(LYRICAL LOGO)           U.S. VALUE ETF (USVT)                     Annual Report November 30, 2023                    

 

 

U.S. VALUE ETF November 30, 2023
LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)

 

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

 

Enclosed is the Annual Report to shareholders of U.S. Value ETF (“USVT” or the “Fund”). We would like to thank you for your investment.

 

U.S Value ETF

 

The Fund is designed for those seeking value exposure through a passive management process. USVT aims to track the investment results (before fees and expenses) of the Lyrical U.S. Value Index (the “Index”). The Index, developed by Lyrical Asset Management LP, seeks to represent the potential benefits of deep value investing by using proprietary investment screens to identify the most inexpensive quintile of 200 stocks from a universe of potential investment candidates of the top 1,000 US stocks by market capitalization, based on one year forward median analyst projected price to earnings ratio.

 

Since its launch on September 13, 2021 through November 30, 2023, USVT has produced a cumulative total return of +11.98%, compared to the Index return of +12.04%, and to the +16.21% cumulative total return for S&P 500® Value Index (the “S&P 500 Value”). For the twelve months ended November 30, 2023, USVT produced a total return of +0.31% compared to the total return for the S&P 500 Value of +11.29%. Over this same period, 51% of USVT’s investments have posted gains and 27% outperformed the S&P 500® Value Index as a whole.

 

As of November 30, 2023, the valuation of our portfolio is 7.9x the next twelve months consensus earnings. The S&P 500® Value Index has a valuation of 17.0x earnings on this same basis, a premium of 115.19% over the Fund.

 

Our passive approach does not limit portfolio exposure to any sector nor attempt to track the S&P 500 Value index in any way. Over the last year the main drivers of underperformance of USVT vs the S&P 500 Value was being overweight to the financial sector and underweight in information technology. In addition, USVT did not hold MSFT, META, or AMZN which were outsized contributors to the S&P 500 Value index return over the last year.

 

Thank you for your continued trust and interest in USVT.

 

Sincerely,

 

Lyrical Asset Management LP

1

 

Past performance is not predictive of future performance. Investment results and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end are available by calling 1-888-884-8099.

 

An investor should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the fund carefully before investing. The fund’s prospectus contains this and other important information. To obtain a copy of the fund’s prospectus please visit the fund’s website at www.usvalueetf.com or call 1-888-884-8099 and a copy will be sent to you free of charge. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest. The fund is distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC.

 

Statements in the Letter to Shareholders that reflect projections or expectations for future financial or economic performance of the Fund and the market in general and statements of the Fund’s plans and objectives for future operations are forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that actual results or events will not differ materially from those projected, estimated, assumed, or anticipated in any such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could result in such differences, in addition to factors noted with such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, general economic conditions, such as inflation, recession, and interest rates. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

2

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION (Unaudited)

 

Comparison of the Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment in
U.S. Value ETF (since inception on 09/13/2021) versus the
S&P 500® Value Index and the Lyrical U.S. Value Index

 

(LINE GRAPH)

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended November 30, 2023)
           
        Since  
    1 Year   Inception (a)  
  U.S. Value ETF (b) 0.31%   5.24%  
  U.S. Value ETF - At Market Value (b) 0.42%   5.24%  
  S&P 500® Value Index (c) 11.29%   7.02%  
  Lyrical U.S. Value Index (d) 0.82%   5.84%  

 

(a) Inception date of the Fund was September 13, 2021. The commencement of operations was September 14, 2021.

 

(b) The Fund’s total returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

(c) The S&P 500® Value Index measure value stocks using three factors: the ratios of book value, earnings, and sales to price. Constituents are drawn from the S&P 500® Index. The Index is unmanaged and shown for illustration purposes only. An investor cannot invest in an index and its returns are not indicative of the performance of any specific investment.

 

(d) The Lyrical U.S. Value Index creation process begins with the assessment of the top 1,000 U.S. stocks by market capitalization and then uses an investment screen to cull the universe to 200. Generally, the approach emphasizes analyst projections for one-year-forward price-to-earnings ratios. On each quarterly rebalance, each stock in the cheapest quintile is equally weighted in the ETF.

3

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
PORTFOLIO INFORMATION
November 30, 2023 (Unaudited)

 

U.S. Value ETF vs. S&P 500® Value Index Sector Diversification

 

(BAR GRAPH)

 

Top Ten Equity Holdings

 

    % of
Security Description   Net Assets
PVH Corporation   0.6%
Expedia Group, Inc.   0.6%
AES Corporation (The)   0.6%
Tenet Healthcare Corporation   0.6%
Gen Digital, Inc.   0.6%
Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. - Class A   0.6%
D.R. Horton, Inc.   0.6%
Crocs, Inc.   0.6%
Meritage Homes Corporation   0.6%
Verizon Communications, Inc.   0.6%

4

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
November 30, 2023
COMMON STOCKS — 98.4%   Shares     Value  
Communications — 4.3%                
Advertising & Marketing — 1.0%                
Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (The)     995     $ 30,586  
Omnicom Group, Inc.     384       30,962  
              61,548  
Entertainment Content — 1.1%                
Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. - Class A     1,492       36,271  
Fox Corporation - Class A     945       27,915  
              64,186  
Internet Media & Services — 0.6%                
Expedia Group, Inc. (a)     283       38,539  
                 
Publishing & Broadcasting — 0.5%                
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.     208       29,521  
                 
Telecommunications — 1.1%                
AT&T, Inc.     2,011       33,322  
Verizon Communications, Inc.     940       36,031  
              69,353  
Consumer Discretionary — 14.5%                
Apparel & Textile Products — 2.3%                
Crocs, Inc. (a)     343       36,224  
PVH Corporation     407       39,797  
Tapestry, Inc.     1,061       33,602  
VF Corporation     1,899       31,770  
              141,393  
Automotive — 2.2%                
BorgWarner, Inc.     740       24,931  
Ford Motor Company     2,421       24,839  
General Motors Company     958       30,273  
Harley-Davidson, Inc.     971       29,120  
Lear Corporation     213       28,489  
              137,652  
E-Commerce Discretionary — 0.4%                
eBay, Inc.     682       27,969  
                 
