UNITED
STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Form
10-Q
☒
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the Quarterly Period Ended June 30, 2022
or
☐
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the Transition Period from___________________to_____________
Commission
File Number: 001-34590
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
New
York
26-4732885
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or
organization)
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.)
c/o
abrdn ETFs Sponsor LLC
712
Fifth Avenue ,
49 th Floor
New
York , NY
(Address
of principal executive offices)
10019
(Zip
Code)
( 844 )
383-7289
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name
of each exchange on which registered
abrdn
Physical Platinum Shares ETF
PPLT
NYSE
Arca
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such
reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant
to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that
the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller
reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated
filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act.
Large Accelerated
Filer
☒
Accelerated
Filer
☐
Non-Accelerated Filer
☐
Smaller Reporting Company
☐
Emerging Growth Company
☐
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for
complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). ☐ Yes ☒
No
As
of August 3, 2022, abrdn Platinum ETF Trust had 12,150,000 abrdn Physical Platinum Shares ETF outstanding.
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
FORM
10-Q
FOR
THE QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30, 2022
INDEX
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.
Financial Statements
1
Item 2.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
13
Item 3.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
15
Item 4.
Controls and Procedures
15
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.
Legal Proceedings
16
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
16
Item 2.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
16
Item 3.
Defaults Upon Senior Securities
16
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
16
Item 5.
Other Information
17
Item 6.
Exhibits
17
SIGNATURES
18
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
PART
I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
Statements
of Assets and Liabilities
At
June 30, 2022 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2021
June 30, 2022
December 31, 2021
(Amounts in 000’s of US$, except for Share and per Share data)
ASSETS
Investment in platinum (cost: June 30, 2022: $ 1,137,641 ; December 31, 2021: $ 1,145,807 )
$ 1,064,886
$ 1,138,264
Total assets
1,064,886
1,138,264
LIABILITIES
Fees payable to Sponsor
526
596
Platinum payable
—
4,461
Total liabilities
526
5,057
NET ASSETS (1)
$ 1,064,360
$ 1,133,207
(1)
Authorized
share capital is unlimited with no par value per Share. Shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2022 were 12,650,000 and
at December 31, 2021 were 12,700,000 . Net asset values per Share at June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 were $ 84.14 and $ 89.23 ,
respectively.
See
Notes to the Financial Statements
1
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Schedules
of Investments
At
June 30, 2022 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2021
June 30, 2022
Description
oz
Cost
Fair Value
% of Net Assets
Investment in platinum (in 000’s of US$, except for oz and percentage data)
Platinum
1,174,074.6
$ 1,137,641
$ 1,064,886
100.05 %
Total investment in platinum
1,174,074.6
$ 1,137,641
$ 1,064,886
100.05 %
Less liabilities
( 526 )
( 0.05 )%
Net Assets
$ 1,064,360
100.00 %
December 31, 2021
Description
oz
Cost
Fair Value
% of Net Assets
Investment in platinum (in 000’s of US$, except for oz and percentage data)
Platinum
1,186,927.7
$ 1,145,807
$ 1,138,264
100.45 %
