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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
x | Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2011
¨ | Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 001-32863
iShares ® Silver Trust
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
New York | 13-7474456 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer | |
incorporation or organization) | Identification No.) |
c/o BlackRock Asset Management International Inc.
400 Howard Street
San Francisco, California 94105
Attn: Product Management Team
iShares ® Product Research & Development
(Address of principal executive offices)
(415) 670-2000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer x | Accelerated filer | ¨ | ||
Non-accelerated filer ¨ | Smaller reporting company | ¨ | ||
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
iShares ® Silver Trust
Balance Sheets
At September 30, 2011 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2010
(Dollar amounts in $000’s) |
September 30,
2011 |
December 31,
2010 |
||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
Current assets |
||||||||
Silver bullion inventory (fair value of $9,785,668 and $10,755,319, respectively) |
$ | 7,447,308 | $ | 5,632,180 | ||||
Payable for capital Shares redeemed |
(54,864 | ) | — | |||||
Receivable for capital Shares sold |
— | 17,958 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
TOTAL ASSETS |
$ | 7,392,444 | $ | 5,650,138 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE CAPITAL SHARES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT) |
||||||||
Current liabilities |
||||||||
Sponsor’s fees payable |
$ | 5,064 | $ | 4,325 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total liabilities |
5,064 | 4,325 | ||||||
Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 5) |
— | — | ||||||
Redeemable capital Shares, no par value, unlimited amount authorized (at redemption value) – 329,950,000 issued and outstanding at September 30, 2011 and 359,200,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2010 |
9,780,604 | 10,750,994 | ||||||
Shareholders’ equity (deficit) |
(2,393,224 | ) | (5,105,181 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE CAPITAL SHARES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT) |
$ | 7,392,444 | $ | 5,650,138 | ||||
|
|
|
|
See notes to financial statements.
1
iShares ® Silver Trust
Income Statements (Unaudited)
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010
Three Months Ended
September 30, |
Nine Months
Ended
September 30, |
|||||||||||||||
(Dollar amounts in $000’s, except for per Share amounts) | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | ||||||||||||
Revenue |
||||||||||||||||
Proceeds from sales of silver to pay expenses |
$ | 14,983 | $ | 6,789 | $ | 44,269 | $ | 19,815 | ||||||||
Cost of silver sold to pay expenses |
(8,448 | ) | (5,061 | ) | (23,363 | ) | (15,348 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Gain on sales of silver to pay expenses |
6,535 | 1,728 | 20,906 | 4,467 | ||||||||||||
Gain on silver distributed for the redemption of Shares |
486,613 | 4,389 | 2,922,223 | 114,595 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total gain on sales and distributions of silver |
493,148 | 6,117 | 2,943,129 | 119,062 | ||||||||||||
Expenses |
||||||||||||||||
Sponsor’s fees |
(15,427 | ) | (7,084 | ) | (45,008 | ) | (20,056 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total expenses |
(15,427 | ) | (7,084 | ) | (45,008 | ) | (20,056 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
NET INCOME (LOSS) |
$ | 477,721 | $ | (967 | ) | $ | 2,898,121 | $ | 99,006 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Net income (loss) per Share |
$ | 1.48 | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | 8.55 | $ | 0.33 | |||||||
Weighted-average Shares outstanding |
323,457,609 | 304,032,609 | 339,157,875 |
|
303,503,114
|
|
See notes to financial statements.
2
iShares ® Silver Trust
Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit)
For the nine months ended September 30, 2011 (Unaudited)
and the year ended December 31, 2010
(Dollar amounts in $000’s) |
Nine Months
Ended September 30, 2011 |
Year Ended
December 31, 2010 |
||||||
Shareholders’ equity (deficit) – beginning of period |
$ | (5,105,181 | ) | $ | (975,307 | ) | ||
Net income |
2,898,121 | 234,419 | ||||||
Adjustment of redeemable capital Shares to redemption value |
(186,164 | ) | (4,364,293 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Shareholders’ equity (deficit) – end of period |
$ | (2,393,224 | ) | $ | (5,105,181 | ) | ||
|
|
|
|
See notes to financial statements.
