AOT Growth and Innovation ETF
Semi-Annual Report
November 30, 2022
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tabular Presentation of Schedule of Investments
As of November 30, 2022 (Unaudited)
Sector 1 |
% Net
Assets |
||
Information Technology | 60.6% 2 | ||
Communication Services | 15.7% | ||
Consumer Discretionary | 12.0% | ||
Financials | 6.8% | ||
Health Care | 2.3% | ||
Industrials | 1.8% | ||
Real Estate | 0.3% | ||
Other 3 | 0.5% | ||
Total | 100.0% |
1. | Sector designations may be different than the sector designations presented in other Fund materials. The sector designations may represent the investment adviser’s internal sector classifications. |
2. | For purposes of the Fund’s compliance with its concentration limits, the Fund uses various sub-classifications and none of the Fund’s holdings in the sub-classifications exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets. |
3. | Cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and other assets less liabilities. |
1
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF |
Schedule of Investments |
November 30, 2022 (Unaudited) |
Shares | Value | |||||||
COMMON STOCKS - 99.5% | ||||||||
Advertising - 5.4% | ||||||||
42,670 | Magnite, Inc. (a) | $ | 474,064 | |||||
18,470 | PubMatic, Inc. - Class A (a) | 289,425 | ||||||
6,173 | Trade Desk, Inc. - Class A (a) | 321,860 | ||||||
1,085,349 | ||||||||
Application Software - 13.7% | ||||||||
729 | Adobe, Inc. (a) | 251,454 | ||||||
1,654 | AppLovin Corp. - Class A (a) | 23,834 | ||||||
213 | Atlassian Corp. - Class A (a) | 28,020 | ||||||
578 | Autodesk, Inc. (a) | 116,727 | ||||||
892 | Bill.com Holdings, Inc. (a) | 107,415 | ||||||
9,102 | CS Disco, Inc. (a) | 71,178 | ||||||
2,504 | Datadog, Inc. - Class A (a) | 189,753 | ||||||
4,373 | DocuSign, Inc. (a) | 205,837 | ||||||
581 | Five9, Inc. (a) | 37,248 | ||||||
466 | HubSpot, Inc. (a) | 141,212 | ||||||
7,198 | Palantir Technologies, Inc. - Class A (a) | 53,985 | ||||||
1,894 | Paylocity Holding Corp. (a) | 412,570 | ||||||
3,146 | Salesforce, Inc. (a) | 504,147 | ||||||
1,066 | Tyler Technologies, Inc. (a) | 365,361 | ||||||
1,555 | Unity Software, Inc. (a) | 61,438 | ||||||
2,469 | Zoom Video Communications, Inc. - Class A (a) | 186,237 | ||||||
2,756,416 | ||||||||
Automobile Manufacturers - 1.9% | ||||||||
1,992 | Tesla, Inc. (a) | 387,842 | ||||||
Consumer Finance - 2.8% | ||||||||
48,602 | LendingClub Corp. (a) | 501,087 | ||||||
2,728 | Upstart Holdings, Inc. (a) | 53,332 | ||||||
554,419 | ||||||||
Data Processing & Outsourced Services - 11.7% | ||||||||
6,279 | Affirm Holdings, Inc. (a) | 87,404 | ||||||
4,310 | Block, Inc. (a) | 292,089 | ||||||
31,932 | Dlocal Ltd. ADR (a)(b) | 466,207 | ||||||
2,461 | PayPal Holdings, Inc. (a) | 192,967 | ||||||
41,854 | Remitly Global, Inc. (a) | 437,793 | ||||||
47,389 | Toast, Inc. - Class A (a) | 870,062 | ||||||
2,346,522 | ||||||||
Diversified Banks - 2.2% | ||||||||
101,124 | NU Holdings Ltd. - Class A ADR (a)(b) | 450,002 | ||||||
Financial Exchanges & Data - 0.6% | ||||||||
2,633 | Coinbase Global, Inc. - Class A (a) | 120,407 | ||||||
Health Care Technology - 1.7% | ||||||||
5,640 | Doximity, Inc. - Class A (a) | 191,704 | ||||||
747 | Veeva Systems, Inc. - Class A (a) | 142,199 | ||||||
333,903 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
2
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF |
Schedule of Investments (Continued) |
November 30, 2022 (Unaudited) |
Shares | Value | |||||||
Human Resource & Employment Services - 1.8% | ||||||||
25,445 | Sterling Check Corp. (a) | $ | 369,970 | |||||
Interactive Home Entertainment - 0.6% | ||||||||
2,054 | Sea Ltd. ADR (a)(b) | 119,892 | ||||||
Interactive Media & Services - 6.9% | ||||||||
13,778 | Alphabet, Inc. - Class A (a) | 1,391,440 | ||||||
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail - 10.1% | ||||||||
7,861 | Amazon.com, Inc. (a) | 758,901 | ||||||
6,447 | Etsy, Inc. (a) | 851,584 | ||||||
442 | MercadoLibre, Inc. (a) | 411,495 | ||||||
2,021,980 | ||||||||
Internet Services & Infrastructure - 5.2% | ||||||||
609 | Cloudflare, Inc. - Class A (a) | 29,926 | ||||||
3,758 | DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (a) | 112,101 | ||||||
5,234 | Fastly, Inc. - Class A (a) | 50,560 | ||||||
1,203 | Okta, Inc. (a) | 64,144 | ||||||
10,760 | Shopify, Inc. - Class A ADR (a)(b) | 439,869 | ||||||
1,030 | Snowflake, Inc. - Class A (a) | 147,187 | ||||||
4,043 | Twilio, Inc. - Class A (a) | 198,188 | ||||||
1,041,975 | ||||||||
Life Sciences Tools & Services - 0.2% | ||||||||
1,127 | 10X Genomics, Inc. - Class A (a) | 43,570 | ||||||
Movies & Entertainment - 2.7% | ||||||||
826 | Netflix, Inc. (a) | 252,368 | ||||||
3,049 | Roku, Inc. (a) | 181,019 | ||||||
1,472 | Spotify Technology S.A. ADR (a)(b) | 116,906 | ||||||
550,293 | ||||||||
Pharmaceuticals - 0.4% | ||||||||
239 | Eli Lilly & Co. | 88,688 | ||||||
Real Estate Services - 0.4% | ||||||||
1,888 | Zillow Group, Inc. - Class C (a) | 71,706 | ||||||
Regional Banks - 0.6% | ||||||||
