ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
The Invesco CurrencyShares® British Pound Sterling Trust (the “Trust”) is a grantor trust that was formed on June 8, 2006. The Shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “FXB” on June 26, 2006. The primary listing of the Shares was transferred to NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) on October 30, 2007. The Trust issues shares (the “Shares”) in blocks of 50,000 (a “Basket”) in exchange for deposits of British Pound Sterling and distributes British Pound Sterling in connection with the redemption of Baskets.
The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the price in USD of the British Pound Sterling plus accrued interest, if any, less the expenses of the Trust’s operations. The Shares are intended to offer investors an opportunity to participate in the market for the British Pound Sterling through an investment in securities. The Shares are intended to provide institutional and retail investors with a simple, cost-effective means of gaining investment benefits similar to those of holding the British Pound Sterling. The Shares are bought and sold on NYSE Arca like any other exchange-listed security. The Shares are backed by the assets of the Trust, which does not hold or use derivative products. The Trust is a passive investment vehicle and does not have any officers, directors or employees. The Trust does not engage in any activities designed to obtain profit from, or ameliorate losses caused by, changes in the price of the British Pound Sterling. Investing in the Shares does not insulate the investor from certain risks, including price volatility. The value of the holdings of the Trust is reported on the Trust’s website, www.invesco.com/etfs, each business day.
Change in Fiscal Year End
On January 9, 2019, Invesco Specialized Products, LLC (the "Sponsor") changed the Trust’s fiscal year from the period beginning on November 1 and ending on October 31 to the period beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31. Unless otherwise noted, all references to “years” in this report refer to the twelve-month fiscal year, which prior to November 1, 2018 ended on October 31 and beginning after December 31, 2018 ends on December 31 of each year.
The Trust
General
The Trust holds British Pound Sterling and, from time to time, issues Baskets in exchange for deposits of British Pound Sterling and distributes British Pound Sterling in connection with redemptions of Baskets. The British Pound Sterling held by the Trust will be sold only (1) if needed to pay Trust expenses, (2) in the event the Trust terminates and liquidates its assets or (3) as otherwise required by law or regulation.
The Sponsor
The Sponsor of the Trust generally oversees the performance of the Trustee and the Trust’s principal service providers. The Sponsor is Invesco Specialized Products, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. The Sponsor changed its name from Rydex Specialized Products LLC to Guggenheim Specialized Products, LLC on March 30, 2012, and subsequently changed its name to Invesco Specialized Products, LLC as of April 6, 2018.
The Trust’s only ordinary recurring expense is the Sponsor’s fee. The Sponsor is responsible for payment of the following administrative and marketing expenses of the Trust: the Trustee’s monthly fee, typical maintenance and transaction fees of the Depository, NYSE Arca listing fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and expenses, up to $100,000 per year in legal fees and expenses, and applicable license fees. The Sponsor also paid the costs of the Trust’s organization, including the applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) registration fees. The Sponsor’s fee accrues daily at an annual nominal rate of 0.40% of the British Pound Sterling in the Trust (including all unpaid interest but excluding unpaid fees, each as accrued through the immediately preceding day). The Trust incurred $536,621 for the year ended December 31, 2020 in Sponsor’s fees.
The Trustee
The Bank of New York Mellon, a banking corporation with trust powers organized under the laws of the State of New York, serves as the Trustee. The Trustee is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust, including keeping the Trust’s operational records.
Net Asset Value
The Trustee calculates, and the Sponsor publishes, the Trust’s Net Asset Value (“NAV”) each business day. To calculate the NAV, the Trustee adds to the amount of British Pounds Sterling in the Trust at the end of the preceding day accrued but unpaid interest, if any, British Pounds Sterling receivable under pending purchase orders and the value of other Trust assets, and subtracts the accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s fee, British Pounds Sterling payable under pending redemption orders and other Trust expenses and
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liabilities, if any. The NAV is expressed in U.S. Dollars (“USD”) based on the British Pound Sterling/USD exchange rate as determined by The WM Company at 4:00 PM (London time / London fixing) (the “Closing Spot Rate”) on each day that NYSE Arca is open for regular trading. If, on a particular evaluation day, the Closing Spot Rate has not been determined and announced by 6:00 PM (London time), then the most recent Closing Spot Rate is used to determine the NAV of the Trust unless the Trustee, in consultation with the Sponsor, determines that such price is inappropriate to use as the basis for the valuation.
