| (a) | Calculated using average shares outstanding. |
| (b) | Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and as such, the net asset value for financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. Does not include sales charges and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. |
| (c) | Portfolio turnover is calculated at the fund level and is not annualized for periods less than one year, if applicable. Calculation includes the proceeds from principal repayments and sales of variable rate senior loan interests. |
| (d) | Calculated by subtracting the Fund’s total liabilities (not including the Borrowings) from the Fund’s total assets and dividing by the total number of senior indebtedness units, where one unit equals $1,000 of senior indebtedness. |
| (e) | The total return, ratio of expenses to average net assets and ratio of net investment income to average net assets reflect actual 12b-1 fees of 0.25% for Class A shares, 1.00% for Class C shares and 0.15% for Class IC shares for each of the years ended February 29, 2024, February 28, 2023, February 28, 2022, February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, respectively. |
| (f) | Amount includes the effect of the Adviser pay-in for an economic loss of $0.01 per share. Had the pay-in not been made, the total return would have been 5.32%, 4.70%, 5.59%, 5.59%, and 5.43% for Class A, Class C, Class Y, Class IB and Class IC shares, respectively. |
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements which are an integral part of the financial statements.
31 Invesco Senior Loan Fund
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 1–Significant Accounting Policies
Invesco Senior Loan Fund (the “Fund”) is a Delaware statutory trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a closed-end management investment company that is operated as an interval fund and periodically offers its shares for repurchase.
The Fund may also invest a portion of its assets indirectly through a wholly-owned subsidiary, Invesco Senior Loan TB, LLC, a Delaware limited liability series company (the “Subsidiary”), which formed a separate registered series. The Fund owns all beneficial and economic interests in the Subsidiary and the Subsidiary’s registered series. The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the financial position of the Fund, the Subsidiary and the Subsidiary’s registered series and the results of operations on a consolidated basis.
The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income, consistent with preservation of capital. The Fund’s investment adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by investing primarily in adjustable rate senior loans. The Fund invests primarily in adjustable rate senior loans (“Senior Loans”). Senior Loans are business loans that have a senior right to payment and are made to borrowers that may be corporations, partnerships, or other entities. These borrowers operate in a variety of industries and geographic regions. The Fund borrows money for investment purposes which may create the opportunity for enhanced return, but also should be considered a speculative technique and may increase the Fund’s volatility.
The Fund continuously offers Class A, Class C and Class Y shares. The Fund also has outstanding Class IB and Class IC shares which are not continuously offered. Each class of shares differs in its initial sales load, contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSC”), the allocation of class-specific expenses and voting rights on matters affecting a single class. Class C shares held for eight years after purchase are eligible for automatic conversion into Class A shares of the same Fund (the “Conversion Feature”). The automatic conversion pursuant to the Conversion Feature will generally occur at the end of the month following the eighth anniversary after a purchase of Class C shares.
The Fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946,
Financial Services – Investment Companies
.
The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements.
| – Variable rate senior loan interests are fair valued using quotes provided by an independent pricing service. Quotes provided by the pricing service may reflect appropriate factors such as ratings, tranche type, industry, company performance, spread, individual trading characteristics, institution-size trading in similar groups of securities and other market data. |
Securities, including restricted securities, are valued according to the following policy. A security listed or traded on an exchange is generally valued at its trade price or official closing price that day as of the close of the exchange where the security is principally traded, or lacking any trades or official closing price on a particular day, the security may be valued at the closing bid or ask price on that day. Securities traded in the over-the-counter market (but not securities reported on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange) are valued based on the prices furnished by independent pricing services, in which case the securities may be considered fair valued, or by market makers. Each security reported on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange is valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”) as of the close of the customary trading session on the valuation date or absent a NOCP, at the closing bid price.
Futures contracts are valued at the daily settlement price set by an exchange on which they are principally traded. Where a final settlement price exists, exchange-traded options are valued at the final settlement price from the exchange where the option principally trades. Where a final settlement price does not exist, exchange-traded options are valued at the mean between the last bid and ask price generally from the exchange where the option principally trades.
Securities of investment companies that are not exchange-traded (e.g., open-end mutual funds) are valued using such company’s end-of-business-day net asset value per share.
