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, 2009.
OR
¨
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: 001-34016
 United States Heating Oil Fund, LP
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
Delaware
 
20-8837345
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145
Alameda, California 94502
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
 
(510) 522-9600
(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.
 
x Yes    ¨ 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    ¨ 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  ¨
 
Accelerated filer  ¨
     
Non-accelerated filer  x
 
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    x No
 
 
 

 

UNITED STATES HEATING OIL FUND, LP
Table of Contents

 
 
Page
Part I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
   
Item 1.  Condensed Financial Statements.
 
1
     
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
 
14
     
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
 
31
     
Item 4. Controls and Procedures.
 
32
     
Part II. OTHER INFORMATION
   
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
 
33
     
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
 
33
     
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
 
33
     
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.
 
33
     
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
 
33
     
Item 5. Other Information.
 
33
     
Item 6. Exhibits.
 
33
 
 

 

Part I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Condensed Financial Statements.

 
Index to Condensed Financial Statements
 
Documents
 
Page
 
         
Condensed Statements of Financial Condition at September 30, 2009 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2008
   
2
 
           
Condensed Schedule of Investments (Unaudited) at September 30, 2009
   
3
 
          
Condensed Statements of Operations (Unaudited) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2009, the three months ended September 30, 2008 and the period from April 9, 2008 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2008
   
4
 
          
Condensed Statement of Changes in Partners’ Capital (Unaudited) for the nine months ended September 30, 2009
   
5
 
          
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and the period from
April 9, 2008 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2008
   
6
 
         
Notes to Condensed Financial Statements for the period ended September 30, 2009 (Unaudited)     
7
 

 
1

 

United States Heating Oil Fund, LP
Condensed Statements of Financial Condition
At September 30, 2009 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2008

   
September 30, 2009
   
December 31, 2008
 
Assets
           
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 12,724,987     $ 2,930,413  
Equity in UBS Securities LLC trading accounts:
               
Cash
    2,489,212       1,541,092  
Unrealized loss on open commodity futures contracts
    (207,354 )     (69,250 )
Receivable from general partner
    66,875       87,698  
Interest receivable
    1,321       1,125  
Other assets
    66       -  
                 
Total assets
  $ 15,075,107     $ 4,491,078  
                 
Liabilities and Partners' Capital
               
General Partner management fees payable (Note 3)
  $ 7,199     $ 1,578  
Brokerage commission fees payable
    675       245  
Other liabilities
    75,807       101,357  
                 
Total liabilities
    83,681       103,180  
                 
Commitments and Contingencies (Notes 3, 4 and 5)
               
                 
Partners' Capital
               
General Partner
    -       -  
Limited Partners
    14,991,426       4,387,898  
Total Partners' Capital
    14,991,426       4,387,898  
                 
Total liabilities and partners' capital
  $ 15,075,107     $ 4,491,078  
                 
Limited Partners' units outstanding
    600,000       200,000  
Net asset value per unit
  $ 24.99     $ 21.94  
Market value per unit
  $ 24.93     $ 21.59  

See accompanying notes to condensed financial statements.

 
2

 

United States Heating Oil Fund, LP
Condensed Schedule of Investments (Unaudited)
At September 30, 2009

   
Number of
   
Loss on
Open
Commodity
   
% of
Partners'
 
   
Contracts
   
Contracts
   
Capital
 
Open Futures Contracts — Long
                 
United States Contracts
                 
NYMEX Heating Oil Futures HO contracts, expire November 2009
    195     $ (207,354 )     (1.38 )

   
Principal
Amount
   
Market
Value
       
Cash Equivalents
                 
United States - Money Market Fund
                 
Fidelity Institutional Government Portfolio – Class I
  $ 5,502,154     $ 5,502,154       36.70  
Goldman Sachs Financial Square Funds - Government Fund – Class SL
    5,292,877       5,292,877       35.31  
                         
Total Cash Equivalents
          $ 10,795,031       72.01  

See accompanying notes to condensed financial statements.

 
3

 

United States Heating Oil Fund, LP
Condensed Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2009, the three months ended September 30, 2008 and the period from April 9, 2008 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2008

   
Three months
ended
   
Three months
ended
   
Nine months
ended
   
Period from 
April 9, 2008
to
 
   
September 30,
2009
   
September 30,
2008
   
September 30,
2009
   
September 30,
2008
 
Income
                       
Gain (loss) on trading of commodity futures contracts:
                       
Realized gain (loss) on closed positions
  $ (812,470 )   $ (5,160,725 )   $ 584,245     $ (1,815,446 )
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on open positions
    102,371       247,645       (138,104 )     504,118  
Interest income
    3,188       70,272       10,027       136,595  
Other income
    2,000       1,000       3,000       3,000  
                                 
Total income (loss)
    (704,911 )     (4,841,808 )     459,168       (1,171,733 )
                                 
Expenses
                               
General Partner management fees (Note 3)
    16,247       22,202       32,798       44,904  
Brokerage commissions
    3,285       2,423       7,055       5,914  
Other expenses
    26,107       108,756       76,790       208,567  
                                 
Total expenses
    45,639       133,381       116,643       259,385  
                                 
Expense waiver
    (21,238 )     (99,537 )     (66,875 )     (190,237 )
                                 
Net expenses
    24,401       33,844       49,768       69,148  
                                 
Net income (loss)
  $ (729,312 )   $ (4,875,652 )   $ 409,400     $ (1,240,881 )
Net income (loss) per limited partnership unit
  $ 4.22     $ (17.31 )   $ 3.05     $ (4.18 )
Net income (loss) per weighted average limited partnership unit
  $ (1.69 )   $ (18.01 )   $ 1.31     $ (4.47 )
Weighted average limited partnership units outstanding
    431,522       270,652       311,722       277,714  

See accompanying notes to condensed financial statements.


 
4

 


United States Heating Oil Fund, LP
Condensed Statement of Changes in Partners' Capital (Unaudited)
For the nine months ended September 30, 2009

   
General Partner
   
Limited Partners
   
Total
 
                   
Balances, at December 31, 2008
  $ -     $ 4,387,898     $ 4,387,898  
Addition of  400,000 partnership units
    -       10,194,128       10,194,128  
Net income
    -       409,400       409,400  
                         
Balances, at September 30, 2009
  $ -     $ 14,991,426     $ 14,991,426  
                         
Net Asset Value Per Unit
                       
At December 31, 2008
  $ 21.94                  
At September 30, 2009
  $ 24.99                  

See accompanying notes to condensed financial statements.


 
5

 

United States Heating Oil Fund, LP
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
For the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and the period from April 9, 2008 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2008

         
Period from
 
   
Nine months ended
   
April 9, 2008 to
 
   
September 30, 2009
   
September 30, 2008
 
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
           
Net income (loss)
  $ 409,400     $ (1,240,881 )
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
               
Increase in commodity futures trading account - cash
    (948,120 )     (894,386 )
Unrealized (gain) loss on futures contracts
    138,104       (504,118 )
Decrease in receivable from general partner
    20,823       -  
Increase in interest receivable and other assets
    (262 )     (202,904 )
Increase in management fees payable
    5,621       4,958  
Increase in commission fees payable
    430       485  
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities
    (25,550 )     206,551  
                 
                   Net cash used in operating activities
    (399,554 )     (2,630,295 )
                 
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
               
Subscription of partnership units
    10,194,128       15,303,202  
Redemption of partnership units
    -       (4,900,134 )
                 
Net cash provided by financing activities
    10,194,128       10,403,068  
                 
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents
    9,794,574       7,772,773  
                 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period
    2,930,413       1,000  
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period
  $ 12,724,987     $ 7,773,773  

See accompanying notes to condensed financial statements.

 
6

 

United States Heating Oil Fund, LP
Notes to Condensed Financial Statements
For the period ended September 30, 2009(Unaudited)
 
NOTE 1 - ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS
 
The United States Heating Oil Fund, LP (“USHO”) was organized as a limited partnership under the laws of the state of Delaware on April 13, 2007. USHO is a commodity pool that issues limited partnership units (“units”) that may be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “NYSE Arca”). Prior to November 25, 2008, USHO’s units traded on the American Stock Exchange (the “AMEX”). USHO will continue in perpetuity, unless terminated sooner upon the occurrence of one or more events as described in its Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership dated as of March 7, 2008 (the “LP Agreement”). The investment objective of USHO is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ net asset value to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of heating oil (also known as No. 2 fuel oil) for delivery to the New York harbor as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on heating oil as traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (the “NYMEX”) that is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract is within two weeks of expiration, in which case the futures contract will be the next month contract to expire, less USHO’s expenses. USHO accomplishes its objective through investments in futures contracts for heating oil, crude oil, gasoline, natural gas and other petroleum-based fuels that are traded on the NYMEX, ICE Futures or other U.S. and foreign exchanges (collectively, “Futures Contracts”) and other heating oil-related investments such as cash-settled options on Futures Contracts, forward contracts for heating oil and over-the-counter transactions that are based on the price of heating oil, crude oil and other petroleum-based fuels, Futures Contracts and indices based on the foregoing (collectively, “Other Heating Oil-Related Investments”). As of September 30, 2009, USHO held 195 Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX.

USHO commenced investment operations on April 9, 2008 and has a fiscal year ending on December 31. United States Commodity Funds LLC (formerly known as Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC) (the “General Partner”) is responsible for the management of USHO. The General Partner is a member of the National Futures Association (the “NFA”) and became a commodity pool operator registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission effective December 1, 2005. The General Partner is also the general partner of the United States Oil Fund, LP (“USOF”), the United States Natural Gas Fund, LP (“USNG”), the United States 12 Month Oil Fund, LP (“US12OF”) and the United States Gasoline Fund, LP (“UGA”), which listed their limited partnership units on the AMEX under the ticker symbols “USO” on April 10, 2006, “UNG” on April 18, 2007, “USL” on December 6, 2007 and “UGA” on February 26, 2008, respectively. As a result of the acquisition of the AMEX by NYSE Euronext, each of USOF’s, USNG’s, US12OF’s and UGA’s units commenced trading on the NYSE Arca on November 25, 2008.  The General Partner is also the general partner of the United States Short Oil Fund, LP (“USSO”), which listed its limited partnership units on the NYSE Arca on September 24, 2009.  The General Partner has also filed registration statements to register units of the United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund, LP and the United States Brent Oil Fund, LP.
 
The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and, therefore, do not include all information and footnote disclosure required under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The financial information included herein is unaudited; however, such financial information reflects all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the condensed financial statements for the interim period. 
 
