AltShares Trust

ADVISED BY WATER ISLAND CAPITAL

AltShares Trust Annual Report

May 31, 2023

AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF
(NYSE Arca, Inc. Symbol: ARB)

AltShares Event-Driven ETF
(NYSE Arca, Inc. Symbol: EVNT)


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Shareholder Letter

   

1

   

AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF

     

Manager Commentary

   

3

   

Portfolio Information

   

5

   

Portfolio of Investments

   

8

   

AltShares Event-Driven ETF

 

 

Manager Commentary

   

17

   

Portfolio Information

   

19

   

Portfolio of Investments

   

22

   

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

   

31

   

Statement of Operations

   

32

   

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

   

33

   

Financial Highlights

     

AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF

   

35

   

AltShares Event-Driven ETF

   

36

   

Notes to Financial Statements

   

37

   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   

54

   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

   

56

   

Additional Information

   

58

   

Approval of Investment Advisory Agreement

   

59

   

Liquidity Risk

   

64

   

Trustees & Officers

   

65

   

AltShares Trust ETF Funds  Shareholder Letter

May 31, 2023 (Unaudited)

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

The fiscal year ending May 31, 2023, marked yet another challenging 12 months for both event-driven strategies and broader credit and equity markets. We continued to witness heightened volatility over the period, as many of the same challenges we discussed in our letter one year ago remain – such as the Russia/Ukraine conflict and the Federal Reserve's ("Fed") fight to tame inflation with interest rate hikes. We also saw new hazards emerge, such as a regional banking crisis that led to the failures of multiple large regional banks in the U.S. and yet another battle over the U.S. federal government's debt ceiling in Congress.

Within our event-driven universe, regulatory headwinds persisted throughout the course of the year, as antitrust regulators around the globe attempted to block several large transactions, in turn driving sympathetic volatility in deal spreads throughout the merger arbitrage universe. At times, we have found the logic behind the regulators' recent cases to be perplexing – particularly in the U.S., where the Department of Justice ("DOJ") and the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") have sought to block deals, in our opinion, based on novel legal theories with little basis in historical precedent or antitrust law.

While the FTC and DOJ have succeeded in causing some companies to abandon their planned tie-ups rather than pursue costly litigation, and their actions may have had a chilling effect on future mergers and acquisitions ("M&A") in certain sensitive industries or by large acquirers, the regulatory pendulum may be starting to swing back to the other side. At this point, of the cases that have gone to trial, the FTC and DOJ under the Biden administration have lost more than they have won, and we believe acquirers may increasingly take a bolder stance in fighting regulatory objections. Furthermore, within the ranks of agency staff, there has been considerable brain drain, which may be a result of skepticism regarding the current regime's approach. In the past two years, for example, senior-level attorneys at the FTC have departed the agency at the fastest rate since 2000, which could make future enforcement actions more challenging.

While we are cognizant of the challenges that remain, amidst this environment, we believe the return opportunities in merger arbitrage are compelling. Volatility and rising interest rates are bolstering wider deal spreads, which have reached average levels we haven't seen since the Global Financial Crisis. According to Dealogic data, the average day-one spread (i.e., the spread the day after deal announcement) of pending deals as of May 31, 2023, exceeded 12% – more than double the rate just 12 months prior. And while M&A deal flow has slowed somewhat, with deal volumes in 2023 declining from the already subdued levels of the second half of 2022, activity still remains above pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to Refinitiv and PwC data – providing plentiful event-driven investment opportunities.

As the Fed gets closer to its goal of combating inflation and interest rates begin to stabilize, we anticipate business leaders will increasingly seek to drive growth through strategic M&A, spurring further consolidation activity. Furthermore, financial acquisitions continue to comprise a large segment of M&A activity, and private equity firms remain flush with cash, with approximately $2.5 trillion on their books waiting to be deployed. All told, we believe the opportunity in the merger arbitrage space remains quite attractive. For our broader event-driven portfolio, given ongoing volatility, we expect to maintain our focus on these and other hard catalyst investments given their more definitive timelines and outcomes, introducing select soft catalyst investments – which typically have greater sensitivity to broader market moves – only when we believe the

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
1


AltShares Trust ETF Funds  Shareholder Letter (continued)

May 31, 2023 (Unaudited)

potential reward outweighs the potential risk and when we can construct appropriate risk mitigation strategies.

Sincerely,
The Investment Team

Water Island Capital

The discussion of market trends and companies throughout this commentary are not intended as advice to any person regarding the advisability of investing in any particular security. Some of our comments are based on current management expectations and are considered "forward-looking statements." Actual future results, however, may prove to be different from our expectations. Our views are a reflection of our best judgment at the time of the commentary and are subject to change any time based on market and other conditions, and we have no obligation to update them.

Glossary

Deal Flow: The volume of announced mergers and acquisitions activity.

Deal Spread (also "merger spread" or "spread"): The difference between the price at which a target company's shares currently trade and the price an acquiring company has agreed to pay, which forms the rate of return in a merger arbitrage investment.

Global Financial Crisis: A period of severe stress in global financial markets and banking systems between mid-2007 and early 2009.

Hard Catalysts: Situations with more defined potential outcomes and higher probabilities of reaching a successful conclusion.

Soft Catalysts: Situations with less defined potential outcomes and relatively lower probabilities of reaching a successful conclusion.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
2


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Manager Commentary

May 31, 2023 (Unaudited)

AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF

Fiscal Year Highlights

For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2023, AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF returned -0.95% at net asset value ("NAV") and -1.07% at market price, net of fees. The Fund's underlying index, the Water Island Merger Arbitrage USD Hedged index, returned 1.99% gross for the same period. The Fund realized positive contribution from deals in both the European and Asia-Pacific regions, while the Americas region detracted from returns on the whole. On a sector basis, industrials and health care were the primary contributors to returns, while financials and information technology were the top detractors.

The Fund may utilize derivatives to implement position-level hedges or currency hedges. During the fiscal year, the Fund's investments in derivative instruments contributed to returns. Derivative performance was in line with expectations given prevailing market conditions over the period.

The Fund's top contributor for the period was its investment in the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk. In April 2022, Elon Musk – CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and one of the richest people in the world – launched an unsolicited bid to personally acquire the 91% of U.S. social media company Twitter that he did not already own for $54.20 per share in cash. Musk put together a financing package combining commitments from a group of banks led by Morgan Stanley and private equity firms with his own personal assets, including loans backed by his holdings in Tesla stock. Musk's commitment to the deal seemingly wavered in line with the fortunes of Tesla shares, which traded down significantly after Twitter's board agreed to the transaction. Musk's capriciousness led to significant volatility in the deal spread, as he attempted to back out of the deal and Twitter filed suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery to enforce the original merger agreement. Rather than undergo litigation, Musk ultimately capitulated and agreed to close the deal on its original terms. The Fund was rewarded when the deal was completed in calendar Q4 2022.

