Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item
2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This
information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to the financial statements included in Item 1 of Part
I of this Form 10-Q. The discussion and analysis that follows may contain statements that relate to future events or future performance.
In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,”
“expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,”
“potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Except as required by applicable disclosure laws,
neither the Sponsor, nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any forward-looking statements.
Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform such statements to actual
results or to a change in the Sponsor’s expectations or predictions.
Introduction
The
Trust is a common law trust, formed under the laws of the state of New York on January 11, 2018. The Trust is not managed like a corporation
or an active investment vehicle. It does not have any officers, directors, or employees and is administered by the Trustee pursuant to
the Trust Agreement. The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not required
to register under such act. It does not hold or trade in commodity futures contracts, nor is it a commodity pool, or subject to regulation
as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading adviser in connection with issuing Shares.
The
Trust holds platinum and is expected to issue Baskets in exchange for deposits of platinum, and to distribute platinum in connection
with redemptions of Baskets. Shares issued by the Trust represent units of undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust.
The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of platinum, less the Trust’s expenses.
The Sponsor believes that, for many investors, the Shares will represent a cost-effective investment relative to traditional means of
investing in platinum.
The
Trust issues and redeems Shares only with Authorized Participants in exchange for platinum and only in aggregations of 50,000 Shares
or integral multiples thereof. A list of current Authorized Participants is available from the Sponsor or the Trustee.
Shares
of the Trust trade on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) Arca under the symbol “PLTM”.
Valuation
of Platinum; Computation of Net Asset Value
On
each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (New York time), the Trustee evaluates the platinum held by the Trust and determines
the net asset value of the Trust and the NAV. The Trustee values the platinum held by the Trust using that day’s LBMA Platinum
Price PM. If there is no announced LBMA Platinum PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use that day’s LBMA Platinum
Price AM. Having valued the platinum held by the Trust, the Trustee then subtracts all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of
the Trust from the value of the platinum and other assets of the Trust. The result is the net asset value of the Trust. The Trustee computes
the NAV by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation is made.
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Liquidity
and Capital Resources
The
Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, commitments, events or uncertainties that are reasonably likely to result in material changes
to its liquidity needs. In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the
Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the period covered by this report was the Sponsor’s Fee.
The
Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor or in its own discretion, sell the Trust’s platinum as necessary to pay the Trust’s
expenses not otherwise assumed by the Sponsor. The Trustee will not sell platinum to pay the Sponsor’s Fee but will pay the Sponsor’s
Fee through in-kind transfers of platinum to the Sponsor. At September 30, 2023 the Trust did not have any cash balances.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
The
Trust has no off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical
Accounting Policies
The
financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of America. The preparation of these financial statements relies on estimates and assumptions that impact the Trust’s financial
position and results of operations. These estimates and assumptions affect the Trust’s application of accounting policies. Below,
the Trust describes the valuation of platinum bullion, a critical accounting policy that the Trust believes is important to understanding
its results of operations and financial position. In addition, please refer to Note 2 to the financial statements included in this report
for further discussion of the Trust’s accounting policies.
Results
of Operations
The
Quarter Ended December 31, 2024
During
the quarter the Trust’s net asset value increased by 9.5% from $41,914,842 on September 30, 2024, to $45,904,688 on December 31,
2024. The increase in the Trust’s net asset value was due to the increase in the number of Shares outstanding from 4,400,000 on
September 30, 2024, to 5,200,000 on December 31, 2024, an 18.2% increase. The net 800,000 shares increase was the result of 20 creation
orders and 4 redemption orders (50,000 shares per creation and redemption). The Trust’s net asset value was negatively affected
by the price of platinum, which decreased 7.2% from $985.00 on September 30, 2024, to $914.00 on December 31, 2024.
The
7.4% decrease in the Trust’s net asset value per share from $9.53 at September 30, 2024 to $8.83 at December 31, 2024 is directly
related to the 7.2% decrease in the price of platinum.
The
Trust’s net asset value per share decreased slightly more than the price of platinum on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s
fees, which were $55,648 for the period, or 0.13% of the Trust’s average weighted net assets of $44,156,625 during the period.
The net asset value per share of $10.15 on October 29, 2024, was the highest during the period, compared with a low during the period
of $8.80 on September 04, 2024.
The
net decrease in net assets resulting from operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, was $3,386,561, resulting primarily from
an unrealized loss on investment in platinum bullion of $3,173,113, increased by a loss of $157,800 on metal sold to cover redemption
orders and Sponsor’s fees and by the Sponsor’s fees of $55,648. Other than the Sponsor’s fees the Trust had no expenses
during the quarter.
Six
Months Ended December 31, 2024
The
Trust’s net asset value increased by 6.5% from $43,119,274 on June 30, 2024, to $45,904,688 on December 31, 2024. The increase
in the Trust’s net asset value was due to the increase in the number of Shares outstanding from 4,400,000 on June 30, 2024, to
5,200,000 on December 31, 2024, an 18.2% increase. The net 800,000 shares increase was the result of 20 creation orders and 4 redemption
orders (50,000 shares per creation and redemption). The Trust’s net asset value was negatively affected by the price of platinum,
which decreased 9.7% from $$1,012.00 on June 30, 2024, to $914.00 on December 31, 2024.
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The
9.9% decrease in the Trust’s net asset value per share from $9.80 on June 30, 2024, to $8.83 on December 31, 2024, is directly
related to the 9.7% decrease in the price of platinum.
The
Trust’s net asset value per share decreased slightly more than the price of platinum on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s
fees, which were $107,444 for the period, or 0.25% of the Trust’s average weighted net assets of $42,627,725 during the period.
The net asset value per share of $10.15 on October 29, 2024, was the highest during the period, compared with a low during the period
of $8.80 on September 04, 2024.
Net
decrease in net assets resulting from operations for the six-month period ended December 31, 2024, was $4,590,994, resulting primarily
from an unrealized gain on investment in platinum bullion of $4,322,212, increased by a loss of $161,338 on metal sold to cover redemption
orders and Sponsor’s fees and by the Sponsor’s fees of $107,444. Other than the Sponsor’s fees the Trust had no expenses
during the quarter.
Item
3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Not
applicable.
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