INVESCO VAN KAMPEN MUNICIPAL TRUST
INVESCO VAN KAMPEN MASSACHUSETTS VALUE MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST
INVESCO VAN KAMPEN OHIO QUALITY MUNICIPAL TRUST
INVESCO VAN KAMPEN TRUST FOR INVESTMENT GRADE NEW JERSEY MUNICIPALS

1555 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30309
(800) 341-2929

 

NOTICE OF JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

To Be Held on July 17, 2012

 

Notice is hereby given to holders of common shares of beneficial interest (“Common Shares”) of Invesco Van Kampen Massachusetts Value Municipal Income Trust (“VMV”), Invesco Van Kampen Ohio Quality Municipal Trust (“VOQ”), Invesco Van Kampen Trust for Investment Grade New Jersey Municipals (“VTJ,” and together with VMV and VOQ, the “Target Funds”), and Invesco Van Kampen Municipal Trust (the “Acquiring Fund” or “VKQ”) that the Funds will hold a joint annual meeting of shareholders (the “Meeting”) on July 17, 2012, at 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. The Meeting will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. The Target Funds and the Acquiring Fund collectively are referred to as the “Funds” and each is referred to individually as a “Fund.” At the Meeting, holders of Common Shares (“Common Shareholders”) will be asked to vote on the following proposals:

 

1) For each Fund, approval of an Agreement and Plan of Redomestication that provides for the reorganization of such Fund as a Delaware statutory trust.

 

2) Approval of the merger of each Target Fund into the Acquiring Fund, which shall require the following shareholder actions:

 

(a) For each Target Fund, approval of an Agreement and Plan of Merger that provides for such Target Fund to merge with and into the Acquiring Fund.

 

(b) For the Acquiring Fund, approval of the following sub-proposals:

 

 

 

3) For each Fund, the election of Trustees to its Board of Trustees, as follows:

 

(a) For VMV, the election of three Trustees to its Board of Trustees.

 

(b) For VTJ, VOQ and the Acquiring Fund, the election of one Trustee to its Board of Trustees.

 

Each Fund may also transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

 

Common Shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 25, 2012, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Holders of the Funds’ preferred shares of beneficial interest, whose voting instructions are being separately solicited, will also vote on certain matters at the Meeting.

 

The Board of Trustees of each Fund requests that you vote your shares by either (i) completing the enclosed proxy card and returning it in the enclosed postage paid return envelope, or (ii) voting by telephone or via the internet using the instructions on the proxy card. Please vote your shares promptly regardless of the number of shares you own.

 

Each Target Fund’s governing documents provide that shareholders do not have dissenters’ appraisal rights, and each Target Fund does not believe that its shareholders are entitled to appraisal rights in connection with its merger.

 

Each Fund’s Board unanimously recommends that you cast your vote for the above proposals and for all the Trustee nominees as described in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

 

By order of the Board of Trustees:

 

John M. Zerr

Senior Vice President, Secretary and

Chief Legal Officer

 

June 8, 2012

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE JOINT
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD JULY 17, 2012:

 

The proxy statement and annual report to shareholders are available at www.invesco.com/us.

 

Invesco Van Kampen Municipal Trust
Invesco Van Kampen Massachusetts Value Municipal Income Trust
Invesco Van Kampen Ohio Quality Municipal Trust
Invesco Van Kampen Trust for Investment Grade New Jersey Municipals

1555 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30309
(800) 341-2929

 

JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
June 8, 2012
Introduction

 

This Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (the “Proxy Statement”) contains information that holders of common shares of beneficial interest (“Common Shares”) of Invesco Van Kampen Massachusetts Value Municipal Income Trust (“VMV”), Invesco Van Kampen Ohio Quality Municipal Trust (“VOQ”), Invesco Van Kampen Trust for Investment Grade New Jersey Municipals (“VTJ,” and together with VMV and VOQ, the “Target Funds”), and Invesco Van Kampen Municipal Trust (the “Acquiring Fund” or “VKQ”) should know before voting on the proposals that are described herein. The Target Funds and the Acquiring Fund collectively are referred to as the “Funds” and each is referred to individually as a “Fund.”

 

A joint annual meeting of the shareholders of the Funds (the “Meeting”) will be held on July 17, 2012 at 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. The Meeting will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. The following describes the proposals to be voted on by holders of Common Shares (“Common Shareholders”) at the Meeting:

 

1) For each Fund, approval of an Agreement and Plan of Redomestication that provides for the reorganization of such Fund as a Delaware statutory trust.

 

2) Approval of the merger of each Target Fund into the Acquiring Fund, which shall require the following shareholder actions:

 

(a) For each Target Fund, approval of an Agreement and Plan of Merger that provides for such Target Fund to merge with and into the Acquiring Fund.

 

(b) For the Acquiring Fund, approval of the following sub-proposals:

 

(i)  Approval of an Agreement and Plan of Merger that provides for VMV to merge with and into the Acquiring Fund.

 

(ii) Approval of an Agreement and Plan of Merger that provides for VOQ to merge with and into the Acquiring Fund.

 

(iii) Approval of an Agreement and Plan of Merger that provides for VTJ to merge with and into the Acquiring Fund.

 

3) For each Fund, the election of Trustees to its Board of Trustees, as follows:

 

(a) For VMV, the election of three Trustees to its Board of Trustees.

 

(b) For VTJ, VOQ and the Acquiring Fund, the election of one Trustee to its Board of Trustees.

 

Each Fund may also transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

 

The redomestications contemplated by Proposal 1 are referred to herein each individually as a “Redomestication” and together as the “Redomestications.” The mergers contemplated by Proposal 2 are referred to herein each individually as a “Merger” and together as the “Mergers.”

 

The Boards of Trustees of the Funds (the “Boards”) have fixed the close of business on May 25, 2012, as the record date (“Record Date”) for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting and at any adjournment or postponement thereof. Shareholders will be entitled to one vote for each share held (and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share). Holders of the preferred shares of beneficial interest (“Preferred Shares”) of the Funds, whose voting instructions are being separately solicited, will also vote on certain matters at the Meeting.

 

This Proxy Statement, the enclosed Notice of Joint Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and the enclosed proxy card will be mailed on or about June 18, 2012, to all Common Shareholders eligible to vote at the Meeting. Each Fund is a closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Common Shares of each Fund are listed on the Chicago Stock Exchange. The Common Shares of VOQ, VTJ and the Acquiring Fund are also listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and the Common Shares of VMV are also listed on NYSE MKT (formerly NYSE Amex) (collectively with the New York Stock Exchange and the Chicago Stock Exchange, the “Exchanges”). This document is both a proxy statement for Common Shares of each Fund and also a prospectus for Common Shares of the Acquiring Fund.

 

The Meeting is scheduled as a joint meeting of the shareholders of the Funds and certain affiliated funds, whose votes on proposals applicable to such funds are being solicited separately, because the shareholders of the funds are expected to consider and vote on similar matters.

 

A joint Proxy Statement is being used in order to reduce the preparation, printing, handling and postage expenses that would result from the use of separate proxy materials for each Fund. You should retain this Proxy Statement for future reference, as it sets forth concisely information about the Funds that you should know before voting on the proposals and because it will be the only prospectus you receive for your Acquiring Fund Common Shares. Additional information about each Fund is available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders of such Fund. Each Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders, which contains audited financial statements for the Funds’ most recently completed fiscal year, and each Fund’s most recent semi-annual report to shareholders have been previously mailed to shareholders and are available on the Funds’ website at www.invesco.com/us. The statement of additional information to this Proxy Statement (the “SAI”), dated the same date as this Proxy Statement, includes additional information about the Funds that is incorporated by reference and is deemed to be part of this Proxy Statement. These documents are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Copies of all of these documents are also available upon request without charge by writing to the Funds at 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046, or by calling (800) 341-2929.

 

You also may view or obtain these documents from the SEC’s Public Reference Room, which is located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, or from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. You can also request copies of these materials, upon payment at the prescribed rates of the duplicating fee, by electronic request to the SEC’s e-mail address (publicinfo@sec.gov) or by writing to the Public Reference Branch, Office of Consumer Affairs and Information Services, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You may also inspect reports, proxy material and other information concerning each of the Funds at the Exchanges.

 

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the SEC nor has the SEC passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Proxy Statement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. An investment in the Funds is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or any other government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Funds.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

No dealer, salesperson or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this Proxy Statement or related solicitation materials on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and you should not rely on such other information or representations.

 

Each Fund’s shareholders are being asked to approve an Agreement and Plan of Redomestication (a “Plan of Redomestication”) providing for the reorganization of the Fund as a Delaware statutory trust. Each Fund is currently a Massachusetts business trust. Each Fund’s Plan of Redomestication provides for the Fund to transfer all of its assets and liabilities to a newly formed Delaware statutory trust whose capital structure will be substantially the same as the Fund’s current structure, after which Fund shareholders will own shares of the Delaware statutory trust and the Massachusetts business trust will be liquidated and terminated. The Redomestication is only a change to your Fund’s legal form of organization and there will be no change to the Fund’s investments, management, fee levels or federal income tax status as a result of the Redomestication.

 

Each Fund’s Redomestication may proceed even if other Redomestications are not approved by shareholders or are for any other reason not completed. A form of the Plan of Redomestication is available in Exhibit A.

 

By voting for this Proposal 1, you will be voting to become a shareholder of a fund organized as a Delaware statutory trust with portfolio characteristics, investment objective(s), strategies, risks, trustees, advisory agreements, subadvisory arrangements and other arrangements that are substantially the same as those currently in place for your Fund.

 

Yes. Each Fund’s Board has reviewed and unanimously approved the Plan of Redomestication and this Proposal 1. The Board of each Fund recommends that shareholders vote for Proposal 1.

 

The Redomestications will serve to standardize the governing documents and certain agreements of the Funds with each other and with other funds managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc. (the “Adviser”). This standardization is expected to streamline the administration of the Funds, which may result in cost savings and more effective administration by eliminating differences in governing documents or controlling law. In addition, the legal requirements governing business trusts under Massachusetts law are less certain and less developed than those under Delaware law, which sometimes necessitates the Funds bearing the cost to engage counsel to advise on the interpretation of such law.

 

The Redomestications are also a necessary step for the completion of the Mergers described in Proposal 2 because, as Delaware statutory trusts, the Funds may merge with no delay in transactions that are expected to qualify as tax-free reorganizations. However, the Redomestications may proceed even if the Mergers described in Proposal 2 are not approved.

 

A Redomestication will have no direct economic effect on Fund shareholders’ investments, other than the cost savings described herein. Each redomesticated Fund will have investment advisory agreements, subadvisory arrangements, administration agreements, custodian agreements, transfer agency agreements, and other service provider arrangements that are identical in all material respects to those in place immediately before the Redomestication, with certain non-substantive revisions to standardize such agreements across the Funds. For example, after the Redomestications, the investment advisory agreements of the Funds will contain standardized language describing how investment advisory fees are calculated, but there will be no change to the actual calculation methodology. Each Fund will continue to be served by the same individuals as trustees and officers, and each Fund will continue to retain the same independent registered public accounting firm. The portfolio characteristics, investment objective(s), strategies and risks of each Fund will not change as a result of the Redomestications. Each Fund’s new governing documents will be similar to its current governing documents, but will contain certain material differences. These changes are intended to benefit shareholders by streamlining and promoting the efficient administration and operation of the Funds. However, as a result of these changes, shareholders will have fewer rights to vote on certain matters affecting the Fund and, therefore, less control over the operations of the Fund. These changes to shareholder voting rights, and the benefits that management believes will result from these changes, are described below.

 

In addition, each Fund’s capital structure will be substantially the same as its current capital structure. The Common Shares of each Fund will continue to have equal rights to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation, and each Fund may not declare distributions on Common Shares unless all accrued dividends on the Fund’s Preferred Shares have been paid, and unless asset coverage with respect to the Fund’s Preferred Shares would be at least 200% after giving effect to the distributions. In addition, under the terms of each Fund’s Preferred Shares, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain minimum asset coverage of 225%.

 

Shareholder approval of a Redomestication will be deemed to constitute approval of the advisory and subadvisory agreements, as well as a vote for the election of the trustees, of the Delaware statutory trust. Accordingly, each Plan of Redomestication provides that the sole initial shareholder of each Delaware statutory trust will vote to approve the advisory and subadvisory agreements (which, as noted above, will be identical in all material respects to the Fund’s current agreements) and to elect the trustees of the Delaware statutory trust (which, as noted above, will be the same as the Fund’s current Trustees) after shareholder approval of the Redomestication but prior to the closing of the Redomestication.

 

After the Redomestications, each Fund will be a Delaware statutory trust governed by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“DE Statute”). The DE Statute is similar in many respects to the laws governing the Fund’s current structure, a Massachusetts business trust, but they differ in certain respects. Both the Massachusetts business trust law (“MA Statute”) and the DE Statute permit a trust’s governing instrument to contain provisions relating to shareholder rights and removal of trustees, and provide trusts with the ability to amend or restate the trust’s governing instruments. However, the MA Statute is silent on many of the salient features of a Massachusetts business trust whereas the DE Statute provides guidance and offers a significant amount of operational flexibility to Delaware statutory trusts. The DE Statute provides explicitly that the shareholders and trustees of a Delaware statutory trust are not liable for obligations of the trust to the same extent as under corporate law. While the governing documents of each Fund contain an express disclaimer of liability of shareholders, certain Massachusetts judicial decisions have determined that shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust may, in certain circumstances, be assessed or held personally liable as partners for the obligations of a Massachusetts business trust. Therefore, the Funds believe that shareholders will benefit from the express statutory protections of the DE Statute. The DE Statute authorizes the trustees to take various actions without requiring shareholder approval if permitted by a Fund’s governing instruments. For example, trustees of a Delaware statutory trust may have the power to amend the trust’s governing instrument, merge or consolidate a Fund with another entity, and to change the Delaware statutory trust’s domicile, in each case without a shareholder vote. The Funds believe that the guidance and flexibility afforded by the DE Statute and the explicit limitation on liability contained in the DE Statute will benefit the Funds and shareholders. A more detailed comparison of certain provisions of the DE Statute and the MA Statute is included in Exhibit C.

 

The governing documents of a Fund before and after its Redomestication will be similar, but will contain certain material differences. In general, these changes to each Fund’s new governing documents are intended to benefit shareholders by streamlining the administration and operation of each Fund to save shareholders money and by making it more difficult for short-term speculative investors to engage in practices that benefit such short-term investors at the expense of the Fund and to the detriment of its long-term investors. For example, the new governing documents permit termination of a Fund without shareholder approval, provided that at least 75% of the Trustees have approved such termination, thereby avoiding the expense of a shareholder meeting in connection with a termination of a Fund, which expense would reduce the amount of assets available for distribution to shareholders. The current governing documents require shareholder approval to terminate a Fund regardless of whether the Trustees have approved such termination. Also, the Fund’s new by-laws may be altered, amended, or repealed by the Trustees, without the vote or approval of shareholders. The Fund’s current by-laws may be altered, amended, or repealed by the Trustees, provided that bylaws adopted by the shareholders may only be altered, amended, or repealed by the shareholders. None of the Funds currently have any bylaws that were adopted by shareholders. As a result of these changes, shareholders will generally have fewer rights to vote on certain matters affecting the Fund and, therefore, less control over the operations of the Fund.

 

The new governing documents include new procedures intended to provide the Board the opportunity to better evaluate proposals submitted by shareholders and provide additional information to shareholders for their consideration in connection with such proposals. For example, the new governing documents require shareholders to provide additional information with respect to shareholder proposals, including nominations, brought before a meeting of shareholders. These additional procedures include, among others, deadlines for providing advance notice of shareholder proposals, certain required information that must be included with such advance notice and a requirement that the proposing shareholder appear before the annual or special meeting of shareholders to present about the nomination or proposed business. Trustees will be elected by a majority vote (i.e., nominees must receive the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares present and entitled to vote at a shareholder meeting at which a quorum is present), while under the current governing documents, Trustees are generally elected by a plurality vote (i.e., the nominees receiving the greatest number of votes are elected). Also, the new governing documents will provide for election of Trustees by all shareholders voting together as a single class, except for those Trustees specifically designated to be elected solely by the holders of Preferred Shares (“Preferred Shareholders”). The new governing documents will not provide shareholders the ability to remove Trustees or to call special meetings of shareholders, which powers are provided under the current governing documents.

 

The new governing documents contain provisions the Trustees believe will benefit shareholders by deterring frivolous lawsuits and actions by short-term, speculative investors that are contrary to the long-term best interests of the Fund and long-term shareholders and limiting the extent to which Fund assets will be expended defending against such lawsuits. These provisions include a different shareholder voting standard with respect to a Fund’s merger, consolidation, or conversion to an open-end company that, in certain circumstances, may be a lower voting standard than under the current governing documents. The new governing documents also impose certain obligations on shareholders seeking to initiate a derivative action on behalf of a Fund that are not imposed under the current governing documents, which may make it more difficult for shareholders to initiate derivative actions and are intended to save the Fund money by requiring reimbursement of the Fund for frivolous lawsuits brought by shareholders. To further protect the Fund and its shareholders from frivolous lawsuits, the new governing documents also provide that shareholders will indemnify the Fund for all costs, expenses, penalties, fines or other amounts arising from any action against the Fund to the extent that the shareholder is not the prevailing party and that the Fund is permitted to redeem shares of and/or set off against any distributions due to the shareholder for such amounts.

 

A comparison of the current and proposed governing documents of the Funds is available in Exhibit B.

 

The following is a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations of the Redomestications and is based upon the current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the existing U.S. Treasury Regulations thereunder, current administrative rulings of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and published judicial decisions, all of which are subject to change. These considerations are general in nature and individual shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local, and foreign tax considerations applicable to them and their individual circumstances. These same considerations generally do not apply to shareholders who hold their shares in a tax-deferred account.

 

Each Redomestication is intended to be a tax-free reorganization pursuant to Section 368(a) of the Code. Each Fund is currently a Massachusetts business trust. Each Redomestication will be completed pursuant to a Plan of Redomestication that provides for the applicable Fund to transfer all of its assets and liabilities to a newly formed Delaware statutory trust (“DE-Fund”), after which Fund shareholders will own shares of the Delaware statutory trust and the Massachusetts business trust will be liquidated. Even though the Redomestication of a Fund is part of an overall plan to effect the Merger of each Target Fund with the Acquiring Fund, the Redomestications will be treated as separate transactions for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The principal federal income tax considerations that are expected to result from the Redomestication of an applicable Fund are as follows:

 

 

Neither the Funds nor the DE-Funds have requested or will request an advance ruling from the IRS as to the federal tax consequences of the Redomestications. As a condition to Closing, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP will render a favorable opinion to each Fund and DE-Fund as to the foregoing federal income tax consequences of each Redomestication, which opinion will be conditioned upon, among other things, the accuracy, as of the Closing Date (as defined herein), of certain representations of each Fund and DE-Fund upon which Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP will rely in rendering its opinion. A copy of the opinion will be filed with the SEC and will be available for public inspection. See “Where to Find Additional Information.” Opinions of counsel are not binding upon the IRS or the courts. If a Redomestication is consummated but the IRS or the courts determine that the Redomestication does not qualify as a tax-free reorganization under the Code, and thus is taxable, each Fund would recognize gain or loss on the transfer of its assets to its corresponding DE-Fund and each shareholder of the Fund would recognize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between its tax basis in its Fund shares and the fair market value of the shares of the DE-Fund it receives. The failure of one Redomestication to qualify as a tax-free reorganization would not adversely affect any other Redomestication.

 

If shareholders of a Fund approve Proposal 1, it is anticipated that such Fund’s Redomestication will occur in the third quarter of 2012.

 

If Proposal 1 is not approved by a Fund’s shareholders or if a Redomestication is for other reasons not able to be completed, that Fund would not be redomesticated. In addition, that Fund would not participate in a Merger, even if that Fund’s shareholders approve the Merger under Proposal 2. If Acquiring Fund Shareholders do not approve Proposal 1 or if the Acquiring Fund’s Redomestication is for any other reason not completed, no Mergers would be completed. If Proposal 1 is not approved by shareholders, the applicable Fund’s Board will consider other possible courses of action for that Fund.

 

THE BOARDS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL 1.

 

Shareholders of each Target Fund are being asked to consider and approve a Merger of their Target Fund with and into the Acquiring Fund, as summarized below. Shareholders of the Acquiring Fund are also being asked to consider and approve each such Merger, which involves the issuance of new Common Shares and Preferred Shares by the Acquiring Fund. If a Merger is approved, Common Shares of the Target Fund will be exchanged for newly issued Acquiring Fund Common Shares of equal aggregate net asset value. Preferred Shares of a Target Fund will be exchanged for newly issued Acquiring Fund Preferred Shares with substantially identical terms, including equal aggregate liquidation preferences.

Each Merger will be completed pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger (“Merger Agreement”) that provides for the applicable Target Fund to merge with and into the Acquiring Fund pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. A form of the Merger Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit D. Each Merger Agreement is substantially the same. The merger of one Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund may proceed even if the merger of the other Target Fund is not approved by shareholders or is for any other reason not completed. A Merger can proceed only if both the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund have also approved their respective Redomestications.

 

The following is a summary of certain information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement and in the Merger Agreement. Shareholders should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully for more complete information.

 

Yes. Each Fund’s Board has reviewed and unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and this Proposal 2. Each Fund’s Board determined that the Mergers are in the best interest of each Fund and will not dilute the interests of the existing shareholders of any Fund. Each Fund’s Board recommends that shareholders vote for Proposal 2.

 

The Mergers proposed in this Proxy Statement are part of a larger group of transactions across the Adviser’s fund platform that began in early 2011. The Mergers seek to combine Funds with investment objectives, strategies and related risks that are similar and that are managed by substantially the same portfolio management team.

 

In considering the Mergers and the Merger Agreements, the Board of each Fund considered that the shareholders of each Fund may benefit from the Mergers by becoming shareholders of a larger fund that may have a more diversified investment portfolio, greater market liquidity, more analyst coverage, smaller spreads and trading discounts, improved purchasing power and lower transaction costs.

 

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, the Board of the Acquiring Fund also considered that the combined fund on a pro forma basis would have a 0.30% higher distribution yield (as a percentage of net asset value) than the Acquiring Fund, even after giving effect to the slightly higher total expenses anticipated to be incurred by the combined fund.

 

The Board of each Target Fund also considered that, in addition to the benefits mentioned above:

 

 

The Boards also considered the expected tax free nature of the Mergers for each Fund and its shareholders for federal income tax purposes. However, the Boards of the Target Funds considered that Target Fund shareholders living in Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey, respectively, will lose the benefit of their respective Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey state tax exemption to the extent that the Acquiring Fund invests in securities whose distributions are not exempt from Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey state income tax, respectively, or to the extent that the Acquiring Fund is no longer eligible to pass through to investors the tax-exempt nature of its income for state tax purposes. The Board considered the information regarding each Fund’s distribution rate on an actual and tax-equivalent basis, (reflecting the effect of both state and federal income taxes), noting that before giving effect to the Mergers, the after federal tax equivalent distribution yield (as a percentage of net asset value) of the Acquiring Fund was within 0.50% of the after federal and state tax equivalent yield of each Target Fund. The Board weighed this factor in light of the benefits of the Mergers to Target Fund shareholders described herein, including the benefits of increased portfolio diversification.

 

In addition, each Board considered the allocation of expenses of the Mergers, including the Adviser paying all of the Merger costs.

The Board of each Fund considered these and other factors in concluding that the Mergers would be in the best interest of the Funds and would not dilute the interests of the existing shareholders of any Fund. The Boards’ considerations are described in more detail below in the section entitled “Additional Information About the Funds and the Mergers — Board Considerations in Approving the Mergers.”

 

If you own Target Fund Common Shares, you will, after the Merger, own Common Shares of the Acquiring Fund with an aggregate net asset value equal to the net asset value of the Target Fund Common Shares you held immediately before the Merger. It is likely, however, that the market value of such Common Shares will differ because market value reflects trading activity on the Exchanges and tends to vary from net asset value.

