Point Bridge America First ETF
(Formerly, Point Bridge GOP Stock Tracker ETF)
Ticker: MAGA
Semi-Annual Report
December 31, 2022
Point Bridge America First ETF
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | |
Letter to Shareholders |
1 |
Portfolio Allocation |
4 |
Schedule of Investments |
5 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
12 |
Statement of Operations |
13 |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
14 |
Financial Highlights |
16 |
Notes to Financial Statements |
18 |
Expense Example |
26 |
Review of Liquidity Risk Management Program |
27 |
Approval of Advisory Agreement & Board Considerations |
28 |
Federal Tax Information |
31 |
Information About Portfolio Holdings |
31 |
Information About Proxy Voting |
31 |
Information About the Fund’s Trustees |
32 |
Frequency Distribution of Premiums and Discounts |
32 |
Point Bridge America First ETF
Letter to Shareholders
(Unaudited)
Dear Point Bridge America First Shareholders,
On behalf of the entire team, we want to express our appreciation for the confidence you have placed in the Point Bridge America First ETF (“MAGA” or the “Fund”). The following information pertains to the fiscal period of July 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022 (“current fiscal period”).
The Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Point Bridge America First Index, an equal-weight custom index (the “Index) derived from holdings in the S&P 500 ® Index and developed by Point Bridge Capital, LLC. This index strategy represents a portfolio of holdings from the S&P 500 ® Index that are highly supportive of Republican candidates for federal office and other Republican Party-affiliated groups as determined by a rules-based methodology. The methodology first screens Federal Election Commission (FEC) electoral campaign contribution data from the two most recent election cycles, and as a new rule, subsequently selects only companies that have U.S. assets greater than or equal to 50% of total assets.
Companies that satisfy the initial screenings are ranked on a proprietary screening process based primarily on the total net dollars and the net percentage of dollars given by a company’s employees and/or political action committee(s) (“PACs”) to Republican Candidates and Republican Committees versus Democratic Candidates and Committees.
The Fund had positive performance during the current fiscal period ending on December 31, 2022. The market price for MAGA increased 8.99% and the NAV increased 8.73%, while the S&P 500 ® Index, a broad market index, gained 2.31%% over the same period. The Fund’s Index returned 9.13%. Outstanding shares ended the current fiscal period at 500,000.
For the current fiscal period, the largest positive contributor to return was Abiomed, Inc. (ABMD), adding 0.35% to the return of the Fund, with an absolute return of 53.94% and an average weighting of 0.71%. The second-largest contributor to return was Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG), adding 0.34% to the return of the Fund, gaining 51.05% with an average weighting of 0.74%. The third-largest contributor to return was Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH), adding 0.31% to the return of the Fund, gaining 49.11% with an average weighting of 0.75%.
For the current fiscal period, the largest negative contributor to return was Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (SWK), detracting -0.20% from the return of the Fund, declining -26.99% with an average weighting of 0.61%. The second-largest detractor was Tyson Foods, Inc. - Class A (TSN), reducing the Fund return by -0.20%, and declining -26.70% with an average weighting of 0.62%. The third-largest negative contributor to return was Charter Communications, Inc. – Class A (CHTR), detracting -0.19% from the return of the Fund, and declining -27.62% with an average weight of 0.61%.
1
Point Bridge America First ETF
Letter to Shareholders
(Unaudited) (Continued)
For the current fiscal period, the sector that most positively contributed to return was Industrials, contributing 2.58%, followed by Energy, adding 2.18%. The sector that detracted the most to return was Real Estate, decreasing returns by 0.29%, followed by Communication Services, detracting 0.19% from the return.
The Fund was negatively impacted by the decline in the overall equity market, but, due to the Fund’s larger allocation in Energy and Materials sectors and its very low allocation in Technology, it managed to significantly outperform the S&P 500 ® Index. By rebalancing quarterly to an equally weighted portfolio, the Fund also reduced volatility during the current fiscal period.
Sincerely,
Hal
Lambert
Chief Executive Officer, Point Bridge Capital, LLC
Advisor to
the Fund
Current and future holdings are subject to change and risk.
Must be preceded or accompanied by a prospectus.
The Performance data quoted is historical. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. The principal value and investment return of an investment will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or on the redemptions of Fund shares. The total operating expenses as stated in the fee table to the Fund’s prospectus dated October 31, 2021, is 0.72%. For performance information current to the most recent month-end, please call 1-800-617-0004.
Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. Index composition is heavily dependent on quantitative models and data supplied by third parties. Where such models and data are incorrect or incomplete, the composition of the Index will reflect such errors and likewise the Fund’s portfolio. Because the methodology of the Index selects securities of issuers for nonfinancial reasons, the Fund may underperform the broader equity market or other funds that do not utilize similar criteria when selecting investments. The Fund is not actively managed and therefore would not sell shares of an equity security unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index. Real Estate investments are subject to changes in economic conditions, credit risk, and interest rate fluctuations.
Indexes are unmanaged statistical composites and their returns do not include fees an investor would pay to purchase the securities they represent. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The Point Bridge America First Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to track the performance of U.S. companies whose employees and political action committees (“PACs”) are highly supportive of Republican candidates for election to the United States Congress, the Vice Presidency, or the Presidency (“Candidates”) and party-affiliated
2
Point Bridge America First ETF
Letter to Shareholders
(Unaudited) (Continued)
federal committees or groups that are subject to federal campaign contribution limits (e.g., Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee) (“Committees”). Republican Candidates and Republican Committees receiving support from employees and/or PACs of companies in the Index have historically been more supportive of Republican policies than Democratic Candidates and Democratic Committees. The Index is composed of the common stock of public operating companies and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).
The S&P 500 ® Index is a broad-based unmanaged index of 500 stocks, which is widely recognized as representative of the equity market in general.