The Trustee also determines the NAV per Share, which equals the NAV of the Trust divided by the number of outstanding Shares. The NAV of the Trust and the NAV per Share are published by the Sponsor on each day that NYSE Arca is open for regular trading and are posted on the Trust’s website, www.invesco.com/etfs.
Depository and Deposit Accounts
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., London Branch, is the Depository. The Depository maintains two deposit accounts for the Trust, a primary deposit account that may earn interest and a secondary deposit account that does not earn interest (collectively, the “Deposit Accounts”). Interest on the primary deposit account, if any, accrues daily and is paid monthly. If the Sponsor believes that the interest rate paid by the Depository is not competitive, the Sponsor’s recourse is to remove the Depository by terminating the Deposit Account Agreement and closing the Deposit Accounts. The Depository is not paid a fee for its services to the Trust. The Depository may earn a “spread” or “margin” over the rate of interest it pays to the Trust on the British Pound Sterling deposit balances.
The secondary deposit account is used to account for any interest that may be received and paid on creations and redemptions of Baskets. The secondary deposit account is also used to account for interest earned on the primary deposit account, if any, pay Trust expenses and distribute any excess interest to Shareholders on a monthly basis. In the event that the interest deposited exceeds the sum of the Sponsor’s fee for the prior month plus other Trust expenses, if any, then the Trustee will direct that the excess be converted into USD at the prevailing market rate and the Trustee will distribute the USD as promptly as practicable to Shareholders on a pro-rata basis (in accordance with the number of Shares that they own).
Trust Expenses
In certain cases the Trust may pay expenses in addition to the Sponsor’s fee. These exceptions include expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, expenses resulting from a negative interest rate, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Trustee or the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust or action taken by the Trustee or the Sponsor to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders, indemnification of the Sponsor under the Depositary Trust Agreement, and legal expenses in excess of $100,000 per year.
Termination
The Trust will terminate upon the occurrence of any of the termination events listed in the Depositary Trust Agreement and will otherwise terminate on June 8, 2046.
The Shares
General
Each Share represents a proportional interest, based on the total number of Shares outstanding, in the British Pound Sterling owned by the Trust, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, less accrued but unpaid expenses (both asset-based and non-asset based) of the Trust. All Shares are of the same class with equal rights and privileges. Each Share is transferable, is fully paid and non-assessable and entitles the holder to vote on the limited matters upon which Shareholders may vote under the Depositary Trust Agreement.
Limited Rights
The Shares are not a traditional investment. They are dissimilar from the shares of a corporation operating a business enterprise, with management and a board of directors. Trust Shareholders do not have rights normally associated with owning shares of a business corporation, including, for example, the right to bring “oppression” or “derivative” actions. Shareholders have only those rights explicitly set forth in the Depositary Trust Agreement. The Shares do not entitle their holders to any conversion or pre-emptive rights or, except as described herein, any redemption or distribution rights.
Voting and Approvals
Shareholders have no voting rights under the Depositary Trust Agreement, except in limited circumstances. If the holders of at least 25% of the Shares outstanding determine that the Trustee is in material breach of its obligations under the Depositary Trust Agreement, they may provide written notice to the Trustee (or require the Sponsor to do so) specifying the default and requiring the Trustee to cure such default. If the Trustee fails to cure such breach within 30 days after receipt of such notice, the Sponsor, acting on behalf of the Shareholders, may remove the Trustee. The holders of at least 66 2/3% of the Shares outstanding may vote to remove the Trustee. The Trustee must terminate the Trust at the request of the holders of at least 75% of the outstanding Shares.
Creation and Redemption of Shares
The creation and redemption of Baskets requires the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of British Pound Sterling represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed. This amount is based on the combined NAV per Share
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of the number of Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed, determined on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is accepted by the Trustee.