 

It is expected that neither the Funds nor their shareholders will recognize any gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the Mergers. After the Merger of VMV, VOQ, or VTJ into the Acquiring Fund, shareholders of VMV, VOQ and VTJ living in the state of Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey, respectively, will lose the benefit of their respective Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey state tax exemption to the extent that the Acquiring Fund invests in securities whose distributions are not exempt from Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey state income tax, respectively, or to the extent that the Fund is no longer eligible to pass through to investors the tax-exempt nature of its income for state tax purposes. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisor regarding the effect, if any, of the Merger in light of their individual circumstances. For more information about the Federal tax consequences of the Merger, see the section below entitled “Summary of Key Information Regarding the Mergers — Will there be any tax consequences resulting from the Mergers?”

 

If you are a Common Shareholder of the Acquiring Fund, your Common Shares of the Acquiring Fund will not be changed by a Merger, but will represent a smaller percentage interest in a larger fund.

 

The principal differences between the Target Funds and the Acquiring Fund are described in the following sections.

 

The Funds have similar investment objectives, as shown in the table below. The primary difference between the Funds’ investment objectives is that, in addition to seeking to provide income that is exempt from federal income tax, each Target Fund seeks to provide income that is also exempt from the income tax of its respective state. Each Fund’s investment objective is fundamental and may be changed only with shareholder approval.

 

Investment Objectives

 

 

The principal investment strategies of the Acquiring Fund are similar to the principal investment strategies of the Target Funds, except that each Target Fund focuses on investing in municipal bonds that pay interest exempt from taxation by a specific state while the Acquiring Fund invests in municipal bonds that pay interest exempt from U.S. federal income tax, issued by issuers throughout the nation.

 

The section below entitled “Additional Information About the Funds and the Mergers — Principal Investment Strategies” provides more information on the principal investment strategies of the Target Funds and the Acquiring Fund and highlights certain key differences.

 

The principal risks that may affect each Fund’s investment portfolio are similar. Each Fund is subject to the same risks, except that the Acquiring Fund is not subject to special risk considerations regarding state municipal securities to the same degree as the Target Funds because it does not typically invest all of its assets in issuers located in the same state. As a result of the Mergers, however, immediately after the closing of the Mergers the Acquiring Fund will have a greater portion of its total assets invested in issuers located in Massachusetts, New Jersey or Ohio as compared to its current investments, in which case it will be more susceptible to adverse economic, business or regulatory conditions in those states. On a pro forma basis after giving effect to the Mergers, based on the Funds’ portfolio investments as of February 29, 2012, the Acquiring Fund’s investments in issuers located in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Ohio would

equal 7.8%, 12.7% and 14.3% of its total assets, respectively. The Acquiring Fund has no policy limiting its investments in municipal securities whose issuers are located in the same state.

 

Investment in any of the Funds involves risks, including the risk that shareholders may receive little or no return on their investment and the risk that shareholders may lose part or all of the money they invest. There can be no guarantee against losses resulting from an investment in a Fund, nor can there be any assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective(s). Whether a Fund achieves its investment objective(s) depends on market conditions generally and on the Adviser’s analytical and portfolio management skills. As with any managed fund, the Adviser may not be successful in selecting the best-performing securities or investment techniques, and a Fund’s performance may lag behind that of similar funds. The risks associated with an investment in a Fund can increase during times of significant market volatility. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Before investing in a Fund, potential shareholders should carefully evaluate the risks.

 

Additional information on the principal risks of each Fund is included below under “Additional Information About the Funds and the Mergers — Principal Risks of an Investment in the Funds” and in the SAI.

 

The table below provides a summary comparison of the expenses of the Funds. The table also shows estimated expenses on a pro forma basis giving effect to the proposed Merger with VMV and giving effect to all of the Mergers. The pro forma expense ratios show projected estimated expenses, but actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown.

 

It is anticipated that the lowest expense ratio will be achieved for the Acquiring Fund if all of the Mergers are completed and that the highest expense ratio will result if VMV is the only Target Fund that participates in a Merger with the Acquiring Fund. The range of impact to Acquiring Fund expenses after the Mergers is reflected in the following table. Note that Acquiring Fund Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses on a pro forma basis will be higher than the Acquiring Fund’s current expenses because the Acquiring Fund will after the Mergers have more leverage as a result of the higher leverage levels of certain Target Funds and therefore slightly higher Interest and Related Expenses. Therefore, such increased expenses will be offset by the benefits of such increased leverage to the extent that leverage continues to be beneficial to the Fund.

 

 

 

 

Expense Example

 

This example compares the cost of investing in Acquiring Fund Common Shares with the cost of investing in Target Fund Common Shares based on the expense table set out above. The example also provides information on a pro forma basis giving effect to the proposed Merger with VMV and giving effect to all of the Mergers. It also assumes an investment at net asset value (“NAV”) of $1,000 for the periods shown; a 5% investment return each year; the Funds’ operating expenses remain the same each year; that any contractual fee

limits or waivers are terminated after their current terms expire; and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at NAV. Based on these assumptions the costs would be:

 

 

The Example is not a representation of past or future expenses. Each Fund’s actual expenses, and an investor’s direct and indirect expenses, may be more or less than those shown. The table and the assumption in the Example of a 5% annual return are required by regulations of the SEC applicable to all registered funds. The 5% annual return is not a prediction of and does not represent the Funds’ projected or actual performance.

 

As noted above, Acquired Fund Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses on a pro forma basis will be higher than its current expenses because of an increase in financial leverage as a result of the higher leverage levels of certain Target Funds.

 

For further discussion regarding the Boards’ consideration of the fees and expenses of the Funds in approving the Mergers, see the section entitled “Additional Information About the Funds and the Mergers — Board Considerations in Approving the Mergers” in this Proxy Statement.

 

 

Annualized total return figures based on NAV and based on market price for each Fund’s Common Shares as of February 29, 2012 are shown below. The returns shown below reflect reinvestment of all distributions, do not reflect the effect of any applicable taxes, and are not indicative of a Fund’s future performance.

 

 

Based on each Fund’s February 2012 distribution and the closing market price of each Fund’s shares on February 29, 2012, VMV had an annualized monthly distribution yield of 5.63% per share, VOQ had an annualized monthly distribution yield of 6.24% per share, VTJ had an annualized monthly distribution yield of 6.23% per share and the Acquiring Fund had an annualized monthly distribution yield of 6.44% per share.

 

Target Fund shareholders residing in Massachusetts, New Jersey or Ohio who become shareholders of the Acquiring Fund will no longer benefit from their respective state tax exemptions to the same extent that they presently do, which may impact after-tax performance, returns and yield. Additional performance and yield information is included in each Fund’s most recent report to shareholders.

 

 

Each Fund is overseen by a Board composed of the same individuals and each Fund’s affairs are managed by the same officers, as described in Exhibit E. The Adviser, a registered investment adviser, serves as investment adviser for each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement that contains substantially identical terms for each Fund. The Adviser oversees the management of each Fund’s portfolio, manages each Fund’s business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. The Adviser has acted as an investment adviser since its organization in 1976. As of March 31, 2012, the Adviser had $309.2 billion in assets under management. The Adviser is located at 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

 

The Adviser is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. (“Invesco”). Invesco is a leading independent global investment management company, dedicated to helping people worldwide build their financial security. Invesco provides a comprehensive array of

enduring solutions for retail, institutional and high-net-worth clients around the world. Invesco had $672.8 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2012. Invesco is organized under the laws of Bermuda, and its common shares are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “IVZ.” Invesco is located at 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

 

All of the ordinary business expenses incurred in the operations of a Fund are borne by the Fund unless specifically provided otherwise in the advisory agreement. Expenses borne by the Funds include but are not limited to brokerage commissions, taxes, legal, accounting, auditing, or governmental fees, the cost of preparing share certificates, custodian, transfer and shareholder service agent costs, expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale, expenses relating to Trustee and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing and distributing reports and notices to shareholders, and the fees and other expenses incurred by the Funds in connection with membership in investment company organizations.

 

A discussion of the basis for each Board’s 2011 approval of each Fund’s investment advisory agreements is included in the Fund’s semiannual report for the six months ended August 31, 2011. A discussion of the basis for each Board’s most recent approval of each Fund’s investment advisory agreements will be included in the Fund’s semiannual report for the six months ending August 31, 2012, if any.

 

The contractual advisory fee rate of the Acquiring Fund is the same as the contractual advisory fee rate of each Target Fund. The following table compares the advisory fee rates of the Funds.

 

 

 

 

Each of the Funds calculates its advisory fee as a percentage of its “managed assets,” which for this purpose means the Fund’s net assets, plus assets attributable to outstanding preferred shares and the amount of any borrowings incurred for the purpose of leverage (whether or not such borrowed amounts are reflected in the Fund’s financial statements for purposes of generally accepted accounting principles). As a result, the actual amount paid by each Fund, as a percentage of NAV, will typically exceed the contractual rate. For more information, see the table above under “How do the Funds’ expenses compare?”

 

Each Fund’s advisory agreement provides that the Adviser may delegate any and all of its rights, duties, and obligations to one or more wholly-owned affiliates of Invesco as sub-advisers (the “Invesco Sub-Advisers”). Pursuant to each Fund’s Master Intergroup Sub-Advisory Contract, the Invesco Sub-Advisers may be appointed by the Adviser from time to time to provide discretionary investment management services, investment advice, and/or order execution services. Each Invesco Sub-Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser.

 

Other key service providers to the Target Funds, including the administrator, transfer agent, custodian, and auditor, provide substantially the same services to the Acquiring Fund. Each Fund has entered into a master administrative services agreement with the Adviser, pursuant to which the Adviser performs or arranges for the provision of accounting and other administrative services to the Funds that are not required to be performed by the Adviser under its investment advisory agreements with the Funds. The custodian for the Funds is State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-2801. The transfer agent and dividend paying agent for the Funds is Computershare Trust Company, N.A., P.O. Box 43078, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3078.

 

 

The portfolio management teams of the Funds are similar, but certain portfolio managers are not the same. Information on the portfolio managers of the Funds is included below under “Additional Information About the Funds and the Mergers — Portfolio Managers” and in the SAI.

 

 

Each Fund declares and pays dividends monthly from net investment income on Common Shares. Each Fund declares daily and pays monthly dividends from net investment income on Preferred Shares. Distributions from net realized capital gain, if any, are generally paid annually and are distributed on a pro rata basis to Common and Preferred Shareholders. Each Fund may also declare and pay capital gains distributions more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. Each Fund offers a dividend reinvestment plan for Common Shareholders, which is more fully described in the Fund’s shareholder reports.

 

 

Each Merger is designed to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for federal income tax purposes and each Fund anticipates receiving a legal opinion to that effect (although there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service will adopt a similar position). This means that the shareholders of each Target Fund will recognize no gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon the exchange of all of their shares in such Target Fund for shares in the Acquiring Fund. After the Merger of VMV, VOQ, or VTJ into the Acquiring Fund, shareholders of VMV, VOQ and VTJ living in the state of Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey, respectively, will lose the benefit of their

respective Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey state tax exemption to the extent that the Acquiring Fund invests in securities whose distributions are not exempt from Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey state income tax, respectively, or to the extent that the Fund is no longer eligible to pass through to investors the tax-exempt nature of its income for state tax purposes. Shareholders should consult their tax advisor about state and local tax consequences of the Mergers, if any, because the information about tax consequences in this Proxy Statement relates only to the federal income tax consequences of the Mergers.

 

Prior to the closing of each Merger, each Target Fund will declare one or more dividends, and the Acquiring Fund may, but is not required to, declare a dividend, payable at or near the time of closing to their respective shareholders to the extent necessary to avoid entity level tax or as otherwise deemed desirable. Such distributions, if made, are anticipated to be made in the 2012 calendar year and, to the extent a distribution is not an “exempt-interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders in such year for federal income tax purposes. It is anticipated that Fund distributions will be primarily dividends that are exempt from regular federal income tax, although a portion of such dividends may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income or capital gains. Any such final distribution paid to Common Shareholders by a Target Fund will be made in cash and not reinvested in additional Common Shares of the Target Fund. See “Additional Information About the Funds and the Mergers — Description of Securities to be Issued — Dividend Reinvestment Plan” and “Additional Information About the Funds and the Mergers — Federal Income Tax Considerations of the Mergers.”

 

If shareholders of a Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund approve the Merger and the Redomestication (Proposal 1), it is anticipated that the Merger will occur in the third quarter of 2012.

 

If a Merger is not approved by shareholders or is for other reasons unable to be completed, the applicable Fund will continue to operate and the Fund’s Board will consider other possible courses of action for the Fund.

 

If the Mergers are approved, if you are a Target Fund Common Shareholder and you do not wish to have your Target Fund Common Shares exchanged for Common Shares of the Acquiring Fund, you may sell your Target Fund Common Shares on an Exchange prior to the consummation of the Merger. Acquiring Fund Common Shareholders may also sell their Common Shares if they do not want to continue to own Common Shares in the combined fund following a Merger. If you sell your Common Shares, you will incur any applicable brokerage charges, and if you hold Common Shares in a taxable account, you will recognize a taxable gain or loss based on the difference between your tax basis in the Common Shares and the amount you receive for them. After the Merger, you may sell your Common Shares of the Acquiring Fund on an Exchange.

 

Each Target Fund’s governing documents provide that shareholders do not have the right to dissent and obtain payment of the fair value of their shares, and each Target Fund believes that its Common Shareholders will not have such rights.

 

The remainder of this Proxy Statement contains additional information about the Funds and the Mergers, as well as information on the other proposals to be voted on at the Meeting. You are encouraged to read the entire document. Additional information about each Fund can be found in the SAI and in the Fund’s shareholder reports. If you need any assistance, or have any questions regarding the Mergers or how to vote, please call Invesco Client Services at (800) 341-2929.

 

The following section compares the principal investment strategies of the Target Funds with the principal investment strategies of the Acquiring Fund and highlights any key differences. In addition to the principal investment strategies described below, each Fund may use other investment strategies and is also subject to certain additional investment policies and limitations, which are described in the SAI and in each Fund’s shareholder reports. The cover page of this Proxy Statement describes how you can obtain copies of these documents.

 

Investment Strategies.  For the Acquiring Fund, VTJ and VMV, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in municipal securities. For VOQ, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in Ohio municipal securities. Each policy stated in the foregoing sentences is a fundamental policy and may not be changed without shareholder approval of a majority of the applicable Fund’s outstanding voting securities, as defined in the 1940 Act. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser seeks to achieve the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective by investing at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets in investment grade municipal securities. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser seeks to achieve VOQ’s investment objective by investing at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets in Ohio municipal securities rated investment grade at the time of investment. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser seeks to achieve VTJ’s investment objective by investing at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets in investment grade New Jersey municipal securities. Finally, under normal market conditions, the Adviser seeks to achieve VMV’s investment objective by investing at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets in Massachusetts municipal securities rated investment

grade at the time of investment. Although the Acquiring Fund has no present intention to invest more than 25% of its assets in issuers located in the same state, it has no policy limiting its investments in municipal securities whose issuers are located in the same state and the Mergers may result in the Acquiring Fund having substantial holdings of Massachusetts, New Jersey and Ohio municipal securities.

 

Each Fund defines investment grade securities as: (i) securities rated BBB- or higher by Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”) or Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or an equivalent rating by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”), (ii) comparably rated short term securities, or (iii) unrated municipal securities determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase.

 

Under normal market conditions, each of the Acquiring Fund, VMV and VOQ may invest up to 20% of its total assets, and VTJ may invest up to 20% of its net assets, in municipal securities rated below investment grade or that are unrated but determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase. Lower-grade securities are commonly referred to as junk bonds and involve greater risks than investments in higher-grade securities. No Fund purchases securities that are in default or rated in categories lower than B- by S&P or B3 by Moody’s or unrated securities of comparable quality.

 

The foregoing percentage and rating limitations apply at the time of acquisition of a security based on the last previous determination of a Fund’s net asset value. Any subsequent change in any rating by a rating service or change in percentages resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in the Fund’s total assets will not require elimination of any security from the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Each Fund may invest all or a substantial portion of its total assets in municipal securities that may subject certain investors to the federal alternative minimum tax and, therefore, a substantial portion of the income produced by a Fund may be taxable for such investors under the federal alternative minimum tax. Accordingly, the Funds may not be suitable investments for investors who are already subject to the federal alternative minimum tax or could become subject to the federal alternative minimum tax as a result of an investment in a Fund.

 

The Adviser buys and sells securities for each Fund with a view towards seeking a high level of current income exempt from federal income taxes and, for VTJ, VOQ and VMV, New Jersey gross income taxes, Ohio income taxes and Massachusetts income taxes, respectively, subject to reasonable credit risk. As a result, a Fund will not necessarily invest in the highest yielding municipal securities permitted by its investment policies if the Adviser determines that market risks or credit risks associated with such investments would subject the Fund’s portfolio to undue risk. The potential realization of capital gains or losses resulting from possible changes in interest rates will not be a major consideration and frequency of portfolio turnover generally will not be a limiting factor if the Adviser considers it advantageous to purchase or sell securities.

 

The Adviser employs a bottom-up, research-driven approach to identify securities that have attractive risk/reward characteristics for the sectors in which each Fund invests. The Adviser also integrates macroeconomic analysis and forecasting into its evaluation and ranking of various sectors and individual securities. Finally, each Fund employs leverage in an effort to enhance the Fund’s income and total return. Sell decisions for each Fund are based on: (i) a deterioration or likely deterioration of an individual issuer’s capacity to meet its debt obligations on a timely basis; (ii) a deterioration or likely deterioration of the broader fundamentals of a particular industry or sector; and (iii) opportunities in the secondary or primary market to purchase a security with better relative value.

 

Municipal Securities.  The Funds define municipal securities as obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories or possessions of the United States, the District of Columbia and their cities, counties, political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel or other counsel to the issuers of such securities, is, at the time of issuance, exempt from federal income tax. Ohio municipal securities, Massachusetts municipal securities and New Jersey municipal securities are municipal securities the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel or other counsel to the issuer of such securities, is, at the time of issuance, exempt from Ohio income tax, Massachusetts personal income tax or New Jersey gross income tax, respectively. The Adviser does not conduct its own analysis of the tax status of the interest paid by municipal securities held by the Funds, but will rely on the opinion of counsel to the issuer of each such instrument.

 

The issuers of municipal securities obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, housing, mass transportation, streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which municipal securities may be issued include refunding outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for general operating expenses and obtaining funds to lend to other public institutions and facilities. Certain types of municipal securities are issued to obtain funding for privately operated facilities. Neither VTJ nor the Acquiring Fund generally will invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any single issue.

 

The yields of municipal securities depend on, among other things, general money market conditions, general conditions of the municipal securities market, size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and rating of the issue. There is no limitation as to the maturity of municipal securities in which the Funds may invest. The ratings of NRSROs represent their opinions of the quality of the municipal securities they undertake to rate. These ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal securities with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while municipal securities of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield.

 

The Adviser may adjust the average maturity of each Fund’s portfolio from time to time, depending on its assessment of the relative yields available on securities of different maturities and its expectations of future changes in interest rates. VMV generally expects

primarily to invest and hold until maturity longer-term Massachusetts municipal securities because, under normal conditions, longer-term Massachusetts municipal securities generally provide a higher yield than shorter-term Massachusetts municipal securities of similar credit quality. VMV may, however, invest in short-term Massachusetts municipal securities when yields are greater than yields available on longer-term Massachusetts municipal securities, to stabilize net asset value and as reserves for expenses, Share repurchases, dividends and other distributions to shareholders.

 

The two principal classifications of municipal securities are general obligation and revenue or special delegation securities. General obligation securities are secured by the issuer’s pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue securities are usually payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source. Industrial development bonds are usually revenue securities, the credit quality of which is normally directly related to the credit standing of the industrial user involved.

 

Within these principal classifications of municipal securities, there are a variety of types of municipal securities, including:

 

 

Derivatives.  The Funds are substantially similar in their use of derivatives. Each Fund principally uses derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging and risk management, and (other than for futures or swaps) for portfolio management or to earn income. However, VMV may also use futures and swaps for portfolio management. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is based on the value of another underlying asset, interest rate, index or financial instrument.

 

Derivative instruments and techniques that each Fund may use include:

 

Futures.  A futures contract is a standardized agreement between two parties to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specific price at a specific future time. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. Futures contracts are bilateral agreements, with both the purchaser and the seller equally obligated to complete the transaction. Depending on the terms of the particular contract, futures contracts are settled through either physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash settlement amount on the settlement date.

 

Swaps.  A swap contract is an agreement between two parties pursuant to which the parties exchange payments at specified dates on the basis of a specified notional amount, with the payments calculated by reference to specified securities, indexes, reference rates, currencies or other instruments. Most swap agreements provide that when the period payment dates for both parties are the same, the payments are made on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with only the net amount paid by one party to the other). The Fund’s obligations or rights under a swap contract entered into on a net basis will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement, based on the relative values of the positions held by each counterparty.

 

Inverse Floating Rate Obligations.  Each Fund may invest in inverse floating rate obligations. Inverse floating rate obligations are variable rate debt instruments that pay interest at rates that move in the opposite direction of prevailing interest rates. Because the interest rate paid to holders of such obligations is generally determined by subtracting a variable or floating rate from a predetermined amount, the interest rate paid to holders of such obligations will decrease as such variable or floating rate increases and increase as such variable or

floating rate decreases. The inverse floating rate obligations in which the Fund may invest include derivative instruments such as residual interest bonds (“RIBs”) or tender option bonds (“TOBs”). Such instruments are typically created by a special purpose trust that holds long-term fixed rate bonds and sells two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests, which are sold to third party investors, and inverse floating residual interests, which are purchased by the Fund. The short-term floating rate interests have first priority on the cash flow from the bond held by the special purpose trust and the Fund (as holder of the inverse floating residual interests) is paid the residual cash flow from the bond held by the special purpose trust.

 

When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions.  Each Fund may purchase and sell securities on a when-issued and delayed delivery basis, which means that the Fund buys or sells a security with payment and delivery taking place in the future. The payment obligation and the interest rate are fixed at the time a Fund enters into the commitment. No income accrues on such securities until the date the Fund actually takes delivery of the securities.

 

Preferred Shares.  Each Fund uses leverage in the form of Preferred Shares. Dividends on the Preferred Shares will typically be comparable to the yields on investment grade short-term municipal securities, although the assets attributable to the Preferred Shares will generally be invested in longer-term municipal securities, which typically have higher yields than short-term municipal securities. Assuming such a yield differential, this leveraged capital structure enables a Fund to pay a potentially higher yield on its Common Shares than similar investment companies that do not use leverage.

 

As required by the 1940 Act, each Fund will generally maintain an asset coverage of the value of its total assets, less all liabilities and indebtedness of the Fund not represented by its Preferred Shares, of 200% of the aggregate liquidation value of its Preferred Shares. In addition, under the terms of each Fund’s outstanding Preferred Shares, the Fund is required to maintain minimum asset coverage of 225%. The liquidation value of Preferred Shares is their aggregate original purchase price, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends.

 

Portfolio Turnover.  The Funds generally will not engage in the trading of securities for the purpose of realizing short-term profits, but each Fund will adjust its portfolio as it deems advisable in view of prevailing or anticipated market conditions to accomplish the Fund’s investment objective. For example, a Fund may sell portfolio securities in anticipation of a movement in interest rates. Other than for tax purposes, frequency of portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor if a Fund considers it advantageous to purchase or sell securities. The Funds do not anticipate that the annual portfolio turnover rate of a Fund will be in excess of 100%. A high rate of portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater brokerage commission and transaction expenses than a lower rate, which expenses must be borne by a Fund and its Common Shareholders. High portfolio turnover may also result in the realization of substantial net short-term capital gains, and any distributions resulting from such gains will be taxable at ordinary income rates for federal income tax purposes.