3
Point Bridge America First ETF
Portfolio Allocation
As of December 31, 2022 (Unaudited)
Sector |
Percentage
of |
|||
Industrial |
19.3 | % | ||
Financial |
18.0 | |||
Consumer, Non-Cyclical |
17.4 | |||
Energy |
13.5 | |||
Consumer, Cyclical |
11.8 | |||
Utilities |
11.5 | |||
Basic Materials |
5.2 | |||
Technology |
1.9 | |||
Communications |
1.2 | |||
Short-Term Investments |
0.1 | |||
Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities |
0.1 | |||
Total |
100.0 | % |
4
Point Bridge America First ETF
Schedule of Investments
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited)
Shares |
Security Description |
Value |
||||||
COMMON STOCKS — 99.8% |
||||||||
Aerospace/Defense — 4.1% |
||||||||
524 |
General Dynamics Corporation |
$ | 130,010 | |||||
3,407 |
Howmet Aerospace, Inc. |
134,270 | ||||||
266 |
Lockheed Martin Corporation |
129,406 | ||||||
243 |
Northrop Grumman Corporation |
132,583 | ||||||
1,318 |
Raytheon Technologies Corporation |
133,013 | ||||||
212 |
TransDigm Group, Inc. |
133,486 | ||||||
792,768 | ||||||||
Agriculture — 1.3% |
||||||||
2,749 |
Altria Group, Inc. |
125,657 | ||||||
1,398 |
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company |
129,804 | ||||||
255,461 | ||||||||
Airlines — 1.3% |
||||||||
3,832 |
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (a) |
125,920 | ||||||
3,406 |
Southwest Airlines Company (a) |
114,680 | ||||||
240,600 | ||||||||
Banks — 6.8% |
||||||||
3,999 |
Bank of America Corporation |
132,447 | ||||||
1,963 |
Comerica, Inc. |
131,227 | ||||||
3,936 |
Fifth Third Bancorp |
129,140 | ||||||
1,106 |
First Republic Bank |
134,810 | ||||||
8,903 |
Huntington Bancshares, Inc. |
125,532 | ||||||
7,433 |
KeyCorp |
129,483 | ||||||
840 |
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. |
132,670 | ||||||
5,880 |
Regions Financial Corporation |
126,773 | ||||||
3,077 |
Truist Financial Corporation |
132,403 | ||||||
2,726 |
Zions Bancorporation |
134,010 | ||||||
1,308,495 | ||||||||
Beverages — 0.7% |
||||||||
2,448 |
Molson Coors Beverage Company - Class B |
126,121 | ||||||
Biotechnology — 1.3% |
||||||||
461 |
Amgen, Inc. |
121,077 | ||||||
2,056 |
Corteva, Inc. |
120,852 | ||||||
241,929 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
5
Point Bridge America First ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
Shares |
Security Description |
Value |
||||||
COMMON STOCKS — 99.8% (Continued) |
||||||||
Building Materials — 1.9% |
||||||||
360 |
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. |
$ | 121,669 | |||||
2,625 |
Masco Corporation |
122,509 | ||||||
704 |
Vulcan Materials Company |
123,277 | ||||||
367,455 | ||||||||
Chemicals — 3.9% |
||||||||
1,264 |
Celanese Corporation |
129,231 | ||||||
1,312 |
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. |
111,782 | ||||||
2,579 |
Dow, Inc. |
129,956 | ||||||
1,880 |
DuPont de Nemours, Inc. |
129,024 | ||||||
1,520 |
Eastman Chemical Company |
123,789 | ||||||
1,588 |
LyondellBasell Industries NV - Class A |
131,852 | ||||||
755,634 | ||||||||
Commercial Services — 4.0% |
||||||||
283 |
Cintas Corporation |
127,809 | ||||||
1,323 |
Global Payments, Inc. |
131,400 | ||||||
867 |
Quanta Services, Inc. |
123,548 | ||||||
3,363 |
Rollins, Inc. |
122,884 | ||||||
364 |
United Rentals, Inc. (a) |
129,373 | ||||||
708 |
Verisk Analytics, Inc. |
124,905 | ||||||
759,919 | ||||||||
Distribution/Wholesale — 2.6% |
||||||||
2,013 |
Copart, Inc. (a) |
122,572 | ||||||
2,541 |
Fastenal Company |
120,240 | ||||||
2,413 |
LKQ Corporation |
128,878 | ||||||
219 |
W.W. Grainger, Inc. |
121,819 | ||||||
493,509 | ||||||||
Diversified Financial Services — 3.3% |
||||||||
1,609 |
Charles Schwab Corporation |
133,965 | ||||||
4,869 |
Franklin Resources, Inc. |
128,444 | ||||||
1,243 |
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. |
127,520 | ||||||
6,998 |
Invesco, Ltd. |
125,894 | ||||||
3,658 |
Synchrony Financial |
120,202 | ||||||
636,025 | ||||||||
Electric — 10.1% |
||||||||
1,461 |
Ameren Corporation |
129,912 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
6
Point Bridge America First ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
Shares |
Security Description |
Value |
||||||
COMMON STOCKS — 99.8% (Continued) |
||||||||
Electric — 10.1% (Continued) |
||||||||
1,340 |
American Electric Power Company, Inc. |
$ | 127,233 | |||||
4,252 |
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. |
127,517 | ||||||
2,080 |
CMS Energy Corporation |
131,726 | ||||||
1,442 |
Constellation Energy Corporation |
124,315 | ||||||
2,203 |
Dominion Energy, Inc. |
135,088 | ||||||
1,289 |
Duke Energy Corporation |
132,754 | ||||||
1,107 |
Entergy Corporation |
124,537 | ||||||
2,075 |
Evergy, Inc. |
130,580 | ||||||
3,125 |
Exelon Corporation |
135,094 | ||||||
3,122 |
FirstEnergy Corporation |
130,937 | ||||||
1,532 |
NextEra Energy, Inc. |
128,075 | ||||||
1,657 |
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation |
125,998 | ||||||
4,472 |
PPL Corporation |
130,672 | ||||||
1,894 |
Southern Company |
135,251 | ||||||
1,949,689 | ||||||||
Electrical Components & Equipment — 0.7% |
||||||||
1,364 |
Emerson Electric Company |
131,026 | ||||||
Electronics — 0.7% |
||||||||
607 |
Honeywell International, Inc. |
130,080 | ||||||
Environmental Control — 1.3% |
||||||||
953 |
Republic Services, Inc. |
122,927 | ||||||
776 |
Waste Management, Inc. |
121,739 | ||||||
244,666 | ||||||||
Food — 2.0% |
||||||||
831 |
J.M. Smucker Company |
131,680 | ||||||
1,574 |
Sysco Corporation |
120,332 | ||||||
2,031 |
Tyson Foods, Inc. - Class A |
126,430 | ||||||
378,442 | ||||||||
Forest Products & Paper — 0.6% |
||||||||
3,588 |
International Paper Company |
124,252 | ||||||
Gas — 1.3% |
||||||||
1,100 |
Atmos Energy Corporation |
123,277 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
7
Point Bridge America First ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
Shares |
Security Description |
Value |
||||||
COMMON STOCKS — 99.8% (Continued) |
||||||||
Gas — 1.3% (Continued) |
||||||||
4,726 |
NiSource, Inc. |
$ | 129,587 | |||||
252,864 | ||||||||
Hand/Machine Tools — 0.6% |
||||||||
1,634 |
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. |
122,746 | ||||||
Healthcare-Products — 4.1% |
||||||||
1,204 |
Abbott Laboratories |
132,187 | ||||||
2,801 |
Boston Scientific Corporation (a) |