Total investment in platinum
1,186,927.7
$ 1,145,807
$ 1,138,264
100.45 %
Less liabilities
( 5,057 )
( 0.45 )%
Net Assets
$ 1,133,207
100.00 %
See
Notes to the Financial Statements
2
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Statements
of Operations (Unaudited)
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021
Three Months Ended
June 30, 2022
Three Months Ended
June 30, 2021
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2022
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2021
(Amounts in 000’s of US$, except for Share and per Share data)
EXPENSES
Sponsor’s Fee
$ 1,716
$ 2,209
$ 3,459
$ 4,396
Total expenses
1,716
2,209
3,459
4,396
Net investment loss
( 1,716 )
( 2,209 )
( 3,459 )
( 4,396 )
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAINS / (LOSSES)
Realized gain on platinum transferred to pay expenses
34
457
91
768
Realized gain on platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares
66
6,484
2,956
16,240
Change in unrealized (loss) on investment in platinum
( 89,400 )
( 163,055 )
( 65,242 )
( 27,634 )
Total (loss) on investment in platinum
( 89,300 )
( 156,114 )
( 62,195 )
( 10,626 )
Change in net assets from operations
$ ( 91,016 )
$ ( 158,323 )
$ ( 65,654 )
$ ( 15,022 )
Net increase / (decrease) in net assets per Share
$ ( 7.12 )
$ ( 11.64 )
$ ( 5.18 )
$ ( 1.10 )
Weighted average number of Shares
12,782,967
13,607,143
12,670,442
13,605,525
See
Notes to the Financial Statements
3
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Statements
of Changes in Net Assets (Unaudited)
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021
Three Months Ended June 30, 2022
Three Months Ended June 30, 2021
(Amounts in 000’s of US$, except for Share data)
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Opening balance
12,850,000
$ 1,173,542
13,800,000
$ 1,524,588
Net investment loss
( 1,716 )
( 2,209 )
Realized gain on investment in platinum
100
6,941
Change in unrealized (loss) on investment in platinum
( 89,400 )
( 163,055 )
Creations
550,000
49,404
250,000
26,148
Redemptions
( 750,000 )
( 67,570 )
( 300,000 )
( 33,465 )
Closing balance
12,650,000
$ 1,064,360
13,750,000
$ 1,358,948
Six Months Ended June 30, 2022
Six Months Ended June 30, 2021
(Amounts in 000’s of US$, except for Share data)
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Opening balance
12,700,000
$ 1,133,207
13,300,000
$ 1,329,607
Net investment loss
( 3,459 )
( 4,396 )
Realized gain on investment in platinum
3,047
17,008
Change in unrealized (loss) on investment in platinum
( 65,242 )
( 27,634 )
Creations
1,200,000
112,164
1,150,000
123,371
Redemptions
( 1,250,000 )
( 115,357 )
( 700,000 )
( 79,008 )
Closing balance
12,650,000
$ 1,064,360
13,750,000
$ 1,358,948
See
Notes to the Financial Statements
4
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Financial
Highlights (Unaudited)
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021
Three Months Ended
June 30, 2022
Three Months Ended
June 30, 2021
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2022
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2021
Per Share Performance (for a Share outstanding throughout the entire period)
Net asset value per Share at beginning of period
$ 91.33
$ 110.48
$ 89.23
$ 99.97
Income from investment operations:
Net investment loss
( 0.13 )
( 0.16 )
( 0.27 )
( 0.32 )
Total realized and unrealized gains or losses on investment in platinum
( 7.06 )
( 11.49 )
( 4.82 )
( 0.82 )
Change in net assets from operations
( 7.19 )
( 11.65 )
( 5.09 )
( 1.14 )
Net asset value per Share at end of period
$ 84.14
$ 98.83
$ 84.14
$ 98.83
Weighted average number of Shares
12,782,967
13,607,143
12,670,442
13,605,525
Expense ratio (1)
0.60 %
0.60 %
0.60 %
0.60 %
Net investment loss ratio (1)
( 0.60 )%
( 0.60 )%
( 0.60 )%
( 0.60 )%
Total return, net asset value (2)
( 7.87 )%
( 10.54 )%
( 5.70 )%
( 1.14 )%
(1)
Annualized
for periods less than one year.
(2)
Total return
is not annualized.
