EX-99.P.8 12 h30159bexv99wpw8.htm EX-99.P.8 exv99wpw8
(INVESCO LOGO)
I.1. PROXY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES — INSTITUTIONAL
     
Applicable to
  Institutional Accounts
Risk Addressed by Policy
  breach of fiduciary duty to client under Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invesco personal interests ahead of client best economic interests in voting proxies
Relevant Law and Other Sources
  Investment Advisers Act of 1940
Last Tested Date
   
Policy/Procedure Owner
  Advisory Compliance, Proxy Committee
Policy Approver
  Invesco Risk Management Committee
Approved/Adopted Date
  March 2012
The following policies and procedures apply to all institutional accounts, clients and funds managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco”). These policies and procedures do not apply to any of the retail funds managed by Invesco. See Section I.2 for the proxy policies and procedures applicable to Invesco’s retail funds.
A. POLICY STATEMENT
Invesco has responsibility for making investment decisions that are in the best interests of its clients. As part of the investment management services it provides to clients, Invesco may be authorized by clients to vote proxies appurtenant to the shares for which the clients are beneficial owners.
Invesco believes that it has a duty to manage clients’ assets in the best economic interests of its clients and that the ability to vote proxies is a client asset.
Invesco reserves the right to amend its proxy policies and procedures from time to time without prior notice to its clients.
Voting of Proxies
Invesco will vote client proxies relating to equity securities in accordance with the procedures set forth below unless a non-ERISA client retains in writing the right to vote, the named fiduciary (e.g., the plan sponsor) of an ERISA client retains in writing the right to direct the plan trustee or a third party to vote proxies, or Invesco determines that any benefit the client might gain from voting a proxy
     
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would be outweighed by the costs associated therewith. In addition, due to the distinct nature of proxy voting for interests in fixed income assets and stable value wrap agreements, the proxies for such fixed income assets and stable value wrap agreements will be voted in accordance with the procedures set forth in the “Proxy Voting for Fixed Income Assets and Stable Value Wrap Agreements” section below.
Best Economic Interests of Clients
In voting proxies, Invesco will take into consideration those factors that may affect the value of the security and will vote proxies in a manner in which, in its opinion, is in the best economic interests of clients. Invesco endeavors to resolve any conflicts of interest exclusively in the best economic interests of clients.
B. OPERATING PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBLE PARTIES
ISS’ Services
Invesco has contracted with Institutional Shareholder Services Inc.(“ISS”), an independent third party service provider, to vote Invesco’s clients’ proxies according to ISS’ proxy voting recommendations determined by ISS pursuant to its then-current US Proxy Voting Guidelines, a summary of which can be found at http://www.issgovernance.com and which are deemed to be incorporated herein. In addition, ISS provides proxy analyses, vote recommendations, vote execution and record-keeping services for clients for which Invesco has proxy voting responsibility. On an annual basis, the Proxy Committee will review information obtained from ISS to ascertain whether ISS (i) has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, and (ii) can make such recommendations in an impartial manner and in the best economic interests of Invesco’s clients. This may include a review of ISS’ Policies, Procedures and Practices Regarding Potential Conflicts of Interest and obtaining information about the work ISS does for corporate issuers and the payments ISS receives from such issuers.
Custodians forward to ISS proxy materials for clients who rely on Invesco to vote proxies. ISS is responsible for exercising the voting rights in accordance with the ISS proxy voting guidelines. If Invesco receives proxy materials in connection with a client’s account where the client has, in writing, communicated to Invesco that the client, plan fiduciary or other third party has reserved the right to vote proxies, Invesco will forward to the party appointed by client any proxy materials it receives with respect to the account. In order to avoid voting proxies in circumstances where Invesco, or any of its affiliates have or may have any conflict of interest, real or perceived, Invesco has engaged ISS to provide the proxy analyses, vote recommendations and voting of proxies.
In the event that (i) ISS recuses itself on a proxy voting matter and makes no recommendation or (ii) Invesco decides to override the ISS vote recommendation, the Proxy Committee will review the issue and direct ISS how to vote the proxies as described below.
     
