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 |