abrdn Gold ETF Trust - Quarter Report: 2020 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

For the Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2020

or

Commission File Number: 001-34441

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(844) 383-7289

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files). Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). ☐ Yes   ☒ No

As of November 4, 2020, Aberdeen Standard Gold ETF Trust had 147,700,000 Aberdeen Standard Physical Gold Shares ETF outstanding.

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

INDEX

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

At September 30, 2020 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2019

See Notes to the Financial Statements

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Schedules of Investments

At September 30, 2020 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2019

See Notes to the Financial Statements

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

See Notes to the Financial Statements

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (Unaudited)

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

See Notes to the Financial Statements

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Financial Highlights (Unaudited)

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

See Notes to the Financial Statements

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Notes to the Financial Statements (Unaudited)

The Aberdeen Standard Gold ETF Trust (the “Trust”) is a common law trust formed on September 1, 2009 (the “Date of Inception”) under New York law pursuant to a depositary trust agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Sponsor LLC (the “Sponsor”) and The Bank of New York Mellon as Trustee (the “Trustee”). The Trust holds gold bullion and issues Aberdeen Standard Physical Gold Shares ETF (“Shares”) in minimum blocks of Shares (also referred to as “Baskets”) in exchange for deposits of gold and distributes gold in connection with the redemption of Baskets. Prior to November 4, 2019, the number of Shares that constituted a Basket was 50,000 Shares. Effective November 4, 2019, the Basket size was increased to 100,000 Shares. Shares represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust which are issued by the Trust. The Sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc. (“ASII”). ASII is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Standard Life Aberdeen plc. The Trust is governed by the Trust Agreement.

The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold, less the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Trust is designed to provide an individual owner of beneficial interests in the Shares (a “Shareholder”) an opportunity to participate in the gold market through an investment in securities. The fiscal year end for the Trust is December 31.

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q. In the opinion of the Trust’s management, all adjustments (which consist of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position and results of operations as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and for all periods presented have been made.

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires those responsible for preparing financial statements to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust.

The Sponsor has determined that the Trust falls within the scope of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies, and has concluded that for reporting purposes, the Trust is classified as an Investment Company. The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not required to register under such act.

The Trust follows the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 provides guidance for determining fair value and requires increased disclosure regarding the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Gold is held by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”), on behalf of the Trust, at the Custodian’s Zurich, Switzerland vaulting premises and may also be held at the Zurich, Switzerland vaulting premises of UBS AG, or any other firm selected by the Custodian, to hold the Trust’s gold in the Trust’s allocated account in the firm’s vault premises on a segregated basis. Effective as of the close of business June 20, 2019, the Sponsor approved the addition of London, England as a location where the Custodian may custody allocated gold bullion deposited with and held by the Trust. At September 30, 2020, approximately 46.11% of the Trust’s gold was held by one or more sub-custodians.

Gold is recorded at fair value. The cost of gold is determined according to the average cost method and the fair value is based on the London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) PM Gold Price. Realized gains and losses on transfers of gold, or gold distributed for the redemption of Shares, are calculated on a trade date basis as the difference between the fair value and average cost of gold transferred.

The LBMA PM Gold Price is set using the afternoon session of the ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) equilibrium auction, an electronic, tradable and auditable over-the-counter auction market with the ability to participate in US Dollars, Euros or British Pounds for LBMA-authorized participating gold bullion banks or market makers that establishes a reference gold price for that day’s trading.

Once the value of gold has been determined, the net asset value (the “NAV”) is computed by the Trustee by deducting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust, including the remuneration due to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor’s Fee”), from the fair value of the gold and all other assets held by the Trust.

The Trust recognizes changes in fair value of the investment in gold as changes in unrealized gains or losses on investment in gold through the Statement of Operations.

The per Share amount of gold exchanged for a purchase or redemption is calculated daily by the Trustee, using the LBMA PM Gold Price to calculate the gold amount in respect of any liabilities for which covering gold sales have not yet been made, and represents the per Share amount of gold held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities, to cover expenses and liabilities and any losses that may have occurred.

