable law.

 

Section 11. Governing Law. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement, directly or indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware. To the extent that the applicable law of the State of Delaware, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.

 

Section 12. Customer Identification Program Notice. To help the U.S. government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, U.S. federal law requires each financial institution to obtain, verify, and record certain information that identifies each person who initially opens an account with that financial institution on or after October 1, 2003. Consistent with this requirement, the Distributor will request (or already has requested) the Fund’s name, address and taxpayer identification number or other government-issued identification number. The Distributor may also ask (and may have already asked) for additional identifying information, and the Distributor may take steps (and may have already taken steps) to verify the authenticity and accuracy of these data elements.

 

Section 13. Miscellaneous. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.

 

10 

 

 

Section 14. Proprietary and Confidential Information. The Distributor agrees on behalf of itself and its employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Fund all records and other information relative to the Fund and prior, present or potential shareholders, and not to use such records and information for any purpose other than performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder, except after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and shall not be required where the Distributor may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or when so requested by the Fund. The provisions of this Section 14 shall survive termination of this Agreement.

 

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, each party hereto agrees that: (i) any Nonpublic Personal Information, as defined under Section 248.3(t) of Regulation S-P (“Regulation S-P”), promulgated under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (the “Act”), disclosed by a party hereunder is for the specific purpose of permitting the other party to perform the services set forth in this Agreement, and (ii) with respect to such information, each party will comply with Regulation S-P and the Act and will not disclose any Nonpublic Personal Information received in connection with this Agreement to any other party, except to the extent as necessary to carry out the services set forth in this Agreement or as otherwise permitted by Regulation S-P or the Act.

 

11 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written. This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

  INVESCO MUNICIPAL INCOME OPPORTUNITIES TRUST
   
  By: /s/ Melanie Ringold 
    Name: Melanie Ringold
    Title: Senior Vice President, Secretary & Chief Legal Officer
   
  INVESCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
 
  By: /s/ Nicole Filingeri 
      Name: Nicole Filingeri
    Title: Vice President

 

12 

 

Exhibit 99.(l)

 

  Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
Suite 2600
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-7018
Telephone 215.564.8000
Fax 215.564.8120
www.stradley.com

 

February 7, 2025

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust

11 Greenway Plaza

Houston, Texas 77046-1173

 

Re:Registration Statement on Form N-2

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, in connection with the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on or about February 7, 2025 (the “Registration Statement”), with respect to an offering of up to 25,500,000 of: (i) the Trust’s common shares of beneficial interest, no par value (“Common Shares”); and/or (ii) subscription rights to purchase Common Shares (“Rights” and, together with the Common Shares, “Securities”). You have requested that we deliver this opinion to you in connection with the Trust’s filing of the Registration Statement.

 

In connection with the furnishing of this opinion, we have examined the following documents:

 

(a)       A certificate of the Secretary of the State of Delaware, dated as of a recent date, as to the legal existence and good standing of the Trust;

 

(b)       A copy, certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, of the Trust’s Certificate of Trust and all amendments thereto, as filed with the Secretary of State (the “Certificate of Trust”);

 

(c)       Copies of the Trust’s Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated as of September 20, 2022 (the “Declaration”), the Trust’s By-Laws, dated as of September 20, 2022 (the “By-Laws”), and certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) authorizing the issuance of the Common Shares (the “Resolutions”), each certified by an authorized officer of the Trust; and

 

(d)       a printer’s proof of the Registration Statement.

 

Pennsylvania • New Jersey • Delaware • DC • New York • Illinois • California
A Pennsylvania Limited Liability Partnership

 

 

 

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust
11 Greenway Plaza
Houston, Texas 77046-1173
Page 2

 

In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the conformity to the originals of all of the documents reviewed by us as copies, including conformed copies, the authenticity and completeness of all original documents reviewed by us in original or copy form and the legal competence of each individual executing any document. We have assumed that the Registration Statement, as filed with the Commission, will be in substantially the form of the printer’s proof referred to in paragraph (d) above. We also have assumed for the purposes of this opinion that the Certificate of Trust, Declaration, By-Laws and Resolutions will not have been amended, modified or withdrawn with respect to matters relating to the Securities and will be in full force and effect on the date of the issuance of such Securities. We have assumed the following for purposes of this opinion:

 

With respect to any Rights, a Rights Certificate representing such Rights will be duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Trust and the specific terms of such Rights will be duly established by the Board, and such Rights will be duly distributed by the Trust, in accordance with the Declaration, the By-laws, the Registration Statement and the Resolutions (such approvals referred to herein as the “Corporate Proceedings”).

 

This opinion is based entirely on our review of the documents listed above and such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion and such investigation of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate. We have made no other review or investigation of any kind whatsoever, and we have assumed, without independent inquiry, the accuracy of the information set forth in such documents.

 

As to any opinion below relating to the formation or existence of the Trust under the laws of the State of Delaware, our opinion relies entirely upon and is limited by the certificate of public officials referred to in (a) above.

 

This opinion is limited solely to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as applied by courts located in Delaware (other than Delaware securities laws, as to which we express no opinion), to the extent that the same may apply to or govern the transactions referred to herein. No opinion is given herein as to the choice of law that any tribunal may apply to such transactions. In addition, to the extent that the Declaration or the By-Laws refer to, incorporate or require compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), or any other law or regulation applicable to the Trust, except for the internal substantive laws of the State of Delaware, as aforesaid, we have assumed compliance by the Trust with the 1940 Act and such other laws and regulations.

 

 

 

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust
11 Greenway Plaza
Houston, Texas 77046-1173
Page 3

 

We understand that all of the foregoing assumptions and limitations are acceptable to you.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, please be advised that it is our opinion that:

 

1.         The Trust has been formed and is existing under the Trust’s Certificate of Trust, Declaration and the laws of the State of Delaware as a Delaware statutory trust with transferable shares of beneficial interest.

 

2.         The Common Shares, when issued and sold in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration and By-Laws and for the consideration described in the Registration Statement, will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable under the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

3.         Upon the completion of all Corporate Proceedings relating to the Rights, the issuance of the Rights will be duly authorized.

 

This opinion is given as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update this opinion to reflect any changes in law or any other facts or circumstances which may hereafter come to our attention. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In rendering this opinion and giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  /s/ Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
  Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.(n)

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form N- 2 of Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust of our report dated April 25, 2024, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights, which appears in Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust’s Annual Report on Form N-CSR for the year ended February 29, 2024. We also consent to the references to us under the headings “Financial Highlights,” “Other Service Providers,” “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and “Financial Statements” in such Registration Statement.

 

 

Houston, Texas

February 4, 2025

 

 

 

 

 Exhibit 99.(r)(i)

 

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND PERSONAL TRADING POLICY FOR NORTH AMERICA

 

Applicable To

·   All Covered Persons (as defined below)

·  All Invesco NA entities

Departments Impacted      Global Ethics Office (“GEO”)
Risk Addressed by Policy      Clients are harmed because of a Covered Person’s conflict of interest, violation of fiduciary duties or      fraudulent/deceptive personal trading activities.
Relevant Law & Related Resources

·   Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act (“Rule 17j-1”)

·  Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act (“Rule 204A-1”)

·   Ontario Securities Commission: National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing      Registrant Obligations (“NI 31-103”)

Approved By

· Invesco Mutual Funds Board: December 2023

·  Invesco ETF Board: December 2023

·   Invesco Canada (“ICL”) Funds Independent Review Committee

·  Invesco Canada Funds Advisory Board and Board of Directors of Invesco Canada Corporate Class Inc. following      recommendation by the Compliance Committee of the Board: October 2024

Effective Date     January 2025

 

GLOSSARY

 

Background. Invesco is required to adopt and enforce a written code of ethics as well as to establish, maintain and apply policies and procedures that establish a system of controls to comply with securities laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the management of conflicts of interest matters, which may include personal trading activities.

 

This Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for North America (the “Code”) requires that Covered Persons (as defined below) adhere to high standards of ethical conduct and act with integrity in accordance with their fiduciary duties. The Code is intended to comply with the requirements of Rule 204A-1, Rule 17j-1 and NI 31-103.

 

Definitions.

 

“Beneficial Ownership” means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to share in the economic interest or profit derived from the ownership of, or transaction in, a Covered Security.

 

“Client Account” means an Invesco Fund (with respect to Covered Persons other than Independent Directors/Trustees), a separately managed account, a personal trust or estate, an Employee benefit trust or any other account for which an Invesco NA Adviser provides investment advisory or sub-advisory services. For Independent Directors/Trustees, “Client Account” shall mean the Invesco funds they oversee.

  

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

1

 

 

 

 

Compliance Reporting System means any third party, web-based application utilized by Covered Persons, excluding Independent Directors/Trustees, for compliance reporting (i.e., personal securities transactions, investment accounts, outside activities, etc.)

 

“Contingent Worker” means any Invesco consultant or contractor with access to the firm’s internal network systems.

 

“Covered Account” means any account that holds or may hold a Covered Security whether directly or through Beneficial Ownership, and as further described in Section B.1 below.

 

“Covered Person” means any of the following:

 

·Employee (interns, part-time or full-time);
·Contingent Worker;
·Director or Officer of Invesco Ltd.;
·Independent Director/Trustee;
·any individual who is conducting business on behalf of an Invesco Adviser or affiliate, and has access to the firm’s internal network systems or offices;
·any person meeting the definition of “Access Person” as defined in Rule 17j-1 or Rule 204A-1; or
·anyone who, at the discretion of GEO, is deemed to be a Covered Person subject to the requirements of this Code.

 

“Covered Security” generally means, investment instruments or assets (public or private), unless otherwise exempt from the definition, are as follows:

 

·Stocks/shares (e.g., common, preferred or restricted) or bonds (e.g., corporate or municipal);
·Exchange Traded Products (defined below);
·Closed-end Funds and REITs;
·Instruments that are convertible or exchangeable into a Covered Security;
·Derivatives (e.g., options, futures, forwards, ADRs (American Depository Receipts)/GDRs (Global Depositary Receipts), swaps, commodities, warrants/rights), or other obligation whose value is derived or based on any of the above;
·Limited Offerings/Limited Liability Company interests (defined below);
·Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds; and
·any security/instrument that can be traded by an Invesco Adviser or an affiliate on behalf of a client.

 

The following securities are exempt from the definition of “Covered Security:

 

·Direct obligations of the U.S. government, the Canadian government, or direct obligations of a Sovereign Government and their respective agencies;
·Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper or high- quality short-term debt instruments (including repurchase agreements);
·Shares of an open-end mutual fund for which Invesco does not serve as an investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter;

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

2

 

 

 

 

·Money market equivalent funds;
·Investment trusts that invest exclusively in open-end mutual funds for which Invesco does not serve as an investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter;
·Any unit investment trust (including those advised or sub-advised by an Invesco NA Adviser);
·Principal-protected or linked-note investment products; and
·Physical commodities (including foreign currencies).

 

“Delegated Discretionary Account” means an account for which a Covered Person has written evidence that decision-making authority has been completely relinquished to a professional money manager who is not a family member or not otherwise subject to this Code and over which the Covered Person has no direct or indirect influence or control.

 

“Employee” means an individual who serves as a director or officer of an Invesco NA entity or who is employed on a full-time or part-time basis by an Invesco NA entity or subsidiary thereof. For purposes of this Code, the term Employee also includes the Employee’s Immediate Family Members.

 

ETP Access Person” means a Covered Person who has access to Material Non-public Information attached to Invesco ETPs including but not limited to any client’s purchase or sale of Invesco ETPs and/or the holdings of an Invesco ETP or anyone else determined as such and as notified by Compliance.

 

Exchange-Traded Product” or “ETP” means a security traded on an exchange that: (i) tracks an underlying security, index or financial instrument; or (ii) uses a benchmark index but whose manager(s) may change sector allocations, market-time trades, or deviate from the index. The term “ETP” includes, among other things, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and exchange-traded commodities (“ETCs”).

 

“Global Ethics Office” or “GEO” means the team within Compliance that is responsible for monitoring conflicts in connection with a Covered Person’s personal trading, political contributions, outside business activities and gifts and entertainment.

 

“Immediate Family Member” means a Covered Person’s:

 

·Spouse
·Domestic partner or equivalent (i.e., PACS (Civil Solidarity Pact), common law marriage, etc.):
oGenerally considered to be a permanent committed relationship; and
oWith Beneficial Ownership of their partner’s Covered Accounts
·Child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law who shares the Covered Person’s household.

 

A roommate who is not a domestic partner or does not otherwise have one of the attributes above shall not be deemed to be an Immediate Family Member.

 

Questions regarding the applicability of this definition should be directed to the Global Ethics Office.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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“Independent Director/Trustee” means any; (i) director or trustee of an Invesco Mutual Fund who is not an “interested person” (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of an Invesco Mutual Fund; (ii) director or trustee of an Invesco ETP who is not an “interested person” (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of an Invesco ETP; or (iii) member of the Invesco Canada Independent Review Committee, Invesco Canada Funds Advisory Board or Board of Directors of Invesco Corporate Class Inc. who has no other executive responsibilities or engagement in an Invesco Canada Fund or Invesco NA’s day-to-day activities beyond the scope of their duties as director/trustee.

 

“Initial Public Offering” or “IPO” means: (i) any Covered Security which is being offered for the first time on a recognized stock exchange; or (ii) an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act, the issuer of which immediately before such registration was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended or foreign regulatory equivalents thereof.

 

“Investment Person” generally means a Covered Person (excluding Independent Directors/Trustees) who:

 

·as part of their regular functions or duties makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities in a Client Account (e.g., portfolio managers, securities analysts or traders); or
   
·works directly with or is in the same department/investment team as a portfolio manager and is likely to be exposed to sensitive information relating to those Client Accounts for which the portfolio manager has responsibility (including those who serve an administrative function).

 

”Limited Offering or Private Placement” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (“33 Act”), including but not limited to those offered according to Sections 4(a)(2), 4(a)5, 4(a)6 or pursuant to Rules 504 or 506 under the 33 Act (e.g., Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), private equity fund or hedge fund, crowdfunding, private real estate investments such as Real Investment Trusts (REITs) or LLCs/LPs).

 

“MNPI” or “Material Non-public Information” means information not known to the public that may, if disclosed, have a significant impact on the price of a financial instrument and that a reasonable investor would likely consider relevant or important when making an investment decision.

 

“Rights Issue” or “Rights Offer” means a dividend of subscription rights to buy additional securities in a company made to the company's existing security holders.

 

Robo-Advisor Account” means a Covered Person’s account that holds, or can hold, Covered Securities that is maintained on a digital platform offered by a broker on the US Designated/Approved Broker List to provide automated, algorithm-driven investment decisions with little to no human intervention.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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"Special Purpose Acquisition Company" or "SPAC" is a company without commercial operations and formed specifically to raise capital through an IPO for the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company.

 

A.POLICY

 

Each Invesco NA Adviser has a fiduciary relationship with respect to each of their Client Accounts. As such, Invesco NA and Covered Persons shall:

 

·place the interests of clients ahead of their personal interests (or, in the case of Independent Directors/Trustees, the funds they oversee);
·conduct their personal trading in a manner consistent with this Code and other applicable policies to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of position of trust and responsibility;
·comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations; and
·keep all MNPI (as defined above) confidential.

 

Invesco NA and all Covered Persons are prohibited from:

 

·profiting personally by using MNPI and disclosing MNPI to any person (except as may be permitted by law and in accordance with Invesco’s insider trading policies);
·employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any Client Account;
·making an untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state a material fact to a client that, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, are necessary to make the statement non-misleading;
·engaging in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit to a Client Account; or
·engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to a Client Account or securities (including price manipulation).

 

Invesco NA maintains other compliance policies that may be directly applicable to a Covered Person’s specific responsibilities and duties and that address additional standards of conduct for Employees. These policies are available on the Invesco Ltd. intranet site and include, but are not limited to:

 

 

·         Global Code of Conduct

·         Global Insider Trading

·         Global Fraud Escalation

·         Global Political Contributions

·         Global Outside Business Activities

·         U.S. Gifts and Entertainment

·         Gifts and Entertainment (ICL)

 

Violations of any of the policies listed above may result in increased escalation. For further detail, refer to Section C regarding violations and sanctions.

 

Please see Exhibit B for requirements applicable to Independent Directors/Trustees.

 

B.PERSONAL TRADING REQUIREMENTS

 

References to Covered Persons in this Section B shall exclude Independent Directors/Trustees. Personal trading requirements and pre-clearance requirements (if any) for Independent Directors/Trustees are set forth in Exhibit B.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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1.   Covered Account Requirements for Covered Persons.

 

Covered Persons are required to report all investment accounts (i.e., Covered Accounts) for which they, or Immediate Family Members, have Beneficial Ownership or have discretion, control or interests, whether such discretion, control or interests are exercised or not. It is presumed that a Covered Person can control accounts held by Immediate Family Members living in the same household.

 

US Covered Accounts must be held with a regulated financial institution listed on the US Designated/Approved Broker List1.

 

Covered Accounts include but are not limited to the following:

 

 

Brokerage Accounts

Discretionary/Robo-Advisor
Accounts2
Employee Stock Plans (e.g.,
ESPPs, ESOPs or ISOs)
Retirement Accounts (e.g., IRAs, SIPPs, Superannuation, iDeCo, RRSP, TFSA or any other local equivalent) Transfer Agent Accounts that hold reportable Covered Securities (e.g., Invesco open- end mutual fund account) Mutual Fund, Collective Investment or WRAP Accounts, which hold Invesco open-end funds
Pension Plans, which hold Covered Securities (excluding Invesco open-end funds)

 

Stock and Shares ISAs (i.e., Investment ISA)

 

UTMAs and UGMAs

Invesco 401k, and the separate Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account (“PCRA”) 529 Accounts that hold Covered Securities and the Invesco CollegeBound 529 plan  

 

 

1 The US Designated/Approved Broker List is accessible through the Compliance Reporting System.

2 Discretionary and Robo-Advisor Accounts must be disclosed. New and existing Discretionary and Robo- Advisor accounts must be approved by GEO. The Covered Person must provide supporting documentation (e.g., managed account agreement) and other required information to GEO, including duplicate statements.

 

Covered Persons are required to ensure that:

 

·Covered Accounts held with a broker located in the U.S. or India are maintained:
   
owith a financial institution on the US Designated/Approved Broker List (which may be accessed via the Compliance Reporting System);
oin a qualified retirement plan that a Covered Person is not legally or unilaterally able to transfer; or
ofor the U.S. only, with any full-service broker-dealer.
   