Fixed income securities (including convertible debt securities) generally are valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services. Prices provided by the pricing service may be determined without exclusive reliance on quoted prices, and may reflect appropriate factors such as institution-size trading in similar groups of securities, developments related to specific securities, dividend rate (for unlisted equities), yield (for debt obligations), quality, type of issue, coupon rate (for debt obligations), maturity (for debt obligations), individual trading characteristics and other market data. Pricing services generally value debt obligations assuming orderly transactions of institutional round lot size, but a 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. Debt obligations are subject to interest rate and credit risks. In addition, all debt obligations involve some risk of default with respect to interest and/or principal payments.
Swap agreements are fair valued using an evaluated quote, if available, provided by an independent pricing service. Evaluated quotes provided by the pricing service are valued based on a model which may include end-of-day net present values, spreads, ratings, industry, company performance and returns of referenced assets. Centrally cleared swap agreements are valued at the daily settlement price determined by the relevant exchange or clearinghouse.
Deposits, other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions are valued at their daily account value.
Foreign securities’ (including foreign exchange contracts) prices are converted into U.S. dollar amounts using the applicable exchange rates as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). If market quotations are available and reliable for foreign exchange-traded equity securities, the securities will be valued at the market quotations. Invesco Advisers, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “Invesco”) may use various pricing services to obtain market quotations as well as fair value prices. Because trading hours for certain foreign securities end before the close of the NYSE, closing market quotations may become not representative of market value in the Adviser’s judgment (“unreliable”). If, between the time trading ends on a particular security and the close of the customary trading session on the NYSE, a significant event occurs that makes the closing price of the security unreliable, the Adviser may fair value the security. If the event is likely to have affected the closing price of the security, the security will be valued at fair value in good faith in accordance with Board-approved policies and related Adviser procedures (“Valuation Procedures”). Adjustments to closing prices to reflect fair value may also be based on a screening process of an independent pricing service to indicate the degree of certainty, based on historical data, that the closing price in the principal market where a foreign security trades is not the current value as of the close of the NYSE. Foreign securities’ prices meeting the degree of certainty that the price is not reflective of current value will be priced
32 Invesco Senior Loan Fund
at the indication of fair value from the independent pricing service. Multiple factors may be considered by the independent pricing service in determining adjustments to reflect fair value and may include information relating to sector indices, American Depositary Receipts and domestic and foreign index futures. Foreign securities may have additional risks including exchange rate changes, potential for sharply devalued currencies and high inflation, political and economic upheaval, the relative lack of issuer information, relatively low market liquidity and the potential lack of strict financial and accounting controls and standards.
Unlisted securities will be valued using prices provided by independent pricing services or by another method that the Adviser, in its judgment, believes better reflects the security’s fair value in accordance with the Valuation Procedures.
Non-traded rights and warrants shall be valued at intrinsic value if the terms of the rights and warrants are available, specifically the subscription or exercise price and the ratio. Intrinsic value is calculated as the daily market closing price of the security to be received less the subscription price, which is then adjusted by the exercise ratio. In the case of warrants, an option pricing model supplied by an independent pricing service may be used based on market data such as volatility, stock price and interest rate from the independent pricing service and strike price and exercise period from verified terms.
Securities for which market prices are not provided by any of the above methods may be valued based upon quotes furnished by independent sources. The mean between the last bid and ask prices may be used to value debt obligations, including corporate loans.
Securities for which market quotations are not readily available are fair valued by the Adviser in accordance with the Valuation Procedures. If a fair value price provided by a pricing service is unreliable, the Adviser will fair value the security using the Valuation Procedures. Issuer specific events, market trends, bid/ask quotes of brokers and information providers and other market data may be reviewed in the course of making a good faith determination of a security’s fair value.
The Fund may invest in securities that are subject to interest rate risk, meaning the risk that the prices will generally fall as interest rates rise and, conversely, the prices will generally rise as interest rates fall. Specific securities differ in their sensitivity to changes in interest rates depending on their individual characteristics. Changes in interest rates may result in increased market volatility, which may affect the value and/or liquidity of certain Fund investments.
Valuations change in response to many factors including the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of the issuer’s assets, general market conditions which are not specifically related to the particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for revenues or corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, regional or global instability, natural or environmental disasters, widespread disease or other public health issues, war, acts of terrorism, significant governmental actions or adverse investor sentiment generally and market liquidity. Because of the inherent uncertainties of valuation, the values reflected in the consolidated financial statements may materially differ from the value received upon actual sale of those investments.