3
iShares ® Silver Trust
Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
For the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010
Nine Months Ended
September 30, |
||||||||
(Dollar amounts in $000’s) |
2011 | 2010 | ||||||
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Proceeds from sales of silver |
$ | 44,269 | $ | 19,815 | ||||
Expenses – Sponsor’s fees paid |
(44,269 | ) | (19,815 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net cash provided by operating activities |
— | — | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Increase (decrease) in cash |
— | — | ||||||
Cash, beginning of period |
— | — | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cash, end of period |
$ | — | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Net income |
$ | 2,898,121 | $ | 99,006 | ||||
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: |
||||||||
Gain on silver distributed for the redemption of Shares |
(2,922,223 | ) | (114,595 | ) | ||||
Cost of silver sold to pay expenses |
23,363 | 15,348 | ||||||
Increase in Sponsor’s fees payable |
739 | 241 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$ | — | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash information: |
||||||||
Carrying value of silver received for creation of Shares |
$ | 4,870,066 | $ | 734,842 | ||||
Carrying value of silver distributed for redemption of Shares, at average cost |
$ | (3,104,397 | ) | $ | (385,072 | ) |
See notes to financial statements.
4
iShares ® Silver Trust
Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2011
1 - Organization
The iShares ® Silver Trust (the “Trust”) was organized on April 21, 2006 as a New York trust. The trustee is The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”), which is responsible for the day to day administration of the Trust. The Trust’s sponsor is BlackRock Asset Management International Inc. (the “Sponsor”), a Delaware corporation. The Trust is governed by the Depositary Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed at the time of organization of the Trust by the Trustee and the Sponsor. The Trust issues units of beneficial interest (or “Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets.
The objective of the Trust is for the value of its Shares to reflect, at any given time, the price of silver owned by the Trust at that time, less the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Trust is designed to provide a vehicle for investors to own interests in silver bullion.
The accompanying unaudited financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of management, all material adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair statement of the interim period financial statements have been made. Interim period results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full-year period. These financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 as filed with the SEC on February 25, 2011.
The Trust is not an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
A. | Basis of Accounting |
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Trust in the preparation of its financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.
B. | Silver Bullion |
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch (the “Custodian”), is responsible for the safekeeping of silver bullion owned by the Trust.
For financial statement purposes, the silver bullion held by the Trust is valued at the lower of cost or market, using the average cost method. Should the market value of the silver bullion held be lower than its average cost during the interim periods of the same fiscal year, an adjustment of value below cost (“market value reserve”) is recorded by the Trust. Should the market value of the silver bullion held increase subsequent to the market value reserve being recorded, a “market value recovery” is recorded by the Trust. Gain or loss on sales of silver bullion is calculated on a trade date basis. Fair value of the silver bullion is based on the price for an ounce of silver set each working day by three market making members of The London Bullion Market Association (“London Fix”).
5
The following table summarizes activity in silver bullion for the three months ended September 30, 2011 (all balances in 000’s):
Ounces |
Average
Cost |
Fair
Value |
Realized
Gain (Loss) |
|||||||||||||
Beginning balance |
306,610.4 | $ | 6,341,495 | $ | 10,737,494 | $ | — | |||||||||
Silver contributed |
43,935.6 | 1,695,479 | 1,695,479 | — | ||||||||||||
Silver distributed |
(28,785.9 | ) | (636,082 | ) | (1,122,695 | ) | 486,613 | |||||||||
Silver sold |
(391.7 | ) | (8,448 | ) | (14,983 | ) | 6,535 | |||||||||
Adjustment for realized gain |
— | — | 493,148 | — | ||||||||||||
Adjustment for unrealized gain on silver bullion |
— | — | (2,002,775 | ) | — | |||||||||||
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Ending balance |
321,368.4 | $ | 7,392,444 | $ | 9,785,668 | $ | 493,148 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following table summarizes activity in silver bullion for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 (all balances in 000’s):