Home & Office Products — 0.4%                
Whirlpool Corporation     235       25,592  
                 
Home Construction — 3.9%                
D.R. Horton, Inc.     284       36,257  

5

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
COMMON STOCKS — 98.4% (Continued)   Shares     Value  
Consumer Discretionary — 14.5% (Continued)                
Home Construction — 3.9% (Continued)                
Lennar Corporation - Class A     268     $ 34,283  
Meritage Homes Corporation     256       36,173  
Mohawk Industries, Inc. (a)     365       32,233  
PulteGroup, Inc.     404       35,722  
Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (a)     711       32,066  
Toll Brothers, Inc.     409       35,129  
              241,863  
Leisure Facilities & Services — 0.9%                
Boyd Gaming Corporation     487       28,758  
Hilton Grand Vacations, Inc. (a)     774       26,517  
              55,275  
Leisure Products — 0.9%                
Brunswick Corporation     392       30,918  
Polaris, Inc.     301       24,823  
              55,741  
Retail - Discretionary — 3.5%                
Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (a)     137       28,745  
AutoNation, Inc. (a)     213       28,813  
Avis Budget Group, Inc. (a)     162       29,622  
Bath & Body Works, Inc.     945       30,825  
Builders FirstSource, Inc. (a)     250       33,527  
Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.     275       35,777  
Lithia Motors, Inc.     107       28,568  
              215,877  
Consumer Staples — 3.2%                
Food — 0.9%                
Conagra Brands, Inc.     1,091       30,865  
Darling Ingredients, Inc. (a)     644       28,252  
              59,117  
Retail - Consumer Staples — 1.3%                
Albertsons Companies, Inc. - Class A     1,278       27,822  
Kroger Company (The)     656       29,040  
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.     1,201       23,948  
              80,810  
Tobacco & Cannabis — 0.5%                
Altria Group, Inc.     688       28,924  
                 
Wholesale - Consumer Staples — 0.5%                
Bunge Global S.A.     287       31,533  

6

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
COMMON STOCKS — 98.4% (Continued)   Shares     Value  
Energy — 12.3%                
Oil & Gas Producers — 11.9%                
APA Corporation     741     $ 26,676  
Chord Energy Corporation     178       28,861  
Civitas Resources, Inc.     394       27,064  
Coterra Energy, Inc.     1,017       26,696  
Devon Energy Corporation     622       27,971  
Diamondback Energy, Inc.     179       27,639  
Energy Transfer, L.P.     2,110       29,308  
EOG Resources, Inc.     225       27,691  
EQT Corporation     669       26,733  
HF Sinclair Corporation     544       28,549  
Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation - Class A     1,277       27,456  
Marathon Oil Corporation     1,084       27,566  
Marathon Petroleum Corporation     197       29,390  
Matador Resources Company     479       27,725  
MPLX, L.P.     811       29,569  
Murphy Oil Corporation     644       27,544  
New Fortress Energy, Inc.     873       33,593  
Ovintiv, Inc.     599       26,560  
PBF Energy, Inc. - Class A     620       27,528  
Permian Resources Corporation     2,069       27,187  
Phillips 66     262       33,769  
Pioneer Natural Resources Company     121       28,028  
SM Energy Company     725       27,151  
Southwestern Energy Company (a)     4,409       29,055  
Valero Energy Corporation     230       28,833  
Western Midstream Partners, L.P.     1,069       31,878  
              740,020  
Oil & Gas Services & Equipment — 0.4%                
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.     2,175       25,469  
                 
Financials — 36.9%                
Asset Management — 3.5%                
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.     228       30,905  
Ameriprise Financial, Inc.     89       31,462  
Blue Owl Capital Corporation     2,151       31,534  
Carlyle Group, Inc. (The)     976       33,457  
Franklin Resources, Inc.     1,270       31,496  
Invesco Ltd.     2,181       31,123  
Stifel Financial Corporation     493       30,083  
              220,060  

7

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
COMMON STOCKS — 98.4% (Continued)   Shares     Value  
Financials — 36.9% (Continued)                
Banking — 15.9%                
Bank of America Corporation     1,080     $ 32,929  
Bank OZK     785       32,860  
BOK Financial Corporation     380       27,273  
Citigroup, Inc.     700       32,270  
Citizens Financial Group, Inc.     1,102       30,052  
Columbia Banking System, Inc.     1,449       32,501  
Comerica, Inc.     697       31,518  
Credicorp Ltd.     232       29,123  
East West Bancorp, Inc.     567       35,675  
Fifth Third Bancorp     1,186       34,335  
First Citizens BancShares, Inc. - Class A     22       32,294  
First Horizon Corporation     2,772       35,453  
Huntington Bancshares, Inc.     2,897       32,620  
JPMorgan Chase & Company     199       31,060  
KeyCorp     2,762       34,221  
M&T Bank Corporation     235       30,120  
New York Community Bancorp, Inc.     2,736       25,746  
Old National Bancorp     2,043       30,420  
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc.     428       31,060  
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (The)     239       32,016  
Popular, Inc.     456       33,648  
Regions Financial Corporation     1,784       29,757  
SouthState Corporation     428       31,693  
Truist Financial Corporation     1,006       32,333  
US Bancorp     901       34,346  
Valley National Bancorp     3,509       31,932  
Webster Financial Corporation     736       33,010  
Wells Fargo & Company     731       32,595  
Western Alliance Bancorp     639       32,730  
Wintrust Financial Corporation     389       33,326  
Zions Bancorporation N.A.     825       29,395  
              988,311  
Institutional Financial Services — 1.6%                
Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (The)     704       34,018  
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     94       32,105  
State Street Corporation     453       32,987  
              99,110  
Insurance — 8.8%                
American Equity Investment Life Holding Company     542       29,897  
American Financial Group, Inc.     265       30,313  
American International Group, Inc.     475       31,260  

