40-APP/A 1 d13730d40appa.htm 40-APP/A 40-APP/A

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

In the matter of:

 

Invesco Capital Management LLC

Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Invesco Actively Managed Exchanged-Traded Fund Trust

 

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

 

    

   File No. 812-15182

First Amended and Restated Application for an Order to Amend a Prior Order under Section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) for an exemption from Sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d) and 22(e) of the 1940 Act and Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act and under Sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the 1940 Act for an exemption from Sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the 1940 Act.

All communications and orders to:

Anna Paglia

Invesco Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

630-868-7179, anna.paglia@invesco.com

With a copy to:

Paulita A. Pike, Esq.

Ropes & Gray LLP

191 North Wacker Drive, 32nd Floor

Chicago, IL 60606

312-845-1212, paulita.pike@ropesgray.com

Edward B. Baer, Esq.

Ropes & Gray LLP

Three Embarcadero Center

San Francisco, CA 94111

415-315-6328, edward.baer@ropesgray.com

Page 1 of 12 sequentially numbered pages.

As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 7, 2020

 

1


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

                    Page
I.    INTRODUCTION    3
   A.    Summary of Application    3
II.    APPLICANTS’ PROPOSAL    4
   A.    Applicants Seek Additional Basket Flexibility in Creation and Redemption Process    4
      1.    Additional Basket Flexibility    4
      2.    Revised Purchase and Redemption Procedures for Fund Shares    4
   B.    The Use of Basket Flexibility Raises No New Policy Concerns    5
      1.    Protection from Reverse Engineering    5
      2.    Protection from Self-Dealing or Overreaching    6
      3.    Protections for Confidential Information    6
   C.    Comparability of Relief Sought to Prior Relief Granted by the Commission    6
III.    REQUEST FOR RELIEF    6
IV.    CONDITIONS    7
V.    PROCEDURAL MATTERS    7

 

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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

In the Matter of:

Invesco Capital Management LLC

Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

 

File No. 812-15182

  

 

First Amended and Restated Application for an Order to Amend a Prior Order under Section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) for an exemption from Sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d) and 22(e) of the 1940 Act and Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act and under Sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the 1940 Act for an exemption from Sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the 1940 Act.

 

 

I.

INTRODUCTION

In this amended and restated application (“Application”), Invesco Capital Management LLC (the “Initial Adviser”), Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (the “Trust” and collectively with the Initial Adviser and the Distributor, the “Applicants”), request an order (“Order”) from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) to amend a portion of the prior order issued to Applicants under Section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) for an exemption from Sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d) and 22(e) of the 1940 Act and Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act and under Sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the 1940 Act for an exemption from Sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the 1940 Act (the “Prior Order”), which permits registered open-end investment companies that are actively managed exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) to operate without being subject to a daily portfolio transparency condition.1

 

  A.

Summary of Application

The Prior Order permits the Trust to create and operate Funds that are actively managed ETFs. However, unlike traditional actively-managed ETFs, Applicants operate Funds that do not disclose their portfolio holdings daily pursuant to the Prior Order. Rather, the Funds allow for efficient trading through an effective Fund portfolio transparency substitute and the publication of related information metrics, while shielding the identity of the full Fund portfolio contents and recent trading activity in the Fund’s then-current portfolio (the “Actual Portfolio”) to protect the Funds’ performance-seeking strategies from the risks of front-running of portfolio transactions and reverse engineering of the Funds’ strategies to the detriment of the Fund.

Even though the Funds will not publish their full portfolio holdings daily, the Substitute Basket methodology described in the Prior Application (the “Substitute Basket Methodology”) allows market participants to assess the intraday value and associated risk of a Fund’s Actual Portfolio. An important part of the Substitute Basket Methodology is the creation of a Substitute Basket. Daily disclosure of the Substitute Basket contents, Basket Overlap, Tracking Error and related metrics permit effective arbitrage activity from differences between a Fund’s trading price and its NAV, including hedging of risks associated with arbitrage and market making activities. As a result, Applicants believe that investors would be able to purchase and sell Shares in the secondary market at prices that are at or close to their NAV.

Shares of each Fund are purchased and redeemed only in Creation Units and generally on an in-kind basis. Purchasers are required to purchase Creation Units by making a deposit of Deposit Instruments and shareholders redeeming their Shares will receive a transfer of Redemption Instruments. Under the Prior Order, the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Deposit Instruments and the Redemption Instruments for a Fund (collectively, the “Creation Basket”) will be the same as the Fund’s Substitute Basket, except to the extent purchases and redemptions are made entirely or in part on a cash basis.

