AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF
 
 
AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annual Report
November 30, 2021
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1-888-559-7146
 
www.newagealphaetfs.com
 
 
 
Distributed by Northern Lights Distributors, LLC
Member FINRA

 

 

Dear Shareholder,

 

This Annual Report covers the period from December 29, 2020, the launch date of our funds, to November 30, 2021, for AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF (“AVDR”) and AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF (“AVDG”).

 

We are excited to celebrate the one-year anniversary of our two exchange-traded funds. We believe both of our funds had a successful year based on their respective investment goals. The since inception returns for the period December 29, 2020 to November 30, 2021 for AVDR and the S&P 500® Index were 23.40% and 24.17%, respectively. Importantly, AVDR’s performance came with diminished overlap with the Top 10 holdings of the S&P 500®, a point that we believe our investors see as a key attribute of the Fund. Meanwhile, the since inception returns for the period December 29, 2020 to November 30, 2021 for AVDG and the S&P 500® ESG Index were 27.60% and 28.72%, respectively.

 

In our opinion, the second half of 2021 served as another strong example of the risk of human behavior. The so-called “meme stock” trend, which began in the first half of the year, only continued. In our opinion, this seemingly sudden influence held by retail investors actually had its roots in the discount brokerage “fee wars” that started years earlier. This is the nature of the risk of human behavior—it rarely follows a linear path and it’s never entirely predictable. That’s why we don’t try to pick the winners, we aim to simply avoid the losers.

 

New Age Alpha is ushering in a new age of asset management by applying an actuarial-based approach to investment portfolios. Using principles modeled on those used by the insurance industry, we build portfolio solutions, indexes, and tools that aim to identify and avoid a mispricing risk caused by human behavior. Historically, investors have sought to obtain an information advantage when making trades. However, with the democratization of information, that advantage has been arbitraged away. Yet the investing public has not adapted. We recognized this failure and decided to use well-established principles of probability theory in our investment methodology. The result is investment solutions that aim to avoid overpriced stocks in a portfolio — losers.

 

Please find additional information about your investment(s) on the following pages. You’ll also find that our website www.newagealphaetfs.com is a great resource.

 

We look forward to continuing our partnership with you and helping your portfolio avoid the losers by seeing risk differently.

 

The New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap Leading 50 IndexSM is part of the index family offered by New Age Alpha, LLC. The New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap Leading 50 IndexSM consists of 50 U.S. stocks in the S&P 500® as ranked by the combination of Human Factor score (“HF”), and other rules-based criteria as defined by the index methodology.

 

The New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap ESG IndexSM is part of the index family offered by New Age Alpha, LLC. The New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap ESG IndexSM consists of 50 U.S. stocks in the Refinitiv U.S. Total Return Index as ranked by the combination of ESG score, Human Factor score (“HF”), and other rules-based criteria as defined by the Index methodology.

 

The S&P 500® Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. It is not an exact list of the top 500 U.S. companies by market capitalization, because there are other criteria to be included in the index. The index is widely regarded as the best gauge of large-cap U.S. equities.

1

 

The S&P 500® ESG Index is a broad-based, market-cap-weighted index that is designed to measure the performance of securities meeting sustainability criteria, while maintaining similar overall industry group weights as the S&P 500®. In a total return index, changes in the index level reflect both movements in stock prices and the reinvestment of dividend income.

 

6064-NL-01182022   |   CC: NAA10242A   |   SKU: 10114

2

 

AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF
Portfolio Review (Unaudited)
November 30, 2021

 

The Fund’s Investment objective is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses correspond generally to the performance of the New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap ESG Index℠.

 

Averge Annual Total Return through November 30, 2021*, as compared to its benchmarks:

 

  Since
  Inception****
AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF (NAV) 27.60%
AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF (Market Price) 27.60%
S&P 500® ESG Index ** 27.25%
New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap ESG Index℠ *** 28.72%

 

* The performance data quoted is historical. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. The principal value and investment return of an investment will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or on the redemptions of Fund shares. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual operating expenses for the Fund (excluding (i) interest; (ii) taxes; (iii) brokerage fees and commissions; (iv) other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business; (v) dividend expense on short sales; and (vi) indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses (if any)) do not exceed 0.60% of the average daily net assets of the Fund through December 31, 2022 (the “Expense Limitation”). The Expense Limitation is expected to continue from year to year thereafter. The Fund’s total gross operating expenses, per the most recent prospectus is 0.90% and the net operating expense is 0.60%.

 

The Fund’s per share net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of the Fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing exchange traded fund shares. The NAV return is based on the NAV of the Fund and the market return is based on the market price per share of the Fund. The price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of the Fund are listed for trading, as of the time that the Fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested in the Fund at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

 

** The S&P® 500 ESG Index is a broad based, market-cap-weighted index that is designed to measure the performance of securities meeting environmental, good corporate governance, and sustainability criteria, while maintaining similar overall industry group weights as the S&P 500® Index.

 

*** The New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap ESG Index℠ consists of the top 50 stocks (and REITs) in the ESG Selection Universe (comprised of the 600 stocks with the largest free-float market-capitalization with a minimum of $10 million six-month average daily trading value and a minimum stock price of $3.00 in the Refinitiv U.S. Total Return Index) as ranked by using the H-Factor Score, ESG rating provided by Refinitiv®, and other rules-based criteria as defined by the ESG Index methodology.

 

**** Inception date is December 29, 2020.

 

Comparison of the Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment

 

(LINE GRAPH)

 

    % of Net         % of Net  
Portfolio Composition as of November 30, 2021   Assets     Top Ten Holdings as of November 30, 2021   Assets  
Technology     37.7 %   Microsoft Corporation     12.5 %
Consumer Discretionary     16.4 %   Amazon.com, Inc.     12.4 %
Consumer Staples     13.8 %   NVIDIA Corporation     11.0 %
Health Care     11.8 %   Adobe, Inc.     4.5 %
Financials     7.3 %   Johnson & Johnson     4.4 %
Energy     3.5 %   Walmart, Inc.     4.4 %
Industrials     3.2 %   JPMorgan Chase & Company     3.8 %
Materials     2.7 %   PepsiCo, Inc.     3.0 %
Real Estate     1.9 %   Chevron Corporation     2.9 %
Utilities     1.2 %   Intel Corporation     2.8 %
Other assets in excess of liabilities     0.5 %            
      100.0 %            

 

Please refer to the Schedule of Investments in this annual report for a detailed listing of the Fund’s holdings.

3

 

AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF
Portfolio Review (Unaudited)
November 30, 2021

 

The Fund’s Invesment objective is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses correspond generally to the performance of the New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap Leading 50 Index℠.