 

Temporary Defensive Strategy.  When market conditions dictate a more defensive investment strategy, each Fund may, on a temporary basis, hold cash or invest a portion or all of its assets in high-quality, short-term municipal securities. If such municipal securities are not available or, in the judgment of the Adviser, do not afford sufficient protection against adverse market conditions, each Fund may invest in taxable instruments. Such taxable securities may include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, other investment grade quality fixed income securities, prime commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and other obligations of domestic banks, repurchase agreements and money market funds (including money market funds affiliated with the Adviser). In taking a defensive position, a Fund would temporarily not be pursuing its principal investment strategies and may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Zero Coupon/PIK Bonds.  The Funds may invest in securities not producing immediate cash income, including zero coupon securities or pay-in-kind (“PIK”) securities, when their effective yield over comparable instruments producing cash income makes these investments attractive. PIK securities are debt securities that pay interest through the issuance of additional securities. Zero coupon securities are debt securities that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or a specified date when the securities begin paying current interest. They are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts or par value, which discount varies depending on the time remaining until cash payments begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The securities do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest prior to maturity, which prevents any reinvestment of interest payments at prevailing interest rates if prevailing interest rates rise. On the other hand, because there are no periodic interest payments to be reinvested prior to maturity, zero coupon securities eliminate the reinvestment risk and may lock in a favorable rate of return to maturity if interest rates drop. In addition, each Fund would be required to distribute the income on these instruments as it accrues, even though the Fund will not receive all of the income on a current basis or in cash. Thus, the Fund may have to sell other investments, including when it may not be advisable to do so, to make income distributions to the Common Shareholders.

 

As required by Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act, in addition to the investment strategies and policies discussed above, VTJ has a fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its total assets in New Jersey municipal securities, and VMV has a fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its total assets in Massachusetts municipal securities.

 

More information on these and other investment strategies of the Funds is available in the SAI.

 

A comparison of the principal risks associated with the Funds’ investment strategies is included above under “How do the Funds’ principal risks compare?” The following table provides further information on the principal risks of an investment in the Funds.

 

 

Additional information on these and other risks is available in the SAI.

 

Thomas Byron, Robert Stryker and Robert Wimmel are portfolio managers for all of the Funds. In addition, Julius Williams is a portfolio manager for the Target Funds.

 

Mr. Byron, Portfolio Manager, has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2010. Mr. Byron was associated with the Funds’ previous investment adviser or its investment advisory affiliates in an investment management capacity from 1981 to 2010 and began managing the Acquiring Fund in 2000, VMV and VOQ in 2005 and VTJ in 2011. Mr. Byron earned a B.S. in finance from Marquette University and an M.B.A. in finance from DePaul University.

 

Mr. Stryker, Portfolio Manager, has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2010. Mr. Stryker was associated with the Funds’ previous investment adviser or its investment advisory affiliates in an investment management capacity from 1994 to 2010 and began managing the Acquiring Fund in 2009 and the Target Funds in 2011. Mr. Stryker earned a B.S. in finance from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

 

Mr. Williams, Portfolio Manager, has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2010. Mr. Williams was associated with the Funds’ previous investment adviser or its investment advisory affiliates in an investment management capacity from 2000 to 2010 and began managing the Target Funds in 2009. Mr. Williams earned a B.A. in economics and sociology, as well as a Master of Education degree in educational psychology from the University of Virginia.

 

Mr. Wimmel, Portfolio Manager, has been associated with Invesco and/or its affiliates since 2010. Mr. Wimmel was associated with the Funds’ previous investment adviser or its investment advisory affiliates in an investment management capacity from 1996 to 2010 and began managing the Acquiring Fund in 2001 and the Target Funds in 2011. Mr. Wimmel earned a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Cincinnati and an M.A. in economics from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in each Fund.

 

Each Fund’s Common Shares trade on the Exchanges. Generally, an investor purchasing a Fund’s Common Shares enters into a purchase transaction on an Exchange through a broker-dealer and, thus, indirectly purchases the Common Shares from a selling Fund shareholder. A shareholder who sells a Fund’s Common Shares generally sells them on an Exchange through a broker-dealer, and

indirectly to another investor. Unlike a mutual fund (also called an “open-end” fund), holders of Common Shares of a Fund generally do not purchase and sell such Common Shares from and to the Fund, either directly or through an intermediary such as a broker-dealer. No brokerage charges will be imposed on any Fund’s shareholders in connection with the Mergers.

 

Each Fund is currently organized as a Massachusetts business trust. The Acquiring Fund was organized on July 19, 1991, VMV was organized on August 6, 1992, VOQ was organized on July 24, 1991 and VTJ was organized on January 21, 1992. As discussed under Proposal 1, before the closing of the Mergers, the Funds will be reorganized as Delaware statutory trusts, which will all have identical governing documents and capital structures. Proposal 1 discusses the material differences between each Fund’s current Massachusetts business trust structure and its proposed Delaware statutory trust structure. The Funds’ governing documents will therefore be substantially identical immediately prior to the Mergers. Because each such Delaware statutory trust will have the same structure, each Fund’s capital structure will not be affected by the Merger except that after the Merger each Fund’s shareholders will hold shares of a single, larger fund.

 

Before any Merger can be completed, each merging Fund must have completed a redomestication to a Delaware statutory trust, as discussed in Proposal 1. Accordingly, the following discussion reflects that each Fund would be a Delaware statutory trust as of the time of its Merger. A discussion of the changes a Fund would undergo as part of a Redomestication is included under Proposal 1.

 

Common Shares.  Each Common Share represents an equal proportionate interest with each other Common Share of the Fund, with each such share entitled to equal dividend, liquidation, redemption and voting rights. Each Fund also has outstanding Preferred Shares that vote separately from Common Shares in some circumstances. Each Fund’s Common Shares have no preemptive, conversion or exchange rights, nor any right to cumulative voting.

 

As of the closing of a Merger, the Acquiring Fund will be authorized by its Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust to issue an unlimited number of Acquiring Fund Common Shares, with no par value.

 

Dividends and Distributions.  The dividend and distribution policies of each Target Fund are identical to those of the Acquiring Fund. The Acquiring Fund intends to make regular monthly distributions of all or a portion of its net investment income after payment of dividends on the Acquiring Fund’s Preferred Shares outstanding to holders of the Acquiring Fund’s Common Shares. The Acquiring Fund’s net investment income consists of all interest income accrued on portfolio assets less all expenses of the Acquiring Fund. The Acquiring Fund is required to allocate net capital gains and other taxable income, if any, received by the Acquiring Fund among its shareholders on a pro rata basis in the year for which such capital gains and other income is realized. In certain circumstances, the Acquiring Fund will make additional payments to Preferred Shareholders to offset the tax effects of such taxable distributions.

 

While there are any Preferred Shares of the Acquiring Fund outstanding, the Acquiring Fund may not declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Common Shares, unless at the time of such declaration, (i) all accrued Preferred Shares dividends have been paid, (ii) to the extent necessary, the Fund has redeemed all of the Preferred Shares subject to mandatory redemption under the terms of the Preferred Shares, and (iii) the value of the Acquiring Fund’s total assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or other distribution), less all liabilities and indebtedness of the Fund, is at least 200% of the liquidation preference of the outstanding Preferred Shares (expected to equal the aggregate original purchase price of the outstanding Preferred Shares plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared on a cumulative basis). This limitation on the Acquiring Fund’s ability to make distributions on its Common Shares could in certain circumstances impair the ability of the Acquiring Fund to maintain its qualification for taxation as a regulated investment company under the Code. The Acquiring Fund intends, however, to the extent possible, to purchase or redeem Preferred Shares from time to time to maintain compliance with such asset coverage requirements and may pay special dividends to the holders of the Preferred Shares in certain circumstances in connection with any such impairment of the Acquiring Fund’s status as a regulated investment company under the Code.

 

The tax treatment and characterization of the Acquiring Fund’s distributions may vary significantly from time to time because of the varied nature of its investments. The Acquiring Fund will indicate the proportion of its capital gains distributions that constitute long-term and short-term gains annually. The ultimate tax characterization of the Acquiring Fund’s distributions made in a calendar or fiscal year cannot finally be determined until after the end of that fiscal year. As a result, there is a possibility that the Acquiring Fund may make total distributions during a calendar or fiscal year in an amount that exceeds the Acquiring Fund’s net investment income and net capital gains for the relevant fiscal year and its previously undistributed earnings and profits from prior years. In such situations, the amount by which the Acquiring Fund’s total distributions exceed its net investment income and net capital gains generally will be treated as a tax-free return of capital reducing the amount of a shareholder’s tax basis in such shareholder’s shares, with any amounts exceeding such basis treated as gain from the sale of shares.

 

Various factors will affect the level of the Acquiring Fund’s net investment income, such as the rate at which dividends are payable on outstanding Preferred Shares, the Acquiring Fund’s asset mix, its level of retained earnings, the amount of leverage utilized by it and the effects thereof and the movement of interest rates for municipal bonds. These factors, among others, may result in the Acquiring Fund’s level of net investment income being different from the level of net investment income for a Target Fund if the Mergers were not

completed. To permit the Acquiring Fund to maintain more stable monthly distributions, it may from time to time distribute less than the entire amount earned in a particular period. The income would be available to supplement future distributions. As a result, the distributions paid by the Acquiring Fund for any particular month may be more or less than the amount actually earned by the Fund during that month. Undistributed earnings will add to the Acquiring Fund’s net asset value and, correspondingly, distributions from undistributed earnings and from capital, if any, will deduct from the Fund’s net asset value. Although it does not now intend to do so, the Board may change the Acquiring Fund’s dividend policy and the amount or timing of the distributions based on a number of factors, including the amount of the Fund’s undistributed net investment income and historical and projected investment income and the amount of the expenses and dividend rates on the outstanding Preferred Shares.

 

Holders of the Acquiring Fund’s Common Shares will automatically have all dividends and distributions reinvested in Common Shares issued by the Fund or Common Shares of the Fund purchased in the open market in accordance with the Fund’s Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan, unless an election is made to receive cash.

 

For information concerning the manner in which dividends and distributions to holders of a Fund’s common shares may be reinvested automatically in such Fund’s Common Shares, see “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” below.

 

Target Fund Common Shareholders who own certificated shares will not receive their Acquiring Fund Common Shares or any dividend payments from the Acquiring Fund until their certificates are tendered. Target Fund Common Shareholders will, shortly after the closing of their Fund’s Merger, receive instructions on how to tender any outstanding share certificates.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Plan.  Each Fund offers a substantially similar dividend reinvestment plan for Common Shareholders. Target Fund Common Shareholders that are enrolled in a dividend reinvestment plan will be automatically enrolled in the Acquiring Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan upon the closing of the Merger. Each Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan is more fully described in the Fund’s shareholder reports.

 

Any final distribution preceding a Merger made by a Target Fund or the Acquiring Fund will be made in cash, notwithstanding any shareholder’s enrollment in the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Each Fund expects to amend its dividend reinvestment plan to provide for distributions to be made in cash in the event of transactions such as a Merger.

 

Provisions for Delaying or Preventing Changes in Control.  Each Fund’s governing documents contain provisions designed to prevent or delay changes in control of that Fund. As of the time of the Mergers, each Fund’s governing documents will provide that such Fund’s Board of Trustees may cause the Fund to merge or consolidate with or into other entities; cause the Fund to sell, convey and transfer all or substantially all of the assets of the Fund; cause the Fund to convert to a different type of entity; or cause the Fund to convert from a closed-end fund to an open-end fund, each only so long as such action has previously received the approval of either (i) the Board, followed by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote; or (ii) the affirmative vote of at least two thirds (662/3%) of the Board and an affirmative Majority Shareholder Vote (which generally means the vote of “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act of the Fund, with each class and series of shares voting together as a single class, except to the extent otherwise required by the 1940 Act). Under each Fund’s governing documents that will be applicable as of the time of the Merger, shareholders will have no right to call special meetings of shareholders or to remove Trustees. In addition, each Fund’s Board is divided into three classes, each of which stands for election only once in three years. As a result of this system, only those Trustees in one class may be changed in any one year, and it would require two years or more to change a majority of the Trustees.

 

Preferred Shares.  Each Fund has outstanding a class of preferred shares, designated as Variable Rate Muni Term Preferred Shares (“VMTP Shares”). The VMTP Shares of each Fund have substantially identical liquidation preferences, rights, and privileges. In connection with the Mergers, the Acquiring Fund will issue additional VMTP Shares equal in number and aggregate liquidation preference to the VMTP Shares of the Target Funds, in exchange for such Target Fund VMTP Shares. As of the closing of a Merger, the Acquiring Fund will be authorized by its Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust to issue an unlimited number of Acquiring Fund Preferred Shares, with no par value.

 

On January 17, 2011, a Consolidated Amended Shareholder Derivative Complaint (the “Complaint”) entitled Clifford Rotz, et al. v. Van Kampen Asset Management et al., was filed on behalf of Invesco Van Kampen Advantage Municipal Income Trust II (VKI), Invesco Van Kampen High Income Trust II (VLT), Invesco Van Kampen Municipal Opportunity Trust (VMO), the Acquiring Fund and Invesco Van Kampen Senior Income Trust (VVR) (collectively, the “Trusts”) against Van Kampen Asset Management, Morgan Stanley and certain current and former executive officers of the Trusts (collectively, the “Defendants”) alleging that they breached their fiduciary duties to common shareholders by causing the Trusts to redeem Auction Rate Preferred Securities (“ARPS”) at their liquidation value. Specifically, the shareholders claim that the Board and officers had no obligation to provide liquidity to the ARPS shareholders, the redemptions were improperly motivated to benefit the prior adviser by preserving business relationships with the ARPS holders, i.e., institutional investors, and the market value and fair value of the ARPS were less than par at the time they were redeemed. The Complaint alleges that the redemption of the ARPS occurred at the expense of the Trusts and their common shareholders. This Complaint amends and consolidates two separate complaints that were filed by Clifford T. Rotz, Jr., Robert Fast and Gene Turban on July 22, 2010, and by Harry Suleski, Leon McDermott, Marilyn Morrison and John Johnson on August 3, 2010. Each of the Trusts initially received a demand letter from the plaintiffs on April 8, 2010. Plaintiffs seek judgment that: 1) orders Defendants to refrain from redeeming any ARPS at their

liquidation value using Trust assets; 2) awards monetary damages against all Defendants, individually, jointly or severally, in favor of the Trusts, for all losses and damages allegedly suffered as a result of the redemptions of ARPS at their liquidation value; 3) grants appropriate equitable relief to remedy the Defendants’ breaches of fiduciary duties; and 4) awards to Plaintiffs the costs and disbursements of the action. The Board of each of the Trusts formed a Special Litigation Committee (“SLC”) to investigate these claims and to make a recommendation to the Board regarding whether pursuit of these claims is in the best interests of the Trusts. After reviewing the findings of the SLC, the Board announced on June 24, 2011, that it had adopted the SLC’s recommendation to seek dismissal of the action. On October 4, 2011, the Trusts filed a motion to dismiss, which remains pending. On November 28, 2011, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to hold the motion to dismiss in abeyance while the plaintiffs conduct limited discovery. The plaintiffs’ request for discovery has been briefed and the court’s decision whether the plaintiffs are entitled to discovery is pending. This matter is pending.

 

Management of the Adviser and each of the Funds believe that the outcome of the proceedings described above will have no material adverse effect on the Funds or on the ability of the Adviser to provide ongoing services to the Funds.

 

The New York Stock Exchange is the principal trading market for each of the Acquiring Fund’s, VTJ’s and VOQ’s Common Shares. NYSE MKT is the principal trading market for VMV’s Common Shares. The following tables set forth the high and low sales prices and maximum premium/discount for each Fund’s Common Shares for the periods indicated. Common Shares of each Fund have historically traded at both a premium and discount to net asset value.

 

Acquiring Fund (VKQ)

 

 

 

 

 

VMV

 

 

 

 

 

VOQ

 

 

 

 

 

VTJ

 

 

 

 

 

The following table shows, as of February 29, 2012, the NAV per share, market price, and premium or discount for Common Shares of each Fund.

 

 

Common Shares of each Fund trade at a market price that is determined by current supply and demand conditions. The market price of a Fund’s Common Shares may or may not be the same as the Fund’s NAV per share — that is, the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund less its liabilities. When the market price of a Fund’s Common Shares exceeds its NAV per share, they are said to be “trading at a premium.” When the market price of a Fund’s Common Shares is lower than its NAV per share, they are said to be “trading at a discount.” It is very difficult to identify all of the factors that may cause a closed-end fund’s common shares to trade at a discount. It is often difficult to reduce or eliminate a closed-end fund’s discount over the long term. Some short-term measures, such as share repurchases and tender offers, tend to reduce a closed-end fund’s assets (and thereby potentially increase expense ratios), but do not typically have a long-term effect on the discount. Other measures, such as managed dividend programs, may not have a consistent long-term effect on discounts.

 

While the Board of each Fund has determined that the Merger is in the best interests of each Fund, there is no guarantee that the Mergers will have any long-term effect or influence on whether the Acquiring Fund Common Shares trade at a discount or a premium after the Mergers. Whether Common Shares had been trading at a premium or discount was not a significant factor in each Board’s approval of the Merger Agreement and recommendation for approval to Fund shareholders. The Acquiring Fund’s Board will continue to monitor any discount or premium at which the Acquiring Fund Common Shares trade after the Mergers and will evaluate what (if any) further action is appropriate at that time to address any discount or premium.

 

The Funds’ historical portfolio turnover rates are similar. Because the Funds have similar investment policies, management does not expect to dispose of a material amount of portfolio securities of any Fund in connection with the Mergers. No securities of the Target

Funds need be sold in order for the Acquiring Fund to comply with its investment restrictions or policies. The Funds will continue to buy and sell securities in the normal course of their operations.

 

Each Fund has issued and outstanding Preferred Shares that are rated by one or more rating agencies. In order to maintain attractive credit quality ratings for Preferred Shares, a Fund must meet certain investment quality, diversification, industry concentration asset coverage, liquidity, and other criteria established by such ratings agencies. These guidelines may vary between rating agencies and may be modified by a rating agency at any time. In addition, each Fund’s Preferred Shares were issued pursuant to a certificate of designation that imposes certain additional restrictions on the Funds, including a requirement that each Fund maintain minimum asset coverage of 225% with respect to its Preferred Shares. These rating agency guidelines and certificates of designation could affect portfolio decisions and may have requirements more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act or otherwise by a Fund’s investment policies.

 

The terms and conditions under which a Merger may be consummated are set forth in the Merger Agreement. Significant provisions of the Merger Agreement are summarized below; however, this summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement, a form of which is attached as Exhibit D.

 

In each Merger, a Target Fund will merge with and into the Acquiring Fund pursuant to the Merger Agreement and in accordance with the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. As a result of each Merger, all of the assets and liabilities of the merging Target Fund will become assets and liabilities of the Acquiring Fund, and the Target Fund’s shareholders will become shareholders of the Acquiring Fund.

 

Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Acquiring Fund will issue new Acquiring Fund Common Shares in exchange for Target Fund Common Shares. The number of Acquiring Fund Common Shares issued will be based on the relative NAVs and shares outstanding of the Acquiring Fund and the applicable Target Fund as of the business day immediately preceding the Merger’s closing date. All Acquiring Fund Common Shares issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement will be fully paid and non-assessable, and will be listed for trading on the Exchanges. The terms of the Acquiring Fund Common Shares to be issued in each Merger will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund Common Shares already outstanding.

 

Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Acquiring Fund will also issue new Acquiring Fund Preferred Shares in exchange for Target Fund Preferred Shares. The number of additional Acquiring Fund Preferred Shares issued for each Merger will equal the number of outstanding Target Fund Preferred Shares, and such Acquiring Fund Preferred Shares will have liquidation preferences, rights, and privileges substantially identical to those of the then outstanding Preferred Shares for the merging Target Fund.

 

Prior to the closing of each Merger, each Target Fund will declare one or more dividends, and the Acquiring Fund may, but is not required to, declare a dividend, payable at or near the time of closing to their respective shareholders to the extent necessary to avoid entity level tax or as otherwise deemed desirable. Such distributions, if made, are anticipated to be made in the 2012 calendar year and, to the extent a distribution is not an “exempt-interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders in such year for federal income tax purposes. It is anticipated that Fund distributions will be primarily dividends that are exempt from regular federal income tax, although a portion of such dividends may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income or capital gains. Any such final distribution paid to Common Shareholders by a Target Fund will be made in cash and not reinvested in additional Common Shares of the Target Fund. See the discussion under “Description of Securities to be Issued — Dividend Reinvestment Plan” for further information.

 

If shareholders approve the Mergers and if all of the closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement are satisfied or waived, including the condition that each Fund complete its Redomestication (Proposal 1), consummation of the Mergers (the “Closing”) is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2012 on a date mutually agreed upon by the Funds (the “Closing Date”).

 

At the Closing, Acquiring Fund Common Shares will be credited to Target Fund Common Shareholders on a book-entry basis only. The Acquiring Fund will not issue certificates representing Common Shares in connection with the Mergers, irrespective of whether Target Fund shareholders currently hold such shares in certificated form. At the Closing, all outstanding certificates representing Common Shares of the merging Target Fund will be cancelled. Target Fund shareholders who own certificated Common Shares will not receive their Acquiring Fund Common Shares or dividend payments from the Acquiring Fund until their certificates are tendered to the Acquiring Fund. Target Fund Common Shareholders will, shortly after the closing of their Fund’s Merger, receive instructions on how to tender any outstanding share certificates.

 

Each Fund will be required to make representations and warranties in the Merger Agreement that are customary in matters such as the Mergers.

 

If shareholders of a Fund do not approve a Merger or if a Merger does not otherwise close, the Board will consider what additional action to take, including allowing the Fund to continue operating as it currently does. The Merger Agreement may be terminated and the Merger may be abandoned at any time by mutual agreement of the parties. The Merger Agreement may be amended or modified in a writing signed by the parties.

 

As of the time of the Mergers, each Fund will be a newly organized Delaware statutory trust, as discussed in Proposal 1. Each Fund is registered under the 1940 Act, as a diversified, closed-end management investment company. “Diversified” means that the Fund is limited in the amount it can invest in a single issuer. A closed-end fund (unlike an “open-end” or “mutual” fund) does not continuously sell and redeem its shares; in the case of the Funds, Common Shares are bought and sold on the Exchanges. A “management” investment company is managed by an investment adviser — the Adviser in the case of the Funds — that buys and sells portfolio securities on behalf of the investment company.

 

The following information is meant as a general summary of certain federal income tax matters for U.S. shareholders. Please see the SAI for additional information. Investors should rely on their own tax advisor for advice about the particular federal, state and local tax consequences to them of investing in the Funds (for purposes of this section, the “Fund”).

 

The Fund has elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year (including the taxable year in which the Merger occurs) as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements regarding the sources of its income, the diversification of its assets and the distribution of its income. As a RIC, the Fund is not expected to be subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to its shareholders. If, for any taxable year, the Fund does not qualify for taxation as a RIC, it will be treated as a U.S. corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax, thereby subjecting any income earned by the Fund to tax at the corporate level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. In lieu of losing its status as a RIC, the Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the asset diversification test or income requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, for taxable years of the Fund with respect to which the extended due date of the return is after December 22, 2010.

 

The Code imposes a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the Fund to the extent it does not distribute by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its taxable ordinary income for that year, and (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending, as a general rule, on October 31 of that year. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund that is subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed by year-end. In addition, the minimum amounts that must be distributed in any year to avoid the excise tax will be increased or decreased to reflect any underdistribution or overdistribution, as the case may be, from the previous year. The Fund anticipates that it will pay such dividends and will make such distributions as are necessary in order to avoid or minimize the application of this excise tax.

 

The Fund primarily invests in municipal securities. Thus, substantially all of the Fund’s dividends paid to you from net investment income should qualify as “exempt-interest dividends.” A shareholder treats an exempt-interest dividend as interest on state and local bonds exempt from regular federal income tax. Exempt-interest dividends from interest earned on municipal securities of a state, or its political subdivisions, generally are exempt from that state’s personal income tax. Most states, however, do not grant tax-free treatment to interest from municipal securities of other states.

 

Federal income tax law imposes an alternative minimum tax with respect to corporations, individuals, trusts and estates. Interest on certain municipal obligations, such as certain private activity bonds, is included as an item of tax preference in determining the amount of a taxpayer’s alternative minimum taxable income. To the extent that the Fund receives income from such municipal obligations, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund, although exempt from regular federal income tax, will be taxable to shareholders to the extent that their tax liability is determined under the federal alternative minimum tax. The Fund will annually provide a report indicating the percentage of the Fund’s income attributable to municipal obligations subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Corporations are subject to special rules in calculating their federal alternative minimum taxable income with respect to interest from such municipal obligations.

