Prospectus
February 25, 2022
Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II
| BLKC |
Invesco Alerian Galaxy Blockchain Users and Decentralized Commerce ETF |
Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. |
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
| Management Fees |
|
| | |
| Other Expenses1 |
|
| | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
| | |
1
| 1 Year |
3 Years |
| $ |
$ |
1
2
3
4
5
Management of the Fund
Investment Adviser. Invesco Capital Management LLC.
Portfolio Managers
The following individuals are responsible jointly and primarily for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:
| Name |
Title with Adviser/Trust |
Date Began Managing the Fund |
| Peter Hubbard |
Head of Equities and Director of Portfolio Management of the Adviser; Vice President of the Trust |
September 2021 |
| | ||
| David Hemming |
Head of Alternatives Portfolio Management of the Adviser |
September 2021 |
| | ||
| Theodore Samulowitz |
Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser |
September 2021 |
| | ||
Purchase and Sale of Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only with APs and only in large blocks of 50,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a “Creation Unit”) or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”), generally in exchange for cash and/or the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market (i.e., on a national securities exchange) through a broker or dealer at a market price. Because the Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”).
Recent information, including information on the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at www.invesco.com/ETFs.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions generally are taxed as ordinary income, capital gains or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions may be taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn from such account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund’s distributor or its related
companies may pay the intermediary for certain Fund-related activities, including those that are designed to make the intermediary more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, such as the Fund, as well as for marketing, education or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson or financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund generally will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the securities that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund operates as an index fund and will not be actively managed. The Fund uses an “indexing” investment approach to seek to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the Underlying Index. The Adviser seeks correlation over time of 0.95 or better between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Underlying Index; a figure of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation. Another means of evaluating the relationship between the returns of the Fund and the Underlying Index is to assess the “tracking error” between the two. Tracking error means the variation between the Fund’s annual return and the return of the Underlying Index, expressed in terms of standard deviation. The Fund seeks to have a tracking error of less than 5%, measured on a monthly basis over a one-year period by taking the standard deviation of the difference in the Fund’s returns versus the Underlying Index’s returns. Because the Fund uses an indexing approach to try to achieve its investment objective, the Fund does not take temporary defensive positions during periods of adverse market, economic or other conditions.
The Fund generally employs a “full replication” methodology in seeking to track the Equity Component of the Underlying Index, meaning that the Fund generally invests in all of the securities comprising the Equity Component in proportion to their weightings in the Equity Component. However, due to the practical difficulties and expense of, or other restrictions on, purchasing all of the securities in the Underlying Index (particularly constituents of the ETP and Trust Component and otherwise where necessary), the Fund will also utilize a sampling methodology from time to time. A “sampling” methodology means that the Adviser uses a quantitative analysis to select securities from the Underlying Index universe to obtain a representative sample of securities that have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics similar to the Underlying Index in terms of key risk factors, performance attributes and other characteristics. These include industry weightings, market capitalization, return variability, earnings valuation, yield and other financial characteristics of securities. When employing a sampling methodology, the Adviser bases the quantity of holdings in the Fund on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund, and generally expects the Fund to hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. However, the Adviser reserves the right to invest the Fund in as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the Fund's investment objective. As of the date of this Prospectus, the only security in the ETP and Trust Component that the Fund holds is GBTC.
There also may be instances in which the Adviser may choose to (i) overweight or underweight a security in the Underlying Index, (ii) purchase securities not contained in the Underlying Index that the Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for certain securities in the Underlying Index or (iii) utilize various combinations of other available investment techniques in seeking to track the Underlying Index.
The Fund may sell securities included in the Underlying Index in anticipation of their removal from the Underlying Index, or purchase
6
securities not included in the Underlying Index in anticipation of their addition to the Underlying Index.
Additional information about the construction of the Fund’s Underlying Index is set forth below.
The Alerian Galaxy Global Blockchain Equity, Trusts and ETPs Index
The Index Provider compiles, maintains and calculates the Underlying Index, which is primarily comprised of two different components: the Equity Component and the ETP and Trust Component.
The Equity Component of the Underlying Index is primarily comprised of exchange-listed equity securities of companies that are principally or materially engaged in one of the following four Business Segments:
■
Cryptocurrency Miners: Companies that mine cryptocurrency assets.
■
Cryptocurrency Enabling Technologies: Companies that (i) facilitate the buying, selling and transfer of cryptocurrency assets, (ii) provide custody for cryptocurrency assets, (iii) supply semiconductors used in cryptocurrency mining, or (iv) supply cryptocurrency mining machines.
■
Cryptocurrency Buyers: Companies that report cryptocurrency assets on their balance sheets.
■
Blockchain Users: Operating companies that are engaged in the research and development of blockchain technologies for non-cryptocurrency-related purposes.
To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a company’s stock must be listed on a globally recognized exchange and such company must have: (i) a minimum full market capitalization value of $50 million, (ii) a minimum float-adjusted market capitalization value of $10 million, (iii) a minimum free float factor of 20%, and (iv) a minimum ADTV for the previous three months of $1 million. Companies may be located in the United States or in foreign jurisdictions, including in emerging markets, and may be represented by depositary receipts such as ADRs and GDRs.
Additionally, a company in any of the Cryptocurrency Enabling Technologies, Cryptocurrency Miners or Blockchain Users Business Segments shall be considered principally engaged or materially engaged if it derives at least 50% of its revenues from business activities described for its Business Segment. A company in the Cryptocurrency Buyers Business Segment shall be considered principally or materially engaged if it reports cryptocurrency assets on its balance sheet amounting to at least 50% of its market capitalization.
Certain companies that are not principally engaged in one of the Business Segments, but that derive significant revenues from businesses in that Segment (“Diversified Companies”) may also be included in the Underlying Index, provided that the Index Provider determines that:
■
such revenues represent more than 20% of the company’s total revenues and such revenues are independently reported in the company’s financial reports;
■
applicable revenues are likely to have a material impact on the company’s overall share price performance;
■
research and development investments in the technology are at the forefront of the company’s future initiatives; or
■
the company’s applicable business is likely to have a significant impact on the sector as a whole
Within each Business Segment, the top 20 eligible principally engaged companies are selected for inclusion in the Underlying Index, based on an average rank of full market capitalization and three-month ADTV. In the event that there are fewer than 20 eligible companies that are principally engaged in a Business Segment, then stocks of Diversified Companies are additionally selected in accordance with the above methodology until the fixed count of 20 securities is met.
In addition to stocks of companies engaged in the Business Segments above, the Underlying Index also includes the ETP and Trust Component, which is represented by ETPs and private investment trusts that trade on an
approved U.S. exchange (in accordance with the Index Provider's methodology) and invest at least 75% of their assets in BTC.
The Underlying Index is rebalanced monthly. At each rebalance, the ETP and Trust Component is allocated a 15% index weight, with its constituents weighted relative to one another based on market capitalization, subject to a minimum Index weight of 0.5%. The Equity Component is allocated the remaining 85% index weight, with all companies weighted equally to one another.
The Underlying Index is rebalanced monthly at the open of trading on the Monday following the third Friday of the month or the next trade date in the event of a market holiday (the “Effective Date”). Changes to the Underlying Index take place at each rebalancing Effective Date, except in the event of certain intramonth corporate actions, such as mergers, acquisitions, and delistings. In such cases, the change is applied on the effective date of the action, unless otherwise determined by the Index Provider.
The Fund is rebalanced in accordance with the Underlying Index.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The following provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in the Fund's “Summary Information” section. Any of the following risks may impact the Fund’s NAV which could result in the Fund trading at a premium or discount to NAV.