The second-largest contributor for the fiscal year was the Fund's position in the acquisition of Avast by NortonLifeLock. In July 2021, Avast – a Czech Republic-based software developer of cybersecurity and antivirus products – agreed to be acquired by NortonLifeLock – a U.S.-based software developer of security, storage, and systems management solutions – for $7.2 billion in cash and stock. This transaction experienced volatility in the deal spread due to regulatory concerns, with the UK's antitrust regulator – the Competition Markets Authority ("CMA") – concluding there was potential the merger could reduce competition and extending its probe into a second phase. Ultimately, however, the CMA approved the transaction, which closed successfully in September 2022, leading to gains for the Fund.

Conversely, the top detractor in the portfolio was the Fund's position in the acquisition of First Horizon by Toronto-Dominion Bank ("TD"). In February 2022, First Horizon – a regional bank based in Tennessee that operates throughout the Southeast U.S. – agreed to be acquired by TD – a Canada-based multinational banking and financial services corporation – for $13.4 billion in cash. While First Horizon was not directly connected to Silicon Valley Bank, the company's shares were a casualty of indiscriminate selling across the U.S. regional banking industry following the news of Silicon Valley Bank's failure. This, combined with an extended regulatory review in Canada as well as rumors of a potential price cut, pressured the deal's spread. As the regional banking crisis continued to unfold, leading to the additional failures of Signature Bank and First Republic, volatility in First Horizon shares escalated. Eventually, in May 2023, when no progress had been made on the antitrust review front, First Horizon and TD mutually agreed to terminate the merger due to "uncertainty" as to when the deal might gain the lagging regulatory approvals.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
3


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Manager Commentary (continued)

May 31, 2023 (Unaudited)

The second-largest detractor for the period was the Fund's position in the acquisition of Rogers by DuPont de Nemours ("DuPont"). In November 2021, Rogers – a U.S.-based manufacturer and seller of specialty polymer composite materials and components – agreed to be acquired by DuPont – a U.S.-based provider of chemicals, plastic materials, fibers, and consumer products – for $5.3 billion in cash. This transaction experienced an extended regulatory review at the State Administration for Market Regulation ("SAMR") in China. In November 2022, when the deal's termination date was reached with SAMR approval still outstanding, DuPont opted to walk away rather than agree to extend the timeline. This caught many arbitrageurs by surprise, as the companies had jointly reaffirmed their commitment to the merger and achieving a resolution with SAMR just two months prior, and the ensuing selling pressure as event-driven investors exited en masse led to losses for the Fund.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
4


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio Information

May 31, 2023

Performance (annualized returns as of May 31, 2023)

Net asset value ("NAV") represents the value of each share's portion of the Fund's underlying net assets (including cash) at the end of the trading day. Market price represents the mid-point between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the listing exchange, as of the time that the Fund's NAV is calculated (usually 4:00 pm Eastern time).

    One
Year
  Five
Year
  Ten
Year
  Since
Inception
 

AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF* NAV Returns

   

-0.95

%

   

     

     

2.09

%

 

AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF* Market Price Returns

   

-1.07

%

   

     

     

2.07

%

 

ICE BofA 3-Month Treasury Bill Index

   

3.14

%

   

     

     

1.10

%

 

Water Island Merger Arbitrage USD Hedged Index

   

1.99

%

   

     

     

3.60

%

 

* Fund inception: 5/7/2020.

Current performance may be lower or higher than performance quoted above. Any performance data quoted represents past performance and the investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns shown above include the reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains. Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from the amount reported in the Financial Highlights. The performance data does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. The performance data reflects fee waivers in effect at the time. If fee waivers were not in place, the performance depicted would be lower.You can obtain performance data current to the most recent month-end by calling 1-855-955-1607.

The Total Annual Fund Operating Expense ratio for the Fund is 0.76%. The expense ratio is as stated in the current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratio disclosed in the financial highlights in this report. Water Island Capital, LLC, the Fund's adviser ("Adviser"), has voluntarily agreed to reduce the Fund's advisory fee from 0.75% to 0.55% when the Fund's assets are under $100 million and to 0.65% when the Fund's assets are $100 million or more but less than $200 million. This voluntary arrangement may be eliminated by the Adviser at any time. A contractual fee waiver of 0.20% was in effect from January 31, 2022 to September 30, 2022.

The ICE BofA U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index (formerly named, ICE BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index) tracks the performance of the U.S. dollar denominated U.S. Treasury Bills publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market with a remaining term to final maturity of less than 3 months.

The Water Island Merger Arbitrage USD Hedged Index ("Underlying Index") is comprised of securities of U.S. and foreign companies of any market capitalization, which may from time to time include small and medium capitalization companies.

An investor may not invest directly in an index.

AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF Risks: Investments are subject to risk, including possible loss of principal. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund is non-diversified and is expected to be concentrated in certain industries and sectors to the same

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
5


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio Information (continued)

May 31, 2023

extent as the Underlying Index and may be more sensitive to market or other developments that significantly affect those industries.

The Fund uses investment techniques with risks that are different from those ordinarily associated with equity investments. Such risks include merger arbitrage risk (in that the proposed reorganizations in which the Fund invests maybe renegotiated or terminated, in which case the Fund may realize losses) and short sale risk (in that the Fund will suffer a loss if it sells a security short and the value of the security rises rather than falls). Short sales by the Fund theoretically involve unlimited loss potential since the market price of securities sold short may continuously increase.

The Fund may invest in derivatives (such as forwards, futures including foreign forward currency contracts, options and swaps), which may cause the Fund to be susceptible to credit risk and currency fluctuations. Derivatives may be more sensitive to changes in market conditions and may amplify the risk of loss for the Fund. The Fund may experience high portfolio turnover which could result in higher transaction costs and taxes.

Shares of the Fund may be bought or sold throughout the day at their market price on the exchange on which they are listed. The market price of fund shares may be at, above, or below their NAV and will fluctuate with changes in the NAV as well as with supply and demand in the market for the shares. The market price of fund shares may differ significantly from their NAV during periods of market volatility. Shares of the Fund may only be redeemed directly with the Fund at NAV by Authorized Participants, in large creation units. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained or that their listing will continue or remain unchanged. Buying or selling fund shares on an exchange may require the payment of brokerage commissions and frequent trading may incur brokerage costs that detract significantly from investment returns.

Growth of $10,000 Investment

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the shares of the Fund. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

  

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
6


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio Information (continued)

May 31, 2023

Sector Weighting

The following chart shows the sector weightings of the AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF's investments (including short sales and excluding derivatives) as of the report date.

* Concentration Risk: The Fund may invest a large portion of its assets in securities of issuers in a single industry to approximately the same extent that the Fund's Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of the same industry. During such a period of concentration, the Fund may be subject to greater volatility with respect to its portfolio securities than a fund that is more broadly diversified.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
7


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments

May 31, 2023

   

Shares

 

Value

 

COMMON STOCKS - 94.88%

 

Aerospace & Defense - 2.05%

 

Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc.(a)

   

22,260

   

$

1,212,725

   

Airlines - 1.78%

 

Spirit Airlines, Inc.

   

69,440

     

1,056,182

   

Banks - 4.38%

 

First Horizon Corp.(b)

   

126,497

     

1,304,184

   

Home Capital Group, Inc.

