As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 10, 2003
1933 Act File No. 333-_____
1940 Act File No. 811-21411
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-2
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 |X|
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. |_|
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. |_|
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AND/OR
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 4 |X|
(CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX OR BOXES)
COPIES OF COMMUNICATIONS TO:
MARK P. GOSHKO, ESQ.
KIRKPATRICK & LOCKHART LLP
75 STATE STREET
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02109
APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING: As soon as practicable after
the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan, check the following box. |X|
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
|X| when declared effective pursuant to Section 8(c)
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
===================================================================================================================
PROPOSED PROPOSED
AMOUNT BEING MAXIMUM MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF
REGISTERED OFFERING AGGREGATE REGISTRATION FEES
TITLE OF SECURITIES BEING (1) PRICE PER UNIT OFFERING PRICE (1)
REGISTERED (1) (1)
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Auction Preferred Shares, $0.01 40 $25,000 $1,000,000 $80.90
par value
===================================================================================================================
(1) Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee, pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities
Act of 1933.
------------------------------------
THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS
EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THIS REGISTRATION
STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL
THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATES AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION
8(A), MAY DETERMINE.
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The information in this Prospectus is incomplete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities, in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
$ Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust
SHARES, SERIES A
SHARES, SERIES B
SHARES, SERIES C
SHARES, SERIES D
SHARES, SERIES E
[EATON VANCE LOGO]
AUCTION PREFERRED SHARES
LIQUIDATION PREFERENCE $25,000 PER SHARE
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES. Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Trust") is a recently organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Trust's investment objective is to provide a high level of current income. The Trust may, as a secondary objective, also seek preservation of capital to the extent consistent with its primary goal of high current income. The Trust will seek to achieve its investment objectives by investing primarily in senior, secured floating rate loans ("Senior Loans"). Under normal market conditions, Eaton Vance Management, the Trust's investment adviser, expects the Trust to maintain an average duration of less than one year (including the effect of leverage).
PORTFOLIO CONTENTS. The Trust pursues its objective by investing its assets primarily in Senior Loans. Under normal market conditions, the Trust will invest at least 80% of its total assets in Senior Loans. Senior Loans are made to corporations, partnerships and other business entities ("Borrowers") which operate in various industries and geographical regions, including foreign Borrowers. Senior Loans pay interest at rates which are redetermined periodically on the basis of a floating base lending rate plus a premium. Senior Loans typically are of below investment grade quality and have below investment grade credit ratings, which ratings are associated with securities having high risk, speculative characteristics. Because of the protective features of Senior Loans (being senior in a Borrower's capital structure and secured by specific collateral), the Adviser believes, based on its experience, that Senior Loans tend to have more favorable loss recovery rates compared to most other types of below investment grade obligations which are subordinated and unsecured.
INVESTMENT ADVISER. The Trust's investment adviser is Eaton Vance Management
("Eaton Vance" or the "Adviser"). As of ________, 2003, Eaton Vance and its
subsidiaries managed approximately $ billion on behalf of funds, institutional
clients and individuals. As of _______, 2003, Eaton Vance and its subsidiaries
managed more than $ billion in funds, in other commingled investment vehicles
and for institutional accounts which invest primarily in Senior Loans.
(continued on inside cover page)
INVESTING IN AUCTION PREFERRED SHARES ("APS") INVOLVES CERTAIN RISKS, INCLUDING THAT THE TRUST MAY INVEST SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF ITS ASSETS IN BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE QUALITY SECURITIES WITH SPECULATIVE CHARACTERISTICS. SEE "INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RISKS--RISK CONSIDERATIONS."
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ("SEC") NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
PRICE TO PUBLIC SALES LOAD PROCEEDS TO TRUST(1)
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Per Share $ 25,000 $ $
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total $ $ $
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(1) Plus accumulated dividends, if any, from the date the Auction Preferred Shares are issued, but before offering expenses payable by the Trust estimated to be $______. The Trust and Adviser have agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. See "Underwriting."
The Underwriters are offering the APS subject to various conditions. The Underwriters expect to deliver the APS in book-entry form, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company to purchasers on or about __________, 2003.
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined are defined in the Glossary that appears at the end of this Prospectus. The APS are offered at a price per share of $25,000 subject to a sales load of $ per share.
Dividends on the APS of the Trust offered hereby will be cumulative from the Date of Original Issue and payable commencing on the dates specified below (an "Initial Dividend Payment Date") and, generally, on a weekly basis thereafter on the days specified below, subject to certain exceptions. The cash dividend rate (the "Applicable Rate") on the APS for the Initial Dividend Period on such dates will be the per annum rate specified below:
INITIAL DIVIDEND NORMAL WEEKLY INITIAL
PAYMENT DATE PAYMENT DAY APPLICABLE RATE
------------------ -------------- ---------------
Series A %
Series B %
Series C %
Series D %
Series E %
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The APS will not be registered on any stock exchange or on any automated quotation system. APS may only be bought or sold through an order at an auction with or through a broker-dealer that has entered into an agreement with the auction agent of the Trust, or in a secondary market that may be maintained by certain broker-dealers. These broker-dealers are not required to maintain this market and it may not provide you with liquidity. An increase in the level of interest rates, particularly during any Special Dividend Period that is a Long Term Dividend Period as discussed in "Description of APS--Dividends and dividend periods--General," likely will have an adverse effect on the secondary market price of the APS, and a selling shareholder may sell APS between Auctions at a price per share of less than $25,000.
Each prospective purchaser should review carefully the detailed information regarding the Auction Procedures which appears in this Prospectus and the Trust's Statement of Additional Information and should note that (i) an Order constitutes an irrevocable commitment to hold, purchase or sell APS based upon the results of the related Auction, (ii) the Auctions will be conducted through telephone communications, (iii) settlement for purchases and sales will be on the Business Day following the Auction and (iv) ownership of APS will be maintained in book-entry form by or through the Securities Depository. In certain circumstances, holders of APS may be unable to sell their APS in an Auction and thus may lack liquidity of investment. The APS may only be transferred pursuant to a Bid or a Sell Order placed in an Auction through a Broker-Dealer to the Auction Agent or in the secondary market, if any.
This Prospectus sets forth concisely information you should know before investing in the APS. Please read and retain this Prospectus for future reference. A Statement of Additional Information for the Trust dated ___________, 2003 has been filed with the SEC and can be obtained without charge by calling 1-800-225-6265 or by writing to the Trust. The table of contents to the Statement of Additional Information is located at page of this Prospectus. This Prospectus incorporates by reference the entire Statement of Additional Information of the Trust. The Statement of Additional Information is available along with other Trust-related materials at the SEC's internet web site (http://www.sec.gov). The Trust's address is The Eaton Vance Building, 255 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 and its telephone number is 1-800-225-6265.
The APS do not represent a deposit or obligation of, and are not guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depository institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this Prospectus. The Trust has not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. The Trust is not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information appearing in this Prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this Prospectus.
Prospectus summary......................... Financial highlights....................... The Trust.................................. Use of proceeds............................ Capitalization............................. Portfolio composition......................
Investment objectives, policies and
Risks.................................... Management of the Trust.................... Description of APS......................... The Auctions............................... Taxes...................................... Description of capital structure...........
Certain provisions of the Declaration
of Trust................................. Underwriting...............................
Shareholder Servicing Agent, custodian
and transfer agent....................... Legal opinions............................. Independent auditors....................... Additional information.....................
Table of contents for the Statement of
Additional Information................... The Trust's privacy policy................. Glossary...................................
Prospectus summary
This is only a summary. You should review the more detailed information contained in this Prospectus and in the Trust's Statement of Additional Information.
THE TRUST
Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Trust") is a recently organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on August 5, 2003. The Trust has registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). The Trust's principal office is located at The Eaton Vance Building, 255 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, and its telephone number is 1-800-225-6265. The Trust commenced operations on November 28, 2003 upon the closing of an initial public offering of its common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share ("Common Shares"). The Common Shares of the Trust are traded on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "EFR." In connection with the initial public offering of the Trust's Common Shares, the underwriters were granted an option to purchase additional shares to cover over-allotments.
Certain of the capitalized terms used in this Prospectus are defined in the Glossary that appears at the end of this Prospectus.
THE OFFERING
The Trust is offering, pursuant to this Prospectus, preferred shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share, which have been designated Auction Preferred Shares, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D and Series E (collectively, the "APS"). Issuance of the APS represents the leveraging financing contemplated in connection with the offering of the Common Shares of the Trust.
The Trust is offering _______ Auction Preferred Shares, Series A, ___________ Auction Preferred Shares, Series B, _____________Auction Preferred Shares, Series C, ____________ Auction Preferred Shares, Series D and _____________ Auction Preferred Shares, Series E, at a purchase price of $25,000 per share plus accumulated dividends, if any, from the Date of Original Issue. The APS are being offered through a group of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters") led by ________________. See "Underwriting."
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
The Trust's investment objective is to provide a high level of current income. The Trust may, as a secondary objective, also seek preservation of capital to the extent consistent with its primary goal of high current income. Under normal market conditions, Eaton Vance expects the Trust to maintain a duration of less than one year (including the effect of anticipated leverage). The Trust pursues its objectives by investing primarily in Senior Loans. Senior Loans are made to corporations, partnerships and other business entities ("Borrowers") which operate in various industries and geographical regions. Senior Loans pay interest at rates which are redetermined periodically by reference to a base lending rate, primarily the London-Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), plus a premium. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Trust's total assets will be invested in interests in Senior Loans. It is anticipated that the proceeds of the Senior Loans in which the Trust will acquire interests primarily will be used to finance leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, refinancing, and internal growth and for other corporate purposes of Borrowers.
The Trust may invest up to 20% of its total assets in: (i) loan interests which
are not secured by any, or that have a lower than senior claim on, collateral,
(ii) other income producing securities such as investment and non-investment
grade corporate debt securities and U.S. government and U.S. dollar-denominated
foreign government or supranational debt securities, and (iii) warrants and
equity securities issued by a Borrower or its affiliates as part of a package of
investments in the Borrower or its affiliates. Corporate bonds of below
investment grade quality ("Non-Investment Grade Bonds"), commonly referred to as
"junk bonds," are bonds that are rated below investment grade by each of the
national rating agencies who cover the security, or, if unrated, are determined
to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. Standard & Poor's Ratings Group
("S&P") and Fitch Ratings ("Fitch") consider securities rated below BBB-- to be
below investment grade and Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") considers
securities rated below Baa3 to be below investment grade.
Under normal market conditions, the Trust expects to maintain an average duration of less than one year (including the effect of anticipated leverage). In comparison to maturity (which is the date on which a debt instrument ceases and the issuer is obligated to repay the principal amount), duration is a measure of the price volatility of a debt instrument as a result of changes in market rates of interest, based on the weighted average timing of the instrument's expected principal and interest payments. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a security's yield, coupon payments, principal payments and call features in addition to the amount of time until the security finally matures. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. Prices of securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. In general, a portfolio of securities with a longer duration can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter duration.
Investing in Senior Loans involves investment risk. Some Borrowers default on their Senior Loan payments. The Trust attempts to manage this credit risk through portfolio diversification and ongoing analysis and monitoring of Borrowers. The Trust also is subject to market, liquidity, interest rate and other risks.
Scott H. Page, Payson F. Swaffield (each a Vice President of Eaton Vance), and Craig P. Russ are co-portfolio managers of the Trust. Mr. Page and Mr. Swaffield have co-managed other Eaton Vance portfolios investing primarily in Senior Loans since 1996. Mr. Russ has managed portfolios for institutional clients investing primarily in Senior Loans since 2001. Mr. Russ has also been an investment analyst at Eaton Vance since 1997. The Trust's investments are actively managed, and Senior Loans and other securities may be bought or sold on a daily basis.
The Adviser's staff monitors the credit quality and price of Senior Loans and other securities held by the Trust, as well as other securities that are available to the Trust. The Trust may invest in individual Senior Loans and other securities of any credit quality. Although the Adviser considers ratings when making investment decisions, it performs its own credit and investment analysis and does not rely primarily on the ratings assigned by the rating services. In evaluating the quality of particular Senior Loans or other securities, whether rated or unrated, the Adviser will normally take into consideration, among other things, the issuer's financial resources and operating history, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, the ability of its management, its debt maturity schedules and borrowing requirements, and relative values based on anticipated cash flow, interest and asset coverage, and earnings prospects.
The Trust will only invest in U.S. dollar denominated securities. The Trust may invest in U.S. dollar denominated Senior Loans and other securities of non-United States issuers. The Trust's investments may have significant exposure to certain sectors of the economy and thus may react differently to political or economic developments than the market as a whole.
The Trust may purchase or sell derivative instruments (which derive their value from another instrument, security or index) for risk management purposes, such as hedging against fluctuations in Senior Loans and other securities prices or interest rates; diversification purposes; changing the duration of the Trust; or leveraging the Trust. Transactions in derivative instruments may include the purchase or sale of futures contracts on securities, indices and other financial instruments, credit-linked notes, tranches of collateralized loan obligations and/or collateralized debt obligations, options on futures contracts, and exchange-traded and over-the-counter options on securities or indices, and interest rate, total return and credit default swaps. Guidelines of any rating organization that rates any preferred shares issued by the Trust may limit the Trust's ability to engage in such transactions. Subject to the Trust's policy of investing at least 80% of its total assets in Senior Loans and subject to the limitations on the use of futures contracts and related options imposed by Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Trust may invest, without limitation, in the foregoing derivative instruments for the purposes stated herein.
INVESTMENT ADVISER AND ADMINISTRATOR
Eaton Vance, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp., is the Trust's investment adviser and administrator. The Adviser and its subsidiaries manage approximately $ billion on behalf of funds, institutional accounts and individuals as of _____________, 2003. Twenty-nine of the funds are closed-end. As _______________, 2003, Eaton Vance and its subsidiaries managed more than $ billion in Trusts, in other commingled investment vehicles and for institutional accounts which invest primarily in Senior Loans. See "Management of the Trust."
RISK FACTORS SUMMARY
Risk is inherent in all investing. Therefore, before investing in the Trust you should consider certain risks carefully. The primary risks of investing in APS are:
o If an auction fails you may not be able to sell some or all of your APS;
o Because of the nature of the market for APS, you may receive less than the price you paid for your shares if you sell them outside of the auction, especially when market interest rates are rising;
o A rating agency could downgrade APS, which could affect liquidity;
o The Trust may be forced to redeem your APS to meet regulatory or rating agency requirements or may elect to redeem your APS in certain circumstances;
o In extraordinary circumstances, the Trust may not earn sufficient income from its investments to pay dividends;
o If long-term interest rates rise, the value of the Trust's investment portfolio will decline, reducing the asset coverage for its APS;
o If an issuer of an obligation in which the Trust invests is downgraded or defaults, there may be a negative impact on the income and/or asset value of the Trust's portfolio; and
o The Trust's investments in Non-Investment Grade Bonds are predominantly speculative because of the credit risk of their issuers. While offering a greater potential opportunity for capital appreciation and higher yields, Non-Investment Grade Bonds typically entail greater potential price volatility and may be less liquid than higher-rated securities. Issuers of Non-Investment Grade Bonds are more likely to default on their payments of interest and principal owed to the Trust, and such defaults will reduce the Trust's net asset value and income distributions. The prices of these lower rated obligations are more sensitive to negative developments than higher rated securities. Adverse business conditions, such as a decline in the issuer's revenues or an economic downturn, generally lead to a higher non- payment rate. In addition, a security may lose significant value before a default occurs as the market adjusts to expected higher non-payment rates.
For additional general risks of investing in APS of the Trust, see "Investment objectives, policies and risks--Risk considerations."
TRADING MARKET
APS are not listed on an exchange. Instead, you may buy or sell APS at an auction that normally is held weekly by submitting orders to a broker-dealer that has entered into an agreement with the auction agent and the Trust (a "Broker-Dealer"), or to a broker-dealer that has entered into a separate agreement with a Broker-Dealer. In addition to the auctions, Broker-Dealers and other broker-dealers may maintain a secondary trading market in APS outside of auctions, but may discontinue this activity at any time. There is no assurance that a secondary market will develop, or if it does develop, that it will provide shareholders with liquidity. You may transfer APS outside of auctions only to or through a Broker-Dealer, or a broker-dealer that has entered into a separate agreement with a Broker-Dealer.
The table below shows the first auction date for each series of APS of the Trust and the day on which each subsequent auction will normally be held for each such series. The first auction date for each series of APS of the Trust will be the Business Day before the dividend payment date for the initial dividend period for each such series. The start date for subsequent dividend periods normally will be the Business Day following the auction date unless the then-current dividend period is a Special Dividend Period, or the day that normally would be the auction date or the first day of the subsequent dividend period is not a Business Day.
FIRST AUCTION SUBSEQUENT
DATE* AUCTION*
------------- ----------
Series A
Series B
Series C
Series D
Series E
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* All dates are 2004.
DIVIDENDS AND DIVIDEND PERIODS
The table below shows the dividend rate for the initial dividend period of the APS offered in this Prospectus. For subsequent dividend periods, APS shares will pay dividends based on a rate set at auctions, normally held weekly. In most instances dividends are also paid weekly, on the day following the end of the dividend period. The rate set at auction will not exceed the Maximum Rate. See "The Auction--Auction procedures."
Finally the table below shows the numbers of days of the initial dividend period for the APS. Subsequent dividend periods generally will be 7 days. The dividend payment date for Special Dividend Periods of more than 28 days will be set out in the notice designating a Special Dividend Period. See "Description of APS--Dividends and dividend periods."
DIVIDEND
PAYMENT NUMBER OF
DATE OF DATE FOR SUBSEQUENT DAYS OF
INITIAL ACCUMULATION INITIAL DIVIDEND INITIAL
DIVIDEND OF INITIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DIVIDEND
RATE RATE* PERIOD* DATE* PERIOD
-------- ------------ ----------- ----------- --------
Series A %
Series B %
Series C %
Series D %
Series E %
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* All dates are 2004
TAXATION
Dividends paid with respect to APS should constitute dividends for federal income tax purposes to the extent attributable to the Trust's current or accumulated earnings and profits. For a further discussion of the tax treatment of dividends paid by the Trust see "Taxes--General." Corporate holders of the APS generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction for these dividends. Distributions of net capital gain, to the extent so designated, will be treated as long-term capital gains.
REDEMPTION
Although the Trust will not ordinarily redeem APS, it may be required to redeem APS if, for example, the Trust does not meet an asset coverage ratio required by law or in order to correct a failure to meet a rating agency guideline in a timely manner. See "Description of APS--Redemption--Mandatory redemption." The Trust voluntarily may redeem APS in certain circumstances. See "Description of APS--Redemption--Optional redemption."
LIQUIDATION PREFERENCE
The liquidation preference of the APS of each series is $25,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accumulated but unpaid dividends (whether or not earned or declared). See "Description of APS--Liquidation rights."
RATING
Shares of APS of the Trust will be issued with a credit quality rating of AAA or its equivalent from both ________ and _________. The Trust may at some future time look to have its APS rated by additional or substitute rating agencies. Because the Trust is required to maintain at least two ratings, it must own portfolio securities of sufficient value with adequate credit quality to meet the rating agency's guidelines. See "Description of APS--Rating agency guidelines and asset coverage."
VOTING RIGHTS
The 1940 Act requires that the holders of APS and any other Preferred Shares of the Trust, voting as a separate class, have the right to elect at least two Trustees of the Trust at all times and to elect a majority of the Trustees at any time when two years' dividends on the APS or any other Preferred Shares are
unpaid. The holders of APS and any other Preferred Shares of the Trust will vote as a separate class on certain other matters as required under the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust ("Declaration of Trust") and the 1940 Act. See "Description of APS--Voting rights" and "Certain provisions of the Declaration of Trust."
Financial highlights
Information contained in the tables below under the headings "Income (loss) from operations" and "Ratios/Supplemental data" shows the unaudited operating performance of the Trust from the commencement of the Trust's investment operations on , 2003 until , 200_ . Since the Trust commenced operations on , 2003, the tables cover approximately weeks of operations, during which a substantial portion of the Trust's assets were invested in high-quality, short-term debt securities. Accordingly, the information presented may not provide a meaningful picture of the Trust's operating performance.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
AS OF ________________, 200
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS
Net investment income......................... $
--------
Net realized and unrealized gain.............. $
--------
Total income from operations.................. $
--------
Common share offering costs................... $ ( )
--------
Net asset value--End of period................ $
--------
Market value--End of period................... $
--------
Total Investment Return on Net Asset Value(4). %
Total Investment Return on Market Value(4).... %
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA+
Net assets, end of period (000's omitted)..... $
Ratios (As a percentage of average daily
net assets):..................................
Net expenses................................ %(5)
Net investment income....................... %(5)
Portfolio Turnover............................ %
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+ THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE TRUST REFLECT A REDUCTION OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER FEE AND A REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES BY THE ADVISER. HAD SUCH ACTION NOT BEEN TAKEN, THE RATIOS AND NET INVESTMENT INCOME PER SHARE WOULD HAVE BEEN AS FOLLOWS:
RATIOS (AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS):
EXPENSES................................... %(5)
NET INVESTMENT INCOME...................... %(5)
NET INVESTMENT INCOME PER SHARE............... $
(1) FOR THE PERIOD FROM THE START OF BUSINESS, ______, 2003, TO _____, 200_.
(2) COMPUTED USING AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING.
(3) NETASSET VALUE AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD REFLECTS THE DEDUCTION OF THE SALES LOAD OF $0.90 PER SHARE PAID BY THE SHAREHOLDER FROM THE $20.00 OFFERING PRICE.
(4) TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN ON NET ASSET VALUE IS CALCULATED ASSUMING A PURCHASE AT THE OFFERING PRICE OF $20.00 LESS THE SALES LOAD OF $0.90 PER SHARE PAID BY THE SHAREHOLDER ON THE FIRST DAY AND A SALE AT THE NET ASSET VALUE ON THE LAST DAY OF THE PERIOD REPORTED. TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN ON MARKET VALUE IS CALCULATED ASSUMING A PURCHASE AT THE OFFERING PRICE OF $20.00 LESS THE SALES LOAD OF $0.90 PER SHARE PAID BY THE SHAREHOLDER ON THE FIRST DAY AND A SALE AT THE CURRENT MARKET PRICE ON THE LAST DAY OF THE PERIOD REPORTED. TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN ON NET ASSET VALUE AND TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN ON MARKET VALUE ARE NOT COMPUTED ON AN ANNUALIZED BASIS.
(5) ANNUALIZED.
The Trust
Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Trust") is a recently organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on August 5, 2003. The Trust has registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). The Trust's principal office is located at The Eaton Vance Building, 255 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, and its telephone number is 1-800-225-6265.
The Trust commenced operations on November 28, 2003 upon the closing of an initial public offering of its common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share ("Common Shares"). The Common Shares of the Trust are traded on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "EFR." In connection with the initial public offering of the Trust's Common Shares, the underwriters were granted an option to purchase, at a price of $20.00 per Common Share, 9,900,000 additional Common Shares to cover over-allotments. On _________ 200_, the underwriters partially exercised the over-allotment option and purchased ______________ Common Shares.
Certain of the capitalized terms used in this Prospectus are defined in the Glossary that appears at the end of this Prospectus.
Use of proceeds
The net proceeds of this offering will be approximately $ _________ after the payment of the sales load and expected offering costs. See "Underwriting." The Trust will invest the net proceeds of the offering in accordance with its investment objective and policies stated below. It is presently anticipated that the Trust will be able to invest substantially all of the net proceeds in obligations that meet those investment objectives and policies during a period estimated not to exceed three months from the completion of the offering of the APS depending on market conditions and the availability of appropriate securities. Pending such investment, the proceeds may be invested in high quality, short-term debt securities.
Capitalization
The following table sets forth the unaudited capitalization of the Trust as of _____________, 200_ as if the Common Shares of the Trust purchased by the Underwriters pursuant to their overallotment option on , 200 ("Overallotment Common Shares") had been issued on that date and as adjusted to give effect to the issuance of the APS offered hereby.
ACTUAL AS ADJUSTED
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(UNAUDITED) (UNAUDITED)
Preferred shares, par value, $0.01 per share (no shares
issued; _____, as adjusted, at $25,000 per share
liquidation preference)..................................... $ $
================ ===============
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Common Shares, par value, $0.01 per share (shares issued
and outstanding).............................................. $ $
Capital in excess of par value attributable to Common
Shares......................................................
Net undistributed investment income...........................
Net accumulated realized gain (loss)..........................
Net unrealized appreciation on investments....................
---------------- ---------------
Net Assets.................................................... $ $
================ ===============
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Portfolio composition
As of ____________, 200_, the following sets forth certain information with respect to the characteristics and composition of the Trust's investment portfolio:
Percentage of total assets invested in Senior Loans and other loans ____% Percentage of total assets invested in other debt obligations ____%
Securities Ratings
NUMBER OF
S&P(1) MOODY'S(1) FITCH(1) ISSUES VALUE PERCENT
-------- ---------- --------- ------- ------------ -------
AAA Aaa AAA $ %
BBB Baa BBB %
BB Ba BB %
B B B %
CCC Caa CCC %
Unrated %
Cash and cash equivalents...... -- %
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(1)RATINGS: USING THE HIGHER OF S&P'S, MOODY'S OR FITCH'S RATINGS ON THE TRUST'S INVESTMENTS. S&P AND FITCH RATING CATEGORIES MAY BE MODIFIED FURTHER BY A PLUS (+) OR MINUS (--) IN AA, A, BBB, BB, B, AND CCC RATINGS. MOODY'S RATING CATEGORIES MAY BE MODIFIED FURTHER BY A 1, 2 OR 3 IN AA, A, BAA, BA, B, AND CAA RATINGS.
Investment objectives, policies and risks
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES
The Trust's investment objective is to provide shareholders with a high level of current income. The Trust may, as a secondary objective, also seek preservation of capital to the extent consistent with its investment objective of high current income. Under normal market conditions, Eaton Vance expects the Trust to maintain an average duration of less than one year (including the effect of anticipated leverage). The Trust pursues its objectives by investing its assets primarily in senior secured floating rate loans ("Senior Loans"). Investment in such floating rate instruments is expected to minimize changes in the underlying principal value of the Senior Loans, and therefore the Trust's net asset value, resulting from changes in market interest rates. The borrowers of such loans will be corporations, partnerships and other business entities ("Borrowers") which operate in a variety of industries and geographical regions.
PRIMARY INVESTMENT POLICIES
GENERAL COMPOSITION OF THE TRUST
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Trust's total assets are invested (generally by the purchase of assignments) in interests in Senior Loans of domestic or foreign Borrowers (so long as foreign loans are U.S. dollar-denominated and payments of interest and repayments of principal are required to be made in U.S. dollars). The Trust may invest up to 20% of its total assets in: (i) loan interests which are not secured by any, or that have a lower than senior claim on, collateral, (ii) other income producing securities such as investment and non-investment grade corporate debt securities and U.S. government and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign government or supranational debt securities, and (iii) warrants and equity securities issued by a Borrower or its affiliates as part of a package of investments in the Borrower or its affiliates. If the Adviser determines that market conditions temporarily warrant a defensive investment policy, the Trust may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash and/or high quality, short-term debt securities, which would not be consistent with the Trust's investment objective. While temporarily invested, the Trust may not achieve its investment objective. Corporate bonds of below investment grade quality ("Non-Investment Grade Bonds"), commonly referred to as "junk bonds," are bonds that are rated below investment grade by each of the national rating agencies who cover the security, or, if unrated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. Standard & Poor's Ratings Group ("S&P") and Fitch Ratings ("Fitch") consider securities rated below BBB-- to be below investment grade and Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") considers securities rated below Baa3 to be below investment grade.
The Trust's policy of investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its total assets in Senior Loans is not considered to be Trustamental by the Trust and can be changed without a vote of the Shareholders. However, this policy may only be changed by the Trust's Board following the provision of 60 days prior written notice to Shareholders.
Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects to maintain an average duration of less than one year (including the effect of anticipated leverage). In comparison to maturity (which is the date on which a debt instrument ceases and the issuer is obligated to repay the principal amount), duration is a measure of the price volatility of a debt instrument as a result of changes in market rates of interest, based on the weighted average timing of the instrument's expected principal and interest payments. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a security's yield, coupon payments, principal payments and call features in addition to the amount of time until the security finally matures. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. Prices of securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. In general, a portfolio of securities with a longer duration can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter duration.
The Adviser's staff monitors the credit quality and the price of Senior Loans and other securities held by the Trust, as well as other securities that are available to the Trust. The Trust may invest in Senior Loans and other securities of any credit quality.
Although the Adviser considers ratings when making investment decisions, it performs its own credit and investment analysis and does not rely primarily on the ratings assigned by the rating services. In evaluating the quality of a particular security, whether rated or unrated, the Adviser will normally take into consideration, among other things, the issuer's financial resources and operating history, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, the ability of its management, its debt maturity schedules and borrowing requirements, and relative values based on anticipated cash flow, interest and asset coverage, and earnings prospects. The Adviser will attempt to reduce the risks of investing in lower rated or unrated debt instruments through active portfolio management, credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in the economy and the financial markets.
The Trust is not required to dispose of a security in the event that a nationally recognized statistical rating agency ("Rating Agency") downgrades its assessment of the credit characteristics of a particular issue or withdraws its assessment, including in the event of a default. In determining whether to retain or sell such a security, Eaton Vance may consider such factors as Eaton Vance's assessment of the credit quality of the issuers of such security, the price at which such security could be sold and the rating, if any, assigned to such security by other Rating Agencies.
The Trust will only invest in U.S. dollar denominated securities. The Trust may invest in U.S. dollar denominated securities of non-United States issuers. The Trust's investments may have significant exposure to certain sectors of the economy and thus may react differently to political or economic developments than the market as a whole.
The Trust may purchase shares of other investment companies with a similar investment objective and policies as permitted under the Investment Company Act. Such investments are limited to 10% of total assets overall, with no more than 5% invested in any one issuer. The value of shares of other closed-end investment companies is affected by risks similar to those of the Trust, such as demand for those securities regardless of the demand for the underlying portfolio assets. Investment companies bear fees and expenses that the Trust will bear indirectly, so investors in the Trust will be subject to duplication of fees. The Trust also may invest up to 5% of its total assets in structured notes with rates of return determined by reference to the total rate of return on one or more Senior Loans referenced in such notes. The rate of return on the structured note may be determined by applying a multiplier to the rate of total return on the referenced Senior Loan or Loans. Application of a multiplier is comparable to the use of financial leverage, a speculative technique. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss; as a result, a relatively small decline in the value of a referenced Loan could result in a relatively large loss in the value of a structured note. Shares of other investment companies that invest in Senior Loans and structured notes will be treated as Senior Loans for purposes of the Trust's policy of normally investing at least 80% of its assets in Senior Loans, and may be subject to the Trust's leverage limitations.