·Invesco Open-End Mutual Funds are held:
   
oin an account maintained with a financial institution (or broker on the US Designated/Approved Broker List);
oin a qualified retirement plan that a Covered Person is not legally or unilaterally able to transfer;
oin the Covered Person’s Invesco 401(k) or Invesco CollegeBound 529 plan; or

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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odirectly with Invesco’s Mutual Funds’ transfer agent.

 

Covered Persons may not purchase or hold Invesco affiliated open-end mutual funds beyond the above restrictions. This requirement does not apply to other Invesco securities.

 

·All other Covered Accounts (e.g., external retirement plans, stock plans through third-party administrators):
   
oCovered Persons shall direct their financial institution to submit statements and confirmations to the GEO;
oIf the financial institution is unable to provide transactional statements (or contract notes) to GEO through a link or hard copy, the Covered Person shall be personally responsible for submitting statements directly or upon request through the GEO Support Portal in a timely manner;
oTrade confirmations (or contract notes) must be provided no later than 15 calendar days from the date of execution; and
oTransactional statements must be provided within 15 calendar days of receipt.

 

2.   Statements (Transactions) and Trade Confirmations (or Contract Notes).

 

·Employees shall maintain a Covered Account with a financial institution that provides electronic trade confirmations (or contract notes) and statements directly to GEO.

 

·If the financial institution fails or is unable to provide an electronic link or a hard copy, the Covered Person shall be personally responsible for providing transactional statements and trade confirmations (or contract notes) for the Covered Account(s) to GEO through the GEO Support Portal or where applicable, to their local Compliance upon request.

 

·All Covered Accounts must be reported in the Compliance Reporting System before trading begins or upon hire. Statements are not required for accounts that do not meet the Covered Accounts definition, such as accounts that are only able to invest in unaffiliated Open-end Mutual Funds.

 

3.   Pre-Clearance of Personal Trades.

 

Covered Persons and their Immediate Family Members are required to pre-clear Covered Securities transactions through the Compliance Reporting System as illustrated in Exhibit A.

 

Covered Persons are prohibited from executing a security transaction (trade) in a Covered Account until they are notified by GEO that the trade was approved. Covered Persons must carefully read the automated alert from the Compliance Reporting System, which includes the request status (i.e., approved or denied).

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Covered Accounts in which a Covered Person has beneficial interest but does not exercise control (e.g., accounts for Immediate Family Members), all trade requests are required to be submitted through the Covered Person.

 

GEO will notify the Covered Person if the trade request was approved or denied.

 

Trade Authorization (i.e., Market Orders). Trade requests which have been submitted and approved within the Compliance Reporting System prior to market close are only valid for the current business day, unless the approval is granted after the close of the trading day (e.g., trading on a foreign market or OTC), then approval will not expire until the end of the next trading day.

 

If the trade is not executed within the approval window, a Covered Person shall be required to submit a new pre-clearance request and must receive approval if the Covered Person intends to trade in that security.

 

Prohibited Trade Orders. Covered Persons are required to avoid executing transactions outside of the approval window. Good ‘Til Canceled (GTC), Limit Orders and Stop-Limit Orders among other orders beyond the same trading day are prohibited.

 

Pre-clearance of Limited Offerings and Private Placements. Covered Persons and their Immediate Family Members must:

 

·Pre-clear investments in Limited Offerings and Private Placements and receive approval from GEO before investing and allow a minimum of three to five business days before the intended investment date to allow ample time for review.
·Submit a Private Placement pre-clearance request through the Compliance Reporting System and include a detailed description of the investment and relevant documentation (e.g., offering deck, offering/private placement memorandum and term sheet).

 

Additionally, Covered Persons seeking to invest in a Limited Offering/Private Placement sponsored by Invesco Ltd. and its affiliates:

 

·Must pre-clear all transactions through the Compliance Reporting System if the investment is made alongside third-party investors.
·May transact without pre-clearance if Invesco offers the investment exclusively to Employees.

 

In all instances, Limited Offerings and Private Placements are subject to ongoing reporting obligations. Please consult Legal and the Global Ethics Office if you have questions about these requirements before investing.

 

Exemptions from Pre-Clearance. Purchases or sales of the following are exempt from the pre-clearance requirement:

 

Covered Securities in an approved Delegated Discretionary/Robo-Advisor Account;

 

·Invesco Mutual Funds and Invesco Canada Funds (excluding closed-end Invesco Mutual Funds and closed-end Invesco Canada Funds);

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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·Invesco ETPs (this Invesco ETP pre-clearance exemption does not apply to ETP Access Persons);
   
·Unaffiliated broad-based ETPs (this pre-clearance exemption does not apply to single stock ETPs)
   
·Currencies, cryptocurrencies, and commodities, including trusts invested entirely in a currency, cryptocurrency or commodity;
   
·Derivatives of an index of securities, currencies, cryptocurrencies or commodities;
   
·Invesco Mutual Fund grants awarded (Long-Term Fund Awards); and
   
·Securities held in Invesco CollegeBound 529 Plans, Invesco Core U.S. 401(k) Plans (excluding elections in the personal choice retirement account) and registered group retirement savings plans offered by an Invesco Ltd. affiliate.

 

Pre-clearance of Employee Share Purchase Plans and Long-Term Incentive Plans. The acquisition or deposit of shares, including IVZ shares through an Employee Share Purchase Plan or Equity Awards Program is exempt from pre-clearance. However, pre-clearance is required if Covered Persons wish to sell these shares, including IVZ shares. Please refer to Exhibit A.

 

4. Trading Restrictions/Prohibitions.

 

Blackout Period. Covered Persons are prohibited from trading any Covered Security in a personal account on a day during which a Client Account has a pending “buy” or “sell” order in the same Covered Security.

 

In addition:

 

·Investment Persons with knowledge of trading in a Covered Security for a Client Account are prohibited from personal trading within three trading days before and three trading days after such Client Account transaction; and
   
·All other Covered Persons with knowledge of trading in a Covered Security for a Client Account are prohibited from personal trading in the same Covered Security within two trading days after such Client Account transaction.

 

Blackout Period Exemptions. Blackout period restrictions may be exempt if purchases and sales of a Covered Security comply with certain conditions (e.g., large market capitalization, daily trading limit, etc.) as may be determined from time to time by the GEO. Refer to the FAQ for details.

 

Other Prohibitions. Covered Persons shall be prohibited from:

 

·trading a Covered Security of an issuer on the applicable Restricted List(s);
   
·purchasing a Covered Security in an IPO or secondary offering;
   
·purchasing a publicly listed SPAC when the targeted company is known;
   
·participating in an investment club;
   
·excessive short-term trading of any Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds (excluding money market funds) and/or cash-in-lieu Invesco ETPs according to the various limitations outlined in the respective prospectus or other fund disclosure documents;

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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·engaging in personal trading of Covered Securities that is excessive, or that compromises Invesco NA’s fiduciary duty to Client Accounts, as determined by the GEO in its discretion;
   
·for Investment Personnel, effecting short sales of a Covered Security in a Covered Account if a Client Account for which the Investment Person has investment management responsibility has a long position in such Covered Security; and
   
·trading options on common stock, single stock ETPs, or Invesco ETPs when the underlying security is either not held or has been held fewer than 60 days. For the sake of clarity, trading naked options is prohibited and only covered calls and protective puts are permitted.

 

Short-Term Trading Restriction for all Covered Persons.

 

·Covered Persons cannot profit from the purchase and sale of a Covered Security (or a short sale and cover of the same Covered Security) within 60 calendar days of the trade date of the same Covered Security. Gains are calculated on a first- in, first-out (FIFO) method.
   
·Transactions in Invesco Canada Funds are subject to the short-term trading requirements outlined in the applicable prospectus.
   
·This restriction shall apply to all Covered Securities, including those which are exempt from pre-clearance (e.g., Invesco Funds). Transactions in unaffiliated ETPs (except for single stock ETPs), currencies, cryptocurrencies, commodities, trusts invested entirely in a currency, cryptocurrency or commodity, and derivatives (e.g., options and futures) based on an index of securities, currencies, cryptocurrencies and commodities are exempt from the 60-day holding period. This exemption shall not apply to derivatives of individual securities, single stock ETPs, or Invesco ETPs.
   
·If a Covered Security is traded within the applicable holding period, the full amount of any profit from the trade, which has not been adjusted to account for applicable taxes or related fees, shall be disgorged to a charity of Invesco Ltd.’s choice.
   
·Covered Persons are exempt from the 60-day holding period if the trade transaction is executed at a loss.

 

      5. Special Requirements for Transactions in Invesco Ltd. Stock.

 

Transactions in Invesco Ltd. stock are subject to the pre-clearance and reporting requirements set forth above. Covered Persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions in publicly traded options such as puts, calls and other derivative securities relating to Invesco Ltd.’s securities, on an exchange or any other organized market. Covered Persons should refer to the Global Insider Trading policy whenever they wish to transact in Invesco Ltd. securities in a Covered Account.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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      6. Covered Persons Reporting and Certification Requirements.

 

Certification Requirements. All Covered Persons are required to complete a Code of Ethics acknowledgment on their start date with Invesco, and annually thereafter, to acknowledge and certify that they have received, reviewed, understand, and shall comply with the Code. In addition, Covered Persons will be required to acknowledge receipt and understanding of any material amendments or new interpretations of the Code.

 

Reporting Requirements. All Covered Persons are subject to initial (upon joining Invesco) and ongoing reporting requirements. These reports will be reviewed by GEO and are intended solely for internal use and are confidential unless required to be disclosed to a regulatory or government agency.

 

Summary of Reporting Obligations

 

New Hires3 Covered Persons
Upon joining the firm
(due in 10 calendar days)
Quarterly
(due no later than 30 calendar days after the calendar quarter-end)
Annual
(due no later than 30 calendar days from distribution)
Covered Accounts/
Initial Holdings Report
(including a list of all Covered Securities and private/limited holdings. All holdings must be as of the Covered Person’s employment start date)
Quarterly Transaction Report
(excluding dividends reinvested, private/limited offering transactions previously disclosed, auto investment plans, payroll deductions, transactions executed in an approved Discretionary/Robo-Advisor Account)
Annual Holdings & Private
Investments Report
(excluding holdings in an approved Discretionary Account, and any holdings designated as non- reportable on Exhibit A)
Initial Compliance Policies Certification   Annual Compliance Policies Certification

 

 

3Any New Hire who fails to submit the Covered Accounts/Initial Holdings Report (IHR) within the (10) calendar days of their employment start date will be prohibited from engaging in any personal securities transactions until such report is submitted and may be issued a violation and subject to other sanctions.

 

In addition, the Quarterly Transaction Report can exclude the following transactions executed in Covered Securities that are either:

 

·transacted directly with an affiliated transfer agent; or
·in the Covered Person’s registered group retirement savings plan (including transactions made on behalf of the Covered Person in the ICL sponsored GWL Group Retirement Savings Plan) or Invesco Core US 401(k) Plan.

 

New Covered Accounts. All Covered Persons must report any new Covered Account for themselves or any Immediate Family Member within 30 calendar days of opening. Unless the account has been reported, no personal securities transactions can occur within the account.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Exhibit A. Attached as Exhibit A is an Overview of Personal Trading Requirements that provides a summary of certain requirements set forth under this Code which are applicable to Covered Persons (excluding Independent Directors/Trustees). The Overview is not meant to serve as a replacement for reading the Code.

 

Individuals who meet the definition of a Covered Person and are on a formal leave of absence or garden leave without access to Invesco systems are not considered Covered Persons during the time they are on leave.

 

C.VIOLATIONS AND SANCTIONS

 

Covered Persons shall report violations and potential violations of this Code to the GEO. Violations and potential violations of the Code are investigated by GEO. Independent Directors/Trustees may report violations and potential violations to the applicable CCO (or their delegate).

 

If a determination is made that a Covered Person (excluding Independent Directors/ Trustees) has violated the Code, a sanction may be imposed in accordance with the escalation procedure. Sanctions vary based on the severity of the violation(s) and include, but are not limited to:

 

·a letter of education, a letter of warning or letter of reprimand;
·reversal of trades processed in violation of the Code;
·disgorgement of profits earned in the Code violation;
·prohibition of personal trading abilities;
·suspension, demotion or change in the Covered Person’s responsibilities;
·termination of employment;
·referral to civil or criminal authorities, where appropriate; or
·any other sanction, as may be determined by the GEO, CCO and/or applicable governance committee.

 

The GEO maintains internal procedures regarding the violation investigation, sanction determination and sanction enforcement process.

 

In mitigating or eliminating certain conflicts of interest that arise in connection with a Covered Person’s personal trading, a Covered Person may be required to sell a Covered Security that was previously approved. In the event the sale results in a loss, the Covered Person will not be entitled to reimbursement for such loss. In the event of a gain, the Covered Person may be required to disgorge any profit.

 

D.CODE ADMINISTRATION

 

In general, the GEO shall be responsible for the administration and oversight of the Code and shall be responsible for:

 

·identifying Covered Persons, providing Covered Persons with the Code and notifying them of their reporting obligations under the Code, and ensuring that Covered Persons submit the required certifications and reports required under the Code;

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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·reviewing the personal trading activities of Covered Persons to identify potential or actual violations of the Code and promptly investigating such matters to resolve and make the appropriate remediations, if needed; and
·promptly report any violations of the Code in writing to the applicable CCO.

 

In very limited circumstances, certain exceptions to any provision of the Code may be granted on a case-by-case basis by the applicable CCO or their delegate. Such exceptions shall be documented in writing by the GEO.

 

Any questions regarding this Code should be directed to the GEO, which may be contacted using the GEO Support Portal via the intranet.

 

E.REPORTING.

 

ICL Boards/Committees. At least quarterly, the CCO shall inform the Invesco Canada Funds Independent Review Committee of violations, sanctions imposed, material changes and any other information as may be requested from time to time relating to the Code and for the relevant review period.

 

Invesco Mutual Funds Board and Invesco ETF Board.

 

·Quarterly: At least quarterly, each applicable CCO shall furnish a written report to the applicable Board regarding material violations of the Code by Covered Persons.
·Annually: No less frequently than annually, each applicable CCO shall furnish a written report to the applicable Board that describes significant issues arising under the Code since the last report to the Board, including information about material violations of the Code and sanctions imposed in response to material violations. The CCO shall certify that the applicable Invesco NA Adviser to the Invesco Mutual Funds and Invesco ETFs has adopted procedures reasonably designed to prevent Covered Persons from violating the Code. At this time, the Board shall also review the current Code.
·Material Changes to Code. The applicable Committee/Boards mentioned in this Code shall approve any material changes made to the Code either before implementing such change or no later than six months after the change is implemented.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

OVERVIEW OF PERSONAL TRADING REQUIREMENTS

 

Below are some, but not all, of the common investment instruments and key actions required of Covered Persons (excluding Independent Directors/Trustees) under the Code.

 

Gifting or bequeathing Covered Securities (i.e., the in-kind transfer, trading or gifting of stock shares) to charities or family members must be pre-cleared and is prohibited if the family member is a public official or connected to Invesco’s business.

 

Security Type Pre-Clearance Reporting 60-Day Profit
Limit Restriction
Equities
Common/Preferred Stocks (which includes in-kind transfers, trading or gifting/bequeathing) Yes Yes Yes
IPOs PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Rights Issue or Rights Offer1 Yes Yes No
Trusts invested entirely in a currency or commodity No Yes No
Exchange-Traded Products (i.e., ETFs, ETCs and ETNs)
Non-ETP Access Persons: Invesco ETPs No Yes Yes
ETP Access Persons: Invesco ETPs Yes Yes Yes
Unaffiliated broad-based ETPs (apart from single stock ETPs) No Yes No
Single-stock ETPs and unaffiliated ETPs with a limited number of underlying securities (20 or less) that include Covered Securities Yes Yes Yes
Cryptocurrencies2
Cryptocurrencies No No No
Trusts invested entirely in a cryptocurrency No Yes No
Futures, Swaps and Options based on a cryptocurrency No Yes No
Derivatives
Futures, Swaps and Options3 based on common stock and affiliated ETPs Yes Yes Yes

 

 

1 Pre-clearance is required on the day of electing to participate in the Rights issue or Offer.

2 Cryptocurrency exemptions are subject to change and requirements may be applied to certain Employees upon notification by Compliance. Some digital assets claiming to be cryptocurrency could be deemed securities by regulators. Please contact the Global Ethics Office if you have questions regarding the requirements of your digital assets under the Code.

3 Options are restricted to covered calls and protective puts where the underlying security has been held no fewer than 60 days. All other option types are prohibited.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Security Type Pre-Clearance Reporting 60-Day Profit
Limit Restriction
Naked options PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Futures, Swaps and Options Based on an index, currencies, commodities, and unaffiliated ETPs

 

No

 

Yes

 

No

Mutual Funds
Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds No Yes Yes
Invesco Closed-end Mutual Funds Yes Yes Yes
Invesco Canada Open-end Mutual Funds

 

No

 

Yes

Subject to Prospectus

Requirements

Invesco Canada Closed-end Mutual Funds

 

Yes

 

Yes

 

Yes

Unaffiliated Open-end Mutual Funds No No No
Unaffiliated Closed-end Mutual Funds Yes Yes Yes
Fixed Income/Bonds
US Treasury No No No
Certificates of Deposit No No No
Money Market Funds No No No
Municipal Bonds Yes Yes Yes
Corporate Bonds Yes Yes Yes
Structured products linked to indices No Yes No

Invesco Ltd. Corporate Securities

(including the in-kind transfer, trading or gifting/bequeathing)

IVZ and IVR shares Yes Yes Yes
Sale of IVZ shares acquired through ESPP, RSA and LTA

 

Yes

 

Yes

 

No

Derivatives on IVZ, short sells of IVZ or IVZ share transactions in Professionally Managed Accounts

 

PROHIBITED

 

PROHIBITED

 

N/A

Long-Term Fund Awards
Invesco Mutual Fund grants awarded No No No
Invesco CollegeBound 529 Plan No Yes No
Limited Offerings/Private Placements*
Non-Invesco offerings Yes Yes Yes
Invesco offerings   Yes** Yes Yes

 

*Covered Persons may not engage in a Limited Offering without first: (a) obtaining approval prior to making or participating in the investment, and (b) provide the appropriate offering documentation (e.g., Offering Deck, Offering Memorandum, Term Sheet or Offering Presentation) to GEO for review.