Market Risk. Securities in the Underlying Index are subject to market fluctuations, and the Fund could lose money due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during market downturns. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in value of the securities in the Underlying Index. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or due to factors that affect a particular industry or group of industries. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Additionally, natural or environmental disasters, widespread disease or other public health issues, war, acts of terrorism or other events could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
COVID-19 Risk. The “COVID-19” strain of coronavirus has resulted in instances of market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain its spread have resulted in travel restrictions, disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations (including business closures) and supply chains, layoffs, lower consumer demand and employee availability, and defaults and credit downgrades, among other significant economic impacts that have disrupted global economic activity across many industries. Such economic impacts may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks locally or globally. and cause general concern and uncertainty. The full economic impact and ongoing effects of COVID-19 (or other future epidemics or pandemics) at the macro-level and on individual businesses are unpredictable and may result in significant and prolonged effects on the Fund’s performance.
Index Risk. Unlike many investment companies that are “actively managed,” the Fund is a “passive” investor and therefore does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in excess of the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund would not necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed, respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is underperforming. If a specific security is removed from the Underlying Index, the Fund may be forced to sell such security at an inopportune time or for a price lower than the security’s current market value. The Underlying Index may not contain the appropriate mix of securities for any particular economic cycle. Additionally, the Fund rebalances its portfolio in accordance with the Underlying Index, and, therefore, any changes to the Underlying Index’s rebalance schedule will result in corresponding changes to the Fund’s rebalance schedule. Further,
7
unlike with an actively managed fund, the Adviser does not use techniques or defensive strategies designed to lessen the impact of periods of market volatility or market decline. This means that, based on certain market and economic conditions, the Fund’s performance could be lower than other types of funds with investment advisers that actively manage their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or defend against market events.
Blockchain Company Investments Risk. Companies engaged in the development, enablement and acquisition of blockchain technologies are subject to a number of risks. Blockchain technology is new and many of its uses may be untested. The mechanics of using distributed ledger technology to transact in other types of assets, such as securities or derivatives, is less clear. There is no assurance that widespread adoption will occur. Furthermore, the development and acceptance of competing platforms or technologies may cause consumers or investors to use an alternative to blockchains. A lack of expansion in the usage of blockchain technology could adversely affect the underlying holdings of the Fund. Moreover, the extent to which companies held by the Fund utilize blockchain technology may vary, and it is possible that even widespread adoption of blockchain technology may not result in a material impact on the stock price of such companies.
Furthermore, companies that are developing applications of blockchain technology applications may not in fact do so or may not be able to capitalize on those blockchain technologies. A proliferation of recent startups attempting to apply blockchain technology in different contexts means the possibility of conflicting intellectual property claims could be a risk to an issuer, its operations or its business. This could also pose a risk to blockchain platforms that permit transactions in digital securities. Regardless of the merit of any intellectual property or other legal action, any threatened action that reduces confidence in the viability of blockchain may adversely affect an investment in the Fund. Additionally, blockchain technology is new, and as such may be subject to future laws or regulations. Any such regulatory changes affecting blockchain technology may adversely impact an investment in companies utilizing this technology.
Transacting on a blockchain depends in part specifically on the use of cryptographic keys that are required to access a user’s account (or “wallet”). The theft, loss or destruction of these keys impairs the value of ownership claims users have over the relevant assets being represented by the ledger (whether “smart contracts,” securities, currency or other digital assets). The theft, loss or destruction of private or public keys needed to transact on a blockchain could also adversely affect a company’s business or operations if it were dependent on the ledger.
In addition, because blockchain functionality relies on the Internet, a significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of blockchain technologies and adversely affect the Fund. In addition, certain features of blockchain technology, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response.
Equity Risk. Equity risk is the risk that the value of equity securities, including common stocks, will fall. The value of an equity security may fall due to changes in general economic conditions that impact the market as a whole and that are relatively unrelated to an issuer or its industry. These conditions include changes in interest rates, specific periods of overall market turbulence or instability, or general and prolonged periods of economic decline and cyclical change. An issuer's common stock in particular may be especially sensitive to, and more adversely affected by, these general movements in the stock market; it is possible that a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks that the Fund holds.
In addition, equity risk includes the risk that investor sentiment toward, and perceptions regarding, one or more particular industries or economic sectors will become negative, resulting in those investors exiting their
investments in those industries, which could cause a reduction in the value of companies in those industries or sectors more broadly. Price changes of equity securities may occur in a particular region, industry, or sector of the market, and as a result, the value of an issuer's common stock may fall solely because of factors, such as increases in production costs, that negatively impact other companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries.
Equity risk also includes the financial risks of a specific company, including that the value of the company's securities may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services. In particular, the common stock of a company may decline significantly in price over short periods of time. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of common stock; similarly, the common stock of an issuer may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer experiences a decline in its financial condition.
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk. Securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and thinly traded (that is, less liquid) than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small- and mid-capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions. In addition, small- and mid-capitalization companies are typically less financially stable than larger, more established companies, and they may depend on a small number of essential personnel, making them more vulnerable to loss of personnel. Smaller capitalization companies also normally have less diverse product lines than large-capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments concerning their products. As such, small-and mid-capitalization companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large-capitalization companies by changes in earnings results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.
Micro-Capitalization Company Risk. Investments in the securities of micro-capitalization companies involve substantially greater risks of loss and price fluctuations than other securities with larger capitalizations. Micro-capitalization companies carry additional risks because their earnings and revenues tend to be less predictable (and some companies may be experience significant losses), their share prices tend to be more volatile and their markets less liquid than companies with larger market capitalizations. Micro-capitalization companies may be newly formed or in the early stages of development, with limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and they may lack management depth or may be overly reliant on specific key individuals. In addition, less public information may be available about these companies. The shares of micro-capitalization companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the future ability to sell these securities.
Industry Concentration Risk. In following its methodology, the Underlying Index will be concentrated to a significant degree in securities of issuers operating in a single industry or industry group. As a result, the Fund will also concentrate its investments in such industries or industry groups to approximately the same extent. By concentrating its investments in an industry or industry group, the Fund faces more risks than if it were diversified broadly over numerous industries or industry groups. Such industry-based risks, any of which may adversely affect the companies in which the Fund invests, may include, but are not limited to, the following: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand in a particular industry; competition for resources; adverse labor relations, political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or viability of companies in an industry. In addition, at times, such industry or industry group may be out of favor and
8
underperform other industries or the market as a whole. Information about the Fund’s exposure to a particular industry or industry group is available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, as well as on required forms filed with the SEC.
Information Technology Sector Risk. Companies in the technology sector may be adversely affected by the failure to obtain, or delays in obtaining, financing or regulatory approval, intense competition, both domestically and internationally, product compatibility, consumer preferences, corporate capital expenditure, rapid obsolescence and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the technology sector also face competition or potential competition with numerous alternative technologies. In addition, the highly competitive technology sector may cause the prices for these products and services to decline in the future.
Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.
The technology sector is subject to rapid and significant changes in technology that are evidenced by the increasing pace of technological upgrades, evolving industry standards, ongoing improvements in the capacity and quality of digital technology, shorter development cycles for new products and enhancements, developments in emerging wireless transmission technologies and changes in customer requirements and preferences. The success of sector participants depends substantially on the timely and successful introduction of new products.
Foreign and Emerging Markets Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities involve risks that are beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities, and investments in securities of issuers in emerging market countries involve risks not often associated with investments in securities of issuers in developed countries. Fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the values of other currencies may adversely affect investments in foreign and emerging market securities. Foreign and emerging markets may have greater concentration in a few industries, resulting in greater vulnerability to regional and global trade conditions. Emerging market countries may also have higher rates of inflation and more rapid and extreme fluctuations in inflation rates and greater sensitivity to interest rate changes. Issuers in emerging markets also may have relatively low market liquidity, decreased publicly available and less reliable information, and inconsistent and less stringent regulatory, disclosure, accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice, including recordkeeping standards, comparable to those applicable to issuers in more developed markets. As a result, the nature and quality of such information may vary. The ability to conduct adequate due diligence in emerging markets may be limited. In addition, certain emerging market countries have material limitations on Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) inspection, investigation and enforcement capabilities which hinder the ability to engage in independent oversight or inspection of accounting firms located in or operating in certain emerging markets; therefore, there is no guarantee that the quality of financial reporting or the audits conducted by audit firms of emerging market issuers meet PCAOB standards.