 

Averge Annual Total Return through November 30, 2021*, as compared to its benchmarks:

 

  Since
  Inception****
AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF (NAV) 23.40%
AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF (Market Price) 23.36%
S&P® 500 Index ** 24.17%
New Age Alpha U.S Large-Cap Leading 50 Index℠ *** 24.05%

 

* The performance data quoted is historical. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. The principal value and investment return of an investment will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or on the redemptions of Fund shares. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual operating expenses for the Fund (excluding (i) interest; (ii) taxes; (iii) brokerage fees and commissions; (iv) other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business; (v) dividend expense on short sales; and (vi) indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses (if any)) do not exceed 0.60% of the average daily net assets of the Fund through December 31, 2022 (the “Expense Limitation”). The Expense Limitation is expected to continue from year to year thereafter. The Fund’s total gross operating expenses, per the most recent prospectus is 0.90% and the net operating expense is 0.60%.

 

The Fund’s per share net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of the Fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing exchange traded fund shares. The NAV return is based on the NAV of the Fund and the market return is based on the market price per share of the Fund. The price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of the Fund are listed for trading, as of the time that the Fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested in the Fund at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

 

** The S&P® 500 Index, is a market capitalization-weighted index of 500 widely held common stocks. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

 

*** The New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap Leading 50 Index℠ consists of the top 50 U.S. stocks in the S&P 500® Index as ranked by using the H-Factor Score and other rules-based criteria as defined by the Large-Cap Index methodology.

 

**** Inception date is December 29, 2020.

 

Comparison of the Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment

 

(LINE GRAPH)

 

    % of Net         % of Net  
Portfolio Composition as of November 30, 2021   Assets     Top Ten Holdings as of November 30, 2021   Assets  
Technology     32.7 %   NVIDIA Corporation     2.3 %
Health Care     12.3 %   Apple, Inc.     2.2 %
Consumer Discretionary     9.8 %   Costco Wholesale Corporation     2.2 %
Financials     9.6 %   West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.     2.2 %
Consumer Staples     8.2 %   Lam Research Corporation     2.2 %
Communications     7.6 %   Digital Realty Trust, Inc.     2.1 %
Industrials     6.0 %   Micron Technology, Inc.     2.1 %
Real Estate     4.1 %   Amazon.com, Inc.     2.1 %
Utilities     3.9 %   Waste Management, Inc.     2.1 %
Materials     3.6 %   Intuit, Inc.     2.1 %
Other assets in excess of liabilities     2.2 %            
      100.0 %            

 

Please refer to the Schedule of Investments in this annual report for a detailed listing of the Fund’s holdings.

4

 

AVDR US LARGECAP ESG ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
November 30, 2021

 

Shares         Fair Value  
        COMMON STOCKS — 99.5%        
        Consumer Discretionary - 16.4%        
  89     Amazon.com, Inc.(a)   $ 312,129  
  392     Carnival Corporation(a)     6,907  
  513     General Motors Company(a)     29,687  
  49     Hasbro, Inc.     4,749  
  246     Lowe’s Companies, Inc.     60,169  
              413,641  
        Consumer Staples - 13.8%        
  636     Altria Group, Inc.     27,119  
  194     Archer-Daniels-Midland Company     12,069  
  72     Hershey Company (The)     12,779  
  117     Kellogg Company     7,158  
  478     PepsiCo, Inc.     76,375  
  543     Philip Morris International, Inc.     46,665  
  165     Target Corporation     40,234  
  301     Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.     13,485  
  792     Walmart, Inc.     111,379  
              347,263  
        Energy - 3.5%        
  657     Chevron Corporation     74,156  
  840     Kinder Morgan, Inc.     12,986  
              87,142  
        Financials - 7.3%        
  680     Citigroup, Inc.     43,316  
  114     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     43,433  
  610     JPMorgan Chase & Company     96,886  
              183,635  
        Health Care - 11.8%        
  598     AbbVie, Inc.     68,937  
  111     Agilent Technologies, Inc.     16,750  
  84     Anthem, Inc.     34,123  
  456     CVS Health Corporation     40,611  
  45     Humana, Inc.     18,887  
  718     Johnson & Johnson     111,958  
                 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

5

 

AVDR US LARGECAP ESG ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
November 30, 2021

 

Shares         Fair Value  
        COMMON STOCKS — 99.5% (Continued)        
        Health Care - 11.8% (Continued)        
  419     Viatris, Inc.   $ 5,158  
              296,424  
        Industrials - 3.2%        
  201     3M Company     34,178  
  46     Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.     6,558  
  25     United Rentals, Inc.(a)     8,469  
  144     Waste Management, Inc.     23,136  
  63     Xylem, Inc.     7,630  
              79,971  
        Materials - 2.7%        
  76     Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.     21,845  
  498     Freeport-McMoRan, Inc.     18,466  
  279     Newmont Corporation     15,323  
  82     PPG Industries, Inc.     12,642  
              68,276  
        Real Estate - 1.9%        
  111     CBRE Group, Inc., Class A(a)     10,608  
  255     Prologis, Inc.     38,441  
              49,049  
        Technology - 37.7%        
  168     Adobe, Inc.(a)     112,535  
  147     Automatic Data Processing, Inc.     33,941  
  97     Cadence Design Systems, Inc.(a)     17,214  
  397     HP, Inc.     14,006  
  1,432     Intel Corporation     70,454  
  950     Microsoft Corporation     314,061  
  845     NVIDIA Corporation     276,112  
  84     S&P Global, Inc.     38,281  
  321     Texas Instruments, Inc.     61,751  
  55     Verisk Analytics, Inc.     12,368  
              950,723  
        Utilities - 1.2%        
  63     American Water Works Company, Inc.     10,620  
  131     Edison International     8,552  
                 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

6

 

AVDR US LARGECAP ESG ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
November 30, 2021

 

Shares         Fair Value  
        COMMON STOCKS — 99.5% (Continued)        
        Utilities - 1.2% (Continued)        
  189     Xcel Energy, Inc.   $ 12,045  
              31,217  
                 
        TOTAL COMMON STOCKS (Cost $2,354,726)     2,507,341  
                 
        TOTAL INVESTMENTS - 99.5% (Cost $2,354,726)   $ 2,507,341  
        OTHER ASSETS IN EXCESS OF LIABILITIES- 0.5%     12,875  
        NET ASSETS - 100.0%   $ 2,520,216  

 

(a) Non-income producing security.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

7

 

AVDR US LARGECAP LEADING ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
November 30, 2021

 

Shares         Fair Value  
        COMMON STOCKS — 99.7%        
        Communications - 7.6%        
  226     Alphabet, Inc., Class C(a)   $ 643,883  
  15,880     Fox Corporation, Class A     567,075  
  1,907     Meta Platforms, Inc., Class A(a)     618,745  
  973     Netflix, Inc.(a)     624,569  
              2,454,272  
        Consumer Discretionary - 9.8%        
  2,611     Advance Auto Parts, Inc.     576,300  
  196     Amazon.com, Inc.(a)     687,386  
  8,655     Bath & Body Works, Inc.     650,250  
  3,773     NIKE, Inc., Class B     638,543  
  120     NVR, Inc.(a)     627,041  
              3,179,520  
        Consumer Staples - 8.2%        
  1,339     Costco Wholesale Corporation     722,230  
  4,619     Procter & Gamble Company (The)     667,815  
  2,479     Target Corporation     604,479  
  4,739     Walmart, Inc.     666,446  
              2,660,970  
        Energy - 1.9%        
  10,456     ONEOK, Inc.     625,687  
                 