 

In addition to exempt-interest dividends, the Fund may also distribute to its shareholders amounts that are treated as long-term capital gain or ordinary income (which may include short-term capital gains). These distributions may be subject to federal, state and local taxation, depending on a shareholder’s situation. If so, they are taxable whether or not such distributions are reinvested. Net capital gain distributions (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are generally taxable at rates applicable to long-term capital gains regardless of how long a shareholder has held its shares. Long-term capital gains are currently taxable to noncorporate shareholders at a maximum federal income tax rate of 15%. Absent further legislation, the maximum 15% rate on long-term capital gains will cease to apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. The Fund does not expect that any part of its distributions to shareholders from its investments will qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders or as “qualified dividend income” available to noncorporate shareholders.

 

Distributions by the Fund in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis in its shares and will reduce such basis. Any such amount in excess of that basis will be treated as gain from the sale of shares, as discussed below.

 

As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax in any taxable year on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders provided that it meets certain distribution requirements. The Fund may retain for investment some (or all) of its net capital gain. If the Fund retains any net capital gain or investment company taxable income, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates on the amount

retained. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, it may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who, if subject to federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their share of such undistributed amount; (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the federal income tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any; and (iii) may claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.

 

The IRS currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as exempt interest, ordinary income and capital gains). Accordingly, the Fund designates dividends made with respect to the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares as consisting of particular types of income (e.g., exempt interest, net capital gain and ordinary income) in accordance with each class’ proportionate share of the total dividends paid by the Fund during the year. A class’s proportionate share of a particular type of income is determined according to the percentage of total dividends paid by the regulated investment company to such class.

 

Dividends declared by the Fund to shareholders of record in October, November or December and paid during the following January may be treated as having been received by shareholders in the year the distributions were declared.

 

At the time of an investor’s purchase of Fund shares, a portion of the purchase price may be attributable to realized or unrealized appreciation in the Fund’s portfolio or to undistributed ordinary income or capital gains of the Fund. Consequently, subsequent distributions by the Fund with respect to these shares from such appreciation, income or gains may be taxable to such investor even if the net asset value of the investor’s shares is, as a result of the distributions, reduced below the investor’s cost for such shares and the distributions economically represent a return of a portion of the investment.

 

Each shareholder will receive an annual statement summarizing the shareholder’s dividend and capital gains distributions.

 

The redemption, sale or exchange of shares normally will result in capital gain or loss to shareholders who hold their shares as capital assets. Generally, a shareholder’s gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. The gain or loss on shares held for one year or less will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Present law taxes both long-term and short-term capital gains of corporations at the same rates applicable to ordinary income. Long-term capital gains are currently taxable to noncorporate shareholders at a maximum federal income tax rate of 15%. As noted above, absent further legislation, the maximum 15% rate on long-term capital gains will cease to apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. Any loss on the sale of shares that have been held for six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of any distribution of exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares and any remaining loss will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributed to you by the Fund on those shares. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange of shares of a Fund will be disallowed to the extent those shares of the Fund are replaced by other substantially identical shares of the Fund or other substantially identical stock or securities (including through reinvestment of dividends) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of disposition of the original shares. In that event, the basis of the replacement shares of the Fund will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Fund shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder, or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, in any single taxable year (or of certain greater amounts over a combination of years), generally the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886.

 

Shareholders that are exempt from U.S. federal income tax, such as retirement plans that are qualified under Section 401 of the Code, generally are not subject to U.S. federal income tax on otherwise-taxable Fund dividends or distributions, or on sales or exchanges of Fund shares unless the Fund shares are “debt-financed property” within the meaning of the Code.

 

Any interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry the Fund’s shares to which exempt-interest dividends are allocated is not deductible. Under certain applicable rules, the purchase or ownership of shares may be considered to have been made with borrowed funds even though such funds are not directly used for the purchase or ownership of the shares. In addition, if you receive Social Security or certain railroad retirement benefits, you may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of such benefits as a result of receiving investment income, including exempt-interest dividends and other distributions paid by the Fund.

 

Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for the Fund. Federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and interest and whether certain exchanges of debt obligations in a workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, in the event it invests in or holds such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a RIC.

 

If the Fund invests in certain pay-in-kind securities, zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities or, in general, any other securities with original issue discount (or with market discount if the Fund elects to include market discount in income currently), the Fund must accrue income on such investments for each taxable year, which generally will be prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments. However, the Fund must distribute to shareholders, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable

income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), including such accrued income, to qualify as a RIC and to avoid federal income and excise taxes. Therefore, the Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate cash, or may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash, to satisfy these distribution requirements.

 

The Fund may hold or acquire municipal obligations that are market discount bonds. A market discount bond is a security acquired in the secondary market at a price below its redemption value (or its adjusted issue price if it is also an original issue discount bond). If the Fund invests in a market discount bond, it will be required to treat any gain recognized on the disposition of such market discount bond as ordinary taxable income to the extent of the accrued market discount.

 

By law, if you do not provide the Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. The Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid, including exempt interest dividends (for distributions and proceeds paid after December 31, 2012, the rate is scheduled to rise to 31% unless the 28% rate is extended or made permanent).

 

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of US individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.

 

The description of certain federal tax provisions above relates only to U.S. federal income tax consequences for shareholders who are U.S. persons, i.e., generally, U.S. citizens or residents or U.S. corporations, partnerships, trusts or estates, and who are subject to U.S. federal income tax and hold their shares as capital assets. Except as otherwise provided, this description does not address the special tax rules that may be applicable to particular types of investors, such as financial institutions, insurance companies, securities dealers, other regulated investment companies, or tax-exempt or tax-deferred plans, accounts or entities. Investors other than U.S. persons may be subject to different U.S. federal income tax treatment, including a non-resident alien U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% or any lower applicable treaty rate on amounts treated as ordinary dividends from the Fund, special certification requirements to avoid U.S. backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits and U.S. estate tax. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors on these matters and on state, local, foreign and other applicable tax laws.

 

Under recently enacted legislation and administrative guidance, the relevant withholding agent may be required to withhold 30% of any (a) income dividends paid after December 31, 2013 and (b) certain capital gains distributions and the proceeds of a sale of shares paid after December 31, 2014 to (i) a foreign financial institution unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity that is the beneficial owner of the payment unless such entity certifies that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements.

 

On June 1, 2010, Invesco acquired the retail fund management business of Morgan Stanley, which included 32 Morgan Stanley and Van Kampen branded closed-end funds. This transaction filled gaps in Invesco’s product line and has enabled Invesco to expand its investment offerings to retail customers. The transaction also resulted in product overlap. The Mergers proposed in this Proxy Statement are part of a larger group of mergers across Invesco’s fund platform that began in early 2011. The larger group of mergers is designed to put forth Invesco’s most compelling investment processes and strategies, reduce product overlap and create scale in the resulting funds.

 

The Boards of the Funds considered each Merger over a series of meetings. The Nominating Committee of the Boards, which consists solely of trustees who are not “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Target Funds (the “Independent Trustees”), met on November 1, 2011 to consider each Merger and to assist the Boards in their consideration of such Mergers. The Nominating Committee considered presentations from the Adviser on the proposed Mergers and identified to the Adviser certain supplemental information to be prepared in connection with the presentation of the proposed Mergers to the full Boards. Prior to the November 15, 2011 meeting of the full Boards, the Boards met in executive session with the Nominating Committee to discuss the Committee’s consideration and review of the proposed Mergers. The full Boards met twice, on November 15, 2011 and November 28, 2011, to review and consider each Merger. The Boards requested and received from the Adviser written materials containing relevant information about the Funds and the proposed Mergers, including fee and expense information on an actual and pro forma estimated basis, and comparative portfolio composition and performance data.

 

The Boards reviewed, among other information they deemed relevant, information comparing the following for each Fund on a current and pro forma basis: (1) investment objective, policies and restrictions; (2) portfolio management; (3) portfolio composition; (4) comparative short-term and long-term investment performance and distribution yields; (5) expense ratios and expense structures, including contractual investment advisory fees and fee waiver agreements; (6) expected federal income tax consequences to the Funds, including any impact on capital loss carry forwards; (7) relative asset size; (8) trading information such as trading premiums/discounts for the Funds’ Common Shares; and (9) use of leverage and outstanding Preferred Shares. The Boards discussed with the Adviser the Adviser’s process for selecting and analyzing the Funds that had been proposed to participate in the Mergers and possible alternatives to the Mergers, including liquidation and maintaining standalone funds, among other alternatives. The Boards also discussed with the

Adviser the Mergers in the context of the larger group of completed and proposed reorganizations of funds in the fund complex, which were designed to rationalize the Invesco funds to seek to enhance visibility in the market place.

 

The potential benefits to the Funds of the Mergers considered by the Boards included (1) potential benefits resulting from the larger size of the combined fund, including the potential for (i) increased attention from the investment community, (ii) increased trading volume and tighter spreads and improved premium/discount levels for the combined fund’s Common Shares, (iii) improved purchasing power and more efficient transaction costs, and (iv) increased diversification of portfolio investments; (2) maintaining consistent portfolio management teams, processes and investment objectives (other than as it relates to each Target Fund’s focus on investing in municipal securities of a single state); and (3) reducing market confusion caused by similar product offerings.

 

The Boards also considered the anticipated economic effects of the Mergers on the combined fund’s fees and expenses, earnings, distribution rates, undistributed net investment company income and market price of Common Shares. The Boards considered that (1) the Acquiring Fund’s management fee schedule will apply to the combined fund; (2) the investment objective, strategies and related risks of each Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund are similar (other than as it relates to each Target Fund’s focus on investing in municipal securities of a single state); (3) the Funds have substantially similar portfolio management teams; (4) shareholders would become shareholders of the larger combined fund; and (5) the allocation of expenses of the Mergers, including the Adviser’s paying all of the Merger costs. In addition, the Boards of the Target Funds considered the Acquiring Fund’s contractual advisory fee rate in light of the benefits of retaining the Adviser as the Acquiring Fund’s investment adviser, the services provided, and those expected to be provided, to the Acquiring Fund by the Adviser, and the terms and conditions of the Acquiring Fund’s advisory agreement.

 

The Boards also considered the expected tax free nature of the Mergers for each Fund and its shareholders for federal income tax purposes. However, the Boards of the Target Funds considered that Target Fund shareholders living in Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey, respectively, will lose the benefit of their respective Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey state tax exemption to the extent that the Acquiring Fund invests in securities whose distributions are not exempt from Massachusetts, Ohio or New Jersey state income tax, respectively, or to the extent that the Acquiring Fund is no longer eligible to pass through to investors the tax-exempt nature of its income for state tax purposes. The Boards considered the information regarding each Fund’s distribution rate on an actual and tax-equivalent basis (reflecting the effect of both state and federal taxes), noting that before giving effect to the Mergers, the after federal tax equivalent distribution yield (as a percentage of net asset value) of the Acquiring Fund was within 0.50% of the after federal and state tax equivalent yield of each Target Fund. The Boards weighed this factor in light of the benefits of the Mergers to Target Fund shareholders described herein, including the benefits of increased portfolio diversification.

 

After considering the foregoing, the Board noted that:

 

 

Based upon the information and considerations summarized above, each Board unanimously concluded that each applicable Merger are in the best interests of its respective Fund and the shareholders of such Fund and that no dilution of net asset value would result to the shareholders of such Fund from each applicable Merger. Consequently, on November 28, 2011, each Board, including the Independent Trustees voting separately, unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and each applicable Merger and unanimously recommended that the shareholders of each Fund vote in favor of each applicable Merger.

 

The discussion above summarizes certain information regarding the Funds considered by the Boards, which was accurate as of the time of the Boards’ consideration of the Mergers. There can be no assurance that the information considered by the Boards, including with respect to the Fund’s trading at a premium or discount, remains accurate as of the date hereof or at the closing of the Mergers.

 

The following is a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations of the Mergers and is based upon the current provisions of the Code, the existing U.S. Treasury Regulations thereunder, current administrative rulings of the IRS and published

judicial decisions, all of which are subject to change. These considerations are general in nature and individual shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local, and foreign tax considerations applicable to them and their individual circumstances. These same considerations generally do not apply to shareholders who hold their shares in a tax-deferred account.

 

Each Merger is intended to be a tax-free reorganization pursuant to Section 368(a) of the Code. As described above, the Mergers will occur following the Redomestication of each Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund. The principal federal income tax considerations that are expected to result from the Merger of each Target Fund into the Acquiring Fund are as follows:

 

 

Neither the Target Funds nor the Acquiring Fund have requested or will request an advance ruling from the IRS as to the federal tax consequences of the Mergers. As a condition to Closing, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP will render a favorable opinion to each Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund as to the foregoing federal income tax consequences of each Merger, which opinion will be conditioned upon, among other things, the accuracy, as of the Closing Date, of certain representations of each Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund upon which Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP will rely in rendering its opinion. Such opinion of counsel may state that no opinion is expressed as to the effect of the Mergers on the Target Funds, Acquiring Fund, or any Target Fund shareholder with respect to any transferred asset as to which any unrealized gain or loss is required to be recognized for federal income tax purposes at the end of a taxable year (or on the termination or transfer thereof) under a mark-to-market system of accounting. A copy of the opinion will be filed with the SEC and will be available for public inspection. See “Where to Find Additional Information.”

 

Opinions of counsel are not binding upon the IRS or the courts. If a Merger is consummated but the IRS or the courts determine that the Merger does not qualify as a tax-free reorganization under the Code, and thus is taxable, the Target Fund would recognize gain or loss on the transfer of its assets to the Acquiring Fund and each shareholder of the Target Fund would recognize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between its tax basis in its Target Fund shares and the fair market value of the shares of the Acquiring Fund it receives. The failure of one Merger to qualify as a tax-free reorganization would not adversely affect any other Merger.

 

Prior to the closing of each Merger, each Target Fund will declare one or more dividends, and the Acquiring Fund may, but is not required to, declare a dividend, payable at or near the time of closing to their respective shareholders to the extent necessary to avoid entity level tax or as otherwise deemed desirable. Such distributions, if made, are anticipated to be made in the 2012 calendar year and, to the extent a distribution is not an “exempt-interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders in such year for federal income tax purposes. It is anticipated that Fund distributions will be primarily dividends that are exempt from regular federal income tax, although a portion of such dividends may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income or capital gains. Any such final distribution paid to Common Shareholders by a Target Fund will be made in cash and not reinvested in additional Common Shares of the Target Fund. See the discussion under “Description of Securities to be Issued — Dividend Reinvestment Plan” for further information.

 

Each Fund may invest all or a substantial portion of its total assets in municipal securities that may subject certain investors to the federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT bonds”) and, therefore, a substantial portion of the income produced by each Fund may be taxable for such investors under the federal alternative minimum tax. If the Acquiring Fund following the Mergers has a greater portion of its portfolio investments in AMT bonds than a Target Fund, a greater portion of the dividends paid by the Acquiring Fund to shareholders of the Target Fund, post-Closing, may be taxable under the federal alternative minimum tax. However, the portion of a Fund’s total assets invested in AMT Bonds on the Closing Date or in the future and the portion of income subject to federal alternative minimum tax cannot be known in advance. See the Schedule of Investments available in each Fund’s Annual Report for the portion of a Fund’s total assets that are invested in AMT Bonds at February 29, 2012.

 

The tax attributes, including capital loss carryovers, of the Target Funds move to the Acquiring Fund in the Mergers. The capital loss carryovers of the Target Funds and the Acquiring Fund are available to offset future gains recognized by the combined Fund, subject to limitations under the Code. Where these limitations apply, all or a portion of a Fund’s capital loss carryovers may become unavailable, the effect of which may be to accelerate the recognition of taxable gain to the combined Fund and its shareholders post-Closing. First, the capital loss carryovers of each Fund that experiences a more than 50% ownership change in a Merger (e.g., in a reorganization of two Funds, the smaller Fund), increased by any current year loss or decreased by any current year gain, together with any net unrealized depreciation in the value of its portfolio investments (collectively, its “aggregate capital loss carryovers”), are expected to become subject to an annual limitation. Losses in excess of that limitation may be carried forward to succeeding tax years, subject, in the case of net capital losses that arise in taxable years beginning on or before December 22, 2010 as discussed below, to an overall eight-year carryover period. The annual limitation will generally equal the net asset value of a Fund on the Closing Date multiplied by the “long-term tax-exempt rate” published by the IRS. In the case of a Fund with net unrealized built-in gains at the time of Closing of a Merger

(i.e., unrealized appreciation in value of the Fund’s investments), the annual limitation for a taxable year will be increased by the amount of such built-in gains that are recognized in the taxable year. Second, if a Fund has built-in gains at the time of Closing that are realized by the combined Fund in the five-year period following a Merger, such built-in gains, when realized, may not be offset by the losses (including any capital loss carryovers and “built in losses”) of another Fund. Third, the capital losses of a Target Fund that may be used by the Acquiring Fund (including to offset any “built-in gains” of a Target Fund itself) for the first taxable year ending after the Closing Date will be limited to an amount equal to the capital gain net income of the Acquiring Fund for such taxable year (excluding capital loss carryovers) treated as realized post-Closing based on the number of days remaining in such year. Fourth, a Merger may result in an earlier expiration of a Fund’s capital loss carryovers because a Merger may cause a Target Fund’s tax year to close early in the year of the Merger.

 

The Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 eliminated the eight-year carryover period for capital losses that arise in taxable years beginning after its enactment date (December 22, 2010) for regulated investment companies regardless of whether such regulated investment company is a party to a reorganization. Consequently, these capital losses can be carried forward indefinitely. However, capital losses incurred in pre-enactment taxable years may not be used to offset capital gains until all net capital losses arising in post-enactment taxable years have been utilized. As a result, some net capital loss carryovers incurred in pre-enactment taxable years which otherwise would have been utilized under prior law may expire.

 

The aggregate capital loss carryovers of the Funds and the approximate annual limitation on the use by the Acquiring Fund, post-Closing, of each Target Fund’s aggregate capital loss carryovers following the Mergers are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

Based upon each Target Fund’s capital loss position at February 29, 2012, the annual limitations on the use of each Target Fund’s aggregate capital loss carryovers may not prevent the combined Fund from utilizing a substantial portion of such losses, albeit over a period of time. However, the effect of these annual limitations may be to cause the combined Fund, post-Closing, to distribute more capital gains in a taxable year than might otherwise have been the case if no such limitation had applied. The aggregate capital loss carryovers of the Acquiring Fund may continue to be available. The ability of the Acquiring Fund to absorb its own aggregate capital loss carryovers and those of the Target Funds post-Closing depends upon a variety of factors that cannot be known in advance. For more information with respect to each Fund’s capital loss carryovers, please refer to the Fund’s shareholder report.

 

Shareholders of a Target Fund will receive a proportionate share of any taxable income and gains realized by the Acquiring Fund and not distributed to its shareholders prior to the Merger when such income and gains are eventually distributed by the Acquiring Fund. As a result, shareholders of a Target Fund may receive a greater amount of taxable distributions than they would have had the Merger not occurred. In addition, if the Acquiring Fund following the Mergers has proportionately greater unrealized appreciation in its portfolio investments as a percentage of its net asset value than a Target Fund, shareholders of the Target Fund, post-Closing, may receive greater amounts of taxable gain as such portfolio investments are sold than they otherwise might have if the Mergers had not occurred. At February 29, 2012, the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in value of the portfolio investments of each Target Fund on a tax basis as a percentage of its net asset value is 14% for VMV, 12% for VOQ, and 15% for VTJ, compared to that of the Acquiring Fund of 10%, and 11% on a combined basis.

 

After the Mergers, shareholders will continue to be responsible for tracking the adjusted tax basis and holding period of their shares for federal income tax purposes.

 

The estimated total costs of the Merger for each Fund, as well as the estimated proxy solicitation costs for each Fund (which are part of the total Merger costs), are set forth in the table below.

 

 

The Adviser will bear all Merger costs. The costs of the Mergers include legal counsel fees, independent accountant fees, expenses related to the printing and mailing of this Proxy Statement, listing fees for additional shares on the Exchanges, and fees associated with the proxy solicitation. Each Fund bears the cost of its annual meeting, including proxy solicitation costs of approximately $3,000.

 

The following table sets forth as of February 29, 2012 each Fund’s total net assets, number of shares outstanding of each class, and net asset value per Common Share. This information is generally referred to as the “capitalization” of a Fund. The term “pro forma capitalization” means the expected capitalization of the Acquiring Fund after the Mergers. The table shows pro forma capitalization giving effect to the proposed Mergers. The capitalizations of the Funds are likely to be different on the Closing Date as a result of daily market activity.

 

 

 

 

As of the time of the Mergers (by which time each Fund will have been reorganized as a Delaware statutory trust, as discussed in Proposal 1), each Fund will be authorized to issue an unlimited number of preferred shares of beneficial interest and an unlimited number of common shares of beneficial interest, and no Fund will hold any of its shares for its own account.

 

The SAI contains further information on the Funds, including their investment policies, strategies and risks. Additional information is available in each Fund’s shareholder reports.

 

THE BOARDS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL 2.

 

At the Meeting, Common Shareholders and Preferred Shareholders of the Funds, voting together as a single class, will vote to elect Trustees as follows:

 

a. With respect to VMV, to elect three Class I Trustees (David C. Arch, Jerry D. Choate, and Suzanne H. Woolsey are the nominees).

 

b. With respect to VOQ, VTJ and the Acquiring Fund, to elect one Class II Trustee (Wayne W. Whalen is the nominee).

 

At the Meeting, the Preferred Shareholders of VOQ, VTJ, and the Acquiring Fund, whose voting instructions are being separately solicited, will also vote as a separate class with respect to one Class II Trustee (Linda Hutton Heagy is the nominee) designated to be elected solely by Preferred Shareholders.

 

If elected, each nominee will serve until the later of the Funds’ annual meeting of shareholders in 2015 or until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified, or his or her earlier retirement, resignation or removal. As in the past, only one class of Trustees is being submitted to shareholders of each Fund for election at the Meeting. The Declaration of Trust of each Fund provides that the Board shall be divided into three classes, which must be as nearly equal in number as possible. For each Fund, the Trustees of only one class are elected at each annual meeting, so that the regular term of only one class of Trustees will expire annually and any particular Trustee stands for election only once in each three-year period. This type of classification may prevent replacement of a majority of Trustees of a Fund for up to a two-year period. The foregoing is subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, applicable state law, each Fund’s Declaration of Trust and each Fund’s Bylaws.

 

The Trustees who make up the various classes of the Boards of the Funds are shown in the chart below:

 

 

 

 

The business and affairs of the Funds are managed under the direction of their Boards of Trustees. The Board overseeing the Funds seeks to provide shareholders with a highly qualified, highly capable and diverse group of Board members reflecting the diversity of investor interests underlying the Funds and with a diversity of backgrounds, experience and skills that the Board considers desirable and necessary to its primary goal — protecting and promoting shareholders’ interests. While the Board does not require that its members

meet specific qualifications, the Board has historically sought to recruit and continues to value individual Board members that add to the overall diversity of the Board — the objective is to bring varied backgrounds, experience and skills reflective of the wide range of the shareholder base and provide both contrasting and complementary skills relative to the other Board members to best protect and promote shareholders’ interests. Board diversity means bringing together different viewpoints, professional experience, investment experience, education, and other skills. As can be seen in the individual biographies below, the Board brings together a wide variety of business experience (including chairman/chief executive officer-level and director-level experience, including board committee experience, of several different types of organizations); varied public and private investment-related experience; not-for-profit experience; customer service and other back office operations experience; a wide variety of accounting, finance, legal, and marketing experience; academic experience; consulting experience; and government, political and military service experience. All of this experience together results in important leadership and management knowledge, skills and perspective that provide the Board understanding and insight into the operations of the Funds and add range and depth to the Board. As part of its governance oversight, the Board conducts an annual self-effectiveness survey which includes, among other things, evaluating the Board’s (and each committee’s) agendas, meetings and materials, conduct of the meetings, committee structures, interaction with management, strategic planning, etc., and also includes evaluating the Board’s (and each committee’s) size, composition, qualifications (including diversity of characteristics, experience and subject matter expertise) and overall performance.