SENIOR LOANS
Senior Loans hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a Borrower, are typically secured with specific collateral and have a claim on the assets and/or stock of the Borrower that is senior to that held by subordinated debt holders and stockholders of the Borrower. The capital structure of a Borrower may include Senior Loans, senior and junior subordinated debt, preferred stock and common stock issued by the Borrower, typically in descending order of seniority with respect to claims on the Borrower's assets (discussed below). Senior Loans are typically secured by specific collateral. As also discussed above, the proceeds of Senior Loans primarily are used to finance leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, refinancings and internal growth and for other corporate purposes.
Senior Loans in which the Trust will invest generally pay interest at rates, which are redetermined periodically by reference to a base lending rate, plus a premium. Senior Loans typically have rates of interest which are redetermined either daily, monthly, quarterly or semi-annually by reference to a base lending rate, plus a premium or credit spread. These base lending rates are primarily LIBOR, and secondarily the prime rate offered by one or more major United States banks (the "Prime Rate") and the certificate of deposit ("CD") rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. As floating rate loans, the frequency of how often a loan resets its interest rate will impact how closely such loans track current market interest rate. The Senior Loans held by the Trust will have a dollar-weighted average period until the next interest rate adjustment of approximately 90 days or less. As a result, as short-term interest rates increase, interest payable to the Trust from its investments in Senior Loans should increase, and as short-term interest rates decrease, interest payable to the Trust from its investments in Senior Loans should decrease. The Trust may utilize derivative instruments to shorten the effective interest rate redetermination period of Senior Loans in its portfolio. Senior Loans typically have a stated term of between one and ten years. In the experience of the Adviser over the last decade, however, the average life of Senior Loans has been two to four years because of prepayments.
The Trust expects primarily to purchase Senior Loans by assignment from a participant in the original syndicate of lenders or from subsequent assignees of such interests. The Trust may also purchase participations in the original syndicate making Senior Loans. Such indebtedness may be secured or unsecured. Loan participations typically represent direct participations in a loan to a corporate borrower, and generally are offered by banks or other financial institutions or lending syndicates. The Trust may participate in such syndications, or can buy part of a loan, becoming a part lender. When purchasing loan participations, the Trust assumes the credit risk associated with the corporate borrower and may assume the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. The participation interests in which the Trust intends to invest may not be rated by any nationally recognized rating service.
The Trust may purchase and retain in its portfolio Senior Loans where the Borrowers have experienced, or may be perceived to be likely to experience, credit problems, including involvement in or recent emergence from bankruptcy reorganization proceedings or other forms of debt restructuring. Such investments may provide opportunities for enhanced income as well as capital appreciation. At times, in connection with the restructuring of a Senior Loan either outside of bankruptcy court or in the context of bankruptcy court proceedings, the Trust may determine or be required to accept equity securities or junior debt securities in exchange for all or a portion of a Senior Loan.
The Trust may also purchase unsecured loans, other floating rate debt securities such as notes, bonds and asset-backed securities (such as special purpose trusts investing in bank loans), credit-linked notes, tranches of collateralized loan obligations, investment grade fixed income debt obligations and money market instruments, such as commercial paper.
Senior Loans and other floating-rate debt instruments are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income to the Trust, a reduction in the value of the investment and a potential decrease in the net asset value of the Trust. There can be no assurance that the liquidation of any collateral securing a loan would satisfy the Borrower's obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal payments, or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy of a Borrower, the Trust could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a Senior Loan. The collateral securing a Senior Loan may lose all or substantially all of its value in the event of bankruptcy of a Borrower. Some Senior Loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate such Senior Loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the Borrower or take other action detrimental to the holders of Senior Loans, including, in certain circumstances, invalidating such Senior Loans or causing interest previously paid to be reTrusted to the Borrower. If interest were required to be reTrusted, it could negatively affect the Trust's performance.
Many Senior Loans in which the Trust will invest may not be rated by a Rating Agency, will not be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities commission and will not be listed on any national securities exchange. The amount of public information available with respect to Senior Loans will generally be less extensive than that available for registered or exchange listed securities. In evaluating the creditworthiness of Borrowers, the Adviser will consider, and may rely in part, on analyses performed by others. Borrowers may have outstanding debt obligations that are rated below investment grade by a Rating Agency. Many of the Senior Loans in the Trust will have been assigned ratings below investment grade by independent rating agencies. In the event Senior Loans are not rated, they are likely to be the equivalent of below investment grade quality. Because of the protective features of Senior Loans, the Adviser believes that Senior Loans tend to have more favorable loss recovery rates as compared to more junior types of below investment grade debt obligations. The Adviser does not view ratings as the determinative factor in its investment decisions and relies more upon its credit analysis abilities than upon ratings.
No active trading market may exist for some loans and some loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. A secondary market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may impair the ability to realize full value and thus cause a material decline in the Trust's net asset value. During periods of limited supply and liquidity of Senior Loans, the Trust's yield may be lower.
When interest rates decline, the value of a Trust invested in fixed-rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a Trust invested in fixed-rate obligations can be expected to decline. Although changes in prevailing interest rates can be expected to cause some fluctuations in the value of Senior Loans (due to the fact that floating rates on Senior Loans only reset periodically), the value of Senior Loans is substantially less sensitive to changes in market interest rates than fixed-rate instruments. As a result, the Adviser expects the Trust's policy of investing a portion of its assets in floating-rate Senior Loans will make the Trust less volatile and less sensitive to changes in market interest rates than if the Trust invested exclusively in fixed-rate obligations. Similarly, a sudden and significant increase in market interest rates may cause a decline in the value of these investments and in the Trust's net asset value. Other factors (including, but not limited to, rating downgrades, credit deterioration, a large downward movement in stock prices, a disparity in supply and demand of certain Senior Loans and other securities or market conditions that reduce liquidity) can reduce the value of Senior Loans and other debt obligations, impairing the Trust's net asset value.
The Adviser uses an independent pricing service to value most loans and other debt securities at their market value. The Adviser may use the fair value method to value loans or other securities if market quotations for them are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, or if events occurring after the close of a securities market and before the Trust values its assets would materially affect net asset value. A security that is fair valued may be valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other Trusts
using their own fair valuation procedures. Because foreign securities trade on days when the Shares are not priced, net asset value can change at times when Shares cannot be sold.
ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT PRACTICES
COLLATERALIZED LOAN OBLIGATIONS ("CLOS")
The Trust may invest in certain asset-backed securities as discussed below. Asset-backed securities are payment claims that are securitized in the form of negotiable paper that is issued by a financing company (generically called a Special Purpose Vehicle or "SPV"). These securitized payment claims are, as a rule, corporate financial assets brought into a pool according to specific diversification rules. The SPV is a company founded solely for the purpose of securitizing these claims and its only asset is the risk arising out of this diversified asset pool. On this basis, marketable securities are issued which, due to the diversification of the underlying risk, generally represent a lower level of risk than the original assets. The redemption of the securities issued by the SPV takes place at maturity out of the cash flow generated by the collected claims.
A CLO is a structured credit security issued by an SPV that was created to reapportion the risk and return characteristics of a pool of assets. The assets, typically Senior Loans, are used as collateral supporting the various debt tranches issued by the SPV. The key feature of the CLO structure is the prioritization of the cash flows from a pool of debt securities among the several classes of CLO holders, thereby creating a series of obligations with varying rates and maturities appealing to a wide range of investors. CLOs generally are secured by an assignment to a trustee under the indenture pursuant to which the bonds are issued of collateral consisting of a pool of debt instruments, usually, non-investment grade bank loans. Payments with respect to the underlying debt securities generally are made to the trustee under the indenture. CLOs are designed to be retired as the underlying debt instruments are repaid. In the event of sufficient early prepayments on such debt instruments, the class or series of CLO first to mature generally will be retired prior to maturity. Therefore, although in most cases the issuer of CLOs will not supply additional collateral in the event of such prepayments, there will be sufficient collateral to secure their priority with respect to other CLO tranches that remain outstanding. The credit quality of these securities depends primarily upon the quality of the underlying assets, their priority with respect to other CLO tranches and the level of credit support and/or enhancement provided.
The underlying assets (E.G., loans) are subject to prepayments which shorten the securities' weighted average maturity and may lower their return. If the credit support or enhancement is exhausted, losses or delays in payment may result if the required payments of principal and interest are not made. The value of these securities also may change because of changes in market value, that is changes in the market's perception of the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the pool, or the financial institution or Trust providing the credit support or enhancement.
COLLATERALIZED DEBT OBLIGATIONS ("CDOS")
The Trust may invest in CDOs. A CDO is a structured credit security issued by an SPV that was created to reapportion the risk and return characteristics of a pool of assets. The assets, typically non-investment grade bonds, leveraged loans, and other asset-backed obligations, are used as collateral supporting the various debt and equity tranches issued by the SPV. The key feature of the CDO structure is the prioritization of the cash flows from a pool of debt securities among the several classes of CDO holders, thereby creating a series of obligations with varying rates and maturities appealing to a wide range of investors. CDOs generally are secured by an assignment to a trustee under the indenture pursuant to which the bonds are issued of collateral consisting of a pool of debt securities, usually, non-investment grade bonds. Payments with respect to the underlying debt securities generally are made to the trustee under the indenture. CDOs are designed to be retired as the underlying debt securities are repaid. In the event of sufficient early prepayments on such debt securities, the class or series of CDO first to mature generally will be retired prior to maturity. Therefore, although in most cases the issuer of CDOs will not supply additional collateral in the event of such prepayments, there will be sufficient collateral to secure CDOs that remain outstanding. The credit quality of these securities depends primarily upon the quality of the underlying assets and the level of credit support and/or enhancement provided. CDOs operate similarly to CLOs and are subject to the same inherent risks.
FOREIGN SECURITIES
Although the Trust will only invest in U.S. dollar-denominated income securities, the Trust may invest in Senior Loans and other debt securities of non-U.S. issuers. Investment in securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks, including that non-U.S. issuers may be subject to less rigorous accounting and reporting requirements than U.S. issuers, less rigorous regulatory requirements, differing legal systems and laws relating to creditors'
rights, the potential inability to enforce legal judgments and the potential for political, social and economic adversity. The willingness and ability of sovereign issuers to pay principal and interest on government securities depends on various economic factors, including among others the issuer's balance of payments, overall debt level, and cash flow considerations related to the availability of tax or other revenues to satisfy the issuer's obligations. The securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations may involve certain risks (such as delay in the payment or delivery of securities and interest or in the recovery of assets held abroad) and expenses not present in the settlement of domestic investments. Investments may include securities issued by the governments of lesser-developed countries, which are sometimes referred to as "emerging markets." There may be a possibility of nationalization or expropriation of assets, imposition of currency exchange controls, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability, armed conflict and diplomatic developments which could affect the value of the Trust's investments in certain foreign countries.
CORPORATE BONDS AND OTHER DEBT SECURITIES
The Trust may invest in a wide variety of bonds, debentures and similar debt securities of varying maturities and durations issued by corporations and other business entities, including limited liability companies. Debt securities in which the Trust may invest may pay fixed or variable rates of interest. Bonds and other debt securities generally are issued by corporations and other issuers to borrow money from investors. The issuer pays the investor a fixed or variable rate of interest and normally must repay the amount borrowed on or before maturity. Certain debt securities are "PERPETUAL" in that they have no maturity date. The Trust may invest in bonds and other debt securities of any quality. As discussed below, Non-Investment Grade Bonds, commonly known as "junk bonds," are considered to be predominantly speculative in nature because of the because of the credit risk of the issuers.
NON-INVESTMENT GRADE BONDS
As indicated above, Non-Investment Grade Bonds are those rated lower than investment grade (I.E., bonds rated lower than Baa3 by Moody's and lower than BBB-- by S&P and Fitch) or are unrated and of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser. Non-Investment Grade Bonds rated BB and Ba have speculative characteristics, while lower rated Non-Investment Grade Bonds are predominantly speculative.
The Trust may hold securities that are unrated or in the lowest rating categories (rated C by Moody's or D by S&P or Fitch). Bonds rated C by Moody's are regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing. Bonds rated D by S&P or Fitch are in payment default or a bankruptcy petition has been filed and debt service payments are jeopardized. In order to enforce its rights with defaulted securities, the Trust may be required to retain legal counsel and/or a financial adviser. This may increase the Trust's operating expenses and adversely affect net asset value.
The credit quality of most securities held by the Trust reflects a greater than average possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of an issuer, or in general economic conditions, or both, may impair the ability of the issuer to make payments of interest and principal. The inability (or perceived inability) of issuers to make timely payment of interest and principal would likely make the values of securities held by the Trust more volatile and could limit the Trust's ability to sell its securities at favorable prices. In the absence of a liquid trading market for securities held by it, the Trust may have difficulties determining the fair market value of such securities.
Although the Adviser considers security ratings when making investment decisions, it performs its own credit and investment analysis and does not rely primarily on the ratings assigned by the rating services. In evaluating the quality of a particular security, whether rated or unrated, the Adviser will normally take into consideration, among other things, the issuer's financial resources and operating history, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, the ability of its management, its debt maturity schedules and borrowing requirements, and relative values based on anticipated cash flow, interest and asset coverage, and earnings prospects. Because of the greater number of investment considerations involved in investing in high yield, high risk bonds, the achievement of the Trust's objectives depends more on the Adviser's judgment and analytical abilities than would be the case if the Trust invested primarily in securities in the higher rating categories. While the Adviser will attempt to reduce the risks of investing in lower rated or unrated securities through active Trust management, diversification, credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in the economy and the financial markets, there can be no assurance that a broadly diversified Trust of such securities would substantially lessen the risk of defaults brought about by an economic downturn or recession. In recent years, issuances of Non-Investment Grade Bonds by companies in various sectors has increased. Accordingly, the Trust's investments may have significant exposure to certain sectors of the economy and thus may react differently to political or economic developments than the market as a whole.
The Trust's high yield securities may have fixed or variable principal payments and all types of interest rate and dividend payment and reset terms, including fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, and payment in kind features.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES
The Trust may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a debt security or preferred stock that is exchangeable for an equity security of the issuer at a predetermined price. Depending upon the relationship of the conversion price to the market value of the underlying security, a convertible security may trade more like an equity security than a debt instrument. The Trust may invest in convertible securities of any rating.
GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
U.S. Government securities include (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance: U.S. Treasury bills (maturities of one year or less), U.S. Treasury notes (maturities of one year to ten years) and U.S. Treasury bonds (generally maturities of greater than ten years) and (2) obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities that are supported by any of the following: (a) the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, (b) the right of the issuer to borrow an amount limited to a specific line of credit from the U.S. Treasury, (c) discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the U.S. Government agency or instrumentality or (d) the credit of the agency or instrumentality. The Trust may also invest in any other security or agreement collateralized or otherwise secured by U.S. Government securities. Agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government include but are not limited to: Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Banks, Banks for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, FHLMC, FNMA, GNMA, Student Loan Marketing Association, United States Postal Service, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. Because the U.S. Government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities, the Trust will invest in obligations issued by these instrumentalities only if the Adviser determines that the credit risk with respect to such obligations is minimal.
The principal of and/or interest on certain U.S. Government securities which may be purchased by the Trust could be (a) payable in foreign currencies rather than U.S. dollars or (b) increased or diminished as a result of changes in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the value of foreign currencies. The value of such portfolio securities may be affected favorably by changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.
COMMERCIAL PAPER
Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by corporations such as banks or bank holding companies and finance companies. The rate of return on commercial paper may be linked or indexed to the level of exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency or currencies.
WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES AND FORWARD COMMITMENTS
Securities may be purchased on a "forward commitment" or "when-issued" basis (meaning securities are purchased or sold with payment and delivery taking place in the future) in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into the transaction. However, the yield on a comparable security when the transaction is consummated may vary from the yield on the security at the time that the forward commitment or when-issued transaction was made. From the time of entering into the transaction until delivery and payment is made at a later date, the securities that are the subject of the transaction are subject to market fluctuations. In forward commitment or when-issued transactions, if the seller or buyer, as the case may be, fails to consummate the transaction, the counterparty may miss the opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous. Forward commitment or when-issued transactions may be expected to occur a month or more before delivery is due. However, no payment or delivery is made until payment is received or delivery is made from the other party to the transaction. Forward commitment or when-issued transactions are not entered into for the purpose of investment leverage.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES
The Trust may invest without limitation in Senior Loans and other securities for which there is no readily available trading market or are otherwise illiquid. Illiquid securities include securities legally restricted as to resale, such as commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder.
Section 4(2) and Rule 144A securities may, however, be treated as liquid by the
Adviser pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board, which require consideration
of factors such as trading activity, availability of market quotations and
number of dealers willing to purchase the security. If the Trust invests in Rule
144A securities, the level of portfolio illiquidity may be increased to the
extent that eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities.
It may be difficult to sell such securities at a price representing the fair value until such time as such securities may be sold publicly. Where registration is required, a considerable period may elapse between a decision to sell the securities and the time when it would be permitted to sell. Thus, the Trust may not be able to obtain as favorable a price as that prevailing at the time of the decision to sell. The Trust may also acquire securities through private placements under which it may agree to contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities. Such restrictions might prevent their sale at a time when such sale would otherwise be desirable.
DERIVATIVES
As described more specifically below, the Trust may purchase or sell derivative
instruments (which are instruments that derive their value from another
instrument, security or index) to seek to hedge against fluctuations in
securities prices or interest rates or for purposes of leveraging the Trust. The
Trust's transactions in derivative instruments may include the purchase or sale
of futures contracts on securities, credit-linked notes, securities indices,
other indices or other financial instruments; options on futures contracts;
exchange-traded and over-the-counter options on securities or indices;
index-linked securities; and interest rate swaps. The Trust's transactions in
derivative instruments involve a risk of loss or depreciation due to:
unanticipated adverse changes in securities prices, interest rates, the other
financial instruments' prices; the inability to close out a position; default by
the counterparty; imperfect correlation between a position and the desired
hedge; tax constraints on closing out positions; and portfolio management
constraints on securities subject to such transactions. The loss on derivative
instruments (other than purchased options) may substantially exceed the Trust's
initial investment in these instruments. In addition, the Trust may lose the
entire premium paid for purchased options that expire before they can be
profitably exercised by the Trust. Transaction costs will be incurred in opening
and closing positions in derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that
Eaton Vance's use of derivative instruments will be advantageous to the Trust.
CREDIT-LINKED NOTES
The Trust may invest in credit-linked notes ("CLN") for risk management purposes, including diversification. A CLN is a derivative instrument. It is a synthetic obligation between two or more parties where the payment of principal and/or interest is based on the performance of some obligation (a reference obligation). In addition to credit risk of the reference obligation and interest rate risk, the buyer/seller of the CLN is subject to counterparty risk.
SWAPS
Swap contracts may be purchased or sold to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or market conditions, to change the duration of the overall portfolio, or to mitigate default risk. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) to be exchanged or "swapped" between the parties, which returns are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," I.E., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index.
INTEREST RATE SWAPS. The Trust will enter into interest rate and total return swaps only on a net basis, I.E., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Trust receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Trust with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (E.G., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments). The Trust will only enter into interest rate swaps on a net basis. If the other party to an interest rate swap defaults, the Trust's risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Trust is contractually entitled to receive. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Trust's obligations over its entitlements will be maintained in a segregated account by the Trust's custodian. The Trust will not enter into any interest rate swap unless the claims-paying ability of the other party thereto is considered to be investment grade by the Adviser. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Trust will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. These instruments are traded in the over-the-counter market.
The Trust may use interest rate swaps for risk management purposes only and not as a speculative investment and would typically use interest rate swaps to shorten the average interest rate reset time of the Trust's holdings. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Trust with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interests (E.G., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments). The use of interest rate swaps is a
highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates and other applicable factors, the investment performance of the Trust would be unfavorably affected.
TOTAL RETURN SWAPS. As stated above, the Trust will enter into total return swaps only on a net basis. Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments of the total return from the underlying asset(s), which may include securities, baskets of securities, or securities indices during the specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from other underlying asset(s).
CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS. The Trust may enter into credit default swap contracts for risk management purposes, including diversification. When the Trust is the buyer of a credit default swap contract, the Trust is entitled to receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation from the counterparty to the contract in the event of a default by a third party, such as a U.S. or foreign corporate issuer, on the debt obligation. In return, the Trust would pay the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the Trust would have spent the stream of payments and received no benefit from the contract. When the Trust is the seller of a credit default swap contract, it receives the stream of payments, but is obligated to pay upon default of the referenced debt obligation. As the seller, the Trust would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Trust would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The Trust will segregate assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents in an amount equal to the aggregate market value of the credit default swaps of which it is the seller, marked to market on a daily basis. These transactions involve certain risks, including the risk that the seller may be unable to fulfill the transaction.
FUTURES AND OPTIONS ON FUTURES
The Trust may purchase and sell various kinds of financial futures contracts and options thereon to seek to hedge against changes in interest rates or for other risk management purposes. Futures contracts may be based on various debt securities and securities indices (such as the Municipal Bond Index traded on the Chicago Board of Trade). Such transactions involve a risk of loss or depreciation due to unanticipated adverse changes in securities prices, which may exceed the Trust's initial investment in these contracts. The Trust will only purchase or sell futures contracts or related options in compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. These transactions involve transaction costs. There can be no assurance that Eaton Vance's use of futures will be advantageous to the Trust. Rating Agency guidelines on any preferred shares issued by the Trust may limit use of these transactions.
SECURITIES LENDING
The Trust may seek to earn income by lending portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other institutional borrowers. As with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the securities loaned if the borrower of the securities fails financially. In the judgment of the Adviser, the loans will be made only to organizations whose credit quality or claims paying ability is considered to be at least investment grade and when the expected returns, net of administrative expenses and any finders' fees, justifies the attendant risk. Securities loans currently are required to be secured continuously by collateral in cash, cash equivalents (such as money market instruments) or other liquid securities held by the custodian and maintained in an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. The financial condition of the borrower will be monitored by the Adviser on an ongoing basis.
BORROWINGS
The Trust may borrow money to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. The Trust may from time to time borrow money to add leverage to the portfolio. The Trust may also borrow money for temporary administrative purposes.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
The Trust may enter into repurchase agreements (the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell at a high price) with respect to its permitted investments. In the event of the bankruptcy of the other party to a repurchase agreement, the Trust might experience delays in recovering its cash. To the extent that, in the meantime, the value of the securities the Trust purchased may have decreased, the Trust could experience a loss. The Trust's repurchase agreements will provide that the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will always be a least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the agreement, and will be marked to market daily.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
The Trust may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Trust temporarily transfers possession of a portfolio instrument to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash. At the same time, the Trust agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Trust may enter into such agreements when it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement, which would increase earned income.
When the Trust enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, any fluctuations in the market value of either the securities transferred to another party or the securities in which the proceeds may be invested would affect the market value of the Trust's assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of the Trust's assets. While there is a risk that large fluctuations in the market value of the Trust's assets could affect net asset value, this risk is not significantly increased by entering into reverse repurchase agreements, in the opinion of the Adviser. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing Trusts, they constitute a form of leverage. Such agreements will be treated as subject to investment restrictions regarding "borrowings." If the Trust reinvests the proceeds of a reverse repurchase agreement at a rate lower than the cost of the agreement, entering into the agreement will lower the Trust's yield.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Trust cannot accurately predict its portfolio turnover rate, but the annual turnover rate may exceed 100% (excluding turnover of securities having a maturity of one year or less). A high turnover rate (100% or more) necessarily involves greater expenses to the Trust and may result in a realization of net short-term capital gains. The Trust may engage in active short-term trading to benefit from yield disparities among different issues of securities or among the markets for fixed income securities of different countries, to seek short-term profits during periods of fluctuating interest rates, or for other reasons. Such trading will increase the Trust's rate of turnover and may increase the incidence of net short-term capital gains which, upon distribution by the Trust, are taxable to Trust Shareholders as ordinary income.
RISK CONSIDERATIONS
Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in any investment company security involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before investing you should consider carefully the following risks that you assume when you invest in APS.
INTEREST RATE RISK
The Trust issues APS, which pay dividends based on short-term interest rates, and uses the proceeds to buy obligations, which pay interest based on longer-term yields. Longer-term bond obligation yields are typically, although not always, higher than short-term interest rates. Both long-term and short-term interest rates may fluctuate. If short-term interest rates rise, APS rates may rise such that the amount of dividends paid to APS holders exceeds the income from the portfolio securities purchased with the proceeds from the sale of APS. Because income from the Trust's entire investment portfolio (not just the portion purchased with the proceeds of the APS offering) is available to pay APS dividends, however, APS dividend rates would need to greatly exceed the Trust's net portfolio income before the Trust's ability to pay APS dividends would be jeopardized. If long-term rates rise, the value of the Trust's investment portfolio will decline, reducing the amount of assets serving as asset coverage for the APS.
AUCTION RISK
Holders of APS may not be able to sell APS at an Auction if the auction fails; that is, if there are more APS offered for sale than there are buyers for those APS. Also, if a hold order is placed at an auction (an order to retain APS) only at a specified rate, and that bid rate exceeds the rate set at the Auction, the APS will not be retained. Finally, if you elect to buy or retain APS without specifying a rate below which you would not wish to continue to hold those APS, and the auction sets a below market rate, you may receive a lower rate of return on your APS then the market rate. See "Description of APS" and "The Auction--Auction procedures."
SECONDARY MARKET RISK
It may not be possible to sell APS between auctions or it may only be possible to sell them for a price of less than $25,000 per share plus any accumulated dividends. If the Trust has designated a Special Dividend Period (a dividend period of more than 7 days), changes in interest rates could affect the price of APS sold in the secondary market. Broker-dealers may maintain a secondary trading market in the APS outside of Auctions; however, they have no obligation to do so and there can be no assurance that a secondary market for the APS will develop or, if it does develop, that it will provide holders with a liquid trading market (i.e., trading will depend on the presence of willing buyers and sellers and the trading price is subject to variables to be determined at the time of the trade by the broker-dealers). The APS will not be registered on any stock exchange or on any automated quotation system. An increase in the level of interest rates, particularly during any Long Term Dividend Period, likely will have an adverse effect on the secondary market price of the APS, and a selling Shareholder may sell APS between Auctions at a price per share of less than $25,000. Accrued APS dividends, however, should at least partially compensate for the increased market interest rate.
RATINGS AND ASSET COVERAGE RISK
While and assign a rating of "AAA" to the APS, the ratings do not eliminate or necessarily mitigate the risks of investing in APS. A rating agency could downgrade APS, which may make APS less liquid at an Auction or in the secondary market, although the downgrade would probably result in higher dividend rates. If a rating agency downgrades APS of the Trust, the Trust will alter its portfolio or redeem APS. The Trust may voluntarily redeem APS under certain circumstances. A preferred stock rating is an assessment of the capacity and willingness of an issuer to pay preferred stock obligations. The ratings on the Preferred Shares are not recommendations to purchase, hold, or sell those shares, inasmuch as the ratings do not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The rating agency guidelines described above also do not address the likelihood that an owner of the Preferred Shares will be able to sell such shares in an auction or otherwise. See "Description of APS--Rating agency guidelines and asset coverage" for a description of the asset maintenance tests the Trust must meet.
INCOME RISK
The income investors receive from the Trust is based primarily on the interest it earns from its investments, which can vary widely over the short- and long-term. If long-term interest rates drop, the Trust's income available over time to make dividend payments with respect to APS could drop as well if the Trust purchases securities with lower interest coupons.
CREDIT RISK
Credit risk is the risk that one or more debt obligations in the Trust's portfolio will decline in price, or fail to pay interest or principal when due, because the issuer of the obligation experiences a decline in its financial status. Credit risk involves two types: delinquency and default. Delinquency refers to interruptions in the payment of interest and principal. Default refers to the potential for unrecoverable principal loss from the sale of foreclosed collateral or the Trust's inherent right to forgive principal or modify a debt instrument.
Changes in the credit quality of the issuers of obligations held by the Trust will affect the principal value of (and possibly the income earned on) such obligations. In addition, the value of such securities are affected by changes in general economic conditions and business conditions affecting the relevant economic sectors. Changes by Rating Agencies in their ratings of a security and in the ability of the issuer to make payments of principal and interest may also affect the value of the Trust's investments. The amount of information about the financial condition of an issuer of obligations may not be as extensive as that made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded.
If rating agencies lower their ratings of investments in the Trust's portfolio, the value of those investments could decline, which could jeopardize the rating agencies' ratings of the APS. Because the primary source of income for the Trust is the interest and principal payments on the obligations in which it invests, any default by an issuer of an obligation could have a negative impact on the Trust's ability to pay dividends on the APS and could result in the redemption of some or all of the APS.
LIQUIDITY RISK
Most Senior Loans are valued by an independent pricing service that uses market quotations of investors and traders in Senior Loans. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for certain Senior Loans or Senior Loans generally, which may reduce market prices and cause the Trust's net asset value per share to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted.
Some Senior Loans are not readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Senior Loans generally are not listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system and no active trading market may exist for some of the Senior Loans in which the Trust will invest. Where a secondary market exists, such market for some Senior Loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. Senior Loans that are illiquid may impair the Trust's ability to realize the full value of its assets in the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation of such assets and thus may cause a decline in the Trust's net asset value. The Trust has no limitation on the amount of its assets that may be invested in securities which are not readily marketable or are subject to restrictions on resale. In certain situations, the Trust could find it more difficult to sell such securities at desirable times and/or prices.
INFLATION RISK
Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investment will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the APS and distributions thereon can decline.
Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investment will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the Shares and distributions thereon can decline. In an inflationary period, however, it is expected that, through the Auction process, APS dividend rates would increase, tending to offset the risk. This risk is mitigated to some degree by the Trust's investments in Senior Loans.
REINVESTMENT RISK
Income from the Trust's portfolio will decline if and when the Trust invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called debt obligations into lower yielding instruments. A decline in income could affect the Shares' distribution rate and their overall return.
REGULATORY RISK
To the extent that legislation or state or federal regulators that regulate certain financial institutions impose additional requirements or restrictions with respect to the ability of such institutions to make loans, particularly in connection with highly leveraged transactions, the availability of Senior Loans for investment may be adversely affected. Further, such legislation or regulation could depress the market value of Senior Loans.
MARKET DISRUPTION
The terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 had a disruptive effect on the securities markets. The Trust cannot predict the effects of similar events in the future on the U.S. economy. These terrorist attacks and related events, including the war in Iraq, have led to increased short-term market volatility and may have long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets. A similar disruption of the financial markets could impact interest rates, auctions, secondary trading, ratings, credit risk, inflation and other factors relating to the Preferred Shares. In particular, Non-Investment Grade Bonds and Senior Loans tend to be more volatile than higher rated fixed income securities so that these events and any actions resulting from them may have a greater impact on the prices and volatility on Non-Investment Grade Bonds and Senior Loans than on higher rated fixed income securities.