129,602 | ||||||
418 |
Cooper Companies, Inc. |
138,220 | ||||||
674 |
STERIS PLC |
124,481 | ||||||
382 |
Waters Corporation (a) |
130,866 | ||||||
1,041 |
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. |
132,728 | ||||||
788,084 | ||||||||
Healthcare-Services — 2.1% |
||||||||
616 |
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (a) |
134,226 | ||||||
554 |
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings |
130,456 | ||||||
1,009 |
Universal Health Services, Inc. - Class B |
142,158 | ||||||
406,840 | ||||||||
Home Builders — 1.3% |
||||||||
1,505 |
DR Horton, Inc. |
134,156 | ||||||
27 |
NVR, Inc. (a) |
124,539 | ||||||
258,695 | ||||||||
Insurance — 4.1% |
||||||||
999 |
Allstate Corporation |
135,464 | ||||||
420 |
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. - Class B (a) |
129,738 | ||||||
1,223 |
Cincinnati Financial Corporation |
125,223 | ||||||
1,102 |
Globe Life, Inc. |
132,846 | ||||||
693 |
Travelers Companies, Inc. |
129,931 | ||||||
1,746 |
W.R. Berkley Corporation |
126,707 | ||||||
779,909 | ||||||||
Iron/Steel — 0.6% |
||||||||
881 |
Nucor Corporation |
116,125 | ||||||
Leisure Time — 0.6% |
||||||||
14,602 |
Carnival Corporation (a) |
117,692 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
8
Point Bridge America First ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
Shares |
Security Description |
Value |
||||||
COMMON STOCKS — 99.8% (Continued) |
||||||||
Machinery-Construction & Mining — 0.7% |
||||||||
565 |
Caterpillar, Inc. |
$ | 135,351 | |||||
Machinery-Diversified — 1.3% |
||||||||
296 |
Deere & Company |
126,913 | ||||||
1,280 |
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation |
127,757 | ||||||
254,670 | ||||||||
Media — 0.6% |
||||||||
340 |
Charter Communications, Inc. - Class A (a) |
115,294 | ||||||
Miscellaneous Manufacturing — 2.0% |
||||||||
2,221 |
A.O. Smith Corporation |
127,130 | ||||||
812 |
Eaton Corporation PLC |
127,443 | ||||||
1,806 |
Textron, Inc. |
127,865 | ||||||
382,438 | ||||||||
Oil & Gas — 9.9% |
||||||||
3,067 |
APA Corporation |
143,168 | ||||||
1,176 |
ConocoPhillips |
138,768 | ||||||
5,287 |
Coterra Energy, Inc. |
129,902 | ||||||
2,172 |
Devon Energy Corporation |
133,600 | ||||||
999 |
Diamondback Energy, Inc. |
136,643 | ||||||
1,056 |
EOG Resources, Inc. |
136,773 | ||||||
3,629 |
EQT Corporation |
122,769 | ||||||
994 |
Hess Corporation |
140,969 | ||||||
4,905 |
Marathon Oil Corporation |
132,778 | ||||||
1,202 |
Marathon Petroleum Corporation |
139,901 | ||||||
2,068 |
Occidental Petroleum Corporation |
130,263 | ||||||
1,312 |
Phillips 66 |
136,553 | ||||||
604 |
Pioneer Natural Resources Company |
137,948 | ||||||
1,120 |
Valero Energy Corporation |
142,083 | ||||||
1,902,118 | ||||||||
Oil & Gas Services — 0.8% |
||||||||
3,891 |
Halliburton Company |
153,111 | ||||||
Packaging & Containers — 0.7% |
||||||||
3,608 |
WestRock Company |
126,857 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
9
Point Bridge America First ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
Shares |
Security Description |
Value |
||||||
COMMON STOCKS — 99.8% (Continued) |
||||||||
Pharmaceuticals — 2.0% |
||||||||
783 |
AmerisourceBergen Corporation |
$ | 129,751 | |||||
1,656 |
Cardinal Health, Inc. |
127,297 | ||||||
356 |
Eli Lilly & Company |
130,239 | ||||||
387,287 | ||||||||
Pipelines — 2.8% |
||||||||
7,421 |
Kinder Morgan, Inc. |
134,172 | ||||||
2,038 |
ONEOK, Inc. |
133,896 | ||||||
1,886 |
Targa Resources Corporation |
138,621 | ||||||
3,973 |
Williams Companies, Inc. |
130,712 | ||||||
537,401 | ||||||||
Real Estate — 3.9% |
||||||||
867 |
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. |
126,296 | ||||||
1,116 |
Camden Property Trust |
124,858 | ||||||
7,319 |
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
117,470 | ||||||
435 |
Public Storage |
121,883 | ||||||
5,863 |
Vornado Realty Trust |
122,009 | ||||||
4,113 |
Weyerhaeuser Company |
127,503 | ||||||
740,019 | ||||||||
Retail — 6.0% |
||||||||
887 |
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. |
130,416 | ||||||
53 |
AutoZone, Inc. (a) |
130,708 | ||||||
3,061 |
Bath & Body Works, Inc. |
128,991 | ||||||
909 |
Dollar Tree, Inc. (a) |
128,569 | ||||||
404 |
Home Depot, Inc. |
127,607 | ||||||
641 |
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. |
127,713 | ||||||
588 |
Tractor Supply Company |
132,282 | ||||||
884 |
Walmart, Inc. |
125,342 | ||||||
1,006 |
Yum! Brands, Inc. |
128,848 | ||||||
1,160,476 | ||||||||
Semiconductors — 0.6% |
||||||||
1,707 |
Microchip Technology, Inc. |
119,917 | ||||||
Shipbuilding — 0.7% |
||||||||
555 |
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. |
128,027 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
10
Point Bridge America First ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
Shares |
Security Description |
Value |
||||||
COMMON STOCKS — 99.8% (Continued) |
||||||||
Software — 1.3% |
||||||||
1,083 |
Paychex, Inc. |
$ | 125,151 | |||||
412 |
Paycom Software, Inc. (a) |
127,848 | ||||||
252,999 | ||||||||
Telecommunications — 0.6% |
||||||||
484 |
Motorola Solutions, Inc. |
124,732 | ||||||
Transportation — 4.6% |
||||||||
4,121 |
CSX Corporation |
127,669 | ||||||
751 |
FedEx Corporation |
130,073 | ||||||
722 |
JB Hunt Transport Services, Inc. |
125,888 | ||||||
531 |
Norfolk Southern Corporation |
130,849 | ||||||
443 |
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. |
125,715 | ||||||
613 |
Union Pacific Corporation |
126,934 | ||||||
728 |
United Parcel Service, Inc. - Class B |
126,555 | ||||||
893,683 | ||||||||
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS (Cost $17,218,146) |
19,193,406 | |||||||
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS — 0.1% |
||||||||
12,800 |
First American Government Obligations Fund - Class X, 4.09% (b) |
12,800 | ||||||
TOTAL SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (Cost $12,800) |
12,800 | |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS — 99.9% (Cost $17,230,946) |
19,206,206 | |||||||
Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities — 0.1% |
13,488 | |||||||
NET ASSETS — 100.0% |
$ | 19,219,694 |
Percentages are stated as a percent of net assets. | |
(a) |
Non-income producing security. |
(b) |
Rate shown is the annualized seven-day yield as of December 31, 2022. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