Ounces |
Average
Cost |
Fair
Value |
Realized
Gain (Loss) |
|||||||||||||
Beginning balance |
351,136.8 | $ | 5,650,138 | $ | 10,755,319 | $ | — | |||||||||
Silver contributed |
130,656.5 | 4,870,066 | 4,870,066 | — | ||||||||||||
Silver distributed |
(159,206.5 | ) | (3,104,397 | ) | (6,026,620 | ) | 2,922,223 | |||||||||
Silver sold |
(1,218.4 | ) | (23,363 | ) | (44,269 | ) | 20,906 | |||||||||
Adjustment for realized gain |
— | — | 2,943,129 | — | ||||||||||||
Adjustment for unrealized gain on silver bullion |
— | — | (2,711,957 | ) | — | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Ending balance |
321,368.4 | $ | 7,392,444 | $ | 9,785,668 | $ | 2,943,129 | |||||||||
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
C. | Redeemable Capital Shares |
Shares of the Trust are classified as “redeemable” for balance sheet purposes, since they are subject to redemption. Trust Shares are issued and redeemed continuously in aggregations of 50,000 Shares in exchange for silver bullion rather than cash. Individual investors cannot purchase or redeem Shares in direct transactions with the Trust. The Trust only transacts with registered broker-dealers eligible to settle securities transactions through the book-entry facilities of the Depository Trust Company and which have entered into a contractual arrangement with the Trust and the Sponsor governing, among other matters, the creation and redemption of Shares (such broker-dealers, the “Authorized Participants”). Holders of Shares of the Trust may redeem their Shares at any time acting through an Authorized Participant and in the prescribed aggregations of 50,000 Shares; provided, that redemptions of Shares may be suspended during any period while regular trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) is suspended or restricted, or in which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of silver is not reasonably practicable.
The per Share amount of silver exchanged for a purchase or redemption is calculated daily by the Trustee, using the London Fix to calculate the silver amount in respect of any liabilities for which covering silver sales have not yet been made, and represents the per Share amount of silver held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities, sales to cover expenses and liabilities and any losses that may have occurred.
When silver is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, it is considered a sale of silver for financial statement purposes.
Due to the expected continuing sales and redemption of capital stock and the three-day period for Share settlement, the Trust reflects capital Shares sold as a receivable, rather than as contra equity. Shares redeemed are reflected as a contra asset on the trade date. Outstanding Trust Shares are reflected at redemption value, which is the net asset value per Share at the period ended date. Adjustments to redemption value are reflected in shareholders’ equity.
6
Net asset value is computed by deducting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust, including the Sponsor’s fees, from the fair value of the silver bullion held by the Trust.
Activity in redeemable capital Shares was as follows (all balances in 000’s):
Three Months Ended
September 30, 2011 |
Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||
Beginning balance |
314,400 | $ | 10,732,874 | 359,200 | $ | 10,750,994 | ||||||||||
Shares issued |
45,100 | 1,695,479 | 133,950 | 4,870,066 | ||||||||||||
Shares redeemed |
(29,550 | ) | (1,122,695 | ) | (163,200 | ) | (6,026,620 | ) | ||||||||
Redemption value adjustment |
— | (1,525,054 | ) | — | 186,164 | |||||||||||
|
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|
|
|
|
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|
|||||||||
Ending balance |
329,950 | $ | 9,780,604 | 329,950 | $ | 9,780,604 | ||||||||||
|
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|
|
|
|
|
D. | Federal Income Taxes |
The Trust is treated as a “grantor trust” for federal income tax purposes and, therefore, no provision for federal income taxes is required. Any interest and gains and losses are deemed “passed through” to the holders of Shares of the Trust.
3 - Trust Expenses
The Trust pays to the Sponsor a Sponsor’s fee that accrues daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.50% of the adjusted net asset value of the Trust, paid monthly in arrears. The Sponsor has agreed to assume the following administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust: the Trustee’s fee, the Custodian’s fee, NYSE Arca listing fees, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and expenses, and up to $100,000 per annum in legal fees and expenses.
4 - Related Parties
The Sponsor and the Trustee are considered to be related parties to the Trust. The Trustee’s fee is paid by the Sponsor and is not a separate expense of the Trust.
5 - Indemnification
Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the Sponsor is indemnified against liabilities or expenses it incurs without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.