See
Notes to the Financial Statements
5
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
1. Organization
The abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust (known as Aberdeen Standard Platinum ETF Trust prior to March 31, 2022) (the “Trust”)
is a common law trust formed on December 30, 2009 under New York law pursuant to a depositary trust agreement (the “Trust
Agreement”) executed by abrdn ETFs Sponsor LLC (known as Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Sponsor LLC prior to March 1,
2022) (the “Sponsor”) and The Bank of New York Mellon as Trustee (the “Trustee”). The Trust holds
platinum bullion and issues abrdn Physical Platinum Shares ETF (known as Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum
Shares ETF prior to March 31, 2022) (“Shares”) in minimum blocks of 50,000 Shares (also referred to as “Baskets”)
in exchange for deposits of platinum and distributes platinum in connection with the redemption of Baskets. Shares represent
units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust which are issued by the Trust. The Sponsor is
a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of abrdn Inc. (known as Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc.
prior to January 1, 2022). abrdn Inc. is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of abrdn (formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen)
plc. The Trust is governed by the Trust Agreement.
The
investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of platinum, less the Trust’s
expenses and liabilities. The Trust is designed to provide an individual owner of beneficial interests in the Shares (a “Shareholder”)
an opportunity to participate in the platinum market through an investment in securities. The fiscal year end for the Trust
is December 31.
The
accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q. In the
opinion of the Trust’s management, all adjustments (which consist of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present
fairly the financial position and results of operations as of June 30, 2022, and for the three and six month periods then ended have been made.
These
financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2021. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 are not necessarily
indicative of the operating results for the full year.
2. Significant
Accounting Policies
The
preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires those responsible for preparing financial statements
to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust.
2.1. Basis
of Accounting
The
Sponsor has determined that the Trust falls within the scope of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting
Standards Codification (“ASC”) 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies , and has concluded that for
reporting purposes, the Trust is classified as an Investment Company. 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.
2.2. Valuation
of Platinum
The
Trust follows the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 provides guidance for
determining fair value and requires increased disclosure regarding the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value.
ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly
transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
6
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
The
Trust’s platinum is held by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”), on behalf of the Trust, at its London,
England vaulting premises. The Trust’s platinum may also be held by UBS AG, or any other firm selected by the Custodian to hold
the Trust’s platinum in the Trust’s allocated account in the firm’s vault premises on a segregated basis
and whose appointment has been approved by the Sponsor. At June 30, 2022, approximately 2.48 % of the Trust’s platinum
was held by one or more sub-custodians.
The
Trust’s platinum is recorded at fair value. The cost of platinum is determined according to the average cost method and the fair
value is based on the afternoon session of the twice daily fix of an ounce of platinum administered by the London Metal Exchange
(“LME”). Realized gains and losses on transfers of platinum, or platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares,
are calculated on a trade date basis as the difference between the fair value and average cost of platinum transferred.
The
LME is responsible for the administration of the electronic platinum price fixing system (“LMEbullion”) that replicates
electronically the manual London platinum fix processes previously employed by the London Platinum and Palladium Fixing Company
Ltd (“LPPFCL”), as well as providing electronic market clearing processes for platinum bullion transactions at the
fixed prices established by the LME pricing mechanism. LMEbullion, like the previous London platinum fix processes, establishes
and publishes fixed prices for troy ounces of platinum twice each London trading day during fixing sessions beginning at 9:45
a.m. London time (the “LME AM Fix”) and 2:00 p.m. London time (the “LME PM Fix”).
Once
the value of platinum has been determined, the net asset value (the “NAV”) is computed by the Trustee by
deducting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust, including the remuneration due to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor’s
Fee”), from the fair value of the platinum and all other assets held by the Trust.
The
Trust recognizes changes in fair value of the investment in platinum as changes in unrealized gains or losses on investment
in platinum through the Statement of Operations.
The
per Share amount of platinum exchanged for a purchase or redemption is calculated daily by the Trustee using the LME PM Fix
to calculate the platinum amount in respect of any liabilities for which covering platinum sales have not yet been made,
and represents the per Share amount of platinum held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities, to cover expenses
and liabilities and any losses that may have occurred.
Fair
Value Hierarchy
ASC
820 establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The three levels of inputs
are as follows:
– Level
1. Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Trust has the ability to access.
– Level
2. Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly
or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on
an inactive market, prices for similar instruments and similar data.
