Exhibit 99.1
| Sprott Physical Gold Trust |
| |
| |
| Interim Report to Unitholders |
| September 30, 2020 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
The management report of fund performance is an analysis and explanation that is designed to complement and supplement an investment fund’s financial statements. This report contains financial highlights but does not contain the complete financial statements of the investment fund. A copy of the financial statements has been included separately within the Report to Unitholders. You can also get a copy of the financial statements at your request, and at no cost, by calling 1-866-299-9906, by visiting our website at www.sprottphysicalbullion.com or SEDAR at www.sedar.com or by writing to us at: Sprott Asset Management LP, Royal Bank Plaza, South Tower, 200 Bay Street, Suite 2600, P.O. Box 26, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J1.
2
Management Report of Fund Performance (in U.S. dollars)`
Investment Objective and Strategies
Sprott Physical Gold Trust (the ”Trust”) is a closed-end mutual fund trust organized under the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada, created to invest and hold substantially all of its assets in physical gold bullion. The Trust seeks to provide a secure, convenient and exchange-traded investment alternative for investors interested in holding physical gold bullion without the inconvenience that is typical of a direct investment in physical gold bullion. The Trust intends to achieve its objective by investing primarily in long-term holdings of unencumbered, fully allocated, physical gold bullion and does not speculate with regard to short-term changes in gold prices.
The units of the Trust are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca and the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) under the symbols “PHYS” and “PHYS.U”, respectively.
Risks
The risks of investing in the Trust are detailed in the Trust’s annual information form dated March 30, 2020. There have been no material changes to the Trust since inception that have affected the overall level of risk. The principal risks associated with investing in the Trust are the price of gold, the net asset value and/or the market price of the units, the purchase, transport, insurance and storage of physical gold bullion, liabilities of the Trust, and redemptions of units.
Results of Operations
For the period from July 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, the total change in unrealized gains on physical gold bullion amounted to $236.4 million compared to the change in unrealized gains of $95.4 million during the same period in 2019. For the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, the total change in unrealized gains on physical gold bullion amounted to $734.8 million compared to the change in unrealized gains of $296.4 million during the same period in 2019.
During the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, the Trust issued 110,479,071 units for gross proceeds of $1,527.2 million. During that period, there were no redemptions. Comparatively, for the same period in 2019, the Trust issued 7,570,160 units. During that period, 1,806 units were redeemed for cash at a total cost of $17,559 and 2,617,950 units were redeemed for gold bullion.
The value of the net assets of the Trust as of September 30, 2020 was $4,704.5 million or $15.14 per unit, compared to $2,462.2 million or $12.30 per unit as at December 31, 2019. The Trust held 2,483,655 ounces of physical gold bullion as of September 30, 2020, compared to 1,619,807 ounces of physical gold bullion as at December 31, 2019. As at September 30, 2020, the spot price of gold was $1,885.82 an ounce compared to a price of $1,517.27 an ounce as at December 31, 2019. The Trust returned 23.1% compared to the return on spot gold of 24.3% for the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020.
The Trust’s net asset value per unit on September 30, 2020 was $15.14 compared to $12.30 per unit as at December 31, 2019. The units closed at $15.05 on the NYSE Arca and $15.06 on the TSX on September 30, 2020 compared to closing prices of $12.18 on the NYSE Arca and $12.17 on the TSX on December 31, 2019. The units are denominated in U.S. dollars on both exchanges. During the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, the Trust’s units traded on the NYSE Arca at an average discount to net asset value of approximately 0.5%.
3
On May 6, 2016, the Trust entered into a sales agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. whereby the Trust may, in its sole discretion and subject to its operating and investment restrictions, offer and sell trust units through an “at the market offering” program (the “ATM Program”) in transactions on the NYSE Arca or any other existing trading market for the trust units in the United States or to or through a market maker in the United States pursuant to a registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and a prospectus supplement to a short form base shelf prospectus filed with the Ontario Securities Commission, as principal regulator, and with each of the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. On January 29, 2020, the sales agreement was amended and restated to include Virtu Americas LLC as an additional party. Subsequent to September 30, 2020, on October 21, 2020, the sales agreement was amended and restated to include Virtu ITG Canada Corp. as an additional party and to permit sales of trust units through an ATM Program in transactions on the TSX. During the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, the Trust sold 110,479,071 units through the ATM Program.
