Risk Factors - FXF

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$FXF Risk Factor changes from 00/02/24/22/2022 to 00/02/23/23/2023

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS You should consider carefully the risks described below before making an investment decision. You should also refer to the other information included in this report, including the Trust’s financial statements and the related notes. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the Swiss Francs held by the Trust. Fluctuations in the price of the Swiss Franc could materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares. The Shares are designed to reflect the price of the Swiss Franc, plus accumulated interest, if any, less the Trust’s expenses. Several factors may affect the price of the Swiss Franc, including: • Sovereign debt levels and trade deficits; • Domestic and foreign inflation rates and interest rates and investors’ expectations concerning those rates; • Currency exchange rates; • Investment and trading activities of mutual funds, hedge funds and currency funds; and • Global, regional or national political, economic or financial events and situations. In addition, the Swiss Franc may not maintain its long-term value in terms of purchasing power in the future. When the price of the Swiss Franc declines, the Sponsor expects the price of a Share to decline as well. The Swiss Franc/USD exchange rate, like foreign exchange rates in general, can be volatile and difficult to predict. This volatility could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares. Foreign exchange rates are influenced by the factors identified in the preceding risk factor and may also be influenced by: changing supply and demand for a particular currency; monetary policies of governments (including exchange control programs, restrictions on local exchanges or markets and limitations on foreign investment in a country or on investment by residents of a country in other countries); changes in balances of payments and trade; trade restrictions; and currency devaluations and revaluations. Also, governments from time to time intervene in the currency markets, directly and by regulation, in order to influence prices directly. These events and actions are unpredictable. The resulting volatility in the Swiss Franc/USD exchange rate could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares. 3 If interest earned by the Trust does not exceed the Trust’s expenses, the Trustee will withdraw Swiss Francs from the Trust to pay these excess expenses, which will reduce the amount of Swiss Francs represented by each Share on an ongoing basis and may result in adverse tax consequences for Shareholders. Each outstanding Share represents a fractional, undivided interest in the Swiss Francs held by the Trust. Recently, the amount of interest earned by the Trust has not exceeded the Trust’s expenses; accordingly, the Trustee has been required to withdraw Swiss Francs from the Trust to pay these excess expenses. As long as the amount of interest earned does not exceed expenses, the amount of Swiss Francs represented by each Share will gradually decline over time. This is true even if additional Shares are issued in exchange for additional deposits of Swiss Francs into the Trust, as the amount of Swiss Francs required to create Shares will proportionately reflect the amount of Swiss Francs represented by the Shares outstanding at the time of creation. Assuming a constant Swiss Franc price, if expenses exceed interest earned, the trading price of the Shares will gradually decline relative to the price of the Swiss Franc as the amount of Swiss Francs represented by the Shares gradually declines. In this event, the Shares will only maintain their original price if the price of the Swiss Franc increases. There is no guarantee that interest earned by the Trust in the future will exceed the Trust’s expenses. Investors should be aware that a gradual decline in the amount of Swiss Francs represented by the Shares may occur regardless of whether the trading price of the Shares rises or falls in response to changes in the price of the Swiss Franc. The estimated ordinary operating expenses of the Trust, which accrue daily, are described in “Business – The Trust – Trust Expenses.” The payment of expenses by the Trust will result in a taxable event to Shareholders. To the extent Trust expenses exceed interest paid to the Trust, a gain or loss may be recognized by Shareholders depending on the tax basis of the tendered Swiss Francs. The interest rate paid by the Depository, if any, may not be the best rate available. If the Sponsor determines that the interest rate is inadequate, then its sole recourse is to remove the Depository and terminate the Deposit Accounts. The Depository is committed to endeavor to pay a competitive interest rate on the balance of Swiss Francs in the primary deposit account of the Trust, but there is no guarantee of the amount of interest that will be paid, if any, on this account. Interest on the primary deposit account, if any accrues daily and is paid monthly. The Depository may change the rate at which interest accrues, including reducing the interest rate to zero or below zero, based upon changes in market conditions or the Depository’s liquidity needs. The Depository notifies the Sponsor of the interest rate applied each business day after the close of such business day. The Sponsor discloses the current interest rate on the Trust’s website. If the Sponsor believes that the interest rate paid by the Depository is not adequate, the Sponsor’s sole recourse is to remove the Depository and terminate the Deposit Accounts. The Depository is not paid a fee for its services to the Trust; rather, it generates income or loss based on its ability to earn a “spread” or “margin” over the interest it pays to the Trust by using the Trust’s Swiss Francs to make loans or in other banking operations. For these reasons, you should not expect that the Trust will be paid the best available interest rate at any time or over time. If the Trust incurs expenses in USD, the Trust would be required to sell Swiss Francs to pay these expenses. The sale of the Trust’s Swiss Francs to pay expenses in USD at a time of low Swiss Franc price could adversely affect the value of the Shares. The Trustee