 

1 

The Applicants previously submitted an application with the Commission (File No. 812-15070), as amended and restated and filed with the Commission on November 6, 2020 (the “Prior Application”), requesting such relief. The Prior Application was noticed in Investment Company Act Release No. 34087 dated November 6, 2020 (the “Prior Notice”) and the Prior Order granting the relief requested was contained in Investment Company Act Release No. 34127 dated December 2, 2020. Except as specifically noted herein, all representations and conditions contained in the Prior Application remain applicable to the operation of the Funds and will apply to any Funds relying on the Amended Order. All capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Application have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prior Application.

 

3


Applicants now seek an Order to amend the Prior Order to permit the Applicants to use Creation Baskets that include instruments that are not included, or that are included with different weightings, in the Fund’s Substitute Basket. As discussed below, we believe that the ability to have additional basket flexibility would benefit investors through more effective arbitrage and more efficient portfolio management.

 

II.

APPLICANTS PROPOSAL.

 

  A.

Applicants Seek Additional Basket Flexibility in Creation and Redemption Process

 

  1.

Additional Basket Flexibility

The Funds may determine that it is desirable to use Creation Baskets that differ from the Substitute Basket beyond cash substitutions. As such, the Applicants seek to improve the functioning of the Funds by amending the Prior Order to enable a Fund’s use of Creation Baskets that include instruments that are not in the Substitute Basket, or are included in the Substitute Basket but in different weightings.    

The Funds will use the requested additional basket flexibility only in circumstances under which Applicants believe there will be no harm to the Funds or their shareholders, and in order to benefit the Funds and their shareholders by reducing costs, increasing efficiency and improving trading.

A Fund may use a Creation Basket that contains instruments that are not included in a Fund’s Substitute Basket if the Adviser or Sub-Adviser seeks to add an instrument to the Fund’s Actual Portfolio without incurring transaction costs associated with the purchase of the instrument for cash. For example, if the Adviser or Sub-Adviser decides to add an instrument to a Fund’s Actual Portfolio and determines that disclosing the new position should not result in front-running or free-riding, the new instrument may be included in a Creation Basket with the expectation that it will be delivered to the Fund in kind during a creation transaction. Similarly, if the Adviser or Sub-Adviser decides to sell an instrument from the Actual Portfolio and determines that disclosing the position to be reduced should not result in front-running or free-riding, the instrument may be included in a Creation Basket with the expectation that the Fund will deliver it in kind during a redemption transaction.

Fundamentally, the act of constructing Creation Baskets for creation and redemption of Shares is a portfolio management function. In determining the Deposit Instruments, a Fund’s portfolio management team decides which assets to “purchase” for the portfolio. Similarly, the portfolio management team decides which assets to “sell” when it determines the Redemption Instruments. Enabling the Adviser or Sub-Adviser to use Creation Baskets that differ from the Substitute Basket when it is in the Funds’ best interest to do so is anticipated to improve operational efficiency and potentially reduce costs.

 

  2.

Revised Purchase and Redemption Procedures for Fund Shares

The names and quantities of the instruments that may constitute a Creation Basket2 will generally be the same as the Fund’s Substitute Basket, but a Fund may accept Creation Baskets that differ from the Substitute Basket. If there is a difference between the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the Creation Basket exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party conveying instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other the Cash Amount. A Fund that normally issues and redeems Creation Units in kind may require purchases and redemptions to be made entirely or in part on a cash basis.3 In such an instance, the Fund will announce, before the open of trading on a given Business Day, that all purchases, all redemptions, or all purchases and redemptions on that day will be made wholly or partly in cash. A Fund may also determine, upon receiving a purchase or redemption order from an authorized participant, to have the purchase or redemption, as applicable, be made entirely or in part in cash.

 

2 

Deposit Instruments and Redemption Instruments may include cash and/or securities.

3 

In determining whether a Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units entirely or partly on a cash or in-kind basis (whether for a given day or a given order), the key consideration will be the benefits that would accrue to the Fund and its investors. For example, in light of anticipated purchases of different portfolio instruments, the Adviser may wish to receive additional cash as part of a Creation Basket or may wish to receive all cash instead of a Creation Basket. Purchases of Creation Units either entirely or partly in cash or in kind are expected to be neutral to the Funds from a tax perspective. In contrast, cash redemptions typically require selling portfolio instruments, which may result in adverse tax consequences for the remaining Fund shareholders that would not occur with an in-kind redemption. As a result, tax considerations may warrant use of in-kind redemptions. In addition, a Fund may permit an authorized participant to deposit or receive, as applicable, cash in lieu of some or all of the instruments in the Creation Basket because such instruments are not eligible for trading by the authorized participant or the investor on whose behalf the authorized participant is acting.