8

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
COMMON STOCKS — 98.4% (Continued)   Shares     Value  
Financials — 36.9% (Continued)                
Insurance — 8.8% (Continued)                
Axis Capital Holdings Ltd.     510     $ 28,733  
CNA Financial Corporation     727       30,629  
Corebridge Financial, Inc.     1,413       29,715  
Equitable Holdings, Inc.     1,052       32,286  
Everest Group Ltd.     74       30,381  
Globe Life, Inc.     256       31,521  
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (The)     414       32,358  
Lincoln National Corporation     1,227       29,178  
MetLife, Inc.     465       29,588  
Principal Financial Group, Inc.     416       30,713  
Prudential Financial, Inc.     309       30,214  
Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.     200       32,613  
RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.     135       28,939  
Unum Group     580       24,940  
Voya Financial, Inc.     440       31,464  
              544,742  
Specialty Finance — 7.1%                
AerCap Holdings N.V. (a)     485       33,087  
AGNC Investment Corporation     3,254       28,700  
Air Lease Corporation     796       30,877  
Ally Financial, Inc.     1,177       34,392  
Annaly Capital Management, Inc.     1,634       29,526  
Capital One Financial Corporation     300       33,498  
Discover Financial Services     320       29,760  
Essent Group Ltd.     598       28,907  
Fidelity National Financial, Inc.     739       33,137  
MGIC Investment Corporation     1,667       29,323  
OneMain Holdings, Inc.     752       31,810  
Rithm Capital Corporation     3,114       32,323  
Starwood Property Trust, Inc.     1,516       30,123  
Synchrony Financial     987       31,939  
              437,402  
Health Care — 3.6%                
Biotech & Pharma — 2.5%                
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company     516       25,480  
Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (a)     227       26,838  
Organon & Company     1,746       19,765  
Royalty Pharma plc - Class A     1,072       29,019  
United Therapeutics Corporation (a)     125       30,000  
Viatris, Inc.     3,071       28,192  
              159,294  

9

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
COMMON STOCKS — 98.4% (Continued)   Shares     Value  
Health Care — 3.6% (Continued)                
Health Care Facilities & Services — 1.1%                
CVS Health Corporation     410     $ 27,860  
Tenet Healthcare Corporation (a)     550       37,955  
              65,815  
Industrials — 7.1%                
Commercial Support Services — 0.5%                
H&R Block, Inc.     675       30,659  
                 
Diversified Industrials — 0.5%                
3M Company     326       32,297  
                 
Electrical Equipment — 1.3%                
Atkore, Inc. (a)     203       26,370  
Sensata Technologies Holding plc     777       25,260  
Vontier Corporation     931       31,402  
              83,032  
Industrial Intermediate Prod — 0.5%                
Timken Company (The)     404       29,250  
                 
Industrial Support Services — 0.5%                
WESCO International, Inc.     200       31,170  
                 
Machinery — 0.9%                
AGCO Corporation     240       27,247  
CNH Industrial N.V.     2,444       26,249  
              53,496  
Transportation & Logistics — 2.5%                
Alaska Air Group, Inc. (a)     864       32,667  
American Airlines Group, Inc. (a)     2,409       29,944  
Delta Air Lines, Inc.     827       30,540  
Ryder System, Inc.     283       30,321  
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (a)     730       28,762  
              152,234  
Transportation Equipment — 0.4%                
Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.     489       26,152  
                 
Materials — 6.3%                
Chemicals — 2.7%                
Albemarle Corporation     170       20,616  
Eastman Chemical Company     397       33,280  
FMC Corporation     470       25,220  
LyondellBasell Industries N.V. - Class A     314       29,861  

10

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
COMMON STOCKS — 98.4% (Continued)   Shares     Value  
Materials — 6.3% (Continued)                
Chemicals — 2.7% (Continued)                
Mosaic Company (The)     804     $ 28,856  
Olin Corporation     601       28,331  
              166,164  
Construction Materials — 0.5%                
Owens Corning     225       30,506  
                 
Containers & Packaging — 1.6%                
Berry Global Group, Inc.     522       34,515  
Graphic Packaging Holding Company     1,393       31,579  
Sonoco Products Company     554       30,559  
              96,653  
Metals & Mining — 0.5%                
Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. (a)     1,888       32,398  
                 
Steel — 1.0%                
Commercial Metals Company     665       30,144  
Steel Dynamics, Inc.     275       32,761  
              62,905  
Real Estate — 1.1%                
Real Estate Services — 0.5%                
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc. (a)     217       33,748  
                 
REITs — 0.6%                
Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.     865       35,725  
                 
Technology — 6.5%                
Semiconductors — 0.6%                
Amkor Technology, Inc.     1,240       34,931  
                 
Software — 1.1%                
Clarivate plc (a)     4,304       33,399  
Gen Digital, Inc.     1,679       37,072  
              70,471  
Technology Hardware — 2.4%                
Arrow Electronics, Inc. (a)     251       29,759  
Avnet, Inc.     605       28,290  
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company     1,714       28,984  
HP, Inc.     1,086       31,863  
TD SYNNEX Corporation     307       30,282  
              149,178  

11

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
COMMON STOCKS — 98.4% (Continued)   Shares     Value  
Technology — 6.5% (Continued)                
Technology Services — 2.4%                
Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc.     3,046     $ 32,257  
DXC Technology Company (a)     1,309       30,277  
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.     563       33,014  
Global Payments, Inc.     255       29,692  
Western Union Company (The)     2,220       25,819  
              151,059  
Utilities — 2.6%                
Electric Utilities — 1.7%                
AES Corporation (The)     2,226       38,309  
NRG Energy, Inc.     702       33,584  
Vistra Corporation     914       32,365  
              104,258  
Gas & Water Utilities — 0.9%                
National Fuel Gas Company     536       27,223  
UGI Corporation     1,366       30,039  
              57,262  
                 
Investments at Value — 98.4% (Cost $6,232,946)           $ 6,108,664  
                 
Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities — 1.6%             97,260  
                 
Net Assets — 100.0%           $ 6,205,924  

 

N.A. - National Association

 

N.V. - Naamloze Vennootschap

 

plc - Public Limited Company

 

REIT - Real Estate Investment Trust

 

