December 31, 2018
Dear Shareholders,
This Annual Report for The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio (“Portfolio”) covers the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. Flexible Plan Investments, Ltd. serves as the subadvisor - to The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio. During the period, the Portfolio returned -4.36%, compared with a return of -2.81% in the S&P GSCI Gold Index, while the S&P 500 TR Index returned -4.38%. The sub-index of the S&P GSCI provides investors with a reliable and publicly available benchmark tracking the COMEX gold future.
A strong U.S. dollar and economy were potent headwinds against gold for most of 2018. The U.S. dollar, with a historically inverse relationship to gold, continued to strengthen during the period. The U.S. economy, aided by tax cuts, enjoyed full employment and robust growth which fueled investor sentiment in the domestic stock market. However, the stock market entered into a period of increased volatility with significant declines beginning in October. It was at this point when gold began to turn positive. Gold finished the period on an upward trend amid a backdrop of cooling trade war rhetoric and a Fed rate hike. Increased equity volatility, prospects of a slowing economy, and considerable headline risk surrounding rising geopolitical tensions and future potential trade wars still exist and may provide a favorable environment for gold going forward.
The Portfolio continues to endeavor to execute its strategy consistently, regardless of the market environment or perceived outlook for gold. A combination of the Portfolio’s expense ratio and underperformance of the Portfolio’s income holdings in a rising rate environment have contributed to the relative underperformance against the S&P GSCI Gold Index. The subadvisor - is reviewing potential changes to the fund structure to account for interest rate risk in the future. As always, the advisor and subadvisor - reiterate the value of gold in portfolios as a diversifier given its historically low correlation to most other asset classes.
The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio seeks returns that reflect the daily performance of the price of gold bullion and, as such, is a vehicle for investors to capture potential returns resulting from those movements. To meet its goal, the Portfolio utilizes gold bullion-related futures contracts and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Additionally, in an effort to reflect the daily performance of the price of gold bullion net of fees, the Portfolio invests in investment-grade fixed income corporate notes and bonds, with an objective of generating interest income to partially offset those fees.
We encourage our investors to maintain a long-term perspective as the market reacts to inevitable challenges and opportunities. As an asset class, gold historically has been uncorrelated with other asset classes and tended to provide a valuable hedge to investor portfolios in times of market volatility or economic and geopolitical uncertainty. We thank you for your confidence in The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio and its potential to help you achieve your financial goals.
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The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio
Portfolio Review (Unaudited)
The Portfolio’s performance figures* for the periods ended December 31, 2018, as compared to its benchmarks:
Comparison of the Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment | November 1, 2013 – December 31, 2018
Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
The Portfolio’s holdings as of December 31, 2018 by types of investments are as follows:
Please refer to the Consolidated Portfolio of Investments and the Shareholder Letter in this annual report for a detailed listing of the Portfolio’s holdings.
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Consolidated Portfolio of Investments
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities
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Consolidated Statement of Operations
For the Year Ended December 31, 2018
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Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets
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Consolidated Financial Highlights
Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout Each Year
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The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a diversified series of shares of Advisors Preferred Trust (the “Trust”), a statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 15, 2012 and registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Portfolio currently offers shares at net asset value. The Portfolio seeks returns that reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion. The Portfolio commenced operations on November 1, 2013.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio in preparation of its consolidated financial statements. These policies are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Portfolio is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standard Codification Topic 946 “Financial Services – Investment Companies” including FASB Accounting Standard Update ASU 2013-08.
Securities Valuation – Portfolio securities will be valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange, and securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations were readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale will be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean of the current bid and ask price on the primary exchange. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ price. Futures and future options are valued at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or, in the absence of a settled price, at the last bid price on the day of valuation. Investments in open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Short-term debt obligations having 60 days or less remaining until maturity, at the time of purchase, may be valued at amortized cost.
GBSP Fund Limited (“GBSP Fund Ltd.”) is a wholly-owned and controlled foreign subsidiary of the Portfolio that can invest in gold bullion-related exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), exchange traded notes (“ETNs”), physical gold bullion and derivatives. See “Consolidation of Subsidiaries” for additional information.