USHO issues units to certain authorized purchasers (“Authorized Purchasers”) by offering baskets consisting of 100,000 units (“Creation Baskets”) through ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Marketing Agent”). The purchase price for a Creation Basket is based upon the net asset value of a unit calculated shortly after the close of the core trading session on the NYSE Arca on the day the order to create the basket is properly received.

In addition, Authorized Purchasers pay USHO a $1,000 fee for each order to create one or more Creation Baskets or redeem one or more baskets consisting of 100,000 units (“Redemption Baskets”). Units may be purchased or sold on a nationally recognized securities exchange in smaller increments than a Creation Basket or Redemption Basket. Units purchased or sold on a nationally recognized securities exchange are not purchased or sold at the net asset value of USHO but rather at market prices quoted on such exchange.

 
7

 

 
In April 2008, USHO initially registered 10,000,000 units on Form S-1 with the SEC.  On April 9, 2008, USHO listed its units on the AMEX under the ticker symbol “UHN”. On that day, USHO established its initial net asset value by setting the price at $50.00 per unit and issued 200,000 units in exchange for $10,001,000. USHO also commenced investment operations on April 9, 2008 by purchasing Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX based on heating oil.  As of September 30, 2009, USHO had registered a total of 10,000,000 units and had 600,000 units outstanding.
 
NOTE 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
Revenue Recognition
 
Commodity futures contracts, forward contracts, physical commodities, and related options are recorded on the trade date. All such transactions are recorded on the identified cost basis and marked to market daily. Unrealized gains or losses on open contracts are reflected in the condensed statement of financial condition and in the difference between the original contract amount and the market value (as determined by exchange settlement prices for futures contracts and related options and cash dealer prices at a predetermined time for forward contracts, physical commodities, and their related options) as of the last business day of the year or as of the last date of the condensed financial statements. Changes in the unrealized gains or losses between periods are reflected in the condensed statement of operations. USHO earns interest on its assets denominated in U.S. dollars on deposit with the futures commission merchant at the 90-day Treasury bill rate. In addition, USHO earns interest on funds held at the custodian at prevailing market rates earned on such investments.
 
Brokerage Commissions
 
Brokerage commissions on all open commodity futures contracts are accrued on a full-turn basis.
 
Income Taxes
 
USHO is not subject to federal income taxes; each partner reports his/her allocable share of income, gain, loss deductions or credits on his/her own income tax return.
 
Additions and Redemptions
 
Authorized Purchasers may purchase Creation Baskets or redeem Redemption Baskets only in blocks of 100,000 units equal to the net asset value of the units calculated shortly after the close of the core trading session on the NYSE Arca on the day the order is placed.
 
USHO receives or pays the proceeds from units sold or redeemed within three business days after the trade date of the purchase or redemption. The amounts due from Authorized Purchasers are reflected in USHO’s condensed statement of financial condition as receivable for units sold, and amounts payable to Authorized Purchasers upon redemption are reflected as payable for units redeemed.
 
Partnership Capital and Allocation of Partnership Income and Losses
 
Profit or loss shall be allocated among the partners of USHO in proportion to the number of units each partner holds as of the close of each month. The General Partner may revise, alter or otherwise modify this method of allocation as described in the LP Agreement.
 
Calculation of Net Asset Value

USHO’s net asset value is calculated on each NYSE Arca trading day by taking the current market value of its total assets, subtracting any liabilities and dividing the amount by the total number of units issued and outstanding. USHO uses the closing price for the contracts on the relevant exchange on that day to determine the value of contracts held on such exchange.

 
8

 
 
Net Income (Loss) per Unit
 
Net income (loss) per unit is the difference between the net asset value per unit at the beginning of each period and at the end of each period. The weighted average number of units outstanding was computed for purposes of disclosing net income (loss) per weighted average unit. The weighted average units are equal to the number of units outstanding at the end of the period, adjusted proportionately for units redeemed based on the amount of time the units were outstanding during such period. There were no units held by the General Partner at September 30, 2009.
 
Offering Costs
 
Offering costs incurred in connection with the registration of additional units after the initial registration of units are borne by USHO. These costs include registration fees paid to regulatory agencies and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated with such offerings. These costs will be accounted for as a deferred charge and thereafter amortized to expense over twelve months on a straight-line basis or a shorter period if warranted. 
 
Cash Equivalents
 
Cash equivalents include money market funds and overnight deposits or time deposits with original maturity dates of three months or less.
 
Use of Estimates
 
The preparation of condensed financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires USHO’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed financial statements, and the reported amounts of the revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.
 
NOTE 3 - FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
 
General Partner Management Fee
 
Under the LP Agreement, the General Partner is responsible for investing the assets of USHO in accordance with the objectives and policies of USHO. In addition, the General Partner has arranged for one or more third parties to provide administrative, custody, accounting, transfer agency and other necessary services to USHO. For these services, USHO is contractually obligated to pay the General Partner a fee, which is paid monthly and based on average daily net assets, that is equal to 0.60% per annum on all amounts of average daily net assets.
 
Ongoing Registration Fees and Other Offering Expenses
 
USHO pays all costs and expenses associated with the ongoing registration of its units subsequent to the initial offering. These costs include registration or other fees paid to regulatory agencies in connection with the offer and sale of units, and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated with such offer and sale. For the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and the period from April 9, 2008 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2008, USHO incurred $0 and $0, respectively, in registration fees and other offering expenses since the initial offering of units is still ongoing.
 
Directors’ Fees
 
USHO is responsible for paying its portion of the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance of the General Partner and the fees and expenses of the independent directors of the General Partner who are also the General Partner’s audit committee members. USHO shares these fees with USOF, USNG, US12OF, UGA and USSO based on the relative assets of each fund, computed on a daily basis. These fees for the calendar year 2009 are estimated to be a total of $477,000 for all funds.

 
9

 
 
Licensing Fees
 
As discussed in Note 4, USHO entered into a licensing agreement with the NYMEX on May 30, 2007. Pursuant to the agreement, USHO and the affiliated funds managed by the General Partner pay a licensing fee that is equal to 0.04% for the first $1,000,000,000 of combined assets of the funds and 0.02% for combined assets above $1,000,000,000. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and the period from April 9, 2008 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2008, USHO incurred $1,304 and $2,366 respectively, under this arrangement.
 
Investor Tax Reporting Cost
 
The fees and expenses associated with USHO’s audit expenses and tax accounting and reporting requirements, with the exception of certain initial implementation service fees and base service fees which are borne by the General Partner, are paid by USHO.
 
Other Expenses and Fees and Expense Waivers

In addition to the fees described above, USHO pays all brokerage fees, taxes and other expenses in connection with the operation of USHO, excluding costs and expenses paid by the General Partner as outlined in Note 4. The General Partner, though under no obligation to do so, agreed to pay certain expenses, to the extent that such expenses exceed 0.15% (15 basis points) of USHO’s NAV, on an annualized basis, through at least December 31, 2009. The General Partner has no obligation to continue such payment into subsequent periods.
 
NOTE 4 - CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS
 
USHO is party to a marketing agent agreement, dated as of March 10, 2008, with the Marketing Agent and the General Partner, whereby the Marketing Agent provides certain marketing services for USHO as outlined in the agreement. The fee of the Marketing Agent, which is borne by the General Partner, is equal to 0.06% on USHO’s assets up to $3 billion; and 0.04% on USHO’s assets in excess of $3 billion.
 
The above fees do not include the following expenses, which are also borne by the General Partner: the cost of placing advertisements in various periodicals; web construction and development; or the printing and production of various marketing materials.
 
USHO is also party to a custodian agreement, dated March 13, 2008, with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH&Co.”) and the General Partner, whereby BBH&Co. holds investments on behalf of USHO. The General Partner pays the fees of the custodian, which are determined by the parties from time to time. In addition, USHO is party to an administrative agency agreement, dated February 7, 2008, with the General Partner and BBH&Co., whereby BBH&Co. acts as the administrative agent, transfer agent and registrar for USHO. The General Partner also pays the fees of BBH&Co. for its services under this agreement and such fees are determined by the parties from time to time.
 
Currently, the General Partner pays BBH&Co. for its services, in the foregoing capacities, a minimum amount of $75,000 annually for its custody, fund accounting and fund administration services rendered to USHO and each of the affiliated funds managed by the General Partner, as well as a $20,000 annual fee for its transfer agency services. In addition, the General Partner pays BBH&Co. an asset-based charge of (a) 0.06% for the first $500 million of USHO’s, USOF’s, USNG’s, US12OF’s, UGA’s and USSO’s combined net assets, (b) 0.0465% for USHO’s, USOF’s, USNG’s, US12OF’s, UGA’s and USSO’s combined net assets greater than $500 million but less than $1 billion, and (c) 0.035% once USHO’s, USOF’s, USNG’s, US12OF’s, UGA’s and USSO’s combined net assets exceed $1 billion. The annual minimum amount will not apply if the asset-based charge for all accounts in the aggregate exceeds $75,000. The General Partner also pays transaction fees ranging from $7.00 to $15.00 per transaction.
 
USHO has entered into a brokerage agreement with UBS Securities LLC (“UBS Securities”). The agreement requires UBS Securities to provide services to USHO in connection with the purchase and sale of Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments that may be purchased and sold by or through UBS Securities for USHO’s account. The agreement provides that UBS Securities charge USHO commissions of approximately $7 per round-turn trade, plus applicable exchange and NFA fees for Futures Contracts and options on Futures Contracts. 

 
10

 
 
On May 30, 2007, USHO and the NYMEX entered into a licensing agreement whereby USHO was granted a non-exclusive license to use certain of the NYMEX’s settlement prices and service marks. Under the licensing agreement, USHO and the affiliated funds managed by the General Partner pay the NYMEX an asset-based fee for the license, the terms of which are described in Note 3.
 
USHO expressly disclaims any association with the NYMEX or endorsement of USHO by the NYMEX and acknowledges that “NYMEX” and “New York Mercantile Exchange” are registered trademarks of the NYMEX.
 
NOTE 5 - FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, OFF-BALANCE SHEET RISKS AND CONTINGENCIES
 
USHO engages in the trading of futures contracts and options on futures contracts (collectively, “derivatives”). USHO is exposed to both market risk, which is the risk arising from changes in the market value of the contracts, and credit risk, which is the risk of failure by another party to perform according to the terms of a contract.
 