 

**Covered Persons must pre-clear activity in Limited Offerings/Private Placements sponsored by Invesco Ltd. and its affiliates with GEO unless Invesco offers the investment exclusively to Employees.  

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS/TRUSTEES

 

Independent Directors/Trustees on the Invesco Mutual Funds, Invesco Canada Fund and the Invesco ETP Boards shall refrain from beneficially owning Invesco Ltd. stock.

 

Independent Directors/Trustees who have questions, need to report a potential or actual violation, may report such matters to the applicable Chief Compliance Officer, or their delegate.

 

OVERVIEW

 

A.Independent Directors/Trustees of the Invesco Mutual Funds:
   
·are subject to and must comply with the pre-clearance requirements for certain transactions involving Invesco Mutual Funds that are closed-end Funds under the Independent Directors/Trustees policies and guidelines;
   
·shall complete a Quarterly Transaction Report only if the Independent Director/Trustee knew or, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling their official duties as an Independent Director/Trustee, should have known, that during the 15-days immediately preceding or following the date of the Independent Director/Trustee’s transaction in a Covered Security:
   
oan Invesco Mutual Fund purchased or sold the Covered Security; or
oan Invesco Mutual Fund, Invesco Advisers, Inc., or any sub-adviser to such Invesco Mutual Fund considered purchasing or selling the Covered Security.

 

·Independent Directors/Trustees who are subject to the Quarterly Transaction Reporting requirement per the above bullet, shall request the Quarterly Transaction Report and complete the report with the following information for each transaction during the quarter:
   
othe date of the transaction , the Covered Security name, number of shares (for equity securities), or the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable) and the principal amount (for debt securities) for each Covered Security;
othe nature of the transaction (e.g., buy or sell);
othe Covered Security identifier (i.e., CUSIP or symbol);
othe execution price of the Covered Security;
othe name of the broker-dealer or bank executing the transaction; and
othe date that the report was submitted to the applicable Chief Compliance Officer.

 

·are subject to the short-term trading restrictions (e.g., profit restriction) with respect to Invesco Mutual Funds that are closed-end funds.

 

B.Independent Directors/Trustees on the Invesco ETPs Board:

 

·shall complete a Quarterly Transaction Report only if the Independent Director/Trustee knew, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling their official duties as an Independent Director/Trustee, should have known, that during the 15-days immediately preceding or following the date of the Independent Director/Trustee’s transaction in a Covered Security:
   
oan Invesco ETP purchased or sold the Covered Security; or
oan Invesco ETP, Invesco Capital Management, LLC. or any sub-adviser to such Invesco ETP considered purchasing or selling the Covered Security.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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·Independent Directors/Trustees who are subject to the Quarterly Transaction Reporting requirement, shall request the Quarterly Transaction Report and complete the report with the following information for each transaction during the quarter:
   
othe date of the transaction, the Covered Security name, number of shares (for equity securities), or the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable) and the principal amount (for debt securities) for each Covered Security;
othe nature of the transaction (e.g., buy or sell);
othe Covered Security identifier (i.e., CUSIP or symbol);
othe execution price of the Covered Security;
othe name of the broker-dealer or bank executing the transaction; and
othe date that the report was submitted to the applicable Chief Compliance Officer.

 

·Independent Directors/Trustees on the Invesco ETPs Board, are not subject to:
   
opre-clearance requirements;
oproviding account statements or trade confirmations;
oCovered Account or Annual Holdings reporting requirements; or
oshort-term trading restrictions.
   
C.Independent Directors/Trustees on the Invesco Canada Fund Board:

 

·shall complete a Quarterly Transaction Report only if the Independent Director/Trustee knew or, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling their official duties as an Independent Director/Trustee, should have known, that during the 15-days immediately preceding or following the date of the Independent Director/Trustee’s transaction in a Covered Security:
   
oan Invesco Canada Fund purchased or sold the Covered Security; or
oan Invesco Canada Fund, Invesco Canada Ltd. or any sub-adviser to such Invesco Canada Fund considered purchasing or selling the Covered Security.

 

·Independent Directors/Trustees who are subject to the Quarterly Transaction Reporting requirement, shall request the Quarterly Transaction Report and complete the report with the following information for each transaction during the quarter:
   
othe date of the transaction, the Covered Security name, number of shares (for equity securities), or the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable) and the principal amount (for debt securities) for each Covered Security;
othe nature of the transaction (e.g., buy or sell);
othe Covered Security identifier (i.e., CUSIP or symbol);
othe execution price of the Covered Security;
othe name of the broker-dealer or bank executing the transaction; and
othe date that the report was submitted to the applicable Chief Compliance Officer.

 

·Independent Directors/Trustees on the Invesco Canada Fund Board, are not subject to:

 

opre-clearance requirements;
oproviding account statements or trade confirmations;
oCovered Account or Annual Holdings reporting requirements; or
oshort-term trading restrictions.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Exhibit 99.(r)(ii)

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND PERSONAL TRADING POLICY FOR EMEA

 

Applicable To

·   All Covered Persons (as defined below)

·   All entities listed on Exhibit A (collectively, “Invesco EMEA”)

Departments Impacted ·   Global Ethics Office” or “GEO” (as defined in the Policy)
Risk Addressed by Policy

·   Clients are harmed because of a Covered Person’s conflict of interest, violation of fiduciary duties or fraudulent/deceptive personal trading activities.

Relevant Law & Related Resources

·   Rule 11.7 and 11.7A under the Conduct of Business Sourcebook (UK)

·   Principle 8 under FCA's Principles for Businesses (UK)

·   Article 321-42 to 45 under AMF Rule Book (France)

·   Section 5.5.6. Personal Transactions under Circular CSSF 18/698 (Luxembourg)

·   Section BT 2 of BaFin Circular 05/2018 (MaComp); § 41 WpIG, Article 28 and 29 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/565; Article 16 Directive 2014/65/EU (Germany)

·   Section 5. Avoidance/Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest under Swiss Funds & Asset Management Association Code of Conduct (Switzerland)

·   Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act (“Rule 17j-1”)

·   Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act (“Rule 204A-1”)

Approved By

·   Global Ethics Office (Owner): November 2022

·   Invesco Asset Management Limited (IAML): December 2022

·   Invesco Management SA (IMSA) Board: November 2022

·   Invesco Asset Management Deutschland (IAMD) Board: December 2022

·   Invesco Real Estate Management (IREM) Board: December 2022

·   Invesco Fund Managers Limited (IFML) Board: December 2022

·   Invesco Investment Management Limited (IIML) Board: December 2022

·   Invesco Asset Management (IAMCH) Board: November 2022

·   Invesco Pensions Limited (IPL)

Version Date January 2025

 

GLOSSARY

 

Background. Invesco is required to adopt and enforce a written code of ethics as well as to establish, maintain and apply policies and procedures that establish a system of controls to comply with securities laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the management of conflicts of interest matters, which may include personal trading activities.

 

This Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for EMEA (the “Code”) requires that Covered Persons (as defined below) adhere to high standards of ethical conduct and act with integrity in accordance with their fiduciary duties. The Code is intended to comply with the requirements of the Rules listed in the summary box above (collectively, the “Rules”).

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Definitions.

 

Beneficial Ownership” means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to share in the economic interest or profit derived from the ownership of, or transaction in, a Covered Security.

 

“Client Account” means an Invesco Fund, a separately managed account, a personal trust or estate, an Employee benefit trust or any other account for which an Invesco EMEA Adviser provides portfolio management, investment advisory, sub-advisory or other ancillary services.

 

Compliance Reporting System means any third party, web-based application utilized by Covered Persons, excluding Independent Directors/Trustees, for compliance reporting (i.e., personal securities transactions, investment accounts, outside activities, etc.).

 

“Contingent Worker” means any Invesco consultant or contractor with access to the firm’s internal network systems.

 

“Covered Account” means any account that holds or may hold a Covered Security whether directly or through Beneficial Ownership, and as further described in Section B.1 below.

 

“Covered Person” means any of the following:

 

·Employee (interns, part-time or full-time);
·Contingent Worker;
·Director or Officer of Invesco Ltd.;
·any individual who is conducting business on behalf of an Invesco Adviser or affiliate and has access to the firm’s internal network systems or offices;
·any person meeting the definition of “Access Person”, as defined in Rule 17j-1 or Rule 204A-1; or
·anyone who, at the discretion of GEO, is deemed to be a Covered Person subject to the requirements of this Code.

 

With respect to the Code’s personal trading requirements and procedures, Independent Non-Executive Directors/Trustees (defined below) shall only be subject to those provisions set-forth under Section C.

 

“Covered Security” generally means, investment instruments or assets (public or private), unless otherwise exempt from the definition, are as follows:

 

·stocks/shares (e.g., common, preferred or restricted) or bonds (e.g., corporate or municipal);
·Exchange Traded Products (defined below);
·Closed-end Funds and REITs;
·Instruments that are convertible or exchangeable into a Covered Security;
·Derivatives (e.g., options, futures, forwards, ADRs (American Depository Receipts)/GDRs (Global Depositary Receipts), swaps, commodities, warrants/rights, or other obligation whose value is derived or based on any of the above;

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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·Limited Offerings/Limited Liability Company interests (defined below);
·any Invesco Open-end Mutual Fund; and
·any security/instrument that can be traded by an Invesco Adviser or affiliate on behalf of a client.

 

The following securities are exempt from the definition of “Covered Security:”

 

·direct obligations of a Sovereign Government, its respective agencies, instrumentalities and any government sponsored enterprises;
·bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper or high- quality short-term debt instruments (including repurchase agreements);
·shares of an open-end fund for which Invesco does not serve as an investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter;
·money market equivalent funds;
·investment trusts that invest exclusively in open-end mutual funds for which Invesco does not serve as an investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter;
·any unit investment trust (including those advised or sub-advised by an Invesco EMEA Adviser);
·principal-protected or linked-note investment products; and
·physical commodities (including foreign currencies).

 

“Delegated Discretionary Account” means an account for which a Covered Person has written evidence that decision-making authority has been completely relinquished to a professional money manager who is not a family member or not otherwise subject to this Code and over which the Covered Person has no direct or indirect influence or control.

 

“Employee” means an individual who serves as a director or officer of an Invesco EMEA entity or who is employed on a full-time or part-time basis by an Invesco EMEA entity or subsidiary thereof. For purposes of this Code, the term Employee also includes the Employee’s Immediate Family Members.

 

“ETP Access Person” means a Covered Person who has access to Material Non-public Information attached to Invesco ETPs including but not limited to any client transactions of Invesco ETPs and/or the holdings of an Invesco ETP or anyone else determined as such and notified by Compliance.

 

“Exchange-Traded Product” or “ETP” means a security traded on an exchange that: (i) tracks an underlying security, index or financial instrument; or (ii) uses a benchmark index but whose manager(s) may change sector allocations, market-time trades, or deviate from the index. The term “ETP” includes, among other things, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and exchange- traded commodities (“ETCs”).

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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“Global Ethics Office” or “GEO” means the team within Compliance that is responsible for monitoring conflicts in connection with a Covered Person’s personal trading, political contributions, outside business activities, and gifts and entertainment.

 

“Immediate Family Member” means a Covered Person’s:

 

·Spouse
·Domestic partner or equivalent (i.e., PACS (Civil Solidarity Pact), common law marriage, etc.)
oGenerally considered to be a permanent committed relationship; and
oWith Beneficial Ownership of their partner’s Covered Accounts.

·Child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law who shares the Covered Person’s household.

 

A roommate who is not a domestic partner or does not otherwise have one of the attributes above shall not be deemed to be an Immediate Family Member.

 

Questions regarding the applicability of this definition should be directed to the Global Ethics Office.

 

“Independent Non-Executive Directors/Trustees” means any director or trustee of an Invesco EMEA entity that has no other executive responsibilities or engagement in an Invesco Fund’s day-to-day activities beyond the scope of their duties as a director/trustee and does not make, participate in or obtain information regarding the purchase or sale of any Client Account’s portfolio securities as part of their service as a director/trustee.

 

“Initial Public Offering” or “IPO” means (i) any Covered Security which is being offered for the first time on a recognized stock exchange; or (ii) an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act, the issuer of which immediately before such registration was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended or foreign regulatory equivalents thereof.

 

“Invesco EMEA” means, collectively, the regulated entities outlined in Exhibit A.

 

“Invesco EMEA Adviser” means, collectively, the SEC-registered investment advisers outlined in Exhibit A.

 

“Investment Person” generally means a Covered Person (excluding Independent Directors/Trustees) who:

 

·as part of their regular functions or duties makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities in a Client Account (e.g., portfolio managers, securities analyst or traders); or

 

·works directly with or is in the same department/investment team as a portfolio manager and is likely to be exposed to sensitive information relating to those Client Accounts for which the portfolio manager has responsibility (including those who serve an administrative function).

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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”Limited Offering or Private Placement” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (“33 Act”), including but not limited to those offered according to Section 4(a)(2), 4(a)5, 4(a)6 or pursuant to Rule 504 or 506 under the 33 Act (e.g., Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), private equity fund or hedge fund, crowdfunding, private real estate investments such as Real Investment Trusts (REITs) or LLCs/LPs).

 

“MNPI” or “Material Non-public Information” means information not known to the public that may, if disclosed, have a significant impact on the price of a financial instrument and that a reasonable investor would likely consider relevant or important when making an investment decision.

 

“Rights Issue” or “Rights Offer” means a dividend of subscription rights to buy additional securities in a company made to the company's existing security holders.

 

“Robo-Advisor Account” means a Covered Person’s account that holds, or can hold, Covered Securities that is maintained on a digital platform to provide automated, algorithm- driven investment decisions with little to no human intervention.

 

"Special Purpose Acquisition Company" or "SPAC" is a company without commercial operations and formed specifically to raise capital through an IPO for the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company.

 

A.POLICY.

 

Invesco EMEA has a fiduciary relationship with respect to each of their Client Accounts. As such, Covered Persons shall:

 

·place the interests of clients ahead of their personal interests;
·conduct their personal trading in a manner consistent with this Code and other applicable policies to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest, or any abuse of position of trust and responsibility;
·comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations; and
·keep all MNPI (as defined above) confidential.

 

Invesco EMEA and Covered Persons are prohibited from:

 

·profiting personally by using MNPI and disclosing MNPI to any person (except as may be permitted by law and in accordance with Invesco’s insider trading policies);
·employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any Client Account;
·making an untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state a material fact to a client that, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, are necessary to make the statement non-misleading;
·engaging in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit to a Client Account; or
·engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to a Client Account or securities (including price manipulation).

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Invesco EMEA maintains other compliance policies that may be directly applicable to a Covered Person’s specific responsibilities and duties and that address additional standards of conduct for Employees. These policies are available on the Invesco Ltd. intranet site and include, but are not limited to:

 

·         Global Code of Conduct

·         Global Outside Business Activities

·         Global Insider Trading ·         EMEA Non-Monetary Benefits Policy
·         Global Fraud Escalation ·         Global Political Contributions

 

Violations of any of the policies listed above may result in increased escalation. For further detail, refer to Section D regarding violations and sanctions.

 

B.PERSONAL TRADING REQUIREMENTS.

 

1.Covered Account Requirements for Covered Persons.

 

Covered Persons are required to report all investment accounts (i.e., Covered Accounts) for which they, or Immediate Family Members, have Beneficial Ownership, or have discretion, control or interests, whether such discretion, control or interests are exercised or not. It is presumed that a Covered Person can control accounts held by Immediate Family Members living in the same household.

 

UK Covered Accounts must be held with a regulated financial institution listed on the UK Designated/Approved Broker List1 (any active UK covered accounts as of the date of this code are exempt from this requirement, requirement is only applicable to new employees and new broker accounts.)

 

Covered Accounts include but are not limited to the following:

 

Brokerage Accounts Discretionary/Robo-Advisor Accounts2 Employee Stock Plans (e.g., ESPPs, ESOPs or ISOs)
Retirement Accounts (e.g., IRAs, SIPPs, Superannuation, iDeCo, RRSP, TFSA or any other local equivalent) Transfer Agent Accounts that hold reportable Covered Securities (e.g., Invesco open- end mutual fund account) Mutual Fund, Collective Investment or WRAP Accounts, which hold Invesco open-end funds
Pension Plans, which hold Covered Securities (excluding Invesco open-end funds) Stock and Shares ISAs (i.e., Investment ISA)

 

UTMAs and UGMAs

Invesco 401k, and the separate Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account (“PCRA”) 529 Accounts that hold Covered Securities and the Invesco CollegeBound 529 plan  

 

1The UK Designated/Approved Broker List is accessible through the Compliance Reporting System.

2Discretionary and Robo-Advisor Accounts must be disclosed. New and existing Discretionary and Robo- Advisor Accounts must be approved by GEO. The Covered Person must provide supporting documentation (e.g., managed account agreement) and other required information to GEO, including duplicate statements.

 

Discretionary and Robo-Advisor Accounts are not required to be held on the UK Designated/Approved Broker list.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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UK Covered Persons (not applicable to contingent workers) are required to ensure that Covered Accounts held with a broker located in the UK are maintained:

 

·with a financial institution on the UK Designated/Approved Broker List (which may be accessed via the Compliance Reporting System); and
·in a qualified retirement plan that a Covered Person is not legally or unilaterally able to transfer.

 

All other EMEA Covered Accounts shall be maintained with a regulated financial institution.

 

Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds shall be held:

 

·in an account maintained with a financial institution (or broker on the Designated/Approved Broker List for UK Covered accounts);
·in a qualified retirement plan that a Covered Person is not legally or unilaterally able to transfer (Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds in Employee pension plans are not required to be reported);
·a Covered Person’s Invesco 401(k) or equivalent, and the Invesco CollegeBound 529 plan; OR
·directly with the Invesco Mutual Funds’ transfer agent.

 

Covered Persons may not purchase or hold Invesco affiliated open-end mutual funds beyond the above restrictions. This requirement does not apply to other Invesco securities.

 

All Other Covered Accounts (e.g., external retirement accounts, stock plans with third-party administrators):

 

·Covered Persons shall direct the financial institution to submit statements and confirmations (or contract notes) to GEO;
·If the financial institution is unable to provide transactional statements and confirmations (or contract notes) to Invesco, the Covered Person must notify GEO through the GEO Support Portal and will be responsible for submitting those documents upon request;
·Trade confirmations (or contract notes) must be provided no later than 15 calendar days from the date of execution; and
·Transactional Statements must be provided at least annually.