Operating Expenses
The Trust pays its own operating expenses, which include, but are not limited to, audit, legal, trustee fees, unitholder reporting expenses, general and administrative fees, filing and listing fees payable to applicable securities regulatory authorities and stock exchanges, storage fees for the physical gold bullion, costs incurred in connection with the Trust’s continuous disclosure public filing requirements and investor relations and any expenses associated with the Independent Review Committee of the Trust. Operating expenses for the period from July 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 amounted to $402,0581 (not including applicable Canadian taxes) compared to $384,8041 for the same period in 2019. Operating expenses for the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 amounted to $1,213,5321 (not including applicable Canadian taxes) compared to $1,229,3331 for the same period in 2019. Operating expenses for the period from July 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 amounted to 0.03% of the average net assets during the period on an annualized basis, compared to 0.06% for the same period in 2019. Operating expenses for the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 amounted to 0.04% of the average net assets during the period on an annualized basis, compared to 0.08% for the same period in 2019.
Related Party Transactions
MANAGEMENT FEES
The Trust pays the Manager, Sprott Asset Management LP, a monthly management fee equal to 1/12 of 0.35% of the value of the net assets of the Trust (determined in accordance with the Trust’s trust agreement), plus any applicable Canadian taxes. The management fee is calculated and accrued daily and payable monthly in arrears on the last day of each month. For the period from July 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, the Trust incurred management fees of $4,065,291 (not including applicable Canadian taxes) compared to $2,115,441 for the same period in 2019. For the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, the Trust incurred management fees of $9,604,679 (not including applicable Canadian taxes) compared to $5,669,262 for the same period in 2019.
1Amounts are adjusted to exclude redemption fees and sales taxes
4
Financial Highlights
The following tables show selected key financial information about the Trust and are intended to help you understand the Trust’s financial performance for the nine month period ended September 30, 2020 and for the years shown.
Net assets per unit1
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| September 30, |
| December 31, |
| December 31, |
| December 31, |
| December 31, |
| December 31, |
|
| | 2020 | | 2019 | | 2018 | | 2017 | | 2016 | | 2015 | |
| | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | |
Net assets per Unit, beginning of period | | 12.30 | | 10.45 | | 10.67 | | 9.48 | | 8.77 | | 9.84 | |
Increase (decrease) from operations2: | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Total revenue | | – | | – | | – | | – | | – | | – | |
Total expenses | | (0.04) | | (0.06) | | (0.05) | | (0.05) | | (0.05) | | (0.05) | |
Realized gains (losses) for the period | | – | | 0.01 | | (0.04) | | (0.01) | | (0.06) | | (0.23) | |
Unrealized gains (losses) for the period | | 2.83 | | 1.88 | | (0.18) | | 1.25 | | 0.78 | | (0.76) | |
Total increase (decrease) from operations | | 2.79 | | 1.83 | | (0.27) | | 1.19 | | 0.67 | | (1.04) | |
Net assets per Unit, end of period | | 15.14 | | 12.30 | | 10.45 | | 10.67 | | 9.48 | | 8.77 | |
| 1 | This information is derived from the Trust’s financial statements. |
| 2 | Net assets per unit is calculated based on the actual number of units outstanding at the relevant time. The increase/decrease from operations is based on the weighted average number of units outstanding over the period shown. This table is not intended to be a reconciliation of the beginning to ending net assets per unit. |
Ratios and Supplemental Data
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| September 30, |
| December 31, |
| December 31, |
| December 31, |
| December 31, |
| December 31, |
|
| | 2020 | | 2019 | | 2018 | | 2017 | | 2016 | | 2015 | |
Total net asset value (000s)1 | | $4,704,505 | | $2,462,217 | | $2,024,509 | | $2,259,584 | | $2,061,747 | | $1,236,405 | |
Number of Units outstanding1 | | 310,726,759 | | 200,247,688 | | 193,642,388 | | 211,843,385 | | 217,544,020 | | 140,981,566 | |
Management expense ratio2 | | – | | 0.45% | | 0.44% | | 0.47% | | 0.46% | | 0.48% | |
Trading expense ratio3 | | Nil | | Nil | | Nil | | Nil | | Nil | | Nil | |
Portfolio turnover rate4 | | Nil | | 1.31% | | 3.00% | | 0.32% | | 0.10% | | Nil | |
Trust return rate5 | | 23.09% | | 17.70% | | -2.10% | | 12.60% | | 8.10% | | -10.80% | |
Net asset value per Unit | | $15.14 | | $12.30 | | $10.45 | | $10.67 | | $9.48 | | $8.77 | |
Closing market price – NYSE Arca | | $15.05 | | $12.18 | | $10.31 | | $10.59 | | $9.39 | | $8.73 | |
Closing market price – TSX | | $15.06 | | $12.17 | | $10.30 | | $10.58 | | $9.41 | | $8.71 | |