USHO may enter into futures contracts and options on futures contracts to gain exposure to changes in the value of an underlying commodity. A futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to accept) the future delivery of a specified quantity and type of a commodity at a specified time and place. Some futures contracts may call for physical delivery of the asset, while others are settled in cash. The contractual obligations of a buyer or seller may generally be satisfied by taking or making physical delivery of the underlying commodity or by making an offsetting sale or purchase of an identical futures contract on the same or linked exchange before the designated date of delivery.
 
The purchase and sale of futures contracts and options on futures contracts require margin deposits with a futures commission merchant. Additional deposits may be necessary for any loss on contract value. The Commodity Exchange Act requires a futures commission merchant to segregate all customer transactions and assets from the futures commission merchant’s proprietary activities.
 
Futures contracts involve, to varying degrees, elements of market risk (specifically commodity price risk) and exposure to loss in excess of the amount of variation margin. The face or contract amounts reflect the extent of the total exposure USHO has in the particular classes of instruments. Additional risks associated with the use of futures contracts are an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures contracts and the market value of the underlying securities and the possibility of an illiquid market for a futures contract.
 
All of the futures contracts currently traded by USHO are exchange-traded. The risks associated with exchange-traded contracts are generally perceived to be less than those associated with over-the-counter transactions since, in over-the-counter transactions, USHO must rely solely on the credit of its respective individual counterparties. However, in the future, if USHO were to enter into non-exchange traded contracts, it would be subject to the credit risk associated with counterparty non-performance. The credit risk from counterparty non-performance associated with such instruments is the net unrealized gain, if any. USHO also has credit risk since the sole counterparty to all domestic and foreign futures contracts is the exchange on which the relevant contracts are traded. In addition, USHO bears the risk of financial failure by the clearing broker.
 
USHO’s cash and other property, such as U.S. Treasuries, deposited with a futures commission merchant are considered commingled with all other customer funds subject to the futures commission merchant’s segregation requirements. In the event of a futures commission merchant’s insolvency, recovery may be limited to a pro rata share of segregated funds available. It is possible that the recovered amount could be less than the total of cash and other property deposited. The insolvency of a futures commission merchant could result in the complete loss of USHO’s assets posted with that futures commission merchant; however, the vast majority of USHO’s assets are held in Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents with USHO’s custodian and would not be impacted by the insolvency of a futures commission merchant. Also, the failure or insolvency of USHO’s custodian could result in a substantial loss of USHO’s assets.
 
USHO invests a portion of its cash in money market funds that seek to maintain a stable net asset value. USHO is exposed to any risk of loss associated with an investment in these money market funds. As of September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, USHO had deposits in domestic and foreign financial institutions, including cash investments in money market funds, in the amounts of $15,214,199 and $4,471,505, respectively. This amount is subject to loss should these institutions cease operations.
 
 
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For derivatives, risks arise from changes in the market value of the contracts. Theoretically, USHO is exposed to a market risk equal to the value of futures contracts purchased and unlimited liability on such contracts sold short. As both a buyer and a seller of options, USHO pays or receives a premium at the outset and then bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the price of the contract underlying the option.
 
USHO’s policy is to continuously monitor its exposure to market and counterparty risk through the use of a variety of financial, position and credit exposure reporting controls and procedures. In addition, USHO has a policy of requiring review of the credit standing of each broker or counterparty with which it conducts business.
 
The financial instruments held by USHO are reported in its condensed statement of financial condition at market or fair value, or at carrying amounts that approximate fair value, because of their highly liquid nature and short-term maturity.
 
NOTE 6 – FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
 
Effective January 1, 2008, USHO adopted Accounting Standards Codification 820 – Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”).  ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair value measurement. The changes to past practice resulting from the application of ASC 820 relate to the definition of fair value, the methods used to measure fair value, and the expanded disclosures about fair value measurement. ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of USHO (observable inputs) and (2) USHO’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available under the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The three levels defined by the ASC 820 hierarchy are as follows:
 
Level I – Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date.
 
Level II – Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level I that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.  Level II assets include the following: quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means (market-corroborated inputs).
 
Level III – Unobservable pricing input at the measurement date for the asset or liability.  Unobservable inputs shall be used to measure fair value to the extent that observable inputs are not available.
 
In some instances, the inputs used to measure fair value might fall in different levels of the fair value hierarchy.  The level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls shall be determined based on the lowest input level that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
 
The following table summarizes the valuation of USHO’s securities at September 30, 2009 using the fair value hierarchy:
 
At September 30, 2009
 
Total
 
Level I
 
Level II
 
Level III
 
                   
Short-Term Investments
 
$
10,795,031
 
$
10,795,031
 
$
 
$
 
Exchange-Traded Futures Contracts
                 
United States Contracts
 
(207,354)
 
(207,354
 
 
 
 
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NOTE 7 - FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
The following table presents per unit performance data and other supplemental financial data for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and the period from April 9, 2008 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2008 for the unitholders. This information has been derived from information presented in the condensed financial statements. 

         
For the period from
 
   
For the nine months ended
September 30, 2009
   
April 9, 2008 to 
September 30, 2008
 
   
(Unaudited)
   
(Unaudited)
 
Per Unit Operating Performance:
           
             
Net asset value, beginning of period
  $ 21.94     $ 50.00  
Total income (loss)
    3.21       (3.93 )
Net expenses
    (0.16 )     (0.25 )
Net increase (decrease) in net asset value
    3.05       (4.18 )
Net asset value, end of period
  $ 24.99     $ 45.82  
                 
Total Return
    13.90 %     (8.36 )%
                 
Ratios to Average Net Assets
               
Total income (loss)
    6.28 %     (7.49 )%
Management fees*
    0.60 %     0.60 %
Total expenses excluding management fees*
    1.53 %     2.86 %
Expense waived*
    (1.22 )%     (2.54 )%
Net expenses excluding management fees*
    0.31 %     0.32 %
Net income (loss)
    5.60 %     (7.93 )%
 
*Annualized
 
Total returns are calculated based on the change in value during the period. An individual unitholder’s total return and ratio may vary from the above total returns and ratios based on the timing of contributions to and withdrawals from USHO.
 
NOTE 8 – RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
 
In March 2008, the Financial Accounting Standards Board released Accounting Standards Codification 815 – Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). ASC 815 requires qualitative disclosures about objectives and strategies for using derivatives, quantitative disclosures about fair value amounts of, and gains and losses on, derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative agreements. USHO adopted ASC 815 on January 1, 2009.
 
NOTE 9 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
 
USHO has performed an evaluation of subsequent events through November 16, 2009, which is the date the financial statements were issued. This evaluation did not result in any subsequent events that necessitated disclosures and/or adjustments.
 
 
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Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
 
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the condensed financial statements and the notes thereto of the United States Heating Oil Fund, LP (“USHO”) included elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
 
Forward-Looking Information
 
This quarterly report on Form 10-Q, including this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” contains forward-looking statements regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations. This information may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause USHO’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe USHO’s future plans, strategies and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend” or “project,” the negative of these words, other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that may be incorrect, and USHO cannot assure investors that the projections included in these forward-looking statements will come to pass. USHO’s actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.
 
USHO has based the forward-looking statements included in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q on information available to it on the date of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and USHO assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although USHO undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, investors are advised to consult any additional disclosures that USHO may make directly to them or through reports that USHO in the future files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.
 
Introduction
 
USHO, a Delaware limited partnership, is a commodity pool that issues units that may be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “NYSE Arca”). The investment objective of USHO is to have the changes in percentage terms of its units’ net asset value (“NAV”) reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of heating oil, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on heating oil for delivery to the New York harbor as traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (the “NYMEX”) that is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract is within two weeks of expiration, the futures contract will be the next month contract to expire (the “Benchmark Futures Contract”), less USHO’s expenses.
 
USHO seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a combination of heating oil futures contracts and other heating oil-related investments such that changes in its NAV, measured in percentage terms, will closely track the Benchmark Futures Contract, also measured in percentage terms. USHO’s general partner believes the Benchmark Futures Contract historically has exhibited a close correlation with the spot price of heating oil. It is not the intent of USHO to be operated in a fashion such that the NAV will equal, in dollar terms, the spot price of heating oil or any particular futures contract based on heating oil.  Management believes that it is not practical to manage the portfolio to achieve such an investment goal when investing in listed heating oil futures contracts and other heating oil-related investments.
 
On any valuation day, the Benchmark Futures Contract is the near month futures contract for heating oil traded on the NYMEX unless the near month contract will expire within two weeks of the valuation day, in which case the Benchmark Futures Contract is the next month contract for heating oil traded on the NYMEX. “Near month contract” means the next contract traded on the NYMEX due to expire. “Next month contract” means the first contract traded on the NYMEX due to expire after the near month contract.
 
USHO invests in futures contracts for heating oil, crude oil, gasoline, natural gas and other petroleum-based fuels that are traded on the NYMEX, ICE Futures or other U.S. and foreign exchanges (collectively, “Futures Contracts”) and other heating oil-related investments such as cash-settled options on Futures Contracts, forward contracts for heating oil and over-the-counter transactions that are based on the price of heating oil, crude oil and other petroleum-based fuels, Futures Contracts and indices based on the foregoing (collectively, “Other Heating Oil-Related Investments”). For convenience and unless otherwise specified, Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments collectively are referred to as “Heating Oil Interests” in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
 
 
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The regulation of Heating Oil Interests in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by governmental and judicial action.  As stated in the section “What are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in USHO?” of USHO’s prospectus as filed with the SEC, regulation of the commodity interests and energy markets is extensive and constantly changing; future regulatory developments in the commodity interests and energy markets are impossible to predict but may significantly and adversely affect USHO.
 
Currently, a number of proposals to alter the regulation of Heating Oil Interests are being considered by federal regulators and legislators. These proposals include the imposition of hard position limits on energy-based commodity futures contracts, the extension of position and accountability limits to futures contracts on non-U.S. exchanges previously exempt from such limits, and the forced use of clearinghouse mechanisms for all over-the-counter transactions. An additional proposal would aggregate and limit all positions in energy futures held by a single entity, whether such positions exist on U.S. futures exchanges, non-U.S. futures exchanges, or in over-the-counter contracts. If any of the aforementioned proposals is implemented, USHO’s ability to meet its investment objective may be negatively impacted.
 
The general partner of USHO, United States Commodity Funds LLC (formerly, Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC) (the “General Partner”), which is registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”), is authorized by the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of USHO (the “LP Agreement”) to manage USHO. The General Partner is authorized by USHO in its sole judgment to employ and establish the terms of employment for, and termination of, commodity trading advisors or futures commission merchants.
 