– Level
3. Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability to the extent that relevant observable inputs are not available, representing
the Trust’s own assumptions about the assumptions that a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability,
and that would be based on the best information available.
To
the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination
of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for
instruments categorized in level 3.
7
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
The
inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes,
the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the
lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
The
Trust’s investment in platinum is classified as a level 1 asset, as its value is calculated using unadjusted
quoted prices from primary market sources.
The
categorization of the Trust’s assets is as shown below:
(Amounts
in 000’s of US$)
June
30, 2022
December
31, 2021
Level 1
Investment in
platinum
$ 1,064,886
$ 1,138,264
There
were no transfers between levels during the six months ended June 30, 2022 or the year ended December 31, 2021.
2.3. Platinum
Receivable and Payable
Platinum receivable
or payable represents the quantity of platinum covered by contractually binding orders for the creation or redemption of
Shares respectively, where the platinum has not yet been transferred to or from the Trust’s account. Generally, ownership
of platinum is transferred within two business days of the trade date. At June 30, 2022, the Trust had no platinum receivable
or payable for the creation or redemption of Shares. At December 31, 2021, the Trust had no platinum receivable
for the creation of Shares and $ 4,461,443 of platinum payable for the redemption of Shares.
2.4. Creations
and Redemptions of Shares
The
Trust expects to create and redeem Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 50,000 Shares).
The Trust issues Shares in Baskets to Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis. Individual investors cannot purchase or redeem
Shares in direct transactions with the Trust. An Authorized Participant is a person who (1) is a registered broker-dealer or other
securities market participant such as a bank or other financial institution which is not required to register as a broker-dealer
to engage in securities transactions; (2) is a participant in The Depository Trust Company; (3) has entered into an Authorized
Participant Agreement with the Trustee and the Sponsor; and (4) has established an Authorized Participant Unallocated Account
with the Trust’s Custodian or other platinum bullion clearing bank. An Authorized Participant Agreement is an agreement
entered into by each Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Trustee which provides the procedures for the creation and redemption
of Baskets and for the delivery of the platinum required for such creations and redemptions. An Authorized Participant
Unallocated Account is an unallocated platinum account, either loco London or loco Zurich, established with the Custodian
or a platinum bullion clearing bank by an Authorized Participant.
The
creation and redemption of Baskets is only made in exchange for the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of
the amount of platinum represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which is based on the combined
NAV of the number of Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem
Baskets is properly received.
8
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
Authorized
Participants may, on any business day, place an order with the Trustee to create or redeem one or more Baskets. The typical settlement
period for Shares is two business days. In the event of a trade date at period end, where a settlement is pending, a respective
account receivable and/or payable will be recorded. When platinum is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, it is considered
a sale of platinum for financial statement purposes.
The
amount of platinum represented by the Baskets created or redeemed can only be settled to the nearest 1/1000th of an ounce.
As a result, the value attributed to the creation or redemption of Shares may differ from the value of platinum to be
delivered or distributed by the Trust. In order to ensure that the correct amount of platinum is available at all times to
back the Shares, the Sponsor accepts an adjustment to its Sponsor’s Fee in the event of any shortfall or excess on each transaction.
For each transaction, this amount is not more than 1/1000th of an ounce of platinum.
As
the Shares of the Trust are subject to redemption at the option of Authorized Participants, the Trust has classified the outstanding
Shares as Net Assets. Changes in the number of Shares outstanding are presented in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets.
2.5. Income
Taxes
The
Trust is classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Trust itself will
not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, the Trust’s income and expenses will “flow through” to the
Shareholders, and the Trustee will report the Trust’s proceeds, income, deductions, gains, and losses to the Internal Revenue
Service on that basis.
The
Sponsor has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined
that no reserves for uncertain tax positions are required as of June 30, 2022 or December 31, 2021.
