N-CSR 1 d475451dncsr.htm ALPS ETF TRUST ALPS ETF Trust

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number:

811-22175

ALPS ETF TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Tané T. Tyler, Esq.

ALPS ETF Trust

1290 Broadway, Suite 1100

Denver, Colorado 80203

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (303) 623-2577

 

Date of fiscal year end: November 30

 

Date of reporting period: December 1, 2011 – November 30, 2012


Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.


LOGO

 


LOGO    TABLE OF CONTENTS
  

 

    

  

Shareholder Letter

   2

Performance Overview

   3

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

   6

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   7

Financial Statements

  

Schedule of Investments

   8

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

   11

Statement of Operations

   12

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

   13

Financial Highlights

   14

Notes to Financial Statements

   16

Additional Information

   24

Trustees and Officers

   25

 

     1
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    SHAREHOLDER LETTER
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Dear Shareholders:

When ALPS launched its ETF(1) Trust in 2008 our goal was to bring innovative solutions to the ETF industry that provide investors with access to a unique market segment or strategy. Our first portfolio – the Cohen & Steers Global Real Estate ETF – is one of the first ETFs to provide investors with access to a diversified portfolio of global real estate securities. US real estate, while already a mainstream asset class, only represents 1/3 of the global real estate universe. Furthermore, the global market is growing at a rapid pace as foreign countries continue to securitize their private real estate holdings. As a result, a global real estate fund can provide investors with a wider range of opportunities than a purely domestic fund while preserving the diversification and income benefits of US REITs.

By partnering with Cohen & Steers, we have secured a best in breed real estate manager with a great track record and reputation. Furthermore, the transparency(2), low cost and tax efficiency of the ETF structure provides access to global real estate in a very efficient manner. We believe access to global real estate, the benefits of the ETF structure, and the expertise of Cohen & Steers make for a powerful investment combination that will allow investors to build better portfolios.

In the pages that follow our Fund managers have provided a performance overview. We thank you for your investment and for being a GRI shareholder.

 

LOGO

Thomas A. Carter*

President, ALPS ETF Trust

 

*

Registered representative of ALPS Distributors, Inc.

 

(1) 

Exchange Traded Fund (“ETF”).

(2) 

ETFs are considered transparent because their portfolio holdings are disclosed daily.

Ordinary brokerage commissions apply.

 

2

       
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LOGO    PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

FUND DESCRIPTION

 

The Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors ETF (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance (before the Fund’s fees and expenses) of an equity index called the Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors Index (the “Index”). The Shares of the Fund are listed and trade on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “GRI.” The Fund will normally invest substantially all of its assets in the 75 stocks that comprise the Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors Index. The Fund began trading on May 9, 2008.

The Index is a free-float, market-cap-weighted total return index of selected real estate equity securities maintained by Cohen & Steers. It is quoted intraday on a realtime basis by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange under the symbol GRM. The Index’s free-float market capitalization approach and qualitative screening process emphasize companies that the Cohen & Steers Index Committee believes are leading the securitization of real estate globally.

PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

 

After three years of underperforming US REITs, Global real estate securities rebounded strongly in 2012, significantly outperforming their US counterparts. For the 11 months ended November 30, 2012 the Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors Index advanced 24.51% vs. 18.8% for US REITs. Stabilizing growth rates and attractive valuations catapulted Asian real estate securities nearly 40% in 2012, making them the best performing region. Despite continued fiscal challenges in Europe, real estate stocks also performed well, rising 26%. US REITs rose in value for the fourth year in a row, and benefited generally from strong access to capital and low borrowing costs.

While US REITs underperformed international real estate securities during 2012, they still generated strong total returns, rising more than 18% in value. Ready access to capital allowed US REITs to solidify their balance sheets and issue debt and equity and historically low rates. Improved balance sheets also allowed REITs to pursue accretive acquisitions of both public and private real estate assets. Industrial REITs were the best performing sector, followed by retail, which was buoyed primarily by performance of Class A properties. Apartment REITs were the worst performing sector of the market, followed by the Office sector, which continued to underperform on a relative basis. The Healthcare and Self-storage REITs delivered performance that was in-line with the overall market.

The European real estate market performed well in 2012 despite fiscal issues and the continued overhang of continent-wide austerity measures. Prime locations continued to outperform, particularly in the central business district of Paris and London’s West End. France was the best performing country in 2012 and was lead by the retail sector and continued strength in Paris’s prime locations. The UK was the 2nd best performing country and benefited from strong property development fundamentals and a positive trend in office and retail segments. The Netherlands was the worst performing country and was impacted negatively by uncertainty of the tax treatment of mortgage interest, which dampened housing market demand and consumer sentiment.

Property stocks in Asia reversed their decline in 2011 and became the best performing region in 2012. Singapore was the best performing sector, rising more than 50%. Property companies benefited from surprising acceleration in certain export industries and those with operations in China generally fared better than their domestic-oriented counterparts. The Hong Kong property market rallied on the confirmation of improv-

 

     3
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

ing growth trends in China, particularly in the commercial sector as investors favored income-producing stocks. Japanese property stocks also fared very well despite slowing exports. Real estate securities outperformed generic Japanese equities due to their potential to outperform in a reflationary environment. Australia was the worst performing sector of the group, but still managed to advance more than 25% due to its exposure to China and continued demand from foreign investors for quality commercial real estate.

For the year ended November 30, 2012 the Fund’s market price increased 22.47% and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) increased 24.50%. Over the same time period the Fund’s benchmark increased 25.40%.

Average Annual Total Return as of November 30, 2012

 

      6 Months   1 Year   3 Year  

Since

Inception*

    

Fund Performance

                  

NAV

       15.07 %       24.50 %       46.56 %       -1.00 %  

Market Price**

       14.74 %       22.47 %       46.90 %       -1.00 %    

Index Performance

                  

Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors Portfolio Index

       15.42 %       25.40 %       49.73 %       -0.15 %  

FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Real Estate Index

       14.47 %       25.06 %       45.57 %       -0.22 %  

S&P 500® Total Return Index

       9.32 %       16.13 %       37.67 %       2.65 %    

Total Expense Ratio (per the current prospectus) 0.55%.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For most current month-end performance data please visit www.alpsfunds.com.

NAV is an exchange-traded fund’s per-share value. The per-share dollar amount of the fund is derived by dividing the total value of all the securities in its portfolio, less any liabilities, by the number of fund shares outstanding. Information detailing the number of days the Market Price of the Fund was greater than the Fund’s NAV and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV can be obtained at www.alpsfunds.com.

 

*

Fund Inception 5/7/08.

 

**

Market Price is based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4p.m. ET and does not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times.

Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors® Portfolio Index: A free-float adjusted, modified market capitalization-weighted index of global real estate equities. The modified market capitalization weighting approach and qualitative screening process emphasize those companies that, in the opinion of the Cohen & Steers investment committee, are leading the securitization of real estate globally.

FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Real Estate Index: An unmanaged market-weighted total return index that consists of many companies from developed markets whose floats are larger than $100 million and which derive more than half of their revenue from property-related activities.

S&P 500® Index: The Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices.

An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

4

       
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LOGO    PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

GROWTH OF $10K as of November 30, 2012

 

Comparison of Change in Value of $10,000 Investment in Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors ETF and Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors Index.

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund over the life of the Fund. Performance calculations are as of the end of each month. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

TOP 10 HOLDINGS (as a % of Net Assets)* as of November 30, 2012

 

Simon Property Group, Inc.

     3.91

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.

     3.73   

Westfield Group

     3.68   

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Ltd.

     3.61   

Unibail-Rodamco

     3.50   

HCP, Inc.

     3.31   

Public Storage

     3.31   

Ventas, Inc.

     3.06

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

     2.98   

Equity Residential

     2.72   

Percent of Net Assets in Top Ten Holdings:

     33.81

 

*

Future holdings are subject to change.

 

 

GEOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN**

 

United States

     45.16

Hong Kong

     14.58   

Japan

     9.89   

Australia

     9.63   

United Kingdom

     6.07   

France

     4.94   

Singapore

     4.10   

Canada

     2.31   

Brazil

     0.95   

Netherlands

     0.94   

Switzerland

     0.58   

Germany

     0.46   

Sweden

     0.39   

** % of Total Investments

  
 

 

     5
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    DISCLOSURE OF FUND EXPENSES
   For the period ended November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Shareholder Expense Example: As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs which may include creation and redemption fees or brokerage charges, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. These examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. It is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the (six month) period and held through November 30, 2012.

Actual Return: The first line of the table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this table, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you incurred 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 first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses attributable to your investment during this period.

Hypothetical 5% Return: The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as creation and redemption fees, or brokerage charges. Therefore, the second line 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 costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
06/01/12
   Ending
Account Value
11/30/12
   Expense
Ratio (a)
    

Expenses  Paid
During the Period

06/01/12-11/30/12 (b)

Actual

   $    1,000.00    $    1,150.70      0.55%         $    2.96

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $    1,000.00    $    1,022.25      0.55%         $    2.78

 

(a)

Annualized, based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (183), then divided by 366.

 

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LOGO   

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC

ACCOUNTING FIRM

  

 

To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of ALPS ETF Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors ETF, one of the portfolios constituting the ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”) as of November 30, 2012, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for the year ended November 30, 2012, for the period January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011, and for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the financial highlights for the periods presented. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2012, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors ETF of the ALPS ETF Trust as of November 30, 2012, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for the year ended November 30, 2012, for the period January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011, and for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the financial highlights for the periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

January 24, 2013

 

     7
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
   November 30, 2012

 

                                                     
Security Description    Shares      Value  

COMMON STOCKS (99.69%)

     

Australia (9.60%)

     

CFS Retail Property Trust

     276,112       $ 558,825   

Dexus Property Group

     569,016         596,594   

Goodman Group

     175,491         845,834   

GPT Group

     189,016         688,196   

Mirvac Group

     401,603         615,889   

Stockland Trust Group

     257,395         910,308   

Westfield Group

     241,203         2,622,037   
     

 

 

 
        6,837,683   
     

 

 

 

Brazil (0.95%)

     

BR Malls Participacoes SA

     52,100         678,437   
     

 

 

 

Canada (2.30%)

     

Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust

     4,608         299,020   

Dundee Real Estate Investment Trust

     11,654         424,699   

RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust

     33,812         918,015   
     

 

 

 
        1,641,734   
     

 

 

 

France (4.93%)

     

Gecina SA

     3,072         339,573   

ICADE

     2,692         243,159   

Klepierre

     11,250         431,344   

Unibail-Rodamco

     10,639         2,496,901   
     

 

 

 
        3,510,977   
     

 

 

 

Germany (0.46%)

     

Deutsche Wohnen AG

     17,048         329,707   
     

 

 

 

Hong Kong (14.53%)

     

China Overseas Land & Investment, Ltd.

     444,000         1,314,805   

China Resources Land, Ltd.

     214,500         572,919   

Hang Lung Properties, Ltd.

     224,000         820,846   

Henderson Land Development Co., Ltd.

     111,000         790,601   

Hongkong Land Holdings, Ltd.

     136,000         889,440   

The Link Real Estate Investment Trust

     264,664         1,436,006   

Sino Land Co., Ltd.

     334,000         603,351   

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Ltd.

     176,000         2,575,261   

The Wharf Holdings, Ltd.

     175,700         1,352,315   
     

 

 

 
        10,355,544   
     

 

 

 

Japan (9.86%)

     

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.

     138,000         2,658,931   

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

     102,000         2,126,082   

Nippon Building Fund, Inc.

     71         742,973   

Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd.

     55,000         1,495,877   
     

 

 

 
        7,023,863   
     

 

 

 

 

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LOGO    SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
   November 30, 2012

 

                                                     
Security Description    Shares      Value  

Netherlands (0.93%)

     

Corio N.V.

     11,208       $ 502,255   

Eurocommercial Properties N.V.

     4,201         163,805   
     

 

 

 
        666,060   
     

 

 

 

Singapore (4.09%)

     

Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust

     215,066         422,925  

CapitaLand, Ltd.

     296,000         856,143  

CapitaMall Trust

     281,347         477,191  

City Developments, Ltd.

     52,000         499,357  

Global Logistic Properties, Ltd.

     285,000         656,192  
     

 

 

 
        2,911,808  
     

 

 

 

Sweden (0.39%)

     

Castellum AB

     20,227         275,518  
     

 

 

 

Switzerland (0.58%)

     

PSP Swiss Property AG

     4,402         411,975  
     

 

 

 

United Kingdom (6.05%)

     

British Land Co. Plc

     104,346         919,765  

Capital Shopping Centres Group Plc

     70,408         389,860  

Derwent London Plc

     9,907         327,869  

Great Portland Estates Plc

     36,855         277,904  

Hammerson Plc

     82,944         626,367  

Land Securities Group Plc

     91,147         1,180,299  

Segro Plc

     87,417         331,053  

Shaftesbury Plc

     29,442         261,642  
     

 

 

 
        4,314,759  
     

 

 

 

United States (45.02%)

     

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

     7,287         494,933  

American Campus Communities, Inc.

     11,912         521,746  

AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

     11,273         1,485,669  

Boston Properties, Inc.

     17,493         1,795,307  

Brookfield Office Properties, Inc.

     28,843         468,410  

Camden Property Trust

     9,675         635,647  

Corporate Office Properties Trust

     9,283         229,104  

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

     14,064         907,691  

Douglas Emmett, Inc.

     14,757         335,131  

Equity Residential

     34,968         1,941,074  

Essex Property Trust, Inc.

     4,263         598,909  

Federal Realty Investment Trust

     7,396         769,480  

 

     9
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
   November 30, 2012

 

 

Security Description    Shares      Value  

United States (continued)

     

General Growth Properties, Inc.

     52,087       $ 1,008,925  

HCP, Inc.

     52,433         2,362,107  

Health Care REIT, Inc.

     29,574         1,741,613  

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

     83,807         1,231,125  

Kimco Realty Corp.

     47,158         908,263  

Liberty Property Trust

     13,603         473,792  

The Macerich Co.

     15,417         871,061  

ProLogis

     53,476         1,814,975  

Public Storage

     16,763         2,357,548  

Regency Centers Corp.

     10,500         491,925  

Simon Property Group, Inc.

     18,295         2,783,218  

SL Green Realty Corp.

     10,480         789,982  

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers

     11,009         361,976  

UDR, Inc.

     29,214         672,214  

Ventas, Inc.

     34,258         2,180,522  

Vornado Realty Trust

     19,639         1,501,009  

Weingarten Realty Investors

     12,710         345,458  
     

 

 

 
        32,078,814   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

     

(Cost $61,487,699)

        71,036,879  
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.69%)

     

(Cost $61,487,699)

        71,036,879  

NET OTHER ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (0.31%)

  

     221,384  
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

      $   71,258,263  
     

 

 

 

 

Common Abbreviations:

AB -

 

Aktiebolag is the Swedish equivalent of the term corporation.

AG -

 

Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e., owned by shareholders.

Ltd. -

 

Limited.

N.V. -

 

Naamloze Vennootschap is the Dutch term for a public limited liability corporation.

Plc -

 

Public Limited Co.

REIT -

 

Real Estate Investment Trust.

SA -

 

Generally designated corporations in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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LOGO    STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
   November 30, 2012

 

 

ASSETS:

  

Investments, at value

   $   71,036,879   

Cash

     80,029   

Foreign currency, at value (Cost $13,793)

     13,795   

Foreign tax reclaims

     11,878   

Dividends receivable

     147,214   

Total Assets

     71,289,795   

LIABILITIES:

  

Payable to advisor

     31,532   

Total Liabilities

     31,532   

NET ASSETS

   $   71,258,263   
          

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

  

Paid-in capital

   $   65,487,431   

Overdistributed net investment income

     (314,538

Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions

     (3,462,147

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     9,547,517   

NET ASSETS

   $   71,258,263   
          

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $   61,487,699   

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Net Assets

   $   71,258,263   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (Unlimited number of shares authorized,par value $0.01 per share)

     1,800,000   

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 39.59   

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

   11
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
  

 

      For theYear
Ended
November 30,
2012
 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

  

Dividends(a)

   $ 1,904,085   

Total Investment Income

     1,904,085   

EXPENSES:

  

Investment advisory fee

     346,232   

Total Expenses

     346,232   

NET INVESTMENT INCOME

     1,557,853   

Net realized gain on investments

     1,516,427   

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions

     (578

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     9,938,234   

Net change in unrealized (depreciation) on translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies

     (1,202

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     11,452,881   

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $   13,010,734   
          

 

(a)

Net of foreign withholding tax of $90,866.

 

12

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

     
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LOGO    STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
  

 

      For the Year
Ended
November 30,
2012
    For the Period
January 1, 2011
to November
30, 2011(a)
    For theYear
Ended
December31,
2010
 

OPERATIONS:

      

Net investment income

   $ 1,557,853      $ 1,436,252      $ 1,104,720   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions

     1,515,849        772,135        (961,629

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments and foreign currency

     9,937,032        (5,848,292     5,070,740   

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     13,010,734        (3,639,905     5,213,831   

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

      

From net investment income

     (1,417,294     (1,593,186     (1,865,795

Total distributions

     (1,417,294     (1,593,186     (1,865,795

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

      

Proceeds from sale of shares

     18,618,717        19,906,094        26,743,914   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (9,371,914     (6,881,318     (68,866

Net increase from share transactions

     9,246,803        13,024,776        26,675,048   

Net increase in net assets

     20,840,243        7,791,685        30,023,084   

NET ASSETS:

      

Beginning of year

     50,418,020        42,626,335        12,603,251   

End of period*

   $   71,258,263      $   50,418,020      $   42,626,335   
                          

*Including accumulated net investment loss of:

   $ (314,538   $ (728,017   $   (1,044,296)   

Other Information:

      

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

      

Beginning shares

     1,550,000        1,200,000        402,000   

Shares sold

     500,000        550,000        800,000   

Shares redeemed

     (250,000     (200,000     (2,000

Shares outstanding, end of period

     1,800,000        1,550,000        1,200,000   
                          

 

(a) 

Effective March 7, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year end of the Fund from December 31 to November 30.

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

   13
Annual      

   November 30, 2012

  


LOGO     
  

 

    

    

For the Year

Ended

November 30, 2012

 
  
  

NET ASSETVALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 32.53   

INCOME/(LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income

     0.91 (b) 

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

     6.97   

Total from Investment Operations

     7.88   

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From net investment income

     (0.82)   

Total Distributions

     (0.82)   

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

     7.06   

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 39.59   
          

TOTAL RETURN(c)

     24.50

RATIOS/ SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 71,258   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

  

Net investment income

     2.47

Operating expenses

     0.55

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE(e)

     4

 

(a) 

Effective March 7, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year end of the Fund from December 31 to November 30.

(b) 

Calculated using average shares outstanding.

(c) 

Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested at actual reinvestment prices. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

(d) 

Annualized.

(e) 

Portfolio turnover is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

 

14

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

     
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     FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
   For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Periods Presented

 

    For the Period

    January 1, 2011 to

    November 30,  2011(a)

   

For the Year

Ended

December 31, 2010

   

For the Year

Ended

December 31, 2009

   

For the Period

May 7, 2008

(Inception) through

December 31, 2008

 
    $ 35.52      $ 31.35      $ 25.06      $ 50.00   
               
  0.97 (b)      1.43 (b)      0.98        0.47   
  (2.87     4.68        7.00        (24.92
  (1.90     6.11        7.98        (24.45
               
  (1.09     (1.94     (1.69     (0.49
  (1.09     (1.94     (1.69     (0.49
  (2.99     4.17        6.29        (24.94
    $ 32.53      $ 35.52      $ 31.35      $ 25.06   
     
  (5.53 )%      19.91     32.51     (48.90 )% 
               
    $ 50,418      $ 42,626      $ 12,603      $ 5,063   
               
  3.02 %(d)      4.33     3.24     3.49 %(d) 
  0.55 %(d)      0.55     0.55     0.55 %(d) 
  15     14     18     18

 

 

 

 

     15
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
   November 30, 2012

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

 

The ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As of November 30, 2012, the Trust consists of five separate portfolios. Each portfolio represents a separate series of the Trust. This report pertains solely to the Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors ETF (the “Fund”). The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the Fund’s fees and expenses) of the Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors Index.

The Fund’s Shares (“Shares”) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca. The Fund issues and redeems Shares at Net Asset Value (“NAV”) in blocks of 50,000 Shares, each of which is called a “Creation Unit.” Creation Units are issued and redeemed principally in-kind for securities included in a specified index. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of the financial statements. The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

A. Portfolio Valuation

The Fund’s NAV is determined daily, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The NAV is computed by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses and dividends declared but unpaid), by the total number of shares outstanding.

Portfolio securities listed on any exchange other than the National Association of Securities Dealer Automated Quotation (“NASDAQ”) exchange are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such value is being determined. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and asked prices on such day. Securities traded on the NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price as determined by NASDAQ. Short-term investments that mature in less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

 

16

       
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The Fund’s investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value according to procedures adopted by theTrust’s Board ofTrustees (the “Board”). When market quotations are not readily available or when events occur that make established valuation methods unreliable, securities of the Fund may be valued in good faith by or under the direction of the Board. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933) for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established primary pricing source or the pricing source is not willing to provide a price; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is most likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s NAV or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; or a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, does not reflect the security’s “fair value” due to the security being de-listed from a national exchange or the security’s primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when, under normal conditions, it would be open. As a general principle, the current “fair value” of a security would be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive from the closing sale prices on the applicable exchange and fair value prices may not reflect the actual value of a security. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities.