 

The Board evaluates all of the foregoing and does not believe any single factor or group of factors controls or dominates the qualifications of any individual trustee or the qualifications of the trustees as a group. After considering all factors together, the Board believes that each Trustee is qualified to serve as a Trustee.

 

Independent Trustees.

 

David C. Arch.  Formerly, Mr. Arch was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blistex, Inc., a consumer health care products manufacturer. Mr. Arch is a member of the Heartland Alliance Advisory Board, a nonprofit organization serving human needs based in Chicago and member of the Board of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Mr. Arch is also a member of the Board of Visitors, Institute for the Humanities, University of Michigan. From 1984 to 2010, Mr. Arch served as Director or Trustee of investment companies in the Van Kampen Funds complex. The Board believes that Mr. Arch’s experience as the CEO of a public company and his experience with investment companies benefits the Funds.

 

Jerry D. Choate.  Mr. Choate has been a member of the Board of one or more funds in the Invesco fund complex since 2003. The Board believes that Mr. Choate’s experience as the chairman and chief executive officer of a public company and a director of several public companies, his service as a Trustee of the funds in the Invesco fund complex and his experience as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.

 

Rodney F. Dammeyer.  Since 2001, Mr. Dammeyer has been Chairman of CAC, LLC, a private company offering capital investment and management advisory services. Previously, Mr. Dammeyer served as Managing Partner at Equity Group Corporate Investments; Chief Executive Officer of Anixter International; Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Household International, Inc.; and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Northwest Industries, Inc. Mr. Dammeyer was a Partner of Arthur Andersen & Co., an international accounting firm. Mr. Dammeyer currently serves as a Director of Quidel Corporation and Stericycle, Inc. Previously, Mr. Dammeyer served as a Trustee of The Scripps Research Institute; and a Director of Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.; GATX Corporation; TheraSense, Inc.; TeleTech Holdings Inc.; and Arris Group, Inc. From 1987 to 2010, Mr. Dammeyer served as Director or Trustee of investment companies in the Van Kampen Funds complex. The Board believes that Mr. Dammeyer’s experience in executive positions at a number of public companies, his accounting experience and his experience serving as a director of investment companies benefits the Funds. Mr. Dammeyer is not standing for reelection and his term of office as Trustee of VOQ, VTJ and the Acquiring Fund will expire at the Meeting. Therefore, Mr. Dammeyer is also stepping down from the Board of VMV effective as of the Meeting.

 

Linda Hutton Heagy.  Ms. Heagy has been a member of the Board of one or more funds in the Invesco fund complex since 2003. The Board believes that Ms. Heagy’s experience in executive positions at a number of bank and trust companies and as a member of the board of several organizations, her service as a Trustee of the funds in the Invesco fund complex and her experience serving as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.

 

R. Craig Kennedy.  Mr. Kennedy has been a member of the Board of one or more funds in the Invesco fund complex since 2003. The Board believes that Mr. Kennedy’s experience in executive positions at a number of foundations, his investment experience, his service as a Trustee of the funds in the Invesco fund complex and his experience serving as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.

 

Howard J Kerr.  Mr. Kerr has been a member of the Board of one or more funds in the Invesco fund complex since 1992. The Board believes that Mr. Kerr’s experience in executive positions at a number of companies, his experience in public service, his service as a Trustee of the Acquiring Fund and his experience serving as a director of other investment companies benefits the Acquiring Fund. Pursuant to the Board’s Trustee retirement policy, Mr. Kerr is retiring from the Board effective as of the Meeting.

 

Jack E. Nelson.  Mr. Nelson has been a member of the Board of one or more funds in the Invesco fund complex since 2003. The Board believes that Mr. Nelson’s experience in executive positions at a number of companies and as a member of several financial and

investment industry organizations, his service as a Trustee of the Acquiring Fund and his experience serving as a director of other investment companies benefits the Acquiring Fund. Pursuant to the Board’s Trustee retirement policy, Mr. Nelson is retiring from the Board effective as of the Meeting.

 

Hugo F. Sonnenschein.  Mr. Sonnenschein is the Distinguished Service Professor and President Emeritus of the University of Chicago and the Adam Smith Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago. Until July 2000, Mr. Sonnenschein served as President of the University of Chicago. Mr. Sonnenschein is a Trustee of the University of Rochester and a member of its investment committee. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. From 1994 to 2010, Mr. Sonnenschein served as Director or Trustee of investment companies in the Van Kampen Funds complex. The Board believes that Mr. Sonnenschein’s experiences in academia and in running a university, and his experience as a director of investment companies benefits the Funds.

 

Suzanne H. Woolsey.  Ms. Woolsey has been a member of the Board of one or more funds in the Invesco fund complex since 2003. The Board believes that Ms. Woolsey’s experience as a director of numerous organizations, her service as a Trustee of the funds in the Invesco fund complex and her experience as a director of other investment companies benefits the Funds.

 

Interested Trustees.

 

Colin D. Meadows.  Mr. Meadows has been a member of the Board of one or more funds in the Invesco fund complex since 2010. The Board believes that Mr. Meadows’ financial services and asset management experience benefits the Funds.

 

Wayne W. Whalen.  Mr. Whalen is Of Counsel and, prior to 2010, was a partner in the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Mr. Whalen is a Director of the Mutual Fund Directors Forum, a nonprofit membership organization for investment company directors, Chairman and Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and Director of the Stevenson Center for Democracy. From 1995 to 2010, Mr. Whalen served as Director and Trustee of investment companies in the Van Kampen Funds complex. The Board believes that Mr. Whalen’s experience as a law firm partner and his experience as a director of investment companies benefits the Funds.

 

Additional biographical information regarding the Trustees can be found in Exhibit F. Information on each Board’s leadership structure, role in risk oversight, and committees and meetings can be found in Exhibit G. Information on the remuneration of Trustees can be found in Exhibit H. Information on the executive officers of the Funds is available in Exhibit E. Information on the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm is available in Exhibit I.

 

THE BOARDS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND A VOTE FOR ALL OF THE NOMINEES.

 

There are several ways you can vote your shares, including in person at the Meeting, by mail, by telephone, or via the Internet. The proxy card that accompanies this Proxy Statement provides detailed instructions on how you may vote your shares.

 

If you properly fill in and sign your proxy card and send it to us in time to vote at the Meeting, your “proxy” (the individuals named on your proxy card) will vote your shares as you have directed. If you sign your proxy card but do not make specific choices, your proxy will vote your shares for each Proposal and for all of the Trustee nominees, in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of your Fund, and in the proxy’s best judgment on other matters.

 

You are receiving this Proxy Statement because you own Common Shares of a Fund as of the Record Date and have the right to vote on the very important proposals described herein concerning your Fund. This Proxy Statement contains information that shareholders of the Funds should know before voting on the proposals. This document is both a proxy statement of each Fund and also a prospectus for Common Shares of the Acquiring Fund.

 

We are sending you this Proxy Statement and the enclosed proxy card because the Board is soliciting your proxy to vote at the Meeting and at any adjournments or postponements of the Meeting. This Proxy Statement gives you information about the business to be conducted at the Meeting. Fund shareholders may vote by appearing in person at the Meeting and following the instructions below. You do not need to attend the Meeting to vote, however. Instead, you may simply complete, sign, and return the enclosed proxy card or vote by following the instructions on the enclosed proxy card to vote via telephone or the Internet.

 

Shareholders of record of the Funds as of the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to vote at the Meeting. The number of outstanding shares of each class of each Fund on the Record Date can be found at Exhibit J. Each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each full share held and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share held. The Funds expect that Preferred Shares will also be voted at the Meeting. This Proxy Statement is not a solicitation for any votes of the Preferred Shares of any Fund.

Attendance at the Meeting is generally limited to shareholders and their authorized representatives. All shareholders must bring an acceptable form of identification, such as a driver’s license, in order to attend the Meeting in person. If your shares are held through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary you will need to obtain a “legal proxy” from them in order to attend or vote your shares at the Meeting.

 

Proxies will have the authority to vote and act on behalf of shareholders at any adjournment of the Meeting. It is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed proxy card to vote the shares represented by them for each proposal and for all of the Trustee nominees, unless the proxy card is marked otherwise. If a shareholder gives a proxy, the shareholder may revoke the authorization at any time before it is exercised by sending in another proxy card with a later date or by notifying the Secretary of the Fund in writing at the address of the Fund set forth on the cover page of this Proxy Statement before the Meeting that the shareholder has revoked its proxy. In addition, although merely attending the Meeting will not revoke your proxy, if a shareholder is present at the Meeting, the shareholder may withdraw the proxy and vote in person.

 

A quorum of shareholders is necessary to hold a valid shareholder meeting for each Fund. Under the governing documents of each Fund, the holders of a majority of outstanding shares of each class or series or combined class entitled to vote thereat of the Fund present in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum at the Meeting.

 

If a quorum is not present at the Meeting, it may be adjourned, with the vote of the majority of the votes present or represented by proxy, to allow additional solicitations of proxies in order to attain a quorum. The shareholders present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting will also have the power to adjourn the Meeting from time to time if the vote required to approve or reject any proposal described herein is not obtained, with proxies, including abstentions and broker non-votes, being voted for adjournment, provided the proxies determine that such an adjournment and additional solicitation is reasonable and in the interest of shareholders based on a consideration of all relevant factors, including the nature of the relevant proposal, the percentage of votes then cast, the percentage of negative votes then cast, the nature of the proposed solicitation activities and the nature of the reasons for such further solicitation. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of a Fund’s shares then present in person or represented by proxy shall be required to so adjourn the Meeting.

 

In the event that a shareholder of a Fund present at the Meeting objects to the holding of a joint meeting and moves for an adjournment of the meeting of such Fund to a time immediately after the Meeting so that such Fund’s meeting may be held separately, the persons named as proxies will vote in favor of such adjournment.

 

Abstentions and broker non-votes (described below) are counted as present and will be included for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present for each Fund at the Meeting, but are not considered votes cast at the Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have the same effect as a vote against Proposals 1 or 2, because their approval requires the affirmative vote of a percentage of the outstanding shares of the applicable Fund or of a certain proportion of the shares present at the Meeting, as opposed to a percentage of votes cast. For Proposal 3, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect because only a plurality of votes is required to elect a Trustee nominee. A proxy card marked “withhold” with respect to the election of Trustees would have the same effect as an abstention.

 

Broker non-votes occur when a proposal that is routine (such as the election of trustees) is voted on at a meeting alongside a proposal that is non-routine (such as the Redomestication or Merger proposals). Under New York Stock Exchange rules, brokers may generally vote in their discretion on routine proposals, but are generally not able to vote on a non-routine proposal in the absence of express voting instructions from beneficial owners. As a result, where both routine and non-routine proposals are voted on at the same meeting, proxies voted by brokers on the routine proposals are considered votes present but are not votes on any non-routine proposals. Because both routine and non-routine proposals will be voted on at the Meeting, the Funds anticipate receiving broker non-votes with respect to Proposals 1 and 2. No broker non-votes are anticipated with respect to Proposal 3 because it is considered a routine proposal on which brokers typically may vote in their discretion.

 

Broker-dealers who are not members of the New York Stock Exchange may be subject to other rules, which may or may not permit them to vote your Common Shares without instruction. Therefore, you are encouraged to contact your broker and record your voting instructions.

 

Common Shares and Preferred Shares of each Fund are entitled to vote at the Meeting. This Proxy Statement is not a solicitation for any votes of the Preferred Shares of any Fund. Each Fund will solicit the vote of its Preferred Shares via a separate proxy statement. Preferred Shares are subject to a voting trust requiring that certain voting rights of the Preferred Shares must be exercised as directed by an unaffiliated third party. Votes by Preferred Shares to elect Trustees are subject to the voting trust, but votes regarding the Redomestications and the Mergers are not subject to the voting trust.

 

Each Fund’s Board has unanimously approved the Fund’s Plan of Redomestication discussed in Proposal 1. Shareholder approval of a Fund’s Plan of Redomestication requires the approval of the holders of a majority of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes, of such Fund. Proposal 1 may be approved and implemented for a Fund regardless of whether shareholders approve any other Proposal applicable to the Fund.

Each Fund’s Board has unanimously approved the Fund’s Plan of Merger discussed in Proposal 2. Shareholder approval of each Plan of Merger requires the vote of a majority of the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares outstanding, voting as separate classes, of the applicable Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund. Proposal 2 may be approved and implemented for a Target Fund only if Proposal 1 is also approved by both such Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund and regardless of whether shareholders approve any other Proposal applicable to such Funds.

 

With respect to Proposal 3, the affirmative vote of a plurality of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares of a Fund, voting as a single class, present at the Meeting in person or by proxy is required to elect each nominee for Trustee for such Fund. Proposal 3 may be approved and implemented for a Fund regardless of whether shareholders approve any other Proposal applicable to the Fund.

 

The Funds have engaged the services of Computershare Fund Services (the “Solicitor”) to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Meeting. The Solicitor’s costs are described under the “Costs of the Merger” section of this Proxy Statement. Proxies are expected to be solicited principally by mail, but the Funds or the Solicitor may also solicit proxies by telephone, facsimile or personal interview. The Funds’ officers may also solicit proxies but will not receive any additional or special compensation for any such solicitation.

 

Under the agreement with the Solicitor, the Solicitor will be paid a project management fee as well as telephone solicitation expenses incurred for reminder calls, outbound telephone voting, confirmation of telephone votes, inbound telephone contact, obtaining shareholders’ telephone numbers, and providing additional materials upon shareholder request. The agreement also provides that the Solicitor shall be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses, including liabilities under the federal securities laws.

 

Information on each person who, as of the Record Date, to the knowledge of each Fund, owned 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a class of such Fund can be found at Exhibit K. Information regarding Trustee ownership of shares of the Funds and of shares of all registered investment companies in the Fund Complex overseen by such Trustee can be found at Exhibit F. To the best knowledge of each Fund, the ownership of shares of such Fund by executive officers and Trustees of such Fund as a group constituted less than 1% of each outstanding class of shares of such Fund as of the Record Date.

 

If a Merger is completed, the merged Target Fund will not hold an annual meeting in 2013. If a Merger does not take place, that Target Fund’s Board will announce the date of such Target Fund’s 2013 annual meeting. The Acquiring Fund will hold an annual meeting in 2013 regardless of whether a Merger is consummated.

 

Shareholder proposals intended to be presented at the year 2013 annual meeting of shareholders for a Fund pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), must be received by the Fund’s Secretary at the Fund’s principal executive offices by February 18, 2013 in order to be considered for inclusion in the Fund’s proxy statement and proxy card relating to that meeting. Timely submission of a proposal does not necessarily mean that such proposal will be included in the Fund’s proxy statement. Pursuant to each Fund’s governing documents as anticipated to be in effect before the 2013 annual meeting, if a shareholder wishes to make a proposal at the year 2013 annual meeting of shareholders without having the proposal included in a Fund’s proxy statement, then such proposal must be received by the Fund’s Secretary at the Fund’s principal executive offices not earlier than March 19, 2013 and not later than April 18, 2013. If a shareholder fails to provide timely notice, then the persons named as proxies in the proxies solicited by the Board for the 2013 annual meeting of shareholders may exercise discretionary voting power with respect to any such proposal. Any shareholder who wishes to submit a proposal for consideration at a meeting of such shareholder’s Fund should send such proposal to the Fund’s Secretary at 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309, Attn: Secretary.

 

Shareholders may send communications to each Fund’s Board. Shareholders should send communications intended for a Board or for a Trustee by addressing the communication directly to the Board or individual Trustee and/or otherwise clearly indicating that the communication is for the Board or individual Trustee and by sending the communication to either the office of the Secretary of the applicable Fund or directly to such Trustee at the address specified for such Trustee in Exhibit F. Other shareholder communications received by any Fund not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management, and will be forwarded to the Board only at management’s discretion based on the matters contained therein.

 

Section 30(h) of the 1940 Act and Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act require each of the Funds’ Trustees, officers, and investment advisers, affiliated persons of the investment advisers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of a Fund’s equity

securities to file forms with the SEC and Exchanges, reporting their affiliation with the Fund and reports of ownership and changes in ownership of such securities. These persons and entities are required by SEC regulations to furnish such Fund with copies of all such forms they file. Based on a review of these forms furnished to each Fund, each Fund believes that during its last fiscal year, its Trustees, its officers, the Adviser and affiliated persons of the Adviser complied with the applicable filing requirements.

 

Management of each Fund does not intend to present, and does not have reason to believe that others will present, any other items of business at the Meeting. The Funds know of no business other than the proposals described in this Proxy Statement that will, or are proposed to, be presented for consideration at the Meeting. If any other matters are properly presented, the persons named on the enclosed proxy cards shall vote proxies in accordance with their best judgment.

 

This Proxy Statement and the SAI do not contain all the information set forth in the annual and semi-annual reports filed by the Funds as such documents have been filed with the SEC. The financial highlights of each Fund for the year ended February 29, 2012 and the description of the Fund’s automatic dividend reinvestment plans are incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement from the Fund’s annual report for the year ended February 29, 2012 on Form N-CSR. Such financial highlights and financial statements have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference, and have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. The SAI includes additional information about the Funds that is incorporated herein by reference and is deemed to be part of this Proxy Statement. The SEC file number of each Fund, which contains the Fund’s shareholder reports and other filings with the SEC, is 811-06362 for the Acquiring Fund, 811-07088 for VMV, 811-06364 for VOQ and 811-06536 for VOQ.

 

Each Fund is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and the 1940 Act and in accordance therewith, each Fund files reports and other information with the SEC. Reports, proxy materials, registration statements and other information filed (including the registration statement relating to the Funds on Form N-14 of which this Proxy Statement is a part) may be inspected without charge and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at Room 1580, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such material may also be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, at the prescribed rates. The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains information regarding the Funds and other registrants that file electronically with the SEC. Reports, proxy materials and other information concerning the Funds can also be inspected at the Exchanges.

 

THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REDOMESTICATION (“Agreement”) is made as of the      day of          , 2012 by and among (i) each of the Invesco closed-end registered investment companies identified as a Predecessor Fund on Exhibit A hereto (each a “Predecessor Fund”); (ii) each of the Invesco closed-end investment companies identified as a Successor Fund on Exhibit A hereto (each a “Successor Fund”); and (iii) Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“IAI”).

 

This Agreement contemplates a redomestication of each Predecessor Fund from a Massachusetts Business Trust, Maryland corporation or Pennsylvania business trust to a Delaware Statutory Trust, as applicable. For certain Predecessor Funds, such redomestication is the only corporate action contemplated (referred to herein and identified on Exhibit A as a “Redomesticating Fund” and, together, as the “Redomesticating Funds”). For other Predecessor Funds, the redomestication is the first step in a two-step transaction that will, subject to approval by shareholders, also involve the merger of the Successor Fund with another closed-end registered investment company in the Invesco Fund complex (each such Predecessor Fund whose Successor Fund will participate in such a merger being referred to herein and identified on Exhibit A as a “Merging Fund” and, together, as the “Merging Funds”) pursuant to a separate Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”).

 

This Agreement is intended to be and is adopted as a “plan of reorganization” with respect to each Reorganization (as defined below) within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and Treasury Regulations Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a), and is intended to effect the reorganization of each Predecessor Fund as a Successor Fund (each such transaction, a “Reorganization” and collectively, the “Reorganizations”). Each Reorganization will include the transfer of all of the assets of a Predecessor Fund to the Successor Fund solely in exchange for (1) the assumption by the Successor Fund of all liabilities of the Predecessor Fund, (2) the issuance by the Successor Fund to the Predecessor Fund of shares of beneficial interest of the Successor Fund, (3) the distribution of the shares of beneficial interest of the Successor Fund to the holders of shares of beneficial interest of the Predecessor Fund according to their respective interests in complete liquidation of the Predecessor Fund; and (4) the dissolution of the Predecessor Fund as soon as practicable after the Closing provided for in paragraph 3.1, all upon and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement hereinafter set forth.

 

In consideration of the promises and of the covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows.

 

1. TRANSFER OF ASSETS OF THE PREDECESSOR FUNDS IN EXCHANGE FOR ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITIES AND ISSUANCE OF SUCCESSOR FUND SHARES

 

1.1. It is the intention of the parties hereto that each Reorganization described herein shall be conducted separately from the others, and a party that is not a party to a Reorganization shall incur no obligations, duties or liabilities, and makes no representations, warranties, or covenants with respect to such Reorganization by reason of being a party to this Agreement. If any one or more Reorganizations should fail to be consummated, such failure shall not affect the other Reorganizations in any way.

 

1.2. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and on the basis of the representations and warranties contained herein, each Predecessor Fund agrees to transfer all of its Assets (as defined in paragraph 1.3) and to assign and transfer all of its liabilities, debts, obligations, restrictions and duties (whether known or unknown, absolute or contingent, accrued or unaccrued and including, without limitation, any liabilities of the Predecessor Fund to indemnify the trustees or officers of the Predecessor Fund or any other persons under the Predecessor Fund’s Declaration of Trust or otherwise, and including, without limitation, any liabilities of the Predecessor Fund under the Merger Agreement) to the corresponding Successor Fund, organized solely for the purpose of acquiring all of the assets and assuming all of the liabilities of that Predecessor Fund. Each Successor Fund agrees that in exchange for all of the assets of the corresponding Predecessor Fund: (1) the Successor Fund shall assume all of the liabilities of such Predecessor Fund, whether contingent or otherwise and (2) the Successor Fund shall issue common shares of beneficial interest (together, the “Successor Fund Common Shares”) and preferred shares of beneficial interest (together, the “Successor Fund Preferred Shares” and, together with the Successor Fund Preferred Shares, the “Successor Fund Shares”) to the Predecessor Fund. The number of Successor Fund Common Shares issued by the Successor Fund to holders of common shares of the Predecessor Fund will be identical to the number of shares of common stock of the Predecessor Fund (together, the “Predecessor Fund Common Shares”) outstanding on the Valuation Date provided for in paragraph 3.1. The Successor Fund shall issue Successor Fund Preferred Shares to holders of preferred shares of the Predecessor Fund (together, Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares” and, together with the Predecessor Fund Common Shares, the “Predecessor Fund Shares”), if any, having an aggregate liquidation preference equal to the aggregate liquidation preference of the outstanding Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares. The terms of the Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares shall be substantially the same as the terms of the Successor Fund Preferred Shares. Such transactions shall take place at the Closing provided for in paragraph 3.1.

 

1.3. The assets of each Predecessor Fund to be acquired by the corresponding Successor Fund (“Assets”) shall include all assets, property and goodwill, including, without limitation, all cash, securities, commodities and futures interests, claims (whether absolute or contingent, known or unknown, accrued or unaccrued and including, without limitation, any interest in pending or future legal claims in connection with past or present portfolio holdings, whether in the form of class action claims, opt-out or other direct litigation claims, or

regulator or government-established investor recovery fund claims, and any and all resulting recoveries), dividends or interest receivable, and any deferred or prepaid expense shown as an asset on the books of the Predecessor Fund on the Closing Date.

 

1.4. On the Closing Date each Predecessor Fund will distribute, in complete liquidation, the Successor Fund Shares to each Predecessor Fund shareholder, determined as of the close of business on the Valuation Date, of the corresponding class of the Predecessor Fund pro rata in proportion to such shareholder’s beneficial interest in that class and in exchange for that shareholder’s Predecessor Fund shares. Such distribution will be accomplished by recording on the books of the Successor Fund, in the name of each Predecessor Fund shareholder, the number of Successor Fund Shares representing the pro rata number of Successor Fund Shares received from the Successor Fund which is due to such Predecessor Fund shareholder. Fractional Successor Fund Shares shall be rounded to the third place after the decimal point.

 

1.5. At the Closing, any outstanding certificates representing Predecessor Fund Shares will be cancelled. The Successor Fund shall not issue certificates representing Successor Fund Common Shares in connection with such exchange, irrespective of whether Predecessor Fund shareholders hold their Predecessor Fund Common Shares in certificated form. Ownership of the Successor Fund Common Shares by each Successor Fund shareholder shall be recorded separately on the books of the Successor Fund’s transfer agent.

