EXCHANGE TRADED CONCEPTS TRUST

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

   

Annual Report

November 30, 2023

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Table of Contents

Management Discussion of Fund Performance

 

1

Schedule of Investments

 

4

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

 

6

Statement of Operations

 

7

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

 

8

Financial Highlights

 

9

Notes to Financial Statements

 

10

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

19

Trustees and Officers of the Trust

 

20

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

 

22

Board Considerations of Approval of Advisory Agreement

 

23

Notice to Shareholders

 

26

Supplemental Information

 

27

The Fund files its complete schedule of holdings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N -PORT within sixty days after the end of the period. The Fund’s Form N -PORT reports are available on the Commission’s website at https://www.sec.gov.

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC’s proxy voting policies and procedures are attached to the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”). The SAI, as well as information relating to how the Fund voted proxies relating to the Fund’s securities during the most recent 12 -month period ended June 30, is available without charge, upon request, by calling (833) 344 -2748 and on the Commission’s website at https://www.sec.gov.

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Management Discussion of Fund Performance

November 30, 2023 (Unaudited)

Dear Shareholders,

Thank you for your investment in the Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF (“CRIT” or the “Fund”). The information presented in this report relates to the operations of CRIT for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023.

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the EQM Rare Earths & Critical Materials Index (the “Index”). The Index is comprised of companies that (i) generate at least 50% of their revenue from rare earths or critical metal mining, production, recycling, processing and/or refining or (ii) engage in projects that have the potential, when developed, to generate 50% of revenue from rare earths or critical metal mining, production, recycling, processing and/or refining (“Rare Earths and Critical Materials Companies”). Rare earths and critical materials are those identified by either: (A) the U.S. Government as: (i) a non -fuel mineral or mineral material essential to the economic and national security of the United States, (ii) the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption, and (iii) that serves an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for the U.S. economy or national security; or (B) Australia, Canada, Japan or the European Union as meeting similar criteria. There are a range of minerals or mineral material groups deemed critical under these criteria. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of Rare Earths and Critical Materials Companies.

The factors that materially affected the Fund’s performance during the most recent completed fiscal year include:

         Due to the volume of headwinds since launch, we have been subject to the level of reticence demonstrated by the retail sector who are essentially sitting on their funds, due to heavy market volatility and uncertainty, waiting to see how global events will affect their portfolios.

         The 2 -year and 10 -year bond rates have continued to remain inverted. Many investors moved out of equities and into short -term risk -free treasury bonds achieving near 5%.

         Rare earths and essential minerals per our thesis are supporting the global clean tech transition.

Uncertainty over worldwide circumstances since inception on March 29, 2022 include:

         Russia/Ukraine war.

         China’s real estate debt concerns.

         Global inflation.

         Banking collapses globally.

         Increasing interest rates.

         Israel/Hamas war.

During this challenging year, we decided as a funds management team to restructure our index portfolio during the Fund’s six monthly revaluation processes to mainly include a broad range of large capitalization companies that met our thesis, yet could better handle difficult times, while delivering an attractive yield. As a result, our thesis during the year allowed the Fund to achieve yield preservation and higher capital preservation (then our peers) at the expense of reducing the attractiveness for new investors looking for growth.

The Fund is passive and does not hedge its investments, so the strategy was designed for stability and long term growth rather than riskier potential higher returns with the likelihood of accompanied capital loss due to volatility.

1

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Management Discussion of Fund Performance

November 30, 2023 (Unaudited) (Continued)

We also continued to hold the diversification strategy for the mining, refining, recycling and production value chain but looked deeper into regional demand vs supply opportunities on top of the global thesis. This strategy has delivered a value -based portfolio with a price/book ratio of 1.80, where less than 3.0 is attractive for value, and a current ratio of 1.64 pointing to greater liquidity to manage debt during refinancing involving higher interest rates; if needed.

The Fund had negative performance during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023. The market price for the Fund decreased 21.17% and the net asset value decreased 20.41% while the MSCI AWI Index, a broad market index, gained 12.01% over the same period. The Fund’s Index returned -19 .68%.

The Fund commenced operations on March 29, 2022, with 120,000 shares outstanding as of November 30, 2023. We appreciate your investment in the Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF.

Sincerely,

J. Garrett Stevens
Chief Executive Officer
Exchange Traded Concepts, Adviser to the Fund

This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. This information should not be relied upon by the reader as research or investment advice.

The MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index) Index is a free float -adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The MSCI ACWI consists of 47 country indices comprising 23 developed and 24 emerging market country indices.

2

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Management Discussion of Fund Performance

November 30, 2023 (Unaudited) (Concluded)

Growth of a $10,000 Investment

(at Net Asset Value)

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN FOR THE YEAR ENDED
NOVEMBER 30, 2023

 

One Year Return

Annualized Inception to Date*

 

Net Asset Value

Market Price

Net Asset Value

Market Price

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

-20.41%

-21.17%

-18.44%

-18.33%

EQM Rare Earths & Critical Materials Index

-19.68%

-19.68%

-17.59%

-17.59%

MCSI ACWI Index (Net)

12.01%

12.01%

0.34%

0.34%

*     Fund commenced operations on March 29, 2022.

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and the return and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed or sold in the market, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and should not be considered as a representation of the future results of the Fund. The Fund’s performance assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and all capital gains. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike the Fund’s returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. If such fees and expenses were included in the Index returns, the performance would have been lower. Please note that one cannot invest directly in an unmanaged index.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. A prospectus, containing this and other information, is available at www.critetf.com. Investors should read the prospectus carefully before investing. There are risks associated with investing, including possible loss of principal.

Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown above.

Performance data current to the most recent month -end is available at www.critetf.com.

There are no assurances that the Fund will meet its stated objective.

The Fund’s holdings and allocations are subject to change and should not be considered recommendations to buy individual securities.

Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

See definition of the EQM Rare Earths & Critical Materials Index and the MCSI ACWI Index (Net) in the Management Discussion of Fund Performance.