   

25,102

     

803,449

   

Lakeland Bancorp, Inc.

   

37,357

     

486,015

   
     

2,593,648

   

Biotechnology - 20.57%

 

BELLUS Health, Inc.(a)

   

150,398

     

2,197,315

   

CTI BioPharma Corp.(a)

   

181,380

     

1,641,489

   

Horizon Therapeutics Plc(a)

   

21,371

     

2,137,741

   

IVERIC bio, Inc.(a)(c)

   

58,393

     

2,204,336

   

Prometheus Biosciences, Inc.(a)

   

11,253

     

2,235,971

   

Seagen, Inc.(a)(c)

   

9,031

     

1,767,366

   
     

12,184,218

   

Chemicals - 2.07%

 

Diversey Holdings Ltd.(a)

   

147,544

     

1,229,041

   

Computers & Computer Services - 0.62%

 

Ordina N.V.

   

60,406

     

365,455

   

Distribution/Wholesale - 4.83%

 

Uni-Select, Inc.(a)

   

35,145

     

1,209,816

   

Univar Solutions, Inc.(a)(c)

   

46,333

     

1,650,382

   
     

2,860,198

   

Diversified Financial Services - 3.42%

 

Focus Financial Partners, Inc., Class A(a)

   

23,432

     

1,220,573

   

Numis Corp. Plc

   

194,381

     

806,404

   
     

2,026,977

   

Electronics - 2.74%

 

National Instruments Corp.(c)

   

28,040

     

1,620,712

   

Engineering & Construction - 0.62%

 

Sureserve Group Plc

   

236,668

     

365,796

   

Food - 1.84%

 

Albertsons Cos., Inc., Class A(c)

   

53,678

     

1,092,884

   

Healthcare - Products - 0.30%

 

NuVasive, Inc.(a)(c)

   

4,717

     

180,001

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
8


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

   

Shares

 

Value

 

COMMON STOCKS - 94.88% (Continued)

 

Healthcare - Services - 3.71%

 

Syneos Health, Inc.(a)(c)

   

52,791

   

$

2,196,106

   

Home Furnishings - 1.47%

 

iRobot Corp.(a)(c)

   

24,610

     

872,424

   

Insurance - 0.24%

 

Curtis Banks Group Plc

   

36,064

     

144,904

   

Iron/Steel - 0.65%

 

Kloeckner & Co. SE

   

37,293

     

384,274

   

Machinery - Diversified - 3.10%

 

Xylem, Inc.

   

18,327

     

1,836,401

   

Media - 1.36%

 

Telenet Group Holding N.V.

   

37,750

     

804,195

   

Mining - 3.70%

 

Arconic Corp.(a)

   

75,835

     

2,192,390

   

Miscellaneous Manufacturing - 0.70%

 

va-Q-tec AG(a)

   

16,893

     

415,309

   

Office Furnishings - 0.83%

 

Kimball International, Inc., Class B

   

40,042

     

492,517

   

Oil & Gas - 1.29%

 

Ranger Oil Corp., Class A

   

20,872

     

767,046

   

Pharmaceuticals - 2.13%

 

Heska Corp.(a)

   

10,528

     

1,260,517

   

Pipelines - 5.56%

 

DCP Midstream LP(a)

   

29,747

     

1,237,178

   

Magellan Midstream Partners LP(a)(c)

   

34,201

     

2,059,242

   
     

3,296,420

   

Real Estate - 1.39%

 

Radius Global Infrastructure, Inc., Class A(a)

   

55,802

     

825,870

   

Real Estate Investment Trusts - 3.94%

 

Indus Realty Trust, Inc.

   

5,494

     

366,999

   

Industrials REIT Ltd.

   

177,303

     

367,226

   

Life Storage, Inc.(c)

   

8,270

     

1,053,516

   

Ready Capital Corp.

   

19,114

     

193,240

   

Urstadt Biddle Properties, Inc., Class A

   

18,129

     

350,796

   
     

2,331,777

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
9


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

   

Shares

 

Value

 

COMMON STOCKS - 94.88% (Continued)

 

Retail - 4.83%

 

Franchise Group, Inc.

   

55,758

   

$

1,622,558

   

Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc.

   

57,676

     

1,235,996

   
     

2,858,554

   

Software - 14.15%

 

Cvent Holding Corp.(a)

   

144,305

     

1,225,149

   

EMIS Group Plc

   

47,516

     

788,494

   

ForgeRock, Inc., Class A(a)

   

40,586

     

816,996

   

Meltwater N.V.(a)

   

193,577

     

313,903

   

Momentive Global, Inc.(a)(c)

   

87,200

     

824,912

   

Qualtrics International, Inc., Class A(a)(c)

   

90,420

     

1,634,794

   

SimCorp A/S

   

11,754

     

1,218,145

   

VMware, Inc., Class A(a)(c)

   

11,457

     

1,561,475

   
     

8,383,868

   

Telecommunications - 0.00%

 

GCI Liberty, Inc.(d)

   

2,728

     

   

Transportation - 0.61%

 

U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc., Class A(a)

   

59,836

     

363,803

   
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS
(Cost $59,117,234)
   

56,214,212

   

   

Yield

 

Shares

 

Value

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS - 4.81%

 

Money Market Funds

 
Morgan Stanley Institutional
Liquidity Funds - Government
Portfolio
   

4.997

%(e)

   

1,425,170

   

$

1,425,170

   
State Street Institutional U.S.
Government Money Market
Fund, Premier Class
   

5.129

%(e)

   

1,425,170

     

1,425,170

   
             

2,850,340

   
TOTAL SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
(Cost $2,850,340)
   

2,850,340

   
Total Investments - 99.69%
(Cost $61,967,574)
   

59,064,552

   

Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities - 0.31%(f)

   

180,868

   

NET ASSETS - 100.00%

 

$

59,245,420

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
10


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

Portfolio Footnotes

(a)​  Non-income-producing security.

(b)​  Underlying security for a written/purchased call/put option.

(c)​  Security, or a portion of security, is being held as collateral for short sales, swaps or forward foreign currency exchange contracts. At May 31, 2023, the aggregate fair market value of those securities was $ 14,409,092 representing 24.32% of net assets.

(d)​  Security fair valued using significant unobservable inputs and classified as a Level 3 security. As of May 31, 2023, the total fair market value of these securities was $0, representing 0.0% of net assets.

(e)​  Rate shown is the 7-day effective yield as of May 31, 2023.

(f)​  Includes cash held as collateral for short sales.


WRITTEN OPTIONS
  Expiration
Date
  Exercise
Price
  Notional
Amount
 

Contracts

 

Value

 

Written Call Options

 

First Horizon Corp.