S.A. - Societe Anonyme

 

(a) Non-income producing security.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

12

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
November 30, 2023
ASSETS        
Investments in securities:        
At cost   $ 6,232,946  
At value (Note 2)   $ 6,108,664  
Cash (Note 2)     93,585  
Receivable from Adviser (Note 4)     11,206  
Dividends receivable     14,463  
Other assets     1,587  
Total assets     6,229,505  
         
LIABILITIES        
Payable to administrator (Note 4)     5,332  
Other accrued expenses and liabilities     18,249  
Total liabilities     23,581  
CONTINGENCIES AND COMMITMENTS (NOTE 7)      
NET ASSETS   $ 6,205,924  
         
NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:        
Paid-in capital   $ 6,221,796  
Accumulated deficit     (15,872 )
NET ASSETS   $ 6,205,924  
         
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value)     225,000  
         
Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per share (Note 2)   $ 27.58  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

13

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended November 30, 2023
INVESTMENT INCOME        
Dividend income   $ 295,437  
Foreign withholding taxes on dividends     (120 )
Total investment income     295,317  
         
EXPENSES        
Administration fees (Note 4)     52,145  
Management fees (Note 4)     42,910  
Custody fees     28,124  
Legal fees     23,195  
Trustees’ fees and expenses (Note 4)     19,764  
Audit and tax services fees     15,189  
Postage and supplies     13,109  
Compliance fees and expenses (Note 4)     12,141  
Transfer agent fees     9,999  
Registration and filing fees     8,342  
Excise tax (Note 2)     379  
Other expenses     17,439  
Total expenses     242,736  
Less fees reduced and expenses reimbursed by Adviser (Note 4)     (195,764 )
Net expenses     46,972  
         
NET INVESTMENT INCOME     248,345  
         
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAINS (LOSSES) ON INVESTMENTS AND FOREIGN CURRENCIES        
Net realized gains (losses) from:        
Investments     26,253  
In-kind redemptions (Note 3)     367,570  
Foreign currency transactions     (7 )
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments     (1,237,606 )
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED LOSSES ON INVESTMENTS AND FOREIGN CURRENCIES     (843,790 )
         
NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS   $ (595,445 )

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

14

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
    Year Ended     Year Ended  
    November 30,     November 30,  
    2023     2022  
FROM OPERATIONS                
Net investment income   $ 248,345     $ 166,296  
Net realized gains (losses) from:                
Investments     26,253       (127,161 )
In-kind redemptions (Note 3)     367,570        
Foreign currency transactions     (7 )     17  
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments     (1,237,606 )     1,181,070  
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (595,445 )     1,220,222  
                 
FROM DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS (NOTE 2)     (180,300 )     (18,687 )
                 
FROM CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS                
Proceeds from shares issued     5,195,850       11,607,421  
Payments for shares redeemed     (14,171,576 )      
Net increase (decrease) in net assets for capital share transactions     (8,975,726 )     11,607,421  
                 
TOTAL INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS     (9,751,471 )     12,808,956  
                 
NET ASSETS                
Beginning of year     15,957,395       3,148,439  
End of year   $ 6,205,924     $ 15,957,395  
                 
SHARE TRANSACTIONS                
Shares issued     200,000       450,000  
Shares redeemed     (550,000 )      
Net increase (decrease) in shares outstanding     (350,000 )     450,000  
Shares outstanding at beginning of year     575,000       125,000  
Shares outstanding at end of year     225,000       575,000  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

15

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Per Share Data for a Share Outstanding Throughout each Period:

 

    Year Ended     Year Ended     Period Ended  
    Nov. 30,     Nov. 30,     Nov. 30,  
    2023     2022     2021 (a)  
Net asset value at beginning of period   $ 27.75     $ 25.19     $ 25.00  
Income (loss) from investment operations:                        
Net investment income (b)     0.69       0.65       0.13  
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments and foreign currencies     (0.62 )     2.06       0.06  (c)
Total from investment operations     0.07       2.71       0.19  
Less distributions to shareholders from:                        
Net investment income     (0.24 )     (0.15 )      
Net asset value at end of period   $ 27.58     $ 27.75     $ 25.19  
Market price at end of period   $ 27.58     $ 27.73     $ 25.21  
Total return (d)     0.31 %     10.79 %     0.76 (e)
Total return at market (f)     0.42 %     10.58 %     0.84 (e)
Net assets at end of period (000’s)   $ 6,206     $ 15,957     $ 3,148  
Ratios/supplementary data:                        
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets     2.55 %     3.47 %     10.04 (g)
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (h)     0.49 %     0.49 %     0.49 (g)
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets (h)     2.61 %     2.51 %     2.31 (g)
Portfolio turnover rate (i)     82 %     77 %     23 (e)

 

(a) Represents the period from the commencement of operations (September 14, 2021) through November 30, 2021.

 

(b) Per share net investment income has been determined on the basis of average number of shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c) Represents a balancing figure derived from other amounts in the financial highlights table that captures all other changes affecting net asset value per share. This per share amount does not correlate to the aggregate of the net realized and unrealized losses on the Statement of Operations for the same period.

 

(d) Net asset value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, if any, and redemption on the last day of the period at net asset value. This percentage is not an indication of the performance of a shareholder’s investment in the Fund based on market value due to differences between the market price of the shares and the net asset value per share of the Fund.

 

(e) Not annualized.

 

(f) Market value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the market value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, if any, and redemption on the last day of the period at market value. Market value is determined by the composite closing price. Composite closing security price is defined as the last reported sale price from any primary listing market (e.g., NYSE Arca) or participating regional exchanges or markets. The composite closing price is the last reported sale price from any of the eligible sources, regardless of volume and not an average price and may have occurred on a date prior to the close of the reporting period. Market value may be greater or less than net asset value, depending on the Fund’s closing price on the listing market.

 

(g) Annualized.

 

(h) Ratio was determined after fee reductions and expense reimbursements (Note 4).