3

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Schedule of Investments

November 30, 2023

Description

 

Shares

 

Fair Value

COMMON STOCK — 98.1%

     

 

 

Australia — 33.8%

     

 

 

Materials —   33.8%

     

 

 

Allkem*

 

3,053

 

$

17,409

BHP Group ADR

 

3,967

 

 

241,828

Calix*

 

3,152

 

 

7,482

Firefinch* (A)(B)

 

7,320

 

 

48

Glencore PLC

 

40,131

 

 

224,452

IGO

 

3,625

 

 

20,622

Iluka Resources

 

2,809

 

 

12,870

Lynas Rare Earths*

 

4,904

 

 

21,526

Mineral Resources

 

890

 

 

36,097

Northern Star Resources

 

5,333

 

 

45,014

Pilbara Minerals

 

13,047

 

 

31,489

South32

 

19,854

 

 

40,546

       

 

699,383

       

 

699,383

Canada — 9.2%

     

 

 

Communication Services —   3.9%

     

 

 

Cameco

 

1,760

 

 

80,883

Energy —   0.7%

     

 

 

Denison Mines*

 

8,206

 

 

14,828

Health Care —   0.3%

     

 

 

Neo Performance Materials

 

1,291

 

 

7,008

Materials —   4.3%

     

 

 

Altius Minerals

 

637

 

 

9,147

Teck Resources, Cl B

 

2,067

 

 

77,823

       

 

86,970

       

 

189,689

Description

 

Shares

 

Fair Value

Chile — 4.0%

     

 

 

Industrials —   2.7%

     

 

 

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile ADR

 

1,111

 

$

55,817

Materials —   1.3%

     

 

 

Lundin Mining

 

3,826

 

 

26,525

       

 

82,342

China — 11.5%

     

 

 

Industrials —   0.9%

     

 

 

JL Mag Rare-Earth, Cl H

 

13,600

 

 

18,074

Materials —   10.6%

     

 

 

Aluminum Corp of China, Cl H

 

122,000

 

 

60,295

CMOC Group, Cl H

 

114,000

 

 

65,099

Ganfeng Lithium Group, Cl H

 

11,000

 

 

35,210

Jinchuan Group International Resources

 

193,000

 

 

11,367

South Manganese
Investment*
(A)(B)

 

44,000

 

 

Tianqi Lithium, Cl H

 

9,800

 

 

47,869

       

 

219,840

       

 

237,914

France — 0.7%

     

 

 

Materials —   0.7%

     

 

 

Eramet

 

193

 

 

14,867

Ireland — 0.4%

     

 

 

Materials —   0.4%

     

 

 

Kenmare Resources PLC

 

1,707

 

 

8,644

Japan — 1.8%

     

 

 

Industrials —   0.4%

     

 

 

Alconix

 

900

 

 

8,036

Materials —   1.4%

     

 

 

Daiki Aluminium Industry

 

900

 

 

7,348

Toho Titanium

 

800

 

 

9,909

UACJ

 

500

 

 

11,719

       

 

28,976

       

 

37,012

Mexico — 9.6%

     

 

 

Materials —   9.6%

     

 

 

Southern Copper

 

2,772

 

 

199,390

Netherlands — 0.4%

     

 

 

Materials —   0.4%

     

 

 

AMG Critical Materials

 

329

 

 

7,833

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

4

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Schedule of Investments

November 30, 2023 (Concluded)

Description

 

Shares

 

Fair Value

South Africa — 5.7%

     

 

 

Financials —   0.7%

     

 

 

African Rainbow Minerals

 

1,590

 

$

15,247

Materials —   5.0%

     

 

 

Anglo American Platinum

 

1,188

 

 

50,004

Impala Platinum Holdings

 

4,869

 

 

19,689

Northam Platinum Holdings

 

2,589

 

 

16,622

Sibanye Stillwater ADR

 

3,738

 

 

16,672

       

 

102,987

       

 

118,234

United States — 19.9%

     

 

 

Energy —   1.6%

     

 

 

Energy Fuels*

 

1,617

 

 

12,868

Uranium Energy*

 

3,055

 

 

19,919

       

 

32,787

Materials —   18.3%

     

 

 

Albemarle

 

467

 

 

56,633

Alcoa

 

926

 

 

24,872

Century Aluminum*

 

1,271

 

 

9,990

Constellium, Cl A*

 

969

 

 

16,861

Freeport-McMoRan, Cl B

 

5,555

 

 

207,313

Kaiser Aluminum

 

159

 

 

9,298

Lifezone Metals

 

842

 

 

8,218

Livent*

 

980

 

 

13,485

MP Materials*

 

1,029

 

 

16,330

Tronox Holdings

 

1,210

 

 

15,427

       

 

378,427

       

 

411,214

Zambia — 1.1%

     

 

 

Materials —   1.1%

     

 

 

First Quantum Minerals

 

2,870

 

 

23,517

       

 

 

Total Common Stock
(Cost $2,433,603)

     

 

2,030,039

       

 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT — 1.9%

     

 

 

Invesco Government & Agency Portfolio, Institutional Class 5.280% (C)
(Cost $39,886)

 

39,886

 

 

39,886

       

 

 

Total Investments — 100.0%
(Cost $2,473,489)

     

$

2,069,925

Percentages are based on Net Assets of $2,069,418.

*         Non -income producing security.

(A)     Level 3 security in accordance with fair value hierarchy.

(B)     Security is fair valued.

(C)     The rate shown is the 7 -day effective yield as of November 30, 2023.

ADR — American Depositary Receipt

Cl — Class

PLC — Public Limited Company

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of November 30, 2023 when valuing the Fund’s investments carried at value:

Investments in Securities

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3 (1)

 

Total

Common Stock

 

$

2,029,991

 

$

 

$

48

 

$

2,030,039

Short-Term Investment

 

 

39,886

 

 

 

 

 

 

39,886

Total Investments in Securities

 

$

2,069,877

 

$

 

$

48

 

$

2,069,925

(1)      A reconciliation of Level 3 investments and disclosures of significant unobservable inputs are presented when the Fund has a significant amount of Level 3 investments at the end of the period in relation to Net Assets. Management has concluded that Level 3 investments are not material in relation to Net Assets.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

5

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

November 30, 2023

Assets:

 

 

Investments at Cost

 

$

2,473,489

Investments at Fair Value

 

$

2,069,925

Dividends Receivable

 

852

Reclaims Receivable

 

73

Total Assets

 

2,070,850

   

 

Liabilities:

 

 

Accrued Advisory Fees

 

1,432

Total Liabilities

 

1,432

   

 

Net Assets

 

$

2,069,418

   

 

Net Assets Consist of:

 

 

Paid-in Capital

 

$

2,631,466

Total Distributable Earnings (Accumulated Losses)

 

(562,048

)

Net Assets

 

$

2,069,418

   

 

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

 

120,000

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

 

$

17.25

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

6

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Statement of Operations

For the Year ended November 30, 2023

Investment Income:

 

 

Dividend Income

 

$

85,894

Less: Foreign Taxes Withheld

 

(4,780

)

Total Investment Income

 

81,114

   

 

Expenses:

 

 

Advisory Fees

 

18,843

Total Expenses

 

18,843

   

 

Net Investment Income (Loss)

 

62,271

   

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) on:

 

 

Investments (1)

 

107,997

Foreign Currency Transactions

 

(592

)

   

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss)

 

107,405

   

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on:

 

 

Investments

 

(597,346

)

Foreign Currency Translations

 

13

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

 

(597,333

)

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)

 

(489,928

)

   

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

 

$

(427,657

)

____________

(1)    Includes realized gains (losses) as a result of in -kind transactions, if any (See Note 4 in Notes to Financial Statements).

