SLV 10-Q
iShares Silver Trust (SLV)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
| | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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| For the quarterly period ended |
| or | |
| | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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| For the transition period from to |
Commission File Number:
iShares® Silver Trust
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer |
c/o iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC
Attn: Product Management Team
iShares Product Research & Development
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)
(
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
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.
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).
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.
| | Accelerated filer ☐ |
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| 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
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| | | |
As of July 31, 2020, the Registrant had
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| Item 1. | 1 |
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| Statements of Assets and Liabilities at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 |
1 |
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| Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 |
2 |
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| Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 |
3 |
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| Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 |
5 |
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| Schedules of Investments at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 |
6 |
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| 7 |
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| Item 2. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
11 |
| Item 3. | 12 |
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| Item 4. | 12 |
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| Item 1. | 13 |
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| Item 1A. | 13 |
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| Item 2. | 13 |
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| Item 3. | 13 |
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| Item 4. | 13 |
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| Item 5. | 13 |
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| Item 6. | 14 |
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| 15 |
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PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (Unaudited)
At June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019
| June 30, | December 31, | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Investment in silver bullion, at fair value(a) | $ | $ | ||||||
| Total Assets | ||||||||
| Liabilities | ||||||||
| Sponsor’s fees payable | ||||||||
| Total Liabilities | ||||||||
| Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 6) | — | — | ||||||
| Net Assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| Shares issued and outstanding(b) | ||||||||
| Net asset value per Share (Note 2C) | $ | $ | ||||||
| (a) |
Cost of investment in silver bullion: $8,374,199,813 and $6,294,157,046, respectively. |
| (b) |
No par value, unlimited amount authorized. |
See notes to financial statements.
Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019
| Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
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| 2020 |
2019 |
2020 |
2019 |
|||||||||||||
| Expenses |
||||||||||||||||
| Sponsor’s fees |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Total expenses |
||||||||||||||||
| Net investment loss |
( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) |
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| Net realized gain (loss) from: |
||||||||||||||||
| Silver bullion sold to pay expenses |
( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Silver bullion distributed for the redemption of Shares |
( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Net realized loss |
( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation |
( |
) | ||||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
( |
) | ||||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in net assets per Share(a) |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (a) |
Net increase (decrease) in net assets per Share based on average shares outstanding during the period. |
See notes to financial statements.
Statements of Changes in Net Assets (Unaudited)
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020
| Six Months Ended |
||||
| Net Assets at December 31, 2019 |
$ | |||
| Operations: |
||||
| Net investment loss |
( |
) | ||
| Net realized loss |
( |
) | ||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation |
( |
) | ||
| Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
( |
) | ||
| Capital Share Transactions: |
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| Contributions for Shares issued |
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| Distributions for Shares redeemed |
( |
) | ||
| Net increase in net assets from capital share transactions |
||||
| Decrease in net assets |
( |
) | ||
| Net Assets at March 31, 2020 |
$ | |||
| Operations: |
||||
| Net investment loss |
( |
) | ||
| Net realized loss |
( |
) | ||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation |
||||
| Net increase in net assets resulting from operations |
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| Capital Share Transactions: |
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| Contributions for Shares issued |
||||
| Distributions for Shares redeemed |
( |
) | ||
| Net increase in net assets from capital share transactions |
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| Increase in net assets |
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| Net Assets at June 30, 2020 |
$ | |||
| Shares issued and redeemed |
||||
| Shares issued |
||||
| Shares redeemed |
( |
) | ||
| Net increase in Shares issued and outstanding |
||||
See notes to financial statements.