B. Foreign Currency Translation and Foreign Investments

The Fund invests in foreign securities which may involve a number of risk factors and special considerations not present with investments in securities of U.S. corporations.

Investment in non-U.S. issuers may involve unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. These risks may include, but are not limited to: (i) less information about non-U.S. issuers or markets may be available due to less rigorous disclosure, accounting standards or regulatory practices; (ii) many non-U.S. markets are smaller, less liquid and more volatile thus, in a changing market, the advisers may not be able to sell the Fund’s portfolio securities at times, in amounts and at prices they consider reasonable; (iii) currency exchange rates or controls may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments; (iv) the economies of non-U.S. countries may grow at slower rates than expected or may experience downturns or recessions; and, (v) withholdings and other non-U.S. taxes may decrease the Fund’s return.

The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated to U.S. dollars at the prevailing rates of exchange at period end. Amounts related to the purchases and sales of securities and investment income are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the respective dates of transactions. The effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on portfolio investments are included in the net realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments. Net gains and losses on foreign currency transactions include disposition of foreign currencies, and currency

 

     17
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
   November 30, 2012

 

gains and losses between the accrual and receipt dates of portfolio investment income and between the trade and settlement dates of portfolio investment transactions.

C. Securities Transactions and Investment Income

Securities transactions are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions are recorded on the highest cost basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, if any, is recorded on the accrual basis.

D. Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders

Dividends from net investment income of the Fund, if any, are declared and paid quarterly or as the Board may determine from time to time. Distributions of net realized capital gains earned by the Fund, if any, are distributed at least annually.

E. Federal Tax and Tax Basis Information

The timing and character of income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under income tax regulations.

For the year ended November 30, 2012, permanent book and tax differences resulting primarily from differing treatment of foreign currency and in-kind transactions were identified and reclassified among the components of the Fund’s net assets as follows:

 

Undistributed Net

Investment Income

  

Accumulated Net

Realized Loss

  

Paid-in Capital

     

$272,920

   $(1,670,993)    $1,398,073

Net investment income and net realized (loss), as disclosed on the Statement of Operations, and net assets were not affected by this reclassification.

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 (“the Modernization Act”), net capital losses recognized in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 may be carried forward indefinitely, and the character of the losses is retained as short-term and/or long-term. Under the law in effect prior to the Modernization Act, net capital losses were carried forward for eight years and treated as short-term. As a transition rule, the Modernization Act requires that post-enactment net capital losses be used before pre-enactment net capital losses. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

 

18

       
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At November 30, 2012, the Fund had available for tax purposes unused pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards as follows:

 

Year of Expiration

    
2016    2017    2018    Total

$176,692

   $809,982    $187,815    $1,174,489

At November 30, 2012, the Fund had available for tax purposes unused post-enactment capital loss carryforwards as follows:

 

ST    LT

$372,477

   $651,795

Distributions from net investment income and capital gains are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. These differences are primarily due to differing treatments of income and gains on various investment securities held by the Fund, timing differences and differing characterization of distributions made by the Fund.

The tax character of the distributions paid was as follows:

 

    

For the

Year Ended

November

30, 2012

    

For the Period

Ended November

30, 2011

    

For the

Year Ended

December

31, 2010

 
        
        
        

Distributions paid from:

                          

Ordinary income

   $     1,417,294       $ 1,593,186       $     1,865,795   

 

 

Total

   $ 1,417,294       $ 1,593,186       $ 1,865,795   

 

 

As of November 30, 2012, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis for the Fund were as follows:

 

Undistributed net investment income

   $         2,515,895   

Accumulated net realized loss on investmentsand foreign currency transactions

     (2,198,761)   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     5,453,656   

Other Cumulative Effect of Timing Differences

     42   

 

 

Total

   $ 5,770,832   

 

 

The differences between book-basis and tax-basis are primarily due to Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) adjustments and the differing treatment of certain other investments.

 

     19
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
   November 30, 2012

 

As of November 30, 2012, the costs of investments for federal income tax purposes and accumulated net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments were as follows:

 

Cost of investment for income tax purposes

   $ 65,581,560     

 

Gross Appreciation (excess of value over tax cost)

   $ 6,987,873     

Gross Depreciation (excess of tax cost over value)

     (1,532,554  

Net Depreciation of Foreign Currency Derivatives

     (1,663    

Net Unrealized Appreciation

   $         5,453,656     

 

F. Income Taxes

No provision for income taxes is included in the accompanying financial statements, as the Fund intends to distribute to shareholders all taxable investment income and realized gains and otherwise comply with Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies.

The Fund evaluates tax positions taken (or expected to be taken) in the course of preparing the Fund’s tax returns to determine whether these positions meet a “morelikely-than-not” standard that, based on the technical merits, have a more than fifty percent likelihood of being sustained by a taxing authority upon examination. A tax position that meets the “more-likely-than-not” recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements.

Management of the Fund analyzes all open tax years, as defined by the Statute of Limitations, for all major jurisdictions, including federal tax authorities and certain state tax authorities. As of and during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund will file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and Colorado. For the years ended December 31, 2009 through November 30, 2012, the Fund’s returns are still open to examination by the appropriate taxing authority.

G. Fair Value Measurements

The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a threetier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair

 

20

       
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LOGO    NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
  

 

value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 –

 

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2 –

 

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3 –

 

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Funds investment November 30, 2012:

 

Investments in Securities at Value*   

Level 1-

Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

    

Level 2-

Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    

Level 3-

Significant

Unobservable

Inputs

     Total  

Common Stocks

   $   71,036,879       $       $       $   71,036,879   

TOTAL

   $   71,036,879       $       $       $   71,036,879   
                                     

*For a detailed geographical breakdown, see the accompanying Schedule of Investments.

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the fiscal year. For the year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. The Fund did not have any securities which used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

 

3.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE AND OTHER AFFILIATED TRANSACTIONS

 

ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Investment Adviser”) acts as the Fund’s investment adviser pursuant to an Advisory Agreement with theTrust on behalf of the Fund (the “Advisory Agreement”). Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Investment Adviser a unitary fee for the services and facilities it provides payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. From time to time, the Investment Adviser may waive all or a portion of its fee.

Out of the unitary management fee, the Investment Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the licensing fee of the Index provider, and the cost

 

     21
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
   November 30, 2012

 

of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for interest expenses, distribution fees or expenses, brokerage expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business. In addition, the Investment Adviser’s unitary management fee is designed to compensate the Investment Adviser for providing services for the Fund.

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”), an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, is the administrator of the Fund.

The Bank of New York Mellon is the custodian, fund accounting agent and transfer agent for the Fund.

Each Trustee who is not an officer or employee of the Investment Adviser, any subadviser or any of their affiliates (“Independent Trustees”) is paid a quarterly retainer of $5,000, $3,750 for each regularly scheduled Board meeting attended and $1,500 for each special meeting held outside of regularly scheduled meetings.

 

4.

PURCHASES AND SALES OF SECURITIES

 

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities, excluding in-kind transactions and short-term investments, were as follows:

 

Purchases    Sales
$3,718,804    $2,539,859

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the cost of in-kind purchases and proceeds from in-kind sales were as follows:

 

Purchases    Sales

$13,849,272

   $5,403,955

Gains on in-kind transactions are not considered taxable for federal income tax purposes.

 

5.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

 

Shares are created and redeemed by the Fund only in Creation Unit size aggregations of 50,000 shares. Only broker-dealers or large institutional investors with creation and redemption agreements called Authorized Participants (“AP”) are permitted to purchase or redeem Creation Units from the Fund. Such transactions are generally permitted on an in-kind basis, with a balancing cash component to equate the transaction to the net asset value per unit of the Fund on the transaction date. Cash may be substituted equivalent to the value of certain securities generally when they are not available in sufficient quantity for delivery, not eligible for trading by the AP or as a result of other market circumstances.

 

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6.

INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. 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.

 

     23
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

A description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures used in determining how to vote for proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available without charge, (1) on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at http://www.sec.gov; (2) upon request, by calling (toll-free) 1-866-513-5856; and (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds.com.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Trust will file its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Trust’s Form N-Q will be available (1) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; (2) by calling (toll-free) 1-866-513-5856; (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds. com; and (4) for review and copying at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (“PRR”) in Washington D.C. Information regarding the operation of the PRR may be obtained by calling (toll-free) 1-800-732-0330.

TAX DESIGNATIONS

 

The Fund designates the following as a percentage of taxable ordinary income distributions for the calendar year ended December 31, 2011:

 

Qualified Dividend Income:

     10.54

Dividend Received Deduction:

     0.00

 

24

       
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LOGO    TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,  Address

and Age of

Management

Trustee*

  Position(s)
Held
with Trust
  

Term of  Office

and Length  of

Time  Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

 

Number  of

Portfolios

in Fund  Complex

Overseen

by Trustees***

 

Other

Directorships

Held by  Trustees

Mary K.

Anstine,

age 72

  Trustee    Since March 2008  

Ms. Anstine was President/ Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/ Director of the following: AV Hunter Trust; Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.

  21  

Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund; and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

Jeremy W.

Deems,

age 36

  Trustee    Since March 2008  

Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company, from 2004 to June 2007. Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.

  21  

Mr. Deems is a Trustee of Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); and Reaves Utility Income Fund.

 

     25
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES Continued

 

Name, Address
and Age of
Management
Trustee*
  Position(s)
Held
with Trust
  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

 

Number  of
Portfolios

in Fund Complex
Overseen
by Trustees***

 

Other

Directorships

Held by  Trustees

Rick A. Pederson, age 60   Trustee    Since March 2008  

President, Foundation Properties, Inc. (a real estate investment management company), 1994 - present; Partner, Western Capital Partners (a prime lending company), 2000 - present; Partner, Bow River Capital Partners (investment manager), 2003 - present; Principal, The Pauls Corporation (real estate development), 2008 - present; Director, Guaranty Bank and Trust (a community bank), 1999 – 2007; Winter Park Recreational Association (an entity that operates, maintains and develops Winter Park Resort), 2002 – 2008; Neenan Co. (an integrated real estate development, architecture and construction company), 2002 – present; NexCore Properties LLC (a real estate investment company), 2004 – present; Urban Land Conservancy (a not-for-profit organization), 2004 – present.

  5  

Mr. Pederson is Trustee of Westcore Trust (12 funds)

 

*

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services.

 

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   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE***

 

Name, Address
and Age of
Management
Trustee*
  Position(s)
Held
with Trust
  

Term of  Office

and Length  of

Time  Served**

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

 

Number  of

Portfolios

in Fund  Complex

Overseen

by Trustees****

 

Other

Directorships

Held by  Trustees

Thomas A. Carter,

age 46

  Trustee
and
President
   Since March 2008  

Mr. Carter joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 1994 and is currently President and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributors, Inc. (“APSD”) and Executive Vice President and Director of ALPS and ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”). Because of his position with AHI, ALPS, ADI, APSD and AAI, Mr. Carter is deemed an affiliate of the Fund as defined under the 1940 Act. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Carter was with Deloitte & Touché LLP, where he worked with a diverse group of clients, primarily within the financial services industry. Mr. Carter is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

  10  

Mr. Carter is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds)

 

*

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Mr. Carter is an interested person of the Trust because of his affiliation with ALPS.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services.

 

     27
Annual          November 30, 2012   


LOGO    TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

Name,Address

and Age of
Executive Officer*

  

Position(s)

Held

withTrust

  

Length

of Time

Served**

   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

 

Melanie Zimdars,

age 36

  

 

Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)

  

 

Since December 2009

  

 

Ms. Zimdars currently serves as a Deputy Chief Compliance Officer with ALPS. Prior to joining ALPS in September 2009, Ms. Zimdars served as Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary for the Wasatch Funds from February 2007 to December 2008. From November 2006 to February 2007, she served as Assistant Treasurer for the Wasatch Funds and served as a Senior Compliance Officer for Wasatch Advisors, Inc. since 2005. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Zimdars is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Zimdars is also the CCO of EGA Emerging Global Shares Trust, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust, Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc., Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and BPV Family of Funds.

 

Patrick D. Buchanan,

age 40

  

 

Treasurer

  

 

Since June 2012

  

 

Mr. Buchanan is Vice President of ALPS. Mr. Buchanan joined ALPS in 2007 and because of his position with ALPS, he is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act.

 

William Parmentier,

age 60

  

 

Vice President

  

 

Since March 2008

  

 

Mr. Parmentier is Chief Investment Officer, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2006); President of the Liberty All-Star Funds (since April 1999); SeniorVice President (2005-2006), Banc of America Investment Advisors, Inc.

 

Tané T. Tyler,

age 47

  

 

Secretary

  

 

Since December 2008

  

 

Ms.Tyler is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of ALPS. Ms.Tyler joined ALPS in 2004. She served as Secretary, Reaves Utility Income Fund from December 2004–2007; Secretary, Westcore Funds from February 2005–2007; Secretary, First Funds from November 2004 to January 2007; Secretary, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust from December 2004–December 2006; Vice President and Associate Counsel, Oppenheimer Funds from January 2004 to August 2004; Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, INVESCO Funds from September 1991 to December 2003. Ms. Tyler also serves as Secretary, Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund.

 

*

The business address of each Officer is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Officer began serving the Trust. Each Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

28

       
  An ALPS Advisors, Inc. Solution     www.alpsfunds.com     866.513.5856


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ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF

 

   

PAGE

 
    

Table of     Contents    

 

Shareholder Letter

     2   
 

 

Performance Overview

  

 

 

 

3

 

  

 
 

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     6   
 
 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     7   
 
 

Statement of Investments

     8   
 
 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     9   
 
 

Statement of Operations

     10   
 
 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     13   
 
 

Financial Highlights

     15   
 
 

Notes to Financial Statements

     16   
 
 

Additional Information

     22   
 
 

Trustees & Officers

     23   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

 

    

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     ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF   |  www.alpsfunds.com
    


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Shareholder Letter

(Unaudited)

 

Dear Shareholders:

When ALPS launched its ETF(1) Trust in 2008 our goal was to bring innovative solutions to the ETF industry that provide investors with access to a unique market segment or strategy. The ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF is the world’s first ETF to provide access to an Equal Sector Strategy.

Sectors are one of the most important drivers of risk and return in a portfolio. An equal sector strategy can minimize the negative impact of any one sector on the entire portfolio. At the same time by offering meaningful exposure to each sector of the market, it allows investors the ability to participate in market rallies regardless of where they occur. We believe the consistency of the historical returns delivered by an equal sector strategy combined with its transparency(2) and simplicity make it a viable alternative for US large-cap investing.

In the pages that follow our Fund managers have provided a performance overview. We thank you for your investment and for being a EQL shareholder.

 

 

LOGO

Thomas A. Carter*

President, ALPS ETF Trust

 

*

Registered representative of ALPS Distributors, Inc.

 

(1) 

Exchange Traded Fund (“ETF”).

(2) 

ETFs are considered transparent because their portfolio holdings are disclosed daily.

Ordinary brokerage commissions apply.

 

    
Annual Report   |  November 30, 2012   2    LOGO
    


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Performance Overview

November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

The Fund seeks investment results that replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Banc of America Securities – Merrill Lynch Equal Sector Weight Index (the “Underlying Index”). The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

PRIMARY INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

The Adviser will seek to match the performance of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is an index of indexes comprised in equal proportions of the nine Select Sector SPDR Indexes (“The Underlying Sector Indexes”). In order to track the securities in the Underlying Index, the Fund will use a “fund of funds” approach, and seek to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 90% of its total assets in the shares of Select Sector SPDR exchange-traded funds (each, an “Underlying Sector ETF” and collectively the “Underlying Sector ETFs”) that track the Underlying Sector indexes of which the Underlying Index is comprised.

PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

 

For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 the Fund generated a total return of 14.35%. Over the same time period the S&P 500® gained 16.13%. Almost all of the gains for the year occurred in the first calendar quarter when the S&P 500® advanced 12.59%. For the fiscal year, every sector of the market generated a positive return, with cyclical sectors leading the way. The best performing sector was Financials (25.32%) followed by Consumer Discretionary (24.65%). Healthcare stocks (21.29%) also performed well, buoyed by increased profits in the biotech segment.

Energy stocks were weighed down by lackluster earnings growth and were the worst performing sector, rising just 2.00% in the 2012 fiscal year. Utilities, also a strong performer in 2011, reversed course in 2012 gaining 4.42%. Weak commodity prices and fears of a global Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”) slowdown weighed down Materials sector as well, ranking it 7th with a total return of 8.60%. The Technology sector was driven largely by Apple, racing forward nearly 20% in the first four months of year only to give back a quarter of its gains for a total return of 15.48%, 5th overall in the sector rankings. Industrials and Consumer Staples generated returns throughout the year that were mostly in line with the market, finishing the fiscal year with gains of 12.04% and 16.21%, respectively.

Compared to the S&P 500® the fund benefited from being underweight the Energy sector, as well as its slight overweights in the Consumer Discretionary and Health Care sectors. The Fund was negatively impacted by its overweight in Utilities sector and its underweight to Technology. Overall, the Fund’s sector weights relative to the S&P 500® resulted in positive out-performance above the index in 5 of the 9 sectors.

 

    
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Performance Overview

November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

PERFORMANCE as of November 30, 2012

 

 

Average Annual Total Return    6 Month   YTD   1 Year   3 Year   Since
Inception
Annualized*

ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF

                    

NAV (Net Asset Value)

   8.96%   13.33%   14.35%   11.18%   16.65%

Market Price**

   9.07%   13.39%   14.37%   11.19%   16.73%

Banc of America Securities Merrill Lynch Equal
Sector Weight Index

   7.93%   11.44%   12.16%   9.24%   14.63%

S&P 500® Total Return Index

   9.32%   14.96%   16.13%   11.25%   16.74%

Total Expense Ratio (per the current Prospectus)

   0.55%        

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. Call 1.866.675.2639 or visit www.alpsfunds.com for current month end performance. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

NAV is an exchange-traded fund’s per-share value. The per-share dollar amount of the fund is derived by dividing the total value of all the securities in its portfolio, less any liabilities, by the number of fund shares outstanding. Market Price is the price at which a share can currently be traded in the market. Information detailing the number of days the Market Price of the Fund was greater than the Fund’s NAV and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV can be obtained at www.alpsfunds.com.

 

*

The Fund commenced Investment Operations on July 06, 2009 with an Inception Date, the first day of trading on the Exchange, of July 7, 2009.

**

Market Price is based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4 p.m. ET and does not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times.

Banc of America Securities Merrill Lynch Equal Sector Weight Index: a U.S. equity index comprised, in equal weights, of nine sub-indices, and is a price-return index.

S&P 500® Index: the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices.

An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The following table shows the sector weights of both the Fund and the S&P 500® as of November 30, 2012:

SECTOR WEIGHTING COMPARISON as of November 30, 2012

 

 

 

      EQL    S&P 500®

Industrials (XLI)

       11.4%        10.1%

Consumer Staples (XLP)

     11.3      11.1

Healthcare (XLV)

     11.3      12.2

Consumer Discretionary (XLY)

     11.3      11.4

Financials (XLF)

     11.2      15.0

Materials (XLB)

     11.1        3.5

Utilities (XLU)

     11.1        3.4

Energy (XLE)

     10.8      11.0

Technology (XLK)

     10.5      22.3

Source: S&P 500®.

     

 

    
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Performance Overview

November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION as of November 30, 2012

 

 

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Sector weights and allocations subject to change.

GROWTH OF $10,000 as of November 30, 2012

 

 

 

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The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund over the life of the Fund. Performance calculations are as of the end of each month. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

    
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Disclosure of Fund Expenses

For the Six Months Ended November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Shareholder Expense Example: As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs which may include creation and redemption fees or brokerage charges, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. These examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the (six month) period and held through November 30, 2012.

Actual Return: The first line of the table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this table, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you incurred 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 first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses attributable to your investment during this period.

Hypothetical 5% Return: The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as creation and redemption fees, or brokerage charges. Therefore, the second 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 costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning    
Account
Value
06/01/12
   Ending
Account    
Value
11/30/12
   Expense    
Ratio(a)
  Expenses
Paid During    
the Period(b)
06/01/12-
11/30/12

Actual

   $1,000.00        $1,089.60        0.34%   $1.78

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $1,000.00        $1,023.30        0.34%   $1.72

 

(a)

Annualized, based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half year expenses.

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (183), then divided by 366.