3,994 | Silvergate Capital Corp. - Class A (a) | 109,555 | ||||||
Semiconductors - 18.6% | ||||||||
19,418 | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (a) | 1,507,419 | ||||||
1,601 | Analog Devices, Inc. | 275,228 | ||||||
5,040 | NVIDIA Corp. | 852,919 | ||||||
3,827 | Qualcomm, Inc. | 484,077 | ||||||
7,336 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR (b) | 608,741 | ||||||
3,728,384 | ||||||||
Specialized Finance - 0.6% | ||||||||
26,437 | SoFi Technologies, Inc. (a) | 127,691 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
3
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF |
Schedule of Investments (Continued) |
November 30, 2022 (Unaudited) |
Shares | Value | |||||||
Systems Software - 10.5% | ||||||||
5,705 | Microsoft Corp. | $ | 1,455,574 | |||||
8,504 | Progress Software Corp. | 453,433 | ||||||
166 | ServiceNow, Inc. (a) | 69,106 | ||||||
10,346 | UiPath, Inc. - Class A (a) | 129,015 | ||||||
2,107,128 | ||||||||
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals - 0.9% | ||||||||
4,646 | Western Digital Corp. (a) | 170,741 | ||||||
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS (Cost $20,693,058) | 19,977,873 | |||||||
MONEY MARKET FUNDS - 0.5% | ||||||||
95,094 | First American Government Obligations Fund - Class X, 3.66% (c) | 95,094 | ||||||
TOTAL MONEY MARKET FUNDS (Cost $95,094) | 95,094 | |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS (Cost $20,788,152) - 100.0% | 20,072,967 | |||||||
Other Liabilities in Excess of Assets - (0.0%) (d) | (3,033 | ) | ||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS - 100.0% | $ | 20,069,934 |
Percentages are stated as a percent of net assets.
ADR - American Depository Receipt
(a) | Non-income producing security. |
(b) | Foreign issued security. |
(c) | Rate shown is the 7-day effective yield. |
(d) | Represents less than 0.05% of net assets. |
The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. and Standard & Poor Financial Services LLC (“S&P”).
GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P and has been licensed for use by U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
4
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
November 30, 2022 (Unaudited)
AOT Growth and
Innovation ETF |
||||
Assets: | ||||
Investments in securities, at value | $ | 20,072,967 | ||
Dividends and interest receivable | 8,766 | |||
Total assets | 20,081,733 | |||
Liabilities: | ||||
Accrued investment advisory fees | 11,799 | |||
Total liabilities | 11,799 | |||
Net Assets | $ | 20,069,934 | ||
Net Assets Consist of: | ||||
Paid-in capital | $ | 20,518,975 | ||
Total distributable earnings (accumulated deficit) | (449,041 | ) | ||
Net Assets: | $ | 20,069,934 | ||
Calculation of Net Asset Value Per Share: | ||||
Net Assets | $ | 20,069,934 | ||
Shares Outstanding (unlimited shares of beneficial interest authorized, no par value) | 830,000 | |||
Net Asset Value per Share | $ | 24.18 | ||
Cost of Investments in Securities | $ | 20,788,152 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
5
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
For the Period Ended November 30, 2022 (Unaudited)
AOT Growth and
Innovation ETF (1) |
||||
Investment Income: | ||||
Dividend income | $ | 20,402 | ||
Interest income | 519 | |||
Total investment income | 20,921 | |||
Expenses: | ||||
Investment advisory fees | 64,516 | |||
Net expenses | 64,516 | |||
Net Investment Loss | (43,595 | ) | ||
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments: | ||||
Net realized gain on: | ||||
Investments | 309,739 | |||
309,739 | ||||
Net change in unrealized depreciation on: | ||||
Investments | (715,185 | ) | ||
(715,185 | ) | |||
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments: | (405,446 | ) | ||
Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations | $ | (449,041 | ) |
(1) | The Fund commenced operations on June 29, 2022. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
6
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
AOT Growth and
Innovation ETF |
||||
For the
Period Ended November 30, 2022 (Unaudited) (1) |
||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets from: | ||||
Operations: | ||||
Net investment loss | $ | (43,595 | ) | |
Net realized gain on investments | 309,739 | |||
Net change in unrealized depreciation on investments | (715,185 | ) | ||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations | (449,041 | ) | ||
Distributions to Shareholders: | ||||
Net investment income | - | |||
Total distributions to shareholders | - | |||
Capital Share Transactions: | ||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 22,873,591 | |||
Payments for shares redeemed | (2,354,616 | ) | ||
Net increase in net assets derived from net change in capital share transactions | 20,518,975 | |||
Net Increase in Net Assets | 20,069,934 | |||
Net Assets: | ||||
Beginning of period | - | |||
End of period | $ | 20,069,934 | ||
Changes in Shares Outstanding: | ||||
Shares outstanding, beginning of period | - | |||
Shares sold | 920,000 | |||