Foreign and emerging market securities also are subject to the risks of expropriation, nationalization or other adverse political or economic developments and the difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries. Investments in foreign and emerging market securities also may be subject to dividend withholding or confiscatory taxes, currency blockage and/or transfer restrictions and higher transactional costs. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political, social and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be
subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets. Securities law in many emerging market countries is relatively new and unsettled. Therefore, laws regarding foreign investment in emerging market securities, securities regulation, title to securities, and shareholder rights may change quickly and unpredictably. The ability to bring and enforce actions in emerging market countries, or to obtain information needed to pursue or enforce such actions, may be limited, and shareholder claims may be difficult or impossible to pursue. In addition, the taxation systems at the federal, regional and local levels in emerging market countries may be less transparent and inconsistently enforced, and subject to sudden change. Emerging markets countries may have a higher degree of corruption and fraud than developed market countries, as well as counterparties and financial institutions with less financial sophistication, creditworthiness and/or resources. Investments in emerging markets securities may also be subject to delays in settlement procedures, unexpected market closures, and lack of timely information. Lack of relevant data and reliable public information, including financial information, about securities in emerging markets may contribute to incorrect weightings and data and computational errors when the Index Provider selects securities for inclusion in the Underlying Index or rebalances the Underlying Index.
Each country has different laws specific to that country that impact investment, which may increase the risks to which investors are subject. Country-specific rules or legislation addressing investment-related transactions may inhibit or prevent certain transactions from transpiring in a particular country.
Furthermore, foreign exchanges and broker-dealers generally are subject to less government and exchange scrutiny and regulation than their U.S. counterparts. Differences in clearance and settlement procedures in foreign markets may cause delays in settlement of the Fund's trades effected in those markets and could result in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in the value of the securities subject to the trades. Depositary receipts also involve substantially identical risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. Additionally, the issuers of certain depositary receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depositary receipts, have no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
Geographic Concentration Risk. Funds that are less diversified across geographic regions or countries are generally riskier than more geographically diversified funds. The economies and financial markets of certain regions can be interdependent and may all decline at the same time. A natural or other disaster could occur in a country or geographic region in which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business operations of companies in that specific country or geographic region and adversely impact the Fund's investments in the affected region. The Schedule of Investments included in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports identifies the countries in which the Fund had invested and the level of investment, as of the date of the reports.
Cryptocurrency Risk. Cryptocurrencies (also referred to as “virtual currencies” and “digital currencies”) are digital assets designed to act as a medium of exchange. Although cryptocurrency is an emerging asset class, there are thousands of cryptocurrencies.
While the Fund will not invest directly in cryptocurrencies, the value of the Fund's investments in cryptocurrency-linked assets (including private trusts and ETPs) is subject to fluctuations in the value of the cryptocurrency, which have been and may in the future be highly volatile. The value of cryptocurrencies is determined by the supply and demand for cryptocurrency in the global market for the trading of cryptocurrency, which consists primarily of transactions on electronic exchanges. The price of a digital currency could drop precipitously (including to zero) for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, regulatory changes, a crisis of confidence, flaw or operational issue in a digital currency network or a change in user preference to competing cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrency is a new technological innovation with a limited history; it is a highly
9
speculative asset, and the Fund's exposure to cryptocurrency-linked assets could result in substantial losses to the Fund.
Cryptocurrencies trade on exchanges, which are largely unregulated and, therefore, are more exposed to fraud and failure than established, regulated exchanges for securities, derivatives and other currencies. Cryptocurrency exchanges have in the past, and may in the future, cease operating temporarily or even permanently, resulting in the potential loss of users' cryptocurrency or other market disruptions. Cryptocurrency exchanges are more exposed to the risk of market manipulation than exchanges for traditional assets. Cryptocurrency exchanges that are regulated typically must comply with minimum net capital, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering requirements, but are not typically required to protect customers or their markets to the same extent that regulated securities exchanges or futures exchanges are required to do so. Furthermore, many cryptocurrency exchanges lack certain safeguards established by traditional exchanges to enhance the stability of trading on the exchange, such as measures designed to prevent sudden drops in value of items traded on the exchange (i.e., “flash crashes”). As a result, the prices of cryptocurrencies on exchanges may be subject to larger and more frequent sudden declines than assets traded on traditional exchanges. In addition, cryptocurrency exchanges are also subject to the risk of cybersecurity threats and have been breached, resulting in the theft and/or loss of cryptocurrencies. A cyber or other security breach or a business failure of a cryptocurrency exchange or custodian may affect the price of a particular cryptocurrency or cryptocurrencies generally. A risk also exists with respect to malicious actors or previously unknown vulnerabilities, which may adversely affect the value of a digital currency.
Currently, there is relatively limited use of cryptocurrency in the retail and commercial marketplace, which contributes to price volatility. A lack of expansion by cryptocurrencies into retail and commercial markets, or a contraction of such use, may result in increased volatility or a reduction in the value of cryptocurrencies, either of which could adversely impact the Fund's investment in cryptocurrency. In addition, to the extent market participants develop a preference for one cryptocurrency over another, the value of the less preferred cryptocurrency would likely be adversely affected.
Cryptocurrency Tax Risk. Many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of investments in cryptocurrencies are uncertain and an investment in cryptocurrencies, even indirectly, may produce income that is not treated as qualifying income for purposes of the income test applicable to regulated investment companies, such as the Fund. Accordingly, to the extent the Fund invests in any cryptocurrency-linked assets (such as ETPs or private funds) that generate non-qualifying income, it intends to do so through the Subsidiary. Should the IRS issue guidance, or Congress enact legislation, that adversely affects the tax treatment of the Fund's use of cryptocurrency-linked assets or the Subsidiary (which guidance might be applied to the Fund retroactively), it could, among other consequences, limit the Fund's ability to pursue its investment strategy.
Privately Offered Cryptocurrency Trusts Risk. In seeking to track the Underlying Index, the Fund may obtain investment exposure to cryptocurrencies indirectly through investments in GBTC. Shares of GBTC may trade at a premium or discount, may not directly correspond to the price of any digital currency, and are highly volatile. An investment in GBTC also exposes the Fund to all of the risks related to cryptocurrencies discussed herein and also exposes the Fund to risks specific to private investment vehicles and private funds generally, which may include, but are not limited to, liquidity risk, lack of a secondary market to trade securities, management risk, concentration risk and valuation risk. The securities of GBTC are not registered under the Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and therefore such and investment will not benefit from the protections and restrictions of such laws. The Fund will indirectly pay a proportional share of the expenses (including operating expenses and management fees) of GBTC, in addition to the fees and expenses the Fund
already will pay to the Adviser. As a result, shareholders will absorb duplicate levels of fees with respect to the Fund’s investments in GBTC.
Market Capitalization Risk. Companies that report cryptocurrency assets on their balance sheets amounting to at least 50% of their market capitalization are eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. Market capitalization refers to the total dollar market value of a company's outstanding shares; it is calculated by multiplying the total number of the company's outstanding shares by the current market price per share. Market capitalization can fluctuate depending on changes in the per share price of a security or due to changes in the number of shares outstanding. Because market capitalization is determined, in large measure, by market price, market capitalization can fluctuate up or down depending on the fluctuation of market price of shares and, at times, may be higher or lower than a company's book value. As a result, a portfolio company's holdings in bitcoin (when expressed as a percentage of market capitalization) may appear to increase when market prices decline, and conversely, may appear to decrease when market prices increase, even though such company's total holdings of bitcoin would remain unchanged both in an absolute sense and as a percentage of book assets. Component companies whose cryptocurrency assets drop below 50% of their market capitalization will not be eligible for the Underlying Index at its next rebalance.