 

06/2023

 

$

11.00

   

$

(206,200

)

   

(200

)

 

$

(5,000

)

 
   

06/2023

   

12.00

     

(420,648

)

   

(408

)

   

(3,060

)

 
   

06/2023

   

13.00

     

(51,500

)

   

(50

)

   

0

   
TOTAL WRITTEN OPTIONS
(Premiums received $46,365)
 

$

(8,060

)

 

EQUITY SWAP CONTRACTS

Swap
Counterparty/
Payment
Frequency
  Reference
Obligation
  Rate
Paid/
Received
by the
Fund
  Termination
Date
  Upfront
Payments
Made
  Upfront
Payments
Received
  Market
Value
  Notional
Amount
  Unrealized
Appreciation
 
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  Extra
Space
Storage,
Inc.
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-4.680%)
 





05/06/2024
 

$

   

$

   

$

130,768

   

USD

1,198,510

   

$

130,768

   
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  Globus
Medical,
Inc.
 
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-4.680%)
 





05/06/2024
   

     

     

12,519

   

USD

203,976

     

12,519

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
11


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

Swap
Counterparty/
Payment
Frequency
  Reference
Obligation
  Rate
Paid/
Received
by the
Fund
  Termination
Date
  Upfront
Payments
Made
  Upfront
Payments
Received
  Market
Value
  Notional
Amount
  Unrealized
Appreciation
 
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  HNI
Corp.
 
 
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-4.680%)
 





05/06/2024
 

$

1,041

   

$

   

$

5,165

   

USD

138,020

   

$

6,206

   
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  ONEOK,
Inc.
 
 
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-4.680%)
 





05/06/2024
   

     

     

42,887

   

USD

1,335,414

     

42,887

   
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  Provident
Financial
Services,
Inc.
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-4.680%)
 





05/06/2024
   

169

     

     

72,360

   

USD

576,137

     

72,529

   
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  Ready
Capital
Corp.
 
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
58 bps
(-4.500%)
 





05/06/2024
   

     

     

8,312

   

USD

201,413

     

8,312

   
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  Regency
Centers
Corp.
 
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-4.680%)
 





05/06/2024
   

     

     

1,875

   

USD

355,814

     

1,875

   
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  Xylem,
Inc.
 
 
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-5.080%)
 





05/06/2024
   

     

     

18,058

   

USD

1,854,223

     

18,058

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
12


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

Swap
Counterparty/
Payment
Frequency
  Reference
Obligation
  Rate
Paid/
Received
by the
Fund
  Termination
Date
  Upfront
Payments
Made
  Upfront
Payments
Received
  Market
Value
  Notional
Amount
  Unrealized
Appreciation
 
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
  Baytex
Energy
Corp.
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
CORRA
Minus
169 bps
(-2.810%)
 




03/07/2025
 

$

   

$

   

$

25,996

   

CAD

704,386

   

$

25,996

   
                       

$

317,940

           

$

319,150

   
Swap
Counterparty/
Payment
Frequency
  Reference
Obligation
  Rate
Paid/
Received
by the
Fund
  Termination
Date
  Upfront
Payments
Made
  Upfront
Payments
Received
  Market
Value
  Notional
Amount
  Unrealized
Depreciation
 
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
Termination
 
 
  Broadcom,
Inc.
 
 
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-4.680%)
 





05/06/2024
 

$

   

$

   

$

(292,774

)

 

USD

873,113

   

$

(292,774

)

 

OUTSTANDING FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS

Currency
Purchased
 

Currency Sold

 

Counterparty

  Settlement
Date
  Unrealized
Appreciation
 

CAD

5,697,970

   

USD

4,171,056

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

 

$

27,737

   

USD

1,630,662

   

CAD

2,193,220

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

14,494

   

USD

1,326,179

   

DKK

9,028,700

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

29,057

   

EUR

76,000

   

USD

81,161

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

135

   

USD

4,048,773

   

EUR

3,705,720

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

84,795

   

GBP

808,800

   

USD

994,576

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

11,804

   

USD

720,878

   

GBP

575,600

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

4,667

   

USD

542,938

   

NOK

5,697,000

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

29,376

   
   

$

202,065

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
13


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

Currency
Purchased
 

Currency Sold

 

Counterparty

  Settlement
Date
  Unrealized
Depreciation
 

CAD

2,965,900

   

USD

2,209,905

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

 

$

(24,354

)

 

USD

6,731,690

   

CAD

9,204,210

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

(50,825

)

 

DKK

389,500

   

USD

56,320

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

(361

)

 

EUR

1,686,810

   

USD

1,847,158

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

(42,792

)

 

GBP

131,300

   

USD

165,852

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

(2,476

)

 

USD

3,289,096

   

GBP

2,689,500

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

(57,417

)

 

NOK

2,212,600

   

USD

208,038

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

(8,581

)

 
   

$

(186,806

)

 

The following is a summary of investments classified by country exposure:

Country

 

% of Net Assets(a)

 

United States

   

82.49

%

 

Canada

   

7.11

%

 

United Kingdom

   

4.17

%

 

Denmark

   

2.06

%

 

Belgium

   

1.36

%

 

Germany

   

1.35

%

 

Netherlands

   

1.15

%

 

Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities

   

0.31

%

 
     

100.00

%

 

(a)​  These percentages represent long positions only and are not net of short positions.

Abbreviations:

AG - Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e., owned by shareholders.

A/S - Aktieselskab is a Danish term for a stock-based corporation.

bps - Basis Points. 100 Basis Points is equal to 1 percentage point.

CAD - Canadian dollar

CORRA - Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average

DKK - Danish krone

EUR - Euro

GBP - British pound

LP - Limited Partnership

Ltd. - Limited

NOK - Norwegian krone

N.V. - Naamloze Vennootschap is the Dutch term for a public limited liability corporation.

Plc - Public Limited Company

REIT - Real Estate Investment Trust

SE - SE Regulation. A European Company which can operate on a Europe-wide basis and be governed by Community law directly applicable in all Member States

USD - United States Dollar

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
14


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

The following table summarizes AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF's investments and derivative financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy as of May 31, 2023:

Investments in Securities at Fair Value*

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

 

Assets

 

Common Stocks

Aerospace & Defense

 

$

1,212,725

   

$

   

$

   

$

1,212,725

   

Airlines

   

1,056,182

     

     

     

1,056,182

   

Banks

   

2,593,648

     

     

     

2,593,648

   

Biotechnology

   

12,184,218

     

     

     

12,184,218

   

Chemicals

   

1,229,041

     

     

     

1,229,041

   

Computers & Computer Services

   

365,455

     

     

     

365,455

   

Distribution/Wholesale

   

2,860,198

     

     

     

2,860,198

   

Diversified Financial Services

   

2,026,977

     

     

     

2,026,977

   

Electronics

   

1,620,712

     

     

     

1,620,712

   

Engineering & Construction

   

365,796

     

     

     

365,796

   

Food

   

1,092,884

     

     

     

1,092,884

   

Healthcare - Products

   

180,001

     

     

     

180,001

   

Healthcare - Services

   

2,196,106

     

     

     

2,196,106

   

Home Furnishings

   

872,424

     

     

     

872,424

   

Insurance

   

144,904

     

     

     

144,904

   

Iron/Steel

   

384,274

     

     

     

384,274

   

Machinery - Diversified

   

1,836,401

     

     

     

1,836,401

   

Media

   

804,195

     

     

     