 

2.Statements (Transactions) and Trade Confirmations (or Contract Notes).

 

·Employees shall maintain a Covered Account with a financial institution that provides electronic trade confirmations (or contract notes) and statements directly to GEO.
·If the financial institution fails or is unable to provide an electronic link or a hard copy, the Covered Person shall be personally responsible for providing transactional statements and trade confirmations (or contract notes) for the Covered Account(s) to GEO through the GEO Support Portal or where applicable, to their local Compliance upon request.
·All Covered Accounts must be reported in the Compliance Reporting System before trading begins or upon hire. Statements are not required for accounts that do not meet the Covered Accounts definition, such as accounts that are only able to invest in unaffiliated Open-end Mutual Funds.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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3.Pre-Clearance of Personal Trades.

 

Covered Persons and their Immediate Family Members are required to pre-clear Covered Securities transactions through the Compliance Reporting System as illustrated in Exhibit B.

 

Covered Persons are prohibited from executing a security transaction (trade) in a Covered Account until they are notified by GEO that the trade was approved. Covered Persons must carefully read the automated alert from the Compliance Reporting System, which includes the request status (i.e., approved or denied).

 

Covered Accounts in which a Covered Person has beneficial interest but does not exercise control (e.g., accounts for Immediate Family Members), all trade requests are required to be submitted through the Covered Person.

 

GEO will notify the Covered Person if the trade request was approved or denied.

 

Trade Authorization (i.e., Market Orders). Trade requests which have been submitted and approved within the Compliance Reporting System prior to market close are only valid for the current business day, unless the approval is granted after the close of the trading day (e.g., trading on a foreign market or OTC), then approval will not expire until the end of the next trading day.

 

If the trade is not executed within the approval window, a Covered Person shall be required to submit a new pre-clearance request and must receive approval if the Covered Person intends to trade in that security.

 

Prohibited Trade Orders. Covered Persons are required to avoid executing transactions outside of the approval window. Good ‘Til Canceled (GTC), Limit Orders and Stop-Limit Orders among other orders beyond the same trading day are prohibited.

 

Pre-clearance of Limited Offerings and Private Placements. Covered Persons and their Immediate Family Members must:

 

·Pre-clear investments in Limited Offerings and Private Placements and receive approval from GEO before investing and allow a minimum of three to five business days before the intended investment date to allow ample time for review.
·Submit a Private Placement pre-clearance request through the Compliance Reporting System and include a detailed description of the investment and relevant documentation (e.g., offering deck, offering/private placement memorandum and term sheet).

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Additionally, Covered Persons seeking to invest in a Limited Offering/Private Placement sponsored by Invesco Ltd. and its affiliates:

 

·Must pre-clear all transactions through the Compliance Reporting System if the investment is made alongside third-party investors.
·May transact without pre-clearance if Invesco offers the investment exclusively to Employees.

 

In all instances, Limited Offerings and Private Placements are subject to ongoing reporting obligations. Please consult Legal and the Global Ethics Office if you have questions about these requirements before investing.

 

Exemptions from Pre-clearance. Purchases or sales of the following are exempt from the pre-clearance requirement:

 

·Covered Securities in an approved Delegated Discretionary/Robo-Advisor Account;
·Invesco Mutual Funds (excluding closed-end Invesco Funds);
·Invesco ETPs (this Invesco ETP pre-clearance exemption does not apply to ETP Access Persons);
·Unaffiliated broad-based ETPs; (this pre-clearance exemption does not apply to single-stock ETPs);
·Currencies, cryptocurrencies and commodities, including trusts invested entirely in a currency, cryptocurrency, or commodity;
·Securities held for Employees or an Employee’s Immediate Family Members in Invesco registered group retirement savings plans offered by an Invesco Ltd and affiliate; and
·Shares purchased through an Employee share purchase plan or shares acquired under an equity awards program are also exempt from pre- clearance. Once the shares have vested, the sale of these Invesco shares is required to be pre-cleared.

 

4.Trading Restrictions/Prohibitions.

 

Blackout Period.

 

Covered Persons are generally prohibited from trading any Covered Security in a personal account on a day during which a Client Account has a pending “buy” or “sell” order in the same Covered Security.

 

In addition:

 

·Investment Persons with knowledge of trading in a Covered Security for a Client Account are prohibited from personal trading within three trading days before and three trading days after such Client Account transaction; and
·All other Covered Persons with knowledge of trading in a Covered Security for a Client Account are prohibited from personal trading in the same Covered Security within two trading days after such Client Account transaction.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Blackout Period Exemptions. Blackout period restrictions may be exempt if purchases and sales of a Covered Security comply with certain conditions (e.g., large market capitalization, daily trading limit, and certain categories of staff) as may be determined from time to time by the GEO. Refer to the FAQ for details.

 

Short-Term Trading Restriction for all Covered Persons.

 

·Covered Persons shall not profit from the purchase and sale of a Covered Security within 60 calendar days of the trade date of the same Covered Security. Gains are calculated on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) method.
·This restriction shall apply to all Covered Securities, including those which are exempt from pre-clearance (e.g., Invesco Funds). Transactions in unaffiliated ETPs (except for single stock ETPs), currencies, cryptocurrencies and commodities based on an index of securities, currencies, cryptocurrencies, commodities and trusts invested entirely in a currency, cryptocurrency, or commodity are exempt from the 60-day holding period.
·If a Covered Person trades a Covered Security within the applicable holding period, the full amount of any profit from the trade, which has not been adjusted to account for applicable taxes or related fees, shall be disgorged to a charity of Invesco Ltd.’s choice.
·Covered Persons are exempt from the 60-day holding period if the trade transaction is executed at a loss.

 

Other Prohibitions. Covered Persons shall be prohibited from:

 

·trading in Futures, Swaps and Options based on common stock and affiliated ETPs;
·trading a Covered Security of an issuer on the applicable Restricted List(s);
·purchasing a Covered Security in an IPO or secondary offering;
·purchasing a publicly listed SPAC when the targeted company is known;
·participating in an investment club;
·excessive short-term trading of any Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds according to the applicable limitations outlined in the respective prospectus or other fund disclosure documents;
·engaging in personal trading of Covered Securities that is excessive or that compromises Invesco EMEA’s fiduciary duty to Client Accounts, as determined by the GEO in its discretion;
·effecting short sales of a Covered Security in a Covered Account; and
·trading options on common stock, single-stock ETPs, or Invesco ETPs when the underlying security is either not held or has been held fewer than 60 days.

 

The GEO may provide an exception to the Other restrictions, purchases and sales of a Covered Security subject to certain specifications (e.g., market capitalization, trading volume, certain categories of staff.)

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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5.Special Requirements for Transactions in Invesco Ltd. Stock.

 

Transactions in Invesco Ltd. stock are subject to the pre-clearance and reporting requirements set forth above. Covered Persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions in publicly traded options such as puts, calls, and other derivative securities relating to Invesco Ltd.’s securities, on an exchange or any other organized market. Covered Persons should refer to the Global Insider Trading policy whenever they wish to transact in Invesco Ltd. securities in a Covered Account.

 

6.Covered Person Reporting and Periodic Certifications.

 

Certification Requirements. All Covered Persons are required to complete a Code of Ethics acknowledgement on their employment start date with Invesco, and annually thereafter, to acknowledge and certify that they have received, reviewed, understand, and shall comply with the Code. In addition, Covered Persons will be required to acknowledge receipt and understanding of any material amendments or new interpretations of the Code.

 

Reporting Requirements. All Covered Persons are subject to initial (upon joining Invesco) and ongoing reporting requirements. These reports will be reviewed by GEO and are intended solely for internal use and are confidential unless required to be disclosed to a regulatory or government agency.

 

Summary of Reporting Obligations

 

New Hires3 Covered Persons

Upon joining the firm

(due in 10 calendar days)

Quarterly

(due no later than 30 calendar days after the calendar quarter-end)

Annual

(due no later than 30 calendar days from year-end)

Covered Accounts/ Initial Holdings Report

(including a list of all Covered Securities and private/limited holdings. All holdings must be as of the Covered Persons employment start date)

Quarterly Transaction Report (excluding dividends reinvested, private/limited offering transactions previously disclosed, auto investment plans, payroll deductions, and transactions executed in an approved Discretionary/Robo-Advisor Account)

Annual Holdings & Private Investments Report

(excluding holdings in an approved Discretionary Account, and any holdings designated as non-reportable on Exhibit B)

Initial Compliance Policies Certification   Annual Compliance Policies Certification

 

3Any New Hire who fails to submit the Covered Accounts/Initial Holdings Report (IHR) within the (10) calendar days of their employment start date will be prohibited from engaging in any personal securities transactions until such report is submitted and may be issued a violation and subject to other sanctions.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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In addition, the Quarterly Transaction Report can exclude the following transactions executed in Covered Securities that are either:

 

·transactions in a Limited Offerings that have been previously disclosed to, and approved by, the GEO;
·transactions in an automatic investment plan,
·pre-authorized checking plan;
·dividend reinvestment plan;
·payroll deduction plan;
·transactions executed in a Delegated Discretionary Account; and
·transactions executed in Covered Securities that are either:
odirectly with an affiliated transfer agent; or
oin the Covered Person’s registered group retirement savings plan.

 

New Covered Accounts. All Covered Persons must report any new Covered Account for themselves or any Immediate Family Member within 30 calendar days of opening. Unless the account has been reported, no personal securities transactions can occur within the account.

 

Exhibit B. Attached as Exhibit B is an Overview of Personal Trading Requirements that provides a summary of certain requirements set forth under this Code. The Overview is not meant to serve as a replacement for reading the Code.

 

Individuals who meet the definition of a Covered Person and are on a formal leave of absence or garden leave without access to Invesco systems are not considered Covered Persons during the time they are on leave.

 

C.APPLICABILITY OF CODE TO INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS/ TRUSTEES.

 

Independent Non-Executive Directors/Trustees shall: (i) pre-clear any sale or purchase in IVZ shares prior to executing such transactions; (ii) report any potential or actual conflicts of interest; and (iii) submit an annual certification of compliance with this Code, with the GEO.

 

D.VIOLATIONS AND SANCTIONS.

 

Covered Persons shall report violations and potential violations of this Code to GEO, the applicable CCO or their delegate. Violations and potential violations of the Code are investigated by the GEO.

 

If a determination is made that a Covered Person has violated the Code, a sanction may be imposed in accordance with the escalation procedure. Sanctions vary based on the severity of the violation(s) and include, but are not limited to:

 

·a letter of education, a letter of warning or letter of reprimand;
·reversal of trades processed in violation of the Code;
·disgorgement of profits earned in the Code violation;

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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·prohibition of personal trading abilities;
·suspension, demotion or change in the Covered Person’s responsibilities;
·termination of employment;
·referral to civil or criminal authorities, where appropriate; or
·any other sanction, as may be determined by the GEO, CCO and/or applicable governance committee.

 

The GEO maintains internal procedures regarding the violation investigation, sanction determination, and sanction enforcement process.

 

In mitigating or eliminating certain conflicts of interest that arise in connection with a Covered Person’s personal trading, a Covered Person may be required to sell a Covered Security that was previously approved. In the event the sale results in a loss, the Covered Person will not be entitled to reimbursement for such loss. In the event of a gain, the Covered Person may be required to disgorge any profit.

 

E.CODE ADMINISTRATION.

 

In general, the GEO shall be responsible for the administration and oversight of the Code and shall be responsible for:

 

·identifying Covered Persons, providing Covered Persons with the Code and notifying them of their reporting obligations under the Code, and ensuring that Covered Persons submit the required certifications and reports required under the Code;
·reviewing the personal trading activities of Covered Persons to identify potential or actual violations of the Code and promptly investigating such matters to resolve and make the appropriate remediations, if needed; and
·promptly report any violations of the Code in writing to the applicable CCO, Invesco UK Conflicts of Interest Committee or any other relevant governing bodies applicable to this Code, as applicable.

 

In very limited circumstances, certain exceptions to any provision of the Code may be granted on a case-by-case basis by the applicable CCO or their delegate. Such exceptions shall be documented in writing by the GEO.

 

Any questions regarding this Code should be directed to the GEO, which may be contacted using the GEO support portal via the intranet.

 

F.REPORTING.

 

Quarterly: At least quarterly, each applicable CCO shall furnish a written report to the applicable Board regarding material violations of the Code by Covered Persons.

 

Annually: No less frequently than annually, each applicable CCO shall furnish a written report to the applicable Board that describes significant issues arising under the Code since the last report to the Board, including information about material violations of the Code and sanctions imposed in response to material violations.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

The Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for EMEA shall apply to the regulated entities listed below, as well as their applicable branches (collectively referred to as “Invesco EMEA”):

 

Germany

 

§Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH (registered as an investment adviser with the SEC) and the branch in Austria

 

Ireland

 

§Invesco Investment Management Limited

 

Luxembourg

 

§Invesco Management S.A and the Branches in Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and Spain
§Invesco Real Estate Management S.a.r.l (registered as an investment adviser with the SEC) and the branches in France.

 

Switzerland

 

§Invesco Asset Management (Schweiz) AG

 

United Kingdom

 

§Invesco Asset Management Limited (registered as an investment adviser with the SEC)
§Invesco Fund Management Limited
§Invesco Pensions Limited

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

OVERVIEW OF PERSONAL TRADING REQUIREMENTS

 

Below are some, but not all, of the common investment instruments and key actions required of Covered Persons under the Code.

 

Gifting or bequeathing Covered Securities (i.e., the in-kind transfer, trading or gifting of stock shares) to charities or family members must be pre-cleared and is prohibited if the family member is a public official or connected to Invesco’s business.

 

Security Type Pre-Clearance Reporting 60-Day Profit
Limit Restriction
Equities

Common/Preferred Stocks

(which includes in-kind transfers, trading or gifting/bequeathing)

Yes Yes Yes
IPOs PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Rights Issue or Rights Offer1 Yes Yes No
Trusts invested entirely in a currency or commodity

No

Yes

No

Exchange-Traded Products (i.e., ETFs, ETCs and ETNs)

Non-ETP Access Persons:

Invesco ETPs

No Yes (N/A –Employee pensions) Yes (N/A –Employee pensions)
ETP Access Persons2: Invesco ETP’s Yes Yes Yes

Unaffiliated broad-based ETPs

(apart from single stock ETPs

No Yes No

Single-stock ETPs and unaffiliated ETPs with a limited number of underlying securities (20 or less) that include Covered Securities

Yes

Yes

Yes

Cryptocurrencies3
Cryptocurrencies No No No
Trusts invested entirely in a cryptocurrency No Yes No
Derivatives
Futures, Swaps and Options based on common stock and affiliated ETPs

PROHIBITED

PROHIBITED

PROHIBITED

Futures, Swaps and Options Based on an index, currencies, commodities, cryptocurrency and unaffiliated ETPs

No

Yes

No

 

1 Preclearance is required on the day of electing to participate in the Rights issue or Offer.

2 ETP Access Persons defined on page 3 of the Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy.

3 Cryptocurrency exemptions are subject to change and requirements may be applied to certain Employees upon notification by Compliance. Some digital assets claiming to be cryptocurrency could be deemed securities by regulators. Please contact the Global Ethics Office if you have questions regarding the requirements of your digital assets under the Code.

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

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Security Type Pre-Clearance Reporting 60-Day Profit Limit
Restriction
Funds
Invesco Open-end Funds

 

No

Yes (N/A –

Employee pensions)

Yes (N/A – Employee pensions)
Invesco Closed-end Funds Yes Yes Yes
Unaffiliated Open-end Funds No No No
Unaffiliated Closed-end Funds Yes Yes Yes
Fixed Income/Bonds

Securities which are direct obligations of an OECD country (e.g., US Treasury bonds, Gilts)

No

No

No

Certificates of Deposit No No No
Money Market Funds No No No
Municipal Bonds Yes Yes Yes
Corporate Bonds Yes Yes Yes
Structured products linked to indices No Yes No

Invesco Ltd. Corporate Securities

(including the in-kind transfer, trading or gifting/bequeathing)

IVZ and IVR shares Yes Yes Yes
Sale of IVZ shares acquired through ESPP, RSA and LTA

Yes

Yes

No

Derivatives on IVZ, short-sells of IVZ or IVZ share transactions in Professionally Managed Accounts

PROHIBITED

PROHIBITED

N/A

Long-Term Fund Awards
Invesco Fund grants awarded No Yes No
Selling of Invesco Fund grants Yes Yes No
Limited Offerings/Private Placements*
Non-Invesco offerings Yes Yes Yes
Invesco offerings   Yes** Yes Yes

 

*Covered Persons may not engage in a Limited Offering without first: (a) obtaining approval prior to making or participating in the investment, and (b) provide the appropriate offering documentation (e.g., Offering Deck, Offering Memorandum, Term Sheet or Offering Presentation) to GEO for the review. Limited Investment opportunities offered directly from Invesco to Employees do not require pre-clearance, unless otherwise directed in the offer.

 

**Covered Persons must pre-clear activity in Limited Offerings/Private Placements sponsored by Invesco Ltd. and its affiliates with GEO unless Invesco offers the investment exclusively to Employees.  

 

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

 

16

 

Exhibit 99.(r)(iii)

CODE OF ETHICS AND PERSONAL TRADING POLICY FOR APAC

Applicable To

· All Covered Persons (as defined below)

· All entities listed on Exhibit A (collectively, “Invesco APAC”)

Departments Impacted

·  Global Ethics Office (‘GEO’)

·  Compliance

Risk Addressed by Policy Clients are harmed because of a Covered Person’s conflict of interest, violation of fiduciary duties or fraudulent/deceptive personal trading activities.
Relevant Law & Related Resources

·  Code and Guidelines issued by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong

·  Code and Guidelines issued by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority in Hong Kong

·  Interim Regulation on the Administration of Privately Raised Investment Funds in China

·  Register of Interests in Listed Specified Products under Regulation 4(1) of the Securities and Futures (Licensing and Conduct of Business) Regulations.

·  Personal Conduct and Trading under Para 2.12 of the Code of Ethics & Standards of Professional Conduct issued by the Investment Management Association of Singapore.

·  Rule of Investment Trust Association, Japan

·  Japan Investment Advisers Association

·  The Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act), Australia

·  Securities Investment Trust and Consulting Act in Taiwan.

·  Regulations Governing Responsible Persons and Associated Persons of Securities Investment Trust Enterprises (SITE) in Taiwan.