2.6. Investment
in Platinum
Changes
in ounces of platinum and their respective values for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021
are set out below:
Three Months Ended
June 30, 2022
Three Months Ended
June 30, 2021
(Amounts in 000’s of US$, except for ounces data)
Ounces of platinum
Opening balance
1,194,436.5
1,290,494.1
Creations
51,074.2
23,341.8
Redemptions
( 69,636.5 )
( 28,035.1 )
Transfers of platinum to pay expenses
( 1,799.6 )
( 1,933.3 )
Closing balance
1,174,074.6
1,283,867.5
Investment in platinum
Opening balance
$ 1,174,131
$ 1,525,364
Creations
49,404
26,148
Redemptions
( 67,570 )
( 33,465 )
Realized gain on platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares
66
6,484
Transfers of platinum to pay expenses
( 1,779 )
( 2,318 )
Realized gain on platinum transferred to pay expenses
34
457
Change in unrealized (loss) on investment in platinum
( 89,400 )
( 163,055 )
Closing balance
$ 1,064,886
$ 1,359,615
9
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2022
Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2021
(Amounts in 000’s of US$, except for ounces data)
Ounces of platinum
Opening balance
1,186,927.7
1,245,573.6
Creations
111,479.8
107,531.7
Redemptions
( 120,778.5 )
( 65,450.4 )
Transfers of platinum to pay expenses
( 3,554.4 )
( 3,787.4 )
Closing balance
1,174,074.6
1,283,867.5
Investment in platinum
Opening balance
$ 1,138,264
$ 1,330,272
Creations
112,164
123,371
Redemptions
( 119,818 )
( 79,008 )
Realized gain on platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares
2,956
16,240
Transfers of platinum to pay expenses
( 3,529 )
( 4,394 )
Realized gain on platinum transferred to pay expenses
91
768
Change in unrealized (loss) on investment in platinum
( 65,242 )
( 27,634 )
Closing balance
$ 1,064,886
$ 1,359,615
2.7. Expenses
/ Realized Gains / Losses
The primary expense of the Trust is the Sponsor’s Fee, which is paid by the Trust through in-kind transfers of platinum
to the Sponsor.
The
Trust will transfer platinum to the Sponsor to pay the Sponsor’s Fee that accrues daily at an annualized rate equal
to 0.60 % of the adjusted daily net asset value (“ANAV”) of the Trust, paid monthly in arrears.
The
Sponsor has agreed to assume administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust, including the Trustee’s monthly
fee and out of pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee and the reimbursement of the Custodian’s expenses, exchange listing
fees, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) registration fees, printing and mailing costs,
audit fees and up to $ 100,000 per annum in legal expenses.
For
the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, the Sponsor’s Fee was $ 1,716,082 and $ 2,208,292 ,
respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, the Sponsor’s Fee was $ 3,459,174
and $ 4,396,187 , respectively.
At June
30, 2022 and at December 31, 2021, the fees payable to the Sponsor were $ 525,837 and $ 595,693 , respectively.
10
abrdn
Platinum ETF Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
With
respect to expenses not otherwise assumed by the Sponsor, the Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor or in its own discretion,
sell the Trust’s platinum as necessary to pay these expenses. When selling platinum to pay expenses, the Trustee
will endeavor to sell the smallest amounts of platinum needed to pay these expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s
holdings of assets other than platinum. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the three and six
months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021.
Unless
otherwise directed by the Sponsor, when selling platinum the Trustee will endeavor to sell at the price established by the
LME PM Fix. The Trustee will place orders with dealers (which may include the Custodian) through which the Trustee expects to
receive the most favorable price and execution of orders. The Custodian may be the purchaser of such platinum only if the
sale transaction is made at the next LME PM Fix or such other publicly available price that the Sponsor deems fair, in each case
as set following the sale order. A gain or loss is recognized based on the difference between the selling price and the average
cost of the platinum sold. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor is liable for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of any
sale.
Realized
gains and losses result from the transfer of platinum for Share redemptions and / or to pay expenses and are recognized on
a trade date basis as the difference between the fair value and average cost of platinum transferred.