6 - Concentration Risk
Substantially all of the Trust’s assets are holdings of silver bullion, which creates a concentration risk associated with fluctuations in the price of silver. Accordingly, a decline in the price of silver will have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares of the Trust. Factors that may have the effect of causing a decline in the price of silver include a change in economic conditions (such as a recession), an increase in the hedging activities of silver producers, and changes in the attitude towards silver of speculators, investors and other market participants.
7
7 - Subsequent Events
In connection with the preparation of the financial statements of the Trust as of and for the period ended September 30, 2011, management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
8
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to financial statements included in Item 1 of Part I of this Form 10-Q. The discussion and analysis that follows may contain statements that relate to future events or future performance. In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Neither the Sponsor, nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any forward-looking statements. Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform such statements to actual results or to a change in the Sponsor’s expectations or predictions.
Introduction
The iShares ® Silver Trust (the “Trust”) is a grantor trust formed under the laws of the State of New York. The Trust does not have any officers, directors, or employees, and is administered by The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”) acting as trustee pursuant to the Depositary Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) between the Trustee and BlackRock Asset Management International Inc., the sponsor of the Trust (the “Sponsor”). The Trust issues units of beneficial interest (or “Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. The assets of the Trust consist primarily of silver bullion held by a custodian as an agent of the Trust responsible only to the Trustee.
The Trust is a passive investment vehicle and the objective of the Trust is for the value of each Share to approximately reflect, at any given time, the price of silver owned by the Trust less the Trust’s liabilities (anticipated to be principally for accrued operating expenses) divided by the number of outstanding Shares. The Trust does not engage in any activities designed to obtain a profit from, or ameliorate losses caused by, changes in the price of silver.
The Trust issues and redeems Shares only in exchange for silver, only in aggregations of 50,000 Shares or integral multiples thereof (each, a “Basket”), and only in transactions with registered broker-dealers that have previously entered into an agreement with the Trust governing the terms and conditions of such issuance (such broker-dealers, the “Authorized Participants”). A list of current Authorized Participants is available from the Sponsor or the Trustee.
Shares of the Trust trade on NYSE Arca, Inc. under the symbol “SLV.”
Valuation of Silver; Computation of Net Asset Value
On each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (New York time), the Trustee evaluates the silver held by the Trust and determines the net asset value of the Trust and the net asset value per Share. The Trustee values the silver held by the Trust using the announced price for an ounce of silver set each working day by three market making members of The London Bullion Market Association (“London Fix”). Having valued the silver held by the Trust, the Trustee then subtracts all accrued fees (other than the fees to be computed by reference to the value of the Trust or its assets), expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the value of the silver and other assets of the Trust. The result is the adjusted net asset value of the Trust, which is used to compute all fees (including the Sponsor’s fee), which are calculated from the value of the Trust’s assets. To determine the net asset value of the Trust, the Trustee subtracts from the adjusted net asset value of the Trust the amount of accrued fees computed from the value of the Trust’s assets. The Trustee also computes the net asset value per Share, by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation is made.
Liquidity
The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs. In exchange for a fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the period covered by this report was the Sponsor’s fee. The Trust’s only source of liquidity is its sales of silver.
9
Critical Accounting Policies
The financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements relies on estimates and assumptions that impact the Trust’s financial position and results of operations. These estimates and assumptions affect the Trust’s application of accounting policies. Below we describe the valuation of silver bullion, a critical accounting policy that we believe is important to understanding our results of operations and financial position. In addition, please refer to Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of our accounting policies.
Valuation of Silver Bullion
Silver bullion held by the Trust is recorded at the lower of cost or market. For purposes of this calculation, market values are based on the London Fix. Should the market value of the silver bullion held be lower than its average cost, an adjustment of value below cost (“market value reserve”) is recorded by the Trust and the London Fix is used as the value for financial statement purposes. Should the market value of the silver bullion held increase subsequent to the market value reserve being recorded, a “market value recovery” is recorded by the Trust. As indicated above, the London Fix is also used to value silver bullion held for purposes of calculating the net asset value of the Trust, which in turn is used for the calculation of the redemption value of outstanding Trust Shares.