Line of Business Risk. Certain companies included in the Underlying Index may be engaged in other lines of business unrelated to blockchain and cryptocurrency and these lines of business could adversely affect their operating results. The operating results of these companies may fluctuate as a result of these additional risks and events in the other lines of business. In addition, a company’s ability to engage in new activities may expose it to business risks with which it has less experience than it has with the business risks associated with its traditional businesses. Despite a company’s possible success in activities linked to its use of blockchain, there can be no assurance that the other lines of business in which these companies are engaged will not have an adverse effect on a company’s business or financial condition.
Subsidiary Investment Risk. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act; therefore, the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.
ADR and GDR Risk. ADRs are certificates that evidence ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to purchasing the underlying foreign securities directly in their national markets and currencies. GDRs are certificates issued by an international bank that generally are traded and denominated in the currencies of countries other than the home country of the issuer of the underlying shares. ADRs and GDRs may be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of foreign companies, such as currency, political, economic and market risks, because their values depend on the performance of the non-dollar denominated underlying foreign securities. Moreover, ADRs and GDRs may not track the price of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their value may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading.
Certain countries may limit the ability to convert ADRs into the underlying foreign securities and vice versa, which may cause the securities of the foreign company to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the related ADR. ADRs may be purchased through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by a depositary and the issuer of the underlying security. A depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Unsponsored receipts may involve higher expenses and may be less liquid. Holders of unsponsored ADRs generally bear all the costs of such facilities, and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is
10
under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities.
GDRs can involve currency risk since, unlike ADRs, they may not be U.S. dollar-denominated. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund’s NAV could decline if the currency of the non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the value of the Fund’s holdings, measured in the foreign currency, increases.
Currency Risk. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund’s NAV could decline if the currency of the non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the value of the Fund’s holdings, measured in the foreign currency, increases. Generally, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar against a foreign currency will reduce the value of a security denominated in that foreign currency, thereby decreasing the Fund’s overall NAV. In addition, fluctuations in the exchange values of currencies could affect the economy or particular business operations of companies in a geographic region in which the Fund invests, causing an adverse impact on the Fund. As a result, investors have the potential for losses regardless of the length of time they intend to hold Shares.
When the Fund receives income in foreign currencies, the Fund will compute and distribute its income in U.S. dollars, and the computation of income will be made on the date that the Fund earns the income at the foreign exchange rates in effect on that date. Therefore, if the values of the relevant foreign currencies fall relative to the U.S. dollar between the earning of the income and the time at which the Fund converts the foreign currencies to U.S. dollars, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities in order to make distributions if it has insufficient cash in U.S. dollars to meet distribution requirements.
Furthermore, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies. Foreign exchange dealers realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer normally will offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire immediately to resell that currency to the dealer. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forwards, futures or options contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies.
Issuer-Specific Changes Risk. The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market as a whole, causing the value of its securities to decline. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, changes in technology, expiration of patent protection, disruptions in supply, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures or other factors. Issuers may, in times of distress or at their own discretion, decide to reduce or eliminate dividends, which may also cause their stock prices to decline.
Valuation Risk. Financial information related to securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less reliable than information related to securities of U.S. issuers, which may make it difficult to obtain a current price for a non-U.S. security held by the Fund. In certain circumstances, market quotations may not be readily available for some securities, and those securities may be fair valued. The value established for a security through fair valuation may be different from what would be produced if the security had been valued using market quotations. Fund securities that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuations in their value from one day to the next than would be the case if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell a portfolio security for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a security is sold at a discount to its established value.
Valuation Time Risk. Because foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the non-U.S. securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your Shares. As a result, trading spreads and the resulting premium or discount on the Shares may widen, and, therefore, increase the difference between the market price of the Shares and the NAV of such Shares.
Non-Correlation Risk. The Fund’s returns may not match the returns of the Underlying Index (that is, it may experience tracking error) for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Underlying Index and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Underlying Index. To the extent that the Fund has recently commenced operations and/or otherwise has a relatively small amount of assets, such transaction costs could have a proportionally greater impact on the Fund. Additionally, if the Fund uses a sampling approach, it may result in returns for the Fund that are not as well-correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index.
The performance of the Fund and the Underlying Index may vary due to asset valuation differences and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Index resulting from legal restrictions, costs or liquidity constraints. Additionally, if the Fund issues or redeems Creation Units principally for cash, it will incur higher costs in buying or selling securities than if it issued and redeemed Creation Units principally in-kind, which may contribute to tracking error. The Fund may fair value certain of the securities it holds. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices, the Fund’s ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected. Since the Underlying Index is not subject to the tax diversification requirements to which the Fund must adhere, the Fund may be required to deviate its investments from the securities contained in, and relative weightings of, the Underlying Index. The Fund may not invest in certain securities included in the Underlying Index due to liquidity constraints. Liquidity constraints also may delay the Fund’s purchase or sale of securities included in the Underlying Index. For tax efficiency purposes, the Fund may sell certain securities to realize losses, causing it to deviate from the Underlying Index.
The Fund generally attempts to remain fully invested in the constituents of the Underlying Index. However, the Adviser may not fully invest the Fund’s assets at times, either as a result of cash flows into the Fund, to retain a reserve of cash to meet redemptions and expenses, or because of low assets.
The investment activities of one or more of the Adviser’s affiliates, including other subsidiaries of the Adviser’s parent company, Invesco Ltd., for their proprietary accounts and for client accounts also may adversely impact the Fund’s ability to track the Underlying Index. For example, in regulated industries, certain emerging or international markets and under corporate and regulatory ownership definitions, there may be limits on the aggregate amount of investment by affiliated investors that may not be exceeded, or that may not be exceeded without the grant of a license or other regulatory or corporate consent, or, if exceeded, may cause the Adviser, the Fund or other client accounts to suffer disadvantages or business restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be restricted in its ability to acquire particular securities due to positions held by the Fund and the Adviser’s affiliates.
Sampling Risk. The Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach could result in the Fund holding a smaller number of securities than are in the Underlying Index. As a result, an adverse development to an issuer of securities that the Fund holds could result in a greater decline in NAV than would be the case if the Fund held all of the securities in the Underlying Index. To the extent the assets in the Fund are smaller, these risks will be greater. In addition, by sampling the securities in the Underlying Index, the Fund faces the risk that the securities selected for the Fund, in the
11
aggregate, will not provide investment performance matching that of the Fund's Underlying Index, thereby increasing tracking error.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. Because the Fund is considered non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of its assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in Share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only APs may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as APs, and such APs have no obligation to submit creation or redemption orders. Consequently, there is no assurance that APs will establish or maintain an active trading market for the Shares. The risk may be heightened to the extent that securities held by the Fund are traded outside a collateralized settlement system. In that case, APs may be required to post collateral on certain trades on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants), which only a limited number of APs may be able to do. In addition, to the extent that APs exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, this may result in a significantly diminished trading market for Shares, and Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and to face trading halts and/or delisting. Investments in non-U.S. securities, which may have lower trading volumes, may increase this risk.
Market Trading Risk. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. Although Shares are listed for trading on a securities exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or APs, that Shares will continue to trade on any such exchange or that Shares will continue to meet the requirements for listing on an exchange. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods. Further, the Fund may experience low trading volume and wide bid/ask spreads. Bid/ask spreads vary over time based on trading volume and market liquidity (including for the underlying securities held by the Fund), and are generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Additionally, in stressed market conditions, the market for Shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s portfolio holdings, which may cause a variance in the market price of Shares and their underlying value.
Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.
Shares May Trade at Prices Different than NAV. Shares trade on a stock exchange at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The Fund’s NAV is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours on the exchange, based on both the relative market supply of, and demand for, the Shares and the underlying value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. As a result, the trading prices of the Shares may deviate from the Fund’s NAV. ANY OF THESE FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, MAY LEAD TO THE SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV. The Adviser cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above the Fund’s NAV. Exchange prices
are not expected to correlate exactly with the Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers, APs, or other market participants, or periods of significant market volatility or stress, may result in trading prices for the Shares that differ significantly from the value of the Fund’s underlying holdings, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Shares bought or sold. This can be reflected as a spread between the bid and ask prices for the Fund quoted during the day or a premium or discount in the closing price from the Fund’s NAV. Additionally, APs may be less willing to create or redeem the Shares if there is a lack of an active market for such Shares or the Fund’s underlying investments, which may contribute to the Shares trading at a premium or discount.
