potentially lower economic growth in the affected markets, which will adversely affect the Fund's investments.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Emerging markets (also referred to as developing markets) are generally subject to greater market volatility, political, social and economic instability, uncertain trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, companies operating in emerging markets may be subject to lower trading volume and greater price fluctuations than companies in more developed markets. Such countries' economies may be more dependent on relatively few industries or investors that may be highly vulnerable to local and global changes. Companies in emerging market countries generally may be subject to less stringent regulatory, disclosure, financial reporting, accounting, auditing and recordkeeping standards than companies in more developed countries. As a result, information, including financial information, about such companies may be less available and reliable, which can impede the Fund's ability to evaluate such companies. Securities law and the enforcement of systems of taxation in many emerging market countries may change quickly and unpredictably, and the ability to bring and enforce actions (including bankruptcy, confiscatory taxation, expropriation, nationalization of a company's assets, restrictions on foreign ownership of local companies, restrictions on withdrawing assets from the country, protectionist measures and practices such as share blocking), or to obtain information needed to pursue or enforce such actions, may be limited. In addition, the ability of foreign entities to participate in privatization programs of certain developing or emerging market countries may be limited by local law. Investments in emerging market securities may be subject to additional transaction costs, delays in settlement procedures, unexpected market closures, and lack of timely information.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may from time to time have a substantial amount of its assets invested in securities of issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. Adverse economic, political or social conditions in those countries may therefore have a significant negative impact on the Fund's investment performance.
Asia Pacific Region Risk (including Japan). The level of development of the economies of countries in the Asia Pacific region varies greatly. Furthermore, since the economies of the countries in the region are largely intertwined, if an economic recession is experienced by any of these countries, it will likely adversely impact the economic performance of other countries in the region. Certain economies in the region may be adversely affected by increased competition, high inflation rates, undeveloped financial services sectors, currency fluctuations or restrictions, political and social instability and increased economic volatility.
The Fund's Japanese investments may be adversely affected by protectionist trade policies, slow economic activity worldwide, dependence on exports and international trade, increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies, political and social instability, regional and global conflicts and natural disasters, as well as by commodity markets fluctuations related to Japan's limited natural resource supply. The Japanese economy also faces several other concerns, including a financial system with large levels of nonperforming loans, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets, extensive cross-ownership by major corporations, a changing corporate governance structure, and large government deficits.
Investments in companies located or operating in Greater China (normally considered to be the geographical area that includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) involve risks and considerations not typically associated with investments in the U.S. and other Western nations, such as greater government control over the economy; political, legal and regulatory uncertainty; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscation of property; lack of willingness or ability of the Chinese government to support the economies and markets of the Greater China region; lack of publicly available information and difficulty in obtaining information necessary for investigations into and/or litigation against Chinese companies, as well as in obtaining and/or enforcing judgments; limited legal remedies for
shareholders; alteration or discontinuation of economic reforms; military conflicts and the risk of war, either internal or with other countries; public health emergencies resulting in market closures, travel restrictions, quarantines or other interventions; inflation, currency fluctuations and fluctuations in inflation and interest rates that may have negative effects on the economy and securities markets of Greater China; and Greater China's dependency on the economies of other Asian countries, many of which are developing countries. Events in any one country within Greater China may impact the other countries in the region or Greater China as a whole. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, the institution of additional tariffs, sanctions, capital controls, embargoes, trade wars, or other trade barriers (or the threat thereof), including as a result of trade tensions between China and the United States, or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. In addition, actions by the U.S. government, such as delisting of certain Chinese companies from U.S. securities exchanges or otherwise restricting their operations in the U.S., may negatively impact the value of such securities held by the Fund. Further, from time to time, certain companies in which the Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or in countries the U.S. government identified as state sponsors of terrorism. One or more of these companies may be subject to constraints under U.S. law or regulations that could negatively affect the company's performance. Additionally, any difficulties of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") to inspect audit work papers and practices of PCAOB-registered accounting firms in China with respect to their audit work of U.S. reporting companies may impose significant additional risks associated with investments in China.
Investments in Chinese companies may be made through a special structure known as a variable interest entity ("VIE") that is designed to provide foreign investors, such as the Fund, with exposure to Chinese companies that operate in certain sectors in which China restricts or prohibits foreign investments. Investments in VIEs may pose additional risks because the investment is made through an intermediary shell company that has entered into service and other contracts with the underlying Chinese operating company in order to provide investors with exposure to the operating company, and therefore does not represent equity ownership in the operating company. The value of the shell company is derived from its ability to consolidate the VIE into its financials pursuant to contractual arrangements that allow the shell company to exert a degree of control over, and obtain economic benefits arising from, the VIE without formal legal ownership. The contractual arrangements between the shell company and the operating company may not be as effective in providing operational control as direct equity ownership, and a foreign investor's (such as the Fund's) rights may be limited, including by actions of the Chinese government which could determine that the underlying contractual arrangements are invalid. While VIEs are a longstanding industry practice and are well known by Chinese officials and regulators, historically the structure has not been formally recognized under Chinese law and it is uncertain whether Chinese officials or regulators will withdraw their acceptance of the structure, generally, or with respect to certain industries.
It is also uncertain whether the contractual arrangements, which may be subject to conflicts of interest between the legal owners of the VIE and foreign investors, would be enforced by Chinese courts or arbitration bodies. Prohibitions of these structures by the Chinese government, or the inability to enforce such contracts, from which the shell company derives its value, would likely cause the VIE-structured holding(s) to suffer significant, detrimental, and possibly permanent loss, and in turn, adversely affect the Fund's returns and net asset value.
Certain securities issued by companies located or operating in Greater China, such as China A-shares, are subject to trading restrictions and suspensions, quota limitations and sudden changes in those limitations, and operational, clearing and settlement risks. Additionally, developing countries,
3 Invesco V.I. EQV International Equity Fund