 

(i) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

16

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
November 30, 2023

 

1. Organization

 

U.S. Value ETF (the “Fund”) is a diversified series of Ultimus Managers Trust (the “Trust”), an open-end investment company established as an Ohio business trust under a Declaration of Trust dated February 28, 2012. Other series of the Trust are not incorporated in this report.

 

The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). The investment objective of the Fund is to seek to track the investment results (before fees and expenses) of the Lyrical U.S. Value Index.

 

Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. Market prices for the Shares may be different from their net asset value (“NAV”). The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis at NAV only in large blocks of Shares, of at least 25,000 Shares, (“Creation Units”). Creation Units are issued and redeemed principally in-kind for securities included in a specified universe. Once created, Shares generally trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day in amounts that differ from a Creation Unit.

 

2. Significant Accounting Policies

 

The following is a summary of the Fund’s significant accounting policies. The policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Fund follows accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, “Financial Services – Investment Companies.”

 

Regulatory updateTailored Shareholder Reports for Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) – Effective January 24, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted rule and form amendments to require mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Fund.

 

Securities valuation – The Fund values its portfolio securities at market value as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each business day the NYSE is open for business. The Fund values its listed securities on the basis of the security’s last sale price on the security’s primary exchange, if available, otherwise at the exchange’s most recently quoted mean price. NASDAQ-listed securities are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. When 

17

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 

using a quoted price and when the market is considered active, the security will be classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy (see below). In the event that market quotations are not readily available or are considered unreliable due to market or other events, the Fund values its securities and other assets at fair value as determined by Lyrical Asset Management L.P. (the “Adviser”), as the valuation designee, in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Under these procedures, the securities will be classified as Level 2 or 3 within the fair value hierarchy, depending on the inputs used. Unavailable or unreliable market quotes may be due to the following factors: a substantial bid-ask spread; infrequent sales resulting in stale prices; insufficient trading volume; small trade sizes; a temporary lapse in any reliable pricing source; and actions of the securities or futures markets, such as the suspension or limitation of trading. As a result, the prices of securities used to calculate the Fund’s NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.

 

GAAP establishes a single authoritative definition of fair value, sets out a framework for measuring fair value, and requires additional disclosures about fair value measurements.

 

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs

 

The inputs or methods used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. 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.

 

The following is a summary of the Fund’s investments by the inputs used to value the investments as of November 30, 2023:

 

    Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Common Stocks   $ 6,108,664     $     $     $ 6,108,664  
Total   $ 6,108,664     $     $     $ 6,108,664  
                                 

 

Refer to the Fund’s Schedule of Investments for a listing of securities by sector and industry type. The Fund did not hold any derivative instruments or any assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) as of or during the year ended November 30, 2023.

18

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 

Cash – The Fund’s cash, if any, is held in a bank account with balances which may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) limit of $250,000. The cash balance reflected on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for the Fund represents the amount held as of November 30, 2023.

 

Share valuation – The NAV per share of the Fund is calculated daily by dividing the total value of the assets, less the liabilities, by the number of shares outstanding. The offering price and redemption price per share is equal to the NAV per share.

 

Investment income – Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, if any, is accrued as earned. Non-cash dividends included in dividend income, if any, are recorded at the fair value of the security received. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends, if any, have been recorded in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s rules and tax rates.

 

Investment transactions – Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Realized gains and losses on investments sold are determined on a specific identification basis.

 

Common expenses – Common expenses of the Trust are allocated among the Fund and the other series of the Trust based on the relative net assets of each series, the number of series in the Trust, or the nature of the services performed and the relative applicability to each series.

 

Distributions to shareholders – The Fund distributes to shareholders any net investment income dividends and net realized capital gains distributions at least once each year. The amount of such dividends and distributions are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. Dividends and distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The tax character of distributions paid to shareholders during the years ended November 30, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:

 

          Long-Term     Total  
Year Ended   Ordinary Income     Capital Gains     Distributions  
11/30/2023   $ 180,300     $     $ 180,300  
11/30/2022     18,659       28       18,687  

 

Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increase (decrease) in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

19

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 

Federal income tax – The Fund has qualified and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Qualification generally will relieve the Fund of liability for federal income taxes to the extent 100% of its net investment income and net realized capital gains are distributed in accordance with the Code.

 

In order to avoid imposition of the excise tax applicable to regulated investment companies, it is also the Fund’s intention to declare as dividends in each calendar year at least 98% of its net investment income (earned during the calendar year) and 98.2% of its net realized capital gains (earned during the twelve months ended October 31) plus undistributed amounts from prior years.

 

The following information was computed on a tax basis for each item as of November 30, 2023, the Fund’s most recent fiscal year end:

 

         
Tax cost of portfolio investments   $ 6,206,009  
Gross unrealized appreciation   $ 426,607  
Gross unrealized depreciation     (523,952 )
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)     (97,345 )
Undistributed ordinary income     165,158  
Accumulated capital and other losses     (83,685 )
Accumulated deficit   $ (15,872 )
         

 

The difference between the federal income tax cost of investments and the financial statement cost of investments for the Fund is due to certain timing differences in the recognition of capital gains or losses under income tax regulations and GAAP. These “book/tax” differences are temporary in nature and are primarily due to the tax deferral losses on wash sales, C Corp return of capital, publicly traded partnerships and real estate investment trusts.

 

The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under current income tax regulations. These permanent differences that are credited or charged to Paid in Capital and distributable earnings/(loss) as of November 30, 2023 are primarily related to redemptions in-kind, non-deductible partnership expenses, and non-deductible excise tax. For the year ended November 30, 2023, the Fund reclassified $388,617 of distributable earnings against paid-in capital on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Such reclassification, the result of permanent differences between the financial statements and income tax requirements, had no effect on the Fund’s NAV per share. 

20

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 

As of November 30, 2023, the Fund had the following capital loss carryforwards for federal tax purposes, which may be carried forward indefinitely of $83,685 long-term. These capital loss carryforwards are available to offset net realized capital gains in future years, thereby reducing taxable gain distributions.