2.8. Subsequent
Events
In
accordance with the provisions set forth in FASB ASC 855-10, Subsequent Events , the Trust’s management has evaluated
the possibility of subsequent events impacting the Trust’s financial statements through the filing date. During this period,
no material subsequent events requiring adjustment to or disclosure in the financial statements were identified.
3. Related
Parties
The
Sponsor and the Trustee are considered to be related parties to the Trust. The Trustee and the Custodian and their affiliates
may from time to time act as Authorized Participants and purchase or sell Shares for their own account, as agent for their customers
and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. In addition, the Trustee and the Custodian and their affiliates
may from time to time purchase or sell platinum directly, for their own account, as agent for their customers and for accounts
over which they exercise investment discretion. The Trustee’s and Custodian’s fees are paid by the Sponsor and are
not separate expenses of the Trust.
4. Concentration
of Risk
The
Trust’s sole business activity is the investment in platinum, and substantially all the Trust’s assets are holdings
of platinum, which creates a concentration of risk associated with fluctuations in the price of platinum. Several factors
could affect the price of platinum, including: (i) global platinum supply and demand, which is influenced by factors such as production
and cost levels in major platinum producing countries, recycling, autocatalyst demand, industrial demand, jewelry demand and investment
demand; (ii) investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation; (iii) currency exchange rates; (iv) interest
rates; (v) investment and trading activities of hedge funds and commodity funds; and (vi) global or regional political, economic
or financial events and situations. In addition, there is no assurance that platinum will maintain its long-term value in
terms of purchasing power in the future. In the event that the price of platinum declines, the Sponsor expects the value
of an investment in the Shares to decline proportionately. Each of these events could have a material effect on the Trust’s
financial position and results of operations.
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Platinum ETF Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
5. Indemnification
Under
the Trust’s organizational documents, the Trustee (and its directors, employees and agents) and the Sponsor (and its members,
managers, directors, officers, employees and affiliates) are indemnified by the Trust against any liability, cost or expense it
incurs without gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or willful malfeasance on its part and without reckless disregard
on its part of its obligations and duties under the Trust’s organizational documents. The Trust’s maximum exposure
under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.
12
abrdn Platinum ETF Trust
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 1 of this Form 10-Q. The discussion and analysis that follows may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements may relate to the
Trust’s financial condition, operations, future performance and business. These statements can be identified by the use
of the words “may”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”,
“estimate”, “predict”, “potential” or similar words and phrases. These statements are based
upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor has made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and
expected future developments. 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 reflect a change in management’s expectations or predictions.
Introduction
The
Trust is a common law trust, formed under the laws of the state of New York on December 30, 2009. 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 “PPLT”.
Valuation
of Platinum and Computation of Net Asset Value
On
each day that the NYSE Arca is open for regular trading, as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. New York time on such day
(the “Evaluation Time”), the Trustee evaluates the platinum held by the Trust and determines the NAV of the Trust.
At
the Evaluation Time, the Trustee values the Trust’s platinum on the basis of that day’s LME PM Fix or, if no LME PM
Fix is made on such day, the next most recent LME PM Fix determined prior to the Evaluation Time will be used, unless the Sponsor
determines that such price is inappropriate as a basis for evaluation. In the event the Sponsor determines that the LME PM Fix
or such other publicly available price as the Sponsor may deem fairly represents the commercial value of the Trust’s platinum
is not an appropriate basis for evaluation of the Trust’s platinum, it shall identify an alternative basis for such evaluation
to be employed by the Trustee. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor shall be liable to any person for the determination that the
LME PM Fix or such other publicly available price is not appropriate as a basis for evaluation of the Trust’s platinum or
for any determination as to the alternative basis for such evaluation provided that such determination is made in good faith.