804,195

   

Mining

   

2,192,390

     

     

     

2,192,390

   

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

   

415,309

     

     

     

415,309

   

Office Furnishings

   

492,517

     

     

     

492,517

   

Oil & Gas

   

767,046

     

     

     

767,046

   

Pharmaceuticals

   

1,260,517

     

     

     

1,260,517

   

Pipelines

   

3,296,420

     

     

     

3,296,420

   

Real Estate

   

825,870

     

     

     

825,870

   

Real Estate Investment Trusts

   

2,331,777

     

     

     

2,331,777

   

Retail

   

2,858,554

     

     

     

2,858,554

   

Software

   

7,558,956

     

824,912

     

     

8,383,868

   

Telecommunications

   

     

     

0

     

0

   

Transportation

   

363,803

     

     

     

363,803

   

Short-Term Investments

   

2,850,340

     

     

     

2,850,340

   

TOTAL

 

$

58,239,640

   

$

824,912

   

$

0

   

$

59,064,552

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
15


AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

Other Financial Instruments**

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

 

Assets

 
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange
Contracts
 

$

   

$

202,065

   

$

   

$

202,065

   

Equity Swaps

   

317,940

     

     

     

317,940

   

Liabilities

 

Written Options

   

(8,060

)

   

     

     

(8,060

)

 
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange
Contracts
   

     

(186,806

)

   

     

(186,806

)

 

Equity Swaps

   

(292,774

)

   

     

     

(292,774

)

 

TOTAL

 

$

17,106

   

$

15,259

   

$

   

$

32,365

   

*  Refer to Note 2 where leveling hierarchy is defined.

**  Other financial instruments are instruments such as written options, securities sold short, equity swaps and forward foreign currency exchange contracts.

The following is a reconciliation of the fair valuations using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the Fund's assets and liabilities during the period ended May 31, 2023:

Investments
in Securities
  Balance as of
May 31, 2022
  Realized
Gain
(Loss)
  Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Purchases

  Sales
Proceeds
  Transfers
out of
Level 3
  Balance as of
May 31, 2023
  Net change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
from
investments
still held
as of
May 31, 2023
 

Common Stock

 

$

   

$

   

$

   

$

0

   

$

   

$

   

$

0

   

$

   

Total

 

$

   

$

   

$

   

$

0

   

$

   

$

   

$

0

   

$

   

The following table summarizes the quantitative inputs used for investments categorized as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy as of May 31, 2023:

Investments in
Securities
  Fair Value at
May 31, 2023
  Valuation
Technique
  Unobservable
Input
  Range of
Values
  Weighted
Average
 
Common Stocks
 
 

$

0
  Value of
future recovery
  Value of
future recovery
 

$

0
 
 

$

0.00
 
 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
16


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Manager Commentary

May 31, 2023 (Unaudited)

AltShares Event-Driven ETF

Fiscal Year Highlights

For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2023, AltShares Event-Driven ETF returned -1.47% at NAV and -1.57% at market price, net of fees. The European region contributed to returns, while the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions detracted from returns. On a sector basis, the top contributors for the period were energy and industrials, while financials and communication services detracted the most from returns.

The Fund may utilize derivatives for several purposes, primarily to implement position-level hedges, portfolio-level hedges, or currency hedges. During the fiscal year, the Fund's investments in derivative instruments contributed to returns. Derivative performance was in line with expectations given prevailing market conditions over the period.

The Fund's top contributor for the period was its investment in Nvidia. Nvidia is a U.S.-based designer of graphics processing units, systems on a chip, other semiconductors, and artificial intelligence hardware and software for a variety of use cases including mobile, desktop, server, and automotive environments. The company posted solid financials despite weaker data center revenues stemming from flagging demand in China. We remain positive on Nvidia based on what we view as an underappreciated transformation from a traditional PC graphics chip vendor into a supplier for the high-end gaming, enterprise graphics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and automotive markets. Furthermore, the company has a strong balance sheet and is flush with nearly $13.5 billion in cash that may be deployed in a range of catalysts such as strategic acquisitions, investment in growth initiatives, or distribution to shareholders.

The second-largest contributor for the fiscal year was the Fund's position in the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk. In April 2022, Elon Musk – CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and one of the richest people in the world – launched an unsolicited bid to personally acquire the 91% of U.S. social media company Twitter that he did not already own for $54.20 per share in cash. Musk put together a financing package combining commitments from a group of banks led by Morgan Stanley and private equity firms with his own personal assets, including loans backed by his holdings in Tesla stock. Musk's commitment to the deal seemingly wavered in line with the fortunes of Tesla shares, which traded down significantly after Twitter's board agreed to the transaction. Musk's capriciousness led to significant volatility in the deal spread, as he attempted to back out of the deal and Twitter filed suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery to enforce the original merger agreement. Rather than undergo litigation, Musk ultimately capitulated and agreed to close the deal on its original terms. Our analysis of the strength of the merger agreement (and thus Musk's likelihood of losing in court) gave us the confidence to maintain exposure to this deal throughout its life. Volatility throughout the deal timeline allowed us to trade around the spread and add exposure at attractive rates of return, and the Fund was rewarded when the deal was completed in calendar Q4 2022.

Conversely, the top detractor in the portfolio was the Fund's position in Cano Health. Cano is a medical provider specializing in primary care centers for senior citizens. The company has been very consistent in its messaging that it is open to considering all strategic alternatives which would allow it to accelerate shareholder value creation, including a sale. CVS Healthcare had been rumored to be a potential bidder, though later reports claimed CVS had backed away from a deal, which led to widespread selling by event-driven shareholders. While the headlines do not preclude a takeout at a later date or by a different acquirer, for the time being, attention on the stock has shifted back toward its ability to self-fund its growth aspirations.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
17


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Manager Commentary (continued)

May 31, 2023 (Unaudited)

The second-largest detractor for the period was the Fund's position in the acquisition of Rogers by DuPont de Nemours. In November 2021, Rogers – a U.S.-based manufacturer and seller of specialty polymer composite materials and components – agreed to be acquired by DuPont – a U.S.-based provider of chemicals, plastic materials, fibers, and consumer products – for $5.3 billion in cash. This transaction experienced an extended regulatory review at the State Administration for Market Regulation ("SAMR") in China. In November 2022, when the deal's termination date was reached with SAMR approval still outstanding, DuPont opted to walk away rather than agree to extend the timeline. This caught many arbitrageurs by surprise, as the companies had jointly reaffirmed their commitment to the merger and to achieving a resolution with SAMR just two months prior. Speculation around DuPont's reasons for walking away and year-end tax-loss harvesting drove event-driven investors to exit their positions en masse, which exacerbated the price reaction of Rogers shares, leading them to trade at depressed levels – well under what we believed to be a fair valuation. We opted to follow our deal break protocol and wait for more normalized trading levels, seeking to unwind our position in an orderly fashion. While we were rewarded as Rogers shares traded nearly 37% higher during calendar Q1 2023, overall, the deal break remained a top detractor for the Fund.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
18


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio Information

May 31, 2023

Performance (annualized returns as of May 31, 2023)

Net asset value ("NAV") represents the value of each share's portion of the Fund's underlying net assets (including cash) at the end of the trading day. Market price represents the mid-point between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the listing exchange, as of the time that the Fund's NAV is calculated (usually 4:00 pm Eastern time).