Non-Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund, after investing at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the Underlying Index, may invest its remaining assets in securities (including other funds) not included in the Underlying Index, and in money market instruments, including repurchase agreements and other funds, including affiliated funds, that invest exclusively in money market instruments (subject to applicable limitations under the 1940 Act or exemptions therefrom), convertible securities, structured notes (notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments is based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular security or securities index) and in futures contracts, options and options on futures contracts. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, options on futures contracts, convertible securities and structured notes to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index, and to manage cash flows.
The Adviser anticipates that it may take approximately two business days (a business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open) for additions to and deletions from the Underlying Index to fully settle in the portfolio composition of the Fund.
The Fund's investment objective is a non-fundamental policy that the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II (the “Trust”) may change without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.
The fundamental and non-fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) under the section “Investment Restrictions.”
Borrowing Money
The Fund may borrow money up to the limits set forth in the Fund’s SAI under the section “Investment Restrictions.”
Securities Lending
The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the Fund receives liquid collateral equal to at least 102% (105% for international securities) of the value of the loaned portfolio securities. This collateral is marked-to-market on a daily basis.
Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund
The Fund may also be subject to certain other, non-principal risks associated with its investments and investment strategies. The following provides additional, non-principal risk information regarding investing in the Fund.
Cash Transaction Risk. The Fund anticipates meeting redemption requests by paying redemption proceeds either in-kind or in cash. To the extent cash is used for redemptions, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Therefore, the Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to utilizing an in-kind only redemption process.
12
Convertible Securities Risk. A convertible security generally is a preferred stock that may be converted within a specified period of time into common stock. Convertible securities nevertheless remain subject to the risks of both debt securities and equity securities. As with other equity securities, the value of a convertible security tends to increase as the price of the underlying stock goes up, and to decrease as the price of the underlying stock goes down. Declining common stock values therefore also may cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decline. Like a debt security, a convertible security provides a fixed income stream and also tends to decrease in value when interest rates rise. Moreover, many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as lower-rated debt securities.
Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund, like all companies, may be susceptible to operational and information security risks. Cybersecurity failures or breaches of the Fund or its service providers or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
Derivatives Risk. The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts, options, options on futures contracts, as applicable. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their value from an underlying asset, such as a security, index or exchange rate. Their use is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments and may be more volatile, less tax efficient and less liquid than other securities.
Derivatives may be used to create synthetic exposure to an underlying asset or to hedge a portfolio risk. If the Fund uses derivatives to “hedge” a portfolio risk, the change in value of a derivative may not correlate as expected with the underlying asset being hedged, and it is possible that the hedge therefore may not succeed. In addition, given their complexity, derivatives may be difficult to value.
Derivatives are subject to a number of risks including credit risk, interest rate risk, and market risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that a counterparty will be unable and/or unwilling to perform under the agreement. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of an asset resulting from changes in the general level of interest rates. Over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk (sometimes referred to as “default risk”), which is the risk that the other party to the contract will not fulfill its contractual obligations.
Derivatives may be especially sensitive to changes in economic and market conditions, and their use may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage may cause the portfolio of the Fund to be more volatile than if the portfolio had not been leveraged because leverage can exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of securities held by the Fund. For some derivatives, such leverage could result in losses that exceed the original amount invested in the derivative. The Fund’s use of derivatives may be limited by the requirements for taxation of the Fund as a regulated investment company, as well as by regulatory changes.
The SEC has adopted a new regulatory framework governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies (“Rule 18f-4”). The Fund will be required to implement and comply with Rule 18f-4 by August 19, 2022. Once implemented, Rule 18f-4 will require a fund that qualifies as a “limited derivatives user” (generally, a fund that limits the notional amount of its derivatives transactions to 10% or less of its net assets) to adopt and implement policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage the fund's derivatives risks. This new regulatory framework will also eliminate the asset segregation and coverage framework currently used by the Fund to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act in connection with derivatives and certain other financing transactions. As the Fund transitions into
compliance with Rule 18f-4, the Fund’s approach to asset segregation and coverage requirements may be impacted.
Index Provider Risk. The Fund seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the Underlying Index, as published by the Index Provider. There is no assurance that the Index Provider will compile the Underlying Index accurately, or that the Underlying Index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. While the Index Provider gives descriptions of what the Underlying Index is designed to achieve, the Index Provider generally does not provide any warranty or accept any liability in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of data in the Underlying Index, and it generally does not guarantee that the Underlying Index will be in line with its methodology. Errors made by the Index Provider with respect to the quality, accuracy and completeness of the data within the Underlying Index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time, if at all. Therefore, gains, losses or costs associated with Index Provider errors will generally be borne by the Fund and its shareholders.
Index Rebalancing Risk. Pursuant to the methodology that the Index Provider uses to calculate and maintain the Underlying Index, a security may be removed from the Underlying Index in the event that it does not comply with the eligibility requirements of the Underlying Index. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell securities at inopportune times or for prices other than at current market values or may elect not to sell such securities on the day that they are removed from the Underlying Index, due to market conditions or otherwise. Due to these factors, the variation between the Fund’s annual return and the return of the Underlying Index may increase significantly.
Apart from scheduled rebalances, the Index Provider may carry out additional ad hoc rebalances to the Underlying Index, for example, to correct an error in the selection of index constituents. When the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. Unscheduled rebalances also expose the Fund to additional tracking error risk. Therefore, errors and additional ad hoc rebalances carried out by the Index Provider may increase the Fund’s costs and market exposure.
Large Shareholder Risk. Certain shareholders, including a third party investor, the Fund’s investment adviser or an affiliate of the investment adviser, an AP, a lead market maker, or another entity, may from time to time own a substantial amount of Shares or may invest in the Fund and hold its investment for a limited period of time solely to facilitate the commencement of the Fund or to facilitate the Fund achieving a specified size or scale. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder would not redeem its investment. Dispositions of a large number of Shares by these shareholders may adversely affect the Fund’s liquidity and net assets to the extent such transactions are executed directly with the Fund in the form of redemptions through an AP, rather than executed in the secondary market. These redemptions may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and increase the Fund’s brokerage costs. Further, such sales may accelerate the realization of taxable income and/or gains to shareholders, or the Fund may be required to sell its more liquid Fund investments to meet a large redemption, in which case the Fund’s remaining assets may be less liquid, more volatile, and more difficult to price. To the extent the Fund permits cash purchases, large purchases of Shares may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. To the extent these large shareholders transact in shares on the secondary market, such transactions may account for a large percentage of the trading volume on the Fund’s exchange and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market price of the Shares. To the extent the Fund permits redemptions in cash, the Fund may hold a relatively large proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large redemptions, diluting its investment returns.
13
Leverage Risk. To the extent that the Fund borrows money, it may be leveraged. Leveraging generally exaggerates the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Borrowing creates interest expenses and other expenses (e.g., commitment fees) for the Fund that affect the Fund’s performance. Interest expenses are excluded from the Fund expenses borne by the Adviser under the unitary management fee.
Licensing, Custody and Settlement Risk. Approval of governmental authorities may be required prior to investing in the securities of companies based in certain foreign countries. Delays in obtaining such an approval would delay investments in the particular country, and, as a consequence, the Fund may not be able to invest in all of the securities included in the Underlying Index while an approval is pending. Rules adopted under the 1940 Act permit the Fund to maintain its foreign securities and cash in the custody of certain eligible non-U.S. banks and securities depositories. Certain banks in foreign countries that are eligible foreign sub-custodians may be recently organized or otherwise lack extensive operating experience. In addition, in certain countries there may be legal restrictions or limitations on the ability of the Fund to recover assets held in custody by a foreign sub-custodian in the event of the bankruptcy of the sub-custodian. Settlement systems in emerging markets may be less well organized than in developed markets. Thus, there may be a risk that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities of the Fund may be in jeopardy because of failures of or defects in the systems. Under the laws of certain countries in which the Fund invests, the Fund may be required to release local shares before receiving cash payment or may be required to make cash payment prior to receiving local shares.