Once
the value of the platinum has been determined, the Trustee subtracts all estimated accrued but unpaid fees (other than the
fees accruing for such day on which the valuation takes place that are computed by reference to the value of the Trust or its
assets), expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the total value of the platinum and all other assets of the Trust
(other than any amounts credited to the Trust’s reserve account, if established). The resulting figure is the adjusted net
asset value (the “ANAV”) of the Trust. The ANAV of the Trust is used to compute the Sponsor’s Fee.
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Platinum ETF Trust
All fees accruing for the day on
which the valuation takes place that are computed by reference to the value of the Trust or its assets are calculated using the
ANAV calculated for such day. The Trustee subtracts from the ANAV the amount of accrued fees so computed for such day and the
resulting figure is the NAV of the Trust. The Trustee also determines the NAV per Share by dividing the NAV of the Trust by the
number of the Shares outstanding as of the close of trading on the NYSE Arca (which includes the net number of any Shares created
or redeemed on such evaluation day).
The
Trustee’s estimation of accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and liabilities is conclusive upon all persons interested in the
Trust and no revision or correction in any computation made under the Trust Agreement will be required by reason of any difference
in amounts estimated from those actually paid.
The
NAV of the Trust is obtained by subtracting the Trust’s liabilities on any day from the value of the platinum owned and
receivable by the Trust on that day; the NAV per Share is obtained by dividing the NAV of the Trust on a given day by the number
of Shares outstanding on that day.
The
Quarter Ended June 30, 2022
The
Trust’s NAV decreased from $1,173,542,796 at March 31, 2022 to $1,064,359,854 at June 30, 2022, a 9.30% decrease for the
quarter. The decrease in the Trust’s NAV resulted from a decrease in the price per ounce of platinum, which fell 7.73% from
$983.00 at March 31, 2022 to $907.00 at June 30, 2022. There was a decrease in outstanding Shares, which decreased from 12,850,000
Shares at March 31, 2022 to 12,650,000 Shares at June 30, 2022, as a result of 550,000 Shares (11 Baskets) being created and 750,000
Shares (15 Baskets) being redeemed during the quarter.
The
NAV per Share decreased 7.87% from to $91.33 at March 31, 2022 to $84.14 at June 30, 2022. The Trust’s NAV per Share decreased
slightly more than the price per ounce of platinum on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s Fee, which was $1,716,082
for the quarter, or 0.60% of the Trust’s ANAV on an annualized basis.
The
NAV per Share of $95.49 at June 6, 2022 was the highest during the quarter, compared with a low of $84.14 at June 30, 2022.
The
decrease in net assets from operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 was $91,060,395, resulting from a realized gain of
$34,281 on the transfer of platinum to pay expenses and a realized gain of $65,987 on platinum distributed for the redemption
of Shares, offset by a decrease in unrealized loss on investment in platinum of $89,399,581 and the Sponsor’s Fee of $1,716,082.
Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the quarter ended June 30, 2022.
The
Six Months Ended June 30, 2022
The
Trust’s NAV decreased from $1,133,206,525 at December 31, 2021 to $1,064,359,854 at June 30, 2022, a 6.08% decrease
for the period. The decrease in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from a decrease in the price per ounce of platinum,
which fell 5.42% from $959.00 at December 31, 2021 to $907.00 at June 30, 2022, as well as a decrease in outstanding Shares,
which fell from 12,700,000 Shares at December 31, 2021 to 12,650,000 Shares at June 30, 2022, as a result of 1,200,000 Shares
(24 Baskets) being created and 1,250,000 Shares (25 Baskets) being redeemed.
The
NAV per Share decreased 5.70% from $89.23 at December 31, 2021 to $84.14 at June 30, 2022. The Trust’s NAV per Share fell
slightly more than the price per ounce of platinum on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s Fee, which was $3,459,174
for the period, or 0.60% of the Trust’s ANAV on an annualized basis.
The
NAV per Share of $106.98 at March 8, 2022 was the highest during the period, compared with a low of $84.14 at June 30, 2022.