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

7

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

Year Ended
November 30,
2023

 

Period Ended
November 30,
2022

Operations:

 

 

 

 

Net Investment Income (Loss)

 

$

62,271

 

$

18,746

Net Realized Gain (Loss) (1)

 

107,405

 

(69,110

)

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

 

(597,333

)

 

193,771

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

 

(427,657

)

 

143,407

Distributions:

 

(20,038

)

 

   

 

 

 

Capital Share Transactions:

 

 

 

 

Issued

 

1,237,541

 

2,262,514

Redeemed

 

(1,126,349

)

 

   

 

 

 

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions

 

111,192

 

2,262,514

   

 

 

 

Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

 

(336,503

)

 

2,405,921

   

 

 

 

Net Assets:

 

 

 

 

Beginning of Year/Period

 

2,405,921

 

End of Year/Period

 

$

2,069,418

 

$

2,405,921

   

 

 

 

Share Transactions:

 

 

 

 

Issued

 

60,000

 

110,000

Redeemed

 

(50,000

)

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Shares Outstanding from Share Transactions

 

10,000

 

110,000

    Commenced operations on March 29, 2022.

(1)    Includes realized gain (losses) as a result of in -kind transactions, if any (See Note 4 in Notes to Financial Statements).

Amounts designated as “ – “ are $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

8

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Financial Highlights

 

Selected Per Share Data & Ratios
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Year
/ Period

 

Year Ended
November 30,
2023

 

Period Ended
November 30,
2022

Net Asset Value, beginning of year/period

 

$

21.87

 

$

24.50

Investment Activities

 

 

 

 

Net investment income (loss)*

 

0.55

 

0.30

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

 

(4.99

)

 

 

(2.93

) ^

Total from investment activities

 

(4.44

)

 

(2.63

)

Distributions to shareholders from:

 

 

 

 

Net investment income

 

(0.18

)

 

Total distributions

 

(0.18

)

 

Net Asset Value, end of year/period

 

$

17.25

 

$

21.87

Net Asset Value, Total Return (%) (1)

 

(20.41

)

 

(10.73

)

Ratios to Average Net Assets

 

 

 

 

Expenses (%)

 

0.85

 

 

0.85

(3)

Net investment income (loss) (%)

 

2.82

 

 

2.26

(3)

Supplemental Data

 

 

 

 

Net Assets end of year/period (000’s)

 

$

2,069

 

$

2,406

Portfolio turnover (%) (2)

 

35

 

30

*      Per share data calculated using average shares method.

    Commenced operations on March 29, 2022.

^     Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the period, and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the Statement of Operations due to share transaction for the period.

(1)    Total return is for the period indicated and has not been annualized for periods less than one year. Returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes the shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or redemption of Fund shares.

(2)    Portfolio turnover is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of securities received or delivered from processing in -kind creations or redemptions, if any.

(3)    Annualized.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

9

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023

1. ORGANIZATION

Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (the “Trust”), is a Delaware statutory trust formed on July 17, 2009. The Trust is registered with the Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) as an open -end management investment company with multiple investment portfolios. The financial statements herein are those of the Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF (the “Fund”). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the EQM Rare Earths & Critical Materials Index (the “Index”). Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”), an Oklahoma limited liability company, serves as the investment adviser for the Fund. The Fund is classified as “non -diversified ” under the 1940 Act (see “Non -Diversification Risk” under Note 6). The Fund commenced operations on March 29, 2022.

Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”). Market prices for shares of the Fund may be different from their net asset value (“NAV”). The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker -dealers ) at NAV only in large blocks of shares, called “Creation Units.” Creation Units are available for purchase and redemption on each business day and are offered and redeemed on an in -kind basis, together with a specified cash amount, or for an all cash amount. Once created, shares trade in a secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day in share amounts less than a Creation Unit.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Trust, are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for investment companies. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP on the accrual basis of accounting. Management has reviewed Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services — Investment Companies (“ASC 946”), and concluded that the Fund meets the criteria of an “investment company,” and therefore, the Fund prepares its financial statements in accordance with investment company accounting as outlined in ASC 946.

Use of Estimates and Indemnifications  — The Fund is an investment company in conformity with U.S. GAAP. Therefore, the Fund follows the accounting and reporting guidelines for investment companies. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

In the normal course of business, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations which provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements cannot be known; however, the Fund expects any risk of loss to be remote.

Security Valuation  — The Fund records its investments at fair value. Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”)), including securities traded over the counter, are valued at the last quoted sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at approximately 4:00 pm Eastern Time if a security’s primary exchange is normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale, at the most recent quoted bid price for long positions and at the most recent quoted ask price for short positions. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third -party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded.

10

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023 (Continued)

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

The third -party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker -supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the fair value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less when acquired will be valued at their market value. If a market value is not available from a pricing vendor or from an independent broker, the security shall be fair valued according to the Trust’s fair value procedures. Prices for most securities held in the Fund are provided daily by recognized independent pricing agents. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third -party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain a bid price from at least one independent broker.

Rule 2a -5 under the 1940 Act establishes requirements to determine fair value in good faith for purposes of the 1940 Act. The rule permits fund boards to designate a fund’s investment adviser to perform fair -value determinations, subject to board oversight and certain other conditions. The rule also defines when market quotations are “readily available” for purposes of the 1940 Act and requires a fund to fair value a portfolio investment when a market quotation is not readily available. Rule 31a -4 under the 1940 Act, sets forth recordkeeping requirements associated with fair -value determinations.

Pursuant to the requirements of Rule 2a -5 , the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) (i) has designated the Adviser as the Board’s valuation designee to perform fair -value determinations for the Fund through the Adviser’s Valuation Committee and (ii) approved the Adviser’s Valuation Procedures.

Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using fair value procedures include: the security’s trading has been halted or suspended; the security has been de -listed from a national exchange; the security’s primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time, when under normal conditions, it would be open; the security has not been traded for an extended period of time; the security’s primary pricing source is not able or willing to provide a price; or trading of the security is subject to local government -imposed restrictions. In addition, the Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of the Fund’s securities that traded outside of the United States (a ‘‘Significant Event’’) has occurred between the time of the security’s last close and the time that the Fund calculates its net asset value. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector. Events that may be Significant Events include, but are not limited to, government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations. If the Adviser becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a security or group of securities after the closing of the exchange or market on which the security or securities principally trade, but before the time at which the Fund calculates its net asset value, it may request that a Committee meeting be called. When a security is valued in accordance with the fair value procedures, the Committee will determine the value after taking into consideration relevant information reasonably available to the Committee.

In accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements and disclosure under U.S. GAAP, the Fund discloses fair value of its investments in a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure the fair value. The objective of a fair value measurement is to determine 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 (an exit price). Accordingly, the fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3).

The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

        Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

11

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023 (Continued)

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

        Level 2 — Quoted prices which are not active, or inputs that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

         Level 3 — Prices, inputs or exotic modeling techniques which are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (supported by little or no market activity).

The valuation techniques used by the Fund to measure fair value during the year ended November 30, 2023 maximized the use of observable inputs and minimized the use of unobservable inputs. Investments are classified within the level of the lowest significant input considered in determining fair value.

Federal Income Taxes —  It is the Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company for Federal income tax purposes by complying with the appropriate provisions of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Accordingly, no provisions for Federal income taxes have been made in the financial statements.

The Fund’s policy is to classify interest and penalties associated with underpayment of federal and state income taxes, if any, as income tax expense on its Statement of Operations. As of November 30, 2023, the Fund did not have any interest or penalties associated with the underpayment of any income taxes. Current tax years remain open and subject to examination by tax jurisdictions. The Fund has reviewed all major jurisdictions and concluded that there is no impact on the Fund’s net assets and no tax liability resulting from unrecognized tax benefits relating to uncertain income tax positions taken or expected to be taken on its tax returns.

Foreign Taxes  — The Fund may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The Fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains earned.

Security Transactions and Investment Income  — Security transactions are accounted for on trade date. Costs used in determining realized gains and losses on the sale of investment securities are based on specific identification. Dividend income is recorded on the ex -dividend date. Interest income is recognized on the accrual basis. Withholding taxes and reclaims on foreign dividends, if any, have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates.

Foreign Currency Translation  — The books and records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars on the date of valuation. Purchases and sales of investment securities, income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at the relevant rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. The Fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains and losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. These gains and losses are included in net realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments on the Statement of Operations. Net realized and unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net foreign exchange gains or losses from foreign currency exchange contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of the investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. The Fund may be subject to foreign taxes related to foreign income received, capital gain on the sale of securities and certain foreign currency transactions (a portion of which may be reclaimable). All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which the Fund invests.

Cash and Cash Equivalents  — Idle cash may be swept into various overnight demand deposits and is classified as Cash and Cash equivalents on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities, if any. The Fund maintains cash in bank deposit accounts which, at times, may exceed United States federally insured limits. Amounts swept overnight are available on the next business day.

12

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023 (Continued)

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders  — The Fund pays out dividends from its net investment income and distributes its net capital gains, if any, to investors at least annually. All distributions are recorded on ex -dividend date.

Creation Units  — The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV and only in Creation Units, or multiples thereof. Purchasers of Creation Units (“Authorized Participants”) at NAV must pay a standard creation transaction fee of $675 per transaction, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in a given transaction. An Authorized Participant who holds Creation Units and wishes to redeem at NAV would also pay a standard minimum redemption transaction fee of $675 per transaction to the custodian on the date of such redemption, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in a given transaction. The Fund may charge, either in lieu of or in addition to the fixed creation transaction fee, a variable fee for creations and redemptions in order to cover certain non -standard brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transactions. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the Commission applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities.

The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the transaction fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase or redemption of a Creation Unit, which the transaction fee is designed to cover.

Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund. Shares of the Fund may only be purchased or redeemed by certain Authorized Participants. An Authorized Participant 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 (“DTC”) participant and, in each case, must have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Fund’s distributor. Most retail investors will not qualify as Authorized Participants or have the resources to buy and sell whole Creation Units. Therefore, they will be unable to purchase or redeem the shares directly from the Fund. Rather, most retail investors will purchase and sell shares in the secondary market with the assistance of a broker and will be subject to customary brokerage commissions or fees.

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant Agreement, in the event an Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the shares comprising a Creation Unit to be redeemed to SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor”), on behalf of the Fund, by the time as set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Distributor may nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral equal to a percentage of the value of the missing shares as specified in the Authorized Participant Agreement. An Authorized Participant Agreement may permit the Fund to use such collateral to purchase the missing shares, and could subject an Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost of the Fund acquiring such shares and the value of the collateral. Amounts are disclosed as Segregated Cash Balance from Authorized Participants for Deposit Securities and Collateral Payable upon Return of Deposit Securities on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities, when applicable.

3. SERVICE PROVIDERS

Investment Advisory and Administrative Services

The Adviser is an Oklahoma limited liability company, located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, its principal place of business, and 295 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017. The Adviser serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Trust (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advisory

13

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023 (Continued)

3. SERVICE PROVIDERS (continued)

services to the Fund and is responsible for the day -to -day management of the Fund, including, among other things, implementing changes to the Fund’s portfolio in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, and selecting broker -dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the oversight of the Board. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.85% on the first $2 billion of the Fund’s average daily net assets, 0.75% on the next $2 billion, and 0.65% on assets greater than $4 billion.

ETC Platform Services, LLC (“ETC Platform Services”), a direct wholly -owned subsidiary of the Adviser, administers the Fund’s business affairs and provides office facilities and equipment, certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, paying agent services under the Fund’s unitary fee arrangement (as described below), and its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. ETC Platform Services also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non -distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate. For the services it provides to the Fund, ETC Platform Services is paid a fee calculated daily and paid monthly based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund (including the fee charged by ETC Platform Services) except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b -1 under the 1940 Act (“Excluded Expenses”).

Optica Capital Pty Ltd. is the sponsor of the Fund’s Index and the Fund (the “Sponsor”). In connection with an arrangement between the Adviser and the Sponsor, the Sponsor has agreed to assume the obligation of the Adviser to pay all expenses of the Fund (except Excluded Expenses) and, to the extent applicable, pay the Adviser a minimum fee. For its services, the Sponsor is entitled to a fee from the Adviser, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Sponsor does not make investment decisions, provide investment advice, or otherwise act in the capacity of an investment adviser to the Fund.

A Trustee and certain officers of the Trust are affiliated with the Adviser and receive no compensation from the Trust for serving as officers and/or Trustee.