 

4


Each Business Day, before the open of trading on the Exchange where the Fund is listed, the Fund will publish on its website the composition of any Creation Basket exchanged with an authorized participant on the previous Business Day that differed from such Business Day’s Substitute Basket other than with respect to cash.

Each Fund will adopt and implement written policies and procedures regarding the construction of its Creation Baskets in accordance with Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act.4 The same as in Rule 6c-11, if a Fund utilizes a custom basket, these policies and procedures will also set forth detailed parameters for the construction and acceptance of baskets in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Order and that are in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, including the process for any revisions to or deviations from those parameters, as well as specify the titles or roles of the employees of the Fund’s Adviser who are required to review each custom basket for compliance with those parameters.

Furthermore, each Fund will comply with the recordkeeping requirements of Rule 6c-11.5 In addition, pursuant to condition 9 herein, each Fund will maintain and preserve a copy of the Substitute Basket published on the Fund’s website for each Business Day and a copy of each Creation Basket made available.

 

  B.

The Use of Basket Flexibility Raises No New Policy Concerns

 

  1.

Protection from Reverse Engineering

Applicants believe that the ability to utilize a Creation Basket that includes securities that are not included in a Fund’s Substitute Basket, or are included in different weightings, does not raise concerns about reverse engineering of the Fund’s portfolio beyond those addressed in the Prior Application. The purpose of the Substitute Basket is to facilitate the operation of ETFs that limit susceptibility of their strategies to practices like “front running” ETF trades and “free riding” of their investment strategies. Failure at that purpose could lead to the failure of a Fund with potential reputational damage to an Adviser. Thus, the Applicants note that they will operate the Funds in a manner designed to minimize the risk of reverse engineering.

By using a Creation Basket that includes instruments that are not included in a Fund’s Substitute Basket, or are included in different percentages, and by publishing such Creation Basket on its website,6 the Fund would provide market participants with additional information about which instruments it adds or removes from the Actual Portfolio. However, the Fund will not disclose to authorized participants or other market participants any information about the overlap between the instruments of any Creation Basket different from the Fund’s Substitute Basket, on the one hand, and the securities in the Fund’s Actual Portfolio, on the other hand. In addition, Applicants will not use such additional basket flexibility in situations where such publication may provide sufficiently useful information to either predict the Fund’s current positions or pending or upcoming trades so as to front-run them or to ascertain the Fund’s current Actual Portfolio as to free-ride on the Adviser’s investment decisions. The Adviser or Sub-Adviser will use the additional basket flexibility only after the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has concluded that the risks of front-running and free-riding are not present with respect to a particular security included in the Creation Basket that is not included in the Substitute Basket or included with a different weighting.

Applicants believe that it is highly unlikely that potential adversaries and other observers without inside information about the Adviser’s portfolio management would be able to reverse engineer a Fund’s portfolio by utilizing information imparted when a Creation Basket deviates from a Fund’s Substitute Basket. Such information, while additive to the total mix of Fund information available to market participants, is insufficient to reverse engineer the Fund’s Actual Portfolio with any regularity or with the level of accuracy that would be necessary to front-run the Fund’s trades or free-ride on the Adviser’s portfolio decisions. Applicants acknowledge that they cannot completely dismiss the possibility that market participants may infer some information about a Fund’s portfolio holdings and attempt to front-run or free- ride accordingly.

 

 

 

 

4 

See Rule 6c-11(c)(3). For purposes of the requirement to comply with the policies and procedures provision in Rule 6c-11, only Creation Baskets different from a Fund’s Substitute Basket will be treated as a “custom basket” under Rule 6c-11(c)(3).

5 

See Rule 6c-11(d)(2)(ii). For purposes of the requirement to comply with the recordkeeping provision in Rule 6c-11, only Creation Baskets different from a Fund’s Substitute Basket will be treated as a “custom basket” under Rule 6c-11(d)(2)(ii).

6 

See Section II.A.2 above.

 

5


However, Applicants will operate the Funds in a manner designed to minimize the risk of reverse engineering and, for the reasons set forth above, believe successful front-running or free-riding is highly unlikely where Creation Baskets deviate from the Substitute Basket.

 

  2.

