10-K
Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 10-K

 

 

 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2018

or

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission File Number 001-32911

 

 

Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust

Sponsored by Invesco Specialized Products, LLC

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

New York   20-4685355

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, Illinois

  60515
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

(800) 983-0903

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Australian Dollar Shares   NYSE Arca
(Title of class)   (Name of exchange on which registered)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
    

Emerging growth company

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

State the market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter: $128,078,000.

Number of Redeemable Capital Shares outstanding as of December 31, 2018: 1,650,000

 

 

 


Table of Contents

INVESCO CURRENCYSHARES® AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR TRUST

INDEX

 

Caption

  Page  

PART I

 
Item 1.   Business.     1  
Item 1A.   Risk Factors.     4  
Item 1B.   Unresolved Staff Comments.     9  
Item 2.   Properties.     9  
Item 3.   Legal Proceedings.     9  
Item 4.   Mine Safety Disclosures.     9  

PART II

 
Item 5.   Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.     9  
Item 6.   Selected Financial Data.     10  
Item 7.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.     10  
Item 7A.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.     15  
Item 8.   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.     15  
Item 9.   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures.     15  
Item 9A.   Controls and Procedures.     15  
Item 9B.   Other Information.     15  

PART III

 
Item 10.   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.     16  
Item 11.   Executive Compensation.     18  
Item 12.   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.     18  
Item 13.   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.     18  
Item 14.   Principal Accountant Fees and Services.     18  

PART IV

 
Item 15.   Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.     19  

SIGNATURES

    —    

 

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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “outlook” and “estimate” and other similar words. Forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Various factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. These factors include fluctuations in the price of the Australian Dollar, as the value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the Australian Dollars held by the Trust and price fluctuations could materially adversely affect an investment in the Shares. Readers are urged to review the “Risk Factors” section in this report for a description of other risks and uncertainties that may affect an investment in the Shares.

 

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PART I

Item 1. Business

Overview

The Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar 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 “FXA” 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 Australian Dollars and distributes Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollar 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 Australian Dollar 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 Australian Dollar. 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 Australian Dollar. 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.

The Trust

General

The Trust holds Australian Dollars and, from time to time, issues Baskets in exchange for deposits of Australian Dollars and distributes Australian Dollars in connection with redemptions of Baskets. The Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollars in the Trust (including all unpaid interest but excluding unpaid fees, each as accrued through the immediately preceding day). The Trust incurred $508,958 for the year ended October 31, 2018 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.

 

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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 Australian Dollars in the Trust at the end of the preceding day accrued but unpaid interest, if any, Australian Dollars receivable under pending purchase orders and the value of other Trust assets, and subtracts the accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s fee, Australian Dollars payable under pending redemption orders and other Trust expenses and liabilities, if any. The NAV is expressed in U.S. Dollars (“USD”) based on the Australian Dollar/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 Australian Dollar 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 exceptional 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 Australian Dollars 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.

 

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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 Australian Dollars represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed. This amount is based on the combined NAV per Share 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 Australian Dollars 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. The reports and other information can be accessed through the Trust’s website at www.invesco.com/etfs.

 

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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.

The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the Australian Dollars held by the Trust. Fluctuations in the price of the Australian Dollar could materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The Shares are designed to reflect the price of the Australian Dollar, plus accumulated interest, if any, less the Trust’s expenses. Several factors may affect the price of the Australian Dollar, including:

 

 

Sovereign debt levels and trade deficits;

 

 

Domestic and foreign inflation rates and interest rates and investors’ expectations concerning those rates;

 

 

Currency exchange rates;

 

 

Investment and trading activities of mutual funds, hedge funds and currency funds; and

 

 

Global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations.

In addition, the Australian Dollar may not maintain its long-term value in terms of purchasing power in the future. When the price of the Australian Dollar declines, the Sponsor expects the price of a Share to decline as well.

The Australian Dollar/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 Australian Dollar/USD exchange rate could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares.

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/Australian Dollar exchange rate. The resulting volatility 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 Australian Dollars from the Trust to pay these excess expenses, which will reduce the amount of Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollars held by the Trust. It is possible that the amount of interest earned, if any, may not exceed expenses, in which case the Trustee will withdraw Australian Dollars from the Trust to pay these excess expenses. As a result, the amount of Australian Dollars represented by each Share would gradually decline over time. This is true even if additional Shares are issued in exchange for additional deposits of Australian Dollars into the Trust, as the amount of Australian Dollars required to create Shares will proportionately reflect the amount of Australian Dollars represented by the Shares outstanding at the time of creation. Assuming a constant Australian Dollar price, if expenses exceed interest earned, the trading price of the Shares will gradually decline relative to the price of the Australian Dollar as the amount of Australian Dollars represented by the Shares gradually declines. In this event, the Shares will only maintain their original price if the price of Australian Dollars increases. There is no guarantee that interest earned by the Trust in the future will exceed the Trust’s expenses.

 

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Investors should be aware that a gradual decline in the amount of Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollar. 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 Australian Dollars.

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 Australian Dollars 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 changes in 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 Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollars to pay these expenses. The sale of the Trust’s Australian Dollars to pay expenses in USD at a time of low Australian Dollar prices could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The Trustee will sell Australian Dollars held by the Trust to pay Trust expenses, if any, incurred in USD, irrespective of then-current Australian Dollar prices. The Trust is not actively managed and no attempt will be made to buy or sell Australian Dollars to protect against or to take advantage of fluctuations in the price of the Australian Dollar. Consequently, if the Trust incurs expenses in USD, the Trust’s Australian Dollars may be sold at a time when the Australian Dollar price is low, resulting in a negative effect on the value 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 Australian Dollars 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.

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 Australian Dollars held in the Deposit Accounts.

Australian Dollars deposited in the Deposit Accounts by an Authorized Participant are commingled with Australian Dollars 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. Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollars held by the Depository and will be an unsecured creditor of the Depository with respect to the Australian

 

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Dollars 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 Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollars 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 Australian Dollars represented by their Shares. Shareholders may incur significant fees if they choose to convert the Australian Dollars they receive to USD.

 

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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.

Substantial sales of Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollars as part of their reserve assets. The official sector holds a significant amount of Australian Dollars 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 Australian Dollars simultaneously or in an uncoordinated manner, the demand for Australian Dollars might not be sufficient to accommodate the sudden increase in the supply of Australian Dollars to the market. Consequently, the price of the Australian Dollar could decline, which would adversely affect an investment in the Shares.

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.

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.

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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Current Discussions between the SEC and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP regarding PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s Independence Could Have Potentially Adverse Consequences for the Trust.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP informed the Trust that it has identified an issue related to its independence under Rule 2-01(c)(1)(ii)(A) of Regulation S-X (referred to as the Loan Rule). The Loan Rule prohibits accounting firms, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, from being deemed independent if they have certain financial relationships with their audit clients or certain affiliates of those clients. The Trust is required under various securities laws to have its financial statements audited by an independent accounting firm.