Heating oil futures prices were volatile during the nine months ended September 30, 2009. The price of the Benchmark Futures Contract started the period at the $1.4421 per gallon level. It rose sharply over the course of the period and hit a peak on August 5, 2009 of approximately $1.957 per gallon. The low of the period was on March 11, 2009 when prices dropped to the $1.133 per gallon level. The period ended with the Benchmark Futures Contract at $1.8324 per gallon, up approximately 27% over the period. Similarly, USHO’s NAV rose during the period from a starting level of $21.94 per unit to a high on August 5, 2009 of $27.55 per unit. USHO’s NAV reached its low for the period on March 11, 2009 at $17.40 per unit. The NAV on September 30, 2009 was $24.99, up approximately 13.90% over the period. The return of approximately 27.06% on the Benchmark Futures Contract listed above is a hypothetical return only and could not actually be achieved by an investor holding futures contracts. An investment in heating oil futures contracts would need to be rolled forward during the time period described in order to achieve such a result.
 
At the beginning of the first quarter of 2009, the heating oil futures market was in a state of contango, meaning that the price of the near month heating oil futures contract was typically lower than the price of the next month heating oil futures contract, or contracts further away from expiration.  For the first half of 2009, the heating oil futures market remained in contango, except for 1 day, when the heating oil futures market moved into a mild backwardation market then returned to a contango market.  A backwardation market is one in which the price of the near month heating oil futures contract is higher than the price of the next month heating oil futures contract, or contracts further away from expiration.  At the end of the first quarter of 2009, the market moved into a much steeper contango market and remained in a steeper contango market for the balance of the first half of 2009.  The heating oil futures market remained in contango through the quarter ended September 30, 2009.  For a discussion of the impact of backwardation and contango on total returns, see “Term Structure of Heating Oil Futures Prices and the Impact on Total Returns.”
 
Valuation of Futures Contracts and the Computation of the NAV
 
The NAV of USHO units is calculated once each NYSE Arca trading day. The NAV for a particular trading day is released after 4:00 p.m. New York time. Trading during the core trading session on the NYSE Arca typically closes at 4:00 p.m. New York time. USHO’s administrator uses the NYMEX closing price (determined at the earlier of the close of the NYMEX or 2:30 p.m. New York time) for the contracts held on the NYMEX, but calculates or determines the value of all other USHO investments, including ICE Futures contracts or other futures contracts, as of the earlier of the close of the New York Stock Exchange or 4:00 p.m. New York time.

 
15

 
 
Results of Operations and the Heating Oil Market
 
Results of Operations. On April 9, 2008, USHO listed its units on the American Stock Exchange (the “AMEX”) under the ticker symbol “UHN.”  On that day, USHO established its initial offering price at $50.00 per unit and issued 200,000 units to the initial authorized purchaser Merrill Lynch, in exchange for $10,001,000 in cash. As a result of the acquisition of the AMEX by NYSE Euronext, USHO’s units no longer trade on the AMEX and commenced trading on the NYSE Arca on November 25, 2008.
 
Since its initial offering of 10,000,000 units, USHO has not made any subsequent offerings of its units. As of September 30, 2009, USHO had issued 800,000 units, 600,000 of which were outstanding. As of September 30, 2009, there were 9,200,000 units registered but not yet issued.
 
More units may have been issued by USHO than are outstanding due to the redemption of units.  Unlike funds that are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, units that have been redeemed by USHO cannot be resold by USHO. As a result, USHO contemplates that additional offerings of its units will be registered with the SEC in the future in anticipation of additional issuances and redemptions.
 
For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2009 Compared to the Period from April 9, 2008 (Commencement of Operations) to September 30, 2008
 
Since USHO was conducting operations for only a portion of the nine months ended September 30, 2008, the comparison of the results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008 may not be meaningful.
 
As of September 30, 2009, the total unrealized loss on heating oil Futures Contracts owned or held on that day was $207,354 and USHO established cash deposits, including cash investments in money market funds that were equal to $15,214,199. USHO held 83.64% of its cash assets in overnight deposits and money market funds at its custodian bank, while 16.36% of the cash balance was held with the futures commission merchant as margin deposits for the Futures Contracts purchased.  The ending per unit NAV on September 30, 2009 was $24.99.
 
By comparison, as of September 30, 2008, the total unrealized gain on heating oil Futures Contracts owned or held on that day was $504,118 and USHO established cash deposits, including cash investments in money market funds that were equal to $8,668,159. USHO held 89.68% of its cash assets in overnight deposits and money market funds at USHO’s custodian bank, while 10.32% of the cash balance was held with the futures commission merchant as margin deposits for the Futures Contracts purchased. The ending per unit NAV on September 30, 2008 was $45.82. The decrease in the per unit NAV from September 30, 2008 to September 30, 2009 was primarily a result of sharply lower prices for heating oil and the related decline in the value of the Futures Contracts that USHO had invested in between the period ended September 30, 2008 and the period ended September 30, 2009.
 
Portfolio Expenses. USHO’s expenses consist of investment management fees, brokerage fees and commissions, certain offering costs, licensing fees and the fees and expenses of the independent directors of the General Partner.  The management fee that USHO pays to the General Partner is calculated as a percentage of the total net assets of USHO. USHO pays the General Partner a management fee of 0.60% of its average net assets.  The fee is accrued daily.
 
During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the daily average total net assets of USHO were $7,308,505. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the management fee paid by USHO amounted to $32,798, which was calculated at 0.60% of its average net assets and was accrued daily. By comparison, during the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008, the daily average total net assets of USHO were $15,652,343. The management fee paid by USHO during the period amounted to $44,904, which was calculated at 0.60% of its average net assets and was accrued daily.
 
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In addition to the management fee, USHO pays all brokerage fees, taxes and other expenses, including certain tax reporting costs, licensing fees for the use of intellectual property, ongoing registration or other fees paid to the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and any other regulatory agency in connection with offers and sales of its units subsequent to the initial offering and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated therewith. The total of these fees, taxes and expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was $83,845, as compared to $214,481 for the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008. The decrease in expenses from the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008 to the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was primarily due to the relative size of USHO and activity that resulted from its decreased size, including decreased licensing fees and decreased tax reporting costs due to the fewer number of unitholders during the period. USHO did not incur any ongoing registration fees or other expenses relating to the registration and offering of additional units for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 or for the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008. Expenses incurred in connection with organizing USHO and the costs of the initial offering of units were borne by the General Partner, and are not subject to reimbursement by USHO.
 
USHO is responsible for paying its portion of the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance of the General Partner and the fees and expenses of the independent directors of the General Partner who are also the General Partner’s audit committee members. USHO shares these fees with the United States Oil Fund, LP (“USOF”), the United States Natural Gas Fund, LP (“USNG”), the United States 12 Month Oil Fund, LP (“US12OF”), the United States Gasoline Fund, LP (“UGA”) and the United States Short Oil Fund, LP (“USSO”) based on the relative assets of each fund computed on a daily basis. These fees for calendar year 2009 are estimated to be a total of $477,000 for all funds. By comparison, for the year ended December 31, 2008, these fees amounted to a total of $282,000 for all funds, and USHO’s portion of such fees was $1,422. Directors’ expenses are expected to increase in 2009 due to payment for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and an increase in the compensation awarded to the independent directors of the General Partner. Effective as of March 3, 2009, the General Partner has obtained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance covering all of the directors and officers of the General Partner. Previously, the General Partner did not have liability insurance for its directors and officers; instead, the independent directors received a payment in lieu of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage.
 
USHO also incurs commissions to brokers for the purchase and sale of Futures Contracts, Other Heating Oil-Related Investments or short-term obligations of the United States of two years or less (“Treasuries”). During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, total commissions paid to brokers amounted to $7,055. By comparison, during the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008, total commissions paid to brokers amounted to $5,914. The increase in the total commissions paid to brokers from the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008 to the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was primarily a function of the reporting period being longer than the comparison period. As an annualized percentage of average net assets, the figure for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 represents approximately 0.13% of average net assets. By comparison, the figure for the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008 represented approximately 0.08% of total net assets. However, there can be no assurance that commission costs and portfolio turnover will not cause commission expenses to rise in future quarters.

Interest Income. USHO seeks to invest its assets such that it holds Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments in an amount equal to the total net assets of its portfolio. Typically, such investments do not require USHO to pay the full amount of the contract value at the time of purchase, but rather require USHO to post an amount as a margin deposit against the eventual settlement of the contract. As a result, USHO retains an amount that is approximately equal to its total net assets, which USHO invests in Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents. This includes both the amount on deposit with the futures commission merchant as margin, as well as unrestricted cash and cash equivalents held with USHO’s custodian bank. The Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents earn interest that accrues on a daily basis. For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO earned $10,027 in interest income on such cash holdings. Based on USHO’s average daily total net assets, this is equivalent to an annualized yield of 0.18%. USHO did not purchase Treasuries during the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and held all of its funds in cash and/or cash equivalents during this time period. By comparison, for the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008, USHO earned $136,595 in interest income on such cash holdings. Based on USHO’s average daily total net assets, this was equivalent to an annualized yield of 1.82%. USHO did not purchase Treasuries during the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008 and held all of its funds in cash and/or cash equivalents during this time period. Interest rates on short-term investments in the United States, including cash, cash equivalents, and short-term Treasuries, were sharply lower during the nine months ended September 30, 2009 compared to the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008. As a result, the amount of interest earned by USHO as a percentage of total net assets was lower during the nine months ended September 30, 2009 compared to the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008.

 
17

 

For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2009 Compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2008

During the three months ended September 30, 2009, the daily average total net assets of USHO were $10,743,430. During the three months ended September 30, 2009, the management fee paid by USHO amounted to $16,274, which was calculated at 0.60% of its average net assets and was accrued daily. By comparison, during the three months ended September 30, 2008, the daily average total net assets of USHO were $15,625,343. The management fee paid by USHO during the period amounted to $44,904, which was calculated at 0.60% of average net assets and was accrued daily.

In addition to the management fee, USHO pays all brokerage fees, taxes and other expenses, including certain tax reporting costs, licensing fees for the use of intellectual property, ongoing registration or other fees paid to the SEC, FINRA and any other regulatory agency in connection with offers and sales of its units subsequent to the initial offering and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated therewith. The total of these fees, taxes and expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2009 was $29,392, as compared to $111,179 for the three months ended September 30, 2008. The decrease in expenses from the three months ended September 30, 2008 to the three months ended September 30, 2009 was primarily due to the relative size of USHO and activity that resulted from its decreased size, including decreased licensing fees and decreased tax reporting costs due to the fewer number of unitholders during the period. For the three months ended September 30, 2009 and for the three months ended September 30, 2008, USHO did not incur any fees and other expenses relating to the registration and offering of additional units. Expenses incurred in connection with organizing USHO and the costs of the initial offering of units were borne by the General Partner, and are not subject to reimbursement by USHO.
 
