Item 1. Business
The purpose of the ETFS Platinum Trust (the “Trust”) is to own platinum transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (“Shares”). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist solely of platinum bullion. The Trust was formed on December 30, 2009 when an initial deposit of platinum was made in exchange for the issuance of two Baskets (a “Basket” consists of 50,000 Shares).
The sponsor of the Trust is ETF Securities USA LLC (the “Sponsor”). The trustee of the Trust is The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”) and the custodian is JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London Branch (the “Custodian”).
The Trust’s Shares at redeemable value increased from $473,978,472 at December 31, 2016 to $565,458,736 at December 31, 2017, the Trust’s fiscal year end. Outstanding Shares in the Trust increased from 5,450,000 at December 31, 2016 to 6,400,000 at December 31, 2017.
The Trust is not managed like a corporation or an active investment vehicle. The Trust has no directors, officers or employees. It does not engage in any activities designed to obtain a profit from or to improve the losses caused by changes in the price of platinum. The platinum held by the Trust will only be delivered to pay the remuneration due to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor’s Fee”), distributed to Authorized Participants (defined below) in connection with the redemption of Baskets or sold (1) on an as-needed basis to pay Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, (2) in the event the Trust terminates and liquidates its assets, or (3) as otherwise required by law or regulation.
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. The Trust does not and will not hold or trade in commodities futures contracts, “commodity interests” or any other instruments regulated by the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”), as administered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”). The Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA and the Shares are not “commodity interests”, and neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor in connection with the Shares. The Trust has no fixed termination date.
The Sponsor of the registrant maintains an Internet website at www.etfsecurities.com, through which the registrant’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, are made available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been filed or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Additional information regarding the Trust may also be found on the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.
Trust Objective
The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of platinum bullion, less the expenses of the Trust’s operations. The Shares are intended to constitute a simple and cost-effective means of making an investment similar to an investment in physical platinum. An investment in physical platinum requires expensive and sometimes complicated arrangements in connection with the assay, transportation, warehousing and insurance of the metal. Traditionally, such expense and complications have resulted in investments in physical platinum being efficient only in amounts beyond the reach of many investors.
The Shares are intended to provide institutional and retail investors with a simple and cost-efficient means, with minimal credit risk, of gaining investment benefits similar to those of holding platinum bullion. The Shares offer an investment that:
•Is Easily Accessible: The Shares trade on the NYSE Arca and provide institutional and retail investors with indirect access to the platinum bullion market. The Shares are bought and sold on the NYSE Arca like any other exchange-listed securities. The close of the NYSE Arca trading session is 4:00 PM New York time.
•Is Relatively Cost Effective. The Sponsor expects that, for many investors, costs associated with buying and selling the Shares in the secondary market and the payment of the Trust’s ongoing expenses will be lower than the costs associated with buying and selling platinum bullion and storing and insuring platinum bullion in a traditional allocated platinum bullion account.
•Has Minimal Credit Risk. The Shares represent an interest in physical bullion owned by the Trust (other than an amount held in unallocated form which is not sufficient to make up a whole plate or which is held temporarily to effect a creation or redemption of Shares). Physical bullion of the Trust in the Custodian’s possession is not subject to borrowing arrangements with third parties. Other than the platinum temporarily being held in an unallocated platinum account with the Custodian, the physical bullion of the Trust is not subject to counterparty or credit risks. See “Risk Factors-Platinum held in the Trust’s unallocated platinum account and any Authorized Participant’s unallocated platinum account is not segregated from the Custodian’s assets….” This contrasts with most other financial products that gain exposure to bullion through the use of derivatives that are subject to counterparty and credit risks.
Investing in the Shares does not insulate the investor from certain risks, including price volatility. See “Risk Factors”.
Overview of the Platinum Industry
Introduction
This section provides a brief introduction to the platinum industry by looking at some of the key participants and detailing the primary sources of demand and supply.
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In this annual report, the term “ounces” refers to troy ounces.
Platinum Group Metals
Platinum and palladium are the two best known metals of the six platinum group metals (“PGMs”). Platinum and palladium have the greatest economic importance and are found in the largest quantities. The other four-iridium, rhodium, ruthenium and osmium-are produced only as co-products of platinum and palladium.
PGMs are found primarily in South Africa and Russia. South Africa is the world’s leading platinum producer and one of the largest palladium producer. Russia is the largest producer of palladium and most production is concentrated in the Norilsk region. All of South Africa’s production is sourced from the Bushveld Igneous Complex, which hosts the world’s largest resource of PGMs. Together, South Africa and Russia accounted for 77% of platinum and palladium mine supply in 2016.
World Platinum Supply and Demand 2007-2016
The following table sets forth a summary of the world platinum supply and demand from 2007 to 2016 and is based on information reported by Johnson Matthey, Platinum 2017 Report.
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The following are some of the main characteristics of the platinum market illustrated by the table:
The main supplier of platinum is South Africa, providing over 70% of total mine supply over the past five years. Russia is the second largest supplier of platinum. Its share of world mine production has averaged around 13% of total mine supply over the past ten years. Recovery of platinum from autocatalysts is the other main source of supply and provided around 14% of total supply in 2016. This source of supply increases along with autocatalyst production.
Over the past decade, jewelry demand for platinum peaked at 41% of total demand in 2009. Jewelry demand has since declined to 30% total demand in 2016. Autocatalyst demand for platinum accounted for around 40% of total demand at the end of 2016, at around its 5-year average. Investment demand accounted for 8% of the total in 2016, up from 5% in 2015.
Historical Chart of the Price of Platinum
The price of platinum is volatile and fluctuations are expected to have a direct impact on the value of the Shares. However, movements in the price of platinum in the past are not a reliable indicator of future movements. The following chart illustrates the movements in the price of an ounce of platinum in U.S. Dollars from December 2007 to December 2017.
In the second half of 2008 platinum prices fell sharply (from a high of $2,276 per ounce in March to a low of $814 per ounce at the end of October 2008) as industrial demand collapsed on the back of the global financial crisis. Prices remained weak in the first few months of 2009 as industrial activity continued to slow. As global manufacturing started to turn up in early 2009, platinum prices began to rise. During this period, the prices of a wide range of commodities, equities and other cyclically-oriented assets also began to rebound strongly from the lows of late 2008/early 2009. As it became clear that auto sales in the US and China were rebounding on a sustainable basis, platinum and palladium continued to rise. By the end of 2009, platinum prices had risen to $1,416 per ounce, representing a 63% increase from the beginning of 2009 and 64% of the March 2008 high. The Japanese earthquake in early 2011, coupled with the unfolding of the European financial crisis with Portugal being bailed out, weighed on platinum performance in the second half of 2011. Platinum prices dropped by 26% in the six months to December 2011, from a high of $1,840 per troy ounce in June to a low of $1,369 per troy ounce in December 2011. Continued weakness in the European auto market weighed on platinum performance since then, with prices only partially recovering from 2011 lows. In 2012, platinum prices rose on the back of supply disruptions in South Africa, which accounts for over 70% of world’s supply of platinum. A strike at one of South Africa’s biggest platinum mines caused the price of platinum to rise from $1,387 to $1,709 per ounce in August 2012. At the beginning of 2013, Anglo American Platinum, the world’s biggest producer of the metal, announced its intention to close four mine shafts and its consideration of selling another mine complex as part of a radical overhaul of its South African operations. This statement prompted a strong reaction on platinum prices, which rose from $1,656 to $1,736 per ounce in the days following the announcement, on fears of a further tightening in platinum supply. However, platinum’s correlation to gold weighed on platinum prices in 2013 overall. Prolonged strikes at South African mines in 2014 led to the deepest supply deficit in platinum since 1975 (the earliest date we have supply and demand data). However, that failed to arrest the price slide which saw prices fall 11% in 2014, highlighting the extent of negative sentiment towards industrially-exposed precious metals. Despite autocatalyst demand for platinum increasing in 2015, tightening nitrogen oxide emission standards have led to pessimism about the future demand for platinum-heavy diesel autocatalysts relative to palladium-heavy gasoline autocatalysts. Further pessimistic outlook for South Africa’s economy and its currency the South African Rand weighed on platinum prices throughout 2017. This pessimism was exacerbated by the fraud at Volkswagen that affected mainly diesel cars. Platinum rose 3% in 2017 to $931 per ounce reaching a 2017 high of $1,030 per ounce in February 2017 and a low of $880 per ounce in December 2017.
Operation of the Platinum Market
The global trade in platinum consists of Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) transactions in spot, forwards, and options and other derivatives, together with exchange-traded futures and options.
Global Over-The-Counter Market
The OTC market trades on a 24-hour per day continuous basis and accounts for most global platinum trading. Market makers, as well as others in the OTC market, trade with each other and with their clients on a principal-to-principal basis. All risks and issues of credit are between the parties directly involved in the transaction. Market makers include the market making members of the London Platinum and Palladium Market (“LPPM”), the trade association that acts as the coordinator for activities conducted on behalf of its members and other participants in the LPPM. Five market making members of the LPPM are currently participating in the electronic LME PM Fix (as described below) process administered by the London Metal Exchange (“LME”). The OTC market provides a relatively flexible market in terms of quotes, price, size, destinations for delivery and other factors. Bullion dealers customize transactions to meet clients’ requirements. The OTC market has no formal structure and no open outcry meeting place.
The main centers of the OTC market are London, New York, Hong Kong and Zurich. Mining companies, manufacturers of jewelry and industrial products, together with investors and speculators, tend to transact their business through one of these market centers. Centers such as Dubai and several cities in the Far East also transact substantial OTC market business, typically involving jewelry and small plates or ingots (1 kilogram or less) and will hedge their exposure by selling into one of these main OTC centers. Precious metals dealers have offices around the world and most of the world’s major bullion dealers are either members or associate members of the London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) and/or the LPPM. In the OTC market, the standard size of platinum trades between market makers is 1,000 ounces.
Liquidity in the OTC market can vary from time to time during the course of the 24-hour trading day. Fluctuations in liquidity are reflected in adjustments to dealing spreads-the differential between a dealer’s “buy” and “sell” prices. The period of greatest liquidity in the platinum market generally occurs at the time of day when trading in the European time zones overlaps with trading in the United States, which is when OTC market trading in London, New York, Zurich and other centers coincides with futures and options trading on the Commodity Exchange, Inc. (“COMEX”), a designated contract market with the CME Group. This period lasts for approximately four hours each New York business day morning.
The Platinum Market
The Zurich and London Platinum Bullion Market
Although the market for physical platinum is distributed globally, most platinum is stored and most OTC market trades are cleared through Zurich. As of September 1, 2009, London also serves as a center for the clearing of OTC trades in platinum. In addition to coordinating market activities, the LPPM acts as the principal point of contact between the market and its regulators. A primary function of the LPPM is its involvement in the promotion of refining standards by maintenance of the “London/Zurich Good Delivery Lists,” which are the lists of LPPM accredited melters and assayers of platinum. The LPPM also coordinates market clearing and vaulting, promotes good trading practices and develops standard documentation.
Platinum is traded generally on a “loco Zurich” basis, meaning the precious metal is physically held in vaults in Zurich or is transferred into accounts established in Zurich. As of September 1, 2009, platinum began trading on a “loco London” basis as well, meaning the precious metal is physically held in vaults in London or is transferred into accounts established in London. The basis for settlement and delivery of a loco Zurich spot trade is payment (generally in U.S. Dollars) two business days after the trade date against delivery. Delivery of the platinum can either be by physical delivery or through the clearing systems to an unallocated account.
The unit of trade in London and Zurich is the troy ounce, whose conversion between grams is: 1,000 grams is equivalent to 32.1507465 troy ounces, and one troy ounce is equivalent to 31.1034768 grams. A good delivery platinum plate or ingot is acceptable for delivery in settlement of a transaction on the OTC market (a “Good Delivery Platinum Plate or Ingot”). A Good Delivery Platinum Plate or Ingot must contain between 32 and 192 troy ounces of platinum with a minimum fineness (or purity) of 999.5 parts per 1,000 (99.95%), be of good appearance, and be easy to handle and stack. The platinum content of a platinum Good Delivery Platinum Plate or Ingot is calculated by multiplying the gross weight by the fineness of the plate or ingot. A Good Delivery Platinum Plate or Ingot must also bear the stamp of one of the melters and assayers who are on the LPPM approved list. Unless otherwise specified, the platinum spot price always refers to the “Good Delivery Standards” set by the LPPM. Business is generally conducted over the phone and through electronic dealing systems.
Since December 1, 2014, the LME has been administering the operation of an electronic platinum bullion price fixing systems (“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. The LME’s electronic price fixing processes, 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”). In addition to utilizing the same London platinum fix standards and methods, the LME also supervises the platinum electronic price fixing processes through its market operations, compliance, internal audit and third-party complaint handling capabilities in order to support the integrity of the LME PM Fix. The LME, in administering LMEbullion, uses a pricing methodology that meets the administrative and regulatory needs of platinum market participants, including the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ (IOSCO) Principles for Financial Benchmarks.