Fair Value Hierarchy

ASC 820 establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The three levels of inputs are as follows:

– Level 1. Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Trust has the ability to access.

– Level 2. Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar instruments and similar data.

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

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in level 3.

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

The investment in gold is classified as a level 2 asset, as the Trust’s investment in gold is calculated using primary market pricing sources supported by observable, verifiable inputs.

The categorization of the Trust’s assets is as shown below:

There were no transfers between levels during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 or the year ended December 31, 2019.

Gold receivable or payable represents the quantity of gold covered by contractually binding orders for the creation or redemption of Shares respectively, where the gold has not yet been transferred to or from the Trust’s account. Generally, ownership of gold is transferred within two business days of the trade date. At September 30, 2020, the Trust had $3,628,814 of gold receivable for the creation of Shares and no gold payable for the redemption of Shares. At December 31, 2019, the Trust had $2,916,821 of gold receivable for the creation of Shares and no gold payable for the redemption of Shares.

The Trust expects to create and redeem Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 100,000 Shares effective November 4, 2019. Prior to November 4, 2019, the number of Shares that constituted a Basket was 50,000 Shares). The Trust issues Shares in Baskets to Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis. Individual investors cannot purchase or redeem Shares in direct transactions with the Trust. An Authorized Participant is a person who (1) is a registered broker-dealer or other securities market participant such as a bank or other financial institution which is not required to register as a broker-dealer to engage in securities transactions; (2) is a participant in The Depository Trust Company; (3) has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Trustee and the Sponsor; and (4) has established an Authorized Participant Unallocated Account with the Trust’s Custodian or other gold bullion clearing bank. An Authorized Participant Agreement is an agreement entered into by each Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Trustee which provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets and for the delivery of the gold required for such creations and redemptions. An Authorized Participant Unallocated Account is an unallocated gold account, either loco London or loco Zurich, established with the Custodian or a gold bullion clearing bank by an Authorized Participant.

The creation and redemption of Baskets is only made in exchange for the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of gold represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which is based on the combined NAV of the number of Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received.

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Authorized Participants may, on any business day, place an order with the Trustee to create or redeem one or more Baskets. The typical settlement period for Shares is two business days. In the event of a trade date at period end, where a settlement is pending, a respective account receivable and/or payable will be recorded. When gold is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, it is considered a sale of gold for financial statement purposes.

The amount of gold represented by the Baskets created or redeemed can only be settled to the nearest 1/1000th of an ounce. As a result, the value attributed to the creation or redemption of Shares may differ from the value of gold to be delivered or distributed by the Trust. In order to ensure that the correct amount of gold is available at all times to back the Shares, the Sponsor accepts an adjustment to its management fees in the event of any shortfall or excess on each transaction. For each transaction, this amount is not more than 1/1000th of an ounce of gold.

As the Shares of the Trust are subject to redemption at the option of Authorized Participants, the Trust has classified the outstanding Shares as Net Assets. Changes in the number of Shares outstanding are presented in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets.

The Trust is classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Trust itself will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, the Trust’s income and expenses will “flow through” to the Shareholders, and the Trustee will report the Trust’s proceeds, income, deductions, gains, and losses to the Internal Revenue Service on that basis.

The Sponsor has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions are required as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

Changes in ounces of gold and their respective values for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 are set out below:

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

The primary expense of the Trust is the Sponsor’s Fee, which is paid by the Trust through in-kind transfers of gold to the Sponsor.

The Trust will transfer gold to the Sponsor to pay the Sponsor’s Fee that accrues daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.17% of the adjusted net asset value (“ANAV”) of the Trust, paid monthly in arrears.

The Sponsor has agreed to assume administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust, including the Trustee’s monthly fee and out of pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee and the reimbursement of the Custodian’s expenses, exchange listing fees, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and up to $100,000 per annum in legal expenses.