Shares repurchased | (90,000 | ) | ||
Shares outstanding, end of period | 830,000 |
(1) | The Fund commenced operations on June 29, 2022. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
7
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For the Period Ended November 30, 2022 (Unaudited)
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | Net Investment Loss (1) | Net Realized and Unrealized Loss on Investments | Net Decrease in Net Asset Value Resulting from Operations | Distributions from Net Investment Income | Total Distributions | Net Asset Value, End of Period | Total Return (2) | Net Assets, End of Period (000’s) |
Net
Expenses (3)(4) |
Net Investment Income (3) | Portfolio Turnover Rate (5) | ||||||||||||||
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
June 29, 2022 (6) to November 30, 2022 | $25.00 | (0.05) | (0.77) | (0.82) | - | - | $24.18 | (3.28%) | $20,070 | 0.75% | (0.51%) | 4% |
(1) | Net investment income per share represents net investment income divided by the daily average shares of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the period. | |
(2) | All returns reflect reinvested dividends, if any, but do not reflect the impact of taxes. Total return for a period of less than one year is not annualized. | |
(3) | For periods of less than one year, these ratios are annualized. | |
(4) | Net expenses include effects of any reimbursement or recoupment. | |
(5) | Portfolio turnover is not annualized and is calculated without regard to short-term securities having a maturity of less than one year. | |
(6) | Commencement of operations. |
The accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements are an integral part of these Financial Statements.
8
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED)
NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF (the “Fund”) is a series of the EA Series Trust (the “Trust”), which was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on October 11, 2013. The Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Fund is considered diversified under the 1940 Act. The Fund commenced operations on June 29, 2022. The Fund qualifies as an investment company as defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946-Financial Services- Investment Companies. The Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). The Fund’s investment strategy is to seek to grow capital by tactically investing U.S. listed equity securities that have high growth potential based on a low marginal cost business model. In the view of the Fund’s sub-adviser (AOT Invest, LLC), such cost structures yield greater profits, which can then be used to accelerate growth in existing markets and exploit growth in new markets.
Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Market prices for the shares may be different from their net asset value (“NAV”). The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis at NAV only in blocks of 10,000 shares, called “Creation Units.” Creation Units are issued and redeemed principally in-kind for securities included in a specified universe. Once created, shares generally trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day in share amounts less than a Creation Unit. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund. Shares of the Fund may only be purchased or redeemed by certain financial institutions (“Authorized Participants”). An Authorized Participant is either (i) a broker-dealer 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. Most retail investors do not qualify as Authorized Participants nor have the resources to buy and sell whole Creation Units. Therefore, they are unable to purchase or redeem the shares directly from the Fund. Rather, most retail investors may purchase shares in the secondary market with the assistance of a broker and are subject to customary brokerage commissions or fees.
Authorized Participants may be required to pay a transaction fee to compensate the Trust or its custodian for costs incurred in connection with creation and redemption transactions. The standard transaction fee, which is payable to the Trust’s custodian, typically applies to in-kind purchases of the Fund effected through the clearing process on any business day, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased or redeemed that day (“Standard Transaction Fees”). Variable fees are imposed to compensate the Fund for the transaction costs associated with the cash transactions fees. Certain fund deposits consisting of cash-in-lieu or cash value may be subject to a variable charge (“Variable Transaction Fees”), which is payable to the Fund, of up to 2.00% of the value of the order in addition to the Standard Transaction Fees. Variable Transaction Fees received by the Fund, if any, are displayed in the Capital Share Transactions sections of the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.
Because, among other things, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades, the Board determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the Fund’s Shares.