    One
Year
  Five
Year
  Ten
Year
  Since
Inception
 

AltShares Event-Driven ETF* NAV Returns

   

-1.47

%

   

5.93

%

   

     

3.76

%

 

AltShares Event-Driven ETF* Market Price Returns

   

-1.57

%

   

5.93

%

   

     

3.76

%

 

ICE BofA 3-Month Treasury Bill Index

   

3.14

%

   

1.49

%

   

     

1.11

%

 

Standard & Poor's 500 Index®

   

2.92

%

   

11.01

%

   

     

10.71

%

 

* Fund inception: 12/31/2014 (the inception date of the Predecessor Mutual Fund).

Current performance may be lower or higher than performance quoted above. Any performance data quoted represents past performance and the investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns shown above include the reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains. Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from the amount reported in the Financial Highlights. The performance data does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. You can obtain performance data current to the most recent month-end by calling 1-855-955-1607.

The Total Annual Fund Operating Expense ratio for the Fund is 1.53%. The expense ratio is as stated in the current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratio disclosed in the financial highlights in this report. Inception of the Predecessor Mutual Fund is used for since inception returns. Performance for periods prior to May 12, 2019, does not reflect the Fund's current investment strategy. The performance of the Predecessor Mutual Fund reflects fee waivers that were in effect (Note 5). If fee waivers had not been in place, the performance depicted for the Predecessor Mutual Fund would have been reduced.

The ICE BofA U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index (formerly named, ICE BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index) tracks the performance of the U.S. dollar denominated U.S. Treasury Bills publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market with a remaining term to final maturity of less than 3 months.

The Standard and Poor's 500, or simply the S&P 500, is a stock market index tracking the performance of 500 large companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The S&P 500 is not intended to, and does not, parallel the risk or investment style of the Fund's investment strategy.

An investor may not invest directly in an index.

The Fund has adopted the performance history and assumed the financial information of its Predecessor Mutual Fund, the Water Island Long/Short Fund. The financial information shown is for the Predecessor Mutual Fund for the periods prior to September 20, 2021, the inception date of the Fund. (Note 1)

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
19


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio Information (continued)

May 31, 2023

AltShares Event-Driven ETF Risks: Investments are subject to risk, including possible loss of principal. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund is non-diversified and is expected to be concentrated in certain industries and sectors and may be more sensitive to market or other developments that significantly affect those industries.

The Fund uses investment techniques with risks that are different from those ordinarily associated with equity investments. Such risks include merger arbitrage risk (in that the proposed reorganizations in which the Fund invests maybe renegotiated or terminated, in which case the Fund may realize losses) and short sale risk (in that the Fund will suffer a loss if it sells a security short and the value of the security rises rather than falls). Short sales by the Fund theoretically involve unlimited loss potential since the market price of securities sold short may continuously increase.

The Fund may invest in derivatives (such as forwards, futures including foreign forward currency contracts, options and swaps), which may cause the Fund to be susceptible to credit risk and currency fluctuations. Derivatives may be more sensitive to changes in market conditions and may amplify the risk of loss for the Fund. The Fund may experience high portfolio turnover which could result in higher transaction costs and taxes.

Shares of the Fund may be bought or sold throughout the day at their market price on the exchange on which they are listed. The market price of fund shares may be at, above, or below their NAV and will fluctuate with changes in the NAV as well as with supply and demand in the market for the shares. The market price of fund shares may differ significantly from their NAV during periods of market volatility. Shares of the Fund may only be redeemed directly with the Fund at NAV by Authorized Participants, in large creation units. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained or that their listing will continue or remain unchanged. Buying or selling fund shares on an exchange may require the payment of brokerage commissions and frequent trading may incur brokerage costs that detract significantly from investment returns.

Growth of $10,000 Investment

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the shares of the Fund. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

  

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
20


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio Information (continued)

May 31, 2023

Sector Weighting

The following chart shows the sector weightings of the AltShares Event Driven ETF's investments (including short sales and excluding derivatives) as of the report date.

* Concentration Risk: If a large percentage of mergers or event-driven investment opportunities taking place within the U.S. are within one industry over a given period of time, the Fund may invest a large portion of its assets in securities of issuers in a single industry for that period of time. During such a period of concentration, the Fund may be subject to greater volatility with respect to its portfolio securities than a fund that is more broadly diversified.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
21


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments

May 31, 2023

   

Shares

 

Value

 

COMMON STOCKS - 93.75%

 

Aerospace & Defense - 3.68%

 

Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc.(a)

   

1,874

   

$

102,095

   

Banks - 4.95%

 

First Horizon Corp.(b)

   

10,094

     

104,069

   

Home Capital Group, Inc., Class B

   

1,032

     

33,032

   
     

137,101

   

Biotechnology - 18.25%

 

Amarin Corp. Plc, ADR(a)

   

9,842

     

11,515

   

Aura Biosciences, Inc.(a)(c)

   

5,664

     

64,117

   

BELLUS Health, Inc.(a)

   

2,812

     

41,083

   

CTI BioPharma Corp.(a)

   

1,023

     

9,258

   

Horizon Therapeutics Plc(a)

   

1,244

     

124,437

   

IVERIC bio, Inc.(a)

   

1,500

     

56,625

   

Prometheus Biosciences, Inc.(a)

   

382

     

75,904

   

Seagen, Inc.(a)

   

374

     

73,192

   

VectivBio Holding AG(a)

   

3,000

     

49,650

   
     

505,781

   

Chemicals - 2.79%

 

Diversey Holdings Ltd.(a)

   

9,280

     

77,302

   

Coal - 0.26%

 

Arch Resources, Inc.

   

71

     

7,338

   

Commercial Services - 1.50%

 

Block, Inc.(a)(c)

   

234

     

14,131

   

Moneylion, Inc.(a)(d)

   

375

     

4,178

   

PayPal Holdings, Inc.(a)(c)

   

374

     

23,184

   
     

41,493

   

Computers & Computer Services - 0.91%

 

Crane NXT Co.

   

482

     

25,368

   

Distribution/Wholesale - 4.41%

 

Uni-Select, Inc.(a)

   

1,124

     

38,692

   

Univar Solutions, Inc.(a)

   

2,344

     

83,493

   
     

122,185

   

Diversified Financial Services - 2.64%

 

Focus Financial Partners, Inc., Class A(a)

   

1,406

     

73,239

   

Electronics - 1.96%

 

National Instruments Corp.(c)

   

938

     

54,216

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
22


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

   

Shares

 

Value

 

COMMON STOCKS - 93.75% (Continued)

 

Entertainment - 2.34%

 

Caesars Entertainment, Inc.(a)(c)

   

1,580

   

$

64,796

   

Healthcare - Products - 0.55%

 

Globus Medical, Inc., Class A(a)(c)

   

282

     

15,265

   

Healthcare - Services - 1.50%

 

Syneos Health, Inc.(a)

   

1,000

     

41,600

   

Insurance - 1.49%

 

Argo Group International Holdings Ltd.(c)

   

1,406

     

41,210

   

Internet - 0.22%

 

Pinterest, Inc., Class A(a)(c)

   

250

     

5,985

   

Lodging - 0.75%

 

Marcus Corp. (The)(c)

   

1,352

     

20,659

   

Machinery - Construction & Mining - 1.20%

 

Bloom Energy Corp., Class A(a)(c)

   

2,428

     

33,312

   

Machinery - Diversified - 1.26%

 

Crane Co.