Daily during London trading hours the LME AM Fix and the LME PM Fix each provide reference platinum prices for that day’s trading. Many long-term contracts are priced on the basis of either the LME AM Fix or the LME PM Fix, and market participants will usually refer to one or the other of these prices when looking for a basis for valuations. The LME AM Fix and the LME PM Fix are viewed as a full and fair representation of all market interest at the conclusion of the electronic price fixing process. The Trust values its platinum on the basis of the LME PM Fix.
The LME PM Fix results from LMEbullion. Formal participation in the LME PM Fix is limited to participating LPPM members, each of which is a bullion dealer. Five LPPM members are currently participating in establishing the LME PM Fix (BASF Metals Limited, Goldman Sachs International, HSBC Bank USA NA, Johnson Matthey plc and ICBC Standard Bank plc. Any other market participant wishing to participate in the trading on the LME PM Fix is required to do so through one of the participating LPPM members.
Orders are placed either with one of the participating LPPM members or with another precious metals dealer who will then be in contact with a participating LPPM member during the fixing. The fixing members net-off all orders when communicating their net interest at the fixing. The fix begins with the LMEbullion system suggesting a “trying price,” reflecting the market price prevailing at the opening of the fix. This is relayed by the fixing members to their dealing rooms which have direct communication with all interested parties. Any market participant may enter the fixing process at any time, or adjust or withdraw his order. The platinum price is adjusted up or down until all the buy and sell orders are electronically matched, at which time the price is declared fixed. All fixing orders are transacted on the basis of this fixed price, which is instantly relayed to the market through various media.
The LPPFCL, LBMA and the LME have asserted that the LME’s electronic price fixing processes are similar to the non-electronic processes previously used to establish the applicable London platinum fix where the London platinum fix process adjusted the platinum price up or down until all the buy and sell orders entered by the participating LPPM members are matched, at which time the price was declared fixed. Nevertheless, the LME PM Fix has several advantages over the previous London platinum fix. The LME’s electronic price fixing processes are fully transparent. The LME asserts that its electronic price fixing processes also will be fully auditable by third parties since an audit trail exists from the beginning of each fixing session. The LME also asserts that the market operation, compliance, internal audit and third-party complaint handling capabilities of the LME will support the integrity of the LME PM Fix.
Since December 1, 2014, the Sponsor determined that that the London platinum fix, which has been revised based on the new LME method and is now known as the LME PM Fix, will be an appropriate basis for valuing platinum bullion received upon purchase of the Trust’s Shares, delivered upon redemption of the Trust’s Shares and for determining the value of the Trust’s platinum bullion each trading day. The “Benchmark Price” (as defined in the Trust Agreement) of the Trust’s platinum bullion as of any day will be the LME PM Fix for such day.
As of December 1, 2014, the LPPFCL transferred the ownership of the historic and future intellectual property of the twice daily “fix” for platinum and palladium bullion to a subsidiary company of the LBMA.
Futures Exchanges
The most significant platinum futures exchanges are the COMEX and the Tokyo Commodity Exchange, Inc. (“TOCOM”). The COMEX is the largest exchange in the world for trading precious metals futures and options and launched platinum futures in 1956, followed with options in 1990. The TOCOM has been trading platinum since 1984. Trading on these exchanges is based on fixed delivery dates and transaction sizes for the futures and options contracts traded. Trading costs are negotiable. As a matter of practice, only a small percentage of the futures market turnover ever comes to physical delivery of the platinum represented by the contracts traded. Both exchanges permit trading on margin. Margin trading can add to the speculative risk involved given the potential for margin calls if the price moves against the contract holder. The COMEX trades platinum futures almost continuously (with one short break in the evening) through its CME Globex electronic trading system and clears through its central clearing system. On June 6, 2003, the TOCOM adopted a similar clearance system. In each case, the exchange acts as a counterparty for each member for clearing purposes.
Market Regulation
The global platinum markets are overseen and regulated by both governmental and self-regulatory organizations. In addition, certain trade associations have established rules and protocols for market practices and participants. In the United Kingdom, responsibility for the regulation of the financial market participants, including the major participating members of the LPPM, falls under the authority of the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) as provided by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSM Act”). Under this act, all UK-based banks, together with other investment firms, are subject to a range of requirements, including fitness and properness, capital adequacy, liquidity, and systems and controls.
The FCA is responsible for regulating investment products, including derivatives, and those who deal in investment products. Regulation of spot, commercial forwards, and deposits of platinum not covered by the FSM Act is provided for by The London Code of Conduct for Non-Investment Products, which was established by market participants in conjunction with the Bank of England.
The TOCOM has authority to perform financial and operational surveillance on its members’ trading activities, scrutinize positions held by members and large-scale customers, and monitor the price movements of futures markets by comparing them with cash and other derivative markets’ prices. To act as a Futures Commission Merchant Broker on the TOCOM, a broker must obtain a license from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (“METI”), the regulatory authority that oversees the operations of the TOCOM.
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) regulates trading in commodity contracts, such as futures, options and swaps. In addition, under the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936 (“CEA”), the CFTC has jurisdiction to prosecute manipulation and fraud in any commodity (including precious metals) traded in the interstate commerce as spot as well as deliverable forwards.
Secondary Market Trading
While the Trust’s investment objective is for the Shares to reflect the performance of platinum bullion, less the expenses of the Trust, the Shares may trade in the secondary market on the NYSE Arca at prices that are lower or higher relative to their net asset value (the value of the Trust’s assets less its liabilities (“NAV”)) per Share. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV per Share may be influenced by non-concurrent trading hours between the NYSE Arca, COMEX, and the London and Zurich platinum bullion markets. While the Shares trade on the NYSE Arca until 4:00 PM New York time, liquidity in the global platinum market is reduced after the close of the COMEX at 1:30 PM New York time. As a result, during this time, trading spreads, and the resulting premium or discount, on the Shares may widen.
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 PM New York time, on such day (Evaluation Time), the Trustee evaluates the platinum held by the Trust and determine both the ANAV and 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. See “Operation of the Platinum Market-The Platinum Market” for a description of the LME PM Fix.
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 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 any other assets of the Trust. The resulting figure is the adjusted net asset value (“ANAV”) of the Trust. The ANAV of the Trust is used to compute the Sponsor’s Fee.
All fees accruing for the day on which the valuation takes place computed by reference to the value of the Trust or its assets shall be calculated using the ANAV calculated for such day on which the valuation takes place. The Trustee shall subtract 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 will also determine 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.
Trust Expenses
The Trust’s only ordinary recurring expense is expected to be the Sponsor’s Fee. In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume the following administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust: the Trustee’s monthly fee and out-of-pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee and reimbursement of the Custodian’s expenses under the Custody Agreements, Exchange listing fees, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and up to $100,000 per annum in legal expenses.
The Sponsor’s Fee accrues daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.60% of the adjusted net asset value of the Trust and is payable monthly in arrears. The Sponsor, from time to time, may temporarily waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee at its discretion for a stated period of time. Presently, the Sponsor does not intend to waive any of its fee.
Furthermore, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, agree to rebate all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee attributable to Shares held by certain institutional investors subject to minimum Shareholding and lock up requirements as determined by the Sponsor to foster stability in the Trust’s asset levels. Any such rebate will be subject to negotiation and written agreement between the Sponsor and the investor on a case by case basis. The Sponsor is under no obligation to provide any rebates of the Sponsor’s Fee. Neither the Trust nor the Trustee will be a party to any Sponsor’s Fee rebate arrangements negotiated by the Sponsor.
The Sponsor’s Fee is paid by delivery of platinum to an account maintained by the Custodian for the Sponsor on an unallocated basis, monthly on the first business day of the month in respect of fees payable for the prior month. The delivery is of that number of ounces of platinum which equals the daily accrual of the Sponsor’s Fee for such prior month calculated at the LME PM Fix.
The Trustee will, when directed by the Sponsor, and, in the absence of such direction, may, in its discretion, sell platinum in such quantity and at such times as may be necessary to permit payment in cash of Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. The Trustee is authorized to sell platinum at such times and in the smallest amounts required to permit such payments as they become due, it being the intention to avoid or minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than platinum. Accordingly, the amount of platinum to be sold will vary from time to time depending on the level of the Trust’s expenses and the market price of platinum. The Custodian is authorized to purchase from the Trust, at the request of the Trustee, platinum needed to cover Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor at the price used by the Trustee to determine the value of the platinum held by the Trust on the date of the sale.
The Sponsor’s Fee for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $3,185,762 (December 31, 2016: $2,941,798; December 31, 2015: $3,123,275).
Cash held by the Trustee pending payment of the Trust’s expenses will not bear any interest.
Deposit of Platinum; Issuance of Shares
The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets of 50,000 Shares. Only registered broker-dealers (or other securities market participants not required to register as broker-dealers such as banks or other financial institutions) who (1) are participants in the DTC and (2) have entered into written agreements with the Sponsor and the Trustee (each an “Authorized Participant”) can deposit platinum and receive Baskets of Shares in exchange. 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.
All platinum bullion deposited with the Custodian or for the Custodian by the Zurich Sub-Custodian must be of at least a minimum fineness (or purity) of 999.5 parts per 1,000 (99.95%) and otherwise conform to the rules, regulations practices and customs of the LPPM, including the specifications for Good Delivery Plate or Ingot.
Creation and redemption orders are accepted on “business days” the NYSE Arca is open for regular trading. Settlements of such orders requiring receipt or delivery, or confirmation of receipt or delivery, of platinum in the United Kingdom, Zurich or another jurisdiction occurs on “business days” when (1) banks in the United Kingdom, Zurich or such other jurisdiction and (2) the London or Zurich platinum markets are regularly open for business. If such banks or the London or Zurich platinum markets are not open for regular business for a full day, such a day will only be a “business day” for settlement purposes if the settlement procedures can be completed by the end of such day.
On any business day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Trustee to purchase one or more Baskets. Purchase orders must be placed no later than 3:59:59 p.m. on each business day the NYSE Arca is open for regular trading. A purchase order so received is effective on the date it is received in satisfactory form by the Trustee. By placing a purchase order, an Authorized Participant agrees to deposit platinum with the Trust, as described below. Prior to the delivery of Baskets for a purchase order, the Authorized Participant must also have wired to the Trustee the non-refundable transaction fee due for the purchase order (as explained under “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fee” below).
An Authorized Participant who places a purchase order is responsible for crediting its Authorized Participant Unallocated Account, either loco London or loco Zurich, with the required platinum deposit amount by the second business day in London or Zurich following the purchase order date. Upon receipt of the platinum deposit amount, the Custodian, after receiving appropriate instructions from the Authorized Participant and the Trustee, will transfer on the second business day following the purchase order date the platinum deposit amount from the Authorized Participant Unallocated Account to the unallocated platinum account of the Trust established with the Custodian under the Unallocated Account Agreement between the Trustee and the Custodian (the “Trust Unallocated Account”) and the Trustee will direct the Depository Trust Company (the “DTC”) to credit the number of Baskets ordered to the Authorized Participant’s DTC account. Acting on standing instructions given by the Trustee, the Custodian will transfer the platinum deposit amount from the Trust Unallocated Account to the allocated platinum account of the Trust established with the Custodian under the Allocated Account Agreement between the Trustee and the Custodian (the “Trust Allocated Account”), by transferring specific platinum plates or ingots from its inventory or the inventory of the Zurich Sub-Custodian to the Trust Allocated Account. The Trust’s Unallocated Account Agreement and Allocated Account Agreement are referred to collectively as the “Custody Agreements.”
Withdrawal of Platinum; Redemption of Shares
The procedures by which an Authorized Participant can redeem one or more Baskets mirror the procedures for the creation of Baskets. On any business day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Trustee to redeem one or more Baskets. Redemption orders must be placed no later than 3:59:59 p.m. on each business day the NYSE Arca is open for regular trading. A redemption order so received is effective on the date it is received in satisfactory form by the Trustee. The redemption procedures allow Authorized Participants to redeem Baskets and do not entitle an individual owner of beneficial interests in the Shares (a “Shareholder”) to redeem any Shares in an amount less than a Basket, or to redeem Baskets other than through an Authorized Participant.
By placing a redemption order, an Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the Baskets to be redeemed through DTC’s book-entry system to the Trust not later than the second business day following the effective date of the redemption order. Prior to the delivery of the redemption distribution for a redemption order, the Authorized Participant must also have wired to the Trustee the non-refundable transaction fee due for the redemption order (as explained under “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fee” below).
The redemption distribution from the Trust consists of a credit to the redeeming Authorized Participant’s Authorized Participant Unallocated Account, either loco London or loco Zurich, representing the amount of the platinum held by the Trust evidenced by the Shares being redeemed. Fractions of a fine ounce of platinum included in the redemption distribution smaller than 0.001 of a fine ounce are disregarded. Redemption distributions are subject to the deduction of any applicable tax or other governmental charges which may be due. If a loco swap or physical transfer is necessary to effect a loco London or loco Zurich redemption, the settlement of loco London or loco Zurich redemption deliveries may be delayed more than two, but not more than five, business days.