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Proxy Voting for Fixed Income Assets and Stable Value Wrap Agreements
Some of Invesco’s fixed income clients hold interests in preferred stock of companies and some of Invesco’s stable value clients are parties to wrap agreements. From time to time, companies that have issued preferred stock or that are parties to wrap agreements request that Invesco’s clients vote proxies on particular matters. ISS does not currently provide proxy analysis or vote recommendations with respect to such proxy votes. Therefore, when a particular matter arises in this category, the investment team responsible for the particular mandate will review the matter and make a recommendation to the Proxy Manager as to how to vote the associated proxy. The Proxy Manager will complete the proxy ballots and send the ballots to the persons or entities identified in the ballots.
Proxy Committee
The Proxy Committee shall have seven (7) members, which shall include representatives from portfolio management, operations, and legal/compliance or other functional departments as deemed appropriate and who are knowledgeable regarding the proxy process. A majority of the members of the Proxy Committee shall constitute a quorum and the Proxy Committee shall act by a majority vote of those members in attendance at a meeting called for the purpose of determining how to vote a particular proxy. The Proxy Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings that shall be kept with the proxy voting records of Invesco. The Proxy Committee will appoint a Proxy Manager to manage the proxy voting process, which includes the voting of proxies and the maintenance of appropriate records.
The Proxy Manager shall call for a meeting of the Proxy Committee (1) when override submissions are made; and (2) in instances when ISS has recused itself or has not provided a vote recommendation with respect to an equity security. At such meeting, the Proxy Committee shall determine how proxies are to be voted in accordance with the factors set forth in the section entitled “Best Economic Interests of Clients,” above.
The Proxy Committee also is responsible for monitoring adherence to these procedures and engaging in the annual review described in the section entitled “ISS’ Services,” above.
Recusal by ISS or Failure of ISS to Make a Recommendation
When ISS does not make a recommendation on a proxy voting issue or recuses itself due to a conflict of interest, the Proxy Committee will review the issue and determine whether Invesco has a material conflict of interest as determined pursuant to the policies and procedures outlined in the “Conflicts of Interest” section below. If Invesco determines it does not have a material conflict of interest, Invesco will direct ISS how to vote the proxies. If Invesco determines it does have a material conflict of interest, the Proxy Committee will follow the policies and procedures set forth in such section.
     
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Override of ISS’ Recommendation
There may be occasions where Invesco investment personnel, senior officers or a member of the Proxy Committee seek to override an ISS recommendation if they believe that an ISS recommendation is not in accordance with the best economic interests of clients. In the event that an individual listed above in this section disagrees with an ISS recommendation on a particular voting issue, the individual shall document in writing the reasons that he/she believes that the ISS recommendation is not in accordance with clients’ best economic interests and submit such written documentation to the Proxy Manager for consideration by the Proxy Committee along with the certification attached as Appendix A hereto. Upon review of the documentation and consultation with the individual and others as the Proxy Committee deems appropriate, the Proxy Committee may make a determination to override the ISS voting recommendation if the Committee determines that it is in the best economic interests of clients and the Committee has addressed any conflict of interest.
Proxy Committee Meetings
When a Proxy Committee Meeting is called, whether because of an ISS recusal or request for override of an ISS recommendation, the Proxy Committee shall request from the Chief Compliance Officer as to whether any Invesco person has reported a conflict of interest.
The Proxy Committee shall review the report from the Chief Compliance Officer to determine whether a real or perceived conflict of interest exists, and the minutes of the Proxy Committee shall:
  (1)   describe any real or perceived conflict of interest,
 
  (2)   determine whether such real or perceived conflict of interest is material,
 
  (3)   discuss any procedure used to address such conflict of interest,
 
  (4)   report any contacts from outside parties (other than routine communications from proxy solicitors), and
 
  (5)   include confirmation that the recommendation as to how the proxies are to be voted is in the best economic interests of clients and was made without regard to any conflict of interest.
Based on the above review and determinations, the Proxy Committee will direct ISS how to vote the proxies as provided herein.
Certain Proxy Votes May Not Be Cast
In some cases, Invesco may determine that it is not in the best economic interests of clients to vote proxies. For example, proxy voting in certain countries outside
     
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the United States requires share blocking. Shareholders who wish to vote their proxies must deposit their shares 7 to 21 days before the date of the meeting with a designated depositary. During the blocked period, shares to be voted at the meeting cannot be sold until the meeting has taken place and the shares have been returned to the Custodian/Sub-Custodian bank. In addition, voting certain international securities may involve unusual costs to clients, some of which may be related to requirements of having a representative in person attend the proxy meeting. In other cases, it may not be possible to vote certain proxies despite good faith efforts to do so, for instance when inadequate notice of the matter is provided. In the instance of loan securities, voting of proxies typically requires termination of the loan, so it is not usually in the best economic interests of clients to vote proxies on loaned securities. Invesco typically will not, but reserves the right to, vote where share blocking restrictions, unusual costs or other barriers to efficient voting apply. Invesco will not vote if it determines that the cost of voting exceeds the expected benefit to the client. The Proxy Manager shall record the reason for any proxy not being voted, which record shall be kept with the proxy voting records of Invesco.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Procedures to Address Conflicts of Interest and Improper Influence
In order to avoid voting proxies in circumstances where Invesco or any of its affiliates have or may have any conflict of interest, real or perceived, Invesco has contracted with ISS to provide proxy analyses, vote recommendations and voting of proxies. Unless noted otherwise by ISS, each vote recommendation provided by ISS to Invesco shall include a representation from ISS that ISS has no conflict of interest with respect to the vote. In instances where ISS has recused itself or makes no recommendation on a particular matter, or if an override submission is requested, the Proxy Committee shall determine how to vote the proxy and instruct the Proxy Manager accordingly, in which case the conflict of interest provisions discussed below shall apply.
In effecting the policy of voting proxies in the best economic interests of clients, there may be occasions where the voting of such proxies may present a real or perceived conflict of interest between Invesco, as the investment manager, and Invesco’s clients. For each director, officer and employee of Invesco (“Invesco person”), the interests of Invesco’s clients must come first, ahead of the interest of Invesco and any Invesco person, including Invesco’s affiliates. Accordingly, no Invesco person may put “personal benefit,” whether tangible or intangible, before the interests of clients of Invesco or otherwise take advantage of the relationship with Invesco’s clients. “Personal benefit” includes any intended benefit for oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever, except a benefit for a client of Invesco, as appropriate. It is imperative that each Invesco person avoid any situation that might compromise, or call into question, the exercise of fully independent judgment that is in the interests of Invesco’s clients.
     