The Portfolio may hold securities, such as private investments, interests in commodity pools, other non-traded securities or temporarily illiquid securities, for which market quotations are not readily available or are determined to be unreliable. These securities will be valued at their fair value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value team composed of one or more representatives from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) advisor and/or sub-advisor. The team may also enlist third party consultants such as a valuation specialist at a public accounting firm, valuation consultant or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.
Fair Valuation Process – As noted above, the fair value team is composed of one or more representatives from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) advisor and/or sub-advisor. The applicable investments are valued collectively via inputs from each of these groups. For example, fair value determinations are required for the following securities: (i) securities for which market quotations are insufficient or not readily available on a particular business day (including securities for which there is a short and temporary lapse in the provision of a price by the regular pricing source), (ii) securities for which, in the judgment of the advisor, the prices or values available do not represent the fair value of the instrument. Factors which may cause the advisor to make such a
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judgment include, but are not limited to, the following: only a bid price or an asked price is available; the spread between bid and asked prices is substantial; the frequency of sales; the thinness of the market; the size of reported trades; and actions of the securities markets, such as the suspension or limitation of trading; (iii) securities determined to be illiquid; (iv) securities with respect to which an event that will affect the value thereof has occurred (a “significant event”) since the closing prices were established on the principal exchange on which they are traded, but prior to the Portfolio’s calculation of its net asset value. Specifically, interests in commodity pools or managed futures pools are valued on a daily basis by reference to the closing market prices of each futures contract or other asset held by a pool, as adjusted for pool expenses. Restricted or illiquid securities, such as private investments or non-traded securities are valued via inputs from the advisor based upon the current bid for the security from two or more independent dealers or other parties reasonably familiar with the facts and circumstances of the security (who should take into consideration all relevant factors as may be appropriate under the circumstances). If the advisor is unable to obtain a current bid from such independent dealers or other independent parties, the fair value team shall determine the fair value of such security using the following factors: (i) the type of security; (ii) the cost at date of purchase; (iii) the size and nature of the Portfolio’s holdings; (iv) the discount from market value of unrestricted securities of the same class at the time of purchase and subsequent thereto; (v) information as to any transactions or offers with respect to the security; (vi) the nature and duration of restrictions on disposition of the security and the existence of any registration rights; (vii) how the yield of the security compares to similar securities of companies of similar or equal creditworthiness; (viii) the level of recent trades of similar or comparable securities; (ix) the liquidity characteristics of the security; (x) current market conditions; and (xi) the market value of any securities into which the security is convertible or exchangeable.
Valuation of Fund of Funds – The Portfolio may invest in portfolios of open-end or closed-end investment companies (the “Underlying Funds”). The Underlying Funds value securities in their portfolios for which market quotations are readily available at their market values (generally the last reported sale price) and all other securities and assets at their fair value to the methods established by the board of directors of the Underlying Funds.
Open-ended investment companies are valued at their respective net asset values as reported by such investment companies. The shares of many closed-end investment companies, after their initial public offering, frequently trade at a price per share, which is different than the net asset value per share. The difference represents a market premium or market discount of such shares. There can be no assurances that the market discount or market premium on shares of any closed-end investment company purchased by the Portfolio will not change.
The Portfolio utilizes various methods to measure the fair value of all of its investments on a recurring basis. GAAP establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation methods. The three levels of input are:
Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities that the Portfolio has the ability to access.
Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates and similar data.
Level 3 – Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, to the extent relevant observable inputs are not available, representing the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability, and would be based on the best information available.
The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3.
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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 inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. The following table summarizes the inputs used as of December 31, 2018 for the Portfolio’s investments measured at fair value:
The Portfolio did not hold any Level 2 or Level 3 securities during the current period.
There were no transfers into or out of Level 1 during the current period presented. It is the Portfolio’s policy to recognize transfers into or out of Level 1 and Level 2 at the end of the reporting period.
Consolidation of Subsidiaries – The consolidated financial statements of the Portfolio include the accounts of GBSP Fund Ltd., a wholly-owned controlled subsidiary. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its total assets in GBSP Fund Ltd., which acts as an investment vehicle in order to affect certain investments consistent with the Portfolio’s investment objectives and policies. The subsidiary commenced operations on November 15, 2013 and is an exempted Cayman Islands company with limited liability.
A summary of the Portfolio’s investment in GBSP Fund Ltd. is as follows:
Security Transactions and Related Income – Security transactions are accounted for on trade date. Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis. Discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized on securities purchased over the lives of the respective securities using effective yield method. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Realized gains or losses from sales of securities are determined by comparing the identified cost of the security lot sold with the net sales proceeds. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Portfolio’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates.