 

    
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of ALPS ETF Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the statement of investments, of ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF, one of the portfolios constituting the ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”) as of November 30, 2012, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for the year ended November 30, 2012, for the period January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011, and for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the financial highlights for the periods presented. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2012, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF of the ALPS ETF Trust as of November 30, 2012, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for the year ended November 30, 2012, for the period January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011, and for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the financial highlights for the periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

January 24, 2013

 

    
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Statement of Investments

November 30, 2012

 

Security Description    Shares      Value  

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (100.00%)

     

Consumer Discretionary (11.31%)

     

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     179,924       $ 8,551,788   
     

 

 

 

Consumer Staples (11.33%)

     

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     237,565         8,561,843   
     

 

 

 

Energy (10.78%)

     

Energy Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     114,606         8,146,194   
     

 

 

 

Financials (11.25%)

     

Financial Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     539,671         8,505,215   
     

 

 

 

Healthcare (11.31%)

     

Health Care Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     212,520         8,551,805   
     

 

 

 

Industrials (11.39%)

     

Industrial Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     231,862         8,609,036   
     

 

 

 

Materials (11.08%)

     

Materials Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     228,241         8,376,445   
     

 

 

 

Technology (10.47%)

     

Technology Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     271,564         7,910,659   
     

 

 

 

Utilities (11.08%)

     

Utilities Select Sector SPDR® Fund

     237,139         8,375,749   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

(Cost $68,757,658)

        75,588,734   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (100.00%)

(Cost $68,757,658)

      $ 75,588,734   

NET OTHER ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (0.00%)(a)

        3,043   
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

      $ 75,591,777   
     

 

 

 

(a)     Less than 0.005% of Net Assets.

     

Common Abbreviations:

     

SPDR - Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts

     

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

    
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Statement of Assets and Liabilities

November 30, 2012

 

 

ASSETS:

  

Investments, at value

   $     75,588,734   

Cash

     23,486   

Total Assets

     75,612,220   

LIABILITIES:

  

Payable to advisor

     20,443   

Total Liabilities

     20,443   

NET ASSETS

   $ 75,591,777   
          

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 68,968,417   

Accumulated net realized loss on investments

     (207,716

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     6,831,076   

NET ASSETS

   $ 75,591,777   
          

INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 68,757,658   

PRICING OF SHARES

  

Net Assets

   $ 75,591,777   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding
(Unlimited number of shares authorized, par value $0.01 per share)

     1,900,000   

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 39.79   

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

    
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Statement of Operations

For the Year Ended November 30, 2012

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

  

Dividends

   $ 1,625,305   

Total Investment Income

     1,625,305   

EXPENSES:

  

Investment advisory fee

     282,242   

Total expenses before reimbursement

     282,242   

Expenses reimbursed/waived by:

  

Investment advisor

     (22,884

NET EXPENSES

     259,358   

NET INVESTMENT INCOME

     1,365,947   

Net realized gain

     3,927,820   

on investments

  

Net change in unrealized appreciation

  

on investments

     4,202,695   

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED

  

GAIN ON INVESTMENTS

     8,130,515   

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS

  

RESULTING FROM

  

OPERATIONS

   $ 9,496,462   
          

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

    
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For the

Year Ended
November 30, 2012

 

OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income

   $ 1,365,947   

Net realized gain on investments

     3,927,820   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments

     4,202,695   

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     9,496,462   

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

  

From net investment income

     (1,375,473

From tax return of capital

     (41,418

Total distributions

     (1,416,891

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

  

Proceeds from sale of shares

     30,174,030   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (24,753,246

Net increase from share transactions

     5,420,784   

Net increase in net assets

     13,500,355   

NET ASSETS:

  

Beginning of period

     62,091,422   

End of period*

   $ 75,591,777   
          

* Including accumulated net investment loss of:

   $ 0   

OTHER INFORMATION:

  

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

  

Beginning shares

     1,750,000   

Shares sold

     800,000   

Shares redeemed

     (650,000

Shares outstanding, end of period

     1,900,000   
          

 

(a) 

Effective March 7, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year end of the Fund from December 31 to November 30.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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   Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

For the Period

January 1, 2011 to

November 30, 2011(a)

 

For the

Year Ended
December 31, 2010

     
  $ 654,777       $ 758,350  
    4,757,896         298,723  
    (4,697,555 )       5,854,347  
    715,118         6,911,420  
     
    (695,943 )       (758,546 )
             
    (695,943 )       (758,546 )
     
    36,054,358         34,389,889  
    (26,993,801 )       (1,539,300 )
    9,060,557         32,850,589  
    9,079,732         39,003,463  
     
    53,011,690         14,008,227  
  $ 62,091,422       $ 53,011,690  
                 
  $ 9,526       $ 5,557  
     
     
    1,500,000         450,000  
    1,000,000         1,100,000  
    (750,000 )       (50,000 )
    1,750,000         1,500,000  
                 

 

 

 

 

    
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For the

Year Ended
November 30, 2012

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 35.48   

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income

     0.69 (b) 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     4.35   

Total from Investment Operations

     5.04   

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From net investment income

     (0.71

From capital gains

       

From tax return of capital

     (0.02

Total Distributions

     (0.73

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     4.31   

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 39.79   
          

TOTAL RETURN(c)

     14.35

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 75,592   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

  

Net investment income including reimbursement/waiver

     1.79

Net investment income excluding reimbursement/waiver

     1.76

Expenses including reimbursement/waiver

     0.34

Expenses excluding reimbursement/waiver

     0.37

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE(e)

     4

 

(a)

Effective March 7, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year end of the Fund from December 31 to November 30.

(b) 

Calculated using average shares outstanding.

(c) 

Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested at actual reinvestment prices. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

(d) 

Annualized.

(e) 

Portfolio turnover is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

    
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Financial Highlights

For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Periods Presented

 

For the Period

January 1, 2011 to

November 30, 2011(a)

    For the Year Ended
December 31, 2010
   

For the Period
July 7, 2009 (Inception)
through

December 31, 2009

 
$ 35.34      $ 31.13      $ 25.04   
   
  0.41 (b)      0.68 (b)      0.31   
  0.18        4.14        6.10   
  0.59        4.82        6.41   
   
  (0.45     (0.61     (0.31
                (0.01
                  
  (0.45     (0.61     (0.32
  0.14        4.21        6.09   
$ 35.48      $ 35.34      $ 31.13   
                     
  1.67     15.67     25.60
   
$ 62,091      $ 53,012      $ 14,008   
   
  1.25 %(d)      2.14     2.60 %(d) 
  1.22 %(d)      2.11     2.57 %(d) 
  0.34 %(d)      0.34     0.34 %(d) 
  0.37 %(d)      0.37     0.37 %(d) 
  4     7     4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    
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Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2012

 

1. ORGANIZATION

 

The ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As of November 30, 2012, the Trust consists of five separate portfolios. Each portfolio represents a separate series of the Trust. This report pertains solely to the ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF (the “Fund”), which commenced on July 7, 2009. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the Fund’s fees and expenses) of the Banc of America Securities Merrill Lynch Equal Sector Weight Index.

The Fund’s Shares (“Shares”) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca. The Fund issues and redeems Shares at Net Asset Value (“NAV”) in blocks of 50,000 Shares each of which is called a “Creation Unit.” Creation Units are issued and redeemed principally in-kind for securities included in a specified index. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of the financial statements. The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

A. Portfolio Valuation

The Fund’s NAV is determined daily, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The NAV is computed by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses and dividends declared but unpaid), by the total number of shares outstanding.

Portfolio securities listed on any exchange other than the National Association of Securities Dealer Automated Quotation (“NASDAQ”) exchange are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such value is being determined. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and asked prices on such day. Securities traded on the NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price as determined by NASDAQ. Short-term investments that mature in less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The Fund’s investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value according to procedures adopted by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). When market quotations are not readily available

 

    
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Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2012

 

or when events occur that make established valuation methods unreliable, securities of the Fund may be valued in good faith by or under the direction of the Board.

B. Securities Transactions and Investment Income

Securities transactions are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions are recorded on the highest cost basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, if any, is recorded on the accrual basis.

C. Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders

Dividends from net investment income of the Fund, if any, are declared and paid quarterly or as the Board may determine from time to time. Distributions of net realized capital gains earned by the Fund, if any, are distributed at least annually.

D. Federal Tax and Tax Basis Information

The timing and character of income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under income tax regulations.

For the year ended November 30, 2012, permanent book and tax differences resulting primarily from in-kind transactions were identified and reclassified among the components of the Fund’s net assets as follows:

 

Undistributed Net

Investment Income

  

Accumulated Net

Realized Loss

   Paid-in Capital

$  –

   $(4,013,996)    $4,013,996

Net investment income and net realized gain, as disclosed on the Statement of Operations, and net assets were not affected by these reclassifications.

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 (“the Modernization Act”), net capital losses recognized in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 may be carried forward indefinitely, and the character of the losses is retained as short-term and/or long-term. Under the law in effect prior to the Modernization Act, net capital losses were carried forward for eight years and treated as short-term. As a transition rule, the Modernization Act requires that post-enactment net capital losses be used before pre-enactment net capital losses. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

At November 30, 2012, the Fund had available for tax purposes unused post-enactment capital loss carryforwards as follows:

 

ST    LT

$4,717

   $32,618

 

    
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Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2012

 

Distributions from net investment income and capital gains are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S GAAP. These differences are primarily due to differing treatments of income and gains on various investment securities held by the Fund, timing differences and differing characterization of distributions made by the Fund.

The tax character of the distributions paid was as follows:

 

      Year Ended
November 30, 2012
     Period Ended
November 30, 2011
     Year Ended
December 31, 2010
 

Distributions paid from:

        

Ordinary Income

   $ 1,375,473       $ 695,943       $ 758,546   

Return of Capital

   $ 41,418       $       $   

Total

   $     1,416,891       $     695,943       $     758,546   
                            

As of November 30, 2012, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis for the Fund were as follows:

 

Accumulated Capital Losses

   $ (37,335  

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     6,660,695       

Total

   $     6,623,360       
              

The differences between book-basis and tax-basis are primarily due to the deferral of losses from wash sales.

As of November 30, 2012, the costs of investments for federal income tax purposes and accumulated net unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) on investments were as follows:

 

Cost of investments for income tax purposes

   $ 68,928,039        
               

Gross Appreciation (excess of value over tax cost)

   $ 6,660,695      

Gross Depreciation (tax cost over value)

            

Net Unrealized Appreciation

   $ 6,660,695        
               

E. Income Taxes

No provision for income taxes is included in the accompanying financial statements, as the Fund intends to distribute to shareholders all taxable investment income and realized gains and otherwise comply with Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies. The Fund evaluates tax positions taken (or expected to be taken) in the course of preparing the Fund’s tax returns to determine whether these positions meet a “more-likely-than-not” standard that, based on the technical merits, have a more than fifty percent likelihood of being sustained by a taxing authority upon examination. A tax position that meets the “more-likely-than-not” recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements.

 

    
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Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2012

 

Management of the Fund analyzes all open tax years, as defined by the Statute of Limitations, for all major jurisdictions, including federal tax authorities and certain state tax authorities. As of, and during the year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund will file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and Colorado. For the tax years ended December 31, 2009, December 31, 2010, November 30, 2011 and November 30, 2012, the Fund’s returns are open to examination by the appropriate taxing authority.

F. Fair Value Measurements

The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

 

Level 1 –

 

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

 

Level 2 –

 

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

 

Level 3 –

 

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

    
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Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2012

 

The following is a summary of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments at November 30, 2012:

 

Investments in

Securities at

Value*

  

Level 1 –

Unadjusted

Quoted Prices

    

Level 2 - Other Significant
Observable

Inputs

  

Level 3 -

Significant Unobservable

Inputs

   Total  

Exchange Traded Funds

   $ 75,588,734       $        –              $        –              $ 75,588,734   

TOTAL

   $ 75,588,734       $        –              $        –              $ 75,588,734   
                             

 

 

*

For detailed descriptions of the sectors, see the accompanying Statement of Investments.

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the fiscal year. For the year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. The Fund did not have any securities which used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

3. INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE AND OTHER

    AFFILIATED TRANSACTIONS

 

ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Investment Adviser”) acts as the Fund’s investment adviser pursuant to an Advisory Agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund (the “Advisory Agreement”). Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Investment Adviser a unitary fee for the services and facilities it provides payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.37% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”) is both the distributor for the Fund as well as the Select Sector SPDR exchange traded funds (“Underlying Sector ETFs”) that the Fund invests in. As required by exemptive relief obtained by the Underlying Sector ETFs, the Investment Adviser will reimburse the Fund an amount equal to the distribution fee received by ADI from the Underlying Sector ETFs attributable to the Fund’s investment in the Underlying Sector ETFs, for so long as ADI acts as the distributor to the Fund and the Underlying Sector ETFs. From time to time, the Investment Adviser may waive all or a portion of its fee.

Out of the unitary management fee, the Investment Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the licensing fee of the Index provider, and the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit, trustees and other services, except for interest expenses, distribution fees or expenses, brokerage expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business. In addition, the Investment Adviser’s unitary management fee is designed to compensate the Investment Adviser for providing services for the Fund.

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”), an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, is the administrator of the Fund.

 

    
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Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2012

 

The Bank of New York Mellon is the custodian, fund accounting agent and transfer agent for the Fund.

Each Trustee who is not an officer or employee of the Investment Adviser, or any of its affiliates (“Independent Trustees”) is paid a quarterly retainer of $5,000, $3,750 for each regularly scheduled Board meeting attended and $1,500 for each special meeting held outside of regularly scheduled meetings.

4. PURCHASES AND SALES OF SECURITIES

 

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities, excluding short-term investments and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

Purchases    Sales

$     5,968,041

   $    3,078,266

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the cost of in-kind purchases and proceeds from in-kind sales were as follows:

 

Purchases    Sales

$     24,287,871

   $    21,800,510

Gains on in-kind transactions are generally not considered taxable gains for federal income tax purposes.

5. CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

 

Shares are created and redeemed by the Fund only in Creation Unit size aggregations of 50,000. Only broker-dealers or large institutional investors with creation and redemption agreements called Authorized Participants (“AP”) are permitted to purchase or redeem Creation Units from the Fund. Such transactions are generally permitted on an in-kind basis, with a balancing cash component to equate the transaction to the net asset value per unit of the Fund on the transaction date. Cash may be substituted equivalent to the value of certain securities generally when they are not available in sufficient quantity for delivery, not eligible for trading by the AP or as a result of other market circumstances.

6. INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its Trustees and Officers are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. 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.

 

    
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Additional Information

November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

A description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures used in determining how to vote for proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available without charge, (1) on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at http://www.sec.gov; (2) upon request, by calling (toll-free) 1-866-513-5856; and (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds.com.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Trust will file its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Trust’s Form N-Q will be available (1) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; (2) by calling (toll-free) 1-866-513-5856; (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds.com; and (4) for review and copying at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (“PRR”) in Washington D.C. Information regarding the operation of the PRR may be obtained by calling (toll-free) 1-800-732-0330.

TAX DESIGNATIONS

 

The Fund designates the following as a percentage of taxable ordinary income distributions for the calendar year ended December 31, 2011:

 

Qualified Dividend Income:

     100.00

Dividend Received Deduction:

     100.00

 

    
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Trustees & Officers

November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

  Name, Address

  and Age of

  Management

  Trustee*

  

Position(s)
Held

with Trust

   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served**
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustees***
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

  Mary K.

  Anstine,

  age 72

   Trustee   

Since March

2008

 

Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/ Director of the following: AV Hunter Trust; Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.

   21    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund; and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

  Jeremy W.

  Deems,

  age 36

   Trustee   

Since March

2008

 

Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company, from 2004 to June 2007. Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.

   21    Mr. Deems is a Trustee of Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); and Reaves Utility Income Fund.

 

    
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Trustees & Officers

November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES Continued

  Name, Address

  and Age of   Management

  Trustee*

  

Position(s)

Held

with Trust

  

Term of Office

and Length of Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

  

Number of Portfolios

in Fund

Complex Overseen by Trustees***

  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

  Rick A.

  Pederson,

  age 60

   Trustee   

Since March

2008

  

President, Foundation Properties, Inc. (a real estate investment management company), 1994 - present; Partner, Western Capital Partners (a prime lending company), 2000 - present; Partner, Bow River Capital Partners (investment manager), 2003 - present; Principal, The Pauls Corporation (real estate development), 2008 - present; Director, Guaranty Bank and Trust (a community bank), 1999 – 2007; Winter Park Recreational Association (an entity that operates, maintains and develops Winter Park Re-sort), 2002 – 2008; Neenan Co. (an integrated real estate development, architecture and construction company), 2002 – present; NexCore Properties LLC (a real estate investment company), 2004 – present; Urban Land Conservancy (a not-for-profit organization), 2004 – present.

   5    Mr. Pederson is Trustee of Westcore Trust (12 funds)

 

*

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services.

 

    
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Trustees & Officers

November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE***

  Name, Address
  and Age of
  Management
  Trustee*
   Position(s)
Held
with Trust
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served**
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

  

Number of
Portfolios

in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustees****

  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

  Thomas A.   Carter,

  age 46

   Trustee and President    Since March 2008   

Mr. Carter joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 1994 and is currently President and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and Executive Vice President and Director of ALPS and ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”). Because of his position with AHI, ALPS, ADI, APSD and AAI, Mr. Carter is deemed an affiliate of the Fund as defined under the 1940 Act. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Carter was with Deloitte & Touché LLP, where he worked with a diverse group of clients, primarily within the financial services industry. Mr. Carter is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

   10    Mr. Carter is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds)

 

*

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Mr. Carter is an interested person of the Trust because of his affiliation with ALPS.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services

 

    
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Trustees & Officers

November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

OFFICERS

 

  Name, Address

  and Age of

  Executive Officer*

  

Position(s)
Held

with Trust

  Length of
Time Served**
   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

  Melanie

  Zimdars,

  age 36

   Chief
Compliance
Officer
(“CCO”)
  Since
December
2009
  

Ms. Zimdars currently serves as a Deputy Chief Compliance Officer with ALPS. Prior to joining ALPS in September 2009, Ms. Zimdars served as Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary for the Wasatch Funds from February 2007 to December 2008. From November 2006 to February 2007, she served as Assistant Treasurer for the Wasatch Funds and served as a Senior Compliance Officer for Wasatch Advisors, Inc. since 2005. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Zimdars is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Zimdars is also the CCO of EGA Emerging Global Shares Trust, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust, Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc., Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and BPV Family of Funds.

  Patrick D.   Buchanan,

  age 40

   Treasurer   Since

June
2012

  

Mr. Buchanan is Vice President of ALPS. Mr. Buchanan joined ALPS in 2007 and because of his position with ALPS, he is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act.

  William   Parmentier,

  age 60

   Vice
President
  Since
March
2008
  

Mr. Parmentier is Chief Investment Officer, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2006); President of the Liberty AllStar Funds (since April 1999); Senior Vice President (2005-2006), Banc of America Investment Advisors, Inc.

  Tané T. Tyler,

  age 47

   Secretary   Since
December
2008
  

Ms.Tyler is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of ALPS. Ms. Tyler joined ALPS in 2004. She served as Secretary, Reaves Utility Income Fund from December 2004–2007; Secretary, Westcore Funds from February 2005–2007; Secretary, First Funds from November 2004 to January 2007; Secretary, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust from December 2004–December 2006; Vice President and Associate Counsel, Oppenheimer Funds from January 2004 to August 2004; Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, INVESCO Funds from September 1991 to December 2003. Ms. Tyler also serves as Secretary, Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund.

 

*

The business address of each Officer is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Officer began serving the Trust. Each Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

    
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     Page  

PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

     2   

DISCLOSURE OF FUND EXPENSES

     3   

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

     4   

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

     5   

STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES

     8   

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

     9   

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

     10   

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

     11   

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     12   

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     17   

TRUSTEES & OFFICERS

     18   

 

 

 

www.alpsfunds.com  

    

 

 

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     PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW
     JEFFERIES | TR/J CRB GLOBAL COMMODITY EQUITY INDEX FUND | November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

The Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund is an Exchange Traded Fund (“ETF”), which provides exposure to the equity securities of a global universe of listed companies engaged in the production and distribution of commodities and commodity-related products and services in the agriculture, base/industrial metals, energy and precious metals sectors. The ETF seeks investment results that replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB In-The-Ground Global Commodity Equity Index.

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the ETF’s market price decreased 0.30% and its net asset value (“NAV”) increased 0.35%. Over the same time period the ETF’s benchmark was up 0.91%.

TOP 10 HOLDINGS^

(% of Total Investments)

  

  

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     7.1

Monsanto Co.

     6.3

Syngenta AG

     4.8

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc.

     4.3

Deere & Co.

     4.3

Chevron Corp.

     3.6

BP Plc

     2.3

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

     2.2

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Class A

     2.2

Agrium, Inc.

     2.1

Total % of Top 10 Holdings

     39.2
^

Future holdings are subject to change

COUNTRY ALLOCATION

(% of Total Investments)

  

  

United States

    40.5

Canada

    15.9

United Kingdom

    10.1

Switzerland

    5.2

Russia

    3.7

Australia

    2.3

Netherlands

    2.2

France

    1.9

South Africa

    1.5

Bermuda

    1.4

Other

    15.3
 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN as of 11.30.12

 

  1 Year       3 Year      

Since Inception*

Annualized

Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund

         

NAV

  0.35%     2.75%     4.64%

Market Price**

  -0.30%     2.61%     4.34%

Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB In-The-Ground Global Commodity
Equity Index

  0.91%     3.51%     5.38%

S&P GSCI Commodity Index

  -1.39%     3.06%     4.78%

S&P 500® Index

  16.13%     11.25%     11.53%

Total Expense Ratio (per the current prospectus) 0.65%

*

The Fund commenced Investment Operations on September 18, 2009 with an Inception Date, the first day of trading on the Exchange, of September 21, 2009.

 

**

Market Price is based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4 p.m. ET and does not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For the most current month-end performance data please visit WWW.ALPSFUNDS.COM.

