Invesco PowerShares Announces Zero Capital Gains Distributions for 2008 on 119 of 120 Funds

CHICAGO, IL--(MARKET WIRE)--Dec 4, 2008 -- Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, a leading provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), today announced that it expects to pay zero capital gains distributions for 119 of its 120 equity and fixed-income exchange-traded funds for 2008.To date, Invesco PowerShares has never made a capital gain distribution to shareholders of its equity or fixed-income based ETF portfolios. Only one PowerShares ETF -- PowerShares S&P 500 BuyWrite Portfolio (NYSEArca:PBP - News), which was named "Most Innovative New ETF" in 2007 -- is estimated to realize a small capital gains distribution (see table below), due largely in part to the unique underlying index methodology which writes covered calls on the S&P 500 Index."We are very pleased to announce zero capital gains payouts for the year on all but one of our ETFs," said Bruce Bond, President and CEO of Invesco PowerShares. "At a time when the financial markets and many funds have lost significant value over the past year, the last thing investors want is to be hit with a tax bill. Taxes may be the most critical and overlooked factor in wealth creation over time, and the ETF continues to prove its viability as a tax-efficient and transparent investment vehicle."According to a recent Lipper study, in 2007 mutual funds paid out nearly $393 billion, or 3% of their market share in capital gains to their shareholders.(1) That number is expected to increase in 2008 as redemptions have forced many fund managers to liquidate positions, inherently creating capital gains. By comparison, PowerShares equity and fixed-income ETFs had no capital gains distribut...
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Invesco PowerShares Announces T. Boone Pickens Live Webcast: Energy Solutions for the 21st Century

CHICAGO, IL--(MARKET WIRE)--Jan 14, 2009 -- Invesco PowerShares announced today that T. Boone Pickens, a leading authority on alternative energy, will participate in a webcast regarding America's dependence on foreign oil. The event, titled "Energy Solutions for the 21st Century," will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. EST and will be presented by Invesco PowerShares. "We are honored to welcome T. Boone Pickens to discuss America's dependence on foreign oil and to share his perspective on alternative energy solutions. We believe the United States' dependency on foreign oil links three of the most critical issues we face today: the economy, the environment and national security," said Bruce Bond, president and CEO of Invesco PowerShares.Pickens, founder and chairman of BP Capital Management, is the creator of the Pickens Plan, a grass-roots campaign aimed at reducing America's dependence on imported oil by harnessing domestic energy alternatives. The plan calls for building new wind generation facilities that would produce 20% of our nation's electricity and allow us to use natural gas as a transportation fuel.Pickens will be joined by Bond in discussing his plan and how it pertains to President-Elect Barack Obama's alternative energy outlook. In addition, Invesco PowerShares National Sales Manager, Robert Brooks, will be present to discuss how PowerShares exchange-traded funds (ETFs) may relate to the Pickens Plan. The conference will conclude with a question and answer session featuring all three panelists.The live webcast will be open to the public, and those interested in participating are encouraged to visit www.inve...
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Invesco PowerShares Pioneers Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities ETFs

CHICAGO, IL--(MARKET WIRE)--Jan 28, 2009 -- Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, a leading provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), today announced that it has filed registration statements for two new actively managed ETFs focused on the non-agency, Prime and Alt-A residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) markets. The anticipated fund names are as follows:  -- PowerShares Prime Non-Agency RMBS Opportunity Fund -- PowerShares Alt-A Non-Agency RMBS Opportunity Fund"We believe that various economic factors have converged to push the prices of many Prime and Alt-A residential mortgage-backed securities well below their fundamental values," said Bruce Bond, president and CEO of Invesco PowerShares. "We are hopeful that these ETFs will provide access and transparency into these markets along with some of the much needed additional liquidity originally intended by the TARP."The Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) MarketAggressive mortgage lending practices, declining home prices and a faltering economy have caused mortgage loan performance to deteriorate significantly over the last two years. Many holders of mortgage related securities have come under pressure to raise capital and reduce exposure to RMBS markets, resulting in systematic de-leveraging. Invesco PowerShares believes that these events have pushed the prices of many residential mortgage-backed securities well below fundamental values implied by conservative cash flow projections.Even the prices of senior and super senior residential mortgage-backed securities, which generally have first right to principal payments and are typically the last to sustain losses, have been severely impacted despite their significant credit enhancement and advantageous position within the capital structure. As such, Invesco PowerShares believes this may be an opportunity for investors to recognize above average risk-adjusted returns by investing in discounted sen...
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Invesco PowerShares Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary of PowerShares QQQ(TM)