The
decrease in net assets from operations for the period ended June 30, 2022 was $65,654,123, resulting from a realized gain
of $90,718 on the transfer of platinum to pay expenses and a realized gain of $2,956,053 on platinum distributed for the
redemption of Shares, offset by a change in unrealized loss on investment in platinum of $65,241,720 and the Sponsor’s
Fee of $3,459,174. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the period ended June 30,
2022.
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Platinum ETF Trust
Liquidity & 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 June 30, 2022, 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. Refer to Note 2 to the Financial Statements for further information on accounting policies.
Item
3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Not
applicable.
Item
4. Controls and Procedures
The
Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its
reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized
and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and
communicated to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor, and to the audit committee, as appropriate,
to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Under
the supervision and with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor, the
Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e)
and 15d-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor concluded
that, as of June 30, 2022, the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
There
have been no changes in the Trust’s or Sponsor’s internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended June
30, 2022 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s or Sponsor’s internal
control over financial reporting.
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Platinum ETF Trust
PART
II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. Legal Proceedings
None.
Item
1A. Risk Factors
Except
for the risk factor set forth below, there have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in the Trust’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
Risks
Related to Platinum
On
April 8, 2022, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, LPPM suspended two government-owned Russian platinum and palladium
refiners. New productions by such refiners will no longer be accepted as “Good Delivery” by the LPPM until further
notice. The bars and sponges these refiners previously produced will still be considered Good Delivery, consistent with past suspensions
of refiners by the LPPM. Fewer suppliers to the LPPM may lead to a lower supply of Good Delivery platinum and further volatility
in the price of platinum.
General
Risks
Armed
conflict can result in significant disruptions to the commodities markets and could adversely affect the price of the Shares .
On
February 24, 2022, Russia commenced an invasion of Ukraine. In response to such conflict or for other reasons, governments have
imposed and may impose additional economic sanctions against Russia, certain other countries, entities and/or individuals. Economic
sanctions and other similar governmental actions could, among other things, prevent or prohibit certain entities or individuals
from participating in the bullion and commodities markets or otherwise impact the functioning of those markets. Such actions could
affect the value of platinum held by the Fund. Sanctions could also result in countermeasures or retaliatory actions, which may
impact the value of platinum. Although it is not possible to predict the impact that any sanctions and retaliatory actions may
have on the Fund, such events could significantly harm the value of the Fund’s shares.
Item
2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Item
2(a). None.
Item
2(b). Not applicable.
Item
2(c). For the three months ended June 30, 2022:
11
Baskets were created.
15
Baskets were redeemed.
Period
Total
Baskets
Redeemed
Total
Shares Redeemed
Average
ounces of
platinum per Share
April 2022
4
200,000
0.093
May 2022
9
450,000
0.093
June 2022
2
100,000
0.093
15
750,000
0.093
Item
3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item
4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not
applicable.
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Platinum ETF Trust
Item
5. Other Information
None.
Item
6. Exhibits
31.1
Chief Executive Officer’s Certificate, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2
Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1
Chief Executive Officer’s Certificate, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2
Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101
The
following financial statements from the Trust’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, formatted
in Inline XBRL: (i) Statements of Assets and Liabilities, (ii) Statements of Operations, (iii) Statements of Changes in Net
Assets, and (iv) Notes to the Financial Statements.
101.SCH
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Document
101.DEF
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definitions Document
101.LAB
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Document
101.PRE
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Document
104
The
cover page from the Trust’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, formatted in Inline XBRL
(included as Exhibit 101).
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Platinum ETF Trust
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned in the capacities thereunto duly authorized.
abrdn ETFs
Sponsor LLC
Date: August 5, 2022
/s/
Steven Dunn
Steven Dunn *
President and Chief Executive
Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
Date: August 5, 2022
/s/
Andrea Melia
Andrea Melia *
Chief Financial Officer and
Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer
and Principal Accounting Officer)
*
The
Registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of abrdn ETFs Sponsor LLC, the Sponsor of
the Registrant.
18
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.