iShares® Silver Trust
Statements of Changes in Net Assets (Unaudited)
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2019
| Six Months Ended |
||||
| Net Assets at December 31, 2018 |
$ | |||
| Operations: |
||||
| Net investment loss |
( |
) | ||
| Net realized loss |
( |
) | ||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation |
( |
) | ||
| Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
( |
) | ||
| Capital Share Transactions: |
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| Contributions for Shares issued |
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| Distributions for Shares redeemed |
( |
) | ||
| Net decrease in net assets from capital share transactions |
( |
) | ||
| Decrease in net assets |
( |
) | ||
| Net Assets at March 31, 2019 |
$ | |||
| Operations: |
||||
| Net investment loss |
( |
) | ||
| Net realized loss |
( |
) | ||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation |
||||
| Net increase in net assets resulting from operations |
||||
| Capital Share Transactions: |
||||
| Contributions for Shares issued |
||||
| Distributions for Shares redeemed |
( |
) | ||
| Net increase in net assets from capital share transactions |
||||
| Increase in net assets |
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| Net Assets at June 30, 2019 |
$ | |||
| Shares issued and redeemed |
||||
| Shares issued |
||||
| Shares redeemed |
( |
) | ||
| Net increase in Shares issued and outstanding |
||||
See notes to financial statements.
Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
For the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019
| Six Months Ended |
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| 2020 |
2019 |
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| Cash Flows from Operating Activities |
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| Proceeds from silver bullion sold to pay expenses |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Expenses – Sponsor’s fees paid |
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities |
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| Increase (decrease) in cash |
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| Cash, beginning of period |
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| Cash, end of period |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Reconciliation of Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations to Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities |
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| Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
$ | $ | ( |
) | ||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: |
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| Proceeds from silver bullion sold to pay expenses |
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| Net realized (gain) loss |
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| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation |
( |
) | ||||||
| Change in operating assets and liabilities: |
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| Sponsor’s fees payable |
( |
) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Supplemental disclosure of non-cash information: |
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| Silver bullion contributed for Shares issued |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Silver bullion distributed for Shares redeemed |
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
See notes to financial statements.
Schedules of Investments (Unaudited)
At June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019
June 30, 2020
| Description | Ounces | Cost | Fair Value | |||||||||
| Silver bullion | $ | $ | ||||||||||
| Total Investments – % | ||||||||||||
| Less Liabilities – ()% | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Net Assets – % | $ | |||||||||||
December 31, 2019
| Description | Ounces | Cost | Fair Value | |||||||||
| Silver bullion | $ | $ | ||||||||||
| Total Investments – % | ||||||||||||
| Less Liabilities – ()% | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Net Assets – % | $ | |||||||||||
See notes to financial statements.
Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited)
June 30, 2020
1 - Organization
The iShares Silver Trust (the “Trust”) was organized on April 21, 2006 as a New York trust. The trustee is The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”), which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust. The Trust’s sponsor is iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The Trust is governed by the provisions of the Second Amended and Restated Depositary Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by the Trustee and the Sponsor as of December 22, 2016. The Trust issues units of beneficial interest (“Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets.
The Trust seeks to reflect generally the performance of the price of silver. The Trust seeks to reflect such performance before payment of the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Trust is designed to provide a vehicle for investors to make an investment similar to an investment in silver.
The accompanying unaudited financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of management, all material adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the interim period financial statements, have been made. Interim period results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full-year period. These financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC on February 27, 2020.
The Trust qualifies as an investment company solely for accounting purposes and not for any other purpose and follows the accounting and reporting guidance under the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies, but is not registered, and is not required to be registered, as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
2 - Significant Accounting Policies
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A. | Basis of Accounting |
The following significant accounting policies are consistently followed by the Trust in the preparation of its financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Certain statements and captions in the financial statements for the prior periods have been changed to conform to the current financial statement presentation.
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B. | Silver Bullion |
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch (the “Custodian”), is responsible for the safekeeping of silver bullion owned by the Trust.
Fair value of the silver bullion held by the Trust is based on the price per ounce of silver determined in an electronic auction consisting of one or more 30‑second rounds hosted by ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) that begins at 12:00 p.m. (London time) and published shortly thereafter on each day that the London silver market is open for business (such price, the “LBMA Silver Price”). If there is no announced LBMA Silver Price on any day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced LBMA Silver Price unless the Trustee, in consultation with the Sponsor, determines that such price is inappropriate as a basis for evaluation.
Gain or loss on sales of silver bullion is calculated on a trade date basis using the average cost method.