The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of any investment may differ from the Adviser’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that are valued using a fair valuation technique. When fair valuation techniques are applied, the Adviser uses available information, including both observable and unobservable inputs and assumptions, to determine a methodology that will result in a valuation that the Adviser believes approximates market value. Fund securities that are fair valued may be subject to greater fluctuation in their value from one day to the next than would be the case if market quotations were used. Because of the inherent uncertainties of valuation, and the degree of subjectivity in such decisions, the Fund could realize a greater or lesser than expected gain or loss upon the sale of the investment.
| Securities Transactions and Investment Income – Securities transactions are accounted for on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses on sales are computed on the basis of specific identification of the securities sold. Interest income (net of withholding tax, if any) is recorded on an accrual basis from settlement date and includes coupon interest and amortization of premium and accretion of discount on debt securities as applicable. Pay-in-kind interest income and non-cash dividend income received in the form of securities in lieu of cash are recorded at the fair value of the securities received. Facility fees received may be amortized over the life of the loan. Dividend income (net of withholding tax, if any) is recorded on the ex-dividend date. |
The Fund may periodically participate in litigation related to Fund investments. As such, the Fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received are included in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as realized gain (loss) for investments no longer held and as unrealized gain (loss) for investments still held.
The Fund is a party to legal proceedings in connection with certain of its portfolio investments, in which it may be plaintiff or defendant. The outcome and financial effect, if any, of these legal proceedings cannot be determined at this time because the proceedings are ongoing and have not been adjudicated. The Fund received a cash payment of $3,683,918 from the issuer of one of its portfolio investments (Robertshaw US Holding Corp.), the status of which is subject to such an ongoing litigation. Consequently, the Fund continues to recognize its investments in the various Robertshaw Term Loans in the Consolidated Schedule of Investments and has recorded the cash received as restricted cash and an offsetting liability proceeds received in connection with pending litigation for such cash proceeds received in the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Other income is comprised primarily of amendment fees which are recorded when received. Amendment fees are received in return for changes in the terms of the loan or note.
Brokerage commissions and mark ups are considered transaction costs and are recorded as an increase to the cost basis of securities purchased and/or a reduction of proceeds on a sale of securities. Such transaction costs are included in the determination of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investment securities reported in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Assets and the net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on securities per share in the Consolidated Financial Highlights. Transaction costs are included in the calculation of the Fund’s net asset value and, accordingly, they reduce the Fund’s total returns. These transaction costs are not considered operating expenses and are not reflected in net investment income reported in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Assets, or the net investment income per share and the ratios of expenses and net investment income reported in the Consolidated Financial Highlights, nor are they limited by any expense limitation arrangements between the Fund and the investment adviser.
The Fund allocates realized and unrealized capital gains and losses to a class based on the relative net assets of each class. The Fund allocates income to a class based on the relative value of the settled shares of each class.
| – For the purposes of making investment selection decisions and presentation in the Consolidated Schedule of Investments, the investment adviser may determine the country in which an issuer is located and/or credit risk exposure based on various factors. |
33 Invesco Senior Loan Fund
These factors include the laws of the country under which the issuer is organized, where the issuer maintains a principal office, the country in which the issuer derives 50% or more of its total revenues, the country that has the primary market for the issuer’s securities and its “country of risk” as determined by a third party service provider, as well as other criteria. Among the other criteria that may be evaluated for making this determination are the country in which the issuer maintains 50% or more of its assets, the type of security, financial guarantees and enhancements, the nature of the collateral and the sponsor organization. Country of issuer and/or credit risk exposure has been determined to be the United States of America, unless otherwise noted.
| – Distributions from net investment income, if any, are declared daily and paid monthly. Distributions from net realized capital gain, if any, are generally declared and paid annually and recorded on the ex-dividend date. The Fund may elect to treat a portion of the proceeds from redemptions as distributions for federal income tax purposes. |
| . | The Fund intends to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), necessary to qualify as a regulated investment company and to distribute substantially all of the Fund’s taxable earnings to shareholders. As such, the Fund will not be subject to federal income taxes on otherwise taxable income (including net realized capital gain) that is distributed to shareholders. The Subsidiary is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and generally is subject to U.S. federal and state income tax on its taxable income. |
The Fund recognizes the tax benefits of uncertain tax positions only when the position is more likely than not to be sustained. Management has analyzed the Fund’s uncertain tax positions and concluded that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits should be recorded related to uncertain tax positions. Management is not aware of any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will change materially in the next 12 months.