Only Authorized Participants may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. An Authorized Participant is a Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participant that is a registered broker-dealer or other securities market participant, such as a bank or other financial institution that is not required to register as a broker-dealer to engage in securities transactions.
Before initiating a creation or redemption order, an Authorized Participant must have entered into a Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and the Trustee. The Participant Agreement provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets and for the delivery of British Pound Sterling required for creations and redemptions. The Participant Agreements may be amended by the Trustee and the Sponsor. Authorized Participants pay a transaction fee of $500 to the Trustee for each order that they place to create or redeem one or more Baskets. In addition to the $500 transaction fee paid to the Trustee, Authorized Participants pay a variable fee to the Sponsor for creation orders and redemption orders of two or more Baskets to compensate the Sponsor for costs associated with the registration of Shares. The variable fee paid to the Sponsor by an Authorized Participant will not exceed $2,000 for each creation or redemption order, as set forth in the Participant Agreement. Authorized Participants who make deposits with the Trust in exchange for Baskets receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Sponsor or the Trust. No Authorized Participant has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Availability of SEC Reports and Other Information
The Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, files quarterly and annual reports and other information with the SEC which are available on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. The reports and other information can be accessed through the Trust’s website at www.invesco.com/etfs.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
You should consider carefully the risks described below before making an investment decision. You should also refer to the other information included in this report, including the Trust’s financial statements and the related notes.
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the British Pound Sterling held by the Trust. Fluctuations in the price of the British Pound Sterling could materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares.
The Shares are designed to reflect the price of the British Pound Sterling, plus accumulated interest, if any, less the Trust’s expenses. Several factors may affect the price of the British Pound Sterling, including:
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Sovereign debt levels and trade deficits;
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Domestic and foreign inflation rates and interest rates and investors’ expectations concerning those rates;
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Currency exchange rates;
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Investment and trading activities of mutual funds, hedge funds and currency funds; and
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Global, regional or national political, economic or financial events and situations.
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In addition, the British Pound Sterling may not maintain its long-term value in terms of purchasing power in the future. When the price of the British Pound Sterling declines, the Sponsor expects the price of a Share to decline as well.
On June 23, 2016, the citizens of the United Kingdom, a European Union member that had not adopted the euro as its currency, voted to leave the European Union. In March 2017, the British government invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, which formally triggered a negotiation process with the European Union. In March 2018, the parties agreed to a transition period of 21 months — from March 29, 2019 until the end of 2020 — before the United Kingdom leaves the European Union completely, assuming approval of a withdrawal agreement. Withdrawal from the European Union is controversial in the United Kingdom notwithstanding the 2016 vote. On October 17, 2019, the British government and the European Union announced that a withdrawal agreement had been negotiated, and such withdrawal agreement subsequently received Parliamentary approval. The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020, and was in a transition period through December 31, 2020, during which time the United Kingdom negotiated and entered into new trade agreements with the European Union and certain trade partner nations; however, trade agreements with other trade partner nations, including the United States, Australia and others, have not yet been negotiated. The consequences for the economies of the European Union members of the United Kingdom exiting the European Union are unknown and unpredictable, as is the future direction of the value of the British Pound Sterling and the Shares. These
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uncertainties could increase volatility in the market prices of the British Pound Sterling and the Shares. Increased volatility could, in itself, decrease the value of the Shares.
The British Pound Sterling/USD exchange rate, like foreign exchange rates in general, can be volatile and difficult to predict. This volatility could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares.
Foreign exchange rates are influenced by the factors identified in the preceding risk factor and may also be influenced by: changing supply and demand for a particular currency; monetary policies of governments (including exchange control programs, restrictions on local exchanges or markets and limitations on foreign investment in a country or on investment by residents of a country in other countries); changes in balances of payments and trade; trade restrictions; and currency devaluations and revaluations. Also, governments from time to time intervene in the currency markets, directly and by regulation, in order to influence prices directly. These events and actions are unpredictable. The resulting volatility in the British Pound Sterling/USD exchange rate could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares.