Principal Investment Risk – As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Portfolio. The Portfolio is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Portfolio’s net asset value and performance. The following risks apply to the Portfolio through its direct investments as well as indirectly through investments in Underlying Funds and the subsidiary (GBSP Fund Ltd.).
General Market Risk. The risk that the value of the Portfolio’s shares will fluctuate based on the performance of the Portfolio’s investments and other factors affecting the commodities and/or securities market generally.
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Exchange Traded Funds – The Portfolio may invest in exchange traded funds (“ETFs”). ETFs are typically a type of index fund bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF trades like common stock and typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track the performance and dividend yield of a particular domestic or foreign market index. The Portfolio may purchase an ETF to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the U.S. or a foreign market while awaiting purchase of underlying securities. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities they are designed to track, although the lack of liquidity on an ETF could result in it being more volatile.
Mutual Fund and ETN Risk: Mutual funds and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”) are subject to investment advisory or management and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Portfolio. Each is subject to specific risks, depending on investment strategy. Also, each may be subject to leverage risk, which will magnify losses. ETNs are subject to default risks. ETNs may not provide an effective substitute for gold bullion because changes in derivative prices held by these instruments may not track those of the underlying gold bullion.
Futures Contracts – The Portfolio is subject to commodity risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objective. The Portfolio may purchase or sell futures contracts to gain exposure to, or hedge against, changes in the value of equities and interest rates. Initial margin deposits required upon entering into futures contracts are satisfied by the segregation of specific securities or cash as collateral for the account of the broker (the Portfolio’s agent in acquiring the futures position). During the period the futures contracts are open, changes in the value of the contracts are recognized as unrealized gains or losses by “marking to market” on a daily basis to reflect the market value of the contracts at the end of each day’s trading. Variation margin payments are received or made depending upon whether unrealized gains or losses are incurred. When the contracts are closed, the Portfolio recognizes a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the proceeds from, or cost of, the closing transaction and the Portfolio’s basis in the contract. If the Portfolio was unable to liquidate a futures contract and/or enter into an offsetting closing transaction, the Portfolio would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the value of the contracts and continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contracts. The Portfolio segregates cash having a value at least equal to the amount of the current obligation under any open futures contract. Risks may exceed amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the Portfolio because futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Deposits with Brokers for Futures Contracts at December 31, 2018 represent partially restricted deposits of $282,683 to meet margin and other broker regulatory requirements, and excess funds not required for margin. During the normal course of business, the Portfolio purchases and sells various financial instruments, which may result in risks, the amount of which is not apparent from the consolidated financial statements.
Derivatives Risk: Futures are subject to inherent leverage that may magnify Portfolio losses. These derivatives may not provide an effective substitute for Gold bullion because changes in derivative prices may not track those of the underlying Gold bullion. Also, over-the-counter forwards are subject to counterparty default risk.
Gold Risk: The price of Gold may be volatile and Gold bullion-related ETFs, ETNs and derivatives may be highly sensitive to the price of Gold. The price of Gold bullion can be significantly affected by international monetary and political developments such as currency devaluation or revaluation, central bank movements, economic and social conditions within a country, transactional or trade imbalances, or trade or currency restrictions between countries. Physical Gold bullion has sales commission, storage, insurance and auditing expenses.
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders – Dividends from net investment income and distributable net realized capital gains, if any, are declared and distributed annually. Dividends from net investment income and distributions from net realized gains are recorded on ex-dividend date and are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. These “book/tax” differences are considered either temporary (i.e., deferred losses, capital loss carry forwards) or permanent in nature. To the extent these differences are permanent in nature, such amounts are reclassified within the composition of net assets based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require reclassification. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets, results from operations or net asset value per share of the Portfolio.
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Federal Income Tax – It is the Portfolio’s policy to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by complying with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that are applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income and net realized gains to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.
The Portfolio recognizes the tax benefits of uncertain tax positions only where the position is “more likely than not” to be sustained assuming examination by tax authorities. Management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions, and has concluded that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits should be recorded related to uncertain tax positions expected to be taken on returns filed. The Portfolio identifies its major tax jurisdictions as U.S. Federal, and foreign jurisdictions where the Portfolio makes significant investments; however the Portfolio is not aware of any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will change materially in the next twelve months.