The Fund files tax returns in the U.S. Federal jurisdiction and certain other jurisdictions. Generally, the Fund is subject to examinations by such taxing authorities for up to three years after the filing of the return for the tax period.
| – Fees provided for under the Rule 12b-1 plan of a particular class of the Fund and which are directly attributable to that class are charged to the operations of such class. All other expenses are allocated among the classes based on the relative value of settled shares. |
| Interest, Facilities and Maintenance Fees – Interest, Facilities and Maintenance Fees include interest and related borrowing costs such as commitment fees, administrative expenses, negative or overdrawn balances on margin accounts and other expenses associated with establishing and maintaining a line of credit. |
| The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period including estimates and assumptions related to taxation. Actual results could differ from those estimates by a significant amount. In addition, the Fund monitors for material events or transactions that may occur or become known after the period-end date and before the date the consolidated financial statements are released to print. |
| – Under the Fund’s organizational documents, each Trustee, officer, employee or other agent of the Fund is indemnified against certain liabilities that may arise out of the performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts, including the Fund’s servicing agreements, that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred. The risk of material loss as a result of such indemnification claims is considered remote. |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents – For the purposes of the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, the Fund defines Cash and Cash Equivalents as cash (including foreign currency), restricted cash, money market funds and other investments held in lieu of cash and excludes investments made with cash collateral received. |
| Securities Purchased on a When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Basis – The Fund may purchase and sell interests in corporate loans and corporate debt securities and other portfolio securities on a when-issued and delayed delivery basis, with payment and delivery scheduled for a future date. No income accrues to the Fund on such interests or securities in connection with such transactions prior to the date the Fund actually takes delivery of such interests or securities. These transactions are subject to market fluctuations and are subject to the risk that the value at delivery may be more or less than the trade date purchase price. Although the Fund will generally purchase these securities with the intention of acquiring such securities, they may sell such securities prior to the settlement date. |
| Foreign Currency Translations – Foreign currency is valued at the close of the NYSE based on quotations posted by banks and major currency dealers. Portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollar amounts at the date of valuation. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities (net of foreign taxes withheld on disposition) and income items denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollar amounts on the respective dates of such transactions. The Fund does not separately account for the portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments and the fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. The combined results of changes in foreign exchange rates and the fluctuation of market prices on investments (net of estimated foreign tax withholding) are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss from investments in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. Reported net realized foreign currency gains or losses arise from (1) sales of foreign currencies, (2) currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and (3) the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized foreign currency gains and losses arise from changes in the fair values of assets and liabilities, other than investments in securities at fiscal period end, resulting from changes in exchange rates. |
The Fund may invest in foreign securities, which may be subject to foreign taxes on income, gains on investments or currency repatriation, a portion of which may be recoverable. Foreign taxes, if any, are recorded based on the tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign markets in which the Fund invests and are shown in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.
The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, political, economic, or social instability and development, and imposition of currency controls. Currency controls in certain foreign jurisdictions may cause the Fund to experience significant delays in its ability to repatriate its assets in U.S. dollars at quoted spot rates, and it is possible that the Fund’s ability to convert certain foreign currencies into U.S. dollars may be limited and may occur at discounts to quoted rates. As a result, the value the Fund’s
34 Invesco Senior Loan Fund
assets and liabilities denominated in such currencies that would ultimately be realized could differ from those reported on the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Certain foreign companies may be subject to sanctions, embargoes, or other governmental actions that may limit the ability to invest in, receive, hold, or sell the securities of such companies, all of which affect the market and/or credit risk of the investments. Because of the inherent uncertainties of valuation, the values reflected in the consolidated financial statements may materially differ from the value received upon actual sale of those investments.
| . | Forward Foreign Currency Contracts – The Fund may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a spot (i.e. for prompt delivery and settlement) basis, or through forward foreign currency contracts, to manage or minimize currency or exchange rate risk. |
The Fund may also enter into forward foreign currency contracts for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency in order to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of that security, or the Fund may also enter into forward foreign currency contracts that do not provide for physical exchange of the two currencies on the settlement date, but instead are settled by a single cash payment calculated as the difference between the agreed upon exchange rate and the spot rate at settlement based upon an agreed upon notional amount (non-deliverable forwards).