 

1.6. The legal existence of each Predecessor Fund shall be terminated as promptly as reasonably practicable after the Closing Date. After the Closing Date, each Predecessor Fund shall not conduct any business except in connection with its termination and dissolution and except as provided in paragraph 1.7 of this Agreement.

 

1.7. Subject to approval of this Agreement by the requisite vote of the applicable Predecessor Fund’s shareholders but before the Closing Date, a duly authorized officer of such Predecessor Fund shall cause such Predecessor Fund, as the sole shareholder of the corresponding Successor Fund, to (i) elect the Trustees of the Successor Fund; (ii) ratify the selection of the Successor Fund’s independent auditors; (iii) approve the investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements for the Successor Fund in substantially the same form as the investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements in effect with respect to the Predecessor Fund immediately prior to the Closing; and (iv) implement any actions approved by the shareholders of the Predecessor Fund at a meeting of shareholders scheduled for          , 2012 (the “Shareholder Meeting”) including, without limitation, if applicable, a merger with another closed-end fund in the Invesco Fund complex.

 

2. VALUATION

 

2.1. The value of each Predecessor Fund’s Assets shall be the value of such Assets computed as of immediately after the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) on the business day immediately preceding the Closing Date (the “Valuation Date”), using the Predecessor Fund’s valuation procedures established by the Predecessor Fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees.

 

2.2. The net asset value per share of Successor Fund Common Shares, and the liquidation preference of Successor Fund Preferred Shares, together issued in exchange for the Assets of the corresponding Predecessor Fund, shall be equal to the net asset value per share of the Successor Fund Common Shares and the liquidation preference per share of the Successor Fund Preferred Shares, respectively, on the Closing Date, and the number of such Successor Fund Shares of each class shall equal the number of full and fractional Predecessor Fund Shares outstanding on the Closing Date.

 

3. CLOSING AND CLOSING DATE

 

3.1. Each Reorganization shall close on          , 2012 or such other date as the parties may agree with respect to any or all Reorganizations (the “Closing Date”). All acts taking place at the closing of a Reorganization (the “Closing”) shall be deemed to take place simultaneously as of 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time on the Closing Date of that Reorganization unless otherwise agreed to by the parties (the “Closing Time”).

 

3.2. At the Closing each party shall deliver to the other such bills of sale, checks, assignments, stock certificates, receipts or other documents as such other party or its counsel may reasonably request.

 

3.3. Immediately prior to the Closing the Predecessor Fund shall pay all accumulated but unpaid dividends on the Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares through the date thereof.

 

4. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

4.1. Each Predecessor Fund represents and warrants to the corresponding Successor Fund as follows:

 

4.1.1. At the Closing Date, each Predecessor Fund will have good and marketable title to the Assets to be transferred to the Successor Fund pursuant to paragraph 1.2, and will have full right, power and authority to sell, assign, transfer and deliver such Assets hereunder. Upon delivery and in payment for such Assets, the Successor Fund will acquire good and marketable title thereto subject to no restrictions on the full transfer thereof, including, without limitation, such restrictions as might arise under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), provided that the Successor Fund will acquire Assets that are segregated as collateral for the Predecessor Fund’s derivative positions, including, without limitation, as collateral for swap positions and as margin for futures positions, subject to such segregation and liens that apply to such Assets;

4.1.2. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will have been duly authorized prior to the Closing Date by all necessary action on the part of the Predecessor Fund and, subject to the approval of the Predecessor Fund’s shareholders and the due authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Successor Fund and IAI, this Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Predecessor Fund enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy laws and any other similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and by equitable principles;

 

4.1.3. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court, governmental authority, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any stock exchange on which shares of the Predecessor Fund are listed is required for the consummation by the Predecessor Fund of the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been or will be obtained (at or prior to the Closing Date); and

 

4.1.4. The Predecessor Fund will have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proxy materials, which, for the Merging Funds, may be in the form of a proxy statement/prospectus on Form N-14 (the “Proxy Statement”), complying in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the 1933 Act (if applicable) and applicable rules and regulations thereunder, relating to a meeting of its shareholders to be called to consider and act upon the Reorganization contemplated herein.

 

4.2. Each Successor Fund represents and warrants to the corresponding Predecessor Fund as follows:

 

4.2.1. At the Closing Time, the Successor Fund will be duly formed as a statutory trust, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware;

 

4.2.2. The Successor Fund Shares to be issued and delivered to the Predecessor Fund pursuant to the terms of this Agreement will, at the Closing Time, have been duly authorized and, when so issued and delivered, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and fully paid and non-assessable by the Successor Fund;

 

4.2.3. At the Closing Time, the Successor Fund shall succeed to the Predecessor Fund’s registration statement filed under the 1940 Act with the SEC and thus will become duly registered under the 1940 Act as a closed-end management investment company;

 

4.2.4. Prior to the Closing Time, the Successor Fund shall not have commenced operations and there will be no issued and outstanding shares in the Successor Fund, except shares issued by the Successor Fund to an initial sole shareholder for the purpose of enabling the sole shareholder to take such actions as are required to be taken by shareholders under the 1940 Act in connection with establishing a new fund;

 

4.2.5. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will have been duly authorized prior to the Closing Date by all necessary action on the part of the Successor Fund, and, subject to the approval of the Predecessor Fund’s shareholders and the due authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Predecessor Fund and IAI, this Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Successor Fund enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy laws and any other similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and by equitable principles;

 

4.2.6. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court, governmental authority, FINRA or stock exchange on which shares of the Successor Fund are listed is required for the consummation by the Successor Fund of the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been or will be obtained (at or prior to the Closing Date);

 

4.2.7. The Successor Fund shall use all reasonable efforts to obtain the approvals and authorizations required by the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act and such state or District of Columbia securities laws as it may deem appropriate in order to operate after the Closing Date; and

 

4.2.8. The Successor Fund is, and will be at the Closing Time, a newly created Delaware statutory trust, without assets (other than seed capital) or liabilities, formed for the purpose of receiving the Assets of the Predecessor Fund in connection with the Reorganization.

 

5. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE PREDECESSOR FUNDS AND THE SUCCESSOR FUNDS

 

With respect to each Reorganization, the obligations of the Predecessor Fund and the corresponding Successor Fund are each subject to the conditions that on or before the Closing Date:

 

5.1. This Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein shall have been approved by the Board of Directors/Trustees of each of the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund and by the requisite vote of the Predecessor Fund’s shareholders;

 

5.2. All consents of other parties and all other consents, orders and permits of federal, state and local regulatory authorities (including those of the SEC and of state or District of Columbia securities authorities) and stock exchanges on which shares of the Funds are, or will be, listed in accordance with this Agreement deemed necessary by the Predecessor Fund or the Successor Fund to permit consummation, in all material respects, of the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been obtained, except where failure to obtain any such consent, order or permit would not involve a risk of a material adverse effect on the assets or properties of the Predecessor Fund or the Successor Fund, provided that either party hereto may waive any of such conditions for itself;

5.3. Prior to or at the Closing, the Successor Fund shall enter into or adopt such agreements as are necessary for the Successor Fund’s operation as a closed-end investment company and such agreements shall be substantially similar to any corresponding agreement of the Predecessor Fund; and

 

5.4. The Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund shall have received on or before the Closing Date an opinion of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP (“Stradley Ronon”), in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund, as to the matters set forth on Schedule 5.4. In rendering such opinion, Stradley Ronon may request and rely upon representations contained in certificates of officers of the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund and others, and the officers of the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund shall use their best efforts to make available such truthful certificates.

 

5.5. If the Predecessor Fund has outstanding Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares designated as “variable rate muni term preferred shares” (“VMTP Shares”), the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund shall have received on or before the Closing Date an opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (“Skadden”) in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund, as to the matters set forth on Schedule 5.5. In rendering such opinion, Skadden may request and rely upon representations contained in certificates of officers of the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund and others, and the officers of the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund shall use their best efforts to make available such truthful certificates.

 

5.6. If the Predecessor Fund has outstanding Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares designated as VMTP Shares, immediately prior to Closing the Predecessor Fund shall have satisfied all of its obligations set forth in its declaration of trust, certificate of designation of the Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares, registration rights agreement relating to the Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares and the Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares certificate (including, without limitation, satisfaction of the effective leverage ratio and minimum asset coverage covenants set forth in its statement of preferences).

 

6. POST-CLOSING COVENANTS

 

6.1. If the Predecessor Fund has outstanding Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares designated as VMTP Shares, immediately after Closing, the Successor Fund shall satisfy all of its obligations set forth in its declaration of trust, statement of preferences of the Successor Fund Preferred Shares, registration rights agreement relating to the Successor Fund Preferred Shares (including, without limitation, satisfaction of the effective leverage ratio and minimum asset coverage covenants set forth in its statement of preferences).

 

6.2. If the Predecessor Fund has outstanding Predecessor Fund Preferred Shares designated as VMTP Shares, immediately after Closing, the Successor Fund Preferred Shares shall be rated at least AA-/Aa3 by each rating agency rating, at the request of the Successor Fund, the Successor Fund Preferred Shares.

 

7. FEES AND EXPENSES

 

Each Fund will bear its expenses relating to its Reorganization to the extent that the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses did not exceed the expense limit under the expense limitation arrangement in place with IAI at the time such expenses were discussed with the Board (the “Expense Cap”). The Fund will bear these expenses regardless of whether its Reorganization is consummated. IAI will bear the Reorganization costs of any Fund that had total annual fund operating expenses which exceeded the Expense Cap at the time such expenses were discussed with the Board.

 

Each Successor Fund and corresponding Predecessor Fund represents and warrants to the other that there are no broker’s or finder’s fees payable in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

8. TERMINATION

 

With respect to each Reorganization, this Agreement may be terminated by the mutual agreement of the Predecessor Fund and the corresponding Successor Fund, notwithstanding approval thereof by the shareholders of the Predecessor Fund, at any time prior to Closing, if circumstances should develop that, in such parties’ judgment, make proceeding with this Agreement inadvisable.

 

9. AMENDMENT

 

This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented in such manner as may be mutually agreed upon in writing by the parties; provided, however, that following the approval of this Agreement by any Predecessor Fund’s shareholders, no such amendment may have the effect of changing the provisions for determining the number of Successor Fund Shares to be distributed to that Predecessor Fund’s shareholders under this Agreement to the detriment of such Predecessor Fund shareholders without their further approval.

 

10. HEADINGS; COUNTERPARTS; GOVERNING LAW; ASSIGNMENT; SURVIVAL; WAIVER

 

10.1. The article and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

10.2. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original.

 

10.3. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its principles of conflicts of laws.

10.4. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto with respect to each Predecessor Fund and its corresponding Successor Fund, as applicable, and their respective successors and assigns. Nothing herein expressed or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give any person, firm or corporation other than the applicable Predecessor Fund and its corresponding Successor Fund and their respective successors and assigns any rights or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

10.5. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the parties hereunder shall not be binding upon any of their respective directors, trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents, or employees personally, but shall bind only the property of the applicable Predecessor Fund or the applicable Successor Fund as provided in the governing documents of such Funds. The execution and delivery by such officers shall not be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the property of such party.

 

10.6. The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the parties contained herein shall not survive the Closing Date; provided that the covenants to be performed after the Closing shall survive the Closing.

 

10.7. Each of the Predecessor Funds and the Successor Funds, after consultation with their respective counsel and by consent of their respective Board of Directors/Trustees or any officer, may waive any condition to its obligations hereunder if, in its or such officer’s judgment, such waiver will not have a material adverse effect on the interests of the shareholders of the applicable Predecessor Fund.

 

11. NOTICES

 

Any notice, report, statement or demand required or permitted by any provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by fax or certified mail addressed to the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund, each at 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30309, Attention: Secretary, fax number          .

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized officer.

 

[          ], a [Massachusetts business trust] [Maryland corporation] [Pennsylvania business trust]

 

 

Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

Name:     

Title:

 

[          ] a Delaware statutory trust

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 5.4

 

TAX OPINION

 

(i) The acquisition by the Successor Fund of all of the Assets of the Predecessor Fund, as provided for in the Agreement, in exchange solely for Successor Fund Shares and the assumption by the Successor Fund of all of the liabilities of the Predecessor Fund, followed by the distribution by the Predecessor Fund to its shareholders of the Successor Fund Shares in complete liquidation of the Predecessor Fund, will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code, and the Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund each will be a “party to the reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code.

 

(ii) No gain or loss will be recognized by the Predecessor Fund upon the transfer of all of its Assets to, and assumption of its liabilities by, the Successor Fund in exchange solely for Successor Fund Shares pursuant to Section 361(a) and Section 357(a) of the Code.

 

(iii) No gain or loss will be recognized by the Successor Fund upon the receipt by it of all of the Assets of the Predecessor Fund in exchange solely for the assumption of the liabilities of the Predecessor Fund and issuance of the Successor Fund Shares pursuant to Section 1032(a) of the Code.

 

(iv) No gain or loss will be recognized by the Predecessor Fund upon the distribution of the Successor Fund Shares by the Predecessor Fund to its shareholders in complete liquidation (in pursuance of the Agreement) pursuant to Section 361(c)(1) of the Code.

 

(v) The tax basis of the Assets of the Predecessor Fund received by the Successor Fund will be the same as the tax basis of such Assets in the hands of the Predecessor Fund immediately prior to the transfer pursuant to Section 362(b) of the Code.

 

(vi) The holding periods of the Assets of the Predecessor Fund in the hands of the Successor Fund will include the periods during which such Assets were held by the Predecessor Fund pursuant to Section 1223(2) of the Code.

 

(vii) No gain or loss will be recognized by the shareholders of the Predecessor Fund upon the exchange of all of their Predecessor Fund shares solely for the Successor Fund Shares pursuant to Section 354(a) of the Code.

 

(viii) The aggregate tax basis of the Successor Fund Shares to be received by each shareholder of the Predecessor Fund will be the same as the aggregate tax basis of Predecessor Fund shares exchanged therefor pursuant to Section 358(a)(1) of the Code.

 

(ix) The holding period of Successor Fund Shares received by a shareholder of the Predecessor Fund will include the holding period of the Predecessor Fund shares exchanged therefor, provided that the shareholder held Predecessor Fund shares as a capital asset on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 1223(1) of the Code.

 

(x) For purposes of Section 381 of the Code, the Successor Fund will succeed to and take into account, as of the date of the transfer as defined in Section 1.381(b)-1(b) of the income tax regulations issued by the United States Department of the Treasury (the “Income Tax Regulations”), the items of the Predecessor Fund described in Section 381(c) of the Code as if there had been no Reorganization.

SCHEDULE 5.5

 

PREFERRED SHARE OPINION

 

The VMTP Shares issued by the Successor Fund in the Redomestication in exchange for Predecessor Fund VMTP Shares will be treated as equity of the Successor Fund for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

Each Fund is a Massachusetts business trust. Under Proposal 1, if approved, each Fund will reorganize into a newly formed Delaware statutory trust (each, a “DE Trust” and together, the “DE Trusts”). The following is a discussion of certain provisions of the governing instruments and governing laws of each Fund and its corresponding DE Trust, but is not a complete description thereof. Further information about each Fund’s governance structure is contained in the Fund’s shareholder reports and its governing documents.

 

Shares.  The Trustees of the Funds have the power to issue shares, including preferred shares, without shareholder approval. The governing documents of the Funds indicate that the amount of common shares that a Fund may issue is unlimited. Preferred shares are limited to the amount set forth in the Declarations (defined below). Shares of the Funds have no preemptive rights.

 

The Trustees of the DE Trusts have the power to issue shares, including preferred shares, without shareholder approval. The governing documents of the DE Trusts indicate that the amount of common and preferred shares that a DE Trust may issue is unlimited. Shares of the DE Trusts have no preemptive rights.

 

Organization.  The Funds are organized as Massachusetts business trusts, under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each Fund is governed by its Declaration of Trust (a “Declaration”) and its By-Laws, each as may be amended, and its business and affairs are managed under the supervision of its Board of Trustees.

 

Each DE Trust is organized as a Delaware statutory trust pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“Delaware Act”). Each DE Trust is governed by its Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (also, a “Declaration” and, together with the Declaration of each Fund, the “Declarations”) and its By-Laws, and its business and affairs are managed under the supervision of its Board of Trustees.

 

Composition of the Board of Trustees.  The Boards of Trustees of both the Funds and the DE Trusts are divided into three classes, with the election of each class staggered so that each class is only up for election once every three years.

 

Shareholder Meetings and Rights of Shareholders to Call a Meeting.  The stock exchanges on which a Fund’s shares are currently, and DE Trust’s shares will be, listed requires annual meetings to elect trustees.

 

The governing instruments for each Fund provide that special meetings of shareholders may be called by a majority of the Trustees. In addition, special meetings of shareholders may also be called by any Trustee upon written request from shareholders holding in the aggregate not less than 51% of the outstanding common and/or preferred shares, if any (depending on whether they are voting as a single class or separately).

 

The By-Laws of the DE Trusts authorize the Trustees to call a meeting of the shareholders for the election of Trustees. The By-Laws of the DE Trusts also authorize a meeting of shareholders for any purpose determined by the Trustees. The By-Laws of the DE Trusts state that shareholders have no power to call a special meeting of shareholders.

 

Submission of Shareholder Proposals.  The Funds do not have provisions in their governing instruments that require shareholders to provide advance notice to the Funds in order to present a proposal at a shareholder meeting. Nonetheless, the federal securities laws, which apply to all of the Funds and the DE Trusts, require that certain conditions be met to present any proposal at a shareholder meeting.

 

The matters to be considered and brought before an annual or special meeting of shareholders of the DE Trusts are limited to only those matters, including the nomination and election of Trustees, that are properly brought before the meeting. For proposals submitted by shareholders, the By-Laws of the DE Trusts contain provisions which require that notice be given to a DE Trust by an otherwise eligible shareholder in advance of the annual or special shareholder meeting in order for the shareholder to present a proposal at any such meeting and requires shareholders to provide certain information in connection with the proposal. These requirements are intended to provide the Board the opportunity to better evaluate the proposal and provide additional information to shareholders for their consideration in connection with the proposal. Failure to satisfy the requirements of these advance notice provisions means that a shareholder may not be able to present a proposal at the annual or special shareholder meeting.

 

In general, for nominations and any other proposals to be properly brought before an annual meeting of shareholders by a shareholder of a DE Trust, written notice must be delivered to the Secretary of the DE Trust not less than 90 days, nor more than 120 days, prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting. If the annual meeting is not scheduled to be held within a period that commences 30 days before such anniversary and ends 30 days after such anniversary (an “Other Annual Meeting Date”), the written notice must be delivered by the later of the 90th day prior to the meeting or the 10th day following the public announcement or disclosure of the meeting date provided, however, that if the Other Annual Meeting Date was disclosed in the proxy statement for the prior year’s annual meeting, the dates for receipt of the written notice shall be calculated based on the Other Annual Meeting Date and disclosed in the proxy statement for the prior year’s annual meeting. If the number of Trustees to be elected to the Board is increased and either all of the nominees for Trustee or the size of the increased Board are not publicly announced or disclosed at least 70 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, written notice will be considered timely if delivered to the Secretary of the DE Trust no later than the 10th date after such public announcement or disclosure. With respect to the nomination of individuals for election to the Board of Trustees at a special shareholder meeting, written notice must be delivered by a shareholder of the DE Trust to the Secretary of the DE Trust no later than the 10th date after such meeting is publicly announced or disclosed. Specific information, as set forth in the

By-Laws, about the nominee, the shareholder making the nomination, and the proposal must also be delivered, and updated as necessary if proposed at an annual meeting, by the shareholder of the DE Trust. The shareholder or a qualified representative must also appear at the annual or special meeting of shareholders to present about the nomination or proposed business.

 

Quorum.  The governing instruments of the Funds provide that a quorum will exist if shareholders representing a majority of the outstanding shares of each class or series or combined class entitled to vote are present at the meeting in person or by proxy.

 

The By-Laws of each DE Trust provide that a quorum will exist if shareholders representing a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote are present or represented by proxy, except when a larger quorum is required by applicable law or the requirements of any securities exchange on which shares are listed for trading, in which case the quorum must comply with such requirements.

 

Number of Votes; Aggregate Voting.  The governing instruments of the Funds and the Declaration and By-Laws of the DE Trusts provide that each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each whole share held as to any matter on which the shareholder is entitled to vote, and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share held. The Funds and the DE Trusts do not provide for cumulative voting for the election or removal of Trustees.

 

The governing instruments of the Funds generally provide that all share classes vote by class or series of the Fund, except as otherwise provided by applicable law, the governing instruments or resolution of the Trustees.

 

The Declarations for the DE Trusts generally provide that all shares are voted as a single class, except when required by applicable law, the governing instruments, or when the Trustees have determined that the matter affects the interests of one or more classes, in which case only the shareholders of all such affected classes are entitled to vote on the matter.

 

Derivative Actions.  Shareholders of each Fund have the power to vote as to whether or not a court action, proceeding or claim should or should not be brought or maintained derivatively or as a class action on behalf of the Fund or its shareholders. Such shareholders have the power to vote to the same extent as the stockholders of a Massachusetts corporation.

 

The Declarations for the DE Trusts state that a shareholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of a DE Trust only if several conditions are met. These conditions include, among other things, a pre-suit demand upon the Board of Trustees and, unless a demand is not required, shareholders who hold at least a majority of the outstanding shares must join in the demand for the Board of Trustees to commence an action, and the Board of Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such shareholder request and to investigate the basis of the claim.

 

Right to Vote.  The 1940 Act provides that shareholders of a fund have the power to vote with respect to certain matters: specifically, for the election of trustees, the selection of auditors (under certain circumstances), approval of investment advisory agreements and plans of distribution, and amendments to policies, goals or restrictions deemed to be fundamental. Shareholders also have the right to vote on certain matters affecting a fund or a particular share class thereof under their respective governing instruments and applicable state law. The following summarizes the matters on which shareholders have the right to vote as well as the minimum shareholder vote required to approve the matter. For matters on which shareholders of a Fund or DE Trust do not have the right to vote, the Trustees may nonetheless determine to submit the matter to shareholders for approval. Where referenced below, the phrase “Majority Shareholder Vote” means the vote required by the 1940 Act, which is the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares present at the meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of a fund’s outstanding shares are present or represented by proxy; or (b) more than 50% of a fund’s outstanding shares.

 

Election and Removal of Trustees.  The shareholders of the Funds are entitled to vote, under certain circumstances, for the election and the removal of Trustees. Subject to the rights of the preferred shareholders, if any, the Trustees of the Funds are elected by a plurality vote (i.e., the nominees receiving the greatest number of votes are elected). Any Trustee of the Funds may be removed at any meeting of shareholders by a vote of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the class or classes of shares of beneficial interest that elected such Trustee.

 

With regard to the DE Trusts, Trustees are elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the DE Trust present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote at a meeting of the shareholders at which a quorum is present. Preferred shareholders, voting as a separate class, solely elect at least two Trustees by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding preferred shares. Under certain circumstances, as set forth by the Trustees in accordance with the Declaration, holders of preferred shares may elect at least a majority of the Board’s Trustees. The Declaration and By-Laws of the DE Trusts do not provide shareholders with the ability to remove Trustees.

 

Amendment of Governing Instruments.  Except as described below, the Trustees of the Funds and DE Trusts have the right to amend, from time to time, the governing instruments. For the Funds, the Trustees have the power to alter, amend or repeal the By-Laws or adopt new By-Laws, provided that By-Laws adopted by shareholders may only be altered, amended or repealed by the shareholders. For the DE Trusts, the By-Laws may be altered, amended, or repealed by the Trustees, without the vote or approval of shareholders.

