BALA CYNWYD, Pa., Jan. 28, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Invesco Mutual Fund investors have five (5) days to move for lead plaintiff in a securities fraud class action recently brought against the Invesco Mutual Funds that are managed by Invesco Funds Group, Inc. ("Invesco"), a subsidiary of Amvescap PLC (NYSE:AVZ) ("Amvescap"). The Class Period for this case is from December 5, 1998 through November 24, 2003, inclusive (the "Class Period"). If you purchased any of the Invesco Funds listed below between November 1, 1998 and September 3, 2003, inclusive (the "Class Period") and you wish to be a lead plaintiff in the case, you must move to serve as lead plaintiff by filing a motion in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado by February 2, 2004.
The following Invesco Mutual Funds are subject to this suit:
INVESCO Advantage Health Sciences Fund (NASDAQ: IAGHX), (NASDAQ: IGHBX), (NASDAQ: IGHCX)
INVESCO Core Equity Fund (NASDAQ: ICEAX), (NASDAQ: ICEBX), (NASDAQ: IINCX), (NASDAQ: FIIIX), (NASDAQ: IEIKX)
INVESCO Dynamics Fund (NASDAQ: IDYAX), (NASDAQ: IDYBX), (NASDAQ: IFDCX) (NASDAQ: FIDYX) (NASDAQ: IDYKX)
INVESCO Energy Fund (NASDAQ: IENAX) (NASDAQ: IENBX), (NASDAQ: IEFCX) (NASDAQ: FSTEX) (NASDAQ: IENKX)
INVESCO Financial Services Fund (NASDAQ: IFSAX) (NASDAQ: IFSBX) (NASDAQ: IFSCX), (NASDAQ:FSFSX), (NASDAQ:FSFKX)
INVESCO Gold & Precious Metals Fund (NASDAQ: IGDAX), (NASDAQ: IGDBX) (NASDAQ: IGDCX) (NASDAQ: FGLDX)
INVESCO Health Sciences Fund (NASDAQ: IAHSX) (NASDAQ: IBHSX) (NASDAQ: IHSCX) (NASDAQ: FHLSX), (NASDAQ: IHSKX)
INVESCO International Core Equity Fund (NASDAQ: IBVAX) (NASDAQ: IBVBX) (NASDAQ: IBVCX), (NASDAQ: IIBCX)
INVESCO Leisure Fund (NASDAQ: ILSAX) (NASDAQ: ILSBX), (NASDAQ: IVLCX) (NASDAQ: FLISX), (NASDAQ: ILEKX)
INVESCO Mid-Cap Growth Fund (NASDAQ: IMGAX) (NASDAQ: IMGBX) (NASDAQ: IMGCX), (NASDAQ: IVMIX)
INVESCO Multi-Sector Fund (NASDAQ: IAMSX), (NASDAQ: IBMSX), (NASDAQ: ICMSX)
INVESCO S&P 500 Index Fund (NASDAQ: ISPIX)
INVESCO Small Company Growth Fund (NASDAQ: ISGAX), (NASDAQ: ISGBX) (NASDAQ: ISGCX), (NASDAQ: FIEGX)
INVESCO Technology Fund (NASDAQ: ITYAX) (NASDAQ: ITYBX) (NASDAQ: ITHCX), (NASDAQ: FTCHX), (NASDAQ:ITHKX)
INVESCO Total Return Fund (NASDAQ: IATRX), (NASDAQ: IBTRX), (NASDAQ: ITRCX), (NASDAQ: FSFLX)
INVESCO Utilities Fund (NASDAQ: IAUTX), (NASDAQ: IBUTX), (NASDAQ: IUTCX), (NASDAQ: FSTUX)
INVESCO Advantage Fund (NASDAQ: IADAX), (NASDAQ: IADBX), (NASDAQ: IADCX)
INVESCO Balanced Fund (NASDAQ: IBLAX),(NASDAQ: IBLBX), (NASDAQ: IBNCX), (NASDAQ: IBFIX), (NASDAQ: IMABX), (NASDAQ: IBLKX)
INVESCO European Fund (NASDAQ: IEUAX), (NASDAQ: IEUBX), (NASDAQ: FEURX), (NASDAQ: IEUKX)
INVESCO Growth Fund (NASDAQ: IAGWX), (NASDAQ: IBGWX), (NASDAQ: IBGCX), (NASDAQ: FLRFX), (NASDAQ: IGWKX)
INVESCO High-Yield Fund (NASDAQ: IAHYX), (NASDAQ: IBHYX), (NASDAQ: IHYCX), (NASDAQ: FHYPX), (NASDAQ: IHYKX)
INVESCO Growth & Income Fund, (NASDAQ: IGIAX), (NASDAQ: IGIBX), (NASDAQ: IGRCX) (NASDAQ: IVGIX), (NASDAQ: IGIKX)