The Loan Rule specifically provides that an accounting firm would not be independent if it or certain affiliates and covered persons receives a loan from a lender that is a record or beneficial owner of more than ten percent of an audit client’s equity securities (referred to as a “more than ten percent owner”). For purposes of the Loan Rule, audit clients include the Trust as well as all registered investment companies advised by the Sponsor and its affiliates, including other subsidiaries of the Sponsor’s parent company, Invesco Ltd. (collectively, the “Invesco Fund Complex”). PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP informed the Trust it and certain affiliates and covered persons have relationships with lenders who hold, as record owner, more than ten percent of the shares of certain funds within the Invesco Fund Complex, which may implicate the Loan Rule.

On June 20, 2016, the SEC Staff issued a “no-action” letter to another mutual fund complex (see Fidelity Management & Research Company et al., No-Action Letter) related to the audit independence issue described above. In that letter, the SEC confirmed that it would not recommend enforcement action against a fund that relied on audit services performed by an audit firm that was not in compliance with the Loan Rule in certain specified circumstances. On May 2, 2018, the SEC proposed amendments to the Loan Rule that, if adopted as proposed, would address many of the issues that led to issuance of the no-action letter. In connection with prior independence determinations, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP communicated, as contemplated by the no-action letter, that it believes that it remains objective and impartial and that a reasonable investor possessing all the facts would conclude that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is able to exhibit the requisite objectivity and impartiality to report on the Trust’s financial statements as the independent registered public accounting firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP also represented that it has complied with PCAOB Rule 3526(b)(1) and (2), which are conditions to the Trust relying on the no-action letter, and affirmed that it is an independent accountant within the meaning of PCAOB Rule 3520. Therefore, the Sponsor, the Trust and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP concluded that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP could continue as the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Invesco Fund Complex relied upon the no-action letter in reaching this conclusion.

If in the future the independence of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is called into question under the Loan Rule by circumstances that are not addressed in the SEC’s no-action letter, the Trust will need to take other action in order for the Trust’s filings with the SEC containing financial statements to be deemed compliant with applicable securities laws. Such additional actions could result in additional costs, impair the ability of the Trust to issue new shares or have other material adverse effects on the Trust. The SEC no-action relief was initially set to expire 18 months from issuance but has been extended by the SEC without an expiration date, except that the no-action letter will be withdrawn upon the effectiveness of any amendments to the Loan Rule designed to address the concerns expressed in the letter. PwC advised the Registrant’s Audit Committee that PwC had identified two matters for consideration under the SEC’s auditor independence rules. PwC stated that a PwC manager and a PwC Senior Manager each held financial interests in investment companies within the Invesco Fund complex that were inconsistent with the requirements of Rule 2-01(c)(1) of Regulation S-X.

PwC advised the Audit Committee that it believes its objectivity and impartiality had not been adversely affected by these matters as they related to the audit of the Registrant. In reaching this conclusion, PwC noted, among other things, that during the time of its audit, the engagement team was not aware of the investments, neither individual was in the chain of command of the audit or the audit partners of Invesco or the affiliate of the Registrant, the services each individual provided were not relied upon by the audit engagement team with respect to the audit of the affiliate of the Registrant and the investments were not material to the net worth of either individual or their immediate family members.

 

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

The principal offices of the Sponsor and the Trust are the offices of Invesco Specialized Products, LLC at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, which is leased by an affiliate of the Sponsor. Neither the Sponsor nor the Trust owns or leases any other property.

Item  3. Legal Proceedings

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The Shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on June 26, 2006 under the symbol “FXA”. The primary listing of the Shares was transferred to NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) on October 30, 2007.

The number of record holders of Shares of the registrant as of November 30, 2018 was approximately 76.

Although the Trust did not redeem Shares directly from its shareholders, the Trust redeemed Baskets from Authorized Participants in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year covered by this report as follows:

 

Month

   Shares      Average
Price
 

August

     100,000      $ 73.56  

September

     —        $ —    

October

     —        $ —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     100,000      $ 73.56  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

Following are financial highlights for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2018, October 31, 2017, October 31, 2016, October 31, 2015, and October 31, 2014.

 

     Fiscal Year ended
October 31, 2018
    Fiscal Year ended
October 31, 2017
    Fiscal Year ended
October 31, 2016
    Fiscal Year ended
October 31, 2015
    Fiscal Year ended
October 31, 2014
 

Income

          

Interest income

   $ 1,735,658     $ 2,135,832     $ 2,576,284     $ 4,050,279     $ 6,879,609  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Income

     1,735,658       2,135,832       2,576,284       4,050,279       6,879,609  

Expenses

          

Sponsor’s fee

     (508,958     (680,510     (713,817     (836,139     (1,255,968
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Expenses

     (508,958     (680,510     (713,817     (836,139     (1,255,968

Net Comprehensive Income

   $ 1,226,700     $ 1,455,322     $ 1,862,467     $ 3,214,140     $ 5,623,641  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share

   $ 0.73     $ 0.65     $ 0.77     $ 1.20     $ 1.64  

Weighted-average Shares Outstanding

     1,684,110       2,228,219       2,409,016       2,667,397       3,420,137  

Cash Dividends per Share

   $ 0.72     $ 0.66     $ 0.81     $ 1.25     $ 1.65  

Net Decrease in Cash

   $ (21,357,005   $ (36,975,692   $ (3,109,064   $ (108,172,139   $ (136,029,532
     As of October 31,
2018
    As of October 31,
2017
    As of October 31,
2016
    As of October 31,
2015
    As of October 31,
2014
 

Redeemable Capital Shares at Redemption value

   $ 120,594,430     $ 141,941,827     $ 178,918,567     $ 182,130,886     $ 290,508,116  

Total Assets

   $ 120,634,683     $ 141,992,962     $ 178,980,152     $ 182,192,182     $ 290,599,125  

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “outlook” and “estimate” and other similar words. Forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Various factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. These factors include fluctuations in the price of the Australian Dollar, as the value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the Australian Dollars held by the Trust and price fluctuations could materially adversely affect an investment in the Shares. Readers are urged to review the “Risk Factors” section in this report for a description of other risks and uncertainties that may affect an investment in the Shares.

Neither Invesco Specialized Products, LLC (the “Sponsor”) nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of forward-looking statements contained in this report. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this report, and will not be revised or updated to reflect actual results or changes in the Sponsor’s expectations or predictions.