If interest earned by the Trust does not exceed the Trust’s expenses, the Trustee will withdraw British Pounds Sterling from the Trust to pay these excess expenses, which will reduce the amount of British Pounds Sterling represented by each Share on an ongoing basis and may result in adverse tax consequences for Shareholders.
Each outstanding Share represents a fractional, undivided interest in the British Pounds Sterling held by the Trust. Recently, the amount of interest earned by the Trust has not exceeded the Trust’s expenses; accordingly, the Trustee has been required to withdraw British Pounds Sterling from the Trust to pay these excess expenses. As long as the amount of interest earned does not exceed expenses, the amount of British Pounds Sterling represented by each Share will gradually decline over time. This is true even if additional Shares are issued in exchange for additional deposits of British Pounds Sterling into the Trust, as the amount of British Pounds Sterling required to create Shares will proportionately reflect the amount of British Pounds Sterling represented by the Shares outstanding at the time of creation. Assuming a constant British Pounds Sterling price, if expenses exceed interest earned, the trading price of the Shares will gradually decline relative to the price of the British Pounds Sterling as the amount of British Pounds Sterling represented by the Shares gradually declines. In this event, the Shares will only maintain their original price if the price of the British Pound Sterling increases. There is no guarantee that interest earned by the Trust in the future will exceed the Trust’s expenses.
Investors should be aware that a gradual decline in the amount of British Pounds Sterling represented by the Shares may occur regardless of whether the trading price of the Shares rises or falls in response to changes in the price of the British Pound Sterling. The estimated ordinary operating expenses of the Trust, which accrue daily, are described in “Business – The Trust – Trust Expenses.”
The payment of expenses by the Trust will result in a taxable event to Shareholders. To the extent Trust expenses exceed interest paid to the Trust, a gain or loss may be recognized by Shareholders depending on the tax basis of the tendered British Pounds Sterling.
The interest rate paid by the Depository, if any, may not be the best rate available. If the Sponsor determines that the interest rate is inadequate, then its sole recourse is to remove the Depository and terminate the Deposit Accounts.
The Depository is committed to endeavor to pay a competitive interest rate on the balance of British Pounds Sterling in the primary deposit account of the Trust, but there is no guarantee of the amount of interest that will be paid, if any, on this account. Interest on the primary deposit account, if any, accrues daily and is paid monthly. The Depository may change the rate at which interest accrues, including reducing the interest rate to zero or below zero, based upon the Depository’s belief that Sterling Overnight Index Average (SONIA) does not accurately reflect the market, other market conditions or the Depository’s liquidity needs. The Depository notifies the Sponsor of the interest rate applied each business day after the close of such business day. The Sponsor discloses the current interest rate on the Trust’s website. If the Sponsor believes that the interest rate paid by the Depository is not adequate, the Sponsor’s sole recourse is to remove the Depository and terminate the Deposit Accounts. The Depository is not paid a fee for its services to the Trust; rather, it generates income or loss based on its ability to earn a “spread” or “margin” over the interest it pays to the Trust by using the Trust’s British Pounds Sterling to make loans or in other banking operations. For these reasons, you should not expect that the Trust will be paid the best available interest rate at any time or over time.
If the Trust incurs expenses in USD, the Trust would be required to sell British Pounds Sterling to pay these expenses. The sale of the Trust’s British Pounds Sterling to pay expenses in USD at a time of low British Pound Sterling prices could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
The Trustee will sell British Pounds Sterling held by the Trust to pay Trust expenses, if any, incurred in USD, irrespective of then-current British Pound Sterling prices. The Trust is not actively managed and no attempt will be made to buy or sell British Pounds Sterling to protect against or to take advantage of fluctuations in the price of the British Pound Sterling. Consequently, if the Trust incurs expenses in USD, the Trust’s British Pounds Sterling may be sold at a time when the British Pound Sterling price is low, resulting in a negative effect on the value of the Shares.
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The Shares may trade at a price which is at, above, or below the NAV per Share.
The NAV per Share fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Trust’s assets. The market price of Shares can be expected to fluctuate in accordance with changes in the NAV per Share, but also in response to market supply and demand. As a result, the Shares might trade at prices at, above or below the NAV per Share.