9
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED)
NOTE 2 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund. These policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
A. | Security Valuation . Equity securities that are traded on a national securities exchange, except those listed on the NASDAQ Global Market ® (“NASDAQ”) are valued at the last reported sale price on the exchange on which the security is principally traded. Securities traded on NASDAQ will be valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”). If, on a particular day, an exchange-traded or NASDAQ security does not trade, then the most recent quoted bid for exchange-traded or the mean between the most recent quoted bid and ask price for NASDAQ securities will be used. Equity securities that are not traded on a listed exchange are generally valued at the last sale price in the over-the-counter market. If a non-exchange traded security does not trade on a particular day, then the mean between the last quoted closing bid and asked price will be used. Prices denominated in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollar equivalents at the current exchange rate, which approximates fair value. Redeemable securities issued by open-end investment companies are valued at the investment company’s applicable net asset value, with the exception of exchange-traded open-end investment companies which are priced as equity securities. |
Securities for which quotations are not readily available are valued by a committee established by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) in accordance with procedures established by the Board. This “fair valuation” process is designed to value the subject security at the price the Trust would reasonably expect to receive upon its current sale. When a security is “fair valued,” consideration is given to the facts and circumstances relevant to the particular situation, including a review of various factors set forth in the pricing procedures adopted by the Board. The use of “fair value” pricing by the Fund may cause the net asset value of its shares to differ significantly from the net asset value that would be calculated without regard to such considerations. As of November 30, 2022, the Fund did not hold any securities valued by an investment committee.
As described above, the Fund may use various methods to measure the fair value of their investments on a recurring basis. GAAP establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation methods. The three levels of inputs are:
Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access.
Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates and similar data.
Level 3 – Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, to the extent relevant observable inputs are not available; representing the Fund’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability and would be based on the best information available.
The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3.
10
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED)
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
The following is a summary of the fair value classification of the Fund’s investments as of November 30, 2022:
DESCRIPTION | LEVEL 1 | LEVEL 2 | LEVEL 3 | TOTAL | ||||||||||||
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF | ||||||||||||||||
Assets* | ||||||||||||||||
Common Stocks | $ | 19,977,873 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 19,977,873 | ||||||||
Money Market Funds | 95,094 | - | - | 95,094 | ||||||||||||
Total Investments in Securities | $ | 20,072,967 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 20,072,967 |
* | For further detail on each asset class, see the Schedule of Investments |
During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022, the Fund did not invest in any Level 3 investments and recognized no transfers to/from Level 3. Transfers between levels are recognized at the end of the reporting period.
B. | Risks. Markets may perform poorly and the returns from the securities in which the Fund invests may underperform returns from the general securities markets. Securities markets may experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, or other external factors. The value of a company’s securities may rise or fall in response to company, market, economic or other news. |
Foreign securities may underperform U.S. securities and may be more volatile than U.S. securities. Risks relating to investments in foreign securities (including, but not limited to, depositary receipts and participation certificates) and to securities of issuers with significant exposure to foreign markets include: currency exchange rate fluctuation; less available public information about the issuers of securities; less stringent regulatory standards; lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; and country risks including less liquidity, high inflation rates, unfavorable economic practices, political instability and expropriation and nationalization risks.
The risks of foreign securities typically are greater in emerging and less developed markets. For example, in addition to the risks associated with investments in any foreign country, political, legal and economic structures in these less developed countries may be new and changing rapidly, which may cause instability and greater risk of loss. These securities markets may be less developed and securities in those markets are generally more volatile and less liquid than those in developed markets. Investing in emerging market countries may involve substantial risk due to, among other reasons, limited information; higher brokerage costs; different accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; less developed legal systems and thinner trading markets as compared to those in developed countries; different clearing and settlement procedures and custodial services; and currency blockages or transfer restrictions. Emerging market countries also are more likely to experience high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluations, which could hurt their economies and securities markets. Certain emerging markets also may face other significant internal or external risks, including a heightened risk of war and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts. In addition, governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets, which may impair investment and economic growth of companies in those markets. Such markets may also be heavily reliant on foreign capital and, therefore, vulnerable to capital flight.
11
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED)
Growth Stock Investment Risk. Growth-oriented common stocks may involve larger price swings and greater potential for loss than other types of investments. Growth stocks tend to trade at a premium when analyzed using tradition valuation metrics such as price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book ratio. Due to this premium valuation, growth stocks tend to be more susceptible to big price swings. In bull markets, they tend to rise at a much faster pace than the overall market, and they tend to decline at a more rapid rate in bear markets.
Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will have exposure to companies operating in the technology sector. Technology companies, including information technology companies, may have limited product lines, financial resources and/or personnel. Technology companies typically face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights.
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The Fund’s investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the Consumer Discretionary Sector. The manufacturing segment of the Consumer Discretionary Sector includes automotive, household durable goods, leisure equipment and textiles and apparel. The services segment includes hotels, restaurants and other leisure facilities, media production and services, and consumer retailing and services. The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the Consumer Discretionary Sector. The performance of companies operating in the Consumer Discretionary Sector has historically been closely tied to the performance of the overall economy, and also is affected by economic growth, consumer confidence, attitudes and spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes also can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products and services in the marketplace. Moreover, the Consumer Discretionary Sector encompasses those businesses that tend to be the most sensitive to economic cycles.
See the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information regarding the risks of investing in shares of the Fund.