| 1 | This information is provided as at the date shown, as applicable. |
| 2 | Management expense ratio (“MER”) is based on total expenses (including applicable Canadian taxes and excluding commissions and other portfolio transaction costs) for the stated period and is expressed as annualized percentages of daily average net asset value during the period (only disclosed annually). |
| 3 | The trading expense ratio represents total commissions and other portfolio transaction costs expressed as an annualized percentage of daily average net asset value during the period shown. Since there are no direct trading costs associated with physical bullion trades, the trading expense ratio is nil. |
| 4 | The Trust’s portfolio turnover rate indicates how actively the Trust’s portfolio adviser trades its portfolio investments. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is equivalent to the Trust buying and selling all of the securities in its portfolio once in the course of the year. The higher the Trust’s portfolio turnover rate in a year, the greater the chance of an investor receiving taxable capital gains in the year. There is not necessarily a relationship between a high turnover rate and the performance of the Trust. |
| 5 | Trust return rate indicates the performance of the trust units for the period ended and for the years shown. It shows, in percentage terms, how much an investment made on the first day of each period would have grown or decreased by the last day of each period. These returns do not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any unitholder that may reduce returns. Please note that past performance is not indicative of future performance. All rates of returns are calculated based on the Net Asset Value of the units of the Trust. |
5
Summary of Investment Portfolio
As of September 30, 2020
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| % of |
|
| | | | Fair Value | | | | Fair | | Net Asset | |
| | | | per ounce | | Cost | | Value | | Value | |
| | Ounces | | $ | | $ | | $ | | % |
|
Physical gold bullion | | 2,483,655 | | 1,885.8200 | | 3,589,078,453 | | 4,683,726,921 | | 99.6 | |
Cash | | | | | | | | 32,300,768 | | 0.7 | |
Other Net Liabilities | | | | | | | | (11,522,760) | | (0.3) | |
Total Net Asset Value | | | | | | | | 4,704,504,929 | | 100.0 | |
This summary of investment portfolio may change due to the ongoing portfolio transactions of the Trust.
6
7
Unaudited statements of comprehensive income
(in U.S. dollars, except unit amounts)
| | | | | | | | | |
|
| | For the | For the | | For the |
| For the |
|
| | | three months ended | three months ended | | nine months ended | | nine months ended | |
| | | September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | | September 30, 2020 | | September 30, 2019 |
|
| | | $ | $ | | $ | | $ |
|
Income | | | | | | | | | |
Net realized gains on redemptions and sales of gold bullion | | | – | 2,451,797 | | – | | 2,449,389 | |
Change in unrealized gains on gold bullion | | | 236,431,103 | 95,447,520 | | 734,849,961 | | 296,382,161 | |
| | | 236,431,103 | 97,899,317 | | 734,849,961 | | 298,831,550 | |
Expenses | | | | | | | | | |
Management fees (note 8) | | | 4,065,291 | 2,115,441 | | 9,604,679 | | 5,669,262 | |
Bullion storage fees | | | 221,644 | 461,185 | | 675,113 | | 1,699,810 | |
Sales tax | | | 258,213 | 163,166 | | 616,087 | | 434,045 | |
Listing and regulatory filing fees | | | 41,487 | 42,504 | | 123,558 | | 123,444 | |
Unitholder reporting costs | | | 37,580 | 39,924 | | 111,921 | | 141,303 | |
Legal fees | | | 23,294 | 23,326 | | 69,377 | | 103,743 | |
Custodial fees | | | 512 | 3,932 | | 2,224 | | 8,430 | |
Administrative fees | | | 50,598 | 55,446 | | 150,695 | | 161,030 | |
Audit fees | | | 23,220 | 22,816 | | 69,155 | | 66,262 | |
Trustee fees | | | 947 | 971 | | 3,222 | | 2,820 | |
Independent Review Committee fees | | | 2,776 | 2,845 | | 8,267 | | 8,261 | |
Net foreign exchange gains (losses) | | | 1,004 | (150) | | 855 | | 1,625 | |
| | | 4,726,566 | 2,931,406 | | 11,435,153 | | 8,420,035 | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Net income and comprehensive income | | | 231,704,537 | 94,967,911 | | 723,414,808 | | 290,411,515 | |
Weighted average number of units | | | 301,155,766 | 196,307,219 | | 259,722,050 | | 195,388,071 | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Increase in total equity from operations per Unit | | | 0.77 | 0.48 | | 2.79 | | 1.49 | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
8
Unaudited statements of financial position
(in U.S. dollars)
| | | | | |
|
| As at |
| As at |
|
| | September 30, 2020 | | December 31, 2019 |
|
| | $ | | $ |
|
Assets | | | | | |
Current assets | | | | | |
Cash | | 32,300,768 | | 4,929,218 | |
Gold bullion | | 4,683,726,921 | | 2,457,683,227 | |
Prepaid assets | | 29,047 | | 29,047 | |
Total assets | | 4,716,056,736 | | 2,462,641,492 | |
| | | | | |
Liabilities | | | | | |
Current liabilities | | | | | |
Due to brokers | | 11,424,000 | | – | |