11
Point Bridge America First ETF
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited)
ASSETS |
||||
Investments in securities, at value (Cost $17,230,946) |
$ | 19,206,206 | ||
Cash |
116 | |||
Receivable for capital shares sold |
960,985 | |||
Dividends and interest receivable |
22,201 | |||
Total assets |
20,189,508 | |||
LIABILITIES |
||||
Payable for securities purchased |
958,719 | |||
Management fees payable |
11,095 | |||
Total liabilities |
969,814 | |||
NET ASSETS |
$ | 19,219,694 | ||
Net Assets Consist of: |
||||
Paid-in capital |
$ | 18,988,836 | ||
Total distributable earnings (accumulated deficit) |
230,858 | |||
Net assets |
$ | 19,219,694 | ||
Net Asset Value: |
||||
Net assets |
$ | 19,219,694 | ||
Shares outstanding^ |
500,000 | |||
Net asset value, offering and redemption price per share |
$ | 38.44 |
^ |
No par value, unlimited number of shares authorized. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
12
Point Bridge America First ETF
Statement of Operations
For the Six-Months Ended December 31, 2022 (Unaudited)
INCOME |
||||
Dividends |
$ | 195,851 | ||
Interest |
513 | |||
Total investment income |
196,364 | |||
EXPENSES |
||||
Management fees |
58,341 | |||
Total expenses |
58,341 | |||
Net investment income (loss) |
138,023 | |||
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS |
||||
Net realized gain (loss) on investments |
86,614 | |||
Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments |
1,144,354 | |||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments |
1,230,968 | |||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
$ | 1,368,991 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
13
Point Bridge America First ETF
Statements of
Changes in Net Assets
Six-Months
Ended |
Year
Ended |
|||||||
OPERATIONS |
||||||||
Net investment income (loss) |
$ | 138,023 | $ | 188,000 | ||||
Net realized gain (loss) on investments |
86,614 | 317,573 | ||||||
Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments |
1,144,354 | (751,776 | ) | |||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
1,368,991 | (246,203 | ) | |||||
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS |
||||||||
Net distributions to shareholders |
(242,140 | ) | (95,679 | ) | ||||
Total distributions to shareholders |
(242,140 | ) | (95,679 | ) | ||||
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS |
||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold |
3,851,203 | 4,757,977 | ||||||
Payments for shares redeemed |
(981,690 | ) | (1,871,287 | ) | ||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions (a) |
2,869,513 | 2,886,690 | ||||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets |
$ | 3,996,364 | $ | 2,544,808 | ||||
NET ASSETS |
||||||||
Beginning of period/year |
$ | 15,223,330 | $ | 12,678,522 | ||||
End of period/year |
$ | 19,219,694 | $ | 15,223,330 |
(a) |
Summary of capital share transactions is as follows: |
Shares |
Shares |
|||||||
Shares Sold |
100,000 | 125,000 | ||||||
Shares Redeemed |
(25,000 | ) | (50,000 | ) | ||||
Net increase (decrease) |
75,000 | 75,000 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
14
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Point Bridge America First ETF
Financial Highlights
For a capital share outstanding throughout each period/year
Net asset value, beginning of period/year |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: |
Net investment income (loss) (2) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (3) |
Total from investment operations |
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS: |
Distributions from: |
Net investment income |
Net realized gains |
Total distributions to shareholders |
Net asset value, end of period/year |
Total return |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: |
Net assets at end of period/year (000’s) |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: |
Expenses to average net assets |
Net investment income (loss) to average net assets |
Portfolio turnover rate (6) |
(1) |
Commencement of operations on September 6, 2017. |
(2) |
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. |
(3) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the period, and may not reconcile with the aggregate gain (loss) in the Statement of Operations due to share transactions for the period. |
(4) |
Not annualized. |
(5) |
Annualized. |
(6) |
Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
16
Point Bridge America First ETF
Financial Highlights
For a capital share outstanding throughout each period/year (Continued)
Six-Months
|
Year
Ended |
Period
Ended |
|||||||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) |
2022 |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 (1) |
||||||||||||||||||
$ | 35.82 | $ | 36.22 | $ | 24.01 | $ | 27.39 | $ | 27.35 | $ | 25.00 | ||||||||||||
0.33 | 0.52 | 0.47 | 0.48 | 0.52 | 0.34 | ||||||||||||||||||
2.80 | (0.65 | ) | 12.51 | (3.23 | ) | 0.02 | 2.13 | ||||||||||||||||
3.13 | (0.13 | ) | 12.98 | (2.75 | ) | 0.54 | 2.47 | ||||||||||||||||
(0.51 | ) | (0.27 | ) | (0.77 | ) | (0.63 | ) | (0.50 | ) | (0.11 | ) | ||||||||||||
— | — | — | — | — | (0.01 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
(0.51 | ) | (0.27 | ) | (0.77 | ) | (0.63 | ) | (0.50 | ) | (0.12 | ) | ||||||||||||
$ | 38.44 | $ | 35.82 | $ | 36.22 | $ | 24.01 | $ | 27.39 | $ | 27.35 | ||||||||||||
8.73 | % (4) | -0.41 | % | 54.82 | % | -10.44 | % | 2.26 | % | 9.88 | % (4) | ||||||||||||
$ | 19,220 | $ | 15,223 | $ | 12,679 | $ | 8,402 | $ | 16,433 | $ | 38,978 | ||||||||||||
0.72 | % (5) | 0.72 | % | 0.72 | % | 0.72 | % | 0.72 | % | 0.72 | % (5) | ||||||||||||
1.70 | % (5) | 1.36 | % | 1.54 | % | 1.83 | % | 1.95 | % | 1.50 | % (5) | ||||||||||||
11 | % (4) | 47 | % | 68 | % | 27 | % | 37 | % | 14 | % (4) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
17
Point Bridge America First ETF
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited)
NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION
Point Bridge America First ETF (the “Fund”) is a diversified series of ETF Series Solutions (“ESS” or the “Trust”), an open-end management investment company consisting of multiple investment series, organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 9, 2012. The Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company and the offering of the Fund’s shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The investment objective of the Fund is to seek to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Point Bridge America First Index (the “Index”). The Fund commenced operations on September 6, 2017.