 

The Fund recognizes the tax benefits or expenses of uncertain tax positions only when the position is “more likely than not” of being sustained assuming examination by tax authorities. Management has reviewed the Fund’s tax positions for all open tax years (generally, three years) and has concluded that no provision for unrecognized tax benefits or expenses is required in these financial statements. The Fund identifies its major tax jurisdiction as U.S. Federal.

 

The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense on the Statement of Operations. During the year ended November 30, 2023, the Fund paid $379 in excise tax.

 

3. Investment Transactions

 

During the year ended November 30, 2023, cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities, excluding in-kind transactions and short-term investments, amounted to $7,603,566 and $7,525,944, respectively. Purchases and sales of in-kind transactions for the year ended November 30, 2023 amounted to $5,125,581 and $13,987,612, respectively. There were realized gains of $367,570 from in-kind transactions during the year ended November 30, 2023.

 

4. Transactions with Related Parties

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

The Fund’s investments are managed by the Adviser pursuant to the terms of an Investment Advisory Agreement. The Fund pays the Adviser a management fee, computed and accrued daily and paid monthly, at the annual rate of 0.45% of average daily net assets. During the year ended November 30, 2023, the Adviser earned $42,910 of fees under the Investment Advisory Agreement.

 

Pursuant to an Expense Limitation Agreement (“ELA”) between the Fund and the Adviser, the Adviser has contractually agreed, until July 30, 2024, to reduce the management fees and reimburse other operating expenses to limit total annual operating expenses of the Fund (exclusive of brokerage costs; taxes; interest; borrowing costs such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short; costs to organize the Fund; acquired fund fees and expenses; extraordinary expenses such as litigation and merger or reorganization costs; and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to an amount not exceeding 0.49% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s shares. 

21

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 

Accordingly, during the year ended November 30, 2023, the Adviser did not collect any of its management fees from the Fund and reimbursed other operating expenses of $152,854.

 

Under the terms of the ELA, management fee reductions and expense reimbursements by the Adviser are subject to repayment by the Funds for a period of three years after such fees and expenses were incurred, provided that the repayments do not cause total annual fund operating expenses to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation then in effect, if any, and (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time the expenses to be repaid were incurred. As of November 30, 2023, the Adviser may seek repayment of management fee reductions and expense reimbursements no later than the dates below:

 

November 30, 2024 November 30, 2025 November 30, 2026 Total
$43,752 $197,434 $195,764 $436,950

 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (“Ultimus”) provides administration, fund accounting and compliance services to the Fund. The Fund pays Ultimus fees in accordance with the agreements for such services. In addition, the Fund pays out-of-pocket expenses including, but not limited to, postage, supplies, and certain costs related to the pricing of the Fund’s portfolio securities.

 

Under the terms of a Distribution Agreement with the Trust, Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the principal underwriter to the Fund. The Distributor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ultimus. The Distributor is compensated by the Adviser for acting as principal underwriter.

 

A Trustee and certain officers of the Trust are also officers of Ultimus and are not paid by the Fund for serving in such capacities.

 

TRUSTEE COMPENSATION

 

Each member of the Board (a “Trustee”) who is not an “interested person” (as defined by the 1940 Act, as amended) of the Trust (“Independent Trustee”) receives a $1,300 annual retainer from the Fund, except for the Board Chairperson who receives a $1,700 annual retainer from the Fund, and the Audit Committee Chairperson who receives a $1,500 annual retainer from the Fund, paid in quarterly installments. Each Independent Trustee also receives from the Fund a fee of $550 for each Board meeting attended plus reimbursement for travel and other meeting-related expenses.

 

5. Capital Share Transactions

 

Shares are not individually redeemable and may be redeemed by the Fund at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units” of 25,000 shares. Only Authorized Participants (“APs”) or transactions done through an Authorized Participant (“AP”) are permitted to

22

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 

purchase or redeem Creation Units from the Fund. An AP is either (i) a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or (ii) a Depository Trust Company participant and, in each case, must have executed a Participant Agreement with the Distributor. Such transactions are generally permitted on an in-kind basis, with a balancing cash component to equate the transaction to the NAV per share of the Fund on the transaction date. Cash may be substituted equivalent to the value of certain securities generally when they are not available in sufficient quantity for delivery, not eligible for trading by the AP or as a result of other market circumstances. Realized gains (losses) resulting from in-kind redemption of shares, if any, are reflected separately on the Statement of Operations. The Fund charges APs standard creation and redemption transaction fees (“Transaction Fees”) to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The standard creation and redemption transaction fees are set forth in the table below. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the AP on the day such AP creates a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the AP on the applicable business day. Similarly, the standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the AP on the day such AP redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by the AP on the applicable business day. Creations and redemptions for cash (when cash creations and redemptions (in whole or in part) are available or specified) are also subject to an additional charge (up to the maximum amounts shown in the table below). This charge is intended to compensate for brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, price movement and other costs and expenses related to cash transactions (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs). For the year ended November 30, 2023, the Fund received $5,600 in transaction fees.

 

The Transaction Fees for the Fund are listed in the table below:

 

  Maximum Additional Variable
Fee for In-Kind and Cash Purchases Change for Cash Purchases*
$800 2.00%*

 

* As a percentage of the amount invested.

 

6. Investment Risks

 

ETF Risk

 

The NAV of the Fund can fluctuate up or down, and a shareholder could lose money investing in the Fund if the prices of the securities owned by the Fund decline. In addition, the Fund may be subject to the following risks: (1) the market price of the Fund’s shares may trade above or below its NAV; (2) an active trading market for the Fund’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (3) trading of the Fund’s shares may be halted if the 

23

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 

listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.

 

Sector Risk

 

If the Fund has significant investments in the securities of issuers within a particular sector, any development affecting that sector will have a greater impact on the value of the net assets of the Fund than would be the case if the Fund did not have significant investments in that sector. In addition, this may increase the risk of loss in the Fund and increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV per share. For instance, economic or market factors, regulatory changes or other developments may negatively impact all companies in a particular sector, and therefore the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be adversely affected. As of November 30, 2023, the Fund had 36.9% of the value of its net assets invested in stocks within the Financials sector.