Protection from Self-Dealing or Overreaching

Applicants believe that authorized participants and other market participants will not have the ability to disadvantage the Fund by manipulating or influencing the composition of Creation Baskets, including those that differ from the Substitute Basket. Like the basket and custom basket policies and procedures required of ETFs by Rule 6c-11, the Funds will adopt and implement written policies and procedures that govern the construction of Creation Baskets and the process that will be used for the acceptance of Creation Baskets to safeguard the best interests of the Funds and their shareholders.7

 

  3.

Protections for Confidential Information

Because the Funds will not publicly disclose their portfolio holdings daily, the selective disclosure of material nonpublic information, including information other than portfolio information, would be more likely to provide an unfair advantage to the recipient than in other ETFs. Accordingly, the Funds and each person acting on behalf of the Funds will be required to comply with Regulation Fair Disclosure8 as if it applied to them (except that the exemptions provided in Rule 100(b)(2)(iii) therein shall not apply).

In addition, the Actual Portfolios will be considered material, non-public information under the codes of ethics of the Funds, Adviser, Distributor and any Sub-Adviser and the agreements related to the Funds’ other service providers with, or any other party given, access to the Actual Portfolio, including the custodian, administrator and fund accountant, will include appropriate confidentiality provisions and be generally prohibited from trading based upon this information.

The new Creation Basket flexibility being sought by the Applicants does not raise any new concerns about selective disclosure of non-public material information. First, a Fund’s use of, or conversations with authorized participants about, Creation Baskets that would result in such disclosure would effectively be limited by the Funds’ obligation to comply with Regulation Fair Disclosure. Second, as noted above, each Business Day, before the open of trading on the Exchange where a Fund is listed, the Fund will publish on its website the composition of any basket accepted by the Fund on the previous Business Day that differed from such Business Day’s Substitute Basket other than with respect to cash.

 

  C.

Comparability of Relief Sought to Prior Relief Granted by the Commission

By adopting Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act, the Commission permitted ETFs to utilize “custom baskets.” As described above, the use of custom baskets pursuant to Rule 6c-11 is subject to certain additional requirements, such as requirements relating to recordkeeping and the adoption of more detailed written basket policies and procedures governing the construction, and process to be used for the acceptance of, custom baskets.9 In the adopting release, the Commission stated that the use of custom baskets “will provide ETFs with additional basket flexibility, which . . . could benefit investors through more efficient arbitrage and narrower bid-ask spreads.”10 The same policy considerations underlying the ability for ETFs to utilize custom baskets in Rule 6c-11 apply to the relief requested herein for additional basket flexibility, which should have a positive impact on the effectiveness of the arbitrage mechanism and result in narrower bid-ask spreads.

 

III.

REQUEST FOR RELIEF

Based on the facts, analysis and conditions in the Application, Applicants respectfully request that the Commission grant an Order amending the Prior Order. The Applicants are seeking to amend the terms and conditions of the Prior Order in order to have the ability to utilize Creation Baskets that include instruments that are not in the Funds’ Substitute Basket, or are included with different percentages, subject to the terms and conditions herein.

 

7 

Exchange Traded Funds, SEC Final Rule Release Nos. 33-10695 & IC-33646, at 80-94 (Sept. 25, 2019) (“Rule 6c-11 Adopting Release”) (discussion of Rule 6c-11 requirement for ETF policies and procedures concerning basket construction and acceptance and heightened policies and procedures for custom baskets).

8 

See Selective Disclosure and Insider Trading, 1940 Act Release No. 24599 (Aug.15, 2000).

9 

See Rule 6c-11 Adopting Release, supra note 7, at 86-88; see also Rule 6c-11(c)(3).

10 

Id. at 16.

 

6


For the reasons stated in the Prior Order and herein, Applicants believe that:

 

   

With respect to the relief pursuant to section 6(c), the relief continues to be appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the 1940 Act; and

 

   

With respect to the relief pursuant to section 17(b), the proposed transactions continue to be reasonable and fair and do not involve overreaching on the part of any person concerned, are consistent with the policies of each registered investment company concerned and with the general purposes of the 1940 Act.

 

IV.

CONDITIONS

Applicants agree that any Order of the Commission granting the requested relief will be subject to all of the conditions in the Prior Order, except that condition 9 of the Prior Order is deleted in its entirety and replaced with Conditions 9-10 as follows:

 

  9.

Each Fund will comply with the recordkeeping requirements of Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act, as amended, except that for purposes of this condition, only Creation Baskets different from the Fund’s Substitute Basket will be treated as a “custom basket” under rule 6c-11(d)(2)(ii). In addition, each Fund will maintain and preserve, for a period of not less than five years, in an easily accessible place, (i) a copy of the Substitute Basket published on the Fund’s website for each Business Day; and (ii) a copy of each Creation Basket made available.