NAV is an exchange-traded fund’s per-share value. The per-share dollar amount of the fund is derived by dividing the total value of all the securities in its portfolio, less any liabilities, by the number of fund shares outstanding. Market Price is the price at which a share can currently be traded in the market. Information detailing the number of days the Market Price of the Fund was greater than the Fund’s NAV and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV can be obtained at www.alpsfunds.com.

Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB In-The-Ground Global Commodity Equity Index: measures the performance of equity securities of companies engaged in the production and distribution of certain commodities and commodity-related products. S&P GSCI Commodity Index: A composite index of commodity sector returns which represents a broadly diversified, unleveraged, long-only position in commodity futures. S&P 500® Index: the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices. Index return does not represent fund return. An investor can not invest directly in an index.

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT as of 11.30.12

Comparison of Change in Value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in the Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund.

 

LOGO

 

The chart represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund over the life of the Fund. Performance calculations are as of the end of each month. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

 

2  

    

  

 

  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


LOGO

     DISCLOSURE OF FUND EXPENSES (Unaudited)
     For the Year Ended November 30, 2012

 

Shareholder Expense Example: As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs which may include creation and redemption fees or brokerage charges, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. These examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the (six month) period and held through November 30, 2012.

Actual Return: The first line of the table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this table, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you incurred 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 first table under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses attributable to your investment during this period.

Hypothetical 5% Return: The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as creation and redemption fees, or brokerage charges. Therefore, the second 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 costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
Account Value
06/01/12
     Ending
Account Value
11/30/12
     Expense Ratio(a)   Expenses Paid
During the Period
06/01/12 -
11/30/12(b)
 

Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund

          

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,112.40       0.65%   $ 3.43   

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,021.75       0.65%   $ 3.29   

 

(a)

The Fund’s expense ratio has been based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

 

(b)

The example in the table above is equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (183), then divided by 366.

 

 

 

www.alpsfunds.com  

    

 

 

  3

    


LOGO

    

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED

PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

    

 

To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of ALPS ETF Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Jefferies TR/J Global CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund, one of the portfolios constituting the ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”) as of November 30, 2012, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for the year ended November 30, 2012, for the period January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011, and for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the financial highlights for the periods presented. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2012, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Jefferies TR/J Global CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund of the ALPS ETF Trust as of November 30, 2012, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for the year ended November 30, 2012, for the period January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011, and for the year ended December 31, 2012, and the financial highlights for the periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

January 24, 2013

 

4  

    

  

 

  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


LOGO

     SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
     JEFFERIES | TR/J CRB GLOBAL COMMODITY EQUITY INDEX FUND | November 30, 2012

 

 

Security Description    Shares      Value  

COMMON STOCKS (99.51%)

  

Australia (2.30%)

     

Fortescue Metals Group, Ltd.

     27,051       $ 110,344   

Iluka Resources, Ltd.

     6,909         59,320   

Incitec Pivot, Ltd.

     160,055         525,979   

Newcrest Mining, Ltd.

     24,018         642,706   

Nufarm, Ltd.

     22,705         138,332   

Woodside Petroleum, Ltd.

     8,442         297,681   
     

 

 

 
        1,774,362   
     

 

 

 

Bermuda (1.35%)

     

Bunge, Ltd.

     13,700         1,002,292   

Sinofert Holdings, Ltd.

     192,000         40,877   
     

 

 

 
        1,043,169   
     

 

 

 

Brazil (1.34%)

     

Companhia Siderurgica Nacional SA, ADR

     14,164         68,412   

Gerdau SA, ADR

     16,594         140,883   

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, ADR

     21,429         385,079   

Vale SA, ADR

     25,075         437,058   
     

 

 

 
        1,031,432   
     

 

 

 

Canada (15.87%)

     

Agnico-Eagle Mines, Ltd.

     5,375         299,714   

Agrium, Inc.

     15,681         1,601,329   

Barrick Gold Corp.

     31,379         1,089,507   

Cameco Corp.

     7,221         131,720   

Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd.

     14,054         404,494   

Eldorado Gold Corp.

     22,176         320,356   

EnCana Corp.

     9,844         215,045   

First Quantum Minerals, Ltd.

     8,546         175,506   

Goldcorp, Inc.

     25,232         983,269   

IAMGOLD Corp.

     10,816         127,830   

Inmet Mining Corp.

     1,795         122,425   

Kinross Gold Corp.

     35,803         362,589   

New Gold, Inc.*

     13,338         141,658   

Osisko Mining Corp.*

     11,409         93,032   

Pan American Silver Corp.

     4,552         88,167   

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc.

     84,717         3,277,469   

Silver Wheaton Corp.

     11,102         408,718   

Suncor Energy, Inc.

     20,810         680,015   

Teck Resources, Ltd.,
Class B

     8,479         287,058   

TransCanada Corp.

     9,442         437,050   

Turquoise Hill Resources, Ltd.*

     12,007         90,414   

Viterra, Inc.

     30,138         471,783   

Yamana Gold, Inc.

     23,445         441,829   
     

 

 

 
        12,250,977   
     

 

 

 

Cayman Islands (0.00%)(a)

  

Chaoda Modern Agriculture Holdings, Ltd.*

     348,000         449   
     

 

 

 
Security Description    Shares      Value  

Chile (0.35%)

     

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA, ADR

     4,824       $ 273,038   
     

 

 

 

China (1.30%)

     

China BlueChemical, Ltd.,
Class H

     166,000         103,669   

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

     198,000         210,006   

China Shenhua Energy Co., Ltd., Class H

     43,500         178,209   

Jiangxi Copper Co., Ltd.,
Class H

     23,000         59,058   

PetroChina Co., Ltd.,
Class H

     278,000         372,338   

Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd., Class H

     197,000         79,308   
     

 

 

 
        1,002,588   
     

 

 

 

France (1.84%)

     

Total SA

     28,382         1,420,252   
     

 

 

 

Germany (1.17%)

     

K+S AG

     16,932         765,036   

ThyssenKrupp AG

     6,756         136,811   
     

 

 

 
        901,847   
     

 

 

 

Hong Kong (0.70%)

     

China Agri-Industries Holdings, Ltd.

     155,000         87,800   

CNOOC, Ltd.

     212,000         453,540   
     

 

 

 
        541,340   
     

 

 

 

India (0.43%)

     

Reliance Industries, Ltd., GDR(b)

     10,691         314,636   

Sterlite Industries India, Ltd., ADR

     1,694         13,366   
     

 

 

 
        328,002   
     

 

 

 

Israel (1.03%)

     

Israel Chemicals, Ltd.

     42,113         519,354   

The Israel Corp., Ltd.

     402         277,416   
     

 

 

 
        796,770   
     

 

 

 

Italy (1.02%)

     

Eni SpA

     33,430         790,449   
     

 

 

 

Japan (0.80%)

     

INPEX Corp.

     26         139,348   

JFE Holdings, Inc.

     8,900         137,811   

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp.

     147,000         336,886   
     

 

 

 
        614,045   
     

 

 

 

Jersey (0.67%)

     

Glencore International Plc

     42,082         233,014   

Randgold Resources, Ltd.

     2,651         283,171   
     

 

 

 
        516,185   
     

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

www.alpsfunds.com  

    

 

 

  5

    


LOGO

     SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
     JEFFERIES | TR/J CRB GLOBAL COMMODITY EQUITY INDEX FUND | November 30, 2012

 

Security Description

    Shares        Value   

Luxembourg (0.31%)

  

 

ArcelorMittal

    15,933      $ 242,142   
   

 

 

 

Malaysia (1.29%)

  

 

Genting Plantations BHD

    26,400        74,430   

IOI Corp., BHD

    283,900        463,243   

Kuala Lumpur Kepong BHD

    40,520        275,132   

PPB Group BHD

    45,900        181,199   
   

 

 

 
      994,004   
   

 

 

 

Mauritius (0.44%)

  

 

Golden Agri-Resources, Ltd.

    632,000        341,776   
   

 

 

 

Mexico (0.57%)

  

 

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV,
Series B

    70,806        232,881   

Industrias Penoles
SAB de CV

    4,080        206,689   
   

 

 

 
      439,570   
   

 

 

 

Netherlands (2.18%)

  

 

CNH Global N.V.*

    2,839        135,165   

Nutreco Holding N.V.

    3,389        276,320   

Schlumberger, Ltd.

    17,800        1,274,836   
   

 

 

 
      1,686,321   
   

 

 

 

Norway (1.12%)

  

 

Norsk Hydro ASA

    13,800        66,180   

Yara International ASA

    15,978        801,517   
   

 

 

 
      867,697   
   

 

 

 

Peru (0.29%)

  

 

Companhia de Minas

   

Buenaventura SA, ADR

    6,918        226,703   
   

 

 

 

Russia (3.64%)

  

 

Gazprom OAO, ADR

    79,097        703,172   

LUKOIL OAO, ADR

    7,929        499,131   

Mechel Steel Group, ADR

    1,375        8,387   

MMC Norilsk Nickel, ADR

    14,527        230,398   

NovaTek OAO, GDR(c)

    1,269        139,209   

Phosagro OAO, GDR(c)

    10,684        149,042   

Rosneft Oil Co., GDR*,(c)

    21,705        169,299   

Uralkali, GDR(c)

    24,624        911,827   
   

 

 

 
      2,810,465   
   

 

 

 

Singapore (1.06%)

  

 

Olam International, Ltd.

    167,000        215,515   

Wilmar International, Ltd.

    231,000        603,785   
   

 

 

 
      819,300   
   

 

 

 

South Africa (1.53%)

  

 

Anglo Platinum, Ltd.

    1,156        50,922   

AngloGold Ashanti, Ltd., ADR

    12,045        373,034   

Gold Fields, Ltd.

    13,926        172,799   

Harmony Gold Mining Co., Ltd.

    7,154        56,334   

Impala Platinum Holdings, Ltd.

    13,967        227,466   

Kumba Iron Ore, Ltd.

    541        33,135   

Sasol, Ltd.

    6,240        263,211   
   

 

 

 
      1,176,901   
   

 

 

 

Security Description

     Shares         Value   

South Korea (0.47%)

  

  

POSCO

     1,221       $ 364,772   
     

 

 

 

Spain (0.39%)

  

  

Repsol YPF SA

     14,339         304,170   
     

 

 

 

Switzerland (5.19%)

  

  

Syngenta AG

     9,204         3,690,939   

Transocean, Ltd.

     4,681         216,262   

Weatherford International, Ltd.*

     9,300         96,813   
     

 

 

 
        4,004,014   
     

 

 

 

Taiwan (0.45%)

  

  

China Steel Corp.

     194,276         177,867   

Taiwan Fertilizer Co., Ltd.

     64,400         167,572   
     

 

 

 
        345,439   
     

 

 

 

United Kingdom (10.06%)

  

  

Anglo American Plc

     22,685         629,869   

Antofagasta Plc

     6,342         130,912   

BG Group Plc

     43,540         746,639   

BHP Billiton Plc

     37,418         1,176,571   

BP Plc

     254,319         1,759,133   

Kazakhmys Plc

     4,598         52,578   

Lonmin Plc

     4,371         18,080   

Rio Tinto Plc

     22,776         1,129,187   

Royal Dutch Shell Plc,
Class A

     49,356         1,654,238   

Xstrata Plc

     28,458         471,589   
     

 

 

 
        7,768,796   
     

 

 

 

United States (40.35%)

  

  

AGCO Corp.*

     9,483         437,640   

Alcoa, Inc.

     19,457         163,633   

Allegheny Technologies, Inc.

     1,905         49,873   

Allied Nevada Gold Corp.*

     2,634         85,737   

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

     6,682         489,056   

Apache Corp.

     5,153         397,245   

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

     64,008         1,709,014   

Baker Hughes, Inc.

     5,615         242,287   

Cameron International Corp.*

     3,418         184,401   

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

     6,512         1,393,763   

Chesapeake Energy Corp.

     8,093         137,824   

Chevron Corp.

     26,222         2,771,403   

Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc.

     2,608         74,980   

Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp.*

     2,557         59,476   

ConocoPhillips

     16,405         934,101   

Deere & Co.

     38,822         3,262,989   

Detour Gold Corp.*

     3,500         86,676   

Devon Energy Corp.

     5,097         263,362   

Ensco Plc, Class A

     3,100         180,513   

EOG Resources, Inc.

     3,615         425,196   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     61,548         5,424,841   

Freeport-McMoRan
Copper & Gold, Inc.

     17,625         687,551   

Halliburton Co.

     12,319         410,839   

Hecla Mining Co.

     7,938         46,040   

Hess Corp.

     4,103         203,550   
 

 

6  

    

  

 

  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


LOGO

     SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
     JEFFERIES | TR/J CRB GLOBAL COMMODITY EQUITY INDEX FUND | November 30, 2012

 

Security Description

    Shares        Value   

United States (continued)

  

 

Ingredion, Inc.

    7,391      $ 480,045   

Intrepid Potash, Inc.*

    5,313        113,061   

Kinder Morgan, Inc.

    6,446        217,939   

Marathon Oil Corp.

    9,435        291,070   

Monsanto Co.

    52,655        4,822,671   

The Mosaic Co.

    27,610        1,492,597   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc.

    5,663        386,783   

Newmont Mining Corp.

    15,541        731,826   

Noble Energy, Inc.

    2,264        221,306   

Nucor Corp.

    5,966        245,680   

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

    10,663        801,964   

Peabody Energy Corp.

    3,363        84,445   

Pioneer Natural Resources Co.

    1,662        177,834   

Royal Gold, Inc.

    1,666        134,546   

Southern Copper Corp.

    2,976        108,029   

Southwestern Energy Co.*

    4,242        147,240   

United States Steel Corp.

    2,618        56,444   

Valero Energy Corp.

    7,358        237,369   

The Williams Co., Inc.

    8,326        273,426   
   

 

 

 
      31,146,265   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS

   

(Cost $85,867,086)

      76,823,240   
   

 

 

 

RIGHTS (0.03%)

   

United Kingdom (0.02%)

  

 

Lonmin Plc, Rights,strike price 1.40 GBP, Expires 12/30/12*

    7,868        14,501   
   

 

 

 

Hong Kong (0.01%)

  

 

China Agri-Industries Holdings, Ltd., Rights, strike price 3.39 HKD, Expires 12/31/12*

    46,500        6,000   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL RIGHTS

   

(Cost $57,916)

      20,501   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.54%)

  

 

(Cost $85,925,002)

      76,843,741   
   

 

 

 

NET OTHER ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (0.46%)

      355,599   
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

   
    $ 77,199,340   
   

 

 

 

 

*

Non-income producing security.

(a)  

Less than 0.005% of Net Assets.

(b)  

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. This security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the market value of this security restricted under Rule 144A was $314,636, representing 0.41% of the Fund’s net assets.

 
(c)  

These securities initially sold to other parties pursuant to Regulation S under the 1933 Act and subsequently resold to the Fund. At the period end, the aggregate market values of these securities were $1,369,377, representing 1.77% of the Fund’s net assets.

Common Abbreviations:

ADR -

  

American Depositary Receipt.

AG -

  

Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e., owned by shareholders.

ASA -

  

Allmennaksjeselskap is the Norwegian term for public limited company.

BHD -

  

Berhad (in Malaysia; equivalent to Public Limited Company).

GBP -

  

Great British Pounds

GDR -

  

Global Depository Receipt.

Ltd. -

  

Limited.

N.V. -

  

Naamloze Vennootschap is the Dutch term for a public limited liability corporation.

OAO -

  

Otkytoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo (open Joint Stock Corporation) is a Russian term for a stock-based corporation.

Plc -

  

Public Limited Co.

SA -

  

Generally designated corporations in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law.

SAB de CV - A variable capital company.

SpA -

  

Società Per Azioni is an Italian shared company.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

 

 

www.alpsfunds.com  

    

 

 

  7

    


LOGO

     STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
     JEFFERIES | TR/J CRB GLOBAL COMMODITY EQUITY INDEX FUND | November 30, 2012

 

  ASSETS:

  

Investments, at value

   $   76,843,741   

Cash

     164,464   

Foreign currency, at value (Cost $11,419)

     11,556   

Foreign tax reclaims

     50,740   

Interest and dividends receivable

     169,545   

Total Assets

     77,240,046   

  LIABILITIES:

  

Payable to advisor

     40,706   

Total Liabilities

     40,706   

  NET ASSETS

   $ 77,199,340   
          

  NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 90,813,585   

Accumulated net investment income

     250,841   

Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions

     (4,785,679

Net unrealized depreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     (9,079,407

  NET ASSETS

   $ 77,199,340   
          

  INVESTMENTS, AT COST

   $ 85,925,002   

  PRICING OF SHARES

  

Net Assets

   $ 77,199,340   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (Unlimited number of shares authorized, par value $0.01 per share)

     1,750,020   

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 44.11   

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


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     STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
     JEFFERIES | TR/J CRB GLOBAL COMMODITY EQUITY INDEX FUND

 

    

For the

Year Ended
November 30, 2012

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

  

Dividends(a)

   $ 1,881,971   

Total Investment Income

     1,881,971   

EXPENSES:

  

Investment advisory fee

     542,198   

Total Expenses

     542,198   

NET INVESTMENT INCOME

     1,339,773   

Net realized loss on investments

     (1,681,584

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions

     (4,535

Net change in unrealized depreciation on investments

     (397,803

NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED LOSS ON INVESTMENTS

     (2,083,922

NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

   $ (744,149
          

 

(a)  

Net of foreign tax withholdings of $135,387.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

 

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     STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
     JEFFERIES | TR/J CRB GLOBAL COMMODITY EQUITY INDEX FUND

 

     For the Year Ended
November 30, 2012
   

For the Period

January 1, 2011 to
November 30, 2011(a)

    For the Year Ended
December 31, 2010
 

OPERATIONS:

      

Net investment income

   $ 1,339,773      $ 1,510,430      $ 823,825   

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions

     (1,686,119     7,252,630        (464,490

Net change in unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency

     (397,803     (23,594,788     11,822,126   

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     (744,149     (14,831,728     12,181,461   

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

      

From net investment income

     (1,276,823     (1,248,722     (873,185

Total distributions

     (1,276,823     (1,248,722     (873,185

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

      

Proceeds from sale of shares

     9,514,413        55,309,332        51,567,090   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (21,833,445     (58,690,822     (22,531,834

Net increase/(decrease) from share transactions

     (12,319,032     (3,381,490     29,035,256   

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets

     (14,340,004     (19,461,940     40,343,532   

NET ASSETS:

      

Beginning of period

     91,539,344        111,001,284        70,657,752   

End of period*

   $ 77,199,340      $ 91,539,344      $ 111,001,284   
   

*Including Accumulated net investment income/(loss) of:

   $ 250,841      $ 192,426      $ (27,176

Other Information:

      

SHARE TRANSACTIONS:

      

Beginning shares

     2,050,017        2,250,001        1,650,000   

Shares sold

     200,003        1,050,016        1,150,001   

Shares redeemed

     (500,000     (1,250,000     (550,000

Shares outstanding, end of period

     1,750,020        2,050,017        2,250,001   
   

 

(a)

Effective March 7, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year end of the Fund from December 31 to November 30.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

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  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


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     FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
    

JEFFERIES | TR/J CRB GLOBAL COMMODITY EQUITY INDEX FUND

For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Periods Presented

 

   

For the

Year Ended
November 30, 2012

    For the Period
January 1, 2011 to
November 30, 2011(a)
    For the Year Ended
December 31, 2010
    For the Period Ended
September 21, 2009
(inception) through
December 31, 2009
 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

  $ 44.65      $ 49.33      $ 42.82      $ 39.74   

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income

    0.71 (b)      0.58 (b)      0.46 (b)      0.12   

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    (0.57     (4.78     6.54        3.08   

Total from Investment Operations

    0.14        (4.20     7.00        3.20   

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

       

From net investment income

    (0.68     (0.48     (0.49     (0.12

Total Distributions

    (0.68     (0.48     (0.49     (0.12

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET ASSET VALUE

    (0.54     (4.68     6.51        3.08   

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

  $ 44.11      $ 44.65      $ 49.33      $ 42.82   
   

TOTAL RETURN(c)

    0.35     (8.56 )%      16.60     8.06

RATIOS/ SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

       

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

  $ 77,199      $ 91,539      $ 111,001      $ 70,658   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

       

Net investment income

    1.61     1.29 (d)      1.09     1.53 (d) 

Operating Expenses

    0.65     0.65 (d)      0.65     0.65 (d) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE(e)

    13     10     18     7

 

(a)  

Effective March 7, 2011, the Board approved changing the fiscal year end of the Fund from December 31 to November 30.

(b ) 

Calculated using average shares outstanding.

(c)  

Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested at actual reinvestment prices. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

(d)  

Annualized.

(e)  

Portfolio turnover is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

 

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     NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
     November 30, 2012

 

1. ORGANIZATION

The ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As of November 30, 2012, the Trust consists of five separate portfolios. Each portfolio represents a separate series of the Trust. This report pertains to the Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund (the “Fund”). The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the Fund’s fees and expenses) of the Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB In-The-Ground Global Commodity Equity Index (the “Underlying Index”).