will sell Swiss Francs held by the Trust to pay Trust expenses, if any, incurred in USD, irrespective of then-current Swiss Franc prices. The Trust is not actively managed and no attempt will be made to buy or sell Swiss Francs to protect against or to take advantage of fluctuations in the price of the Swiss Franc. Consequently, if the Trust incurs expenses in USD, the Trust’s Swiss Francs may be sold at a time when the Swiss Franc price is low, resulting in a negative effect on the value of the Shares. The Shares may trade at a price which is at, above, or below the NAV per Share. The NAV per Share fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Trust’s assets. The market price of Shares can be expected to fluctuate in accordance with changes in the NAV per Share, but also in response to market supply and demand. As a result, the Shares might trade at prices at, above or below the NAV per Share. Disruptions in the ability to create and redeem Baskets may adversely impact the price of the Shares. It is generally expected that the public trading price per Share will track the NAV per Share closely over time. The relationship between the public trading price per Share and the NAV per Share depends, to a considerable degree, on the ability of Authorized Participants or their clients or customers to purchase and redeem Baskets in the ordinary course. If the Trust were to issue all Shares that have been registered or if the Trust does not have an effective registration statement with the SEC with sufficient Shares available, each of which may happen from time to time, the Trust would not be able to create new Baskets until it registered additional Shares and those additional Shares became available for sale. In addition, the Trust may, in its discretion, suspend the creation of Baskets for any reason and at any time. If the process for creating or redeeming Shares is impaired for any reason, Authorized Participants and their clients or customers may not be able to purchase and redeem Baskets. The inability to purchase and redeem Baskets could result in the Shares trading at a premium or discount to the NAV of the Trust. Such a premium or discount could be significant, depending upon the nature or duration of the impairment. 4 Substantial sales of Swiss Francs by the official sector could adversely affect an investment in the Shares. The official sector consists of central banks, other governmental agencies and multi-lateral institutions that buy, sell and hold Swiss Francs as part of their reserve assets. The official sector holds a significant amount of Swiss Francs that can be mobilized in the open market. In the event that future economic, political or social conditions or pressures require members of the official sector to sell their Swiss Francs simultaneously or in an uncoordinated manner, the demand for Swiss Francs might not be sufficient to accommodate the sudden increase in the supply of Swiss Francs to the market. Consequently, the price of the Swiss Franc could decline, which would adversely affect an investment in the Shares. REGULATORY MATTERS Changes to United States tariff and trade policies may increase the volatility of foreign exchange rates. This volatility could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares. There have been ongoing discussions and commentary regarding potential significant changes to United States trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may increase the volatility of foreign exchange rates, including the Swiss Franc/USD exchange rate. The resulting volatility could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares. The Deposit Accounts are not entitled to payment at any office of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. located in the United States. The federal laws of the United States prohibit banks located in the United States from paying interest on unrestricted demand deposit accounts. Therefore, payments out of the Deposit Accounts will be payable only at the London branch of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., located in England. The Trustee will not be entitled to demand payment of these accounts at any office of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. that is located in the United States. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. will not be required to repay the deposit if its London branch cannot repay the deposit due to an act of war, insurrection or civil strife or an action by a foreign government or instrumentality (whether de jure or de facto) in England. Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of a demand deposit account insured in the United States by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the protection provided for bank deposits under English law. Neither the Shares nor the Deposit Accounts and the Swiss Francs deposited in them are deposits insured against loss by the FDIC, any other federal agency of the United States or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme of England. Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Investment Company Act is designed to protect investors by preventing: insiders from managing investment companies to their benefit and to the detriment of public investors; the issuance of securities having inequitable or discriminatory provisions; the management of investment companies by irresponsible persons; the use of unsound or misleading methods of computing earnings and asset value; changes in the character of investment companies without the consent of investors; and investment companies from engaging in excessive leveraging. To accomplish these ends, the Investment Company Act requires the safekeeping and proper valuation of fund assets, restricts greatly transactions with affiliates, limits leveraging, and imposes governance requirements as a check on fund management. The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act and is not required to register under that act. Consequently, Shareholders do not have the regulatory protections afforded to investors in registered investment companies. Shareholders do not have the rights enjoyed by investors in certain other financial instruments. As interests in a grantor trust, the Shares have none of the statutory rights normally associated with the ownership of shares of a business corporation, including, for example, the right to bring “oppression” or “derivative” actions. Apart from the rights afforded to them by federal and state securities laws, Shareholders have only those rights relative to the Trust, the Trust property and the Shares that are set forth in the Depositary Trust Agreement. In this connection, the Shareholders have limited voting and distribution rights. They do not have the right to elect directors. See “Business – The Shares – Limited Rights” for a description of the limited rights of the Shareholders. Shareholders that are not Authorized Participants may only purchase or sell their Shares in secondary trading markets. Only Authorized Participants may create or redeem Baskets through the Trust. All other investors that desire to purchase or sell Shares must do so through NYSE Arca or in other markets, if any, in which the Shares are traded. 