Management of the Trust
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The management of the Trust, including general supervision of the duties performed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement (as defined below), is the responsibility of the Trust's Board under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the 1940 Act.
THE ADVISER
Eaton Vance acts as the Trust's investment adviser under an Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). The Adviser's principal office is located at The Eaton Vance Building, 255 State Street, Boston, MA 02109. Eaton Vance, its affiliates and predecessor companies have been managing assets of individuals and institutions since 1924 and of investment companies since 1931. Eaton Vance (or its affiliates) currently serves as the investment adviser to investment companies and various individual and institutional clients with combined assets under management of approximately $___ billion as of __________, 200_. Eaton Vance is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp., a publicly-held holding company, which through its subsidiaries and affiliates engages primarily in investment management, administration and marketing activities.
Under the general supervision of the Trust's Board, the Adviser will carry out the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Trust, will furnish continuously an investment program with respect to the Trust, will determine which securities should be purchased, sold or exchanged, and will implement such determinations. The Adviser will furnish to the Trust investment advice and office facilities, equipment and personnel for servicing the investments of the Trust. The Adviser will compensate all Trustees and officers of the Trust who are members of the Adviser's organization and who render investment services to the Trust, and will also compensate all other Adviser personnel who provide research and investment services to the Trust. In return for these services, facilities and payments, the Trust has agreed to pay the Adviser as compensation under the Advisory Agreement a fee in the amount of 0.75% of the average daily gross assets of the Trust. Gross assets of the Trust shall be calculated by deducting accrued liabilities of the Trust not including the amount of any preferred shares outstanding or the principal amount of any indebtedness for money borrowed. During periods in which the Trust is using leverage, the fees paid to Eaton Vance for investment advisory services will be higher than if the Trust did not use leverage because the fees paid will be calculated on the basis of the Trust's gross assets, including proceeds from any borrowings and from the issuance of preferred shares.
Scott H. Page, Payson F. Swaffield and Craig P. Russ are responsible for the overall and day-to-day management of the Trust's investments. Among other portfolios, Mr. Page and Mr. Swaffield have each been Eaton Vance portfolio managers since 1996, and are Vice Presidents of Eaton Vance. They currently co-manage (i) the following registered closed-end interval Trusts: Eaton Vance Prime Rate Reserves, Eaton Vance Advisers Senior Floating-Rate Trust, Eaton Vance Institutional Senior Floating Rate Trust and Eaton Vance Classic Senior Floating-Rate Trust; (ii) the following registered open-end Trusts: Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Trust and Eaton Vance Floating-Rate High Income Trust (the Senior Loan portion); (iii) Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust, a registered closed-end Trust listed on the New York Stock Exchange, (iv) Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Trust, a registered closed-end Trust listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the Senior Loan portion); and (v) Eaton Vance VT Floating-Rate Income Trust, a registered open-end Trust offered primarily to insurance company separate accounts, all of which employ investment strategies primarily focused on Senior Loans. As of _______, 200_, these Trusts had combined assets of more than $____ billion. Mr. Russ has managed portfolios for institutional clients investing primarily in Senior Loans since 2001. Mr. Russ has also been an investment analyst with Eaton Vance since 1997. These clients have assets of approximately $____ million as of _______, 200_. See "Additional investment information and restrictions--Litigation involving Eaton Vance" in the SAI for further information.
The Trust and the Adviser have adopted a Code of Ethics relating to personal securities transactions. The Code permits Adviser personnel to invest in securities (including securities that may be purchased or held by the Trust) for their own accounts, subject to certain pre-clearance, reporting and other restrictions and procedures contained in such Code.
Eaton Vance serves as administrator of the Trust but currently receives no compensation for providing administrative services to the Trust. Under an Administration Agreement with the Trust ("Administration Agreement"), Eaton Vance is responsible for managing the business affairs of the Trust, subject to the supervision of the Trust's Board. Eaton Vance will furnish to the Trust all office facilities, equipment and personnel for administering the affairs of the Trust. Eaton Vance's administrative services include recordkeeping, preparation
and filing of documents required to comply with federal and state securities laws, supervising the activities of the Trust's custodian and transfer agent, providing assistance in connection with the Trustees' and shareholders' meetings, providing service in connection with any repurchase offers and other administrative services necessary to conduct the Trust's business.
Description of APS
The following is a brief description of the terms of the APS. This description does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the Trust's Declaration of Trust and Amended By-Laws, including the provisions thereof establishing the APS. The Trust's Declaration of Trust and the form of Amended By-Laws establishing the terms of the APS have been filed as exhibits to or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus is a part. The Amended By-Laws for the Trust may be found in Appendix B to the Trust's Statement of Additional Information.
GENERAL
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with preference rights, including Preferred Shares, having a par value of $0.01 per share, in one or more series, with rights as determined by the Board of Trustees, by action of the Board of Trustees without the approval of the Shareholders. The Trust's Amended By-Laws currently authorize the number of shares of APS of each series set forth below in "Description of Capital Structure." The APS will have a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share plus an amount equal to accumulated but unpaid dividends (whether or not earned or declared). See "Description of APS--Liquidation rights."
The APS of each series will rank on parity with shares of any other series of APS and with shares of other series of Preferred Shares of the Trust, as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation. All shares of APS carry one vote per share on all matters on which such shares are entitled to be voted. APS, when issued, will be fully paid and, subject to matters discussed in "Certain provisions of the Declaration of Trust," non-assessable and have no preemptive, conversion or cumulative voting rights. The APS will not be convertible into Common Shares or other capital stock of the Trust, and the holders thereof will have no preemptive, or cumulative voting rights.
DIVIDENDS AND DIVIDEND PERIODS
GENERAL
After the Initial Dividend Period, each Subsequent Dividend period for the APS will generally consist of seven days (a "7-Day Dividend Period"); provided, however, that prior to any Auction, the Trust may elect, subject to certain limitations described herein, upon giving notice to holders thereof, a Special Dividend Period as discussed below. The holders of the APS of the Trust will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by that Trust's Board of Trustees, out of Trusts legally available therefor, cumulative cash dividends on their APS, at the Applicable Rate determined as set forth below under "Determination of Dividend Rate," payable on the dates set forth below. Dividends on the APS of the Trust so declared and payable shall be paid in preference to and in priority over any dividends declared and payable on the Trust's Common Shares.
Dividends on the APS will accumulate from the date on which the Trust originally issues the APS (the "Date of Original Issue") and will be payable on the APS on the dates described below. Dividends on the APS with respect to the Initial Dividend Period shall be payable on the Initial Dividend Payment Date. Following the Initial Dividend Payment Date, dividends on the APS will be payable, at the option of the Trust, either (i) with respect to any 7-Day Dividend Period and any Short Term Dividend Period of 28 or fewer days, on the day next succeeding the last day thereof or (ii) with respect to any Short Term Dividend Period of more than 28 days and with respect to any Long Term Dividend Period, monthly on the first Business Day of each calendar month during such Short Term Dividend Period or Long Term Dividend Period and on the day next succeeding the last day thereof (each such date referred to in clause (i) or (ii) being referred to herein as a "Normal Dividend Payment Date"), except that if such Normal Dividend Payment Date is not a Business Day, the Dividend Payment Date shall be the first Business Day next succeeding such Normal Dividend Payment Date. Although any particular Dividend Payment Date may not occur on the originally scheduled date because of the exceptions discussed above, the next succeeding Dividend Payment Date, subject to such exceptions, will occur on the next following originally scheduled date. If for any reason a Dividend Payment Date cannot be fixed as described above, then the Board of Trustees shall fix the Dividend Payment Date. The Board of Trustees by resolution prior to authorization of a dividend by the Board of Trustees may change a Dividend Payment Date if such change does not adversely affect the contract rights of the holders of APS set forth in the Amended By-Laws. The Initial Dividend Period, 7-Day Dividend Periods and Special Dividend Periods are hereinafter sometimes referred to as "Dividend Periods."
Each dividend payment date determined as provided above is hereinafter referred to as a "Dividend Payment Date."
Prior to each Dividend Payment Date, the Trust is required to deposit with the Auction Agent sufficient funds for the payment of declared dividends. The Trust does not intend to establish any reserves for the payment of dividends.
Each dividend will be paid to the record holder of the APS, which holder is expected to be the nominee of the Securities Depository. See "The Auctions--General--Securities Depository." The Securities Depository will credit the accounts of the Agent Members of the Existing Holders in accordance with the Securities Depository's normal procedures which provide for payment in same-day funds. The Agent Member of an Existing Holder will be responsible for holding or disbursing such payments on the applicable Dividend Payment Date to such Existing Holder in accordance with the instructions of such Existing Holder. Dividends in arrears for any past Dividend Period may be declared and paid at any time, without reference to any regular Dividend Payment Date, to the nominee of the Securities Depository. Any dividend payment made on the APS first shall be credited against the earliest declared but unpaid dividends accumulated with respect to such shares.
Holders of the APS will not be entitled to any dividends, whether payable in cash, property or stock, in excess of full cumulative dividends except as described under "Non-payment period; late charge" below. No interest will be payable in respect of any dividend payment or payments on the APS which may be in arrears.
The amount of cash dividends per share of APS payable (if declared) on the Initial Dividend Payment Date, each Dividend Payment Date of a 7-Day Dividend Period and each Dividend Payment Date of each Short Term Dividend Period shall be computed by multiplying the Applicable Rate for such Dividend Period by a fraction, the numerator of which will be the number of days in such Dividend Period or part thereof that such share was outstanding and for which dividends are payable on such Dividend Payment Date and the denominator of which will be 360, multiplying the amount so obtained by $25,000, and rounding the amount so obtained to the nearest cent. During any Long Term Dividend Period, the amount of cash dividends per share of APS payable (if declared) on any Dividend Payment Date shall be computed by multiplying the Applicable Rate for such Dividend Period by a fraction, the numerator of which will be such number of days in such part of such Dividend Period that such share was outstanding and for which dividends are payable on such Dividend Payment Date and the denominator of which will be 360, multiplying the amount so obtained by $25,000, and rounding the amount so obtained to the nearest cent.
NOTIFICATION OF DIVIDEND PERIOD
With respect to each Dividend Period that is a Special Dividend Period, the Trust, at its sole option and to the extent permitted by law, by telephonic and written notice (a "Request for Special Dividend Period") to the Auction Agent and to each Broker-Dealer, may request that the next succeeding Dividend Period for the APS will be a number of days (other than seven), evenly divisible by seven, and not fewer than seven nor more than 364 in the case of a Short Term Dividend Period or one whole year or more but not greater than five years in the case of a Long Term Dividend Period, specified in such notice, provided that the Trust may not give a Request for Special Dividend Period of greater than 28 days (and any such request shall be null and void) unless, for any Auction occurring after the initial Auction, Sufficient Clearing Bids were made in the last occurring Auction and unless full cumulative dividends and any amounts due with respect to redemptions prior to such date have been paid in full. Such Request for Special Dividend Period, in the case of a Short Term Dividend Period, shall be given on or prior to the second Business Day but not more than seven Business Days prior to an Auction Date for the APS and, in the case of a Long Term Dividend Period, shall be given on or prior to the second Business Day but not more than 28 days prior to an Auction Date for the APS. Upon receiving such Request for Special Dividend Period, the Broker-Dealers jointly shall determine whether, given the factors set forth below, it is advisable that the Trust issue a Notice of Special Dividend Period as contemplated by such Request for Special Dividend Period and the Optional Redemption Price of the APS during such Special Dividend Period and the Specific Redemption Provisions and shall give the Trust and the Auction Agent written notice (a "Response") of such determination by no later than the second Business Day prior to such Auction Date. In making such determination, the Broker-Dealers will consider (i) existing short-term and long-term market rates and indices of such short-term and long-term rates, (ii) existing market supply and demand for short-term and long-term securities, (iii) existing yield curves for short-term and long-term securities comparable to the APS, (iv) industry and financial conditions which may affect the APS, (v) the investment objective of the Trust and (vi) the Dividend Periods and dividend rates at which current and potential beneficial holders of the APS would remain or become beneficial holders.
If the Broker-Dealers shall not give the Trust and the Auction Agent a Response by such second Business Day or if the Response states that given the factors set forth above it is not advisable that the Trust give a Notice of Special Dividend Period for the APS, the Trust may not give a Notice of Special Dividend Period
in respect of such Request for Special Dividend Period. In the event the Response indicates that it is advisable that the Trust give a Notice of Special Dividend Period for the APS, the Trust, by no later than the second Business Day prior to such Auction Date, may give a notice (a "Notice of Special Dividend Period") to the Auction Agent, the Securities Depository and each Broker-Dealer, which notice will specify (i) the duration of the Special Dividend Period, (ii) the Optional Redemption Price as specified in the related Response and (iii) the Specific Redemption Provisions, if any, as specified in the related Response. The Trust also shall provide a copy of such Notice of Special Dividend Period to and . The Trust shall not give a Notice of Special Dividend Period, and, if such Notice of Special Dividend Period shall have been given already, shall give telephonic and written notice of its revocation (a "Notice of Revocation") to the Auction Agent, each Broker-Dealer, and the Securities Depository on or prior to the Business Day prior to the relevant Auction Date if (x) either the 1940 Act APS Asset Coverage is not satisfied or the Trust shall fail to maintain Eligible Assets or Eligible Assets with an aggregate Discounted Value at least equal to the APS Basic Maintenance Amount, on each of the two Valuation Dates immediately preceding the Business Day prior to the relevant Auction Date on an actual basis and on a pro forma basis giving effect to the proposed Special Dividend Period (using as a pro forma dividend rate with respect to such Special Dividend Period the dividend rate which the Broker-Dealers shall advise the Trust is an approximately equal rate for securities similar to the APS with an equal dividend period), (y) sufficient Trusts for the payment of dividends payable on the immediately succeeding Dividend Payment Date have not been irrevocably deposited with the Auction Agent by the close of business on the third Business Day preceding the related Auction Date or (z) the Broker-Dealers jointly advise the Trust that, after consideration of the factors listed above, they have concluded that it is advisable to give a Notice of Revocation. The Trust also shall provide a copy of such Notice of Revocation to and . If the Trust is prohibited from giving a Notice of Special Dividend Period as a result of the factors enumerated in clause (x), (y) or (z) above or if the Trust gives a Notice of Revocation with respect to a Notice of Special Dividend Period, the next succeeding Dividend Period for that series will be a 7-Day Dividend Period. In addition, in the event Sufficient Clearing Bids are not made in any Auction or an Auction is not held for any reason, the next succeeding Dividend Period will be a 7-Day Dividend Period, and the Trust may not again give a Notice of Special Dividend Period (and any such attempted notice shall be null and void) until Sufficient Clearing Bids have been made in an Auction with respect to a 7-Day Dividend Period.
DETERMINATION OF DIVIDEND RATE
The dividend rate on the APS during the period from and including the Date of Original Issue for the APS to but excluding the Initial Dividend Payment Date for the APS (the "Initial Dividend Period") will be the rate per annum set forth on the inside cover page hereof. Commencing on the Initial Dividend Payment Date for the APS, the Applicable Rate on the APS for each Subsequent Dividend Period, which Subsequent Dividend Period shall be a period commencing on and including a Dividend Payment Date and ending on and including the calendar day prior to the next Dividend Payment Date (or last Dividend Payment Date in a Dividend Period if there is more than one Dividend Payment Date), shall be equal to the rate per annum that results from the Auction with respect to such Subsequent Dividend Period. The Initial Dividend Period and Subsequent Dividend Period for the APS is referred to herein as a "Dividend Period." Cash dividends shall be calculated as set forth above under "Dividends--General."
NON-PAYMENT PERIOD; LATE CHARGE
A Non-Payment Period will commence if the Trust fails to (i) declare, prior to the close of business on the second Business Day preceding any Dividend Payment Date, for payment on or (to the extent permitted as described below) within three Business Days after such Dividend Payment Date to the persons who held such shares as of 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the Business Day preceding such Dividend Payment Date, the full amount of any dividend on the APS payable on such Dividend Payment Date or (ii) deposit, irrevocably in trust, in same-day Trusts, with the Auction Agent by 12:00 noon, New York City time, (A) on such Dividend Payment Date the full amount of any cash dividend on such shares (if declared) payable on such Dividend Payment Date or (B) on any redemption date for the APS called for redemption, the Mandatory Redemption Price per share of such APS or, in the case of an optional redemption, the Optional Redemption Price per share. Such Non-Payment Period will consist of the period commencing on and including the aforementioned Dividend Payment Date or redemption date, as the case may be, and ending on and including the Business Day on which, by 12:00 noon, New York City time, all unpaid cash dividends and unpaid redemption prices shall have been so deposited or otherwise shall have been made available to the applicable holders in same-day Trusts, provided that a Non-Payment Period for the APS will not end unless the Trust shall have given at least five days' but no more than 30 days' written notice of such deposit or availability to the Auction Agent, the Securities Depository and all holders of the APS of such series. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure by the Trust to deposit Trusts as provided for by clauses (ii) (A) or (ii) (B) above within three Business Days after any Dividend Payment Date or redemption date, as the case may be, in each case to the extent contemplated below, shall not constitute a "Non-Payment Period." The Applicable Rate for each Dividend Period for the APS of any series, commencing during a Non-Payment Period, will be equal to the Non-Payment Period Rate; and each Dividend Period commencing after the first day
of, and during, a Non-Payment Period shall be a 7-Day Dividend Period. Any dividend on the APS due on any Dividend Payment Date for such shares (if, prior to the close of business on the second Business Day preceding such Dividend Payment Date, the Trust has declared such dividend payable on such Dividend Payment Date to the persons who held such shares as of 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the Business Day preceding such Dividend Payment Date) or redemption price with respect to such shares not paid to such persons when due may be paid to such persons in the same form of Trusts by 12:00 noon, New York City time, on any of the first three Business Days after such Dividend Payment Date or due date, as the case may be, provided that such amount is accompanied by a late charge calculated for such period of non-payment at the Non-Payment Period Rate applied to the amount of such non-payment based on the actual number of days comprising such period divided by 360. In the case of a willful failure of the Trust to pay a dividend on a Dividend Payment Date or to redeem any APS on the date set for such redemption, the preceding sentence shall not apply and the Applicable Rate for the Dividend Period commencing during the Non-Payment Period resulting from such failure shall be the Non-Payment Period Rate. For the purposes of the foregoing, payment to a person in same-day Trusts on any Business Day at any time will be considered equivalent to payment to that person in New York Clearing House (next-day) Trusts at the same time on the preceding Business Day, and any payment made after 12:00 noon, New York City time, on any Business Day shall be considered to have been made instead in the same form of Trusts and to the same person before 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the next Business Day.
The Non-Payment Period Rate initially will be 275% of the applicable Reference Rate, provided that the Board of Trustees of the Trust shall have the authority to adjust, modify, alter or change from time to time the initial Non-Payment Period Rate if the Board of Trustees of the Trust determines and and (or any Substitute Rating Agency in lieu of and in the event such party shall not rate the APS) advises the Trust in writing that such adjustment, modification, alteration or change will not adversely affect its then-current rating on the APS.
RESTRICTIONS ON DIVIDENDS AND OTHER PAYMENTS
Under the 1940 Act, the Trust may not declare dividends or make other distributions on Common Shares or purchase any such shares if, at the time of the declaration, distribution or purchase, as applicable (and after giving effect thereto), asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to the outstanding APS would be less than 200% (or such other percentage as in the future may be required by law). Under the Code, the Trust must, among other things, distribute each year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income and certain other income in order to maintain its qualification for tax treatment as a regulated investment company. The foregoing limitations on dividends, other distributions and purchases in certain circumstances may impair the Trust's ability to maintain such qualification. See "Taxes."
Upon any failure to pay dividends on the APS for two years or more, the holders of the APS will acquire certain additional voting rights. See "Voting rights" below.
For so long as any APS are outstanding, the Trust will not declare, pay or set
apart for payment any dividend or other distribution (other than a dividend or
distribution paid in shares of, or options, warrants or rights to subscribe for
or purchase, Common Shares or other stock, if any, ranking junior to the APS as
to dividends or upon liquidation) in respect of Common Shares or any other stock
of the Trust ranking junior to or on a parity with the APS as to dividends or
upon liquidation, or call for redemption, redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire
for consideration any Common Shares or shares of any other such junior stock
(except by conversion into or exchange for stock of the Trust ranking junior to
APS as to dividends and upon liquidation) or any such parity stock (except by
conversion into or exchange for stock of the Trust ranking junior to or on a
parity with APS as to dividends and upon liquidation), unless (A) immediately
after such transaction, the Trust would have Eligible Assets and Eligible Assets
with an aggregate Discounted Value equal to or greater than the APS Basic
Maintenance Amount, and the 1940 Act APS Asset Coverage (see "Rating agency
guidelines and asset coverage" and "Redemption" below) would be satisfied, (B)
full cumulative dividends on the APS due on or prior to the date of the
transaction have been declared and paid or shall have been declared and
sufficient Trusts for the payment thereof deposited with the Auction Agent, and
(C) the Trust has redeemed the full number of APS required to be redeemed by any
provision for mandatory redemption contained in the Amended By-Laws.
REDEMPTION
MANDATORY REDEMPTION
The Trust will be required to redeem, out of Trusts legally available therefor, at the Mandatory Redemption Price per share, the APS to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act and Massachusetts law, on a date fixed by the Board of Trustees, if the Trust fails to maintain ______ Eligible Assets or ______ Eligible Assets with an aggregate Discounted Value equal to or greater than the APS Basic Maintenance Amount or to satisfy the 1940 Act APS
Asset Coverage and such failure is not cured on or before the APS Basic Maintenance Cure Date or the 1940 Act Cure Date (herein collectively referred to as a "Cure Date"), as the case may be. "Mandatory Redemption Price" of APS means $25,000 per share plus an amount equal to accumulated but unpaid dividends (whether or not earned or declared) to the date fixed for redemption. Any such redemption will be limited to the lesser number of APS necessary to restore the Discounted Value or the 1940 Act APS Asset Coverage, as the case may be, or the maximum number that can be redeemed with Trusts legally available under the Declaration of Trust and applicable law.
OPTIONAL REDEMPTION
To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act and under Massachusetts law, upon giving a Notice of Redemption, as provided below, the Trust, at its option, may redeem the APS, in whole or in part, out of Trusts legally available therefor, at the Optional Redemption Price per share on any Dividend Payment Date; provided that no APS may be redeemed at the option of the Trust during (a) the Initial Dividend Period with respect to the APS or (b) a Non-Call Period to which such share is subject. "Optional Redemption Price" means $25,000 per share of APS plus an amount equal to accumulated but unpaid dividends (whether or not earned or declared) to the date fixed for redemption plus any applicable redemption premium, if any, attributable to the designation of a Premium Call Period. The Trust has the authority to redeem the APS for any reason and may redeem all or part of the outstanding APS if it anticipates that the Trust's leveraged capital structure will result in a lower rate of return to holders of Common Shares for any significant period of time than that obtainable if the Common Shares were unleveraged.
Notwithstanding the provisions for redemption described above, no APS shall be subject to optional redemption (i) unless all dividends in arrears on all remaining outstanding APS, and all capital shares of the Trust ranking on a parity with the APS with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation, have been or are being contemporaneously paid or declared and set aside for payment and (ii) if redemption thereof would result in the Trust's failure to maintain ____ Eligible Assets and ____ Eligible Assets with an aggregate Discounted Value equal to or greater than the APS Basic Maintenance Amount; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the foregoing shall not prevent the purchase or acquisition of all outstanding APS of such series pursuant to a successful completion of an otherwise lawful purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to, and accepted by, holders of all outstanding APS of such series.
LIQUIDATION RIGHTS
Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Trust, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of APS will be entitled to receive, out of the assets of the Trust available for distribution to shareholders, before any distribution or payment is made upon any Common Shares or any other shares of beneficial interest of the Trust ranking junior in right of payment upon liquidation of APS, $25,000 per share together with the amount of any dividends accumulated but unpaid (whether or not earned or declared) thereon to the date of distribution, and after such payment the holders of APS will be entitled to no other payment. If such assets of the Trust shall be insufficient to make the full liquidation payment on outstanding APS and liquidation payments on any other outstanding class or series of Preferred Shares of the Trust ranking on a parity with the APS as to payment upon liquidation, then such assets will be distributed among the holders of APS and the holders of shares of such other class or series ratably in proportion to the respective preferential amounts to which they are entitled. After payment of the full amount of liquidation distribution to which they are entitled, the holders of APS will not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets by the Trust. A consolidation, merger or share exchange of the Trust with or into any other entity or entities or a sale, whether for cash, shares of stock, securities or properties, of all or substantially all or any part of the assets of the Trust shall not be deemed or construed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Trust.
RATING AGENCY GUIDELINES AND ASSET COVERAGE
The Trust will be required to satisfy two separate asset maintenance requirements under the terms of the Amended By-Laws. These requirements are summarized below.
1940 ACT APS ASSET COVERAGE
The Trust will be required under the Amended By-Laws to maintain, with respect to the APS, as of the last Business Day of each month in which any APS are outstanding, asset coverage of at least 200% with respect to senior securities which are beneficial interests in the Trust, including the APS (or such other asset coverage as in the future may be specified in or under the 1940 Act as the minimum asset coverage for senior securities which are beneficial interests of a closed-end investment company as a condition of paying dividends on its common shares) ("1940 Act APS Asset Coverage"). If the Trust fails to maintain 1940 Act APS Asset Coverage and such failure is not cured as of the last Business Day of
the following month (the "1940 Act Cure Date"), the Trust will be required under certain circumstances to redeem certain of the APS. See "Redemption" below.
The 1940 Act APS Asset Coverage immediately following the issuance of APS offered hereby (after giving effect to the deduction of the sales load and offering expenses for the APS) computed using the Trust's net assets as of ___________, 2003 and assuming the Over-allotment Common Shares and the APS had been issued as of such date will be as follows:
Value of Trust assets less liabilities not
constituting senior securities $ = %
------------------------------------------- ------------
Senior securities representing indebtedness $
plus liquidation value of aps
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APS BASIC MAINTENANCE AMOUNT
The Trust intends that, so long as APS are outstanding, the composition of its portfolio will reflect guidelines established by _________ and in connection with the Trust's receipt of a rating for such shares on or prior to their Date of Original Issue of at least AAA from and ____. and _________, which are rating agencies, issue ratings for various securities reflecting the perceived creditworthiness of such securities. The guidelines described below have been developed by _________ and _________ in connection with issuances of asset-backed and similar securities, including debt obligations and variable rate preferred shares, generally on a case-by-case basis through discussions with the issuers of these securities. The guidelines are designed to ensure that assets underlying outstanding debt or preferred shares will be varied sufficiently and will be of sufficient quality and amount to justify investment grade ratings. The guidelines do not have the force of law but have been adopted by the Trust in order to satisfy current requirements necessary for _________ and _________ to issue the above-described ratings for APS, which ratings generally are relied upon by institutional investors in purchasing such securities. The guidelines provide a set of tests for portfolio composition and asset coverage that supplement (and in some cases are more restrictive than) the applicable requirements under the 1940 Act.
The Trust intends to maintain a Discounted Value for its portfolio at least equal to the APS Basic Maintenance Amount. Both _____ and _____ have established guidelines for determining Discounted Value. These guidelines define eligible portfolio assets (" _________ Eligible Assets" and " _________ Eligible Assets"). To the extent any particular portfolio holding does not satisfy these guidelines, all or a portion of such holding's value will not be included in the calculation of Discounted Value of the Trust's portfolio assets. The _________ and _________ guidelines do not impose any limitations on the percentage of Trust assets that may be invested in holdings not eligible for inclusion in the calculation of the Discounted Value of the Trust's portfolio. The amount of such assets included in the portfolio of the Trust at any time may vary depending upon the rating, diversification and other characteristics of eligible assets included in the portfolio, although it is not anticipated in the normal course of business the value of such assets will exceed 20% of the Trust's total assets. The APS basic maintenance amount includes the sum of (a) the aggregate liquidation preference of APS then outstanding and (b) certain accrued and projected payment obligations of the Trust.
Upon any failure to maintain the required aggregate Discounted Value, the Trust will seek to alter the composition of its portfolio to retain a Discounted Value at least equal to the APS Basic Maintenance Amount on or prior to the APS Basic Maintenance Cure Date, thereby incurring additional transaction costs and possible losses and/or gains on dispositions of portfolio securities. To the extent any such failure is not cured in a timely manner, the APS will be subject to mandatory redemption. See "Description of APS--Redemption." The APS Basic Maintenance Amount includes the sum of (i) the aggregate liquidation value of APS then outstanding and (ii) certain accrued and projected payment obligations of the Trust.
The Trust may, but is not required to, adopt any modifications to these guidelines that hereafter may be established by _________ and _________. Failure to adopt any such modifications, however, may result in a change in the ratings described above or a withdrawal of ratings altogether. In addition, any rating agency providing a rating for the APS, at any time, may change or withdraw any such rating. As set forth in the Amended By-Laws, the Trust's Board of Trustees, without shareholder approval, may modify certain definitions or restrictions that have been adopted by the Trust pursuant to the rating agency guidelines, provided the Board of Trustees has obtained written confirmation from _________ or _________ that any such change would not impair the ratings then assigned by _________ or _________ to the APS as applicable.
As recently described by _________ and _________, a preferred shares rating is an assessment of the capacity and willingness of an issuer to pay preferred shares obligations. The ratings on the APS are not recommendations to purchase, hold or sell APS, inasmuch as the ratings do not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor, nor do the rating agency guidelines described above address the likelihood that a holder of APS will be able to sell
such shares in an Auction. The ratings are based on current information furnished to ______ and ______ by the Trust and the Adviser and information obtained from other sources. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or the unavailability of, such information. The Common Shares have not been rated by a rating agency.
A rating agency's guidelines will apply to the Trust's APS only so long as such agency is rating such shares. The Trust will pay certain fees to each rating agency that rates the Trust's APS.
VOTING RIGHTS
Except as otherwise indicated in this Prospectus and except as otherwise required by applicable law, holders of APS of the Trust will be entitled to one vote per share on each matter submitted to a vote of shareholders and will vote together with holders of Common Shares and other Preferred Shares of that Trust as a single class.