For tax purposes, GBSP Fund Ltd. is an exempted Cayman Islands investment company. GBSP Fund Ltd. has received an undertaking from the Government of the Cayman Islands exempting it from all local income, profits and capital gains taxes. No such taxes are levied in the Cayman Islands at the present time. For U.S. income tax purposes, GBSP Fund Ltd. is a Controlled Foreign Corporation and as such is not subject to U.S. income tax. However, a portion of GBSP Fund Ltd.’s net income and capital gain, to the extent of its earnings and profits, will be included each year in the Portfolio’s investment company taxable income.
Expenses – Expenses of the Trust that are directly identifiable to a specific portfolio (or fund) are charged to that portfolio. Expenses which are not readily identifiable to a specific portfolio are allocated in such a manner as deemed equitable, taking into consideration the nature and type of expense and the relative sizes of the portfolios in the Trust.
Indemnification – The Trust indemnifies its officers and Trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnities. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Portfolio that have not yet occurred. However, based on experience, the risk of loss due to these warranties and indemnities appears to be remote.
For the year ended December 31, 2018, cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of portfolio securities, other than short-term investments, amounted to $14,314,717 and $13,690,134 respectively.
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Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Consolidated Statement of Operations
The Portfolio’s policy is to recognize a net asset or liability equal to the unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on futures contracts. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Portfolio was subject to a master netting arrangement. The following table shows additional information regarding the offsetting of assets and liabilities at December 31, 2018.
The Portfolio uses derivative instruments as part of their principal investment strategy to achieve their investment objective. For additional discussion on the risks associated with the derivative instruments, see Note 2.
The following is a summary of the location of derivative investments on the Portfolio’s Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2018:
At December 31, 2018 the fair value of derivative instruments was as follows:
The following is a summary of the location of derivative investments on the Portfolio’s Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2018:
The following is a summary of the Portfolio’s realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on derivative investments recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Operations categorized by primary risk exposure for the year ended December 31, 2018:
The derivative instruments outstanding as of December 31, 2018 as disclosed in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and the amounts of realized and changes in unrealized gains and losses on derivative instruments during the period as disclosed in the Consolidated Statement of Operations serve as indicators of the volume of derivative activity for the Portfolio.
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Advisors Preferred LLC (“Advisor”), serves as investment adviser to the Portfolio. The Advisor has engaged Flexible Plan Investments, Ltd. (the “Sub-Advisor”) to serve as the sub-advisor to the Portfolio. Sub-Advisor expenses are the responsibility of the Advisor.
Pursuant to an advisory agreement with the Portfolio, the Advisor, under the oversight of the Board, directs the daily operations of the Portfolio and supervises the performance of administrative and professional services provided by others. As compensation for its services and the related expenses borne by the Advisor, the Portfolio pays the Advisor, computed and accrued daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. Pursuant to the advisory agreement, the Advisor earned $46,530 in advisory fees for the year ended December 31, 2018.
Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”), provides administration, fund accounting, and transfer agent services to the Trust. Pursuant to separate servicing agreements with GFS, the Portfolio pays GFS customary fees for providing administration, fund accounting and transfer agent services to the Portfolio as shown in the consolidated Statement of Operations under Administrative services fees. Under the terms of the Portfolio’s agreement with GFS, GFS pays for certain operating expenses of the Portfolio. Certain officers of the Trust are also officers of GFS, and are not paid any fees directly by the Portfolio for serving in such capacities.
In addition, certain affiliates of GFS provide services to the Portfolio as follows:
Blu Giant, LLC (“Blu Giant”), Blu Giant, an affiliate of GFS, provides EDGAR conversion and filing services as well as print management services for the Portfolio on an ad-hoc basis. For the provision of these services, Blu Giant receives customary fees from the Portfolio. These expenses are the responsibility of GFS.
The Board has adopted a Distribution Plan and Agreement (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plan provides that a monthly distribution and service fee is calculated by the Portfolio at an annual rate of up to 0.75% of its average daily net assets and is paid to Ceros Financial Services, Inc. (“Ceros”), an affiliate of the Advisor, to provide compensation for ongoing shareholder servicing and distribution-related activities or services and/or maintenance of accounts, not otherwise required to be provided by the Advisor. Currently, the Portfolio is incurring 0.50%. The Plan is a compensation plan, which means that compensation is provided regardless of 12b-1 expenses incurred. For the year ended December 31, 2018, pursuant to the Plan, distribution fees were $31,088, paid by the Portfolio.