Accounts payable | | 127,807 | | 424,722 | |
Total liabilities | | 11,551,807 | | 424,722 | |
| | | | | |
Equity | | | | | |
Unitholders’ capital | | 3,939,853,769 | | 2,412,685,124 | |
Unit premiums and reserves | | 124,673 | | 124,673 | |
Retained earnings (deficit) | | 874,848,498 | | 151,433,690 | |
Underwriting commissions and issue expenses | | (110,322,011) | | (102,026,717) | |
Total equity (note 7) | | 4,704,504,929 | | 2,462,216,770 | |
| | | | | |
Total liabilities and equity | | 4,716,056,736 | | 2,462,641,492 | |
| | | | | |
Total equity per Unit | | 15.14 | | 12.30 | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
On behalf of the Manager, Sprott Asset Management LP,
by its General Partner, Sprott Asset Management GP Inc.:
| | |
|
| |
Kevin Hibbert | John Ciampaglia | |
Director | Director | |
9
Unaudited statements of changes in equity
(in U.S. dollars, except unit amounts)
For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| |
| |
| |
| Underwriting |
| Unit |
| |
|
| | Number of | | | | Retained | | Commissions | | Premiums | | |
|
| | Units | | Unitholders’ | | Earnings | | and Issue | | and | | |
|
| | Outstanding | | Capital | | (Deficit) | | Expenses | | Reserves | | Total Equity |
|
| | | | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ |
|
Balance as at January 1, 2019 |
| 193,642,388 | | 2,331,509,492 | | (205,350,035) | | (101,774,635) | | 123,748 | | 2,024,508,570 | |
Proceeds from issuance of Units (note 7) | | 7,570,160 | | 87,524,547 | | – | | – | | – | | 87,524,547 | |
Cost of redemption of Units (note 7) |
| (2,619,756) | | (26,197,560) | | (3,430,588) | | – | | 925 | | (29,627,223) | |
Net income for the period |
| – | | – | | 290,411,515 | | – | | – | | 290,411,515 | |
Underwriting commissions and issue expenses | | – | | – | | – | | (225,436) | | – | | (225,436) | |
Balance as at September 30, 2019 |
| 198,592,792 | | 2,392,836,479 | | 81,630,892 | | (102,000,071) | | 124,673 | | 2,372,591,973 | |
Balance as at January 1, 2020 | | 200,247,688 | | 2,412,685,124 | | 151,433,690 | | (102,026,717) | | 124,673 | | 2,462,216,770 | |
Proceeds from issuance of Units (note 7) | | 110,479,071 | | 1,527,168,645 | | – | | – | | – | | 1,527,168,645 | |
Net income for the period |
| – | | – | | 723,414,808 | | – | | – | | 723,414,808 | |
Underwriting commissions and issue expenses | | – | | – | | – | | (8,295,294) | | – | | (8,295,294) | |
Balance as at September 30, 2020 |
| 310,726,759 | | 3,939,853,769 | | 874,848,498 | | (110,322,011) | | 124,673 | | 4,704,504,929 | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
10
Unaudited statements of cash flows
(in U.S. dollars)
| | | | | |
|
| For the nine months ended |
| For the nine months ended |
|
| | September 30, 2020 | | September 30, 2019 |
|
| | $ | | $ | |
Cash flows from operating activities | | | | | |
Net income for the period | | 723,414,808 | | 290,411,515 | |
Adjustment to reconcile net income (loss) for the period to net cash from operating activities | | | | | |
Realized gains on redemptions and sales of gold bullion | | – | | (2,449,389) | |
Change in unrealized gains on gold bullion | | (734,849,961) | | (296,382,161) | |
Net changes in operating assets and liabilities | | | | | |
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable | | (296,915) | | 400,954 | |
Decrease in prepaid assets | | – | | 29,047 | |
Net cash used in operating activities | | (11,732,068) | | (7,990,034) | |
| | | | | |
Cash flows from investing activities | | | | | |
Purchases of gold bullion | | (1,479,769,733) | | (71,177,980) | |
Net cash used in investing activities | | (1,479,769,733) | | (71,177,980) | |
| | | | | |
Cash flows from financing activities | | | | | |
Proceeds from issuance of Units (note 7) | | 1,527,168,645 | | 87,524,547 | |
Payments on redemption of Units (note 7) | | – | | (494,149) | |
Underwriting commissions and issue expenses | | (8,295,294) | | (225,436) | |
Net cash provided by financing activities | | 1,518,873,351 | | 86,804,962 | |
| | | | | |
Net increase in cash during the period | | 27,371,550 | | 7,636,948 | |
Cash at beginning of period | | 4,929,218 | | 3,065,751 | |
Cash at end of period | | 32,300,768 | | 10,702,699 | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
11
| |
Sprott Physical Gold Trust | |
(in U.S. dollars)
Financial Risk Management (note 6)
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Trust is to provide a secure, convenient and exchange-traded investment alternative for investors interested in holding physical gold bullion without the inconvenience that is typical of a direct investment in physical gold bullion. The Trust invests and intends to continue to invest primarily in long-term holdings of unencumbered, fully allocated, physical gold bullion and does not speculate with regard to short-term changes in gold prices. The Trust will only purchase and expects only to own “Good Delivery Bars” as defined by the London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”), with each bar purchased being verified against the LBMA source.