 

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Movements in the Price of the Australian Dollar

The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the price in USD of the Australian Dollar plus accrued interest, if any, less the expenses of the Trust’s operations. 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 Australian Dollars. Each outstanding Share represents a proportional interest in the Australian Dollars held by the Trust. The following chart provides recent trends on the price of the Australian Dollar. The chart illustrates movements in the price of the Australian Dollar in USD and is based on the Closing Spot Rate:

 

LOGO

 

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NAV per Share; Valuation of the Australian Dollar

The following chart illustrates the movement in the price of the Shares based on (1) NAV per Share, (2) the “bid” and “ask” midpoint offered on NYSE Arca and (3) the Closing Spot Rate, expressed as a multiple of 100 Australian Dollars:

 

LOGO

 

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Liquidity

The Sponsor is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to the Trust’s liquidity needs. The Trust’s Depository, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., London Branch, 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. Interest on the primary deposit account, if any, accrues daily and is paid monthly. The interest rate in effect as of October 31, 2018 was an annual nominal rate of 1.12%. The following chart provides the daily rate paid by the Depository since October 31, 2013:

LOGO

In exchange for a fee, the Sponsor bears most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the periods covered by this report was the Sponsor’s fee. Each month the Depository deposits into the secondary deposit account accrued but unpaid interest, if any, and the Trustee withdraws Australian Dollars from the secondary deposit account to pay the accrued Sponsor’s fee for the previous month plus other Trust expenses, if any. When the interest deposited, if any, exceeds the sum of the Sponsor’s fee for the prior month plus other Trust expenses, if any, the Trustee converts the excess into USD at the prevailing market rate and distributes the USD as promptly as practicable to Shareholders on a pro-rata basis (in accordance with the number of Shares that they own). Distributions paid during the current reporting period follow (annualized yield reflects the estimated annual yield an investor would receive if a monthly distribution stayed the same for the entire year going forward, and is calculated by annualizing the monthly distribution and dividing by the Trust NAV for the dates listed below):

FXA Distribution History

 

Date   Value   NAV   Yield   Annualized Yield
10/1/2018   $ 0.07039   $72.43   0.10%   1.18%
9/4/2018   $ 0.05725   $72.39   0.08%   0.93%
8/1/2018   $ 0.07909   $74.42   0.11%   1.25%

 

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Critical Accounting Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires the Sponsor’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of the assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period covered by this report.

In addition to the description below, please refer to Note 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of our accounting policies.

The functional currency of the Trust is the Australian Dollar in accordance with ASC 830, Foreign Currency Translation.

Results of Operations

As of October 31, 2016, the number of Australian Dollars owned by the Trust was 235,000,000, resulting in a redeemable capital Share value of $178,918,567. During the year ended October 31, 2017, an additional 450,000 Shares were created in exchange for 45,000,000 Australian Dollars and 950,000 Shares were redeemed in exchange for 95,000,000 Australian Dollars. As of October 31, 2017, the number of Australian Dollars owned by the Trust was 185,000,000, resulting in a redeemable capital Share value of $141,941,827. During the year ended October 31, 2018, an additional 250,000 Shares were created in exchange for 25,000,000 Australian Dollars and 400,000 Shares were redeemed in exchange for 40,000,000 Australian Dollars. As of October 31, 2018, the number of Australian Dollars owned by the Trust was 170,000,000, resulting in a redeemable capital Share value of $120,594,430.

A decrease in the Trust’s redeemable capital Share value from $141,941,827 at October 31, 2017 to $120,594,430 at October 31, 2018, was primarily the result of a decrease in the number of Shares outstanding from 1,850,000 at October 31, 2017 to 1,700,000 at October 31, 2018 coupled with a decrease in the Closing Spot Rate from 0.7668 at October 31, 2017 to 0.7087 at October 31, 2018. A decrease in the Trust’s redeemable capital Share value from $178,918,567 at October 31, 2016 to $141,941,827 at October 31, 2017, was primarily the result of a decrease in the number of Shares outstanding from 2,350,000 at October 31, 2016 to 1,850,000 at October 31, 2017, but partially offset by an increase in the Closing Spot Rate from 0.7610 at October 31, 2016 to 0.7668 at October 31, 2017.

Interest income decreased from $2,135,832 for the year ended October 31, 2017 to $1,735,658 for the year ended October 31, 2018 attributable primarily to a decrease in the weighted-average Australian Dollars in the Trust, but partially offset by an increase in the annual nominal interest rate paid by the Depository, as set forth in the chart above. Interest income decreased from $2,576,284 for the year ended October 31, 2016 to $2,135,832 for the year ended October 31, 2017 attributable primarily to a decrease in the weighted-average Australian Dollars in the Trust and a decline in the annual nominal interest rate paid by the Depository, as set forth in the chart above.

The Sponsor’s fee accrues daily at an annual nominal rate of 0.40% of the Australian Dollars in the Trust. Due primarily to a decrease in the weighted-average Australian Dollars in the Trust, the Sponsor’s fee decreased from $680,510 for the year ended October 31, 2017 to $508,958 for the year ended October 31, 2018. The only expense of the Trust during the year ended October 31, 2018 was the Sponsor’s fee. Due primarily to a decrease in the weighted-average Australian Dollars in the Trust, the Sponsor’s fee decreased from $713,817 for the year ended October 31, 2016 to $680,510 for the year ended October 31, 2017. The only expense of the Trust during the year ended October 31, 2017 was the Sponsor’s fee.

The Trust’s net comprehensive income for the year ended October 31, 2018 was $1,226,700, due to interest income of $1,735,658 exceeding the Sponsor’s fee of $508,958. The Trust’s net comprehensive income for the year ended October 31, 2017 was $1,455,322, due to interest income of $2,135,832 exceeding the Sponsor’s fee of $680,510. The Trust’s net comprehensive income for the year ended October 31, 2016 was $1,862,467 due to interest income of $2,576,284 exceeding the Sponsor’s fee of $713,817.

Cash dividends per Share increased from $0.66 per Share for the year ended October 31, 2017 to $0.72 per Share for the year ended October 31, 2018. The increase in cash dividends per Share was primarily the result of an increase in the annual nominal interest rate paid by the Depository. Cash dividends per Share decreased from $0.81 per Share for the year ended October 31, 2016 to $0.66 per Share for the year ended October 31, 2017. The decrease in cash dividends per Share was primarily the result of a decrease in the annual nominal interest rate paid by the Depository.

 

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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Except as described above with respect to the Australian Dollar/USD exchange rate and the nominal annual interest rate paid by the Depository on Australian Dollars held by the Trust, the Trust is not subject to market risk. The Trust does not hold securities and does not invest in derivative instruments.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

See Index to Financial Statements on page F-1 for a list of the financial statements filed with this report.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the supervision and with the participation of the management of the Sponsor, including Daniel Draper, its Principal Executive Officer, and Kelli Gallegos, its Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, Investment Pools, the Trust carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this annual report, and, based upon that evaluation, Daniel Draper, the Principal Executive Officer of the Sponsor, and Kelli Gallegos, the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, Investment Pools, of the Sponsor concluded that the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information the Trust is required to disclose in the reports that it files or submits with the SEC under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management of the Sponsor, including its Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in internal control over financial reporting (as defined in the Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the Trust’s last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management of the Sponsor is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined under Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act, for the Trust. Daniel Draper, the Principal Executive Officer of the Sponsor, and Kelli Gallegos, the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, Investment Pools, of the Sponsor, assessed the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018. Their report in connection with their assessment may be found in the “Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting” on page F-2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, has audited the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018, as stated in their report on page F-3 of this Form 10-K.