USHO is responsible for paying its portion of the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance of the General Partner and the fees and expenses of the independent directors of the General Partner who are also the General Partner’s audit committee members. USHO shares these fees with USOF, USNG, US12OF, UGA and USSO based on the relative assets of each fund computed on a daily basis. The fees for the three months ended September 30, 2009 amounted to a total of $80,648 for all funds, and USHO’s portion of such fees was $142. By comparison, for the three months ended September 30, 2008, these fees amounted to a total of $72,126 for all funds, and USHO’s portion of such fees was $517. Directors’ expenses increased from the three months ended September 30, 2008 to the three months ended September 30, 2009 due to payment for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, an increase in the compensation awarded to the independent directors of the General Partner and the reporting period being longer than the comparison period. Effective as of March 3, 2009, the General Partner has obtained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance covering all of the directors and officers of the General Partner. Previously, the General Partner did not have liability insurance for its directors and officers; instead, the independent directors received a payment in lieu of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage.
 
USHO also incurs commissions to brokers for the purchase and sale of Futures Contracts, Other Heating Oil-Related Investments or Treasuries. During the three months ended September 30, 2009, total commissions paid to brokers amounted to $3,285. By comparison, during the three months ended September 30, 2008, total commissions paid to brokers amounted to $2,423. The increase in the total commissions paid to brokers from the three months ended September 30, 2008 to the three months ended September 30, 2009 was primarily a function of the increase in USHO’s average total net assets and increased redemptions and creations of units during the three months ended September 30, 2009. As an annualized percentage of average net assets, the figure for the three months ended September 30, 2009 represents approximately 0.12% of average net assets. By comparison, the figure for the three months ended September 30, 2008 represented approximately 0.08% of total net assets. However, there can be no assurance that commission costs and portfolio turnover will not cause commission expenses to rise in future quarters.

 
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Interest Income. USHO seeks to invest its assets such that it holds Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments in an amount equal to the total net assets of its portfolio. Typically, such investments do not require USHO to pay the full amount of the contract value at the time of purchase, but rather require USHO to post an amount as a margin deposit against the eventual settlement of the contract. As a result, USHO retains an amount that is approximately equal to its total net assets, which USHO invests in Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents. This includes both the amount on deposit with the futures commission merchant as margin, as well as unrestricted cash and cash equivalents held with USHO’s custodian bank. The Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents earn interest that accrues on a daily basis. For the three months ended September 30, 2009, USHO earned $3,188 in interest income on such cash holdings. Based on USHO’s average daily total net assets, this is equivalent to an annualized yield of 0.12%. USHO did not purchase Treasuries during the three months ended September 30, 2009and held all of its funds in cash and/or cash equivalents during this time period. By comparison, for the three months ended September 30, 2008, USHO earned $136,595 in interest income on such cash holdings. Based on USHO’s average daily total net assts, this was equivalent to an annualized yield of 1.82%. USHO did not purchase Treasuries during the three months ended September 30, 2008 and held all of its funds in cash and/or cash equivalents during this time period. Interest rates on short-term investments in the United States, including cash, cash equivalents, and short-term Treasuries, were sharply lower during the three months ended September 30, 2009 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2008. As a result, the amount of interest earned by USHO as a percentage of total net assets was lower during the nine months ended September 30, 2009 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2008.

Tracking USHO’s Benchmark

USHO seeks to manage its portfolio such that changes in its average daily NAV, on a percentage basis, closely track the changes in the average daily price of the Benchmark Futures Contract, also on a percentage basis. Specifically, USHO seeks to manage the portfolio such that over any rolling period of 30 valuation days, the average daily change in the NAV is within a range of 90% to 110% (0.9 to 1.1) of the average daily change in the price of the Benchmark Futures Contract. As an example, if the average daily movement of the price of the Benchmark Futures Contract for a particular 30-day time period was 0.5% per day, USHO’s management would attempt to manage the portfolio such that the average daily movement of the NAV during that same time period fell between 0.45% and 0.55% (i.e., between 0.9 and 1.1 of the benchmark’s results). USHO’s portfolio management goals do not include trying to make the nominal price of USHO’s NAV equal to the nominal price of the current Benchmark Futures Contract or the spot price for heating oil. Management believes that it is not practical to manage the portfolio to achieve such an investment goal when investing in listed heating oil Futures Contracts.

For the 30 valuation days ended September 30, 2009, the simple average daily change in the Benchmark Futures Contract was -0.135%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of USHO over the same time period was -0.136%. The average daily difference was -0.02% (or -0.00002 basis points, where 1 basis point equals 1/100 of 1%). As a percentage of the daily movement of the Benchmark Futures Contract, the average error in daily tracking by the NAV was -0.391% meaning that over this time period USHO’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal. The first chart below shows the daily movement of USHO’s NAV versus the daily movement of the Benchmark Futures Contract for the 30-day period ended September 30, 2009.

 
19

 
 


 
20

 

Since the offering of USHO’s units to the public on April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2009, the simple average daily change in the Benchmark Futures Contract was -0.139%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of USHO over the same time period was -0.138%. The average daily difference was 0.001% (or 0.1 basis points, where 1 basis point equals 1/100 of 1%). As a percentage of the daily movement of the Benchmark Futures Contract, the average error in daily tracking by the NAV was -0.184%, meaning that over this time period USHO’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal.

An alternative tracking measurement of the return performance of USHO versus the return of its Benchmark Futures Contract can be calculated by comparing the actual return of USHO, measured by changes in its NAV, versus the expected changes in its NAV under the assumption that USHO’s returns had been exactly the same as the daily changes in its Benchmark Futures Contract. 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the actual total return of USHO as measured by changes in its NAV was 13.90%. This is based on an initial NAV of $21.94 on December 31, 2008 and an ending NAV as of September 30, 2009 of $24.99. During this time period, USHO made no distributions to its unitholders. However, if USHO’s daily changes in its NAV had instead exactly tracked the changes in the daily return of the Benchmark Futures Contract, USHO would have ended the third quarter of 2009 with an estimated NAV of $25.03, for a total return over the relevant time period of 14.08%. The difference between the actual NAV total return of USHO of 13.90% and the expected total return based on the Benchmark Futures Contract of 14.08% was an error over the time period of 0.18%, which is to say that USHO’s actual total return trailed the benchmark result by that percentage. Management believes that a portion of the difference between the actual return and the expected benchmark return can be attributed to the impact of the interest that USHO collected on its cash and cash equivalent holdings. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO received interest income of $10,027, which is equivalent to a weighted average interest rate of 0.18% for the nine months ended September 30, 2009. In addition, during the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO also collected $3,000 from its authorized purchasers (“Authorized Purchasers”) creating or redeeming baskets of units. This income also contributed to USHO’s actual return. However, if the total assets of USHO continue to increase, management believes that the impact on total returns of these fees from creations and redemptions will diminish as a percentage of the total return. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO incurred net expenses of $49,798. Income from interest and brokerage collections net of expenses was $(36,741) which is equivalent to a weighted average net interest rate of -0.67% for the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

By comparison, for the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008, the actual total return of USHO as measured by changes to its NAV was -8.36%.  This is based on an initial NAV of $50.00 on April 9, 2008 and an ending NAV as of September 30, 2008 of $45.82. During this time period, USHO made no distributions to its unitholders. However, if USHO’s daily changes in its NAV had instead exactly tracked the changes in the daily return of the Benchmark Futures Contract, USHO would have ended the third quarter of 2008 with an estimated NAV of $45.63, for a total return over the relevant time period of (8.74)%. The difference between the actual NAV total return of USHO of -8.36% and the expected total return based on the Benchmark Futures Contract of (8.74)% was an error over the time period of 0.38%, which is to say that USHO’s actual total return exceeded the benchmark result by that percentage. Management believes that a portion of the difference between the actual return and the expected benchmark return can be attributed to the impact of the interest that USHO collected on its cash and cash equivalent holdings. During the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008, USHO received interest income of $136,595, which is equivalent to a weighted average interest rate of 1.82% for the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008. In addition, during the period from April 9, 2008 to September 30, 2008, USHO also collected $3,000 from its authorized purchasers (“Authorized Purchasers”) creating or redeeming baskets of units. This income also contributed to USHO’s actual return exceeding the benchmark results.

There are currently three factors that have impacted or are most likely to impact USHO’s ability to accurately track its Benchmark Futures Contract.

First, USHO may buy or sell its holdings in the then current Benchmark Futures Contract at a price other than the closing settlement price of that contract on the day during which USHO executes the trade. In that case, USHO may pay a price that is higher, or lower, than that of the Benchmark Futures Contract, which could cause the changes in the daily NAV of USHO to either be too high or too low relative to the changes in the Benchmark Futures Contract.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, management attempted to minimize the effect of these transactions by seeking to execute its purchase or sale of the Benchmark Futures Contract at, or as close as possible to, the end of the day settlement price. However, it may not always be possible for USHO to obtain the closing settlement price and there is no assurance that failure to obtain the closing settlement price in the future will not adversely impact USHO’s attempt to track the Benchmark Futures Contract over time.

 
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Second, USHO earns interest on its cash, cash equivalents and Treasury holdings. USHO is not required to distribute any portion of its income to its unitholders and did not make any distributions to unitholders during the nine months ended September 30, 2009. Interest payments, and any other income, were retained within the portfolio and added to USHO’s NAV. When this income exceeds the level of USHO’s expenses for its management fee, brokerage commissions and other expenses (including ongoing registration fees, licensing fees and the fees and expenses of the independent directors of the General Partner), USHO will realize a net yield that will tend to cause daily changes in the NAV of USHO to track slightly higher than daily changes in the Benchmark Futures Contract.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO earned, on an annualized basis, approximately 0.18% on its cash holdings. It also incurred cash expenses on an annualized basis of 0.60% for management fees and approximately 0.13% in brokerage commission costs related to the purchase and sale of futures contracts, and 0.18% for other expenses. The foregoing fees and expenses resulted in a net yield on an annualized basis of approximately -0.73% and affected USHO’s ability to track its benchmark. If short-term interest rates rise above the current levels, the level of deviation created by the yield would decrease. Conversely, if short-term interest rates were to decline, the amount of error created by the yield would increase. When short-term yields drop to a level lower than the combined expenses of the management fee and the brokerage commissions, then the tracking error becomes a negative number and would tend to cause the daily returns of the NAV to underperform the daily returns of the Benchmark Futures Contract.
 