        Financials - 9.6%        
  724     BlackRock, Inc.     654,938  
  3,574     Chubb Ltd.     641,426  
  1,576     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     600,440  
  3,785     JPMorgan Chase & Company     601,172  
  868     SVB Financial Group(a)     600,942  
              3,098,918  
        Health Care - 12.3%        
  5,104     Abbott Laboratories     641,930  
  1,598     Anthem, Inc.     649,156  
  902     Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Class A(a)     679,386  
  7,181     CVS Health Corporation     639,540  
  3,573     PerkinElmer, Inc.     650,858  
                 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

8

 

AVDR US LARGECAP LEADING ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
November 30, 2021

 

Shares         Fair Value  
        COMMON STOCKS — 99.7% (Continued)        
        Health Care - 12.3% (Continued)        
  1,612     West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.   $ 713,568  
              3,974,438  
        Industrials - 6.0%        
  1,320     Roper Technologies, Inc.     612,678  
  3,177     United Parcel Service, Inc., Class B     630,221  
  4,263     Waste Management, Inc.     684,936  
              1,927,835  
        Materials - 3.6%        
  15,474     Freeport-McMoRan, Inc.     573,776  
  9,745     Sealed Air Corporation     605,359  
              1,179,135  
        Real Estate - 4.1%        
  4,149     Digital Realty Trust, Inc.     695,953  
  7,492     Equity Residential     639,143  
              1,335,096  
        Technology - 32.7%        
  1,662     ANSYS, Inc.(a)     650,640  
  4,387     Apple, Inc.     725,171  
  2,771     Automatic Data Processing, Inc.     639,796  
  3,598     Cadence Design Systems, Inc.(a)     638,501  
  3,312     CDW Corporation/DE     627,160  
  2,328     Equifax, Inc.     648,697  
  1,894     Gartner, Inc.(a)     591,401  
  1,042     Intuit, Inc.     679,697  
  1,046     Lam Research Corporation     711,123  
  8,270     Micron Technology, Inc.     694,680  
  2,019     Microsoft Corporation     667,461  
  2,580     Motorola Solutions, Inc.     653,204  
  1,001     MSCI, Inc.     630,079  
  2,276     NVIDIA Corporation     743,706  
  7,003     Oracle Corporation     635,452  
  1,024     ServiceNow, Inc.(a)     663,245  
              10,600,013  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

9

 

AVDR US LARGECAP LEADING ETF
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
November 30, 2021

 

Shares         Fair Value  
        COMMON STOCKS — 99.7% (Continued)        
        Utilities - 3.9%        
  3,731     American Water Works Company, Inc.   $ 628,935  
  17,308     NRG Energy, Inc.     623,434  
              1,252,369  
                 
        TOTAL COMMON STOCKS (Cost $31,303,144)     32,288,253  
                 
        TOTAL INVESTMENTS - 99.7% (Cost $31,303,144)   $ 32,288,253  
        OTHER ASSETS IN EXCESS OF LIABILITIES- 0.3%     97,480  
        NET ASSETS - 100.0%   $ 32,385,733  

 

Ltd. - Limited Company
   
MSCI - Morgan Stanley Capital International

 

(a) Non-income producing security.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

10

 

AVDR ETFs 

STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES 

November 30, 2021

 

    AVDR US     AVDR US  
    LargeCap ESG     LargeCap Leading  
    ETF     ETF  
ASSETS                
Investment securities, at value (Cost $2,354,726 and $31,303,144)   $ 2,507,341     $ 32,288,253  
Cash     48,779       87,662  
Receivable for investments sold     942,359       16,829,218  
Receivable for fund shares sold     813,364       3,957,599  
Dividend receivable     3,522       18,550  
Receivable due from Adviser     2,359       9,426  
Prepaid expenses     325       324  
TOTAL ASSETS     4,318,049       53,191,032  
                 
LIABILITIES                
Payable for investments purchased     951,882       16,859,180  
Payable for fund shares repurchased     797,552       3,855,676  
Payable to related parties     21,539       58,518  
Accrued expenses and other liabilities     26,860       31,925  
TOTAL LIABILITIES     1,797,833       20,805,299  
NET ASSETS   $ 2,520,216     $ 32,385,733  
                 
Composition of Net Assets:                
Paid in capital   $ 2,397,241     $ 32,248,821  
Accumulated Earnings     122,975       136,912  
NET ASSETS   $ 2,520,216     $ 32,385,733  
                 
Net Asset Value Per Share:                
Shares:                
Net Assets   $ 2,520,216     $ 32,385,733  
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding ($0 par value, unlimited shares authorized)     79,000       1,050,000  
Net asset value (Net Assets ÷ Shares Outstanding) and redemption price per share   $ 31.90     $ 30.84  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements. 

11

 

AVDR ETFs 

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS 

For the Period Ended November 30, 2021 *

 

    AVDR US     AVDR US  
    LargeCap ESG     LargeCap Leading  
    ETF     ETF  
INVESTMENT INCOME      
Dividend Income (Foreign withholding tax $0 and $160)   $ 27,713     $ 97,701  
TOTAL INVESTMENT INCOME     27,713       97,701  
                 
EXPENSES                
Advisory fees     6,767       34,078  
Administrative services fees     50,157       105,933  
Trustees fees and expenses     23,089       64,734  
Legal fees     22,592       22,662  
Custodian fees     21,358       22,138  
Audit fees     16,750       16,750  
Printing and postage expenses     14,550       12,254  
Transfer agent fees     10,939       10,976  
Insurance expense     10,300       10,300  
Compliance officer fees     7,453       19,214  
Other expenses     7,802       12,365  
TOTAL EXPENSES     191,757       331,404  
Less: Fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser     (181,575 )     (279,707 )
NET EXPENSES     10,182       51,697  
                 
NET INVESTMENT INCOME     17,531       46,004  
                 
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS                
                 
Net realized loss from investments     (47,149 )     (894,205 )
Net realized gain from redemptions in-kind     279,444       890,667  
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments     152,615       985,109  
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS     384,910       981,571  
                 
NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS   $ 402,441     $ 1,027,575  

 

* The AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF commenced operations on December 29, 2020 and the AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF commenced operations on December 29, 2020.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

12

 

AVDR ETFs 

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

 

    AVDR US LargeCap  
    ESG ETF  
    For the Period Ended  
    November 30, 2021 *  
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS        
Net investment income   $ 17,531  
Net realized loss on investments     (47,149 )
Net realized gain from redemptions in-kind     279,444  
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments     152,615  
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations     402,441  
         
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST        
Proceeds from shares sold     4,948,520  
Payments for shares redeemed     (2,930,745 )
Net increase from shares of beneficial interest transactions     2,017,775  
         
NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS     2,420,216  
         
NET ASSETS        
Beginning of period     100,000  (a)
End of period   $ 2,520,216  
         
SHARE ACTIVITY        
Shares Sold     175,000  
Shares Redeemed     (100,000 )
Net increase in shares of beneficial interest outstanding     75,000  

 

* The AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF commenced operations on December 29, 2020.