 

7. Contingencies and Commitments

 

The Fund indemnifies the Trust’s officers and Trustees for certain liabilities that might arise from their performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred. However, based on experience, the Fund expects the risk of loss to be remote.

 

8. Subsequent Events

 

The Fund is required to recognize in the financial statements the effects of all subsequent events that provide additional evidence about conditions that existed as of the date of the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. For non-recognized subsequent events that must be disclosed to keep the financial statements from being misleading, the Fund is required to disclose the nature of the event as well as an estimate of its financial effect, or a statement that such an estimate cannot be made. Management has evaluated subsequent events through the issuance of these financial statements and has noted no such events, except for the following:

 

On December 28, 2023 the Fund paid an ordinary dividend of $0.8232 per share to shareholders of record on December 29, 2023. 

24

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

  

To the Shareholders of U.S. Value ETF and
Board of Trustees of Ultimus Managers Trust

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of U.S. Value ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Ultimus Managers Trust, as of November 30, 2023, the related statements of operations and changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the year then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of November 30, 2023, the results of its operations, the changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the year then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

The financial statements and financial highlights of the Fund for the year and periods ended November 30, 2022, and prior, were audited by another auditor whose report, dated January 26, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements and financial highlights.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund 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 the financial statements are free of material misstatement whether due to error or fraud. 

25

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM (Continued)

 

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, 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. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2023, by correspondence with the custodian. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

We have served as the Fund’s auditor since 2023.

 

 (SIGNATURE)

 

COHEN & COMPANY, LTD. 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

January 29, 2024 

26

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
ABOUT YOUR FUND’S EXPENSES (Unaudited)

 

We believe it is important for you to understand the impact of costs on your investment. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may incur two types of costs: (1) transactions costs, including commissions on trading, as applicable; and (2) ongoing costs, including investment advisory fees and other operating expenses. The following examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

 

A mutual fund’s ongoing costs are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The expenses in the table below are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the most recent period (June 1, 2023) and held until the end of the period (November 30, 2023).

 

The table below illustrates the Fund’s ongoing costs in two ways:

 

Actual fund return – This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses that you paid over the period. The “Ending Account Value” shown is derived from the Fund’s actual return, and the fourth column shows the dollar amount of operating expenses that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the Fund. You may use the information here, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period.

 

To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for the Fund under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period.”

 

Hypothetical 5% return – This section is intended to help you compare the Fund’s ongoing costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the Fund had an annual return of 5% before expenses during the period shown, but that the expense ratio is unchanged. In this case, because the return used is not the Fund’s actual return, the results do not apply to your investment. The example is useful in making comparisons because the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) requires all mutual funds to calculate expenses based on a 5% return. You can assess the Fund’s ongoing costs by comparing this hypothetical example with the hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.

 

Note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight and help you compare ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs. Further, the expenses do not include any brokerage commissions on investors’ purchases or redemptions of Fund shares as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

 

The calculations assume no shares were bought or sold during the period. Your actual costs may have been higher or lower, depending on the amount of your investment and the timing of any purchases or redemptions.

27

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
ABOUT YOUR FUND’S EXPENSES (Unaudited) (Continued)

 

More information about the Fund’s expenses can be found in this report. For additional information on operating expenses and other shareholder costs, please refer to the Fund’s prospectus.

 

    Beginning     Ending     Net     Expenses  
    Account Value     Account Value     Expense     Paid During  
    June 1, 2023     November 30, 2023     Ratio(a)     Period(b)  
Based on Actual Fund Return   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,132.20       0.50 %   $ 2.67  
Based on Hypothetical 5% Return (before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,022.56       0.50 %   $ 2.54  

 

(a) Annualized, based on the Fund’s most recent one-half year expenses.

 

(b) Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized net expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

28

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
OTHER INFORMATION (Unaudited)

 

A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available without charge upon request by calling toll-free 1-833-825-8383, or on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent period ended June 30 will be available without charge upon request by calling toll-free 1-833-825-8383, or on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

The Trust files a complete listing of portfolio holdings for the Fund with the SEC as of the end of the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. These filings are available upon request by calling 1-833-825-8383. Furthermore, you may obtain a copy of the filings on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the Fund’s website at www.usvalueetf.com.

 

FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (Unaudited)

 

 

Qualified Dividend Income – The Fund designates 100.00% of their ordinary income dividends, or up to the maximum amount of such dividends allowable pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code, as qualified dividend income eligible for the reduced tax rate.

 

Dividends Received Deduction – Corporate shareholders are generally entitled to take the dividends received deduction on the portion of the Fund’s dividend distribution that qualifies under tax law. For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023, the percentage of ordinary income dividends qualified for the corporate dividends receivable deduction for the Fund was 100.00%. 

29

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS (Unaudited)

 

The Board has overall responsibility for management of the Trust’s affairs. The Trustees serve during the lifetime of the Trust and until its termination, or until death, resignation, retirement, or removal. The Trustees, in turn, elect the officers of the Fund to actively supervise their day-to-day operations. The officers have been elected for an annual term. Each Trustee’s and officer’s address is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246. The following are the Trustees and executive officers of the Fund:

 

Name and
Year of Birth
Length of
Time Served
Position(s) held
with Trust
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Funds in
the Trust
Overseen By
Trustee
Directorship(s)
of Public
Companies
Held By Trustee
During Past 5
Years
Interested Trustees:  
David K. James*
Year of Birth: 1970
April 2023 to present

October 2022 to April 2023

July 2021 to October 2022   
Trustee


Assistant Secretary


Secretary
Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Risk Officer of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (“Ultimus”) and a member of the board of managers of Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC, Northern Lights Distributors, LLC and Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC, each an affiliate of Ultimus (2018 to present); Managing Director and Managing Counsel of State Street Bank and Trust Company (2009 to 2018) 31 Interested Trustee of 12 series of the Capitol Series Trust (a registered management company) (2021 to present)
Independent Trustees:
Janine L. Cohen
Year of Birth: 1952
Since 2016 Chairperson (2019 to present)