Third, USHO may hold Other Heating Oil-Related Investments in its portfolio that may fail to closely track the Benchmark Futures Contract’s total return movements. In that case, the error in tracking the Benchmark Futures Contract could result in daily changes in the NAV of USHO that are either too high, or too low, relative to the daily changes in the Benchmark Futures Contract. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO did not hold any Other Heating Oil-Related Investments. However, there can be no assurance that in the future USHO will not make use of such Other Heating Oil-Related Investments, which may have the effect of increasing transaction related expenses and result in increased tracking error.

Term Structure of Heating Oil Futures Prices and the Impact on Total Returns.   Several factors determine the total return from investing in a futures contract position. One factor that impacts the total return that will result from investing in near month heating oil futures contracts and “rolling” those contracts forward each month is the price relationship between the current near month contract and the next month contract.  For example, if the price of the near month contract is higher than the next month contract (a situation referred to as “backwardation” in the futures market), then absent any other change there is a tendency for the price of a next month contract to rise in value as it becomes the near month contract and approaches expiration. Conversely, if the price of a near month contract is lower than the next month contract (a situation referred to as “contango” in the futures market), then absent any other change there is a tendency for the price of a next month contract to decline in value as it becomes the near month contract and approaches expiration.

As an example, assume that the price of heating oil for immediate delivery (the “spot” price), was $2.00 per gallon, and the value of a position in the near month futures contract was also $2.00. Over time, the price of a gallon of heating oil will fluctuate based on a number of market factors, including demand for heating oil relative to its supply. The value of the near month contract will likewise fluctuate in reaction to a number of market factors. If investors seek to maintain their position in a near month contract and not take delivery of the heating oil, every month they must sell their current near month contract as it approaches expiration and invest in the next month contract.

If the futures market is in backwardation, e.g., when the expected price of heating oil in the future would be less, the investor would be buying a next month contract for a lower price than the current near month contract. Hypothetically, and assuming no other changes to either prevailing heating oil prices or the price relationship between the spot price, the near month contract and the next month contract (and ignoring the impact of commission costs and the interest earned on Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents), the value of the next month contract would rise as it approaches expiration and becomes the new near month contract. In this example, the value of the $2.00 investment would tend to rise faster than the spot price of heating oil, or fall slower. As a result, it would be possible in this hypothetical example for the price of spot heating oil to have risen to $2.50 after some period of time, while the value of the investment in the futures contract would have risen to $2.60, assuming backwardation is large enough or enough time has elapsed. Similarly, the spot price of heating oil could have fallen to $1.50 while the value of an investment in the futures contract could have fallen to only $1.60. Over time, if backwardation remained constant, the difference would continue to increase.

 
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If the futures market is in contango, the investor would be buying a next month contract for a higher price than the current near month contract. Hypothetically, and assuming no other changes to either prevailing heating oil prices or the price relationship between the spot price, the near month contract and the next month contract (and ignoring the impact of commission costs and the interest earned on cash), the value of the next month contract would fall as it approaches expiration and becomes the new near month contract. In this example, it would mean that the value of the $2.00 investment would tend to rise slower than the spot price of heating oil, or fall faster. As a result, it would be possible in this hypothetical example for the spot price of heating oil to have risen to $2.50 after some period of time, while the value of the investment in the futures contract will have risen to only $2.40, assuming contango is large enough or enough time has elapsed. Similarly, the spot price of heating oil could have fallen to $1.50 while the value of an investment in the futures contract could have fallen to $1.40. Over time, if contango remained constant, the difference would continue to increase.

The chart below compares the price of the near month contract to the price of the next month contract over the last 10 years (1999-2008) for heating oil. When the price of the near month contract is higher than the price of the next month contract, the market would be described as being in backwardation. When the price of the near month contract is lower than the price of the next month contract, the market would be described as being in contango. Although the prices of the near month contract and the price of the next month contract do tend to move up or down together, it can be seen that at times the near month prices are clearly higher than the price of the next month contract (backwardation), and other times they are below the price of the next month contract (contango). In addition, investors can observe that  heating oil prices, both near month and next month, often display a seasonal pattern in which the price of heating oil tends to rise in the winter months and decline in the summer months. This mirrors the physical demand for heating oil, which typically peaks in the winter.

Price of Near Month Heating Oil Contract ("HO1") and Price of Next Month Contract ("HO2") *
(10 years ending 12/31/08)


 
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*PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Another way to view backwardation and contango data over time is to subtract the dollar price of the next month heating oil futures contract from the dollar price of the near month heating oil futures contract. If the resulting number is a positive number, then the near month price is higher than the price of the next month and the market could be described as being in backwardation. If the resulting number is a negative number, then the near month price is lower than the price of the next month and the market could be described as being in contango. The chart below shows the results from subtracting the price of the next month contract from the near month price for the 10 year period between 1999 and 2008. Investors will note that the near month heating oil futures contract spent time in both backwardation and contango. Investors will further note that the markets display a very seasonal pattern that corresponds to the seasonal demand patterns for heating oil mentioned above. That is, in many, but not all, cases the price of the near month is higher than the next month during the middle of the winter months as the price of heating oil for delivery in those winter months rises to meet peak demand. At the same time, the price of the near month contract, when that month is just before the onset of fall, does not rise as far or as fast as the price of a next month contract whose delivery falls closer to the start of the winter season.

 
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Price of Near Month Heating Oil Contract Minus Next Month Heating Oil Contract *
(10 years ending December 31, 2008)
 

*PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

While the investment objective of USHO is not to have the market price of its units match, dollar for dollar, changes in the spot price of heating oil, contango and backwardation have impacted the total return on an investment in USHO units during the past year relative to a hypothetical direct investment in heating oil. For example, an investment in USHO units made on December 31, 2008 and held to September 30, 2009 increased, based upon the changes in the NAV for USHO units on those days, by approximately 13.90%, while the spot price of heating oil for immediate delivery during the same period increased by approximately 14.08% (note: this comparison ignores the potential costs associated with physically owning and storing heating oil, which could be substantial).

Periods of contango or backwardation do not materially impact USHO’s investment objective of having the percentage changes in its per unit NAV track the percentage changes in the price of the Benchmark Futures Contract since the impact of backwardation and contango tended to equally impact the percentage changes in price of both USHO’s units and the Benchmark Futures Contract. It is impossible to predict with any degree of certainty whether backwardation or contango will occur in the future. It is likely that both conditions will occur during different periods.

Heating Oil Market.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the price of heating oil in the United States, as measured by changes in the price of the futures contract traded on the NYMEX that was closest to expiration, rose by approximately 27.06% from $1.4421 per gallon to $1.8324 per gallon. (Investors are cautioned that these represent prices for heating oil on a wholesale basis and should not be directly compared to retail prices.)

During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the price of crude oil, the raw material from which heating oil is refined, rose by approximately 58.32% from approximately $44.60 per barrel to approximately $70.61 per barrel. The price of crude oil was influenced by several factors, including ongoing weak demand for crude oil globally and modest decreases in the production levels of crude oil. However, oil prices still increased as investors looked forward to improvements in the global economy. Management believes, however, that should the global economic situation remain weak, there is a meaningful possibility that crude oil prices could retreat from their current levels.

 
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Management believes that over both the medium-term and the long-term, changes in the price of crude oil will exert the greatest influence on the price of refined petroleum products such as heating oil. At the same time, there can be other factors that, particularly in the short term, cause the price of heating oil to rise (or fall), more (or less) than the price of crude oil. For example, warmer weather during the high demand period of the winter season could cause American consumers to reduce their heating oil consumption. Furthermore, heating oil prices are impacted by the availability of refining capacity. As a result, it is possible that changes in heating oil prices may not match the changes in crude oil prices.

Heating Oil Price Movements in Comparison to other Energy Commodities and Investment Categories.  The General Partner believes that investors frequently measure the degree to which prices or total returns of one investment or asset class move up or down in value in concert with another investment or asset class. Statistically, such a measure is usually done by measuring the correlation of the price movements of the two different investments or asset classes over some period of time. The correlation is scaled between 1 and -1, where 1 indicates that the two investment options move up or down in price or value together, known as “positive correlation,” and -1 indicating that they move in completely opposite directions, known as “negative correlation.” A correlation of 0 would mean that the movements of the two are neither positively or negatively correlated, known as “non-correlation.” That is, the investment options sometimes move up and down together and other times move in opposite directions.

For the ten year time period between 1998 and 2008, the chart below compares the monthly movements of heating oil prices versus the monthly movements of the prices of several other energy commodities, such as natural gas, crude oil, and unleaded gasoline, as well as several major non-commodity investment asset classes, such as large cap U.S. equities, U.S. government bonds and global equities. It can be seen that over this particular time period, the movement of heating oil on a monthly basis was not strongly correlated, positively or negatively, with the movements of large cap U.S. equities, U.S. government bonds or global equities. However, movements in heating oil had a strong positive correlation to movements in crude oil and unleaded gasoline. Finally, heating oil had a positive, but weaker, correlation with natural gas.

 
10 Year Correlation Matrix
1998-2008
 
Large Cap
U.S.
Equities
(S&P 500)
   
U.S. Govt.
Bonds
(EFFAS
U.S.
Government
Bond Index)
   
Global
Equities
(FTSE
World
Index)
   
Unleaded
Gasoline
   
Natural
Gas
   
Crude
Oil
   
Heating
Oil
 
                                                         
Large Cap U.S. Equities (S&P 500)
    1.000       -0.223       0.936       0.266       0.045       0.063       0.003  
                                                         
U.S. Govt. Bonds (EFFAS U.S. Government Bond Index)
            1.000       -0.214       -0.134       0.054       -0.29       0.037  
                                                         
Global Equities (FTSE World Index)
                    1.000       0.384       0.072       0.155       0.084  
                                                         
Unleaded Gasoline
                            1.000       0.254       0.747       0.787  
                                                         
Natural Gas
                                    1.000       0.292       0.394  
                                                         
Crude Oil
                                            1.000       0.738  
                                                         
Heating Oil
                                                    1.000  
                                                         
source: Bloomberg, NYMEX
                                                       
 
PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS
 
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The chart below covers a more recent, but much shorter, range of dates than the above chart. Over the one year period ended September 30, 2009, crude oil continued to have a strong positive correlation with heating oil and unleaded gasoline. During this period, it also had a slightly weaker correlation with the movements of natural gas than it had displayed over the ten year period ended December 31, 2008. Notably, the correlation between crude oil and both large cap U.S. equities and global equities, which had been essentially non-correlated over the ten year period ended December 31, 2008, displayed results that indicated that they had a mildly positive correlation over this shorter time period, particularly due to the recent downturn in the U.S. economy. Finally, the results showed that crude oil and U.S. government bonds, which had essentially been non-correlated for the ten year period ended December 31, 2008, were weakly negatively correlated over this more recent time period.
 