Disruptions in the ability to create and redeem Baskets may adversely impact the price of the Shares.
It is generally expected that the public trading price per Share will track the NAV per Share closely over time. The relationship between the public trading price per Share and the NAV per Share depends, to a considerable degree, on the ability of Authorized Participants or their clients or customers to purchase and redeem Baskets in the ordinary course. If the Trust were to issue all Shares that have been registered or if the Trust does not have an effective registration statement with the SEC with sufficient Shares available, each of which may happen from time to time, the Trust would not be able to create new Baskets until it registered additional Shares and those additional Shares became available for sale. In addition, the Trust may, in its discretion, suspend the creation of Baskets for any reason and at any time. If the process for creating or redeeming Shares is impaired for any reason, Authorized Participants and their clients or customers may not be able to purchase and redeem Baskets. The inability to purchase and redeem Baskets could result in the Shares trading at a premium or discount to the NAV of the Trust. Such a premium or discount could be significant, depending upon the nature or duration of the impairment.
Substantial sales of British Pounds Sterling by the official sector could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
The official sector consists of central banks, other governmental agencies and multi-lateral institutions that buy, sell and hold British Pounds Sterling as part of their reserve assets. The official sector holds a significant amount of British Pounds Sterling that can be mobilized in the open market. In the event that future economic, political or social conditions or pressures require members of the official sector to sell their British Pounds Sterling simultaneously or in an uncoordinated manner, the demand for British Pounds Sterling might not be sufficient to accommodate the sudden increase in the supply of British Pounds Sterling to the market. Consequently, the price of the British Pound Sterling could decline, which would adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
REGULATORY MATTERS
Changes to United States tariff and trade policies may increase the volatility of foreign exchange rates. This volatility could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares.
There have been ongoing discussions and commentary regarding potential significant changes to United States trade policies, treaties and tariffs. The current administration, along with Congress, has created significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and other countries with respect to trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may increase the volatility of foreign exchange rates, including the USD/British Pound Sterling exchange rate. The resulting volatility could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares.
The Deposit Accounts are not entitled to payment at any office of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. located in the United States.
The federal laws of the United States prohibit banks located in the United States from paying interest on unrestricted demand deposit accounts. Therefore, payments out of the Deposit Accounts will be payable only at the London branch of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., located in England. The Trustee will not be entitled to demand payment of these accounts at any office of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. that is located in the United States. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. will not be required to repay the deposit if its London branch cannot repay the deposit due to an act of war, insurrection or civil strife or an action by a foreign government or instrumentality (whether de jure or de facto) in England.
Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of a demand deposit account insured in the United States by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the protection provided for bank deposits under English law.
Neither the Shares nor the Deposit Accounts and the British Pounds Sterling deposited in them are deposits insured against loss by the FDIC, any other federal agency of the United States or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme of England.
Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The Investment Company Act is designed to protect investors by preventing: insiders from managing investment companies to their benefit and to the detriment of public investors; the issuance of securities having inequitable or discriminatory provisions; the management of investment companies by irresponsible persons; the use of unsound or misleading methods of computing earnings and asset value; changes in the character of investment companies without the consent of investors; and investment companies from
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engaging in excessive leveraging. To accomplish these ends, the Investment Company Act requires the safekeeping and proper valuation of fund assets, restricts greatly transactions with affiliates, limits leveraging, and imposes governance requirements as a check on fund management.
The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act and is not required to register under that act. Consequently, Shareholders do not have the regulatory protections afforded to investors in registered investment companies.
Shareholders do not have the rights enjoyed by investors in certain other financial instruments.
As interests in a grantor trust, the Shares have none of the statutory rights normally associated with the ownership of shares of a business corporation, including, for example, the right to bring “oppression” or “derivative” actions. Apart from the rights afforded to them by federal and state securities laws, Shareholders have only those rights relative to the Trust, the Trust property and the Shares that are set forth in the Depositary Trust Agreement. In this connection, the Shareholders have limited voting and distribution rights. They do not have the right to elect directors. See “Business – The Shares – Limited Rights” for a description of the limited rights of the Shareholders.