In connection with the election of the Trust's Trustees, holders of the APS and any other Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, shall be entitled at all times to elect two of the Trust's Trustees, and the remaining Trustees will be elected by holders of Common Shares and APS and any other Preferred Shares, voting together as a single class. In addition, if at any time dividends on outstanding APS shall be unpaid in an amount equal to at least two full years' dividends thereon or if at any time holders of any shares of Preferred Shares are entitled, together with the holders of APS, to elect a majority of the Trustees of the Trust under the 1940 Act, then the number of Trustees constituting the Board of Trustees automatically shall be increased by the smallest number that, when added to the two Trustees elected exclusively by the holders of APS and any other Preferred Shares as described above, would constitute a majority of the Board of Trustees as so increased by such smallest number, and at a special meeting of shareholders which will be called and held as soon as practicable, and at all subsequent meetings at which Trustees are to be elected, the holders of the APS and any other Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, will be entitled to elect the smallest number of additional Trustees that, together with the two Trustees which such holders in any event will be entitled to elect, constitutes a majority of the total number of Trustees of the Trust as so increased. The terms of office of the persons who are Trustees at the time of that election will continue. If the Trust thereafter shall pay, or declare and set apart for payment in full, all dividends payable on all outstanding APS and any other Preferred Shares for all past Dividend Periods, the additional voting rights of the holders of APS and any other Preferred Shares as described above shall cease, and the terms of office of all of the additional Trustees elected by the holders of APS and any other Preferred Shares (but not of the Trustees with respect to whose election the holders of Common Shares were entitled to vote or the two Trustees the holders of APS and any other Preferred Shares have the right to elect in any event) will terminate automatically.
The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by holders
of outstanding APS and any other Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class,
will be required to (i) authorize, create or issue any class or series of shares
ranking prior to the APS or any other series of Preferred Shares with respect to
the payment of dividends or the distribution of assets on liquidation; provided,
however, that no vote is required to authorize the issuance of another class of
Preferred Shares which are substantially identical in all respects to the APS or
(ii) amend, alter or repeal the provisions of the Declaration of Trust or the
Amended By-Laws, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, so as to
adversely affect any of the contract rights expressly set forth in the
Declaration of Trust or the Amended By-Laws of holders of APS or any other
Preferred Shares. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, in the event
shares of more than one series of APS are outstanding, the Trust shall not
approve any of the actions set forth in clause (i) or (ii) which adversely
affects the contract rights expressly set forth in the Declaration of Trust of a
holder of shares of a series of APS differently than those of a holder of shares
of any other series of APS without the affirmative vote of at least a majority
of votes entitled to be cast by holders of APS of each series adversely affected
and outstanding at such time (each such adversely affected series voting
separately as a class). The Board of Trustees, however, without shareholder
approval, may amend, alter or repeal any or all of the various rating agency
guidelines described herein in the event the Trust receives confirmation from
the rating agencies that any such amendment, alteration or repeal would not
impair the ratings then assigned to the APS. Unless a higher percentage is
provided for under "Certain provisions in the Declaration of Trust," the
affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of
outstanding APS and any other Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, will
be required to approve any plan of reorganization (including bankruptcy
proceedings) adversely affecting such shares or any action requiring a vote of
security holders under Section 13(a) of the 1940 Act including, among other
things, changes in the Trust's investment objective or changes in the investment
restrictions described as Trustamental policies under "Investment objectives and
policies." The class vote of holders of APS and any other Preferred Shares
described above in each case will be in addition to a separate vote of the
requisite percentage of Common Shares and APS and any other Preferred Shares,
voting together as a single class, necessary to authorize the action in
question.
The foregoing voting provisions will not apply to the APS if, at or prior to the time when the act with respect to which such vote otherwise would be required shall be effected, such shares shall have been (i) redeemed or (ii) called for redemption and sufficient Trusts shall have been deposited in trust to effect such redemption.
The Auctions
GENERAL
Holders of the APS will be entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends on their shares when, as and if declared by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, out of the Trusts legally available therefor, on the Initial Dividend Payment Date with respect to the Initial Dividend Period and, thereafter, on each Dividend Payment Date with respect to a Subsequent Dividend Period (generally a period of seven days subject to certain exceptions set forth under "Description of APS--Dividends and Dividend Periods--General") at the rate per annum equal to the Applicable Rate for each such Dividend Period.
The provisions of the Amended By-Laws establishing the terms of the APS offered hereby will provide that the Applicable Rate for each Dividend Period after the Initial Dividend Period therefor will be equal to the rate per annum that the Auction Agent advises has resulted on the Business Day preceding the first day of such Dividend Period due to implementation of the auction procedures set forth in the Amended By-Laws (the "Auction Procedures") in which persons determine to hold or offer to purchase or sell the APS. The Amended Bylaws, which contain the Auction Procedures, are attached as Appendix B to the Trust's Statement of Additional Information. Each periodic operation of such procedures with respect to the APS is referred to hereinafter as an "Auction." If, however, the Trust should fail to pay or duly provide for the full amount of any dividend on or the redemption price of the APS called for redemption, the Applicable Rate for the APS will be determined as set forth under "Description of APS--Dividends and Dividend Periods--Determination of dividend rate."
AUCTION AGENT AGREEMENT
The Trust will enter into an agreement (the "Auction Agent Agreement") with Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas ("Auction Agent" and together with any successor bank or trust company or other entity entering into a similar agreement with the Trust, the "Auction Agent"), which provides, among other things, that the Auction Agent will follow the Auction Procedures for the purpose of determining the Applicable Rate for the APS. The Trust will pay the Auction Agent compensation for its services under the Auction Agent Agreement.
The Auction Agent may terminate the Auction Agent Agreement upon notice to the Trust, which termination may be no earlier than 60 days following delivery of such notice. If the Auction Agent resigns, the Trust will use its best efforts to enter into an agreement with a successor Auction Agent containing substantially the same terms and conditions as the Auction Agent Agreement. The Trust may terminate the Auction Agent Agreement, provided that prior to such termination the Trust shall have entered into such an agreement with respect thereto with a successor Auction Agent.
In addition to serving as the Auction Agent, Auction Agent will be the transfer agent, registrar, dividend disbursing agent and redemption agent for the APS. The Auction Agent, however, will serve merely as the agent of the Trust, acting in accordance with the Trust's instructions, and will not be responsible for any evaluation or verification of any matters certified to it.
BROKER-DEALER AGREEMENTS
The Auctions require the participation of one or more broker-dealers. The Auction Agent will enter into agreements with ___, and ___ with respect to the Trust and may enter into similar agreements (collectively, the "Broker-Dealer Agreements") with one or more other broker-dealers (collectively, the "Broker-Dealers") selected by the Trust, which provide for the participation of such Broker-Dealers in Auctions. A Broker-Dealer Agreement may be terminated by the Auction Agent or a Broker-Dealer on five days' notice to the other party, provided that the Broker-Dealer Agreement with ___, and ___ may not be terminated without the prior written consent of the Trust, which consent may not be unreasonably withheld.
The Auction Agent after each Auction will pay a service charge from Trusts provided by the Trust to each Broker-Dealer on the basis of the purchase price of APS placed by such Broker-Dealer at such Auction. The service charge (i) for any 7-Day Dividend Period shall be payable at the annual rate of 0.25% of the purchase price of the APS placed by such Broker-Dealer in any such Auction and
(ii) for any Special Dividend Period shall be determined by mutual consent of the Trust and any such Broker-Dealer or Broker-Dealers and shall be based upon a selling concession that would be applicable to an underwriting of fixed or variable rate preferred shares with a similar final maturity or variable rate dividend period, respectively, at the commencement of the Dividend Period with respect to such Auction. For the purposes of the preceding sentence, the APS will be placed by a Broker-Dealer if such shares were (i) the subject of Hold Orders deemed to have been made by Beneficial Owners that were acquired by such Beneficial Owners through such Broker-Dealer or (ii) the subject of the following Orders submitted by such Broker-Dealer: (A) a Submitted Bid of a Beneficial Owner that resulted in such Beneficial Owner continuing to hold such shares as a result of the Auction, (B) a Submitted Bid of a Potential Beneficial Owner that resulted in such Potential Beneficial Owner purchasing such shares as a result of the Auction or (C) a Submitted Hold Order.
The Broker-Dealer Agreements provide that a Broker-Dealer may submit Orders in Auctions for its own account, unless the Trust notifies all Broker-Dealers that they no longer may do so; provided that Broker-Dealers may continue to submit Hold Orders and Sell Orders. If a Broker-Dealer submits an Order for its own account in any Auction of APS, it may have knowledge of Orders placed through it in that Auction and therefore have an advantage over other Bidders, but such Broker-Dealer would not have knowledge of Orders submitted by other Broker-Dealers in that Auction.
SECURITIES DEPOSITORY
The Depository Trust Company initially will act as the Securities Depository for the Agent Members with respect to the APS. One or more registered certificates for all of the shares of each series of APS initially will be registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of the Securities Depository. The certificate will bear a legend to the effect that such certificate is issued subject to the provisions restricting transfers of the APS contained in the Amended By-Laws. Cede & Co. initially will be the holder of record of all APS, and Beneficial Owners will not be entitled to receive certificates representing their ownership interest in such shares. The Securities Depository will maintain lists of its participants and will maintain the positions (ownership interests) of the APS held by each Agent Member, whether as the Beneficial Owner thereof for its own account or as nominee for the Beneficial Owner thereof. Payments made by the Trust to holders of APS will be duly made by making payments to the nominee of the Securities Depository.
AUCTION PROCEDURES
The following is a brief summary of the procedures to be used in conducting Auctions. This summary is qualified by reference to the Amended By-Laws set forth in Appendix B to the Trust's Statement of Additional Information.
AUCTION DATE
An Auction to determine the Applicable Rate for the APS offered hereby for each Dividend Period for such shares (other than the Initial Dividend Period therefor) will be held on the last Business Day preceding the first day of such Dividend Period, which first day is also the Dividend Payment Date for the preceding Dividend Period (the date of each Auction being referred to herein as an "Auction Date").
The Auction Date and the first day of the related Dividend Period (both of which must be Business Days) need not be consecutive calendar days. See "Description of APS--Dividends and Dividend Periods" for information concerning the circumstances under which a Dividend Payment Date may fall on a date other than the days specified above, which may affect the Auction Date.
ORDERS BY BENEFICIAL OWNERS, POTENTIAL BENEFICIAL OWNERS, EXISTING HOLDERS AND POTENTIAL HOLDERS
On or prior to each Auction Date for a series of APS:
(a) each Beneficial Owner may submit to its Broker-Dealer by telephone orders ("Orders") with respect to a series of APS as follows:
(i) Hold Order--indicating the number of outstanding APS, if any, that such Beneficial Owner desires to continue to hold without regard to the Applicable Rate for the next Dividend Period for such shares;
(ii) Bid--indicating the number of outstanding APS, if any, that such Beneficial Owner desires to continue to hold, provided that the Applicable Rate for the next Dividend Period for such shares is not less than the rate per annum then specified by such Beneficial Owner; and/or
(iii) Sell Order--indicating the number of outstanding APS, if any, that such Beneficial Owner offers to sell without regard to the Applicable Rate for the next Dividend Period for such shares; and
(b) Broker-Dealers will contact customers who are Potential Beneficial Owners of APS to determine whether such Potential Beneficial Owners desire to submit Bids indicating the number of APS which they offer to purchase provided that the Applicable Rate for the next Dividend Period for such shares is not less than the rates per annum specified in such Bids.
A Beneficial Owner or a Potential Beneficial Owner placing an Order, including a Broker-Dealer acting in such capacity for its own account, is hereinafter referred to as a "Bidder" and collectively as "Bidders." Any Order submitted by a Beneficial Owner or a Potential Beneficial Owner to its Broker- Dealer, or by a Broker-Dealer to the Auction Agent, prior to the Submission Deadline on any Auction Date shall be irrevocable.
In an Auction, a Beneficial Owner may submit different types of Orders with respect to APS then held by such Beneficial Owner, as well as Bids for additional APS. For information concerning the priority given to different types of Orders placed by Beneficial Owners, see "Submission of Orders by Broker- Dealers to Auction Agent" below.
The Maximum Applicable Rate for the APS will be the Applicable Percentage of the Reference Rate. The Auction Agent will round each applicable Maximum Applicable Rate to the nearest one-thousandth (0.001) of one percent per annum, with any such number ending in five ten-thousandths of one percent being rounded upwards to the nearest one-thousandth (0.001) of one percent. The Auction Agent will not round the applicable Reference Rate as part of its calculation of the Maximum Applicable Rate.
The Maximum Applicable Rate for the APS will depend on the credit rating or ratings assigned to such shares. The Applicable Percentage will be determined based on (i) the credit ratings assigned on such date to such shares by and (or if either shall not make such rating available, the equivalent of such rating by a Substitute Rating Agency), and (ii) whether the Trust has provided notification to the Auction Agent prior to the Auction establishing the Applicable Rate for any dividend that net capital gains or other taxable income will be included in such dividend on the APS as follows:
[ ] [ ] APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE
CREDIT RATINGS CREDIT RATINGS OF REFERENCE RATE
-------------- -------------- -----------------
AA--or higher Aa3 or above %
A--to A+ A3 to A1
BBB--to BBB+ Baa3 to Baa1
Below BBB-- Below Baa3
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There is no minimum Applicable Rate in respect of any Dividend Period.
The Trust will take all reasonable action necessary to enable and to provide a rating for the APS. If or shall not make such a rating available, the Underwriters or their affiliates and successors, after consultation with the Trust, will select another rating agency (a "Substitute Rating Agency") to act as a Substitute Rating Agency.
Any Bid by a Beneficial Owner specifying a rate per annum higher than the Maximum Applicable Rate will be treated as a Sell Order, and any Bid by a Potential Beneficial Owner specifying a rate per annum higher than the Maximum Applicable Rate will not be considered. See "Determination of Sufficient Clearing Bids, Winning Bid Rate and Applicable Rate" and "Acceptance and rejection of Submitted Bids and Submitted Sell Orders and allocation of Shares."
Neither the Trust nor the Auction Agent will be responsible for a Broker-Dealer's failure to comply with the foregoing. A Broker-Dealer also may hold APS in its own account as a Beneficial Owner. A Broker-Dealer thus may submit Orders to the Auction Agent as a Beneficial Owner or a Potential Beneficial Owner and therefore participate in an Auction as an Existing Holder or Potential Holder on behalf of both itself and its customers. Any Order placed with the Auction Agent by a Broker-Dealer as or on behalf of a Beneficial Owner or a Potential Beneficial Owner will be treated in the same manner as an Order placed with a Broker-Dealer by a Beneficial Owner or a Potential Beneficial Owner. Similarly, any failure by a Broker-Dealer to submit to the Auction Agent an Order in respect of any APS held by it or its customers who are Beneficial Owners will be treated in the same manner as a Beneficial Owner's failure to submit to its Broker-Dealer an Order in respect of APS held by it, as described
in the next paragraph. Inasmuch as a Broker-Dealer participates in an Auction as an Existing Holder or a Potential Holder only to represent the interests of a Beneficial Owner or Potential Beneficial Owner, whether it be its customers or itself, all discussion herein relating to the consequences of an Auction for Existing Holders and Potential Holders also applies to the underlying beneficial ownership interests represented thereby. For information concerning the priority given to different types of Orders placed by Existing Holders, see "Submission of Orders by Broker-Dealers to Auction Agent." Each purchase or sale in an Auction will be settled on the Business Day next succeeding the Auction Date at a price per share equal to $25,000. See "Notification of results; settlement."
If one or more Orders covering in the aggregate all of the outstanding APS held by a Beneficial Owner are not submitted to the Auction Agent prior to the Submission Deadline, either because a Broker-Dealer failed to contact such Beneficial Owner or otherwise, the Auction Agent shall deem a Hold Order (in the case of an Auction relating to a Dividend Period of 91 days or less) and a Sell Order (in the case of an Auction relating to a Special Dividend Period of longer than 91 days) to have been submitted on behalf of such Beneficial Owner covering the number of outstanding the APS held by such Beneficial Owner and not subject to Orders submitted to the Auction Agent.
If all of the outstanding APS are subject to Submitted Hold Orders, the Dividend Period next succeeding the Auction automatically shall be the same length as the immediately preceding Dividend Period, and the Applicable Rate for the next Dividend Period for all the APS will be 60% of the Reference Rate on the date of the applicable Auction.
For the purposes of an Auction, the APS for which the Trust shall have given notice of redemption and deposited moneys therefor with the Auction Agent in trust or segregated in an account at the Trust's custodian bank for the benefit of the Auction Agent, as set forth under "Description of APS--Redemption," will not be considered as outstanding and will not be included in such Auction. Pursuant to the Amended By-Laws of the Trust, the Trust will be prohibited from reissuing and its affiliates (other than the Underwriter) will be prohibited from transferring (other than to the Trust) any APS they may acquire. Neither the Trust nor any affiliate of the Trust (other than the Underwriter) may submit an Order in any Auction, except that an affiliate of the Trust that is a Broker-Dealer may submit an Order.
SUBMISSION OF ORDERS BY BROKER-DEALERS TO AUCTION AGENT
Prior to 1:30 p.m., New York City time, on each Auction Date, or such other time on the Auction Date as may be specified by the Auction Agent (the "Submission Deadline"), each Broker-Dealer will submit to the Auction Agent in writing all Orders obtained by it for the Auction to be conducted on such Auction Date, designating itself (unless otherwise permitted by the Trust) as the Existing Holder or Potential Holder in respect of the APS subject to such Orders. Any Order submitted by a Beneficial Owner or a Potential Beneficial Owner to its Broker-Dealer, or by a Broker-Dealer to the Auction Agent, prior to the Submission Deadline on any Auction Date, shall be irrevocable.
If the rate per annum specified in any Bid contains more than three figures to the right of the decimal point, the Auction Agent will round such rate per annum up to the next highest one-thousandth (0.001) of 1%. If one or more Orders of an Existing Holder are submitted to the Auction Agent and such Orders cover in the aggregate more than the number of outstanding APS held by such Existing Holder, such Orders will be considered valid in the following order of priority:
(i) any Hold Order will be considered valid up to and including the number of outstanding APS held by such Existing Holder, provided that if more than one Hold Order is submitted by such Existing Holder and the number of APS subject to such Hold Orders exceeds the number of outstanding APS held by such Existing Holder, the number of APS subject to each of such Hold Orders will be reduced pro rata so that such Hold Orders, in the aggregate, will cover exactly the number of outstanding APS held by such Existing Holder;
(ii) any Bids will be considered valid, in the ascending order of their respective rates per annum if more than one Bid is submitted by such Existing Holder, up to and including the excess of the number of outstanding APS held by such Existing Holder over the number of outstanding APS subject to any Hold Order referred to in clause (i) above (and if more than one Bid submitted by such Existing Holder specifies the same rate per annum and together they cover more than the remaining number of shares that can be the subject of valid Bids after application of clause (i) above and of the foregoing portion of this clause (ii) to any Bid or Bids specifying a lower rate or rates per annum, the number of shares subject to each of such Bids will be reduced pro rata so that such Bids, in the aggregate, cover exactly such remaining number of outstanding shares); and the number of
outstanding shares, if any, subject to Bids not valid under this clause
(ii) shall be treated as the subject of a Bid by a Potential Holder;
and
(iii) any Sell Order will be considered valid up to and including the excess
of the number of outstanding APS held by such Existing Holder over the
sum of the number of APS subject to Hold Orders referred to in clause
(i) above and the number of APS subject to valid Bids by such Existing
Holder referred to in clause (ii) above; provided that, if more than
one Sell Order is submitted by any Existing Holder and the number of
APS subject to such Sell Orders is greater than such excess, the number
of APS subject to each of such Sell Orders will be reduced pro rata so
that such Sell Orders, in the aggregate, will cover exactly the number
of APS equal to such excess.
If more than one Bid of any Potential Holder is submitted in any Auction, each Bid submitted in such Auction will be considered a separate Bid with the rate per annum and number of APS therein specified.
DETERMINATION OF SUFFICIENT CLEARING BIDS, WINNING BID RATE AND APPLICABLE RATE
Not earlier than the Submission Deadline for each Auction, the Auction Agent will assemble all Orders submitted or deemed submitted to it by the Broker-Dealers (each such "Hold Order," "Bid" or "Sell Order" as submitted or deemed submitted by a Broker-Dealer hereinafter being referred to as a "Submitted Hold Order," a "Submitted Bid" or a "Submitted Sell Order," as the case may be, or as a "Submitted Order") and will determine the excess of the number of outstanding APS over the number of outstanding APS subject to Submitted Hold Orders (such excess being referred to as the "Available APS") and whether Sufficient Clearing Bids have been made in such Auction. Sufficient Clearing Bids will have been made if the number of outstanding APS that are the subject of Submitted Bids of Potential Holders with rates per annum not higher than the Maximum Applicable Rate equals or exceeds the number of outstanding shares that are the subject of Submitted Sell Orders (including the number of shares subject to Bids of Existing Holders specifying rates per annum higher than the Maximum Applicable Rate). If Sufficient Clearing Bids have been made, the Auction Agent will determine the lowest rate per annum specified in the Submitted Bids (the "Winning Bid Rate") which would result in the number of shares subject to Submitted Bids specifying such rate per annum or a lower rate per annum being at least equal to the available APS. If Sufficient Clearing Bids have been made, the Winning Bid Rate will be the Applicable Rate for the next Dividend Period for the APS then outstanding. If Sufficient Clearing Bids have not been made (other than because all outstanding APS are the subject of Submitted Hold Orders), the Dividend Period next following the Auction automatically will be a 7-Day Dividend Period, and the Applicable Rate for such Dividend Period will be equal to the Maximum Applicable Rate.
If Sufficient Clearing Bids have not been made, Beneficial Owners that have Submitted Sell Orders will not be able to sell in the Auction all, and may not be able to sell any, of the APS subject to such Submitted Sell Orders. See "Acceptance and rejection of Submitted Bids and Submitted Sell Orders and allocation of Shares." Thus, under some circumstances, Beneficial Owners may not have liquidity of investment.
ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION OF SUBMITTED BIDS AND SUBMITTED SELL ORDERS AND ALLOCATION OF SHARES
Based on the determinations described under "Determination of Sufficient Clearing Bids, Winning Bid Rate and Applicable Rate" and subject to the discretion of the Auction Agent to round, the Auction Procedures include a pro rata allocation of shares for purchase and sale, which may result in an Existing Holder continuing to hold or selling or a Potential Holder purchasing, a number of shares of a series of APS that is fewer than the number of shares of such series specified in its Order. To the extent the allocation procedures have that result, Broker-Dealers that have designated themselves as Existing Holders or Potential Holders in respect of customer Orders will be required to make appropriate pro rata allocations among their respective customers. See the Trust's Amended By-Laws set forth in Appendix B to the Trust's Statement of Additional Information.
NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS; SETTLEMENT
The Auction Agent will advise each Broker-Dealer who submitted a Bid or Sell Order in an Auction whether such Bid or Sell Order was accepted or rejected in whole or in part and of the Applicable Rate for the next Dividend Period for the related APS by telephone at approximately 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Auction Date for such Auction. Each such Broker-Dealer that submitted an Order for the account of a customer then will advise such customer whether such Bid or Sell Order was accepted or rejected, will confirm purchases and sales with each customer purchasing or selling APS as a result of the Auction and will advise each customer purchasing or selling APS to give instructions to its Agent Member of the Securities Depository to pay the purchase price against delivery of such shares or to deliver such shares against payment therefor as appropriate.
In accordance with the Securities Depository's normal procedures, on the day after each Auction Date, the transactions described above will be executed through the Securities Depository, and the accounts of the respective Agent Members at the Securities Depository will be debited and credited as necessary to effect the purchases and sales of APS as determined in such Auction. Purchasers will make payment through their Agent Members in same-day Trusts to the Securities Depository against delivery through their Agent Members; the Securities Depository will make payment in accordance with its normal procedures, which now provide for payment in same-day Trusts. If the procedures of the Securities Depository applicable to APS shall be changed to provide for payment in next-day Trusts, then purchasers may be required to make payment in next-day Trusts. If the certificates for the APS are not held by the Securities Depository or its nominee, payment will be made in same-day Trusts to the Auction Agent against delivery of such certificates.
The following is a simplified example of how a typical Auction works. Assume that the Trust has 1,000 outstanding APS and three current holders. The three current holders and three potential holders submit orders through Broker-Dealers at the Auction:
Current Holder A..... Owns 500 shares, wants to sell Bid order of 2.1% rate for all
all 500 shares if Applicable 500 shares
Rate is less than 2.1%
Current Holder B..... Owns 300 shares, wants to hold Hold Order--will take the
Applicable Rate
Current Holder C..... Owns 200 shares, wants to sell Bid order of 1.9% rate for all
all 200 shares if Applicable 200 shares
Rate is less than 1.9%
Potential Holder D... Wants to buy 200 shares Places order to buy at or above 2.0%
Potential Holder E... Wants to buy 300 shares Places order to buy at or above 1.9%
Potential Holder F... Wants to buy 200 shares Places order to buy at or above 2.1%
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The lowest dividend rate that will result in all 1,000 APS continuing to be held is 2.0% (the offer by D). Therefore, the Applicable Rate will be 2.0%. Current Holders B and C will continue to own their shares. Current Holder A will sell its shares because A's dividend rate bid was higher than the Applicable Rate. Potential Holder D will buy 200 shares and Potential Holder E will buy 300 shares because their bid rates were at or below the Applicable Rate. Potential Holder F will not buy shares because its bid rate was above the Applicable Rate.
SECONDARY MARKET TRADING AND TRANSFER OF APS
The Broker-Dealers may maintain a secondary trading market in the APS outside of Auctions; however, they have no obligation to do so and there can be no assurance that a secondary market for the APS will develop or, if it does develop, that it will provide holders with a liquid trading market (I.E., trading will depend on the presence of willing buyers and sellers and the trading price is subject to variables to be determined at the time of the trade by the Broker-Dealers). The APS will not be registered on any stock exchange or on any automated quotation system. An increase in the level of interest rates, particularly during any Long-Term Dividend Period, likely will have an adverse effect on the secondary market price of the APS, and a selling shareholder may sell APS between Auctions at a price per share of less than $25,000.
Taxes
GENERAL
The Trust intends to elect and to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies ("RICs") under the Code. As long as the Trust so qualifies, in any taxable year in which it distributes at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (consisting generally of taxable net investment income, net short-term capital gain and net realized gains from certain hedging transactions) and certain other income the Trust (but not its shareholders) will not be subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes its investment company taxable income and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). The Trust intends to distribute substantially all of such income and gain each year.
The APS will constitute stock of the Trust, and distributions by the Trust with respect to its APS (other than distributions in redemption of APS that are treated as exchanges of stock under Section 302(b) of the Code) thus will constitute dividends to the extent of that Trust's current and accumulated earnings and profits as calculated for federal income tax purposes. It is possible, however, that the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") might take a contrary position, asserting, for example, that the APS constitute debt of the Trust. If this position were upheld, the discussion of the treatment of distributions below would not apply. Instead, distributions by the Trust to holders of APS would constitute interest, whether or not they exceeded the earnings and profits of the Trust, would be included in full in the income of the recipient and would be taxed as ordinary income. Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, counsel to the Trust, believes that such a position, if asserted by the IRS, would be unlikely to prevail if the issue were properly litigated.
Distributions of any taxable net investment income and net short-term capital gain will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of the Trust's net capital gain, if any, will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time they held their shares. Distributions, if any, in excess of the Trust's earnings and profits will first reduce the adjusted tax basis of a holder's shares and, after that basis has been reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to the shareholder (assuming the shares are held as a capital asset).
Dividends and other distributions declared by the Trust in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a date in any of those months will be deemed to have been paid by the Trust and received by the shareholders on December 31 of that year if the distributions are paid by the Trust during the following January. Accordingly, those distributions will be taxed to shareholders for the year in which that December 31 falls.
The Trust will inform shareholders of the source and tax status of all distributions promptly after the close of each calendar year. The IRS has taken the position that if a RIC has more than one class of shares, it may designate distributions made to each class in any year as consisting of no more than that class's proportionate share of particular types of income for that year, including ordinary income and net capital gain. A class's proportionate share of a particular type of income for a year is determined according to the percentage of total dividends paid by the RIC during that year to the class. Accordingly, the Trust intends to designate a portion of its distributions as capital gain dividends in compliance with the IRS position.
Although the matter is not free from doubt, due to the absence of direct regulatory or judicial authority, in the opinion of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, counsel to the Trust, under current law the manner in which the Trust intends to allocate items of ordinary income and net capital gain among the Trust's Common Shares and APS will be respected for federal income tax purposes. It is possible that the IRS could disagree with counsel's opinion and attempt to reallocate the Trust's net capital gain or other taxable income.
If at any time when APS are outstanding the Trust does not meet the asset coverage requirements of the 1940 Act, the Trust will be required to suspend distributions to holders of Common Shares until the asset coverage is restored. See "Description of APS--Dividends and Dividend Periods--Restrictions on Dividends and other payments." Such a suspension may prevent the Trust from distributing at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income and certain other income and may, therefore, jeopardize the Trust's qualification for taxation as a RIC. Upon any failure to meet the asset coverage requirements of the 1940 Act, the Trust, in its sole discretion, may redeem APS in order to maintain or restore the requisite asset coverage and avoid the adverse consequences to the Trust and its shareholders of failing to qualify for treatment as a RIC. See "Description of APS--Redemption." There can be no assurance, however, that any such action would achieve that objective.
Certain of the Trust's investment practices are subject to special Code provisions that, among other things, may defer the use of certain losses of the Trust and affect the holding period of securities held by the Trust and the character of the gains or losses realized by the Trust. These provisions may also require the Trust to recognize income or gain without receiving cash with which to make distributions in the amounts necessary to satisfy the requirements for maintaining RIC status and for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Trust will monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and prevent disqualification of the Trust as a RIC.
Under the recently enacted "Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003" (the "Tax Act"), the U.S. federal income tax rate on long-term capital gains recognized by individuals has been reduced to 15% (or 5% for individuals in the 10% or 15% tax brackets), and "qualified dividend income" received by individuals from certain domestic and foreign corporations will also be taxed at this reduced capital gains tax rate. The reduced long-term capital gains tax rate will apply to capital gains realized by shareholders who sell common shares of the Trust that they have held for more than one year. The reduced rates, which do not apply to short-term capital gains, generally apply to long-term capital gains from sales or exchanges recognized on or after May 6, 2003 (and to Trust distributions of such gain), and will cease to apply for taxable years
beginning after December 31, 2008. Distributions from the Trust designated as capital gain dividends should be eligible for the reduced rate applicable to long-term capital gains. Ordinary income dividends paid by the Trust would be eligible to be treated by Trust shareholders as qualified dividend income taxed at the reduced capital gains rate to the extent that some portion of the Trust's dividends were attributable to such qualified dividend income received by the Trust and to the extent that the Trust were to designate such portion as qualified dividend income. Because the Trust intends to invest primarily in Senior Loans and Non-Investment Grade Bonds, however, the Trust does not expect to receive qualified dividend income and, therefore, ordinary income dividends paid by the Trust generally are not expected to be eligible for the reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income.