Each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust or Advisor was compensated at a rate of $20,000 per year through June 30, 2018; then at an annual rate of $30,000, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the meetings, paid quarterly. The “interested persons” who serve as Trustees of the Trust receive no compensation for their services as Trustees. None of the executive officers receive compensation from the Trust. Interested Trustees of the Trust are also officers or employees of the Advisor and its affiliates. Trustees fees were not borne by the Portfolio, but by GFS.
During the year ended December 31, 2018, Ceros, a registered broker/dealer and an affiliate of the Advisor and principal underwriter of the Portfolio, executed trades on behalf of the Portfolio and received $7,033 in trade commissions.
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of more than 25% of the voting securities of a Portfolio creates presumption of control of the Portfolio under Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act. As of December 31, 2018, Jefferson National Life Insurance Co. held 100% of the voting securities of shares.
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The identified cost of investments in securities owned by the Fund for federal income tax purposes excluding futures, and its respective gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation at December 31, 2018, were as follows:
The tax character of fund distributions paid for the year ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 were as follows:
As of December 31, 2018, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:
The difference between book basis and tax basis unrealized appreciation/depreciation and accumulated net realized loss is primarily attributable to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.
At December 31, 2018, the Portfolio had capital loss carryforwards for federal income tax purposes available to offset future capital gains as follows:
Permanent book and tax differences, primarily attributable to adjustments for the Portfolio’s holding in GBSP Ltd, resulted in reclassification for the year ended December 31, 2018 as follows:
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In August 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, which changes certain fair value measurement disclosure requirements. The new ASU, in addition to other modifications and additions, removes the requirement to disclose the amount and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, and the policy for the timing of transfers between levels. For investment companies, the amendments are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is allowed. At this time, management is evaluating the implications of the ASU and any impact on the financial statement disclosures.
In August 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments to certain disclosure requirements under Regulation S-X to conform to US GAAP, including: (i) an amendment to require presentation of the total, rather than the components, of distributable earnings on the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities; and (ii) an amendment to require presentation of the total, rather than the components, of distributions to shareholders, except for tax return of capital distributions, if any, on the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Assets. The amendments also removed the requirement for parenthetical disclosure of undistributed net investment income on the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Assets. These amendments have been adopted with these financial statements.
Subsequent events after the date of the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities have been evaluated through the date the financial statements were issued. Management has determined that no events or transactions occurred requiring adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements, other than the following.
Effective February 1, 2019, NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC, the parent company of Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”) and its affiliated companies including Blu Giant, LLC (“Blu Giant”) (collectively, the “Gemini Companies”), sold its interest in the Gemini Companies to a third party private equity firm that contemporaneously acquired Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (an independent mutual fund administration firm) and its affiliates (collectively, the “Ultimus Companies”). As a result of these separate transactions, the Gemini Companies and the Ultimus Companies are now indirectly owned through a common parent entity, The Ultimus Group, LLC.
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders of The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio and
Board of Trustees of Advisors Preferred Trust
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statement of assets and liabilities, including the consolidated portfolio of investments, of The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio (the “Portfolio”), a series of Advisors Preferred Trust, as of December 31, 2018, and the related consolidated statement of operations for the year then ended, the consolidated statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, including the related notes, and the consolidated financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio as of December 31, 2018, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Portfolio’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Portfolio’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Portfolio in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2018, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
We have served as the auditor of one or more investment companies advised by Advisors Preferred, LLC since 2012.
COHEN & COMPANY, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
February 14, 2019
C O H E N & C O M P A N Y , L T D .
800.229.1099 | 866.818.4538 fax | cohencpa.com
Registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
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As a shareholder of The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other Portfolio expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period from July 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.