There are other indicators of the value of silver bullion that are available that could be different than that chosen by the Trust. The London Fix is used by the Trust because it is commonly used by the U.S. silver market as an indicator of the value of silver, and is permitted to be used by the Trust Agreement. The use of an indicator of the value of silver bullion other than the London Fix could result in materially different fair value pricing of the silver in the Trust, and as such, could result in different lower of cost or market adjustments or in different redemption value adjustments of the outstanding redeemable capital Shares.
Results of Operations
The Quarter Ended September 30, 2011
The Trust’s net asset value fell from $10,732,873,580 at June 30, 2011 to $9,780,604,138 at September 30, 2011, a 8.87% decrease. The decrease in the Trust’s net asset value resulted primarily from a decrease in the London Fix price, which declined 13.05% from $35.02 at June 30, 2011 to $30.45 at September 30, 2011. The decrease in the Trust’s net assets was partially offset by an increase in outstanding Shares, which rose from 314,400,000 Shares at June 30, 2011 to 329,950,000 Shares at September 30, 2011, a consequence of 45,100,000 Shares (902 Baskets) being created and 29,550,000 Shares (591 Baskets) being redeemed during the quarter.
The 13.18% decline in the Trust’s net asset value per Share from $34.14 at June 30, 2011 to $29.64 at September 30, 2011 is directly related to the 13.05% decrease in the London Fix price.
The Trust’s net asset value per Share declined slightly more than the price of silver on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s fees, which were $15,427,054 for the quarter, or 0.13% of the Trust’s average weighted assets of $12,230,681,800 during the quarter. The net asset value per Share of $42.36 on August 22, 2011 was the highest during the quarter, compared with a low during the quarter of $27.41 on September 26, 2011. The net asset value of the Trust is obtained by subtracting the Trust’s expenses and liabilities on any day from the value of the silver owned by the Trust on that day; the net asset value per Share is obtained by dividing the net asset value of the Trust on a given day by the number of Shares outstanding on that day.
Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 was $477,721,164, resulting from a net gain of $6,535,004 on the sales of silver to pay expenses, a net gain of $486,613,214 on silver distributed for the redemption of Shares, offset by Sponsor’s fees of $15,427,054. Other than the Sponsor’s fees, the Trust had no expenses during the quarter.
10
The Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011
The Trust’s net asset value fell from $10,750,993,519 at December 31, 2010 to $9,780,604,138 at September 30, 2011, a 9.03% decrease. The decrease in the Trust’s net asset value resulted primarily from a decrease in the outstanding Shares, which decreased from 359,200,000 Shares at December 31, 2010 to 329,950,000 Shares at September 30, 2011, a consequence of 133,950,000 Shares (2,679 Baskets) being created and 163,200,000 Shares (3,264 Baskets) being redeemed during the period.
The 0.97% decline in the Trust’s net asset value per Share from $29.93 at December 31, 2010 to $29.64 at September 30, 2011 is directly related to the 0.59% decrease in the London Fix price from $30.63 at December 31, 2010 to $30.45 at September 30, 2011.
The Trust’s net asset value per Share decreased slightly more than the price of silver on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s fees, which were $45,008,087 for the period, or 0.37% of the Trust’s average weighted assets of $12,031,575,016 during the period. The net asset value per Share of $47.52 on April 29, 2011 was the highest during the period, compared with a low during the period of $26.06 on January 28, 2011. The net asset value of the Trust is obtained by subtracting the Trust’s expenses and liabilities on any day from the value of the silver owned by the Trust on that day; the net asset value per Share is obtained by dividing the net asset value of the Trust on a given day by the number of Shares outstanding on that day.
Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was $2,898,120,844, resulting from a net gain of $20,906,035 on the sales of silver to pay expenses, a net gain of $2,922,222,896 on silver distributed for the redemption of Shares, offset by Sponsor’s fees of $45,008,087. Other than the Sponsor’s fees, the Trust had no expenses during the period.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Not applicable.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The duly authorized officers of the Sponsor performing functions equivalent to those a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Trust would perform if the Trust had any officers, and with the participation of the Trustee, have evaluated the effectiveness of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, and have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of the Trust have been effective as of the end of the period covered by this report to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Trust files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the applicable rules and forms, and that it is accumulated and communicated to the duly authorized officers of the Sponsor performing functions equivalent to those a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Trust would perform if the Trust had any officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures.