Shareholders that are not Authorized Participants may only purchase or sell their Shares in secondary trading markets.
Only Authorized Participants may create or redeem Baskets through the Trust. All other investors that desire to purchase or sell Shares must do so through NYSE Arca or in other markets, if any, in which the Shares are traded.
INSOLVENCY OR TERMINATION OF THE DEPOSITORY OR TRUST
If the Depository becomes insolvent, its assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust or any Authorized Participant. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of the Depository or the U.S. bank of which it is a branch, there may be a delay and costs incurred in recovering the British Pounds Sterling held in the Deposit Accounts.
British Pounds Sterling deposited in the Deposit Accounts by an Authorized Participant are commingled with British Pounds Sterling deposited by other Authorized Participants and are held by the Depository in either the primary deposit account or the secondary deposit account of the Trust. British Pounds Sterling held in the Deposit Accounts are not segregated from the Depository’s other assets. The Trust has no proprietary rights in or to any specific British Pounds Sterling held by the Depository and will be an unsecured creditor of the Depository with respect to the British Pounds Sterling held in the Deposit Accounts in the event of the insolvency of the Depository or the U.S. bank of which it is a branch. In the event the Depository or the U.S. bank of which it is a branch becomes insolvent, the Depository’s assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust or any Authorized Participant for the amount of British Pounds Sterling deposited by the Trust or the Authorized Participant and, in such event, the Trust and any Authorized Participant will generally have no right in or to assets other than those of the Depository.
In the case of insolvency of the Depository or JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the U.S. bank of which the Depository is a branch, a liquidator may seek to freeze access to the British Pounds Sterling held in all accounts by the Depository, including the Deposit Accounts. The Trust and the Authorized Participants could incur expenses and delays in connection with asserting their claims. These problems would be exacerbated by the fact that the Deposit Accounts are not held in the U.S. but instead are held at the London branch of a U.S. national bank, where they are subject to English insolvency law. Further, under U.S. law, in the case of the insolvency of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the claims of creditors in respect of accounts (such as the Trust’s Deposit Accounts) that are maintained with an overseas branch of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. will be subordinate to claims of creditors in respect of accounts maintained with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in the U.S., greatly increasing the risk that the Trust and the Trust’s beneficiaries would suffer a loss.
The License Agreement with The Bank of New York Mellon may be terminated by The Bank of New York Mellon in the event of a material breach. Termination of the License Agreement might lead to early termination and liquidation of the Trust.
The Bank of New York Mellon and the Sponsor have entered into a License Agreement granting the Sponsor a non-exclusive, personal and non-transferable license to certain patent applications made by The Bank of New York Mellon covering systems and methods for securitizing a commodity for the life of such patents and patent applications. The license grant is solely for the purpose of allowing the Sponsor to establish, operate and market a currency-based securities product based solely on the securitization, in whole or in part, of a single non-U.S. currency. The License Agreement provides that either party may provide notice of intent to terminate the License Agreement in the event the other party commits a material breach. If the License Agreement is terminated and one or more of The Bank of New York Mellon’s patent applications issue as patents, then The Bank of New York Mellon may claim that the operation of the Trust violates its patent or patents and seek an injunction forcing the Trust to cease operation and the Shares to cease trading. In that case, the Trust might be forced to terminate and liquidate, which would adversely affect Shareholders.
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Shareholders may incur significant fees upon the termination of the Trust.
The occurrence of any one of several events would either require the Trust to terminate or permit the Sponsor to terminate the Trust. For example, if the Depository were to resign or be removed, then the Sponsor would be required to terminate the Trust. Shareholders tendering their Shares within 90 days of the Trust’s termination will receive the amount of British Pounds Sterling represented by their Shares. Shareholders may incur significant fees if they choose to convert the British Pounds Sterling they receive to USD.
DEPOSITARY TRUST AGREEMENT
The Depository owes no fiduciary duties to the Trust or the Shareholders, is not required to act in their best interest and could resign or be removed by the Sponsor, which would trigger early termination of the Trust.