Item 9B. Other Information

Not applicable.

 

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PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The following executive officers of the Sponsor serve in the capacities specified for them:

 

Name

  

Capacity

Daniel Draper    Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer;
Board of Managers
Kelli Gallegos    Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools
Annette J. Lege    Chief Financial Officer
Melanie Zimdars    Chief Compliance Officer
David C. Warren    Board of Managers
John M. Zerr    Board of Managers

The Sponsor is managed by a Board of Managers. The Board of Managers is composed of Messrs. Draper, Warren and Zerr.

Daniel Draper (50) currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer of the Sponsor, and also serves as a member of the Sponsor’s Board of Managers. He has served in such capacities since April 6, 2018. In his role, he has general oversight responsibilities for all of the Sponsor’s business. Mr. Draper also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Invesco Capital Management (“Invesco Capital Management”), an affiliate of the Sponsor, and has served in such capacity since March 2016. In such capacity, Mr. Draper is responsible for managing the operations of various Invesco funds. Mr. Draper also presently serves as a member of the Board of Managers of Invesco Capital Management and has served in such capacity since September 2013. Previously, Mr. Draper was the Global Head of Exchange Traded Funds for Credit Suisse Asset Management (“Credit Suisse”) based in London from March 2010 until June 2013, followed by a three month non-compete period pursuant to his employment terms with Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse is an asset management business of Credit Suisse Group, a financial services company. From January 2007 to March 2010, he was the Global Head of Exchange Traded Funds for Lyxor Asset Management in London, an investment management business unit of Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking. Mr. Draper was previously registered as a Significant Influence Functions (“SIF”) person with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. He withdrew SIF person status on June 30, 2013 when he left Credit Suisse. Mr. Draper received his MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his BA from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Mr. Draper is currently registered with FINRA and holds the Series 7, 24 and 63 registrations.

Kelli Gallegos (48) currently serves as Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools of the Sponsor and has served in this capacity since September 2018. Additionally, since September 2018, Ms. Gallegos has been Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools of Invesco Capital Management LLC, the managing owner of a suite of commodity exchange-traded funds (“ICM”), Head of North America Fund Reporting of Invesco, Ltd., a global investment management company (“Invesco”), and Vice President and Treasurer of Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust, each a registered investment company offering series of exchange-traded funds (the “Invesco ETFs”). She has also served as Vice President (since March 2016), Principal Financial Officer (since March 2016) and Assistant Treasurer (since December 2008) for a suite of mutual funds advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc., a registered investment adviser (the “Invesco Funds”). In her roles with the Sponsor, ICM, Invesco, the Invesco ETFs and the Invesco Funds, Ms. Gallegos has financial and administrative oversight responsibilities for, and serves as Principal Financial Officer of, the Invesco ETFs, the CurrencyShares Trusts sponsored by the Sponsor, of which the registrant is one (the “CurrencyShares Trusts”), and the exchange-traded commodity funds for which ICM serves as managing owner (the “Commodity Funds”). Previously, she was Director of Fund Financial Services from December 2008 to September 2018, Assistant Treasurer for ICM from January 2013 to September 2018, Assistant Treasurer of the Sponsor from April 2018 to

 

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September 2018, Assistant Treasurer for the Invesco ETFs from September 2014 to September 2018 and Assistant Vice President for the Invesco Funds from December 2008 to March 2016. In such roles, Ms. Gallegos managed the group of personnel responsible for the preparation of fund financial statements and other information necessary for shareholder reports, fund prospectuses, regulatory filings, and for the coordination and oversight of third-party service providers of the CurrencyShares Trusts, the Invesco ETFs, the Invesco Funds and the Commodity Funds. Ms. Gallegos earned a BBA in accounting from Harding University in Searcy, AR.

Annette Lege (49) currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor and has served in this capacity since April 6, 2018. Ms. Lege also serves as Chief Accounting Officer and Head of Finance and Corporate Services (“FCS”) Business Services for Invesco and has served in such capacity since March 2017. In her roles for the Sponsor and Invesco, she is responsible for all aspects of Corporate Accounting, including group financial reporting, internal controls and group accounting policies. Ms. Lege also manages Invesco’s Finance operations and shared service centers and has held this role since September 2015. Previously, Ms. Lege was Head of FCS Transformation Office from October 2013 through September 2015, with responsibility for business transformation initiatives taking place across FCS at Invesco. Before assuming that role in October 2013, Ms. Lege held the position of North American Corporate Controller at Invesco from March 2007 to October 2013. Ms. Lege is a CPA, is licensed by FINRA as a Financial Operations Principal, and is a member of the Texas State Board of Public Accountants. Ms. Lege earned a BBA in accounting from the University of Houston.

Melanie H. Zimdars (42) currently serves as Chief Compliance Officer of the Sponsor and has served in this capacity since April 6, 2018. In her role, she is responsible for all aspects of regulatory compliance for the Sponsor. Ms. Zimdars has also served as Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco Capital Management, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust since November 2017. From September 2009 to October 2017, she served as Vice President and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer at ALPS Holdings, Inc. where she was Chief Compliance Officer for six different mutual fund complexes, including active and passive ETFs and open-end and closed-end funds. Through its subsidiary companies, ALPS Holdings, Inc. is a provider of investment products and customized servicing solutions to the financial services industry. Ms. Zimdars received a BS degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

David Warren (61) currently serves as a member of the Board of Managers of the Sponsor and has served in this capacity since April 6, 2018. Mr. Warren also serves as Chief Administrative Officer, Americas, for Invesco. He was appointed to such position in January 2007, and also holds the roles of Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Invesco Canada Ltd., a Canadian investment management subsidiary of Invesco, since January 2009. He has been a member of the Board of Managers and Chief Administrative Officer of Invesco Capital Management since January 2010, as well. In these capacities, Mr. Warren is responsible for general management support, in addition to executing on various strategic initiatives and overseeing the risk management framework for the business units operating within the Americas division of Invesco. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the University of Toronto as both a chartered accountant and a certified public accountant and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.

John Zerr (56) currently serves as a member of the Board of Managers of the Sponsor and has served in this capacity since April 6, 2018. Mr. Zerr is also a member of the Board of Managers of Invesco Capital Management and the Chief Operating Officer of Americas for Invesco Ltd., and has served in these roles since March 2006 and February 2018, respectively. Mr. Zerr previously served as the Managing Director and General Counsel for U.S. Retail of Invesco Management Group, Inc., a registered investment adviser affiliated with the Sponsor, from March 2006 through February 2018. Mr. Zerr has also been a Senior Vice President and Secretary of IDI since March 2006 and June 2006, respectively. He also served as a Director of that entity until February 2010. Mr. Zerr has served as Senior Vice President of Invesco Advisers, Inc., a registered investment adviser affiliated with the Sponsor, since December 2009. Mr. Zerr serves as a Director, Vice President and Secretary of Invesco Investment Services, Inc., a registered transfer agency since May 2007. Mr. Zerr has served as Director, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of a number of other Invesco wholly-owned subsidiaries which service or serviced portions of Invesco’s U.S. Retail business since May 2007 and since June 2010 with respect to certain Van Kampen entities engaged in the asset management business that were acquired by Invesco from Morgan Stanley. In each of the foregoing positions Mr. Zerr is responsible for overseeing legal operations. In such capacity, Mr. Zerr also is responsible for overseeing the legal activities of various Invesco funds. Mr. Zerr earned a BA degree in economics from Ursinus College. He graduated cum laude with a J.D. from Temple University School of Law.