C. | Foreign Currency. Investment securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollar amounts using the spot rate of exchange at the date of valuation. Purchases and sales of investment securities and income and expense items denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollar amounts on the respective dates of such transactions. |
The Fund isolates the portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from the fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. That portion of gains (losses) attributable to the changes in market prices and the portion of gains (losses) attributable to changes in foreign exchange rates are included on the “Statement of Operations” under “Net realized gain (loss) – Foreign currency” and “Change in Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) – Foreign Currency,” respectively.
The Fund reports net realized foreign exchange gains or losses that arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the fair values of assets and liabilities, other than investments in securities at fiscal period end, resulting from changes in exchange rates.
12
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED)
D. | Federal Income Taxes. The Fund intends to continue to comply with the requirements of subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as necessary to qualify as a regulated investment company and distribute substantially all net taxable investment income and net realized gains to shareholders in a manner which results in no tax cost to the Fund. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. As of and during the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022, the Fund did not have any tax positions that did not meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. As of and during the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022, the Fund did not have liabilities for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund will recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits on uncertain tax positions as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. taxing authorities for the tax periods since the Fund’s commencement of operations. |
The Fund may be subject to taxes imposed on realized and unrealized gains on securities of certain foreign countries in which the Fund invests. The foreign tax expense, if any, was recorded on an accrual basis and is included in “Net realized gain (loss) on investments” and “Net increase (decrease) in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments” on the accompanying Statements of Operations. The amount of foreign tax owed, if any, is included in “Payable for foreign taxes” on the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities and is comprised of withholding taxes on foreign dividends and taxes on unrealized gains.
E. | Security Transactions and Investment Income. Investment securities transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Gains and losses realized on sales of securities are determined on a specific identification basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date, net of any foreign taxes withheld at source. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable tax rules and regulations. |
Distributions to shareholders from net investment income for the Fund and distributions to shareholders from net realized gains on securities normally are declared and paid on an annual basis. Distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The Fund may distribute more frequently, if necessary, for tax purposes.
F. | Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. |
G. | Share Valuation. The NAV per share of the Fund is calculated by dividing the sum of the value of the securities held by the Fund, plus cash and other assets, minus all liabilities (including estimated accrued expenses) by the total number of shares outstanding for the Fund, rounded to the nearest cent. The Fund’s shares will not be priced on the days on which the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is closed for regular trading. The offering and redemption price per share for the Fund is equal to the Fund’s net asset value per share. |
H. | Guarantees and Indemnifications. In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. Additionally, as is customary, the Trust’s organizational documents permit the Trust to indemnify its officers and trustees against certain liabilities under certain circumstances. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be against the Fund that have not yet occurred. As of the date of this Report, no claim has been made for indemnification pursuant to any such agreement of the Fund. |
I. | Reclassification of Capital Accounts. GAAP requires that certain components of net assets relating to permanent differences be reclassified between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value per share. No reclassifications were made for the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022. |
13
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED)
NOTE 3 – COMMITMENTS AND OTHER RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS.
Empowered Funds, LLC d/b/a EA Advisers (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is also responsible for arranging transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Adviser administers the Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services. The Adviser agrees to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, payments under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1, brokerage expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes (including tax-related services), interest (including borrowing costs), litigation expense (including class action-related services) and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (“Fund Services” or “Administrator”), doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, acts as the Funds’ Administrator and, in that capacity, performs various administrative and accounting services for the Funds. The Administrator prepares various federal and state regulatory filings, reports and returns for the Funds, including regulatory compliance monitoring and financial reporting; prepares reports and materials to be supplied to the trustees; monitors the activities of the Funds’ Custodian, transfer agent and fund accountant. Fund Services also serves as the transfer agent and fund accountant to the Funds. U.S. Bank N.A. (the “Custodian”), an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as the Funds’ Custodian.
The Custodian acts as the securities lending agent (the “Securities Lending Agent”) for the Fund.
AOT Invest, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), serves as a non-discretionary investment sub-adviser to the Fund. Pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) among the Trust, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for determining the investment exposures for the Fund, subject to the overall supervision and oversight of the Adviser and the Board.
At a Board meeting held on June 17, 2022, the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Trustees”) including each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, approved the Advisory Agreement. Per the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays an annual rate of 0.75% to the Adviser monthly based on average daily net assets. A description of the Board’s consideration is included in this report.
NOTE 4 – SECURITIES LENDING
On October 1, 2021, the Board approved the use of securities lending by the Trust. The Fund may lend up to 33⅓% of the value of the securities in its portfolio to brokers, dealers and financial institutions (but not individuals) under terms of participation in a securities lending program administered by the Securities Lending Agent. The securities lending agreement requires that loans are collateralized at all times in an amount equal to at least 102% of the value of any domestic loaned securities at the time of the loan, plus accrued interest. The use of loans of foreign securities, which are denominated and payable in U.S. dollars, shall be collateralized in an amount equal to 105% of the value of any loaned securities at the time of the loan plus accrued interest. The Fund receives compensation in the form of fees and earns interest on the cash collateral. The amount of fees depends on a number of factors including the type of security and length of the loan. The Fund continues to receive interest payments or dividends on the securities loaned during the borrowing period. Gain or loss on the value of securities loaned that may occur during the term of the loan will be for the account of the Fund. The Fund has the right under the terms of the securities lending agreement to recall the securities from the borrower on demand.