Significant risks that are relevant to the Trust are discussed here. General information on risks and risk management is described in Note 6 of the Generic Notes.
Fair Value Measurements
The reconciliation of bullion holdings for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and the year ended December 31, 2019, is presented as follows:
| | | | | | |
| | | September 30, 2020 | | December 31, 2019 | |
| | | $ | | $ | |
Balance at beginning of year | | | 2,457,683,227 | | 2,021,998,963 | |
Purchases | | | 1,491,193,733 | | 93,556,274 | |
Sales | | | - | | (3,440) | |
Redemptions for physical bullion | | | - | | (29,133,078) | |
Realized gains on sales and redemptions for physical bullion | | | - | | 2,449,389 | |
Change in unrealized gains | | | 734,849,961 | | 368,815,119 | |
Balance at end of period | | | 4,683,726,921 | | 2,457,683,227 | |
Realized gains (losses) on physical bullion include both realized gains (losses) on sales of physical bullion, and realized gains (losses) occurring upon unitholder redemptions for physical bullion.
Market Risk
a) Other Price Risk
If the market value of gold increased by 1%, with all other variables held constant, this would have increased total equity and comprehensive income by approximately $46.8 million (December 31, 2019: $24.6 million); conversely, if the value of gold bullion decreased by 1%, this would have decreased total equity and comprehensive income by the same amount.
b) Currency Risk
As at September 30, 2020, approximately $120,000 (December 31, 2019: $317,000) of the Trust’s liabilities were denominated in Canadian dollars. As a result, a 1% change in the exchange rate between the Canadian and U.S. dollars would have no material impact to the Trust.
12
| |
Sprott Physical Gold Trust | |
c) Concentration Risk
The Trust’s risk is concentrated in physical gold bullion, whose value constitutes 99.6% of total equity as at September 30, 2020 (99.8% as at December 31, 2019).
d) Other Risk
On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic. As a result of this crisis, a challenging global economic climate continues and this may have an impact on the Trust’s future operating results and financial position. The Manager will continue to monitor the impact of this pandemic on the operations and financial position of the Trust.
Management Fees (note 8)
The Trust pays the Manager a monthly management fee equal to 1/12 of 0.35% of the value of net assets of the Trust (determined in accordance with the Trust’s trust agreement) plus any applicable Canadian taxes, calculated and accrued daily and payable monthly in arrears on the last day of each month.
Also, the Manager has agreed that if the expenses of the Trust, including the management fee, at the end of any month exceed an amount equal to 1/12 of 0.65% of the value of the net assets of the Trust, the management fee payable to the Manager for such month will be reduced by the amount of such excess up to the gross amount of the management fee earned by the Manager from the Trust for such month. Any such reduction in the management fee will not be carried forward or remain payable to the Manager in future months. The Manager did not waive any amounts payable for during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. In calculating the expenses of the Trust for purposes of the expense cap, the following will be excluded: any applicable taxes payable by the Trust or to which the Trust may be subject, and any extraordinary expenses of the Trust.
Tax Loss Carryforwards
As of the taxation year ended December 31, 2019, the Trust had capital losses available for tax purposes of $nil (2018: $nil).
Related Party Disclosures (note 8)
There have been no other transactions between the Trust and its related parties during the reporting period, other than management fees as discussed above.