 

For the Funds, shareholder approval is required to amend the Declaration, except that the Trustees may make changes necessary to comply with applicable law and to effect the provisions regarding preferred shares, and may make certain other non-material changes, such as to correct a mistake, without shareholder approval. When shareholder approval is required, the vote needed to effect an amendment is a Majority Shareholder Vote of the common shares and the preferred shares, if any, outstanding and entitled to vote, voting

as separate classes, or by an instrument in writing, without a meeting, signed by a majority of the Trustees and consented to by the holders of not less than a majority of each of such common shares and preferred shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment to the Declaration that would reduce the amount payable upon liquidation of the Funds or diminishing or eliminating shareholder voting rights pertaining thereto requires the approval of two-thirds of the class or classes of shareholders so affected. In addition, any amendment that would change or repeal the sections in the Declaration governing termination or merger of the Funds or conversion of the Funds to open-end funds requires the affirmative vote of 75% of each of the common shares and preferred shares, voting as separate classes.

 

For the DE Trusts, the Board generally may amend the Declaration without shareholder approval, except: (i) any amendment to the Declaration approved by the Board that would reduce the shareholders’ rights to indemnification requires the vote of shareholders owning at least 75% of the outstanding shares; and (ii) any amendments to the Declaration that would change shareholder voting rights, declassify the Board or change the minimum or maximum number of Trustees permitted require the affirmative vote or consent by the Board of Trustees followed by the affirmative vote or consent of shareholders owning at least 75% of the outstanding shares, unless such amendments have been previously approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of at least 662/3% of the Board of Trustees, in which case an affirmative Majority Shareholder Vote is required (the “DE Trusts’ Voting Standard”).

 

Mergers, Reorganizations, and Conversions.  The governing instruments of the Funds provide that a merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange requires the affirmative vote of not less than 662/3% of the common shares and the preferred shares, if any, outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes. If the merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange is recommended by the Trustees, the vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of the common shares and preferred shares, if any, outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes, is sufficient authorization. Conversion to an open-end company is required to be approved by at least a majority of the Trustees, including those who are not interested persons as defined in the 1940 Act, and a Majority Shareholder Vote of each of the common shares and preferred shareholders, if any, voting as separate classes. An incorporation or reorganization requires the approval of a majority of the common shares and preferred shares, if any, outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes.

 

For the DE Trusts, any such merger, consolidation, conversion, reorganization, or reclassification requires approval pursuant to the DE Trusts’ Voting Standard. The vote required is in addition to the vote or consent of shareholders otherwise required by law or by the terms of any class of preferred shares or any agreement between the Trust and any national securities exchange.

 

Principal Shareholder Transactions.  The Target Funds require a vote or consent of 75% of the common shares or preferred shares, if any, outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes, where a principal shareholder of a fund (i.e., any corporation, person or other entity which is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 5% of the fund’s outstanding shares) is the party to certain transactions.

 

The Acquiring Fund requires a vote or consent of 662/3% of the common or preferred shares outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes, where a principal shareholder (i.e., any corporation, person or other entity which is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 5% of the outstanding shares) is the party to certain transactions.

 

The DE Trusts require a vote pursuant to the DE Trusts’ Voting Standard for certain principal shareholder transactions. The vote required is in addition to the vote or consent of shareholders otherwise required by law or by the terms of any class of preferred shares or any agreement between the Trust and any national securities exchange.

 

Termination of a Trust.  With respect to the Funds, the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the common shares and preferred shares, if any, outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes, at any meeting of shareholders, or by an instrument in writing, without a meeting, signed by a majority of the Trustees and consented to by the holders of not less than 75% of each of such common shares and preferred shares, is required for termination of a Fund.

 

The DE Trusts may be dissolved upon a vote pursuant to the DE Trusts’ Voting Standard. The vote required is in addition to the vote or consent of shareholders otherwise required by law or by the terms of any class of preferred shares or any agreement between a DE Trust and any national securities exchange. In addition, to spare shareholders the expense of a shareholder meeting in connection with the dissolution of a Fund, if the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the Board approves the dissolution, shareholder approval is not required.

 

Liability of Shareholders.  The Massachusetts statute governing business trusts does not include an express provision relating to the limitation of liability of the shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust. However, the Declarations for the Funds provide that no shareholder will be personally liable in connection with the acts, obligations or affairs of the Funds. Consistent with Section 3803 of the Delaware Act, the Declarations of the DE Trusts generally provide that shareholders will not be subject to personal liability for the acts or obligations of the DE Trust.

 

Liability of Trustees and Officers.  Consistent with the 1940 Act, the governing instruments for both the DE Trusts and the Funds generally provide that no Trustee or officer of a DE Trust and no Trustee, officer, employee or agent of a Fund is subject to any personal liability in connection with the assets or affairs of the DE Trust and the Fund and the, respectively, except for liability arising from his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office (“Disabling Conduct”).

 

Indemnification.  The Funds generally indemnify every person who is or has been a Trustee or officer of the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against all liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by them in connection with any claim,

action, suit or proceeding in which they becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of their being or having been a Trustee or officer and against amounts paid or incurred by them in the settlement thereof, except otherwise for Disabling Conduct.

 

The Trustees, officers, employees or agents of a DE Trust (“Covered Persons”) are indemnified by the DE Trust to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware Act, the By-Laws and other applicable law. The By-Laws provide that every Covered Person is indemnified by the DE Trust for expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in any proceeding to which such Covered Person is made a party or is threatened to be made a party, or is involved as a witness, by reason of the fact that such person is a Covered Person. For proceedings not by or in the right of the DE Trust (i.e., derivative lawsuits), every Covered Person is indemnified by the DE Trust for expenses actually and reasonably incurred in the investigation, defense or settlement in any proceeding to which such Covered Person is made a party or is threatened to be made a party, or is involved as a witness, by reason of the fact that such person is a Covered Person. No Covered Person is indemnified for any expenses, judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, or other liability or loss arising by reason of Disabling Conduct or for any proceedings by such Covered Person against the Trust. The termination of any proceeding by conviction, or a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, or an entry of an order of probation prior to judgment, creates a rebuttable presumption that the person engaged in Disabling Conduct.

 

A DE Trust is indemnified by any common shareholder who brings an action against the Trust for all costs, expenses, penalties, fines or other amounts arising from such action to the extent that the shareholder is not the prevailing party. The DE Trust is permitted to redeem shares of and set off against any distributions to the shareholder for such amounts liable by the shareholder to the DE Trust.

 

The laws governing Massachusetts business trusts and Delaware statutory trusts have similar effect, but they differ in certain respects. Both the Massachusetts business trust law (“MA Statute”) and the Delaware statutory trust act (“DE Statute”) permit a trust’s governing instrument to contain provisions relating to shareholder rights and removal of trustees, and provide trusts with the ability to amend or restate the trust’s governing instruments. However, the MA Statute is silent on many of the salient features of a Massachusetts business trust (a “MA Trust”) whereas the DE Statute provides guidance and offers a significant amount of operational flexibility to Delaware statutory trusts (a “DE Trust”). The DE Statute provides explicitly that the shareholders and trustees of a Delaware Trust are not liable for obligations of the trust to the same extent as under corporate law, while under the MA Statute, shareholders and trustees could potentially be liable for trust obligations. The DE Statute authorizes the trustees to take various actions without requiring shareholder approval if permitted by a Fund’s governing instruments. For example, trustees may have the power to amend the Delaware trust instrument, merge or consolidate a Fund with another entity, and to change the Delaware trust’s domicile, in each case without a shareholder vote.

 

The following is a discussion of only certain material differences between the DE Statute and MA Statute, as applicable, and is not a complete description of them. Further information about each Fund’s current trust structure is contained in such Fund’s organizational documents and in relevant state law.

 

 

THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (“Agreement”) is adopted as of this      day of          , 2012 by and among (i) each of the Invesco closed-end registered investment companies identified as a Merging Fund on Exhibit A hereto, each a Delaware statutory trust (each a “Merging Fund”); (ii) each of the Invesco closed-end registered investment companies identified as a Surviving Fund on Exhibit A hereto, each a Delaware statutory trust (each a “Surviving Fund”); and (iii) Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“IAI”). The predecessor to each Merging Fund, each a Massachusetts business trust except the predecessor to the Invesco High Yield Investment Fund, Inc., which is a Maryland corporation (each a “Predecessor Merging Fund”), and the predecessor to each Surviving Fund, each a Massachusetts business trust (each a “Predecessor Surviving Fund”), joins this agreement solely for the purposes of making the representations in paragraph 4.1 or 4.2, as applicable, and agreeing to be bound by paragraphs 5.1(a), 5.1(b), 5.1(d) and 5.1(i). Each Merging Fund and Surviving Fund are together referred to herein as the “Funds” and each Predecessor Merging Fund and Predecessor Surviving Fund are referred to individually as a “Predecessor Fund.”

 

WHEREAS, each Merging Fund and each Surviving Fund is a closed-end, registered investment company of the management type; and

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is intended to be and is adopted as a “plan of reorganization” with respect to each Merger (as defined below) within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and Treasury Regulations Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a); and

 

WHEREAS, each merger will consist of the merger of a Merging Fund into its corresponding Surviving Fund, as set forth on Exhibit A, pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, 12 Del. C. Section 3801, et seq. (the “DSTA”), and will have the consequences described in Section 1.2 below (each such transaction, a “Merger” and collectively, the “Mergers”); and

 

WHEREAS, a condition precedent to each Merger is the redomestication of the Predecessor Merging Fund and the Predecessor Surviving Fund from a Massachusetts business trust or Maryland corporation, as applicable, to a Delaware statutory trust, which will include the transfer of all of the Predecessor Fund’s assets and assumption of all of the Predecessor Fund’s liabilities by the applicable Fund in exchange for the issuance by such Fund to the Predecessor Fund of shares of beneficial interest of the Fund and the distribution of those shares to the Predecessor Fund’s shareholders (each a “Redomestication”);

 

WHEREAS, the Boards of Trustees of each Surviving Fund and of each Merging Fund have determined that the Merger is in the best interests of the Surviving Fund and the Merging Fund, respectively, and the interests of the shareholders of the Surviving Fund and the Merging Fund will not be diluted as a result of the Merger;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth, and intending to be legally bound, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:

 

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE MERGERS

 

1.1. It is the intention of the parties hereto that each Merger described herein shall be conducted separately from the others, and a party that is not a party to a Merger shall incur no obligations, duties or liabilities, nor make any representations, warranties or covenants, with respect to such Merger by reason of being a party to this Agreement. If any one or more Mergers should fail to be consummated, such failure shall not affect the other Mergers in any way.

 

1.2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth and on the basis of the representations and warranties contained herein, with respect to each Merging Fund and its corresponding Surviving Fund, at the Closing Time (as defined below), the Merging Fund shall be merged with and into the Surviving Fund, the separate existence of the Merging Fund as a Delaware Statutory Trust and registered investment company shall cease, and the Surviving Fund will be the surviving entity for all purposes, including accounting purposes and for purposes of presenting investment performance history.

 

1.3. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, on the Closing Date (as defined below), the applicable parties shall cause the Merger to be consummated by filing a certificate of merger (a “Certificate of Merger”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with Section 3815 of the DSTA. The Merger shall become effective at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time, as shall be specified in a Certificate of Merger duly filed with the Secretary of the State of Delaware, or at such later date or time as the parties shall agree and specify in the Certificate of Merger (the “Closing Time”).

 

1.4. As a result of operation of the applicable provisions of the DSTA, the following events occur simultaneously at the Closing Time, except as otherwise provided herein:

 

(a) all of the assets, property, goodwill, rights, privileges, powers and franchises of the Merging Fund, including, without limitation, all cash, securities, commodities and futures interests, claims (whether absolute or contingent, known or unknown, accrued or unaccrued and including, without limitation, any interest in pending or future legal claims in connection with past or present portfolio holdings, whether in the form of class action claims, opt-out or other direct litigation claims, or regulator or government-established investor recovery fund claims, and any and all resulting recoveries), dividends or interest receivable, deferred or prepaid expenses shown as an asset on the books of the Merging Fund on the Closing Date, goodwill, contractual rights,

originals or copies of all books and records of the Merging Fund and all intangible property that is owned by the Merging Fund (collectively, the “Merging Fund Assets”) shall vest in the Surviving Fund, and all of the liabilities, debts, obligations, restrictions and duties of the Merging Fund (whether known or unknown, absolute or contingent, accrued or unaccrued and including, without limitation, any liabilities of the Merging Fund to indemnify the trustees or officers of the Merging Fund or any other persons under the Merging Fund’s Declaration of Trust or otherwise, and including all liabilities, debts, obligations, restrictions and duties of the Predecessor Fund assumed by the Merging Fund pursuant to the Redomestication) (collectively, the “Merging Fund Liabilities”) shall become the liabilities, debts, obligations, restrictions and duties of the Surviving Fund;

 

(b) Merging Fund common shares of beneficial interest (the “Merging Fund Common Shares”) shall be converted into Surviving Fund common shares of beneficial interest (the “Surviving Fund Common Shares”) and Merging Fund preferred shares of beneficial interest, if any (the “Merging Fund Preferred Shares”), shall be converted into Surviving Fund preferred shares of beneficial interest (the “Surviving Fund Preferred Shares”). Prior to the Closing Time or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Surviving Fund will open shareholder accounts on the share ledger records of the Surviving Fund in the names of and in the amounts due to the shareholders of the Merging Fund Common Shares and Merging Fund Preferred Shares (if any) based on their respective holdings in the Merging Fund as of the close of business on the Valuation Date, as more fully described in Section 3 below;

 

(c) At the Closing Time, the agreement and declaration of trust and bylaws of the Surviving Fund in effect immediately prior to the Closing Time shall continue to be the agreement and declaration of trust and bylaws of the Surviving Fund, until and unless thereafter amended in accordance with their respective terms;

 

(d) From and after the Closing Time, the trustees and officers of the Surviving Fund shall continue to be the trustees and officers of the combined Merging Fund and Surviving Fund, and such trustees and officers shall serve for such terms as are provided in the agreement and declaration of trust and the bylaws of the Surviving Fund; and

 

(e) From and after the Closing Time, the Surviving Fund’s investment objectives, strategies, policies and restrictions shall continue to be the investment objectives, strategies, policies and restrictions of the combined Merging Fund and Surviving Fund.

 

2. VALUATION

 

2.1. Computations of value in connection with the Closing (as defined below) of each Merger shall be as of immediately after the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), which shall reflect the declaration of any dividends, on the business day immediately preceding the Closing Date (the “Valuation Date”).

 

2.2. All computations of value of the Merging Fund, the Merging Fund Common Shares, the Merging Fund Preferred Shares (if any), the Merging Fund Assets and the Merging Fund Liabilities shall be made using the Merging Fund’s valuation procedures established by the Merging Fund’s Board of Trustees. All computations of value of the Surviving Fund, the Surviving Fund Common Shares, the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares (if any) and the Surviving Fund’s assets and liabilities shall be made using the Surviving Fund’s valuation procedures established by the Surviving Fund’s Board of Trustees.

 

3. CLOSING AND CLOSING DATE

 

3.1. Each Merger shall close on          , 2012 or such other date as the parties may agree with respect to any or all Mergers (the “Closing Date”). All acts taking place at the closing of a Merger (the “Closing”) shall be deemed to take place simultaneously as of the Closing Time unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. In the event that on the Valuation Date or the Closing Date (a) the NYSE or another primary trading market for portfolio securities of the Merging Fund (each, an “Exchange”) shall be closed to trading or trading thereupon shall be restricted, or (b) trading or the reporting of trading on such Exchange or elsewhere shall be disrupted so that, in the judgment of the Board of Trustees of the Merging Fund or the corresponding Surviving Fund or the authorized officers of either of such entities, accurate appraisal of the value of the net assets of the Surviving Fund or the Merging Fund, respectively, is impracticable, the Closing Date shall be postponed until the first business day after the day when trading shall have been fully resumed and reporting shall have been restored.

 

3.2. With respect to each Merger:

 

(a) The Merging Fund’s portfolio securities, investments or other assets that are represented by a certificate or other written instrument shall be transferred and delivered by the Merging Fund as of the Closing Date, or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter, to the Surviving Fund’s custodian for the account of the Surviving Fund, duly endorsed in proper form for transfer and in such condition as to constitute good delivery thereof.

 

(b) No later than the Closing, the Merging Fund shall provide the Surviving Fund or its transfer agent with the names, addresses, dividend reinvestment elections and tax withholding status of the Merging Fund shareholders as of the Valuation Date and the information and documentation maintained by the Merging Fund or its agents relating to the identification and verification of the Merging Fund shareholders under the USA PATRIOT Act and other applicable anti-money laundering laws, rules and regulations and such other information as the Surviving Fund may reasonably request. The Surviving Fund and its transfer agent shall have no obligation to inquire as to the validity, propriety or correctness of any such instruction, information or documentation, but shall, in each case, assume that such instruction, information or documentation is valid, proper, correct and complete.

(c) The Surviving Fund shall issue and deliver to the Merging Fund a confirmation evidencing the Surviving Fund Common Shares and Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, if any, to be credited on the Closing Date, or provide other evidence satisfactory to the Merging Fund that such shares have been credited to the Merging Fund shareholders’ accounts on the books of the Surviving Fund.

 

(d) Surviving Fund Common Shares of an aggregate net asset value equal to the aggregate net asset value of the Merging Fund Common Shares shall be issued by the Surviving Fund to the holders of the Merging Fund Common Shares in exchange for all of the Merging Fund Common Shares. The aggregate net asset value of such shares shall be determined as set forth in Section 2 above.

 

(e) Surviving Fund Preferred Shares of an aggregate liquidation preference equal to the aggregate liquidation preference of the Merging Fund Preferred Shares shall be issued by the Surviving Fund to the holders of the Merging Fund Preferred Shares, if any, in exchange for all of the Merging Fund Preferred Shares. The terms of the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares shall be substantially the same as the terms of the Merging Fund Preferred Shares.

 

(f) The Surviving Fund shall not issue certificates representing Surviving Fund Common Shares in connection with the Merger. Any certificates representing ownership of Merging Fund Common Shares that remain outstanding at the Closing Time shall be deemed to be cancelled by operation of law and shall no longer evidence ownership of the Merging Fund or its shares.

 

4. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

4.1. Each Merging Fund and Predecessor Merging Fund represents and warrants to the corresponding Surviving Fund as follows:

 

(a) The Merging Fund is duly formed as a statutory trust, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with power under its agreement and declaration of trust and bylaws (“Governing Documents”), to own all of its Merging Fund Assets, to carry on its business as it is now being conducted and to enter into this Agreement and perform its obligations hereunder;

 

(b) The Merging Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), as a closed-end management investment company, and such registration has not been revoked or rescinded and is in full force and effect;

 

(c) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court, governmental authority, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any stock exchange on which shares of the Merging Fund are listed is required for the consummation by the Merging Fund of the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been or will be obtained (at or prior to the Closing Time);

 

(d) The Merging Fund is not obligated under any provision of its Governing Documents and is not a party to any contract or other commitment or obligation, and is not subject to any order or decree, which would be violated by its execution or performance under this Agreement, except insofar as the Funds have mutually agreed to amend such contract or other commitment or obligation to cure any potential violation as a condition precedent to the Merger;

 

(e) The Merging Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Common Shares and an unlimited number of Preferred Shares and all of the issued and outstanding shares of beneficial interest of the Merging Fund are, and on the Closing Date will be, duly authorized and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and non-assessable by the Merging Fund and no shareholder of the Merging Fund will have any preemptive right of subscription or purchase in respect thereof and, in every state where offered or sold, such offers and sales by the Merging Fund have been in compliance in all material respects with applicable registration and/or notice requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) and state and District of Columbia securities laws;

 

(f) Except as otherwise disclosed to and accepted by or on behalf of the Surviving Fund, the Merging Fund will on the Closing Date have good title to the Merging Fund Assets and have full right, power and authority to sell, assign, transfer and deliver such Merging Fund Assets free of adverse claims, including any liens or other encumbrances, and upon delivery and payment for such Merging Fund Assets, the Surviving Fund will acquire good title thereto, free of adverse claims and subject to no restrictions on the full transfer thereof, including, without limitation, such restrictions as might arise under the 1933 Act, provided that the Surviving Fund will acquire Merging Fund Assets that are segregated as collateral for the Merging Fund’s derivative positions, including, without limitation, as collateral for swap positions and as margin for futures positions, subject to such segregation and liens that apply to such Merging Fund Assets;

 

(g) The financial statements of the Merging Fund for the Merging Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year have been audited by the independent registered public accounting firm appointed by the Merging Fund’s Board of Trustees. Such statements, as well as the unaudited, semi-annual financial statements for the semi-annual period next succeeding the Merging Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, if any, were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) consistently applied, and such statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition of the Merging Fund as of such date in accordance with GAAP;

 

(h) The Merging Fund has no known liabilities of a material nature, contingent or otherwise, other than those shown as belonging to it on its statement of assets and liabilities as of the Merging Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year or half-year and those incurred in the ordinary course of the Merging Fund’s business as an investment company since such date;

(i) There are no material legal, administrative or other proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Merging Fund, threatened against the Merging Fund which assert liability or which may, if successfully prosecuted to their conclusion, result in liability on the part of the Merging Fund, other than as have been disclosed to the Surviving Fund;

 

(j) The registration statement filed by the Surviving Fund on Form N-14, which includes, among other things, a proxy statement of the Merging Fund and a prospectus of the Surviving Fund with respect to the transactions contemplated herein (including the statement of additional information incorporated by reference therein, the “Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus”), and any supplement or amendment thereto or to the documents included or incorporated by reference therein (collectively, as so amended or supplemented, the “N-14 Registration Statement”), on its effective date, at the time of the shareholders meeting called to vote on the proposals set forth in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and on the Closing Date, insofar as it relates to the Merging Fund, (i) complied or will comply in all material respects with the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (ii) did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as of its date, at the time of the shareholders meeting called to vote on the proposals set forth therein and on the Closing Date, insofar as it relates to the Merging Fund, (i) complied or will comply in all material respects with the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and (ii) did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the representations and warranties in this subsection shall apply only to statements in or omissions from the N-14 Registration Statement or the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished by the Merging Fund for use in the N-14 Registration Statement or the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

 

(k) On the Closing Date, all material Returns (as defined below) of the Merging Fund required by law to have been filed by such date (including any extensions) shall have been filed and are or will be true, correct and complete in all material respects, and all Taxes (as defined below) shown as due or claimed to be due by any government entity shall have been paid or provision has been made for the payment thereof. To the Merging Fund’s knowledge, no such Return is currently under audit by any federal, state, local or foreign Tax authority; no assessment has been asserted with respect to such Returns; there are no levies, liens or other encumbrances on the Merging Fund or its assets resulting from the non-payment of any Taxes; no waivers of the time to assess any such Taxes are outstanding nor are any written requests for such waivers pending; and adequate provision has been made in the Merging Fund financial statements for all Taxes in respect of all periods ended on or before the date of such financial statements. As used in this Agreement, “Tax” or “Taxes” means any tax, governmental fee or other like assessment or charge of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, withholding on amounts paid to or by any person), together with any interest, penalty, addition to tax or additional amount imposed by any governmental authority (domestic or foreign) responsible for the imposition of any such tax. “Return” means reports, returns, information returns, elections, agreements, declarations, or other documents of any nature or kind (including any attached schedules, supplements and additional or supporting material) filed or required to be filed with respect to Taxes, including any claim for refund, amended return or declaration of estimated Taxes (and including any amendments with respect thereto);

 

(l) The Merging Fund has elected to be a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of the Code and is a fund that is treated as a separate corporation under Section 851(g) of the Code. The Merging Fund has qualified for treatment as a regulated investment company for each taxable year since inception that has ended prior to the Closing Date and will have satisfied the requirements of Part I of Subchapter M of the Code to maintain such qualification for the period beginning on the first day of its current taxable year and ending on the Closing Date. The Merging Fund has no earnings or profits accumulated in any taxable year in which the provisions of Subchapter M of the Code did not apply to it. In order to (A) ensure continued qualification of the Merging Fund for treatment as a regulated investment company for tax purposes and (B) eliminate any tax liability of the Merging Fund arising by reason of undistributed investment company taxable income or net capital gain, the Merging Fund, before the Closing Date, will declare on or prior to the Valuation Date to the shareholders of the Merging Fund a dividend or dividends that, together with all previous such dividends, shall have the effect of distributing (i) all of Merging Fund’s investment company taxable income for the taxable year ended prior to the Closing Date and substantially all of such investment company taxable income for the final taxable year ending on the Closing Date (in each case determined without regard to any deductions for dividends paid); (ii) all of Merging Fund’s net capital gain recognized in its taxable year ended prior to the Closing Date and substantially all of any such net capital gain recognized in such final taxable year (in each case after reduction for any capital loss carryover); and (iii) at least 90 percent of the excess, if any, of the Merging Fund’s interest income excludible from gross income under Section 103(a) of the Code over its deductions disallowed under Sections 265 and 171(a)(2) of the Code for the taxable year prior to the Closing Date and at least 90 percent of such net tax-exempt income for such final taxable year;

 

(m) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will have been duly authorized prior to the Closing Date by all necessary action, if any, on the part of the Board of Trustees of the Merging Fund and, subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Funds and the due authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by IAI, this Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Merging Fund enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles;

(n) All of the issued and outstanding Merging Fund Common Shares were offered for sale and sold in conformity with all applicable federal and state securities laws.