A forward foreign currency contract is an obligation between two parties (“Counterparties”) to purchase or sell a specific currency for an agreed-upon price at a future date. The use of forward foreign currency contracts for hedging does not eliminate fluctuations in the price of the underlying securities the Fund owns or intends to acquire but establishes a rate of exchange in advance. Fluctuations in the value of these contracts are measured by the difference in the contract date and reporting date exchange rates and are recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) until the contracts are closed. When the contracts are closed, realized gains (losses) are recorded. Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on the contracts are included in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The primary risks associated with forward foreign currency contracts include failure of the Counterparty to meet the terms of the contract and the value of the foreign currency changing unfavorably. These risks may be in excess of the amounts reflected in the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
| . | – To the extent that the Fund invests a greater amount of its assets in securities of issuers in the banking and financial services industries, the Fund’s performance will depend to a greater extent on the overall condition of those industries. The value of these securities can be sensitive to changes in government regulation, interest rates and economic downturns in the U.S. and abroad. |
| . | – Although the resale, or secondary market for floating rate loans has grown substantially over the past decade, both in overall size and number of market participants, there is no organized exchange or board of trade on which floating rate loans are traded. Instead, the secondary market for floating rate loans is a private, unregulated interdealer or interbank resale market. Such a market may therefore be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads, and extended trade settlement periods, which may impair the Fund’s ability to sell bank loans within its desired time frame or at an acceptable price and its ability to accurately value existing and prospective investments. Extended trade settlement periods may result in cash not being immediately available to the Fund. As a result, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions to raise cash to meet its obligations. Similar to other asset classes, bank loan funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk than an entity with which the Fund has unsettled or open transactions may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments. The Fund seeks to manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that it believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. |
| . | The Fund may have investments in financial instruments that utilize the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) as the reference or benchmark rate for variable interest rate calculations. LIBOR was intended to measure the rate generally at which banks can lend and borrow from one another in the relevant currency on an unsecured basis. The UK Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), the regulator that oversees LIBOR, announced that the majority of LIBOR rates would cease to be published or would no longer be representative on January 1, 2022. The publication of most LIBOR rates ceased at the end of 2021, and the remaining USD LIBOR rates ceased to be published after June 2023. The FCA will permit the use of synthetic USD LIBOR rates for non-U.S. contracts for a limited period of time after June 30, 2023, but any such rates would be considered non-representative of the underlying market. |
There remains uncertainty and risks relating to the continuing LIBOR transition and its effects on the Fund and the instruments in which the Fund invests. There can be no assurance that the composition or characteristics of any alternative reference rates (“ARRs”) or financial instruments in which the Fund invests that utilize ARRs will be similar to or produce the same value or economic equivalence as LIBOR or that these instruments will have the same volume or liquidity. Additionally, there remains uncertainty and risks relating to certain “legacy” USD LIBOR instruments that were issued or entered into before December 31, 2021 and the process by which a replacement interest rate will be identified and implemented into these instruments when USD LIBOR is ultimately discontinued. On December 16, 2022, the Federal Reserve Board adopted regulations implementing the Adjustable Interest Rate Act. The regulations provide a statutory fallback mechanism to replace LIBOR, by identifying benchmark rates based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) that replaced LIBOR in certain financial contracts after June 30, 2023. These regulations apply only to contracts governed by U.S. law, among other limitations. The Fund may have instruments linked to other interbank offered rates that may also cease to be published in the future. The effects of such uncertainty and risks in “legacy” USD LIBOR instruments held by the Fund could result in losses to the Fund.
| . | – The Fund may utilize leverage to seek to enhance the yield of the Fund by borrowing. There are risks associated with borrowing in an effort to increase the yield and distributions on the common shares, including that the costs of the financial leverage may exceed the income from investments purchased with such leverage proceeds, the higher volatility of the net asset value of the shares, and that fluctuations in the interest rates on the borrowing may affect the yield and distributions to the common shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s leverage strategy will be successful. |
| . | – The Fund may invest all or substantially all of its assets in senior secured floating rate loans and senior secured debt securities that are determined to be rated below investment grade. These securities are generally considered to have speculative characteristics and are subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest than higher rated securities. The value of lower quality debt securities and floating rate loans can be more volatile due to increased sensitivity to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments. |
The Fund invests in corporate loans from U.S. or non-U.S. companies (the “Borrowers”). The investment of the Fund in a corporate loan may take the form of participation interests or assignments. If the Fund purchases a participation interest from a syndicate of lenders (“Lenders”) or one of the participants in the syndicate (“Participant”), one or more of which administers the loan on behalf of all the Lenders (the “Agent Bank”), the Fund would be required to rely on the Lender that sold the participation interest not only for the enforcement of the Fund’s rights against the Borrower but also for the receipt and processing of payments due to the Fund under the corporate loans. As such, the Fund is subject to the credit
35 Invesco Senior Loan Fund
risk of the Borrower and the Participant. Lenders and Participants interposed between the Fund and a Borrower, together with Agent Banks, are referred to as “Intermediate Participants”.
