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ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (SGOL) breaks $1bn in AUM

SGOL leads growth among other physical gold exchange traded products (ETPs) at 148% year-to-date:

Fund Issuer Ounces Change YTD Change YTD %
North America
ETF Securities 755 450 148%
State Street 41,950 6,234 16%
iShares 3,206 656 26%
Total45,91139,30217%

Source: Bloomberg

  • SGOL Assets under Management: Total assets for SGOL now exceed $1bn as September 29th, 2010.
  • Options(4) contracts available on SGOL
  • Inflows seem to indicate positive investor reaction to gold stored in Switzerland and the physically backed structure
  • SGOL part of broader precious metal ETP offering consisting of Silver (SIVR), Platinum (PPLT) and Palladium (PALL)

ETF Securities USA LLC (ETFS) announced today that the total assets under management of its ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (SGOL) passed the $1 billion mark as of Sept 29th, 2010. In the opinion of ETF Securities, recent flows into SGOL have largely been driven by investor’s desire to hold gold in Switzerland and to position portfolio’s for possible inflationary pressures resulting from currency debasement.

ETFS Gold Trust

The objective of the ETFS Gold Trust’s (SGOL) shares reflect the performance of the price of Gold, less the Trust’s expenses. The Trust is open ended and is designed for investors who want a cost-effective (1) and convenient (2) way to invest in gold as well as diversify their precious metal holdings. SGOL has an expense ratio of 0.39% (3) per annum.

ETFS Gold Trust (SGOL) is backed by allocated gold bullion and stored in secure vaults in Switzerland by the Custodian, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A, one of the world's leading Custodians for precious metals. The Shares represent an interest in physical gold owned by the Trust. The physical gold of the Trust is subject to minimal counterparty or credit risks, which contrasts with other offerings that achieve bullion exposure through the use of derivatives.

ETF Securities is the first US ETF Sponsor to provide investors with access to a full suite of precious metal ETPs. Investors can now trade physically-backed gold, silver, platinum and palladium ETFs from the same provider. ETFS recently announced total assets under management in the four US physically backed products exceed $2Bn in AUM as of September 29th 2010

The highlights of SGOL are:

  • Gold stored in Switzerland: SGOL custodies all of its physical gold bullion in secure vaults in Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Gold Bar Audit: Gold bars held bySGOL undergo a bi-annual inspection performed by an independent external auditor. All Gold bar identification numbers are published daily on www.etfsecurities.com
  • Physically-backed: SGOL is backed by allocated physical gold bullion that meets London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) (5) “good delivery” standards.
  • Low cost(6) : Expense ratio of 0.39%

Commenting on this milestone for ETF Securities in the US, William Rhind, Strategic Director for ETFS Marketing LLC, commented:

“Reaching $1 billion in such a short time is great news. SGOL is one of the fastest growing ETPs in the precious metals space this year. With Gold making new highs SGOL provides a solution to investors looking to own gold in Switzerland and diversify away from incumbent ETPs”

For more information please contact the US marketing agent, ETFS Marketing on 212-918-4954 or visit our website: www.etfsecurities.com

The ETFS Gold Trust, ETFS Silver Trust, ETFS Palladium Trust and ETFS Platinum Trust is not an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or a commodity pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act. Shares of the Trusts are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds. These investments are not suitable for all investors. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

(1) The Sponsor expects that, for many investors, costs associated with buying and selling the Shares in the secondary market and the payment of the Trusts ongoing expenses will be lower than the costs associated with buying, selling, storing and insuring Gold, Silver, Palladium and Platinum bullion in a traditional allocated Gold and Silver bullion account.

(2) The Shares trade on the NYSE Arca and will provide institutional and retail investors with indirect access to the Gold, Silver, Palladium and Platinum bullion market.

(3) Ordinary brokerage fees do apply.

(4) Options are not suitable for all investors, please contact your financial adviser before investing.

(5) The LBMA is the London-based trade association that represents the wholesale over-the-counter market for gold and silver in London.

(6) The risk to each party of a contract that the counterparty will not live up to its contractual obligations.

William Rhind is a registered representative of ALPS Distributors Inc.

Risks and Important Considerations

The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the gold, silver, palladium and platinum held by the Trusts and fluctuations in the price of gold, silver, palladium and platinum could materially adversely affect an investment in the Shares. Several factors may affect the price of gold, silver, palladium and platinum, including: A change in economic conditions, such as a recession, can adversely affect the price of gold, silver, palladium and platinum. Gold, silver, palladium and platinum are used in a wide range of industrial applications, and an economic downturn could have a negative impact on its demand and, consequently, its price and the price of the Shares; Investors' expectations with respect to the rate of inflation; Currency exchange rates; Interest rates; Investment and trading activities of hedge funds and commodity funds; and global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations. Should there be an increase in the level of hedge activity of bullion producing companies, it could cause a decline in world prices, adversely affecting the price of the Shares. Also, should the speculative community take a negative view towards bullion, it could cause a decline in world gold, silver, palladium and platinum prices, negatively impacting the price of the Shares. There is a risk that part or all of the Trust's gold, silver, palladium and platinum could be lost, damaged or stolen. Failure by the Custodian or Sub-Custodian to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the precious metal held by the Trusts could result in a loss to the Trusts. Investments in the trusts do not constitute a direct investment in the underlying metals.

The Trusts are new and have limited operating history. Commodities generally are volatile and are not suitable for all investors. Trusts focusing on a single commodity generally experience greater volatility. Since there is no limit on the amount of platinum and palladium that the Trust may acquire, the Trust, as it grows, may have an impact on the supply and demand of platinum and palladium. Please refer to the prospectus for complete information regarding all risks associated with the Trusts.

Shares in the Trusts are not FDIC insured, may lose value and have no bank guarantee.

This material must be accompanied or preceded by a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. Click here to review the prospectus.

ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the marketing agent for ETFS Gold Trust, ETFS Silver Trust, ETFS Platinum Trust and ETFS Palladium Trust. ETF Securities Ltd. or its affiliates is not affiliated with ALPS Distributors, Inc. Certain marketing services may be provided for ETFS Gold Trust, ETFS Silver Trust, ETFS Platinum Trust and ETFS Palladium Trust by ETFS Marketing LLC.

Although Shares of the Trust may be bought and sold on the exchange through any brokerage account, they are not individually redeemable directly from the Trust. Investors may acquire Shares and tender them for redemption through the Trust in Basket aggregation only. Please see the prospectus for more details.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” with respect to results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. Statements preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, or similar expressions are intended to identify some of the forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are included, along with the statement, for purposes of complying with the safe harbor provisions of that Act. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that will or may occurring the future, including such matters as changes in commodity prices and market conditions (for Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium and the Shares), the Trusts operations, the Sponsors plans and references to the Trusts future success and other similar matters are forward looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially.

ETF000275 12/31/10

Contacts:

Intermarket Communications
Michael Gelormino, (212) 909-4780
mgelormino@intermarket.com
or
ETF Securities
Helen Burden, +44 20 7448 4336
helen.burden@etfsecurities.com
or
All Other US Inquiries:
info@etfsecurities.com
ETFS Marketing LLC
48 Wall Street, 11th Floor
New York City, NY 10005

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