There were no changes in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.
11
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
None.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes to the Risk Factors last reported under Part I, Item 1A of the registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2011.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
a) | None. |
b) | Not applicable. |
c) | 29,550,000 Shares (591 Baskets) were redeemed during the quarter ended September 30, 2011. |
Period |
Total Number of Shares
Redeemed |
Average Ounces of Silver
Per Share |
||||||
07/01/11 to 07/31/11 |
6,050,000 | 0.9745 | ||||||
08/01/11 to 08/31/11 |
16,900,000 | 0.9742 | ||||||
09/01/11 to 09/30/11 |
6,600,000 | 0.9736 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Total |
29,550,000 | 0.9741 | ||||||
|
|
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 5. Other Information
None.
12
Item 6. Exhibits
Exhibit No. |
Description |
|
4.1 | Depositary Trust Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-156506 on December 30, 2008 | |
4.2 | First Amendment to Depositary Trust Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 filed with Current Report on Form 8-K on December 2, 2009 | |
4.3 | Standard Terms for Authorized Participant Agreements is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-156506 on December 30, 2008 | |
10.1 | Custodian Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-156506 on December 30, 2008 | |
10.2 | Sub-license Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-156506 on December 30, 2008 | |
10.3 | Amendment No. 1 to Custodian Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-137621 on September 27, 2006 | |
10.4 | Second Amendment to Custodian Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 filed with Current Report on Form 8-K on February 10, 2010 | |
10.5 | Third Amendment to Custodian Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-170492 on November 9, 2010 | |
31.1 | Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
31.2 | Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
32.1 | Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
32.2 | Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
101.INS* | XBRL Instance Document | |
101.SCH* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | |
101.CAL* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | |
101.LAB* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document | |
101.PRE* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document |
* | Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, these interactive data files are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are deemed not filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise are not subject to liability under those sections. |
13
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned in the capacities* indicated thereunto duly authorized.
BlackRock Asset Management International Inc.
Sponsor of the iShares ® Silver Trust (registrant)
/s/ Michael A. Latham |
Michael A. Latham |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
(Principal executive officer) |
Date: November 8, 2011
/s/ Geoffrey D. Flynn |
Geoffrey D. Flynn |
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer |
(Principal financial and accounting officer) |
Date: November 8, 2011
* | The registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of BlackRock Asset Management International Inc., the Sponsor of the registrant. |
14
No information found
* THE VALUE IS THE MARKET VALUE AS OF THE LAST DAY OF THE QUARTER FOR WHICH THE 13F WAS FILED.
FUND | NUMBER OF SHARES | VALUE ($) | PUT OR CALL |
---|
DIRECTORS | AGE | BIO | OTHER DIRECTOR MEMBERSHIPS |
---|---|---|---|
Thomas Kaplan, Ph.D. Dr. Kaplan is Chairman of the Board of the Company and is also Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Executive Officer of The Electrum Group, a privately held global natural resources investment management company which manages the portfolio of Electrum. Electrum and its affiliates are collectively the largest Shareholder of the Company. Dr. Kaplan is an entrepreneur and investor with a track record of both creating and unlocking shareholder value in public and private companies. Dr. Kaplan served as Chairman of Leor Exploration & Production LLC, a natural gas exploration and development company founded by Dr. Kaplan in 2003. In 2007, Leor’s natural gas assets were sold to EnCana Oil & Gas USA Inc., a subsidiary of Encana Corporation, for $2.55 billion. Dr. Kaplan holds bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in History from Oxford University. The Board has determined that Dr. Kaplan should serve as the Director and Chairman to gain from his experience as a developer of and investor in mining companies as well as oil and gas companies, and because of his significant beneficial