Creation and Redemption Transaction Fee
To compensate the Trustee for services in processing the creation and redemption of Baskets, an Authorized Participant is required to pay a transaction fee to the Trustee of $500 per order to create or redeem Baskets. An order may include multiple Baskets. The transaction fee may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Trustee with the consent of the Sponsor. The Trustee shall notify DTC of any agreement to change the transaction fee and will not implement any increase in the fee for the redemption of Baskets until 30 days after the date of the notice.
Change in Settlement Cycle
Pursuant to an SEC rule amendment adopted in March 2017, the standard settlement cycle for most securities transactions by broker-dealers was shortened from three business days after the trade date (“T+3 Settlement”) to two business days following the trade date (“T+2 Settlement”), effective as of September 5, 2017. Consistent with the rule amendment, beginning on September 5, 2017, the creation and redemption processes for the Trust changed from T+3 Settlement to T+2 Settlement. Creation and redemption orders placed before September 5, 2017 were not subject to this change.
The Sponsor
The Sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company. The Sponsor’s office is located at c/o ETF Securities Limited, Ordnance House, 31 Pier Road, St. Helier, Jersey, JE4 8PW, Channel Islands. Under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and the governing documents of the Sponsor, the sole member of the Sponsor, ETF Securities Limited, is not responsible for the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Sponsor solely by reason of being the sole member of the Sponsor.
The Sponsor’s Role
The Sponsor arranged for the creation of the Trust, the registration of the Shares for their public offering in the United States and the listing of the Shares on the NYSE Arca. The Sponsor has agreed to assume the following administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust: the Trustee’s monthly fee and out-of-pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee and the reimbursement of the Custodian’s expenses under the Custody Agreements, Exchange listing fees, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and up to $100,000 per annum in legal expenses. The Sponsor also paid the costs of the Trust’s organization and the initial sale of the Shares, including the applicable SEC registration fees.
The Sponsor does not exercise day-to-day oversight over the Trustee or the Custodian. The Sponsor may remove the Trustee and appoint a successor Trustee (i) if the Trustee ceases to meet certain objective requirements (including the requirement that it have capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least $150 million), (ii) if, having received written notice of a material breach of its obligations under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee has not cured the breach within 30 days, or (iii) if the Trustee refuses to consent to the implementation of an amendment to the Trust’s initial Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Sponsor also has the right to replace the Trustee during the 90 days following any merger, consolidation or conversion in which the Trustee is not the surviving entity or, in its discretion, on the fifth anniversary of the creation of the Trust or on any subsequent third anniversary thereafter. The Sponsor also has the right to approve any new or additional custodian that the Trustee may wish to appoint and any new or additional Zurich Sub-Custodian that the Custodian may wish to appoint.
The Sponsor or one of its affiliates or agents (1) develops a marketing plan for the Trust on an ongoing basis, (2) prepares marketing materials regarding the Shares, including the content of the Trust’s website and (3) executes the marketing plan for the Trust.
The Trustee
The Bank of New York Mellon, a banking corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York with trust powers (“BNYM”), serves as the Trustee. BNYM has a trust office at 2 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, New York 11217. BNYM is subject to supervision by the New York State Financial Services Department and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Information regarding creation and redemption Basket composition, NAV of the Trust, transaction fees and the names of the parties that have each executed an Authorized Participant Agreement may be obtained from BNYM. A copy of the Trust Agreement is available for inspection at BNYM’s trust office identified above. Under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee is required to have capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least $150 million.
The Trustee’s Role
The Trustee is generally responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust, including keeping the Trust’s operational records. The Trustee’s principal responsibilities include (1) transferring the Trust’s platinum as needed to pay the Sponsor’s Fee in platinum (platinum transfers are expected to occur approximately monthly in the ordinary course), (2) valuing the Trust’s platinum and calculating the NAV of the Trust and the NAV per Share, (3) receiving and processing orders from Authorized Participants to create and redeem Baskets and coordinating the processing of such orders with the Custodian and DTC, (4) selling the Trust’s platinum as needed to pay any extraordinary Trust expenses that are not assumed by the Sponsor, (5) when appropriate, making distributions of cash or other property to Shareholders, and (6) receiving and reviewing reports from or on the Custodian’s custody of and transactions in the Trust’s platinum. The Trustee shall, with respect to directing the Custodian, act in accordance with the instructions of the Sponsor. If the Custodian resigns, the Trustee shall appoint an additional or replacement Custodian selected by the Sponsor. The Trustee intends to regularly communicate with the Sponsor to monitor the overall performance of the Trust. The Trustee does not monitor the performance of the Custodian, the Zurich Sub-Custodian or any other sub-custodian other than to review the reports provided by the Custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreements. The Trustee, along with the Sponsor, will liaise with the Trust’s legal, accounting and other professional service providers as needed. The Trustee will assist and support the Sponsor with the preparation of all periodic reports required to be filed with the SEC on behalf of the Trust.
The Trustee’s monthly fees and out-of-pocket expenses are paid by the Sponsor.
Affiliates of the Trustee may from time to time act as Authorized Participants or purchase or sell platinum or Shares for their own account, as agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion.
The Custodian
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“JPMorgan”) serves as the Custodian of the Trust’s platinum. JPMorgan is a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States of America. JPMorgan is subject to supervision by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. JPMorgan’s London office is regulated by the FCA and is located at 25 Bank Street, London, E14 5JP, United Kingdom. JPMorgan is a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. While the United Kingdom operations of the Custodian are regulated by the FCA, the custodial services provided by the Custodian and any sub-custodian, including the Zurich Sub-Custodian under the Custody Agreements, are presently not a regulated activity subject to the supervision and rules of the FCA.
The Custodian’s Role
The Custodian is responsible for safekeeping of the Trust platinum deposited with it by Authorized Participants in connection with the creation of Baskets. The Custodian is also responsible for selecting the Zurich Sub-Custodian and its other sub-custodians, if any. The Custodian facilitates the transfer of platinum in and out of the Trust through the unallocated platinum accounts it will maintain for each Authorized Participant and the unallocated and allocated platinum accounts it will maintain for the Trust. The Custodian holds at its London, England vault premises that portion of the Trust’s allocated platinum to be held in London. The Zurich Sub-Custodian holds at its Zurich, Switzerland vault premises that portion of the Trust’s allocated platinum to be held in Zurich on behalf of the Custodian. The Custodian is responsible for allocating specific plates or ingots of physical platinum to the Trust’s allocated platinum account. The Custodian provides the Trustee with regular reports detailing the platinum transfers in and out of the Trust’s unallocated and allocated platinum accounts and identifying the platinum plates or ingots held in the Trust’s allocated platinum account.
The Custodian’s fees and expenses under the Custody Agreements are paid by the Sponsor.
The Custodian and its affiliates may from time to time act as Authorized Participants or purchase or sell platinum or Shares for their own account, as agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion.
Inspection of Platinum
Under the Custody Agreements, the Trustee, the Sponsor and the Sponsor’s auditors and inspectors may, only up to twice a year, visit the premises of the Custodian or the Zurich Sub-Custodian for the purpose of examining the Trust’s platinum and certain related records maintained by the Custodian. Any such inspection rights with respect to the Zurich Sub-Custodian are expected to be granted in accordance with the normal course of dealing between the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian. Visits by auditors and inspectors to the Zurich Sub-Custodian’s facilities will be arranged through the Custodian. Other than with respect to the Zurich Sub-Custodian, the Trustee and the Sponsor have no right to visit the premises of any sub-custodian for the purposes of examining the Trust’s platinum or any records maintained by the sub-custodian, and no sub-custodian is obligated to cooperate in any review the Trustee or the Sponsor may wish to conduct of the facilities, procedures, records or creditworthiness of such sub-custodian.
The Sponsor has exercised its right to visit the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian in order to examine the platinum and the records maintained by them. The most recent inspections were conducted by Inspectorate International Limited, a leading commodity inspection and testing company retained by the Sponsor, as of December 31, 2017.
Description of the Shares
General
The Trustee is authorized under the Trust Agreement to create and issue an unlimited number of Shares. The Trustee creates Shares only in Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 50,000 Shares) and only upon the order of an Authorized Participant. The Shares represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust and have no par value. Any creation and issuance of Shares above the amount registered on the Trust’s then-current and effective registration statement with the SEC will require the registration of such additional Shares.
Description of Limited Rights
The Shares do not represent a traditional investment and Shareholders should not view them as similar to “Shares” of a corporation operating a business enterprise with management and a board of directors. Shareholders do not have the statutory rights normally associated with the ownership of Shares of a corporation, including, for example, the right to bring “oppression” or “derivative” actions. All Shares are of the same class with equal rights and privileges. Each Share is transferable, is fully paid and non-assessable and entitles the holder to vote on the limited matters upon which Shareholders may vote under the Trust Agreement. The Shares do not entitle their holders to any conversion or pre-emptive rights, or, except as provided below, any redemption rights or rights to distributions.
Distributions
If the Trust is terminated and liquidated, the Trustee will distribute to the Shareholders any amounts remaining after the satisfaction of all outstanding liabilities of the Trust and the establishment of such reserves for applicable taxes, other governmental charges and contingent or future liabilities as the Trustee shall determine. Shareholders of record on the record date fixed by the Trustee for a distribution will be entitled to receive their pro rata portion of any distribution.
Voting and Approvals
Under the Trust Agreement, Shareholders have no voting rights, except in limited circumstances. The Trustee may terminate the Trust upon the agreement of Shareholders owning at least 75% of the outstanding Shares. In addition, certain amendments to the Trust Agreement require advance notice to the Shareholders before the effectiveness of such amendments, but no Shareholder vote or approval is required for any amendment to the Trust Agreement.
Redemption of the Shares
The Shares may only be redeemed by or through an Authorized Participant and only in Baskets.
Book-Entry Form
Individual certificates will not be issued for the Shares. Instead, one or more global certificates is deposited by the Trustee with DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the Shares outstanding at any time. Under the Trust Agreement, Shareholders are limited to (1) participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies (DTC Participants), (2) those who maintain, either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant (Indirect Participants), and (3) those banks, brokers, dealers, trust companies and others who hold interests in the Shares through DTC Participants or Indirect Participants. The Shares are only transferable through the book-entry system of DTC. Shareholders who are not DTC Participants may transfer their Shares through DTC by instructing the DTC Participant holding their Shares (or by instructing the Indirect Participant or other entity through which their Shares are held) to transfer the Shares. Transfers will be made in accordance with standard securities industry practice.
Custody of the Trust’s Platinum
Custody of the physical platinum deposited with and held by the Trust is provided by the Custodian at its London, England vaults and by the Zurich Sub-Custodian selected by the Custodian in its Zurich, Switzerland vaults and by other sub-custodians on a temporary basis. The Custodian is a market maker, clearer and approved weigher under the rules of the LPPM.
The Custodian is the custodian of the physical platinum credited to Trust Allocated Account in accordance with the Custody Agreements. The Custodian segregates the physical platinum credited to the Trust Allocated Account from any other precious metal it holds or holds for others by entering appropriate entries in its books and records, and requires the Zurich Sub-Custodian to also segregate the physical platinum of the Trust from the other platinum held by it for other customers of the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian’s other customers. The Custodian requires the Zurich Sub-Custodian to identify in its books and records the Trust as having the rights to the physical platinum credited to its Trust Allocated Account. Under the Custody Agreements, the Trustee, the Sponsor and the Sponsor’s auditors and inspectors may inspect the vaults of the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian. See “Inspection of Platinum”.
The Custodian, as instructed by the Trustee on behalf of the Trust, is authorized to accept, on behalf of the Trust, deposits of platinum in unallocated form. Acting on standing instructions specified in the Custody Agreements, the Custodian will or will require the Zurich Sub-Custodian to allocate platinum deposited in unallocated form with the Trust by selecting plates or ingots of platinum for deposit to the Trust Allocated Account. All physical platinum allocated to the Trust must conform to the rules, regulations, practices and customs of the LPPM.
The process of withdrawing platinum from the Trust for a redemption of a Basket will follow the same general procedure as for depositing platinum with the Trust for a creation of a Basket, only in reverse. Each transfer of platinum between the Trust Allocated Account and the Trust Unallocated Account connected with a creation or redemption of a Basket may result in a small amount of platinum being held in the Trust Unallocated Account after the completion of the transfer. In making deposits and withdrawals between the Trust Allocated Account and the Trust Unallocated Account, the Custodian will use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize the amount of platinum held in the Trust Unallocated Account as of the close of each business day. See “Creation and Redemption of Shares.”
United States Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following discussion of the material US federal income tax consequences that generally applies to the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares by a US Shareholder (as defined below), and certain US federal income tax consequences that may apply to an investment in Shares by a Non-US Shareholder (as defined below). The discussion is based on the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended (the “Code”). The discussion below is based on the Code. United States Treasury Regulations (“Treasury Regulations”) promulgated under the Code and judicial and administrative interpretations of the Code, all as in effect on the date of this annual report and all of which are subject to change either prospectively or retroactively. The tax treatment of Shareholders may vary depending upon their own particular circumstances. Certain Shareholders (including broker-dealers, traders, banks and other financial institutions, insurance companies, real estate investment trusts, tax-exempt entities, Shareholders whose functional currency is not the U.S. Dollar or other investors with special circumstances) may be subject to special rules not discussed below. In addition, the following discussion applies only to investors who hold Shares as “capital assets” within the meaning of Code section 1221 and not as part of a straddle, hedging transaction or a conversion or constructive sale transaction. Moreover, the discussion below does not address the effect of any state, local or foreign tax law or any transfer tax on an owner of Shares. Purchasers of Shares are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to all federal, state, local and foreign tax law or any transfer tax considerations potentially applicable to their investment in Shares, including substantial changes to the Code made in the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (P.L. 115-97).