SALES OF APS
The sale of APS (including transfers in connection with a redemption or repurchase of APS) will be a taxable transaction for federal income tax purposes. A selling shareholder generally will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount received and the holder's adjusted tax basis in the APS. If the APS are held as a capital asset, the gain or loss will be a capital gain or loss and will be long-term if the APS have been held for more than one year. Any loss realized on a disposition of APS held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term, rather than a short-term, capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions received with respect to those APS. A shareholder's holding period for APS is suspended for any periods during which the shareholder's risk of loss is diminished as a result of holding one or more other positions in substantially similar or related property, or through certain options, sales contracts or short sales. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange of APS will be disallowed to the extent those APS are replaced by other APS within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of disposition of the original APS. In that event, the basis of the replacement APS will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING
The Trust is required to withhold a percentage of all taxable dividends, capital gain distributions and repurchase proceeds payable to any individuals and certain other non-corporate shareholders who do not provide the Trust with a correct taxpayer identification number. Such withholding from taxable dividends and capital gain distributions is also required for such shareholders who fail to provide certain certifications or otherwise are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from payments made to a shareholder may be reTrusted or credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS.
Description of capital structure
The Trust is an unincorporated business trust established under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated , 2003 ("Declaration of Trust"). The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees of the Trust may authorize separate classes of shares of beneficial interest. The Trustees of the Trust have authorized an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest stock, par value $0.01 per share, all of which shares were initially classified as Common Shares. The Declaration of Trust also authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with preference rights, including Preferred Shares, having a par value of $0.01 per share, in one or more series, with rights as determined by the Board of Trustees, by action of the Board of Trustees without the approval of the Shareholders. For a description of the APS, see "Description of APS." The following table shows the amount of (i) shares authorized, (ii) shares held by the Trust for its own account and (iii) shares outstanding, for each class of authorized securities of the Trust as of _________, 2003.
Amount
outstanding
(exclusive of
Amount held by amount held by
Trust for its own Trust for its own
Title of class Amount authorized account account)
---------------------------- ------------------- ----------------- ------------
Common Shares............... Unlimited -0-
Auction Preferred Shares
Series A.................. -0- -0-
Series B.................. -0- -0-
Series C.................. -0- -0-
Series D.................. -0- -0-
Series E.................. -0- -0-
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Holders of Common Shares are entitled to share equally in dividends declared by a Board of Trustees payable to holders of Common Shares and in the net assets of the Trust available for distribution to holders of Common Shares after payment of the preferential amounts payable to holders of any outstanding Preferred Shares. Neither holders of Common Shares nor holders of Preferred Shares have pre-emptive or conversion rights and Common Shares are not redeemable. Upon liquidation of the Trust, after paying or adequately providing for the payment of all liabilities of the Trust and the liquidation preference with respect to any outstanding Preferred Shares, and upon receipt of such releases, indemnities and reTrusting agreements as they deem necessary for their protection, the Trustees may distribute the remaining assets of the Trust among the holders of the Common Shares. The Declaration of Trust provides that Shareholders are not liable for any liabilities of the Trust, requires inclusion of a clause to that effect in every agreement entered into by the Trust and indemnifies shareholders against any such liability. Although shareholders of an unincorporated business trust established under Massachusetts law, in certain limited circumstances, may be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust as though they were general partners, the provisions of the Declaration of Trust described in the foregoing sentence make the likelihood of such personal liability remote.
Holders of Common Shares are entitled to one vote for each share held and will vote with the holders of any outstanding APS or other Preferred Shares on each matter submitted to a vote of holders of Common Shares, except as described under "Description of APS--Voting rights."
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held. The Common Shares, APS and any other Preferred Shares do not have cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the Common Shares, APS and any other Preferred Shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect all of the Trustees standing for election by such holders, and, in such event, the holders of the remaining Common Shares, APS and any other Preferred Shares will not be able to elect any of such Trustees.
So long as any APS or any other Preferred Shares are outstanding, holders of Common Shares will not be entitled to receive any dividends of or other distributions from the Trust, unless at the time of such declaration, (1) all accrued dividends on Preferred Shares or accrued interest on borrowings has been paid and (2) the value of the Trust's total assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or other distribution), less all liabilities and indebtedness of the Trust not represented by senior securities, is at least 300% of the aggregate amount of such securities representing indebtedness and at least 200% of the aggregate amount of securities representing indebtedness plus the aggregate liquidation value of the outstanding Preferred Shares (expected to equal the aggregate original purchase price of the outstanding Preferred Shares plus redemption premium, if any, together with any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared and on a cumulative basis). In addition to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Trust is required to comply with other asset coverage requirements as a condition of the Trust obtaining a rating of the Preferred Shares from a rating agency. These requirements include an asset coverage test more stringent than under the 1940 Act. See "Description of APS--Dividends and Dividend Periods--Restrictions on Dividends and other payments."
The Trust will send unaudited reports at least semi-annually and audited financial statements annually to all of its shareholders.
The Common Shares of the Trust commenced trading on the NYSE on _________, 2003. At _________, 2004, the net asset value per share of Common Shares and the closing price per share of Common Shares on the NYSE were $ _________, and $ _________, respectively.
PREFERRED SHARES
Under the 1940 Act, the Trust is permitted to have outstanding more than one series of Preferred Shares as long as no single series has priority over another series as to the distribution of assets of the Trust or the payment of dividends. Neither holders of Common Shares nor holders of Preferred Shares have pre-emptive rights to purchase any APS or any other Preferred Shares that might be issued. It is anticipated that the net asset value per share of the APS will equal its original purchase price per share plus accumulated dividends per share.
Certain provisions of the Declaration of Trust
ANTI-TAKEOVER PROVISIONS IN THE DECLARATION OF TRUST
The Declaration of Trust includes provisions that could have the effect of limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Trust or to change the composition of its Board, and could have the effect of depriving holders of Common Shares of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Trust. These provisions may have the effect of discouraging attempts to acquire control of the Trust, which attempts could have the effect of increasing the expenses of the Trust and interfering with the normal operation of the Trust. The Board is divided into three classes, with the term of one class expiring at each annual meeting of holders of Common Shares and Preferred Shares. At each annual meeting, one class of Trustees is elected to a three-year term. This provision could delay for up to two years the replacement of a majority of the Board of Trustees. A Trustee may be removed from office only for cause by a written instrument signed by the remaining Trustees or by a vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the class of shares of the Trust that elected such Trustee and is entitled to vote on the matter.
In addition, the Declaration of Trust requires the favorable vote of the holders
of at least 75% of the outstanding shares of each class of the Trust, voting as
a class, then entitled to vote to approve, adopt or authorize certain
transactions with 5%-or-greater holders of a class of shares and their
associates, unless the Board shall by resolution have approved a memorandum of
understanding with such holders, in which case normal voting requirements would
be in effect. For purposes of these provisions, a 5%-or-greater holder of a
class of shares (a "Principal Shareholder") refers to any person who, whether
directly or indirectly and whether alone or together with its affiliates and
associates, beneficially owns 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class
of beneficial interest of the Trust. The transactions subject to these special
approval requirements are: (i) the merger or consolidation of the Trust or any
subsidiary of the Trust with or into any Principal Shareholder; (ii) the
issuance of any securities of the Trust to any Principal Shareholder for cash;
(iii) the sale, lease or exchange of all or any substantial part of the assets
of the Trust to any Principal Shareholder (except assets having an aggregate
fair market value of less than $1,000,000, aggregating for the purpose of such
computation all assets sold, leased or exchanged in any series of similar
transactions within a twelve-month period); or (iv) the sale, lease or exchange
to the Trust or any subsidiary thereof, in exchange for securities of the Trust,
of any assets of any Principal Shareholder (except assets having an aggregate
fair market value of less than $1,000,000, aggregating for the purposes of such
computation all assets sold, leased or exchanged in any series of similar
transactions within a twelve-month period).
The Board has determined that provisions with respect to the Board and the 75% voting requirements described above, which voting requirements are greater than the minimum requirements under Massachusetts law or the 1940 Act, are in the best interest of holders of Common Shares and Preferred Shares generally. Reference should be made to the Declaration of Trust on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions.
CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND
The Trust may be converted to an open-end investment company at any time if approved by the lesser of (i) two-thirds or more of the Trust's then outstanding Common Shares and Preferred Shares (if any), each voting separately as a class, or (ii) more than 50% of the then outstanding Common Shares and Preferred Shares (if any), voting separately as a class if such conversion is recommended by at least 75% of the Trustees then in office. If approved in the foregoing manner, conversion of the Trust could not occur until 90 days after the Shareholders' meeting at which such conversion was approved and would also require at least 30 days' prior notice to all Shareholders. The composition of the Trust's portfolio likely would prohibit it from complying with regulations of the SEC applicable to open-end investment companies. Accordingly, conversion likely would require significant changes in the Trust's investment policies and liquidation of a substantial portion of its relatively illiquid portfolio. Conversion of the Trust to an open-end investment company also would require the redemption of any outstanding Preferred Shares and could require the repayment of borrowings. The Board believes, however, that the closed-end structure is desirable, given the Trust's investment objective and policies. Investors should assume, therefore, that it is unlikely that a Board would vote to convert the Trust to an open-end investment company.
Underwriting
The underwriters named below (the "Underwriters"), acting through as lead managers and as their representatives (together with the lead managers, the "Representatives"), have severally agreed, subject to the terms and conditions of the Underwriting Agreement with the Trust and the Adviser, to purchase from the Trust the number of APS set forth below their respective names. The Underwriters are committed to purchase and pay for all of the Trust's APS if any are purchased.
.............................
.............................
.............................
............................. ______
Total................... ======
The Underwriters have advised the Trust that they propose initially to offer the APS of the Trust to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this Prospectus, and to certain dealers at such price less a concession not in excess of $________ per share. The Underwriters may allow, and such dealers may reallow, a discount not in excess of $ per share to other dealers. After the initial public offering, the public offering price, concession and discount may be changed. Investors must pay for any APS purchased on or before _______, 2004.
The Underwriters will act in Auctions as Broker-Dealers as set forth under "The Auctions--General-- Broker-Dealer Agreements" and will be entitled to fees for services as Broker-Dealers as set forth therein. The Underwriters also may provide information to be used in ascertaining the Reference Rate.
The Trust anticipates that the Representatives and certain other Underwriters may from time to time act as brokers and dealers in connection with the execution of the Trust's portfolio transactions after they have ceased to be principal underwriters of the Trust under the 1940 Act and, subject to certain conditions, may act as such brokers while they are principal underwriters.
In connection with this offering, certain of the Underwriters or selected dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.
The Trust and the Adviser have agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Shareholder Servicing Agent, custodian and transfer agent
Pursuant to a shareholder servicing agreement ("Shareholder Servicing
Agreement") between ____________ (the "Shareholder Servicing Agent") and Eaton
Vance, the Shareholder Servicing Agent will (i) undertake to make public
information pertaining to the Trust on an ongoing basis and to communicate to
investors and prospective investors the Trust's features and benefits (including
periodic seminars or conference calls, responses to questions from current or
prospective shareholders and specific shareholder contact where appropriate);
(ii) make available to investors and prospective investors market price, net
asset value, yield and other information regarding the Trust, if reasonably
obtainable, for the purpose of maintaining the visibility of the Trust in the
investor community; (iii) at the request of Eaton Vance, provide certain
economic research and statistical information and reports, if reasonably
obtainable, on behalf of the Trust, and consult with representatives and
Trustees of the Trust in connection therewith, which information and reports
shall include: (a) statistical and financial market information with respect to
the Trust's market performance and (b) comparative information regarding the
Trust and other closed-end management investment companies with respect to (1)
the net asset value of their respective shares, (2) the respective market
performance of the Trust and such other companies and (3) other relevant
performance indicators; and (iv) at the request of Eaton Vance, provide
information to and consult with the Board with respect to applicable
modifications to dividend policies or capital structure, repositioning or
restructuring of the Trust, conversion of the Trust to an open-end management
investment company, liquidation or merger; provided, however, that under the
terms of the Shareholder Servicing Agreement, the Shareholder Servicing Agent is
not obligated to render any opinions, valuations or recommendations of any kind or to perform any such similar services. For these services, Eaton Vance will pay the Shareholder Servicing Agent a fee computed weekly and payable quarterly equal on an annual basis up to 0.10% of the Trust's average weekly gross assets. Under the terms of the Shareholder Servicing Agreement, the Shareholder Servicing Agent is relieved from liability to Eaton Vance for any act or omission in the course of its performances under the Shareholder Servicing Agreement in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct by the Shareholder Servicing Agent. The Shareholder Servicing Agreement will continue so long as the Advisory Agreement remains in effect between the Trust and the Adviser or any successor in interest or affiliate of the Adviser, as and to the extent that such Advisory Agreement is renewed periodically in accordance with the 1940 Act.
Investors Bank & Trust Company ("IBT"), 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116 is the custodian of the Trust and will maintain custody of the securities and cash of the Trust. IBT maintains the Trust's general ledger and computes net asset value per share at least weekly. IBT also attends to details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, transfer and other dealings with the Trust's investments, and receives and disburses all Trusts. IBT also assists in preparation of shareholder reports and the electronic filing of such reports with the SEC.
PFPC Inc., P.O. Box 43027, Providence, RI 02940-3027 is the transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent of the Trust.
Legal opinions
Certain legal matters in connection with the APS will be passed upon for the Trust by Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, and for the Underwriters by . may rely as to certain matters of Massachusetts law on the opinion of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP.
Independent auditors
Deloitte & Touche LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, are the independent auditors for the Trust and will audit the Trust's financial statements.
Additional information
The Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement that the Trust has filed with the SEC. The complete Registration Statement may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the fee prescribed by its rules and regulations. The Statement of Additional Information can be obtained without charge by calling 1-800-225-6265.
Statements contained in this Prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus forms a part, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference.
Table of contents for the
Statement of Additional Information
Additional investment information and
restrictions.....................................
Trustees and officers............................
Investment advisory and other services
Determination of net asset value.................
Portfolio trading................................
Taxes............................................
Other information................................
Independent auditors.............................
Independent auditors' report.....................
Financial statements.............................
Appendix A: Ratings of bonds..................... A-
Appendix B: Amended By-Laws...................... B-
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The Trust's privacy policy
The Trust is committed to ensuring your financial privacy. This notice is being sent to comply with privacy regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Trust has in effect the following policy with respect to nonpublic personal information about its customers:
o Only such information received from you, through application forms or otherwise, and information about your Trust transactions will be collected.
o None of such information about you (or former customers) will be disclosed to anyone, except as permitted by law (which includes disclosure to employees necessary to service your account).
o Policies and procedures (including physical, electronic and procedural safeguards) are in place that are designed to protect the confidentiality of such information.
For more information about the Trust's privacy policies call 1-800-262-1122.
Glossary
"7-DAY DIVIDEND PERIOD" means a Dividend Period consisting of seven days.
"1940 ACT" means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time.
"1940 ACT APS ASSET COVERAGE" has the meaning set forth on page ____ of this Prospectus.
"1940 ACT CURE DATE" has the meaning set forth on page ____ of this Prospectus.
"ADVISER" means Eaton Vance Management.
"AGENT MEMBER" means the member of the Securities Depository that will act on behalf of a Beneficial Owner of one or more APS or on behalf of a Potential Beneficial Owner.
"ALTERNATE TREASURY BILL RATE" on any date means the Interest Equivalent of the yield as calculated by reference to the arithmetic average of the bid price quotations of the actively traded Treasury Bill with a maturity most nearly comparable to the length of the related Dividend Period, as determined by bid price quotations as of any time on the Business Day immediately preceding such date, obtained from at least three recognized primary U.S. Government securities dealers selected by the Auction Agent.
"AMENDED BY-LAWS" means the By-laws of the Trust, as amended _____________, 2004, specifying the powers, preferences and rights of the APS. The Trust's Amended By-Laws are contained in Appendix B to the Trust's Statement of Additional Information.
"APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE" has the meaning set forth on ____ page of this Prospectus.
"APPLICABLE RATE" means the rate per annum at which cash dividends are payable on APS for any Dividend Period.
"APS" means the Auction Preferred Shares with a par value of $0.01 per share and a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accumulated but unpaid dividends thereon (whether or not earned or declared), of the Trust.
"APS BASIC MAINTENANCE AMOUNT" has the meaning set forth on pages ____ and ____ of this Prospectus.
"APS BASIC MAINTENANCE CURE DATE" has the meaning set forth on page ____ of this Prospectus.
"AUCTION" means a periodic operation of the Auction Procedures.
"AUCTION AGENT" means ______________, unless and until another commercial bank, trust company or other financial institution appointed by a resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or a duly authorized committee thereof enters into an agreement with each to follow the Auction Procedures for the purpose of determining the Applicable Rate and to act as transfer agent, registrar, dividend disbursing agent and redemption agent for the APS.
"AUCTION AGENT AGREEMENT" means the agreement entered into between the Trust and the Auction Agent which provides, among other things, that the Auction Agent will follow the Auction Procedures for the purpose of determining the Applicable Rate.
"AUCTION DATE" has the meaning set forth on page ___ of this Prospectus.
"AUCTION PROCEDURES" means the procedures for conducting Auctions set forth in
Section 10 of the Trust's Amended By-Laws contained in Appendix B to the Trust's
Statement of Additional Information.
"AVAILABLE APS" has the meaning specified in Paragraph 10(d)(i) of the Auction Procedures.
"BENEFICIAL OWNER" means a customer of a Broker-Dealer who is listed on the records of that Broker-Dealer (or if applicable, the Auction Agent) as a holder of APS or a Broker-Dealer that holds APS for its own account.
"BID" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(b)(i) of the Auction Procedures. "BIDDER" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(b)(i) of the Auction Procedures. |
"BOARD OF TRUSTEES" or "BOARD" means the Board of Trustees of the Trust.
"BROKER-DEALER" means any broker-dealer, or other entity permitted by law to perform the functions required of a Broker-Dealer in the Auction Procedures, that has been selected by the Trust and has entered into a Broker-Dealer Agreement with the Auction Agent that remains effective.
"BROKER-DEALER AGREEMENT" means an agreement entered into between the Auction Agent and a Broker-Dealer, including ___________ and pursuant to which such Broker-Dealer agrees to follow the Auction Procedures.
"BUSINESS DAY" means a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and which is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banks in New York City are authorized or obligated by law to close.
"CEDE & CO." means the nominee of DTC, and in whose name the shares of APS initially will be registered.
"CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
"COMMON SHARES" means the Common Shares, par value $0.01 per share, of the Trust.
"DATE OF ORIGINAL ISSUE" means, with respect to each APS, the date on which such share first is issued by the Trust.
"DECLARATION OF TRUST" means the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust.
"DISCOUNTED VALUE" of any asset of each means with respect to a __________ Eligible Asset and _________ Eligible Asset, the quotient of the market value thereof divided by the applicable _________ Discount Factor and _________ Discount Factor.
"DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE" has the meaning set forth on page ___ of this Prospectus.
"DIVIDEND PERIODS" has the meaning set forth on page ___ of this Prospectus.
"DTC" means The Depository Trust Company.
"ELIGIBLE ASSETS" means _________ Eligible Assets and _________ Eligible Assets.
"EXISTING HOLDER" means a Broker-Dealer or any such other person as may be permitted by the Trust that is listed as the holder of record of APS in the records of the Auction Agent.
"FITCH " means Fitch Ratings or its successors.
"_________ ELIGIBLE ASSETS" has the meaning set forth on page of this Prospectus.
"TRUST" means each Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust, a Massachusetts business trust that is the issuer of APS.
"HOLD ORDER" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(b)(i) of the Auction Procedures.
"IBT" means Investors Bank & Trust Company, the custodian of the Trust's assets.
"INITIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE" has the meaning set forth on the inside cover page of this Prospectus.
"INITIAL DIVIDEND PERIOD" means, with respect to the APS, the period from and including the Date of Original Issue to but excluding the Initial Dividend Payment Date of the APS.
"IRS" means the Internal Revenue Service.
"LONG TERM DIVIDEND PERIOD" has the meaning set forth on page ____ of this Prospectus.
"MANDATORY REDEMPTION PRICE" has the meaning set forth on page ____ of this Prospectus.
"MARGINAL TAX RATE" means the maximum marginal federal income tax rate applicable to an individual's or a corporation's ordinary income, whichever is greater.
"MAXIMUM APPLICABLE RATE" has the meaning specified under "The Auction--Orders by Beneficial Owners, Potential Beneficial Owners, Existing Holders and Potential Holders" in this Prospectus.
"MOODY'S " means Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or its successors.
"______________ ELIGIBLE ASSETS" has the meaning set forth on page ____ of this Prospectus.
"NON-CALL PERIOD" has the meaning set forth under "Specific Redemption Provisions" below.
"NON-PAYMENT PERIOD" has the meaning set forth on page _____ of this Prospectus.
"NON-PAYMENT PERIOD RATE" has the meaning set forth on page _____ of this Prospectus.
"NOTICE OF REVOCATION" has the meaning set forth on page of this Prospectus.
"NOTICE OF SPECIAL DIVIDEND PERIOD" has the meaning set forth on page of this Prospectus.
"OPTIONAL REDEMPTION PRICE" has the meaning set forth on page ____ of this Prospectus.
"ORDER" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(b)(i) of the Auction Procedures.
"POTENTIAL BENEFICIAL OWNER" means a customer of a Broker-Dealer or a Broker-Dealer that is not a Beneficial Owner of APS but that wishes to purchase such shares, or that is a Beneficial Owner that wishes to purchase additional APS.
"POTENTIAL HOLDER" means any Broker-Dealer or any such other person as may be permitted by the Trust, including any Existing Holder, who may be interested in acquiring APS (or, in the case of an Existing Holder, additional APS).
"PREFERRED SHARES" means preferred shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share, of the Trust.
"PREMIUM CALL PERIOD" has the meaning set forth under "Specific Redemption Provisions" below.
"REFERENCE RATE" means, with respect to a Dividend Period, the applicable "AA" Composite Commercial Paper Rate.
"REQUEST FOR SPECIAL DIVIDEND PERIOD" has the meaning set forth on page of this Prospectus.
"RESPONSE" has the meaning set forth on page ____ of this Prospectus.
"S&P" means Standard & Poor's, or its successors.
"SECURITIES DEPOSITORY" means The Depository Trust Company and its successors and assigns or any successor securities depository selected by the Trust that agrees to follow the procedures required to be followed by such securities depository in connection with the APS.
"SELL ORDER" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(b)(i) of the Auction Procedures.
"SHORT TERM DIVIDEND PERIOD" has the meaning set forth on page of this Prospectus.
"SPECIAL DIVIDEND PERIOD" has the meaning set forth on page of this Prospectus.
"SPECIFIC REDEMPTION PROVISIONS" means, with respect to a Special Dividend Period, either, or any combination of, (i) a period (a "Non-Call Period") determined by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, after consultation with the Auction Agent and the Broker-Dealers, during which the APS subject to such Dividend Period shall not be subject to redemption at the option of the Trust and (ii) a period (a "Premium Call Period"), consisting of a number of whole years and determined by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, after consultation with the Auction Agent and the Broker-Dealers, during each year of which the APS subject to such Dividend Period shall be redeemable at the Trust's option at a price per share equal to $25,000 plus accumulated but unpaid dividends plus a premium expressed as a percentage of $25,000, as determined by the Board of Trustees of the Trust after consultation with the Auction Agent and the Broker-Dealers.
"SUBMISSION DEADLINE" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(a)(x) of the Auction Procedures. "SUBMITTED BID" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(d)(i) of the Auction Procedures. "SUBMITTED HOLD ORDER" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(d)(i) of the Auction Procedures. "SUBMITTED ORDER" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(d)(i) of the Auction Procedures. "SUBMITTED SELL ORDER" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(d)(i) of the Auction Procedures. |
"SUBSEQUENT DIVIDEND PERIOD" means each Dividend Period after the Initial Dividend Period.
"SUBSTITUTE RATING AGENCY" and "SUBSTITUTE RATING AGENCIES" shall mean a nationally recognized statistical rating organization or two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, respectively, selected by UBS Securities LLC, or its respective affiliates and successors, after consultation with the Trust, to act as a substitute rating agency or substitute rating agencies, as the case may be, to determine the credit ratings of the APS.
"SUFFICIENT CLEARING BIDS" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(d)(i) of the Auction Procedures.
"U.S. TREASURY BILL RATE" on any date means (i) the Interest Equivalent of the rate on the actively traded Treasury Bill with a maturity most nearly comparable to the length of the related Dividend Period, as such rate is made available on a discount basis or otherwise by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in its Composite 3:30 p.m. Quotations for U.S. Government Securities report for such Business Day, or (ii) if such yield as so calculated is not available, the Alternate Treasury Bill Rate on such date.
"U.S. TREASURY NOTE RATE" on any date means (i) the yield as calculated by reference to the bid price quotation of the actively traded, current coupon Treasury Note with a maturity most nearly comparable to the length of the related Dividend Period, as such bid price quotation is published on the Business Day immediately preceding such date by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in its Composite 3:30 p.m. Quotations for U.S. Government Securities report for such Business Day, or (ii) if such yield as so calculated is not available, the Alternate Treasury Note Rate on such date. "Alternate Treasury Note Rate" on any date means the yield as calculated by reference to the arithmetic average of the bid price quotations of the actively traded, current coupon Treasury Note with a maturity most nearly comparable to the length of the related Dividend Period, as determined by the bid price quotations as of any time on the Business Day immediately preceding such date, obtained from at least three recognized primary U.S. Government securities dealers selected by the Auction Agent.
"VALUATION DATE" means, for purposes of determining whether the Trust is maintaining the APS Basic Maintenance Amount, each Business Day commencing with , 2004.
"WINNING BID RATE" has the meaning specified in Subsection 10(d)(i) of the Auction Procedures.
[EATON VANCE LOGO]
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DECEMBER 10, 2003
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
, 200
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
THE EATON VANCE BUILDING
255 STATE STREET
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02109
(800) 225-6265
Page
----
Additional investment information and restrictions...
Trustees and officers................................
Investment advisory and other services...............
Determination of net asset value.....................
Portfolio trading....................................
Taxes................................................
Other information....................................
Independent auditors.................................
Financial Statements.................................
APPENDIX A: Ratings.................................. A-
APPENDIX B: Amended By-Laws.......................... B-
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THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ("SAI") IS NOT A PROSPECTUS AND IS AUTHORIZED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ONLY IF PRECEDED OR ACCOMPANIED BY THE PROSPECTUS OF EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST (THE "TRUST") DATED NOVEMBER 24, 2003, AS SUPPLEMENTED FROM TIME TO TIME, WHICH IS INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE. THIS SAI SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH SUCH PROSPECTUS, A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED WITHOUT CHARGE BY CONTACTING YOUR FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY OR CALLING THE TRUST AT 1-800-225-6265.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WHICH IS NOT A PROSPECTUS, IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given them in the Trust's Prospectus.
Additional investment information and restrictions
Primary investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following is a description of the various investment policies that may be engaged in, whether as a primary or secondary strategy, and a summary of certain attendant risks. Eaton Vance may not buy any of the following instruments or use any of the following techniques unless it believes that doing so will help to achieve the Trust's investment objectives.
SENIOR LOANS
STRUCTURE OF SENIOR LOANS
A Senior Loan is typically originated, negotiated and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the "Agent") for a group of loan investors ("Loan Investors"). The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the other Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors.
Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans to corporations and secondarily institutionally traded senior floating rate debt obligations issued by an asset-backed pool, and interests therein. Loan interests primarily take the form of assignments purchased in the primary or secondary market. Loan interests may also take the form of participation interests in a Senior Loan. Such loan interests may be acquired from U.S. or foreign commercial banks, insurance companies, finance companies or other financial institutions who have made loans or are Loan Investors or from other investors in loan interests.
The Trust typically purchases "Assignments" from the Agent or other Loan Investors. The purchaser of an Assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the Loan Agreement of the assigning Loan Investor and becomes a Loan Investor under the Loan Agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning Loan Investor. Assignments may, however, be arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an Assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning Loan Investor.
The Trust also may invest in "Participations." Participations by the Trust in a Loan Investor's portion of a Senior Loan typically will result in the Trust having a contractual relationship only with such Loan Investor, not with the Borrower. As a result, the Trust may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the Loan Investor selling the Participation and only upon receipt by such Loan Investor of such payments from the Borrower. In connection with purchasing Participations, the Trust generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the Borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights with respect to any funds acquired by other Loan Investors through set-off against the Borrower and the Trust may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the Senior Loan in which it has purchased the Participation. As a result, the Trust may assume the credit risk of both the Borrower and the Loan Investor selling the Participation. In the event of the insolvency of the Loan Investor selling a Participation, the Trust may be treated as a general creditor of such Loan Investor. The selling Loan Investors and other persons interpositioned between such Loan Investors and the Trust with respect to such Participations will likely conduct their principal business activities in the banking, finance and financial services industries. Persons engaged in such industries may be more susceptible to, among other things, fluctuations in interest rates, changes in the Federal Open Market Committee's monetary policy, governmental regulations concerning such industries and concerning capital raising activities generally and fluctuations in the financial markets generally.
The Trust will only acquire Participations if the Loan Investor selling the
Participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Trust and the
Loan Investor, at the time of investment has outstanding debt or deposit
obligations rated investment grade (BBB or A-3 or higher by Standard & Poor's
Ratings Group ("S&P") or Baa or P-3 or higher by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
("Moody's") or comparably rated by another nationally recognized rating agency)
or determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. Securities rated Baa
by Moody's have speculative characteristics. Long-term debt rated BBB by S&P is
regarded by S&P as having adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal
and debt rated Baa by Moody's is regarded by Moody's as a medium grade
obligation, i.e., it is neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Commercial
paper rated A-3 by S&P indicates that S&P believes such obligations exhibit
adequate protection parameters but that adverse economic conditions or changing
circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to
meet its financial commitment on the obligation and issues of commercial paper
rated P-3 by Moody's are considered by Moody's to have an acceptable ability for
repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Indebtedness of companies whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks, and may be highly speculative. Some companies may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Consequently, when investing in indebtedness of companies with poor credit, the Trust bears a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested.
The following table is intended to provide investors with a comparison of short-term money market rates, a representative base commercial lending rate, and a representative indicator of the premium over such base lending rate for Senior Loans. This comparison should not be considered a representation of future money market rates, spreads of Senior Loans over base reference rates nor what an investment in the Trust may earn or what an investor's yield or total return may be in the future.
SEPT. SEPT. SEPT. SEPT. SEPT. SEPT.
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
3 Month Treasury Bill(1)...... 2.98% 5.42% 5.11% 4.86% 2.38% 0.95%
3 Month LIBOR(2).............. 3.21 5.87 5.80 5.57 3.03 1.14
CSFB Leveraged Loan Index(3).. 5.71 8.18 8.13 8.04 6.18 4.34
...............
----------
(1) Source: Bloomberg
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(2) The London InterBank Offer Rate; Source: Bloomberg
(3) The CSFB Leveraged Loan Index is a representative index of tradable, senior
secured, U.S. dollar-denominated leveraged loans. Investors cannot invest
directly in an index. Source for the CSFB leveraged loan index returns:
Thomson Financial.