CHICAGO, IL--(MARKET WIRE)--Mar 10, 2009 -- Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, a leading provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), today announces the 10-year anniversary of the PowerShares QQQ(TM) Portfolio (NasdaqGM:QQQQ - News)."Since trading began on March 10, 1999, the PowerShares QQQ(TM) has become one of the most actively traded securities in the world, fostering wide-scale acceptance of the ETF structure among institutions, traders and retail investors," said Bruce Bond, president and CEO of Invesco PowerShares. "Today we are proudly celebrating with the NASDAQ OMX Group the success of this landmark ETF."PowerShares QQQ(TM) has maintained an average daily trading volume of over 92 million shares, making it the most traded equity security in the world since its inception.(1)The PowerShares QQQ(TM), formerly known as "NASDAQ-100 Index Tracking Stock®," is based on the NASDAQ-100 Index®. The Index includes 100 of the largest domestic and international non-financial companies listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market based on market capitalization. The PowerShares QQQ(TM) represents companies across major industry groups such as information technology, healthcare, consumer discretionary and staples, industrials, materials and telecommunication services. The portfolio is rebalanced quarterly and reconstituted annually.Effective March 21, 2007, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. transferred sponsorship of QQQ to Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, and the NASDAQ-100 Index Tracking Stock® was renamed PowerShares QQQ(TM). Today, PowerShares QQQ(TM) continues to track 100 of the largest, most innovative non-fina...
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PowerShares VRDO Tax-Free Weekly Portfolio (PVI) Surpasses $1 Billion in AUM

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - 10/01/09) - Invesco PowerShares, a leading provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), announced today that on Friday, September 25, the PowerShares VRDO Tax-Free Weekly Portfolio (PVI) surpassed $1 billion in assets under management (AUM). Launched in November of 2007, the PowerShares VRDO Tax-Free Weekly Portfolio was the first ETF to provide investors access to the variable rate demand obligation (VRDO) market. VRDOs are floating-rate municipal bonds that offer investors tax-exempt income in a short-term time frame.Historically, the VRDO market has generally been accessible only by institutional investors. Large trading denominations (generally starting at $100,000) created a barrier between VRDOs and the average investor. Invesco PowerShares took strides to eliminate that barrier by launching PVI."Invesco PowerShares has strived to provide investors access to markets that have traditionally been difficult to invest in, and we are very pleased with the success of PVI," said Bruce Bond, president and CEO of Invesco PowerShares. "The PowerShares VRDO Tax-Free Weekly Portfolio epitomizes our commitment to providing innovative investment products that feature the tax efficiency,(1) transparency,(2) and liquidity(3) benefits inherent to the ETF structure."The PowerShares VRDO Tax-Free Weekly Portfolio is based on the Thomson Municipal Market Data VRDO Index. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in securities that comprise the Index. The Index is designed to track the performance of a pool of tax-exempt VRDOs issued by municipalities in the United States on which the yields generally reset on a weekly basis. For additional information on PVI please visit ...
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ETFs For A Low-Cost, Long-Term Portfolio

Exchange traded funds (ETFs), or baskets of assets that trade on an exchange like a stock, could be the greatest market invention since its inception. Their tax efficiency, low operating costs and transparency of ownership make ETFs one of the best investment vehicles out there for both institutional and retail investors. ETFs are designed to track indexes around a "theme", whether it be something simple like small-capitalization companies through the Vanguard Small Cap ETF (NYSE:VB) or complex like solar stocks via the Claymore Global Solar Energy (NYSE:TAN). These funds allow small and large investors the ability to make short- or long-term tactical bets on these themes. However, the recent ETF boom cycle has led to the production of many esoteric and narrowly-focused funds. For every great idea, like giving investors exposure to various emerging markets, there have been plenty of missteps. I'm not sure why anyone would need an index that is designed to track the performance of the 50 securities that are next in line to replace the stocks currently included in the NASDAQ-100, which is what the PowerShares NXQ (NASDAQ: PNXQ) does.IN PICTURES: Digging Out Of Debt In 8 Steps...
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