5 INSOLVENCY OR TERMINATION OF THE DEPOSITORY OR TRUST If the Depository becomes insolvent, its assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust or any Authorized Participant. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of the Depository, the U.S. bank of which it is a branch or any local cash correspondent holding the currency on deposit for the benefit of the Trust, there may be a delay and costs incurred in recovering the Swiss Francs held in the Deposit Accounts. Swiss Francs deposited in the Deposit Accounts by an Authorized Participant are commingled with Swiss Francs deposited by other Authorized Participants and are held by the Depository in either the primary deposit account or the secondary deposit account of the Trust. Swiss Francs held in the Deposit Accounts are not segregated from the Depository’s other assets. The Trust has no proprietary rights in or to any specific Swiss Francs held by the Depository and will be an unsecured creditor of the Depository with respect to the Swiss Francs held in the Deposit Accounts in the event of the insolvency of the Depository or the U.S. bank of which it is a branch. In the event the Depository, the U.S. bank of which it is a branch or any local cash correspondent holding the currency on deposit for the benefit of the Trust becomes insolvent, the Depository’s assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust or any Authorized Participant for the amount of Swiss Francs deposited by the Trust or the Authorized Participant and, in such event, the Trust and any Authorized Participant will generally have no right in or to assets other than those of the Depository. In the case of insolvency of the Depository or JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the U.S. bank of which the Depository is a branch, a liquidator may seek to freeze access to the Swiss Francs held in all accounts by the Depository, including the Deposit Accounts. In the case of insolvency of a local cash correspondent, a liquidator may seek to freeze access to the Swiss Francs held in all accounts by such local cash correspondent, including the Deposit Accounts held by such cash correspondent. The Trust and the Authorized Participants could incur expenses and delays in connection with asserting their claims. These problems would be exacerbated by the fact that the Deposit Accounts are not held in the U.S. but instead are held at the London branch of a U.S. national bank or with a local cash correspondent, where they are subject to English or Swiss insolvency law. Further, under U.S. law, in the case of the insolvency of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the claims of creditors in respect of accounts (such as the Trust’s Deposit Accounts) that are maintained with an overseas branch of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or with a local cash correspondent will be subordinate to claims of creditors in respect of accounts maintained with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in the U.S., greatly increasing the risk that the Trust and the Trust’s beneficiaries would suffer a loss. The License Agreement with The Bank of New York Mellon may be terminated by The Bank of New York Mellon in the event of a material breach. Termination of the License Agreement might lead to early termination and liquidation of the Trust. The Bank of New York Mellon and the Sponsor have entered into a License Agreement granting the Sponsor a non-exclusive, personal and non-transferable license to certain patent applications made by The Bank of New York Mellon covering systems and methods for securitizing a commodity for the life of such patents and patent applications. The license grant is solely for the purpose of allowing the Sponsor to establish, operate and market a currency-based securities product based solely on the securitization, in whole or in part, of a single non-U.S. currency. The License Agreement provides that either party may provide notice of intent to terminate the License Agreement in the event the other party commits a material breach. If the License Agreement is terminated and one or more of The Bank of New York Mellon’s patent applications issue as patents, then The Bank of New York Mellon may claim that the operation of the Trust violates its patent or patents and seek an injunction forcing the Trust to cease operation and the Shares to cease trading. In that case, the Trust might be forced to terminate and liquidate, which would adversely affect Shareholders. Shareholders may incur significant fees upon the termination of the Trust. The occurrence of any one of several events would either require the Trust to terminate or permit the Sponsor to terminate the Trust. For example, if the Depository were to resign or be removed, then the Sponsor would be required to terminate the Trust. Shareholders tendering their Shares within 90 days of the Trust’s termination will receive the amount of Swiss Francs represented by their Shares. Shareholders may incur significant fees if they choose to convert the Swiss Francs they receive to USD. DEPOSITARY TRUST AGREEMENT The Depository owes no fiduciary duties to the Trust or the Shareholders, is not required to act in their best interest and could resign or be removed by the Sponsor, which would trigger early termination of the Trust. The Depository is not a trustee for the Trust or the Shareholders. As stated above, the Depository is not obligated to maximize the interest rate paid to the Trust. In addition, the Depository has no duty to continue to act as the depository of the Trust. The Depository can terminate its role as depository for any reason whatsoever upon 90 days’ notice to the Trust. If directed by the Sponsor, the Trustee must terminate the Depository. Such a termination might result, for example, if the Sponsor determines that the interest rate paid by the Depository is inadequate. In the event that the Depository was to resign or be removed, the Trust will be terminated. 