Money Market Funds Risk. Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses, and the Fund's investments in money market funds will cause it to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market funds' operations while simultaneously paying its own management fees and expenses. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency; it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund. To the extent that the Fund invests in money market funds, the Fund will be subject to the same risks that investors experience when investing in money market funds. These risks may include the impact of significant fluctuations in assets as a result of the cash sweep program or purchase and redemption activity in those funds.
Money market funds are open-end registered investment companies that historically have traded at a stable $1.00 per share price. However, money market funds that do not meet the definition of a “retail money market fund” or “government money market fund” under the 1940 Act are required to transact at a floating NAV per share (i.e., in a manner similar to how all other non-money market mutual funds transact), instead of at a $1.00 stable share price. Money market funds may also impose liquidity fees and redemption gates for use in times of market stress. If the Fund invested in a money market fund with a floating NAV, the impact on the trading and value of the money market instrument may negatively affect the Fund's return potential.
Natural Disaster/Epidemic Risk. Natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and other severe weather-related phenomena generally, and widespread disease, including pandemics and epidemics, have been and may be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Additionally, if a sector or sectors in which the Underlying Index is concentrated is negatively impacted to a greater extent by such events, the Fund may experience heightened volatility. 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.
Any such events could have a significant adverse impact on the value of the Fund’s investments.
Repurchase Agreements Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements pursuant to which the Fund acquires securities from a third party with the understanding that the seller will repurchase them at a fixed price on an agreed date. Repurchase agreements may be characterized as loans secured by the underlying securities. If the seller of securities under a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying securities, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund will seek to dispose of such securities, which could involve costs or delays. If the seller becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under applicable bankruptcy or other laws, the Fund’s ability to dispose of the underlying securities may be restricted. If the seller fails to repurchase the securities, the Fund may suffer a loss to the extent proceeds from the sale of the underlying securities are less than the repurchase prices.
Risks of Futures and Options. The Fund may enter into U.S. futures contracts, options and options on futures contracts to simulate full investment in the Underlying Index, or to manage cash flows. The Fund will not use futures or options for speculative purposes. The Fund intends to use futures and options contracts to limit its risk exposure to levels comparable to direct investment in securities.
An option gives a holder the right to buy or sell a specific security or an index at a specified price within a specified period of time. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract at a specified price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. Options can offer large amounts of leverage, which may result in the Fund’s NAV being more sensitive to changes in the value of the related instrument. The purchase of put or call options could be based upon predictions as to anticipated trends; such predictions could prove to be incorrect resulting in loss of part or all of the premium paid. The risk of trading uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) potentially is unlimited.
Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific instrument or index at a specified future time and at a specified price. Because futures contracts project price levels in the future, market circumstances may cause a discrepancy between the price of the stock index future and the movement in the Underlying Index. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would remain required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. The risk of loss in trading futures contracts potentially is unlimited.
The Fund must segregate liquid assets or take other appropriate measures to “cover” open positions in futures contracts. For futures contracts that do not cash settle, the Fund must segregate liquid assets equal to the full notional value of the futures contracts while the positions are open. For futures contracts that do cash settle, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability) under the futures contract, if any, rather than their full notional value.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund lends its securities and is unable to recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Any cash received as collateral for loaned securities will be invested in an affiliated money market fund. This investment is subject to market appreciation or depreciation and the Fund will bear any loss on the investment of its cash collateral.
Structured Notes Risk. Investments in structured notes involve risks including interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a note resulting from changes in the
14
general level of interest rates. When the general level of interest rates goes up, the prices of notes tend to go down. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a note will be unable and/or unwilling to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on its debt. Depending on the factors used, changes in interest rates and movement of such factors may cause significant price fluctuations. Structured notes may be less liquid than other types of securities and more volatile than the reference factor underlying the note. This means that the Fund may lose money if the issuer of the note defaults, as the Fund may not be able to readily close out its investment in such notes without incurring losses.
Trading Issues Risk. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. Moreover, trading in Shares on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. Foreign exchanges may be open on days when Shares are not priced, and therefore, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell Shares.
Tax Structure of ETFs
Unlike interests in conventional mutual funds, which typically are bought and sold only at closing NAVs, Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on a national securities exchange, and are created and redeemed in exchange for cash or in-kind in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV. In-kind arrangements are designed to protect shareholders from the adverse effects on the Fund’s portfolio that could arise from frequent cash creation and redemption transactions. In a conventional mutual fund, redemptions can have an adverse tax impact on taxable shareholders because the mutual fund may need to sell portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet such redemptions. These sales may generate taxable gains that must be distributed to the shareholders of the mutual fund, whereas the Shares’ in-kind redemption mechanism may reduce the effect of a tax event for the Fund (to the extent it uses in-kind redemptions) or its shareholders. To the extent that the Fund effects creations and redemptions for cash rather than on an in-kind basis, investments in the Shares may be less tax-efficient than if the Fund utilized an entirely in-kind redemption process.
The Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the Fund’s Underlying Index. The Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences. For information concerning the tax consequences of distributions, see the section entitled “Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes” in this Prospectus.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Trust's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI, which is available at www.invesco.com/ETFs.
Management of the Fund
Invesco Capital Management LLC is a registered investment adviser with its offices at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Invesco Capital Management LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust and Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, a family of ETFs, with combined assets under management of $183.7 billion as of December 31, 2021.
As the Fund’s investment adviser, the Adviser has overall responsibility for selecting and continuously monitoring the Fund’s investments, managing the Fund’s business affairs, and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services for the Trust.
Portfolio Managers
The Adviser uses a team of portfolio managers, investment strategists and other investment specialists in managing the Fund. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser's extensive resources. In this regard, Peter Hubbard, David Hemming and Theodore Samulowitz (the “Portfolio Managers”) are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Each Portfolio Manager is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including investing cash flows, coordinating with other team members to focus on certain asset classes, implementing investment strategies and researching and reviewing investment strategies.
Each Portfolio Manager has limitations on his or her authority for risk management and compliance purposes that the Adviser believes to be appropriate.
■
Peter Hubbard, Head of Equities and Director of Portfolio Management of the Adviser and Vice President of the Trust, has been responsible for the management of the Fund since September 2021. He has been responsible for the management of certain funds in the Invesco family of ETFs since June 2007 and has been associated with the Adviser since 2005.
■
David Hemming, Head of Alternatives Portfolio Management of the Adviser, has been responsible for the management of the Fund since September 2021. He has been responsible for the management of certain funds in the Invesco family of ETFs since September 2016 and has been associated with the Adviser since 2016. Prior to joining the Adviser, he was a Portfolio Manager and Principal of Commodities at Hermes Investment Management Limited.
■
Theodore Samulowitz, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been responsible for the management of the Fund since September 2021. He has been responsible for the management of certain funds in the Invesco family of ETFs since August 2013 and has been associated with the Adviser since 2012.
The Fund's SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts that the Portfolio Managers manage and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of Shares.
Advisory Fees
Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser an annual management fee equal to 0.60% of its average daily net assets (the “Advisory Fee”).
The Advisory Fee paid by the Fund to the Adviser is an annual unitary management fee. Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser pays for substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for distribution fees, if any, brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, litigation expenses, and other extraordinary expenses, including proxy expenses (except for such proxies related to: (i)
15
changes to the Investment Advisory Agreement, (ii) the election of any Board member who is an “interested person” of the Trust, or (iii) any other matters that directly benefit the Adviser).