 

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Item 11. Executive Compensation

The Trust has no employees, officers or directors. The Sponsor receives a Sponsor’s fee, which accrues daily at an annual nominal rate of 0.40% of the Australian Dollars in the Trust (including all unpaid interest but excluding unpaid fees, each as accrued through the immediately preceding day) and is paid monthly.

For the year ended October 31, 2018, the Trust has incurred Sponsor’s Fees of $508,958 of which $468,705 had been paid at October 31, 2018. Sponsor’s Fees of $40,253 were unpaid at October 31, 2018 and are reported as a liability on the Statement of Financial Condition.

For the year ended October 31, 2017, the Trust has incurred Sponsor’s Fees of $680,510 of which $631,252 had been paid at October 31, 2017. Sponsor’s Fees of $49,258 were unpaid at October 31, 2017 and are reported as a liability on the Statement of Financial Condition.

For the year ended October 31, 2016, the Trust has incurred Sponsor’s Fees of $713,817 of which $652,881 had been paid at October 31, 2016. Sponsor’s Fees of $60,936 were unpaid at October 31, 2016 and are reported as a liability on the Statement of Financial Condition.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

The Trust has no officers or directors. The following table sets forth certain information regarding beneficial ownership of our Shares as of October 31, 2018, as known by management. No person is known by us to own beneficially more than 5% of outstanding Shares.

 

Title of Class

  

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner

   Amount and
Nature of

Beneficial
Ownership
     Percent
of Class

Shares

   Directors and Officers of Invesco Specialized Products, LLC as a group      —        Less than 0.1%

The Trust has no securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

See Item 11.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

On April 19, 2018, the Board of Managers of the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, approved the engagement of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust, effective that same date. As previously disclosed on Form 8-K filed on April 9, 2018, on April 8, 2018, Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) resigned as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust as EY was no longer independent of the Trust as of that date under the applicable independence standards. The reports of EY on the Trust’s financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017 did not contain any adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017 and the subsequent interim period through the date of EY’s resignation, (i) there was no disagreement between the Trust and EY on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreement, if not resolved to the satisfaction of EY, would have caused it to make a reference to the subject matter thereof in its report on the financial statements of the Trust for any such period, and (ii) there were no “reportable events” as described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC.

Audit and Non-Audit Fees

The following table sets forth the fees for professional services rendered by PwC, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended October 31, 2018.

 

     Fiscal Year Ended
October 31,
 
     2018  

Audit Fees

   $ 35,000  

Audit-Related Fees

     —    

Tax Fees

     —    

All Other Fees

     —    
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 35,000  
  

 

 

 

 

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The following table sets forth the fees for professional services rendered by EY, the Trust’s former independent registered public accounting firm for the years ended October 31, 2018 and 2017.

 

     Fiscal Years Ended October 31,  
     2018      2017  

Audit Fees

   $ —        $ 26,767  

Audit-Related Fees (1)

     10,973        —    

Tax Fees

     —          —    

All Other Fees

     —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 10,973      $ 26,767  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Audit-Related Fees for the year ended October 31, 2018 include fees billed for reviewing regulatory filings.

Approval of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Services and Fees

The Sponsor approved all of the services provided by PwC and EY to the Trust described above. The Sponsor pre-approved all audit and allowed non-audit services of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, including all engagement fees and terms.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)(1) Financial Statements

See financial statements commencing on page F-1 hereof.

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules

No financial statement schedules are filed herewith because (i) such schedules are not required or (ii) the information required has been presented in the aforementioned financial statements.

(a)(3) Exhibits

The following documents (unless otherwise indicated) are filed herewith and made a part of this Annual Report:

 

Exhibit

No.

  

Description

3.1    Certificate of Formation of the Sponsor dated September  14, 2005, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File number 333-132362) filed by the Trust on June 9, 2006.
3.2    Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Formation of the Sponsor dated March  27, 2012, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Trust on December 21, 2012.
3.3    Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Formation of the Sponsor dated April  6, 2018, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Trust on April 9, 2018.

 

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3.4    Third Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Sponsor, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Trust on April 9, 2018.
4.1    Depositary Trust Agreement dated as of June  8, 2006 among the Sponsor, The Bank of New York Mellon, all registered owners and beneficial owners of Australian Dollar Shares issued thereunder and all depositors, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed by the Trust on March 10, 2011.
4.2    Amendment to Depositary Trust Agreement dated as of November  13, 2008 between the Sponsor and The Bank of New York Mellon, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Trust on September 9, 2010.
4.3    Global Amendment to Depositary Trust Agreements dated as of March  6, 2012 between the Sponsor and The Bank of New York Mellon, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Trust on March 12, 2012.
   4.4       Global Amendment to Depositary Trust Agreements dated as of September  5, 2017 between the Sponsor and The Bank of New York Mellon, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.8 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Trust on September 11, 2017.
4.5    Global Amendment to Depositary Trust Agreements dated as of June  4, 2018 between the Sponsor and The Bank of New York Mellon, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Trust on June 4, 2018.
4.6    Form of Participant Agreement among The Bank of New York Mellon, the Sponsor, and the Authorized Participants listed in the Schedule attached thereto pursuant to Instruction 2 to Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
10.1    Deposit Account Agreement dated as of June  8, 2006 between The Bank of New York Mellon and the London Branch of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed by the Trust on March 10, 2011.
10.2    Amendment to Deposit Account Agreement dated as of November  13, 2008 between The Bank of New York Mellon and the London Branch of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Trust on September 9, 2010.
10.3    License Agreement dated as of April  6, 2018 between The Bank of New York Mellon and the Sponsor, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Trust on April 9, 2018.
23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
23.2    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.
31.1    Certification by Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2    Certification by Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

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32.1    Certification by Principal Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2    Certification by Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS    XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LAB    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

 

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Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust

Financial Statements as of October 31, 2018

Index

 

     Page  

Report of Management on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

     F-2  

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms

     F-3  

Statements of Financial Condition at October 31, 2018 and October  31, 2017

     F-5  

Statements of Comprehensive Income for the year ended October  31, 2018, the year ended October 31, 2017 and the year ended October 31, 2016

     F-6  

Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the year ended October 31, 2018, the year ended October 31, 2017 and the year ended October 31, 2016

     F-7  

Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended October  31, 2018, the year ended October 31, 2017 and the year ended October 31, 2016

     F-8  

Notes to the Financial Statements

     F-9  

 

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Report of Management on Internal Control

Over Financial Reporting

Management of Invesco Specialized Products, LLC, as sponsor (the “Sponsor”) of the Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust (the “Trust”), is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined under Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Trust; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that the Trust’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with appropriate authorizations of management; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Trust’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements, errors or fraud. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

We, Daniel Draper, Principal Executive Officer, and Kelli Gallegos, Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, Investment Pools, of the Sponsor, assessed the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018. In making this assessment, we used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013). The assessment included an evaluation of the design of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and testing of the operational effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting. Based on our assessment and those criteria, we have concluded that the Trust maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018.

The Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, has audited the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018, as stated in their report on page F-3 of the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

By:  

/S/ DANIEL DRAPER

Name:   Daniel Draper
Title:   Principal Executive Officer
By:  

/S/ KELLI GALLEGOS

Name:   Kelli Gallegos
Title:   Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, Investment Pools

January 11, 2019

 

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Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Managers and Shareholders of Invesco CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust:

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying statement of financial condition of Invesco CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust (the “Trust”) as of October 31, 2018, and the related statements of comprehensive income, of changes in shareholders’ equity and of cash flows for the year ended October 31, 2018, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). We also have audited the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Trust as of October 31, 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended October 31, 2018 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Trust maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Basis for Opinions

The Trust’s management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Trust’s financial statements and on the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A trust’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A trust’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the trust; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the trust are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the trust; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the trust’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Chicago, Illinois

January 11, 2019

We have served as the Trust’s auditor since 2018.

 

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Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and the Shareholders of Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust (formerly, CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust):

We have audited the accompanying statement of financial condition of Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust (the “Trust”) as of October 31, 2017, and the related statements of comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2017. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust at October 31, 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2017, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Tysons, VA
January 11, 2018

 

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Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust

Statements of Financial Condition

 

     October 31, 2018      October 31, 2017  

Assets

     

Current Assets:

     

Australian Dollar deposits, interest bearing

   $ 120,487,478      $ 141,848,757  

Australian Dollar deposits, non-interest bearing

     2,397        —    

Receivable from accrued interest

     144,808        144,205  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Current Assets

   $ 120,634,683      $ 141,992,962  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Liabilities, Redeemable Capital Shares and Shareholders’ Equity

     

Current Liabilities:

     

Australian Dollar deposits, non-interest bearing, overdrawn

   $ —        $ 1,877  

Accrued Sponsor’s fee

     40,253        49,258  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Current Liabilities

     40,253        51,135  

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (note 9)

     —          —    

Redeemable Capital Shares, at redemption value, no par value, 41,500,000 and 38,500,000 authorized, respectively – 1,700,000 and 1,850,000 issued and outstanding, respectively

     120,594,430        141,941,827  

Shareholders’ Equity:

     

Retained Earnings

     —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Liabilities, Redeemable Capital Shares and Shareholders’ Equity

   $ 120,634,683      $ 141,992,962  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust

Statements of Comprehensive Income

 

     Year ended
October 31, 2018
    Year ended
October 31, 2017
    Year ended
October 31, 2016
 

Income

      

Interest Income

   $ 1,735,658     $ 2,135,832     $ 2,576,284  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Income

     1,735,658       2,135,832       2,576,284  

Expenses

      

Sponsor’s fee

     (508,958     (680,510     (713,817
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Expenses

     (508,958     (680,510     (713,817

Net Comprehensive Income

   $ 1,226,700     $ 1,455,322     $ 1,862,467  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share

   $ 0.73     $ 0.65     $ 0.77  

Weighted-average Shares Outstanding

     1,684,110       2,228,219       2,409,016  

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust

Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity

 

     Year ended
October 31, 2018
    Year ended
October 31, 2017
    Year ended
October 31, 2016
 

Retained Earnings, Beginning of Year

   $ —       $ —       $ —    

Net Comprehensive Income

     1,226,700       1,455,322       1,862,467  

Distributions Paid

     (1,210,590     (1,460,231     (1,972,470

Adjustment of redeemable capital Shares to redemption value

     (16,110     4,909       110,003  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Retained Earnings, End of Year

   $ —       $ —       $ —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust

Statements of Cash Flows

 

     Year ended
October 31, 2018
    Year ended
October 31, 2017
    Year ended
October 31, 2016
 

Cash flows from operating activities

      

Cash received for accrued income

   $ 1,727,420     $ 2,152,354     $ 2,705,770  

Cash paid for Sponsor’s fee

     (514,607     (693,136     (718,687
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

     1,212,813       1,459,218       1,987,083  

Cash flows from financing activities

      

Cash received to purchase redeemable Shares

     18,880,911       34,369,885       18,499,561  

Cash paid to redeem redeemable Shares

     (30,200,732     (72,530,089     (33,314,772

Cash paid for distributions

     (1,210,590     (1,460,231     (1,972,470
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in financing activities

     (12,530,411     (39,620,435     (16,787,681

Adjustment to period cash flows due to currency movement

     (10,039,407     1,185,525       11,691,534  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Decrease in cash

     (21,357,005     (36,975,692     (3,109,064

Cash at beginning of year

     141,846,880       178,822,572       181,931,636  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash at end of year

   $ 120,489,875     $ 141,846,880     $ 178,822,572  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Reconciliation of net comprehensive income to net cash provided by operating activities

      

Net Comprehensive Income

   $ 1,226,700     $ 1,455,322     $ 1,862,467  

Adjustments to reconcile net comprehensive income to net cash provided by operating activities:

      

Receivable from accrued interest

     (144,808     (144,205     (156,931

Prior period receivable from accrued interest

     144,205       156,931       260,546  

Effect of exchange rate on cash

     (4,279     2,848       21,361  

Accrued Sponsor’s fee

     40,253       49,258       60,936  

Prior period accrued Sponsor’s fee

     (49,258     (60,936     (61,296
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

   $ 1,212,813     $ 1,459,218     $ 1,987,083  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust

Notes to Financial Statements

 

1.

Background

On September 28, 2017, Guggenheim Capital, LLC (“Guggenheim”) and Invesco Ltd. entered into a Transaction Agreement (the “Transaction Agreement”), pursuant to which Guggenheim agreed to transfer all of the membership interests of Guggenheim Specialized Products, LLC (the “Sponsor”) to Invesco Capital Management LLC (“Invesco Capital Management”).

The Transaction Agreement was consummated on April 6, 2018 (the “Closing”) and immediately following the Closing, Invesco Capital Management changed the name of the Sponsor to Invesco Specialized Products, LLC.

 

2.