LOAN COLLATERAL
In order to borrow money pursuant to a Senior Loan, a Borrower will frequently, for the term of the Senior Loan, pledge collateral, including but not limited to, (i) working capital assets, such as accounts receivable and inventory; (ii) tangible fixed assets, such as real property, buildings and equipment; (iii) intangible assets, such as trademarks and patent rights (but excluding goodwill); and (iv) security interests in shares of stock of subsidiaries or affiliates. In the case of Senior Loans made to non-public companies, the company's shareholders or owners may provide collateral in the form of secured guarantees and/or security interests in assets that they own. In many instances, a Senior Loan may be secured only by stock in the Borrower or its subsidiaries. Collateral may consist of assets that may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance that the liquidation of such assets would satisfy fully a Borrower's obligations under a Senior Loan.
CERTAIN FEES PAID TO THE TRUST
In the process of buying, selling and holding Senior Loans, the Trust may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to interest payments received and may include facility fees, commitment fees, amendment fees, commissions and prepayment penalty fees. When the Trust buys a Senior Loan it may receive a facility fee and when it sells a Senior Loan it may pay a facility fee. On an ongoing basis, the Trust may receive a commitment fee based on the undrawn portion of the underlying line of credit portion of a Senior Loan. In certain circumstances, the Trust may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a Borrower. Other fees received by the Trust may include covenant waiver fees and covenant modification fees.
BORROWER COVENANTS
A Borrower must comply with various restrictive covenants contained in a loan agreement or note purchase agreement between the Borrower and the holders of the Senior Loan (the "Loan Agreement"). Such covenants, in addition to requiring the scheduled payment of interest and principal, may include restrictions on dividend payments and other distributions to stockholders, provisions requiring the Borrower to maintain specific minimum financial ratios, and limits on total debt. In addition, the Loan Agreement may contain a covenant requiring the Borrower to prepay the Loan with any free cash flow. Free cash flow is generally defined as net cash flow after scheduled debt service payments and permitted capital expenditures, and includes the proceeds from asset dispositions or sales of securities. A breach of a covenant that is not waived by the Agent, or by the Loan Investors directly, as the case may be, is normally an event of acceleration; i.e., the Agent, or the Loan Investors directly, as the case may be, has the right to call the outstanding Senior Loan. The typical practice of an Agent or a Loan Investor in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the Borrower to monitor the Borrower's compliance with covenants may involve a risk of fraud by the Borrower. In the case of a Senior Loan in the form of
Participation, the agreement between the buyer and seller may limit the rights of the holder to vote on certain changes that may be made to the Loan Agreement, such as waiving a breach of a covenant. However, the holder of the Participation will, in almost all cases, have the right to vote on certain fundamental issues such as changes in principal amount, payment dates and interest rate.
ADMINISTRATION OF LOANS
In a typical Senior Loan, the Agent administers the terms of the Loan Agreement. In such cases, the Agent is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the Borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions that are parties to the Loan Agreement. The Trust will generally rely upon the Agent or an intermediate participant to receive and forward to the Trust its portion of the principal and interest payments on the Senior Loan. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a Participation Agreement the Trust has direct recourse against the Borrower, the Trust will rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to use appropriate credit remedies against the Borrower. The Agent is typically responsible for monitoring compliance with covenants contained in the Loan Agreement based upon reports prepared by the Borrower. The seller of the Senior Loan usually does, but is often not obligated to, notify holders of Senior Loans of any failures of compliance. The Agent may monitor the value of the collateral and, if the value of the collateral declines, may accelerate the Senior Loan, may give the Borrower an opportunity to provide additional collateral or may seek other protection for the benefit of the participants in the Senior Loan. The Agent is compensated by the Borrower for providing these services under a Loan Agreement, and such compensation may include special fees paid upon structuring and funding the Senior Loan and other fees paid on a continuing basis. With respect to Senior Loans for which the Agent does not perform such administrative and enforcement functions, the Trust will perform such tasks on its own behalf, although a collateral bank will typically hold any collateral on behalf of the Trust and the other Loan Investors pursuant to the applicable Loan Agreement.
A financial institution's appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent, enters Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") receivership, or, if not FDIC insured, enters into bankruptcy proceedings. A successor Agent would generally be appointed to replace the terminated Agent, and assets held by the Agent under the Loan Agreement should remain available to holders of Senior Loans. However, if assets held by the Agent for the benefit of the Trust were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agent's general creditors, the Trust might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a Senior Loan, or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. In situations involving intermediate participants, similar risks may arise.
PREPAYMENTS
Senior Loans will usually require, in addition to scheduled payments of interest and principal, the prepayment of the Senior Loan from a portion of free cash flow, as defined above. The degree to which Borrowers prepay Senior Loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, the financial condition of the Borrower and competitive conditions among Loan Investors, among other factors. As such, prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Upon a prepayment, either in part or in full, the actual outstanding debt on which the Trust derives interest income will be reduced. However, the Trust may receive both a prepayment penalty fee from the prepaying Borrower and a facility fee upon the purchase of a new Senior Loan with the proceeds from the prepayment of the former. Prepayments generally will not materially affect the Trust's performance because the Trust typically is able to reinvest prepayments in other Senior Loans that have similar yields and because receipt of such fees may mitigate any adverse impact on the Trust's yield.
OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING SENIOR LOANS
From time to time the Adviser and its affiliates may borrow money from various banks in connection with their business activities. Such banks may also sell interests in Senior Loans to or acquire them from the Trust or may be intermediate participants with respect to Senior Loans in which the Trust owns interests. Such banks may also act as Agents for Senior Loans held by the Trust.
The Trust may acquire interests in Senior Loans that are designed to provide temporary or "bridge" financing to a Borrower pending the sale of identified assets or the arrangement of longer-term loans or the issuance and sale of debt obligations. The Trust may also invest in Senior Loans of Borrowers that have obtained bridge loans from other parties. A Borrower's use of bridge loans involves a risk that the Borrower may be unable to locate permanent financing to replace the bridge loan, which may impair the Borrower's perceived creditworthiness.
The Trust will be subject to the risk that collateral securing a loan will decline in value or have no value. Such a decline, whether as a result of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise, could cause the Senior Loan to be undercollateralized or unsecured. In most credit agreements, there is no formal
requirement to pledge additional collateral. In addition, the Trust may invest in Senior Loans guaranteed by, or secured by assets of, shareholders or owners, even if the Senior Loans are not otherwise collateralized by assets of the Borrower; provided, however, that such guarantees are fully secured. There may be temporary periods when the principal asset held by a Borrower is the stock of a related company, which may not legally be pledged to secure a Senior Loan. On occasions when such stock cannot be pledged, the Senior Loan will be temporarily unsecured until the stock can be pledged or is exchanged for or replaced by other assets, which will be pledged as security for the Senior Loan. However, the Borrower's ability to dispose of such securities, other than in connection with such pledge or replacement, will be strictly limited for the protection of the holders of Senior Loans and, indirectly, Senior Loans themselves.
If a Borrower becomes involved in bankruptcy proceedings, a court may invalidate the Trust's security interest in the loan collateral or subordinate the Trust's rights under the Senior Loan to the interests of the Borrower's unsecured creditors or cause interest previously paid to be refunded to the Borrower. If a court required interest to be refunded, it could negatively affect the Trust's performance. Such action by a court could be based, for example, on a "fraudulent conveyance" claim to the effect that the Borrower did not receive fair consideration for granting the security interest in the loan collateral to the Trust. For Senior Loans made in connection with a highly leveraged transaction, consideration for granting a security interest may be deemed inadequate if the proceeds of the Loan were not received or retained by the Borrower, but were instead paid to other persons (such as shareholders of the Borrower) in an amount that left the Borrower insolvent or without sufficient working capital. There are also other events, such as the failure to perfect a security interest due to faulty documentation or faulty official filings, which could lead to the invalidation of the Trust's security interest in loan collateral. If the Trust's security interest in loan collateral is invalidated or the Senior Loan is subordinated to other debt of a Borrower in bankruptcy or other proceedings, the Trust would have substantially lower recovery, and perhaps no recovery on the full amount of the principal and interest due on the Loan.
The Trust may acquire warrants and other equity securities as part of a unit combining a Senior Loan and equity securities of a Borrower or its affiliates. The acquisition of such equity securities will only be incidental to the Trust's purchase of a Senior Loan. The Trust may also acquire equity securities or debt securities (including non-dollar denominated debt securities) issued in exchange for a Senior Loan or issued in connection with the debt restructuring or reorganization of a Borrower, or if such acquisition, in the judgment of the Adviser, may enhance the value of a Senior Loan or would otherwise be consistent with the Trust's investment policies.
DEBTOR-IN-POSSESSION FINANCING
The Trust may invest in debtor-in-possession financings (commonly called "DIP financings"). DIP financings are arranged when an entity seeks the protections of the bankruptcy court under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. These financings allow the entity to continue its business operations while reorganizing under chapter 11. Such financings are senior liens on unencumbered security (i.e., security not subject to other creditors claims). There is a risk that the entity will not emerge from chapter 11 and be forced to liquidate its assets under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. In such event, the Trust's only recourse will be against the property securing the DIP financing.
LITIGATION INVOLVING EATON VANCE
On October 15, 2001, an amended consolidated complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts against four Eaton Vance closed-end interval funds (the "Interval Funds"); their Trustees and certain officers of the Interval Funds; Eaton Vance, the Interval Funds' administrator; Boston Management and Research, the Interval Funds' investment adviser; and Eaton Vance Corp., the parent of Eaton Vance and Boston Management and Research. The Complaint, framed as a class action, alleges that for the period between May 25, 1998 and March 5, 2001, the Interval Funds' assets were incorrectly valued and certain matters were not properly disclosed, in violation of the federal securities laws. The Complaint seeks unspecified damages. The named defendants believe that the Complaint is without merit and are vigorously contesting the lawsuit. Eaton Vance believes that the lawsuit is not likely to have a material adverse affect on its ability to render services to the Trust.
REGULATORY CHANGES
To the extent that legislation or state or federal regulators that regulate certain financial institutions impose additional requirements or restrictions with respect to the ability of such institutions to make loans, particularly in connection with highly leveraged transactions, the availability of Senior Loans for investment may be adversely affected. Further, such legislation or regulation could depress the market value of Senior Loans.
CREDIT QUALITY
Many Senior Loans in which the Trust may invest are of below investment grade credit quality. Accordingly, these Senior Loans are subject to similar or identical risks and other characteristics described below in relation to Non-Investment Grade Bonds.
NON-INVESTMENT GRADE BONDS
Investments in Non-Investment Grade Bonds generally provide greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and principal and income risk, including the possibility of issuer default and bankruptcy. Non-Investment Grade Bonds are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Debt securities in the lowest investment grade category also may be considered to possess some speculative characteristics by certain rating agencies. In addition, analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of Non-Investment Grade Bonds may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality securities.
Non-Investment Grade Bonds may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than investment grade securities. A projection of an economic downturn or of a period of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in Non-Investment Grade Bond prices because the advent of recession could lessen the ability of an issuer to make principal and interest payments on its debt obligations. If an issuer of Non-Investment Grade Bonds defaults, in addition to risking payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, the Trust may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. In the case of Non-Investment Grade Bonds structured as zero-coupon, step-up or payment-in-kind securities, their market prices will normally be affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes, and therefore tend to be more volatile than securities that pay interest currently and in cash. Eaton Vance seeks to reduce these risks through diversification, credit analysis and attention to current developments in both the economy and financial markets.
The secondary market on which Non-Investment Grade Bonds are traded may be less liquid than the market for investment grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the net asset value of the Shares. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of Non-Investment Grade Bonds, especially in a thinly traded market. When secondary markets for Non-Investment Grade Bonds are less liquid than the market for investment grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because such valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation because there is no reliable, objective data available. During periods of thin trading in these markets, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly and the Trust may have greater difficulty selling these securities. The Trust will be more dependent on Eaton Vance's research and analysis when investing in Non-Investment Grade Bonds. Eaton Vance seeks to minimize the risks of investing in all securities through in-depth credit analysis and attention to current developments in interest rate and market conditions.
A general description of the ratings of securities by S&P, Fitch and Moody's is set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. Such ratings represent these rating organizations' opinions as to the quality of the securities they rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, debt obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations with the same maturity and coupon may have the same yield. For these reasons, the use of credit ratings as the sole method of evaluating Non-Investment Grade Bonds can involve certain risks. For example, credit ratings evaluate the safety or principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of Non-Investment Grade Bonds. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings in a timely fashion to reflect events since the security was last rated. Eaton Vance does not rely solely on credit ratings when selecting securities for the Trust, and develops its own independent analysis of issuer credit quality.
In the event that a rating agency or Eaton Vance downgrades its assessment of the credit characteristics of a particular issue, the Trust is not required to dispose of such security. In determining whether to retain or sell a downgraded security, Eaton Vance may consider such factors as Eaton Vance's assessment of the credit quality of the issuer of such security, the price at which such security could be sold and the rating, if any, assigned to such security by other rating agencies. However, analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of Non-Investment Grade Bonds may be more complex than for issuers of high quality debt securities.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES
The Trust may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities include any corporate debt security or preferred stock that may be converted into underlying shares of common stock. The common stock underlying convertible securities may be issued by a different entity than the issuer of the convertible securities. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest payments paid on corporate debt securities or the dividend preference on a preferred stock until such time as the convertible security matures or is
redeemed or until the holder elects to exercise the conversion privilege. As a result of the conversion feature, however, the interest rate or dividend preference on a convertible security is generally less than would be the case if the securities were issued in non-convertible form.
The value of convertible securities is influenced by both the yield of non-convertible securities of comparable issuers and by the value of the underlying common stock. The value of a convertible security viewed without regard to its conversion feature (i.e., strictly on the basis of its yield) is sometimes referred to as its "investment value." The investment value of the convertible security typically will fluctuate inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates. However, at the same time, the convertible security will be influenced by its "conversion value," which is the market value of the underlying common stock that would be obtained if the convertible security were converted. Conversion value fluctuates directly with the price of the underlying common stock.
If, because of a low price of the common stock, the conversion value is substantially below the investment value of the convertible security, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. If the conversion value of a convertible security increases to a point that approximates or exceeds its investment value, the value of the security will be principally influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security will sell at a premium over its conversion value to the extent investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security. Holders of convertible securities have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders, but may be subordinated to holders of similar non-convertible securities of the same issuer.
OTHER INVESTMENTS
FIXED INCOME SECURITIES
Fixed income securities include preferred, preference and convertible securities, equipment lease certificates, equipment trust certificates and conditional sales contracts. Preference stocks are stocks that have many characteristics of preferred stocks, but are typically junior to an existing class of preferred stocks. Equipment lease certificates are debt obligations secured by leases on equipment (such as railroad cars, airplanes or office equipment), with the issuer of the certificate being the owner and lessor of the equipment. Equipment trust certificates are debt obligations secured by an interest in property (such as railroad cars or airplanes), the title of which is held by a trustee while the property is being used by the borrower. Conditional sales contracts are agreements under which the seller of property continues to hold title to the property until the purchase price is fully paid or other conditions are met by the buyer.
Fixed-rate bonds may have a demand feature allowing the holder to redeem the bonds at specified times. These bonds are more defensive than conventional long-term bonds (protecting to some degree against a rise in interest rates) while providing greater opportunity than comparable intermediate term bonds, since they may be retained if interest rates decline. Acquiring these kinds of bonds provides the contractual right to require the issuer of the bonds to purchase the security at an agreed upon price, which right is contained in the obligation itself rather than in a separate agreement or instrument. Since this right is assignable only with the bond, it will not be assigned any separate value.
Certain securities may permit the issuer at its option to "call," or redeem, the securities. If an issuer were to redeem securities during a time of declining interest rates, the Trust may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities providing the same investment return as the securities redeemed.
The rating assigned to a security by a rating agency does not reflect assessment of the volatility of the security's market value or of the liquidity of an investment in the securities. Credit ratings are based largely on the issuer's historical financial condition and the rating agency's investment analysis at the time of rating, and the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer's current financial condition. Credit quality in the high yield, high risk bond market can change from time to time, and recently issued credit ratings may not fully reflect the actual risks posed by a particular high yield security. In addition to lower rated securities, the Trust also may invest in higher rated securities. For a description of corporate bond ratings, see Appendix A.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
The Trust may enter into repurchase agreements (the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell at a higher price) with respect to its permitted investments. In the event of the bankruptcy of the other party to a repurchase agreement, the Trust might experience delays in recovering its cash. To the extent that, in the meantime, the value of the securities the Trust purchased may have decreased, the Trust could experience a loss. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. The
Trust's repurchase agreements will provide that the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will always be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the agreement, and will be marked to market daily.
ZERO COUPONS BONDS
Zero coupon bonds are debt obligations that do not require the periodic payment of interest and are issued at a significant discount from face value. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the bonds will accrue and compound over the period until maturity at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the time of issuance. The Trust is required to accrue income from zero coupon bonds on a current basis, even though it does not receive that income currently in cash and the Trust is required to distribute its income for each taxable year. Thus, the Trust may have to sell other investments to obtain cash needed to make income distributions.
INDEXED SECURITIES
The Trust may invest in securities that fluctuate in value with an index. Such securities generally will either be issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities or, if privately issued, collateralized by mortgages that are insured, guaranteed or otherwise backed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. The interest rate or, in some cases, the principal payable at the maturity of an indexed security may change positively or inversely in relation to one or more interest rates, financial indices, securities prices or other financial indicators ("reference prices"). An indexed security may be leveraged to the extent that the magnitude of any change in the interest rate or principal payable on an indexed security is a multiple of the change in the reference price. Thus, indexed securities may decline in value due to adverse market changes in reference prices. Because indexed securities derive their value from another instrument, security or index, they are considered derivative debt securities, and are subject to different combinations of prepayment, extension, interest rate and/or other market risks.
SHORT SALES
The Trust may utilize short sales for hedging purposes. A short sale is affected by selling a security which the Trust does not own, or, if the Trust does own the security, is not to be delivered upon consummation of the sale. The Trust may engage in short sales "against the box" (i.e., short sales of securities the Trust already owns) for hedging purposes. If the price of the security in the short sale decreases, the Trust will realize a profit to the extent that the short sale price for the security exceeds the market price. If the price of the security increases, the Trust will realize a loss to the extent that the market price exceeds the short sale price. Selling securities short runs the risk of losing an amount greater than the initial investment therein.
Purchasing securities to close out the short position can itself cause the price of the securities to rise further, thereby exacerbating the loss. Short-selling exposes the Trust to unlimited risk with respect to that security due to the lack of an upper limit on the price to which an instrument can rise. Although the Trust reserves the right to utilize short sales, the Adviser is under no obligation to utilize shorts at all.
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS
The Trust may invest in U.S. dollar denominated securities of non-U.S. issuers. Because foreign companies are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a domestic company. Volume and liquidity in most foreign debt markets is less than in the United States and securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, broker-dealers and listed companies than in the United States. Mail service between the United States and foreign countries may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Payment for securities before delivery may be required. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments that could affect investments in those countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Foreign securities markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States, and securities of some foreign issuers (particularly those located in developing countries) may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) may be purchased. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to purchasing directly the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, they continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. Unsponsored receipts are established without the participation of the issuer. Unsponsored receipts may involve higher expenses, they may not pass-through voting or other shareholder rights, and they may be less liquid.
OPTIONS
Call options may be purchased to provide exposure to increases in the market (e.g., with respect to temporary cash positions) or to hedge against an increase in the price of securities or other investments that the Trust intends to purchase or has sold short. Similarly, put options may be purchased for speculative purposes or to hedge against a decrease in the market generally or in the price of securities or other investments held by the Trust. Buying options may reduce the Trust's returns, but by no more than the amount of the premiums paid for the options.
The Trust may write covered call options (i.e., where the Trust owns the security or other investment that is subject to the call) to enhance returns when the Adviser perceives that the option premium offered is in excess of the premium that the Adviser would expect to be offered under existing market conditions, or if the exercise price of the option is in excess of the price that the Adviser expects the security or other underlying investment to reach during the life of the option. Writing covered call options may limit the Trust's gain on portfolio investments if the option is exercised because the Trust will have to sell the underlying investments below the current market price. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary market risks.
SECURITIES LENDING
As described in the Prospectus, the Trust may lend a portion of its portfolio Senior Loans or other securities to broker-dealers or other institutional borrowers. Loans will be made only to organizations whose credit quality or claims paying ability is considered by the Adviser to be at least investment grade. All securities loans will be collateralized on a continuous basis by cash or U.S. government securities having a value, marked to market daily, of at least 100% of the market value of the loaned securities. The Trust may receive loan fees in connection with loans that are collateralized by securities or on loans of securities for which there is special demand. The Trust may also seek to earn income on securities loans by reinvesting cash collateral in mortgage-backed securities ("MBS") or other securities consistent with its investment objective and policies, seeking to invest at rates that are higher than the "rebate" rate that it normally will pay to the borrower with respect to such cash collateral. Any such reinvestment will be subject to the investment policies, restrictions and risk considerations described in the Prospectus and in this SAI.
Senior Loans and other securities may result in delays in recovering, or a failure of the borrower to return, the loaned securities. The defaulting borrower ordinarily would be liable to the Trust for any losses resulting from such delays or failures, and the collateral provided in connection with the loan normally would also be available for that purpose. Securities loans normally may be terminated by either the Trust or the borrower at any time. Upon termination and the return of the loaned securities, the Trust would be required to return the related cash or securities collateral to the borrower and it may be required to liquidate longer term portfolio securities in order to do so. To the extent that such securities have decreased in value, this may result in the Trust realizing a loss at a time when it would not otherwise do so. The Trust also may incur losses if it is unable to reinvest cash collateral at rates higher than applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs. These risks are substantially the same as those incurred through investment leverage, and will be subject to the investment policies, restrictions and risk considerations described in the Prospectus and in this SAI.
The Trust will receive amounts equivalent to any interest or other distributions paid on securities while they are on loan, and the Trust will not be entitled to exercise voting or other beneficial rights on loaned securities. The Trust will exercise its right to terminate loans and thereby regain these rights whenever the Adviser considers it to be in the Trust's interest to do so, taking into account the related loss of reinvestment income and other factors.
SHORT-TERM TRADING
Securities may be sold in anticipation of market decline (a rise in interest rates) or purchased in anticipation of a market rise (a decline in interest rates) and later sold. In addition, a security may be sold and another purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what the Adviser believes to
be a temporary disparity in the normal yield relationship between the two securities. Yield disparities may occur for reasons not directly related to the investment quality of particular issues or the general movement of interest rates, such as changes in the overall demand for or supply of various types of fixed income securities or changes in the investment objectives of investors.
TEMPORARY INVESTMENTS
The Trust may invest temporarily in cash or cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are highly liquid, short-term securities such as commercial paper, time deposits, certificates of deposit, short-term notes and short-term U.S. Government obligations.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following investment restrictions of the Trust are designated as fundamental policies and as such cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Trust's outstanding voting securities, which as used in this SAI means the lesser of (a) 67% of the shares of the Trust present or represented by proxy at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present or represented at the meeting or (b) more than 50% of outstanding shares of the Trust. As a matter of fundamental policy the Trust may not:
(1) Borrow money, except as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). The 1940 Act currently requires that any indebtedness incurred by a closed-end investment company have an asset coverage of at least 300%;
(2) Issue senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, other than (i) preferred shares which immediately after issuance will have asset coverage of at least 200%, (ii) indebtedness which immediately after issuance will have asset coverage of at least 300%, or (iii) the borrowings permitted by investment restriction (1) above. The 1940 Act currently defines "senior security" as any bond, debenture, note or similar obligation or instrument constituting a security and evidencing indebtedness, and any stock of a class having priority over any other class as to distribution of assets or payment of dividends. Debt and equity securities issued by a closed-end investment company meeting the foregoing asset coverage provisions are excluded from the general 1940 Act prohibition on the issuance of senior securities;
(3) Purchase securities on margin (but the Trust may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities). The purchase of investment assets with the proceeds of a permitted borrowing or securities offering will not be deemed to be the purchase of securities on margin;
(4) Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except insofar as it may technically be deemed to be an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in selling or disposing of a portfolio investment;
(5) Make loans to other persons, except by (a) the acquisition of loan interests, debt securities and other obligations in which the Trust is authorized to invest in accordance with its investment objectives and policies, (b) entering into repurchase agreements, (c) lending its portfolio securities and (d) lending cash consistent with applicable law;
(6) Purchase or sell real estate, although it may purchase and sell securities that are secured by interests in real estate and securities of issuers that invest or deal in real estate. The Trust reserves the freedom of action to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the ownership of securities;
(7) Purchase or sell physical commodities or contracts for the purchase or sale of physical commodities. Physical commodities do not include futures contracts with respect to securities, securities indices or other financial instruments; and
(8) With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer or purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of a single issuer, except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities and except securities of other investment companies; or invest 25% or more of its total assets in any single industry (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
The Trust may borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including the payment of dividends and the settlement of securities transactions which otherwise might require untimely dispositions of Trust securities. The 1940 Act currently requires that the Trust have 300% asset coverage with respect to all borrowings other than temporary borrowings.
For purposes of construing restriction (8), securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies, or instrumentalities are not considered to represent industries. Municipal obligations backed by the credit of a governmental entity are also not considered to represent industries.
The Trust has adopted the following nonfundamental investment policy, which may be changed by the Board without approval of the Trust's shareholders. As a matter of nonfundamental policy, the Trust may not make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, unless at all times when a short position is open it either owns an equal amount of such securities or owns securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for securities of the same issuer as, and equal in amount to, the securities sold short.
The Trust may invest more than 10% of its total assets in one or more other management investment companies (or may invest in affiliated investment companies) to the extent permitted by section 12(d) of the 1940 Act and rules thereunder.
Whenever an investment policy or investment restriction set forth in the Prospectus or this SAI states a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or describes a policy regarding quality standards, such percentage limitation or standard shall be determined immediately after and as a result of the Trust's acquisition of such security or asset. Accordingly, any later increase or decrease resulting from a change in values, assets or other circumstances or any subsequent rating change made by a rating service (or as determined by the Adviser if the security is not rated by a rating agency) will not compel the Trust to dispose of such security or other asset. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust must always be in compliance with the borrowing policies set forth above.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Trustees of the Trust are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the affairs of the Trust. The Trustees and officers of the Trust are listed below. Except as indicated, each individual has held the office shown or other offices in the same company for the last five years. The "noninterested Trustees" consist of those Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. The business address of each Trustee and officer is The Eaton Vance Building, 255 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. As used in this SAI, "EVC" refers to Eaton Vance Corp., "EV" refers to Eaton Vance, Inc., "BMR" refers to Boston Management and Research, and "EVD" refers to Eaton Vance Distributors Inc. EVC and EV are the corporate parent and trustee, respectively, of Eaton Vance and BMR.
NUMBER OF
PORTFOLIOS IN
TERM OF OFFICE FUND COMPLEX OTHER
NAME AND POSITION(S) AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) OVERSEEN BY DIRECTORSHIPS
DATE OF BIRTH WITH THE TRUST OF SERVICE DURING PAST FIVE YEARS TRUSTEE(1) HELD
---------------------- -------------- -------------- ---------------------- ------------- -------------------
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
Jessica M. Bibliowicz Trustee(2) Since 10/16/03 President and Chief 192 None
11/28/59 Three Years Executive Officer of
National Financial
Partners (financial
services company)
(since April 1999).
President and Chief
Operating Officer of
John A. Levin & Co.
(registered investment
adviser) (July 1997 to
April 1999) and a
Director of Baker,
Fentress & Company
which owns John A.
Levin & Co. (July 1997
to April 1999). Ms.
Bibliowicz is an
interested person
because of her
affiliation with a
brokerage firm.
James B. Hawkes Trustee(3) and Since 8/5/03 Chairman, President 194 Director of EVC
11/9/41 Vice President Three Years and Vice Chief
Executive President
Officer of BMR, Eaton
Vance, EVC and EV;
Director of EV; Vice
President and Director
of EVD. Trustee and/or
officer of 194
registered investment
companies in the Eaton
Vance Fund Complex.
Mr. Hawkes is an
interested person
because of his
positions with BMR,
Eaton Vance, EVC and
EV, which are
affiliates of the
Trust.
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES
Samuel L. Hayes, III Trustee(2) Since 10/16/03 Jacob H. Schiff 194 Director of
2/23/35 Three Years Professor of Tiffany & Co.
Investment Banking (specialty
Emeritus, Harvard retailer) and
University Graduate Telect, Inc.
School of Business (telecommunication
Administration. services company)
12
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William H. Park Trustee(3) Since 10/16/03 President and Chief 191 None
9/19/47 Three Years Executive Officer,
Prizm Capital
Management, LLC
(investment management
firm) (since 2002).
Executive Vice
President and Chief
Financial Officer,
United Asset
Management Corporation
(a holding company
owning institutional
investment management
firms) (1982-2001).
Ronald A. Pearlman Trustee(4) Since 10/16/03 Professor of Law, 191 None
7/10/40 Three Years Georgetown University
Law Center (since
1999). Tax Partner,
Covington & Burling,
Washington, DC
(1991-2000).
Norton H. Reamer Trustee(4) Since 10/16/03 President and Chief 194 None
9/21/35 Three Years Executive Officer of
Asset Management
Finance Corp. (a
specialty finance
company serving the
investment management
industry) (since
October 2003).
President, Unicorn
Corporation (an
investment and
financial advisory
services company)
(since September
2000). Formerly,
Chairman, Hellman,
Jordan Management Co.,
Inc. (an investment
management company)
(2000--2003).
Formerly, Advisory
Director of Berkshire
Capital Corporation
(investment banking
firm) (2002--2003).
Formerly, Chairman of
the Board, United
Asset Management
Corporation (a holding
company owning
institutional
investment management
firms) and Chairman,
President and
Director, UAM Funds
(mutual funds)
(1980--2000).
Lynn A. Stout Trustee(4) Since 10/16/03 Professor of Law, 194 None
9/14/57 Three Years University of
California at Los
Angeles School of Law
(since July 2001).
Formerly, Professor of
Law, Georgetown
University Law Center.
--------------
(1) Includes both master and feeder funds in master-feeder structure.
13
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(2) Class I Trustees whose term expires in 2004.
(3) Class II Trustees whose term expires in 2005.
(4) Class III Trustees whose term expires in 2006.
PRINCIPAL OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRUSTEES
TERM OF OFFICE
POSITION(S) AND LENGTH
NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH WITH THE TRUST OF SERVICE PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS DURING PAST FIVE YEARS
------------------------ ---------------- -------------- ---------------------------------------------
Thomas E. Faust Jr. President Since 8/5/03 Executive Vice President of Eaton Vance, BMR,
5/31/58 EVC and EV. Chief Investment Officer of Eaton
Vance and BMR and Director of EVC. Chief
Executive Officer of Belair Capital Fund LLC,
Belcrest Capital Fund LLC, Belmar Capital
Fund LLC, Belport Capital Fund LLC and
Belrose Capital Fund LLC (private investment
companies sponsored by Eaton Vance). Officer
of 53 registered investment companies managed
by Eaton Vance or BMR.