 

(a) Beginning capital of $100,000 was contributed by fund management at New Age Alpha Advisors, LLC, investment advisor to the Fund, in exchange for 4,000 shares of the Fund in connection with the seeding of the Trust.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements. 

13

 

AVDR ETFs 

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

 

    AVDR US LargeCap  
    Leading ETF  
    For the Period Ended  
    November 30, 2021 *  
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS        
Net investment income   $ 46,004  
Net realized loss on investments     (894,205 )
Net realized gain from redemptions in-kind     890,667  
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments     985,109  
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations     1,027,575  
         
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST        
Proceeds from shares sold     38,102,654  
Payments for shares redeemed     (6,744,496 )
Net increase from shares of beneficial interest transactions     31,358,158  
         
NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS     32,385,733  
         
NET ASSETS        
Beginning of Period      
End of Period   $ 32,385,733  
         
SHARE ACTIVITY        
Shares Sold     1,275,000  
Shares Redeemed     (225,000 )
Net increase in shares of beneficial interest outstanding     1,050,000  

 

* The AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF commenced operations on December 29, 2020.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements. 

14

 

AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout the Period Presented

 

    For the Period Ended  
    November 30, 2021 (1)  
         
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 25.00  
         
Increase from investment operations:        
Net investment income (2)     0.28  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     6.62  
Total from investment operations     6.90  
         
Net asset value, end of period   $ 31.90  
         
Market price, end of period   $ 31.90  
       
Total return (3)(4)(5)     27.60 %
       
Market price total return (3)(4)(5)     27.60 %
         
Net assets, end of period (000s)   $ 2,520  
         
Ratios/Supplemental Data:        
         
Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (6)(7)     11.30 %
         
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (6)(8)     0.60 %
         
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets (6)(9)     1.03 %
         
Portfolio Turnover Rate (4)(10)     69 %
         

(1) The AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF commenced operations on December 29, 2020.

 

(2) Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the period.

  

(3) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of the period. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at the ex-dividend date net asset value per share on their respective payment dates. Total return would have been lower absent of fee waiver/expense reimbursement.

 

(4) Not annualized.

 

(5) Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and, consequently, the net asset value in financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset values and returns for shareholder transactions.

 

(6) Annualized for periods less than one full year.

 

(7) Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent of fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser.

 

(8) Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets inclusive of fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser.

 

(9) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the fund invests.

  

(10) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind transaction.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements. 

15

 

AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

 

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout the Period Presented

  

    For the Period Ended  
    November 30, 2021 (1)  
         
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 25.00  
         
Increase from investment operations:        
Net investment income (2)     0.15  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     5.69  
Total from investment operations     5.84  
         
Net asset value, end of period   $ 30.84  
         
Market price, end of period   $ 30.84  
         
Total return (3)(4)(5)     23.36 %
       
Market price total return (3)(4)(5)     23.36 %
         
Net assets, at end of period (000s)   $ 32,386  
         
Ratios/Supplemental Data:        
         
Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (6)(7)     3.87 %
         
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (6)(8)     0.60 %
         
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets (6)(9)     0.54 %
         
Portfolio Turnover Rate (4)(10)     153 %
         

(1) The AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF commenced operations on December 29, 2020.

 

(2) Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the period.

 

(3) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of the period. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at the ex-dividend date net asset value per share on their respective payment dates. Total return would have been lower absent fee waiver/expense reimbursement.

 

(4) Not annualized.

 

(5) Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and, consequently, the net asset value in financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset values and returns for shareholder transactions.

 

(6) Annualized for periods less than one full year.

 

(7) Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent of fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser.

 

(8) Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets inclusive of fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser.

  

(9) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the fund invests.

 

(10) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind transaction.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements. 

16

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

November 30, 2021

 

(1) ORGANIZATION

 

The AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF (“LargeCap ESG Fund”) and AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF (“LargeCap Leading Fund”) (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) are each a series of the New Age Alpha Trust (the “Trust”), a statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on December 5, 2018, and registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The LargeCap ESG Fund commenced operations on December 29, 2020. The LargeCap ESG Fund’s investment objective is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the performance of the New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap ESG IndexSM (the “ESG Index”). The LargeCap Leading Fund commenced operations on December 29, 2020. The LargeCap Leading Fund’s investment objective is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the performance of the New Age Alpha U.S. Large-Cap Leading 50 IndexSM (the “Large-Cap Index”). The LargeCap ESG Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust and the LargeCap Leading Fund is a diversified series of the Trust. New Age Alpha Advisors, LLC, the Funds’ investment advisor (the “Adviser”), owns 37% of the LargeCap ESG Fund and 61% of the LargeCap Leading Fund. The LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund each currently offer one class of shares that has no front-end sales load, no deferred sales charge and no redemption fee. The LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares (“Shares”) of beneficial interest, with no par value. All shares of the LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund have equal rights and privileges.

 

(2) SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Funds in preparation of their financial statements. These policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Trust is an investment company and accordingly the Funds follow the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies.

 

Security Valuation – The Trust relies on certain security pricing services to provide current market values for each Fund’s portfolio securities. These security pricing services value equity securities (including foreign equity securities) traded on a securities exchange at the last reported sales price on the principal exchange. Equity securities quoted by NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. If there is no reported sale on the principal exchange and in the case of over-the-counter securities, equity securities are valued at a bid price estimated by the security pricing service. Debt securities traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the-counter market are valued at the last reported sales price on the principal exchange. If there is no reported sale on the principal exchange, and for all other debt securities, including zero-coupon securities, debt securities are valued at a bid price estimated by the security pricing service. Foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated in U.S. dollars at the foreign exchange rate in effect as of the close of the Exchange (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on the day the value of the foreign security is determined. Options contracts are generally valued at the mean of the bid and asked price as reported on the highest-volume exchange (in terms of the number of option contracts traded for that issue) on which such options are traded. Short-term investments with remaining maturities of 60 days or less at the time of purchase are valued at amortized cost. Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value (“NAV”) (except exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) which are valued consistent with the pricing process for equity securities). In certain limited circumstances such as when a security’s closing price versus the prior day’s closing price exceeds a defined variance tolerance, or when a security’s closing price is unchanged as compared to the prior day’s closing price, a financial intermediary’s good faith determination of the fair value of a security or option may be used instead of its current market value, even if the security’s market price is readily available.