For purposes of this discussion, a “US Shareholder” is a Shareholder that is:
•An individual who is treated as a citizen or resident of the United States for US federal income tax purposes;
•A corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for US federal tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof;
•An estate, the income of which is includible in gross income for US federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or
•A trust, if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more US persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust.
A Shareholder that is not a US Shareholder as defined above (other than a partnership, or an entity treated as a partnership for US federal tax purposes) generally is considered a “Non-US Shareholder” for purposes of this discussion. For US federal income tax purposes, the treatment of any beneficial owner of an interest in a partnership, including any entity treated as a partnership for US federal income tax purposes, generally depends upon the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership. Partnerships and partners in partnerships should consult their tax advisors about the US federal income tax consequences of purchasing, owning and disposing of Shares.
Taxation of the Trust
The Trust is classified as a “grantor trust” for US federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Trust itself is not subject to US federal income tax. Instead, the Trust’s income and expenses “flow through” to the Shareholders, and the Trustee reports the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) on that basis.
Taxation of US Shareholders
Shareholders generally are treated, for US federal income tax purposes, as if they directly owned a pro rata share of the underlying assets held by the Trust. Shareholders are also treated as if they directly received their respective pro rata share of the Trust’s income, if any, and as if they directly incurred their respective pro rata share of the Trust’s expenses. In the case of a Shareholder that purchases Shares for cash, its initial tax basis in its pro rata share of the assets held by the Trust at the time it acquires its Shares is equal to its cost of acquiring the Shares. In the case of a Shareholder that acquires its Shares as part of a creation of a Basket, the delivery of platinum to the Trust in exchange for the Shares is not a taxable event to the Shareholder, and the Shareholder’s tax basis and holding period for the Shares are the same as its tax basis and holding period for the platinum delivered in exchange therefore (except to the extent of any cash contributed for such Shares). For purposes of this discussion, it is assumed that all of a Shareholder’s Shares are acquired on the same date and at the same price per Share. Shareholders that hold multiple lots of Shares, or that are contemplating acquiring multiple lots of Shares, should consult their tax advisors.
When the Trust sells or transfers platinum, for example to pay expenses, a Shareholder generally will recognize a gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (1) the Shareholder’s pro rata share of the amount realized by the Trust upon the sale or transfer and (2) the Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the platinum that was sold or transferred. Such gain or loss will generally be long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending upon whether the Shareholder has a holding period in its Shares of longer than one year. A Shareholder’s tax basis for its share of any platinum sold by the Trust generally will be determined by multiplying the Shareholder’s total basis for its Share immediately prior to the sale, by a fraction the numerator of which is the amount of platinum sold, and the denominator of which is the total amount of the platinum held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale. After any such sale, a Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the platinum remaining in the Trust will be equal to its tax basis for its Shares immediately prior to the sale, less the portion of such basis allocable to its share of the platinum that was sold.
Upon a Shareholder’s sale of some or all of its Shares, the Shareholder will be treated as having sold a pro rata share of the platinum held in the Trust at the time of the sale. Accordingly, the Shareholder generally will recognize a gain or loss on the sale in an amount equal to the difference between (1) the amount realized pursuant to the sale of the Shares, and (2) the Shareholder’s tax basis for the Shares sold, as determined in the manner described in the preceding paragraph.
A redemption of some or all of a Shareholder’s Shares in exchange for the underlying platinum represented by the Shares redeemed generally will not be a taxable event to the Shareholder. The Shareholder’s tax basis for the platinum received in the redemption generally will be the same as the Shareholder’s tax basis for the Shares redeemed. The Shareholder’s holding period with respect to the platinum received should include the period during which the Shareholder held the Shares redeemed. A subsequent sale of the platinum received by the Shareholder will be a taxable event.
An Authorized Participant and other investors may be able to re-invest, on a tax-deferred basis, in-kind redemption proceeds received from exchange-traded products that are substantially similar to the Trust in the Trust’s Shares. Authorized Participants and other investors should consult their tax advisors as to whether and under what circumstances the reinvestment in the Shares of proceeds from substantially similar exchange-traded products can be accomplished on a tax-deferred basis.
Under current law, gains recognized by individuals, estates or trusts from the sale of “collectibles,” including physical platinum, held for more than one year are taxed at a maximum federal income tax rate of 28%, rather than the 20% rate applicable to most other long-term capital gains. For these purposes, gains recognized by an individual upon the sale of Shares held for more than one year, or attributable to the Trust’s sale of any physical platinum which the Shareholder is treated (through its ownership of Shares) as having held for more than one year, generally will be taxed at a maximum rate of 28%. The tax rates for capital gains recognized upon the sale of assets held by an individual US Shareholder for one year or less or by a corporate taxpayer are generally the same as those at which ordinary income is taxed.
In addition, high-income individuals and certain trusts and estates, are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax that is imposed on net investment income and gain. Shareholders should consult their tax advisor regarding this tax.
Brokerage Fees and Trust Expenses
Any brokerage or other transaction fees incurred by a Shareholder in purchasing Shares is treated as part of the Shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares. Similarly, any brokerage fee incurred by a Shareholder in selling Shares reduces the amount realized by the Shareholder with respect to the sale.
Shareholders will be required to recognize a gain or loss upon a sale of platinum by the Trust (as discussed above), even though some or all of the proceeds of such sale are used by the Trustee to pay Trust expenses. Shareholders may deduct their respective pro rata share of each expense incurred by the Trust to the same extent as if they directly incurred the expense. Shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts, however, may be required to treat some or all of the expenses of the Trust, to the extent that such expenses may be deducted, as miscellaneous itemized deductions. Individuals may deduct certain miscellaneous itemized deductions only to the extent they exceed 2% of adjusted gross income. In addition, such deductions may be subject to further limitations under applicable provisions of the Code, and are not deductible at all for alternative minimum tax purposes. As a result of the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (P.L. 115-97), miscellaneous itemized deductions, including expenses for the production of income, will not be deductible for either regular federal income tax or alternative minimum tax purposes for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026.
Investment by Regulated Investment Companies
Mutual funds and other investment vehicles which are “regulated investment companies” within the meaning of Code section 851 should consult with their tax advisors concerning (1) the likelihood that an investment in Shares, although they are a “security” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, may be considered an investment in the underlying platinum for purposes of Code section 851(b), and (2) the extent to which an investment in Shares might nevertheless be consistent with preservation of their qualification under Code section 851. We note that in recent administrative guidance, the IRS stated that it will no longer issue rulings under Code section 851(b) relating to the determination of whether or not an instrument or position is a “security”, but, instead, intends to defer to guidance from the SEC for such determination.
United States Information Reporting and Backup Withholding Tax for US and Non-US Shareholders
The Trustee or the appropriate broker will file certain information returns with the IRS, and provides certain tax-related information to Shareholders, in accordance with applicable Treasury Regulations. Each Shareholder will be provided with information regarding its allocable portion of the Trust’s annual income (if any) and expenses.
A US Shareholder may be subject to US backup withholding tax in certain circumstances unless it provides its taxpayer identification number and complies with certain certification procedures. Non-US Shareholders may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that they are not a US person in order to avoid the backup withholding tax.
The amount of any backup withholding tax will be allowed as a credit against a Shareholder’s US federal income tax liability and may entitle such a Shareholder to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS.
Income Taxation of Non-US Shareholders
The Trust does not expect to generate taxable income except for gain (if any) upon the sale of platinum. A Non-US Shareholder generally is not subject to US federal income tax with respect to gains recognized upon the sale or other disposition of Shares, or upon the sale of platinum by the Trust, unless (1) the Non-US Shareholder is an individual and is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the sale or other disposition, and the gain is treated as being from United States sources; or (2) the gain is effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-US Shareholder of a trade or business in the United States.
Taxation in Jurisdictions other than the United States
Prospective purchasers of Shares that are based in or acting out of a jurisdiction other than the United States are advised to consult their own tax advisers as to the tax consequences, under the laws of such jurisdiction (or any other jurisdiction not being the United States to which they are subject), of their purchase, holding, sale and redemption of or any other dealing in Shares and, in particular, as to whether any value added tax, other consumption tax or transfer tax is payable in relation to such purchase, holding, sale, redemption or other dealing.
ERISA and Related Considerations
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or Code section 4975 impose certain requirements on certain employee benefit plans and certain other plans and arrangements, including individual retirement accounts and annuities, Keogh plans, and certain commingled investment vehicles or insurance company general or separate accounts in which such plans or arrangements are invested (collectively, “Plans”), and on persons who are fiduciaries with respect to the investment of “plan assets” of a Plan. Government plans and some church plans are not subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of ERISA or the provisions of section 4975 of the Code, but may be subject to substantially similar rules under other federal law, or under state or local law (“Other Law”).
In contemplating an investment of a portion of Plan assets in Shares, the Plan fiduciary responsible for making such investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the Plan and the “Risk Factors” discussed above and whether such investment is consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA or Other Law, including, but not limited to: (1) whether the investment is permitted under the Plan’s governing documents, (2) whether the fiduciary has the authority to make the investment, (3) whether the investment is consistent with the Plan’s funding objectives, (4) the tax effects of the investment on the Plan, and (5) whether the investment is prudent considering the factors discussed in this report. In addition, ERISA and Code section 4975 prohibit a broad range of transactions involving assets of a plan and persons who are “parties in interest” under ERISA or “disqualified persons” under section 4975 of the Code. A violation of these rules may result in the imposition of significant excise taxes and other liabilities. Plans subject to Other Law may be subject to similar restrictions.
It is anticipated that the Shares will constitute “publicly offered securities” as defined in the Department of Labor “Plan Asset Regulations,” §2510.3-101 (b)(2) as modified by section 3(42) of ERISA. Accordingly, pursuant to the Plan Asset Regulations, only Shares purchased by a Plan, and not an interest in the underlying assets held in the Trust, should be treated as assets of the Plan, for purposes of applying the “fiduciary responsibility” rules of ERISA and the “prohibited transaction” rules of ERISA and the Code. Fiduciaries of plans subject to Other Law should consult legal counsel to determine whether there would be a similar result under the Other Law.
Investment by Certain Retirement Plans
Code section 408(m) provides that the acquisition of a “collectible” by an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a participant-directed account maintained under any plan that is tax-qualified under Code section 401(a) (“Tax Qualified Account”) is treated as a taxable distribution from the account to the owner of the IRA, or to the participant for whom the Tax Qualified Account is maintained, of an amount equal to the cost to the account of acquiring the collectible. The term “collectible” is defined to include, with certain exceptions, “any metal or gem”. The IRS has issued several private letter rulings to the effect that a purchase by an IRA, or by a participant-directed account under a Code section 401(a) plan, of publicly-traded Shares in a trust holding precious metals will not be treated as resulting in a taxable distribution to the IRA owner or Tax Qualified Account participant under Code section 408(m). However the private letter rulings provide that, if any of the Shares so purchased are distributed from the IRA or Tax Qualified Account to the IRA owner or Tax Qualified Account participant, or if any precious metal is received by such IRA or Tax Qualified Account upon the redemption of any of the Shares purchased by it, the Shares or precious metal so distributed will be subject to federal income tax in the year of distribution, to the extent provided under the applicable provisions of Code sections 408(d), 408(m) or 402. Accordingly, potential IRA or Tax Qualified Account investors are urged to consult with their own professional advisors concerning the treatment of an investment in Shares under Code section 408(m).
Item 1A.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Shareholders should consider carefully the risks described below before making an investment decision. Shareholders should also refer to the other information included in this report, including the Trust’s financial statements and the related notes.
The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the platinum held by the Trust and fluctuations in the price of platinum could materially adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
The Shares are designed to mirror as closely as possible the performance of the price of platinum bullion, and the value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the platinum held by the Trust, less the Trust’s liabilities (including estimated accrued but unpaid expenses). The price of platinum has fluctuated widely over the past several years. Several factors may affect the price of platinum, including:
•
Global platinum supply, which is influenced by such factors as production and cost levels in major platinum-producing countries such as South Africa. Recycling, autocatalyst demand, industrial demand, jewelry demand and investment demand are also important drivers of platinum supply and demand;
•
Investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation;
•
Currency exchange rates;
•
Interest rates;
•
Investment and trading activities of hedge funds and commodity funds; and
•
Global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations.
In addition, investors should be aware that 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.
The Shares may trade at a price which is at, above or below the NAV per Share and any discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV per Share may widen as a result of non-concurrent trading hours between the NYSE Arca and London, Zurich and COMEX.