The securities lending agreement provides that, in the event of a borrower’s material default, the Securities Lending Agent shall take all actions the Securities Lending Agent deems appropriate to liquidate the collateral, purchase replacement securities at the Securities Lending Agent’s expense, or pay the Fund an amount equal to the market
14
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED)
value of the loaned securities, subject to certain limitations which are set forth in detail in the securities lending agreement between the Fund and the Securities Lending Agent.
As of the end of the current fiscal period, the Fund had not loaned securities.
NOTE 5 – PURCHASES AND SALES OF SECURITIES
For the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022, purchases and sales of securities for the Fund, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:
Purchases | Sales | |||||||
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF | $ | 1,917,041 | $ | 599,213 |
For the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022, in-kind transactions associated with creations and redemptions were as follows:
Purchases | Sales | |||||||
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF | $ | 21,399,648 | $ | 2,334,157 |
For the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022, short-term and long-term gains on in-kind transactions were as follows:
Short Term | Long Term | |||||||
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF | $ | 413,704 | $ | - |
There were no purchases or sales of U.S. Government securities during the fiscal period.
NOTE 6 – TAX INFORMATION
As of May 31, 2022, the Fund had not commenced operations. Tax information will be presented within the Fund’s first annual report as of May 31, 2023.
NOTE 7 – DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS
There were no distributions paid by the Fund during the fiscal period ended November 30, 2022.
NOTE 8 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
In preparing these financial statements, management of the Fund has evaluated events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date the financial statements were issued. There were no transactions that occurred during the period subsequent to November 30, 2022, that materially impacted the amounts or disclosures in the Fund’s financial statements.
15
EXPENSE EXAMPLE
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED)
As a shareholder of AOT Growth and Innovation ETF, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the most recent six-month period and held the entire period (June 29, 2022 to November 30, 2022).
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period June 29, 2022 to November 30, 2022” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as brokerage commissions paid on purchases and sales of Fund shares. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. If these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher. The information assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions.
Annualized
Expense Ratio |
Beginning
Account Value June 29, 2022 |
Ending
Account Value November 30, 2022 |
Expenses
Paid
During Period June 29, 2022 to November 30, 2022 |
||||||||||||
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF 1 | |||||||||||||||
Actual | 0.75% | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 967.20 | 3.13 | |||||||||
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses) | 0.75% | 1,000.00 | 1,021.31 | 3.80 |
1. | The inception date for the AOT Growth and Innovation ETF was June 29, 2022. Actual expenses paid during the period are equal to the annualized net expense ratio for the class, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 155/365 (to reflect the period). |
16
REVIEW OF LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (UNAUDITED)
Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Trust, on behalf of the series of the Trust covered by this shareholder report (the “Fund”), has adopted a liquidity risk management program (“the Program”) to govern the Trust’s approach to managing liquidity risk. Rule 22e-4 seeks to promote effective liquidity risk management, thereby reducing the risk that the Fund will be unable to meet its redemption obligations and mitigating dilution of the interests of fund shareholders. The Trust’s liquidity risk management program is tailored to reflect the Fund’s particular risks, but not to eliminate all adverse impacts of liquidity risk, which would be incompatible with the nature of the Fund.
The Trust’s Board of Trustees has designated the Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser as the Program Administrator, responsible for administering the Program and its policies and procedures.
At the July 26, 2022, meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Program Administrator provided the Trustees with a report pertaining to the operation, adequacy, and effectiveness of implementation of the Program for the period ended March 31, 2022. The report concluded that the Program appeared effectively tailored to identify potential illiquid scenarios and to enable the Fund to deliver appropriate reporting. In addition, the report concluded that the Program is adequately operating, and its implementation has been effective. The report reflected that there were no liquidity events that impacted the Fund’s ability to timely meet redemptions without dilution to existing shareholders. The report further described material changes that were made to the Program since its implementation.
There can be no assurance that the Program will achieve its objectives in the future. Please refer to the prospectus for more information regarding the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk and other principal risks to which an investment in the Fund may be subject.
17
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The table below sets forth certain information about each of the Trust’s executive officers as well as its affiliated and independent Trustees.