17

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

November 30, 2021

 

Fair Valuation Process – In unusual circumstances, securities may be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by the Trust’s Portfolio Securities Valuation Procedures (the “Procedures”). The Procedures consider, among others, the following factors to determine a security’s fair value: the nature and pricing history (if any) of the security; whether any dealer quotations for the security are available; and possible valuation methodologies that could be used to determine the fair value of the security. The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) will review the fair value method in use for securities requiring a fair market value determination at least quarterly.

 

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at their “fair value” pursuant to the Procedures. Market quotations may not be readily available if: (1) a portfolio security is not traded in a public market or the principal market in which the security trades are closed: (2) trading in a portfolio security is suspended and not resumed prior to the normal market close; (3) a portfolio security is not traded in significant volume for a substantial period; or (4) the value of a portfolio security has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which the security is principally traded, or (5) the Adviser determines that the quotation or price for a portfolio security provided by an independent pricing source is inaccurate. The securities of smaller companies in which each Fund may invest may be susceptible to fair valuation since these securities may be thinly traded and less liquid than their larger counterparts. Similarly, a Fund’s investments in foreign securities are more likely to require a fair value determination because, among other things, events may occur between the closure of the foreign market and the time that the Fund calculates its NAV that affect the reported market value of these securities. Securities will also be valued at fair value when market quotations are deemed unreliable, such as when a security’s value or meaningful portion of a Fund’s portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a significant event. Such events may include a natural disaster, an economic event like a bankruptcy filing, a trading halt in a security, an unscheduled early market close or a substantial fluctuation in domestic and foreign markets that has occurred between the close of the principal exchange and the Exchange. In such a case, the value for a security is likely to be different from the last quoted market price. In addition, due to the subjective and variable nature of fair market value pricing, it is possible that the value determined for a particular asset may be materially different from the value realized upon such asset’s sale.

 

Valuation of Underlying Funds - The Funds may invest in portfolios of open-end or closed-end investment companies (the “Underlying Funds”). Investment companies are valued at their respective net asset values as reported by such investment companies. Open-end investment companies value securities in their portfolios for which market quotations are readily available at their market values (generally the last reported sale price) and all other securities and assets at their fair value to the methods established by the board of directors of the open-end funds. The shares of many closed-end investment companies and ETFs, after their initial public offering, frequently trade at a price per share, which is different than the net asset value per share. The difference represents a market premium or market discount of such shares. There can be no assurances that the market discount or market premium on shares of any closed-end investment company or ETF purchased by the Funds will not change.

 

The Funds utilize various methods to measure the fair value of all of its investments on a recurring basis. GAAP establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation methods. The three levels of input are:

 

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities that the Funds have the ability to access.

 

Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates and similar data.

 

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, to the extent relevant observable inputs are not available, representing the Fund’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability, and would be based on the best information available.

18

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

November 30, 2021

 

The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3.

 

The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.

 

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. The following tables summarize the inputs used as of November 30, 2021 for the Funds’ assets and liabilities measured at fair value:

 

AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF

 

Assets*   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Common Stocks   $ 2,507,341     $     $     $ 2,507,341  
Total   $ 2,507,341     $     $     $ 2,507,341  

 

AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF

 

Assets*   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Common Stocks   $ 32,288,253     $     $     $ 32,288,253  
Total   $ 32,288,253     $     $     $ 32,288,253  

 

The Funds did not hold any Level 2 or 3 securities during the period.

 

* Refer to the Schedule of Investments for portfolio composition.

 

Security Transactions and Related Income

 

Security transactions are accounted for on trade date basis. Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis. Discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized on securities purchased over the lives of the respective securities. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Realized gains or losses from sales of securities are determined by comparing the identified cost of the security lot sold with the net sales proceeds. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Funds’ understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates. Each Fund will declare and distribute dividends from net investment income, if any, and will distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually.

 

Federal Income Taxes

 

The Funds intend to continue to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of their taxable income to their shareholders. Therefore, no provision for federal income tax is required. The Funds recognize the tax benefits of uncertain tax positions only where the position is “more likely than not” to be sustained assuming examination by tax authorities. Management has analyzed the Funds’ tax positions expected to be taken in the Funds’ open tax year ended November 30, 2021 tax returns and has concluded to date that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits should be recorded related to uncertain tax positions. The Funds identify their major tax jurisdictions as U.S. Federal, Delaware, and foreign jurisdictions where the Funds make significant investments. The Funds are not aware of any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will change materially in the next twelve months. The Funds recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expenses, in the Statements of Operations. For the period ended November 30, 2021, the Funds did not incur any interest or penalties.

19

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

November 30, 2021

 

Expenses

 

Expenses of the Trust that are directly identifiable to a specific Fund are charged to that Fund. Expenses, which are not readily identifiable to a specific Fund, are allocated in such a manner as deemed equitable, taking into consideration the nature and type of expense and the relative sizes of the Funds in the Trust.

 

Indemnification

 

The Trust indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from the performance of their duties to the Funds. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Funds enter into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnities. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Funds that have not yet occurred. However, the Funds expect the risk of loss due to these warranties and indemnities to be remote.

 

Distributions from Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

 

Distributions from REITs are initially recorded as dividend income and, to the extent such represent a return of capital or capital gain for tax purposes, are reclassified when such information becomes available.

 

(3) INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

 

For the period ended November 30, 2021, cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of portfolio securities (excluding in-kind transactions and short-term investments), amounted to $1,289,444 and $1,339,400, respectively, for the LargeCap ESG Fund and $16,364,508 and $15,933,530, respectively, for the LargeCap Leading Fund. For the period ended November 30, 2021, cost of purchases and proceeds from sales for in-kind transactions for the LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund amounted to $4,896,047 and $2,723,534 and $37,682,546 and $6,805,652, respectively.

 

(4) INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTIES

 

Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Funds, the Adviser, under the oversight of the Board, directs the daily operations of the Funds and supervises the performance of administrative and professional services provided by others. As compensation for its services and the related expenses borne by the Adviser, each Fund pays the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid quarterly, based on the Fund’s average daily net assets and is computed at the annual rate of 0.40% for the LargeCap ESG Fund and 0.40% for the LargeCap Leading Fund. For the period ended November 30, 2021, the Adviser earned advisory fees of $6,767 and $34,078 for the LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund, respectively. The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of more than 25% of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of the fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act. As of the date of this financial statement, the Adviser owned 37% of the outstanding shares of the LargeCap ESG Fund and 61% of the outstanding shares of the LargeCap Leading Fund.