·  Taiwan Management Code for SITE

·  Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act (“Rule 204A-1”)

Approved By

·  Greater China Risk Management Committee: November 2022

·  Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited Risk Management Committee: January 2023

·  Invesco Australia Limited Risk Management Committee: January 2023

Effective Date   January 2025

GLOSSARY

Background.

Invesco is required to adopt and enforce a written code of ethics as well as to establish, maintain and apply policies and procedures that establish a system of controls to comply with securities laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the management of conflicts of interest matters, which may include personal trading activities.

This Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for APAC (the “Code”) requires that Covered Persons (as defined below) adhere to high standards of ethical conduct and act with integrity in accordance with their fiduciary duties. The Code is intended to comply with the requirements of the Rules listed in the summary box above (collectively, the “Rules”).

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance. 

1

Definitions.

“Beneficial Ownership” means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to share in the economic interest or profit derived from the ownership of, or transaction in, a Covered Security.

“Client Account” means an Invesco Fund, a separately managed account, a personal trust or estate, an Employee benefit trust or any other account for which an Invesco APAC Adviser provides portfolio management, investment advisory, sub-advisory or other ancillary services.

Compliance Reporting System means any third party, web-based application utilized by Covered Persons, excluding Independent Directors/Trustees, for compliance reporting (i.e., personal securities transactions, investment accounts, outside activities, etc.).

“Contingent Worker” means any Invesco consultant or contractor with access to the firm’s internal network systems.

“Covered Account” means any account that holds or may hold a Covered Security whether directly or through Beneficial Ownership, and as further described in Section B.1 below.

“Covered Person” means any of the following:

·Employee (interns, part-time or full-time);
·Contingent Worker;
·Director or Officer of Invesco Ltd.;
·any individual who is conducting business on behalf of an Invesco Adviser or affiliate, and has access to the firm’s internal network systems or offices;
·any person meeting the definition of “Access Person,” as defined in Rule 17j-1 or Rule 204A-1; or
·anyone who, at the discretion of GEO, is deemed to be a Covered Person subject to the requirements of this Code.

“Covered Security” generally means, investment instruments or assets (public or private), unless otherwise exempt from the definition, are as follows:

·Stocks/shares (e.g., common, preferred or restricted) or bonds (e.g., corporate or municipal);
·Exchange Traded Products (defined below);
·Closed-end Funds and REITs;
·Instruments that are convertible or exchangeable into a Covered Security;
·Derivatives (e.g., options, futures, forwards, ADRs (American Depository Receipts)/GDRs (Global Depositary Receipts), swaps, commodities, warrants/rights), or other obligation whose value is derived or based on any of the above;
·Limited Offerings/Limited Liability Company interests (defined below);
·any Invesco Open-end Mutual Fund; and
·any security/instrument that can be traded by an Invesco Adviser or affiliate on behalf of a client.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance. 

2

The following securities are exempt from the definition of “Covered Security:”

·direct obligations of a Sovereign Government and their respective agencies, instrumentalities and government-sponsored enterprises;
·bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper or high- quality short-term debt instruments (including repurchase agreements);
·shares of an open-end mutual fund for which Invesco does not serve as an investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter;
·money market equivalent funds;
·investment trusts that invest exclusively in open-end mutual funds for which Invesco does not serve as an investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter;
·any unit investment trust (including those advised or sub-advised by an Invesco Ltd. affiliate);
·principal-protected or linked-note investment products;
·physical commodities (including foreign currencies); and
·Wealth Management Products in China discretionary managed by Banks/Trust/Insurance companies deemed discretionary.

“Delegated Discretionary Account” means an account for which a Covered Person has written evidence that decision-making authority has been completely relinquished to a professional money manager who is not a family member or not otherwise subject to this Code and over which the Covered Person has no direct or indirect influence or control.

“Employee” means an individual who serves as a director or officer of an Invesco APAC entity or who is employed on a full-time or part-time basis by an Invesco APAC entity or subsidiary thereof. For purposes of this Code, the term Employee also includes the Employee’s Immediate Family Members.

“ETP Access Person” means a Covered Person who has access to Material Non-public Information attached to Invesco ETPs including but not limited to any client’s purchase or sale of Invesco ETPs and/or the holdings of an Invesco ETP or anyone else determined as such and as notified by Compliance.

“Exchange-Traded Product” or “ETP” means a security traded on an exchange that: (i) tracks an underlying security, index or financial instrument; or (ii) uses a benchmark index but whose manager(s) may change sector allocations, market-time trades, or deviate from the index. The term “ETP” includes, among other things, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and exchange- traded commodities (“ETCs”).

“Global Ethics Office” or “GEO” means the team within Compliance that is responsible for monitoring conflicts in connection with a Covered Person’s personal trading, political contributions, outside business activities and gifts and entertainment.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance. 

3

IHKL Employee” means a Covered Person who is an Employee of Invesco Hong Kong Limited and Invesco Hong Kong Limited Representative Office in Korea.

“IIMSL Employee” means a Covered person who is an Employee of Invesco Investment Management (Shanghai) Limited.

“IGRE Employee” means a Covered Person who is an Employee of Invesco Global Real Estate Asia Pacific, Inc. Japan Branch

IAMJ Access Person” means an IAMJ Employee categorized as supervised persons who has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients' purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any reportable and anyone else determined and notified by Compliance.

IAMJ Employee” means a Covered Person who is an Employee of Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited.

“IAMSL Employee” means Covered Person who is an Employee of Invesco Asset Management Singapore Ltd.

“IIPL Employee” means Covered Person who is an Employee of Invesco (India) Pvt. Ltd.

“Immediate Family Member” means a Covered Person’s:

·Spouse
·Domestic partner or equivalent (i.e., PACS (Civil Solidarity Pact), common law marriage, etc.)
oGenerally considered to be a permanent committed relationship; and
oWith Beneficial Ownership of their partner’s Covered Accounts
·Child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law who shares the Covered Person’s household

A roommate who is not a domestic partner or does not otherwise have one of the attributes above shall not be deemed to be an Immediate Family Member.

Questions regarding the applicability of this definition should be directed to the Global Ethics Office.

“Independent Non-Executive Directors/Trustees” means any director or trustee of an Invesco APAC entity that has no other executive responsibilities or engagement in an Invesco Fund’s day-to-day activities beyond the scope of his or her duties as a director/trustee and does not make, participate in or obtain information regarding the purchase or sale of any Client Account’s portfolio securities as part of their service as a director/trustee.

“Initial Public Offering” or “IPO” means (i) any Covered Security which is being offered for the first time on a recognized stock exchange; or (ii) an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act, the issuer of which immediately before such registration was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended or foreign regulatory equivalents thereof.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance. 

4

“Invesco Fund” means any pooled investment vehicle or other proprietary investment product managed, advised or sub-advised by an Invesco Ltd. Affiliate. The term Invesco Fund includes any Invesco Mutual Fund, Invesco ETPs, Luxembourg SICAV/AIF, Hong Kong Unit Trust or Bermuda Fund.

“Invesco Mutual Funds” means the family of open-end and closed-end investment companies advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc. and registered under the Investment Company Act.

“Invesco APAC” means, collectively, the regulated entities outlined in Exhibit A.

“Invesco APAC Adviser” means, collectively, the SEC-registered investment advisers outlined in Exhibit A.

“Investment Person” generally means a Covered Person who:

·as part of their regular functions or duties makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities in a Client Account (e.g., portfolio managers, securities analyst or traders);
·works directly with or is in the same department/investment team as a portfolio manager and is likely to be exposed to sensitive information relating to those Client Accounts for which the portfolio manager has responsibility (including those who serve an administrative function);
·anyone else determined and notified by Compliance and/or by the Covered Persons management; and/or
·is considered as a “Investment Person” in certain jurisdictions per local requirements.

IREIA Employee” means a Covered Person who is an Employee of Invesco Real Estate Investment Asia Pacific Limited.

IREK Employee” means a Covered Person who is an Employee of Invesco Real Estate Korea.

ITL Access Person” means an ITL Employee categorized as heads of department and investment persons who are defined under Article 14 of Regulations Governing Responsible Person and Associated Persons of Securities Investment Trust Enterprises (SITE) in Taiwan and anyone else determined and notified by Compliance.

“ITL Employee” means a Covered Person who is an Employee of Invesco Taiwan Limited.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance. 

5

”Limited Offering or Private Placement” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (“33 Act”), including but not limited to those offered according to Section 4(a)(2), 4(a)5, 4(a)6 or pursuant to Rule 504 or 506 under the 33 Act (e.g., Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), private equity fund or hedge fund, crowdfunding, private real estate investments such as Real Investment Trusts (REITs) or LLCs/LPs).

“MNPI” or “Material Non-public Information” means information not known to the public that may, if disclosed, have a significant impact on the price of a financial instrument and that a reasonable investor would likely consider relevant or important when making an investment decision. “Rights Issue” or “Rights Offer” means a dividend of subscription rights to buy additional securities in a company made to the company's existing security holders.

“Robo-Advisor Account” means a Covered Person’s account that holds, or can hold, Covered Securities that is maintained on a digital platform offered by a broker on the Designated/Approved Broker List to provide automated, algorithm-driven investment decisions with little to no human intervention.

"Special Purpose Acquisition Company" or "SPAC" is a company without commercial operations and formed specifically to raise capital through an IPO for the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company.

A.POLICY

Invesco APAC has a fiduciary relationship with respect to each of their Client Accounts. As such, Covered Persons shall:

·place the interests of clients ahead of their personal interests;
·conduct their personal trading in a manner consistent with this Code and other applicable policies to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of a position of trust and responsibility;
·comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations; and
·keep all MNPI (as defined above) confidential.

Generally, Covered Persons have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that any personal trading is conducted in accordance with applicable rules, regulations and policy.

Invesco APAC and Covered Persons are prohibited from:

·profiting personally by using MNPI and disclosing MNPI to any person (except as may be permitted by law or/and in accordance with Invesco’s insider trading policies;)
·employing any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud any Client Account;
·making an untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state a material fact to a client that, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, are necessary to make the statement non-misleading;

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

6

·engaging in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit to a Client Account; or
·engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to a Client Account or securities (including price manipulation).

Invesco APAC maintains other compliance policies that may be directly applicable to a Covered Person’s specific responsibilities and duties and that address additional standard of conducts for employees. These policies are available on the Invesco Ltd. intranet site and include, but are not limited to:

· Global Code of Conduct · Invesco Ltd. Gifts and Entertainment
· Global Insider Trading · IAL Gifts and Entertainment
· Global Fraud Escalation · Greater China Gifts and Entertainment
· Global Outside Business Activities · IIPL Gifts and Entertainment
· Global Political Contributions

Violations of any of the policies listed above may result in increased escalation. For further detail, refer to Section D regarding violations and sanctions.

B.PERSONAL TRADING REQUIREMENTS.

1.Covered Account Requirements for Covered Persons.

Covered Persons are required to report all investment accounts (i.e., Covered Accounts) for which they, or Immediate Family Members have Beneficial Ownership, or have discretion, control or interests whether such discretion, control or interests are exercised or not. It is presumed that a Covered Person can control accounts held by Immediate Family Members living in the same household.

Covered Accounts must be held with a regulated financial institution listed on the Designated/Approved Broker List1 for IIPL.

For all other entities, Covered Accounts must be held with full-service brokers and regulated financial institutions.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

7

Covered Accounts include but are not limited to the following:

Brokerage Accounts Discretionary/Robo-Advisor Accounts2 Employee Stock Plans (e.g., ESPPs, ESOPs or ISOs)
Retirement Accounts (e.g., IRAs, SIPPs, Superannuation, iDeCo, RRSP, TFSA or any other local equivalent) Transfer Agent Accounts that hold reportable Covered Securities (e.g., Invesco open- end mutual fund account) Mutual Fund, Collective Investment or WRAP Accounts, which hold Invesco open-end funds
Pension Plans, which hold Covered Securities (excluding Invesco open-end funds) Stock and Shares ISAs
(i.e., Investment ISA)
UTMAs and UGMAs
Invesco 401k, and the separate Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account (“PCRA”) 529 Accounts that hold Covered Securities and the Invesco CollegeBound 529 plan

1 IIPL Designated/Approved Broker List is accessible through the Compliance Reporting System.

2 Discretionary and Robo-Advisor Accounts must be disclosed. New and existing Discretionary and Robo- Advisor accounts must be approved by GEO. The Covered Person must provide supporting documentation (e.g., managed account agreement) and other required information to GEO, including duplicate statements.

Covered Persons are required to ensure that:

·Covered Accounts in APAC are maintained with a regulated financial institution.

In addition:

oIIPL Employees should maintain the Covered Accounts with a Designated/Approved Broker as listed by Compliance.
oIHKL Employee, IAMSL Employee, IREIA Employee, IREK Employee and IIMSL Employee are required to obtain pre-approval from Compliance for opening Covered Accounts.
oITL Employees should maintain the Covered Accounts (limited to TW equities) with a Designated Broker by Compliance.

·Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds are held:

oin an account maintained with a full-service broker, financial institution and with a broker on the Designated/Approved Broker List;
oin a qualified retirement plan that a Covered Person is not legally or unilaterally able to transfer;
oin the Covered Person’s Invesco 401(k) or Invesco CollegeBound 529 plan; or
odirectly with Invesco’s Mutual Funds’ transfer agent.

Covered Persons may not purchase or hold Invesco affiliated open-end mutual funds beyond the above restrictions. This requirement does not apply to other Invesco securities.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

8

·All other Covered Accounts (e.g., external retirement plans, stock plans through third-party administrators):

oCovered Persons shall direct their financial institution to submit statements and confirmations to the GEO.
oIf the financial institution is unable to provide transactional statements (or contract notes) to GEO through a link or hard copy, the Covered Person shall be personally responsible for submitting statements directly or upon request through the GEO Support Portal in a timely manner.
oTrade confirmations (or contract notes) must be provided no later than 7 calendar days from the date of execution.
oTransactional statements must be provided within 7 calendar days of receipt.
oA warning letter will be issued effectively to Covered Persons those who do not provide the trade confirmation (or contract notes) within 7 calendar days from the date of execution.

IIPL Employees IHKL, IAMSL, IREIA, IREK
and IIMSL Employees
ITL Employees
Maintain Covered Accounts with a Designated/ Approved Broker listed with Compliance Required to obtain pre- approval from compliance to open a Covered Account Maintain Covered Accounts (limited to TW equities) with a Designated/Approved broker listed with Compliance

2.Statements (Transactions) and Trade Confirmations (or Contract Notes).

·Employees shall maintain a Covered Account with a financial institution that provides electronic trade confirmations (or contract notes) and statements directly to GEO.

·If the financial institution fails or is unable to provide an electronic link or a hard copy, the Covered Person shall be personally responsible for providing transactional statements and trade confirmations (or contract notes) for the Covered Account(s) to GEO through the GEO Support Portal or where applicable, to their local Compliance upon request.

IHKL, IREIA, IREK, IIMSL, IAMSL and ITL Employees are required to provide statements and contract notes (if any) within 7 calendar days after issuance.

3.Pre-Clearance of Personal Trades.

Covered Persons and their Immediate Family Members are required to pre-clear Covered Securities transactions through the Compliance Reporting System as illustrated in Exhibit B.

Covered Persons are prohibited from executing a security transaction, (trade) in a Covered Account until they are notified by GEO that the trade was approved. Covered Persons must carefully read the automated alert from the Compliance Reporting System, which includes the request status (i.e., approved or denied).

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

9

Covered Accounts in which a Covered Person has beneficial interest but does not exercise control (e.g., accounts for Immediate Family Members), all trade requests are required to be submitted through the Covered Person.

GEO will notify the Covered Person if the trade request was approved or denied.

Trade Authorization (i.e., Market Orders). Trade requests which have been submitted and approved within the Compliance Reporting System prior to market close are only valid for the current business day, unless the approval is granted after the close of the trading day (e.g., trading on a foreign market or OTC), then approval will not expire until the end of the next trading day.

If the trade is not executed within the approval window, a Covered Person shall be required to submit a new pre-clearance request and must receive approval if the Covered Person intends to trade in that security.

Prohibited Trade Orders. Covered Persons are required to avoid executing transactions outside of the approval window. Good ‘Til Canceled (GTC), Limit Orders and Stop-Limit Orders among other orders beyond the same trading day are prohibited.

Pre-clearance of Limited Offerings and Private Placements. Covered Persons and their Immediate Family Members must:

·Pre-clear investments in Limited Offerings and Private Placements and receive approval from GEO before investing and allow a minimum of three to five business days before the intended investment date to allow ample time for review.

·Submit a Private Placement pre-clearance request through the Compliance Reporting System and include a detailed description of the investment and relevant documentation (e.g., offering deck, offering/private placement memorandum and term sheet).

Additionally, Covered Persons seeking to invest in a Limited Offering/Private Placement sponsored by Invesco Ltd. and its affiliates:

·Must pre-clear all transactions through the Compliance Reporting System if the investment is made alongside third-party investors.

·May transact without pre-clearance if Invesco offers the investment exclusively to Employees.

In all instances, Limited Offerings and Private Placements are subject to ongoing reporting obligations. Please consult Legal and the Global Ethics Office if you have questions about these requirements before investing.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

10

Exemptions from Pre-Clearance. Purchases or sales of the following are exempt from the pre-clearance requirement:

·Covered Securities in an approved Delegated Discretionary/Robo-Advisor Account;
·Invesco Mutual Funds (excluding Invesco closed-end Mutual Funds);
·Invesco ETPs (this Invesco ETP pre-clearance exemption does not apply to ETP Access Persons and to IAMJ and IGRE Employees);
·Unaffiliated broad-based ETPs (except for IAMJ and IGRE Employees) - this pre-clearance exemption does not apply to single stock ETPs;
·Currencies, cryptocurrencies, and commodities including trusts invested entirely in a currency, cryptocurrency or commodity (except for IAMJ Employees and IGRE Employees for whom currencies, cryptocurrencies and commodities are prohibited);
·Futures, swaps and options based on an index, currencies, cryptocurrencies, commodities, and unaffiliated ETPs; and
·Securities held in Invesco registered group retirement savings plans offered by an Invesco Ltd and affiliate.

4.Trading Restrictions/Prohibitions.

Blackout Period. Covered Persons are prohibited from trading any Covered Security in a personal account on a day during which a Client Account has a pending “buy” or “sell” order in the same Covered Security.