The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser and other funds (including ETFs) managed by the Adviser or affiliates of the Adviser (collectively, “Underlying Affiliated Investments”). The indirect portion of the advisory fees that the Fund incurs through such Underlying Affiliated Investments is in addition to the Advisory Fee payable to the Adviser by the Fund. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the Advisory Fee payable by the Fund in an amount equal to the lesser of: (i) 100% of the net advisory fees earned by the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser that are attributable to the Fund's Underlying Affiliated Investments or (ii) the Advisory Fee available to be waived. These waivers do not apply to the Fund's investment of cash collateral received for securities lending. These waivers are in place through at least August 31, 2023, and there is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend them past that date.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund is available in the Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2021.
How to Buy and Sell Shares
The Fund issues or redeems its Shares at NAV per Share only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment. Although Shares generally are purchased and sold in “round lots” of 100 Shares, brokerage firms typically permit investors to purchase or sell Shares in smaller “odd lots,” at no per share price differential. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.
The Shares trade on the Exchange under the symbol “BLKC.”
Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share.
APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share, only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will pay out redemption proceeds to a redeeming AP within two days after the AP’s redemption request is received, in accordance with the process set forth in the Fund’s SAI and in the agreement between the AP and the Fund’s distributor. However, the Fund reserves the right, including under stressed market conditions, to take up to seven days after the receipt of a redemption request to pay an AP, all as permitted by the 1940 Act. If the Fund has foreign investments in a country where local market holiday(s) prevent the Fund from delivering such foreign investments to an AP in response to a redemption request, the Fund may take up to 15 days after the receipt of the redemption request to deliver such investments to the AP.
The Fund anticipates meeting redemption requests either by paying redemption proceeds to an AP primarily through in-kind redemptions or in cash. Cash used for redemptions will be raised from the sale of portfolio assets or may come from existing holdings of cash or cash equivalents. If the Fund holds Rule 144A securities, an AP that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act will not be able to receive those Rule 144A securities.
The Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares and is recognized as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other stocks that you hold in book entry or “street name” form.
Share Trading Prices
The trading prices of Shares on the Exchange may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
Shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units by APs. The vast majority of trading in Shares occurs on the secondary market and does not involve the Fund directly. In-kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs and cash trades on the secondary market are unlikely to cause many of the harmful effects of frequent purchases or redemptions of the Shares. Cash purchases and/or redemptions of Creation Units, however, can result in increased tracking error, disruption of portfolio management, dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, and may lead to the realization of capital gains. These consequences may increase as the frequency of cash purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs increases. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV.
To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs the Fund incurs in effecting trades. In addition, the Adviser monitors trades by APs for patterns of abusive trading and the Fund reserves the right not to accept orders from APs that the Adviser has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund, or otherwise are not in the best interests of the Fund. For these reasons, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares.
Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes
Dividends and Other Distributions
Generally, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid quarterly by the Fund. The Fund also intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. Dividends and other distributions may be declared and paid more frequently to comply with the distribution requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Code”), as amended, and to avoid a federal excise tax imposed on regulated investment companies.
16
Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.
Taxes
The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) and, as such, is not subject to entity-level tax on the income and gain it distributes. If you are a taxable investor, dividends and distributions you receive generally are taxable to you whether you reinvest distributions in additional Shares or take them in cash. Every year, you will be sent information showing the amount of dividends and distributions you received during the prior calendar year. In addition, investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic tax points as supplemented below where relevant:
Fund Tax Basics
■
The Fund earns income generally in the form of dividends or interest on its investments. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to shareholders. If you are a taxable investor, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income.
■
Distributions of net short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. A higher portfolio turnover rate (a measure of how frequently assets within the Fund are bought and sold) is more likely to generate short-term capital gains than a lower portfolio turnover rate.
■
Distributions of net long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your Shares.
■
A portion of income dividends paid by the Fund may be reported as qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates, provided certain holding period requirements are met. These reduced rates generally are available for dividends derived from the Fund’s investment in stocks of domestic corporations and qualified foreign corporations. Should the Fund invest primarily in debt securities, either none or only a nominal portion of the dividends paid by the Fund will be eligible for taxation at these reduced rates.
■
The use of derivatives by the Fund may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of ordinary income or short-term capital gain, distributions from which are taxable to individual shareholders at ordinary income tax rates rather than at the more favorable tax rates for long-term capital gain.
■
Distributions declared to shareholders with a record date in December—if paid to you by the end of January—are taxable for federal income tax purposes as if received in December.
■
Any long-term or short-term capital gains realized on the sale of your Shares will be subject to federal income tax.
■
If the Fund is terminated, a shareholder will receive a liquidating distribution(s) which should be treated as payment in exchange for the Shares held by the shareholder. As a result, each shareholder should recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in his or her shares and the liquidating distribution(s) he or she receives, except to the extent the Fund’s shares are held in a tax-advantaged arrangement. A liquidating distribution may be subject to backup withholding as described below.
■
A shareholder’s cost basis information will be provided on the sale of any of the shareholder’s Shares, subject to certain exceptions for exempt recipients. Please contact the broker (or other nominee) that holds your Shares with respect to reporting of your cost basis and available elections for your account.
■
At the time you purchase your Shares, the Fund’s NAV may reflect undistributed income or undistributed capital gains. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying Shares just before the Fund declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as “buying a dividend.” In addition, the Fund’s NAV may, at any time, reflect net unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions to you.
■
By law, if you do not provide the Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your Shares. The Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid.
■
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from taxable dispositions of Shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount. This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.
■
You will not be required to include the portion of dividends paid by the Fund derived from interest on U.S. government obligations in your gross income for purposes of personal and, in some cases, corporate income taxes in many state and local tax jurisdictions. The percentage of dividends that constitutes dividends derived from interest on federal obligations will be determined annually. This percentage may differ from the actual percentage of interest received by the Fund on federal obligations for the particular days on which you hold shares.
■
Fund distributions and gains from the sale of Shares generally are subject to state and local income taxes.
■
If the Fund qualifies to pass through the tax benefits from foreign taxes it pays on its investments, and elects to do so, then any foreign taxes it pays on these investments may be passed through to you. You will then be required to include your pro-rata share of these taxes in gross income, even though not actually received by you, and will be entitled either to deduct your share of these taxes in computing your taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against your U.S. federal income tax.
■
Foreign investors should be aware that U.S. withholding, special certification requirements to avoid U.S. backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits, and estate taxes may apply to an investment in the Fund.
■
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), a 30% withholding tax is imposed on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities, that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA or similar laws. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.
17
■
If the Fund invests in an underlying fund taxed as a RIC, please see any relevant section below for more information regarding the Fund’s investment in such underlying fund.
Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units
To the extent that the Fund permits in-kind transactions, an AP that exchanges equity securities for a Creation Unit generally will recognize a capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of exchange (plus any cash received by the AP as part of the issue) and the sum of the AP's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash component paid. Similarly, an AP that redeems a Creation Unit in exchange for securities generally will recognize a capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the AP's basis in the Creation Units (plus any cash paid by the AP as part of the redemption) and the aggregate market value of the securities received (plus any cash received by the AP as part of the redemption). The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for a Creation Unit, or of a Creation Unit for securities, cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or on the ground that there has been no significant change in the AP's economic position. An AP exchanging securities should consult its own tax advisor(s) with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss otherwise might not be deductible.
Any capital gain or loss realized on a redemption of a Creation Unit generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less, assuming that such Creation Units are held as a capital asset. If you purchase or redeem one or more Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the more important possible consequences under current federal, state and local tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state, local and/or foreign tax on the Fund's distributions and sales and/or redemptions of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor(s) about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Shares under all applicable tax laws.
Additional Considerations for Investments in Cryptocurrency-Linked Investments
The Fund's strategy of investing through its Subsidiary in ETPs and other instruments whose performance is linked to cryptocurrencies may cause the Fund to recognize more ordinary income and short-term capital gains taxable as ordinary income than would be the case if the Fund invested directly in cryptocurrencies.