Organization and Description of the Trust

The Invesco CurrencyShares® Australian Dollar Trust (the “Trust”) was formed under the laws of the State of New York on June 8, 2006 when the Sponsor deposited 100 Australian Dollars in the Trust’s primary deposit account held by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., London Branch (the “Depository”). The Sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company whose sole member is Invesco Capital Management. The Sponsor is responsible for, among other things, overseeing the performance of The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”) and the Trust’s principal service providers, including the preparation of financial statements. The Trustee is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust.

The investment objective of the Trust is for the Trust’s shares (the “Shares”) to reflect the price in U.S. Dollars (“USD”) of the Australian Dollar plus accrued interest, if any, less the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Shares are intended to provide investors with a simple, cost-effective means of gaining investment benefits similar to those of holding Australian Dollars. The Trust’s assets primarily consist of Australian Dollars on demand deposit in two deposit accounts maintained by the Depository: a primary deposit account which may earn interest and a secondary deposit account which does not earn interest. The secondary deposit account is used to account for any interest that may be received and paid out on creations and redemptions of blocks of 50,000 Shares (“Baskets”). The secondary account is also used to account for interest earned, if any, on the primary deposit account, pay Trust expenses and distribute any excess interest to holders of Shares (“Shareholders”) on a monthly basis.

The accompanying audited financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

 

3.

Significant Accounting Policies

 

  A.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of the assets, liabilities and disclosures of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements, the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period and the evaluation of subsequent events through the issuance date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

  B.

Foreign Currency Translation

For Net Asset Value (“NAV”) calculation purposes, Australian Dollar deposits (cash) are translated at the Closing Spot Rate, which is the Australian Dollar/USD exchange rate as determined and published by The WM Company at 4:00 PM (London time / London fixing) on each day that NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) is open for regular trading.

The Trust maintains its books and records in Australian Dollars. For financial statement reporting purposes, the U.S. Dollar is the reporting currency. As a result, the financial records of the Trust are translated from Australian Dollars to USD. The Closing Spot Rate on the last day of the period is used for translation in the statements of financial condition. The average Closing Spot Rate for the period is used for translation in the statements of comprehensive income and the statements of cash flows. The redeemable capital Shares are adjusted to redemption value and these adjustments are recorded against retained earnings.

 

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Table of Contents
  C.

Federal Income Taxes

The Trust is treated as a “grantor trust” for federal income tax purposes and, therefore, no provision for federal income taxes is required. Interest, gains and losses are passed through to the Shareholders.

Shareholders generally will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as if they directly owned a pro-rata share of the assets held in the Trust. Shareholders also will be treated as if they directly received their respective pro-rata portion of the Trust’s income, if any, and as if they directly incurred their respective pro-rata portion of the Trust’s expenses. The acquisition of Shares by a U.S. Shareholder as part of a creation of a Basket will not be a taxable event to the Shareholder.

The Sponsor’s fee accrues daily and is payable monthly. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, an accrual-basis U.S. Shareholder generally will be required to take into account as an expense its allocable portion of the USD-equivalent of the amount of the Sponsor’s fee that is accrued on each day, with such USD-equivalent being determined by the currency exchange rate that is in effect on the respective day. To the extent that the currency exchange rate on the date of payment of the accrued amount of the Sponsor’s fee differs from the currency exchange rate in effect on the day of accrual, the U.S. Shareholder will recognize a currency gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Trust does not expect to generate taxable income except for interest income (if any) and gain (if any) upon the sale of Australian Dollars. A non-U.S. Shareholder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to gain recognized upon the sale or other disposition of Shares, or upon the sale of Australian Dollars by the Trust, unless: (1) the non-U.S. Shareholder is an individual and is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the sale or other disposition, and the gain is treated as being from United States sources; or (2) the gain is effectively connected with the conduct by the non-U.S. Shareholder of a trade or business in the United States.

A non-U.S. Shareholder’s portion of any interest income earned by the Trust generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless the Shares owned by such non-U.S. Shareholder are effectively connected with the conduct by the non-U.S. Shareholder of a trade or business in the United States.

 

  D.

Revenue Recognition

Interest on the primary deposit account, if any, accrues daily as earned and is received or paid on a monthly basis. Any interest below zero for the period is reflected as interest expense on currency deposits. The Depository may change the rate at which interest accrues, including reducing the interest rate to zero or below zero, based upon changes in market conditions or based on the Depository’s liquidity needs. Interest charged on the primary deposit account will be disclosed as interest expense on currency deposits.

 

  E.

Dividends

To the extent that the interest earned by the Trust, if any, exceeds the sum of the Sponsor’s fee for the prior month plus other Trust expenses, if any, the Trust will distribute, as a dividend (herein referred to as dividends or distributions), the excess interest earned in Australian Dollars effective on the first business day of the subsequent month. The Trustee will direct that the excess Australian Dollars 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).

The table below shows distributions per Share and in total for the years presented:

 

     Year ended
October 31, 2018
     Year ended
October 31, 2017
     Year ended
October 31, 2016
 

Distributions per Share

   $ 0.72      $ 0.66      $ 0.81  

Distributions paid

   $ 1,210,590      $ 1,460,231      $ 1,972,470  

A distribution for the month ended October 31, 2018 was paid on November 8, 2018 to holders of record as of November 2, 2018 at a rate of $0.0628 per Share and a total distribution of $106,726.

 

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4.

Australian Dollar Deposits

Australian Dollar principal deposits are held in an Australian Dollar-denominated, interest-bearing demand account. The interest rate in effect as of October 31, 2018 was an annual nominal rate of 1.12%. For the year ended October 31, 2018, there were Australian Dollar principal deposits of 25,000,000 and Australian Dollar principal redemptions of 40,000,000, resulting in an ending Australian Dollar principal balance of 170,000,000. This equates to 120,487,478 USD. For the year ended October 31, 2017, there were Australian Dollar principal deposits of 45,000,000 and Australian Dollar principal redemptions of 95,000,000 resulting in an ending Australian Dollar principal balance of 185,000,000. This equates to 141,848,757 USD. For the year ended October 31, 2016, there were Australian Dollar principal deposits of 25,000,000 and Australian Dollar principal redemptions of 45,000,000, resulting in an ending Australian Dollar principal balance of 235,000,000. This equates to 178,823,221 USD.

Net interest, if any, associated with creation and redemption activity is held in an Australian Dollar-denominated non-interest-bearing account, and any balance is distributed in full as part of the monthly income distributions, if any.

 

5.

Redeemable Capital Shares

Shares are classified as “redeemable” for financial statement purposes, since they are subject to redemption. Shares are issued and redeemed continuously in Baskets in exchange for Australian Dollars. Individual investors cannot purchase or redeem Shares in direct transactions with the Trust. Only Authorized Participants (as defined below) 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 institution eligible to settle securities transactions through the book-entry facilities of the DTC and which has entered into a contractual arrangement with the Trust and the Sponsor governing, among other matters, the creation and redemption process. Authorized Participants may redeem their Shares at any time in Baskets.

