Our largest position entering the year, FLIR Systems announced it will be acquired in a transaction valued at about $8b. FLIR is a maker of thermal imaging cameras.
With bond yields at historic lows and equities near all-time highs, investors seek alternatives for income generation and risk mitigated capital appreciation. Other sources include dividends and long-short strategies. The Leatherback Long/Short Alternative Yield ETF (LBAY) can be a one-stop strategic solution and the Fund enters 2021 well positioned.
LBAY’s largest position entering the year, FLIR Systems (FLIR) announced January 4, 2021 that it will be acquired by industrial instruments and software company Teledyne Technologies (TDY) in a transaction valued at about $8 billion. FLIR is a maker of thermal imaging cameras as well as defense and industrial threat-detection sensor equipment. The cash and stock deal would value FLIR at $56 per share, representing a 28% premium above FLIR's closing price on December 31, 2020. The premium is also 40% above the 30-day volume-weighted average shares price as of December 31.
In December, LBAY appreciated approximately 5.23% compared to 3.84% for the S&P 500 Index. Since inception on November 17, 2020, the Fund has returned 4.57% versus 4.26% for the S&P 500 Index. Key contributors to returns included dividends and shorts. For standardized fund performance click here.
LBAY maintains a bias towards dividend awards because they are instrumental to investors’ long-term total returns and they also help insulate from rocky market periods. LBAY is actively managed and seeks both income generation and risk-mitigated capital appreciation by investing in a concentrated long portfolio of high shareholding yielding equities and income-producing securities. Below we highlight multiple companies that have either raised or declared special dividends since we invested.
The Fund’s highest net long sector exposures include financials, materials and real estate, each of which maintain strong dividends and benefit from potentially higher rates and inflationary pressures. In the financial sector, long positions include Popular (BPOP), Ameris Bancorp (ABCB), Old Republic International (ORI), and WisdomTree Investments (WETF), all mid-cap names that we believe are well-positioned to benefit from improved economic activity in 2021.
In the materials and real estate sectors, our long positions include PotlatchDeltic (PCH), Newmont (NEM), Rio Tinto (RIO), and Nutrien (NTR). As the economy picks up speed, these sectors may benefit from inflation pressures.
LBAY DIVIDEND CHANGES AND SPECIAL CASH DISTRIBUTIONS
*change vs. last special cash dividend per share
Additionally, LBAY takes short positions in idiosyncratic securities we believe will decline in price. As we enter 2021, Leatherback has short positions in names that we believe had significant pull forward in demand for their goods and services due to the global pandemic. For example, Zoom Video Communications (ZM) was a profitable short in 2020 and we continue to be short, along with Peloton Interactive (PTON) and Logitech International (LOGI).
With bond yields at historic lows, passive strategies too often with misunderstood or misattributed risks, and active mutual funds or hedge funds with onerous lockups and high fees, investors need new solutions. With LBAY, investors now have a powerful tool for adding alternative yield to their portfolios, guided by experienced active management.
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We started the year with news that the largest portfolio position is being acquired."
The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The 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 their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling (833) 417-0090. Short term performance, in particular, is not a good indication of the fund’s future performance, and an investment should not be made based solely on returns. Returns beyond 1 year are annualized. A fund’s NAV is the sum of all its assets less any liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding. The market price is the most recent price at which the fund was traded.
Before investing you should carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the prospectus. A prospectus may be obtained by clicking here. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.
“Long” and “short” are investment terms used to describe ownership of securities. To buy securities is to “go long.” The opposite of going long is “selling short.” Short selling is an advanced trading strategy that involves selling a borrowed security. Short sellers make a profit if the price of the security goes down and they are able to buy the security at a lower amount than the price at which they sold the security short.
Since the Funds are actively managed they do not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. The Funds therefore may have higher portfolio turnover and trading costs than index-based funds.
LBAY Risks: Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market price normally should approximate the Fund’s net asset value per share (NAV), but the market price sometimes may be higher or lower than the NAV. The Fund is new with a limited operating history. There are a limited number of financial institutions authorized to buy and sell shares directly with the Fund; and there may be a limited number of other liquidity providers in the marketplace. There is no assurance that Fund shares will trade at any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. Low trading activity may result in shares trading at a material discount to NAV.
The Fund uses short sales and derivatives (options), both of which may involve substantial risk. The loss on a short sale is in principle unlimited since there is no upward limit on the price of a shorted asset. The potential loss from a derivative may be greater than the amount invested due to counter-party default; illiquidity; or other factors. The Fund may hold illiquid assets which may cause a loss if the Fund is unable to sell an asset at a beneficial time or price.
Through its investments in REITs, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in the real estate market, including decreases in property revenues, increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, legal and regulatory changes, a lack of credit or capital, defaults by borrowers or tenants, environmental problems and natural disasters.
The Fund’s exposure to MLPs may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of MLPs and MLP based exchange traded funds and notes may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.
BDCs generally invest in debt securities that are not rated by a credit rating agency and are considered below investment grade quality (“junk bonds”). Little public information generally exists for the type of companies in which a BDC may invest and, therefore, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to make a fully informed evaluation of the BDC and its portfolio of investments.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” and may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly concentrated in certain issuers.
Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Distributor
Tidal ETF Services, Launch and Structure Partner
Leatherback Asset Management, Foreside Fund Services, and Tidal ETF Services are not affiliated.
Before investing you should carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the prospectus. A prospectus may be obtained by clicking here. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.
“Long” and “short” are investment terms used to describe ownership of securities. To buy securities is to “go long.” The opposite of going long is “selling short.” Short selling is an advanced trading strategy that involves selling a borrowed security. Short sellers make a profit if the price of the security goes down and they are able to buy the security at a lower amount than the price at which they sold the security short.
Since the Funds are actively managed they do not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. The Funds therefore may have higher portfolio turnover and trading costs than index-based funds.
LBAY Risks: Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market price normally should approximate the Fund’s net asset value per share (NAV), but the market price sometimes may be higher or lower than the NAV. The Fund is new with a limited operating history. There are a limited number of financial institutions authorized to buy and sell shares directly with the Fund; and there may be a limited number of other liquidity providers in the marketplace. There is no assurance that Fund shares will trade at any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. Low trading activity may result in shares trading at a material discount to NAV.
The Fund uses short sales and derivatives (options), both of which may involve substantial risk. The loss on a short sale is in principle unlimited since there is no upward limit on the price of a shorted asset. The potential loss from a derivative may be greater than the amount invested due to counter-party default; illiquidity; or other factors. The Fund may hold illiquid assets which may cause a loss if the Fund is unable to sell an asset at a beneficial time or price.
Through its investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs), the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in the real estate market, including decreases in property revenues, increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, legal and regulatory changes, a lack of credit or capital, defaults by borrowers or tenants, environmental problems and natural disasters.
The Fund’s exposure to master limited parterships (MLPs) may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of MLPs and MLP based exchange traded funds and notes may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.
Business Development Companies (BDCs) generally invest in debt securities that are not rated by a credit rating agency and are considered below investment grade quality (“junk bonds”). Little public information generally exists for the type of companies in which a BDC may invest and, therefore, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to make a fully informed evaluation of the BDC and its portfolio of investments.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” and may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly concentrated in certain issuers.
Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Distributor
Tidal ETF Services, Launch and Structure Partner