Correlation
Matrix 12 months
ended
September 30, 2009
 
Large Cap
US Equities
(S&P 500)
   
US Gov't
Bonds
(EFFAS US Govt
Bond Index)
   
Global Equities
(FTSE World Index)
   
Oil
   
Unleaded
Gasoline
   
Natural
Gas
   
Heating
Oil
 
                                           
Large Cap US Equities (S&P 500)
    1.000       0.088       0.988       0.706       0.522       0.205       0.694  
                                                         
US Gov't Bonds (EFFAS US Govt Bond Index)
            1.000       0.102       -0.313       -0.423       0.082       -0.303  
                                                         
Global Equities (FTSE World Index)
                    1.000       0.705       0.552       0.205       0.697  
                                                         
Oil
                            1.000       0.768       0.193       0.810  
                                                         
Unleaded Gasoline
                                    1.000       -0.089       0.865  
                                                         
Natural Gas
                                            1.000       0.252  
                                                         
Heating Oil
                                                    1.000  
 
Source: Bloomberg, NYMEX

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Investors are cautioned that the historical price relationships between heating oil and various other energy commodities, as well as other investment asset classes, as measured by correlation may not be reliable predictors of future price movements and correlation results. The results pictured above would have been different if a different range of dates had been selected. The General Partner believes that heating oil has historically not demonstrated a strong correlation with equities or bonds over long periods of time. However, the General Partner also believes that in the future it is possible that heating oil could have long term correlation results that indicate prices of heating oil more closely track the movements of equities or bonds. In addition, the General Partner believes that, when measured over time periods shorter than ten years, there will always be some periods where the correlation of heating oil to equities and bonds will be either more strongly positively correlated or more strongly negatively correlated than the long term historical results suggest.

 
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The correlations between heating oil, crude oil, natural gas and gasoline are relevant because the General Partner endeavors to invest USHO’s assets in Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments so that daily changes in percentage terms in USHO’s NAV correlate as closely as possible with daily changes in percentage terms in the price of the Benchmark Futures Contract. If certain other fuel-based commodity futures contracts do not closely correlate with the heating oil Futures Contract, then their use could lead to greater tracking error. As noted above, the General Partner also believes that the changes in percentage terms in the price of the Benchmark Futures Contract will closely correlate with changes in percentage terms in the spot price of heating oil.

Critical Accounting Policies

Preparation of the condensed financial statements and related disclosures in compliance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires the application of appropriate accounting rules and guidance, as well as the use of estimates. USHO’s application of these policies involves judgments and actual results may differ from the estimates used.
 
The General Partner has evaluated the nature and types of estimates that it makes in preparing USHO’s condensed financial statements and related disclosures and has determined that the valuation of its investments which are not traded on a United States or internationally recognized futures exchange (such as forward contracts and over-the-counter contracts) involves a critical accounting policy. The values which are used by USHO for its forward contracts are provided by its commodity broker who uses market prices when available, while over-the-counter contracts are valued based on the present value of estimated future cash flows that would be received from or paid to a third party in settlement of these derivative contracts prior to their delivery date and valued on a daily basis. In addition, USHO estimates interest income on a daily basis using prevailing interest rates earned on its cash and cash equivalents. These estimates are adjusted to the actual amount received on a monthly basis and the difference, if any, is not considered material.
 
Liquidity and Capital Resources

USHO has not made, and does not anticipate making, use of borrowings or other lines of credit to meet its obligations. USHO has met, and it is anticipated that USHO will continue to meet, its liquidity needs in the normal course of business from the proceeds of the sale of its investments, or from the Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents that it intends to hold at all times. USHO’s liquidity needs include: redeeming units, providing margin deposits for its existing Futures Contracts or the purchase of additional Futures Contracts and posting collateral for its over-the-counter contracts and  payment of its expenses, summarized below under “Contractual Obligations.”

USHO currently generates cash primarily from (i) the sale of baskets consisting of 100,000 units (“Creation Baskets”) and (ii) interest earned on Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents. USHO has allocated substantially all of its net assets to trading in Heating Oil Interests. USHO invests in Heating Oil Interests to the fullest extent possible without being leveraged or unable to satisfy its current or potential margin or collateral obligations with respect to its investments in Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments. A significant portion of the NAV is held in cash and cash equivalents that are used as margin and as collateral for USHO’s trading in Heating Oil Interests. The balance of the net assets is held in USHO’s account at its custodian bank. Interest earned on USHO’s interest-bearing funds is paid to USHO. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO’s expense’s exceeded the interest income USHO earned and the cash earned by the sale of Creation Baskets and the redemption of Redemption Baskets. To the extent expenses have exceeded interest income, USHO’s NAV will be negatively impacted.

USHO’s investment in Heating Oil Interests may be subject to periods of illiquidity because of market conditions, regulatory considerations and other reasons. For example, most commodity exchanges limit the fluctuations in futures contracts prices during a single day by regulations referred to as “daily limits.” During a single day, no trades may be executed at prices beyond the daily limit. Once the price of a futures contract has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the daily limit, positions in the contracts can neither be taken nor liquidated unless the traders are willing to effect trades at or within the specified daily limit. Such market conditions could prevent USHO from promptly liquidating its positions in Futures Contracts. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO was not forced to purchase or liquidate any of its positions while daily limits were in effect; however, USHO cannot predict whether such an event may occur in the future.

 
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Prior to the initial offering of USHO, all payments with respect to USHO’s expenses were paid by the General Partner. USHO does not have an obligation or intention to refund such payments by the General Partner. The General Partner is under no obligation to pay USHO’s current or future expenses. Since such date, USHO has been responsible for expenses relating to (i) management fees, (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) licensing fees for the use of intellectual property, (iv) ongoing registration expenses in connection with offers and sales of its units subsequent to the initial offering, (v) taxes and other expenses, including certain tax reporting costs, (vi) fees and expenses of the independent directors of the General Partner and (vii) other extraordinary expenses not in the ordinary course of business, while the General Partner has been responsible for expenses relating to the fees of USHO’s marketing agent, administrator and custodian and registration expenses relating to the initial offering of units.. If the General Partner and USHO are unsuccessful in raising sufficient funds to cover these respective expenses or in locating any other source of funding, USHO will terminate and investors may lose all or part of their investment.     

Market Risk

Trading in Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments, such as forwards, involves USHO entering into contractual commitments to purchase or sell heating oil at a specified date in the future. The aggregate market value of the contracts will significantly exceed USHO’s future cash requirements since USHO intends to close out its open positions prior to settlement. As a result, USHO is generally only subject to the risk of loss arising from the change in value of the contracts. USHO considers the “fair value” of its derivative instruments to be the unrealized gain or loss on the contracts. The market risk associated with USHO’s commitments to purchase heating oil is limited to the aggregate market value of the contracts held. However, should USHO enter into a contractual commitment to sell heating oil, it would be required to make delivery of the heating oil at the contract price, repurchase the contract at prevailing prices or settle in cash. Since there are no limits on the future price of heating oil, the market risk to USHO could be unlimited.
 
USHO’s exposure to market risk depends on a number of factors, including the markets for heating oil, the volatility of interest rates and foreign exchange rates, the liquidity of the Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments markets and the relationships among the contracts held by USHO. The limited experience that USHO has had in utilizing its model to trade in Heating Oil Interests in a manner intended to track the changes in the spot price of heating oil, as well as drastic market occurrences, could ultimately lead to the loss of all or substantially all of an investor’s capital.
 
Credit Risk

When USHO enters into Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments, it is exposed to the credit risk that the counterparty will not be able to meet its obligations. The counterparty for the Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX and on most other futures exchanges is the clearinghouse associated with the particular exchange. In general, clearinghouses are backed by their members who may be required to share in the financial burden resulting from the nonperformance of one of their members and, therefore, this additional member support should significantly reduce credit risk. Some foreign exchanges are not backed by their clearinghouse members but may be backed by a consortium of banks or other financial institutions. There can be no assurance that any counterparty, clearinghouse, or their members or their financial backers will satisfy their obligations to USHO in such circumstances.
 
The General Partner attempts to manage the credit risk of USHO by following various trading limitations and policies. In particular, USHO generally posts margin and/or holds liquid assets that are approximately equal to the market value of its obligations to counterparties under the Futures Contracts and Other Heating Oil-Related Investments it holds. The General Partner has implemented procedures that include, but are not limited to, executing and clearing trades only with creditworthy parties and/or requiring the posting of collateral or margin by such parties for the benefit of USHO to limit its credit exposure. UBS Securities LLC, USHO’s commodity broker, or any other broker that may be retained by USHO in the future, when acting as USHO’s futures commission merchant in accepting orders to purchase or sell Futures Contracts on United States exchanges, is required by CFTC regulations to separately account for and segregate as belonging to USHO, all assets of USHO relating to domestic Futures Contracts trading. These futures commission merchants are not allowed to commingle USHO’s assets with its other assets. In addition, the CFTC requires commodity brokers to hold in a secure account USHO’s assets related to foreign Futures Contracts trading.

 
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In the future, USHO may purchase over-the-counter contracts. See “Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q for a discussion of over-the-counter contracts.

As of September 30, 2009, USHO had deposits in domestic and foreign financial institutions, including cash investments in money market funds, in the amount of $15,214,199. This amount is subject to loss should these institutions cease operations.

Off Balance Sheet Financing

As of September 30, 2009, USHO has no loan guarantee, credit support or other off-balance sheet arrangements of any kind other than agreements entered into in the normal course of business, which may include indemnification provisions relating to certain risks that service providers undertake in performing services which are in the best interests of USHO. While USHO’s exposure under these indemnification provisions cannot be estimated, they are not expected to have a material impact on USHO’s financial position.

Redemption Basket Obligation

In order to meet its investment objective and pay its contractual obligations described below, USHO requires liquidity to redeem units, which redemptions must be in blocks of 100,000 units called “Redemption Baskets”.  USHO has to date satisfied this obligation by paying from the cash or cash equivalents it holds or through the sale of its Treasuries in an amount proportionate to the number of units being redeemed.
 