Distribution Arrangement

The Distributor serves as the Fund’s underwriter and distributor of shares pursuant to a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent, receives orders to purchase shares in Creation Units and transmits such orders to the Fund’s custodian and transfer agent. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor bears the following costs and expenses relating to the distribution of shares: (i) the expenses of maintaining its registration or qualification as a dealer or broker under federal or state laws; (ii) filing fees; and (iii) all other expenses incurred in connection with the distribution services that are not reimbursed by the Adviser, as contemplated in the Distribution Agreement. The Distributor does not maintain any secondary market in Fund shares.

The Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b -1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution -related activities. For the year ended November 30, 2023, no fees were charged by the Distributor under the Plan and the Plan will only be implemented with approval of the Board.

14

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023 (Continued)

3. SERVICE PROVIDERS (continued)

Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent

SEI Investments Global Funds Services serves as the Fund’s administrator pursuant to an administration agreement. The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the Fund’s custodian and transfer agent pursuant to a custodian agreement and transfer agency services agreement. The Adviser pays these fees.

An officer of the Trust is affiliated with the administrator and receives no compensation from the Trust for serving as an officer.

4. INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

For the year ended November 30, 2023, the purchases and sales of investments in securities, excluding in -kind transactions, long -term U.S. Government and short -term securities were:

 

Purchases

 

Sales and
Maturities

   

$

806,018

 

$

761,209

 

For the year ended November 30, 2023, there were no purchases or sales of long -term U.S. Government securities by the Fund.

For the year ended November 30, 2023, in -kind transactions associated with creations and redemptions were:

 

Purchases

 

Sales

 

Realized
Gain
(Loss)

   

$

1,187,989

 

$

1,095,856

 

$

265,670

 

5. TAX INFORMATION

The amount and character of income and capital gain distributions to be paid, if any, are determined in accordance with Federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. As a result, net investment income (loss) and net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions for a reporting period may differ significantly from distributions during such period. These book/tax differences may be temporary or permanent. To the extent these differences are permanent in nature, they are charged or credited to paid -in capital or distributable earnings (accumulated losses), as appropriate, in the year that the differences arise.

At November 30, 2023, the Fund reclassified the following permanent amount between paid -in capital and distributable earnings (accumulated losses), the reclassification is primarily related to in -kind redemptions.

 

Distributable
Earnings
(Accumulated
Losses)

 

Paid-in
Capital

   

$

(257,760)

 

$

257,760

 

The tax character of dividends and distributions paid during the year ended November 30, 2023 and period ended November 30, 2022 were as follows:

 

Ordinary
Income

2023

 

$

20,038

2022

 

15

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023 (Continued)

5. TAX INFORMATION (continued)

As of November 30, 2023, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:

Undistributed Ordinary Income

 

$

60,016

Capital Loss Carryforwards

 

(88,819

)

Unrealized Depreciation

 

(533,247

)

Other Temporary Differences

 

2

Total Accumulated Losses

 

$

(562,048

)

The Fund is permitted to utilize capital losses that are carried forward and will retain their character as either short -term or long -term capital losses. As of November 30, 2023 , the Fund has the following capital loss carryforwards to offset capital gains for an unlimited period:

 

Short-Term

 

Long-Term

 

Total
Capital Loss
Carryfowards

   

$

43,446

 

$

45,373

 

$

88,819

 

The Federal tax cost and aggregate gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation on investments, held by the Fund at November 30, 2023, were as follows:

 

Federal
Tax Cost

 

Aggregated
Gross
Unrealized
Appreciation

 

Aggregated
Gross
Unrealized
Depreciation

 

Net Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)

   

$

2,603,172

 

$

91,398

 

$

(624,645

)

 

$

(533,247)

 

6. PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND

As with all exchange traded funds (‘ETFs”), a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV, trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Additional principal risks are disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus. Please refer to the Fund’s prospectus for a complete description of the principal risks of investing in the Fund.

Emerging Markets Securities Risk:      Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the Adviser’s ability to evaluate local companies and impact the Fund’s performance. Investments in securities of issuers in emerging markets may also be exposed to risks related to a lack of liquidity, greater potential for market manipulation, issuers’ limited reliable access to capital, and foreign investment structures. Additionally, the Fund may have limited rights and remedies available to it to pursue claims against issuers in emerging markets.

Market Risk:      The market price of an investment could decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of an investment also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries such as labor shortages, increased production costs, and competitive conditions. Local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the

16

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023 (Continued)

6. PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND (continued)

spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the market generally and on specific investments. For example, in recent years, the COVID -19 pandemic, the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to countries experiencing economic and financial difficulties, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected.

Non -Diversification Risk:     The Fund is non -diversified under the 1940 Act, meaning that, as compared to a diversified fund, it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the performance of these issuers can have a substantial impact on the Fund’s performance.

Sector Focus Risk:      The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one or more sectors and thus will be more susceptible to the risks affecting those sectors.

Materials Sector Risk:      Companies in the Materials Sector may be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, exchange rates, import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, over -production , technical progress, labor relations, litigation and government regulations, among other factors. Also, companies in the materials sector are at risk of liability for environmental damage and product liability claims. Production of materials may exceed demand as a result of market imbalances or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns.

Industry Concentration Risk:      Because the Fund’s assets will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries.

Investing in Rare Earths and Critical Materials Companies Risk:      The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of Rare Earths and Critical Materials Companies. Rare earths and critical materials are industrial metals that are typically mined as byproducts or secondary metals in operations focused on precious metals and base metals. Compared to base metals, they have more specialized uses. Rare earth metals (or rare earth elements) are a collection of chemical elements that are crucial to many of the world’s most advanced technologies. Consequently, the demand for rare earths and critical materials has strained supply, which has the potential to result in a shortage of such materials which could adversely affect the companies in the Fund’s portfolio. Companies involved in the various activities that are related to the mining, production, recycling, processing and/or refining of rare earths and critical materials tend to be small-, medium- and micro -capitalization companies with volatile share prices, are highly dependent on the price of rare earths and critical materials, which may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time. The value of such companies may be significantly affected by events relating to international, national and local political and economic developments, energy conservation efforts, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, tax and other government regulations, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control devices. The mining, production, recycling, processing and/or refining of rare earths and critical metals can be capital intensive and, if companies involved in such activities are not managed well, the share prices of such companies could decline even as prices for the underlying rare earths and critical metals are rising. In addition, companies involved in the various activities that are related to the mining, production, recycling, processing and/or refining of rare earths and critical metals may be at risk for environmental damage claims.

17

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2023 (Concluded)

6. PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND (continued)

Limited Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Risk:      Because the Fund is an ETF, only a limited number of institutional investors (known as “Authorized Participants”) are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly from the Fund. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occurs, the risk of which is higher during periods of market stress, shares of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

7. OTHER

At November 30, 2023, the records of the Trust reflected that 100% of the Fund’s total shares outstanding were held by two Authorized Participants, in the form of Creation Units. However, the individual shares comprising such Creation Units are listed and traded on the Exchange and have been purchased and sold by persons other than Authorized Participants.

