PLAN AND AGREEMENT OF DISTRIBUTION PURSUANT TO RULE 12b-1
PLAN AND AGREEMENT made as of _____ day of __________, 1997, by and
between INVESCO Specialty Funds, Inc., a Maryland corporation (hereinafter
called the "Company"), and INVESCO Distributors, Inc., a Delaware corporation
("INVESCO").
WHEREAS, the Company engages in business as an open-end management
investment company, and is registered as such under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the "Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to finance the distribution of the shares of
each of its six classes or series of common stock, each of which represents an
interest in a separate portfolio of investments, together with any additional
such classes or series that may hereafter be offered to the public
(individually, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"), in accordance with this
Plan and Agreement of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act (the
"Plan and Agreement"); and
WHEREAS, INVESCO desires to be retained to perform services in accordance
with such Plan and Agreement and on said terms and conditions; and
WHEREAS, this Plan and Agreement has been approved by a vote of the board
of directors of the Company, including a majority of the directors who are not
interested persons of the Company, as defined in the Act, and who have no direct
or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan and Agreement (the
"Disinterested Directors") cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on this Plan and Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company hereby adopts the Plan set forth herein and
the Company and INVESCO hereby enter into this Agreement pursuant to the Plan in
accordance with the requirements of Rule 12b-1 under the Act, and provide and
agree as follows:
1. The Plan is defined as those provisions of this document by which
the Company adopts a Plan pursuant to Rule 12b- 1 under the Act and
authorizes payments as described herein. The Agreement is defined as
those provisions of this document by which the Company retains
INVESCO to provide distribution services beyond those required by
the General Distribution Agreement between the parties, as are
described herein. The Company may retain the Plan notwithstanding
termination of the Agreement. Termination of the Plan will
automatically terminate the Agreement. Each Fund is hereby
authorized to utilize the assets of the Company to finance certain
activities in connection with distribution of the Company's shares.
2. Subject to the supervision of the board of directors, the Company
hereby retains INVESCO to promote the distribution of shares of each
of the Funds by providing services and engaging in activities beyond
those specifically required by the Distribution Agreement between
the Company and INVESCO and to provide related services. The
activities and services to be provided by INVESCO hereunder shall
include one or more of the following: (a) the payment of
compensation (including trail commissions and incentive
compensation) to securities dealers, financial institutions and
other organizations, which may include INVESCO-affiliated companies,
that render distribution and administrative services in connection
with the distribution of the shares of each of the Funds; (b) the
printing and distribution of reports and prospectuses for the use of
potential investors in each Fund; (c) the preparing and distributing
of sales literature; (d) the providing of advertising and engaging
in other promotional activities, including direct mail solicitation,
and television, radio, newspaper and other media advertisements; and
(e) the providing of such other services and activities as may from
time to time be agreed upon by the Company. Such reports and
prospectuses, sales literature, advertising and promotional
activities and other services and activities may be prepared and/or
conducted either by INVESCO's own staff, the staff of
INVESCO-affiliated companies, or third parties.
3. INVESCO hereby undertakes to use its best efforts to promote sales
of shares of each of the Funds to investors by engaging in those
activities specified in paragraph (2) above as may be necessary and
as it from time to time believes will best further sales of such
shares.
4. Each Fund is hereby authorized to expend, out of its assets, on a
monthly basis, and shall pay INVESCO to such extent, to enable
INVESCO at its discretion to engage over a rolling twelve-month
period (or the rolling twenty-four month period specified below) in
the activities and provide the services specified in paragraph (2)
above, an amount computed at an annual rate of .25 of 1% of the
average daily net assets of the Fund during the month. INVESCO
shall not be entitled hereunder to payment for overhead expenses
(overhead expenses defined as customary overhead not including the
costs of INVESCO's personnel whose primary responsibilities involve
marketing of the INVESCO Funds). Payments by a Fund hereunder, for
any month, may be used to compensate INVESCO for: (a) activities
engaged in and services provided by INVESCO during the rolling
twelve-month period in which that month falls, or (b) to the extent
permitted by applicable law, for any month during the first
twenty-four months following a Fund's commencement of operations,
activities engaged in and services provided by INVESCO during the
rolling twenty-four month period in which that month falls, and any
obligations incurred by INVESCO in excess of the limitation
described above shall not be paid for out of Fund assets. No Fund
shall be authorized to expend, for any month, a greater percentage
of its assets to pay INVESCO for activities engaged in and services
provided by INVESCO during the rolling twenty-four month period
referred to above than it would otherwise be authorized to expend
out of its assets to pay INVESCO for activities engaged in and
services provided by INVESCO during the rolling twelve-month period
referred to above, and no Fund shall be authorized to expend, for
any month, a greater percentage of its assets to pay INVESCO for
activities engaged in and services provided by INVESCO pursuant to
the Plan and Agreement than it would otherwise have been authorized
to expend out of its assets to reimburse INVESCO for expenditures
incurred by INVESCO pursuant to the Plan and Agreement as it existed
prior to February 5, 1997. No payments will be made by the Company
hereunder after the date of termination of the Plan and Agreement.
