Results of Operations
As of October 31, 2017, the number of Swiss Francs owned by the Trust was 151,400,092, resulting in a redeemable capital share value of $151,736,452. During the nine months ended July 31, 2018, an additional 300,000 Shares were created in exchange for 28,169,563 Swiss Francs and 150,000 Shares were redeemed in exchange for 14,121,783 Swiss Francs. In addition, 1,290,187 Swiss Francs were withdrawn to pay the portion of the Sponsor’s fee that exceeded the interest earned. As of July 31, 2018, the number of Swiss Francs owned by the Trust was 164,157,685, resulting in a redeemable capital share value of $165,657,055.
An increase in the Trust’s redeemable capital share value from $151,736,452 at October 31, 2017 to $165,657,055 at July 31, 2018, was primarily the result of an increase in the number of Shares outstanding from 1,600,000 at October 31, 2017 to 1,750,000 at July 31, 2018 and an increase in the Closing Spot Rate from 1.0032 at October 31, 2017 to 1.0101 at July 31, 2018.
No interest income was earned during the three months ended July 31, 2017, the three months ended July 31, 2018, the nine months ended July 31, 2017 and the nine months ended July 31, 2018, due to an annual nominal interest rate which remained at or below 0.00% through those periods, as set forth in the chart above.
The Sponsor’s fee accrues daily at an annual nominal rate of 0.40% of the Swiss Francs in the Trust. Due primarily to a decrease in the Closing Spot Rate as set forth in the previous ‘Closing Spot Rate chart’, but partially offset by an increase in the weighted-average Swiss Franc in the Trust, the Sponsor’s fee decreased from $156,220 for the three months ended July 31, 2017 to $154,054 for the three months ended July 31, 2018. Due primarily to an increase in the weighted-average Swiss Franc in the Trust, the Sponsor’s fee increased from $451,063 for the nine months ended July 31, 2017 to $458,826 for the nine months ended July 31, 2018. Because the annual interest rate paid by the Depository remained below 0.00%, the Trust incurred interest expense. Due primarily to a decrease in the Closing Spot Rate for the period, but partially offset by an increase in the weighted-average Swiss Franc in the Trust, interest expense decreased from $303,040 for the three months ended July 31, 2017 to $293,216 for the three months ended July 31, 2018. Due primarily to an increase in the weighted-average Swiss Franc in the Trust, interest expense increased from $864,322 for the nine months ended July 31, 2017 to $872,677 for the nine months ended July 31, 2018. The only expenses of the Trust during the three months and nine months ended July 31, 2018 were the Sponsor’s fee and interest expense.
The Trust’s net loss for the three months ended July 31, 2018 was $447,270, due to the Sponsor’s fee of $154,054 and interest expense of $293,216 exceeding interest income of $0. The Trust’s net loss for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 was $1,331,503, due to the Sponsor’s fee of $458,826 and interest expense of $872,677 exceeding interest income of $0.
Cash dividends were not paid by the Trust during the three months ended July 31, 2017, the three months ended July 31, 2018, the nine months ended July 31, 2017 or the nine months ended July 31, 2018 as the Trust’s interest income did not exceed the Trust’s expenses during those periods.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Except as described above with respect to fluctuations in the Swiss Franc/USD exchange rate and changes in the nominal annual interest rate paid by the Depository on Swiss Francs held by the Trust, the Trust is not subject to market risk. The Trust does not hold securities and does not invest in derivative products.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules13a-15(e) and15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) designed to ensure that material information relating to the Trust is recorded, processed and disclosed on a timely basis. The Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed by or under the supervision of the Sponsor’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, who exercise oversight over the Trust as the Trust has no officers. The principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Sponsor have evaluated the effectiveness of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures as of July 31, 2018. Based on that evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Sponsor have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of the Trust were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
There were no changes in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Trust’s last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.
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