 

The Adviser has engaged Vident Investment Advisory, LLC to serve as investment sub-adviser (“Sub-Adviser” or “Vident”) to the Funds. The Sub-Adviser, with respect to the portion of the Funds’ assets allocated to the Sub-Adviser, is responsible for selecting investments and assuring that investments are made in accordance with the Funds investment objective, policies, and restrictions. The Adviser compensates the Sub-Adviser for its services from the management fees received from the Funds, which are computed and accrued daily and paid quarterly and do not impact the financial statements of the Funds.

20

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

November 30, 2021

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual operating expenses for the Funds (excluding (i) interest; (ii) taxes; (iii) brokerage fees and commissions; (iv) other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Funds business; (v) dividend expense on short sales; and (vi) indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses (if any)) do not exceed 0.60% of the average daily net assets of the Funds through December 31, 2022 (the “Expense Limitation”). The Expense Limitation is expected to continue from year to year thereafter. During any fiscal year that the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between the Adviser and the Trust is in effect, the Adviser may recoup the sum of all fees previously waived or expenses reimbursed, less any reimbursement previously paid, provided that the Adviser is only permitted to recoup fees or expenses within 36 months from the date the fee waiver or expense reimbursement first occurred and provided further that such recoupment can be achieved within the Expense Limitation Agreement currently in effect and the Expense Limitation Agreement in place when the waiver/reimbursement occurred. This Expense Limitation Agreement may not be terminated by the Adviser prior to its expiration date, but the Board may terminate such agreement at any time. The Expense Limitation Agreement terminates automatically upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser. During the period ended November 30, 2021, the LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund waived $6,767 and $34,078, respectively, in advisory fees pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement. During the period ended November 30, 2021, the LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund reimbursed $174,808 and $245,629, respectively, in expenses pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement. Subject to the conditions described above, the Adviser can recoup previously waived fees and reimbursed expenses of $181,575 and $279,707 until November 30, 2024 for the LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund, respectively.

 

All organizational and offering costs for the Funds will be borne by the Adviser, New Age Alpha Advisors, LLC, and are not subject to reimbursement.

 

The Funds have entered into an ETF Distribution Agreement with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor” or “NLD”) whereby NLD provides distribution services to the Funds. For the provision of these services, the Adviser has agreed to pay NLD customary fees for the Funds. In addition, certain affiliates of NLD provide services to the Funds as follows:

 

Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (“Ultimus”) – Ultimus, an affiliate of the Distributor, provides administration and fund accounting services to the Funds. Pursuant to a separate servicing agreement with Ultimus, the Funds pay Ultimus customary fees for providing administration and fund accounting services to the Funds. Certain officers of the Trust are also officers of Ultimus and are not paid any fees directly by the Funds for serving in such capacities. The fees incurred for these services are included in Administrative Services Fees on the Statements of Operations.

 

Blu Giant, LLC (“Blu Giant”), Blu Giant, an affiliate of Ultimus and the Distributor, provides EDGAR conversion and filing services as well as print management services for the Funds on an ad-hoc basis. For the provision of these services, Blu Giant receives customary fees from the Funds.

21

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

November 30, 2021

 

(5) CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

 

Shares are not individually redeemable and may be redeemed by the Fund at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units.” Shares are created and redeemed by the Fund only in Creation Unit size aggregations of 25,000 shares. Only Authorized Participants or transactions done through an Authorized Participant are permitted to purchase or redeem Creation Units from the Fund. An Authorized Participant is either (i) a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or (ii) a DTC participant and, in each case, must have executed a Participant Agreement with the Distributor. Such transactions are generally permitted on an in-kind basis, with a balancing cash component to equate the transaction to the NAV per share of the Fund on the transaction date. Cash may be substituted equivalent to the value of certain securities generally when they are not available in sufficient quantity for delivery, not eligible for trading by the Authorized Participant or as a result of other market circumstances. In addition, the Fund may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Fund shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Funds in effecting trades. A fixed fee payable to the Custodian may be imposed on each creation and redemption transaction regardless of the number of Creation Units involved in the transaction (“Fixed Fee”). Purchases and redemptions of Creation Units for cash or involving cash-in-lieu are required to pay an additional variable charge to compensate the Fund and its ongoing shareholders for brokerage and market impact expenses relating to Creation Unit transactions (“Variable Charge,” and together with the Fixed Fee, the “Transaction Fees”). Transactions in capital shares for the Funds are disclosed in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

 

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

  

Maximum Additional
Fee for In-Kind and Cash Variable Charge for Cash
Purchases Purchases*
$300 2.00%

 

* As a percentage of the amount invested.

 

During the period ended November 30, 2021, the LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund incurred a total amount of fixed fees of $3,300 and $7,500, respectively.

 

(6) PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

 

The Funds’ investments in securities, financial instruments and derivatives expose it to various risks, certain of which are discussed below. Please refer to the Funds’ prospectus and statement of additional information for a more full listing of risks associated with the Funds’ investments which include, but are not limited to, equity securities risk, index methodology risk, ETF shares trading risk, market risk, new fund risk and REIT risk.

 

Equity Securities Risk: Equity securities include common stocks and other equity and equity-related securities (and securities convertible into stocks). The prices of equity securities generally fluctuate in value more than fixed-income investments, may rise or fall rapidly or unpredictably and may reflect real or perceived changes in the issuing company’s financial condition and changes in the overall market or economy. A decline in the value of equity securities held by the Funds will adversely affect the value of your investment in the Funds. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest investment in a company and dividend payments (if declared) to preferred stockholders generally rank junior to payments due to a company’s debtholders. The Funds may lose a substantial part, or even all, of their investment in a company’s stock.

22

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

November 30, 2021

 

Index Methodology Risk: There is no assurance that an index methodology will successfully identify companies with low H-Factor (underpriced) or high H-Factor (overpriced) Scores or a Fund’s Index will outperform the performance of other indices based on different methodologies. Errors in respect of the quality, accuracy and completeness of the data may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for a period of time. Therefore, gains, losses or costs associated with an Index’s errors will generally be borne by a Fund and its shareholders. For example, during a period where a Fund’s Index contains incorrect constituents, a Fund would have market exposure to such constituents and would be underexposed to an Index’s other constituents. As such, errors may result in a negative or positive performance impact to a Fund and its shareholders. Shareholders should understand that any gains from Index errors will be kept by a Fund and its shareholders and any losses will be borne by a Fund and its shareholders. Where a Fund’s Index is rebalanced and the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio to bring it in line with its Index, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne directly by a Fund and its shareholders. Therefore, errors and additional rebalances carried out by the Adviser with respect to a Fund’s Index may increase the costs and market exposure risk of a Fund.

 

ETF Shares Trading Risks: Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of Shares are expected to fluctuate, in some cases materially, in response to changes in the Funds NAV, the intraday value of the Funds holdings and supply and demand for Shares. The Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade above, below or at their NAV. Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of significant market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for the Shares (including through a trading halt), as well as other factors, may result in the Shares trading significantly above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) to NAV or to the intraday value of the Funds holdings. During such periods, you may incur significant losses if you sell your Shares. The securities held by the Funds may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the Exchange. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when the Exchange is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid-ask spreads on the Exchange and the corresponding premium or discount to the Shares’ NAV may widen.