In addition:

·Investment Persons (including IAMJ Access Persons) with knowledge of trading in a Covered Security for a Client Account are prohibited from personal trading within three trading days before and three trading days after such Client Account transaction; and

·All other Covered Persons with knowledge of trading in a Covered Security for a Client Account are prohibited from personal trading in the same Covered Security within two trading days after such Client Account transaction.

In addition:

·ITL Access persons with knowledge of trading in a Taiwan Security for a Taiwan Client Account are prohibited from personal trading within seven trading days before and thirty trading days after such Client Account transaction.

·ITL Access Persons are prohibited from executing a transaction in Taiwan Security when such security is held within a Taiwan Client Account.

·All other ITL Employees persons with knowledge of trading in a Taiwan Security for a Taiwan Client Account are prohibited from personal trading within seven trading days before and seven trading days after such Client Account transaction.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

11

Blackout Period Exemptions. Blackout period restrictions may be exempt if purchases and sales of a Covered Security comply with certain conditions (e.g., large market capitalization, daily trading limit, etc.) as may be determined from time to time by the GEO. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions available on the resources sites.

Other Prohibitions. Covered Persons shall be prohibited from:

·trading a Covered Security of an issuer on the applicable Restricted List(s);
·crossing between the Covered Account and Client Accounts;
·purchasing a Covered Security in an IPO or secondary offering;
·purchasing a publicly listed SPAC when the targeted company is known;
·participating in an investment club;
·excessive short-term trading of any open-end Invesco Funds (excluding money market funds) and/or cash-in-lieu Invesco ETPs according to the various limitations outlined in the respective prospectus or other fund disclosure documents;
·engaging in personal trading of Covered Securities that is excessive or that compromises Invesco APAC’s fiduciary duty to Client Accounts, as determined by GEO in its discretion;
·effecting short sales of a Covered Security in a Covered Account; and
·trading options on common stock, single stock ETPs, or Invesco ETPs when the underlying security is either not held or has been held fewer than 60 days. For the sake of clarity, trading naked options is prohibited and only covered calls and protective puts are permitted.

In addition:

·IAMJ Employees and IGRE Employees are prohibited from trading in Derivatives, futures, commodities, and Trusts invested entirely in commodity transactions.

·ITL Employees are prohibited maintaining a Monthly Saving Program (MSP/SIP) for Taiwan equity securities.

Short-Term Trading Restrictions.

Short-Term Trading Restrictions Applicable to IHKL, IAMSL, IREIA, IREK and ITL Employees:

·Covered Persons shall not sell a Covered Security within 60 calendar days regardless if the sell transaction would result in a profit or a loss.

·This restriction shall apply to all Covered Securities, including those which are exempt from pre-clearance (e.g., Invesco Funds). Further, transactions in trusts invested entirely in a currency, cryptocurrency or commodity are not subject to the 60-day holding period requirement.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

12

Short-Term Trading Restriction Applicable to IAMJ and IGRE Employees:

·IAMJ Access Persons shall not profit from the purchase and sale of a Covered Security within 180 calendar days of the trade date of the same Covered Security, and 60 calendar days for IAMJ Employees who are not IAMJ Access Persons.

·This restriction shall apply to all Covered Securities, including those which are exempt from pre-clearance (e.g., Invesco Funds).

·If an IAMJ Access Person trades a Covered Security within the 180-calendar day holding period, the full amount of any profit from the trade (which has not been adjusted to account for applicable taxes or related fees) shall be disgorged to a charity of Invesco Ltd.’s choice.

·In addition, Covered Persons of IAMJ and IGRE are prohibited from short-term trading; therefore, Covered Persons of IAMJ and IGRE are restricted from buying back the position within 60 days (180 days in case of Designated Persons for Access Persons for IAMJ).

Short-Term Trading Restrictions Applicable to all Other Employees (Employees not associated with IHKL, IAMSL, IREIA, IREK, IAMJ, or IGRE):

·Covered Persons shall not sell a Covered Security within 60 calendar days of the trade date at a profit but may sell at a loss.

·This restriction shall apply to all Covered Securities, including those which are exempt from pre-clearance (e.g., Invesco Funds).

·Transactions in unaffiliated ETPs, trusts invested entirely in a currency, cryptocurrency or commodity and derivatives (e.g., options and futures) based on an index of securities and currencies, cryptocurrencies and commodities are exempt from the 60-day holding period. This exemption shall not apply to derivatives of individual securities.

5.Special Requirements for Transactions in Invesco Ltd. Stock.

Transactions in Invesco Ltd. stock is subject to the pre-clearance and reporting requirements set forth above. Covered Persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions in publicly traded options such as puts, calls and other derivative securities relating to Invesco Ltd.’s securities, on an exchange or any other organized market. Covered Persons should refer to the Global Insider Trading policy whenever they wish to transact in Invesco Ltd. securities in a Covered Account.

6.Covered Persons Reporting and Certification Requirements.

Certification Requirements. All Covered Persons are required to complete a Code of Ethics acknowledgment on their start date with Invesco, and annually thereafter, to acknowledge and certify that they have received, reviewed, understand, and shall comply with the Code. In addition, Covered Persons will be required to acknowledge receipt and understanding of any material amendments or new interpretations of the Code.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

13

Reporting Requirements. All Covered Persons are subject to initial (upon joining Invesco) and ongoing reporting requirements. These reports will be reviewed by GEO and are intended solely for internal use and are confidential unless required to be disclosed to a regulatory or government agency.

Summary of Reporting Obligations

New Hires3 Covered Persons
Upon joining the firm
(due in 10 calendar days)
Quarterly
(due no later than 30 calendar days after the calendar quarter-end)
Annual
(due no later than 30 calendar days from year-end)
Covered Accounts/ Initial Holdings Report
(including a list of all Covered Securities and private/limited holdings. All holdings must be as of the Covered Person’s employment start date)
Quarterly Transaction Report
(excluding dividends reinvested, private/limited offering transactions previously disclosed, auto investment plans, payroll deductions, transactions executed in an approved Discretionary/Robo-Advisor Account)
Annual Holdings & Private Investments Report
(excluding holdings in an approved Discretionary Account, and any holdings designated as non- reportable on Exhibit B)
Initial Compliance Policies Certification Annual Compliance Policies Certification

3Any New Hire who fails to submit the Covered Accounts/Initial Holdings Report (IHR) within the (10) calendar days of their employment start date will be prohibited from engaging in any personal securities transactions until such report is submitted and may be issued a violation and subject to other sanctions.

In addition, the Quarterly Transaction Report can exclude the following transactions executed in Covered Securities that are either:

otransactions in a Limited Offering that have been previously disclosed to, and approved by GEO;
otransactions in an automatic investment plan, pre-authorized checking plan, dividend reinvestment plan and/or payroll deduction plan;
otransactions executed in a Delegated Discretionary Account;
otransactions executed in Covered Securities that are either:
§directly with an affiliated transfer agent; or
§in the Covered Person’s registered group retirement savings plan.

New Covered Accounts. All Covered Persons must report any new Covered Account for themselves or any Immediate Family Member within 30 calendar days of opening. Unless the account has been reported, no personal securities transactions can occur within the account.

Exhibit B. Attached as Exhibit B is an Overview of Personal Trading Requirements that provides a summary of certain requirements set forth under this Code. The Overview is not meant to serve as a replacement for reading the Code.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

14

Individuals who meet the definition of a Covered Person and are on a formal leave of absence or garden leave without access to Invesco systems are not considered Covered Persons during the time they are on leave.

APAC Reporting Obligations

Semi-Annual Reporting Reporting of Covered Securities Transactions

IHKL, IREIA and IREK Employees

-    Holdings Information

-    Information must be current within 45 calendar days of the report

IHKL, IREIA, IREK, ITL and IAMSL Employees

-    Report executed Covered Securities transactions within 7 calendar days from execution date

IAMJ and IGRE Employees

-    Submit transaction confirmation via email within 15 calendar days of execution date to local compliance

IAMJ and IGRE Employees

-    Must provide statements for accounts listed in the Compliance Reporting System; and

-    Via email to Tokyo Compliance

-   Submit a copy of the trade confirmation to GEO  -   Notify local compliance if trade was not executed

 

C.APPLICABILITY OF CODE TO INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS/TRUSTEES.

Independent Non-Executive Directors/Trustees shall, as applicable for APAC entities:

(i)pre-clear any sale or purchase in IVZ shares prior to executing such transactions;
(ii)report any potential or actual conflicts of interest; and
(iii)submit an annual certification of compliance with this Code, with the GEO.

D.VIOLATIONS AND SANCTIONS.

Covered Persons (excluding Independent Directors/Trustees) shall report violations and potential violations of this Code to the GEO. Independent Directors/Trustees may report violations and potential violations to the applicable CCO (or their delegate).

Violations and potential violations of the Code are investigated by the GEO.

For all Covered Persons (excluding Independent Directors/Trustees): If a determination is made that a Covered Person has violated the Code, a sanction may be imposed. Sanctions vary based on the severity of the violation(s) and include, but are not limited to:

·a letter of education;
·reversal of trades processed in violation of the Code;
·suspension, demotion or change in the Covered Person’s responsibilities;
·termination of employment;
·prohibition of personal trading abilities;

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

15

·disgorgement of profits earned in the Code violation;
·referral to civil or criminal authorities, regulators where appropriate; or
·any other sanction, as may be determined by the GEO, the respective Chief Compliance Officer, and/or applicable governance committee.

GEO and local Compliance maintain internal procedures regarding the violation investigation, sanction determination, and sanction enforcement process.

In mitigating or eliminating certain conflicts of interest that arise in connection with a Covered Person’s personal trading, a Covered Person may be required to sell a Covered Security that was previously approved. In the event the sale results in a loss, the Covered Person will not be entitled to reimbursement for such loss. In the event of a gain, the Covered Person may be required to disgorge any profit.

E.CODE ADMINISTRATION.

In general, GEO shall be responsible for the administration and oversight of the Code and shall be responsible for:

·Identifying Covered Persons, providing Covered Persons with the Code and notifying them of their reporting obligations under the Code, and ensuring that Covered Persons submit the required certifications and reports required under the Code;
·reviewing the personal trading activities of Covered Persons to identify potential or actual violations of the Code and promptly investigating such matters to resolve and make the appropriate remediations, if needed; and
·promptly report any violations of the Code in writing to the respective Chief Compliance Officer, Local committee, or any other relevant governing bodies applicable to this Code, as applicable.

In very limited circumstances, certain exceptions to any provision of the Code may be granted on a case-by-case basis by the respective Chief Compliance Officer or his or her delegate. Such exceptions shall be documented in writing by the GEO.

Any questions regarding this Code should be directed to the GEO, which may be contacted using the GEO support portal via the intranet.

F.REPORTING.

Quarterly: At least quarterly, each respective Chief Compliance Officer, based on the reports/information as provided by GEO shall furnish a written report to the applicable Board and/or Committee regarding material violations of the Code by Covered Persons.

Annually: No less frequently than annually, each local Chief Compliance Officer, based on the reports/information as provided by GEO shall furnish a written report to the applicable Board that describes significant issues arising under the Code since the last report to the Board, including information about material violations of the Code and sanctions imposed in response to material violations.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

16

EXHIBIT A

The Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for APAC shall apply to the following entities (collectively referred to as “Invesco APAC”):

Australia

·Invesco Australia Limited
·Invesco Asset Management Australia (Holdings) Limited

China

·Invesco Asia Pacific Private Equity Investment and Fund Management(Shenzhen) Limited
·Invesco Investment Management (Shanghai) Limited
·Invesco Real Estate Asia Limited

Hong Kong

·Invesco Hong Kong Limited (registered as an investment adviser with the SEC)
·Invesco Real Estate Investment Asia Pacific Limited

India

·Invesco (India) Pvt. Ltd

Japan

·Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited (registered as an investment adviser with the SEC)
·Invesco Global Real Estate Asia Pacific, Inc. Japan Branch

Singapore

·Invesco Asset Management Singapore Ltd
·Invesco Singapore Pte. Ltd

South Korea

·Invesco Real Estate Korea
·Korean Representative Office of Invesco Hong Kong Limited

Taiwan

·Invesco Taiwan Limited

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

17

EXHIBIT B

Overview of Personal Trading Requirements for Invesco APAC excluding IAMJ Employees and IGRE Employees

Gifting or bequeathing Covered Securities (i.e., the in-kind transfer, trading or gifting of stock shares) to charities or family members must be pre-cleared and is prohibited if the family member is a public official or connected to Invesco’s business..

Security Type Pre-clearance Reporting 60-Day Rule
Equities
Common/Preferred Stocks
(which includes in-kind transfers, trading or gifting/bequeathing)
Yes Yes Yes
IPOs PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Rights Issue or Rights Offer1 Yes Yes No
Trusts invested entirely in a Currency or commodity No Yes No
Exchange-Traded Products (i.e., ETFs, ETCs and ETNs)
Non-ETP Access Persons: Invesco ETPs No Yes Yes
ETP Access Persons: Invesco ETPs, including the Invesco QQQ Trust and the BLDRS Index Fund Trust Yes Yes Yes
Unaffiliated broad-based ETPs (apart from single-stock ETPs) No Yes No
Single-stock ETPs and unaffiliated ETPs with a limited number of underlying securities (20 or less) that include Covered Securities Yes Yes Yes
Cryptocurrencies2
Cryptocurrencies No No No
Trusts invested entirely in a cryptocurrency No Yes No
Derivatives
Commodities and Trusts invested entirely in commodity No No No
(except for IHKL, IAMSL, IREIA and IREK Employees)
Futures, Swaps and Options3 based on common stock and affiliated ETPs Yes Yes Yes
Naked Options PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Futures, Swaps and Options Based on an index, currencies, commodities, cryptocurrency and unaffiliated ETPs No Yes No

1Preclearance is required on the day of electing to participate in the Rights issue or Offer.

2Cryptocurrency exemptions are subject to change and requirements may be applied to certain Employees upon notification by Compliance. Some digital assets claiming to be cryptocurrency could be deemed securities by regulators. Please contact the GEO if you have questions regarding the requirements of your digital assets under the Code.

3Options are restricted to covered calls and protective puts where the underlying security has been held no fewer than 60 days. All other option types are prohibited.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

18

Security Type Pre-clearance Reporting 60-Day Rule
Mutual Funds
Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds No Yes Yes
Invesco Closed-end Mutual Funds Yes Yes Yes
Unaffiliated Open-end Mutual Funds No No No
Unaffiliated Closed-end Mutual Funds Yes Yes Yes
Fixed Income/Bonds
Government Treasury Bond No No No
Certificates of Deposit No No No
Money Market Funds No No No
Municipal Bonds Yes Yes Yes
Corporate Bonds Yes Yes Yes
Structured products linked to indices No Yes No
Invesco Ltd. Corporate Securities
(including the in-kind transfer, trading or gifting/bequeathing)
IVZ and IVR shares Yes Yes Yes
Sale of IVZ shares acquired through ESPP, RSA and LTA Yes Yes No
Derivatives on IVZ, short-sells of IVZ or IVZ share transactions in Professionally Managed Accounts PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Long-Term Fund Awards
Invesco Mutual Fund grants awarded No No No
Limited Offerings/Private Placements*
Non-Invesco offerings Yes Yes Yes
Invesco Offerings Yes** Yes Yes

*Covered Persons may not engage in a Limited Offering without first: (a) obtaining approval prior to making or participating in the investment, and (b) provide the appropriate offering documentation (e.g., Offering Deck, Offering Memorandum, Term Sheet or Offering Presentation) to GEO for the review. Limited Investment opportunities offered directly from Invesco to Employees do not require pre-clearance, unless otherwise directed in the offer.

**Covered Persons must pre-clear activity in Limited Offerings/Private Placements sponsored by Invesco Ltd. and its affiliates with GEO unless Invesco offers the investment exclusively to Employees.  

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

19

Overview of Personal Trading Requirements for IAMJ Employees and IGRE Employees

Security Type

All Employees deemed to be:

o   non-Access Persons;

Requirements applicable to:

o   Access Persons;

Pre-
clearance
Reporting 60-Day Rule Pre-
clearance
Reporting 180-Day
Rule
Equities
Common/Preferred Stocks Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
IPOs PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Rights Issue or Rights Offer1 Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Trusts invested entirely in currency PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Exchange-Traded Products (i.e., ETFs, ETCs and ETNs)
Invesco ETPs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Unaffiliated broad-based ETPs (apart from single stock ETPs) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Single-stock ETPs and unaffiliated ETPs with a limited number of underlying securities (20 or less) that include Covered Securities Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes     Yes
Cryptocurrencies2
Cryptocurrencies No No No No No No
Trusts invested entirely in a cryptocurrency PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Futures, Swaps and Options based on a cryptocurrency PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Derivatives
Commodities and Trusts invested entirely in commodity PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Futures, Swaps and Options3 based on common stock and affiliated ETPs PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A

1Preclearance is required on the day of electing to participate in the Rights issue or Offer.

2Cryptocurrency exemptions are subject to change and requirements may be applied to certain Employees upon notification by Compliance. Some digital assets claiming to be cryptocurrency could be deemed securities by regulators. Please contact the Global Ethics Office if you have questions regarding the requirements of your digital assets under the Code.

3 Options are restricted to covered calls and protective puts where the underlying security has been held no fewer than 60 days. All other option types are prohibited.

This policy is proprietary and may not be distributed to, or shared with, any third parties, unless required by applicable law or approved by Compliance.

20

Security Type

All Employees deemed to be:

o   Non-Access Persons;

Requirements applicable to:

o   Access Persons;

Pre-
clearance
Reporting 60-Day
Rule
Pre-
clearance
Reporting 180-Day
Rule
Naked Options PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Futures, Swaps and Options Based on an index, currencies, commodities, cryptocurrency and unaffiliated ETPs PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Mutual Funds
Invesco Open-end Mutual Funds No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Invesco Closed-end Mutual Funds Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Invesco QQQ Trust or the BLDRS Index Fund Trust Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Unaffiliated Open - end Mutual Funds No No No No No No
Unaffiliated Closed - end Mutual Funds Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fixed Income/Bonds
Government Treasury Bonds No No No No No No
Certificates of Deposit No No No No No No
Money Market Funds No No No No No No
Municipal Bonds (issued by regional government in non G7 countries)   Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Corporate Bonds Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Structured products linked to indices No Yes No No Yes No
Invesco Ltd. Corporate Securities
IVZ and IVR shares Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sale of IVZ shares acquired through ESPP, RSA and LTA Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Derivatives on IVZ, Short-sells of IVZ or IVZ share transactions in Professionally Managed Accounts PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A PROHIBITED PROHIBITED N/A
Long-Term Fund Awards
Invesco Mutual Fund grants awarded No No No No No No
Limited Offerings/Private Placements*
Non-Invesco offerings Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Invesco offerings Yes** Yes Yes Yes* Yes Yes

*Covered Persons may not engage in a Limited Offering without first: (a) giving the GEO a detailed written notification describing the transaction and indicating whether or not they will receive compensation; and (b) obtaining prior written permission from the GEO.