The end of the reporting period for the Fund is December 31, 2022, and the period covered by these Notes to Financial Statements is the six-month period from July 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022 (the “current fiscal period”).
NOTE 2 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund. These policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).
A. |
Security Valuation . All equity securities, including domestic and foreign common stocks, preferred stocks and exchange traded funds that are traded on a national securities exchange, except those listed on the Nasdaq Global Market ® , Nasdaq Global Select Market ® , and the Nasdaq Capital Market ® (collectively, “Nasdaq”), are valued at the last reported sale price on the exchange on which the security is principally traded. Securities traded on Nasdaq will be valued at the Nasdaq Official Closing Price (“NOCP”). If, on a particular day, an exchange-traded or Nasdaq security does not trade, then the mean between the most recent quoted bid and asked prices will be used. All equity securities that are not traded on a listed exchange are valued at the last sale price in the over-the-counter market. If a non-exchange traded security does not trade on a particular day, then the mean between the last quoted closing bid and asked price will be used. Prices denominated in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollar equivalents at the current exchange rate, which approximates fair value. |
18
Point Bridge America First ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
Investments in mutual funds, including money market funds, are valued at their net asset value (“NAV”) per share.
Securities for which quotations are not readily available are valued at their respective fair values in accordance with pricing procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). When a security is “fair valued,” consideration is given to the facts and circumstances relevant to the particular situation, including a review of various factors set forth in the pricing procedures adopted by the Board. The use of fair value pricing by the Fund may cause the NAV of its shares to differ significantly from the NAV that would be calculated without regard to such considerations.
As described above, the Fund utilizes various methods to measure the fair value of its investments on a recurring basis. U.S. GAAP establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuations methods. The three levels of inputs are:
Level 1 – |
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access. |
Level 2 – |
Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates and similar data. |
Level 3 – |
Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, to the extent relevant observable inputs are not available; representing the Fund’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability, and would be based on the best information available. |
The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3.
19
Point Bridge America First ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of the end of the current fiscal period:
Assets^ |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Total |
||||||||||||
Common Stocks |
$ | 19,193,406 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 19,193,406 | ||||||||
Short-Term Investments |
12,800 | — | — | 12,800 | ||||||||||||
Total Investments in Securities |
$ | 19,206,206 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 19,206,206 |
^ |
See Schedule of Investments for breakout of investments by industry group. |
During the current fiscal period, the Fund did not recognize any transfers to or from Level 3.
B. |
Federal Income Taxes . The Fund’s policy is to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. The Fund plans to file U.S. Federal and applicable state and local tax returns. |
The Fund recognizes the tax benefits of uncertain tax positions only when the position is more likely than not to be sustained. Management has analyzed the Fund’s uncertain tax positions and concluded that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits should be recorded related to uncertain tax positions. Management is not aware of any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will change materially in the next 12 months. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits on uncertain tax positions as income tax expenses in the Statement of Operations. During the current fiscal period, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties.
C. |
Security Transactions and Investment Income . Investment securities transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Gains and losses realized from investment transactions are determined on a specific identification basis. |
20
Point Bridge America First ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
Dividend income and expense is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends included in dividend income or separately disclosed, if any, are recorded at fair value of the security received.
Withholding taxes on foreign dividends, if any, have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable tax rules and regulations. Interest income and expense is recorded on an accrual basis.
Distributions received from the Fund’s investments in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) may be characterized as ordinary income, net capital gain, or a return of capital. The proper characterization of REIT distributions is generally not known until after the end of each calendar year. As such, the Fund must use estimates in reporting the character of its income and distributions received during the current calendar year for financial statement purposes. The actual character of distributions to a Fund’s shareholders will be reflected on the Form 1099 received by shareholders after the end of the calendar year. Due to the nature of REIT investments, a portion of the distributions received by a Fund’s shareholders may represent a return of capital.