ownership in the Company. Dr. Kaplan’s principal occupation is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Electrum Group. From March 2011 to January 2018, Dr. Kaplan served as the Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of The Electrum Group. In January 2018, Dr. Kaplan became the Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Executive Officer of The Electrum Group. Dr. Kaplan served as Chair of the Board of Sunshine Silver Mines Corporation (now known as Gatos Silver, Inc., which was acquired by First Majestic Silver Corp. in January 2025), a privately held company, from January 2020 through October 2020. Areas of expertise include: finance, mergers and acquisitions, and the mining industry. | |||
Hume Kyle, CPA, CA, CFA Mr. Kyle is a CPA, CA, CFA, with over 40 years of private sector and public accounting experience, including over 25 years working with mining, energy and other natural resources companies in senior management and board roles. Mr. Kyle served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Dundee Precious Metals Inc., a multi-national gold mining company, from 2011 until his retirement on December 31, 2022. Prior to that Mr. Kyle was Vice President, Treasurer and Controller of TransAlta Corporation, a multi-national power generation and wholesale marketing company, from 2009 to 2011, and Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Fort Chicago Energy Partners L.P., a pipeline, natural gas liquids processing, and power company, from 2003 to 2009. Mr. Kyle also held increasingly senior finance and accounting roles at Nexfor Inc., Noranda Inc., Deloitte & Touche, and Price Waterhouse & Co. Additionally, Mr. Kyle joined the board of Plum Acquisition Corp. III in January 2025 and previously served on the boards of Stornoway Diamond Corporation (2014 to 2019), Alliance Pipeline (2004 to 2009), Aux Sable (2004 to 2009), and the Canadian Association of Income Funds (2005 to 2009), serving on several committees, including the Audit Committee, as Chair. Mr. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Western Ontario, a Graduate Diploma in Public Accounting from McGill University, a CA designation from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, a CFA designation from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts, and an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. The Board has determined that Mr. Kyle should serve as a Director to benefit from his extensive senior executive and board experience working with large, publicly-traded, capital intensive, multi-national companies operating in the mining, energy and natural resource sectors, as well as his expertise in a broad range of areas, including finance, audit, international accounting and financial reporting, corporate strategy, business planning and performance management, taxation, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate communications, leadership and governance. | |||
Elaine Dorward-King, Ph.D. Dr. Elaine Dorward-King has spent the majority of her career in mining, most recently serving as a non-executive director of four listed mining companies. From March 2013 until June 2019, she served as Newmont Mining Corporation’s (“Newmont”) Executive Vice President of Sustainability and External Relations, and from June 2019 until January 2020 she served as Newmont’s Executive Vice President of Environmental, Social and Governance Strategy. Prior to joining Newmont, Dr. Dorward-King spent 20 years with Rio Tinto, one of the world’s largest diversified producers of metals and minerals, in general management and Environmental Health and Safety leadership roles. Dr. Dorward-King has over 30 years of leadership experience in creating and implementing sustainable development, safety, health and environmental strategy, and programs in mining, chemical, and engineering consulting sectors. Currently Dr. Dorward-King serves on the board of directors of Kenmare Resources plc, Nevada Copper, and Sibanye-Stillwater. Dr. Dorward-King holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Maryville College and received a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Colorado State University. Dr. Dorward-King was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in September 2024. The Board has determined that Dr. Dorward-King should serve as a Director so the Company can benefit from her experience as an industry leader in the development and implementation of environmental health, safety and sustainability strategies, community relations, governmental affairs, external relations and her experience as a senior mining executive. Dr. Dorward-King’s principal occupation for the last five years has been serving as a non-executive director (December 2019 – present) and Executive Vice President, Sustainability and External Relations at Newmont (2013 – January 2020). She served as a non-executive director of Bond Resources Inc. from January 2020 until April 2021, and as a non-executive director of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company from January 2020 until August 2023. Areas of expertise include: health, safety and sustainability, community relations, risk management, and corporate leadership. | |||