For the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Sponsor’s Fee was $1,102,345 and $434,586, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Sponsor’s Fee was $2,498,171 and $1,181,314, respectively.

At September 30, 2020 and at December 31, 2019, the fees payable to the Sponsor were $377,132 and $171,336, respectively.

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

With respect to expenses not otherwise assumed by the Sponsor, the Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor or in its own discretion, sell the Trust’s gold as necessary to pay these expenses. When selling gold to pay expenses, the Trustee will endeavor to sell the smallest amounts of gold needed to pay these expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than gold. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.

Unless otherwise directed by the Sponsor, when selling gold the Trustee will endeavor to sell at the price established by the LBMA Gold Price. The Trustee will place orders with dealers (which may include the Custodian) through which the Trustee expects to receive the most favorable price and execution of orders. The Custodian may be the purchaser of such gold only if the sale transaction is made at the next LBMA PM Gold Price or such other publicly available price that the Sponsor deems fair, in each case as set following the sale order. A gain or loss is recognized based on the difference between the selling price and the average cost of the gold sold. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor is liable for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of any sale.

Realized gains and losses result from the transfer of gold for Share redemptions and / or to pay expenses and are recognized on a trade date basis as the difference between the fair value and average cost of gold transferred.

In accordance with the provisions set forth in FASB ASC 855-10, Subsequent Events, the Trust’s management has evaluated the possibility of subsequent events impacting the Trust’s financial statements through the filing date. During this period, no material subsequent events requiring adjustment to or disclosure in the financial statements were identified.

The Sponsor and the Trustee are considered to be related parties to the Trust. The Trustee and the Custodian and their affiliates may from time to time act as Authorized Participants and purchase or sell Shares for their own account, as agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. In addition, the Trustee and the Custodian and their affiliates may from time to time purchase or sell gold directly, for their own account, as agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. The Trustee’s and Custodian’s fees are paid by the Sponsor and are not separate expenses of the Trust.

The Trust’s sole business activity is the investment in gold, and substantially all the Trust’s assets are holdings of gold, which creates a concentration of risk associated with fluctuations in the price of gold. Several factors could affect the price of gold, including: (i) gold supply and demand, which is influenced by factors such as forward selling by gold producers, purchases made by gold producers to unwind gold hedge positions, central bank purchases and sales, and production and cost levels in major global gold-producing countries; (ii) investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation; (iii) currency exchange rates; (iv) interest rates; (v) investment and trading activities of hedge funds and commodity funds; and (vi) global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations. In addition, there is no assurance that gold will maintain its long-term value in terms of purchasing power in the future. In the event that the price of gold declines, the Sponsor expects the value of an investment in the Shares to decline proportionately. Each of these events could have a material effect on the Trust’s financial position and results of operations.

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the Trustee (and its directors, employees and agents) and the Sponsor (and its members, managers, directors, officers, employees and affiliates) are indemnified by the Trust against any liability, cost or expense it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or willful malfeasance on its part and without reckless disregard on its part of its obligations and duties under the Trust’s organizational documents. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to the financial statements included in Item 1 of Part 1 of this Form 10-Q. The discussion and analysis that follows may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements may relate to the Trust’s financial condition, operations, future performance and business. These statements can be identified by the use of the words “may”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential” or similar words and phrases. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor has made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty to update any of the forward- looking statements, to conform such statements to actual results or to reflect a change in management’s expectations or predictions.

Introduction

The Trust is a common law trust, formed under the laws of the state of New York on September 1, 2009. The Trust is not managed like a corporation or an active investment vehicle. It does not have any officers, directors, or employees and is administered by the Trustee pursuant to the Trust Agreement. The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not required to register under such act. It does not hold or trade in commodity futures contracts, nor is it a commodity pool, or subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading adviser in connection with issuing Shares.