Table 1. Actual Expenses
The “Actual Expenses” line in the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information below; together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the table under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Table 2. Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The “Hypothetical” line in the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Portfolio’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balances or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or redemption fees. Therefore, the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
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Approval of Advisory and Sub-Advisory Agreement – The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio
At a meeting held on June 4 and 5, 2018, (the “Meeting”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Advisors Preferred Trust (the “Trust”), including a majority of Trustees who are not “interested persons” (the “Independent Trustees”), as such term is defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), considered the renewal of the investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between Advisors Preferred, LLC (the “Adviser”) and the Trust, on behalf of The Gold Bullion Strategy Portfolio (the “Portfolio”), and the approval of the sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) between the Adviser and Flexible Plan Investments, Ltd. (the “Sub-Adviser”), on behalf of the Portfolio.
In connection with the Board’s consideration of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser provided the Board in advance of the Meeting with written materials covering, but not limited to, the following: the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio; the investment performance of the Portfolio and the Adviser; the costs of the services to be provided to the Portfolio; the extent to which economies of scale benefit shareholders; and the profits to be realized by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser and any affiliates from the relationship with the Portfolio.
In its consideration of the approval of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Board did not identify any single factor as controlling. Matters considered by the Board in connection with their approval of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement included the following:
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services. With respect to the nature, extent and quality of services provided, the Board reviewed the Adviser’s and the Sub-Adviser’s Forms ADV, a description of the manner in which investment decisions are made for the Portfolio by the Sub-Adviser, a description of the services provided by the Adviser and those services provided by the Sub-Adviser, a review of the experience of professional personnel performing services for the Portfolio, including the team of individuals that primarily monitor and execute the investment and administration processes, respectively, and a certification from each of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser certifying that each has adopted a Code of Ethics containing provisions reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons, as that term is defined in Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, from engaging in conduct prohibited by Rule 17j-1(b).
In reaching their conclusions, the Board considered that the Adviser generally provides management and operational oversight of the Sub-Adviser. They also considered that the Adviser continues to provide numerous high-quality services to the Portfolio and Sub-Adviser, including the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the Portfolio, various administrative services, trade execution, and extensive compliance review and assistance. The Board also considered that the Adviser has not reported any material compliance or regulatory matters, and the financial resources of the Adviser. The Board concluded that the Adviser had sufficient quality and depth of personnel, resources, investment methods and compliance policies and procedures essential to performing its duties under the Advisory Agreement and that the nature, overall quality and extent of the management services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio was satisfactory and reliable.
With respect to the Sub-Adviser, the Board considered the experience and performance of the Sub-Adviser’s portfolio management team, research staff, and compliance program. The Board considered that the Sub-Adviser employs a continuous investment program on behalf of the Portfolio and also uses the Portfolio as part of investment strategies and portfolios it offers to its clients as part of a wrap fee advisory arrangement or to other clients via separate accounts, as well as to the public. The Board reviewed the financial resources of the Sub-Adviser. The Board also considered the Sub-Adviser’s practices with respect to monitoring compliance for the Portfolio and recent responses to regulatory inquiries and found that the Sub-Adviser has devoted appropriate resources to compliance. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser has made senior people available and that the Board has a strong relationship with key personnel participating in Board Meetings and familiarity with the operations of the Sub-Adviser. The Board
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appreciated the proactive models and strategies which enhance performance. The Board noted that the loss of one portfolio manager had minimal effect on the Portfolio due to the quick replacement with a seasoned individual.
The Board concluded that the Sub-Adviser had sufficient quality and depth of personnel, financial resources, investment methods and compliance policies and procedures essential to performing its duties under the Sub-Advisory Agreement and that the nature, overall quality and extent of the management services provided by Sub-Adviser to the Portfolio were satisfactory and reliable.
Performance. The Board considered that the Adviser generally delegates its day-to-day investment decisions to the Sub-Adviser and therefore does not directly control the performance of the Portfolio. The Board considered the Adviser’s other responsibilities under the Advisory Agreement, including with respect to trade oversight, reviewing daily positions and balance reports for the Portfolio, obtaining derivative agreements and reporting to the Board, and concluded that the Adviser appears to be adequately monitoring the Sub-Adviser’s adherence to the Portfolio’s investment objectives and appears to be carrying out its functions appropriately.