The Depository is not a trustee for the Trust or the Shareholders. As stated above, the Depository is not obligated to maximize the interest rate paid to the Trust. In addition, the Depository has no duty to continue to act as the depository of the Trust. The Depository can terminate its role as depository for any reason whatsoever upon 90 days’ notice to the Trust. If directed by the Sponsor, the Trustee must terminate the Depository. Such a termination might result, for example, if the Sponsor determines that the interest rate paid by the Depository is inadequate. In the event that the Depository was to resign or be removed, the Trust will be terminated.
Redemption orders are subject to rejection by the Trustee under certain circumstances.
The Trustee will reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form as described in the Participant Agreement or if the fulfillment of the order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. Any such rejection could adversely affect a redeeming Shareholder. For example, the resulting delay would adversely affect the value of the Shareholder’s redemption distribution if the NAV were to decline during the delay. In the Depositary Trust Agreement, the Sponsor and the Trustee disclaim any liability for any loss or damage that may result from any such rejection.
The liability of the Sponsor and the Trustee under the Depositary Trust Agreement is limited and, except as set forth in the Depositary Trust Agreement, they are not obligated to prosecute any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Trust property.
The Depositary Trust Agreement provides that neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee assumes any obligation or is subject to any liability under the Trust Agreement to any Shareholder, except that they each agree to perform their respective obligations specifically set forth in the Depositary Trust Agreement without negligence or bad faith. Additionally, neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is obligated to, although each may in its respective discretion, prosecute any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Trust property. The Depositary Trust Agreement does not confer upon Shareholders the right to prosecute any such action, suit or other proceeding.
The Depositary Trust Agreement may be amended to the detriment of Shareholders without their consent.
The Sponsor and the Trustee may amend most provisions (other than those addressing core economic rights) of the Depositary Trust Agreement without the consent of any Shareholder. Such an amendment could impose or increase fees or charges borne by the Shareholders. Any amendment that increases fees or charges (other than taxes and other governmental charges, registration fees or other expenses), or that otherwise prejudices any substantial existing rights of Shareholders, will not become effective until 30 days after written notice is given to Shareholders.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 is harming the global, regional and national economies in unexpected, unpredictable ways that could materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares.
COVID-19 spread globally throughout 2020 and continues to spread in 2021. This pandemic has had material adverse effects on the global economy, including lower levels of economic activity and widespread unemployment. The economic turmoil has led to unprecedented amounts of stimulus in regional and national economies by central banks and other governmental authorities. Despite massive intervention, the humanitarian and economic crisis continues, and financial markets have generally experienced heightened volatility. No assurance can be given that the disruption will end soon or that the value of the Shares will not be affected materially and adversely by the pandemic and its consequences. Escalation or prolonged continuation of the pandemic could exacerbate other risk factors identified in this Report and materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares.
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OTHER RISKS
Due to the increased use of technologies, intentional and unintentional cyber attacks pose operational and information security risks.
With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform necessary business functions, the Trust is susceptible to operational and information security risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to gaining unauthorized access to digital systems for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption.
Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites. Cyber security failures or breaches of the Trust's third party service providers (including, but not limited to, the Trustee and the Sponsor) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of Shareholders or Authorized Participants to transact business in Shares and Baskets respectively, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. The Trust and its Shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
While the Sponsor has established business continuity plans and systems reasonably designed to detect and prevent such cyber attacks from being effective, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems. For instance, it is possible that certain existing risks have not been identified or that new risks will emerge before countervailing measures can be implemented. Furthermore, the Trust cannot control, or even necessarily influence, the cyber security plans and systems put in place by the Trust's third party service providers. Since the Trust is dependent upon third party service providers (including the Sponsor and Trustee) for substantially all of its operational needs, the Trust is subject to the risk that a cyber attack on a service provider will materially impair its normal operations even if the Trust itself is not subject to such an attack. In addition, a service provider that has experienced a cyber security incident may divert resources normally devoted to servicing the Trust to addressing the incident, which would be likely to have an adverse effect on the Trust's operations.