6 Redemption orders are subject to rejection by the Trustee under certain circumstances. The Trustee will reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form as described in the Participant Agreement or if the fulfillment of the order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. Any such rejection could adversely affect a redeeming Shareholder. For example, the resulting delay would adversely affect the value of the Shareholder’s redemption distribution if the NAV were to decline during the delay. In the Depositary Trust Agreement, the Sponsor and the Trustee disclaim any liability for any loss or damage that may result from any such rejection. The liability of the Sponsor and the Trustee under the Depositary Trust Agreement is limited and, except as set forth in the Depositary Trust Agreement, they are not obligated to prosecute any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Trust property. The Depositary Trust Agreement provides that neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee assumes any obligation or is subject to any liability under the Trust Agreement to any Shareholder, except that they each agree to perform their respective obligations specifically set forth in the Depositary Trust Agreement without negligence or bad faith. Additionally, neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is obligated to, although each may in its respective discretion, prosecute any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Trust property. The Depositary Trust Agreement does not confer upon Shareholders the right to prosecute any such action, suit or other proceeding. The Depositary Trust Agreement may be amended to the detriment of Shareholders without their consent. The Sponsor and the Trustee may amend most provisions (other than those addressing core economic rights) of the Depositary Trust Agreement without the consent of any Shareholder. Such an amendment could impose or increase fees or charges borne by the Shareholders. Any amendment that increases fees or charges (other than taxes and other governmental charges, registration fees or other expenses), or that otherwise prejudices any substantial existing rights of Shareholders, will not become effective until 30 days after written notice is given to Shareholders. COVID-19 PANDEMIC The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the global, regional and national economies in unexpected, and unpredictable ways that could materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares. COVID-19 PANDEMIC The novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 is harming the global, regional and national economies in unexpected, unpredictable ways that could materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to have material adverse effects on the global economy and has increased economic uncertainty and financial market volatility and caused a decline in consumer and business confidence. No assurance can be given that the disruption will end soon or that the value of the Shares will not be affected materially and adversely by the pandemic and its ongoing global economic impact. No assurance can be given that the disruption will end soon or that the value of the Shares will not be affected materially and adversely by the pandemic and its consequences. Escalation or prolonged continuation of the pandemic could exacerbate other risk factors identified in this Report and materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares. 7 OTHER RISKS Due to the increased use of technologies, intentional and unintentional cyber attacks pose operational and information security risks. OTHER RISKS Due to the increased use of technologies, intentional and unintentional cyber attacks pose operational and information security risks. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform necessary business functions, the Trust is susceptible to operational and information security risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. In general, cyber incidents can result from 7 deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to gaining unauthorized access to digital systems for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites. Cyber security failures or breaches of the Trust’s third party service providers (including, but not limited to, the Trustee and the Sponsor) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of Shareholders or Authorized Participants to transact business in Shares and Baskets respectively, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. The Trust and its Shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. While the Sponsor has established business continuity plans and systems reasonably designed to detect and prevent such cyber attacks from being effective, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems. For instance, it is possible that certain existing risks have not been identified or that new risks will emerge before countervailing measures can be implemented. Furthermore, the Trust cannot control, or even necessarily influence, the cyber security plans and systems put in place by the Trust’s third party service providers. Since the Trust is dependent upon third party service providers (including the Sponsor and Trustee) for substantially all of its operational needs, the Trust is subject to the risk that a cyber attack on a service provider will materially impair its normal operations even if the Trust itself is not subject to such an attack. In addition, a service provider that has experienced a cyber security incident may divert resources normally devoted to servicing the Trust to addressing the incident, which would be likely to have an adverse effect on the Trust’s operations. ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS None. .