The Fund’s Shares (“Shares”) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca. The Fund issues and redeems Shares, at net asset value (“NAV”) in blocks of 50,000 Shares, each of which is called a “Creation Unit.” Creation Units are issued and redeemed principally in-kind for securities included in a specified index. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of the financial statements. The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

A. Portfolio Valuation

The Fund’s NAV is determined daily, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The NAV is computed by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses and dividends declared but unpaid), by the total number of shares outstanding.

Portfolio securities listed on any exchange other than the National Association of Securities Dealer Automated Quotation (“NAS-DAQ”) exchange are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such value is being determined. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and asked prices on such day. Securities traded on the NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price as determined by NASDAQ. Portfolio securities traded on more than one securities exchange are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such value is being determined at the close of the exchange representing the principal market for such securities. Portfolio securities traded in the over-the-counter market, but excluding securities traded on the NASDAQ, are valued at the closing bid prices. Short-term investments that mature in less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The Fund’s investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value according to procedures adopted by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). When market quotations are not readily available or when events occur that make established valuation methods unreliable, securities of the Fund may be valued in good faith by or under the direction of the Board. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933) for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established primary pricing source or the pricing source is not willing to provide a price; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is most likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s NAV or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; or a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, does not reflect the security’s “fair value” due to the security being de-listed from a national exchange or the security’s primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when, under normal conditions, it would be open. As a general principle, the current “fair value” of a security would be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive from the closing sale prices on the applicable exchange and fair value prices may not reflect the actual value of a security. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities.

B. Foreign Currency Translation and Foreign Investments

The Fund invests in foreign securities which may involve a number of risk factors and special considerations not present with investments in securities of U.S. Corporations. The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment in non-U.S. issuers may involve unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. These risks may include, but are not limited to: (i) less information about non-U.S. issuers or markets may be available due to less rigorous disclosure,

 

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  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


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     NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
     November 30, 2012

 

accounting standards or regulatory practices; (ii) many non-U.S. markets are smaller, less liquid and more volatile thus, in a changing market, the advisers may not be able to sell the Fund’s portfolio securities at times, in amounts and at prices they consider reasonable; (iii) currency exchange rates or controls may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments; (iv) the economies of non-U.S. countries may grow at slower rates than expected or may experience downturns or recessions; and, (v) withholdings and other non-U.S. taxes may decrease the Fund’s return.

Portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated to U.S. dollars at the prevailing rates of exchange at period end. Amounts related to the purchases and sales of securities and investment income are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the respective dates of transactions. The effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on portfolio investments are included in the net realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments. Net gains and losses on foreign currency transactions include disposition of foreign currencies, and currency gains and losses between the accrual and receipt dates of portfolio investment income and between the trade and settlement dates of portfolio investment transactions.

C. Securities Transactions and Investment Income

Securities transactions are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions are recorded on the highest cost basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, if any, is recorded on the accrual basis.

D. Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders

Dividends from net investment income of the Fund, if any, are declared and paid quarterly or as the Board may determine from time to time. Distributions of net realized capital gains earned by the Fund, if any, are distributed at least annually.

E. Federal Tax and Tax Basis Information

The timing and character of income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under income tax regulations.

For the year ended November 30, 2012, permanent book and tax differences resulting primarily from differing treatment of foreign currency and in-kind transactions were identified and reclassified among the components of the Fund’s net assets as follows:

 

    Undistributed
Net Investment
Loss
  Accumulated
Net Realized
Loss
  Paid-in Capital

Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund

  $      (4,535)   $    (748,941)           $     753,476    

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 (“the Modernization Act”), net capital losses recognized in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 may be carried forward indefinitely, and the character of the losses is retained as short-term and/or long-term. Under the law in effect prior to the Modernization Act, net capital losses were carried forward for eight years and treated as short-term. As a transition rule, the Modernization Act requires that post-enactment net capital losses be used before pre-enactment net capital losses. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

At November 30, 2012, the Fund had available for tax purposes unused pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards as follows:

 

       Expiring December 31, 2018

Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund

     $      684,426

At November 30, 2012, the Fund had available for tax purposes unused post-enactment capital loss carryforwards as follows:

 

     Short-Term    Long-Term

Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund

   $        1,703,230    $        1,766,910

Distributions from net investment income and capital gains are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. These differences are primarily due to differing treatments of income and gains on various investment securities held by the Fund, timing differences and differing characterization of distributions made by the Fund.

 

 

 

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     NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
     November 30, 2012

 

The tax character of the distributions paid was as follows:

 

    Year Ended
November 30, 2012
Distributions paid from:
Ordinary Income
  Period Ended
November 30, 2011
Distributions paid from:
Ordinary Income
  Year Ended
December 31, 2010
Distributions paid from:
Ordinary Income

Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund

  $    1,276,823   $    1,248,722   $    873,185

As of November 30, 2012, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis for the Fund were as follows:

 

     Jefferies |  TR/J CRB Global
Commodity Equity Index Fund

Undistributed net investment income

   $        250,841       

Accumulated Capital (losses)

   (4,154,566)

Net unrealized depreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

   (9,710,520)

Total

   $  (13,614,245)      

The differences between book-basis and tax-basis are primarily due to the deferral of losses from wash sales and the differing treatment of certain other investments.

As of November 30, 2012, the costs of investments for federal income tax purposes and accumulated net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments were as follows:

 

     Jefferies  |  TR/J CRB Global
Commodity Equity Index Fund

Cost of investments for income tax purposes

   $    86,556,115        
      

Gross Appreciation (excess of value over tax cost)

   $      4,762,806        

Gross Depreciation (excess of tax cost over value)

   (14,475,180)       

Net unrealized appreciation of foreign currency and derivatives

   1,854        

Net Unrealized Depreciation

   $     (9,710,520)       
      

F. Income Taxes

No provision for income taxes is included in the accompanying financial statements, as the Fund intends to distribute to shareholders all taxable investment income and realized gains and otherwise comply with Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies.

The Fund evaluates tax positions taken (or expected to be taken) in the course of preparing the Fund’s tax returns to determine whether these positions meet a “more-likely-than-not” standard that, based on the technical merits, have a more than fifty percent likelihood of being sustained by a taxing authority upon examination. A tax position that meets the “more-likely-than-not” recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements.

Management of the Fund analyzes all open tax years, as defined by the Statute of Limitations, for all major jurisdictions, including federal tax authorities and certain state tax authorities. As of and during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund will file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and Colorado. For the years ended December 31, 2009 through November 30, 2011 and 2012, the Fund’s returns will be open to examination by the appropriate taxing authority.

G. Fair Value Measurements

The Fund discloses the classification of fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is

 

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  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


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     NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
     November 30, 2012

 

determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 –

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

 

Level 2 –

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

 

Level 3 –

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Funds investments at November 30, 2012:

 

Investments in Securities at Value*    Level 1 -
Unadjusted
Quoted Prices
   Level 2 -
Other Significant
Observable Inputs
   Level 3 -    
Significant    
Unobservable    
Inputs    
   Total

Common Stocks

     $   76,822,791        $ 449        $       –        $   76,823,240  

Rights

       14,501          6,000                   20,501  

TOTAL

     $ 76,837,292        $       6,449        $        $ 76,843,741  

 

*

For detailed country descriptions, see the accompanying Schedule of Investments.

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the fiscal year. For the year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. The Fund did not have any securities which used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

3. INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE AND OTHER AFFILIATED TRANSACTIONS

ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Investment Adviser”) acts as the Fund’s investment adviser pursuant to an advisory agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund (the “Advisory Agreement”). Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Investment Adviser a unitary fee for the services and facilities it provides payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. From time to time, the Investment Adviser may waive all or a portion of its fee.

Out of the unitary management fee, the Investment Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the licensing fee of the Index provider, and the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit, trustees and other services, except for interest expenses, distribution fees or expenses, brokerage expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business. In addition, the Investment Adviser’s unitary management fee is designed to compensate the Investment Adviser for providing services for the Fund.

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”), an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, is the administrator of the Fund.

The Bank of New York Mellon is the custodian, fund accounting agent and transfer agent for the Fund.

Each Trustee who is not an officer or employee of the Investment Adviser, any sub-adviser or any of their affiliates (“Independent Trustees”) is paid a quarterly retainer of $5,000, $3,750 for each regularly scheduled Board meeting attended and $1,500 for each special meeting held outside of regularly scheduled meetings.

4. PURCHASES AND SALES OF SECURITIES

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities, excluding short-term investments and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     Purchases      Sales  

Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund

   $   11,070,445       $   10,891,246   

 

 

 

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     NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
     November 30, 2012

 

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the cost of in-kind purchases and proceeds from in-kind sales were as follows:

 

     Purchases      Sales  

Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund

   $   7,005,007       $   19,422,604   

Gains on in-kind transactions are not considered taxable for federal income tax purposes.

5. CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Shares are created and redeemed by the Fund only in Creation Unit size aggregations of 50,000. Only broker-dealers or large institutional investors with creation and redemption agreements called Authorized Participants (“AP”) are permitted to purchase or redeem Creation Units from the Fund. Such transactions are generally permitted on an in-kind basis, with a balancing cash component to equate the transaction to the net asset value per unit of the Fund on the transaction date. Cash may be substituted equivalent to the value of certain securities generally when they are not available in sufficient quantity for delivery, not eligible for trading by the AP or as a result of other market circumstances.

6. INDEMNIFICATIONS

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. 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.

 

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     ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
     November 30, 2012

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

A description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures used in determining how to vote for proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available without charge, (1) on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at http://www.sec.gov; (2) upon request, by calling (toll-free) 1-866-513-5856; and (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds.com.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The Trust will file its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Trust’s Form N-Q will be available (1) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; (2) by calling (toll-free) 1-866-513-5856; (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds.com; and (4) for review and copying at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (“PRR”) in Washington D.C. Information regarding the operation of the PRR may be obtained by calling (toll-free) 1-800-732-0330.

TAX DESIGNATIONS

The Fund designates the following as a percentage of taxable ordinary income distributions for the calendar year ended December 31, 2011:

 

Qualified Dividend Income:

     100.00

Dividend Received Deduction:

     56.96

 

 

 

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     TRUSTEES & OFFICERS (Unaudited)
     November 30, 2012

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

Name,

Address

and Age of
Management
Trustee*

  

Position(s)
Held

with Trust

   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served**
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

  

Number of
Portfolios

in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustees***

  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

  

Trustee

  

Since

March 2008

  

Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/Director of the following: AV Hunter Trust; Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.

   21   

Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund; and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

  

Trustee

  

Since

March 2008

  

Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company, from 2004 to June 2007. Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.

   21   

Mr. Deems is a Trustee of Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); and Reaves Utility Income Fund.

Rick A. Pederson,

age 60

  

Trustee

  

Since

March 2008

  

President, Foundation Properties, Inc. (a real estate investment management company), 1994 - present; Partner, Western Capital Partners (a prime lending company), 2000 - present; Partner, Bow River Capital Partners (investment manager), 2003 - present; Principal, The Pauls Corporation (real estate development), 2008 - present; Director, Guaranty Bank and Trust (a community bank), 1999 – 2007; Winter Park Recreational Association (an entity that operates, maintains and develops Winter Park Resort), 2002 – 2008; Neenan Co. (an integrated real estate development, architecture and construction company), 2002 – present; NexCore Properties LLC (a real estate investment company), 2004 – present; Urban Land Conservancy (a not- for-profit organization), 2004 – present.

   5   

Mr. Pederson is Trustee of Westcore Trust (12 funds).

 

*  

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**  

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***  

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services.

 

 

18  

    

  

 

  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


LOGO

     TRUSTEES & OFFICERS (Unaudited)
     November 30, 2012

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE***

 

Name, Address

and Age of

Management
Trustee*

  

Position(s)
Held

with Trust

   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served**
  

Principal Occupation (s)

During Past 5 Years

  

Number of
Portfolios

in Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustees****

  

Other

Directorships
Held by Trustees

Thomas A.

Carter,

age 46

   Trustee and President   

Since March

2008

  

Mr. Carter joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 1994 and is currently President and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and Executive Vice President and Director of ALPS and ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”). Because of his position with AHI, ALPS, ADI, APSD and AAI, Mr. Carter is deemed an affiliate of the Fund as defined under the 1940 Act. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Carter was with Deloitte & Touché LLP, where he worked with a diverse group of clients, primarily within the financial services industry. Mr. Carter is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

 

   10   

Mr. Carter is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds).

 

* The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.
** This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
*** Mr. Carter is an interested person of the Trust because of his affiliation with ALPS.
**** The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services.

 

 

 

www.alpsfunds.com  

    

 

 

  19

    


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     TRUSTEES & OFFICERS (Unaudited)
     November 30, 2012

 

OFFICERS

 

Name, Address
and Age of
Executive Officer*
  

Position(s)
Held

with Trust

   Length of Time
Served**
   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Melanie

Zimdars,

age 36

   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)    Since December 2009   

Ms. Zimdars currently serves as a Deputy Chief Compliance Officer with ALPS. Prior to joining ALPS in September 2009, Ms. Zimdars served as Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary for the Wasatch Funds from February 2007 to December 2008. From November 2006 to February 2007, she served as Assistant Treasurer for the Wasatch Funds and served as a Senior Compliance Officer for Wasatch Advisors, Inc. since 2005. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Zimdars is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Zimdars is also the CCO of EGA Emerging Global Shares Trust, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust, Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc., Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and BPV Family of Funds.

 

 

William

Parmentier, age 60

   Vice President    Since March 2008   

Mr. Parmentier is Chief Investment Officer, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2006); President of the Liberty All-Star Funds (since April 1999); Senior Vice President (2005-2006), Banc of America Investment Advisors, Inc.

 

Patrick D. Buchanan,

age 40

   Treasurer    Since June 2012   

Mr. Buchanan is Vice President of ALPS. Mr. Buchanan joined ALPS in 2007 and because of his position with ALPS, he is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act.

 

Tané T. Tyler, age 47    Secretary    Since December 2008   

Ms.Tyler is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of ALPS. Ms.Tyler joined ALPS in 2004. She served as Secretary, Reaves Utility Income Fund from December 2004–2007; Secretary, Westcore Funds from February 2005–2007; Secretary, First Funds from November 2004 to January 2007; Secretary, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust from December 2004–December 2006; Vice President and Associate Counsel, Oppenheimer Funds from January 2004 to August 2004; Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, INVESCO Funds from September 1991 to December 2003. Ms. Tyler also serves as Secretary, Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund.

 

 

*

The business address of each Officer is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Officer began serving the Trust. Each Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

20  

    

  

 

  Annual Report | November 30, 2012

    

  


LOGO

 


 

LOGO


 

 

LOGO    Table of Contents

Performance Overview

   1

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

   4

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   5

Financial Statements

  

Schedule of Investments

   6

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

   8

Statement of Operations

   9

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

   10

Financial Highlights

   12

Notes to Financial Statements

   14

Additional Information

   23

Trustees & Officers

   24

 

       
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LOGO

   Performance Overview
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Fund Description

 

The Alerian MLP ETF (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index (the “Index”). The Shares of the Fund are listed and trade on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca under the ticker symbol AMLP. The Fund generally will invest in all of the securities that comprise the Index in proportion to their weightings in the Index. The Fund began trading on August 25, 2010.

The Index is a rules based, modified capitalization weighted, float adjusted index intended to give investors a means of tracking the overall performance of the United States energy infrastructure Master Limited Partnership (“MLP”) asset class. The Index is comprised of 25 energy infrastructure MLPs that earn a majority of their cash flow from the transportation and storage of energy commodities.

Performance Overview

 

The Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index (AMZI) gained 14.2% on a total return basis during the trailing twelve months through November 30, 2012, compared to a 16.1% return for the S&P 500 during the same time period. Similar to 2011, the AMZI yield averaged 6%.

More importantly, AMZI weighted average distribution growth on a year-over-year basis was 7.3% for third quarter 2012. This is a meaningful increase from the 5.4% reported in the prior year period, driven by strong demand for crude oil logistic services. Sunoco Logistics and Magellan Midstream grew their distributions by 25.2% and 21.3% year over year, respectively. Other double-digit distribution growers were Western Gas Partners (+19%), El Paso Pipeline (+18%), Access Midstream (+16%), ONEOK Partners (+15%), Targa Resources Partners (+14%), and MarkWest Energy (+11%).

As natural gas prices remained depressed in 2012, energy infrastructure MLPs shifted their focus to relieving takeaway constraints for natural gas liquids (NGLs) and crude oil. Some of these solutions have involved building new pipelines; others have involved converting existing pipelines to ship different resources or flow in opposite directions.

Several NGL-rich plays experienced rapid production growth such as the DJ Basin in eastern Colorado, the Eagle Ford shale in southeast Texas, the Permian Basin in west Texas, and the Bakken Shale in North Dakota. In 2012 alone, a record six new NGL pipelines were proposed to be constructed across 3,000 miles, with an aggregate capacity of nearly one million barrels per day. One pipeline has already come online and the remaining five will be in service in 2013 and 2014.

Crude oil production from the Canadian oil sands and the Bakken shale play began to pick up rapidly this year, but pipeline takeaway capacity still remains an issue. Product that did manage to make it southward to the crude oil hub of Cushing, Oklahoma was unable to make it further to the Gulf Coast refineries due to takeaway capacity restraints there as well. The reversal of Seaway pipeline, which connects these two points and is operated by Enterprise Products Partners, to flow from north to south relieved some pressure at Cushing, but additional solutions will still be needed.

 

    1
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


LOGO

   Performance Overview
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

One pipeline was proposed in 2012 to move oil from the Bakken to Cushing, which would help takeaway at Bakken but not necessarily at Cushing; as such, that proposal did not receive enough shipper commitments to be built. There is another proposal to convert a major natural gas trunkline into crude oil service, but in the meantime, several MLPs have begun expanding their rail terminaling logistics. While only a temporary solution, rail seems to provide producers with the most product pricing flexibility. The Niobrara Shale in Colorado is an emerging oil play that has been compared to the Bakken. Should Niobrara production meaningfully increase, MLPs will have their hands even more full addressing pipeline infrastructure needs.

Looking forward to 2013, some issues and trends that may emerge include more proposals to address crude oil bottlenecks, expanding into new business models like rail, and the addition of additional liquids export capacity out of Mont Belvieu. Additionally, if the current administration begins issuing non-free trade agreement (FTA) permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) export terminals, there could be more pipeline proposals to transport natural gas to those terminals.

MLPs continue to represent a compelling investment in the energy infrastructure build-out of the United States. As their toll-road business models benefit from inelastic energy demand, and infrastructure needs provide opportunities for MLPs to build more assets, MLPs are expected to continue paying consistent and growing distributions for many years to come.

Alerian MLP ETF Performance as of November 30, 2012

 

      6 Month     YTD     1 Year     Since Inception
Annualized*
 

NAV

     7.07     4.56     8.62     10.35

Market Price**

     7.07     4.56     8.75     10.38

Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index

     11.61     7.70     14.24     17.08

Total Expense Ratio (per the current prospectus) 4.86%.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For most current month-end performance data please visit www.alpsfunds.com.

NAV is an exchange-traded fund’s per-share value. The per-share dollar amount of the fund is derived by dividing the total value of all the securities in its portfolio, less any liabilities, by the number of fund shares outstanding. Market Price is the price at which a share can currently be traded in the market. Information detailing the number of days the Market Price of the Fund was greater than the Fund’s NAV and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV can be obtained at www.alpsfunds.com.

S&P 500® Index is the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices. One cannot invest directly in an index. Index performance does not reflect fund performance.

 

*

The Fund commenced Investment Operations on August 24, 2010 with an Inception Date, the first day of trading on the Exchange, of August 25, 2010.

 

**

Market Price is based on the midpoint of the bid-ask spread at 4 p.m. ET and does not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times.

The Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index is comprised of 25 midstream energy Master Limited Partnerships.

 

       
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   Performance Overview
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Top 10 Holdings* as of November 30, 2012

 

 

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP

     9.5

Enterprise Products Partners LP

     9.2

Plains All American Pipeline LP

     7.3

Energy Transfer Partners LP

     7.3

Magellan Midstream Partners LP

     7.1

ONEOK Partners LP

     6.9

Enbridge Energy Partners LP

     4.8

Williams Partners LP

     4.7

MarkWest Energy Partners LP

     4.6

El Paso Pipeline Partners LP

     4.5

Percent of Total Investments in
Top Ten Holdings:

     65.9

* % of Total Investments.

Holdings are subject to change.

 

Growth of $10k as of November 30, 2012

 

Comparison of Change in Value of $10,000 Investment in Alerian MLP ETF and Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index.

 

LOGO

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund over the life of the Fund. Performance calculations are as of the end of each month. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

    3
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


LOGO

   Disclosure of Fund Expenses (Unaudited)
  

 

Shareholder Expense Example: As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs which may include creation and redemption fees or brokerage charges, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. These examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. It is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the (six month) period and held though November 30, 2012.

Actual Return: The first line of the table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this table, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you incurred 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 first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses attributable to your investment during this period.

Hypothetical 5% Return: The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as creation and redemption fees, or brokerage charges. Therefore, the second line 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 costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
6/1/12
     Ending
Account Value
11/30/12
     Expense  Ratio(a)     Expenses Paid
During the Period
6/1/12 - 11/30/12(b)
 

Actual

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,070.70         0.85   $ 4.40   

Hypothetical
(5% return beforeexpenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,020.75         0.85   $ 4.29   

 

(a)

The Fund’s expense ratios have been based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses (excluding current and net deferred tax expenses/benefits and franchise tax expense).

