Description

This Invesco MSCI Europe Catholic Principles UCITS ETF aims to replicate the net total return performance of its benchmark, the MSCI Europe Select Catholic Principles Selection 10/40 (the "Reference Index"), after accounting for applicable fees. Dividends are distributed to investors quarterly. The Reference Index is constructed from large and mid-capitalization European companies, with constituent weighting based on their free-float market capitalization. It is specifically designed to align with the ethical investment directives of the Catholic Church, integrating a 'best-in-class' approach for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors with stringent, values-based exclusion criteria. Company selection is informed by MSCI's prominent ESG research and further refined by exclusions derived from extensive consultation with Catholic Church authorities. To be included in the Reference Index, companies must demonstrate superior ESG ratings compared to their sector peers, consistent with the selection methodology of the MSCI ESG Leaders. An initial layer of broad exclusions, mirroring those of the MSCI SRI Index, removes companies involved in controversial business activities. A subsequent, more specific Catholic Principles screen further filters out firms engaged in adult entertainment, conventional weaponry, abortion and contraception, stem-cell research, animal testing, and human rights violations. Despite these screens, the index strives to maintain a sector allocation similar to its parent, the MSCI Europe Index, targeting coverage of 50% of its sectors. The fund pursues its objective by, as far as practicable, acquiring and holding all the securities present in the Reference Index according to their respective weightings. Both the Reference Index and the fund undergo quarterly rebalancing and reconstitution. This ETF is passively managed; an investment signifies the purchase of units in a passively managed, index-tracking fund, rather than direct ownership of the fund's underlying assets.