8. RECENT MARKET EVENTS

Local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the market generally and on specific securities. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to such events and other economic, political, and global macro factors. The COVID -19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and higher inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the financial markets, economic downturns around the world, severe losses to some sectors of the economy and individual issuers, and reduced liquidity of certain instruments. These events have caused significant disruptions to business operations, including business closures; strained healthcare systems; disruptions to supply chains and employee availability; large fluctuations in consumer demand; large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of such events; and widespread uncertainty regarding the long -term effects of such events.

Governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the United States, took extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets in response to the COVID -19 pandemic, including by keeping interest rates at historically low levels for an extended period. The Federal Reserve concluded its market support activities in 2022 and began to raise interest rates in an effort to fight inflation. The Federal Reserve may determine to raise interest rates further. This and other government intervention into the economy and financial markets to address the pandemic, inflation, or other significant events in the future may not work as intended, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results.

9. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Fund has evaluated the need for additional disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued. Based on this evaluation, no additional disclosures and/or adjustments were required to the financial statements.

18

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders of Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF and
Board of Trustees of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust, as of November 30, 2023, the related statement of operations for the year then ended and the statements of changes in net assets, the related notes, and the financial highlights for the year ended November 30, 2023 and for the period March 29, 2022 (commencement of operations) through November 30, 2022 (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 for the year then ended and the changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the year ended November 30, 2023 and for the period March 29, 2022 (commencement of operations) through November 30, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

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 audits. 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 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 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, 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 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. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

We have served as the auditor of one or more investment companies advised by Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC since 2012.

COHEN & COMPANY, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
January 19, 2024

19

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Trustees and Officers of the Trust

(Unaudited)

Set forth below is information about the Trustees of the Trust. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust, 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the Trustees. The SAI may be obtained without charge by calling (855) 888 -9892 .

Name and
Year of Birth

 

Position(s)
Held with
the Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
(1)

 

Principal
Occupation(s) 
During Past 5 Years

 

Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen By
Trustee
(2)

 

Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years

Interested Trustee (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J. Garrett Stevens
(1979)

 

Trustee and
President

 

Trustee
Since 2009;
President
Since 2011

 

Investment
Adviser/Vice
President, T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. (since 2000); Chief Executive Officer, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
(since 2009); President, Exchange Traded
Concepts Trust
(since 2011); President, Exchange Listed Funds Trust (since 2012).

 

18

 

None.

Independent Trustees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timothy Jacoby
(1952)

 

Trustee

 

Since 2014

 

None.

 

34

 

Independent Trustee,
Bridge Builder
Trust (14 portfolios)
(since 2022);
Independent Trustee,
Edward Jones
Money Market Fund
(since 2017); Audit
Committee Chair, Perth
Mint Physical Gold
ETF (2018 to 2020).

Linda Petrone
(1962)

 

Trustee

 

Since 2019

 

Founding Partner,
Sage Search Advisors
(since 2012)

 

34

 

None.

Stuart Strauss
(1953)

 

Trustee

 

Since 2021

 

Partner, Dechert, LLP
(2009 to 2020)

 

34

 

None.

Mark Zurack
(1957)

 

Trustee

 

Since 2011

 

Professor, Columbia
Business School
(since 2002)

 

18

 

Independent
Trustee, AQR Funds
(36 portfolios)
(since 2014);
Independent Trustee,
Exchange Listed Funds
Trust (2019).

(1)         Each Trustee shall serve during the continued life of the Trust until he or she dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of competent
jurisdiction, or is removed.

(2)         The fund complex includes each series of the Trust and of Exchange Listed Funds Trust.

(3)         Mr. Stevens is an “interested person“ of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his employment with, and ownership interest in,
the Adviser
.

20

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Trustees and Officers of the Trust

(Unaudited) (Concluded)

Set forth below is information about each of the persons currently serving as officers of the Trust. The address of J. Garrett Stevens, Richard Malinowski, Christopher Roleke, Matthew Fleischer and Heather Nichols is c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust, 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120; the address of Eric Olsen is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.

Name and
Year of Birth

 

Position(s) 
Held with
the Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
(1)

 

Principal Occupation(s) 
During Past 5 Years

Officers

 

 

 

 

 

 

J. Garrett Stevens
(1979)

 

Trustee and
President

 

Trustee Since
2009; President
Since 2011

 

Investment Adviser/Vice President, T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. (since 2000); Chief Executive Officer, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2009); President, Exchange Listed Funds Trust (since 2012).

Richard Malinowski
(1983)

 

Vice President and Secretary

 

Since 2022

 

General Counsel, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2022); Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel, Ultimus Fund Solutions LLC, (2020 to 2022); Senior Vice President, Ultimus Fund Solutions LLC (2017 to 2020).

Christopher Roleke
(1972)

 

Treasurer

 

Since 2022

 

Controller, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2022); Managing Director/Fund Principal Financial Officer, Foreside Management Services, LLC (2011 to 2022).

Eric Olsen
(1970)

 

Assistant
Treasurer

 

Since 2021

 

Director, Fund Accounting, SEI Investments Global Funds Services (since 2021); Deputy Head of Fund Operations, Traditional Assets, Aberdeen Standard Investments (2013 to 2021).

Matthew B. Fleischer
(1983)

 

Chief Compliance
Officer

 

Since 2021

 

Chief Compliance Officer, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (since 2021); Chief Compliance Officer,
Exchange Listed Funds Trust (since 2021);
Vice President, Compliance, Goldman Sachs Asset
Management Funds (2017 to 2021).

Heather Nichols
(1983)

 

Assistant
Secretary

 

Since 2023

 

Counsel, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2023); Principal, HND Compliance and Regulatory Services, LLC (2015 to 2023).

(1)         Each officer serves at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees.

21

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

(Unaudited)

All ETFs have operating expenses. As a shareholder of the Fund you incur an advisory fee. In addition to the advisory fee, a shareholder may pay brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses (including acquired fund fees and expenses), if any. It is important for you to understand the impact of these ongoing costs on your investment returns. Shareholders may incur brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Fund shares, which are not reflected in these examples.

The following examples use the annualized expense ratio and are intended to help you understand the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with those of other funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period (June 1, 2023 to November 30, 2023) (unless otherwise noted below). The table below illustrates the Fund’s costs in two ways:

Actual Fund Return. This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses after fee waivers that your Fund incurred over the period. The “Expenses Paid During Period” column shows the actual dollar expense cost incurred by a $1,000 investment in the Fund, and the “Ending Account Value” number is derived from deducting that expense cost from the Fund’s gross investment return.