The following tables summarize activity in silver bullion for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019:
| Three Months Ended June 30, 2020 | Ounces | Cost | Fair Value | Realized | ||||||||||||
| Beginning balance | $ | $ | $ | — | ||||||||||||
| Silver bullion contributed | — | |||||||||||||||
| Silver bullion distributed | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Silver bullion sold to pay expenses | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Net realized gain | — | — | ( | ) | — | |||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation | — | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Ending balance | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||
| Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 | Ounces | Cost | Fair Value | Realized | ||||||||||||
| Beginning balance | $ | $ | $ | — | ||||||||||||
| Silver bullion contributed | — | |||||||||||||||
| Silver bullion distributed | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Silver bullion sold to pay expenses | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Net realized gain | — | — | ( | ) | — | |||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation | — | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Ending balance | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||
The following tables summarize activity in silver bullion for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019:
| Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 | Ounces | Cost | Fair Value | Realized Gain (Loss) | ||||||||||||
| Beginning balance | $ | $ | $ | — | ||||||||||||
| Silver bullion contributed | — | |||||||||||||||
| Silver bullion distributed | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Silver bullion sold to pay expenses | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Net realized gain | — | — | ( | ) | — | |||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation | — | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Ending balance | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||
| Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 | Ounces | Cost | Fair Value | Realized Gain (Loss) | ||||||||||||
| Beginning balance | $ | $ | $ | — | ||||||||||||
| Silver bullion contributed | — | |||||||||||||||
| Silver bullion distributed | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Silver bullion sold to pay expenses | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Net realized gain | — | — | ( | ) | — | |||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation | — | — | ( | ) | — | |||||||||||
| Ending balance | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||
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C. | Calculation of Net Asset Value |
On each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (New York time), the net asset value of the Trust is obtained by subtracting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the fair value of the silver and other assets held by the Trust. The Trustee computes the net asset value per Share 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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D. | Offering of the Shares |
Trust Shares are issued and redeemed continuously in aggregations of
The per Share amount of silver exchanged for a purchase or redemption represents the per Share amount of silver held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities.
When silver bullion is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, it is considered a sale of silver bullion for accounting purposes.
| |
E. | Federal Income Taxes |
The Trust is treated as a grantor trust for federal income tax purposes and, therefore, no provision for federal income taxes is required. Any interest, expenses, gains and losses are passed through to the holders of Shares of the Trust.
The Sponsor has analyzed applicable tax laws and regulations and their application to the Trust as of June 30, 2020 and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.
3 - Trust Expenses
The Trust pays to the Sponsor a Sponsor’s fee that accrues daily at an annualized rate equal to
4 - Related Parties
The Sponsor and the Trustee are considered to be related parties to the Trust. The Trustee’s fee is paid by the Sponsor and is not a separate expense of the Trust.
5 - Indemnification
The Trust Agreement provides that the Trustee shall indemnify the Sponsor, its directors, employees and agents against, and hold each of them harmless from, any loss, liability, cost, expense or judgment (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) (i) caused by the negligence or bad faith of the Trustee or (ii) arising out of any information furnished in writing to the Sponsor by the Trustee expressly for use in the registration statement, or any amendment thereto or periodic or other report filed with the SEC relating to the Shares that is not materially altered by the Sponsor.
The Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor and its shareholders, directors, officers, employees, affiliates (as such term is defined under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) and subsidiaries shall be indemnified from the Trust and held harmless against any loss, liability or expense incurred without their (1) negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or willful malfeasance arising out of or in connection with the performance of their obligations under the Trust Agreement or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement or (2) reckless disregard of their obligations and duties under the Trust Agreement.
The Trust has agreed that the Custodian will only be responsible for any loss or damage suffered by the Trust as a direct result of the Custodian’s negligence, fraud or willful default in the performance of its duties.
6 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities
In the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. 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.
7 - Concentration Risk
Substantially all of the Trust’s assets are holdings of silver bullion, which creates a concentration risk associated with fluctuations in the price of silver. Accordingly, a decline in the price of silver will have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares of the Trust. Factors that may have the effect of causing a decline in the price of silver include a change in economic conditions (such as a recession); a significant increase in the hedging activities of silver producers; significant changes in the attitude of speculators, investors and other market participants towards silver; global silver supply and demand; global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations; investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation; interest rates; investment and trading activities of hedge funds and commodity funds; other economic variables such as income growth, economic output, and monetary policies; and investor confidence.