Name,
Address,
and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with Trust |
Term
of Office
and Length of Time Served |
Principal
Occupation During
Past 5 Years |
Number
of
Funds in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
Independent Trustees | |||||
Daniel Dorn Born: 1975 |
Trustee | Since 2014 | Associate Professor of Finance, Drexel University, LeBow College of Business (2003 – present). | 34 | None |
Michael S. Pagano, Ph.D., CFA Born: 1962 |
Trustee | Since 2014 | The Robert J. and Mary Ellen Darretta Endowed Chair in Finance, Villanova University (1999 – present); Founder, Michael S. Pagano, LLC (business consulting firm) (2008 – present); | 34 |
Citadel Federal Credit Union (pro bono service for non-profit) |
Chukwuemeka (Emeka) O. Oguh Born: 1983 |
Trustee | Since 2018 | Co-founder and CEO, PeopleJoy (2016 – present). | 34 | None |
Interested Trustee* | |||||
Wesley R. Gray, Ph.D. Born: 1980 |
Trustee and President | Since 2014 | Founder and Executive Managing Member, EA Advisers (2013 – present); Founder and Executive Managing Member, Empirical Finance, LLC d/b/a Alpha Architect (2010 – present). | 34 | None |
* |
Dr. Gray is an “interested person,” as defined by the Investment Company Act, because of his employment with and ownership interest in the Adviser. |
Additional information about the Affiliated Trustee and Independent Trustees is available in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
18
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND (CONTINUED)
Officers
Name, Address,
and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with Trust |
Term
of Office
and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation During
Past 5 Years |
John Vogel, Ph.D. Born: 1983 |
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer | Since 2014 | Managing Member, EA Advisers (2013 – present); Managing Member, Empirical Finance, LLC d/b/a Alpha Architect (2012 – present). |
Jessica D. Leighty
Born: 1981 |
Chief Compliance Officer | Since 2022 | Chief Compliance Officer, Alpha Architect (2021 – Present), Chief Compliance Officer, Snow Compliance (2015 – 2021) |
Patrick R. Cleary Born: 1982 |
Secretary | Since 2015 | Chief Operating Officer and Managing Member, Alpha Architect, LLC (2014 – present); Chief Executive Officer of EA Advisers (2021 – present). |
Sean Hegarty Born: 1993 |
Assistant Treasurer | Since 2022 | Chief Operating Officer, EA Advisers (2022 – present); Assistant Vice President – Fund Administration, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (2018-2022); Staff Accountant, Cohen & Company (2015-2018) |
19
BOARD REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF ADVISORY AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT (UNAUDITED)
The Board (the members of which are referred to as “Trustees”) of the EA Series Trust (the “Trust”) met virtually on June 17, 2022 to consider the approval of Advisory Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the AOT Growth and Innovation ETF (the “Fund”), and Empowered Funds, LLC (the “Adviser”), as well as to consider the approval of the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and AOT Invest, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”). In accordance with Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act, the Board requested, reviewed and considered materials furnished by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser relevant to the Board’s consideration of whether to approve the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement. In connection with considering approval of both the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), met in executive session with counsel to the Trust, who provided assistance and advice. In reaching the decision to approve both the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Board considered and reviewed information provided by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, including among other things information about its personnel, operations, financial condition, and compliance and risk management. The Board also reviewed copies of the proposed Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement. During their review and consideration, the Board focused on and reviewed the factors they deemed relevant, including:
Nature, Quality and Extent of Services. The Board was presented and considered information concerning the nature, quality and extent of the overall services expected to be provided by the Adviser to the Fund. In this connection, the Board considered the responsibilities of the Adviser, recognizing that the Adviser had invested significant time and effort in structuring the Trust and the Fund, obtaining the necessary exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and arranging service providers for the Fund. In addition, the Board considered that, the Adviser is responsible for providing investment advisory services to the Fund, monitoring compliance with the Fund’s objectives, policies and restrictions, and carrying out directives of the Board. The Board also considered the services expected to be provided by the Adviser in the oversight of the Trust’s administrator, transfer agent and custodian. In addition, the Board evaluated the integrity of the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s personnel, the experience of the portfolio management team in managing assets and the adequacy of the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s resources. In addition, the Board evaluated the integrity of each of the Adviser’s and Sub-Advisers’ personnel, the experience of the portfolio management team in managing assets and the adequacy of each of the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s resources. The Board also considered the Adviser’s ongoing oversight responsibilities of the Sub-Adviser and the adequacy of the Adviser’s resources. The Board considered that the Sub-Adviser would provide its services as a non-discretionary investment sub-adviser and that the Adviser would be each the Fund’s discretionary investment adviser and responsible for all trading and compliance for the Fund.
Performance. Performance information was not available for the Fund as it had not yet commenced operations.
Comparative Fees and Expenses. In considering the advisory fee and sub-advisory fee, the Board reviewed and considered the fees in light of the nature, quality and extent of the services expected to be provided by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, respectively. With respect to the advisory fee and expense ratio for the Fund, the Board also considered the fees and expense ratios versus the fees and expenses charged to other exchange-traded funds and mutual funds. The Board noted that there were no directly comparable passively managed and actively managed ETFs or mutual funds using as strategy comparable to the proposed strategy, and it was therefore difficult to compare the Fund’s management fee and estimated expenses with the fees and expenses of other passively managed and actively managed ETFs and mutual funds. With respect to the sub-advisory fee, the Board noted that they were payable solely out of the unitary management fee payable to the Adviser.