You can use this information, together with the actual amount you invested in the Fund, to estimate the expenses you paid over that period. Simply divide your actual account value by $1,000 to arrive at a ratio (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply that ratio by the number shown for your Fund under “Expenses Paid During Period.”

Hypothetical 5% Return. This section helps you compare your Fund’s costs with those of other funds. It assumes that the Fund had an annual 5% return before expenses during the year, but that the expense ratio (Column 3) for the period is unchanged. This example is useful in making comparisons because the Commission requires all funds to make this 5% calculation. You can assess your Fund’s comparative cost by comparing the hypothetical result for your Fund in the “Expenses Paid During Period” column with those that appear in the same charts in the shareholder reports for other funds.

NOTE: Because the return is set at 5% for comparison purposes — NOT your Fund’s actual return — the account values shown may not apply to your specific investment.

 

Beginning
Account
Value
6
/ 1 / 2023

 

Ending
Account
Value
11
/ 30 / 2023

 

Annualized
Expense
Ratios

 

Expenses
Paid
During
Period
(1)

Actual Fund Return

 

$     1,000.00

 

$         958.90

 

0.85%

 

$         4.17

Hypothetical 5% Return

 

$     1,000.00

 

$      1,020.81

 

0.85%

 

$         4.31

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

22

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Board Consideration of Approval of Advisory Agreement

(Unaudited)

At a meeting held on September 7, 2023 (the “Meeting”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (the “Trust”) considered and approved the continuance of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF (the “Fund”), and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”) pursuant to which ETC provides advisory services to the Fund (the “Agreement”).

Pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Agreement must be approved by a vote of (i) the Trustees or the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Agreement or “interested persons” of any party thereto, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. In connection with its consideration of such approvals, the Board must request and evaluate, and ETC is required to furnish, such information as may be reasonably necessary to evaluate the terms of the Agreement. In addition, rules under the 1940 Act require the Fund to disclose in its shareholder reports the material factors and the conclusions with respect thereto that formed the basis for the Board’s approval of the Agreement.

Consistent with these responsibilities, prior to the Meeting, the Board reviewed written materials from ETC and, at the Meeting, representatives from ETC presented additional oral and written information to help the Board evaluate the Agreement. Among other things, representatives from ETC provided an overview of its advisory business, including investment personnel and investment processes. During the Meeting, the Board discussed the materials it received, including a memorandum from legal counsel to the Independent Trustees on the responsibilities of Trustees in considering the approval of investment advisory agreements under the 1940 Act, considered ETC’s oral presentation, and deliberated on the approval of the Agreement in light of this information. Throughout the process, the Trustees were afforded the opportunity to ask questions of and request additional materials from ETC. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their review by independent legal counsel and met with counsel separately and without management present.

In considering whether to approve the continuance of the Agreement, the Board took into account the materials provided for the Meeting, the extensive discussion before and during the Meeting, including the discussion the Independent Trustees had during their executive session with independent legal counsel. In particular, the Board took into consideration (i) the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by ETC to the Fund; (ii) the Fund’s performance; (iii) ETC’s costs of and profits realized from providing advisory services to the Fund, including any fall -out benefits enjoyed by ETC or its affiliates; (iv) comparative fee and expense data; (v) the extent to which the advisory fee for the Fund reflects economies of scale shared with Fund shareholders; and (vi) other factors the Board deemed to be relevant.

Nature, Extent, and Quality of Services. With respect to the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund, the Board considered ETC’s specific responsibilities in all aspects of the day -to -day management of the Fund.

The Board considered that responsibilities with respect to the Fund’s portfolio include developing, implementing, and maintaining the Fund’s investment program; implementing changes to the Fund’s portfolio in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the underlying index; selecting broker -dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions; determining the daily baskets of deposit securities and cash components; executing portfolio securities trades for purchases and redemptions of Fund shares conducted on a cash -in -lieu basis. The Board considered that beyond portfolio management, ETC, including through its affiliates, also maintains responsibilities for overseeing compliance with relevant law; monitoring compliance with various policies and procedures and applicable securities regulations; the provision of various administrative services to the Fund and oversight of third -party administrators, quarterly reporting to the Board; and implementing Board directives as they relate to the Fund. The Board considered that those services also include arranging for and providing oversight of transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non -distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate; administering the Fund’s business affairs; providing office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping, and administrative services; liaising with and reporting to the Board on matters relating to Fund operations; supervising the Fund’s registration as an investment company and the offering of Fund shares

23

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Board Consideration of Approval of Advisory Agreement

(Unaudited) (Continued)

to the public, including oversight and preparation of regulatory filings; working with ETF market participants, including authorized participants, market makers, and exchanges, to help facilitate an orderly trading environment for the Fund’s shares; and providing its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust.

The Board noted that it has reviewed ETC’s responses to a detailed series of questions, which included a description of ETC’s consolidated operations, services, personnel, compliance program, risk management program, and financial condition, and an overview of the material changes to such information since it was last presented to the Board. The Board considered the qualifications, experience, and responsibilities of ETC’s investment personnel, the quality of ETC’s compliance infrastructure, and the determination of the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer that ETC has procedures that are reasonably designed to comply with the federal securities laws. The Board considered ETC’s experience working with ETFs, including the Fund, other series of the Trust, and other ETFs outside of the Trust. Based on the factors discussed above, as well as those discussed below, the Board concluded that it was satisfied with the nature, extent, and quality of services provided to the Fund by ETC.

Based on review of this information, the Board concluded that the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund under the Advisory Agreement supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Performance. The Board reviewed the Fund’s performance in light of its stated investment objective, noting that the Fund is passively managed and the Fund’s objective was to provide investment results that correspond to the total return performance of its index. The Board was provided reports regarding the Fund’s past performance, including a report comparing the Fund’s performance to the performance of its underlying index for various time periods ended June 30, 2023, and the Board found that the Fund generally performed in line with its index over the relevant period. The Board reviewed information regarding the Fund’s index tracking, noting, as applicable, the factors that contributed to the Fund’s tracking error, such as each Fund’s unitary fee.

The Board also noted that the Fund’s performance was generally in line with that of its underlying index and tracking error was primary attributable to each Fund’s fees and taxes on dividends applied by the underlying index that are not taxes reflected in the Fund’s returns. The Board further noted that it received regular reports regarding the Fund’s performance, including tracking error, at its quarterly meetings throughout the year.