Increases in the federal funds and equivalent foreign rates or other changes to monetary policy or regulatory actions may expose fixed income markets to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity for certain fixed income investments, particularly those with longer maturities. It is difficult to predict the impact of interest rate changes on various markets. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may also potentially lead to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income markets. As a result, the value of the Fund’s investments and share price may decline. Changes in central bank policies could also result in higher than normal redemptions by shareholders, which could potentially increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs.
Policy changes by the U.S. government or its regulatory agencies and political events within the U.S. and abroad may, among other things, affect investor and consumer confidence and increase volatility in the financial markets, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree, which may adversely impact the Fund’s operations, universe of potential investment options, and return potential.
NOTE 2—Advisory Fees and Other Fees Paid to Affiliates
The Fund has entered into a master investment advisory agreement with the Adviser. Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Fund accrues daily and pays monthly an advisory fee to the Adviser based on the annual rate of the Fund’s average daily net assets as follows:
| | |
| | |
| |
| First $ 500 million | | 0.900% |
| |
| Next $1 billion | | 0.850% |
| |
| Next $1 billion | | 0.825% |
| |
| Next $500 million | | 0.800% |
| |
| Over $3 billion | | 0.775% |
For the year ended February 29, 2024, the effective advisory fee rate incurred by the Fund was 0.90%.
Under the terms of a master sub-advisory agreement between the Adviser and each of Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, Invesco Asset Management Limited, Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. and Invesco Canada Ltd. (collectively, the “Affiliated Sub-Advisers”) the Adviser, not the Fund, will pay 40% of the fees paid to the Adviser to any such Affiliated Sub-Adviser(s) that provide(s) discretionary investment management services to the Fund based on the percentage of assets allocated to such Affiliated Sub-Adviser(s).
The Fund has entered into a master administrative services agreement with Invesco pursuant to which the Fund has agreed to pay Invesco for certain administrative costs incurred in providing accounting services to the Fund. The Fund has also entered into an administrative services agreement with Invesco pursuant to which the Fund has agreed to pay Invesco for certain administrative costs related to monitoring the provisions of the loan agreements and any agreements with respect to participations and assignments, record keeping responsibilities with respect to interests in Senior Loans in the Fund’s portfolio and providing certain services to the holders of the Fund’s securities. For the year ended February 29, 2024, expenses incurred under these agreements are shown in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as
Administrative services fees
. Invesco has entered into a sub-administration agreement whereby State Street Bank and Trust Company (“SSB”) serves as fund accountant and provides certain administrative services to the Fund. Pursuant to a custody agreement with the Fund, SSB also serves as the Fund’s custodian.
The Fund has entered into a transfer agency and service agreement with Invesco Investment Services, Inc. (“IIS”) pursuant to which the Fund has agreed to pay IIS a fee for providing transfer agency and shareholder services to the Fund and reimburse IIS for certain expenses incurred by IIS in the course of providing such services. For the year ended February 29, 2024, expenses incurred under these agreements are shown in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as
.
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Invesco Distributors, Inc. (“IDI”). The Fund has adopted a distribution plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for Class A and Class C shares, and a service plan for Class A, Class C and Class IC shares (collectively, the “Plans”) to pay IDI for the sale, distribution, shareholder servicing and maintenance of shareholder accounts for these shares. Under the Plans, the Fund will incur annual fees of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of Class A shares and up to 1.00% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares and up to 0.15% (0.25% maximum) of the average daily net assets of Class IC shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly.