8 - Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights relate to investment performance and operations for a Share outstanding for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.
| Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
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| 2020 |
2019 |
2020 |
2019 |
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| Net asset value per Share, beginning of period |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Net investment loss(a) |
( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b) |
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations |
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||||||
| Net asset value per Share, end of period |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Total return, at net asset value(c)(d) |
% | % | ( |
)% | ( |
)% | ||||||||||
| Ratio to average net assets |
||||||||||||||||
| Net investment loss(e) |
( |
)% | ( |
)% | ( |
)% | ( |
)% | ||||||||
| Expenses(e) |
% | % | % | % | ||||||||||||
| (a) |
Based on average Shares outstanding during the period. |
| (b) |
The amounts reported for a Share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses on investment for the period due to the timing of Trust Share transactions in relation to the fluctuating fair values of the Trust’s underlying investment. |
| (c) |
Based on the change in net asset value of a Share during the period. |
| (d) |
Percentage is not annualized. |
| (e) |
Percentage is annualized. |
9 - Investment Valuation
U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price the Trust would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Trust’s policy is to value its investment at fair value.
Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities. Inputs may be based on independent market data (“observable inputs”) or they may be internally developed (“unobservable inputs”). These inputs are categorized into a disclosure hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes. The level of a value determined for an asset or liability within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
| Level 1 − |
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; |
| Level 2 − |
Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not considered to be active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means; and |
| Level 3 − |
Unobservable inputs that are unobservable for the asset or liability, including the Trust’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of investments. |
At June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the value of the silver bullion held by the Trust is categorized as Level 1.
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 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. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses made by the Sponsor on the basis of its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the special considerations discussed below, general economic, market and business conditions, changes in laws or regulations, including those concerning taxes, made by governmental authorities or regulatory bodies, and other world economic and political developments. Although the Sponsor does not make forward-looking statements unless it believes it has a reasonable basis for doing so, the Sponsor cannot guarantee their accuracy. Except as required by applicable disclosure laws, 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 iShares Silver Trust (the “Trust”) is a grantor trust formed under the laws of the State of New York. The Trust does not have any officers, directors, or employees, and is administered by The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”) acting as trustee pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Depositary Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) between the Trustee and iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the sponsor of the Trust (the “Sponsor”). The Trust issues units of beneficial interest (“Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. The assets of the Trust consist primarily of silver bullion held by a custodian as an agent of the Trust responsible only to the Trustee.
The Trust is a passive investment vehicle and seeks to reflect generally the performance of the price of silver. The Trust seeks to reflect such performance before payment of the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Trust does not engage in any activities designed to obtain a profit from, or ameliorate losses caused by, changes in the price of silver.
The Trust issues and redeems Shares only in exchange for silver, only in aggregations of 50,000 Shares (a “Basket”) or integral multiples thereof, and only in transactions with registered broker-dealers that have previously entered into an agreement with the Sponsor and the Trustee governing the terms and conditions of such issuance (such broker-dealers, the “Authorized Participants”). A list of the current Authorized Participants is available from the Sponsor or the Trustee.
Shares of the Trust trade on NYSE Arca, Inc. under the ticker symbol SLV.
Valuation of Silver Bullion; 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 silver held by the Trust and determines the net asset value of the Trust and net asset value per Share (“NAV”). The Trustee values the silver held by the Trust using the price per ounce of silver determined in an electronic auction hosted by ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) that begins at 12:00 p.m. (London time) and published shortly thereafter, on the day the valuation takes place (such price, the “LBMA Silver Price”). If there is no announced LBMA Silver Price on any day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced LBMA Silver Price unless the Trustee, in consultation with the Sponsor, determines that such price is inappropriate as a basis for evaluation. The LBMA Silver Price is used by the Trust because it is commonly used by the U.S. silver market as an indicator of the value of silver and is permitted to be used under the Trust Agreement. The use of an indicator of the value of silver bullion other than the LBMA Silver Price could result in materially different fair value pricing of the silver held by the Trust, and as such, could result in different cost or market adjustments or in different redemption value adjustments of the outstanding redeemable capital Shares. Having valued the silver held by the Trust, the Trustee then subtracts all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the total value of the silver held by the Trust and other assets of the Trust. The result is the net asset value of the Trust. The Trustee computes NAV by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation is made.