**Covered Persons must pre-clear activity in Limited Offerings/Private Placements sponsored by Invesco Ltd. and its affiliates with GEO unless Invesco offers the investment exclusively to Employees.  

 

EX-FILING FEES

 

Calculation of Filing Fee Tables

 

Form N-2

(Form Type)

 

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

Table 1 – Newly Registered and Carry Forward Securities

 

 

Security
Type

Security
Class
Title

Fee
Calculation
or
Carry
Forward
Rule

Amount
Registered

Proposed
Maximum
Offering
Price
Per Unit

Maximum
Aggregate
Offering
Price

Fee
Rate

Amount of
Registration
Fee

Carry
Forward
Form
Type

Carry
Forward
File
Number

Carry
Forward
Initial
Effective
Date

Filing Fee
Previously
Paid In
Connection
with Unsold
Securities to
be
Carried
Forward
Newly Registered Securities
Fees to Be Paid Equity Common Shares, $0.01 par value per share Other(1) 24,500,000 6.11(1) $24,500,000 0.00015310 $22,918.30        
  Other Rights to purchase Common Shares(2)                    
  Unallocated (Universal) Shelf Unallocated (Universal) Shelf                    
Fees Previously Paid Equity Common Shares, $0.01 par value per share Other(3) 1,000,000 6.52(3) $1,000,000 0.00015310 $998.22(3)        
  Other Rights to purchase Common Shares                    
Carry Forward Securities
Carry Forward Securities Equity Common Shares, $0.01 par value per share, and Preferred Shares                    
Total Offering Amounts       $23,916.52        
Total Fees Previously Paid       $998.22        
Total Fee Offsets              
Net Fee Due       $22,918.30        

 

(1)The Registrant is relying upon Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) to calculate the registration fee. The maximum aggregate offering price is estimated solely for purposes of determining the registration fee based on the average of the high and low sales prices of the shares of Common Shares, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on February 4, 2025, in accordance with Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act. The proposed maximum offering price per security will be determined from time to time by the Registrant in connection with the sale by the Registrant of the securities registered under this Registration Statement.

 

 

 

 

(2)No separate consideration will be received by the Registrant. Any shares issued pursuant to an offering of rights to purchase Common Shares, including any shares issued pursuant to an over-subscription privilege or a secondary over-subscription privilege, will be shares registered under this Registration Statement
(3) The Registrant previously paid $620.06 in filing fees in reliance on Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act in connection with the initial filing of this Registration Statement on December 13, 2024. The maximum aggregate offering price was estimated solely for purposes of determining the registration fee based on the average of the high and low sales prices of the shares of Common Shares, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on December 9, 2024, in accordance with Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act.

 

 

 

v3.25.0.1
N-2 - USD ($)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Feb. 07, 2025
Feb. 04, 2025
Nov. 30, 2024
Nov. 30, 2024
Aug. 31, 2024
May 31, 2024
Feb. 29, 2024
Nov. 30, 2023
Aug. 31, 2023
May 31, 2023
Feb. 28, 2023
Nov. 30, 2022
Aug. 31, 2022
May 31, 2022
Feb. 28, 2022
Feb. 28, 2019
Feb. 28, 2018
Feb. 28, 2017
Feb. 29, 2016
Feb. 28, 2015
Feb. 28, 2014
Cover [Abstract]                                          
Entity Central Index Key 0000835333                                        
Amendment Flag false                                        
Entity Inv Company Type N-2                                        
Securities Act File Number 333-283796                                        
Investment Company Act File Number 811-05597                                        
Document Type N-2/A                                        
Document Registration Statement true                                        
Pre-Effective Amendment true                                        
Pre-Effective Amendment Number 1                                        
Post-Effective Amendment false                                        
Investment Company Act Registration true                                        
Investment Company Registration Amendment true                                        
Investment Company Registration Amendment Number 7                                        
Entity Registrant Name INVESCO MUNICIPAL INCOME OPPORTUNITIES TRUST                                        
Entity Address, Address Line One 11 Greenway Plaza                                        
Entity Address, City or Town Houston                                        
Entity Address, State or Province TX                                        
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 77046-1173                                        
City Area Code 713                                        
Local Phone Number 626-1919                                        
Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Sale to Public From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.                                        
Dividend or Interest Reinvestment Plan Only false                                        
Delayed or Continuous Offering true                                        
Primary Shelf [Flag] true                                        
Effective Upon Filing, 462(e) false                                        
Additional Securities Effective, 413(b) false                                        
Effective when Declared, Section 8(c) false                                        
New Effective Date for Previous Filing false                                        
Additional Securities. 462(b) false                                        
No Substantive Changes, 462(c) false                                        
Exhibits Only, 462(d) false                                        
Registered Closed-End Fund [Flag] true                                        
Business Development Company [Flag] false                                        
Interval Fund [Flag] false                                        
Primary Shelf Qualified [Flag] true                                        
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer No                                        
Entity Emerging Growth Company false                                        
New CEF or BDC Registrant [Flag] false                                        
Fee Table [Abstract]                                          
Shareholder Transaction Expenses [Table Text Block]
Common Shareholder Transaction Expenses        
Sales load paid by you (as a percentage of offering price)     None (1) 
Offering expenses borne by Common Shareholders (as a percentage of offering price)     [--] (1) 
Dividend Reinvestment Plan fees(2)     None   

 

 
(1)   If Common Shares to which this Prospectus relates are sold to or through underwriters, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth any applicable sales load and the estimated offering expenses borne by the Fund.

 

(2)   Common Shareholders will pay service fee of $2.50 and brokerage charges if they direct the Plan Agent to sell Common Shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
                                       
Sales Load [Percent] [1] 0.00%                                        
Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Fees [2] $ 0                                        
Other Transaction Expenses [Abstract]                                          
Other Transaction Expense 1 [Percent] [1] 0.00%                                        
Annual Expenses [Table Text Block]
    As a Percentage of Net Assets
Attributable to Common Shares(3)
 
Annual Expenses        
Management fees(4)     0.77 %
Interest payments on borrowed funds(5)     1.54 %
Other expenses(6)       0.10 %
Total annual expenses     2.41 %

 

(3)   Based upon average net assets applicable to Common Shares for the semi-annual period ended August 31, 2024 (unaudited).

 

(4)   The Fund pays the Adviser an annual fee, payable monthly, in an amount equal to 0.55% of the Fund’s average weekly Managed Assets. The fee shown above is based upon outstanding leverage of 28.70% of the Fund’s total assets. If leverage of more than 28.70% of the Fund’s total assets is used, the management fees shown would be higher.

 

(5)   Based upon the Fund’s outstanding borrowings as of August 31, 2024 of approximately $114,600,000, and the average daily weighted interest rate for the period ended August 31, 2024 of 4.14% . The Fund currently has no preferred shares outstanding.

 

(6)   Other Expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
                                       
Management Fees [Percent] [3],[4] 0.77%                                        
Interest Expenses on Borrowings [Percent] [3],[5] 1.54%                                        
Other Annual Expenses [Abstract]                                          
Other Annual Expenses [Percent] [3],[6] 0.10%                                        
Total Annual Expenses [Percent] [3] 2.41%                                        
Expense Example [Table Text Block]

Example

 

The following example illustrates the expenses that you would pay on a $1,000 investment in Common Shares, assuming (1) “Total annual expenses” of 2.41% of net assets attributable to Common Shares and (2) a 5% annual return*:

 

    1 Year     3 Years     5 Years     10 Years  
Total Expenses paid by Common Shareholders(1)    $ 24     $ 75     $ 129     $ 275  

 

*            The Example should not be considered a representation of future expenses or returns. Actual expenses may be higher or lower than those assumed. Moreover, the Fund’s actual rate of return may be higher or lower than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example. The example assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at net asset value.

 

(1)   The example above does not include sales loads or estimated offering costs. In connection with an offering of Common Shares, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth an Example including sales load and estimated offering costs.
                                       
Expense Example, Year 01 [7] $ 24                                        
Expense Example, Years 1 to 3 [7] 75                                        
Expense Example, Years 1 to 5 [7] 129                                        
Expense Example, Years 1 to 10 [7] $ 275                                        
Purpose of Fee Table , Note [Text Block]

The purpose of the table and the example below is to help you understand the fees and expenses that you, as a holder of Common Shares, would bear directly or indirectly.

                                       
Basis of Transaction Fees, Note [Text Block] as a percentage of offering price                                        
Other Transaction Fees, Note [Text Block] Other Expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.                                        
Financial Highlights [Abstract]                                          
Senior Securities Amount                               $ 30,000,000 $ 30,000,000        
Preferred Stock Liquidating Preference                               $ 100,000 $ 100,000        
Senior Securities, Note [Text Block]

SENIOR SECURITIES

 

The information regarding the Fund’s outstanding senior securities at the end of each of the Fund’s last five fiscal years are included in the Fund’s financial highlights, which are incorporated by reference from the Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024 (File No. 811-05597), as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR on May 2, 2024. The information regarding the Fund's outstanding senior securities for the fiscal years ended February 28, 2019, February 28, 2018, February 28, 2017, February 29, 2016, and February 28, 2015 is set forth in the table above. See “Financial Highlights” above.

                                       
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]                                          
Investment Objectives and Practices [Text Block]

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES

 

Investment Objective and Policies

 

Please refer to the section of the Fund’s most recent annual report on Form N-CSR, entitled “Additional Information—Investment Objective, Policies and Principal Risks of the Trust—Investment Objective” and “—Investment Policies of the Trust,” as such investment objective and policies may be supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund will buy and sell securities to seek to accomplish its investment objective. Portfolio turnover generally involves some expense to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year. For the past two fiscal years, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was as follows.

 

Fiscal Year Ended     Portfolio Turnover Rate  
February 29, 2024     19 %
February 28, 2023     21 %
 

Investment Restrictions

 

The Fund has adopted certain other investment limitations designed to limit investment risk. These limitations are fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Common Shares, as defined in the 1940 Act (and preferred shares, if any, voting together as a single class), which is defined by the 1940 Act as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s voting securities present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. See “Investment Restrictions” in the SAI for a complete list of the fundamental investment policies of the Fund.

                                       
Risk Factors [Table Text Block]

RISKS

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in any investment company security involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Please refer to the section of the Fund’s most recent annual report on Form N-CSR entitled “Additional Information—Investment Objective, Policies and Principal Risks of the Trust—Principal Risks of Investing in the Trust,” as such principal risks may be supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of the principal risks you should consider before making an investment in the Fund. Any additional risks applicable to a particular offering of Securities will be set forth in the related Prospectus Supplement.

                                       
Effects of Leverage [Text Block]

USE OF LEVERAGE

 

The Fund uses leverage to pursue its investment objective. The Fund may use leverage to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The Fund may source leverage through a number of methods, including through issuing preferred shares. In addition, the Fund may also use other forms of leverage including, but not limited to certain derivatives that have the economic effect of leverage. In addition, the Fund may also use other forms of leverage including, but not limited to, portfolio investments that have the economic effect of leverage, such as by investing in residual interest certificates of tender option bond trusts, also called inverse floating rate securities. The Fund may reduce or increase leverage based upon changes in market conditions and anticipates that its leverage ratio will vary from time to time based upon variations in the value of the Fund’s holdings.

 

The Fund does not currently have any outstanding preferred shares. The Fund currently also invests in residual interest certificates of tender option bond trusts, also called inverse floating rate securities, that have the economic effect of leverage because the Fund’s investment exposure to the underlying bonds held by the trust have been effectively financed by the trust’s issuance of floating rate certificates.

 

The amounts and forms of leverage used by the Fund may vary with prevailing market or economic conditions. The timing and terms of any leverage transactions are determined by the Board of Trustees. There is no assurance that the Fund’s leveraging strategy will be successful.

 

The Fund may use derivative instruments (including futures and options) for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income.

 

So long as the net rate of income received from the Fund’s investments purchased with leverage proceeds exceeds the then current interest rate on such leverage, the investment of the proceeds of leverage will generate more net income than if the Fund had not leveraged itself. However, if the rate of net income received from the Fund’s portfolio investments purchased with the proceeds of leverage is less than the then current interest rate on that leverage, the Fund may be required to utilize other Fund assets to make interest payments on its leveraging instruments.

 

The Fund pays a management fee to the Adviser (which in turn pays a portion of such fee to the Sub-Adviser) based on a percentage of Managed Assets. Managed Assets include the proceeds realized and managed from the Fund’s use of leverage (excluding the leverage exposure attributable to the use of futures, options and similar derivatives). Because Managed Assets includes the Fund’s net assets as well as assets that are attributable to the Fund’s investment of the proceeds of its leverage, it is anticipated that the Fund’s Managed Assets will be greater than its net assets. The Adviser will be responsible for using leverage to pursue the Fund’s investment objective. The Adviser will base its decision regarding whether and how much leverage to use for the Fund, and the terms of that leverage, on its assessment of whether such use of leverage is in the best interests of the Fund. However, a decision to employ or increase leverage will have the effect, all other things being equal, of increasing Managed Assets and in turn the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s management fees. Thus, the Adviser may have a conflict of interest in determining whether to use or increase leverage. The Adviser will seek to manage that potential conflict by recommending to the Fund’s Board of Trustees to leverage the Fund (or increase such leverage) only when it determines that such action would be in the best interests of the Fund and its Shareholders, and by periodically reviewing with the Board of Trustees the Fund’s performance and the impact of the use of leverage on that performance.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to issue “senior securities” that are preferred shares if, immediately after the issuance of preferred shares, the asset coverage ratio with respect to such preferred shares would be less than 200%. With respect to any such preferred shares, asset coverage means the ratio which the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, bears to the aggregate amount of senior securities representing indebtedness of the Fund plus the aggregate liquidation preference of such preferred shares.

 

Preferred Shares

 

The Fund may authorize and issue preferred shares with rights as determined by the Board of Trustees, by action of the Board of Trustees without prior approval of the holders of the Common Shares. Common Shareholders have no preemptive right to purchase any preferred shares that might be issued. Any such preferred share offering would be subject to the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not issue preferred shares if, immediately after issuance, the Fund would have asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) of less than 200% (i.e., for every dollar of preferred shares outstanding, the Fund is required to have at least two dollars of assets).

 

The terms of the preferred shares, including their distribution rate, voting rights, liquidation preference and redemption provisions, will be determined by the Board (subject to applicable law and the Fund’s Declaration of Trust) if and when it authorizes the preferred shares. The Fund may issue preferred shares that provide for the periodic redetermination of the distribution rate at relatively short intervals through an auction or remarketing procedure, although the terms of the preferred shares may also enable the Fund to lengthen such intervals. At times, the distribution rate on the Fund’s preferred shares may exceed the Fund’s return after expenses on the investment of proceeds from the preferred shares, resulting in a lower rate of return to Common Shareholders than if the preferred shares were not outstanding.

                                       
Annual Dividend Payment                               (0.4) (0.41) $ (0.4) $ (0.39) $ (0.4)  
Share Price [Table Text Block]

The following table sets forth, for each of the periods indicated: (i) the high and low closing market prices for the Common Shares reported as of the end of the day on the NYSE, (ii) the high and low net asset value (NAV) of the Common Shares, and (iii) the high and low of the premium or discount to NAV (expressed as a percentage) of shares of the Common Shares. Net asset value is generally determined on each day that the NYSE is open for business. See “Net Asset Value” for information as to the determination of the Fund’s NAV.

 

    Market Price     NAV(1)     Premium/(Discount) to NAV(2)  
During Quarter Ended   High     Low     High     Low     High     Low  
November 2024   $ 6.96     $ 6.43     $ 6.63     $ 6.33       6.42 %     (1.68 )%
August 2024   $ 6.59     $ 6.20     $ 6.59     $ 6.23       1.93 %     (3.43 )%
May 2024   $ 6.70     $ 6.06     $ 6.48     $ 6.22       4.36 %     (2.57 )%
February 2024   $ 6.66     $ 6.20     $ 6.47     $ 6.18       4.02 %     (2.82 )%
November 2023   $ 6.45     $ 4.94     $ 6.17     $ 5.54       5.74 %     (11.15 )%
August 2023   $ 6.39     $ 6.00     $ 6.38     $ 6.08       4.58 %     (4.09 )%
May 2023   $ 6.82     $ 5.97     $ 6.49     $ 6.17       8.95 %     (3.92 )%
February 2023   $ 7.09     $ 5.98     $ 6.59     $ 6.25       9.89 %     (4.93 )%
November 2022   $ 6.92     $ 5.45     $ 6.52     $ 5.85       7.45 %     (7.43 )%
August 2022   $ 7.19     $ 6.03     $ 6.86     $ 6.39       8.59 %     (5.93 )%
May 2022   $ 7.47     $ 6.26     $ 7.46     $ 6.50       3.75 %     (8.55 )%
February 2022   $ 8.13     $ 7.01     $ 7.88     $ 7.42       3.57 %     (6.78 )%

 

(1)            Based on the Fund’s computations.

 

(2)            Calculated based on the information presented. Percentages are rounded.