D. |
Distributions to Shareholders . Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains on securities are declared and paid by the Fund on at least an annual basis. Distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. |
E. |
Use of Estimates . 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, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the current fiscal period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. |
F. |
Share Valuation . The NAV per share of the Fund is calculated by dividing the sum of the value of the securities held by the Fund, plus cash and other assets, minus all liabilities (including estimated accrued expenses) by the total number of shares outstanding of the Fund. The Fund’s shares will not be priced on the days on which the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is closed for trading. The offering and redemption price per share of the Fund is equal to the Fund’s NAV per share. |
G. |
Guarantees and Indemnifications . In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be against the Fund that have not yet occurred. However, based on experience, the Fund expects the risk of loss to be remote. |
21
Point Bridge America First ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
H. |
Reclassification of Capital Accounts . U.S. GAAP requires that certain components of net assets relating to permanent differences be reclassified between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or NAV per share and are primarily due to differing book and tax treatments for in-kind transactions. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the following table shows the reclassifications made: |
Distributable
Earnings |
Paid-In Capital |
||||||
$(553,226) | $553,226 |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Fund realized $553,226 of net capital gains resulting from in-kind redemptions, in which shareholders exchanged Fund shares for securities held by the Fund rather than for cash. Because such gains are not taxable to the Fund, and are not distributed to shareholders, they have been reclassified from distributable earnings (accumulated deficit) to paid-in capital.
I. |
Subsequent Events . In preparing these financial statements, management has evaluated events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date the financial statements were issued. There were no events or transactions that occurred during the period subsequent to the end of the current fiscal period, that materially impacted the amounts or disclosures in the Fund’s financial statements. |
NOTE 3 – COMMITMENTS AND OTHER RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Point Bridge Capital, LLC (the “Adviser”), serves as the investment adviser and index provider to the Fund. Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”) between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is also responsible for arranging, in consultation with Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), transfer agency, custody, fund administration, and all other related services necessary for the Fund to operate. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses of the Fund, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, 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
22
Point Bridge America First ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
(12b-1) fees and expenses. For services provided to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser 0.72% at an annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Adviser is paid monthly, and the Adviser is responsible for paying the Sub-Adviser.
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services” or “Administrator”), acts as the Fund’s Administrator and, in that capacity, performs various administrative and accounting services for the Fund. The Administrator prepares various federal and state regulatory filings, reports and returns for the Fund, including regulatory compliance monitoring and financial reporting; prepares reports and materials to be supplied to the trustees; monitors the activities of the Fund’s Custodian, transfer agent and fund accountant. Fund Services also serves as the transfer agent to the Fund. U.S. Bank N.A. (the “Custodian”), an affiliate of Fund Services, serves as the Fund’s Custodian.
A Trustee and all officers of the Trust are affiliated with the Administrator and Custodian.
NOTE 4 – PURCHASES AND SALES OF SECURITIES
During the current fiscal period, purchases and sales of securities by the Fund, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were $1,709,308 and $1,786,077, respectively.
During the current fiscal period, there were no purchases or sales of U.S. Government securities.
During the current fiscal period, in-kind transactions associated with creations and redemptions were $3,844,922 and $994,683, respectively.
NOTE 5 – INCOME TAX INFORMATION
The amount and character of tax basis distributions and composition of net assets, including distributable earnings (accumulated deficit) are finalized at fiscal year-end; accordingly, tax basis balances have not been determined for the current fiscal period.
23
Point Bridge America First ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
The components of distributable earnings (accumulated deficit) and cost basis of investments for federal income tax purposes as of June 30, 2022, were as follows:
Tax cost of investments |
$ | 14,549,042 | ||
Gross tax unrealized appreciation |
$ | 1,824,898 | ||
Gross tax unrealized depreciation |
(1,162,326 | ) | ||
Net tax unrealized appreciation (depreciation) |
662,572 | |||
Undistributed ordinary income |
96,787 | |||
Undistributed long-term capital gain (loss) |
— | |||
Other accumulated gain (loss) |
(1,655,352 | ) | ||
Distributable earnings (accumulated deficit) |
$ | (895,993 | ) |
The difference between the cost basis for financial statements and federal income tax purposes is primarily attributable to wash sales.
A regulated investment company may elect for any taxable year to treat any portion of any qualified late year loss as arising on the first day of the next taxable year. Qualified late year losses are certain capital and ordinary losses which occur during the portion of the Fund’s taxable year subsequent to October 31 and December 31, respectively. For the taxable year ended June 30, 2022 the Fund did not elect to defer any Post-October losses or late-year ordinary losses.
As of June 30, 2022, the Fund had a short-term capital loss carryforward of $323,385 and a long-term capital loss carryforward of $1,331,967. These amounts do not have an expiration date. During the current fiscal year, the Fund utilized $42,294 of long-term capital loss carry forward that was available as of June 30, 2021.
The tax character of distributions paid by the Fund during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2021 was $95,679 and $249,189 of ordinary income, respectively.
NOTE 6 – SHARE TRANSACTIONS
Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc (“Cboe”). Market prices for the shares may be different from their NAV. The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis at NAV generally in blocks of 25,000 shares, called “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. 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 financial institutions (“Authorized Participants”). An Authorized Participant is either (i) a broker-dealer
24
Point Bridge America First ETF
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2022 (Unaudited) (Continued)
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. Most retail investors do not qualify as Authorized Participants nor have the resources to buy and sell whole Creation Units. Therefore, they are unable to purchase or redeem shares directly from the Fund. Rather, most retail investors may purchase shares in the secondary market with the assistance of a broker and are subject to customary brokerage commissions or fees.
The Fund currently offers one class of shares, which has no front-end sales load, no deferred sales charge, and no redemption fee. A fixed transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the creation or redemption of Creation Units. The standard fixed transaction fee for the Fund is $300, payable to the Custodian. The fixed transaction fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee. In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, may be charged on all cash transactions or substitutes for Creation Units of up to a maximum of 2% as a percentage of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction. Variable fees are imposed to compensate the Fund for the transaction costs associated with the cash transactions fees. Variable fees received by the Fund, if any, are displayed in the Capital Share Transactions section of the Statements of Changes in Net Assets. The Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest, with no par value. Shares of the Fund have equal rights and privileges.