Trustee (2016 to present)  
Retired since 2013; previously Chief Financial Officer from 2004 to 2013 and Chief Compliance Officer from 2008 to 2013 at AER Advisors, Inc. 31 n/a

30

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS (Unaudited) (Continued)

  

Name and
Year of Birth
Length of
Time Served
Position(s) held
with Trust
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Funds in
the Trust
Overseen By
Trustee
Directorship(s)
of Public
Companies
Held By Trustee
During Past 5
Years
Independent Trustees (Continued):  
Robert E. Morrison
Year of Birth: 1957
Since 2019 Trustee (and previously 2012 to 2014) Managing Director at Midwest Trust and FCI Advisors (2022 to present); Senior Vice President and National Practice Lead for Investment, Huntington National Bank/Huntington Private Bank (2014 to 2022); CEO, CIO, President of 5 Star Investment Management Company (2006 to 2014) 31 n/a
Clifford N. Schireson
Year of Birth: 1953
Since 2019 Trustee Retired; Founder of Schireson Consulting, LLC (2017 to 2022); Director of Institutional Services for Brandes Investment Partners, LP (2004 to 2017) 31 Trustee of the San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System (2019 to present)
Keith Shintani
Year of Birth: 1963
Since 2024 Trustee Senior Vice President of Relationship Management at U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (1998 to 2022) 31 Trustee of the Matrix Advisors Fund Trust (2023 to present)
Jacqueline A. Williams
Year of Birth: 1954
Since 2019 Trustee Managing Member of Custom Strategy Consulting, LLC (2017 to present); Managing Director of Global Investment Research (2005 to 2017), Cambridge Associates, LLC 31 n/a

 

* Mr. James is considered an “interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of Section (2)(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, because of his relationship with the Trust’s Administrator, Transfer Agent, and Distributor.

31

 

U.S. VALUE ETF

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS (Unaudited) (Continued)

 

 

Name and
Year of Birth
Length
of Time
Served
Position(s)
held with Trust
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
Executive Officers:
Todd E. Heim
Year of Birth: 1967
2021 to present
2014 to 2021  
President
Vice President
Senior Vice President, Relationship Management (November 2023 to present), Vice President, Relationship Management (2018 to November 2023) and Assistant Vice President, Client Implementation Manager with Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2014 to 2018)
Shannon Thibeaux-Burgess
Year of Birth: 1970
2023 to present Vice President Senior Vice President, Relationship Management with Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2022 to present); Head of Regulatory Service with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (2020 to 2022); Chief Administrative Officer of State Street Bank (2013 to 2020)
Daniel D. Bauer
Year of Birth: 1977
2024 to present

2016 to 2024
Treasurer

Assistant Treasurer
Vice President of Fund Accounting (2022 to present), Assistant Vice President of Fund Accounting (2020 to 2022), and AVP, Assistant Mutual Fund Controller (2015 to 2020) of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
Angela A. Simmons
Year of Birth: 1975
2022 to present Assistant Treasurer Vice President of Financial Administration (2022 to present) and Assistant Vice President, Financial Administration (2015 to 2022) of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
Susan J. Bateman
Year of Birth: 1966
2024 to present Assistant
Treasurer
Assistant Vice President of Financial Administration (2023 to present) and Assistant Vice President, Financial Administration (2018 to 2023) of Citi Fund Services, Inc.
Karen Jacoppo-Wood
Year of Birth: 1966
2023 to present Secretary Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2022 to present); Managing Director and Managing Counsel (2019 to 2022) and Vice President and Counsel (2014 to 2019) of State Street Bank and Trust Company
Natalie S. Anderson
Year of Birth: 1975
2016 to present Assistant Secretary Legal Administration Manager (2016 to present) and Paralegal (2015 to 2016) of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
Jesse Hallee
Year of Birth: 1976
2023 to present Assistant Secretary Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (June 2019 to present); Vice President and Managing Counsel, State Street Bank and Trust Company (2013 to 2019)

32

 

U.S. VALUE ETF

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS (Unaudited) (Continued)

 

 

Name and
Year of Birth
Length
of Time
Served
Position(s)
held with Trust
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
Executive Officers (continued):
Gweneth K. Gosselink
Year of Birth: 1955
2020 to present Chief Compliance Officer Assistant Vice President, Compliance Officer at Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2019 to present); CCO Consultant at GKG Consulting, LLC (2019 to 2021); Chief Operating Officer & CCO at Miles Capital, Inc. (2013 to 2019)
Martin Dean
Year of Birth: 1963
2020 to present


2019 to 2020


2016 to 2017
Assistant Chief Compliance Officer

 
Interim Chief Compliance Officer  

Assistant Chief Compliance Officer
President of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (February 2023 to present); Senior Vice President, Head of Fund Compliance (2020 to January 2023) and Vice President & Director of Fund Compliance of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2016 to 2020)

 

Additional information about member of the Board and executive officers is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). To obtain a free copy of the SAI, please call toll free 1-833-825-8383. 

33

 

U.S. VALUE ETF
LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (Unaudited)

 

The Fund has adopted and implemented a written liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) as required by Rule 22e-4 (the “Liquidity Rule”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Program is reasonably designed to assess and manage the Fund’s liquidity risk, taking into consideration, among other factors, the Fund’s investment strategy and the liquidity of its portfolio investments during normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions; its short- and long-term cash flow projections; and its cash holdings and access to other funding sources. The Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) approved the appointment of the Liquidity Administrator Committee, comprising of the Fund’s Adviser and certain Trust officers, to be responsible for the Program’s administration and oversight and for reporting to the Board on at least an annual basis regarding the Program’s operation and effectiveness. The annual written report assessing the Program (the “Report”) was presented to the Board at the October 16-17, 2023 Board meeting and covered the period from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023 (the “Review Period”).

 

During the Review Period, the Fund did not experience unusual stress or disruption to its operations related to purchase and redemption activity. Also, during the Review Period, the Fund held adequate levels of cash and highly liquid investments to meet shareholder redemption activities in accordance with applicable requirements. The Report concluded that the Program is reasonably designed to prevent violation of the Liquidity Rule and the Program has been effectively implemented. 

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