Diane Garrett, Ph.D. Dr. Garrett, a Director of the Company, is the President and CEO of Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation (“Hycroft”), owner operator of the gold-silver Hycroft Mine in Northern Nevada. She has more than 20 years of senior management and financial expertise in natural resources. Prior to joining Hycroft, Dr. Garrett was the President and CEO of Nickel Creek Platinum Corp. (“NCP”). Before that, Dr. Garrett held the position of President and CEO of Romarco Minerals Inc. (“Romarco”), taking the multi-million-ounce Haile Gold Mine project from discovery to construction. Prior to that, she held numerous senior positions in public mining companies including VP of Corporate Development at Dayton Mining Corporation and VP of Corporate Development at Beartooth Platinum Corporation. Early in her career, Dr. Garrett was the Senior Mining Analyst and Portfolio Manager in the precious metals sector with US Global Investors. Dr. Garrett received her Ph.D. in Engineering and her Masters in Mineral Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Garrett is a member of the Society of Mining Engineers. The Board has determined that Dr. Garrett should serve as a Director due to her significant experience in: permitting, developing, and constructing gold mines, moving a precious-metals mining company from the development stage to the successful producer stage, as a senior executive in mining companies, and her technical expertise. Dr. Garrett currently serves as the President and CEO of Hycroft and has held that position since September 2020. She also currently serves as a director of Hycroft. From 2012 to 2018 Dr. Garrett served as a director of TriStar Gold. From June 2016 until September 2020, Dr. Garrett served as a director and as President and CEO of NCP. Dr. Garrett served as the President, CEO and as a director of Romarco from November 2002 until October 2015. Romarco was acquired by OceanaGold in 2015, at which time Dr. Garrett became a director and consultant to OceanaGold before joining NCP in June 2016. Dr. Garrett also served as Chair of the board of directors of Revival Gold from January 2018 until December 31, 2019. Areas of expertise include: engineering, mining, finance and corporate leadership. |
Name and Principal Position |
|
Fiscal
Year |
|
Salary $ |
|
Stock
Awards $ |
|
Option
Awards $ |
|
Non-Equity
$ |
|
All Other
Compensation $ |
|
Total
Compensation $ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gregory Lang, President and CEO |
|
2024 |
|
857,850 |
|
1,549,490 |
|
1,572,298 |
|
991,978 |
|
56,284 |
|
5,027,900 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2023 |
|
835,908 |
|
1,763,378 |
|
1,511,824 |
|
982,839 |
|
54,899 |
|
5,148,848 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2022 |
|
806,300 |
|
1,528,705 |
|
1,511,773 |
|
940,146 |
|
52,872 |
|
4,839,796 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
David Ottewell, Vice President and CFO |
|
2024 |
|
289,938 |
|
571,540 |
|
579,852 |
|
267,206 |
|
11,481 |
|
1,720,017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2023 |
|
462,417 |
|
758,261 |
|
557,540 |
|
427,530 |
|
29,110 |
|
2,234,857 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2022 |
|
445,017 |
|
547,331 |
|
541,407 |
|
413,981 |
|
27,346 |
|
1,975,082 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peter Adamek, Vice President and CFO |
|
2024 |
|
183,333 |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
336,920 |
|
163,220 |
|
683,473 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richard Williams, Vice President and COO |
|
2024 |
|
428,467 |
|
446,141 |
|
452,634 |
|
583,082 |
|
29,122 |
|
1,939,446 |
Customers
Customer name | Ticker |
---|---|
State Street Corporation | STT |
No Suppliers Found
Price
Yield
Owner | Position | Direct Shares | Indirect Shares |
---|---|---|---|
Ottewell David A. | - | 824,117 | 0 |
Ottewell David A. | - | 792,587 | 0 |
WILLIAMS RICHARD ALAN | - | 445,931 | 0 |
Lang Gregory A. | - | 90,698 | 445,000 |
MADHAVPEDDI KALIDAS V | - | 57,514 | 55,152 |
Dowdall Sharon | - | 45,519 | 0 |
Walsh Anthony P. | - | 45,024 | 0 |
Schutt Ethan | - | 40,516 | 0 |
GARRETT DIANE R | - | 25,070 | 0 |
Whittaker Dawn Patricia | - | 16,747 | 0 |
Electrum Strategic Resources L.P. | - | 11,710 | 0 |
KAPLAN THOMAS SCOTT | - | 11,710 | 0 |
Dorward-King Elaine J | - | 10,982 | 0 |
Muniz Quintanilla Daniel | - | 2,728 | 0 |
ADAMEK PETER | - | 1,678 | 0 |
Lang Gregory A. | - | 1 | 445,000 |