The Trust holds gold and is expected to issue Baskets in exchange for deposits of gold and to distribute gold in connection with redemptions of Baskets. Shares issued by the Trust represent units of undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold, less the Trust’s expenses. The Sponsor believes that, for many investors, the Shares will represent a cost effective investment relative to traditional means of investing in gold.

The Trust issues and redeems Shares only with Authorized Participants in exchange for gold and only in aggregations of 100,000 Shares, effective November 4, 2019, or integral multiples thereof. Prior to November 4, 2019, the Trust issued and redeemed Shares in aggregations of 50,000 Shares or integral multiples thereof. A list of current Authorized Participants is available from the Sponsor or the Trustee.

Shares of the Trust trade on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) Arca under the symbol “SGOL”.

Valuation of Gold and Computation of Net Asset Value

On each day that the NYSE Arca is open for regular trading, as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. New York time on such day (the “Evaluation Time”), the Trustee evaluates the gold held by the Trust and determines the NAV of the Trust.

At the Evaluation Time, the Trustee values the Trust’s gold on the basis of that day’s LBMA PM Gold Price (the afternoon session of the ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) equilibrium auction). If no LBMA PM Gold Price is made on such day or has not been announced by the Evaluation Time, the next most recent LBMA PM Gold Price determined prior to the Evaluation Time will be used, unless the Sponsor determines that such price is inappropriate as a basis for evaluation. In the event the Sponsor determines that the LBMA PM Gold Price or such other publicly available price as the Sponsor may deem fairly represents the commercial value of the Trust’s gold is not an appropriate basis for evaluation of the Trust’s gold, it shall identify an alternative basis for such evaluation to be employed by the Trustee. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor shall be liable to any person for the determination that the LBMA PM Gold Price or such other publicly available price is not appropriate as a basis for evaluation of the Trust’s gold or for any determination as to the alternative basis for such evaluation provided that such determination is made in good faith. 

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Once the value of the gold has been determined, the Trustee subtracts all estimated accrued but unpaid fees (other than the fees accruing for such day on which the valuation takes place that are computed by reference to the value of the Trust or its assets), expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the total value of the gold and all other assets of the Trust (other than any amounts credited to the Trust’s reserve account, if established). The resulting figure is the adjusted net asset value (the “ANAV”) of the Trust. The ANAV of the Trust is used to compute the Sponsor’s Fee.

All fees accruing for the day on which the valuation takes place that are computed by reference to the value of the Trust or its assets are calculated using the ANAV calculated for such day. The Trustee subtracts from the ANAV the amount of accrued fees so computed for such day and the resulting figure is the NAV of the Trust. The Trustee also determines the NAV per Share by dividing the NAV of the Trust by the number of the Shares outstanding as of the close of trading on the NYSE Arca (which includes the net number of any Shares created or redeemed on such evaluation day).

The Trustee’s estimation of accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and liabilities is conclusive upon all persons interested in the Trust and no revision or correction in any computation made under the Trust Agreement will be required by reason of any difference in amounts estimated from those actually paid.

The Quarter Ended September 30, 2020

The NAV of the Trust is obtained by subtracting the Trust’s liabilities on any day from the value of the gold owned and receivable by the Trust on that day; the NAV per Share is obtained by dividing the NAV of the Trust on a given day by the number of Shares outstanding on that day.

The Trust’s NAV increased from $2,200,961,756 at June 30, 2020 to $2,696,207,861 at September 30, 2020, a 22.50% increase for the quarter. The increase in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from an increase in outstanding Shares, which rose from 129,400,000 Shares at June 30, 2020 to 148,600,000 Shares at September 30, 2020, as a result of 20,500,000 Shares (205 Baskets) being created and 1,300,000 Shares (13 Baskets) being redeemed, as well as an increase in the price per ounce of gold, which rose 6.72% from $1,768.10 at June 30, 2020 to $1,886.90 at September 30, 2020.