The Board considered, among other information, the data provided in the third-party report. Fee information was provided in quartiles, ranging from quartile one (the least expensive) to quartile four (the most expensive). The Board considered the third-party peer group analysis that included comparison of the Fund’s anticipated net expense ratio against funds that were both exchanged-traded funds and mutual funds. The Fund’s total expense ratio (for both gross and net fees) was in the second quartile for both ETFs and mutual funds. The Fund’s management fee was in the second quartile for ETFs and the third quartile for mutual funds. The Board determined that the Fund’s proposed fee level was reasonable.
20
AOT GROWTH AND INNOVATION ETF
BOARD REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF ADVISORY AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT (UNAUDITED)
Costs and Profitability. The Board further considered information regarding the potential profits, if any, that may be realized by each of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser in connection with providing their respective services to the Fund. The Board reviewed estimated profit and loss information provided by the Adviser with respect to the Fund and estimated data regarding the proposed Sub-Advisory fee and the costs associated with the personnel, systems and equipment necessary to manage the Fund and to meet the regulatory and compliance requirements adopted by the SEC and other regulatory bodies as well as other expenses the Adviser would pay in accordance with the Advisory Agreement. The Board also took into consideration that the Adviser agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for the fees paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, payments under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1, brokerage expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, interest (including borrowing costs), litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses. The Board also considered the respective financial obligations of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, as sponsor of the Fund. They considered the Sub-Adviser’s projected Fund asset totals over the first two years of operations. The Board also considered the ownership structure of the Sub-Adviser and the assets committed by the ownership group to support the Fund.
Other Benefits. The Board further considered the extent to which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser might derive ancillary benefits from Fund operations. For example, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may engage in soft dollar transactions in the future, although it did not currently plan to do so. In addition, the Adviser may benefit from continued growth in the Trust by potentially negotiating better fee arrangements with key vendors serving all of the funds in the Trust.
Economies of Scale. The Board also considered whether economies of scale would be realized by the Fund as it its assets grow, including the extent to which this is reflected in the level of fees to be charged. The Board noted that the advisory and sub-advisory fees for the Fund do not include breakpoints but concluded that it was premature to meaningfully evaluate potential economies of scale.
Conclusion. No single factor was determinative of the Board’s decision to approve both the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement; rather, the Board based its determination on the total mix of information available to it. Based on a consideration of all the factors in their totality, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, approved both the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement, including the compensation payable under the Agreements.
21
INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS (UNAUDITED)
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings for its first and third fiscal quarters with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Part F of Form N-PORT. The Fund’s Form N-PORT is available without charge, upon request, by calling (215) 882-9983. Furthermore, you may obtain the Form N-PORT on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s portfolio holdings are posted on its website at https://aotetf.com/.
INFORMATION ABOUT PROXY VOTING (UNAUDITED)
A description of the policies and procedures the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is provided in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). The SAI is available without charge upon request by calling (215) 882-9983, by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by accessing the Fund’s website at https://aotetf.com/.
When available, information regarding how the Fund’s voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the twelve months ending June 30 is (1) available by calling (215) 882-9983 and (2) the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF PREMIUMS AND DISCOUNTS (UNAUDITED)
Information regarding how often shares of the Fund trades on an exchange at a price above (i.e., at premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available, without charge, on the Fund’s website at https://aotetf.com/.
EA Series Trust (the “Trust”) is strongly committed to preserving and safeguarding the personal financial information of any customers of the Trust. Confidentiality is extremely important to us.
Regulation S-P requires, among others, each investment company to “adopt written policies and procedures that address administrative, technical, and physical safeguards for the protection of customer records and information.” However, Pursuant to Regulation S-P’s definition of “customer,” the Trust currently does not have, nor does it anticipate having in the future, any customers. In addition, the Trust does not collect any non-public personal information from any consumers.
Nonetheless, the Trust has instituted certain technical, administrative and physical safeguards through which the Trust would seek to protect personal financial information about any customers from unauthorized use and access. First, technical procedures are used in order to limit the accessibility and exposure of Trust-maintained information contained in electronic form. If customer information were obtained by the Trust, such technical procedures would cover such information.
Second, administrative procedures that are in place, would be used to control the number and type of employees, affiliated and nonaffiliated persons, to whom customer information (if the Trust were to obtain any) would be accessible.
Third, physical safeguards have been established, which if customer information were obtained by the Trust, to prevent access to such information contained in hard-copy form.
As these procedures illustrate, the Trust realizes the importance of information confidentiality and security and emphasizes practices which are aimed at achieving those goals.
22
Adviser
Empowered Funds, LLC d/b/a EA Advisers
19 East Eagle Road
Havertown, Pennsylvania 19083
Sub-Adviser
AOT Invest, LLC
3541 East Kimberly Road
Davenport, Iowa 52807
Distributor
Quasar Distributors, LLC
111 East Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 2200
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Custodian and Securities Lending Agent
U.S. Bank National Association
Custody Operations
1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
Transfer Agent
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, LLC
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Spicer Jeffries LLP
4601 DTC Boulevard, Suite 700
Denver, Colorado 80237
Legal Counsel
Practus, LLP
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310
Leawood, Kansas 66211
AOT Growth and Innovation ETF
Symbol – AOTG
CUSIP – 02072L730