                                       
Lowest Price or Bid       $ 6.43 $ 6.2 $ 6.06 $ 6.2 $ 4.94 $ 6 $ 5.97 $ 5.98 $ 5.45 $ 6.03 $ 6.26 $ 7.01            
Highest Price or Bid       6.96 6.59 6.7 6.66 6.45 6.39 6.82 7.09 6.92 7.19 7.47 8.13            
Lowest Price or Bid, NAV [8]       6.33 6.23 6.22 6.18 5.54 6.08 6.17 6.25 5.85 6.39 6.5 7.42            
Highest Price or Bid, NAV [8]       $ 6.63 $ 6.59 $ 6.48 $ 6.47 $ 6.17 $ 6.38 $ 6.49 $ 6.59 $ 6.52 $ 6.86 $ 7.46 $ 7.88            
Highest Price or Bid, Premium (Discount) to NAV [Percent] [9]       6.42% 1.93% 4.36% 4.02% (5.74%) (4.58%) 8.95% (9.89%) (7.45%) (8.59%) (3.75%) (3.57%)            
Lowest Price or Bid, Premium (Discount) to NAV [Percent] [9]       (1.68%) 3.43% 2.57% (2.82%) (11.15%) (4.09%) (3.92%) (4.93%) (7.43%) (5.93%) (8.55%) (6.78%)            
Share Price   $ 6.12                           7.65 7.53 7.6 7.43 6.99  
NAV Per Share   $ 6.38                           $ 7.33 $ 7.41 $ 7.44 $ 7.65 $ 7.58 $ 7.05
Latest Premium (Discount) to NAV [Percent]   (4.08%)                                      
Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract]                                          
Capital Stock [Table Text Block]

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE

 

The Fund is a statutory trust organized under the laws of Delaware pursuant to a Certificate of Trust, dated as of April 2, 2012. The following is a brief description of the terms of the Common Shares, Borrowings and preferred shares which may be issued by the Fund. This description does not purport to be complete and is qualified by reference to the Fund’s Governing Documents.

 

Common Shares

 

The Declaration of Trust permits the Fund to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional common shares of beneficial interest, no par value. Each Common Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets of the Fund with each other Common Share in the Fund. Holders of Common Shares will be entitled to the payment of distributions when, as and if declared by the Board. The 1940 Act or the terms of any borrowings or preferred shares may limit the payment of distributions to the holders of Common Shares. Each whole Common Share shall be entitled to one vote as to matters on which it is entitled to vote pursuant to the terms of the Declaration of Trust on file with the SEC. Upon liquidation of the Fund, after paying or adequately providing for the payment of all liabilities of the Fund and the liquidation preference with respect to any outstanding preferred shares, the Trustees may distribute the remaining assets of the Fund among the holders of the Common Shares on a pro rata basis.

 

While there are any borrowings or preferred shares outstanding, the Fund may not be permitted to declare any cash distribution on its Common Shares, unless at the time of such declaration, (i) all accrued distributions on preferred shares or accrued interest on borrowings have been paid and (ii) the value of the Fund’s total assets (determined after deducting the amount of such distribution), less all liabilities and indebtedness of the Fund not represented by senior securities, is at least 300% of the aggregate amount of such securities representing indebtedness and at least 200% of the aggregate amount of securities representing indebtedness plus the aggregate liquidation value of the outstanding preferred shares (expected to equal the aggregate original purchase price of the outstanding preferred shares plus the applicable redemption premium, if any, together with any accrued and unpaid distributions thereon, whether or not earned or declared and on a cumulative basis). In addition to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund may be required to comply with other asset coverage requirements as a condition of the Fund obtaining a rating of the preferred shares from a rating agency. These requirements may include an asset coverage test more stringent than under the 1940 Act. This limitation on the Fund’s ability to make distributions on its Common Shares could in certain circumstances impair the ability of the Fund to maintain its qualification for taxation as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. The Fund intends, however, to the extent possible to purchase or redeem preferred shares or reduce borrowings from time to time to maintain compliance with such asset coverage requirements and may pay special distributions to the holders of the preferred shares in certain circumstances in connection with any such impairment of the Fund’s status as a RIC. Depending on the timing of any such redemption or repayment, the Fund may be required to pay a premium in addition to the liquidation preference of the preferred shares to the holders thereof.

 

The Common Shares have no preemptive rights or subscription rights.

 

The Fund will not issue certificates for the Common Shares.

 

Issuance of Additional Common Shares

 

Any additional offering of Common Shares will be subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. The provisions of the 1940 Act generally require that the public offering price (less underwriting commissions and discounts) of common shares sold by a closed-end investment company must equal or exceed the net asset value of such company’s common shares (calculated within 48 hours of the pricing of such offering), unless such sale is made with the consent of a majority of its Common Shareholders.

 

Rights Offerings

 

The Fund may in the future, and at its discretion, choose to make offerings of rights to its shareholders to purchase Common Shares. Rights may be issued independently or together with any other offered security and may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with a rights offering to shareholders, the Fund would distribute certificates or other documentation (i.e., rights cards distributed in lieu of certificates) evidencing the rights and a Prospectus Supplement to the Fund’s shareholders as of the record date that the Fund sets for determining the shareholders eligible to receive rights in such rights offering. Any such future rights offering will be made in accordance with the 1940 Act. Under the laws of Delaware, the Board is authorized to approve rights offerings without obtaining shareholder approval.

 

The staff of the SEC has interpreted the 1940 Act as not requiring shareholder approval of a transferable rights offering to purchase Common Shares at a price below the then current net asset value so long as certain conditions are met, including: (i) a good faith determination by a fund’s board that such offering would result in a net benefit to existing shareholders; (ii) the offering fully protects shareholders’ preemptive rights and does not discriminate among shareholders (except for the possible effect of not offering fractional rights); (iii) management uses its best efforts to ensure an adequate trading market in the rights for use by shareholders who do not exercise such rights; and (iv) the ratio of a transferable rights offering does not exceed one new share for each three rights held.

 
 
 
 

The applicable Prospectus Supplement would describe the following terms of the rights in respect of which this Prospectus is being delivered:

 

  the period of time the offering would remain open;

 

  the underwriter or distributor, if any, of the rights and any associated underwriting fees or discounts applicable to purchases of the rights;

 

  the title of such rights;

 

  the exercise price for such rights (or method of calculation thereof);

 

  the number of such rights issued in respect of each Share;

 

  the number of rights required to purchase a single Share;

 

  the extent to which such rights are transferable and the market on which they may be traded if they are transferable;

 

  if applicable, a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the issuance or exercise of such rights;

 

  the date on which the right to exercise such rights will commence, and the date on which such right will expire (subject to any extension);

 

  the extent to which such rights include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities and the terms of such over-subscription privilege; and

 

  termination rights we may have in connection with such rights offering.

 

A certain number of rights would entitle the holder of the right(s) to purchase for cash such number of Common Shares at such exercise price as in each case is set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the Prospectus Supplement relating to the rights offered thereby. Rights would be exercisable at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for such rights set forth in the Prospectus Supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights would become void. Upon expiration of the rights offering and the receipt of payment and the rights certificate or other appropriate documentation properly executed and completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the rights agent, or any other office indicated in the Prospectus Supplement, the Common Shares purchased as a result of such exercise will be issued as soon as practicable. To the extent permissible under applicable law, we may determine to offer any unsubscribed offered securities directly to persons other than shareholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, as set forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement.

 

Repurchase of Common Shares

 

Because shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to their net asset values, the Board has determined that from time to time it may be in the interest of holders of Common Shares for the Fund to take corrective actions. The Board, in consultation with the Adviser, will review at least annually the possibility of open market repurchases and/or tender offers for the Common Shares and will consider such factors as the market price of the Common Shares, the net asset value of the Common Shares, the liquidity of the assets of the Fund, effect on the Fund’s expenses, whether such transactions would impair the Fund’s status as a RIC or result in a failure to comply with applicable asset coverage requirements, general economic conditions and such other events or conditions which may have a material effect on the Fund’s ability to consummate such transactions. There are no assurances that the Board will, in fact, decide to undertake either of these actions or if undertaken, that such actions will result in the Fund’s Common Shares trading at a price which is equal to or approximates their net asset value. In recognition of the possibility that the Common Shares might trade at a discount to net asset value and that any such discount may not be in the interest of holders of Common Shares, the Board, in consultation with the Adviser, from time to time may review possible actions to reduce any such discount.

 

Preferred Shares

 

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with preference rights, including preferred shares, no par value, in one or more series, with rights as determined by the Board, by action of the Board without the approval of the holders of Common Shares.

 

Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund must, immediately after the issuance of any preferred shares, have an “asset coverage” of at least 200%. Asset coverage means the ratio which the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liability and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), bears to the aggregate amount of senior securities representing indebtedness of the Fund, if any, plus the aggregate liquidation preference of the preferred shares. The liquidation value of the preferred shares is expected to equal their aggregate original purchase price plus the applicable redemption premium, if any, together with any accrued and unpaid distributions thereon (on a cumulative basis), whether or not earned or declared. The terms of the preferred shares, including their distribution rate, voting rights, liquidation preference and redemption provisions, will be determined by the Board (subject to applicable law and the Fund’s Declaration of Trust) if and when it authorizes the preferred shares. The Fund may issue preferred shares that provide for the periodic redetermination of the distribution rate at relatively short intervals through an auction or remarketing procedure, although the terms of the preferred shares may also enable the Fund to lengthen such intervals. At times, the distribution rate on the Fund’s preferred shares may exceed the Fund’s return after expenses on the investment of proceeds from the preferred shares, resulting in a lower rate of return to Common Shareholders than if the preferred shares were not outstanding.

 

In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Fund, the terms of any preferred shares may entitle the holders of preferred shares to receive a preferential liquidating distribution (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus the applicable redemption premium, if any, together with accrued and unpaid distributions, whether or not earned or declared and on a cumulative basis) before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Common Shares. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, the preferred shareholders would not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets by the Fund.

 

Holders of preferred shares, voting as a class, shall be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s Trustees. Under the 1940 Act, if at any time distributions on the preferred shares are unpaid in an amount equal to two full years’ distributions thereon, the holders of all outstanding preferred shares, voting as a class, will be allowed to elect a majority of the Fund’s Trustees until all distributions in arrears have been paid or declared and set apart for payment.

 

In addition, if the Board determines it to be in the best interests of the Common Shareholders, issuance of the preferred shares may result in more restrictive provisions than required by the 1940 Act being imposed. In this regard, holders of the preferred shares may be entitled to elect a majority of the Fund’s Board in other circumstances, for example, if one payment on the preferred shares is in arrears.

 

Borrowings

 

The Fund may utilize leverage through borrowings, including through a credit facility, commercial paper program or other borrowing program. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to incur indebtedness, including through the issuance of debt securities, unless immediately thereafter the total asset value of the Fund’s portfolio is at least 300% of the liquidation value of the outstanding indebtedness (i.e., such liquidation value may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total assets). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash distribution on its Common Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the net asset value of the Fund’s portfolio (determined after deducting the amount of such distribution) is at least 300% of such liquidation value. If the Fund borrows money, the Fund intends, to the extent possible, to retire outstanding debt, from time to time, to maintain coverage of any outstanding indebtedness of at least 300%.

 

The Fund may negotiate with commercial banks to arrange a borrowing facility pursuant to which the Fund may borrow an amount equal to approximately one-third of the Fund’s total assets (inclusive of the amount borrowed). Any such borrowings would constitute leverage. Such a borrowing facility is not expected to be convertible into any other securities of the Fund, outstanding amounts are expected to be prepayable by the Fund prior to final maturity without significant penalty and there are not expected to be any sinking fund or mandatory retirement provisions. Outstanding amounts would be payable at maturity or such earlier times as required by the agreement. The Fund may be required to prepay outstanding amounts under the borrowing facility or incur a penalty rate of interest upon the occurrence of certain events of default. The Fund would be expected to indemnify the lenders against liabilities they may incur in connection with the borrowing facility.

 

In addition, the Fund expects that a borrowing facility would contain covenants that, among other things, likely will limit the Fund’s ability to pay distributions in certain circumstances, incur additional debt, change its fundamental investment policies and engage in certain transactions, including mergers and consolidations, and may require asset coverage ratios in addition to those required by the 1940 Act. The Fund may be required to pledge its assets and to maintain a portion of its assets in cash or high-grade securities as a reserve against interest or principal payments and expenses. The Fund expects that any borrowing facility would have customary covenant, negative covenant and default provisions. There can be no assurance that the Fund will enter into an agreement for a borrowing facility on terms and conditions representative of the foregoing, or that additional material terms will not apply. In addition, if entered into, any such borrowing facility may in the future be replaced or refinanced by one or more borrowing facilities having substantially different terms or by the issuance of preferred shares or debt securities.

 

Capitalization

 

The following table provides information about the outstanding securities of the Fund as of November 30, 2024:

 

Title of Class   Amount Authorized   Amount Held by the
Fund or for its Account
    Amount Outstanding  
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, no par value   Unlimited     --       47,671,591.640  
                                       
Rights Limited by Other Securities [Text Block]

Rights Offerings

 

The Fund may in the future, and at its discretion, choose to make offerings of rights to its shareholders to purchase Common Shares. Rights may be issued independently or together with any other offered security and may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with a rights offering to shareholders, the Fund would distribute certificates or other documentation (i.e., rights cards distributed in lieu of certificates) evidencing the rights and a Prospectus Supplement to the Fund’s shareholders as of the record date that the Fund sets for determining the shareholders eligible to receive rights in such rights offering. Any such future rights offering will be made in accordance with the 1940 Act. Under the laws of Delaware, the Board is authorized to approve rights offerings without obtaining shareholder approval.

 

The staff of the SEC has interpreted the 1940 Act as not requiring shareholder approval of a transferable rights offering to purchase Common Shares at a price below the then current net asset value so long as certain conditions are met, including: (i) a good faith determination by a fund’s board that such offering would result in a net benefit to existing shareholders; (ii) the offering fully protects shareholders’ preemptive rights and does not discriminate among shareholders (except for the possible effect of not offering fractional rights); (iii) management uses its best efforts to ensure an adequate trading market in the rights for use by shareholders who do not exercise such rights; and (iv) the ratio of a transferable rights offering does not exceed one new share for each three rights held.

 

The applicable Prospectus Supplement would describe the following terms of the rights in respect of which this Prospectus is being delivered:

 

  the period of time the offering would remain open;

 

  the underwriter or distributor, if any, of the rights and any associated underwriting fees or discounts applicable to purchases of the rights;

 

  the title of such rights;

 

  the exercise price for such rights (or method of calculation thereof);

 

  the number of such rights issued in respect of each Share;

 

  the number of rights required to purchase a single Share;

 

  the extent to which such rights are transferable and the market on which they may be traded if they are transferable;

 

  if applicable, a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the issuance or exercise of such rights;

 

  the date on which the right to exercise such rights will commence, and the date on which such right will expire (subject to any extension);

 

  the extent to which such rights include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities and the terms of such over-subscription privilege; and

 

  termination rights we may have in connection with such rights offering.

 

A certain number of rights would entitle the holder of the right(s) to purchase for cash such number of Common Shares at such exercise price as in each case is set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the Prospectus Supplement relating to the rights offered thereby. Rights would be exercisable at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for such rights set forth in the Prospectus Supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights would become void. Upon expiration of the rights offering and the receipt of payment and the rights certificate or other appropriate documentation properly executed and completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the rights agent, or any other office indicated in the Prospectus Supplement, the Common Shares purchased as a result of such exercise will be issued as soon as practicable. To the extent permissible under applicable law, we may determine to offer any unsubscribed offered securities directly to persons other than shareholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, as set forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement.

                                       
Outstanding Securities [Table Text Block]    

 

Title of Class   Amount Authorized   Amount Held by the
Fund or for its Account
    Amount Outstanding  
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, no par value   Unlimited     --       47,671,591.640  
                                   
Outstanding Security, Not Held [Shares]   47,676,823.64                                      
Business Contact [Member]                                          
Cover [Abstract]                                          
Entity Address, Address Line One 11 Greenway Plaza                                        
Entity Address, City or Town Houston                                        
Entity Address, State or Province TX                                        
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 77046                                        
Contact Personnel Name Melanie Ringold, Esq.                                        
Common Shares [Member]                                          
Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract]                                          
Security Title [Text Block] Common Shares                                        
Security Dividends [Text Block] Holders of Common Shares will be entitled to the payment of distributions when, as and if declared by the Board. The 1940 Act or the terms of any borrowings or preferred shares may limit the payment of distributions to the holders of Common Shares.                                        
Security Voting Rights [Text Block] Each whole Common Share shall be entitled to one vote as to matters on which it is entitled to vote pursuant to the terms of the Declaration of Trust on file with the SEC.                                        
Security Liquidation Rights [Text Block] Upon liquidation of the Fund, after paying or adequately providing for the payment of all liabilities of the Fund and the liquidation preference with respect to any outstanding preferred shares, the Trustees may distribute the remaining assets of the Fund among the holders of the Common Shares on a pro rata basis.                                        
Security Preemptive and Other Rights [Text Block] The Common Shares have no preemptive rights or subscription rights.                                        
Outstanding Security, Title [Text Block]     Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, no par value                                    
Outstanding Security, Held [Shares]     0                                    
Outstanding Security, Not Held [Shares]     47,671,591.64                                    
Preferred Shares [Member]                                          
Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract]                                          
Security Title [Text Block] Preferred Shares                                        
Security Voting Rights [Text Block]

Holders of preferred shares, voting as a class, shall be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s Trustees. Under the 1940 Act, if at any time distributions on the preferred shares are unpaid in an amount equal to two full years’ distributions thereon, the holders of all outstanding preferred shares, voting as a class, will be allowed to elect a majority of the Fund’s Trustees until all distributions in arrears have been paid or declared and set apart for payment.

                                       
Security Liquidation Rights [Text Block]

In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Fund, the terms of any preferred shares may entitle the holders of preferred shares to receive a preferential liquidating distribution (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus the applicable redemption premium, if any, together with accrued and unpaid distributions, whether or not earned or declared and on a cumulative basis) before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Common Shares. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, the preferred shareholders would not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets by the Fund.

                                       
[1] If Common Shares to which this Prospectus relates are sold to or through underwriters, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth any applicable sales load and the estimated offering expenses borne by the Fund.
[2] Common Shareholders will pay service fee of $2.50 and brokerage charges if they direct the Plan Agent to sell Common Shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
[3] Based upon average net assets applicable to Common Shares for the semi-annual period ended August 31, 2024 (unaudited).
[4] The Fund pays the Adviser an annual fee, payable monthly, in an amount equal to 0.55% of the Fund’s average weekly Managed Assets. The fee shown above is based upon outstanding leverage of 28.70% of the Fund’s total assets. If leverage of more than 28.70% of the Fund’s total assets is used, the management fees shown would be higher.
[5] Based upon the Fund’s outstanding borrowings as of August 31, 2024 of approximately $114,600,000, and the average daily weighted interest rate for the period ended August 31, 2024 of 4.14% . The Fund currently has no preferred shares outstanding.
[6] Other Expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
[7] The example above does not include sales loads or estimated offering costs. In connection with an offering of Common Shares, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth an Example including sales load and estimated offering costs.
[8] Based on the Fund’s computations.
[9] Calculated based on the information presented. Percentages are rounded.

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