Barbara E. Campbell Treasurer Since 8/5/03 Vice President of BMR and Eaton Vance.
6/19/57 Officer of 195 registered investment
companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR.
Scott H. Page Vice President Since 8/5/03 Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR.
11/30/59 Officer of 13 registered investment
companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR.
Payson F. Swaffield Vice President Since 8/5/03 Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR.
8/13/56 Officer of 13 registered investment
companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR.
Michael W. Weilheimer Vice President Since 8/5/03 Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR.
2/11/61 Officer of 10 registered investment
companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR.
Craig P. Russ Vice President Since 11/17/03 Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR.
10/30/63 Previously, Vice President-Specialized
Lending Division, State Street Bank and Trust
Company (1987 -- 1997). Officer of 1
registered investment company managed by
Eaton Vance or BMR.
Alan R. Dynner Secretary Since 07/10/03 Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal
10/10/40 Officer of BMR, Eaton Vance EVD, EV and EVC.
Officer of 194 registered investment
companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR.
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The Board of Trustees of the Trust has several standing committees including the Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, and the Special Committee. Each such Committee is comprised of only noninterested Trustees.
The Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Trust is comprised of the noninterested Trustees. Ms. Stout currently serves as chairperson of the Governance Committee. The purpose of the Committee is to undertake a periodic review of, and make recommendations with respect to, the Board's performance; Trustee compensation; appointment of new Trustees; identity, duties and composition of the various Board committees; development and maintenance of the Board's membership, structure and operations; policies and procedures adopted or
approved by the Board to comply with regulatory requirements that relate to fund governance; and any other matters related to fund governance.
The Trustees will, when a vacancy exists or is anticipated, consider any nominee for Trustee recommended by a shareholder if such recommendation is submitted to the Trustees in writing and contains sufficient background information concerning the individual to enable a proper judgment to be made as to such individual's qualifications.
Messrs. Reamer (Chair), Hayes, and Park and Ms. Stout are members of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The Board of Trustees has designated Messrs. Park, Hayes, and Reamer, each a noninterested Trustee, as audit committee financial experts. The Audit Committee's functions include making recommendations to the Trustees regarding the selection and performance of the independent accountants, and reviewing matters relative to accounting and auditing practices and procedures, accounting records, and the internal accounting controls, of the Trust, and certain service providers. As of the date of this SAI the Audit Committee has met once.
Messrs. Hayes (Chair), Park, Pearlman and Reamer are members of the Special Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The purpose of the Special Committee is to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the full Board of Trustees concerning (i) all contractual arrangements with service providers to the Trust, including investment advisory, administrative, transfer agency, custodial and fund accounting and distribution services, and (ii) all other matters in which Eaton Vance or its affiliates has any actual or potential conflict of interest with the Trust. As of the date of this SAI the Special Committee has met once.
When considering approval of the Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser, the Special Committee considered, among other things, the following:
+ A report comparing the fees and expenses of the Trust;
+ Information on the relevant peer group(s) of funds;
+ The economic outlook and the general investment outlook in the relevant investment markets;
+ Eaton Vance's results and financial condition and the overall organization of the Adviser;
+ Arrangements regarding the distribution of Trust shares;
+ The procedures used to determine the fair value of the Trust's assets;
+ Eaton Vance's management of the relationship with the custodian, subcustodians and fund accountants;
+ The resources devoted to Eaton Vance's compliance efforts undertaken on behalf of the funds it manages and the record of compliance with the investment policies and restrictions and with policies on personal securities transactions;
+ The quality, nature, cost and character of the administrative and other non-investment management services provided by Eaton Vance and its affiliates;
+ Investment management staffing; and
+ Operating expenses (including transfer agency expenses) to be paid to third parties.
In evaluating the Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Eaton Vance, the Special Committee reviewed material furnished by Eaton Vance at the initial Board meeting held in October 2003, including the above referenced considerations and information relating to the education, experience and number of investment professionals and other personnel who would provide services under the Advisory Agreement. The Special Committee also took into account the time and attention to be devoted by senior management to the Trust and the other funds in the complex. The Special Committee evaluated the level of skill required to manage the Trust and concluded that the human resources available at Eaton Vance were appropriate to fulfill effectively the duties of the Adviser on behalf of the Trust. The Special Committee also considered the business reputation of the Adviser, its financial resources and professional liability insurance coverage and concluded that Eaton Vance would be able to meet any reasonably foreseeable obligations under the Advisory Agreement.
The Special Committee received information concerning the investment philosophy and investment process to be applied by Eaton Vance in managing the Trust. In this regard, the Special Committee considered Eaton Vance's in-house research capabilities as well as other resources available to Eaton Vance personnel, including research services that may be available to Eaton Vance as a result of securities transactions effected for the Trust and other investment advisory clients. The Special Committee concluded that Eaton Vance's investment process, research capabilities and philosophy were well suited to the Trust, given the Trust's investment objective and policies.
In addition to the factors mentioned above, the Special Committee also reviewed the level of the Adviser's profits in respect of the management of the Eaton Vance funds, including the Trust. The noninterested Trustees considered the profits realized by Eaton Vance and its affiliates in connection with the operation of the Trust. The noninterested Trustees also considered Eaton Vance's profit margins in comparison with available industry data.
The Special Committee did not consider any single factor as controlling in determining whether or not to approve the Advisory Agreement. Nor are the items described herein all encompassing of the matters considered by the noninterested Trustees. In assessing the information provided by Eaton Vance and its affiliates, the Special Committee also took into consideration the benefits to shareholders of investing in a fund that is part of a large family of funds, which provides a large variety of shareholder services.
Based on their consideration of all factors that it deemed material and assisted by the advice of its independent counsel, the Special Committee concluded that the approval of the Advisory Agreement, including the fee structure (described herein) is in the interests of shareholders.
SHARE OWNERSHIP
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Trust and all Eaton Vance Trusts overseen by the Trustee as of December 31, 2002.
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF EQUITY
DOLLAR RANGE OF SECURITIES OWNED IN ALL REGISTERED
EQUITY SECURITIES FUNDS OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE IN THE
NAME OF TRUSTEE OWNED IN THE TRUST EATON VANCE FUND COMPLEX
----------------------- ------------------ ----------------------------------
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INTERESTED TRUSTEES
Jessica M. Bibliowicz None $10,001--$50,000
James B. Hawkes...... None over $100,000
NONINTERESTED TRUSTEES
Samuel L. Hayes, III None over $100,000 William H. Park*..... None None Ronald A. Pearlman*.. None None Norton H. Reamer..... None over $100,000 Lynn A. Stout........ None $10,001--$50,000 ---------- |
* MESSRS. PARK AND PEARLMAN WERE APPOINTED AS TRUSTEES IN 2003, AND THUS HAD NO BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES IN THE TRUST OR IN THE EATON VANCE FUND COMPLEX AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2002.
As of December 31, 2002, no noninterested Trustee or any of their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any class of securities of EVC, EVD or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with EVC or EVD.
During the calendar years ended December 31, 2001 and December 31, 2002, no noninterested Trustee (or their immediate family members) had:
1. Any direct or indirect interest in Eaton Vance, EVC, EVD or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with EVC or EVD;
2. Any direct or indirect material interest in any transaction or series of similar transactions with (i) the Trust or any Trust; (ii) another fund managed by EVC, distributed by EVD or a person controlling, controlled by or under common control with EVC or EVD; (iii) EVC or EVD; (iv) a person controlling, controlled by or under common control with EVC or EVD; or (v) an officer of any of the above; or
3. Any direct or indirect relationship with (i) the Trust or any Trust; (ii) another fund managed by EVC, distributed by EVD or a person controlling, controlled by or under common control with EVC or EVD; (iii) EVC or EVD; (iv) a person controlling, controlled by or under common control with EVC or EVD; or (v) an officer of any of the above.
During the calendar years ended December 31, 2001 and December 31, 2002, no officer of EVC, EVD or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with EVC or EVD served on the Board of Directors of a company where a noninterested Trustee of the Trust or any of their immediate family members served as an officer.
Trustees of the Trust who are not affiliated with the Adviser may elect to defer receipt of all or a percentage of their annual fees in accordance with the terms of a Trustees Deferred Compensation Plan (the "Trustees' Plan"). Under the Trustees' Plan, an eligible Trustee may elect to have his deferred fees invested by the Trust in the shares of one or more funds in the Eaton Vance Family of Funds, and the amount paid to the Trustees under the Trustees' Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments. Deferral of Trustees' fees in accordance with the Trustees' Plan will have a negligible effect on the Trust's assets, liabilities, and net income per share, and will not obligate the Trust to retain the services of any Trustee or obligate the Trust to pay any particular level of compensation to the Trustee. The Trust does not have a retirement plan for its Trustees.
The fees and expenses of the Trustees of the Trust are paid by the Trust. (A Trustee of the Trust who is a member of the Eaton Vance organization receives no compensation from the Trust.) During the Trust's fiscal year ending October 31, 2004, it is anticipated that the Trustees of the Trust will earn the following compensation in their capacities as Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2002, the Trustees earned the compensation set forth below in their capacities as Trustees from the funds in the Eaton Vance fund complex(1).
SOURCE OF JESSICA M. SAMUEL L. WILLIAM H. RONALD A. NORTON H. LYNN A.
COMPENSATION BIBLIOWICZ HAYES, III PARK PEARLMAN REAMER STOUT
--------------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ------------ --------- -----------
Trust*......... $ 1,000 $ 1,000 $ 1,000 $ 1,000 $ 1,000 $ 1,000
Fund Complex... $160,000 $180,000 $160,000(3) $160,000(3) $160,000 $160,000(2)
----------
* ESTIMATED
(1) As of October 31, 2003, the Eaton Vance fund complex consisted of 195 registered
investment companies or series thereof.
(2) Includes $16,000 of deferred compensation.
(3) Messrs. Park and Pearlman were appointed as Trustees in 2003, and thus did not receive
fees from the Fund complex for the calendar year ended December 31, 2002. The Fund
complex compensation figures listed for each of Mr. Park and Mr. Pearlman are estimated
for the calendar year ended December 31, 2003.
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PROXY VOTING POLICY
The Trust is subject to the Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the "Fund Policy"), pursuant to which the Trustees have delegated proxy voting responsibility to the Adviser and adopted the Adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures (the "Policies"), which are described below. The Trustees will review the Trust's proxy voting records from time to time and will annually consider approving the Policies for the upcoming year. In the event that a conflict of interest arises between the Trust's shareholders and the Adviser or any of its affiliates or any affiliate of the Trust, the Adviser will generally refrain from voting the proxies related to the companies giving rise to such conflict until it consults with the Board of the Trust except as contemplated under the Fund Policy. The Board's Special Committee will instruct the Adviser on the appropriate course of action.
The Policies are designed to promote accountability of a company's management to its shareholders and to align the interests of management with those shareholders. The Adviser will generally support company management on proposals relating to environmental and social policy issues, on matters regarding the state of organization of the company and routine matters related to corporate administration which are not expected to have a significant economic impact on the company or its shareholders. On all other matters, the Adviser will review each matter on a case-by-case basis and reserves the right to deviate from the Policies' guidelines when it believes the situation warrants such a deviation. The Policies include voting guidelines for matters relating to, among other things, the election of directors, approval of independent auditors, executive compensation, corporate structure and anti-takeover defenses. The Adviser may abstain from voting from time to time where it determines that the costs associated with voting a proxy outweigh the benefits derived from exercising the right to vote.
In addition, the Adviser will monitor situations that may result in a conflict of interest between the Trust's shareholders and the Adviser or any of its affiliates or any affiliate of the Trust by maintaining a list of significant existing and prospective corporate clients. The Adviser's personnel responsible for reviewing and voting proxies on behalf of the Trust will report any proxy received or expected to be received from a company included on that list to members of senior management of the Adviser identified in the Policies. Such members of senior management will determine if a conflict exists. If a conflict does exist, the proxy will either be voted strictly in accordance with the Policies or the Adviser will seek instruction on how to vote from the Special Committee. Effective August 31, 2004, information on how the Trust voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the 12 month period ended June 30, 2004 will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-262-1122, and (2) on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Eaton Vance, its affiliates and its predecessor companies have been managing assets of individuals and institutions since 1924 and of investment companies since 1931. They maintain a large staff of experienced fixed-income, senior loan and equity investment professionals to service the needs of their clients. The fixed-income group focuses on all kinds of taxable investment-grade and high-yield securities, tax-exempt investment-grade and high-yield securities, and U.S. Government securities. The senior loan group focuses on senior floating rate loans, unsecured loans and other floating rate debt securities such as notes, bonds and asset backed securities. The equity group covers stocks ranging from blue chip to emerging growth companies. Eaton Vance and its affiliates act as adviser to a family of mutual funds, and individual and various institutional accounts, including corporations, hospitals, retirement plans, universities, foundations and trusts.
The Trust will be responsible for all of its costs and expenses not expressly stated to be payable by Eaton Vance under the Advisory Agreement or Administration Agreement. Such costs and expenses to be borne by the Trust include, without limitation: custody and transfer agency fees and expenses, including those incurred for determining net asset value and keeping accounting books and records; expenses of pricing and valuation services; the cost of share certificates; membership dues in investment company organizations; expenses of acquiring, holding and disposing of securities and other investments; fees and expenses of registering under the securities laws, stock exchange listing fees and governmental fees; rating agency fees and preferred share remarketing expenses; expenses of reports to shareholders, proxy statements and other expenses of shareholders' meetings; insurance premiums; printing and mailing expenses; interest, taxes and corporate fees; legal and accounting expenses; compensation and expenses of Trustees not affiliated with Eaton Vance; expenses of conducting repurchase offers for the purpose of repurchasing Trust shares; and investment advisory and administration fees. The Trust will also bear expenses incurred in connection with any litigation in which the Trust is a party and any legal obligation to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect thereto, to the extent not covered by insurance.
The Advisory Agreement with the Adviser continues in effect to October 20, 2005
and from year to year so long as such continuance is approved at least annually
(i) by the vote of a majority of the noninterested Trustees of the Trust or of
the Adviser cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of
voting on such approval and (ii) by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by
vote of a majority of the outstanding interests of the Trust. The Trust's
Administration Agreement continues in effect from year to year so long as such
continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of a majority of the
Trust's Trustees. Each agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty
on sixty (60) days' written notice by the Trustees of the Trust or Eaton Vance,
as applicable, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of the
Trust. Each agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its
assignment. Each agreement provides that, in the absence of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations or duties
to the Trust under such agreements on the part of Eaton Vance, Eaton Vance shall
not be liable to the Trust for any loss incurred, to the extent not covered by
insurance.
Eaton Vance is a business trust organized under Massachusetts law. EV serves as
trustee of Eaton Vance. Eaton Vance and EV are subsidiaries of EVC, a Maryland
corporation and publicly-held holding company. EVC through its subsidiaries and
affiliates engages primarily in investment management, administration and
marketing activities. The Directors of EVC are James B. Hawkes, John G. L.
Cabot, Thomas E. Faust Jr., Leo I. Higdon, Jr., John M. Nelson, Vincent M.
O'Reilly and Ralph Z. Sorenson. All shares of the outstanding Voting Common
Stock of EVC are deposited in a voting trust, the voting trustees of which are
Messrs. James B. Hawkes, Jeffrey P. Beale, Alan R. Dynner, Thomas E. Faust, Jr.,
Thomas J. Fetter, Scott H. Page, Duncan W. Richardson, William M. Steul, Payson
F. Swaffield, Michael W. Weilheimer and Wharton P. Whitaker (all of whom are
officers of Eaton Vance or its affiliates). The voting trustees have
unrestricted voting rights for the election of Directors of EVC. All of the
outstanding voting trust receipts issued under said voting trust are owned by
certain of the officers of BMR and Eaton Vance and its affiliates who are also
officers, or officers and Directors of EVC and EV. As indicated under "Trustees
and Officers", all of the officers of the Trust (as well as Mr. Hawkes who is
also a Trustee) hold positions in the Eaton Vance organization.
EVC and its affiliates and their officers and employees from time to time have transactions with various banks, including the custodian of the Trust, IBT. It is Eaton Vance's opinion that the terms and conditions of such transactions were not and will not be influenced by existing or potential custodial or other relationships between the Trust and such banks.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
Under the general supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees, Eaton Vance will carry out the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Trust, will furnish continuously an investment program with respect to the Trust, will determine which securities should be purchased, sold or exchanged, and will
implement such determinations. Eaton Vance will furnish to the Trust investment advice and provide related office facilities and personnel for servicing the investments of the Trust. Eaton Vance will compensate all Trustees and officers of the Trust who are members of the Eaton Vance organization and who render investment services to the Trust, and will also compensate all other Eaton Vance personnel who provide research and investment services to the Trust.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Under the Administration Agreement, Eaton Vance is responsible for managing the business affairs of the Trust, subject to the supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees. Eaton Vance will furnish to the Trust all office facilities, equipment and personnel for administering the affairs of the Trust. Eaton Vance will compensate all Trustees and officers of the Trust who are members of the Eaton Vance organization and who render executive and administrative services to the Trust, and will also compensate all other Eaton Vance personnel who perform management and administrative services for the Trust. Eaton Vance's administrative services include recordkeeping, preparation and filing of documents required to comply with federal and state securities laws, supervising the activities of the Trust's custodian and transfer agent, providing assistance in connection with the Trustees and shareholders' meetings, providing services in connection with quarterly repurchase offers and other administrative services necessary to conduct the Trust's business.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Adviser and the Trust have adopted a Code of Ethics governing personal securities transactions. Under the Code, Eaton Vance employees may purchase and sell securities (including securities held or eligible for purchase by the Trust) subject to certain pre-clearance and reporting requirements and other procedures.
The Code can be reviewed and copied at the Securities and Exchange Commission's public reference room in Washington, DC (call 1-202-942-8090 for information on the operation of the public reference room); on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov); or, upon payment of copying fees, by writing the SEC's public reference section, Washington, DC 20549-0102, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value per Share of the Trust is determined no less frequently than daily, generally on each day of the week that the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") is open for trading, as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time). The Trust's net asset value per Share is determined by IBT, in the manner authorized by the Trustees of the Trust. Net asset value is computed by dividing the value of the Trust's total assets, less its liabilities by the number of shares outstanding.
The Adviser uses an independent pricing service to value most loans, and other debt securities at their market value. The Adviser may use the fair value method to value loans or other securities if market quotations for them are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, or if events occurring after the close of a securities market and before the Trust values its assets would materially affect net asset value. A security that is fair valued may be valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other funds using their own fair valuation procedures.
The Trustees have approved and monitor the procedures under which Senior Loans are valued. The Adviser and the Valuation Committee may implement new pricing methodologies or expand mark-to-market valuation of Senior Loans in the future, which may result in a change in the Trust's net asset value per share. The Trust's net asset value per share will also be affected by fair value pricing decisions and by changes in the market for Senior Loans. In determining the fair value of a Senior Loan, the Adviser will consider relevant factors, data, and information, including: (i) the characteristics of and fundamental analytical data relating to the Senior Loan, including the cost, size, current interest rate, period until next interest rate reset, maturity and base lending rate of the Senior Loan, the terms and conditions of the Senior Loan and any related agreements, and the position of the Senior Loan in the Borrower's debt structure; (ii) the nature, adequacy and value of the collateral, including the Trust's rights, remedies and interests with respect to the collateral; (iii) the creditworthiness of the Borrower, based on an evaluation of its financial condition, financial statements and information about the Borrower's business, cash flows, capital structure and future prospects; (iv) information relating to the market for the Senior Loan, including price quotations for and trading in the Senior Loan and interests in similar Senior Loans and the market environment and investor attitudes towards the Senior Loan and interests in similar Senior Loans; (v) the experience, reputation, stability and financial condition of the Agent and any intermediate participants in the Senior Loan; and (vi) general economic and market conditions affecting the fair value of the Senior Loan. The fair value of each Senior Loan is reviewed and approved by the Adviser's Valuation Committee and the Trust's Trustees.
Non-loan holdings (other than debt securities, including short term obligations) may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by one or more pricing services that determine prices for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities using market information, transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities which are generally recognized by institutional traders. In certain circumstances, portfolio securities will be valued at the last sale price on the exchange that is the primary market for such securities, or the average of the last quoted bid price and asked price for those securities for which the over-the-counter market is the primary market or for listed securities in which there were no sales during the day. Marketable securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the NASDAQ official closing price. The value of interest rate swaps will be based upon a dealer quotation.
Debt securities for which the over-the-counter market is the primary market are normally valued on the basis of prices furnished by one or more pricing services at the mean between the latest available bid and asked prices. OTC options are valued at the mean between the bid and asked prices provided by dealers. Financial futures contracts listed on commodity exchanges and exchange-traded options are valued at closing settlement prices. Short-term obligations having remaining maturities of less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost, which approximates value, unless the Trustees determine that under particular circumstances such method does not result in fair value. As authorized by the Trustees, debt securities (other than short-term obligations) may be valued on the basis of valuations furnished by a pricing service that determines valuations based upon market transactions for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities. Securities for which there is no such quotation or valuation and all other assets are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or at the direction of the Trust's Trustees.
Generally, trading in the foreign securities owned by the Trust is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the Exchange. The values of these securities used in determining the net asset value of the Trust generally are computed as of such times. Occasionally, events affecting the value of foreign securities may occur between such times and the close of the Exchange, which will not be reflected in the computation of the Trust's net asset value (unless the Trust deems that such events would materially affect its net asset value, in which case an adjustment would be made and reflected in such computation). The Trust may rely on an independent fair valuation service in
making any such adjustment. Foreign securities and currency held by the Trust will be valued in U.S. dollars; such values will be computed by the custodian based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by an independent quotation service.
PORTFOLIO TRADING
Decisions concerning the execution of portfolio Senior Loan and other security transactions, including the selection of the market and the executing firm, are made by the Adviser. The Adviser is also responsible for the execution of transactions for all other accounts managed by it. The Adviser places the portfolio security transactions of the Trust and of all other accounts managed by it for execution with many firms. The Adviser uses its best efforts to obtain execution of portfolio security transactions at prices that are advantageous to the Trust and at reasonably competitive spreads or (when a disclosed commission is being charged) at reasonably competitive commission rates. In seeking such execution, the Adviser will use its best judgment in evaluating the terms of a transaction, and will give consideration to various relevant factors, including without limitation the full range and quality of the executing firm's services, the value of the brokerage and research services provided, the responsiveness of the firm to the Adviser, the size and type of the transaction, the nature and character of the market for the security, the confidentiality, speed and certainty of effective execution required for the transaction, the general execution and operational capabilities of the executing firm, the reputation, reliability, experience and financial condition of the firm, the value and quality of the services rendered by the firm in this and other transactions, and the reasonableness of the spread or commission, if any.
The Trust will acquire Senior Loans from major international banks, selected domestic regional banks, insurance companies, finance companies and other financial institutions. In selecting financial institutions from which Senior Loans may be acquired, the Adviser will consider, among other factors, the financial strength, professional ability, level of service and research capability of the institution. While these financial institutions are generally not required to repurchase Senior Loans that they have sold, they may act as principal or on an agency basis in connection with their sale by the Trust.
Other fixed income obligations that may be purchased and sold by the Trust are generally traded in the over-the-counter market on a net basis (i.e., without commission) through broker-dealers or banks acting for their own account rather than as brokers, or otherwise involve transactions directly with the issuers of such obligations. The Trust may also purchase fixed income and other securities from underwriters, the cost of which may include undisclosed fees and concessions to the underwriters.
Transactions on stock exchanges and other agency transactions involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions. Such commissions vary among different broker-dealer firms, and a particular broker-dealer may charge different commissions according to such factors as the difficulty and size of the transaction and the volume of business done with such broker-dealer. Transactions in foreign securities often involve the payment of brokerage commissions, which may be higher than those in the United States. There is generally no stated commission in the case of securities traded in the over-the- counter markets, but the price paid or received usually includes an undisclosed dealer markup or markdown.
Although spreads or commissions paid on portfolio security transactions will, in the judgment of the Adviser, be reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided, commissions exceeding those that another firm might charge may be paid to broker-dealers who were selected to execute transactions on behalf of the Adviser's clients in part for providing brokerage and research services to the Adviser.
As authorized in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, a broker or dealer who executes a portfolio transaction on behalf of the Trust may receive a commission that is in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if the Adviser determines in good faith that such compensation was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided. This determination may be made on the basis of that particular transaction or on the basis of overall responsibilities which the Adviser and its affiliates have for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. In making any such determination, the Adviser will not attempt to place a specific dollar value on the brokerage and research services provided or to determine what portion of the commission should be related to such services. Brokerage and research services may include advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and the performance of accounts; effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance and settlement); and the "Research Services" referred to in the next paragraph.
It is a common practice of the investment advisory industry and of the advisers of investment companies, institutions and other investors to receive research, analytical, statistical and quotation services, data, information and other services, products and materials that assist such advisers in the performance of their investment responsibilities ("Research Services") from broker-dealer firms that execute portfolio transactions for the clients of such advisers and from third parties with which such broker-dealers have arrangements. Consistent with this practice, the Adviser receives Research Services from many broker-dealer firms with which the Adviser places the Trust's transactions and from third parties with which these broker-dealers have arrangements. These Research Services include such matters as general economic, political, business and market information, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and portfolio strategies and transactions, proxy voting data and analysis services, technical analysis of various aspects of the securities market, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities and other portfolio transactions, financial, industry and trade publications, news and information services, pricing and quotation equipment and services, and research oriented computer hardware, software, data bases and services. Any particular Research Service obtained through a broker-dealer may be used by the Adviser in connection with client accounts other than those accounts that pay commissions to such broker-dealer. Any such Research Service may be broadly useful and of value to the Adviser in rendering investment advisory services to all or a significant portion of its clients, or may be relevant and useful for the management of only one client's account or of a few clients' accounts, or may be useful for the management of merely a segment of certain clients' accounts, regardless of whether any such account or accounts paid commissions to the broker-dealer through which such Research Service was obtained. The advisory fee paid by the Trust is not reduced because the Adviser receives such Research Services. The Adviser evaluates the nature and quality of the various Research Services obtained through broker-dealer firms and attempts to allocate sufficient portfolio security transactions to such firms to ensure the continued receipt of Research Services that the Adviser believes are useful or of value to it in rendering investment advisory services to its clients.
The Trust and the Adviser may also receive Research Services from underwriters and dealers in fixed-price offerings, which Research Services are reviewed and evaluated by the Adviser in connection with its investment responsibilities. The investment companies sponsored by the Adviser or its affiliates may allocate trades in such offerings to acquire information relating to the performance, fees and expenses of such companies and other mutual funds, which information is used by the Trustees of such companies to fulfill their responsibility to oversee the quality of the services provided by various entities, including the Adviser, to such companies. Such companies may also pay cash for such information.
Subject to the requirement that the Adviser shall use its best efforts to seek and execute portfolio Senior Loan and other security transactions at advantageous prices and at reasonably competitive spreads or commission rates, the Adviser is authorized to consider as a factor in the selection of any broker-dealer firm with whom portfolio orders may be placed the fact that such firm has sold or is selling shares of the Trust or of other investment companies sponsored by the Adviser. This policy is not inconsistent with a rule of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"), which rule provides that no firm which is a member of the NASD shall favor or disfavor the distribution of shares of any particular investment company or group of investment companies on the basis of brokerage commissions received or expected by such firm from any source.
Securities considered as investments for the Trust may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by the Trust and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the Adviser will allocate the security transactions (including "hot" issues) in a manner which it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. As a result of such allocations, there may be instances where the Trust will not participate in a transaction that is allocated among other accounts. If an aggregated order cannot be filled completely, allocations will generally be made on a pro rata basis. An order may not be allocated on a pro rata basis where, for example: (i) consideration is given to portfolio managers who have been instrumental in developing or negotiating a particular investment; (ii) consideration is given to an account with specialized investment policies that coincide with the particulars of a specific investment; (iii) pro rata allocation would result in odd-lot or de minimis amounts being allocated to a portfolio or other client; or (iv) where the Adviser reasonably determines that departure from a pro rata allocation is advisable. While these aggregation and allocation policies could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities available to the Trust from time to time, it is the opinion of the Trustees of the Trust that the benefits from the Adviser's organization outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
TAXES
The following discussion of federal income tax matters is based on the advice of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, counsel to the Trust. The Trust intends to elect to be treated and to qualify each year as a regulated investment company ("RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). Accordingly, the Trust intends to satisfy certain requirements relating to sources of its income and diversification of its assets and to distribute substantially all of its net income and net short-term and long-term capital gains (after reduction
by any available capital loss carryforwards) in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Code, so as to maintain its RIC status and to avoid paying any federal income or excise tax. To the extent it qualifies for treatment as a RIC and satisfies the above-mentioned distribution requirements, the Trust will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions.
In order to avoid incurring a 4% federal excise tax obligation, the Code requires that the Trust distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for such year and (ii) 98% of its capital gain net income (which is the excess of its realized net long-term capital gain over its realized net short-term capital loss), generally computed on the basis of the one-year period ending on October 31 of such year, after reduction by any available capital loss carryforwards, plus 100% of any ordinary income and capital gain net income from the prior year (as previously computed) that were not paid out during such year and on which the Trust paid no federal income tax. Under current law, provided that the Trust qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes, the Trust should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If the Trust does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Trust's taxable income will be subject to corporate income taxes, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including distributions of net capital gain (if any), will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income. In addition, in order to requalify for taxation as a RIC, the Trust may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make certain distributions.
The Trust's investment in zero coupon and certain other securities will cause it to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities. Such income will be accrued daily by the Trust and, in order to avoid a tax payable by the Trust, the Trust may be required to liquidate securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold in order to generate cash so that the Trust may make required distributions to its shareholders.
Investments in lower rated or unrated securities may present special tax issues for the Trust to the extent that the issuers of these securities default on their obligations pertaining thereto. The Code is not entirely clear regarding the federal income tax consequences of the Trust's taking certain positions in connection with ownership of such distressed securities.
Any recognized gain or income attributable to market discount on long-term debt obligations (i.e., on obligations with a term of more than one year except to the extent of a portion of the discount attributable to original issue discount) purchased by the Trust is taxable as ordinary income. A long-term debt obligation is generally treated as acquired at a market discount if purchased after its original issue at a price less than (i) the stated principal amount payable at maturity, in the case of an obligation that does not have original issue discount or (ii) in the case of an obligation that does have original issue discount, the sum of the issue price and any original issue discount that accrued before the obligation was purchased, subject to a de minimis exclusion.