With respect to Class C shares, the Fund is authorized to reimburse in future years any distribution related expenses that exceed the maximum annual reimbursement rate for such class, so long as such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed the Class C maximum annual reimbursement rate, respectively. With respect to Class A shares, distribution related expenses that exceed the maximum annual reimbursement rate for such class are not carried forward to future years and the Fund will not reimburse IDI for any such expenses. For the year ended February 29, 2024, expenses incurred under these agreements are shown in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as
.
Front-end sales commissions and CDSC (collectively, the “sales charges”) are not recorded as expenses of the Fund. Front-end sales commissions are deducted from proceeds from the sales of Fund shares prior to investment in Class A shares of the Fund. CDSC are deducted from redemption proceeds prior to remittance to the shareholder. During the year ended February 29, 2024, IDI advised the Fund that IDI retained $4,766 in front-end sales commissions from the sale of Class A shares and $0, $5,022 and $0 from Class A, Class C and Class IC shares, respectively, for CDSC imposed on redemptions by shareholders.
Certain officers and trustees of the Fund are officers and directors of the Adviser, IIS and/or IDI.
NOTE 3—Additional Valuation Information
GAAP defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date, under current market conditions. GAAP establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation methods, giving the highest priority to readily available unadjusted quoted prices in an active market for identical assets (Level 1) and the lowest priority to
36 Invesco Senior Loan Fund
significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), generally when market prices are not readily available. Based on the valuation inputs, the securities or other investments are tiered into one of three levels. Changes in valuation methods may result in transfers in or out of an investment’s assigned level:
| | |
| Level 1 – | | Prices are determined using quoted prices in an active market for identical assets. |
| Level 2 – | | Prices are determined using other significant observable inputs. Observable inputs are inputs that other market participants may use in pricing a security. These may include quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, loss severities, default rates, discount rates, volatilities and others. |
| Level 3 – | | Prices are determined using significant unobservable inputs. In situations where quoted prices or observable inputs are unavailable (for example, when there is little or no market activity for an investment at the end of the period), unobservable inputs may be used. Unobservable inputs reflect the Adviser’s assumptions about the factors market participants would use in determining fair value of the securities or instruments and would be based on the best available information. |
The following is a summary of the tiered valuation input levels, as of February 29, 2024. The level assigned to the securities valuations may not be an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with investing in those securities. Because of the inherent uncertainties of valuation, the values reflected in the consolidated financial statements may materially differ from the value received upon actual sale of those investments.
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Investments in Securities | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| Variable Rate Senior Loan Interests | | $ | – | | | | | | | $ | 339,717,765 | | | | | | | $ | 45,440,730 | | | | | | | $385,158,495 |
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| Common Stocks & Other Equity Interests | | | 4,232,170 | | | | | | | | 19,022,607 | | | | | | | | 11,321,331 | | | | | | | 34,576,108 |
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| U.S. Dollar Denominated Bonds & Notes | | | – | | | | | | | | 22,083,224 | | | | | | | | – | | | | | | | 22,083,224 |
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| Non-U.S. Dollar Denominated Bonds & Notes | | | – | | | | | | | | 14,454,962 | | | | | | | | 5,312 | | | | | | | 14,460,274 |
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| Preferred Stocks | | | – | | | | | | | | – | | | | | | | | 4,699,998 | | | | | | | 4,699,998 |
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| Municipal Obligations | | | – | | | | | | | | – | | | | | | | | 2,026,979 | | | | | | | 2,026,979 |
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Total Investments in Securities | | | 4,232,170 | | | | | | | | 395,278,558 | | | | | | | | 63,494,350 | | | | | | | 463,005,078 |
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Other Investments - Assets* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| Investments Matured | | | – | | | | | | | | – | | | | | | | | 306,850 | | | | | | | 306,850 |
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| Forward Foreign Currency Contracts | | | – | | | | | | | | 440,395 | | | | | | | | – | | | | | | | 440,395 |
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| | | | – | | | | | | | | 440,395 | | | | | | | | 306,850 | | | | | | | 747,245 |
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Other Investments - Liabilities* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
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| Forward Foreign Currency Contracts | | | – | | | | | | | | (67,085 | ) | | | | | | | – | | | | | | | (67,085) |
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| | | – | | | | | | | | 373,310 | | | | | | | | 306,850 | | | | | | | 680,160 |
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| | | | | | | |
| | $ | 4,232,170 | | | | | | | $ | 395,651,868 | | | | | | | $ | 63,801,200 | | | | | | | $463,685,238 |
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