(b)

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (183), then divided by 366.

 

       
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LOGO

  

Report of Independent Registered

Public Accounting Firm

  

 

To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of ALPS ETF Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Alerian MLP ETF, one of the portfolios constituting the ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”) as of November 30, 2012, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the year ended November 30, 2012, for the period January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011, and for the period August 25, 2010 (inception) to December 31, 2010. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2012, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Alerian MLP ETF of the ALPS ETF Trust as of November 30, 2012, the results of its operations for the year then ended, and the changes in its net assets and financial highlights for the year ended November 30, 2012, for the period January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011, and for the period August 25, 2010 (inception) to December 31, 2010, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

January 24, 2013

 

    5
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


LOGO

   Schedule of Investments
   November 30, 2012

 

 

Security Description    Shares      Value  

Master Limited Partnerships Shares (103.87%)

     

Gathering & Processing (19.18%)

     

Copano Energy LLC

     3,242,523       $ 102,236,750   

DCP Midstream Partners LP

     1,761,478         73,770,699   

MarkWest Energy Partners LP

     4,134,132         213,651,942   

Targa Resources Partners LP

     3,433,530         129,341,075   

Western Gas Partners LP

     2,465,949         120,732,863   

Williams Partners LP

     4,263,689         217,064,407   
     

 

 

 
        856,797,736   
     

 

 

 

Natural Gas Pipelines (38.86%)

     

Atlas Pipeline Partners LP

     2,177,768         71,844,567   

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP

     4,239,388         109,333,817   

El Paso Pipeline Partners LP

     5,620,198         209,801,991   

Energy Transfer Partners LP

     7,717,929         338,739,904   

Enterprise Products Partners LP

     8,213,146         425,687,357   

ONEOK Partners LP

     5,467,025         318,454,206   

Regency Energy Partners LP

     6,522,198         145,901,569   

Spectra Energy Partners LP

     1,598,514         47,619,732   

TC Pipelines LP

     1,646,387         68,637,874   
     

 

 

 
        1,736,021,017   
     

 

 

 

Petroleum Transportation (45.83%)

     

Access Midstream Partners LP

     2,041,913         71,446,536   

Buckeye Partners LP

     4,154,711         208,815,775   

Crosstex Energy LP

     1,988,964         29,993,577   

Enbridge Energy Partners LP

     7,743,314         224,710,972   

Genesis Energy LP

     2,914,219         104,533,035   

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP

     5,385,666         438,985,636   

Magellan Midstream Partners LP

     7,448,186         331,295,313   

NuStar Energy LP

     2,953,922         135,407,785   

Plains All American Pipeline LP

     7,320,550         340,991,219   

Sunoco Logistics Partners LP

     3,163,467         160,767,393   
     

 

 

 
        2,046,947,241   
     

 

 

 

Total Master Limited Partnerships Shares

    (Cost $4,163,683,442)

        4,639,765,994   
     

 

 

 

 

6

       
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LOGO

   Schedule of Investments
   November 30, 2012

 

      Value  

Total Investments (103.87%)
(Cost $4,163,683,442)

   $     4,639,765,994   
  

 

 

 

Net Liabilities Less Other Assets (-3.87%)

     (172,950,604
  

 

 

 

Net Assets (100.00%)

   $ 4,466,815,390   
  

 

 

 

Common Abbreviations:

LLC - Limited Liability Company.

LP - Limited Partnerships.

 

     See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  7
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


LOGO

   Statement of Assets & Liabilities
   November 30, 2012

 

Assets:

  

Investments, at value

   $     4,639,765,994   

Cash

     7,278,544   

Receivable for shares sold

     17,128,557   

Income tax receivable

     6,118,832   

Total Assets

     4,670,291,927   

Liabilities:

  

Payable for investments purchased

     17,150,992   

Franchise tax payable

     477,404   

Deferred tax liability

     182,823,086   

Payable to advisor

     3,025,055   

Total Liabilities

     203,476,537   

Net Assets

   $ 4,466,815,390   
          

Net Assets Consist Of:

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 4,171,406,518   

Distributions in excess of net investment loss, net of income taxes

     (23,635,097

Accumulated net realized gain on investments, net of income taxes

     21,074,694   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments, net of income taxes

     297,969,275   

Net Assets

   $ 4,466,815,390   
          

Investments, At Cost

   $ 4,163,683,442   

Pricing Of Shares

  

Net Assets

   $ 4,466,815,390   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding

  

(Unlimited number of shares authorized, par value $0.01 per share)

     273,740,266   

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 16.32   

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

   
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LOGO

   Statement of Operations
   For the Year Ended November 30, 2012

 

Investment Income:

  

Distributions from master limited partnerships

   $     212,988,743   

Less return of capital distributions

     (212,988,743

Total Investment Income

       

Expenses:

  

Franchise tax expense

     670,877   

Investment advisory fee

     27,544,239   

Total Expenses

     28,215,116   

Net Investment Loss, before Income Taxes

     (28,215,116

Derferred income tax benefit

     10,548,210   

Net Investment Loss

     (17,666,906

Realized and Unrealized Gain/(Loss):

  

Net realized gain on investments, before income taxes

     28,659,802   

Current income tax benefit

     5,366,535   

Deferred income tax expense

     (16,070,726

Net realized gain on investments

     17,955,611   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments, before income taxes

     345,385,106   

Deferred income tax expense

     (129,110,894

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     216,274,212   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain

     234,229,823   

Net Increase in Net Assets from Operations

   $ 216,562,917   
          

 

     See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  9
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


LOGO

    
  

 

     

    

    

For the Year Ended
November 30, 2012

 

Operations:

  

Net investment loss

   $ (17,666,906

Net realized gain/(loss) on investments

     17,955,611   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments

     216,274,212   

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     216,562,917   

Distributions To Shareholders:

  

From net realized gains

     (660,911

Tax return of capital

     (209,317,584

Total distributions

     (209,978,495

Share Transactions:

  

Proceeds from sale of shares

     2,788,664,270   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (41,820,413

Net increase from share transactions

     2,746,843,857   

Net increase in net assets

     2,753,428,279   

Net Assets:

  

Beginning of period

     1,713,387,111   

End of period*

   $ 4,466,815,390   
          

*Including distributions in excess of net investment loss, net of income taxes of:

   $ (23,635,097

Other Information:

  

Share Transactions:

  

Beginning shares

     107,276,019   

Shares sold

     169,164,247   

Shares redeemed

     (2,700,000

Shares outstanding, end of period

     273,740,266   
          

 

(a)

Effective March 7, 2011 the Board approved changing the fiscal year end of the Fund from December 31 to November 30.

 

10 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

   
  www.alpsfunds.com   |     866.513.5856


     Statements of Changes in Net Assets
  

 

For the Period

January 1, 2011 to

November 30, 2011(a)

   

For the Period

August 25, 2010

(Inception) to

December 31, 2010

 
            
$ (5,442,397   $ (525,794
  14,982,382        (973,891
  59,750,058        21,945,005   
  69,290,043        20,445,320   
           
  (10,228,497       
  (62,790,879     (5,380,298
  (73,019,376     (5,380,298
           
  1,189,599,389        596,401,556   
  (83,949,523       
  1,105,649,866        596,401,556   
  1,101,920,533        611,466,578   
           
  611,466,578          
$  1,713,387,111      $ 611,466,578   
     
$ (5,968,191   $ (525,794
           
           
  38,100,000          
  74,576,019        38,100,000   
  (5,400,000       
  107,276,019        38,100,000   
     

 

 

 

 

    

  11
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


LOGO

    
  

 

     

    

    

For the Year Ended

November 30, 2012

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

   $ 15.97   

Income From Operations:

  

Net investment loss(b)

     (0.09)   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     1.44   

Total from Investment Operations

     1.35   

Less Distributions:

  

From net realized gains

     (0.00) (b)(h) 

From tax return of capital

     (1.00)   

Total Distributions

     (1.00)   

Net Increase/(Decrease) In Net Asset Value

     0.35   

Net Asset Value, End Of Period

   $ 16.32   
          

Total Return(c)

     8.62

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

  

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $   4,466,815   

Ratios To Average Net Assets:

  

Ratio of expenses (including net current and deferred tax expenses/benefits) to average net assets(e)

     4.85

Ratio of expenses (including current and deferred tax expenses/benefits)to average net assets(f)

     0.54

Ratio of expenses (excluding net current and deferred tax expenses/benefits and franchise tax expense) to average net assets

     0.85

Ratio of net investment loss (including deferred tax expenses/benefits)to average net assets

     (0.54 %) 

Ratio of net investment loss (excluding deferred tax expenses/benefits and franchise tax expense) to average net assets

     (0.85 %) 

Portfolio Turnover Rate(g)

     12

 

(a)

Effective March 7, 2011 the Board approved changing the fiscal year end of the Fund from December 31 to November 30.

(b) 

Calculated using average shares outstanding.

(c) 

Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period, and assuming all distributions are reinvested at actual reinvestment prices. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

(d)

Annualized.

(e) 

Includes amount of current and deferred taxes/benefits for all components of the Statement of Operations.

(f)

Includes amount of current and deferred tax benefit associated with net investment income.

(g) 

Portfolio turnover is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

(h) 

Less than (0.005) per share.

 

12 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

   
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     Financial Highlights

For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Periods Presented

 

    For the Period

    Janurary 1, 2011 to

    November 30,  2011(a)

   

For the Period

August 25, 2010

(Inception) to

December 31, 2010

 
    $ 16.05      $ 15.00   
           
  (0.08)        (0.03)   
  1.00        1.33   
  0.92        1.30   
           
  (0.14) (b)      –     
  (0.86)        (0.25)   
  (1.00)        (0.25)   
  (0.08)        1.05   
    $ 15.97      $ 16.05   
     
  5.93     8.66
           
    $ 1,713,387      $ 611,467   
           
 

 

  

4.86

  

%(d) 

    13.56 %(d) 
 

 

  

0.53

  

%(d) 

    0.52 %(d) 
 

 

  

0.85

  

%(d) 

    0.85 %(d) 
  (0.53 %)(d)      (0.52 %)(d) 
 

 

  

(0.85

  

%)(d) 

    (0.85 %)(d) 
  10     12

 

 

 

    13
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


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   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

1. Organization

 

The ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As of November 30, 2012, the Trust consists of five separate portfolios. Each portfolio represents a separate series of the Trust. This report pertains to the Alerian MLP ETF (the “Fund”), which commenced investment operations on August 24, 2010 and began trading on the exchange on August 25, 2010. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance (before the Fund’s fees and expenses) of its underlying index, the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index (the “Index”).

The Fund’s Shares (“Shares”) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca. The Fund issues and redeems Shares at Net Asset Value (“NAV”), in blocks of 50,000 Shares, each of which is called a “Creation Unit.” Creation Units are issued and redeemed principally in-kind for securities included in a specified index. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

2. Significant Accounting Policies

 

A. Use of Estimates

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of the financial statements. The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

B. Portfolio Valuation

The Fund’s NAV is determined daily, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The NAV is computed by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses and dividends declared but unpaid), by the total number of shares outstanding.

Portfolio securities listed on any exchange other than the National Association of Securities Dealer Automated Quotation (“NASDAQ”) exchange are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such value is being determined. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and asked prices on such day. Securities traded on the NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price as determined by NASDAQ. Short-term investments that mature in less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

 

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   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

The Fund’s investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value according to procedures adopted by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). When market quotations are not readily available or when events occur that make established valuation methods unreliable, securities of the Fund may be valued in good faith by or under the direction of the Board. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933) for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established primary pricing source or the pricing source is not willing to provide a price; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is most likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s NAV or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; or a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, does not reflect the security’s “fair value” due to the security being de-listed from a national exchange or the security’s primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when, under normal conditions, it would be open. As a general principle, the current “fair value” of a security would be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive from the closing sale prices on the applicable exchange and fair value prices may not reflect the actual value of a security. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities.

C. Securities Transactions and Investment Income

Securities transactions are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions are recorded on the highest cost basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, if any, is recorded on the accrual basis, including amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts.

D. Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders

The Fund intends to declare and make quarterly distributions, or as the Board may determine from time to time. Distributions of net realized capital gains earned by the Fund, if any, are distributed at least annually. Distributions from net investment income and capital gains are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. These differences are primarily due to differing treatments of income and gains on various investment securities held by the Fund, timing differences and differing characterization of distributions made by the Fund.

Distributions received from the Fund’s investments in Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) generally are comprised of income and return of capital. The Fund records investment income and return of capital based on estimates made at the time such distributions are received. Such estimates are based on historical information available from each MLP and other industry sources. These estimates may subsequently be revised based on information received from MLPs after their tax reporting periods are concluded. For the year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund distributed $209,978,495, of which $209,317,584 was characterized as return of capital and $660,911 characterized as net realized gain from MLP distributions received.

 

    15
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


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   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

The Fund also expects that a portion of the distributions it receives from MLPs may be treated as a tax deferred return of capital, thus reducing the Fund’s current tax liability. Return of capital distributions are not taxable income to the shareholder, but reduce the investor’s tax basis in the investor’s Fund Shares. Such a reduction in tax basis will result in larger taxable gains and/or lower tax losses on a subsequent sale of Fund Shares. Shareholders who periodically receive the payment of dividends or other distributions consisting of a return of capital may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits from the Fund when, in fact, they are not. Shareholders should not assume that the source of the distributions is from the net profits of the Fund.

E. Federal Income Taxation and Tax Basis Information

The Fund is taxed as a regular C-corporation for federal income tax purposes. Currently, the maximum marginal regular federal income tax rate for a corporation is 35 percent. The Fund may be subject to a 20 percent federal alternative minimum tax on its federal alternative taxable income to the extent that its alternative minimum tax exceeds its regular federal income tax. This differs from most investment companies, which elect to be treated as “regulated investment companies” under the Code in order to avoid paying entity level income taxes. Under current law, the Fund is not eligible to elect treatment as a regulated investment company due to its investments primarily in MLPs invested in energy assets. As a result, the Fund will be obligated to pay applicable federal and state corporate income taxes on its taxable income as opposed to most other investment companies which are not so obligated. The Fund expects that a portion of the distributions it receives from MLPs may be treated as a tax-deferred return of capital, thus reducing the Fund’s current tax liability. However, the amount of taxes currently paid by the Fund will vary depending on the amount of income and gains derived from investments and/or sales of MLP interests and such taxes will reduce your return from an investment in the Fund.

Cash distributions from MLPs to the Fund that exceed such Fund’s allocable share of such MLP’s net taxable income are considered a tax-deferred return of capital that will reduce the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the equity securities of the MLP. These reductions in such Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the MLP equity securities will increase the amount of gain (or decrease the amount of loss) recognized by the Fund on a subsequent sale of the securities. The Fund will accrue deferred income taxes for any future tax liability associated with (i) that portion of MLP distributions considered to be a tax-deferred return of capital as well as (ii) capital appreciation of its investments. Upon the sale of an MLP security, the Fund may be liable for previously deferred taxes. The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by the MLPs, which is not necessarily timely, to estimate deferred tax liability for purposes of financial statement reporting and determining the NAV. From time to time, ALPS Advisors, Inc. will modify the estimates or assumptions related to the Fund’s deferred tax liability as new information becomes available. The Fund will generally compute deferred income taxes based on the marginal regular federal income tax rate applicable to corporations and an assumed rate attributable to state taxes.

 

16 

       
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   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

Since the Fund will be subject to taxation on its taxable income, the NAV of Fund shares will also be reduced by the accrual of any deferred tax liabilities. The Index however is calculated without any adjustments for taxes. As a result, the Fund’s after tax performance could differ significantly from the Index even if the pretax performance of the Fund and the performance of the Index are closely correlated.

The Fund’s income tax expense/(benefit) consists of the following:

 

    

November 30, 2012

 

 

 
     Current         Deferred         Total   

  Federal

   $   (5,267,314)       $   126,124,904       $   120,857,590   

  State

     (99,221)         8,508,506         8,409,285   

  Net tax expense (benefit)

   $   (5,366,535)       $   134,633,410       $   129,266,875   
   

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting and tax purposes.

Components of the Fund’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

 

     

As of

November 30,  2012

 

Deferred tax asset(s):

  

Accrued Franchise Taxes

   $ 161,051   

Federal net operating loss carry forward

     28,590,449   

Income recognized from MLP investments

     12,519,780   

Less Deferred tax liabilites:

  

Net unrealized gain on investment securities

     (205,563,236

State taxes net of federal benefit

     (18,531,129

Total Net Deferred tax assets/(liabilities)

   $ (182,823,085
          

The net operating loss carryforward is available to offset future taxable income. The net operating loss can be carried forward for 20 years and, accordingly, would begin to expire as of November 30, 2032. The Fund has net operating loss carryforwards for federal income tax purposes as follows:

 

      Year-Ended    Amount      Expiration

Federal

   11/30/12      28,590,449       11/30/32

State

   11/30/12      2,053,504       varies by state (5 - 20 years)

Total

        30,643,953      
                    

Although the Fund currently has a net deferred tax liability, it reviews the recoverability of its deferred tax assets based upon the weight of available evidence. When assessing the recoverability of its deferred tax assets, significant weight was given to the effects of potential future realized and

 

    17
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


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   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

unrealized gains on investments and the period over which these deferred tax assets can be realized Currently, any capital losses that may be generated by the Fund in the future are eligible to be carried back up to three years and can be carried forward for five years to offset capital gains recognized by the fund in those years. For Federal Tax purposes, net operating losses that may be generated by the Fund in the future are eligible to be carried back up to two years and can be carried forward for 20 years to offset income generated by the Fund in those years.

Based upon the Fund’s assessment, it has determined that it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets will be realized through future taxable income of the appropriate character. Accordingly, no valuation allowance has been established for the Fund’s deferred tax assets. The Fund will continue to assess the need for a valuation allowance in the future. Significant declines in the fair value of its portfolio of investments may change the Fund’s assessment of the recoverability of these assets and may result in the recording of a valuation allowance against all or a portion of the Fund’s gross deferred tax assets.

Total income tax benefit (current and deferred) differs from the amount computed by applying the federal statutory income tax rate of 35% to net investment and realized and unrealized gain/(losses) on investment before taxes as follows:

 

     

Year Ended

November 30, 2012

 

Income tax expense at statutory rate

     $121,040,427   

State income taxes (net of federal benefit)

     8,126,136   

Change in estimated state deferred rate

     (100,501

Other

     200,813   

Net income tax expense/(benefit)

     $129,266,875   
          

The following is a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits:

 

      December 1, 2011 to
November 30, 2012

Unrecognized tax benefit – Beginning

   $                –

Gross increases – tax positions in
prior period

                     –

Gross decreases – tax positions in
prior period

                     –

Gross increases – tax positions in
current period

                     –

Settlement

                     –

Lapse of statute of limitations

                     –

Unrecognized tax benefit – Ending

   $                –
      

The Fund recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the income tax expense line in the accompanying statement of operations. Accrued interest and penalties are included within the related tax liability line in the balance sheet.

 

18 

       
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   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

For the period from inception to November 30, 2012, the Fund had no accrued penalties or interest.

The Fund 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 Fund’s tax positions, and has concluded that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits should be recorded related to uncertain tax positions taken on U.S. tax returns and state tax returns filed since inception of the fund. No U.S. federal or state income tax returns are currently under examination. The tax period ended November 30, 2012 remains subject to examination by tax authorities in the United States. Due to the nature of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be required to file income tax returns in several states. The Fund 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 12 months.

The adjusted cost basis of investment and gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of investments for federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

      As of
November 30, 2012
 

Cost basis of investments

   $ 4,058,214,186   
          

Gross unrealized appreciation – investment securities

     686,380,367   

Gross unrealized depreciation – investment securities

     (104,828,559

Net Unrealized appreciation – investment securities

   $ 581,551,808   
          

The difference between cost amounts for financial statement purposes is due primarily to the recognition of pass-through income from the Fund’s investments in master limited partnerships and wash sale adjustments.

F. Fair Value Measurements

The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with

 

    19
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


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   Notes to Financial Statements
  

November 30, 2012

 

these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 –  

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2 –  

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3 –  

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

Investments in Securities

at Value*

   Level 1 -
Unadjusted
Quoted Prices
     Level 2 -
Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
     Level 3 -
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
     Total  

Master Limited

Partnerships Shares

   $ 4,639,765,994       $       $       $ 4,639,765,994   

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 4,639,765,994       $       $       $ 4,639,765,994   
                                     

 

*

For detailed descriptions of sectors, see the accompanying Schedule of Investments.

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the fiscal year. For the year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. The Fund did not have any securities which used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

3. Investment Advisory Fee and Other Affiliated Transactions

 

ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Investment Adviser”) acts as the Fund’s investment adviser pursuant to an advisory agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund (the “Advisory Agreement”). Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Investment Adviser a unitary fee for the services and facilities it provides payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.85% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. From time to time, the Investment Adviser may waive all or a portion of its fee.

Out of the unitary management fee, the Investment Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the fee of the Index Provider, and the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit, trustees and other services, other than taxes, interest expenses, distribution fees or expenses, brokerage expenses, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”), an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, is the administrator of the Fund.

 

20 

       
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   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

The Bank of New York Mellon is the custodian, fund accounting agent and transfer agent for the Fund.