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Occasions may arise where a person or organization involved in the proxy voting process may have a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a business relationship with (or is actively soliciting business from) either the company soliciting the proxy or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote. Additional examples of situations where a conflict may exist include:
  §   Business Relationships — where Invesco manages money for a company or an employee group, manages pension assets or is actively soliciting any such business, or leases office space from a company;
 
  §   Personal Relationships — where an Invesco person has a personal relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships; and
 
  §   Familial Relationships — where an Invesco person has a known familial relationship relating to a company (e.g. a spouse or other relative who serves as a director of a public company or is employed by the company).
In the event that the Proxy Committee determines that Invesco (or an affiliate) has a material conflict of interest, the Proxy Committee will not take into consideration the relationship giving rise to the conflict of interest and shall, in its sole discretion, either (a) decide to vote the proxies pursuant to ISS’ general proxy voting guidelines, (b) engage an independent third party to provide a vote recommendation, or (c) contact Invesco’s client(s) for direction as to how to vote the proxies.
In the event an Invesco person has a conflict of interest and has knowledge of such conflict of interest, it is the responsibility of such Invesco person to disclose the conflict to the Chief Compliance Officer. When a Proxy Committee meeting is called, the Chief Compliance Officer will report to the Proxy Committee all real or potential conflicts of interest for the Proxy Committee to review and determine whether such conflict is material. If the Proxy Committee determines that such conflict is material and involves a person involved in the proxy voting process, the Proxy Committee may require such person to recuse himself or herself from participating in the discussions regarding the proxy vote item and from casting a vote regarding how Invesco should vote such proxy. An Invesco person will not be considered to have a material conflict of interest if the Invesco person did not know of the conflict of interest and did not attempt to influence the outcome of a proxy vote.
In order to ensure compliance with these procedures, the Proxy Manager and each member of the Proxy Committee shall certify annually as to their compliance with this policy. In addition, any Invesco person who submits an ISS override recommendation to the Proxy Committee shall certify as to their compliance with this policy concurrently with the submission of their override recommendation. A form of such certification is attached as Appendix A.
     
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In addition, members of the Proxy Committee must notify Invesco’s Chief Compliance Officer, with impunity and without fear of retribution or retaliation, of any direct, indirect or perceived improper influence exerted by any Invesco person or by an affiliated company’s representatives with regard to how Invesco should vote proxies. The Chief Compliance Officer will investigate the allegations and will report his or her findings to the Invesco Risk Management Committee. In the event that it is determined that improper influence was exerted, the Risk Management Committee will determine the appropriate action to take, which actions may include, but are not limited to, (1) notifying the affiliated company’s Chief Executive Officer, its Management Committee or Board of Directors, (2) taking remedial action, if necessary, to correct the result of any improper influence where clients have been harmed, or (3) notifying the appropriate regulatory agencies of the improper influence and cooperating fully with these regulatory agencies as required. In all cases, the Proxy Committee shall not take into consideration the improper influence in determining how to vote proxies and will vote proxies solely in the best economic interests of clients.
C. RECORDKEEPING
Records are maintained in accordance with Invesco’s Recordkeeping Policy.
Proxy Voting Records
The proxy voting statements and records will be maintained by the Proxy Manager on-site (or accessible via an electronic storage site of ISS) for the first two (2) years. Copies of the proxy voting statements and records will be maintained for an additional five (5) years by Invesco (or will be accessible via an electronic storage site of ISS). Clients may obtain information about how Invesco voted proxies on their behalf by contacting their client services representative. Alternatively, clients may make a written request for proxy voting information to: Proxy Manager, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.
     
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APPENDIX A
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CERTIFICATION
     I acknowledge that I have read the Invesco Proxy Voting Policy (a copy of which has been supplied to me, which I will retain for future reference) and agree to comply in all respects with the terms and provisions thereof. I have disclosed or reported all real or potential conflicts of interest to the Invesco Chief Compliance Officer and will continue to do so as matters arise. I have complied with all provisions of this Policy.
             
 
     
 
Print Name
   
 
           
 
Date
     
 
Signature
   
I.1 Proxy Policy Appendix A
Acknowledgement and Certification