The Shares may trade at, above or below the NAV per Share. The NAV per Share fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Trust’s assets. The trading price of the Shares fluctuates in accordance with changes in the NAV per Share as well as market supply and demand. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV per Share may be influenced by non-concurrent trading hours between the NYSE Arca and the major platinum markets. While the Shares trade on the NYSE Arca until 4:00 PM New York time, liquidity in the market for platinum is reduced after the close of the major world platinum markets, including London, Zurich and the COMEX. As a result, during this time, trading spreads, and the resulting premium or discount on the Shares, may widen.
A possible “short squeeze” due to a sudden increase in demand of Shares that largely exceeds supply may lead to price volatility in the Shares.
Investors may purchase Shares to hedge existing platinum exposure or to speculate on the price of platinum. Speculation on the price of platinum may involve long and short exposures. To the extent aggregate short exposure exceeds the number of Shares available for purchase (for example, in the event that large redemption requests by Authorized Participants dramatically affect Share liquidity), investors with short exposure may have to pay a premium to repurchase Shares for delivery to Share lenders. Those repurchases may in turn, dramatically increase the price of the Shares until additional Shares are created through the creation process. This is often referred to as a “short squeeze.” A short squeeze could lead to volatile price movements in Shares that are not directly correlated to the price of platinum.
Purchasing activity in the platinum market associated with Basket creations or selling activity following Basket redemptions may affect the price of platinum and Share trading prices. These price changes may adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Purchasing activity associated with acquiring the platinum required for deposit into the Trust in connection with the creation of Baskets may increase the market price of platinum, which will result in higher prices for the Shares. Increases in the market price of platinum may also occur as a result of the purchasing activity of other market participants. Other market participants may attempt to benefit from an increase in the market price of platinum that may result from increased purchasing activity of platinum connected with the issuance of Baskets. Consequently, the market price of platinum may decline immediately after Baskets are created. If the price of platinum declines, the trading price of the Shares will also decline.
Selling activity associated with sales of platinum withdrawn from the Trust in connection with the redemption of Baskets may decrease the market price of platinum, which will result in lower prices for the Shares. Decreases in the market price of platinum may also occur as a result of the selling activity of other market participants. If the price of platinum declines, the trading price of the Shares will also decline.
The Sponsor is unable to ascertain whether the platinum price movements since the commencement of the Trust’s initial public offering on January 8, 2010 were attributable to the Trust’s Basket creation and redemption process or independent metal market forces or both. Nevertheless, the Trust and the Sponsor cannot provide assurance that future Basket creations or redemptions will have no effect on the platinum metal prices and, consequently, Share trading prices.
Since there is no limit on the amount of platinum that the Trust may acquire, the Trust, as it grows, may have an impact on the supply and demand of platinum that ultimately may affect the price of the Shares in a manner unrelated to other factors affecting the global market for platinum.
The Trust Agreement places no limit on the amount of platinum the Trust may hold. Moreover, the Trust may issue an unlimited number of Shares, subject to registration requirements, and thereby acquire an unlimited amount of platinum. The global market for platinum is characterized by supply and demand constraints that are generally not present in the markets for other precious metals such as gold and silver. Between 2005 and 2015, world platinum mine supply averaged 6.1 million ounces. In 2016, mine supply measured 6.0 million ounces. If the amount of platinum acquired by the Trust is large enough in relation to global platinum supply and demand, further in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have an impact on the supply and demand of platinum unrelated to other factors affecting the global market for platinum. Such an impact could affect the price for platinum that would directly affect the price at which Shares are traded on the Exchange or the price of future Baskets created or redeemed by the Trust. The Trust and the Sponsor cannot provide Shareholders any assurance that increased metal holdings by the Trust in the future will have no such long-term metal price impact thereby affecting Share trading prices.
The Shares and their value could decrease if unanticipated operational or trading problems arise.
There may be unanticipated problems or issues with respect to the mechanics of the Trust’s operations and the trading of the Shares that could have a material adverse effect on an investment in the Shares. In addition, although the Trust is not actively “managed” by traditional methods, to the extent that unanticipated operational or trading problems or issues arise, the Sponsor’s past experience and qualifications may not be suitable for solving these problems or issues.
The LME PM Fix may prove unreliable.
Since December 1, 2014, the Trust has utilized the LME PM Fix as the benchmark price for valuing platinum held, received or delivered by the Trust. Prior to December 1, 2014, the Trust utilized the London afternoon platinum fix as its benchmark for valuation purposes. The London afternoon fix for platinum was the price of an ounce of platinum as set by four fixing members of the LPPM at approximately 2:00 PM, London time, on each working day and was widely accepted among platinum market participants. As of the close of business on November 30, 2014, the LPPFCL transferred the ownership of the historic and future intellectual property of the twice daily “fix” for platinum and palladium to a subsidiary company of the LBMA and the administration of platinum price fixing mechanisms to the LME, which now results in, for the purposes of the Trust, the LME PM Fix. The LME has not operated this fixing process previously and the LME PM Fix may, among other things:
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not behave over time like the London afternoon platinum fix has historically;
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be based on procedures and subject to regulation and oversight significantly different than those applicable to the London afternoon platinum fix;
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result in delays or errors in the determination of a daily benchmark price of platinum; or
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otherwise prove unreliable as a benchmark price.
If the LME PM Fix is unreliable for any reason, the price of platinum and the market price for the Shares may decline or be subject to greater volatility.
Additionally, any concern about the integrity or reliability of the LME PM Fix, even if later shown to be without merit, could disrupt trading in platinum, palladium and products using the LME PM Fix, such as the Shares. This could lead to less liquidity or greater price volatility for platinum, palladium and products using the LME PM Fix, such as the Shares, or otherwise could have an adverse impact on the trading price of the Shares.
Regulatory activity or lawsuits with respect to the historical methods of setting the prices of gold, silver, platinum and palladium, which were used prior to the adoption of the LBMA PM Gold Price in March 2015, the LBMA Silver Price in August 2014 and the LME PM Fix in December 2014, may impact market confidence in the LBMA PM Gold Price, the LBMA Silver Price or the LME PM Fix.
The historical methods of setting the prices of gold, silver, platinum and palladium have been the subject of litigation and regulatory investigations which remain pending. Within the last four years, electronic auction methodologies have replaced the historical non-electronic auction methods of setting the prices of gold, silver, platinum and palladium. However, if there is a perception that the price setting mechanisms for gold, silver, platinum or palladium are susceptible to intentional disruption, or if the LBMA PM Gold Price, the LBMA Silver Price or the LME PM Fix are not received with confidence by the markets, the behavior of investors and traders in gold, silver, platinum or palladium may reflect the lack of confidence and it may have an effect on the prices of these metals as reflected by the LBMA PM Gold Price, the LBMA Silver Price or the LME PM Fix (and, consequently, the value of the Shares or their correlation with the prices of these metals), or could lead to less liquidity or greater price volatility for these metals and products that use these benchmark prices, such as the Shares, or otherwise could have an adverse impact on the trading price of the Shares.
If the process of creation and redemption of Baskets encounters any unanticipated difficulties, the possibility for arbitrage transactions the effect of which would be to keep the price of the Shares closely linked to the price of platinum by allowing the market participants to profit from divergences, may not exist and, as a result, the price of the Shares may fall.
If the processes of creation and redemption of Shares (which depend on timely transfers of platinum to and by the Custodian) encounter any unanticipated difficulties, potential market participants who would otherwise be willing to purchase or redeem Baskets to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price of the Shares and the price of the underlying platinum may not take the risk that, as a result of those difficulties, they may not be able to realize the profit they expect. If this is the case, the liquidity of Shares may decline and the price of the Shares may fluctuate independently of the price of platinum and may fall. Additionally, redemptions could be suspended for any period during which (1) the NYSE Arca is closed (other than customary weekend or holiday closings) or trading on the NYSE Arca is suspended or restricted, or (2) an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of the gold is not reasonably practicable.
The liquidity of the Shares may be affected by the withdrawal from participation of one or more Authorized Participants.
In the event that one or more Authorized Participants having substantial interests in Shares or otherwise responsible for a significant portion of the Shares’ daily trading volume on the Exchange withdraw from participation, the liquidity of the Shares will likely decrease which could adversely affect the market price of the Shares and result in Shareholders incurring a loss on their investment.
Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or the protections afforded by the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”).
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. Consequently, Shareholders do not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in investment companies. The Trust does and will not hold or trade in commodity futures contracts, “commodity instrument” or any other instruments regulated by the CEA, as administered by the CFTC and the NFA. Furthermore, the Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA and the Shares are not “commodity interests”, and neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor in connection with the Trust or the Shares. Consequently, Shareholders do not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in CEA-regulated instruments or commodity pools operated by registered commodity pool operators or advised by commodity trading advisors.
The Trust may be required to terminate and liquidate at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders.
If the Trust is required to terminate and liquidate, such termination and liquidation could occur at a time which is disadvantageous to Shareholders, such as when platinum prices are lower than the platinum prices at the time when Shareholders purchased their Shares. In such a case, when the Trust’s platinum is sold as part of the Trust’s liquidation, the resulting proceeds distributed to Shareholders will be less than if platinum prices were higher at the time of sale.
The lack of an active trading market for the Shares may result in losses on investment at the time of disposition of the Shares.
Although Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, it cannot be assumed that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained. If an investor needs to sell Shares at a time when no active market for Shares exists, such lack of an active market will most likely adversely affect the price the investor receives for the Shares (assuming the investor is able to sell them).
Shareholders do not have the rights enjoyed by investors in certain other vehicles.
As interests in an investment trust, the Shares have none of the statutory rights normally associated with the ownership of shares of a corporation (including, for example, the right to bring “oppression” or “derivative” actions). In addition, the Shares have limited voting and distribution rights (for example, Shareholders do not have the right to elect directors or approve amendments to the Trust Agreement and do not receive dividends).
An investment in the Shares may be adversely affected by competition from other methods of investing in platinum.
The Trust competes with other financial vehicles, including traditional debt and equity securities issued by companies in the platinum industry and other securities backed by or linked to platinum, direct investments in platinum and investment vehicles similar to the Trust. Market and financial conditions, and other conditions beyond the Sponsor’s control, may make it more attractive to invest in other financial vehicles or to invest in platinum directly, which could limit the market for the Shares and reduce the liquidity of the Shares.
The price of platinum may be affected by the sale of ETVs tracking platinum markets.
To the extent existing exchange traded vehicles (“ETVs”) tracking platinum markets represent a significant proportion of demand for physical platinum bullion; large redemptions of the securities of these ETVs could negatively affect physical platinum bullion prices and the price and NAV of the Shares.
Crises may motivate large-scale sales of platinum which could decrease the price of platinum and adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
The possibility of large-scale distress sales of platinum in times of crisis may have a short-term negative impact on the price of platinum and adversely affect an investment in the Shares. For example, the 2008 financial credit crisis resulted in significantly depressed prices of platinum largely due to forced sales and deleveraging from institutional investors such as hedge funds and pension funds. Crises in the future may impair platinum’s price performance which would, in turn, adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Several factors may have the effect of causing a decline in the prices of platinum and a corresponding decline in the price of Shares. Among them:
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A significant increase in platinum hedging activity by platinum producers. Should there be an increase in the level of hedge activity of platinum producing companies, it could cause a decline in world platinum prices, adversely affecting the price of the Shares.
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A significant change in the attitude of speculators, investors and central banks towards platinum. Should the speculative community take a negative view towards platinum or central banking authorities determine to sell national platinum reserves, either event could cause a decline in world platinum prices, negatively impacting the price of the Shares.
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A widening of interest rate differentials between the cost of money and the cost of platinum could negatively affect the price of platinum which, in turn, could negatively affect the price of the Shares.
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A combination of rising money interest rates and a continuation of the current low cost of borrowing platinum could improve the economics of selling platinum forward. This could result in an increase in hedging by platinum mining companies and short selling by speculative interests, which would negatively affect the price of platinum. Under such circumstances, the price of the Shares would be similarly affected.
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Autocatalysts, automobile components that use platinum, accounted for approximately 40% of the net global demand in platinum in 2014. While the automotive sector in China and the US is showing signs of recovery, the European market is currently experiencing declining demand and, in certain cases, solvency concerns. Reduced automotive industry sales in Europe may result in a decline in autocatalyst demand.
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A decline in the global automotive industry may impact the price of platinum and affect the price of the Shares.
A decline in the automobile industry or a shift from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles may have the effect of causing a decline in the prices of platinum and a corresponding decline in the price of Shares.
Autocatalysts, automobile components for emissions control that use platinum, accounted for approximately 40% of the global demand in platinum in 2016. Reduced automotive industry sales or a shift from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles may result in a decline in autocatalyst demand. A contraction in the global automotive industry or more widespread acceptance of electric vehicles may impact the price of platinum and affect the price of the Shares.
The amount of platinum represented by each Share will decrease over the life of the Trust due to the recurring deliveries of platinum necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee in-kind and potential sales of platinum to pay in cash the Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. Without increases in the price of platinum sufficient to compensate for that decrease, the price of the Shares will also decline proportionately over the life of the Trust.