Liquidity
The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs. In exchange for a 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 Trust’s only source of liquidity is its sales of silver.
Critical Accounting Policies
The financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles 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. A description of the valuation of silver bullion, a critical accounting policy that the Trust believes is important to understanding its results of operations and financial position, is provided in the section entitled “Valuation of Silver Bullion; Computation of Net Asset Value” above. 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 June 30, 2020
The Trust’s net asset value grew from $5,505,117,093 at March 31, 2020 to $8,883,456,887 at June 30, 2020, a 61.37% increase. The increase in the Trust’s net asset value resulted primarily from an increase in the LBMA Silver Price, which rose 28.14% from $13.93 at March 31, 2020 to $17.85 at June 30, 2020. The Trust’s net asset value also benefited from an increase in number of outstanding Shares, which rose from 423,700,000 Shares at March 31, 2020 to 534,350,000 Shares at June 30, 2020, a consequence of 127,350,000 Shares (2,547 Baskets) being created and 16,700,000 Shares (334 Baskets) being redeemed during the quarter.
The 27.94% increase in the Trust’s NAV from $12.99 at March 31, 2020 to $16.62 at June 30, 2020 is directly related to the 28.14% increase in the price of silver.
The Trust’s NAV increased slightly less than the price of silver on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s fees, which were $8,953,394 for the quarter, or 0.12% of the Trust’s average weighted assets of $7,239,298,886 during the quarter. The NAV of $17.03 on June 2, 2020 was the highest during the quarter, compared with a low during the quarter of $13.07 on April 1, 2020.
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 was $1,666,597,884, resulting primarily from an unrealized gain on investment in silver bullion of $1,686,694,147, offset by a net realized loss of $10,559,630 on silver bullion distributed for the redemption of Shares, a net investment loss of $8,953,394, and a net realized loss of $583,239 from silver bullion sold to pay expenses. Other than the Sponsor’s fees of $8,953,394, the Trust had no expenses during the quarter.
The Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2020
The Trust’s net asset value grew from $6,540,758,565 at December 31, 2019 to $8,883,456,887 at June 30, 2020, a 35.82% increase. The increase in the Trust’s net asset value resulted primarily from an increase in the number of outstanding Shares, which rose from 388,100,000 Shares at December 31, 2019 to 534,350,000 Shares at June 30, 2020, a consequence of 193,500,000 Shares (3,870 Baskets) being created and 47,250,000 Shares (945 Baskets) being redeemed during the period. The increase in the Trust’s net asset value was partially offset by from a decrease in the LBMA Silver Price, which fell 1.11% from $18.05 at December 31, 2019 to $17.85 at June 30, 2020.
The 1.36% decline in the Trust’s NAV from $16.85 at December 31, 2019 to $16.62 at June 30, 2020 is directly related to the 1.11% decrease in the price of silver.
The Trust’s NAV decreased slightly more than the price of silver on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s fees, which were $16,630,343 for the period, or 0.25% of the Trust’s average weighted assets of $6,701,693,767 during the period. The NAV of $17.52 on February 24, 2020 was the highest during the period, compared with a low during the period of $11.20 on March 19, 2020.
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations for the six months ended June 30, 2020 was $226,138,562, resulting primarily from an unrealized gain on investment in silver bullion of $263,482,483, offset by a net realized loss of $20,204,979 on silver bullion distributed for the redemption of Shares, a net investment loss of $16,630,343 and a net realized loss of $508,599 from silver bullion sold to pay expenses. Other than the Sponsor’s fees of $16,630,343, the Trust had no expenses during the period.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Not applicable.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures.
The duly authorized officers of the Sponsor performing functions equivalent to those a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Trust would perform if the Trust had any officers, with the participation of the Trustee, have evaluated the effectiveness of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, and have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of the Trust were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Trust files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the applicable rules and forms, and that it is accumulated and communicated to the duly authorized officers of the Sponsor performing functions equivalent to those a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Trust would perform if the Trust had any officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures.