 

  10.

Each Fund will adopt and implement written policies and procedures that govern the construction of Creation Baskets, as required under Rule 6c-11(c)(3) under the 1940 Act, as amended, except that for purposes of this condition, only Creation Baskets different from the Fund’s Substitute Basket will be treated as a “Custom Basket”. The Fund’s basket policies and procedures will be covered by the Fund’s compliance program and other requirements under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act, as amended.

 

V.

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

Applicants file this Application in accordance with Rule 0-2 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Rule 0-2(f) under the 1940 Act, Applicants state that their address is indicated on the cover page of this Application. Applicants further request that all communications concerning this Application should be directed and copied to the persons listed on the cover page of the Application.

In accordance with Rule 0-2(c) under the 1940 Act, Applicants state that all actions necessary to authorize the execution and filing of this Application have been taken, and the persons signing and filing this document are authorized to do so on behalf of Applicants pursuant to their corporate organizational documents, and in the case of the Trust, the attached resolutions. Applicants also have attached the verifications required by Rule 0-2(d) under the 1940 Act.

In accordance with Rule 0-5 under the 1940 Act, Applicants request that the Commission issue the requested Order without holding a hearing.

[Signatures appear on next page]

 

7


Based on the facts, analysis and conditions in the Application, Applicants respectfully request that the Commission issue an Order under Sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the 1940 Act granting the relief requested by this Application.

 

Invesco Capital Management LLC
By:  

/s/ Anna Paglia

  Anna Paglia
  Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer

 

Invesco Distributors, Inc.
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey H. Kupor

  Jeffrey H. Kupor
  Secretary

 

Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
By:  

/s/ Anna Paglia

  Anna Paglia
  President and Principal Executive Officer

 

8


INVESCO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC

The undersigned states that she has duly executed the attached Application dated December 7, 2020 for and on behalf of Invesco Capital Management LLC; that she is the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer of such entity; and that all action necessary to authorize the undersigned to execute and file such instrument has been taken. The undersigned further states that she is familiar with such instrument, and the contents thereof, and that the facts therein set forth are true to the best of her knowledge, information and belief.

 

Invesco Capital Management LLC
By:  

/s/ Anna Paglia

  Anna Paglia
  Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer

 

9


INVESCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

The undersigned states that he has duly executed the attached Application dated December 7, 2020 for and on behalf of Invesco Distributors, Inc.; that he is the Secretary of such company; and that all action necessary to authorize the undersigned to execute and file such instrument has been taken. The undersigned further states that he is familiar with such instrument, and the contents thereof, and that the facts therein set forth are true to the best of his knowledge, information and belief.

 

Invesco Distributors, Inc.
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey H. Kupor

  Jeffrey H. Kupor
  Secretary

 

10


INVESCO ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND TRUST

The undersigned states that she has duly executed the attached Application dated December 7, 2020 for and on behalf of Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust; that she is the President and Principal Executive Officer of such company; and that all action necessary to authorize the undersigned to execute and file such instrument has been taken. The undersigned further states that she is familiar with such instrument, and the contents thereof, and that the facts therein set forth are true to the best of her knowledge, information and belief.

 

Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
By:  

/s/ Anna Paglia

  Anna Paglia
  President and Principal Executive Officer

 

11


INVESCO ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND TRUST

CERTIFICATE OF

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON DECEMBER 12, 2019

I, Adam Henkel, do hereby certify that I am the Secretary of Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust. I hereby certify that the following resolutions were duly adopted by the Board of Trustees of Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust on December 12, 2019, that such resolutions are in full force and effect as of the date hereof and that I am fully authorized to so certify.

RESOLVED, that the execution and filing of an application for exemptive relief (the “Application”) by the officers of Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (together, the “Trusts”) be, and it hereby is ratified and approved, and the officers of the Trusts are each hereby authorized to execute and file amendments to the Application on behalf of the Trusts, and to take any and all such other actions, as they may deem necessary, desirable or appropriate to in connection with or related to the filing of the application for exemptive relief; and it is further

RESOLVED, that any and all actions previously taken by any officer, representative or agent of the Trusts, by or on behalf of the Trusts, in connection with or related to the matters set forth in the foregoing resolutions, be, and each of them hereby is, ratified, adopted and confirmed.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of December, 2020.

 

By:  

/s/ Adam Henkel

    Adam Henkel
    Secretary

 

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