   

482

     

35,022

   

Media - 5.76%

 

TEGNA, Inc.

   

3,750

     

58,088

   

Warner Bros Discovery, Inc.(a)

   

1,218

     

13,739

   

Paramount Global, Class B(c)

   

468

     

7,118

   

DISH Network Corp., Class A(a)(c)

   

5,512

     

35,442

   

Walt Disney Co. (The)(a)(c)

   

516

     

45,387

   
     

159,774

   

Oil & Gas - 5.12%

 

Baytex Energy Corp.(a)

   

20,416

     

64,515

   

EQT Corp.(c)

   

1,444

     

50,208

   

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

   

234

     

13,492

   

Ranger Oil Corp., Class A

   

374

     

13,744

   
     

141,959

   

Pharmaceuticals - 6.27%

 

Bayer AG, ADR(c)

   

2,624

     

36,683

   

Heska Corp.(a)

   

468

     

56,034

   

Johnson & Johnson(c)

   

468

     

72,568

   

Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(c)

   

5,624

     

8,605

   
     

173,890

   

Pipelines - 2.81%

 

DCP Midstream LP(a)

   

1,874

     

77,940

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
23


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

   

Shares

 

Value

 

COMMON STOCKS - 93.75% (Continued)

 

Real Estate - 1.55%

 

Radius Global Infrastructure, Inc., Class A(a)

   

2,906

   

$

43,009

   

Real Estate Investment Trusts - 2.58%

 

Healthcare Realty Trust, Inc., Class A

   

1,312

     

24,416

   

Indus Realty Trust, Inc.

   

704

     

47,027

   
     

71,443

   

Retail - 1.00%

 

Foot Locker, Inc.

   

300

     

7,596

   

Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc.

   

938

     

20,101

   
     

27,697

   

Software - 18.00%

 

Absolute Software Corp.

   

2,000

     

22,420

   

Activision Blizzard, Inc.(a)(b)

   

2,812

     

225,522

   

Five9, Inc.(a)(c)

   

250

     

16,527

   

ForgeRock, Inc., Class A(a)

   

1,874

     

37,724

   

Momentive Global, Inc.(a)

   

2,812

     

26,602

   

Qualtrics International, Inc., Class A(a)

   

4,686

     

84,723

   

RingCentral, Inc., Class A(a)(c)

   

400

     

13,880

   

VMware, Inc., Class A(a)(c)

   

524

     

71,416

   
     

498,814

   
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS
(Cost $2,778,491)
   

2,598,493

   

 
 
  Maturity
Date
 

Rate

  Principal
Amount
 

Value

 

CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS - 2.41%

 

Auto Manufacturers - 0.01%

 

Lightning eMotors, Inc.(e)

 

05/15/2024

   

7.500

%

 

$

365

   

$

197

   

Healthcare - Services - 0.32%

 

UpHealth, Inc.(e)

 

06/15/2026

   

6.250

%

   

31,000

     

8,971

   

Software - 2.08%

 

Kaleyra, Inc.(e)

 

06/01/2026

   

6.125

%

   

73,000

     

57,591

   

TOTAL CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS
(Cost $104,365)
   

66,759

   
   

Shares

 

Value

 

WARRANTS(a)​ - 0.00%(f)

 

Commercial Services - 0.00%(f)

 

Moneylion, Inc., Exercise Price $11.50, Expires 09/22/2026

   

440

   

$

15

   
TOTAL WARRANTS
(Cost $0)
   

15

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
24


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

   

Shares

 

Value

 

PRIVATE INVESTMENTS(a)(d)(g)(h)​ - 0.03%

 

Fast Capital LLC

   

400

   

$

800

   
TOTAL PRIVATE INVESTMENTS
(Cost $414)
   

800

   

RIGHTS(a)​ - 0.16%

 

Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CVR, Expires 12/31/2029(d)(g)

   

2,000

     

757

   

Contra Abiomed, Inc. CVR, Expires 12/31/2030(d)

   

200

     

350

   

Contra Albireo Pharma, Inc. CVR, Expires 12/31/2027(d)(g)

   

415

     

913

   

Contra Amryt Pharma Plc CVR, Expires 12/31/2024(d)(g)

   

7,245

     

176

   

Contra Amryt Pharma Plc CVR, Expires 12/31/2024(d)(g)

   

7,245

     

118

   

Contra CinCor Pharma, Inc. CVR, Expires 12/31/2027(d)(g)

   

639

     

2,006

   
TOTAL RIGHTS
(Cost $4,154)
   

4,320

   

 
 
  Expiration
Date
  Exercise
Price
  Notional
Amount
 

Contracts

 

Value

 

PURCHASED OPTIONS - 0.04%

 

Put Options Purchased - 0.04%

 

Activision Blizzard, Inc.

 

06/2023

 

$

80.00

   

$

80,200

     

10

   

$

1,255

   
TOTAL PURCHASED OPTIONS
(Cost $2,267)
   

1,255

   

 

 

Yield

 

Shares

 

Value

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS - 3.65%

 

Money Market Funds

 
Morgan Stanley Institutional
Liquidity Funds - Government
Portfolio
   

4.997

%(i)

   

50,612

   

$

50,612

   
State Street Institutional U.S.
Government Money Market Fund
   

5.129

%(i)

   

50,613

     

50,613

   
             

101,225

   
TOTAL SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
(Cost $101,225)
   

101,225

   
Total Investments - 100.04%
(Cost $2,990,916)
   

2,772,867

   

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets - (0.04)%(j)

   

(1,037

)

 

NET ASSETS - 100.00%

 

$

2,771,830

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
25


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

Portfolio Footnotes

(a)​  Non-income-producing security.

(b)​  Underlying security for a written/purchased call/put option.

(c)​  Security, or a portion of security, is being held as collateral for swaps, short sales, written option contracts or forward foreign currency exchange contracts. At May 31, 2023, the aggregate fair market value of those securities was $534,208, representing 19.27% of net assets.

(d)​  Restricted securities (including private placements) - The Fund may own investment securities that have other legal or contractual limitations. At the end of the period, the value of restricted securities (excluding 144A issues) amounted to $9,298 or 0.34% of net assets.