Contractual Obligations

USHO’s primary contractual obligations are with the General Partner. In return for its services, the General Partner is entitled to a management fee calculated monthly as a fixed percentage of USHO’s NAV, currently 0.60% of USHO’s NAV on its average daily net assets.
 
The General Partner agreed to pay the start-up costs associated with the formation of USHO, primarily its legal, accounting and other costs in connection with the General Partner’s registration with the CFTC as a CPO and the registration and listing of USHO and its units with the SEC, FINRA and the AMEX, respectively. However, following USHO’s initial offering of units, offering costs incurred in connection with registering and listing additional units of USHO are directly borne on an ongoing basis by USHO, and not by the General Partner.

The General Partner pays the fees of USHO’s marketing agent, ALPS Distributors, Inc., and the fees of the custodian and transfer agent, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH&Co.”), as well as BBH&Co.’s fees for performing administrative services, including those in connection with the preparation of USHO’s condensed financial statements and its SEC and CFTC reports. The General Partner and USHO have also entered into a licensing agreement with the NYMEX pursuant to which USHO and the affiliated funds managed by the General Partner pay a licensing fee to the NYMEX. USHO also pays the fees and expenses associated with its tax accounting and reporting requirements with the exception of certain initial implementation service fees and base service fees which are paid by the General Partner. The General Partner, though under no obligation to do so, agreed to pay certain costs for tax reporting and audit expenses normally borne by USHO to the extent that such expenses exceed 0.15% (15 basis points) of USHO’s NAV, on an annualized basis, through at least December 31, 2009. The General Partner has no obligation to continue such payment into subsequent periods.

In addition to the General Partner’s management fee, USHO pays its brokerage fees (including fees to a futures commission merchant), over-the-counter dealer spreads, any licensing fees for the use of intellectual property, and, subsequent to the initial offering, registration and other fees paid to the SEC, FINRA, or other regulatory agencies in connection with the offer and sale of units, as well as legal, printing, accounting and other expenses associated therewith, and extraordinary expenses. The latter are expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of USHO’s business, including expenses relating to the indemnification of any person against liabilities and obligations to the extent permitted by law and under the LP Agreement, the bringing or defending of actions in law or in equity or otherwise conducting litigation and incurring legal expenses and the settlement of claims and litigation. Commission payments to a futures commission merchant are on a contract-by-contract, or round turn, basis.  USHO also pays a portion of the fees and expenses of the independent directors of the General Partner.  See Note 3 to the Notes to Condensed Financial Statements (Unaudited).

 
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The parties cannot anticipate the amount of payments that will be required under these arrangements for future periods, as USHO’s NAVs and trading levels to meet its investment objectives will not be known until a future date. These agreements are effective for a specific term agreed upon by the parties with an option to renew, or, in some cases, are in effect for the duration of USHO’s existence. Either party may terminate these agreements earlier for certain reasons described in the agreements.  

Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Over-the-Counter Derivatives
 
In the future, USHO may purchase over-the-counter contracts. Unlike most of the exchange-traded Futures Contracts or exchange-traded options on such futures, each party to an over-the-counter contract bears the credit risk that the other party may not be able to perform its obligations under its contract.
 
Some heating oil-based derivatives transactions contain fairly generic terms and conditions and are available from a wide range of participants. Other heating oil-based derivatives have highly customized terms and conditions and are not as widely available. Many of these over-the-counter contracts are cash-settled forwards for the future delivery of heating oil- or petroleum-based fuels that have terms similar to the Futures Contracts. Others take the form of “swaps” in which the two parties exchange cash flows based on pre-determined formulas tied to the spot price of heating oil, forward heating oil prices or heating oil futures prices. For example, USHO may enter into over-the-counter derivative contracts whose value will be tied to changes in the difference between the spot price of heating oil, the price of Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX and the prices of other Futures Contracts in which USHO may invest.
 
To protect itself from the credit risk that arises in connection with such contracts, USHO may enter into agreements with each counterparty that provide for the netting of its overall exposure to such counterparty, such as the agreements published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. USHO also may require that the counterparty be highly rated and/or provide collateral or other credit support to address USHO’s exposure to the counterparty. In addition, it is also possible for USHO and its counterparty to agree to clear their agreement through an established futures clearinghouse such as those connected to the NYMEX or the ICE Futures. In that event, USHO would no longer have credit risk of its original counterparty, as the clearinghouse would now be USHO’s counterparty. USHO would still retain any price risk associated with its transaction.
 
The creditworthiness of each potential counterparty is assessed by the General Partner. The General Partner assesses or reviews, as appropriate, the creditworthiness of each potential or existing counterparty to an over-the-counter contract pursuant to guidelines approved by the General Partner's board of directors (the “Board”). Furthermore, the General Partner on behalf of USHO only enters into over-the-counter contracts with counterparties who are, or are affiliates of, (a) banks regulated by a United States federal bank regulator, (b) broker-dealers regulated by the SEC, (c) insurance companies domiciled in the United States, and (d) producers, users or traders of energy, whether or not regulated by the CFTC. Any entity acting as a counterparty shall be regulated in either the United States or the United Kingdom unless otherwise approved by the Board after consultation with its legal counsel. Existing counterparties are also reviewed periodically by the General Partner.

USHO anticipates that the use of Other Heating Oil-Related Investments together with its investments in Futures Contracts will produce price and total return results that closely track the investment goals of USHO.

 
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USHO may employ spreads or straddles in its trading to mitigate the differences in its investment portfolio and its goal of tracking the price of the Benchmark Futures Contract. USHO would use a spread when it chooses to take simultaneous long and short positions in futures written on the same underlying asset, but with different delivery months. The effect of holding such combined positions is to adjust the sensitivity of USHO to changes in the price relationship between futures contracts which will expire sooner and those that will expire later. USHO would use such a spread if the General Partner felt that taking such long and short positions, when combined with the rest of its holdings, would more closely track the investment goals of USHO, or if the General Partner felt it would lead to an overall lower cost of trading to achieve a given level of economic exposure to movements in heating oil prices. USHO would enter into a straddle when it chooses to take an option position consisting of a long (or short) position in both a call option and put option. The economic effect of holding certain combinations of put options and call options can be very similar to that of owning the underlying futures contracts. USHO would make use of such a straddle approach if, in the opinion of the General Partner, the resulting combination would more closely track the investment goals of USHO or if it would lead to an overall lower cost of trading to achieve a given level of economic exposure to movements in heating oil prices.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO did not employ any hedging methods such as those described above since all of its investments were made over an exchange. Therefore, during the nine months ended September 30, 2009, USHO was not exposed to counterparty risk. 

Item 4.  Controls and Procedures.
 
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
 
USHO maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that material information required to be disclosed in USHO’s periodic reports filed or submitted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
 
The duly appointed officers of the General Partner, including its chief executive officer and chief financial officer, who perform functions equivalent to those of a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of USHO if USHO had any officers, have evaluated the effectiveness of USHO’s disclosure controls and procedures and have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of USHO have been effective as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.           
           
Change in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
 
There were no changes in USHO’s internal control over financial reporting during USHO’s last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, USHO’s internal control over financial reporting.

 
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Part II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.  Legal Proceedings.

Not applicable.

Item 1A.  Risk Factors.

Except as noted below, there has not been a material change from the risk factors previously disclosed in USHO's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.
 
Regulation of the commodity interests and energy markets is extensive and constantly changing; future regulatory developments are impossible to predict but may significantly and adversely affect USHO.

The futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. In addition, the CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the retroactive implementation of speculative position limits or higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.

The regulation of commodity interest transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by governmental and judicial action. Considerable regulatory attention has been focused on non-traditional investment pools which are publicly distributed in the United States. There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in USHO or the ability of USHO to continue to implement its investment strategy. In addition, various national governments have expressed concern regarding the disruptive effects of speculative trading in the energy markets and the need to regulate the derivatives markets in general. The effect of any future regulatory change on USHO is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse.

In the wake of the economic crisis last year, the Administration, federal regulators and Congress are revisiting the regulation of the financial sector, including securities and commodities markets. These efforts are likely to result in significant changes in the regulation of these markets.

Currently, a number of proposals that would alter the regulation of Heating Oil Interests are being considered by federal regulators and Congress. These proposals include the imposition of fixed position limits on energy-based commodity futures contracts, extension of position and accountability limits to futures contracts on non-U.S. exchanges previously exempt from such limits, and the forced use of clearinghouse mechanisms for all over-the-counter transactions. Certain proposals would aggregate and limit all positions in energy futures held by a single entity, whether such positions exist on U.S. futures exchanges, non-U.S. futures exchanges, or in over-the-counter contracts. While it cannot be predicted at this time what reforms will eventually be made or how they will impact USHO, if any of the aforementioned proposals are implemented, USHO’s ability to meet its investment objective may be negatively impacted and investors could be adversely affected.

Item 2.  Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.

Not applicable.

Item 3.  Defaults Upon Senior Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 4.  Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

Not applicable.

Item 5.  Other Information.
 
Monthly Account Statements
 
Pursuant to the requirement under Rule 4.22 under the Commodity Exchange Act, each month USHO publishes an account statement for its unitholders, which includes a Statement of Income (Loss) and a Statement of Changes in NAV. The account statement is furnished to the SEC on a current report on Form 8-K pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and posted each month on USHO’s website at www.unitedstatesheatingoilfund.com.
 
Item 6. Exhibits.
 
Listed below are the exhibits which are filed as part of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q (according to the number assigned to them in Item 601 of Regulation S-K):
 
   
Number
 
Description of Document
3.1*
 
Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership.
3.3**
 
Fourth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of the General Partner.
10.4*
 
Custodian Agreement.
10.6*
 
Administrative Agency Agreement.
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.
 
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.
99.1*
 
Customer Agreement for Futures Contracts.

*
Filed herewith
**
Incorporated by reference to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the United States Oil Fund, LP for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, filed on November 9, 2009.
 
 
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SIGNATURES
 
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 thereunto duly authorized.

United States Heating Oil Fund, LP (Registrant)
By: United States Commodity Funds LLC, its general partner
   
By:
/s/ Nicholas D. Gerber 
Nicholas D. Gerber
Chief Executive Officer
 
Date:  November 16, 2009
   
By:
/s/ Howard Mah 
Howard Mah
Chief Financial Officer
 
Date:  November 16, 2009

 
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