Due to expected continuing creations and redemptions of Baskets and the two-day period for settlement of each creation or redemption, the Trust reflects Shares created as a receivable on the trade date. Shares redeemed are reflected as a liability on the trade date. Outstanding Shares are reflected at a redemption value, which is the NAV per Share at the period end date. Adjustments to redeemable capital Shares at redemption value are recorded against retained earnings.

Activity in redeemable capital Shares is as follows:

 

     Year ended
October 31, 2018
    Year ended
October 31, 2017
    Year ended
October 31, 2016
 
     Shares     U.S. Dollar
Amount
    Shares     U.S. Dollar
Amount
    Shares     U.S. Dollar
Amount
 

Opening Balance

     1,850,000     $ 141,941,827       2,350,000     $ 178,918,567       2,550,000     $ 182,130,886  

Shares Issued

     250,000       18,880,911       450,000       34,369,885       250,000       18,499,561  

Shares Redeemed

     (400,000     (30,200,732     (950,000     (72,530,089     (450,000     (33,314,772

Adjustment to period Shares due to currency movement

     —         (10,027,576     —         1,183,464       —         11,602,892  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending Balance

     1,700,000     $ 120,594,430       1,850,000     $ 141,941,827       2,350,000     $ 178,918,567  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The Trustee calculates the Trust’s NAV each business day. To calculate the NAV, the Trustee subtracts the Sponsor’s accrued fee through the previous day from the Australian Dollars held by the Trust (including all unpaid interest, if any, accrued through the preceding day) and calculates the value of the Australian Dollars in USD based upon the Closing Spot Rate. 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 will be 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. If the Trustee and the Sponsor determine that the most recent Closing Spot Rate is not an appropriate basis for valuation of the Trust’s Australian Dollars, they will determine an alternative 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. Shares deliverable under a purchase order are considered outstanding for purposes of determining NAV per Share; Shares deliverable under a redemption order are not considered outstanding for this purpose.

 

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6.

Selected Quarterly Information (Unaudited)

Fiscal Period Ended October 31, 2018:

 

     Three months
ended
October 31, 2018
     Three months
ended
July 31, 2018
     Three months
ended
April 30, 2018
     Three months
ended
January 31, 2018
 

Income

 

Interest Income

   $ 444,064      $ 495,699      $ 424,679      $ 371,216  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Income

     444,064        495,699        424,679        371,216  

Expenses

 

Sponsor’s fee

     (122,419      (128,476      (125,671      (132,392
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Expenses

     (122,419      (128,476      (125,671      (132,392

Net Comprehensive Income

   $ 321,645      $ 367,223      $ 299,008      $ 238,824  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share(1)

   $ 0.19      $ 0.22      $ 0.18      $ 0.14  

Weighted-average Shares Outstanding

     1,679,348        1,706,522        1,661,798        1,688,043  

Cash Dividends per Share(1)

   $ 0.21      $ 0.20      $ 0.17      $ 0.13  

 

(1) 

The amount shown for a Share outstanding for quarterly statements may not correlate with year to date amounts due to timing of subscriptions and redemptions in relation to income earned or distributed.

Fiscal Period Ended October 31, 2017:

 

     Three months
ended
October 31, 2017
     Three months
ended
July 31, 2017
     Three months
ended
April 30, 2017
     Three months
ended
January 31, 2017
 

Income

 

Interest Income

   $ 503,822      $ 547,064      $ 525,897      $ 559,049  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Income

     503,822        547,064        525,897        559,049  

Expenses

 

Sponsor’s fee

     (167,184      (169,120      (168,750      (175,456
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Expenses

     (167,184      (169,120      (168,750      (175,456

Net Comprehensive Income

   $ 336,638      $ 377,944      $ 357,147      $ 383,593  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share(1)

   $ 0.16      $ 0.17      $ 0.16      $ 0.16  

Weighted-average Shares Outstanding

     2,095,652        2,205,435        2,269,663        2,343,478  

Cash Dividends per Share(1)

   $ 0.18      $ 0.17      $ 0.17      $ 0.15  

 

(1) 

The amount shown for a Share outstanding for quarterly statements may not correlate with year to date amounts due to timing of subscriptions and redemptions in relation to income earned or distributed.

 

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7.

Related Parties

The Sponsor is a related party of the Trust. The Sponsor’s fee accrues daily at an annual nominal rate of 0.40% of the Australian Dollars in the Trust (including all unpaid interest but excluding unpaid fees, each as accrued through the immediately preceding day) and is paid monthly.

The Sponsor assumes and pays the following administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust: the Trustee’s monthly fee, NYSE Arca listing fees, SEC registration fees, typical maintenance and transaction fees of the Depository, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and expenses, up to $100,000 per year in legal fees and expenses, and applicable license fees.

In certain exceptional cases the Trust will pay for some expenses in addition to the Sponsor’s fee. These exceptions include expenses not assumed by the Sponsor (i.e., expenses other than those identified in the preceding paragraph), 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, audit fees and legal expenses in excess of $100,000 per year.

 

8.

Concentration Risk

All of the Trust’s assets are Australian Dollars, which creates a concentration risk associated with fluctuations in the price of the Australian Dollar. Accordingly, a decline in the Australian Dollar to USD exchange rate will have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares. Factors that may have the effect of causing a decline in the price of the Australian Dollar include national debt levels and trade deficits, domestic and foreign inflation rates, domestic and foreign interest rates, investment and trading activities of institutions and global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations. Substantial sales of Australian Dollars by the official sector (central banks, other governmental agencies and related institutions that buy, sell and hold Australian Dollars as part of their reserve assets) could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.

All of the Trust’s Australian Dollars are held by the Depository. Accordingly, a risk associated with the concentration of the Trust’s assets in accounts held by a single financial institution exists and increases the potential for loss by the Trust and the Trust’s beneficiaries in the event that the Depository becomes insolvent.

 

9.

Commitments and Contingencies

The Trust’s organizational documents provides for the Trust to indemnify the Sponsor and any affiliate of the Sponsor that provides services to the Trust to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions for disqualifying conduct by the Sponsor or such an affiliate. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred. Further, the Trust has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these contracts. Accordingly, the Sponsor expects the risk of loss to be remote.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

INVESCO CURRENCYSHARES®
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR TRUST
By     Invesco Specialized Products, LLC
  Sponsor of the Invesco CurrencyShares®
  Australian Dollar Trust

 

        By:  

/s/ DANIEL DRAPER

  Daniel Draper
  Chief Executive Officer
  (Principal Executive Officer)

        Date: January 11, 2019

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities* and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

  

Capacity*

 

Date

/s/ DANIEL DRAPER

Daniel Draper

   Manager and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
  January 11, 2019

/s/ KELLI GALLEGOS

Kelli Gallegos

   Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
  January 11, 2019

/s/ DAVID C. WARREN

David C. Warren

   Manager   January 11, 2019

/s/ JOHN M. ZERR

John M. Zerr

   Manager   January 11, 2019

 

*

The registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers or directors of Invesco Specialized Products, LLC, the Sponsor of the registrant.