13
| |
Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts | |
1. Organization of the Trusts
Sprott Physical Gold Trust, Sprott Physical Silver Trust, Sprott Physical Platinum and Palladium Trust and Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trust (collectively, the ”Trusts” and each a “Trust”) are closed-end mutual fund trusts created under the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada, pursuant to trust agreements. Sprott Asset Management LP (the ”Manager”) acts as the manager of the Trusts. RBC Investor Services Trust, a trust company organized under the laws of Canada, acts as the trustee of the Trusts. RBC Investor Services Trust also acts as custodian on behalf of the Trusts for the Trusts’ assets other than physical bullion. The Royal Canadian Mint acts as custodian on behalf of the Trusts for the physical bullion owned by the Trusts. The Trusts’ registered office is located at Suite 2600, South Tower, Royal Bank Plaza, 200 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5J 2J1.
The Trusts are authorized to issue an unlimited number of redeemable, transferable trust units (the ”Units”). All issued Units have no par value, are fully paid for, and are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange Arca (the ”NYSE Arca”) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (the ”TSX”). The date of inception and trading symbols of each of the Trusts is as follows:
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Trust | Trust Agreement date | Initial Public Offering date | NYSE Arca and TSX symbols, respectively | ||||
Sprott Physical Gold Trust | August 28, 2009, as amended and restated as of December 7, 2009, as further amended and restated as of February 1, 2010, and as further amended and restated as of February 27, 2015 | March 3, 2010 | PHYS, PHYS.U | ||||
Sprott Physical Silver Trust | June 30, 2010, as amended and restated as of October 1, 2010, and as further amended and restated as of February 27, 2015 | October 28, 2010 | PSLV, PSLV.U | ||||
Sprott Physical Platinum and Palladium Trust | December 23, 2011, as amended and restated as of June 6, 2012 | December 19, 2012 | SPPP, SPPP.U | ||||
Sprott Physical Gold & Silver Trust | October 26, 2017 | January 16, 2018 | CEF, CEF.U | ||||
The Statements of Financial Position for the Trusts are as at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The Statements of Comprehensive Income, the Statements of Changes in Equity and Statements of Cash Flows for the Trusts are for the nine month periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. These financial statements were authorized for issue by the Manager on November 13, 2020.
2. Basis of Preparation
These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and include estimates and assumptions made by the Manager that may affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income, expenses and the reported amounts of changes in Net Assets during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis using the historical cost convention, except for physical bullion and financial assets and financial liabilities held at fair value through profit or loss, which have been measured at fair value.
The financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars and all values are rounded to the nearest dollar unless otherwise indicated.
14
| |
Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts | |
3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trusts:
Physical bullion
Investments in physical bullion are measured at fair value determined by reference to published price quotations, with unrealized and realized gains and losses recorded in income based on the International Accounting Standards 40 Investment Property fair value model as IAS 40 is the most relevant standard to apply. Investment transactions in physical bullion are accounted for on the business day following the date the order to buy or sell is executed. Realized and unrealized gains and losses of holdings are calculated on an average cost basis.
Other assets and liabilities
Other assets and liabilities are recognized at fair value upon initial recognition. Other assets such as due from broker and prepaid assets are classified as loans and receivables and measured at amortized cost. Other financial liabilities are measured at amortized cost.
Income taxes
In each taxation year, the Trusts will be subject to income tax on taxable income earned during the year, including net realized taxable capital gains. However, the Trusts intend to distribute their taxable income to unitholders at the end of every fiscal year and therefore the Trusts themselves would not have any income tax liability.
Functional and presentation currency
Each Trust’s functional and presentation currency is the U.S. Dollar. Each Trusts’ performance is evaluated and its liquidity is managed in U.S. Dollars. Therefore, the U.S. Dollar is considered as the currency that most faithfully represents the economic effects of the underlying transactions, events and conditions.
All other accounting policies, judgments, and estimates described in the annual audited financial statements have been applied consistently to these financial statements unless otherwise noted.
4. Critical Accounting Estimates and Judgments
The preparation of financial statements requires management to use judgment in applying its accounting policies and to make estimates and assumptions about the future. The following discusses the most significant accounting judgments and estimates that the Trusts have made in preparing the financial statements:
Estimation uncertainty
For tax purposes, the Trusts generally treat gains from the disposition of bullion as capital gains, rather than income, as the Trusts intend to be long-term passive holders of bullion, and generally dispose of their holdings in bullion only for the purposes of meeting redemptions and to pay expenses. The Canada Revenue Agency has, however, expressed its opinion that gains (or losses) of mutual fund trusts resulting from transactions in commodities should generally be treated for tax purposes as ordinary income rather than as capital gains, although the treatment in each particular case remains a question of fact to be determined having regard to all the circumstances.