With respect to the performance results from the Sub-Adviser’s daily management and investment strategies, the Board considered the performance of the Portfolio compared to its primary benchmark index and Morningstar category for various periods. The Board considered performance comparison information provided by the Adviser, using it as the primary source of relative performance. The Board also reviewed the Sub-Adviser’s strategy and explanations for over/under performance. With respect to the Portfolio, the Board noted the Portfolio underperformed the benchmark S&P GSCI Gold Index by 2.73% in the 12 months ending April 30, 2018 and by 1.53% for the three year period. They also noted it lagged the Morningstar Commodity category for the 12 month period, and outperformed the Morningstar Commodity category by 4.48% for the three year period. The Board concluded that deteriorated performance in the fixed income portion of the Portfolio’s portfolio and Portfolio expenses contributed to the difference in tracking to the S&P GSCI Gold Index during the last quarter.
Fees and Expenses. As to the costs of the services rendered to the Portfolio by each of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, the Board considered a comparison of the level of advisory fees and total operating expenses charged by the Portfolio to funds in the Portfolio’s Morningstar Category. The Board noted that the Adviser does not advise any investment vehicle with investment objectives and strategies substantially similar to the Portfolio’s (expect for The Gold Bullion Strategy Fund) and that the Sub-Adviser charged higher fees to client accounts with investment mandates similar to those of the Portfolio. With respect to the Portfolio, the 0.75% management fee of the Portfolio was below the average of the Morningstar Commodity Category. The total expense ratio the Gold Portfolio of 1.72% was within the range of the Morningstar Commodity Category for similar Portfolios.
The Board concluded that the management fee and overall expenses charged to the Portfolio were not unreasonable. They further noted that the fees were not excessive and aligned with comparable funds. The Board also considered the allocation of the responsibilities as between the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, noting that the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the management of the Portfolio’s portfolio and the Adviser provides oversight and support services to the Sub-Adviser as well as trade execution. The Board reviewed the fees payable to each of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, considered the allocation of the advisory fee payable to the Portfolio and the portion retained by the Adviser. The Board further noted that the Adviser will retain between 0.20% and 0.25% of the gross advisory fee for its services to the Portfolio, with the portion of the management fee retained by the Adviser decreasing slightly as the assets of the Portfolio increase. The Board concluded that the allocation of the advisory fee as between the Adviser and Sub-Adviser and the portion retained by the Adviser was not unreasonable in relation to the services rendered by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, respectively.
Profitability. The Board considered the profitability of each of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, respectively, and whether profits from the Portfolio, if any, are reasonable in light of the services provided
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to the Portfolio. The Board considered that at current asset levels and after payment of sub-advisory fees to the Sub-Adviser the Advisor continued to operate at a loss with respect to the Portfolio; and operated at a loss with respect to the Portfolio after including the totality of services. For the Sub-Adviser, the Board considered that with respect to sub-advisory services for the Portfolio, the Sub-Advisor also operated at a loss. The Board concluded that the Adviser and Sub-Adviser were currently not profitable from their relationship with the Portfolio.
Economies of Scale. The Board considered whether the Adviser and Sub-Adviser would realize economies of scale with respect to their management of the Portfolio. The Adviser stated it believes economies of scale will not be reached until assets reach a potential minimum of $300 to $500 million, and economies of scale would be revisited when assets reach those levels.
Conclusion. Having requested and received such information from each of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser as the Board believed to be reasonably necessary to evaluate the terms of each of the Advisory Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreements, respectively, and the subsidiary advisory agreement and the subsidiary sub-advisory agreement, as assisted by the advice of independent counsel, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, determined that approval for an additional one-year period was in the best interests of the Portfolio and its current and future shareholders. In considering the Advisory Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Board did not identify any one factor as all important, but rather considered these factors collectively in light of the Portfolio’s surrounding circumstances.
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Independent Trustees
The following table provides information regarding each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act.
AP 12/31/17 v1
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Interested Trustees and Officers
The following table provides information regarding each Trustee who is an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, and each officer of the Trust.
The Portfolio’s Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available free of charge by calling toll- free 1-855-650-7453.
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PRIVACY NOTICE
Rev. May 2014
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Advisors Preferred Trust
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A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.
■ Advisors Preferred Trust doesn’t jointly market.
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PROXY VOTING POLICY
Information regarding how the Portfolio voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent twelve month period ended June 30 as well as a description of the policies and procedures that the Portfolio uses to determine how to vote proxies is available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-855-747-9555 or by referring to the Security and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at http://www.sec.gov.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Portfolio files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. Form N-Q is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (1-800-SEC-0330). The information on Form N-Q is available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-855-650-7453.