Based on this review, the Board concluded that the performance of the Fund supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Cost of Advisory Services and Profitability. The Board reviewed the advisory fee paid by the Fund to ETC under the Agreement. The Board reviewed a report prepared by ISS, an independent third party, comparing the Fund’s advisory fee to those paid by a group of peer funds. The Board noted that the report included mutual funds in the peer group, which were intended to enhance the Board’s ability to evaluate the quality of fees and expenses on a broader scale. The Board took into account the differences in operations and fee structures between ETFs and mutual funds and gave such weight to the mutual fund data as it deemed appropriate. The Board noted that ISS selected the particular mutual funds that were included in its report. In support of its review of the statistical information, the Board was provided with a description of the methodology used by ISS to prepare this information. The Board noted that the Fund’s advisory fee was the highest among the peer ETFs, although less than the net total expenses of certain of the mutual funds included in the report, and higher than the median of the whole peer group.

24

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Board Consideration of Approval of Advisory Agreement

(Unaudited) (Concluded)

The Board took into account that although the Fund’s underlying index was highly specialized, corresponding to the Fund’s strategy, which may contribute to limitations in the construction of the peer group to provide meaningful direct comparisons to the Fund, it appeared that the peers included passively managed ETFs with strategies focused on natural resources, precious metals, and metals & mining that did provide meaningful comparison. The Board took into consideration that the advisory fee for the Fund is a “unitary fee,” meaning that the Fund pays no expenses other than the advisory fee and certain expenses customarily excluded from unitary fee arrangements, such as brokerage commissions, taxes and interest. The Board noted that, under the Agreement, ETC is responsible for compensating the Fund’s other service providers and paying the Fund’s other expenses out of its own fee and resources and that, while the Fund’s index provider has assumed such responsibility, ETC is ultimately responsible for ensuring the obligation is satisfied. The Board considered information provided about the costs and expenses incurred by ETC in providing advisory services, evaluated the compensation and benefits received by ETC from its relationship with the Fund, and reviewed profitability information from ETC with respect to the Fund. The Board considered the risks borne by ETC associated with providing services to the Fund, including the entrepreneurial risk associated with sponsoring new funds, as well as the enterprise risk emanating from litigation and reputational risks, operational and business risks, and other risks associated with the ongoing management of the Fund. Based on the foregoing information, the Board concluded that the advisory fee appeared reasonable in light of the services rendered.

Economies of Scale. The Board considered whether economies of scale have been realized with respect to the Fund. The Board concluded that no significant economies of scale have been realized and that the Board will have the opportunity to periodically reexamine whether such economies have been achieved.

Conclusion. No single factor was determinative of the Board’s decision to approve the continuance of the Agreement on behalf of the Fund; rather, the Board based its determination on the total mix of information available to it. Based on a consideration of all the factors in their totality, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, determined that the Agreement, including the compensation payable thereunder, was fair and reasonable to the Fund. The Board, including the Independent Trustees, therefore determined that the approval of the continuance of the Agreement was in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.

25

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Notice to Shareholders

(Unaudited)

For shareholders that do not have a November 30, 2023 tax year end, this notice is for informational purposes only. For shareholders with a November 30, 2023 tax year end, please consult your tax advisor as to the pertinence of this notice.

For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023, the Fund are designating the following items with regard to distributions paid during the year.

 

Long Term Capital Gain Distributions

 

Ordinary
Income
Distributions

 

Total Distributions

 

Qualifying
For
Corporate
Dividend
Receivable
Deduction
(1)

 

Qualifying
Dividend
Income
(2)

 

Qualifying
Business
Income
(6)

 

U.S.
Government
Interest
(3)

 

Foreign
Investors
Interest
Related
Dividends
(4)

 

Short-Term
Capital
Gain Dividends
(5)

 

FTC*

Optica Rare Earth & Critical Materials
ETF

 

0.00%

 

100.00%

 

100.00%

 

13.78%

 

96.78%

 

0.00%

 

0.00%

 

0.00%

 

0.00%

 

18.71%

(1)    Qualifying dividends represent dividends which qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction and is reflected as a percentage of ordinary income distributions (the total of short term capital gain and net investment income distributions).

(2)    The percentage in this column represents the amount of “Qualifying Dividend Income” as created by the Jobs and Growth Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 and its reflected as a percentage of ordinary income distributions (the total of short term capital gain and net investment income distributions). It is the intention of the aforementioned fund to designate the maximum amount permitted by law.

(3)    U.S. Government Interest represents the amount of interest that was derived from U.S. Government obligations and distributed during the fiscal year. Generally, interest from direct U.S. Government obligations is exempt from state income tax.

(4)    The percentage in this column represents the amount of “Interest Related Dividends” as created by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 and is a percentage of net investment income that is exempt from U.S. withholding tax when paid for foreign investors.

(5)    The percentage in this column represents the amount of “Short -Term Capital Gain Dividends” as created by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 and is reflected as a percentage of short -term capital gain distributions that is exempt from U.S. withholding tax when paid to foreign investors.

(6)    The percentage in this column represents that amount of ordinary dividend income that qualified for 20% Business Income Deduction.

*      The Fund intends to pass through a foreign tax credit to shareholders. For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023, the total amount of foreign source income is $55,445. The total amount of foreign tax paid is $4,613. Your allocable share of the foreign tax credit will be reported on Form 1099 DIV.

26

Optica Rare Earths & Critical Materials ETF

Supplemental Information

(Unaudited)

NAV is the price per share at which a fund issues and redeems shares. It is calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing fund shares. The “Market Price” of a fund generally is determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the stock exchange on which the shares of the fund are listed for trading, as of the time that the fund’s NAV is calculated. A fund’s Market Price may be at, above or below its NAV. The NAV of a fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the fund’s holdings. The NAV of a fund may also be impacted by the accrual of deferred taxes. The Market Price of a fund will fluctuate in accordance with changes in its NAV, as well as market supply and demand.

Premiums or discounts are the differences (expressed as a percentage) between the NAV and Market Price of a fund on a given day, generally at the time NAV is calculated. A premium is the amount that a fund is trading above the reported NAV, expressed as a percentage of the NAV. A discount is the amount that a fund is trading below the reported NAV, expressed as a percentage of the NAV.

Further information regarding premiums and discounts is available on the Fund’s website at www.critetf.com.

27

Notes

[THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.]

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400
Oklahoma City, OK 73120

Investment Adviser:
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400
Oklahoma City, OK 73120

Distributor:
SEI Investments Distribution Co.
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, PA 19456

Administrator:
SEI Investments Global Funds Services
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, PA 19456

Legal Counsel:
Chapman and Cutler LLP
320 South Canal Street
Chicago, IL 60606

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm:
Cohen & Company, Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115

This information must be preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus for the Fund.

OPT -AR -001-0200