The NAV per Share increased 6.64% from $17.01 at June 30, 2020 to $18.14 at September 30, 2020. The Trust’s NAV per Share rose slightly less than the price per ounce of gold on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s Fee, which was $1,102,345 for the quarter, or 0.17% of the Trust’s ANAV on an annualized basis.

The NAV per Share of $19.88 at August 6, 2020 was the highest during the quarter, compared with a low of $17.04 at July 1, 2020.

The increase in net assets from operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 was $133,552,343, resulting from a realized gain of $208,389 on the transfer of gold to pay expenses, a realized gain of $4,383,528 on gold distributed for the redemption of Shares, and a change in unrealized gain on investment in gold of $130,062,772, offset by the Sponsor’s Fee of $1,102,345. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the quarter ended September 30, 2020.

The Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020

The Trust’s NAV increased from $1,195,896,624 at December 31, 2019 to $2,696,207,861 at September 30, 2020, a 125.45% increase for the period. The increase in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from an increase in outstanding Shares, which rose from 82,000,000 Shares at December 31, 2019 to 148,600,000 Shares at September 30, 2020, as a result of 73,600,000 Shares (736 Baskets) being created and 7,000,000 Shares (70 Baskets) being redeemed, as well as an increase in the price per ounce of gold, which rose 24.57% from $1,514.75 at December 31, 2019 to $1,886.90 at September 30, 2020.

The NAV per Share increased 24.42% from $14.58 at December 31, 2019 to $18.14 at September 30, 2020. The Trust’s NAV per Share rose slightly less than the price per ounce of gold on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s Fee, which was $2,498,171 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, or 0.17% of the Trust’s ANAV on an annualized basis.

The NAV per Share of $19.88 at August 6, 2020 was the highest during the period, compared with a low of $14.19 at March 19, 2020.

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

The increase in net assets from operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $366,258,321, resulting from a realized gain of $417,003 on the transfer of gold to pay expenses, a realized gain of $13,800,918 on gold distributed for the redemption of Shares, and a change in unrealized gain on investment in gold of $354,538,572, offset by the Sponsor’s Fee of $2,498,171. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

Liquidity & Capital Resources

The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, commitments, events or uncertainties that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs. In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the period covered by this report was the Sponsor’s Fee.

The Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor or in its own discretion, sell the Trust’s gold as necessary to pay the Trust’s expenses not otherwise assumed by the Sponsor. The Trustee will not sell gold to pay the Sponsor’s Fee but will pay the Sponsor’s Fee through in-kind transfers of gold to the Sponsor. At September 30, 2020, the Trust did not have any cash balances.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Trust has no off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies

The financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements relies on estimates and assumptions, such as the Valuation of Gold and Computation of Net Asset Value discussed above, that impact the Trust’s financial position and results of operations. These estimates and assumptions affect the Trust’s application of accounting policies.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Not applicable.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

The Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor, and to the audit committee, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Under the supervision and with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor, the Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor concluded that, as of September 30, 2020, the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

There have been no changes in the Trust’s or Sponsor’s internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended September 30, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s or Sponsor’s internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

None.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Except for the risk factor set forth below, there have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

Effects of COVID-19

The respiratory illness COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus has resulted in a global pandemic and major disruption to economies and markets around the world, including the United States. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and severe losses, and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. Liquidity for many instruments has been greatly reduced for periods of time. Some interest rates are very low and in some cases yields are negative. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time, and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of the Trust’s investments. The ultimate economic fallout from the pandemic, and the long-term impact on economies, markets, industries and individual issuers, including Shares of the Trust, are not known. Governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the U.S., have taken extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets. The impact of these measures, and whether they will be effective to mitigate the economic and market disruption, will not be known for some time.

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

Item 2(a). None.

Item 2(b). Not applicable.

Item 2(c). For the three months ended September 30, 2020:

205 Baskets were created.

13 Baskets were redeemed.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information

None.

Item 6. Exhibits

ABERDEEN STANDARD GOLD ETF TRUST

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 in the capacities thereunto duly authorized.