5. To the extent that obligations incurred by INVESCO out of its own
resources to finance any activity primarily intended to result in
the sale of shares of a Fund, pursuant to this Plan and Agreement or
otherwise, may be deemed to constitute the indirect use of Fund
assets, such indirect use of Fund assets is hereby authorized in
addition to, and not in lieu of, any other payments authorized under
this Plan and Agreement.
6. The Treasurer of INVESCO shall provide to the board of directors of
the Company, at least quarterly, a written report of all moneys
spent by INVESCO on the activities and services specified in
paragraph (2) above pursuant to the Plan and Agreement. Each such
report shall itemize the activities engaged in and services provided
by INVESCO to a Fund as authorized by the penultimate sentence of
paragraph (4) above. Upon request, but no less frequently than
annually, INVESCO shall provide to the board of directors of the
Company such information as may reasonably be required for it to
review the continuing appropriateness of the Plan and Agreement.
7. This Plan and Agreement shall each become effective immediately upon
approval by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Company as defined in the Act, and shall continue
in effect until February 5, 1998 unless terminated as provided
below. Thereafter, the Plan and Agreement shall continue in effect
from year to year, provided that the continuance of each is approved
at least annually by a vote of the board of directors of the
Company, including a majority of the Disinterested Directors, cast
in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
continuance. The Plan may be terminated at any time as to any Fund,
without penalty, by the vote of a majority of the Disinterested
Directors or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of that Fund. INVESCO, or the Company, by vote of a
majority of the Disinterested Directors or of the holders of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, may
terminate the Agreement under this Plan as to such Fund, without
penalty, upon 30 days' written notice to the other party. In the
event that neither INVESCO nor any affiliate of INVESCO serves the
Company as investment adviser, the agreement with INVESCO pursuant
to this Plan shall terminate at such time. The board of directors
may determine to approve a continuance of the Plan, but not a
continuance of the Agreement, hereunder.
8. So long as the Plan remains in effect, the selection and nomination
of persons to serve as directors of the Company who are not
"interested persons" of the Company shall be committed to the
discretion of the directors then in office who are not "interested
persons" of the Company. However, nothing contained herein shall
prevent the participation of other persons in the selection and
nomination process, provided that a final decision on any such
selection or nomination is within the discretion of, and approved
by, a majority of the directors of the Company then in office who
are not "interested persons" of the Company.
9. This Plan may not be amended to increase the amount to be spent by a
Fund hereunder without approval of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of that Fund. All material amendments to the Plan
and to the Agreement must be approved by the vote of the board of
directors of the Company, including a majority of the Disinterested
Directors, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such amendment.
10. To the extent that this Plan and Agreement constitutes a Plan of
Distribution adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act it shall
remain in effect as such, so as to authorize the use by each Fund of
its assets in the amounts and for the purposes set forth herein,
notwithstanding the occurrence of an "assignment," as defined by the
Act and the rules thereunder. To the extent it constitutes an
agreement with INVESCO pursuant to a plan, it shall terminate
automatically in the event of such "assignment." Upon a termination
of the agreement with INVESCO, the Funds may continue to make
payments pursuant to the Plan only upon the approval of a new
agreement under this Plan and Agreement, which may or may not be
with INVESCO, or the adoption of other arrangements regarding the
use of the amounts authorized to be paid by the Funds hereunder, by
the Company's board of directors in accordance with the procedures
set forth in paragraph 7 above.
11. The Company shall preserve copies of this Plan and Agreement and all
reports made pursuant to paragraph 6 hereof, together with minutes
of all board of directors meetings at which the adoption, amendment
or continuance of the Plan were considered (describing the factors
considered and the basis for decision), for a period of not less
than six years from the date of this Plan and Agreement, or any such
reports or minutes, as the case may be, the first two years in an
easily accessible place.
12. This Plan and Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of Colorado and applicable provisions of the Act.
To the extent the applicable laws of the State of Colorado, or any
provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the
Act, the latter shall control.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Plan and Agreement on the 5th day of February, 1997.
INVESCO SPECIALTY FUNDS, INC.
By: _________________________
▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, President
ATTEST: ________________________
▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Secretary
INVESCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
By: _________________________
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
Senior Vice President
ATTEST: ________________________
▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Secretary