The amount of platinum represented by each Share decreases each day by the Sponsor’s Fee. In addition, although the Sponsor has agreed to assume all organizational and certain administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust, in exceptional cases certain Trust expenses may need to be paid by the Trust. Because the Trust does not have any income, it must either make payments in-kind by deliveries of platinum (as is the case with the Sponsor’s Fee) or it must sell platinum to obtain cash (as in the case of any exceptional expenses). The result of these sales of platinum and recurring deliveries of platinum to pay the Sponsor’s Fee in-kind is a decrease in the amount of platinum represented by each Share. New deposits of platinum, received in exchange for new Shares issued by the Trust, will not reverse this trend.
A decrease in the amount of platinum represented by each Share results in a decrease in each Share’s price even if the price of platinum does not change. To retain the Share’s original price, the price of platinum must increase. Without that increase, the lesser amount of platinum represented by the Share will have a correspondingly lower price. If this increase does not occur, or is not sufficient to counter the lesser amount of platinum represented by each Share, Shareholders will sustain losses on their investment in Shares.
An increase in Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, or the existence of unexpected liabilities affecting the Trust, will require the Trustee to sell larger amounts of platinum, and will result in a more rapid decrease of the amount of platinum represented by each Share and corresponding decrease in its value.
The Trust’s platinum may be subject to loss, damage, theft or restriction on access.
There is a risk that part or all of the Trust’s platinum could be lost, damaged or stolen. Access to the Trust’s platinum could also be restricted by natural events (such as an earthquake) or human actions (such as a terrorist attack). Any of these events may adversely affect the operations of the Trust and, consequently, an investment in the Shares.
The Trust’s lack of insurance protection and the Shareholders’ limited rights of legal recourse against the Trust, the Trustee, the Sponsor, the Custodian, any Zurich Sub-Custodian and any other sub-custodian exposes the Trust and its Shareholders to the risk of loss of the Trust’s platinum for which no person is liable.
The Trust does not insure its platinum. The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate in connection with its custodial obligations and is responsible for all costs, fees and expenses arising from the insurance policy or policies. The Trust is not a beneficiary of any such insurance and does not have the ability to dictate the existence, nature or amount of coverage. Therefore, Shareholders cannot be assured that the Custodian maintains adequate insurance or any insurance with respect to the platinum held by the Custodian on behalf of the Trust. In addition, the Custodian and the Trustee do not require the Zurich Sub-Custodian or any other direct or indirect sub-custodians to be insured or bonded with respect to their custodial activities or in respect of the platinum held by them on behalf of the Trust. Further, Shareholders’ recourse against the Trust, the Trustee and the Sponsor, under New York law, the Custodian, the Zurich Sub-Custodian and any other sub-custodian under English law and any sub-custodians under the law governing their custody operations is limited. Consequently, a loss may be suffered with respect to the Trust’s platinum which is not covered by insurance and for which no person is liable in damages.
The Custodian’s limited liability under the Custody Agreements and English law may impair the ability of the Trust to recover losses concerning its platinum and any recovery may be limited, even in the event of fraud, to the market value of the platinum at the time the fraud is discovered.
The liability of the Custodian is limited under the Custody Agreements. Under the Custody Agreements between the Trustee and the Custodian which establish the Trust Unallocated Account and the Trust Allocated Account, the Custodian is only liable for losses that are the direct result of its own negligence, fraud or willful default in the performance of its duties. Any such liability is further limited to the market value of the platinum lost or damaged at the time such negligence, fraud or willful default is discovered by the Custodian provided the Custodian notifies the Trust and the Trustee promptly after the discovery of the loss or damage. Under each Authorized Participant Unallocated Bullion Account Agreement (between the Custodian or other platinum bullion clearing bank and an Authorized Participant establishing an Authorized Participant Unallocated Account), the Custodian is not contractually or otherwise liable for any losses suffered by any Authorized Participant or Shareholder that are not the direct result of its own gross negligence, fraud or willful default in the performance of its duties under such agreement, and in no event will its liability exceed the market value of the balance in the Authorized Participant Unallocated Account at the time such gross negligence, fraud or willful default is discovered by the Custodian. For any Authorized Participant Unallocated Bullion Account Agreement between an Authorized Participant and another platinum clearing bank, the liability of the platinum clearing bank to the Authorized Participant may be greater or lesser than the Custodian’s liability to the Authorized Participant described in the preceding sentence, depending on the terms of the agreement. In addition, the Custodian will not be liable for any delay in performance or any non-performance of any of its obligations under the Allocated Account Agreement, the Unallocated Account Agreement or the Authorized Participant Unallocated Bullion Account Agreement by reason of any cause beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, war or terrorism. As a result, the recourse of the Trustee or investor Shareholder, under English law, is limited. Furthermore, under English common law, the Custodian, the Zurich Sub-Custodian or any sub-custodian will not be liable for any delay in the performance or any non-performance of its custodial obligations by reason of any cause beyond its reasonable control.
The obligations of the Custodian, the Zurich Sub-Custodian and any other sub-custodians are governed by English law, which may frustrate the Trust in attempting to receive legal redress against the Custodian, the Zurich Sub-Custodian or any other sub-custodian concerning its platinum.
The obligations of the Custodian under the Custody Agreements are, and the Authorized Participant Unallocated Bullion Account Agreements may be, governed by English law. The Custodian has entered into arrangements with the Zurich Sub-Custodian and may enter into arrangements with any other sub-custodians for all or a significant portion of the Trust’s platinum, which arrangements may also be governed by English law. The Trust is a New York common law trust. Any United States, New York or other court situated in the United States may have difficulty interpreting English law (which, insofar as it relates to custody arrangements, is largely derived from court rulings rather than statute), LPPM rules or the customs and practices in the London custody market. It may be difficult or impossible for the Trust to sue the Zurich Sub-Custodian or any other sub-custodian in a United States, New York or other court situated in the United States. In addition, it may be difficult, time consuming and/or expensive for the Trust to enforce in a foreign court a judgment rendered by a United States, New York or other court situated in the United States.
Although the relationship between the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian concerning the Trust’s allocated platinum is expressly governed by English law, a court hearing any legal dispute concerning that arrangement may disregard that choice of law and apply Swiss law, in which case the ability of the Trust to seek legal redress against the Zurich Sub-Custodian may be frustrated.
The obligations of the Zurich Sub-Custodian under its arrangement with the Custodian with respect to the Trust’s allocated platinum is expressly governed by English law. Nevertheless, a court in the United States, England or Switzerland may determine that English law should not apply and, instead, apply Swiss law to that arrangement.
Not only might it be difficult or impossible for a United States or English court to apply Swiss law to the Zurich Sub-Custodian’s arrangement, but application of Swiss law may, among other things, alter the relative rights and obligations of the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian to an extent that a loss to the Trust’s platinum may not have adequate or any legal redress. Further, the ability of the Trust to seek legal redress against the Zurich Sub-Custodian may be frustrated by application of Swiss law.
The Trust may not have adequate sources of recovery if its platinum is lost, damaged, stolen or destroyed.
If the Trust’s platinum is lost, damaged, stolen or destroyed under circumstances rendering a party liable to the Trust, the responsible party may not have the financial resources sufficient to satisfy the Trust’s claim. For example, as to a particular event of loss, the only source of recovery for the Trust might be limited to the Custodian, the Zurich Sub-Custodian or any other sub-custodian or, to the extent identifiable, other responsible third parties (e.g., a thief or terrorist), any of which may not have the financial resources (including liability insurance coverage) to satisfy a valid claim of the Trust.
Shareholders and Authorized Participants lack the right under the Custody Agreements to assert claims directly against the Custodian, the Zurich Sub-Custodian and any other sub-custodian.
Neither the Shareholders nor any Authorized Participant have a right under the Custody Agreements to assert a claim of the Trustee against the Custodian, the Zurich Sub-Custodian or any other sub-custodian. Claims under the Custody Agreements may only be asserted by the Trustee on behalf of the Trust.
The Custodian is reliant on the Zurich Sub-Custodian for the safekeeping of all or a substantial portion of the Trust’s platinum. Furthermore, the Custodian has limited obligations to oversee or monitor the Zurich Sub-Custodian. As a result, failure by any Zurich Sub-Custodian to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the Trust’s platinum could result in a loss to the Trust.
Platinum generally trades on a loco London or loco Zurich basis whereby the physical platinum is held in vaults located in London or Zurich or is transferred into accounts established in London or Zurich. The Custodian does not have a vault in Zurich and is reliant on the Zurich Sub-Custodian for the safekeeping of all or a substantial portion of the Trust’s allocated platinum. Other than obligations to (1) use reasonable care in appointing the Zurich Sub-Custodian, (2) require any Zurich Sub-Custodian to segregate the platinum held by it for the Trust from any other platinum held by it for the Custodian and any other customers of the Custodian by making appropriate entries in its books and records and (3) ensure that the Zurich Sub-Custodian provides confirmation to the Trustee that it has undertaken to segregate the platinum held by it for the Trust, the Custodian is not liable for the acts or omissions of the Zurich Sub-Custodian. Other than as described above, the Custodian does not undertake to monitor the performance by the Zurich Sub-Custodian of its custody functions. The Trustee’s obligation to monitor the performance of the Custodian is limited to receiving and reviewing the reports of the Custodian. The Trustee does not monitor the performance of the Zurich Sub-Custodian or any other sub-custodian. In addition, the ability of the Trustee and the Sponsor to monitor the performance of the Custodian may be limited because under the Custody Agreements, the Trustee and the Sponsor have only limited rights to visit the premises of the Custodian or the Zurich Sub-Custodian for the purpose of examining the Trust’s platinum and certain related records maintained by the Custodian or the Zurich Sub-Custodian.
As a result of the above, any failure by any Zurich Sub-Custodian to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the Trust’s platinum may not be detectable or controllable by the Custodian or the Trustee and could result in a loss to the Trust.
The Custodian relies on its Zurich Sub-Custodian to hold the platinum allocated to the Trust Allocated Account and used to settle redemptions. As a result, settlement of platinum in connection with redemptions loco London may require more than two days.
The Custodian is reliant on its Zurich Sub-Custodian to hold the platinum allocated to the Trust Allocated Account in order to effect redemption of Shares. As a result, in the case for redemption orders electing platinum deliveries to be received loco London, it may take longer than two business days for platinum to be credited to the Authorized Participant Unallocated Account, which may result in a delay of settlement of the redemption order that is settled loco London.
Because neither the Trustee nor the Custodian oversees or monitors the activities of sub-custodians who may hold the Trust’s platinum, failure by the sub-custodians to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the Trust’s platinum could result in a loss to the Trust.
Under the Allocated Account Agreement, the Custodian may appoint from time to time one or more sub-custodians to hold the Trust’s platinum on a temporary basis pending delivery to the Custodian. The sub-custodians which the Custodian currently uses are ICBC Standard Bank plc, The Bank of Nova ScotiaScotiaMocatta, HSBC Bank plc, Union Bank of Switzerland (“UBS”), Brink’s Global Services Inc., Credit Suisse, Malca Amit SA, Zurich and Malca Amit UK Ltd, London. The Custodian has selected the Zurich Sub-Custodian, and the Zurich Sub-Custodian maintains custody of all of the Trust’s allocated platinum to be held in Zurich for the Custodian. The Custodian is required under the Allocated Account Agreement to use reasonable care in appointing the Zurich Sub-Custodian and any other sub-custodians, making the Custodian liable only for negligence or bad faith in the selection of such sub-custodians, and has an obligation to use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain delivery of the Trust’s platinum from any sub-custodians appointed by the Custodian. Otherwise, the Custodian is not liable for the acts or omissions of its sub-custodians. These sub-custodians may in turn appoint further sub-custodians, but the Custodian is not responsible for the appointment of these further sub-custodians. The Custodian does not undertake to monitor the performance by sub-custodians of their custody functions or their selection of further sub-custodians. The Trustee does not monitor the performance of the Custodian other than to review the reports provided by the Custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreements and does not undertake to monitor the performance of any sub-custodian. Furthermore, except for the Zurich Sub-Custodian, the Trustee may have no right to visit the premises of any sub-custodian for the purposes of examining the Trust’s platinum or any records maintained by the sub-custodian, and no sub-custodian will be obligated to cooperate in any review the Trustee may wish to conduct of the facilities, procedures, records or creditworthiness of such sub-custodian. In addition, the ability of the Trustee to monitor the performance of the Custodian may be limited because under the Allocated Account Agreement and the Unallocated Account Agreement the Trustee has only limited rights to visit the premises of the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian for the purpose of examining the Trust’s platinum and certain related records maintained by the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian.
The obligations of any sub-custodian of the Trust’s platinum are not determined by contractual arrangements but by LPPM rules and London platinum market customs and practices, which may prevent the Trust’s recovery of damages for losses on its platinum custodied with sub-custodians.