Each Trustee who is not an officer or employee of the Investment Adviser, any sub-adviser or any of their affiliates (“Independent Trustees”) is paid a quarterly retainer of $5,000, $3,750 for each regularly scheduled Board meeting attended and $1,500 for each special meeting held outside of regularly scheduled meetings.

4. Purchases and Sales of Securities

 

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities, excluding short-term investments and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

    Purchases    

        Sales    

$  396,485,133

   $  660,515,566

For the year ended November 30, 2012, the cost of in-kind purchases and proceeds from in-kind sales were as follows:

 

Purchases

   Sales

$  2,765,210,343

   $                  –

5. Capital Share Transactions

 

Shares are created and redeemed by the Fund only in Creation Unit size aggregations of 50,000. Only broker-dealers or large institutional investors with creation and redemption agreements called Authorized Participants (“AP”) are permitted to purchase or redeem Creation Units from the Fund. Such transactions are generally permitted on an in-kind basis, with a balancing cash component to equate the transaction to the net asset value per unit of the Fund on the transaction date. Cash may be substituted equivalent to the value of certain securities generally when they are not available in sufficient quantity for delivery, not eligible for trading by the AP or as a result of other market circumstances.

6. Master Limited Partnerships

 

MLPs are publicly traded partnerships engaged in the transportation, storage and processing of minerals and natural resources. By confining their operations to these specific activities, their interests, or units, are able to trade on public securities exchanges exactly like the shares of a corporation, without entity level taxation. Of the seventy MLPs eligible for inclusion in the Index, approximately two-thirds trade on the NYSE and the rest trade on the NASDAQ. To qualify as a MLP and to not be taxed as a corporation, a partnership must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). These qualifying sources include natural resource based activities such as the processing, transportation and storage of mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. The general partner of an MLP is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management

 

    21
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


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   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

of the MLP, or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an up to 2% equity interest in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners typically own the remainder of the partnership, through ownership of common units, and have a limited role in the partnership’s operations and management. MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount (“minimum quarterly distributions” or “MQD”). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD is paid to both common and subordinated units and is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions.

7. Indemnifications

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. 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.

 

22 

       
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   Additional Information
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Proxy Voting Policies And Procedures

A description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures used in determining how to vote for proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available without charge, (1) on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at http://www.sec.gov; (2) upon request, by calling (toll free) 1-866-513-5856; and (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds.com.

Portfolio Holdings

The Trust will file its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Trust’s Form N-Q will be available (1) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; (2) by calling (toll free) 1-866-513-5856; (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds.com; and (4) for review and copying at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (“PRR”) in Washington D.C. Information regarding the operation of the PRR may be obtained by calling (toll free) 1-800-732-0330.

 

    23
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


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   Trustees & Officers
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Independent Trustees

 

Name, Address

and Age of

Management

Trustee*

  

Position(s)

Held

with Trust

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

  

Number of

Portfolios

in Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustees***

  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

Mary K. Anstine,

age 72

   Trustee    Since March 2008   

Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/ Director of the following: AV Hunter Trust; Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.

 

    

   21    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund; and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

Jeremy W. Deems,

age 36

   Trustee    Since March 2008    Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company, from 2004 to June 2007. Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.    21    Mr. Deems is a Trustee of Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); and Reaves Utility Income Fund.

 

24 

       
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   Trustees & Officers
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Independent Trustees (continued)

 

Name, Address

and Age of

Management

Trustee*

  

Position(s)

Held

with Trust

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

  

Number of

Portfolios

in Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustees***

  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

Rick A. Pederson,

age 60

   Trustee    Since March 2008   

President, Foundation Properties, Inc. (a real estate investment management company), 1994 - present; Partner, Western Capital Partners (a prime lending company), 2000 - present; Partner, Bow River Capital Partners (investment manager), 2003 - present; Principal, The Pauls Corporation (real estate development), 2008 - present; Director, Guaranty Bank and Trust (a community bank), 1999 – 2007; Winter Park Recreational Association (an entity that operates, maintains and develops Winter Park Resort), 2002 – 2008; Neenan Co. (an integrated real estate development, architecture and construction company), 2002 – present; NexCore Properties LLC (a real estate investment company), 2004 – present; Urban Land Conservancy (a not-for- profit organization), 2004 – present.

 

   5    Mr. Pederson is Trustee of Westcore Trust (12 funds)

 

*

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services.

 

    25
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


LOGO

   Trustees & Officers
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Interested Trustee***

 

Name, Address

and Age of

Management

Trustee*

  

Position(s)

Held

with Trust

  

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served**

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

  

Number of

Portfolios

in Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustees****

  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

Thomas A. Carter,

age 46

   Trustee and President    Since March 2008   

Mr. Carter joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 1994 and is currently President and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and Executive Vice President and Director of ALPS and ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”). Because of his position with AHI, APSD, ADI, ALPS and AAI, Mr. Carter is deemed an affiliate of the Fund as defined under the 1940 Act. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Carter was with Deloitte & Touché LLP, where he worked with a diverse group of clients, primarily within the financial services industry. Mr. Carter is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

 

   10    Mr. Carter is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds)

 

*

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Mr. Carter is an interested person of the Trust because of his affiliation with ALPS.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services

 

26 

       
  www.alpsfunds.com   |     866.513.5856


LOGO

   Trustees & Officers
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name, Address

and Age of

Executive

Officer*

  

Position(s)

Held

with Trust

  

Length of Time

Served**

   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Melanie Zimdars,

age 36

   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)    Since December 2009   

Ms. Zimdars currently serves as a Deputy Chief Compliance Officer with ALPS. Prior to joining ALPS in September 2009, Ms. Zimdars served as Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary for the Wasatch Funds from February 2007 to December 2008. From November 2006 to February 2007, she served as Assistant Treasurer for the Wasatch Funds and served as a Senior Compliance Officer for Wasatch Advisors, Inc. since 2005. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Zimdars is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Zimdars is also the CCO of EGA Emerging Global Shares Trust, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust, Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc., Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and BPV Family of Funds.

 

Patrick D. Buchanan,

age 40

   Treasurer    Since June 2012   

Mr. Buchanan is Vice President of ALPS. Mr. Buchanan joined ALPS in 2007 and because of his position with ALPS, he is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act.

 

William Parmentier,

age 60

   Vice President    Since March 2008   

Mr. Parmentier is Chief Investment Officer, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2006); President of the Liberty All-Star Funds (since April 1999); Senior Vice President (2005-2006), Banc of America Investment Advisors, Inc.

 

Tané T. Tyler,

age 47

   Secretary    Since December 2008   

Ms.Tyler is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of ALPS. Ms.Tyler joined ALPS in 2004. She served as Secretary, Reaves Utility Income Fund from December 2004–2007; Secretary, Westcore Funds from February 2005–2007; Secretary, First Funds from November 2004 to January 2007; Secretary, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust from December 2004–December 2006; Vice President and Associate Counsel, Oppenheimer Funds from January 2004 to August 2004; Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, INVESCO Funds from September 1991 to December 2003. Ms. Tyler also serves as Secretary, Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund.

 

 

*

The business address of each Officer is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Officer began serving the Trust. Each Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

    27
Annual  |  November 30, 2012  


LOGO

 


LOGO

 

 


 

Table of Contents

 

Performance Overview

     1   

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     4   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     5   

Financial Statements

        

Schedule of Investments

     6   

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     9   

Statements of Operations

     10   

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     11   

Financial Highlights

     12   

Notes to Financial Statements

     13   

Additional Information

     19   

Board Considerations Regarding Approval of Investment Advisory Agreement

     20   

Trustees & Officers

     22   


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Performance Overview
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks investment results that replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the performance of the S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index (the “Underlying Index”). The Shares of the Fund are listed and trade on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca under the ticker symbol SDOG. The Fund generally will invest in all of the securities that comprise the Index in proportion to their weightings in the Index. The Fund began trading on June 29, 2012.

The Index is a rules based index intended to give investors a means of tracking the overall performance of the highest dividend paying stocks (i.e. “Dividend Dogs”) in the S&P 500® on a sector-by-sector basis. “Dividend Dogs” refers to the five stocks in each of the ten Global Industry Classification Standard (“GICS”) sectors that make up the S&P 500® which offer the highest dividend yields.

Performance Overview

 

ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (SDOG) listed on the NYSE Arca on 06/29/2012. For the 5 month period ended November 30, 2012 the Fund generated a total return of 7.99% in-line with the Fund’s Underlying Index, net of fees, which returned 8.16% and outperforming the S&P 500® which returned 7.59% for the same period.

The trailing twelve month yield for the fund’s constituents as of 11/30/2012 was 4.84% vs. 2.18% on the S&P 500®.

Compared to the S&P 500® the Fund had a small negative impact from sector allocation which was largely driven by the overweight in Utilities and a modest positive impact from security selection.

The best performing stocks for the period were Whirlpool Corporation (Ticker: WHR), which increased 79.42%; Computer Sciences Corp. (Ticker: CSC), which increased 61.18%; and Leggett & Platt Inc. (Ticker: LEG), which increased 38.35%. The worst performing stocks were Intel Corp. (Ticker: INTC), which decreased 22.82%; Pitney Bowes Inc. (Ticker: PBI), which decreased 21.01%; and Exelon Corp. (Ticker: EXC), which decreased 16.65%.

Looking forward we believe the Fund’s strategy of annually selecting the five highest yielding securities in each of the ten sectors in the S&P 500® will provide high yield relative to the S&P 500®, potential for market participation in all economic cycles through equal sector weighting, and a deep value portfolio of securities as identified through high yield relative to their sector peers.

 

 

1

 

Annual   |   November 30, 2012

 


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Performance Overview
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Cumulative Total Returns as of November 30, 2012

 

      1 Month   3 Months  

Since Inception

Cumulative*

NAV

   -0.71%   1.76%   7.99%

Market Price**

   -0.56%   1.83%   8.11%

S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index***

   -0.67%   1.86%   8.16%

Total Expense Ratio (per the current prospectus) 0.40%.

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance data may be higher or lower than actual data quoted. For most current month-end performance data please visit www.alpsfunds.com.

NAV is an exchange-traded fund’s per-share value. The per-share dollar amount of the fund is derived by dividing the total value of all the securities in its portfolio, less any liabilities, by the number of fund shares outstanding. Market Price is the price at which a share can currently be traded in the market. Information detailing the number of days the Market Price of the Fund was greater than the Fund’s NAV and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV can be obtained at www.alpsfunds.com.

S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index is a portfolio of fifty stocks derived from the S&P 500®Index. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

 

*

The Fund Inception Date is June 29, 2012.

 

**

Market Price is based on the midpoint of the bid-ask spread at 4 p.m. ET and does not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times.

 

***

The S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index (Ticker: SDOGX) is designed to serve as a fair, impartial and transparent measure of the performance of US large cap equities with above average dividend yields.

The S&P 500® is an index of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry grouping among other factors.

An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2

       
  www.alpsfunds.com     866.675.2639


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Performance Overview
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Top 10 Holdings* as of November 30, 2012   
         

Whirlpool Corp.

     2.5%          Eli Lilly & Co.      2.2%   

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

     2.4%          International Paper Co.      2.2%   

Leggett & Platt, Inc.

     2.3%          Percent of Total Investments in   

Computer Sciences Corp.

     2.3%         

Top Ten Holdings:

     22.7%   

Bemis Co., Inc.

     2.2%          *% of Total Investments.   

H&R Block, Inc.

     2.2%           Holdings are subject to change.   

Pfizer, Inc.

     2.2%            

Lorillard, Inc.

     2.2%            
Growth of $10,000 as of November 30, 2012   

Comparison of Change in Value of $10,000 Investment in ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF and
S-Net Sector Dividend Dogs TR Index.

   

 

LOGO

 

The chart above represents historical performance of a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Fund over the life of the Fund. Performance calculations are as of the end of each month. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This chart does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 

        3
Annual         November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Disclosure of Fund Expenses
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Shareholder Expense Example: As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs which may include creation and redemption fees or brokerage charges, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. These examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. It is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the (six month) period and held through November 30, 2012.

Actual Return: The first line of the table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this table, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you incurred 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 first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses attributable to your investment during this period.

Hypothetical 5% Return: The second line of the table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing Fund costs only and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as creation and redemption fees, or brokerage charges. Therefore, the second line 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 costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     

Beginning Account

Value

06/01/12

    

Ending Account

Value

11/30/12

     Expense  Ratio(a)  

Expenses Paid

During the Period

6/01/12 - 11/30/12(b)

Actual(c)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,079.90       0.40%   $    1.75    

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00       $ 1,019.48       0.40%   $    1.70    

 

(a) 

Annualized, based on the Fund’s most recent fiscal half-year expenses.

(b) 

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half year (183), then divided by 366.

(c) 

Note the actual expense paid during the period is based on since inception of the Fund on June 29, 2012.

 

4

       
  www.alpsfunds.com         866.675.2639


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

  

Report of Independent Registered

Public Accounting Firm

  

 

To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of ALPS ETF Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF, one of the portfolios constituting the ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”) as of November 30, 2012, and the related statement of operations and changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period June 29, 2012 (inception) to November 30, 2012. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2012, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF of the ALPS ETF Trust as of November 30, 2012, the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for the period June 29, 2012 (inception) to November 30, 2012, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Denver, Colorado

January 24, 2013

 

        5
Annual         November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Schedule of Investments
   November 30, 2012

 

 

Security Description    Shares      Value  

COMMON STOCK (99.04%)

     

Consumer Discretionary (10.53%)

     

Cablevision Systems Corp., Class A

     75,092       $     1,039,273   

H&R Block, Inc.

     75,323         1,358,074   

Hasbro, Inc.

     31,889         1,226,451   

Leggett & Platt, Inc.

     51,017         1,420,824   

Whirlpool Corp.

     15,342         1,562,429   
     

 

 

 

Total Consumer Discretionary

        6,607,051   
     

 

 

 

Consumer Staples (10.35%)

     

Altria Group, Inc.

     38,702         1,308,515   

Avon Products, Inc.

     78,270         1,091,866   

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

     49,789         1,486,699   

Lorillard, Inc.

     11,060         1,340,030   

Reynolds American, Inc.

     29,033         1,269,323   
     

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

        6,496,433   
     

 

 

 

Energy (9.83%)

     

Chevron Corp.

     10,871         1,148,956   

ConocoPhillips

     21,859         1,244,651   

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.

     18,485         1,275,465   

Marathon Oil Corp.

     41,030         1,265,776   

Spectra Energy Corp.

     44,225         1,236,089   
     

 

 

 

Total Energy

        6,170,937   
     

 

 

 

Financials (10.01%)

     

Cincinnati Financial Corp.

     31,957         1,294,898   

Federated Investors, Inc., Class B

     58,603         1,163,269   

Health Care REIT, Inc.

     21,755         1,281,152   

Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.

     160,537         1,293,928   

People’s United Financial, Inc.

     102,421         1,248,512   
     

 

 

 

Total Financials

        6,281,759   
     

 

 

 

Health Care (10.39%)

     

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

     38,344         1,251,165   

Eli Lilly & Co.

     27,305         1,339,037   

Johnson & Johnson

     18,605         1,297,326   

Merck & Co., Inc.

     29,220         1,294,446   

Pfizer, Inc.

     53,586         1,340,722   
     

 

 

 

Total Health Care

        6,522,696   
     

 

 

 

 

6

       
  www.alpsfunds.com       866.675.2639


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Schedule of Investments
   November 30, 2012

 

Security Description    Shares      Value  

Industrials (9.14%)

     

Lockheed Martin Corp.

     13,776       $     1,285,301   

Northrop Grumman Corp.

     19,253         1,284,175   

Pitney Bowes, Inc.

     83,467         933,996   

RR Donnelley & Sons Co.

     107,448         1,010,011   

Waste Management, Inc.

     37,535         1,222,515   
     

 

 

 

Total Industrials

        5,735,998   
     

 

 

 

Information Technology (9.56%)

     

Computer Sciences Corp.

     36,783         1,399,961   

Intel Corp.

     54,535         1,067,250   

Microchip Technology, Inc.

     37,101         1,128,612   

Molex, Inc.

     45,588         1,202,612   

Paychex, Inc.

     36,984         1,203,459   
     

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

        6,001,894   
     

 

 

 

Materials (10.07%)

     

Bemis Co., Inc.

     40,658         1,366,109   

EI du Pont de Nemours & Co.

     24,428         1,053,824   

International Paper Co.

     35,919         1,334,032   

MeadWestvaco Corp.

     41,351         1,278,159   

Nucor Corp.

     31,326         1,290,005   
     

 

 

 

Total Materials

        6,322,129   
     

 

 

 

Telecommunication Services (9.42%)

     

AT&T, Inc.

     34,256         1,169,157   

CenturyLink, Inc.

     30,075         1,168,113   

Frontier Communications Corp.

     274,103         1,318,435   

Verizon Communications, Inc.

     28,655         1,264,259   

Windstream Corp.

     118,258         991,002   
     

 

 

 

Total Telecommunication Services

        5,910,966   
     

 

 

 

Utilities (9.74%)

     

Duke Energy Corp.

     19,825         1,265,232   

Entergy Corp.

     18,650         1,185,021   

Exelon Corp.

     35,438         1,070,936   

Integrys Energy Group, Inc.

     23,854         1,268,317   

Pepco Holdings, Inc.

     67,087         1,324,297   
     

 

 

 

Total Utilities

        6,113,803   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCK

     

(Cost $62,204,768)

        62,163,666   
     

 

 

 

 

   

7

Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Schedule of Investments
   November 30, 2012

 

      Value  

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (99.04%)

  

(Cost $62,195,602)

   $     62,163,666   

NET OTHER ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (0.96%)

     604,519   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS (100.00%)

   $ 62,768,185   
  

 

 

 

 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

   
  www.alpsfunds.com   |     866.675.2639


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Statement of Assets & Liabilities
   November 30, 2012

 

 

Assets:

  

Investments, at value

   $     62,163,666   

Cash

     256,510   

Capital shares receivable

     2,657,322   

Dividends receivable

     345,303   

Total Assets

     65,422,801   

Liabilities:

  

Payable for investments purchased

     2,636,085   

Payable to advisor

     18,531   

Total Liabilities

     2,654,616   

Net Assets

   $ 62,768,185   
          

Net Assets Consist Of:

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 62,482,460   

Accumulated net investment income

     317,661   

Accumulated net realized gain on investments

     0   

Net unrealized depreciation on investments

     (31,936

Net Assets

   $ 62,768,185   
          

Investments, At Cost

   $ 62,195,602   

Pricing Of Shares

  

Net Assets

   $ 62,768,185   

Shares of beneficial interest outstanding (Unlimited number of shares authorized,par value $0.01 per share)

     2,350,002   

Net Asset Value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 26.71   

 

     See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  9
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Statements of Operations
  

 

     

For the Period

June 29, 2012 (inception)

to November 30, 2012

 

Investment Income:

  

Dividends

   $ 789,141   

Total Investment Income

     789,141   

Expenses:

  

Investment advisory fee

     55,609   

Total Expenses

     55,609   

Net Investment Income

     733,532   

Net realized gain on investments

     319,121   

Net change in unrealized depreciation on investments

     (31,936

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

     287,185   

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

   $ 1,020,717   
          

 

10 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

   
  www.alpsfunds.com   |     866.675.2639


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Statements of Changes in Net Assets
  

 

     

For the Period

June 29, 2012 (inception)

to November 30, 2012

 

Operations:

  

Net investment income

   $ 733,532   

Net realized gain on investments

     319,121   

Net change in unrealized depreciation on investments

     (31,936

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     1,020,717   

Net equalization credits

     238,003   

Distributions To Shareholders:

  

From net investment income

     (415,871

Total distributions

     (415,871

Share Transactions:

  

Proceeds from sale of shares

     63,519,127   

Cost of shares redeemed

     (1,355,788

Net income equalization (Note 2)

     (238,003

Net increase from share transactions

     61,925,336   

Net increase in net assets

     62,768,185   

Net Assets:

  

Beginning of period

       

End of period*

   $ 62,768,185   
          

*Including accumulated net investment income of:

   $ 317,661   

Other Information:

  

Share Transactions:

  

Beginning shares

       

Shares sold

     2,400,002   

Shares redeemed

     (50,000

Shares outstanding, end of period

     2,350,002   
          

 

     See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

  11
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Financial Highlights
   For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Periods Presented

 

     

For the Period

June 29, 2012 (inception)

to November 30, 2012

 

NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

   $ 25.00   

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income(a)

     0.59   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     1.41   

Total from Investment Operations

     2.00   

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

  

From net investment income

     (0.29

Total Distributions

     (0.29

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSET VALUE

     1.71   

NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD

   $ 26.71   
          

TOTAL RETURN(b)

     7.99

RATIOS/ SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

  

Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

   $ 62,768   

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:

  

Net investment income

     5.31 %(c) 

Operating expenses

     0.40 %(c) 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE(d)

     0

Undistributed net investment income included in price of units issued and redeemed(a)(e)

   $ 0.19   

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding during the period.

(b)

Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested at actual reinvestment.

(c) 

Annualized.

(d) 

Portfolio turnover is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

(e) 

The per share amount of equalization is presented to show the impact of equalization on distributable earnings per share.

 

12 

 

  See Notes to Financial Statements.