15
| |
Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts | |
The Trusts based their assumptions and estimates on parameters available when the financial statements were prepared. However, existing circumstances and assumptions about future developments may change due to market changes or circumstances arising beyond the control of the Trusts. Such changes are reflected in the assumptions when they occur.
5. Fair Value Measurements
The Trusts use a three-tier hierarchy as a framework for disclosing fair value based on inputs used to value their investments. The fair value hierarchy has the following levels:
Level 1 | Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Trusts have the ability to access at the measurement date; |
Level 2 | Quoted prices which are not active, or inputs that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and |
Level 3 | Prices, inputs or complex modeling techniques which are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (supported by little or no market activity). |
Physical bullion is measured at fair value. The fair value measurement of all bullion falls within Level 1 of the hierarchy, and is based on published price quotations. All fair value measurements are recurring. The carrying values of cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair values due to their short-term nature.
6. Financial Risk, Management and Objectives
The Trusts’ objective in managing risk is the creation and protection of unitholder value. Risk is inherent in the Trusts’ activities, but it is managed through a process of ongoing identification, measurement and monitoring, subject to risk limits and other controls. The Trusts have investment guidelines that set out their overall business strategies, their tolerance for risk and their general risk management philosophy, as set out in each Trust’s offering documents. The Trusts’ Manager is responsible for identifying and controlling risks. The Trusts are exposed to market risk (which includes price risk, interest rate risk and currency risk), credit risk, liquidity risk and concentration risk arising from the bullion that they hold. Only certain risks of the Trusts are actively managed by the Manager, as the Trusts are passive investment vehicles. Significant risks that are relevant to the Trusts are discussed below. Refer to the Notes to financial statements — Trust specific information of each Trust for specific risk disclosures.
Price risk
Price risk arises from the possibility that changes in the market price of each Trust’s investments, which consist almost entirely of bullion, will result in changes in fair value of such investments.
Interest rate risk
Interest rate risk arises from the possibility that changes in interest rates will affect the value of financial instruments. The Trusts do not hedge their exposure to interest rate risk as that risk is minimal.
Currency risk
Currency risk arises from the possibility that changes in the price of foreign currencies will result in changes in carrying value. Each Trust’s assets, substantially all of which consist of an investment in bullion, are priced in U.S. dollars. Some of the Trusts’ expenses are payable in Canadian dollars. Therefore, the Trusts are exposed to currency risk, as the value of their liabilities denominated in Canadian dollars will fluctuate due to changes in exchange rates. Most of such liabilities, however,
16
| |
Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts | |
are short term in nature and are not significant in relation to the net assets of the Trusts, and, as such, exposure to foreign exchange risk is limited. The Trusts do not enter into currency hedging transactions.
Credit risk
Credit risk arises from the potential that counterparties will fail to satisfy their obligations as they come due. The Trusts primarily incur credit risk when entering into and settling bullion transactions. It is each Trust’s policy to only transact with reputable counterparties. The Manager closely monitors the creditworthiness of the Trusts’ counterparties, such as bullion dealers, by reviewing their financial statements when available, regulatory notices and press releases. The Trusts seek to minimize credit risk relating to unsettled transactions in bullion by only engaging in transactions with bullion dealers with high creditworthiness. The risk of default is considered minimal, as payment for bullion is only made against the receipt of the bullion by the custodian.
Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is defined as the risk that the Trusts will encounter difficulty in meeting obligations associated with financial liabilities and redemptions. Liquidity risk arises because of the possibility that the Trusts could be required to pay their liabilities earlier than expected. The Trusts are also subject to redemptions for both cash and bullion on a regular basis. The Trusts manage their obligation to redeem units when required to do so and their overall liquidity risk by only allowing for redemptions monthly, which require 15-day advance notice to the Trusts. Each Trust’s liquidity risk is minimal, since its primary investment is physical bullion, which trades in a highly liquid market. All of the Trusts’ financial liabilities, including due to brokers, accounts payable and management fees payable have maturities of less than three months.
Concentration risk
Each Trust’s risk is concentrated in the physical bullion of precious metals.