There were no changes in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.
None.
Except as set forth below, there have been no material changes to the Risk Factors last reported under Part I, Item 1A of the registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2020.
The Trust may be negatively impacted by the effects of the spread of illnesses or other public health emergencies on the global economy and the markets and service providers relevant to the performance of the Trust.
An outbreak of infectious respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 and has now been spread globally. This outbreak has resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, disruption of and delays in healthcare service preparation and delivery, prolonged quarantines, event cancellations, supply chain disruptions, and lower consumer demand, layoffs, defaults and other significant economic impacts, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of this outbreak has adversely affected the economies of many nations and the entire global economy and may impact individual issuers and capital markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. Other infectious illness outbreaks that may arise in the future could have similar impacts. Public health crises caused by the outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally.
The COVID-19 outbreak may continue to have serious negative effects on social, economic and financial systems, including significant uncertainty and volatility in the financial markets. For instance, the suspension of operations of mines, refineries and vaults that extract, produce or store silver, restrictions on travel that delay or prevent the transportation of silver, and an increase in demand for silver may disrupt supply chains for silver, which could cause secondary market spreads to widen and compromise our ability to settle transactions on time. Any inability of the Trust to issue or redeem Shares or the Custodian or any sub-custodian to receive or deliver silver as a result of the outbreak will negatively affect the Trust’s operations.
The duration of the outbreak and its effects cannot be determined with certainty. A prolonged outbreak could result in an increase of the costs of the Trust, affect liquidity in the market for silver as well as the correlation between the price of the Shares and the net asset value of the Trust, any of which could adversely affect the value of your Shares. In addition, the outbreak could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Trust’s service providers, including the Sponsor, the Trustee and the Custodian, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of the Trust’s service providers to perform essential tasks on behalf of the Trust. Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of fiscal and monetary policy changes, including, but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies, new monetary programs and lower interest rates. An unexpected or quick reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these policies, is likely to increase volatility in the market for silver, which could adversely affect the price of the Shares.
Further, the outbreak could interfere with or prevent the operation of the electronic auction hosted by IBA to determine the LBMA Silver Price, which the Trustee uses to value the silver held by the Trust and calculate the net asset value of the Trust. The outbreak could also cause the closure of futures exchanges, which could eliminate the ability of Authorized Participants to hedge purchases of Baskets, increasing trading costs of Shares and resulting in a sustained premium or discount in the Shares. Each of these outcomes would negatively impact the Trust.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
a) None.
b) Not applicable.
c) 16,700,000 Shares (334 Baskets) were redeemed during the quarter ended June 30, 2020.
| Period |
Total Number of Shares |
Average Ounces of |
||||||
| 04/01/20 to 04/30/20 |
10,000,000 | $ | 0.9325 | |||||
| 05/01/20 to 05/31/20 |
2,000,000 | 0.9321 | ||||||
| 06/01/20 to 06/30/20 |
4,700,000 | 0.9319 | ||||||
| Total |
16,700,000 | $ | 0.9323 | |||||
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
| Exhibit No. |
Description |
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| 4.1 |
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| 4.2 |
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| 10.1 |
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| 10.2 | Amendment Agreement to First Amended and Restated Custodian Agreement between The Bank of New York Mellon and JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of Registration Statement No. 333-239613 filed by the Registrant on July 1, 2020 | |
| 10.3 |
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| 31.1 |
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| 31.2 |
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| 32.1 |
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| 32.2 |
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| 101.INS |
Inline XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. |
|
| 101.SCH |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document |
|
| 101.CAL |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document |
|
| 101.DEF |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document |
|
| 101.LAB |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document |
|
| 101.PRE |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document |
|
| 104 |
Cover Page Interactive Data File included as Exhibit 101 (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
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* indicated thereunto duly authorized.
iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC,
Sponsor of the iShares Silver Trust (registrant)
| /s/ Paul Lohrey |
Paul Lohrey
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal executive officer)
| Date: | August 5, 2020 |
| /s/ Mary Cronin |
Mary Cronin
Director and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal financial and accounting officer)
| Date: | August 5, 2020 |
* The registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their respective capacities as officers of iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the Sponsor of the registrant.