Restricted Security

  Acquisition
Date
  Acquisition
Cost
 

Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CVR, Expires 12/31/2029

 

03/07/2023

 

$

740

   

Contra Abiomed, Inc. CVR, Expires 12/31/2030

 

12/21/2022

   

204

   

Contra Albireo Pharma, Inc. CVR, Expires 12/31/2027

 

01/09/2023

   

892

   

Contra Amryt Pharma Plc CVR, Expires 12/31/2024

 

04/13/2023

   

181

   

Contra Amryt Pharma Plc CVR, Expires 12/31/2024

 

04/13/2023

   

181

   

Contra CinCor Pharma, Inc. CVR, Expires 12/31/2027

 

02/23/2023

   

1,956

   

Fast Capital LLC

 

08/18/2020

   

414

   

Moneylion, Inc.

 

09/14/2021

   

92,989

   

Total

     

$

97,557

   

(e)​  Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. As of May 31, 2023, these securities had a total value of $66,759 or 2.41% of net assets.

(f)​  Less than 0.005% of net assets.

(g)​  Security fair valued using significant unobservable inputs and classified as a Level 3 security. As of May 31, 2023, the total fair market value of these securities was $4,770, representing 0.17% of net assets.

(h)​  Represents a holding that is a direct investment into a private company and is not a listed or publicly traded entity.

(i)​  Rate shown is the 7-day effective yield as of May 31, 2023.

(j)​  Includes cash held as collateral for short sales and written option contracts.

SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT

 

Shares

 

Value

 

SECURITIES SOLD SHORT - (0.14%)

 

COMMON STOCKS SOLD SHORT - (0.14%)

 

Healthcare - Products - (0.14%)

 

NuVasive, Inc.

   

(100

)

 

$

(3,816

)

 
TOTAL SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
(Proceeds $4,223)
 

$

(3,816

)

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
26


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

Expiration
WRITTEN OPTIONS
  Exercise
Date
  Notional
Price
 

Amount

 

Contracts

 

Value

 

Written Call Options

     

Activision Blizzard, Inc.

 

06/2023

 

$

90.00

   

$

(80,200

)

   

(10

)

 

$

(125

)

 

First Horizon Corp.

 
   

06/2023

   

13.00

     

(20,620

)

   

(20

)

   

0

   
   

06/2023

   

11.00

     

(61,860

)

   

(60

)

   

(1,500

)

 
   

06/2023

   

10.00

     

(41,240

)

   

(40

)

   

(2,600

)

 
   

06/2023

   

12.00

     

(77,325

)

   

(75

)

   

(563

)

 
TOTAL WRITTEN OPTIONS
(Premiums received $15,766)
 

$

(4,788

)

 

EQUITY SWAP CONTRACTS

Swap
Counterparty/
Payment
Frequency
  Reference
Obligation
  Rate
Paid/
Received
by the
Fund
  Termination
Date
  Upfront
Payments
Made
  Upfront
Payments
Received
  Market
Value
  Notional
Amount
  Unrealized
Depreciation
 
Morgan
Stanley &
Co./
Upon
 Termination
 
 
  Broadcom,
Inc.
 
 
 
 
 
  Received
1 Month-
Federal
Rate
Minus
40 bps
(-4.680%)
 





10/06/2023
 

$

   

$

   

$

(15,326

)

 

USD

36,384

   

$

(15,326

)

 

OUTSTANDING FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS

Currency
Purchased
 

Currency Sold

 

Counterparty

  Settlement
Date
  Unrealized
Appreciation
 

CAD

24,500

   

USD

17,994

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

 

$

59

   

USD

22,258

   

CAD

30,090

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

85

   
   

$

144

   
Currency
Purchased
 

Currency Sold

 

Counterparty

  Settlement
Date
  Unrealized
Depreciation
 

CAD

333,130

   

USD

248,004

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

 

$

(2,521

)

 

USD

310,681

   

CAD

424,980

   

Morgan Stanley & Co.

 

06/15/2023

   

(2,484

)

 
   

$

(5,005

)

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
27


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

The following is a summary of investments classified by country exposure:

Country

 

% of Net Assets(a)

 

United States

   

89.28

%

 

Canada

   

7.21

%

 

Switzerland

   

1.79

%

 

Germany

   

1.32

%

 

United Kingdom

   

0.44

%

 

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets

   

(0.04

)%

 
     

100.00

%

 

(a)  ​These percentages represent long positions only and are not net of short positions.

Abbreviations:

ADR - American Depositary Receipt

AG - Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e., owned by shareholders.

bps - Basis Points. 100 Basis Points is equal to 1 percentage point.

CAD - Canadian dollar

CVR - Contingent Value Rights

LLC - Limited Liability Company

LP - Limited Partnership

Ltd. - Limited

Plc - Public Limited Company

USD - United States Dollar

See Notes to Financial Statements.

www.altsharesetfs.com | 1-855-955-1607
28


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

The following table summarizes AltShares Event-Driven ETF's investments and derivative financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy as of May 31, 2023:

Investments in Securities at Fair Value*

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

 

Assets

 

Common Stocks

 

Aerospace & Defense

 

$

102,095

   

$

   

$

   

$

102,095

   

Banks

   

137,101

     

     

     

137,101

   

Biotechnology

   

505,781

     

     

     

505,781

   

Chemicals

   

77,302

     

     

     

77,302

   

Coal

   

7,338

     

     

     

7,338

   

Commercial Services

   

41,493

     

     

     

41,493

   

Computers & Computer Services

   

25,368

     

     

     

25,368

   

Distribution/Wholesale

   

122,185

     

     

     

122,185

   

Diversified Financial Services

   

73,239

     

     

     

73,239

   

Electronics

   

54,216

     

     

     

54,216

   

Entertainment

   

64,796

     

     

     

64,796

   

Healthcare - Products

   

15,265

     

     

     

15,265

   

Healthcare - Services

   

41,600

     

     

     

41,600

   

Insurance

   

41,210

     

     

     

41,210

   

Internet

   

5,985

     

     

     

5,985

   

Lodging

   

20,659

     

     

     

20,659

   

Machinery - Construction & Mining

   

33,312

     

     

     

33,312

   

Machinery - Diversified

   

35,022

     

     

     

35,022

   

Media

   

159,774

     

     

     

159,774

   

Oil & Gas

   

141,959

     

     

     

141,959

   

Pharmaceuticals

   

173,890

     

     

     

173,890

   

Pipelines

   

77,940

     

     

     

77,940

   

Real Estate

   

43,009

     

     

     

43,009

   

Real Estate Investment Trusts

   

71,443

     

     

     

71,443

   

Retail

   

27,697

     

     

     

27,697

   

Software

   

472,212

     

26,602

     

     

498,814

   

Convertible Corporate Bonds**

   

     

66,759

     

     

66,759

   

Warrants**

   

15

     

     

     

15

   

Private Investments

   

     

     

800

     

800

   

Rights

   

     

350

     

3,970

     

4,320

   

Purchased Options

   

1,255

     

     

     

1,255

   

Short-Term Investments

   

101,225

     

     

     

101,225

   

TOTAL

 

$

2,674,386

   

$

93,711

   

$

4,770

   

$

2,772,867

   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report | May 31, 2023
29


AltShares Event-Driven ETF  Portfolio of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2023

Other Financial Instruments***

 

Level 1