The Fund must meet certain requirements under the Code to receive favorable tax treatment as a RIC, including asset diversification and income requirements. The Subsidiary will be classified for federal income tax purposes as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) with respect to the Fund. As such, the Fund will be required to include in its gross income each year amounts earned by the Subsidiary during that year (“Subpart F” income), whether or not such earnings are distributed by the Subsidiary to the Fund (deemed inclusions).
Treasury Regulations also permit the Fund to treat such deemed inclusions of “Subpart F” income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income to the Fund, even if the Subsidiary does not make a distribution of such income. Consequently, the Fund and the Subsidiary reserve the right to rely on deemed inclusions being treated as qualifying income to the Fund consistent with such Treasury Regulations.
The Fund intends to limit its investments in the Subsidiary to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets in order to satisfy the asset diversification requirement.
Distributor
Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”) serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Adviser.
Net Asset Value
The NAV for the Fund will be calculated and disseminated daily on each day that the NYSE is open for trading. The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) normally calculates the Fund’s NAV as of the regularly scheduled close of business of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time). The Fund’s NAV is based on prices at the time of closing, and U.S. fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments in a particular market or exchange. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and then dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. Generally, the portfolio securities are recorded in the NAV no later than the trade date plus one day. All valuations are subject to review by the Trust’s Board or its delegate.
In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange (except convertible securities) generally are valued at the last trade price or official closing price that day as of the close of the exchange where the security primarily trades. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last trade price or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Deposits, other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions, and cash equivalents are valued at their daily account value. Debt obligations (including convertible securities) normally are valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services. Pricing services generally value debt securities assuming orderly transactions of institutional round lot size, but the Fund 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. Futures contracts are valued at the final settlement price set by an exchange on which they are principally traded. Listed options are valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices from the exchange on which they principally trade. Options not listed on an exchange are valued by an independent source at the mean between the last bid and asked prices. Swaps generally are valued using pricing provided from independent pricing services. 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 Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. The Adviser may use various pricing services or discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time.
At times, a listed security’s market price may not be readily available. Moreover, even when market quotations are available for a security, they may be stale or unreliable. A security’s last market quotation may become stale because, among other reasons, (i) the security is not traded frequently, (ii) the security ceased trading before its exchange closed; (iii) market or issuer-specific events occurred after the security ceased trading; or (iv) the passage of time between when the security’s trading market closes and when the Fund calculates its NAV caused the quotation to become stale. A security’s last market quotation may become unreliable because of (i) certain security-specific events, including a merger or insolvency, (ii) events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or (iii) market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. When a security’s market price is not readily available, or the Adviser determines that such price is stale or unreliable, the
18
Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments, and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. If the Fund holds securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of such securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell Shares. In addition, if the Fund seeks to track an index, the use of fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and the prices used by that index, which may increase the Fund’s tracking error.
Fund Service Providers
BNYM, 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, is the administrator, custodian, transfer agent and fund accounting and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund.
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and 2000 K Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. PwC is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund and assists in the preparation and/or review of the Fund’s federal and state income tax returns.
19
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table below is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance for the period since the Fund’s inception. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all
dividends and other distributions). This information has been derived from the Fund’s financial statements, which have been audited by PwC, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2021, which is available upon request.
| |
For the Period October 5, 2021(a) Through October 31, 2021 |
| Per Share Operating Performance: |
|
| Net asset value at beginning of period |
$25.00 |
| Net investment income(b) |
0.01 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain on investments |
2.92 |
| Total from investment operations |
2.93 |
| Net asset value at end of period |
$27.93 |
| Market price at end of period(c) |
$27.73 |
| Net Asset Value Total Return(d) |
11.72%(e) |
| Market Price Total Return(d) |
10.92%(e) |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data: |
|
| Net assets at end of period (000’s omitted) |
$5,586 |
| Ratio to average net assets of: |
|
| Expenses |
0.60%(f) |
| Net investment income |
0.27%(f) |
| Portfolio turnover rate(g) |
12% |
| (a) |
Commencement of investment operations. |
| (b) |
Based on average shares outstanding. |
| (c) |
The mean between the last bid and ask prices. |
| (d) |
Net asset value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period. Net asset value total return 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. Market price total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the market price at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at market price during the period, and sale at the market price on the last day of the period. Total investment returns calculated for a period of less than one year are not annualized. |
| (e) |
The net asset value total return from Fund Inception (October 7, 2021, the first day of trading on the exchange) to October 31, 2021 was 10.48%. The market price total return from Fund Inception to October 31, 2021 was 9.34%. |
| (f) |
Annualized. |
| (g) |
Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable, and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions. |
20
Index Provider
No entity that creates, compiles, sponsors or maintains the Underlying Index is or will be an affiliated person, as defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act, or an affiliated person of an affiliated person, of the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor or a promoter of the Fund.
Neither the Adviser nor any affiliate of the Adviser has any rights to influence the selection of the securities in the Underlying Index.
The Underlying Index is calculated and maintained by the Index Provider or its affiliate, agent or partner. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser or the Distributor. The Adviser has entered into a license agreement with the Index Provider. The Fund is entitled to use the Underlying Index pursuant to a sub-licensing agreement with the Adviser.
The Index Provider has entered into a licensing arrangement with Galaxy Digital LP (“Galaxy”), pursuant to which Galaxy has licensed certain trademarks to the Index Provider for use in connection with the Underlying Index. Neither Galaxy nor any affiliate of Galaxy has any right to influence the selection of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund is not issued, sponsored, advised, endorsed, sold or promoted by Galaxy or any of its respective affiliates.
Disclaimers
Alerian®, Alerian Galaxy Global Blockchain Equity, Trusts and ETPs Index, and BCHAIN are service marks of Alerian and have been licensed for use by the Adviser. Galaxy® is a trademark of Galaxy that has been licensed for use by the Index Provider in connection with the Underlying Index and sub-licensed to the Adviser. The Fund is not issued, sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Alerian, Galaxy or any of their respective affiliates. Neither Alerian nor Galaxy makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the purchasers or owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the Index to track general market performance. Alerian's only relationship to the Fund is the licensing to the Adviser of its trademarks and the Underlying Index, which is determined, composed and calculated by Alerian without regard to the Adviser or the Fund. Galaxy's only relationship with the Fund is the licensing of its trademarks to Alerian, which have been sub-licensed to the Adviser. Neither Alerian nor Galaxy is responsible for or has participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund's Shares issued. Neither Alerian nor Galaxy has any obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.
ALERIAN DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND ALERIAN SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. ALERIAN MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. ALERIAN MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ALERIAN HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
The Adviser does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Index or any data included therein, and the Adviser shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, restatements, re-calculations or interruptions therein. The Adviser makes no warranty, express or implied, as
to results to be obtained by the Fund, owners of the Shares or any other person or entity from the use of the Underlying Index or any data included therein. The Adviser makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Underlying Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Adviser have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) arising out of matters relating to the use of the Underlying Index, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
Premium/Discount Information
Information showing the number of days the market price of the Shares was greater (at a premium) and less (at a discount) than the Fund’s NAV for the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year (or the life of the Fund, if shorter) is available on the Fund’s website at www.invesco.com/ETFs.
Other Information
Continuous Offering
The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Unit Aggregations after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving the solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms also should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act only is available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.
21
Delivery of Shareholder Documents–Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of the Prospectus and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you currently are enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
For More Information
For more detailed information on the Trust, the Fund and the Shares, you may request a copy of the Fund’s SAI. The SAI provides detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. This means that the SAI legally is a part of this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s investments also is available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Fund’s current Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during the last fiscal period. If you have questions about the Fund or Shares or you wish to obtain the SAI, Annual Report and/or Semi-Annual Report, free of charge, or to make shareholder inquiries, please:
| Call: |
Invesco Distributors, Inc. at 1-800-983-0903 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time |
| Write: |
Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II c/o Invesco Distributors, Inc. 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000 Houston, Texas 77046-1173 |
| Visit: |
www.invesco.com/ETFs |
Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus, and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
Dealers effecting transactions in the Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, generally are required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.
The Trust's registration number under the 1940 Act is 811-21977.
22