The Trust's investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other transactions will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale, short sale and other rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Trust, defer Trust losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of securities held by the Trust, convert capital gain into ordinary income and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The Trust may be required to limit its activities in options and futures contracts in order to enable it to maintain its RIC status.
Any loss realized upon the sale or exchange of Trust shares with a holding period of 6 months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions received with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of a loss realized on a redemption or other disposition of Trust shares may be disallowed under "wash sale" rules to the extent the shareholder acquires other shares of the same Trust (whether through the reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within the period beginning 30 days before the redemption of the loss shares and ending 30 days after such date. Any disallowed loss will result in an adjustment to the shareholder's tax basis in some or all of the other shares acquired.
Sales charges paid upon a purchase of shares cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain or loss on a sale of the shares before the 91st day after their purchase to the extent a sales charge is reduced or eliminated in a subsequent acquisition of shares of the Trust (or of another fund) pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. Any disregarded amounts will result in an adjustment to the shareholder's tax basis in some or all of any other shares acquired.
Dividends and distributions on the Trust's shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Trust's realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder's investment.
Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Trust's net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be required to be distributed even when the Trust's net asset value also reflects unrealized losses. Certain distributions declared in October, November or December and paid in the following January will be taxed to shareholders as if received on December 31 of the year in which they were declared. In addition, certain other distributions made after the close of a taxable year of the Trust may be "spilled back" and treated as paid by the Trust (except for purposes of the 4% excise tax) during such taxable year. In such case, shareholders will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distributions were actually made. Dividends paid out of the Trust's investment company taxable income are generally taxable to a Shareholder as ordinary income to the extent of the Trust's earnings and profits. Dividends with respect to the Shares generally will not constitute "qualified dividends" for federal income tax purposes and thus will not be eligible for the new favorable long-term capital gains tax rates.
Amounts paid by the Trust to individuals and certain other shareholders who have not provided the Trust with their correct taxpayer identification number ("TIN") and certain certifications required by the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") as well as shareholders with respect to whom the Trust has received certain information from the IRS or a broker may be subject to "backup" withholding of federal income tax arising from the Trust's taxable dividends and other distributions as well as the gross proceeds of sales of shares, at a rate of up to 28% for amounts paid during 2003. An individual's TIN is generally his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from payments made to a shareholder may be refunded or credited against such shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS.
The foregoing discussion does not address the special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as tax-exempt entities, foreign investors, insurance companies and financial institutions. shareholders should consult their own tax advisers with respect to special tax rules that may apply in their particular situations, as well as the state, local, and, where applicable, foreign tax consequences of investing in the Trust.
The Trust will inform shareholders of the source and tax status of all distributions promptly after the close of each calendar year. The IRS has taken the position that if a RIC has more than one class of shares, it may designate distributions made to each class in any year as consisting of no more than that class's proportionate share of particular types of income for that year, including ordinary income and net capital gain. A class's proportionate share of a particular type of income for a year is determined according to the percentage of total dividends paid by the RIC during that year to the class. Accordingly, the Trust intends to designate a portion of its distributions in capital gain dividends in accordance with the IRS position.
Although the matter is not free from doubt, due to the absence of direct regulatory or judicial authority, in the opinion of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, counsel to the Trust, under current law the manner in which the Trust intends to allocate items of ordinary income and net capital gain among the Trust's Common Shares and Auction Preferred Shares will be respected for federal income tax purposes. It is possible that the IRS could disagree with counsel's opinion and attempt to reallocate the Trust's net capital gain or other taxable income.
STATE AND LOCAL TAXES
Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers as the state or local tax consequences of investing in the Trust.
OTHER INFORMATION
The Trust is an organization of the type commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, in certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for the obligations of the trust. The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability in connection with the Trust property or the acts, obligations or affairs of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also provides for indemnification out of the Trust property of any shareholder held personally liable for the claims and liabilities to which a shareholder may become subject by reason of being or having been a shareholder. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Trust itself is unable to meet its obligations. The Trust has been advised by its counsel that the risk of any shareholder incurring any liability for the obligations of the Trust is remote.
The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law; but nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a Trustee against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office. Voting rights are not cumulative, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees and, in such event, the holders of the remaining less than 50% of the shares voting on the matter will not be able to elect any Trustees.
The Declaration of Trust provides that no person shall serve as a Trustee if shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares have removed him from that office either by a written declaration filed with the Trust's custodian or by votes cast at a meeting called for that purpose. The Declaration of Trust further provides that the Trustees of the Trust shall promptly call a meeting of the shareholders for the purpose of voting upon a question of removal of any such Trustee or Trustees when requested in writing so to do by the record holders of not less than 10 per centum of the outstanding shares.
The Trust's Prospectus and this SAI do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement that the Trust has filed with the SEC. The complete Registration Statement may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the fee prescribed by its Rules and Regulations.
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Deloitte & Touche, Boston, Massachusetts are the independent auditors for the Trust, providing audit services, tax return preparation, and assistance and consultation with respect to the preparation of filings with the SEC.
Independent Auditors' Report
TO THE TRUSTEES AND SHAREHOLDER OF
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST:
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Trust") as of November 12, 2003 and the related statement of operations for the period from August 5, 2003 (date of organization) through November 12, 2003. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Trust's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust as of November 12, 2003, and the result of its operations for the period from August 5, 2003 (date of organization) through November 12, 2003 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
November 13, 2003
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
NOVEMBER 12, 2003
ASSETS
Cash.............................................. $ 100,000
Offering costs.................................... 500,000
Receivable from Adviser........................... 7,500
---------
Total assets...................................... $ 607,500
=========
LIABILITIES
Accrued offering costs............................ $ 500,000
Accrued organizational costs...................... 7,500
---------
Total liabilities................................. $ 507,500
=========
Net assets applicable to 5,000 common shares of
beneficial $ 100,000
=========
interest issued and outstanding...................
NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE........ $ 20.00
==========
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STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
PERIOD FROM AUGUST 5, 2003 (DATE OF ORGANIZATION) THROUGH NOVEMBER 12, 2003
INVESTMENT INCOME........ $ --
--------
EXPENSES
Organization costs..... $ 7,500
Expense reimbursement.. (7,500)
--------
Net expenses......... $ --
--------
NET INVESTMENT INCOME.... $ --
========
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See notes to financial statements.
Notes to financial statements
NOTE 1: ORGANIZATION
The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on August 5, 2003, and has been inactive since that date except for matters relating to its organization and registration as a diversified, closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the sale of 5,000 common shares to Eaton Vance Management, the Trust's Investment Adviser.
Eaton Vance Management, or an affiliate, has agreed to reimburse all organizational costs, estimated at approximately $7,500.
Eaton Vance Management, or an affiliate, has agreed to pay all offering costs (other than sales loads) that exceed $0.04 per common share.
The Trust's investment objective is to provide a high level of current income. The Trust may, as a secondary objective, also seek preservation of capital to the extent consistent with its primary goal of high current income.
NOTE 2: ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Trust's financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America which require the use of management estimates. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
The Trust's share of offering costs will be recorded within paid in capital as a reduction of the proceeds from the sale of common shares upon the commencement of Trust operations. The offering costs reflected above assume the sale of 12,500,000 common shares.
NOTE 3: INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, the Trust has agreed to pay an investment advisory fee, payable on a monthly basis, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily gross assets of the Trust. Gross assets of the Trust shall be calculated by deducting accrued liabilities of the Trust not including the amount of any preferred shares outstanding or the principal amount of any indebtedness for money borrowed.
In addition, Eaton Vance has contractually agreed to reimburse the Trust for fees and other expenses in the amount of 0.20% of the average daily gross assets for the first 5 full years of the Trust's operations, 0.15% of average weekly gross assets in year 6, 0.10% in year 7 and 0.05% in year 8. This reimbursement is exclusive of the Trust's organizational and offering costs.
NOTE 4: FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The Trust intends to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its taxable income, including any net realized gain on investments.
[INSERT FINANCIALS]
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS+
MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC.
LONG-TERM DEBT SECURITIES RATINGS
Aaa: Bonds that are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds that are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the AAA group they comprise what are generally known as high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present that make the long term risk appear somewhat larger than the Aaa securities.
A: Bonds that are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Baa: Bonds that are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds that are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well-assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during other good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B: Bonds that are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Caa: Bonds that are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca: Bonds that are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C: Bonds that are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
+ The ratings indicated herein are believed to be the most recent ratings available at the date of this SAI for the securities listed. Ratings are generally given to securities at the time of issuance. While the rating agencies may from time to time revise such ratings, they undertake no obligation to do so, and the ratings indicated do not necessarily represent ratings that would be given to these securities on the date of the Trust's fiscal year end.
ABSENCE OF RATING: Where no rating has been assigned or where a rating has been suspended or withdrawn, it may be for reasons unrelated to the quality of the issue.
Should no rating be assigned, the reason may be one of the following:
1. An application for rating was not received or accepted.
2. The issue or issuer belongs to a group of securities or companies that are not rated as a matter of policy.
3. There is a lack of essential data pertaining to the issue or issuer.
4. The issue was privately placed, in which case the rating is not published in Moody's publications.
Suspension or withdrawal may occur if new and material circumstances arise, the effects of which preclude satisfactory analysis; if there is no longer available reasonable up-to-date data to permit a judgment to be formed; if a bond is called for redemption; or for other reasons.
NOTE: Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2 and 3 in each generic rating classification from Aa through B in its bond rating system. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
SHORT-TERM DEBT SECURITIES RATINGS
Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually senior debt obligations. These obligations have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.
Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
PRIME-1: Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior
ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment
ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:
leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return on
funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on
debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed
financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established access
to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
PRIME-2: Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
PRIME-3: Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
NOT PRIME: Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS GROUP
INVESTMENT GRADE
AAA: Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.
AA: Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree.
A: Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.
BBB: Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibit adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.
SPECULATIVE GRADE
Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB-- rating.
B: Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB-- rating.
CCC: Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied B or B-- rating.
CC: The rating CC is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied CCC debt rating.
C: The rating C is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied CCC-- debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.
C1: The Rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.
D: Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.
Plus (+) or Minus (--): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
p: The letter "p" indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project being financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
L: The letter "L" indicates that the rating pertains to the principal amount of those bonds to the extent that the underlying deposit collateral is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and interest is adequately collateralized. In the case of certificates of deposit, the letter "L" indicates that the deposit, combined with other deposits being held in the same right and capacity, will be honored for principal and accrued pre-default interest up to the federal insurance limits within 30 days after closing of the insured institution or, in the event that the deposit is assumed by a successor insured institution, upon maturity.
NR: NR indicates no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.
COMMERCIAL PAPER
COMMERCIAL PAPER RATING DEFINITIONS
S&P's commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from A for the highest quality obligations to D for the lowest. These categories are as follows:
A-1: A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2: A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3: A short-term obligation rated A-3 exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: A short-term obligation rated B is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C: A short-term obligation rated C is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D: A short-term obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
A commercial paper rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished to S&P by the issuer or obtained from other sources it considers reliable. S&P does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information.
FITCH RATINGS
INVESTMENT GRADE BOND RATINGS
AAA: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of the highest credit quality. The obligor has an exceptionally strong ability to pay interest and repay principal, which is unlikely to be affected by reasonably foreseeable events.
AA: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is very strong, although not quite as strong as bonds rated "AAA". Because bonds rated in the "AAA" and "AA" categories are not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable future developments, short-term debt of these issuers is generally rated "F-1+".
l: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.
BBB: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of satisfactory credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances, however, are more likely to have adverse impact on these bonds, and therefore, impair timely payment. The likelihood that the ratings of these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher than for bonds with higher ratings.
HIGH YIELD BOND RATINGS
BB: Bonds are considered speculative. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal may be affected over time by adverse economic changes. However, business and financial alternatives can be identified that could assist the obligor in satisfying its debt service requirements.
B: Bonds are considered highly speculative. While bonds in this class are currently meeting debt service requirements, the probability of continued timely payment of principal and interest reflects the obligor's limited margin of safety and the need for reasonable business and economic activity throughout the life of the issue.
CCC: Bonds have certain identifiable characteristics, which, if not remedied, may lead to default. The ability to meet obligations requires an advantageous business and economic environment.
CC: Bonds are minimally protected. Default in payment of interest and/or principal seems probable over time.
C: Bonds are in imminent default in payment of interest or principal.
DDD, DD and D: Bonds are in default on interest and/or principal payments. Such bonds are extremely speculative and should be valued on the basis of their ultimate recovery value in liquidation or reorganization of the obligor. "DDD" represents the highest potential for recovery on these bonds, and "D" represents the lowest potential for recovery.
Plus (+) or Minus (--): The ratings from AA to C may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to indicate the relative position of a credit within the rating category.
NR: Indicates that Fitch does not rate the specific issue.
Conditional: A conditional rating is premised on the successful completion of a project or the occurrence of a specific event.
INVESTMENT GRADE SHORT-TERM RATINGS
Fitch's short-term ratings apply to debt obligations that are payable on demand or have original maturities of generally up to three years, including commercial paper, certificates of deposit, medium-term notes, and municipal and investment notes.
F-1+: Exceptionally Strong Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating are regarded as having the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment.
F-1: Very Strong Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating reflect an assurance of timely payment only slightly less in degree than issues rated "F-1+".
F-2: Good Credit Quality. Issues carrying this rating have a satisfactory degree of assurance for timely payment, but the margin of safety is not as great as the "F-1+" and "F-1" categories.
F-3: Fair Credit Quality. Issues carrying this rating have characteristics suggesting that the degree of assurance for timely payment is adequate, however, near-term adverse change could cause these securities to be rated below investment grade.
* * * * * * * *
NOTES: Bonds which are unrated expose the investor to risks with respect to capacity to pay interest or repay principal which are similar to the risks of lower-rated speculative bonds. The Trust is dependent on the Adviser's judgment, analysis and experience in the evaluation of such bonds.
Investors should note that the assignment of a rating to a bond by a rating service may not reflect the effect of recent developments on the issuer's ability to make interest and principal payments.
[INSERT AMENDED BY-LAWS]
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
INVESTMENT ADVISER AND ADMINISTRATOR
Eaton Vance Management
255 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
CUSTODIAN
Investors Bank & Trust Company
200 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02116
TRANSFER AGENT
PFPC Inc.
P.O. Box 43027
Providence, RI 02940-3027
(800) 331-1710
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Deloitte & Touche LLP
200 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 24. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(1) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS:
Included in Part A:
Financial Highlights*
Included in Part B:
Independent Auditor's Report
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
Notes to Financial Statement
Unaudited Financial Statement*
(2) EXHIBITS:
(a) (1) Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated August 5, 2003 is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's initial Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-108010 and 811-21411) as to the Registrant's common shares of beneficial interest ("Common Shares") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 2003 (Accession No. 0000898432-03-000791) ("Initial Common Shares Registration Statement").
(2) Amendment dated October 15, 2003 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement filed with the Commission on October 24, 2003 (Accession No. 0000950135-03-005300) ("Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement").
(b) (1) By-Laws are incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(2) By-Laws Amendment dated October 15, 2003 are incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(3) Form of Amended By-Laws to be filed by amendment.
(c) Not applicable.
(d) (1) Form of Specimen Certificate for Common Shares of Beneficial Interest is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(2) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series A Auction Preferred Shares filed herewith.
(3) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series B Auction Preferred Shares filed herewith.
(4) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series C Auction Preferred Shares filed herewith.
(5) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series D Auction Preferred Shares filed herewith.
(6) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series E Auction Preferred Shares filed herewith.
(e) Dividend Reinvestment Plan is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(f) Not applicable.
(g) (1) Investment Advisory Agreement dated October 20, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(2) Expense Reimbursement Arrangement dated October 20, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(h) (1) Form of Underwriting Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(2) Form of Master Agreement Among Underwriters is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(3) Form of Master Selected Dealers Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(4) Form of Underwriting Agreement as to Registrant's Auction Preferred Shares to be filed by amendment.
(5) Form of Master Agreement Among Underwriters as to Registrant's Auction Preferred Shares to be filed by amendment.
(6) Form of Master Selected Dealers Agreement as to Registrant's Auction Preferred Shares to be filed by amendment.
(i) The Securities and Exchange Commission has granted the Registrant an exemptive order that permits the Registrant to enter into deferred compensation arrangements with its independent Trustees. See in the matter of Capital Exchange Fund, Inc., Release No. IC-20671 (November 1, 1994).
(j) (1) Master Custodian Agreement with Investors Bank & Trust Company dated October 20, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre- Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(2) Extension Agreement dated August 31, 2000 to Master Custodian
Agreement with Investors Bank & Trust Company filed as Exhibit
(g)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 of Eaton Vance
Municipals Trust (File Nos. 33-572, 811-4409) filed with the
Commission on January 23, 2001 (Accession No.
0000940394-01-500027) and incorporated herein by reference.
(3) Delegation Agreement dated December 11, 2000, with Investors Bank & Trust Company filed as Exhibit (j)(e) to the Eaton Vance Prime Rate Reserves N-2, Amendment No. 5 (File Nos. 333-32267, 811-05808) filed April 3, 2002 (Accession No. 0000940394-01-500126) and incorporated herein by reference.
(k) (1) Amendment to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement dated October 20, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(2) Transfer Agency and Services Agreement dated December 21, 1998, as amended and restated on June 16, 2003, filed as Exhibit (k)(2) to the Registration Statement of Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (File Nos. 333-107050 and 811-21400) filed July 15, 2003 (Accession No. 0000898432-03-000638) and incorporated herein by reference.
(3) Administration Agreement dated October 20, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(4) Form of Shareholder Serving Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(5) Form of Additional Compensation Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
(6) Form of Auction Agreement between Registrant and the Auction Agent as to Registrant's Auction Preferred Shares to be filed by amendment.
(7) Form of Broker-Dealer Agreement as to Registrant's Auction Preferred Shares to be filed by amendment.
(l) Opinion and Consent of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP as to Registrant's Auction Preferred Shares to be filed by amendment.
(m) Not applicable.
(n) Consent of Independent Auditors filed herewith.
(o) Not applicable.
(p) Letter Agreement with Eaton Vance Management is incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement filed with the Commission on November 20, 2003 (Accession No. 0000950135-03-005762).
(q) Not applicable.
(r) Code of Ethics adopted by Eaton Vance Corp., Eaton Vance Management, Boston Management and Research, Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. and the Eaton Vance Funds effective September 1, 2000, as revised June 4, 2002, filed as Exhibit (p) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 of Eaton Vance Investment Trust (File Nos. 33-1121, 811-4443) filed July 24, 2002 (Accession No. 0000940394-02-000462) and incorporated herein by reference.
(s) Power of Attorney dated October 20, 2003 is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Common Shares Registration Statement.
ITEM 25. MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS
See Underwriting Agreement to be filed by amendment.
ITEM 26. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION
The approximate expenses in connection with the offering are as follows:
ITEM 27. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL
None.
ITEM 28. NUMBER OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Set forth below is the number of record holders as of [_________], 200[_], of each class of securities of the Registrant:
Title of Class Number of Record Holders
-------------- ------------------------
Common Shares of Beneficial interest, par value [_]
$0.01 per share
Series A Auction Preferred Shares, par value 0
$0.01 per share
Series B Auction Preferred Shares, par value 0
$0.01 per share
Series C Auction Preferred Shares, par value 0
$0.01 per share
Series D Auction Preferred Shares, par value 0
$0.01 per share
Series E Auction Preferred Shares, par value 0
$0.01 per share
|
ITEM 29. INDEMNIFICATION
The Registrant's By-Laws filed in the Registrant's Initial Common Shares Registration Statement contain and the Underwriting Agreement is expected to contain provisions limiting the liability, and providing for indemnification, of the Trustees and officers under certain circumstances.
Registrant's Trustees and officers are insured under a standard investment company errors and omissions insurance policy covering loss incurred by reason of negligent errors and omissions committed in their official capacities as such.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described in this Item 29, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
ITEM 30. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER
Reference is made to: (i) the information set forth under the caption "Investment advisory and other services" in the Statement of Additional information; (ii) the Eaton Vance Corp. 10-K filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (File No. 001-8100); and (iii) the Form ADV of Eaton Vance Management (File No. 801-15930) filed with the Commission, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 31. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS
All applicable accounts, books and documents required to be maintained by the Registrant by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules promulgated thereunder are in the possession and custody of the Registrant's custodian, Investors Bank & Trust Company, 200 Clarendon Street, 16th Floor, Boston, MA 02116, and its transfer agent, PFPC Inc., 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-5120, with the exception of certain corporate documents and portfolio trading documents which are in the possession and custody of Eaton Vance Management, The Eaton Vance Building, 255 State Street, Boston, MA 02109. Registrant is informed that all applicable accounts, books and documents required to be maintained by registered investment advisers are in the custody and possession of Eaton Vance Management.
ITEM 32. MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Not applicable.
ITEM 33. UNDERTAKINGS
1. The Registrant undertakes to suspend offering of Common Shares until the
prospectus is amended if (1) subsequent to the effective date of this
Registration Statement, the net asset value declines more than 10 percent from
its net asset value as of the effective ate of this Registration Statement or
(2) the net asset value increases to an amount greater than its net proceeds as
stated in the prospectus.
2. Not applicable.
3. Not applicable.
4. Not applicable.
5. The Registrant undertakes that:
a. for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of the Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective; and
b. for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
6. The Registrant undertakes to send by first class mail or other means designed to ensure qually prompt delivery, within two business days of receipt of an oral or written request, its Statement of Additional Information.
NOTICE
A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust is on file with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and notice is hereby given that this instrument is executed on behalf of the Registrant by an officer of the Registrant as an officer and not individually and that the obligations of or arising out of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders individually, but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Registrant.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the 9th day of December 2003.
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
By: /s/ Thomas E. Faust Jr.
------------------------------
Thomas E. Faust Jr.
President
|
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature Title Date --------- ----- ---- /s/ Thomas E. Faust Jr President and Principal Executive December 9, 2003 ----------------------- Officer Thomas E. Faust Jr /s/ Barbara E. Campbell Treasurer and Principal Financial December 9, 2003 ----------------------- and Accounting Officer Barbara E. Campbell Jessica M. Bibliowicz* Trustee December 9, 2003 ----------------------- Jessica M. Bibliowicz /s/ James B. Hawkes Trustee December 9, 2003 ----------------------- James B. Hawkes Samuel L. Hayes, III* Trustee December 9, 2003 ----------------------- Samuel L. Hayes, III William H. Park* Trustee December 9, 2003 ----------------------- William H. Park Ronald A. Pearlman* Trustee December 9, 2003 ----------------------- Ronald A. Pearlman Norton H. Reamer* Trustee December 9, 2003 ----------------------- Norton H. Reamer /s/ Lynn A. Stout* Trustee December 9, 2003 ----------------------- Lynn A. Stout |
*By: /s/ Alan R. Dynner
------------------------------------
Alan R. Dynner (As attorney in-fact)
|
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
(d)(2) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series A Auction Preferred Shares
(d)(3) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series B Auction Preferred Shares
(d)(4) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series C Auction Preferred Shares
(d)(5) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series D Auction Preferred Shares
(d)(6) Form of Specimen Certificate of Series E Auction Preferred Shares
(n) Consent of Independent Auditors
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
Organized Under the Laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Auction Preferred Shares, Series A $.01 Par Value Per Share $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share
Cusip No. _____________
This certifies that The Depository Trust Company is the owner of [ ] fully paid and non-assessable shares of Auction Preferred Shares, Series A, $.01 par value per share, $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share, of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Fund") transferable only on the books of the Fund by the holder thereof in person or by duly authorized Attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. This Certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the transfer agent and registrar.
A statement in full, of all the designations, preferences, qualifications, limitations, restrictions and special or relative rights of the shares of each class authorized to be issued, will be furnished by the Fund to any shareholders upon request and without charge.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officers and its Seal to be hereunto affixed this [ ]th day of January A.D. 2004.
DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
As Transfer Agent and Registrar
By: By:
-------------------------------- ------------------------------
Authorized Signature Thomas E. Faust Jr., President
Attest:
-------------------------------
Barbara E. Campbell, Treasurer
|
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ____________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto _____________________________ Shares represented by
this Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
____________________________________ Attorney to transfer the said Shares on the
books of the within named Fund with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated ______________________________, ________________
In presence of
Shares of Common Shares evidenced by this Certificate may be sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of only pursuant to the provisions of the Fund's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, a copy of which may be at the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Fund will furnish to any shareholder, upon request and without charge, a full statement of the designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of each class of series of capital stock of the Fund authorized to be issued, so far as they have been determined, and the authority of the Board of Trustees to determine the relative rights and preferences of subsequent classes or series. Any such request should be addressed to the Secretary of the Fund.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
Organized Under the Laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Auction Preferred Shares, Series B $.01 Par Value Per Share $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share
Cusip No. _____________
This certifies that The Depository Trust Company is the owner of [ ] fully paid and non-assessable shares of Auction Preferred Shares, Series B, $.01 par value per share, $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share, of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Fund") transferable only on the books of the Fund by the holder thereof in person or by duly authorized Attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. This Certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the transfer agent and registrar.
A statement in full, of all the designations, preferences, qualifications, limitations, restrictions and special or relative rights of the shares of each class authorized to be issued, will be furnished by the Fund to any shareholders upon request and without charge.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officers and its Seal to be hereunto affixed this [ ]th day of January A.D. 2004.
DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
As Transfer Agent and Registrar
By: By:
-------------------------------- ------------------------------
Authorized Signature Thomas E. Faust Jr., President
Attest:
-------------------------------
Barbara E. Campbell, Treasurer
|
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ____________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto _____________________________ Shares represented by
this Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
____________________________________ Attorney to transfer the said Shares on the
books of the within named Fund with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated ______________________________, ________________
In presence of
Shares of Common Shares evidenced by this Certificate may be sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of only pursuant to the provisions of the Fund's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, a copy of which may be at the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Fund will furnish to any shareholder, upon request and without charge, a full statement of the designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of each class of series of capital stock of the Fund authorized to be issued, so far as they have been determined, and the authority of the Board of Trustees to determine the relative rights and preferences of subsequent classes or series. Any such request should be addressed to the Secretary of the Fund.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
Organized Under the Laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Auction Preferred Shares, Series C $.01 Par Value Per Share $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share
Cusip No. _____________
This certifies that The Depository Trust Company is the owner of [ ] fully paid and non-assessable shares of Auction Preferred Shares, Series C, $.01 par value per share, $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share, of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Fund") transferable only on the books of the Fund by the holder thereof in person or by duly authorized Attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. This Certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the transfer agent and registrar.
A statement in full, of all the designations, preferences, qualifications, limitations, restrictions and special or relative rights of the shares of each class authorized to be issued, will be furnished by the Fund to any shareholders upon request and without charge.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officers and its Seal to be hereunto affixed this [ ]th day of January A.D. 2004.
DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
As Transfer Agent and Registrar
By: By:
-------------------------------- ------------------------------
Authorized Signature Thomas E. Faust Jr., President
Attest:
-------------------------------
Barbara E. Campbell, Treasurer
|
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ____________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto _____________________________ Shares represented by
this Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
____________________________________ Attorney to transfer the said Shares on the
books of the within named Fund with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated ______________________________, ________________
In presence of
Shares of Common Shares evidenced by this Certificate may be sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of only pursuant to the provisions of the Fund's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, a copy of which may be at the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Fund will furnish to any shareholder, upon request and without charge, a full statement of the designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of each class of series of capital stock of the Fund authorized to be issued, so far as they have been determined, and the authority of the Board of Trustees to determine the relative rights and preferences of subsequent classes or series. Any such request should be addressed to the Secretary of the Fund.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
Organized Under the Laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Auction Preferred Shares, Series D $.01 Par Value Per Share $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share
Cusip No. _____________
This certifies that The Depository Trust Company is the owner of [ ] fully paid and non-assessable shares of Auction Preferred Shares, Series D, $.01 par value per share, $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share, of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Fund") transferable only on the books of the Fund by the holder thereof in person or by duly authorized Attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. This Certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the transfer agent and registrar.
A statement in full, of all the designations, preferences, qualifications, limitations, restrictions and special or relative rights of the shares of each class authorized to be issued, will be furnished by the Fund to any shareholders upon request and without charge.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officers and its Seal to be hereunto affixed this [ ]th day of January A.D. 2004.
DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
As Transfer Agent and Registrar
By: By:
-------------------------------- ------------------------------
Authorized Signature Thomas E. Faust Jr., President
Attest:
-------------------------------
Barbara E. Campbell, Treasurer
|
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ____________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto _____________________________ Shares represented by
this Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
____________________________________ Attorney to transfer the said Shares on the
books of the within named Fund with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated ______________________________, ________________
In presence of
Shares of Common Shares evidenced by this Certificate may be sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of only pursuant to the provisions of the Fund's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, a copy of which may be at the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Fund will furnish to any shareholder, upon request and without charge, a full statement of the designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of each class of series of capital stock of the Fund authorized to be issued, so far as they have been determined, and the authority of the Board of Trustees to determine the relative rights and preferences of subsequent classes or series. Any such request should be addressed to the Secretary of the Fund.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
Organized Under the Laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Auction Preferred Shares, Series E $.01 Par Value Per Share $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share
Cusip No. _____________
This certifies that The Depository Trust Company is the owner of [ ] fully paid and non-assessable shares of Auction Preferred Shares, Series E, $.01 par value per share, $25,000 Liquidation Preference Per Share, of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the "Fund") transferable only on the books of the Fund by the holder thereof in person or by duly authorized Attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. This Certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the transfer agent and registrar.
A statement in full, of all the designations, preferences, qualifications, limitations, restrictions and special or relative rights of the shares of each class authorized to be issued, will be furnished by the Fund to any shareholders upon request and without charge.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officers and its Seal to be hereunto affixed this [ ]th day of January A.D. 2004.
DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS EATON VANCE SENIOR FLOATING-RATE TRUST
As Transfer Agent and Registrar
By: By:
-------------------------------- ------------------------------
Authorized Signature Thomas E. Faust Jr., President
Attest:
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Barbara E. Campbell, Treasurer
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FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ____________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto _____________________________ Shares represented by
this Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
____________________________________ Attorney to transfer the said Shares on the
books of the within named Fund with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated ______________________________, ________________
In presence of
Shares of Common Shares evidenced by this Certificate may be sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of only pursuant to the provisions of the Fund's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, a copy of which may be at the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Fund will furnish to any shareholder, upon request and without charge, a full statement of the designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of each class of series of capital stock of the Fund authorized to be issued, so far as they have been determined, and the authority of the Board of Trustees to determine the relative rights and preferences of subsequent classes or series. Any such request should be addressed to the Secretary of the Fund.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT
We consent to the use in this Initial Registration Statement of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust on Form N-2 filed by the Fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") (Registration No. 811-21411) of our report dated November 13, 2003, relating to the financial statements of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust as of November 12, 2003 in the Statement of Additional Information which is part of such registration statement.
We also consent to the references to our Firm under the heading "Independent auditors" in the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
December 9, 2003