Except for the Custodian’s arrangement with the Zurich Sub-Custodian, there are expected to be no written contractual arrangements between sub-custodians that hold the Trust’s platinum and the Trustee or the Custodian because traditionally such arrangements are based on the LPPM’s rules and on the customs and practices of the London bullion market. In the event of a legal dispute with respect to or arising from such arrangements, it may be difficult to define such customs and practices. The LPPM’s rules may be subject to change outside the control of the Trust. Under English law, neither the Trustee nor the Custodian would have a supportable breach of contract claim against a sub-custodian for losses relating to the safekeeping of platinum. If the Trust’s platinum is lost or damaged while in the custody of a sub-custodian, the Trust may not be able to recover damages from the Custodian or the sub-custodian. Whether a sub-custodian will be liable for the failure of sub-custodians appointed by it to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the Trust’s platinum will depend on the facts and circumstances of the particular situation. Shareholders cannot be assured that the Trustee will be able to recover damages from sub-custodians whether appointed by the Custodian or by another sub-custodian for any losses relating to the safekeeping of platinum by such sub-custodians.
Platinum bullion allocated to the Trust in connection with the creation of a Basket may not meet the London/Zurich Good Delivery Standards and, if a Basket is issued against such platinum, the Trust may suffer a loss.
Neither the Trustee nor the Custodian independently confirms the fineness of the platinum allocated to the Trust in connection with the creation of a Basket. The platinum bullion allocated to the Trust by the Custodian may be different from the reported fineness or weight required by the LPPM’s standards for platinum plates or ingots delivered in settlement of a platinum trade (London/Zurich Good Delivery Standards), the standards required by the Trust. If the Trustee nevertheless issues a Basket against such platinum, and if the Custodian fails to satisfy its obligation to credit the Trust the amount of any deficiency, the Trust may suffer a loss.
Platinum held in the Trust’s unallocated platinum account and any Authorized Participant’s unallocated platinum account is not segregated from the Custodian’s assets. If the Custodian becomes insolvent, its assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust or any Authorized Participant. In addition, in the event of the Custodian’s insolvency, there may be a delay and costs incurred in identifying the bullion held in the Trust’s allocated platinum account.
Platinum which is part of a deposit for a purchase order or part of a redemption distribution is held for a time in the Trust Unallocated Account and, previously or subsequently in, the Authorized Participant Unallocated Account of the purchasing or redeeming Authorized Participant. During those times, the Trust and the Authorized Participant, as the case may be, have no proprietary rights to any specific plates or ingots of platinum held by the Custodian and are each an unsecured creditor of the Custodian with respect to the amount of platinum held in such unallocated accounts. In addition, if the Custodian fails to allocate the Trust’s platinum in a timely manner, in the proper amounts or otherwise in accordance with the terms of the Unallocated Account Agreement, or if a sub-custodian fails to so segregate platinum held by it on behalf of the Trust, unallocated platinum will not be segregated from the Custodian’s assets, and the Trust will be an unsecured creditor of the Custodian with respect to the amount so held in the event of the insolvency of the Custodian. In the event the Custodian becomes insolvent, the Custodian’s assets might not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust or the Authorized Participant for the amount of platinum held in their respective unallocated platinum accounts.
In the case of the insolvency of the Custodian, a liquidator may seek to freeze access to the platinum held in all of the accounts held by the Custodian, including the Trust Allocated Account. Although the Trust would be able to claim ownership of properly allocated platinum, the Trust could incur expenses in connection with asserting such claims, and the assertion of such a claim by the liquidator could delay creations and redemptions of Baskets.
In issuing Baskets, the Trustee relies on certain information received from the Custodian which is subject to confirmation after the Trustee has relied on the information. If such information turns out to be incorrect, Baskets may be issued in exchange for an amount of platinum which is more or less than the amount of platinum which is required to be deposited with the Trust.
The Custodian’s definitive records are prepared after the close of its business day. However, when issuing Baskets, the Trustee relies on information reporting the amount of platinum credited to the Trust’s accounts which it receives from the Custodian during the business day and which is subject to correction during the preparation of the Custodian’s definitive records after the close of business. If the information relied upon by the Trustee is incorrect, the amount of platinum actually received by the Trust may be more or less than the amount required to be deposited for the issuance of Baskets.
The sale of the Trust’s platinum to pay expenses not assumed by the Sponsor at a time of low platinum prices could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
The Trustee sells platinum held by the Trust to pay Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor on an as-needed basis irrespective of then-current platinum prices. The Trust is not actively managed and no attempt will be made to buy or sell platinum to protect against or to take advantage of fluctuations in the price of platinum. Consequently, the Trust’s platinum may be sold at a time when the platinum price is low, resulting in a negative effect on the value of the Shares.
The value of the Shares will be adversely affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the Sponsor or the Trustee under the Trust Agreement.
Under the Trust Agreement, each of the Sponsor and the Trustee has a right to be indemnified from the Trust for any liability or expense it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct, willful malfeasance or reckless disregard on its part. That means the Sponsor or the Trustee may require the assets of the Trust to be sold in order to cover losses or liability suffered by it. Any sale of that kind would reduce the NAV of the Trust and the value of the Shares.
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Item 1B.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2.
Item 2. Properties
Not applicable.
Item 3.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
None.
Item 4.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5.
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The Trust’s Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca under the symbol PPLT since its initial public offering on January 8, 2010. The following tables set out the range of high and low closing prices for the Shares that have been reported for NYSE Arca transactions for each of the quarters during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016:
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The number of outstanding Shares of the Trust as of February 21, 2018 was 6,050,000.
Monthly Share Price
The following table sets forth, for each of the most recent six months, the high and low closing prices of the Shares, as reported for NYSE Arca transactions.
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Issuer Purchase of Equity Securities
The Trust issues and redeems Shares only with Authorized Participants in exchange for platinum, 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 and is included in Item 7. Although the Trust does not purchase Shares directly from its Shareholders in connection with the redemption of Baskets, the Trust redeemed as follows during the Reporting Period:
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Item 6.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
The following selected financial data for the reporting periods should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s financial statements and related notes and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
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Item 7.
Item 7. 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 with this report. 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,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. We remind readers that forward-looking statements are merely predictions and therefore inherently subject to uncertainties and other factors and involve known and unknown risks that could cause the actual results, performance, levels of activity, or our achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, levels of activity, or our achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Trust undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Introduction.
The ETFS Platinum Trust (the “Trust”) is a 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 Depositary Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) between the Trustee and ETF Securities USA LLC, the sponsor of the Trust (the “Sponsor”). The Trust issues shares (“Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. The assets of the Trust consist of platinum bullion held by a custodian as an agent of the Trust and responsible only to the Trustee.
The Trust is a passive investment vehicle and the objective of the Trust is for the value of each Share to approximately reflect, at any given time, the price of the platinum bullion owned by the Trust, less the Trust’s liabilities (anticipated to be principally for accrued operating expenses), divided by the number of outstanding Shares. The Trust does not engage in any activities designed to obtain a profit from, or ameliorate losses caused by, changes in the price of platinum.
The Trust issues and redeems Shares only in exchange for platinum, only in aggregations of 50,000 Shares or integral multiples thereof (each, a “Basket”), and only in transactions with registered broker-dealers (or other securities market participants not required to register as broker-dealers such as banks or other financial institutions) who (1) are participants in the DTC and (2) have previously entered into an agreement with the Trust governing the terms and conditions of such issuance (such dealers, the “Authorized Participants”).
As of the date of this annual report the Authorized Participants that have signed an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Trust are Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., EWT, LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co., Goldman Sachs Execution & Clearing, L.P., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp., Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., UBS Securities LLC and Virtu Financial BD, LLC.
Shares of the Trust trade on the NYSE Arca under the symbol “PPLT.”
Investing in the Shares does not insulate the investor from certain risks, including price volatility. The following table illustrates the movement in the NAV of the Shares against the corresponding platinum price (per 1/10 of an oz. of platinum) since inception:
NAV per Share vs. 1/10th Platinum Fix from December 30, 2009 (the Date of Inception) to December 31, 2017
The divergence of the NAV per Share from the platinum price over time reflects the cumulative effect of the Trust expenses that arise if an investment had been held since inception.
Critical Accounting Policy
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 assumption that impact the Trust’s financial position and results of operations. These estimates and assumptions affect the Trust’s application of accounting policies. Below we describe the valuation of platinum bullion, a critical accounting policy that we believe is important to the understanding of our results of operations and financial position. In addition, please refer to Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of our accounting policies.
Valuation of Platinum
Platinum is held by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”) on behalf of the Trust, at its London, England vaulting premises. 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 Zurich vault premises and whose appointment has been approved by the Sponsor, at its Zurich, Switzerland vaulting premises. 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 LME PM Fix. Realized gains and losses on transfers of platinum, or platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares, are calculated on a trade date as the difference between the fair value and cost of platinum transferred.
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Inspection of Platinum
Under the Custody Agreements, the Trustee, the Sponsor and the Sponsor’s auditors and inspectors may, only up to twice a year, visit the premises of the Custodian or the Zurich Sub-Custodian for the purpose of examining the Trust’s platinum and certain related records maintained by the Custodian. Visits by auditors and inspectors to the Zurich Sub-Custodian’s facilities will be arranged through the Custodian. Other than with respect to the Zurich Sub-Custodian, the Trustee has no right to visit the premises of any sub-custodian for the purposes of examining the Trust’s platinum or any records maintained by the sub-custodian, and no sub-custodian is obligated to cooperate in any review the Trustee may wish to conduct of the facilities, procedures, records or creditworthiness of such sub-custodian.
The Sponsor has exercised its right to visit the Custodian and the Zurich Sub-Custodian in order to examine the platinum and the records maintained by them. The most recent inspections were conducted by Inspectorate International Limited, a leading commodity inspection and testing company retained by the Sponsor, as of December 31, 2017.
Liquidity
The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions, 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 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 transfers and sales of platinum.
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 December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Trust did not have any cash balances.
Review of Financial Results
Financial Highlights
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The year ended December 31, 2017
The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Trust is obtained by subtracting the Trust’s expenses and liabilities on any day from the value of the platinum owned 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 Trust’s NAV increased from $473,978,472 at December 31, 2016 to $565,458,736 at December 31, 2017, an 19.30% increase for the year. The increase in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from an increase in outstanding Shares, which rose from 5,450,000 at December 31, 2016 to 6,400,000 at December 31, 2017, a result of 1,650,000 Shares (33 Baskets) being created and 700,000 Shares (14 Baskets) being redeemed during the year and an increase in the price per ounce of platinum, which rose 2.21% from $907.00 at December 31, 2016 to $927.00 at December 31, 2017.
The NAV per Share increased 1.60% from $86.97 at December 31, 2016 to $88.36 at December 31, 2017. The Trust’s NAV per Share rose slightly less than the price per ounce of platinum on a percentage basis due to Sponsor’s Fee, which was $3,185,762 for the year, or 0.60% of the Trust’s assets on an annualized basis.
The NAV per Share of $98.96 at February 27, 2017 was the highest during the year, compared with a low of $83.61 at December 13, 2017.
The increase in net assets from operations for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $7,074,576, resulting from a change in unrealized gain on investment in platinum of $28,647,006 offset by a realized loss of $873,005 on the transfer of platinum to pay expenses, a realized loss of $17,513,663 on platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares, and the Sponsor’s Fees of $3,185,762. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the year ended December 31, 2017.
The year ended December 31, 2016
The Trust’s NAV increased from $399,556,799 at December 31, 2015 to $473,978,472 at December 31, 2016, an 18.63% increase for the year. The increase in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from an increase in outstanding Shares, which rose from 4,750,000 at December 31, 2015 to 5,450,000 at December 31, 2016, a result of 1,500,000 Shares (30 Baskets) being created and 800,000 Shares (16 Baskets) being redeemed during the year and an increase in the price per ounce of platinum, which rose 4.01% from $872.00 at December 31, 2015 to $907.00 at December 31, 2016.
The NAV per Share increased 3.39% from $84.12 at December 31, 2015 to $86.97 at December 31, 2016. The Trust’s NAV per Share rose slightly less than the price per ounce of platinum on a percentage basis due to Sponsor’s Fee, which was $2,941,798 for the year, or 0.60% of the Trust’s assets on an annualized basis.
The NAV per Share of $113.60 at August 10, 2016 was the highest during the year, compared with a low of $78.50 at January 21, 2016.
The increase in net assets from operations for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $7,688,167, resulting from a change in unrealized gain on investment in platinum of $35,076,521 offset by a realized loss of $868,804 on the transfer of platinum to pay expenses, a realized loss of $23,577,752 on platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares, and the Sponsor’s Fees of $2,941,798. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the year ended December 31, 2016.
The year ended December 31, 2015
The Trust’s NAV decreased from $610,619,628 at December 31, 2014 to $399,556,799 at December 31, 2015, a 34.57% decrease for the year. The decrease in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from a decrease in the price per ounce of platinum, which fell 27.93% from $1,210.00 at December 31, 2014 to $872.00 at December 31, 2015 and a decrease in outstanding Shares, which fell from 5,200,000 at December 31, 2014 to 4,750,000 at December 31, 2015, a result of 600,000 Shares (12 Baskets) being created and 1,050,000 Shares (21 Baskets) being redeemed during the year.