 

   
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ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

1. Organization

 

The ALPS ETF Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As of November 30, 2012, the Trust consists of five separate portfolios. Each portfolio represents a separate series of the Trust. This report pertains to the ALPS Sector Dividend DOGS ETF (the “Fund”), which commenced investment operations on June 29, 2012 and began trading on the exchange on June 29, 2012. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the performance of the S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index (the “Underlying Index”).

The Fund’s Shares (“Shares”) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Arca. The Fund issues and redeems Shares, at net asset value (“NAV”) in blocks of 50,000 Shares, each of which is called a “Creation Unit.” Creation Units are issued and redeemed principally in-kind for securities included in a specified index. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

2. Significant Accounting Policies

 

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of the financial statements. The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

A. Portfolio Valuation

The Fund’s NAV is determined daily, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The NAV is computed by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses and dividends declared but unpaid), by the total number of shares outstanding.

Portfolio securities listed on any exchange other than the National Association of Securities Dealer Automated Quotation (“NASDAQ”) exchange are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such value is being determined. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and asked prices on such day. Securities traded on the NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price as determined by NASDAQ. Portfolio securities traded on more than one securities exchange are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such value is being determined at the close of the exchange representing the principal market for such securities. Portfolio securities traded in the over-the-counter market, but excluding securities traded on the NASDAQ, are valued at the closing bid prices. Short-term investments that mature in less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The Fund’s investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value according to procedures adopted by the Trust’s

 

    13
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

Board of Trustees (the “Board”). When market quotations are not readily available or when events occur that make established valuation methods unreliable, securities of the Fund may be valued in good faith by or under the direction of the Board. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933) for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established primary pricing source or the pricing source is not willing to provide a price; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is most likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s NAV or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; or a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, does not reflect the security’s “fair value” due to the security being de-listed from a national exchange or the security’s primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when, under normal conditions, it would be open. As a general principle, the current “fair value” of a security would be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive from the closing sale prices on the applicable exchange and fair value prices may not reflect the actual value of a security. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities.

B. Securities Transactions and Investment Income

Securities transactions are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions are recorded on the highest cost basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, if any, is recorded on the accrual basis.

C. Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders

Dividends from net investment income of the Fund, if any, are declared and paid quarterly or as the Board may determine from time to time. Distributions of net realized capital gains earned by the Fund, if any, are distributed at least annually.

D. Equalization

The Fund follows the accounting practice known as “Equalization” by which a portion of the proceeds from sales and costs of reacquiring Sector Dividend DOGS shares, equivalent on a per share basis to the amount of distributable net investment income on the date of the transaction, is credited or charged to undistributed net investment income. As a result, undistributed net investment income per share is unaffected by sales or reacquisitions of Sector Dividend DOGS shares. Amounts related to Equalization can be found on the Statement of Changes in Net Assets.

E. Federal Tax and Tax Basis Information

The timing and character of income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under income tax regulations.

 

14 

       
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ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

For the period ended November 30, 2012, permanent book and tax differences resulting primarily from in-kind transactions were identified and reclassified among the components of the Fund’s net assets as follows:

 

     

Undistributed Net

Investment Loss

  

Accumulated Net

Realized Gain

   Paid-in Capital

ALPS Sector Dividend DOGS ETF

   $           –          $     (319,121)        $    319,121    

Distributions from net investment income and capital gains are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. These differences are primarily due to differing treatments of income and gains on various investment securities held by the Fund, timing differences and differing characterization of distributions made by the Fund.

The tax character of the distributions paid was as follows:

 

     

Period Ended November 30, 2012

Distributions paid from:

Ordinary Income

 

ALPS Sector Dividend DOGS ETF

   $ 415,871               
As of November 30, 2012, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis for the Fund were as follows:   
     

ALPS Sector Dividend

DOGS ETF

 

Undistributed net investment income

   $ 317,661               
Net unrealized depreciation on investments and translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies    $ (31,936)               

Total

   $ 285,725               
As of November 30, 2012, the costs of investments for federal income tax purposes and accumulated net unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) on investments were as follows:    
     

ALPS Sector Dividend

DOGS ETF

 

Cost of investments for income tax purposes

   $ 62,195,602               

Gross Appreciation (excess of value over tax cost)

   $ 2,096,837               

Gross Depreciation (excess of tax cost over value)

     (2,128,773)               

Net Unrealized (Depreciation)

   $ (31,936)               

F. Income Taxes

No provision for income taxes is included in the accompanying financial statements, as the Fund intends to distribute to shareholders all taxable investment income and realized gains and otherwise comply with Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies.

The Fund evaluates tax positions taken (or expected to be taken) in the course of preparing the Fund’s tax returns to determine whether these positions meet a “more-likely-than-not” standard that, based on the technical merits, have a more than fifty percent likelihood of being sustained by a taxing authority upon examination. A tax position that meets the “more-likely-than-not” recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements.

 

    15
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

Management of the Fund analyzes all open tax years, as defined by the Statute of Limitations, for all major jurisdictions, including federal tax authorities and certain state tax authorities. As of and during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund will file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and Colorado. For the period ended November 30, 2012, the Fund’s returns will be open to examination by the appropriate taxing authority.

G. Fair Value Measurements

The Fund discloses the classification of fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 –  

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2 –  

Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and

Level 3 –  

Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Funds investments at November 30, 2012:

 

Investments in Securities

            at Value*

   Level 1 - Unadjusted
Quoted Prices
  

Level 2 - Other
Significant

Observable Inputs

   Level 3 - Significant
Unobservable Inputs
   Total

Common Stocks

   $ 62,163,666        $             –        $             –    $ 62,163,666

TOTAL

   $ 62,163,666        $             –        $             –    $ 62,163,666

 

*

For detailed country descriptions, see the accompanying Schedule of Investments.

 

16 

       
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ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

The Fund recognizes transfers between levels as of the end of the fiscal year. For the period ended November 30, 2012, the Fund did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities. The Fund did not have any securities which used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value.

3. Investment Advisory Fee and Other Affiliated Transactions

 

ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Investment Adviser”) acts as the Fund’s investment adviser pursuant to an advisory agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund (the “Advisory Agreement”). Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Investment Adviser a unitary fee for the services and facilities it provides payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. From time to time, the Investment Adviser may waive all or a portion of its fee.

Out of the unitary management fee, the Investment Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the licensing fee of the Index provider, and the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit, trustees and other services, except for interest expenses, distribution fees or expenses, brokerage expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business. In addition, the Investment Adviser’s unitary management fee is designed to compensate the Investment Adviser for providing services for the Fund.

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”), an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, is the administrator of the Fund.

The Bank of New York Mellon is the custodian, fund accounting agent and transfer agent for the Fund.

Each Trustee who is not an officer or employee of the Investment Adviser, any sub-adviser or any of their affiliates (“Independent Trustees”) is paid a quarterly retainer of $5,000, $3,750 for each regularly scheduled Board meeting attended and $1,500 for each special meeting held outside of regularly scheduled meetings.

4. Purchases and Sales of Securities

 

For the period ended November 30, 2012, the cost of in-kind purchases and proceeds from in-kind sales were as follows:

 

      Purchases      Sales        

ALPS Sector Dividend DOGS ETF

   $     63,400,202       $     1,514,555        

Gains on in-kind transactions are not considered taxable for federal income tax purposes.

 

    17
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Notes to Financial Statements
   November 30, 2012

 

-5. Capital Share Transactions

 

Shares are created and redeemed by the Fund only in Creation Unit size aggregations of 50,000. Only broker-dealers or large institutional investors with creation and redemption agreements called Authorized Participants (“AP”) are permitted to purchase or redeem Creation Units from the Fund. Such transactions are generally permitted on an in-kind basis, with a balancing cash component to equate the transaction to the net asset value per unit of the Fund on the transaction date. Cash may be substituted equivalent to the value of certain securities generally when they are not available in sufficient quantity for delivery, not eligible for trading by the AP or as a result of other market circumstances.

6. Indemnifications

 

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liability arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. 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.

 

18 

       
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ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Additional Information
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Proxy Voting Policies And Procedures

A description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures used in determining how to vote for proxies and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available without charge, (1) on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at http://www.sec. gov; (2) upon request, by calling (toll-free) 1-866-513-5856; and (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds.com.

Portfolio Holdings

The Trust will file its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Trust’s Form N-Q will be available (1) on the SEC’s website at http:// www.sec.gov; (2) by calling (toll-free) 1-866-513-5856; (3) on the Trust’s website located at http://www.alpsfunds. com; and (4) for review and copying at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (“PRR”) in Washington D.C. Information regarding the operation of the PRR may be obtained by calling (toll-free) 1-800-732-0330.

 

    19
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

  

Board Considerations Regarding Approval

of Investment Advisory Agreement

   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

At an in-person meeting held on June 11, 2012, the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”), including the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act, as amended (the “Independent Trustees”), evaluated a proposal to approve the Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Investment Adviser with respect to the Fund. The Independent Trustees also met separately with their independent legal counsel to consider the Advisory Agreement.

In evaluating the Advisory Agreement, the Board considered various factors, including (i) the nature, extent and quality of the services expected to be provided by the Adviser with respect to the Fund under the Advisory Agreement, (ii) costs to the Investment Adviser of its services; and (iii) the extent to which economies of scale would be realized if and as the Fund assets increase and whether the fee level in the Advisory Agreement reflects these economies of scale.

The Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, determined that approval of the Advisory Agreement was in the best interests of the Fund. The Board of Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, did not identify any single factor or group of factors as all important or controlling and considered all factors together. In evaluating whether to approve the Advisory Agreement for the Fund, the Board considered numerous factors, as described below.

With respect to the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, the Board considered and reviewed information concerning the services proposed to be provided under the Advisory Agreement, the proposed investment parameters of the index for the Fund, financial information regarding the Adviser, its parent company, information describing the Adviser’s current organizations and the background and experience of the persons who would be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, the anticipated financial support of the Fund, the nature and quality of services provided to other exchange-traded (“ETFs”), open-end and closed-end funds by the Adviser. Based upon their review, the Board concluded that the Adviser was qualified to oversee the services to be provided by other service providers and that the services to be provided by the Adviser to the Fund are expected to be satisfactory.

With respect to the costs of services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser, the Board considered the resources involved in managing the Fund as well as the fact that the Adviser agreed to pay all of the Funds’ expenses (except for interest expenses, distribution fees or expenses, brokerage expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) out of the unitary advisory fee. Based on its review, the Board concluded that the expected profitability of the Funds to the Adviser were not unreasonable.

The Board also reviewed information provided by the Adviser showing the proposed advisory fee for the Fund as compared to those of a peer group of ETFs and other open-end funds compiled using Lipper fee data as well as other comparative fee data. The Board noted the services to be provided by the Adviser for the annual advisory fee of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Board also considered that the advisory fee was a unitary one and that, as set forth above, the Adviser had agreed to pay all of the Fund’s expenses (except for interest expenses, marketing fees, distribution fees or expenses, brokerage expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) out of the unitary fee. The Board considered that, taking into account the impact of the Fund’s unitary advisory fee, the Fund’s expense

 

20 

       
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ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

  

Board Considerations Regarding Approval

of Investment Advisory Agreement

   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

ratio was expected to be within range of the expense ratios of the peer group of ETFs and other open-end funds provided by the Adviser. The Board considered the extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Fund grows and whether fee levels reflect a reasonable sharing of such economies of scale for the benefit of Fund investors. Because the Fund is newly organized, the Board reviewed the Funds proposed unitary advisory fee and anticipated expenses and determined to review economies of scale in the future when the Fund had attracted assets.

The Board also considered other benefits that may be realized by the Adviser from its relationship with the Fund.

In voting to approve the Advisory Agreement, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, concluded that the terms of the Advisory Agreement are reasonable and fair in light of the services to be performed, the fees paid by certain other funds, expenses to be incurred and such other matters as the Trustees considered relevant in the exercise of their reasonable business judgment.

 

    21
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Trustees & Officers
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Independent Trustees

  Name, Address
  and Age of
  Management
  Trustee*
   Position(s)
Held
with Trust
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served**
   Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustees***
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

  Mary K. Anstine,

  age 72

   Trustee    Since March 2008   

Ms. Anstine was President/Chief Executive Officer of HealthONE Alliance, Denver, Colorado, and former Executive Vice President of First Interstate Bank of Denver. Ms. Anstine is also Trustee/ Director of the following: AV Hunter Trust; Colorado Uplift Board. Ms. Anstine was formerly a Director of the Trust Bank of Colorado (later purchased and now known as Northern Trust Bank), HealthONE and Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a member of the American Bankers Association Trust Executive Committee.

 

 

   21    Ms. Anstine is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Reaves Utility Income Fund; and Westcore Trust (12 funds).

  Jeremy W.   Deems,

  age 36

   Trustee    Since March 2008    Mr. Deems is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Green Alpha Advisors, Mr. Deems was CFO and Treasurer of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC, a private investment fund, and Sutton Place Management, LLC, an administrative services company, from 2004 to June 2007. Prior to this, Mr. Deems served as Controller of Forward Management, LLC, ReFlow Management Co., LLC, ReFlow Fund, LLC and Sutton Place Management, LLC.    21   

Mr. Deems is a Trustee of Financial Investors Trust (25 funds); Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds); and Reaves Utility Income Fund.

 

22 

       
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ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Trustees & Officers
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Independent Trustees (continued)

  Name, Address
  and Age of
  Management
  Trustee*
   Position(s)
Held
with Trust
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served**
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustees***
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

  Rick A. Pederson,   age 60    Trustee    Since March 2008    President, Foundation Properties, Inc. (a real estate investment management company), 1994 - present; Partner, Western Capital Partners (a prime lending company), 2000 - present; Partner, Bow River Capital Partners (investment manager), 2003 - present; Principal, The Pauls Corporation (real estate development), 2008 - present; Director, Guaranty Bank and Trust (a community bank), 1999 – 2007; Winter Park Recreational Association (an entity that operates, maintains and develops Winter Park Resort), 2002 – 2008; Neenan Co. (an integrated real estate development, architecture and construction company), 2002 – present; NexCore Properties LLC (a real estate investment company), 2004 – present; Urban Land Conservancy (a not-for- profit organization), 2004 – present.    5    Mr. Pederson is Trustee of Westcore Trust (12 funds)

 

*

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services.

 

 

  23
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Trustees & Officers
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Interested Trustee***

  Name, Address
  and Age of
  Management
  Trustee*
   Position(s)
Held
with Trust
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served**
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustees****
  

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustees

  Thomas A. Carter,   age 46    Trustee and President    Since March 2008    Mr. Carter joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 1994 and is currently President and Director of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”), ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributors, Inc. (“APSD”) and Executive Vice President and Director of ALPS and ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”). Because of his position with AHI, ALPS, ADI, APSD and AAI, Mr. Carter is deemed an affiliate of the Fund as defined under the 1940 Act. Before joining ALPS, Mr. Carter was with Deloitte & Touché LLP, where he worked with a diverse group of clients, primarily within the financial services industry. Mr. Carter is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder.    10    Mr. Carter is a Trustee of Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust (5 funds)

 

*

The business address of the Trustee is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Trustee began serving the Trust. Each Trustee serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

***

Mr. Carter is an interested person of the Trust because of his affiliation with ALPS. Mr. Carter is a registered representative of ALPS Distributors, Inc.

****

The Fund Complex includes all series of the Trust and any other investment companies for which ALPS Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory services

 

24 

       
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ALPS SECTOR DIVIDEND DOGS ETF

   Trustees & Officers
   November 30, 2012 (Unaudited)

 

Officers

  Name, Address
  and Age of
  Executive

  Officer*

   Position(s)
Held
with Trust
   Length of Time
Served**
   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

  Melanie Zimdars,

  age 36

   Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)    Since December 2009    Ms. Zimdars currently serves as a Deputy Chief Compliance Officer with ALPS. Prior to joining ALPS in September 2009, Ms. Zimdars served as Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary for the Wasatch Funds from February 2007 to December 2008. From November 2006 to February 2007, she served as Assistant Treasurer for the Wasatch Funds and served as a Senior Compliance Officer for Wasatch Advisors, Inc. since 2005. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Zimdars is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Zimdars is also the CCO of EGA Emerging Global Shares Trust, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust, Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc., Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and BPV Family of Funds.

  Patrick D. Buchanan,

  age 40

   Treasurer    Since June 2012    Mr. Buchanan is Vice President of ALPS. Mr. Buchanan joined ALPS in 2007 and because of his position with ALPS, he is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act.

  William Parmentier,

  age 60

   Vice President    Since March 2008    Mr. Parmentier is Chief Investment Officer, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (since 2006); President of the Liberty All-Star Funds (since April 1999); Senior Vice President (2005-2006), Banc of America Investment Advisors, Inc.

  Tané T. Tyler,

  age 47

   Secretary    Since December 2008    Ms.Tyler is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of ALPS. Ms.Tyler joined ALPS in 2004. She served as Secretary, Reaves Utility Income Fund from December 2004–2007; Secretary, Westcore Funds from February 2005–2007; Secretary, First Funds from November 2004 to January 2007; Secretary, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust from December 2004–December 2006; Vice President and Associate Counsel, Oppenheimer Funds from January 2004 to August 2004; Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, INVESCO Funds from September 1991 to December 2003. Ms. Tyler also serves as Secretary, Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund.

 

*

The business address of each Officer is c/o ALPS Advisors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

**

This is the period for which the Officer began serving the Trust. Each Officer serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

    25
Annual  |   November 30, 2012  


LOGO

 

 


Item 2. Code of Ethics.

(a) The Registrant, as of the end of the period covered by this report, has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or any persons performing similar functions on behalf of the Registrant.

(b) Not applicable.

(c) During the period covered by this report, no amendments to the provisions of the code of ethics adopted in 2(a) above were made.

(d) During the period covered by this report, no implicit or explicit waivers to the provisions of the code of ethics adopted in 2(a) above were granted.

(e) Not applicable.

(f) The Registrant’s Code of Ethics is attached as an Exhibit hereto.

 

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

The Board of Trustees of the Registrant has determined that the Registrant has at least one Audit Committee Financial Expert serving on its audit committee. The Board of Trustees of the Registrant has designated Jeremy W. Deems as the Registrant’s “Audit Committee Financial Expert”. Mr. Deems is “independent” as defined in paragraph (a)(2) of Item 3 to Form N-CSR.

 

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

 

  (a)

Audit Fees: For the Registrant’s fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 and November 30, 2011, the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the Registrant’s annual financial statements were $119,500 and $149,100, respectively.

 

  (b)

Audit-Related Fees: For the Registrant’s fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 and November 30, 2011, the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the verification of the Registrant’s securities and similar investments in accordance with Rule 17f-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 were $0 and $4,000, respectively.


  (c)

Tax Fees: For the Registrant’s fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 and November 30, 2011, the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning were $28,250 and $36,480, respectively. The fiscal year 2012 and 2011 tax fees were for services pertaining to federal and state income tax return review, review of year end dividend distributions and excise tax preparation.

 

  (d)

All Other Fees: For the Registrant’s fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 and November 30, 2011, aggregate fees billed to the Registrant by the principal accountant for services provided by the principal accountant other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item 4 were $0 and $0, respectively.

 

  (e)(1)

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures: All services to be performed by the Registrant’s principal accountant must be pre-approved by the Registrant’s audit committee.

 

  (e)(2)

No services described in paragraphs (b) through (d) of this Item were approved by the Registrant’s audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

 

  (f)

Not applicable.

 

  (g)

The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the Registrant’s accountant for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 and November 30, 2011 of the Registrant were $238,250 and $199,480, respectively. These fees consisted of non-audit fees billed to (i) the Registrant of $28,250 and $36,480 as described in response to paragraph (c) above and (ii) to ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”), an entity under common control with ALPS Advisors, Inc., the Registrant’s investment adviser, of $210,000 and $163,000, respectively. The non-audit fees billed to AFS related to SSAE 16 services and other compliance-related matters.

 

  (h)

The Registrant’s audit committee has considered whether the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the Registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X, is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence. The Registrant’s audit committee determined that the provision of such non-audit services is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

 

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable.


Item 6. Investments.

 

  (a) Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Report to Stockholders filed under Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

 

  (b) Not applicable.

 

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

 

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

 

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

Not applicable.

 

Item 10. Submission of Matters to Vote of Security Holders.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s Board of Trustees, where those changes were implemented after the Registrant last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of Item 407(c)(2) of Regulation S-K, or this Item.

 

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

 

  (a) The Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) are effective based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report.

 

  (b) There was no change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 12. Exhibits.

 

     (a)(1)    Registrant’s Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers, which is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2 of Form N-CSR, was filed as Exhibit 12(a)(1) to the Registrant’s Certified Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR, File No. 811-22175, on March 6, 2009.


     (a)(2)    The certifications required by Rule 30a-2(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.Cert.
     (a)(3)    Not applicable.
     (b)    The certifications by the Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as required by Rule 30a-2(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.906Cert.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

ALPS ETF TRUST
By:  

/s/ Thomas A. Carter

  Thomas A. Carter
  President (Principal Executive Officer)
Date:     February 5, 2013

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

By:  

/s/ Thomas A. Carter

  Thomas A. Carter
  President (Principal Executive Officer)
Date:     February 5, 2013
By:  

/s/ Patrick D. Buchanan

  Patrick D. Buchanan
  Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer)
Date:     February 5, 2013