7. Unitholders’ Capital
The Trusts are authorized to issue an unlimited number of redeemable, transferrable Trust Units in one or more classes and series of Units. The Trusts’ capital is represented by the issued, redeemable, transferable Trust Units. Quantitative information about the Trusts’ capital is provided in their statements of changes in equity. Under the trust agreements of each Trust, Units may be redeemed at the option of the unitholder on a monthly basis for physical bullion or cash. Units redeemed for physical bullion will be entitled to a redemption price equal to 100% of the Net Asset Value (“NAV”) of the redeemed Units on the last business day of the month in which the redemption request is processed. A unitholder redeeming Units for physical bullion will be responsible for expenses in connection with effecting the redemption and applicable delivery expenses, including the handling of the notice of redemption, the delivery of the physical bullion for Units that are being redeemed and the applicable bullion storage in-and-out fees. Units redeemed for cash will be entitled to a redemption price equal to 95% of the lesser of (i) the volume-weighted average trading price of the Units traded on the NYSE Arca, or, if trading has been suspended on the NYSE Arca, on the TSX for the last five business days of the month in which the redemption request is processed and (ii) the NAV of the redeemed Units as of 4:00 p.m., Eastern Standard time, on the last business day of the month in which the redemption request is processed.
When Units are redeemed and cancelled and the cost of such Units is either above or below their stated or assigned value, the unitholders’ capital is reduced by an amount equal to the stated or assigned value of the Units. The difference between the redemption price and the stated or assigned values of the Units is allocated to the Unit premiums and reserves account (equal to the 5% reduction to the redemption price for Units redeemed for cash as described above) and the retained earnings account based on the allocated portion attributable to the redemption.
17
| |
Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts | |
The Trusts’ units are classified as equity on the Statements of Financial Position, since the Trusts’ units meet the criteria in IAS 32, Financial Instruments: Presentation (“IAS 32”) for classification as equity.
Net Asset Value
NAV is defined as a Trust’s net assets (fair value of total assets less fair value of total liabilities, excluding all liabilities represented by outstanding Units, if any) calculated using the value of physical gold bullion based on the end-of-day price provided by a widely recognized pricing service.
Capital Management
As a result of the ability to issue, repurchase and resell Units of the Trusts, the capital of the Trusts as represented by the Unitholders’ capital in the statements of financial position can vary depending on the demand for redemptions and subscriptions to the Trusts. The Trusts are not subject to externally imposed capital requirements and have no legal restrictions on the issue, repurchase or resale of redeemable Units beyond those included in their trust agreements. The Trusts may not issue additional Units except (i) if the net proceeds per Unit to be received by the Trusts are not less than 100% of the most recently calculated NAV immediately prior to, or upon, the determination of the pricing of such issuance or (ii) by way of Unit distribution in connection with an income distribution.
Each Trusts’ objectives for managing capital are:
| ● | To invest and hold substantially all of the Trust’s assets in physical bullion; and |
| ● | To maintain sufficient liquidity to meet the expenses of each Trust, and to meet redemption requests as they arise. |
Refer to “Financial risk, management and objectives” (Note 6) for the policies and procedures applied by the Trusts in managing their capital.
8. Related Party Disclosures
Management Fees
The Trusts pay the Manager a monthly management fee, calculated and accrued daily and payable monthly in arrears on the last day of each month. Management fees are unique to each Trust and are subject to applicable taxes.
9. Independent Review Committee (“IRC”)
In accordance with National Instrument 81-107, Independent Review Committee for Investment Funds (“NI 81-107”), the Manager has established an IRC for a number of funds managed by it, including the Trusts. The mandate of the IRC is to consider and provide recommendations to the Manager on conflicts of interest to which the Manager is subject when managing certain funds, including the Trusts. The IRC is composed of three individuals, each of whom is independent of the Manager and all funds managed by the Manager, including the Trusts. Each fund subject to IRC oversight pays a share of the IRC member fees, costs and other fees in connection with operation of the IRC. The IRC reports annually to unitholders of the funds subject to its oversight on its activities, as required by NI 81-107.
18
| |
Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts | |
10. Personnel
The Trusts did not employ any personnel during the period, as their affairs were administered by the personnel of the Manager and/or the Trustee, as applicable.
19
Corporate Information
Head Office
Sprott Physical Gold Trust
Royal Bank Plaza, South Tower
200 Bay Street
Suite 2600, PO Box 26
Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J1
Telephone: (416) 203-2310
Toll Free: (877) 403-2310
Email: ir@sprott.com
Auditors
KPMG LLP
Bay Adelaide Centre
333 Bay Street
Suite 4600
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2S5
Legal Counsel
Baker & McKenzie LLP
Brookfield Place
Bay Wellington Tower
181 Bay Street, Suite 2100
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5J 2T3
Seward & Kissel LLP
901 K Street NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20001