Sprott Silver Equities Class

Exclusive investing in silver equities and bullion

Investment Team


  • Eric Sprott
    Chief Executive Officer; Senior Portfolio Manager

  • Charles Oliver
    Senior Portfolio Manager

  • Maria Smirnova
    Associate Portfolio Manager

Fund Details

Fund Status Open
Issue Price $10.00 per Unit
Distributions Ordinary Dividends Paid in December; Capital Gains Dividends Paid in February; Distributions are Reinvested Automatically
Fund Code

SPR 421 - FE (A)
SPR 422 - LL (A)
SPR 423 -  NL (F)
Inception Date 2/28/2012
Nature of Securities Shares of a Class of a Mutual Fund Corporation
Type of Fund Precious Metals Fund
Valuations Daily
Minimum Initial Investment $1000 CAD
Minimum Subsequent Investment $100 CAD
Minimum Investment Term 90 Days (2% Penalty)
Management Fee Up to 2.5% (Series A) Up to 1.5% (Series F)
Performance Fee 10% of Excess over the MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Investable Market Index
Eligible for Registered Plans Yes
Investor Risk Tolerance High

Fund Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to seek to achieve long-term capital growth by investing primarily in equity securities of companies that are directly or indirectly involved in the exploration, mining, production or distribution of silver. The Fund can also invest in silver and silver certificates.

 

Unit Price (NAV - Series A)

Current Price as at May 22, 2013
Daily Change 		$5.27
$0.06 (1.20%)

Fund Performance as at April 30, 2013

MTD* YTD* 1 YR 3 YR 5 YR 10 YR Inception
-6.1 -33.0 -27.7 - - - -39.0
*MTD & YTD as at most recent NAV

Top Ten Holdings

  1. Silver Wheaton Corp.
  2. Cash and Cash Equivalents
  3. Coeur d’Alene
  4. Mines Corporation
  5. Mandalay Resource Company
  6. Hecla Mining Company
  7. First Majestic Silver Corp.
  8. Tahoe Resources Inc.
  9. Primero Mining Corp.
  10. Fresnillo PLC
Allocation data as of December 31, 2012

"ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD (October 2001) was written when gold was still considered a relic in financial circles. We believe silver will be this decade's gold."- Eric Sprott, Markets at a Glance, All That Glitters is Silver, November 2010.

"We believe the investment demand for silver is multiple times higher than that published… the case for physical silver is simply outstanding."
- Eric Sprott, Markets at a Glance, The Silver Lining, June 2010.

Why we believe silver's fundamentals are better than ever:

  • Used throughout history as a store of monetary value, silver enjoys growing investment demand due to the debasement of all fiat currencies;
  • Currently, the silver-to-gold price ratio is 50:1; however, we foresee a reversion to the historical average of 16:1;
  • Silver's value lies in its ability to preserve wealth in environments marked by negative real interest rates, government intervention, severe economic uncertainty and vulnerable banking institutions;
  • Silver's unique physical properties, such as its excellent electrical conductivity and proven effectiveness as an antiseptic and disinfectant, add to its increasing demand in industrial, electronics and medical applications;
  • World mine supply has grown only moderately over the last decade, lagging the growth in demand;
  • China used to be a large supplier of silver to the rest of the world, but is now a net importer of the metal.

 Why Invest in Sprott Silver Equities Class?

  • Silver equities provide leverage to increasing silver bullion prices in two ways: i) by increasing producers' profit margins; and ii) by incenting exploration upside;
  • We consider silver equities to be growth stocks in an environment where few other sectors are growing earnings;
  • The Class provides an ideal complement to bullion for investors interested in silver; exposure to both equities and bullion can provide better risk-adjusted returns over the long-term;
  • Share Sprott's vast access to investment opportunities, enabled by our relationships with hundreds of precious metals companies, and our location in Toronto, the mining financing capital of the world;
  • Rely on Sprott's depth of experience: Sprott has been an active investor in precious metals equities from as early as 2000;
  • As part of Sprott Corporate Class Inc., it offers the flexibility of switching to other share classes on a tax-deferred basis.

Q1 Commentary

The Sprott Silver Equities Class Series A (“the “Fund”) fell 15.4% during the first quarter, compared to a 16.8% decline experienced by its benchmark the MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Index, as measured in Canadian dollars.

During February and March there was a pronounced sell-off in precious metals miners as hints of the cessation of US money printing programs doused inflationary concerns and put downward pressure on silver. Silver stocks experienced a meaningful downward movement as the group tends to exhibit strong swings in the price direction of the underlying metal they produce. Further adding to the sector’s weakness was the investors’ growing appetite for high-yielding securities, which resulted in selling pressure on small-to-mid cap mining stocks.

At the end of the quarter, the Fund held 24 distinct silver stocks diversified across their respective market capitalizations and geographic focus. Core positions such as Silver Wheaton, Coeur d’Alene Mines and First Majestic Silver, which in aggregate represented 24.9% of the Fund, experienced respective declines of 11.3%, 21.7% and 18% which was significantly worse than silver bullion’s 4.4% (CAD) drop during the same period. The Fund’s smaller-cap positions fared worse as a liquidity premium was felt throughout the sector.

The fundamental reasons for silver ownership remain intact: it is a defensive asset against inflation and its usage in technology devices is increasing. It may take several quarters for silver bullion to resume its longer-term upward trend yet we do believe that silver stocks are cheap and represent strong long-term potential. 

The indicated rates of return for series A/class A securities of the Funds are based on the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in unit/share value and reinvestment of all distributions or dividends and does not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any security holder that would have reduced returns. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation to purchase securities of the Funds.