NOTE 7 – RISK
Covid-19 Risk. The recent global outbreak of COVID-19 has disrupted economic markets and the prolonged economic impact is uncertain. The operational and financial performance of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests depends on future developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak, and such uncertainty may in turn impact the value of the Fund’s investments.
25
Point Bridge America First ETF
Expense Example
For the Six-Months Ended December 31, 2022 (Unaudited)
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This example is 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 funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire six-month period as indicated in the below Expense Example Table.
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table provides information about actual account values based on actual returns and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. 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 in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period’’ to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values based on a hypothetical return and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratios and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual returns. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as brokerage commissions paid on purchases and sales of Fund shares. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. If these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
Beginning
|
Ending
|
Expenses
| |
Actual |
$ 1,000.00 |
$ 1,087.30 |
$3.79 |
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses) |
$ 1,000.00 |
$ 1,021.58 |
$3.67 |
(1) |
The dollar amounts shown as expenses paid during the period are equal to the annualized expense ratio, 0.72%, multiplied by the average account value during the period, multiplied by 184/365, to reflect the one-half year period. |
26
Point Bridge America First ETF
Review of Liquidity Risk Management Program
(Unaudited)
Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Trust, on behalf of the series of the Trust covered by this shareholder report (the “Series”), has adopted a liquidity risk management program to govern the Trust’s approach to managing liquidity risk. Rule 22e-4 seeks to promote effective liquidity risk management, thereby reducing the risk that a fund will be unable to meet its redemption obligations and mitigating dilution of the interests of fund shareholders. The Trust’s liquidity risk management program is tailored to reflect the Series’ particular risks, but not to eliminate all adverse impacts of liquidity risk, which would be incompatible with the nature of such Series.
The investment adviser to the Series has adopted and implemented its own written liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) tailored specifically to assess and manage the liquidity risk of the Series.
At a recent meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Trustees received a report pertaining to the operation, adequacy, and effectiveness of implementation of the Program for the period ended December 31, 2021. The report concluded that the Program is reasonably designed to assess and manage the Series’ liquidity risk and has operated adequately and effectively to manage such risk. The report reflected that there were no liquidity events that impacted the Series’ ability to timely meet redemptions without dilution to existing shareholders. The report further noted that no material changes have been made to the Program since its implementation.
There can be no assurance that the Program will achieve its objectives in the future. Please refer to the prospectus for more information regarding the Series’ exposure to liquidity risk and other principal risks to which an investment in the Series may be subject.
27
Point Bridge America First ETF
Approval of Advisory Agreement & Board Considerations
(Unaudited)
Pursuant to Section 15(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), at a meeting held on July 21, 2022 (the “Meeting”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of ETF Series Solutions (the “Trust”) approved the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between Point Bridge Capital, LLC (the “Adviser”) and the Trust, on behalf of Point Bridge American First ETF (the “Fund”).
Prior to the Meeting, the Board, including the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” of any party thereto, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed written materials (the “Materials”), including information from the Adviser regarding, among other things: (i) the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser; (ii) the historical performance of the Fund; (iii) the cost of the services provided and the profits realized by the Adviser from services rendered to the Fund; (iv) comparative fee and expense data for the Fund and other investment companies with similar investment objectives, including a report prepared by Barrington Partners, an independent third party, that compares the Fund’s investment performance, fees and expenses to relevant market benchmarks and peer groups (the “Barrington Report”); (v) the extent to which any economies of scale realized by the Adviser in connection with its services to the Fund are shared with Fund shareholders; (vi) any other financial benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates resulting from services rendered to the Fund; and (vii) other factors the Board deemed to be relevant.
The Board also considered that the Adviser, along with other service providers of the Fund, had provided written and oral updates on the firm over the course of the year with respect to its role as investment adviser to the Fund, and the Board considered that information alongside the Materials in its consideration of whether the Advisory Agreement should be continued. Additionally, a representative from the Adviser provided an oral overview of the Fund’s strategy, the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser, and additional information about the Adviser’s personnel and business operations. The Board then discussed the Materials and the Adviser’s oral presentation, as well as any other relevant information received by the Board at the Meeting and at prior meetings, and deliberated on the approval of the continuation of the Advisory Agreement in light of this information.
Approval of the Continuation of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser
Nature, Extent, and Quality of Services Provided . The Trustees considered the scope of services provided under the Advisory Agreement, noting that the Adviser had provided and would continue to provide investment management services to the Fund. In considering the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser, the Board considered the quality of the Adviser’s compliance program and past reports from the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) regarding the CCO’s review of the Adviser’s compliance program. The Board also considered its previous experience with the Adviser providing investment management services to the Fund. The Board noted that it had received a copy of the Adviser’s registration form and financial statements, as well as the Adviser’s response to a
28
Point Bridge America First ETF
Approval of Advisory Agreement & Board Considerations
(Unaudited) (Continued)
detailed series of questions that included, among other things, information about the Adviser’s decision-making process, the background and experience of the firm’s key personnel, and the firm’s compliance policies, marketing practices, and brokerage information.
The Board also considered other services provided by the Adviser to the Fund, including oversight of the Fund’s sub-adviser, monitoring the Fund’s adherence to its investment restrictions and compliance with the Fund’s policies and procedures and applicable securities regulations, as well as monitoring the extent to which the Fund achieves its investment objective as a passively-managed fund. Additionally, the Board considered that the Adviser serves as index provider to the Fund, and the Fund tracks an index created by the Adviser and based on the Adviser’s intellectual property.