 

(o) The books and records of the Merging Fund are true and correct in all material respects and contain no material omissions with respect to information required to be maintained under the laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Merging Fund;

 

(p) The Merging Fund is not under the jurisdiction of a court in a Title 11 or similar case within the meaning of Section 368(a)(3)(A) of the Code;

 

(q) The Merging Fund has no unamortized or unpaid organizational fees or expenses; and

 

(r) There are no material contracts outstanding to which the Merging Fund is a party that have not been disclosed in the N-14 Registration Statement or that will not otherwise be disclosed to the Surviving Fund prior to the Closing Time.

 

4.2. Each Surviving Fund and Predecessor Surviving Fund represents and warrants to the corresponding Merging Fund as follows:

 

(a) The Surviving Fund is duly formed as a statutory trust, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power under its agreement and declaration of trust, as amended (the “Agreement and Declaration of Trust”), to own all of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being, and as it is contemplated to be, conducted, and to enter into this Agreement and perform its obligations hereunder;

 

(b) The Surviving Fund is registered under the 1940 Act as a closed-end management investment company, and such registration has not been revoked or rescinded and is in full force and effect;

 

(c) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court, governmental authority, FINRA or any stock exchange on which shares of the Surviving Fund are listed is required for the consummation by the Surviving Fund of the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been or will be obtained (at or prior to the Closing Time);

 

(d) The financial statements of the Surviving Fund for the Surviving Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year have been audited by the independent registered public accounting firm appointed by the Surviving Fund’s Board of Trustees. Such statements, as well as the unaudited, semi-annual financial statements for the semi-annual period next succeeding the Surviving Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, if any, were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, and such statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition of the Surviving Fund as of such date in accordance with GAAP;

 

(e) The Surviving Fund has no known liabilities of a material nature, contingent or otherwise, other than those shown as belonging to it on its statement of assets and liabilities as of the Surviving Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year or half-year and those incurred in the ordinary course of the Surviving Fund’s business as an investment company since such date;

 

(f) There are no material legal, administrative or other proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of Surviving Fund, threatened against Surviving Fund which assert liability or which may, if successfully prosecuted to their conclusion, result in liability on the part of Surviving Fund, other than as have been disclosed to the Merging Fund;

 

(g) The N-14 Registration Statement, on its effective date, at the time of the shareholders meeting called to vote on the proposals set forth in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and on the Closing Date, (i) complied or will comply in all material respects with the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and (ii) did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as of its date, at the time of the shareholders meeting called to vote on the proposals set forth therein and on the Closing Date (i) complied or will comply in all material respects with the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and regulations thereunder and (ii) did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the N-14 Registration Statement or the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished by the Merging Fund for use in the N-14 Registration Statement or the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus;

 

(h) On the Closing Date, all material Returns of the Surviving Fund required by law to have been filed by such date (including any extensions) shall have been filed and are or will be true, correct and complete in all material respects, and all Taxes shown as due or claimed to be due by any government entity shall have been paid or provision has been made for the payment thereof. To the Surviving Fund’s knowledge, no such Return is currently under audit by any federal, state, local or foreign Tax authority; no assessment has been asserted with respect to such Returns; there are no levies, liens or other encumbrances on the Surviving Fund or its assets resulting from the non-payment of any Taxes; and no waivers of the time to assess any such Taxes are outstanding nor are any written requests for such waivers pending; and adequate provision has been made in the Surviving Fund financial statements for all Taxes in respect of all periods ended on or before the date of such financial statements;

 

(i) The Surviving Fund has elected to be a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and is a fund that is treated as a separate corporation under Section 851(g) of the Code. The Surviving Fund has qualified for treatment as a regulated investment company for each taxable year since inception that has ended prior to the Closing Date and will have satisfied the

requirements of Part I of Subchapter M of the Code to maintain such qualification for the period beginning on the first day of its current taxable year and ending on the Closing Date. The Surviving Fund has no earnings or profits accumulated in any taxable year in which the provisions of Subchapter M of the Code did not apply to it;

 

(j) All issued and outstanding Surviving Fund shares are, and on the Closing Date will be, duly authorized and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and non-assessable by the Surviving Fund and, in every state where offered or sold, such offers and sales by the Surviving Fund have been in compliance in all material respects with applicable registration and/or notice requirements of the 1933 Act and state and District of Columbia securities laws or exemptions therefrom, and there will be a sufficient number of such shares registered under the 1933 Act or exempt from such registration and, as may be necessary, with applicable state securities commissions, to permit the issuances contemplated by this Agreement to be consummated;

 

(k) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will have been duly authorized prior to the Closing Date by all necessary action, if any, on the part of the Board of Trustees of the Surviving Fund and subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Funds and the due authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by IAI, this Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Surviving Fund enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles;

 

(l) The Surviving Fund Common Shares and Surviving Fund Preferred Shares (if any) to be issued and delivered to the Merging Fund, for the account of the Merging Fund shareholders, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, will on the Closing Date have been duly authorized and, when so issued and delivered, will be duly and validly issued shares of the Surviving Fund, and will be fully paid and non-assessable by the Surviving Fund and no shareholder of the Surviving Fund will have any preemptive right of subscription or purchase in respect thereof;

 

(m) The books and records of the Surviving Fund are true and correct in all material respects and contain no material omissions with respect to information required to be maintained under the laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Surviving Fund;

 

(n) The Surviving Fund is not under the jurisdiction of a court in a Title 11 or similar case within the meaning of Section 368(a)(3)(A) of the Code; and

 

(o) The Surviving Fund has no unamortized or unpaid organizational fees or expenses for which it does not expect to be reimbursed by Invesco or its affiliates.

 

5. COVENANTS OF THE SURVIVING FUND AND THE MERGING FUND

 

5.1. With respect to each Merger:

 

(a) The Surviving Fund, the Merging Fund and the corresponding Predecessor Funds each: (i) will operate its business in the ordinary course and substantially in accordance with past practices between the date hereof and the Closing Date for the Merger, it being understood that such ordinary course of business may include the declaration and payment of customary dividends and distributions, and any other distribution that may be advisable, and (ii) shall use its reasonable best efforts to preserve intact its business organization and material assets and maintain the rights, franchises and business and customer relations necessary to conduct the business operations of the Surviving Fund, the Merging Fund or the corresponding Predecessor Fund, as appropriate, in the ordinary course in all material respects.

 

(b) Each Fund and Predecessor Fund agrees to mail to its shareholders of record entitled to vote at the meeting of shareholders at which action is to be considered regarding this Agreement, in sufficient time to comply with requirements as to notice thereof, the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus applicable to such Fund, to call a meeting of such shareholders and to take all other action necessary to obtain approval of the transactions contemplated herein.

 

(c) The Merging Fund will provide the Surviving Fund with (1) a statement of the respective tax basis and holding period of all investments to be transferred by the Merging Fund to the Surviving Fund, (2) a copy (which may be in electronic form) of the shareholder ledger accounts including, without limitation, the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each shareholder of record, the number of shares of beneficial interest held by each shareholder, the dividend reinvestment elections applicable to each shareholder, and the backup withholding and nonresident alien withholding certifications, notices or records on file with the Merging Fund with respect to each shareholder, for all of the shareholders of record of the Merging Fund as of the close of business on the Valuation Date, who are to become holders of the Surviving Fund as a result of the transfer of Merging Fund Assets, certified by its transfer agent or its President or Vice-President to the best of their knowledge and belief, (3) the tax books and records of the Merging Fund for purposes of preparing any Returns required by law to be filed for tax periods ending after the Closing Date, and (4) if reasonably requested by the Surviving Fund in writing, all FASB ASC 740-10-25 (formerly FIN 48) work papers and supporting statements pertaining to the Merging Fund. The foregoing information to be provided within such timeframes as is mutually agreed by the parties. The Merging Fund agrees to cooperate with the Surviving Fund in filing any Return, amended return or claim for refund, determining a liability for taxes or a right to a refund of taxes or participating in or conducting any audit or other proceeding in respect of taxes. The Merging Fund agrees to retain for a period of seven (7) years following the Closing Date all

Returns and work papers and all material records or other documents relating to tax matters for taxable periods ending on or before the Closing Date.

 

(d) Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Surviving Fund, the Merging Fund and the corresponding Predecessor Funds will each take, or cause to be taken, all action, and do or cause to be done all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(e) It is the intention of the parties that each Merger will qualify as a reorganization with the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(A) of the Code. None of the parties to a Merger shall take any action or cause any action to be taken (including, without limitation the filing of any tax Return) that is inconsistent with such treatment or results in the failure of such Merger to qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(A) of the Code.

 

(f) Any reporting responsibility of the Merging Fund, including, but not limited to, the responsibility for filing regulatory reports, tax Returns relating to tax periods ending on or prior to the Closing Date (whether due before or after the Closing Date), or other documents with the SEC, any state securities commission, and any federal, state or local tax authorities or any other relevant regulatory authority, is and shall remain the responsibility of the Merging Fund, except as otherwise is mutually agreed by the parties.

 

(g) The Merging Fund undertakes that if the Merger is consummated, it will file an application pursuant to Section 8(f) of the 1940 Act for an order declaring that the Merging Fund has ceased to be a registered investment company.

 

(h) The Surviving Fund and Predecessor Surviving Fund shall use their reasonable best efforts to cause the Surviving Fund Common Shares to be issued in the Merger to be approved for listing on each of the stock exchanges on which the corresponding Merging Fund Common Shares are listed.

 

(i) If the Merging Fund has outstanding Merging Fund Preferred Shares, the Surviving Fund shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain a rating on the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares from at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) and include in its governing documents terms relating to the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares that are either substantially the same as such terms included in the Governing Documents of the Merging Fund in respect of the Merging Fund Preferred Shares or substantially the same as such terms included in the Merging Fund Governing Documents except for such changes as required by any NRSRO rating the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, prior to the Closing.

 

(j) If the Merging Fund has outstanding Merging Fund Preferred Shares or the Surviving Fund has outstanding Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, the combined Merging Fund and Surviving Fund will satisfy all of its obligations set forth in the Surviving Fund’s declaration of trust, statement of preferences of the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, registration rights agreement relating to the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares and the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares certificate (including, without limitation, satisfaction of the effective leverage ratio and minimum asset coverage covenants set forth in its statement of preferences) immediately after Closing.

 

(k) If the Merging Fund has outstanding Merging Fund Preferred Shares or the Surviving Fund has outstanding Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, immediately after closing the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares shall be rated at least AA-/Aa3 by each rating agency rating, at the request of the Surviving Fund, the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares.

 

6. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE MERGING FUND

 

6.1. With respect to each Merger, the obligations of the Merging Fund to consummate the transactions provided for herein shall be subject, at the Merging Fund’s election, to the performance by the Surviving Fund of all of the obligations to be performed by it hereunder on or before the Closing Time, and, in addition thereto, the following conditions:

 

(a) All representations and warranties of the Surviving Fund and the Predecessor Surviving Fund contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof and, except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as of the Closing Date, with the same force and effect as if made on and as of the Closing Date;

 

(b) The Surviving Fund shall have delivered to the Merging Fund on the Closing Date a certificate executed in its name by its President or Vice President and Treasurer, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Merging Fund and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the representations and warranties of or with respect to the Surviving Fund and the Predecessor Surviving Fund made in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date, except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(c) The Surviving Fund and the Predecessor Surviving Fund shall have performed all of the covenants and complied with all of the provisions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Surviving Fund and the Predecessor Surviving Fund, on or before the Closing Date;

 

(d) If the Merging Fund has outstanding Merging Fund Preferred Shares, the Surviving Fund shall have amended its governing documents to include terms relating to the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares that are either substantially identical to such terms included in the Governing Documents of the Merging Fund in respect of the Merging Fund Preferred Shares or substantially identical to such terms included in the Merging Fund Governing Documents except for such changes as required by any NRSRO

rating the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, and shall have obtained a rating on the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares from at least one NRSRO;

 

(e) If the Surviving Fund has outstanding Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, immediately prior to Closing, the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares shall be rated at least AA-/Aa3 by each rating agency rating, at the request of the Surviving Fund; the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares; and

 

(f) If the Surviving Fund has outstanding Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, the Surviving Fund shall have satisfied all of its obligations set forth in its declaration of trust, statement of preferences of the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, registration rights agreement relating to the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares and the Surviving Fund Preferred Shares certificate (including, without limitation, satisfaction of the effective leverage ratio and minimum asset coverage covenants set forth in its statement of preferences) immediately prior to Closing.

 

7. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE SURVIVING FUND

 

7.1. With respect to each Merger, the obligations of the Surviving Fund to consummate the transactions provided for herein shall be subject, at the Surviving Fund’s election, to the performance by the Merging Fund of all of the obligations to be performed by it hereunder on or before the Closing Date and, in addition thereto, the following conditions:

 

(a) All representations and warranties of the Merging Fund and the Predecessor Merging Fund contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof and, except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as of the Closing Date, with the same force and effect as if made on and as of the Closing Date;

 

(b) The Merging Fund shall have delivered an unaudited statement of assets and liabilities and an unaudited schedule of investments as of the Valuation Date (together the “Closing Financial Statements”) for the purpose of determining the number of Surviving Fund Common Shares and the number of Surviving Fund Preferred Shares, if any, to be issued to the Merging Fund’s common shareholders and preferred shareholders, if any, and the Closing Financial Statements will fairly present the financial position of the Merging Fund as of the Valuation Date in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis;

 

(c) The Merging Fund shall have delivered to the Surviving Fund on the Closing Date a certificate executed in its name by its President or Vice President and Treasurer, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Surviving Fund and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the representations and warranties of or with respect to the Merging Fund and the Predecessor Merging Fund made in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date, except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(d) The Merging Fund and the Predecessor Merging Fund shall have performed all of the covenants and complied with all of the provisions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Merging Fund and the Predecessor Merging Fund, on or before the Closing Date;

 

(e) The Merging Fund shall have declared and paid or cause to be paid a distribution or distributions prior to the Closing that, together with all previous distributions, shall have the effect of distributing to its shareholders (i) all of Merging Fund’s investment company taxable income for the taxable year ended prior to the Closing Date and substantially all of such investment company taxable income for the final taxable year ending on the Closing Date (in each case determined without regard to any deductions for dividends paid); (ii) all of Merging Fund’s net capital gain recognized in its taxable year ended prior to the Closing Date and substantially all of any such net capital gain recognized in such final taxable year (in each case after reduction for any capital loss carryover); and (iii) at least 90 percent of the excess, if any, of the Merging Fund’s interest income excludible from gross income under Section 103(a) of the Code over its deductions disallowed under Sections 265 and 171(a)(2) of the Code for the taxable year prior to the Closing Date and at least 90 percent of such net tax-exempt income for such final taxable year; and

 

(f) If the Merging Fund has outstanding Merging Fund Preferred Shares, the Merging Fund shall have satisfied all of its obligations set forth in its declaration of trust, statement of preferences of the Merging Fund Preferred Shares, registration rights agreement relating to the Merging Fund Preferred Shares and the Merging Fund Preferred Shares certificate (including, without limitation, satisfaction of the effective leverage ratio and minimum asset coverage covenants set forth in its statement of preferences) immediately prior to Closing.

 

 

With respect to each Merger, if any of the conditions set forth below have not been satisfied on or before the Closing Date with respect to the Merging Fund or the Surviving Fund, the Merging Fund or the Surviving Fund, respectively, shall, at its option, not be required to consummate the transactions contemplated for such Merger by this Agreement:

 

8.1. The Agreement shall have been approved by the requisite vote of the holders of the outstanding Common Shares and Preferred Shares of each Fund, as set forth in the N-14 Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, neither the Merging Fund nor the Surviving Fund may waive the conditions set forth in this Section 8.1;

8.2. On the Closing Date, no action, suit or other proceeding shall be pending or, to the Merging Fund’s or the Surviving Fund’s knowledge, threatened before any court or governmental agency in which it is sought to restrain or prohibit, or obtain damages or other relief in connection with, this Agreement, the transactions contemplated herein;

 

8.3. All consents of other parties and all other consents, orders and permits of federal, state and local regulatory authorities and national securities exchanges for purposes of listing shares of the Funds, deemed necessary by the Surviving Fund or the Merging Fund to permit consummation, in all material respects, of the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been obtained, except where failure to obtain any such consent, order or permit would not involve a risk of a material adverse effect on the assets or properties of the Surviving Fund or the Merging Fund, provided that either party hereto may for itself waive any of such conditions;

 

8.4. The N-14 Registration Statement shall have become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop orders suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been issued and, to the best knowledge of the parties hereto, no investigation or proceeding for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending, threatened or known to be contemplated under the 1933 Act; and

 

8.5. The Merging Fund and the Surviving Fund shall have received on or before the Closing Date an opinion of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP (“Stradley Ronon”) in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Merging Fund and the Surviving Fund, as to the matters set forth on Schedule 8.5. In rendering such opinion, Stradley Ronon may request and rely upon representations contained in certificates of officers of the Merging Fund, the Surviving Fund, IAI and others, and the officers of the Merging Fund, the Surviving Fund and IAI shall use their best efforts to make available such truthful certificates.

 

8.6. If the Merging Fund has outstanding Merging Fund Preferred Shares, the Merging Fund and the Surviving Fund shall have received on or before the Closing Date an opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (“Skadden”) in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Merging Fund and the Surviving Fund, as to the matters set forth on Schedule 8.6. In rendering such opinion, Skadden may request and rely upon representations contained in certificates of officers of the Merging Fund, the Surviving Fund, IAI and others, and the officers of the Merging Fund, the Surviving Fund and IAI shall use their best efforts to make available such truthful certificates.

 

8.7. The shareholders of each of the Merging Fund and the Surviving Fund shall have approved the Redomestication of such fund to a Delaware statutory trust, as described in the proxy materials related to such Redomestication (including the N-14 Registration Statement), and each such Redomestication shall have been consummated.

 

9. FEES AND EXPENSES

 

9.1. Each Fund will bear its expenses relating to its Merger provided that 1) the Fund is expected to recoup those costs within 24 months following the Merger as a result of reduced total annual fund operating expenses based on estimates prepared by the Adviser and discussed with the Board and 2) the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses did not exceed the expense limit under the expense limitation arrangement in place with IAI at the time such expenses were discussed with the Board. The Fund will bear these expenses regardless of whether its Merger is consummated, subject to any expense limitation arrangement in place with IAI. IAI will bear the Merger costs of any Fund that does not meet the foregoing threshold.

 

10. FINAL TAX RETURNS AND FORMS 1099 OF MERGING FUND

 

10.1. After the Closing Date, except as otherwise agreed to by the parties, the Merging Fund shall or shall cause its agents to prepare any federal, state or local tax Returns, including any Forms 1099, required to be filed by the Merging Fund with respect to its final taxable year ending on the Closing Date and for any prior periods or taxable years and shall further cause such tax Returns and Forms 1099 to be duly filed with the appropriate taxing authorities.

 

11. ENTIRE AGREEMENT; SURVIVAL OF WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS

 

11.1. The representations, warranties and covenants of the Funds and IAI contained in this Agreement or in any document delivered pursuant hereto or in connection herewith shall not survive the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereunder; provided that the covenants to be performed after the Closing shall survive the Closing. The representations, warranties and covenants of each Predecessor Fund contained in this Agreement or in any document delivered pursuant hereto or in connection herewith shall not survive the consummation of the Redomestication of such Predecessor Fund.

 

12. TERMINATION

 

With respect to each Merger, this Agreement may be terminated and the transactions contemplated hereby may be abandoned (i) by mutual agreement of the Merging Fund and the corresponding Surviving Fund, (ii) by the Merging Fund if any condition of the Surviving Fund’s obligations set forth in this Agreement has not been fulfilled or waived by the Merging Fund, or (iii) by the Surviving Fund if any condition of the Merging Fund’s obligations set forth in this Agreement has not been fulfilled or waived by the Surviving Fund, notwithstanding approval thereof by such Funds’ shareholders, if circumstances should develop that, in such parties judgment, make proceeding with this Agreement inadvisable.

13. AMENDMENTS

 

This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented in such manner as may be mutually agreed upon in writing by the parties; provided, however, that following the approval of this Agreement by shareholders of a Merging Fund and/or its corresponding Surviving Fund, no such amendment may have the effect of changing the provisions for determining the number of Surviving Fund shares to be paid to that Merging Fund’s shareholders under this Agreement to the detriment of such Merging Fund shareholders or shall otherwise materially amend the terms of this agreement without their further approval.

 

14. HEADINGS; GOVERNING LAW; COUNTERPARTS; ASSIGNMENT; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

14.1. The Article and Section headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

14.2. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and applicable federal law, without regard to its principles of conflicts of laws.

 

14.3. This Agreement shall bind and inure with respect to each Merger to the benefit of the parties to the Merger and their respective successors and assigns, but no assignment or transfer hereof or of any rights or obligations hereunder shall be made by any such party without the written consent of the other parties to such Merger. Nothing herein expressed or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give any person, firm or corporation, other than the parties with respect to such Merger and their respective successors and assigns, any rights or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

14.4. This agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be considered an original.

 

14.5. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the parties hereunder shall not be binding upon any of their respective directors or trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents, or employees personally, but shall bind only the property of the applicable Merging Fund or the applicable Surviving Fund as provided in the Governing Documents of the Merging Fund or the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Surviving Fund, respectively. The execution and delivery by such officers shall not be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the property of such party.

 

14.6. Any notice, report, statement or demand required or permitted by any provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by fax or certified mail addressed to the Merging Fund and the Surviving Fund, each at 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30309, Attention: Secretary, fax number          .

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be approved on behalf of the Surviving Fund and Merging Fund.

 

Invesco Advisers, Inc.

 

Name:     

Title:

 

[CLOSED-END FUNDS]

 

Name:     

Title:

 

EXHIBIT A

 

CHART OF MERGERS

 

SCHEDULE 8.5

 

TAX OPINION

 

(i) The acquisition by Surviving Fund of all of the assets of Merging Fund in exchange for Surviving Fund shares and the assumption of the liabilities of Merging Fund through a statutory merger will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(A) of the Code and the Surviving Fund and Merging Fund will each be a “party to a reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code.

 

(ii) No gain or loss will be recognized by Merging Fund on the transfer of its assets to, and the assumption of Merging Fund liabilities by, Surviving Fund in exchange for Surviving Fund shares pursuant to Sections 361(a) and 357(a) of the Code.

 

(iii) No gain or loss will be recognized by Surviving Fund on the receipt of the Merging Fund assets in exchange for Surviving Fund shares and the assumption by Surviving Fund of any liabilities of Merging Fund pursuant to Section 1032(a) of the Code.

 

(iv) No gain or loss will be recognized by Merging Fund upon the distribution of Surviving Fund shares to the shareholders of Merging Fund pursuant to Section 361(c) of the Code.

 

(v) The tax basis of the Merging Fund assets received by the Surviving Fund will be the same as the tax basis of such assets in the hands of the Merging Fund immediately prior to the transfer pursuant to Section 362(b) of the Code.

 

(vi) The holding periods of the Merging Fund assets in the hands of the Surviving Fund will include the periods during which such assets were held by the Merging Fund pursuant to Section 1223(2) of the Code.

 

(vii) No gain or loss will be recognized by the shareholders of Merging Fund on the receipt of Surviving Fund shares solely in exchange for Surviving Fund shares pursuant to Section 354(a)(1) of the Code.