 

Market Risk: Markets can decline in value sharply and unpredictably. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region, or financial market. Securities in the Funds’ portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on the U.S. financial market. The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the forced or voluntary closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on the U.S. financial market. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may impact your Funds investment. Therefore, the Funds could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. During a general market downturn, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Changes in market conditions and interest rates can have the same impact on all types of securities and instruments. In times of severe market disruptions you could lose your entire investment.

 

New Fund Risk - The Funds are recently formed (approximately one year ago), which may result in additional risk. There can be no assurance that the Funds will grow to an economically viable size, in which case the Funds may cease operations. In such an event, investors may be required to liquidate or transfer their investments at an inopportune time.

23

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

November 30, 2021

 

REIT Risk - The value of a REIT can depend on the structure of and cash flow generated by the REIT. REITs whose investments are concentrated in a limited number or type of properties, investments or narrow geographic area are subject to the risks affecting those properties or areas to a greater extent than a REIT with less concentrated investments. REITs are also subject to certain provisions under federal tax law. In addition, REITs may have expenses, including advisory and administration expenses, and the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying expenses.

 

(7) DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS AND TAX COMPONENTS OF CAPITAL

 

The cost of investments noted on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities represents cost for financial reporting purposes. Aggregate cost of investments for federal tax purposes is $2,354,595 and $31,303,861, respectively for the LargeCap ESG Fund and the LargeCap Leading Fund and differs from market value by net unrealized appreciation/ depreciation.

  

    LargeCap ESG Fund     LargeCap Leading Fund  
Gross unrealized appreciation   $ 187,402     $ 1,178,117  
Gross unrealized depreciation     (34,656 )     (193,725 )
Net unrealized appreciation   $ 152,746     $ 984,392  

 

There were no Fund distributions for the period ended November 30, 2021.

 

As of November 30, 2021, the components of distributable earnings/(accumulated deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

    Undistributed     Undistributed     Post October Loss     Capital Loss     Other     Unrealized     Total  
    Ordinary     Long-Term     and     Carry     Book/Tax     Appreciation/     Distributable Earnings/  
    Income     Capital Gains     Late Year Loss     Forwards     Differences     (Depreciation)     (Accumulated Deficits)  
LargeCap ESG Fund   $ 17,297     $     $     $ (47,068 )   $     $ 152,746     $ 122,975  
LargeCap Leading Fund     43,792                   (891,272 )           984,392       136,912  

 

The difference between book basis and tax basis undistributed net investment income/(loss), accumulated net realized gains/(losses), and unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) from investments is primarily attributable to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales and adjustments for C-Corporation return of capital distributions.

 

At November 30, 2021, the Funds had capital loss carry forwards for federal income tax purposes available to offset future capital gains as follows:

 

    Non-Expiring     Non-Expiring              
    Short-Term     Long-Term     Total     CLCF Utilized  
LargeCap ESG Fund   $ 47,068     $     $ 47,068     $  
LargeCap Leading Fund     891,272             891,272        

 

Permanent book and tax differences, primarily attributable book/tax basis treatment of realized gain (loss) on in-kind redemptions and non-deductible expenses, resulted in reclassifications for the Funds for the period ended November 30, 2021 as follows:

 

    Paid        
    In     Accumulated  
    Capital     Earnings (Losses)  
LargeCap ESG Fund   $ 279,466     $ (279,466 )
LargeCap Leading Fund     890,663       (890,663 )

24

 

AVDR ETFs

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

November 30, 2021

 

(8) SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

Subsequent events after the Statements of Assets and Liabilities date have been evaluated through the date the financial statements were issued. Management has determined that no events or transactions occurred requiring adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements. 

25

 

(CIHEN & CO LOGO)

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Shareholders of AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF and AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF and
Board of Trustees of New Age Alpha Trust

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments, of New Age Alpha Trust comprising AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF and AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF (the “Funds”) as of November 30, 2021, the related statements of operations and changes in net assets, the related notes, and the financial highlights for the period from December 29, 2020 (commencement of operations) through November 30, 2021 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of each of the Funds as of November 30, 2021, the results of their operations, changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Funds’ management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Funds’ financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Funds in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement whether due to error or fraud.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2021, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

We have served as the Funds’ auditor since 2020.

 

 (-s- COHEN & COMPANY LTD)

 

COHEN & COMPANY, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
January 26, 2022

 

COHEN & COMPANY, LTD.
800.229.1099 | 866.818.4538 fax | cohencpa.com

 

Registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board

26

 

AVDR ETFs
EXPENSE EXAMPLES (Unaudited)
November 30, 2021
 

As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs for purchasing and selling shares; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds or exchange traded funds.

 

The Example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period from June 1, 2021 to November 30, 2021 (the ’‘period’’).

 

Actual Expenses

 

The “Actual Expenses” lines in the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information below; together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled ’‘Expenses Paid During the Period’’ to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

 

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

 

The “Hypothetical” lines of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Funds’ actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Funds’ and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as brokerage commissions on purchases or sales of Fund shares. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

  Beginning Ending Expenses Paid Expense Ratio
  Account Value Account Value During Period During the Period
Actual 6/1/21 11/30/21 6/1/21-11/30/21* 6/1/21-11/30/21
AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF $1,000.00 $1,111.90 $3.18 0.60%
AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF   1,000.00   1,061.60   3.10 0.60%
         
  Beginning Ending Expenses Paid Expense Ratio
Hypothetical Account Value Account Value During Period During the Period
(5% return before expenses) 6/1/21 11/30/21 6/1/21-11/30/21* 6/1/21-11/30/21
AVDR US LargeCap ESG ETF $1,000.00 $1,022.06 $3.04 0.60%
AVDR US LargeCap Leading ETF   1,000.00  1,022.06   3.04 0.60%

 

* Expenses are equal to the average account value over the period, multiplied by the Fund’s annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the number of days in the period (183) divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (365).

27

 

AVDR ETFs
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
November 30, 2021
 

LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

 

The Funds have adopted and implemented a written liquidity risk management program (the “LRMP”) as required by Rule 22e-4 (the “Liquidity Rule”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The LRMP is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk, taking into consideration, among other factors, the Fund’s investment strategy and the liquidity of its portfolio investments during normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions; its short and long-term cash flow projections; and its cash holdings and access to other funding sources. The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of New Age Alpha Trust appointed a committee to serve as the Liquidity Program Administrator (the “LPA”), which committee includes representatives of the Funds’ investment adviser, New Age Alpha Advisors, LLC. The LPA is responsible for the LRMP’s administration and oversight and for reporting to the Board on at least an annual basis regarding the LRMP’s operation and effectiveness. The written liquidity assessment (the “Assessment”) that was presented to the Board at the July 20, 2021 Board meeting covered the period from the Funds’ commencement of operations on December 29, 2020 through May 31, 2021 (the “Review Period”).