INVESCO International Blue Chip Value Fund (NASDAQ: IBVAX), (NASDAQ: IBVBX), (NASDAQ: IBVCX) (NASDAQ: IIBCX)
INVESCO Real Estate Opportunity Fund (NASDAQ: IAREX), (NASDAQ: IBREX), (NASDAQ: IRECX), (NASDAQ: IVSRX)
INVESCO Select Income Fund (NASDAQ: IASIX), (NASDAQ: IBSIX), (NASDAQ: ISICX), (NASDAQ: FBDSX)
INVESCO Tax-Free Bond Fund (NASDAQ: IXBAX), (NASDAQ: IXBBX), (NASDAQ: ITFCX), (NASDAQ: FTIFX)
INVESCO Telecommunications Fund (NASDAQ: ITLAX), (NASDAQ: ITLBX) (NASDAQ: INTCX), (NASDAQ: ISWCX), (NASDAQ: ITEKX)
INVESCO U.S. Government Securities Fund (NASDAQ: IGVAX), (NASDAQ: IGVBX), (NASDAQ: IUGCX), (NASDAQ: FBDGX)
INVESCO Value Fund (NASDAQ: IAVEX), (NASDAQ: IBVEX), (NASDAQ: IVACX), (NASDAQ: FSEQX)
If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP (Marc A. Topaz, Esq. or Stuart L. Berman, Esq.) toll free at 1-888-299-7706 or 1-610-667-7706, or via e-mail at info@sbclasslaw.com.
The complaint charges Invesco, Amvescap, AIM Management Group, Inc., AIM Stock Funds, AIM Stock Funds, Inc., Invesco Stock Funds, Inc., Edward Stern, Canary Investment Management, LLC, Canary Partners Ltd., Canary Partners, LLC ("collectively "Canary"), and Doe Defendants with violations of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "Investment Company Act"), and for common law breach of fiduciary duties. The Complaint alleges that during the Class Period the defendants engaged in illegal and improper trading practices, in concert with certain institutional traders, which caused financial injury to the shareholders of the Invesco Mutual Funds. According to the Complaint, the Defendants surreptitiously permitted certain favored investors, including Canary and the Doe Defendants, to illegally engage in "timing" of the Invesco Mutual Funds whereby these favored investors were permitted to conduct short-term, "in and out" trading of mutual fund shares, despite explicit restrictions on such activity in the Invesco Mutual Funds' prospectuses.
Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of class members and is represented by the law firm of Schiffrin & Barroway, which prosecutes class actions in both state and federal courts throughout the country. Schiffrin & Barroway is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered in excess of a billion dollars on behalf of institutional and high net worth individual investors. For more information about Schiffrin & Barroway, or to sign up to participate in this action online, please visit http://www.sbclasslaw.com.
If you are a member of the class described above, you may, not later than February 2, 2004, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff of the class, if you so choose. In order to serve as lead plaintiff, however, you must meet certain legal requirements. You may retain Schiffrin & Barroway, or other counsel of your choice, to serve as your counsel in this action.
More information on this and other class actions can be found on the Class Action Newsline at www.primezone.com/ca