The NAV per Share decreased 28.37% from $117.43 at December 31, 2014 to $84.12 at December 31, 2015. The Trust’s NAV per Share fell slightly more than the price per ounce of platinum on a percentage basis due to Sponsor’s Fee, which was $3,123,275 for the year, or 0.60% of the Trust’s assets on an annualized basis.
The NAV per Share of $124.66 at January 21, 2015 was the highest during the year, compared with a low of $79.82 at November 27, 2015.
The decrease in net assets from operations for the year ended December 31, 2015 was $169,291,698, resulting from a realized loss of $790,975 on the transfer of platinum to pay expenses, a realized loss of $31,912,076 on platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares, a change in unrealized loss on investment in platinum of $133,465,371 and the Sponsor’s Fees of $3,123,275. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the year ended December 31, 2015.
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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Trust is not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements
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Item 7A.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The Trust Agreement does not authorize the Trustee to borrow for payment of the Trust’s ordinary expenses. The Trust does not engage in transactions in foreign currencies which could expose the Trust or holders of Shares to any foreign currency related market risk. The Trust invests in no derivative financial instruments and has no foreign operations or long-term debt instruments.
Item 8.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - (Unaudited)
Quarterly Income Statements
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Note: Quarterly balances may not add to totals due to independent rounding.
The financial statements required by Regulation S-X, together with the report of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm appear on pages to of this filing.
Item 9.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Conclusion Regarding the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’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 December 31, 2017, 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 that occurred during the Trust’s recently completed fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2017 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s or Sponsor’s internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Sponsor’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined under Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). The Trust’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
(1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Trust’s assets;
(2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that the Trust’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with appropriate authorizations; and
(3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Trust’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become ineffective because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor assessed the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017. In making this assessment, they used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). Their assessment included an evaluation of the design of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and testing of the operational effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting. Based on their assessment and those criteria, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor concluded that the Trust maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017.
KPMG LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited and reported on the financial statements included in this Form 10-K, as stated in their report which is included herein, issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Sponsor, Trustee and Shareholders
ETFS Platinum Trust:
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited ETFS Platinum Trust’s (the Trust) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Trust maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the statement of assets and liabilities of the Trust, including the schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related statements of operations and changes in net assets, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and financial highlights for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, and our report dated February 26, 2018 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements and financial highlights.
Basis for Opinion
The Trust’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements and financial highlights for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements and financial highlights in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements and financial highlights.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/KPMG LLP
New York, New York
February 26, 2018
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Item 9B.
Item 9B. Other Information
Not applicable.
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PART III
Item 10.
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The Trust has no directors or executive officers. The biographies of the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sponsor and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Sponsor are set out below:
Graham Tuckwell - President and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Tuckwell is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ETF Securities USA LLC. He is also the founder and chairman of the following companies incorporated in Jersey, Channel Islands: ETF Securities Limited, ETFS Management Company (Jersey) Limited and ETFS Holdings (Jersey) Limited. He is the founder and chairman of ten other companies issuing exchange-traded products: Gold Bullion Securities Limited, ETFS Metal Securities Australia Limited (which two companies obtained the world’s first listings of an exchange traded commodity on a stock exchange), ETFS Hedged Commodity Securities Limited, ETFS Commodity Securities Limited, ETFS Metal Securities Limited, ETFS Hedged Metal Securities Limited, ETFS Oil Securities Limited, ETFS Foreign Exchange Limited, ETFS Equity Securities Limited and Swiss Commodity Securities Limited. He is also a director of GO UCITS ETF Solutions plc and of its manager GO ETF Management Limited in Ireland, a trustee of ETFS Trust in the US. Assets under management in those companies are in excess of $20 billion. He is also a director of ETFS Management (AUS) Limited in Australia. Previously, Mr. Tuckwell was the founder and managing director of Investor Resources Limited, a boutique corporate advisory firm which specialized in providing financial, technical and strategic advice to the resources industry. He has more than 20 years of corporate and investment banking experience. Prior to the above activities, Mr. Tuckwell was Head of Mining Asia/Pacific at Salomon Brothers, Group Executive Director at Normandy Mining responsible for Strategy and Acquisitions and Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Credit Suisse First Boston in Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Australian National University. Mr. Tuckwell was awarded with the Degree of Doctor from Australia National University, honoris causa.
Christopher Foulds - Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Mr. Foulds has been the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of ETF Securities USA LLC since September 12, 2012, except for an absence due to illness from November 4, 2014 to February 26, 2015. He is also responsible for Financial Reporting and Compliance at ETF Securities Limited, the parent company of the Sponsor and is the Chief Financial Officer of ETF Securities Advisors LLC. He is also a non-executive director and the Compliance Officer of ETFS Metal Securities Limited, Gold Bullion Securities Limited, ETFS Oil Securities Limited, ETFS Commodity Securities Limited, ETFS Hedged Commodity Securities Limited, ETFS Foreign Exchange Limited, ETFS Hedged Metal Securities Limited, Swiss Commodity Securities Limited and ETFS Equity Securities Limited in Jersey. Mr. Foulds is a Chartered Accountant (FCA), having previously worked for and trained with Deloitte, Jersey. He has over fifteen years of finance experience and previously held a senior management position with Active Services (Jersey) Limited, providing start-up management and support services to the funds sector. He holds a BSc in Mathematics with Financial Management from the University of Portsmouth, England.
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Item 11.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The Trust has no directors or executive officers. The only ordinary expense paid by the Trust is the Sponsor’s Fee.
Item 12.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
The following table sets forth as of December 31, 2017, information with respect to each person known by the Trust to own directly or indirectly beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust:
(1) Based on a review of the Schedule 13G filed on January 29, 2018 by BlackRock, Inc. The Schedule 13G discloses that BlackRock, Inc. had sole voting power and sole dispositive power as to 555,114 Shares.
Security Ownership of Management
Not applicable.
Change in Control
Neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee knows of any arrangements which may subsequently result in a change in control of the Trust.
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Item 13.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The Trust has no directors or executive officers.
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Item 14.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Fees for services performed by KPMG LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:
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Audit Fees are fees paid by the Sponsor to KPMG LLP for professional services for the audit of the Trust’s financial statements included in the Form 10-K and review of financial statements included in the Form 10-Qs, and for services that are normally provided by the accountants in connection with regulatory filings or engagements. Audit Related Fees are paid by the Sponsor to KPMG LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Trust’s financial statements.
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Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
As referenced in Item 10 above the Trust has no board of directors, and as a result, has no pre-approval policies or procedures with respect to fees paid to KPMG LLP. Such determinations are made by the Sponsor.
PART IV
Item 15.
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
1. Financial Statements
See index to financial statements on Page for a list of the financial statements being filed herein.
2. Financial Statement Schedules
Schedules have been omitted since they are either not required, not applicable, or the information has otherwise been included.
3. Exhibits
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Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
Not applicable.
			 		
ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017
INDEX
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﻿Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
						
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﻿Statements of Assets and Liabilities at December 31, 2017 and 2016
						
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﻿Schedules of Investments at December 31, 2017 and 2016
						
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﻿Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
						
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﻿Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
						
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﻿Financial Highlights for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
						
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﻿Notes to the Financial Statements
						
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Sponsor, Trustee and Shareholders
ETFS Platinum Trust:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of ETFS Platinum Trust (the “Trust”), including the schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related statements of operations and changes in net assets for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Trust as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the results of its operations and the changes in its net assets, for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, and financial highlights for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated February 26, 2018 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/KPMG LLP
We have served as the Trust’s auditor since 2015.
New York, New York
February 26, 2018
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Statements of Assets and Liabilities
At December 31, 2017 and 2016
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(1)Authorized share capital is unlimited and no par value per share. Shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 were 6,400,000 and at December 31, 2016 were 5,450,000. Net asset value per Share at December 31, 2017 was $88.36 and at December 31, 2016 was $86.97.
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See Notes to the Financial Statements.
ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Schedules of Investments
At December 31, 2017 and 2016
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See Notes to the Financial Statements.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Statements of Operations
For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
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See Notes to the Financial Statements.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
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See Notes to the Financial Statements.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Financial Highlights
For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
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See Notes to the Financial Statements.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Notes to the Financial Statements
			
		
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1. Organization
The ETFS Platinum Trust (the “Trust”) is an investment trust formed on December 30, 2009, under New York law pursuant to a depositary trust agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by ETF Securities USA LLC (the “Sponsor”) and The Bank of New York Mellon as trustee (the “Trustee”) at the time of the Trust’s organization. The Trust holds platinum bullion and issues shares (the “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 that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETF Securities Limited, a Jersey, Channel Islands based company. 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.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Notes to the Financial Statements
			
		
2. Significant Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America 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.
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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.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Notes to the Financial Statements
2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
2.2. Valuation of Platinum
The Trust follows the provisions of FASB ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 provides guidance for determining fair value and requires 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.
Platinum is held by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”), on behalf of the Trust, at its London, England vaulting premises. 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 Zurich, Switzerland vault premises on a segregated basis and whose appointment has been approved by the Sponsor (the “Zurich Sub-Custodian”). 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”) (the “LME PM Fix”). Realized gains and losses on transfers of platinum, or platinum distributed for the redemption of Shares, are calculated on a trade date basis using as the difference between the fair value and cost of platinum transferred.
Since December 1, 2014, the LME has been responsible for the administration of the electronic platinum bullion price fixing system (“LMEbullion”) that replicates electronically the previous 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).
Prior to December 1, 2014, the Trust utilized the London PM Fix as its benchmark for valuation purposes. The London PM Fix for platinum was the price of an ounce of platinum as set by four fixing members of the London Platinum and Palladium Market (“LPPM”) at approximately 2:00 PM, London time, on each working day and was widely accepted among platinum market participants. The London PM Fix was discontinued on November 30, 2014.
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.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Notes to the Financial Statements
2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
2.2. Valuation of Platinum (continued)
Fair Value Hierarchy
Generally accepted accounting principles establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The three levels of inputs are as follows:
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Level 1.
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the company has the ability to access.
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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.
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Level 3.
Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability to the extent that relevant observable inputs are not available, representing the company’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.
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 investment in platinum is classified as a level 2 asset, as the Trust’s investment in platinum is calculated using third party pricing sources supported by observable, verifiable inputs.
The categorization of the Trust’s assets is as shown below:
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There were no re-allocations or transfers between levels during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.
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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, for all orders accepted prior to the September 5, 2017, ownership of the platinum is transferred within two three business days of the trade date, and for all orders accepted on or after September 5, 2017, ownership of platinum is transferred within two business days of the trade date.
ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Notes to the Financial Statements
2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
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.
Authorized Participants may, on any business day, place an order with the Trustee to create or redeem one or more Baskets. Effective as of September 5, 2017, the typical settlement period for Shares is two business days. Prior to September 5, 2017, the typical settlement period for Shares was three 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 redemption, it is considered a sale of platinum for financial statement purposes.
The amount of bullion 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 bullion to be delivered or distributed by the Trust. In order to ensure that the correct metal 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. For each transaction, this amount is not more than 1/1000th of an ounce.
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 Shares are presented in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Notes to the Financial Statements
2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
2.5. Income Taxes
The Trust is classified as a “grantor trust” for US federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Trust itself will not be subject to US 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 Trust has adopted FASB ASC 740-10, Income Taxes. The Sponsor has evaluated the application of ASC 740-10 to the Trust, to determine whether or not there are uncertain tax positions in its major jurisdictions that require financial statement recognition. Based on this evaluation, the Sponsor has determined the Trust’s major jurisdictions to be where it is organized and where bullion is held. No uncertain tax positions have been identified. As a result, no income tax liability or expense has been recorded in the accompanying financial statements.
2.6. Investment in Platinum
Changes in ounces of platinum and the respective values for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 are set out below:
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Notes to the Financial Statements
2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
2.7. Expenses / Realized Gains / Losses
The Trust will transfer platinum to pay the Sponsor’s Fee that will accrue daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.60% of the adjusted 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 certain legal expenses.
For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Sponsor’s Fee was $3,185,762 (December 31, 2016: $2,941,798; December 31, 2015: $3,123,275).
At December 31, 2017, the fees payable to the Sponsor were $285,960 (December 31, 2016: $241,661).
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 years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.
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 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 / 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 cost of the platinum transferred.
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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 existing in 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.
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ETFS PLATINUM TRUST
Notes to the Financial Statements
			
		
3. Related Parties
The Sponsor and the Trustee are considered to be related parties to the Trust. The Trustee’s and Custodian’s fee are paid by the Sponsor and are not separate expenses of the Trust. The Trustee and the Custodian and their affiliates may from time to time act as Authorized Participants or purchase or sell platinum or Shares for their own account, as agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion.
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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 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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5. Indemnification
Under the Trust’s organizational documents, each of the Trustee (and its directors, employees and agents) and the Sponsor (and its members, managers, directors, officers, employees, and affiliates) is indemnified by the Trust against any liability, cost or expense it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith, willful malfeasance or willful misconduct 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.
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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* indicated thereunto duly authorized.
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* The Registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of ETF Securities USA LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.