 

During the Review Period, each Fund held adequate levels of cash and highly liquid investments to meet shareholder redemption activities in accordance with applicable requirements, and the Funds did not hold any illiquid securities. Also, during the Review Period, each Fund met the definition of an “In-Kind Exchange Traded Fund,” as defined in Rule 22e-4, and therefore was not required to adhere to the liquidity classification or highly liquid investment minimum requirements of Rule 22e-4. The Assessment concluded that the Funds take many factors into consideration when determining the best methods for managing the liquidity of their portfolios and that the Funds’ LRMP operated appropriately during the Review Period.

28

 

AVDR ETFs
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
November 30, 2021
 

Each Trustee oversees all Funds of the Trust and serves for an indefinite term. Information about each Trustee and executive officer is provided below and includes each person’s name, address, year of birth, present position(s) held with the Trust, principal occupations for the past five years and, in the case of a Trustee, the total compensation received for serving as a Trustee for the most recent fiscal year. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each person listed below is 555 Theodore Fremd Ave., Suite A-101, Rye, New York 10580. Unless otherwise noted, each officer is elected annually by the Board.

 

Interested Trustee Background

 

      Other
      Directorships
Name, Year of Birth, Position   Number of Portfolios in Held by Trustee
with Trust, and Term of Position Principal Occupation(s) Fund Complex During Past
with Trust During Past 5 Years Overseen by Trustee 5 Years
Armen Arus
YOB: 1972
Trustee (since inception (2020))
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, New Age Alpha, LLC (August 2018 to present); Chief Executive Officer, New Age Alpha Advisors, LLC (June 2019 to present); Co-Founder and Co- Chief Executive Officer, Transparent Value, LLC and Transparent Value Advisors, LLC (June 2003 to July 2017); President, Transparent Value Trust (2010 to 2015). 2 None

 

(1) Mr. Arus has been deemed an Interested Trustee due to the positions he holds with the Advisor and its parent company, New Age Alpha, LLC.

 

Independent Trustees Background

 

Name, Year of Birth, Position   Number of Portfolios Other Directorships
with Trust, and Term of Position Principal Occupation(s) in Fund Complex Held by Trustee
with Trust During Past 5 Years Overseen by Trustee During Past 5 Years
Richard C. Butt
YOB: 1956
Trustee (since inception (2020))
Chief Financial Officer, Greenbacker Group LLC, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC and affiliated entities (November 2013 to present). 2 None
Timothy E. Driscoll
YOB: 1955
Trustee (since inception (2020))
Retired; Relationship Manager, BNY Mellon/The Bank of New York Mellon (October 2004 to May 2019). 2 None
Jeremy O. May
YOB: 1970
Trustee and Chairman (since inception (2020))
Chief Executive Officer, Paralel Technologies LLC (October 2020 to present); Chief Operating Officer, Magnifi LLC (June 2020 to present); Director, University of Colorado Foundation (2006 to present); Director, A.V. Hunter Trust (February 2018 to present); various positions at ALPS Holdings, Inc. (1995 to 2019), including President of ALPS Fund Services, Inc., ALPS Distributors, Inc. and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., and Executive Vice President of ALPS Advisors, Inc. and ALPS Holdings, Inc. 2 Trustee, Reaves Utility Income Fund (closed-end investment company) (2009 to present); Trustee, ALPS Series Trust (open end investment company) (October 2012 to present); Trustee, Bow River Evergreen Fund (closed-end investment company)(October 2020 to present); Trustee, RiverNorth Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) (2018 to 2019).

 

12/31/21 – NA_v1

29

 

AVDR ETFs
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (Unaudited) (Continued)
November 30, 2021
 

Officers Background

 

    Term of Position with Principal Occupation(s)
Name and Year of Birth Position with Trust Trust During Past 5 Years
Keith D. Kemp

YOB: 1960
President Since inception (2020) Managing Director, New Age Alpha, LLC (June 2019 to present); Director, New Age Alpha Fund SPC, Ltd. (February 2020 to present); Director, New Age Alpha Master Fund SPC, Ltd. (February 2020 to present); Treasurer, Transparent Value Trust (2010 to 2019); Assistant Treasurer, Guggenheim Funds Trust, Guggenheim Variable Funds Trust and Rydex Series Funds (2016 to 2019); Managing Director, Guggenheim Investments (2015 to 2019); Chief Financial Officer, Guggenheim Specialized Products, LLC (2016 to 2018); Managing Director and Director, Transparent Value, LLC (2010 to 2016); Director, Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC (2010 to 2015); Chief Operating Officer, Macquarie Capital Investment Management LLC (2007 to 2009).
Brian Curley
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110
Hauppauge, New York 11788

YOB: 1970
Treasurer Since inception (2020) Vice President, Fund Administration, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (February 2019 to present); Vice President, Fund Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2015 to February 2019); Officer for various mutual funds and exchange-traded funds for which Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC provides services.
James Colantino
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110
Hauppauge, New York 11788

YOB: 1969
Assistant Treasurer Since inception (2020) Senior Vice President, Fund Administration, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (February 2019 to present); Senior Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2012 to February 2019); Officer for various mutual funds and exchange- traded funds for which Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC provides services.
Charles Black
Joot
6224 Turpin Hills Dr.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244

YOB: 1979
Chief Compliance Officer Since inception (2020) Vice President and Head of Compliance Services (April 2021 to present) and Director of Compliance Services (November 2019 to March 2021) at CCO Technology, LLC (d/b/a Joot); Senior Compliance Officer, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2015 to 2019); Chief Compliance Officer, Ultimus Managers Trust (2016 to 2019); Assistant Chief Compliance Officer, Ultimus Managers Trust (2015 to 2016).
Jesse Hallee
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

YOB: 1976
Secretary Since inception (2020) Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (June 2019 to present); Secretary for various mutual funds and exchange-traded funds for which Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC provides services; Vice President and Managing Counsel, State Street Bank and Trust Company (March 2013 to June 2019).
Allyson Stewart
80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110
Hauppauge, New York 11788

YOB: 1969
Assistant Secretary Since inception (2020) Manager, Legal Administration, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (February 2019 to present); Manager, Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (July 2018 to February 2019); Senior Paralegal, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (October 2011 to July 2018).

 

The Funds’ SAI includes additional information about the Trustees and is available free of charge, upon request, by calling toll-free at 1-888-559-7146.

 

12/31/21 – NA_v1

30

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY

 

Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent twelve month period ended June 30 as well as a description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies is available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-844-798-3833 or by referring to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Funds file a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT, within sixty days after the end of the period. Form N-PORT reports are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER
New Age Alpha Advisors, LLC
555 Theodore Fremd Avenue, Suite A101
Rye, New York 10580
 
ADMINISTRATOR
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450
Cincinnati, OH 45246
 
AVDR-AR21