Historical Performance . The Trustees next considered the Fund’s performance. The Board noted that, for each of the one-year, three-year, and since inception periods ended March 31, 2022, the Fund’s performance on a gross of fees basis (i.e., excluding the effect of fees and expenses on Fund performance) was generally consistent with the performance of its underlying index, indicating that the Fund tracked its underlying index closely and in an appropriate manner. The Board also noted that the Fund outperformed its broad-based benchmark, the S&P 500 Total Return Index, for the one-year period but underperformed the same benchmark for the three-year and since inceptions periods. However, the Board noted that the S&P 500 Total Return Index provides an indication of the performance of U.S. large-cap companies, while the Fund’s objective is to track its underlying index, which tracks the performance of U.S. companies whose employees and political action committees are highly supportive of Republican Candidates and Committees (as defined by the index).
The Board observed that additional information regarding the Fund’s past investment performance, for periods ended March 31, 2022, had been included in the Materials, including the Barrington Report, which compared the performance results of the Fund with the returns of a group of ETFs selected by Barrington Partners as most comparable (the “Peer Group”) as well as with funds in the Fund’s Morningstar category – U.S. Fund Large Value (the “Category Peer Group”). Additionally, at the Board’s request, the Adviser identified the funds the Adviser considered to be the Fund’s most direct competitors (the “Selected Peer Group”) and provided the Selected Peer Group’s performance results. The funds included by the Adviser in the Selected Peer Group include funds that state they invest fund assets in accordance with conservative political views. The Board took into consideration that the Adviser did not select funds with religious based investment strategies and many of the newly launched funds with strategies based on conservative political themes are actively managed funds.
The Board noted that, for the one-year and three-year periods ended March 31, 2022, the Fund significantly outperformed the median return of its Peer Group and Category Peer Group. The Board also considered that the Fund had better performance than all of the funds in the Selected Peer Group for the one-year period.
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Point Bridge America First ETF
Approval of Advisory Agreement & Board Considerations
(Unaudited) (Continued)
Cost of Services Provided and Economies of Scale . The Board then reviewed the Fund’s fees and expenses. The Board took into consideration that the Adviser had charged, and would continue to charge, a “unified fee,” meaning the Fund pays no expenses other than the advisory fee and, if applicable, certain other costs such as interest, brokerage, acquired fund fees and expenses, extraordinary expenses, and, to the extent it is implemented, fees pursuant to a Distribution and/or Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) Plan. The Board noted that the Adviser had been and would continue to be responsible for compensating the Trust’s other service providers and paying the Fund’s other expenses out of the Adviser’s own fee and resources.
The Board noted that the Fund’s net expense ratio was equal to its unified fee (described above). The Board compared the Fund’s net expense ratio to those of its Peer Group and Category Peer Group, as shown in the Barrington Report, as well as its Selected Peer Group. The Board noted that the Fund’s net expense ratio was higher than the median net expense ratio, but within the range, of the funds in the Peer Group and lower than the median net expense ratio of the Category Peer Group. In addition, the Board noted that the Fund’s net expense ratio was within the range of net expense ratios of the funds in its Selected Peer Group.
The Board then considered the Adviser’s financial resources and information regarding the Adviser’s ability to support its management of the Fund and obligations under the unified fee arrangement, noting that the Adviser had provided its financial statements for the Board’s review. The Board also evaluated the compensation and benefits received by the Adviser from its relationship with the Fund, taking into account an analysis of the Adviser’s profitability with respect to the Fund at various actual and projected Fund asset levels.
The Board expressed the view that it currently appeared that the Adviser might realize economies of scale in managing the Fund as assets grow in size. The Board noted that, should the Adviser realize economies of scale in the future, the Board would evaluate whether those economies were appropriately shared with Fund shareholders, whether through the structure and amount of the fee or by other means.
Conclusion . No single factor was determinative of the Board’s decision to approve the continuation of the Advisory Agreement; 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, unanimously determined that the Advisory Agreement, including the compensation payable under the agreement, was fair and reasonable to the Fund. The Board, including the Independent Trustees, unanimously determined that the approval of the continuation of the Advisory Agreement was in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.
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Point Bridge America First ETF
Federal Tax Information
(Unaudited)
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, certain dividends paid by the Fund may be subject to a maximum tax rate of 23.8%, as provided for the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003.
The percent of dividends declared from ordinary income designated as qualified dividend income was 100.00%.
For the corporate shareholders, the percent of ordinary income distributions qualifying for the corporate dividends received deducted for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 was 100.00%.
The percentage of taxable ordinary income distributions that are designated as short-term capital gain distributions under Internal Revenue Section 871(k)(2)(c) was 0.00%.
Information
About Portfolio Holdings
(Unaudited)
The Fund files its complete schedules of portfolio holdings for its first and third fiscal quarters with the SEC on Part F of Form N-PORT. The Fund’s Part F of Form N-PORT is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free at (800) 617-0004.
Furthermore, you may obtain Part F of Form N-PORT on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or the Fund’s website at www.investpolitically.com . The Fund’s portfolio holdings are posted on its website at www.investpolitically.com daily.
Information
About Proxy Voting
(Unaudited)
A description of the policies and procedures the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is provided in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). The SAI is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free at (800) 617-0004, by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by accessing the Fund’s website at www.investpolitically.com .
When available, information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the twelve-months ending June 30 is available by calling toll-free at (800) 617-0004 or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov .
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Point Bridge America First ETF
Information About the Fund’s Trustees
(Unaudited)
The SAI includes additional information about the Fund’s Trustees and is available without charge, upon request, by calling (800) 617-0004 or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by accessing the Fund’s website at www.investpolitically.com .
Frequency
Distribution of Premiums and Discounts
(Unaudited)
Information regarding how often shares of the Fund trade on an exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available, without charge, on the Fund’s website at www.investpolitically.com.
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Adviser and Index Provider
Point
Bridge Capital, LLC
300 Throckmorton Street, Suite 1550
Fort Worth,
Texas 76102
Sub-Adviser
Vident
Investment Advisory, LLC
1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515
Alpharetta,
Georgia 30009
Distributor
Foreside
Fund Services, LLC
Three Canal Plaza
Portland, Maine 04101
Custodian
U.S.
Bank National Association
1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
Transfer Agent
U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
53202
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Cohen
& Company, Ltd.
342 North Water Street, Suite 830
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin 53202
Legal Counsel
Morgan,
Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
20004-2541
Point
Bridge America First ETF
Symbol – MAGA
CUSIP – 26922A628